Annihilation and desolation awaited the group of Kyros, Runa, and Sarra as they wandered back to the town square of Elpida town. The once boastful town of peace and serenity got reduced to a war-torn wasteland, burned and crumbled buildings piled along the street with bloody body bags. Kyros pinched his nose closed and turned his head away from the horrid sight. But, no matter where he looked, destruction surrounded him. The putrid smell of burnt corpses and blood flooded his mind with memories of his time back in Pandora City.
No matter where he went, the same thing happened over and over. Mourning cries reached his ears as he watched several townspeople walk alongside the line of body bags. The War Dogs accompanied the people and used them to help identify the bodies. People of all ages wallowed in their sorrow once they found their loved ones--or whatever remained of them.
"My Goddess..." Sarra said under her breath. The sight of the utter destruction was nothing new to her. But with each time she witnessed such gruesome atrocities, she looked at it as if she'd experienced it for the first time.
Runa noticed her partner's uneasiness. She set a firm hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry; it's fine."
"How is any of this fine?" asked Sarra. She couldn't understand how Runa could've found any silver lining within the piles of destruction around them.
"We'll find that terrorist and put a stop to her," Kyros announced. He clenched his fists and proceeded forward. With each step that he took toward the center of the square, he recalled the steps he took last night during the terrorist attack. He went over every choice, every decision he made against the monsters that attacked the town. His eyes wandered to the corpses that he passed.
He wondered if he made different choices, different decisions, would it have saved the townspeople from their untimely demises? If he defeated the terrorist last night, would the attacks have stopped altogether?
"What he said," Runa nudged Sarra forward and followed after Kyros. The Huntress herself couldn't help but point out the severed limbs around the town square. It must've been a pain for the military to collect all those pieces together and try to identify who they belonged to. One would think she'd show some level of remorse or guilt for her actions.
But she didn't.
Not a single indication of concern crossed Runa's face. It wasn't her first time dealing with death, and it wouldn't be her last.
She refused to divert her attention from her goal at hand; find anything that would lead her to the acolytes. Those bastards had run rampant around the country for long enough.
"I'll start questioning the War Dogs and see if they have any information on the acolytes," Kyros said.
"Alright. Sarra and I will look through the wreckage." Runa said.
"Meet back up in a couple of hours?" Sarra suggested.
"Sounds fair." The group went their separate ways.
Kyros wandered around and questioned the War Dogs about last night's events; however, none of them revealed any useful information. A few soldiers boasted about their exploits in the battle, while others heckled him. Kyros wondered why he even bothered trying to speak with the War Dogs.
Relationships between his faction and theirs was that of water and oil.
"Even in a crisis, they're assholes," Kyros muttered under his breath. "I hope others have an easier time than I am."
"Captain Kyros!" The military man turned when a feminine voice reached his ears. Further down the deformed road came a woman clad in bronze armor with a sash tied diagonally around her body. Displayed proudly on her chest plate was a medallion that featured owl wings and the letter 'z.'
The woman tripped over some debris and slid across the ground, kicking up dirt in the process. She came to a stop at Kyros' feet.
Just when Kyros moved to help; the woman shot up from the ground and saluted.
"Lieutenant Cassie, reporting for duty, sir!" Cassie enthusiastically announced; her dirt-smeared, scratched up face beamed with confidence.
"Good to have you here, Lieutenant." Kyros smiled and brushed the debris off his subordinate's face with his hand.
"Permission to embrace you, sir?" Cassie requested.
"What?"
Next thing Kyros knew, he found himself pulled into a tight embrace.
"I'm so glad that you're alive, Captain! I heard what you went through in Pandora city and here!" Cassie bawled her eyes out while Kyros tried to escape from her grasp. "Don't ever tackle things like that alone ever again!"
"That's enough, Cassie!" Kyros shoved the woman off him.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Cassie gathered herself and settled down. "When I heard everything you went through from the others. I believed you needed a hug."
"Well, thanks for that. I'm fine." Kyros assured her, knowing how emotional his subordinate got at times. "Did you get the information that I sent?"
Cassie nodded her head and pulled out her Milo. A holographic image of a little girl with pigtails appeared above the screen. "Melanie Elisavet, one of the Last King's offspring. She suddenly disappeared from the country two decades ago along with her uncle and this man..."
A holographic image of Taurian appeared next to Melanie's.
"Who's that?" Kyros inquired.
"He was given the nickname, "Mad Bull" Taurian. He's a Beastia that ran rampant throughout Soteria around thirty years ago. He was defeated and sentenced to life in Tartarus." Cassie revealed. "I heard he recently returned and attacked Spero Town last night."
"Son of a bitch. That means he's one of them too."
"The Jaya Acolytes you mean?" Cassie maneuvered through the settings of her Milo. Several articles about the Jaya Acolytes popped up in front of them. "I've heard of their exploits throughout smaller countries around Salome. But, I've never heard of them attacking countries of our size."
"They're confident they can pull it off," Kyros noted as he thought back to the arrogance that exuded from Melanie that dreadful night. "Melanie's one hell of a swordswoman, an Exousia that can raise the dead, she can harbor Varvara and control them, and she has black Praus."
Cassie's eyes sparkled after she heard her superior list off the abilities of their enemy. Her admiration and respect towards the man only grew as she thought about everything he went through to survive against Melanie. No ordinary human could fight such a formidable foe and come out alive.
But, Kyros did.
"What a dangerous combination," Cassie cooed. "That goes to show how amazing you are by surviving against her. You're incredible, Captain."
Kyros clicked his tongue and turned his head away from his subordinate. Surviving against his recent enemies didn't sit well with him. It left a bad taste in his mouth.
He wanted more.
He didn't just want to survive. He desired to defeat his enemies.
Both Thelo and Melanie made him look like a fool and slaughtered innocent people.
"Next time I see her, I'm putting an end to her reign of terror," Kyros swore.
"Don't do it alone, Captain. Let us help you. You shouldn't fight Exousia by yourself anymore." Cassie pleaded.
"I'm not alone. I've found some new allies that'll fight with me." Kyros stated.
Cassie's jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. She tightly grasped her Captain's shoulders and violently shook him. "Who are they?! Who could you trust more to fight by your side than your unit?!
"They're Huntresses!" Kyros responded and took a step back.
Cassie's lips quivered. Her arms and legs trembled. Her Captain's words opened the floodgates. Tears streamed down her face as the woman dropped down to her knees in despair.
"How could you trust Huntresses more than us?!"
"It's not a matter of trust. Rather, we have similar circumstances, and I don't have to worry about them as much." Kyros used a calm tone in an attempt to soothe his subordinate. Wandering eyes of spectators fell on them. He wanted to end the troublesome situation as soon as possible. "Now get up. I need your help in my investigation."
Cassie's tears ceased on command. She stood to her feet and saluted. "Right! What else do you need from me, Captain?"
Kyros pulled out shattered remains of the orbs Melanie used last night to summon the Varvara. He set them in Cassie's hand and said, "I'm going to need your help to analyze these. This is what Melanie used to call the Varvara."
"Incredible. I can already feel an ominous presence from these shards." Cassie said. "We'll have to take this to headquarters and get these examined."
"I'll also need your help in gathering as much information on the acolytes as you can."
"I've already done that, Captain. Check your Milo," Cassie requested.
Kyros pulled out his Milo and stared at the screen with wide eyes. Several missed calls and unread messages plagued his screen. Most of them were from his superiors back at Headquarters.
"Oh no," Kyros skimmed through the messages, dreading the information that resided in them.
"I've been trying to tell you days ago that the Council has been requesting to see you," Cassie revealed. "They want a detailed report about everything you've encountered in the past few days. The Exousia at Soteria city and the attack here."
Bullets of sweat poured down the military man's face. A total of thirteen unread messages filled his inbox. Thirteen. A permissible amount would be one or two.
But, thirteen was inexcusable.
Kyros allowed his circumstances to interfere with his military duties. He dreaded the punishment he'd receive from headquarters for his transgression. No amount of excuses would save him from their wrath.
Without another word, Kyros took off down the road with Cassie quickly following after him.
Meanwhile, Runa and Sarra remained in the town square. The Huntresses looked under every pile of rubble they could find in the area; trying to leave no stone left unturned. Despite their efforts, not a single piece of evidence from Melanie remained. That only damaged Runa's pride.
She already boasted to Kyros that she'd face a trail one way or another. To talk such a big game and come out short, in the end, didn't sit well with her; especially with Sarra nearby. Failure, while her partner was around, was unacceptable.
But, there truly was nothing left other than debris and corpses. Even if there was a slim chance of a trail; Runa doubted that she'd find it within a single day. That irritated her. The longer the Huntress spent searching, the more time the acolytes had time to plan their next move.
"Runa, you find anything?" Sarra called out to her.
"No, nothing." Runa reluctantly shook her head. "I think we've come to a dead end."
"That's rare. You of all people admitting defeat." Sarra brought her hand up to her mouth and snickered.
"I'm not admitting defeat," Runa quickly announced. She didn't want the wrong ideas going through the little girl's head. She'd be damned if she allowed Sarra to mock her. "I'm just saying that acolyte got us good this time. But, she'll slip up sooner or later."
"Let's hope for sooner." Sarra took a seat on a broken support beam and gazed out at the desolated town square. The number of people in the area only increased as more townspeople arrived in a desperate search for their loved ones. "I don't want this to happen again. To anyone."
"Bring back memories?" Runa placed her hand on Sarra's shoulder. The little girl nodded her head and wiped away a tear that left her eye.
"Yeah..."
"Don't worry. Next time that bitch rears her head around, I'll cut it off." Runa proclaimed.
"You swore again," Sarra laughed.
"Nice to see that you Wild Landers can laugh in a situation like this," The Huntresses turned their heads and saw Captain Alec approach them. His menacing expression caused Sarra to get up and step behind Runa for safety.
"Whaddya want War Dog?" Runa questioned. "I don't have any business with you."
"Unfortunately, I have some business with you," Alec said. "I believe that the people here deserve the right to know what happened to their beloved ones."
The War Dog's voice projected and reached the ears of those nearby. Soon enough, all eyes moved to the Huntresses.
"Runa? What's he doing?" Sarra asked.
"I've got a few ideas," Runa narrowed her eye as the people crowded around them. Stares mixed with hatred and sorrow pierced through the bodies of the Huntresses. "You all wanna know what happened? This town got attacked by a Jaya Acolyte and Varvara. But, we took care of it."
"Took care of it?" Alec sneered. He waved his arm out towards the devastation around him. "Can you call this destruction dealt with, huh? People have lost their homes, their loved ones. It certainly doesn't help that you dismembered all these people."
Angered murmurs passed around the town square as the Soterians kept their eyes on the Huntresses.
"I cut 'em up 'cause that acolyte controlled 'em. I told you that already," Runa jeered at the War Dog. She understood what the man tried to do. Since he lost face last night due to the attack; he must've figured he could redeem himself by pushing the blame onto her.
"That was you?!" An angered townsperson shouted. More and more shouts of rage and frustration flooded the Huntresses' ears.
"My wife's dead because of you!"
"I can't find my brother's head!"
"Where's my father you, Wild Lander?!"
"Do you hear the cries of the people? You disregarded the bodies of their loved ones and you disgraced them!" Alec exclaimed. "Not only that, but you haven't even lifted a finger to help those that you've harmed!"
"And? What about 'em?" Runa looked at the Soterian's in the area. Their expressions of anger, frustration, sorrow; all meant nothing to her. "So they lost some houses and people they love — tough shit. Everyone loses something eventually. Get over it."
Alec's eyebrows furrowed after he heard the woman's callous response. He expected nothing less from a Wild Lander. A savage through and through. No guilt or remorse.
"You've got some nerve saying that to these people! You're here in our country with our permission to complete your quest!" Alec pointed at Runa. "But, you couldn't even do that when your enemy stood right before your very eyes!"
"Yeah, I failed, so what?! I'm not perfect!" Runa proudly stated. "I'm here to hunt and exterminate the monsters attacking your country. They're coming from the acolytes. I'll track em' down and take 'em out! But, don't mistake me for some warrior of justice! I'm only here to complete my mission and get my money! I don't give a damn about what happens to you people!"
"Have you no shame for the pain you've caused?!" Alec exclaimed.
"As long as I complete my mission, I don't care how many people I hurt to do it!" Runa crossed her arms over her chest. "You people can blame me for whatever you want, but it won't change anything. You've lost your homes and those you loved. Yelling at me won't bring them back."
"You--"
"Shut up!" Runa's voice boomed and silenced Alec. "I've had it with you! You blame me for what happened here, but you're at fault too! You didn't arrive on the scene until the acolyte escaped! It's your job to keep the people safe, and yet so many died last night! What's your excuse?!"
Alec gritted his teeth and took a step back, not having prepared an immediate rebuttal to the woman's counter. Runa smirked once she gained the upper hand in the argument.
She opened her mouth to continue with her vicious verbal assault, but, she stopped when she spotted Kyros and Cassie break through the crowd.
"Runa? Sarra? What's going on here?" Kyros asked.
"Mr. Kyros!" Sarra peered her around out from behind Runa and smiled.
"Nothing much. Some mutt tried barking at me," Runa answered.
Kyros and Cassie's gaze moved to Alec.
"What did you do?" Kyros narrowed his eyes at the War Dog.
"I simply told these people the truth," Alec defended himself. "That Huntress couldn't do her job. The acolyte was right in front of her, and she let her escape. Now that I think about it, you were there also."
"Yes, I was there. I fought with Runa." Kyros stated with a nod of his head. The eyes of judgment that focused on Runa soon divided between the two.
"A Wild Lander and a traitor, fighting side by side against an acolyte. That's a crazy story if I've ever heard one," Alec laughed. "What's the point of having any of you around if you can't do your jobs. I did mine and kept the town and its people standing. What's your excuse?"
"Son of a b--" Runa stopped once Kyros held his arm out.
"You're pathetic, Alec. Blaming us won't do any good. You can steer everyone's hatred toward us if you want, but it won't change the fact that Jaya Acolytes are still out there in our country." Kyros stepped forward and got in the War Dog's face. "We've got a lead that can help us track them down. So, if you're through playing games, move out of our way."
Kyros shoved Alec aside and gestured for his allies to find him. Cassie, Runa, and Sarra wasted no time in passing by the stunned War Dog. They broke through the crowd and continued down the road, not bothering to look back.
"Captain, that was amazing!" Cassie cooed. She sharply turned her head and held her hand out toward the Huntresses. "I'm Lieutenant Cassie by the way."
"Runa das Meer," Runa introduced herself.
"Sarra Zosime," Sarra responded.
"Nice to meet you." Cassie smiled.
"So, where are we going?" Runa asked.
"Soteria City; the capital of the country. As I said, we may have found a breakthrough in our search for the acolytes."