lights flickered in the sky, colorful yet ominous. tearing the sky and brightening the starry night. arrows.
"Everybody! run for your life!" yelled a single person warning the peaceful town called Vlasta. all townspeople stepped outside the houses one by one and looked up in the sky. a trail of fire is seen as if it was capturing its targets. soon a rain of arrows followed, the fire ignited all of the arrow tails which were equipped with bombs, miniature but deadly.
the townspeople panicked, screaming chaotically and evacuated to nearby homes unorganized. but it was all for naught.
the arrows exploded. as if it were a carpet, it destroyed everything that covers the hellish fire and ashes. the houses were destroyed. not a single object was left. toys, weaponry, vehicles, everything that the bomb carpet deemed useless.
crying children were heard from every part of the town, all of the evacuated citizens were nowhere to be seen. only corpses and leftover children and cowering homeless.
"seek out every human on this town. capture them or kill them, both are plausible acts." a man clad in armor made of bones, his orders were immediately taken actions one by one. screaming pain and agony, merciless torture, nothing was left behind.
fire. smoke. everything was in shambles, nothing could be seen as a proper home anymore, not even the outpost in the center of town.
"Sir! the outpost was immediately taken care of, we lost a few sold-" the soldier clad in black. before he could even finish his sentence, he was stopped by the leading captain, the one with bone white armor.
"ignore those imbeciles, if they're gonna die for the king then there's no reason to report it to me. what of the enemy knights and footmen in the outpost?"
"sir, everything was killed and disposed of. your orders?"
"we are done here. prepare to regroup with the other regiment" the soldier saluted and returned with the other soldiers.
. . .
"your plan has worked Mr. Pothos! though, it's a shame that you weren't able to contribute to your own idea"
beautiful eyes and jet black hair, a woman of absolute hierarchy can be seen in just a glance. "it's nothing to note of your Highness, Queen of the damned, Miss Dia Aster"
Pothos bowed to the queen, an act of displaying your unworthiness to the hierarchy.
"Surely you jest Mr. Pothos, I assume that you are not going to wrong your superior?"
the soldiers had a sweat on their head, nothing could be said from this atmosphere other than discomfort, fear. everyone knew what her Highness is capable of and are not even in a millennium would they oppose her.
"no, your highness. surely even the king or your highness herself would think of this." the queen ticked her tongue but ignored his comment.
"make sure you never make this mistake again you fool" as soon as the queen left, the soldiers were relieved.
"sir Pothos, please do not scare us" the soldiers commented on Pothos' actions. some were laughing while others were resting from the tense atmosphere.
"don't worry, they can't do anything to me. and the black swords are a vital platoon for the rest of the invasions. I assure you that not a single Fallen will be subjected to punishment or even torture." Pothos was smiling, for a moment, he looked as if he returned from his time when he was with his parents.
the soldiers laughed, it may not have been loud but their joy could be seen as relief from the tense atmosphere.
"if only..." Pothos whispered to himself without letting others hear.
"if only we were stronger... I could overthrow the whole kingdom if so..." his whispers were silent, a tint of regret could be heard from him.
. . .
the sky filled with joys of the soldiers. enchanted speeches and drunken fist fighting were filled in the middle of the camp.
"sure is a lovely night today? what about her highness? where did she go?" a man with silver-white hair was talking to Pothos. a beer on the left and Pothos' shoulder on the right.
"I'm not sure... I'm still quite cautious of her Highness considering she only watched from the sidelines..." Pothos took a book from the table.
"I do have a question Sevas. why'd you take this mission than the one his Highness suggested?"
the other mission. a minor role in the invasion which will only help the Fallen on the minimal side but giving hand-picked soldiers incredible moral and resolve, what Sevas' unit will absolutely need in the future.
"I trust ou Pothos. after all, you are the amazing strategist that the great scientist Helios gave right?"
"Helios..." Pothos closed his book. "I don't trust that guy..." Pothos looked directly at Sevas. his confinement was visible but he simply ignored Pothos' opinion.
"I don't get why you hate that guy but you have your reasons... don't say that to everyone though, the Fallen sees him as a revered being that can be seen as the hope of us. talk shit to him and you'll see yourself at the end of the stick"
Sevas finished his cup of beer and followed in Pothos' suit who was organizing maps and notes.
Pothos took a chair and Sevas followed. a paper map in the layout of the world. Laplace.
"what's our next mission?" Sevas looked at Pothos, his resolve could be seen as reckless but his faith to Pothos was a given.
"The Human nation won't take kindly to our sudden invasion. our next goal should be southwest, opposite of their kingdom." an obvious choice yet questionable. Sevas didn't question Pothos, not in the slightest.
"Simply put-" Sevas lowered his head looking at the map. "my men still need the appropriate training necessary for this war correct?" Pothos nodded.
"we'll take the remaining outposts and let them recover the lost ones they have, leaving the main kingdom defenseless when the time comes." the outposts were there for a reason, even the Human kingdom would immediately retake those. Pothos' suggestion was concrete enough and he was sure the king of the human kingdom would still have a counter for it. after all, humans are cockroaches after all.
Sevas looked at Pothos as if he was a mad man. though he didn't seem to mind, Pothos took a rum hidden in the chest.
"here. a celebration to our expedition." Pothos invited Sevas for a drink. Sevas smiled.
"sure, I'll have some." and time seems to have shortened.
morning struck and the battalion that Sevas has seems to have disappeared. unknown to Pothos, his Highness immediately took Sevas and his unit back to the kingdom. all signs of them having a chat last night seemed like a dream as there was nothing to see much of. the cup Sevas had was gone and the rum was placed back in the chest still having the remaining amount.
"that... is all I have to report sir." the soldier reported everything to note of. it confirmed that Sevas may have returned.
"Are there any visitors right now?" Pothos raised his question but the soldier shook his head. everything seemed as if to not have happened. the soldiers were still aware of what happened and the signs of celebrations were there.
"Sir- what are your orders?" a lone soldier of his unit woke him up from his questions.
"right... for now, I need to focus on the mission at hand. prepare for departure, we will need all of the resources we have right now." the soldier saluted. even with the questions he had, ignoring it was also another option. there was no reason to linger.
"Alright then- let the destruction of the Human kingdom commence!" the sound of horns reverberated across the lands. yells of soldiers and tribal screams and warcries can be heard. a new fortune unfolds itself with a bountiful harvest.
"wouldn't you say, Miss Parva?" a girl with horns and a pointed tail. it's as if a demon herself shown to such a young man.
"This is not to my liking whatsoever, Mr. scientist." across the camp that's in shambles because of the war, a young man with golden-white hair, it' as if it's glittering like the shiniest star in existence.
"let me be clear with you Mr. scientist. I'm against the war unfolding here and you're not helping me in the slightest. my goal is to aim for the sacred lands, not some peace or the strongest race in existence.
the girl clamored her objective directly at the lax and negligent looking young man.
"Listen here, girly. you are not part of my plan." his gaze sharpened an ominous aura, but the girl wasn't having it. "if all things considered, you're simply a hindrance for me." the atmosphere worsened and the young man's blood began to seep through his clothes, slowly encroaching to the demon girl.
the demon girl snickered "you think that's enough to even ensnare me?" the blood continued to get closer even beginning to wrap in her through her clothing.
"to be honest... yes" the young man nonchalantly answered and the blood slowly dissipated into mist. his expression slowly returned to his usual lax state
"there's no reason for me to kill nor even incompletion to your goal." he took out a book resembling somewhat of an archive of the past and the present, continuously generating pages as if it was from nothing.
"this is the book you're searching for right? although this is an archive of the world of Laplace if I'm not mistaken." the young man didn't hesitate to give it to her.
"archives such as these aren't useful for the gods and I assume neither do you am I correct?" the girl simply nodded. of course, a god wouldn't need an archive of its own world. that would simply mean that the god is an imbecile at his own work.
"and I assume that this multiple world theory is proven to be the truth. am I correct?" the girl didn't need to interrupt him. he already knows everything and has caught up to all the divinities.
if multiple worlds have its own archive then what if there was an archive that has everything in it? an archive that reads and records every detail from all of the different worlds including Laplace.
the young man raised his hand. "I wouldn't take this if I know it was impossible to get or merely a myth of course. once you are a true goddess, then you can order me whenever you want." he smiled both mischievously and ominously. his words pierced the girl like a knife.
"are you aware that this could be simply a myth?" the girl raised her question and the young man simply smiled.
"isn't your existence already proved that?"
unsettling it may have been, the atmosphere regained it's usual, lax, self.
"with that being said, the war will simply reinforce your goal and I'll manage to fix the girl" the young man aimed at a capsule. a small, little girl could be seen in fetal position, floating in ether liquid.
the girl aimed a vicious glance at the young man "I'm warning you Helios. that girl will be the end of all of Laplace. if you don't stop now-"
before she could even finish, the young man stood up faced his back towards him, almost as if he was preparing for his leave. "that girl will be the future and the start of an all-new generation. I suggest you leave everything to me, future goddess.
his smirk was as if of a predator. although the girl didn't see his face. what's only left is her and the girl in the capsule.
"I'm sorry for giving birth to you..." she touched the glass and dissipated in thin air.