Chereads / Silver Claws / Chapter 5 - Perpetual War

Chapter 5 - Perpetual War

Away from the forest, war is found again.  Empires fight over small villages.  The war is perpetual and the Theersa have more problems than expected.

Argent woke up, could not get the idea of ​​his dead body, killed by his own fangs, out of his mind.  He looked down suddenly, and saw his icy hands trembling in terror.  The fear he felt, enveloped and tortured him, in his hands he could still see the mirage of his own blood, the way in which he killed Ignis, and in which he stepped on the knives of his best friend without the slightest interest.  His city was engulfed in flames and probably lit by himself.  The silver crown that lay on his head and glowed with infernal fire.  Argent felt his whole body begin to tremble, as he  remembered those angry amber eyes.  Terrified Argentum took your head remembering that last blow, his fall to savagery.  He felt his hands tighten and his claws appear, he still did not leave his guard.  And those words left by his dark reflection "Finish what you started, that's your destiny."  When he felt fear surround him, and his sanity had left him, he felt the brightness of the morning sun, and remembered Nim's smile, showing him a brighter path.

With this Argent got up and sat in the pilot's seat, driving into the sunlight, and once again smiled.  The sun once again shone down on the hovercraft, and the grasslands of the Humjari realm were present.  Hearing the sound of the engine, Nim got up "Good morning" she said without much enthusiasm, but when she opened her eyes completely and saw Argentum she cried out, when she saw a haggard Argent with disheveled hair and red eyes from crying.  Argent laughed, "Are you okay?"  Theersa asked upon hearing her friend's scream, she replied with a tone between sarcastic and worried "are you okay?  It looks like you saw a ghost "Argent replied with a smile" I'm fine, I only had a little insomnia last night. "  Nim looked at him suspiciously "Did you sleep at all?"  Argent looked at her seriously, but still with a smile "I'm fine, just a little tired."  Said the silver cat.  Nim nodded but knew something was very wrong.

The path through the meadow was peaceful, Nim was happy the whole time, seeing the beautiful rural landscape that shone with the sunlight.  After that they were able to make out a village, but as they got closer they saw that it was much more armed than it seemed.  They got out of the vehicle and approached the village, at which time they were threatened by light Humjari guards, armed with black metal spears, with a long blade on the edge that was soft green.  They were dressed in black armor, dark bibs that featured a green seam in the center, grass-colored armbands, and dark gauntlets.  In addition to that, they wore a black helmet that covered their cheeks and nose, with an emerald outline that left their eyes and mouth exposed, and a small peak at the back of the helmet.  The armor looked formidable, but the helmet failed to hide the white hair of the Humjari, and their pale green skin.

"This area is restricted, get out!"  one of the guards said in a male voice, though not threatening.  The two cats laughed out loud.  "And since when can you give me orders?"  Nim said with a mocking tone, while Argent laughed out loud.  The guard, who apparently no one had ever shown resistance to, kept thinking of an answer, making a face of embarrassment that fueled the laughter of the cats.  Apparently the guard on the left did not like the comment of the red-eyed cat and replied with a feminine voice but much more aggressive and threatening "Since idiots stepped on our floor."  His eyes were daring as his sharp spear was driven into the ground.  With this, Nim slowly brought his hand closer to the hilt of one of his twin knives.  And when he began to unsheathe the sheet that resided on his waist a voice a little more feminine than that of the guard but with the same tone of authority exclaimed "Rest!"  A soldier knocked open the wooden doors.  He had his helmet on, but his face could not be seen due to the shadow generated by the indentations of the helmet, in addition to that all his armor looked different, the ebony color of the guards' armor was replaced with white and the green touches were seen  golden now and the armor had a long green cloak with the Humjari symbol: A golden bow with a taut arrow, encased in a golden circle-shaped chain.

The officer removed his helmet and showed his face, it was a beautiful woman with long white hair tied with a bow and although her appearance was not very scary in her violet eyes, you could see a burning flame.  The captain took her sword from her back and with one hand pointed it at Nim's chest, who finished drawing her knives, and placed them on the officer's sword.

Not yet a confrontation started, but the tension was felt in the air, Nim was ready to launch a cut.  But the officer simply smiled and lowered the gun "Today I don't have time to fight a Theersa," she finally said.  Nim stared, confused by the commander's reaction.  The Humjari invited them to go to the camp and explained what was happening on Humjari land as they walked towards the main tent.  "The Nemek soldiers have been invading the provinces of the kingdom, we are in Shoto, the province of the prairies, one of the most beautiful and sadly the most affected.  With the advance of the Nemek empire the villagers have had to take refuge in Zakin, that has caused an exodus of refugees to the capital, I am afraid that the Kingdom is in crisis, and we are losing land exponentially.  We have had to fortify villages and towns to gain territory.  And I fear that if we cannot keep our own lands in our possession, we will not be able to counterattack in other parts of the world. "With that said, they arrived at the commander's store, where she putting on a worried face told them," I have had reports of  a couple of Theersa who brought down a Nemek outpost in one night. "He pointed to a spot on the map that was lying on a table inside the store.  Argent looked at her suspiciously "and what does he tell us that we are?"  The commander looked at them seriously "Because all the other Theersa are in labor camps" Argentum's heart sank as he imagined Ignis working for a Nemek.  The commander continued, "We know that one of the royal assassins is in the Neios fortress, I offer them a chance to find out the whereabouts of their comrades, in exchange for their accompanying us in the planned siege."  Argent looked at Nim for signs of approval but she remained cool.  "Why should we trust you?"  Nim asked without hesitation "Nothing but my word, I am Commander Afi" Argent looked at her suspiciously, but accepted the deal.

That night the Theersa met Afi at the entrance to the camp.  "Argent, I'm not sure of this, and if you don't have information?"  Nim asked stressed.  Argent smiled at him and said, "Then we would have helped the Humjari regain their land."  With that said the cats were about to ride their hovercraft.  "For this mission it is preferable to mount Uru" Argent turned around and saw an animal that looked like a cross between a lizard and a parakeet.  It had a reptile body, with some feathers on the head, end of the tail and forearms.  The cats each climbed into a different Uru reluctantly, holding onto the thorns that came out of their bodies.  And from one moment to the next the animals began to run, much faster than they expected.  Argent was nauseated by the erratic movement of the beast, and kept a safe distance from his head, seeing the lizard's sharp teeth.

Upon reaching the fortress, Argent could hardly stand.  Seeing this Nim laughed out loud.  And when the silver cat fell off the animal the cat laughed even more.  "Silence," Commander Afi said as the Humjari soldiers approached the black fortress.  The commander gave the cats the order to quietly open the door, so that the soldiers could make an offensive.  With that said the cats climbed the wall in silence.

The dark moonless night was only illuminated by the blue of argent's claws and the red glow of Nim's armor.  Argent said to divide, and so it was done.  Nim took his knives and killed the guards who were guarding the wall and acting as lookouts, it only took Nim a few minutes to thread his knives into the necks of his enemies, who fell without knowing who had cut them.  With that Argent broke through with his claws, but made a terrible mistake.  One of the soldiers guarding the doors had a strange device and when Argent attacked him, before he died, the Nemek activated the alarm.  Suddenly all the soldiers in the barracks came out carrying black spears and purple swords.

The musket shots chased Argentum without mercy or rest.  The speed of the shells was too great.  Argent hid behind a column and unsheathed his pistol, and started shooting blindly.  Then he saw an opportunity to finish them off, with his pistol in hand he moved quickly around the wall shooting at all Nemek he could see.  And with his claws he brutally attacked his enemies, all focused on him.

Argent was a warrior with good skill and experience in combat, but he couldn't handle more than ten at the same time and he knew it.  When the Nemek overcame him, they didn't kill him instantly, instead they took him to the captain who started to laugh out loud, "Did you really think you could fight all of us?  I pity you!"  but the captain changed his smile when he saw Argent's calm expression.  At that moment a red shot flew through the air and opened a hole in the captain's helmet.  Who fell instantly, and the terrified face of one of the subordinates made all the soldiers shudder when saying "the crimson shadow."  Sniper fire quickly caused Argent's captors to disperse, and as they took cover Argent approached a mechanism and opened the fort's metal gate.  So the green-clad soldiers invaded the castle courtyard.  The Humjari cavalry managed to break through the Nemek defenses.  But some Imperial soldiers armed with muskets kept their position in the fort, not for long though, as Nim's rifle decimated his forces, allowing Argent to finish them off with his black sword.

Nim approached the castle gates with a battalion of Humjari spear men.  With the new reinforcements, the Theersa quickly took the castle, and at that moment Argent managed to look at a black silhouette running through the wall and assassinating several Humjari soldiers.  Argent without a single trait of doubt told Nim "he is an Uragiri" Nim looked at him seriously and replied "Go for him we will take care of this."  And so he did, Argent jumped out of a window and slid down a wall to reach the wall.

Suddenly it started to rain, making the bricks on the wall slippery.  The Uragiri faced him, drawing a double-edged sword.  And in the night rain the two assassins made their swords collide.  The duel started like any other Argent had ever been in, staying in a defensive position and using the opponent's attack to counter.  But it was getting harder and harder to stay on his feet.  The killer was a formidable opponent, with a very aggressive and unpredictable fighting style.  That is why argent decided to change his strategy, instead of trying to stab the opponent, he had to rely on his speed.  With that Argent began to distribute cuts without stopping, and with his claws he managed to snatch the black mask from the murderer, he was also a Theersa, with gray tabby hair with brown lines and with the same orange eyes that reminded him of the burned Ungula.  At that moment an emerald glow began to shine in Argent's eyes filled with hatred.  The cuts began to protrude with more fury.  The Uragiri launched a lunge directly into the belly of the silver cat, but Argent blocked the sword and sliding his blade with that of its opponent and making sparks in the process, then strongly made a feint and in true Nemek style, raised its sword diagonally, and directed it to the chest of his adversary, throwing him to the floor.  And as he got up and took his blade, a red knife came between his neck and Argent and Nim's voice sounded saying "Still"

The hooded man tried to get rid of Nim's hand but as soon as he made a move, he was shot in the leg.  At that moment, Argent saw the dark anger and resentment that reigned in the Uragiri's eyes melt and become arrogance.  A haunting smile welled up on his face still corrupted by anger.  But before saying another word Argent hit him on the head, knocking him unconscious.  They took him to the gates of the fortress and tied him to an Uru, they returned to camp.

Inside the Humjari makeshift prison the gray Theersa awoke in a dark tent, chained to the ground, and upon noticing his surroundings he caught sight of a red figure emanating authority.  Nim approached the prisoner's face, staring into the amber eyes of the Uragiri.  "I want to know where the Theersa are," said the cat coldly, but the assassin did not flinch and only said a word "Rot" while smiling.  "It's okay," said Nim with an innocent smile, "I'm not going to hurt you, but my friends in green, I can't control them, and they are not happy."  the brown-haired cat continued.  The dark assassin's smile turned into a grimace of hatred.  "Ah, but if they kill me, you are not going to get what you are looking for" The assassin replied.  With that said Nim left the room, once outside, he said to the captain.  "all yours."  The captain came in massaging her knuckles, came out about fifteen minutes later with some blood on her cheek, and said "Armin Fortress, south of Zakin leaving Humjari territory"