After Volt made his ties with the Loketh clear to all he was met with strange looks. While nearly everyone around was starting to get scared, Carleen immidiately pestered him about the two and the influence they might have really had in Altaria. She had seen a lot of forms of brutality and terror but using living bodies as literal weapons was not one of them.
" Did they want to make a bomb out of him?"
"I doubt it. Knowing them, he only served as a stakeout. The fuse was in his body, there was no way for them to have control over it. If they had, they could have blown him up at any time."
"Are you sure it was your own parents who are responsible for this? What reason would they have to cause such atrocities?"
" To question two mad individuals is the last thing one should do. Back in the day they apparently did it for Yrasil but who knows what's fueling them today. One thing is for sure though: father and mother ARE to blame for this. I can't rule out the possibility that they had a much bigger part in all this mess in the city. Those bombs were probably just one test of theirs."
"Why do you think it was just a sort of test?"
"Well, because they generally proudly display their twisted experimentations, or at least put their brand on them. You have no idea how massive their capabilities can be or how much they can pull off in a short period of time."
As Volt passed the rest of the bodies, there were dozens whose veins and eyes were blackened. Every single one of these bodies contained a bomb just waiting to explode. Thus, even in death, they still retained their usefulness.
"See, by the time they finished their experiments, these bodies would have blown up on command. I suspect that was just the first phase, to infuse a bomb into the host."
Carleen didn't even want to imagine the cruelty that they must have done to their son. Although the rebellion was brought under control, a new threat remained.
"But how did they manage to plant them inside? There is no way all these people would have cooperated willingly of their own accord. Nothing was noticeable about their bodies until they died, so how would something like that work?"
"I have no idea. Who knows what else they've completed in all these years. Anyway, I want to kill them as soon as possible, their every breath taints this world. This is where we part ways, these two belong to me alone. That said, I'm curious to learn how you clean up this mess here, best of luck in starting over."
With those words, Volt took his leave of the city. He now had a more clear picture of his objective, a major step towards eliminating his creators. Leo couldn't quite confine his attention to this issue, there was a more serious crisis further south. After cleaning up the bodies, Leo called an urgent meeting with Carleen.
"First of all, I will not apologize or justify my actions. Fact is that without my help you would still be stuck in the cages. I did it as the quickest way to stop the whole thing. As you know, the city needs to be reformed, a trial that all survivors must submit to. I won't participate in this process for two reasons: Firstly, our struggles today have burned themselves into the minds of your people. In their eyes, I am most likely a ruthless murderer with whom they will not cooperate under any circumstances. I know what I am talking about, this is not the first time. And second, more importantly, far more serious problems do exist right now or will very soon. I need whatever information I can get on what is going on at the border and beyond. Carleen, since when have you been back? Did the elves and dark elves somewhat find together?"
" Find each other? Much has turned out differently than expected, much to our disadvantage. After the destruction of their ruler, many have fallen into a rage, their hatred towards the dark elves seems to have become even stronger. That is the impression we got on our return journey. Blaming their brethren people for his death, they've become so attached to his existence as to have no interest in change or a new beginning."
"Shit, that really is the worst outcome. Thanks to his leadership, his behavior has descended upon them so now they are willingly of the same sentiment as Yrasil had. Their stubbornness and pride just make them all more stupid. Did it put the other army in danger?"
"The army? Oh, you mean Vega's troops. After they recovered, they returned to their fortress for the time being. They were now in even greater danger of their home possibly being attacked. Given the attitude of most of the elves, her reasoning is understandable. When you see her again, she will be able to tell you even more about her people than I can."
"So there are also many who are no longer hostile? At least the message got across to some people. What about Lynia's people, have they joined Vega?"
"No, they're not made for this purpose anymore. Did you forget that they're just regular people in the end? And even if some had the interest they wouldn't have decided without asking their leader...or what was to be their new leader. I feared it but the death of her mother broke Lynia down inside. She disappeared without a trace the day after you left, no one has seen her since. Though they were confused by Lynia's absence, they stuck together. As we left, they decided to stay in the city for the time being. I knew they were capable of managing on their own, but the fact that their longtime leader and "heroine" had died was visible on everyone's face. Ultimately, she turned out to be a martyr."
"And she is not the only one who became part of that martyrdom. Her life may have ended, but a new beginning resulted from it...even if not the desired right now. Against my hopes, they all went their separate ways in the end..."
"Well, hopes seldom come true in this world. Nevertheless, as all quickly realized, the downfall of Yrasil was not the most significant change for very long. While I don't think you were responsible for it, I'm sure you played your part in the eradication of magic, am I right?"
" Well, you can guess the answer. However, the reason is far more complicated than you can imagine. While the consequences have already brought enough troubles, a far more serious concern has arose."
"Tsk, how many more headaches are we going to have to deal with...You got a plan to deal with it?
" I can' t really call it a plan. I'm following the weird events that have been happening lately. First, people turning into monsters and imprisoning those, then starting a cult around them...and I thought I've seen it all."
" I guess our eyes have been spared such scenes. At this point, I don't even want to leave the city anymore with all these news. You know we're not going to be able to support you anytime soon, Leo."
"I never intended to ask for that. Unlike me, you are well aware of your responsibilities. That's why I trust in your abilities to do more than just keep Altaria safe from within. With all the chaos unfolding, assaults are not out of the question. The remaining troops will arrive here soon, your numbers should be large enough to advance quickly."
"So they are all still alive? At least some good tidings in all this misery. Once they left through the city gate I wasn't sure they'd be alive for very long."
On the same day, the crowd that Volt and Leo had first rescued indeed reached the city. Despite the miserable situation, the reunion of their soldiers restored some hope. For Leo, however, all they had to offer was bad news.
"She headed south by herself? That idiot doesn't know anything about this world and goes on alone. If she had just accompanied you guys everything would be fine, we would be on our way right now. Fuck, what does she have a head for if she doesn't think?"
"Your companion?"
"I guess not anymore. I already saved her from death once. No telling how long it will take her this time to get to that point again...I suppose that's the sign for me to leave, I'll try to catch up with her."
"Is she important to what you're trying to do?"
"I don't know yet. Still, I don't want to waste even the slightest opportunity."
With haste, he said goodbye to Carleen and headed in the direction the soldiers said Ellie went.
("I don't get it: why is she just going off knowing that death can be lurking around every corner? Has she not been taught anything in Evos? You are not immortal here, once dead and forever dead. There' s no way back then. Unless her friend is more important to her than her own life? Still, even if she finds him, she can't simply salvage him. Just what was she thinking?")
Leo didn't understand her decision. Was it the anger of being left alone that drove her? He himself said that there was no time to lose, yet without protection and the ability to defend themselves, it would be a path to suicide. Not even an hour later, Leo stumbled upon a potential disaster.
("Volt was right, seems they really weren't far from the city.")
There was a signpost set up at a junction. The pole was made of wood but the sign itself was a combination of body parts. Written in bloody script was "Come home son." One of the arms pointed in the direction of the bushes. When Leo looked closer it was a hidden path directly into the forest. In spite of the growing curiosity to uncover their secret, his objective was to move further south and look for Ellie.
("She would have never been stupid enough to go that way. Volt is right, it's his fight, good luck in your goal.")
Thus, he decided to ignore the sign and follow the normal turnoff to the south. Before long, he noticed something strange: Not a single sound was heard in the entire area. The dead silence was unnerving especially near the forest.
(" Don't tell me they have something to do with this? Whatever, I can't be distracted.")
The moment he finished his thoughts, he immediately heard a loud scream coming from the trees. Within the next moment, an elf covered in blood rushed out from the edge of the forest. He had cuts all over his body and one of his eyes was sewn shut.
"P-please help me! I-I heard it, it was right behind me. Please, I don't want to die!"
"What do you mean by „it"?"
Before the elf could answer, another scream sounded from the forest. This time it didn't sound like a panicked screech but rather like a wild animal. Leo recalled the screams of all the monsters he's seen, in fact, they were quite similar. Nevertheless, what appeared was not one of those creatures, it was far worse. If one had to sum it up it was a mixture of animal and human. As if someone had played around with their genes and mixed them in random manner. It walked on two legs, had four eyes and three arms and legs each. Leo had seen many things but this horror was new even to him. With a grunt it recognized Leo as an opponent and raced toward him. Suddenly Leo saw that the arms were not made of flesh but of iron. The skin was only a camouflage for the blade that was underneath. Even though he was taken by surprise, he was able to parry with ease. To his advantage, its weapons were rusty and old, a great vulnerability against any swordsman. It would easily win against a defenseless unarmed victim but Leo was to be his final opponent. With one powerful blow, he sliced the blades and cut off its arms. In spite of fatal wounds it threw itself at Leo and tried to further attack him. In one blow he brought it to the ground and delivered its death blow right between the four eyes. Leo examined the creature and saw a very interesting detail. It too had a symbol on its chest yet it was not the one he was familiar with.
"It was carved into its body...Hey, what does this symbol mean?"
"Th-that's their trademark, e-everyone gets it after they break."
"I suppose you're talking about the Lokeths, aren't you?"
"T-these lunatics are horrible. No matter whether persons or animals they do what they want...W-we must leave this place. Their patrol will be coming soon to intercept us."
"Do you mean they abduct people on the way?"
"A-abduct? That's just the beginning, the place you're being taken to...it's sheer terror."
" I take it you have been to this very place. Have you seen a young girl?"
"A girl? There are far more than just one girl there. All those cages were filled with people, their new test subjects and toys. Believe me: If the person you are looking for is in there then you will never see her again."
"You made it out of there so there must be some way to rescue them."
"I was pure luck a commotion broke out. Mentally, I had already given up on life. Without your help, they would have caught up with me and eaten me."
"Well, then, in return for your salvation, I demand some information from you. Where exactly is their base camp and how exactly is it set up?"
"Y-you're not actually going to go in there, are you? Are you out of your mind?! They will overpower you and experiment on you until you become one of those creatures."
"What I do is my own business. Listen, I don't mean to force you to follow along, just tell me how to get there and what you saw there. After that, you can do whatever you want."
"Y-you really have a death wish. N-no, I can't just bring another sacrifice to them."
Leo gritted his teeth and faced the elf.
"Listen to me carefully! Your intentions may be good but you'd better worry about yourself! Those wounds won't get you very far."
Suddenly the mark in the elf's skin lit up and he screamed in pain.
"NO NO NO, THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! MAKE IT STOP, AAARGH!"
The skin around the mark was also starting to turn orange. His whole upper body began to glow and smoke came out of his mouth. Again the elf pleaded for help but Leo stepped back. In the next moment, his whole body imploded into a thousand shreds covering the road.
("So much for these bombs. Is there a timer? Doesn't matter, those sick fuckers have to die. I sure hope you're not there Ellie.")
Leo headed straight in the direction the elf came from. At first he wasn't sure if their camp was really in that direction but then he saw bloody writings on the trees:
"Run as you will, there is no escape.
"Spoilsports will be punished."
" Return to your home, lost ones."
That was only a small part of the writings. The further he went the more it reeked of blood. The writing had barely dried, Leo had to be very close. A few meters ahead he suddenly sensed a resistance, he found it harder to keep walking and breathing. The more he pushed forward, the more a powerful barrier became apparent. Leo noticed that it was not a regular barrier for protection, it consisted of more than one source. For him, it was another confirmation of the danger posed by Volt's parents.
An estate appeared out of nowhere not even 100 meters away. What had just been forest was now a large meadow with the big mansion in the middle. Almost immediately he heard several anguished screams coming directly from inside the estate.
("No wonder no one can hear them. So this is their base, I have to be careful.")
With every step, the grass lost its green and was dying at his feet. Leo's next step triggered a loud clicking sound. The ground blazed orange and exploded like a landmine at his feet.
From the cloud of smoke, a bright barrier was visible, sucking in the smoke. In the nick of time, Leo was able to create a protective shield.
("Shit, what am I doing?! That kind of carelessness almost cost me my life... pathetic. Seems I need to get serious.")
To the left of him, behind him, he saw the barrier being opened. Entering were three more of their experiments, carrying prisoners on their shoulders. These looked more ordinary, having 2 eyes, legs and arms yet they were missing their ears and tongues. Their teeth had been pulled out and they lacked a lower jaw. Leo briefly hoped that they had a will of their own to free themselves from the ordeal, but it was in vain.
As they saw him, their eyes turned red and they let out a shrill scream. They threw the prisoners to the ground and ran toward Leo. Long sharp claws poked out of their fingers, these belonged to animals but were being operated on these test objects. With blood flowing down from half their mouths, they approached their target.
("Madness is eternal huh?" )
He drew his sword and prepared for battle. Once they were barely 10 meters away from him, another clicking sound was heard. His opponents had triggered several mines which cost them their lives. Their creators' own traps were their downfall. Now the meadow was stained with blood and body parts.
("How ironic, now they are accidentally destroying their own creatures. How did they place the mines?")
With a bright flame, he illuminated the ground. The meadow burnt up by the rays and small containers in the ground became visible. Other than a full minefield, there was one path completely without traps. Their test subjects knew where to go, but not that a stray would mean their demise. Leo avoided the remaining mines to the prisoners. All five were human, none of them looked like soldiers.
"I take it you're from Altaria?"
"How do you know that? Who are you?"
"Someone who might be able to help you. How exactly did they get you?"
"I... I don't know. One minute I was sitting at the table with my family and then I woke up on their shoulders."
The rest of the group confirmed similar experiences too.
("You were controlled but how? By some potion or poison? But what is it that makes them have complete amnesia up to this point? Moreover, why are they able to think straight again just here? Is it part of their game to mess with their victims? What tool is powerful enough to do that? Could they really have access to magic?...no, that's not possible. There must be something else.")
"Alright, listen up: I want you to inspect yourselves and check for a mark that you haven't had before. This may sound strange, but your lives and those around you are at stake."
Several minutes later, everyone reported back: none of them possessed a mark on their skin. This was a reassurance to Leo that not everyone was under the immediate influence of these freaks. Then suddenly, more screams rang out from inside the mansion, growing louder and louder. This startled the whole group to their core.
"This place is highly dangerous, you all have to escape from here as soon as possible. I am going to open the barrier for you. From then on, you are on your own."
"But what if there are more of those creatures out there? They'll hunt us down and eventually catch us! Can' t you accompany us all the way back to Altaria?"
"No, that'll take too long. It's a miracle I found this place so fast. Each second here might bring about the death of one of yours. You' re by no means the only ones who ended up here. The choice is yours: either you'll continue to linger here, out there, or in there, or you will try your luck at finding your way back."
"Either way, we're taking a risk...none of us want to die..."
"Neither does anyone in there. None of you guys look even remotely like you can be of any help to me. You've never held a weapon before, have you? I will now open the passage once, surely one of you can navigate the way back home. It's your decision, but if you choose to stay here, you do so on your own. I won't let you slow me down, you are on your own against all the threats lurking around."
Thus Leo opened the barrier and counted down from 60. Opening the barrier, he counted down from 60. In the end they all reluctantly decided to leave this place.
"Please save as many as you can. None of them deserve this torment."
"I'll do my best, I wish you good luck on your way home."
Now that he was alone again, he headed straight for the base's large gate. With no hesitation, he used the "awakening" to make use of all his abilities.
("Let's go then-")
Before he could breach the gate, a huge explosion resounded directly from the center of the compound. The blast wave effortlessly shattered the huge wooden gate. What lay beyond was a courtyard of terror that made Leo's stomach turn.
Throughout stood cages, sorted by letters and numbers, containing various breeds and animals confined. Half of them were starving and started to eat themselves and others in their cage. The animals as well as many people were missing limbs or even an eye. The ones who hadn't gone insane yet spoke no word but gazed at the floor through lifeless eyes. Ranging from children to old people, age mattered not in this place. Their bodies were nothing but skin and bones. The corpses looked as if they had been pumped dry of all their blood.
Another explosion started to destroy the building in front of him. Meanwhile, he searched for survivors who at least appeared to be saveable. One by one he opened their cages and encouraged them to step out. Much to his shock, he spotted a girl in the very last cage, hiding in the corner and not even turning around.
"Fuck, and I was hoping you weren't here. Ellie, it's me, come on out of there."
"Leo, is it really you? Evos really heard me, I thought I would be left here to rot like these critters."
"If you hadn't just been stubborn and gone off on your own, this wouldn't have happened!"
"How am I supposed to know that such sickening beings inhabit this world? Are those really her creations? I'm starting to think she has some kind of influence on their behavior-"
Suddenly Leo got incredibly angry and made a threatening gaze.
"Don't you dare say something like that when you know nothing about it! Their thoughts are their own, there is no external influence on that. Right now you finally realized that such cruelties are not an exception in this world. You have been taught that they can reason on their own, including the concept of good and evil. Now, did they brand you or do anything to your body?"
"I was just imprisoned."
"Then look closely, your life is at stake!"
"Then look closely, your life is at stake."
"No need to yell at me like that."
Fortunately, Ellie too was spared of their little games. Although Leo didn't find an answer to it, the priority now was to bring an end to it all.
"You really want to go in there?! Who knows what's waiting in there."
" It doesn't matter, there's no better opportunity than now. I am sure these kind of explosions are not of their making. In fact, I have a strong feeling who's responsible. Look, you can wait here in the courtyard by yourself if you really don't want to go."
" Spare me the choice if you already know my decision."
A large hall with doors on both sides was in front of them. Written on each door was a text that neither Leo nor Ellie was able to read. All this made Leo even more curious. As he opened one of the doors, he was met by a disgusting stench. It was coming from severed limbs of humans, elves as well as creatures of the forest. They were hanging on the wall labeled by date, race, and condition. In the center of the room was a sink overflowing with blood. This was the slaughter chamber as well as one of the testing labs.
Just before Ellie could peek in, he shut the door in her face.
"Hey what the hell?! What is in there?"
"It's best you don't see it. You've already witnessed enough here. Just keep walking."
All of a sudden, a loud laughter rang out from behind the gate at the end of the hallway. It sounded like a woman, like a witch's laughter. Opening the big door, Leo and Ellie saw a room full of experiments and all sorts of monsters stretching out in front of them. The majority remained motionless in capsules, while others were about to wake up. At the back, he watched Volt fight off a bunch of these beasts. A short distance away, a female elf watched and cheered him on.
"Good job, son. Keep me entertained, show me you're worthy of being welcomed back!"
"Shut up, you hag, who would want to be part of deranged lunatics?"
The swordsman desperately tried to get through to her but more and more of her experimentals were waking up and assaulting him from all angles. He had been forced to take the defensive, with no way to get through to his mother. When Leo looked closer, Volt not only had no difficulties but grew stronger with each defeated foe. He recalled the features of Life Stealing. It made sense, the more blood the merrier, the more dead the more powerful. Effectively, it increased both his will and physical abilities. His speed increased as he cut through enemies with ease. All the blood created a veil around his blade, constantly nourishing it and providing its owner with a constant surge of energy.
Leo saw this as an opportunity to fight the elf himself and bring an end to this operation. He drew his sword and rushed at his opponent from the side. She was taken slightly by surprise but displayed no hint of fear but rather excitement. Right before he was in fighting range, he was met by a sword thrust.
"I told you that they are mine. Unless you want to end up as one of these idiots, too, get the fuck out of this place."
Volt slaughtered the whole crowd of enemies in such a short time. With blood streaming down his face, he confronted Leo, his eyes imbued with strong determination and menace. Leo, however, remained unaffected and took the attack himself.
" Unfortunately, this place is not just your problem. You've seen what they are doing to them, and I have a strong feeling that their demise is not only worthwhile for you. We can either fight each other and let them do what they want, or you can put your selfishness aside so we can defeat them together. Will you make it harder or easier for yourself Volt?"
Tch, damn parasite. You better not strike the fatal blow, I will snatch the life out of her eyes!"
"Ahahaha, like two little kids fighting over a toy. I'm actually impressed that you were able to kill them, do you know how long it took to patch them up? Thankfully it was just a portion of our surprises, the party resumes right now!"
The corpses on the floor went up in a fire, making way for mind controlled people whose sanity was enslaved. The fear was visible in their eyes but their bodies showed the opposite. One after another threw themselves at the blades of the two, without any chance they got sent to their deaths. Both swordsmen made no exception, there was no way they were going to be able to escape.
"Iit's better this way than suffering anymore in this place. Now, are you done hiding behind your creations?"
"Well, I didn't expect you to fight innocent people like ruthless murderers. I may not be the only one who's gone off the deep end. As for me, I don't feel like fighting you guys, that job will be taken over by someone else. Let's show them what we've been working on for so long, honey!"
The floor began to shake as the capsules shattered. Out of the ground shot a huge monster, assembled from all races, beasts and monsters. However, this one was not under control; it had a will of its own. Looking at the head in the center with his smile, Volt's anger intensified.
"Welcome home son! I see you have caused your mother and myself a lot of trouble. Take a look at the havoc you've wreaked! Nevertheless, I am delighted, our son came back to us. At last the family is whole again, now we can fulfill our greatest desire: The three of us as one!"
"Stop talking asshole! My only wish is to crush you, you can merge with death if you're so keen on it. There has never been a family, bastards like you don't deserve a place in this world just like you took mine away."
The time arrived, Volt was about to reach his goal. Not only would he put his worries to rest, but Altaria's as well. However, Leo's were only going to get bigger, in hopes of finding answers only riddles would be found.