Vie, Hannah, and Todd were surrounded. It was honest to God mistake. The rotating fan vent was far from what they expected, no, it was more like they didn't intend to their instinct. It was bold of them to do, but it takes something to think that there will be no resistance.
It was quite a match. The three worked together and slaughtered the guards. Sweating, tired, exhausted, breathing through their nose, hands trying to keep steady. The three thought wrong about the situation and ended up here. No matter how strong they were, or how much they were able to fight at the fall of Oasis City. The situation was far complicated, the enemies of the Inner Lands were protecting the fan vent; the wind purifier that keeps the air inside the underground city, uncontaminated.
So it was a mistake for the three. But however, at this time they didn't expect the arrival of a lone figure clad in a cloak, his left hand covered in obsidian, his eyes glowing bloody red, his sword was splicing the air, the pressure of the jet cutter coated blade of his placed fear on the eyes of the enemy.
He moved. His body moved with a lowered posture. With his combat posture, he slashed at the enemies with the incredible flow, each hit connected with another, his movements were like water, he dodged through instinct and countered with extreme finesse. It was a natural movement of a man who was used to fighting in a battlefield packed like sardines. It was only a moment but that was enough for the three to break the stalemate, crushed the surrounding enemies and broke through the enemy's defenses.
It was foolish to give Hannah the chance. Todd was not powerless. He crushed through the enemy and purged with the power of the sun at his behest. The enemy stood no chance against the four's whirlwind of death, the narrow ruined hall was now covered in a pool of blood.
"How disgusting."
She clicked her tongue through the gap of her teeth. Her eyes narrowed at the scene of death littered the decrepit hallways of this ancient ruin. Todd sheathed his bladed and closed his master. The panting Vie struggled, lifted his head and gazed at the person who broke the stalemate.
"Brother?"
"Yo, Vie."
He hollered at her casually, his blank face, his steely gaze was enough for Vie to confirmed that it was indeed, Nolan. The Nolan that saved him from the well when she thought the hope was lost. The person who tried to save the Oasis City from falling.
"It has been a while."
She grunted, nearing Nolan and bumping fist at this brother figure of hers. A warm smile crept upon Vie's face, and this made the blank-faced Nolan smile thinly as well. Hannah, who was circulating the mana on her body took a step near Vie as well.
"You are alive, that is not surprising."
"Lady Hannah."
He bowed with respect. His hood fell, revealing a slightly silver hair. It almost like it started to whiten after something. Hannah returned the respect, her head lowered as she greeted the Bleak Walker who she saw wonderfully fight in the Oasis City and now.
"I expected you to be lost. But I must admit that your spectacular rescue was quite something."
"I did not do it all myself.'
"Yes."
She smiled sincerely. Todd nodded, crossed his arms, agreeing to his master and mistress. Vie palmed her cheeks, she looked at the three, smiled and placed her hands on her hips. There was a cheeky grin happening on her face. It was almost shining.
"Well, that's enough for compliments. I expected the three of you to meet resistance but to see you all surrounded by the Sires."
"So you know them? These beasts?"
"I do."
Nolan nodded briskly. Hannah touched her chin. Vie perked up her ears while Todd kept his arms crossed. Nolan threw a swift cut and decapitated a Sire's head. He took the head, unmasked it, and revealed a pale-faced man with elvish features.
"A sire, guardians of the Underground Cities, home of the humans. They are the people who are living under the barren land and that fan is what keeps them alive. Are you all planning to murder an entire race?"
"You are saying that this would lead?"
"To an end...but I do not recommend this solution."
Nolan growled at Todd. His face was monstrous as it is. It didn't have any sign of kindness and all was left was a calculating and murderous Nolan. It was a moment of lapse and without caring about Ciara's being and her safety. Nolan's steeled-battle-hardened self would truly emerge. It should not be mistaken. He was a person who would soften up at the thought of his love. But out of that love, when he was moving in a path of what he was hardened at.
Nolan would become the person that he became after Ciara died in front of him. The time he spent with Ciara was sweet and beautiful. But that time was mostly lost when he continued down the path of a Bleak Walker. It was a path that steeled his heart. He could count the days that he spent with Ciara but was drilled inside his head was the path of a Bleak Walker.
So how could the three who has not seen the hell that was seen by Nolan could stand still without fear? Todd moved in front of Hannah while Vie took a step back, body trembling at the sight of Nolan who turned back into the bitter Bleak Walker that he was.
Nolan himself knew that after moving away from Ciara's light that he started to act up again. It was akin to having a disorder. It was a 'self' that he created in order to continue down the path that he has already walked. No matter how normal he thought of himself. It didn't mean that he didn't become twisted at some point in the future.
Nolan Salvatore -- the young man who was once taken to this world forcibly. The person that was played with by fate, clawed his way to the top, met a woman who he fell in love and admired and then died at the face of the sun's light intoxicated at seeing the world's happy end.
And this Nolan Salvatore was giving the three who would murder cities his advise.
"Speak?"
Hannah pointed her staff at the steeled Nolan. Her expression grave, her hands trembling despite her calm face, it was a reaction to the malevolent person before her who reeked of death.
"I am telling you that path is not right. Imagine that you are a ruler of underground cities. You watch over your people in hopes of protecting them. You live in a land of wasteland where you are constantly sickened by a disease. You hear the agony of the children and your people – unable to stop it because of your role. Now, kill those people, let him know that his subjects are dead and the people he is protecting are gone. Now what that would ruler do after knowing who did to his people?"
"He will rage."
Hannah answered. She was trying to ignore the blank-faced Nolan who was leaking violence and despair. Her face crumpled, her hands still trembling as it is. Todd didn't move. In fact, he thought that taking a step would kill him. The blade that Nolan had was far too deadly for him. Even a Sunspawn Knight feared the blade that was held by this Bleak Walker.
"That's right he will rage. A cornered rational being with emotions would rage. He would be angry at the folks that killed his subjects. He would feel cornered. He would want to gain justice. Talking to us would mean nothing. He will not talk with humans and he will push down his wrath upon this land in exchange for what the humans did. Did you know? Those who lost everything are much dangerous. A cornered animal fights harder. You should know this. Cornering and giving the enemy no heart means that you'd truly insulted the devil."
Hannah frowned hard. Todd nodded his head, his spread arms stern as it could be. Hannah lifted her face, pointing it at the Nolan who was acting like a wall, as if even the three would fight him, they would not move this wall. Hannah could find no reason to fight this wall.
"I know. But to reduce their number would mean victory for us. I do not understand this. Why would you impede on such grand opportunity?"
"Because I know what comes. Look into my eyes, Hannah. I don't have these sigils for anything. I saw what monstrosities that the Overlord has. I crossed the pale plains; I trudged through the hellish marsh and swam the river of Styx once. You know nothing on what they could do. They have the power to turn this world into the end. And you are here trying to provoke the world this early—and the worst part of it is that you are going to use Vie's poisoned hair to do your dirty job."
Nolan could tell what they were planning. If she wasn't here then they would have used another way to destroy the underground cities. He has seen it all and it was a disaster that turned the demons into something worse than they already are.
"But they wouldn't know who did it."
Nolan looked around the room.
"Too late for that isn't it?"
Hannah gave a scowling look.
"We can still burn them. Can't you see? This poison of hers would allow us to release toxins that would kill them. They won't know what will hit them and we can lie about what happened."
"You fool."
Nolan shook his and move his wrist.
"Are you really going with that? Do you think of the Overlord as a brainless fool? How long do you think that bastard has live through this world?"
"And you know?"
"Because I know it and you don't know."
Nolan's answer was far too vague for Hannah to understand. She wanted to suspect him but that alone was able to shut her up. She could not deny Nolan's truth and that alone was enough for her to step back. Nolan squared his body and stared at her.
"I admit that your words are correct. That killing them this way would indeed give us an advantage. But I do not like fighting monsters that turned themselves into monsters. Lady Hannah, your intentions are wonderful but I do not like it. I simply do not like the way it would be heading – thus I am here to stop you."
"Why do you care so much about them?"
Nolan snorted loudly, showing his disdain.
"I lived my life killing them. Do you think that I have a love for them? No, you mistake my advised as a kind one. I am merely weighing the pros and con. And giving the enemy the goal and motivation to kill and murder us all is something that I am not fond of. I came here at first to help but remembering something I decided against helping you achieve a horrible a choice."
"You are an arrogant man."
Hannah hissed at him. She was angry but her reason told her better. Her expression gradually calmed down and she looked at Nolan with a cold gaze. Todd lowered his arms, his right hand ready to draw his Sunspawn sword. He was her knight and it was natural of him to protect her.
Vie didn't expect to hear all of those words from Nolan. To her, most of his words made sense. She was not a hateful person, she never really wished for a massacre. Her heart however faltered, she looked at Hannah and Todd who wanted to use her hair to poison a city of monsters.
"Arrogant? No, I am just an experienced man who has gone through hell. None of you kids can understand it."
Todd wanted to sneer at that remark. But he snickered at it. It was absurd for Todd to call them kids when they have the same youthfulness.
"I may look like this. But I am not as a young you think I am."
That alone took Todd back.
"You don't look like a long-lived race."
"You don't know anything, Todd. Give it up."
Todd sneered. He crossed his arms and took a step away from Nolan. Hannah, who was glad seeing Nolan, did the same, leaving Vie and Nolan alone. Nolan found no reason to hold his sword, he sheathed it and gave a meaningless sigh. This kind of meeting was not good.