*R-18 Gore Violence Profanity*
Giggling from the rush of power entering me, I quickly snap and slice through the flesh of shocked soldiers on the outside of the circles. As soon as I finish my slice, I snap to a different spot, swinging my blade in the opposite direction.
Bavarthos appears with two of his pets, who roar before jumping into the fray of soldiers trying to push past our defenses. More and more of the soldiers are coming forward armed only with swords, plenty stop to pick up dropped guns. Those who continue to press on, are finding that a sword really is useless when the opposing side has guns.
I slice through the hand that attempted to stab me. The startling cry that escapes from the wounded soldier strikes my heart in terrorizing pain. My owns screams like that echo in my mind when Ortiz had maimed me in the same ways. Choking back a sob, I pull back from a killing blow and snap back to where John is.
I can't breath. I'm gasping around a sob trying to take a breath. My head spins and I try to reach out to steady myself before I fall over. Instead, I fall forward as my eyes begin to vignette in. I'm caught in some arms before I hit the ground. I'm shaking as I try to take my helmet off in his arms. His hand stops mine, making me look into his face. His gentle hold on me, concern filling the space between us, makes me still with ringing silence in my ears.
"Breathe, Mary." He whispers, but even with the chaos around I heard him as if he had said it to me in the quiet of our home.
I take in a breath, and my hearing comes back to me filled with shouts and gunshots. I take a few more deep breaths and get up.
"Mary, are you okay?" John asks not letting go of my arm.
"I am now. I need to get back out there." I go to take my arm back from him but he clenches it to have me wait.
"Akiyama!" John shouts turning to the mass of bodies moving back and forth.
Akiyama pops out from a group around a table with the maps.
"Yes sir?" She asks confused.
"I'm going with Sin. You're in command while I am busy, Lt. Colonel."
Her eyes set in understanding, "Understood sir."
Turning back to me John gestures with a nod and says, "Let's go."
"B, are we clear?" I ask through the com after taking a few more steady breaths.
"One second..." I hear a war cry from him before he chuckles. "Meet." Is all he has to say and I snap John and myself to the building that we check the circles from.
"John, your hand please." Bavarthos holds his own out and I nod for him to go ahead.
"Now the first time, you're going to start to feel warm really quickly. So you'll need to start using your magic and snap down there and start lifting things as projectiles, however you want to, but use it quick and do it until you cool down. Say something if you don't cool off."
Bavarthos informs him while doing the spell he worked on me before.
"Okay get ready for it." He gives John a wicked grin and sends the golden lines out to the circles and we watch as more soldiers freeze and then fall as the glowing lines fly back to us.
I quiver in anticipation, holding my breath, feeling like I'm watching in slow motion as the golden lines enter my body and the euphoria spreads to my limbs. My heavy lidded eyes, rise to glance at John, they see his intoxicated expression and I chuckle.
He opens his eyes and if looks could undress and make love to a person, I'd be well...fucked right now.
"Let's get going." Bavarthos rolls his eyes at our exchanged glances and we take off.
The sky was darkening and the sun was setting before we knew it and we snapped back to our base, letting ourselves some time to rest and clean up. When we went to go relieve some of our men, we got the call from Thietian.
"This group is surrendering, please call off the beast."
Bavarthos nodded and snapped away. He returned ten minutes later, "He left no survivors there. The equipment is destroyed, but he's back in his cave now."
The men still left on the battlefield all got down on their knees, weapons dropped, and began shouting something.
John strains to hear, "What are they yelling?!"
Bavarthos listens as well, "They're saying deditionem enim. It's Latin for 'we surrender', so looks like Thieitan's plan to box them in, worked."
"Of course it worked, the only other choice is death. Few are that loyal to the Erlking." Thietian's voice comes over the coms.
Crossing his arms, his attitude covered every syllable as Bavarthos asked.
"SO what do you want us to do with our prisoners of war then, brother...?"
"Hand them over to our brother Lierthe. He'll be there shortly. So, if you want to leave I suggest you do so now." Thietian warned Bavarthos.
Bavarthos waved and was gone, leaving John and I to handle Lierthe.
"Lierthe, he's the one who propositioned you at Grier's place, right?" John asked me.
I give him a sideways glance before rolling my eyes, "Yes. He's the cocky one."
John just hummed and grabbed my hand, squeezing it before releasing it again.
"Hello, you two. Still madly in love?"
Lierthe had arrived.
-_-
"Yes we are. I heard Temple is looking for a new lover though."
I'm trying my best to control my facial expressions, exchanging a glance with John, who looks rather proud of him self the way he cocks his brow up at me.
Lierthe's expression turns somber, as his eye begins to twitch and his lips purse in a scowl. Howling laughter rings through my com accompanied by Thietian's two cents.
"Damn, that was a good one. Sin, you should know that you're a bad influence on John."
Sarcastically I retort under my breath, "Hahaha..." rolling my eyes at Thietian.
"So shall we help you with anything, Lierthe?" I ask him quickly.
'I do not want these two to start having a pissing contest on each other.'
"No, we can handle it from here." He waves his hand towards the surrendered soldiers and we see Lierthe's men rounding them up.
"Where will they be held at?" John inquires as he watches groups disappear.
"My compound has special holding areas that will be safe to keep them from snapping in and out, while also remaining undetected." His condescending demeanor makes my nose twitch in disgust.
"Oh you mean like all of the compounds have?" I slip that in and close my eyes in annoyance.
'Great! Now I'm starting the pissing contest.' *Mental facepalm*
Lierthe's lidded eyes and arrogance doesn't falter, "Yes, I suppose you're right. Well, I'll get back to my men. Nice conversing with you two." He disappears, leaving John and I to get our own men sent back to HQ.
It didn't take long until we were being called for a battle briefing with Thietian, his brothers, and the other generals under Thietian. Which has turned into nothing more than bunch roosters crowing like there were hens to impress.
So, here I am. Leaning back in my chair, using one boot against the low table to keep me steady as I massage my forehead with my eyes closed.
"We should send them back to the Erlking with a special present. They did not take any prisoners, so why should we? Let us end this once and for all." My eyes snap open to that comment and turn my head to glare at the group.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! They surrendered and you want to turn them into a packaged bomb for the Erlking?! If we did that, we'd be no better than the Erlking." I bellow out at them, going back to rubbing my head as my headache intensifies.
My stomach is turning over inside me as well. I'm grateful it is empty, listening to these assholes argue.
Thietian gives me a hard look but nods in agreement. "She's right. We can't lower ourselves to his level. Since we made these ones surrender, we have had the forces moved to surround Togo, so we can destroy the gateway so reinforcements will stop coming through. We've been able to beat them back in a similar fashion and are planning the same thing for Brunei. However, more of the Erlking's men have been showing up out of Moldova's gate and the one in Columbia. Once these other gates are destroyed, we should focus on those areas. "
After showing everyone on the map how troops were moving Thietian continues, "I've already informed those countries in reach of those two locations, they have made sure to stay vigilant on holding the line and other countries have been sending reinforcements as often as possible. I'm just concerned when he'll start sending out his own magic wielding soldiers."
Mirne and Dakor started to snicker at Thietian's concern.
Turning to them, I crossed my arms over my chest and with an aggravated scowl, had to ask, "What's so funny? Could you share, so that we may understand the humor in the situation?"
Dakor's arrogant smile hardly falters, "Our dear little brother seems to forget something."
Now Thietian has folded his arms across his chest as he leans back and cocks his head at them.
"Oh and what is that dear brother?"
Dakor, keeping his smug smirk up, leans forward towards Thietian. "Other than father's bodyguards and palace guards, his magical forces are limited. Seeing as we, your dear brothers are their commanders."
"What?!" I'm shocked now. I start to laugh in disbelief.
Mirne gives me a smirk that slowly widens into the Cheshire cat's grin. "She understands the humor now, brother."