Haru gulped, not knowing what to feel, his grips on the mug became tighter and tighter, so much so that his hands trembled a bit. He glared at the stirring liquid inside wondering to himself if he should tell Ginji and Jean to stop. No. He reassured himself, he had to know.
- Is…is that why you gave me to…the village? - He asked, his voice shaky, anxious for an answer.
- Kinda… - Ginji rubbed his hand awkwardly. - You have to understand, ok? We tried everything, even calling for boons from the place's Wild Gods didn't help. Then one of us, the wisest amongst us, Isu of the City of Eternal Knowledge, suggested that if it's the sickness itself was magical in nature, we just need to put you somewhere that's devoid of magic.
- But why my village? - Mitsuki questioned. - We didn't have magic, yes, but do you know how dangerous it was for Haru? How hard it was for him? Couldn't you have, I don't know, send him somewhere else?
- You don't know anything about your mother, do you? - Jean asked softly, amused by the girl's inquiries.
- What do you mean? - Mitsuki turned to face the pale man.
- Well you see, the patch of territory that your village was in… - The pale man snapped his fingers, seemingly trying to find the right words. - well it's complicated, but you just need to know that due to very specific things, magic is nulled, mostly neutralized in that area, it's a bit tacky for fey folks to perform petty magic in it and near impossible for human to do so.
- On paper it seemed like the best way to syphon away the effects of the disease. - Ginji nodded, crossing his arms and tilting his head a bit. - But…Quetz had a war to fight, and none of us really have the time to discreetly visit you. The best we could've done was hope that Shinju would at least tell you something about yourself, or at least take you to see Keto when he's there in his exile.
- But…exile? - Haru tilted his head. - From what? Isn't he…a high chief?
- He was inflicted with the same magical disease at you, Runty. - Jean said quietly. - He tried his best to fight both the war and his illness, despite us telling him to take it easy but…he's not always the one to listen to reasons. By the time the war was beginning to fall into our favor, his health and mind were…affected, so we exiled him, temporarily to the valley so he could heal properly.
- And healed he did.
Lucious' voice interrupting the pale man's words making all of them turned to the door, where the Lord Inquisitor was entering, daunting his jet black armor encrusted with crimson gems on the chest plate and wrist gauntlets. On one shoulder there's a normal shoulder plate fashioned in the same material and style of the rest of the armor, on the other he mounted a skull of a fearsome beast encased in gold. Around his hips flown a dark cape with crimson fringes, tucked under the waist armor plates that secured the gem encrusted needle-like sword with rain guard crafted in the same style as Quetz's sword. It was the spitting image of Lucious in Haru's visions and dreams, the black haired man has barely changed at all, with the only exception being the crisscrossing dark red tattoos under his left golden eye.
- Sorry to interrupt you, - He took quick steps toward them, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. - but Father wanted me to personally guard you while he…deals with the incursion.
- What now? - Jean tilted his head backward. - Are the human "storming" the wall for more food again?
- If it's been that then my Inquisition would have been more than enough to pacify them. - Lucious mumbled in disapproval. - He's sent for you, master, something about artillery supports.
- It's the Horde, isn't it? - The pale man sat up, eyes frowning into a concerned expression.
Lucious didn't reply, he didn't need to, as the fact that he was here alone was more than enough Jean to understand the severity of the situation. The pale man sighed and stood up, his crimson trench coat seemed to trail a red mist that thickened with each steps. The strange miasma enveloped him, swirling, shrouding him in its embrace completely, before two great leathery wings burst from the veil much to the children's horror. With a loud shriek, the man, the creature in the mist flapped his mighty wings, vaulting into the air and quickly flying out of sight, leaving behind the mortified children and their two guardians.
Lucious was the first to move, sitting down on Jean's emptied seat, his long tail impaled the back of the armchair, sweeping from side to side patiently as Haru and Mitsuki were still having their eyes glued to the sky, afraid that the winged beast would return. For the longest time, they just sat there, not knowing what to do, to say or even to expect.
- Don't worry about him, - Lucious smiled at Haru, conjuring a tall glass of dark red liquid into his hand. - Master Jean is always dramatic like that.
- He's not…dangerous, is he? - Mitsuki asked in hushed tone, slowly turning her gaze downward but still glancing at the sky fearfully.
- His kind is…less feral than me and Father. - The black haired man replied with a bit of uncertainty. - But, yes, he's not very dangerous to you.
- What do you mean…feral? - Haru asked shyly.
- Well…see for yourself. - Lucious rolled his eyes in contemplation, before snapping his fingers.
Crimson butterflies with tattered wings began to manifest around them thin air, dozens of them, the way they seemingly fluttered in and out of reality in ever shifting shades of red made Haru think of the butterfly that Quetz has created a while back. These ones however were different, they're more…materialized, stronger with more distinct features, more like living smoke that crystalized air, making the white haired boy wonder if they really were made of the same stuffs for the same purpose. The ghostly insects clung into each others one by one, until an orb of shimmering wings and smoke was all that was left, hanging by an unseen thread in midair. The tattered wings began to melt into smoke, swirling into a red cloud and expanding into the size of a small boulder, moving shapes and sounds became clearer and clearer as it did.
With each second passed, the clouds slowly parted, revealing a barrage of multi-colored projectiles, cracking lightning and raging waves of pure magical power smashing into the hordes of hundreds, if not thousands of horned humanoid with furry goat legs. Those that survived the magical onslaught charged at the lone, armored figure from which all the terrible assaults were coming from, only to be cut down with a swing of that gleaming blue sword and razor-sharp claws. Haru's heart skipped a beat, he let out a small, almost inaudible gasp as he recognized that armor, that black, gold-trimmed armor decorated with blue gems and markings, six spikes jutting out from the figure's back, thrumming with the rampant magical power making them resemble a pair of glowing wings.
He was missing his ornate crown of silver dragon wings, but the magical, glowing halo above his head, along with the waist cape billowing in the winds made him look no less majestic. Quetz fought alone, waging into the horde of savage goat-men without any mercy, not unlike how he did with the fish-men back in the village, each attack cut down dozens of his enemies. A vision, perhaps? Haru asked himself, as this Quetz was far from the gentle, loving man that he loves, he was a force of nature, manifesting his wrath into devastating blows that obliterate everything in his path. Yet the massive wall behind him continuing sending out explosive barrages to cover for their lord, cleaning off anything that get through him.
The entire area outside the wall has been evacuated, leaving only an emptied field, perfect for bombardments and for Quetz to unleash all of his power. More enemies surged forward, giant, towering humanoid with the heads of bulls, wielding massive axes and clubs made from salvaged material, pushing away smaller goat-men, overly confidence in their bulk and strength. Their arrogance proved to be their downfall, as the white haired man jerked his freed hand up, multi-colored circles and runes flashes in and around his arm. Tendrils of pure magic sprouted from the frozen ground, belching out corrosive acids and fire, vortexes of flame swirled into existence in the middle of the hordes, vague humanoid shapes made of lightning charged toward the beasts and exploded in flashes of brilliant white and blue. Glowing made of pure energy now surged from the man's outstretched hand, charging through the hordes, disintegrating everything they touched.
Before long, Quetz was surrounded by thousands of charred and mangled corpses of beast-men, columns of smokes thick with magical residues rose from the carnage, with craters littered the ground around him. Unlike the fish-men before, these beast-men seemed to know their limits, they backed away, roaring and waving their primitive weapons but not daring to come closer. It was then that Haru noticed Quetz's face, especially his eyes, amber orbs filled with tears, pain, rage and anguish still clearly presence in them.
- COME ON! - The white haired man roared, bearing his fearsome fangs and waving his mighty sword. - COME HERE AND PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HIM YOU FILTHY ANIMALS!
- What is he…talking about? - Mitsuki blinked, hands gripping at the cloudy material of the armchair.
- The accused told me everything. - Lucious snapped his head downward from the smoke screen, snarling in anger, not at Mitsuki, but at the mere mention of the villagers and their deeds. - Even…after all they've done, all their sins…he wouldn't let me punish them, - He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing out painful tears, his entire frame trembled from rage and anguish, his tail coiled tightly, his voice shaky. - he wouldn't punish them… They…those…heretics…those fiends…
Horror dawned on Mitsuki's confused face as she realized what the man was talking about. It was months before Haru met Quetz, he was cornered by the older kids in the village in a hunting trip, had it not been for the chieftain, the boy would've suffered more than he already has.
- They…violated the Young Lord… - Lucious burst into tears, his suppressed cry quickly followed as he bolted up from his seat and roared into the sky. The black haired man dove toward Haru, armored arms wrapping around the boy's thin frame, his head buried into the teenager's shoulder, crying and sputtering out apologizes for the crimes that he couldn't protect him from. - I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…
- Stop it… - Another shaky voice joined in, making Mitsuki and Haru turned around, just to see Loi has got out from his seat, tears streaming down his face. - You weren't there for him. - Words came pouring out, shaking from the sputtering lips, but harsh and cut deeply into the black haired man's soul. - None of you were. You claimed to be his true family. Yet you weren't there for him. So STOP IT!
Something snapped inside Lucious' head, Haru could felt it, felt him jolted, his grips slightly tightened on the back of his shirt, though not to the point of ripping through the silk woven fabric despite his undoubtedly razor sharp claws. Unconsciously, the white haired boy slowly let his hand stroke the older male short, shaggy black hair to comfort him, not in the same fashion as he did caressing Quetz's head to show affection as a lover, but in an almost parental way. Almost childishly, Lucious let his eyes close, or at least the boy thought he felt his eyes closed, purring as he nudged his head against the teenager's shoulder, before slowly pulling away. The teen watched as the older male slowly stood up, slightly sloughed forward, letting the boy see a warm, yet sad smile, of disappointment, not at Haru, but at Lucious himself.
- You're right. - Lucious murmured a reply to Loi, his golden eyes, filled with determination and…hatred. - We have never been there for him. I…have never been there for him. And I wish to fix that.
- You…what? - The tanned boy backed off a step as the Inquisitor walked closer to him, his eyes flared with malice, his lips curled into a sadistic, suggested Loi a hopeful expression but in a sickening fashion.
- I…want to fix that. - Something held the tanned boy in place, forcing him to stand still as Lucious brought his face to mere inches from his. His clawed gauntlet stretched out in a beckoning gesture, the clicking noises of metal parts against each others sent shiver down Loi's spine. - Please, tell me their names.
***
Their numbers seemed endless, pouring out from the forests and swept across the plains, cloven hooves tearing up patches of snowy. They were drawn here because their preys have gathered at this place, every single last one of them, thousands upon thousands of feral beast-men, and they will not stop coming. The ground around the lone warrior littered with the broken corpses of thousands of beast-men, fell by the magical onslaught that he unleashed or cut down by the Maw's defense. Still they kept on coming, bolstered by the presence of the towering bull-headed monstrosities the sizes of town houses with a single, flickering eye in the middle of their faces.
Quetz panted heavily, grunting at he felt his wounds started to rip inside his armor, the sensation of his wet life blood soaking dripping down his now weakening left arm. This is not good, he thought to himself, the magic that the magi casted upon him, along with the magic he used on himself to keep his body from falling were fading fast, he could felt his legs began to shake, succumbing to his weight and injuries. But he have to keep fighting, he have to buy them enough time to leave, to keep his oath.
A flash of brilliant red and orange exploded in front of Quetz as he was cutting down a raging minotaur, its heat and impact overloaded his senses in a flash, before he felt his feet left the gore-covered ground, sent flying along with the debris marked with runic symbols. The sky and ground seemed to have melded together as the white haired man was flung like a ragdoll across the barren field, he gritted his fanged teeth, stretching his limps every time he felt like he was about to hit the ground in a desperate attempt to stop himself from being blown away further but to no avail. Something hit his wounded, armored arm with the force of a charging rhinoceros, making him hissed in pain as he was bounced and spun midair from the impact.
- Hang on I'm coming! - Jean's voice cut through the shrieking winds, at the corner of his eyes, Quetz could see glimpses of the winged shadow dashing toward him.
- ON WHAT?! OOF! - The white haired man roared back, smashing against the ground again with another bounce that sent him spinning.
For split second, Quetz almost loose consciousness, his eyes dashed from one patches of shifting shapes and colors to another as he bounced again, and again, and again, each time with less force than the last, but still enough to made him feel like every bone in his body was being pulverized. He collided with something soft and leathery with a loud thud, the force from his travel sent both him and the thing sliding back on the freshly fallen snow, their claws and talons plowed up the ground to reduce their speed. Heaving himself from the red cushion that's caught him, Quetz saw great grey bat wings unfolded, his ears ringing, the sounds of the garrison's warriors swarming around them were muffled.
- You fucken arsehole. - Jean hissed, pushing the white haired man off him. - Get off me!
- Protect the High Lord! Medic! - An Anacondrai shrieked, standing between Quetz and the horde.
- No medic. - The white haired man grunted, trying to stand up but kept tripping on his own blood and weight. - Give me a healer… I need to keep fighting…
- Out of the question, champ. - Jean stood up, his massive bat wings slowly warped back into his arms, his crimson eyes stared at the horde of beast-men as they started their slow yet loud march.
A strange, dark field seemed to be surrounding them, warping the air, shielding them from any magical attempt to hinder their advance. The pale man snorted, hand raised high, waving in midair drawing a red glowing circle of magic. The sky above them was set ablaze, as dozens of glowing double ringed circles of conjuration, each decorated with powerful runic symbols manifested in thin air, collecting specks of glowing red magic drifting around into their center. Fiery projectiles launched themselves across the field, fired from the circles, zigzagging through the air before slamming head first into the hordes.
Just as he's predicted, the balls of fire exploded into a firework display of fire and debris before they can reach the horde, leaving them unharmed. Immediately, the giant one-eyed minotaurs hurled great boulders toward them response, another volleys from the red circles destroyed them, sending debris falling down and crashed before the great wall. Something was conjuring a force field of magic, it was a big one, but the way it rippled and shimmered when hit by the barrage betrayed its nature. It was weak and clumsy, supported only by the chaotic energy residue of the land and the magic craving one-eyed giants, but was still stable enough to repel most artillery bombardments.
- We need a strike team. - Jean remarked, lighting another cigarette, ignoring Quetz's angry grunting as the healers tried to heal his wounds. - We need to take out the bastards that are keeping that force field up.
- That's suicide my lord. - A white haired dark elf in heavy, ornate armored replied, his violet eyes shone with a hint of fear.
- That or we wait for them to assail the wall. - The man dropped the cigarette on the ground, stomping on it to make a point. - A suicidal charge to drop some ritual disrupting bombs, that should give me enough time to…?!
A herd of horses ran pass them, tearing up bloodied ground with great hooves, dozens of them, then hundreds, carrying…human riders, screaming, lances pointing at the hordes of beast-men, their tips burning with baleful fire. Quetz pulled himself up, blood seeping from the gaps and cracks in his ancient armor, roaring out commands at the leading rider, screaming for him to stop. But he wouldn't listen, he kept on riding, leading his troops in a suicidal charge to give the white haired man the chance he needed. His riders were at his side, all their deeds laid bare, all their sins punished, following their riders for one last glorious charge toward redemption. Quang led the suicidal assault of a few of his villagers and the human soldiers of the garrisons, preparing to die, to atone for their sins, to free Quetz from his ancient covenant.