Chapter 8 "Testament"
"Against all the corruption that Evil can conjure, all the wickedness that mankind can produce, we shan't send unto them . . . thou. Rippeth and Teareth, until it is done."
Hell Break: Retribution of the Slayer.
* * * * * *
Fleshy skin, detached limbs, and rotten entrails are all but what remains of the revenant corpse, It blots all over the greenery with its black blood, staining the once beautiful scenery with viscera, as the crimson eyed gore splattered Masha heaved heavily in strained breaths.
Slowly relaxing from her bout of rage and overtly monstrous countenance, reflective that off her past that is also her future.
Jaded, anxious, fearing, yet filled with emboldened anger. As the color of her pupils slowly return to normality.
Before slumping to the ground from the over exertion of regal power within her.
"Masha!" Siera cried out, tears and fear still planted on her face, before being changed to that of concern and gratefulness.
For the young merchant awaited her friends condition over her own stressful life threatening experience.
Coddling the young Vanadis, for dear life as she saw her incredibly tired form.
"Are you well?! Please be well!" As Siera held her only to be comforted by the same exhausted person, as if her life is more important than her own.
"All is well, are you okay?! did it bite or wound you in any way!" Masha quickly asked checking Siera for any mortal blows or lethal wounds in dire need of herbal attention.
Yet both their worries are expressed for naught, as they both are uninjured from the short encounter, only mentally or physically exhausted.
"No I am fine, but Masha you look tired what where you doing?! big sister." Siera even more so stated her own worries with evidence to back it up.
Only to be jokingly retorted by her saviors well made up excuse, "I was looking for you because I wanted to learn more about coinage?! Only to hear your yell, and this unholy thing trying to harm my dearest friend, my sister at heart!" She continued, still heavy breath, tiredness seeping on her eyes.
"But you . . . . ." Siera exhaled haggard and hard, she didn't know what to say this time and ponder over it for a while, before opening to speak her thoughts once more.
"You could have gotten even more hurt than me, I wouldn't know what to do -" Siera paused as distant booming sundered, rippling the sky with sonic might.
Two loud crashing where then heard behind them, as Masha immediately went into high observance, vigilant for all that will come to harm those she cherish.
Trying to perceive threat or allies that would have arrived from the initial encounter.
She stared deeply at the gust of dust that formed before her, but relaxed her stance.
Masha's worries are relieved as she saw the two figures arrival.
And there they stood, the trained warriors of the plateau the same guards tasked in monitoring the gate, one named Mikael and another Which she remembers as Aden.
The guards quickly encircled them in a protective formation, weapons at the ready, as Mikael looked at the rotting thing at the ground, trying to make do with the situation at hand.
After a few more seconds of nothing, Mikael gave Aden a knowing look, seeing both Masha and Siera are unharmed but mentally scarred, possibly for life.
Aden then took out a raven shaped whistle, and then blew said whistle with great urgency as if it were a call to heed, before long after a few seconds, three other figures wearing mithril armor, holding shields and wielding spears began to appear from the sky and unto the very dirt, unearthing the ground as they looked around with trained vigilance, there they see the dead thing on the ground twitching erratically.
One female, sporting a cape and heavy protective plated vestments, short bob cut, large steel made glaive at hand as she scanned the area.
Encircling the two on the ground as they guarded the victims of cryptic unholy assault.
Regal energy begins to form around one of their arms, a male guard, motioned his arms forward and the other backwards, gathering energy in one hand, before releasing its tension onwards, blue energy immediately bursted forth in a wave, as they destroyed the thing.
For they see it as an insult, desecration to all life, and maybe mercy to the creature to grant it eternal rest, for good.
Or to not further terrify any one who appears, and to save them from any other forms of unknown danger.
A consideration and assumption of such things, in order to secure the victims, and their safety as a whole for the village.
There as the thing was destroyed, both Mikael and Aden ushered forth then escorted the two girls back to Tyra Village. While the rest investigate the surroundings for information about the creatures appearance.
With Aden reporting to the high hierarchy incharge of the military of the village, and another, mainly Mikael guarding the two children at the post as he called for a messenger, manning the warriors hall once more to alert both parents of what happened to the two.
They begin to cleanse themselves and rid the filth off the creatures blood, using the town halls water, with the help off Mikael through his prestidigitation magiks.
As the dirt and grime washed off, onlookers begin to acquire out of curiosity, a crowd slowly formed, making the traumatized Siera nervous.
Mikael seeing this made gestures towards them, dismissing the rabble and taking the two inside the hall proper, before leading them towards a table, propping the both of them on children sized stools.
As Mikael tells them, "I will get mushroom soup for the both of you, stay right where you are." He paused before continuing with his romanian accent. "And don't feel pressured to not ask questions, or if you need to go take a potty." Before leaving to acquire stress releasing suppliments.
The two stayed together, with Siera terrified and hugging Masha, while Masha comforted her and contemplating the existence and appearance of the creature known to be an animated corpse or revenant in short.
'How did that appear and why now? I hope it's not a result of me returning back in time . . . . . I - wait.' Masha deeply racked her smarts for such odds to happen.
Yet couldn't come to the conclusion for such a thing except for chains of events that happened seperately because of what she did that may have changed the future, or maybe something else entirely.
Only coming unto negative thoughts and assumptions on the reason on how it's there and not why it's there.
'There could be only a few possibilities that could've led this to happen, one somebody died near the plateau with a vengeful spirit and uncleansed body, two it happened to come from the forest far north from the dark mire, three . . . a necromancer is staying in the village and summoned that vile thing to practice their dark arts, and fourth the worst . . . . . hell has already sent its first fodder, scouting ahead of schedule.'
Thinking this, Masha was abrupted by Siera who stopped crying and then asked her. "Will you be okay, your shaking a little bit?! big sister?" She hugged the latter's arm deeply.
"Siera don't worry I am just tired, after all big sister spent a lot of energy just to save you today, this is nothing compared to seeing you get or be hurt." Masha replied with a soft and reassuring smile.
As Siera called out, "Big Sister Masha." sniffing as her eyes continued to ball out.
Then Siera pleaded with reason, "Just don't put yourself in danger for me please, call for help -" as she was again cut off by Masha's retort, "But who would have known what would have happened when I ran back to call for help, that foul thing was inching closer to you?!"
"I - I could still run away I am smaller than what that was . . . . . I" As Siera continued to reason yet, Masha stops her retort as she only hugged her friend . . . . no sister.
"Its all over now, I think we are both in shock with what happened, we don't need to dwell over it for any longer." Masha replied while coddling her.
Siera paused a while longer before indulging in the embrace.
Two continued to embrace each other for a couple of seconds, before Mikael comes back with a tray holding two bowls of soup at hand, as he serves it to them before saying.
"Soup is ready, and you two wait for your parents to pick you up, you don't have to stay here if you don't want too, your free to go."
Siera sighed in relief, while Masha has a tinge of surprise on her features.
"Oh okay then, but I though we need to tell them what we saw and happened." Siera replied to Mikael questioningly.
"There is no need for that child, we will handle it, also tell your friends not to go outside for a while."
"I will." Siera nodded while Masha starred at Mikael with blank face before nodding in unison with Siera as her inner thoughts flooded with even more questions.
'Thats odd, usually they would ask anyone regardless of age on what transpired?!, maybe it's because we are to young or something? no I destroyed that thing they should be atleast questioning me?! that really is strange . . .'
As Masha thoughts pondered over, Siera urged her to eat her soup, snapping out of it as they are to have their fill.
Still wondering why she doesn't need to give a testament at the back of her mind . . . . .
* * * * * *
The smell of moldy moss and rotten flesh permeated throughout the area, as the ruined stone bricks lay in tatters within the small housing, combined with a familiar outer land of great trees as further north is the plateau with the village atop it like a fortress.
In the dusked shadows between twilight and noon, a silhouette stretched forth, its obsidian tethered arms loomed over the light as it holds the broken unkept greening walls, causing cracks to appear on it.
Horns, darker than the night peer outward, as this creature with three glowing blood shot goat eyes open, highlighting its features further with monstrous origins.
Revealing itself as it starred over the utopia, its ghoulish goat maw extends up to reveal a set of jagged and broken teeth as it stood there, with infernal fire wreathing over its entirety, slowly enveloping itself with it.
Silently breathing.
It stood awaiting . . . . .