I
Tabot is on his mount. A lieutenant came to the scientist to give a report.
"What's the matter, lieutenant?" Tabot looked at the man.
"On the left. Uthgaardian soldiers seems to be... running away."
"Good, advance the soldier-"
"Sir," slipped the lieutenant. "There's more I want to say. It seems General Nazeir made that line run away."
"Nazeir!?"
Tabot immediately raised his binoculars, searching for the investigator behind Uthgaardian line of soldiers.
"And apparently, what the soldiers saw was the same as the back report in Cologne. The body was full of blood and unresponsive to allied calls. When in Cologne, he chased the mage covered in blood. This time he immediately threw himself to the ranks of Uthgaardian soldiers. Like he doesn't use his head to think anymore, just thirsts for blood."
"Shit. This is bad."
"Is he okay or... went to the other side?"
"He's still have his common sense! To hell with all this, don't you ever talk to me or him like that," Tabot points at him in rage. "Call a doctor with my book. Hurry!"
"Yes, sir!"
The lieutenant immediately rode swiftly to the camp of the spearhead army. Tabot watched the battle in the distance, looking for the investigator who mingled with Uthgaardian soldiers. Inadvertently, Tabot saw Jurko who was behind the line of Uthgaardian soldiers who were clashing swords with the catapults operators.
The lieutenant came back with a man holding a book in his hand. The man rode towards the scientist, giving him a salute when confronted with Tabot.
"Professor. Your book."
Tabot took it and opened the book. A page he was looking for was found, it contained the study of investigators turned demens. He read it for a minute then immediately folded the page, then he closed it.
"Come with me. I need help."
"Ready, professor."
The Tabot and the doctor galloped toward the battlefield, looking for where the investigator was. When approaching the fighting line of soldiers, Tabot was overwhelmed to find the investigator. The havoc of the soldiers fighting masked the presence of Nazeir. Tabot began to worry, afraid to miss his chance to find out what happened to the investigator.
"Retreat! Retreat!" screams rang out from the ranks of Uthgaardian soldiers.
Thousands of soldiers were running from the battlefield, then he saw a different armor from the other soldiers of Uthgaard. Nazeir cut off Uthgaardian fleeing soldiers, showing no mercy. Meanwhile, in the line of Spearhead soldiers, they just stood still and watched Uthgaardian soldiers run away, when looking around they saw the corpses of their comrades.
Seeing him, Tabot with the doctor rode quickly to the investigator. The Spearhead's soldiers gave way as the two galloped toward Nazeir. The two of them stopped exactly a few meters away from the person.
"Nazeir!" Jurko shouted, using his hands to direct the sound towards Nazeir and the man didn't answer, continuing to chase the running Uthgaard soldiers.
The doctor looked at the Tabot with a worried face.
"He didn't hear..."
The scientist started shaking his hands. He looked at his hands, the thing he feared the most had finally become the truth. The doctor saw the scientist looking at him like someone who was shocked to lose someone close.
"Call the guards, quick! And make sure they bring the net," Tabot ordered.
The doctor took no time and rode straight to the camp. Tabot was still there watching the investigator thirsty for blood. He could see that there were two arrows stuck in the man's chest, but he still fought with all his might.
"What is wrong?" Tabot muttered. "He's perfect, but why..." he looked at the unadulterated Nazeir in the distance with sword in hand. "I have to fix this, I need to. Be strong, my son," he said determinedly.
Tabot soldiers came running in a line behind the doctor on horseback. They wore armor that covered their bodies, with swords and shields in hand. One of them had a large net that he carried on his shoulders. They faced Tabot and the captain of the guard army approached.
"Tullius. Did you bring the net?"
"Everything is ready, sir," replied the captain.
"Good. The job is you need to take someone down before he loses complete control. You're going to be netting something more dangerous than a lion or even a demens. No one is killing or putting the man to harms way, got it?"
"Noted. We're ready."
"Good," the old scientist nodded.
"Forward, march!" the captain ordered his soldiers.
In a clean line, they followed Jurko's horse and the doctor's assistant at the front. The guards didn't know what they were about to catch, making everyone nervous. Their feet hit the ground with a rhythm, orderly, not just any. When it stops, everything stops intently.
Up ahead, were their targets to deal with. Tullius, seeing that the investigator had several arrows in his chest, pierced through the armor he was wearing.
"Nazeir!" Tabot shouted, the investigator turned around.
His face and whole body looked like he had just bathed in blood. Frightening, it took the captain by surprise. His shoulders heaved up and down as he breathed. His eyes opened wide, his eyebrows dropped. Dread was embedded in those who saw the investigator's appearances.
Tullius glanced at his soldiers who were just as surprised as he was. But he had a task to complete, that fear he put aside.
"Spread! Surround the target."
The soldiers began to distance themselves and surround the investigator. Tabot saw Nazeir's reaction, the investigator knew what was going on. This little thing made the scientist amazed to see it. The scientist immediately approached, saw Nazeir more clearly.
"Nazeir? Nazeir!" call Tabot.
The guard soldier began to open their net, ready to subdue the investigator. At the last second, when Tullius started counting down, Tabot ordered the commander to stop. Nazeir began to walk closer, and the soldier also backed away from him.
"Give him a way."
Tullius was astonished and pulled his soldiers away from the investigator's path.
"Come on, Nazeir. Do you hear me? Answer my question, son," Tabot dismounted and looked at the investigator.
The two men stared at each other in the few steps that separated them. Tabot saw the man full of anger on his face. As he got closer, the investigator's face changed. Suddenly, he sees a man whose soul is broken, the look of anger turns into a look of fear.
Nazeir looked at thousands of bodies of spearhead soldiers lying on the ground dead. He walked languidly to the soldiers who saw him. The soldiers moved away from him, seeing him kneeling in the middle of the bodies of the dead soldiers.
Tears came out, her voice began to crack. The investigator regretted being late to save his brothers. He cried, hitting the ground hard. There he lay in the thousands of dead spearhead soldiers. A sin that he will never forgive himself.
II
A big grave was made by the soldiers. From doctors to soldiers buried their brothers. The soldiers who died in the grave along with the clothes and weapons of war they used. It was getting dark, there was no smile to be seen.
Tabot stood watching the men in the grave, of the five thousand spearhead soldiers who fought, about eight hundred survived. It was a pyrrhic victory, but Uthgaard still winning in numbers. Nazeir was nowhere to be seen, the scientist walked up to him. Entering a wagon area, he saw Nazeir sleeping in a cylindrical glass pool in a supine position. It was about three to four meters high, and forty-eight in diameter.
The doctors and nurses saw Nazeir's condition changed after being put into the mutagen pool. His large protruding muscles began to relax and deflate, the mouth and nose were paired with a breath mask that kept him alive in the water.
Tabot put his hand on the glass tube, looking at the investigator who was in hibernation.
"Relax, Nazeir. I'll- We'll help you."
He patted the canister lightly, then walked through the camp. His mind was heavy, not knowing what would happen after this. Sitting on a boulder, Tabot rested his head. He wiped his face, feeling a confusion he had never felt before.
"Tabot," Jurko came and sat next to him.
"Jurko. Are they all buried?"
"There are some who want to pray first, I better not disturb them."
"You're still like that, Jurko. What do the soldiers say when they don't see you praying for them?"
"I just don't believe in things like that, Tabot. I don't think a single investigator who is still treading this earth still believes in such things."
"Except Nazeir."
"Yes," Jurko nodded slowly. "Except him." Jurko looked at the scientist. "What will we do now?"
"I don't know. The hideout was destroyed, we all fled Uthgaard's trap at the last moment. Sneaked past Robert's grasp. I've got research stuff with me, and the things we didn't get to save... we burned," complained Tabot. "We're done. The Spearhead is no longer have any home. However, I will try to save Nazeir from the demon within him. It turns out that what I was afraid of really exists, Jurko. I thought-" Tabot was a little hesitant to get his words out. "I thought he had gone to the other side. A demens, a madman."
"Of course, you are not serious. Nazeir is the same as me."
"No! Not at all. You were born to be an investigator. Nazeir isn't. You're a mutant by birth, Nazeir..."
Jurko waited for the person's words to come out.
"I don't know about him. Is it because I gave him a mutation after the age limit, or something that someone likes me doesn't recognize. However, what we do know is when you brought him to me. Thank goodness I can still brought him to this world, otherwise... . he has left everything behind."
"The important thing is he's okay now, Tabot. That's why we have to find a new place to live."
"But to where?"
"How about Brindorum? The forest there is still thick, we just need to find a suitable area."
"Brindorum is too skeptical about this whole thing. I don't want what just happened to happen again. No... not again."
Tabot confirmed. "Then where if not to Brindorum. To the mountains? We're freezing to death. North? Sorcerers will know where we are."
"May I give you an idea? Masters?"
Jurko and Tabot saw a man who was slightly younger than Tabot, and older than Jurko. He lowered his body when facing the two men.
"You... aren't you an acquaintance of Nazeir."
"That's right, general. Nazeir told me to enter the Spearhead. Now I'm here to help."
"Tell me how your family is doing. Your two brothers."
"They are fine. We sympathize with the lives of the friends and relatives who went died today. Even though everything has been destroyed by Uthgaard. We are ready to move on with this life. However, we definitely need a place where we can feel safe from these southerners rampage. Am I right?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm not from the south, nor the north. I'm from where we don't have to worry about the problems of the world north and south. A neutral place, in the middle. A place where two sides can live without thinking about both sides of the world."
"Neutral? Where is this?"
"Middle islands, general. Hukoleen, Limo Koto, and the others. That might be a safe haven for us."
Tabot raised his head. "Will we be safe there?"
"I'm sure we're safe. And I might have a suitable place. An island of stone forts that are on the verge of collapse. With some hard work from a mason and carpenter like me, maybe in a few years everything will be perfect."
"Tabot. He said a fortress. A fort," said Jurko. "Imagine if we had a fort. We might use this to start all over again from scratch. Reorganize, reform everything," Jurko suddenly filled with content.
"Is that place really safe? Are there demens and demons?"
"Sir, I've been playing on the island since I was little with my mom and dad. Sometimes I've escaped myself in a small boat to the island. I know this place inside and out."
"I think it's perfect for Nazeir and that girl. You can continue your research there. A truly worthy lab. Not just a wooden barrier in a cave."
Tabot opened the book he was holding, looking at the results of his work.
"Yeah, I think that's a great idea," he sighed. "A new beginning. The research of the past."
He looked at the book, saw the writing that was the subject of research.
Demens.
III
The spearhead soldier walked back towards the shore. Past a field of white flowers on the left, and a tavern on the right. Tara saw the group walking in a line towards the west where the sun was setting. Jurko came to Tara and Omar who came out of the shop still full of customers.
"Jurko," called Omar.
"Old man," said the old investigator.
"Old man," replied Omar the same way Jurko greeted. "Wh.. where are you people going now?"
"A new home, a new land. We're going away from Nazair, maybe for good."
"Why is that? Nazair is perfect! Fresh air, not much noise..."
"Uthgaard is hunting us."
The two of them gasped, their body stopped moving like stone.
"Then... can't you two find a solution with whatever problem you have?"
"We can't negotiate when our necks are on the edge of a knife. So, it's better for us to leave Nazair. Maybe for hundreds of years."
"Hundreds!? I'll be dead!" Omar in shock.
"But where?" Tara spoke up. "What about you, Tabot, and Nazeir."
"We'll be fine. That's why I came here to say goodbye representing Tabot, and maybe Nazeir too."
"Where exactly is Nazeir?"
"He's in deep sleep. He's - how should I tell you. He's sick."
"You said investigators can't get sick."
"He's different sick, so Tabot wanted to check on him."
"Can we see the boy?" begged Omar.
"Unfortunately not. Besides, he can't hear you in his long sleep."
The two people were gloomy, staring at each other at the loss of an old friend and neighbor.
"Goodbye, mate. We'll think of you every day. One day, we'll be back. I promise."
"And we will both pray that day will come," said Omar. "Just make sure you come here quickly, it looks like this old body is starting to crumble," joked the musician.
Jurko made a smile, then saluted and started riding after the group. Tara and Omar watched them waving, and watched the group leave and disappear into sight.
Tabot rode beside the wagon where Nazeir had fallen asleep in the tube. The tank was covered by a large cloth, so as not to be seen by those who saw him accidentally. In front of Nazeir's there is a wagon in which a tank of mutagens is the same as Nazeir's, except Aida is in it.
Advancing to the front row, Tabot was riding his horse. Beside him was his guard, Tullius.
"Tabot, can we talk?"
The scientist told his guard to leave them, the man bowed.
"What will happen to Nazeir and that girl?"
"I will learn more about what happened to Nazeir and her. And I will seek treatment for that woman."
"How long will he sleep for?"
"I can't answer yet. Let's hope this doesn't take him too much time."
"And the girl?"
"I'm afraid the girl has a 'disorder' if I put her in a mutagen for months without stopping. She'll come out when I'm done making her clothes."
"Clothes? Wait a minute, what clothes are we talking about?"
"The phosgene gas made her skin to have this 'red bumps'. With the mutagen I hope within a few months of bathing in the tank she will be back to normal."
"Is this bump dangerous?"
"Concentrated phosgene. This is my first time making it for Nazeir. I don't know, Jurko. Usually phosgene isn't like this. Maybe... maybe it's because I tried mixing it with mustard gas."
"What's a mustard gas?"
"Nazeir's idea. I don't know where he got this idea from," Tabot handed him his large book tucked away in the saddlebag. "Read this."
Jurko took the book and read the contents of the explanation about the gas.
"Nazeir wrote this?"
"Nazier described the content, I perfected the content."
"How does he understand all this?"
"Different times, different ideas. Where Nazeir came from, I'm sure their people know a lot more than us. Damn, maybe they know how to cure the ailments this world has."
"If they have a thing that puts people in hospital beds, maybe they have a thing that gets people out of hospitals."
"I don't know, Jurko. But wait, you're the one who found him. Obviously you know where he came from."
"I found him back in the ruins of Ulder."
"What the hell are you doing in that cursed place?"
"After hunting someone. By accident, I found two people in Ulder's basement. I was sheltering from a very strong blizzard. Two people, one looked like a coward, the other was brave. We had a fight, but when they found out that can't beat me we stop right away."
"Ulder doesn't have a blizzard, that place should be warm."
"Things are going to get a lot weirder. We exchange words through gestures. And what they want is to head for Ulder's main. As payment, they take out a gold bar."
"You made it to the castle?"
"While passing through Ulder's passage, the two of them met another two of their friends. One was a woman, and I don't know where she was from. Three people I didn't know where she was from, different clothes and an unfamiliar language. The other? He's a carpenter from Uthgaard. Rufus, he's big and he's the only person I know and talk to."
"What did you learn from him?"
"Right above Ulder there is a magic that causes the entire area as far as a day's journey to have a strong blizzard."
"And about those outsiders?"
"Rufus doesn't know where they came from. But the girl can speak southern, with the help of a sorcerer. Aedrinn, a male elf. When I met the elf after escorting them, I found a large group. One of the people there was Nazeir.
The elf was with him, and the crowd in uniform. From what I can see, they are a professional soldiers."
"Describe," Tabot began to write in the blanks of his book.
"The soldiers don't wear suit of armor, just uniforms. They have long sticks that they hold in their hands. I can see what they're doing. It's like they are spitting out a small iron ball when it explodes from the end of the stick like magic! They managed to kill a group of ice wolves with that thing, and you know how thick their fur is. Cold as snow, tough as steel.
Then, there is also an iron that works almost the same way as the stick. Much smaller, can be held in one hand. There was a lot of smoke coming out, it scared me when I heard it explodes."
"And what about this sorcerer?"
"I was about to kill him, but Nazeir stopped me. We had a fight, and he looks a lot better than I thought. But this old investigator is still good at the sword, and Nazeir falls down.
I finished my contract with the two men I met back in Ulder's dungeon, then left from there. Several hours of walking in a blizzard, I watched Ulder fall down. Wanting to know what happened, I came back to the ruins. I saw Nazeir being crushed by the stones. I got him out and lifted him to safety from the blizzard. Not for a day, the snow finally disappeared suddenly. In an instant I felt magic, then the feeling was gone. It felt as if I had entered a portal. Before long, there was a cart for rent. I paid the man and brought Nazeir to you."
"That's it? Didn't you ask where Nazeir and those people are from?"
"No, I didn't think about it."
"Maybe we should ask Nazeir. We've been through all this for a hundred years and never thought of that question."
"Let him rest first, Tabot."
A troop commander came riding from the vanguard, he went straight to the investigator.
"General! Report."
"What is it?" Jurko immediately alerted.
"Uthgaard's patrol is ahead. Looks like they're guarding our ships. What should we do?"
Jurko thought for a moment.
"They don't have to know about our escape do they? If we get caught, maybe Uthgaard's ships will come after us at sea. How many patrols are there guarding the ship?"
"No more than three hundred, general."
"Take your soldiers, we will attack quietly. No trumpets or standard bearers. Only swords and daggers, understand?"
"Understood, general," he nodded.
"Also, prepare the rest of the soldiers. But they will fight when I tell you to. Do you understand? Say what I say."
"Other soldiers will fight when you command."
"Good, now prepare them"
The commander immediately rode to prepare the army.
"Hurry up, Jurko. I have a feeling something bad is coming."
"Relax, everything will be fine."
"General!" call Aldi who is pushing something big.
Jurko saw the exhausted man pushing the large object.
"I think you need this. I have taught your five soldiers how to operate this thing. My work, and bring danger to those who attack us."
IV
The old investigator was met by his troops ready to attack. One hundred soldiers, alert and full of vigilance. Jurko got off his horse and walked with his soldiers in the darkness. Crickets sounded, the sound of the ocean could be heard the currents.
In the distance, Uthgaardian soldier on horseback was looking around the coastal perimeter. Five soldiers were called to be ready, they pushed a siege weapon. A small ballista, a slingshot that shoots stones or arrows as big as a hand and the length of two arms outstretched.
As the soldiers approached the coast, Jurko immediately crept closer to the enemy troops. By the time they are close, they charge at the enemy silently, taking them by surprise. The soldier was fighting, and it was not yet clear who the victor was.
A captain of the Uthgaard army shouted loudly, forcing his soldiers to gather in a line. A hundred soldiers marched, coming to attack Jurko and his soldiers.
Seeing the marching soldiers, the Ballista soldier shot its big arrow. The whistling sound of the arrow rang out and hit the line of soldiers. In one throw, the line of soldiers collapsed. Killed some soldiers, injured dozens, disturbing hundreds. Again and again the ballista fired, and a sense of disorder was seen in Uthgaardian army.
Soldier Uthgaard who saw his comrades dead immediately panicked and looked for where he had come from. A cavalry soldier saw a ballista in the bushes and immediately brought his comrades to attack the war machine. The five soldiers fought back, but ended up being stabbed to death by the sword.
The old investigator began his way through the ranks of Uthgaard's soldiers like a bull on the loose. When the panicked Uthgaard soldier fled, the investigator ordered the reserve soldiers to pursue the retreating Uthgaardian.
Looking at the attacking soldiers, he could count that only a quarter of them had survived. Jurko was devastated, sympathy for his comrade.
"Commander!" Jurko shouted.
The man came running to the investigator.
"They are ready, general."
"Bring the group here. Hurry!"
The man immediately ran as fast as possible to Tabot group. Jurko instructed the dead soldiers to be buried as soon as possible by their comrades.
A dozen minutes later Tabot came with the others. Their belongings were loaded onto the ship. The wagons, horses, buffalos, and medical personnel got on first, which the soldiers would follow.
The medics and others had already boarded their ship, Jurko was waiting for his soldiers to board the ship. In the moonlight, a fleet of Uthgaardian ships came from behind the bay. The ships shot their arrows into the air. Tabot gaped as he pointed at the hundreds of arrows that passed by his ship. Seeing the arrow heading for a ship behind him, dozens of nurses and doctors were hit by the arrow. Their bodies fell on the ship's deck, some screaming in pain, some bleeding and lifeless.
The scientist's guards and his soldiers immediately raised their shields up, guarding Tabot from the rain of arrows.
"Get down on the deck!" Tullius shouted to the entire crew.
People started running to the deck of the ship, taking cover from the hundreds of arrows that landed. Tabot's breath began to quicken, the not-so-big room was swarmed by dozens of people. There was a nurse who was crying in fear, and her friends tried to comfort her. On the deck, they heard arrows landing on his ship. Tabot knew that this ship would not sail unless someone commanded it.
Confused and not wanting to go up, Tabot could only hope for the investigator to help him. Then a memory came.
"Wait, where are Nazeir and that girl!?" he shouted at Tullius.
"On the deck, sir."
Realising what's wrong, Tullius immediately ran up the deck with his soldiers. The shields raised, they immediately ran to the side of Nazeir's and Aida's tanks, guarding them from a hail of arrows.
Tullius looked at Uthgaardian ships. Not knowing how, Jurko and the rest of the spearhead's army boarded the a ship and rammed into the side of the Uthgaardian ship at top speed. The Uthgaardian ship shook and sank from the collision against the old investigator ramming attack. Seeing an opportunity to escape the chaos, the commander immediately rushed to the ship's platform.
"Get the oars out!" Tullius shouted.
The other ships immediately responded by repeating what Tullius had said. Dozens of oars began to emerge from the small windows below the deck of each ship. They began to row, sailing from the battle that was around them.
Passing Uthgaardian ships, Tullius saw other Spearhead soldiers fighting on the ship he passed. The bodies of the Spearhead soldiers fell with their eyes lifeless, sacrificing their lives for the others to escape Uthgaard's pursuit. Bodies float on the surface of the water, the sea turns red.
Beneath the boat, Tabot peered out the oars of the ship. They had escaped the grasp of Uthgaard's fleet. The scientist ran up the deck to remove the cloth covering the Nazeir tube. The canister was still intact, thanks to Jurko and the Spearhead soldiers who they left in the distance. Tullius and Tabot still saw the battle going on, both of them could only watch it. Not long after they escaped, a ship can be seen exploding in the distance, wooden debris can be seen hurling high in the air. Explosions lit up the night, the loud sound was heard as far as the eye could see. All the surviving ships were sailing away from the sound, and the ships shook as the force of the shockwave made the waves rise.
"Jurko..." Tabot muttered.
The scientist swallowed the bitter taste and looked at the ships that survived with him. He counted them, there were eight galleys and two transport ships that survived from the thirty ships Hukoleen had given him.
A galley could carry several hundred men, while a transport ship could carry eight hundred soldiers, and those ships are not full of people but animals and wagons. Only hundreds of people survived from the thousands of members of the Spearhead. Members of the medical and other skilled workforce.
Looking at the ship sailing with him, all the spearheads were on the deck of the ship and saw the explosion that occurred in the distance. They lamented about what was happening in front of them, some were crying and some fell unconscious. The day has ended.