The battlefield roared with a cacophony unlike any Saxon had ever heard. Cries of pain from wounded cat-folk, their fur matted with blood, pierced the air. Some, still conscious, watched in horrified fascination as a lone cat-person fought a horde of enemies. There were also expressions of judgements mixed in their eyes, afterall, their savior was a demúgnir, a detestable being.
Saxon, the village chief's son and heir, was among them who were saved from death. His voice was hoarse from screaming orders, his legs useless, pools of blood beneath him. "You shouldn't be here! Get out!" he rasped, desperation lacing his voice. "Run before the elders find you!" The pain he was feeling was unbearable but it felt like nothing compared to the heaviness his heart felt.
His pleas were lost on the figure in the distance. It was Shiloah, his younger brother, or Aegir, the name he'd adopted in exile. Saxon had tried for years to keep Shiloah away from this place, the place that branded him cursed and the same land that planned to kill him. Yet, here he was. No one will help him if the elders caught him even if he had risked his life to save them now. For them, the elders' words are absolute.
Despite the passage of time, their resemblance was undeniable. Saxon, with his rough, manly features, shared his forest green eyes and ashen locks with Aegir. The color of their cat ears and tail was also similar - they could even pass as fraternal twins but Saxon was born a year before Aegir.
Saxon was glad to see his brother alive and well but his heart was bleeding, tears making his eyes stung. "You didn't have to do this... please... " he tried to reach Aegir again which in turn just spared him a glance with a small smile written on his face.
Saxon frantically turned his attention to the other cat-people, his tone was now begging, "You shouldn't tell this to the elders, promise that you will stay silent! " His companions just looked at him, none of them spoke and it made Saxon's mind filled with anxiety. His brother was in danger...maybe he should just shield his body to protect him. He'll accept the severity of their punishments, he just doesn't want to lose another brother again in their hands.
'I hated it... to be the only one surviving when all of them were already gone. Why...it has to be me? '
Saxon's choked sob wracked his body, he clutched his chest tightly as agony coiled inside of his heart. If only he was strong enough to fight, Shiloah won't have to step up for them. But who will protect him when the time comes? "Shiloah... Shiloah... " he whispered his name, the state of his brother before was still fresh on his mind. He was beaten black and blue when he was still a kid.
And they said they will behead him in front of everyone. It was just luck that helped him to let Shiloah escape and lied that it was him who killed his brother. He was hailed as a hero but the very title... became a heavy burden.
'I don't want it... '
He wanted to stop him but he didn't know how. All he could do now is to cry and pray that his brother will manage to make it alive.
'Please... '
The air crackled with a strange energy. Aegir battled ten foes, but the most bizarre sight was five enemies fighting their own comrades. An eerie pink light bound them, thin threads connecting them to Aegir. Their contorted faces spoke of a struggle against an unseen force. Two of their allies, a knight and a mage, had tried in vain to sever the pink strings, their attacks proving useless.
"What did you do, you cat-bastard?!" roared an enemy wielding a barbed spear, he was one of the generals, fortunate enough to evade Aegir's magic. He lunged at Aegir, who met the attack with razor-sharp claws, severing the spear tip inches from his face.
"Perhaps," Aegir retorted, a tinge of irritation in his voice, "if you hadn't waged war here, none of this would be happening. You were about to finish them off. What do you expect me to do, be happy about it?" Aegir's voice dripped with sarcasm, his eyes flickering to the wounded cat-folk, one of them the very same Saxon who'd saved him years ago. He was here to repay a debt, and the enemy's cruelty disgusted him.
Aegir just lost it when he saw his brother with his head hung low, just waiting for the blade to strike him dead. He could understand his pleas that the elders won't be thrilled to see him here but he has the power now to make them if they tried to do something funny.
The spear wielding general smirked. "Don't be too confident, dirty cat! " The blade from the spear that was severed sprang back, it glowed silver against the general's magic.
In a flash, the two remaining enemies, one wielding a rapier and a sturdy shield, staged their attack on Aegir from his back.
Aegir laughed softly. His master Vin, with his lazy ass, was way faster than this when they spar. "Your coordination was impressive but sadly not enough! " With a powerful kick, Aegir sent the spear sprawling. Aegir summoned his serpent-like ribbon magic to hold the scheming enemies on his back, bringing them upwards and slamming their bodies to the ground.
Aegir leaned forward to the general whose face registered nervousness, his breathing came in desperate gulps as if he was having a hard time breathing. "Artemisia's order is to capture a general, you know what it means, right? " Aegir smiled sweetly, he immediately seized the opportunity and delivered a strong punch on the general's jaw. The general crumpled down to the ground, he passed out with his eyes still opened.
Aegir grimaced watching his enemy. "That's disgusting! " he commented, even kicked his jaw lightly, enough for his head to loll on his side.
It was also that time that the remaining five enemies who were fighting each other fell unconscious. It was not the fight that drained them but the pink energy around them that took away their mana.
Aegir faced the direction where his brother Saxon was, he waved at him with a happy smile. "You're safe now... brother! " he beamed but Saxon's expression was something he never expected. It was laced with terror as if he had seen a ghost, his hands were trembling as his tears kept on falling.
"Run! " Saxon's voice cracked as he screamed. But it was too late, Aegir didn't have the time to react. A strong grip was now on his neck, the owner of the hand raised him to the ground. Aegir choked, trying to punch the hand away from his neck but no matter what resistance he did, it weighed nothing.
Aegir gasped for air, his vision blurring at the edges. The attacker, a cat-person with chilling red eyes and a cruel smirk, was eerily familiar. It was Pućella, the most feared elder of the Cat's Coven, his cold gleam mirroring the one Aegir had just extinguished.
Saxon begged and cried for his brother to be spared. "Please...don't hurt him! He saved us! " Saxon tried to crawl his way towards Pućella, not minding the pain of his bloodied legs.
Pućella's intimidating gaze found its way towards Saxon who trembled in fear. Pućella's grip never left Aegir's neck. "Don't order me around, kid. You know what it means. You kept this cursed being alive! " Saxon was engulfed in a dark orange light. A heart-wrenching scream ripped from Saxon's throat as he coughed up blood, his hand reaching desperately for his brother.
The air crackled with a sudden shift. A chilling sensation slithered down Pućella's spine, it was new to him and he loathed it. The once brown earth morphed into an inky black, a shadow swallowing the world. An unseen presence descended, heavy and ominous, like the embrace of death itself.
A hand, cold and heavy like a grave digger's, clamped onto Pućella's shoulder. "Let go of my Aegir! " He looked up to meet a pair of golden orbs blazing with fury. Anthony, his face contorted in cold rage, drained the strength from Pućella. The cat-elder felt his bones about to shatter under the crushing grip.
Pućella had no time to react, the man was fast to rescue Aegir who was now enveloped in his embrace. Aegir coughed repeatedly, his eyes watered while his hands desperately clung on Anthony's shoulder. "Master... you're here... " Aegir whimpered, burying his face on Anthony's chest. Anthony softly kissed Aegir's head, glad that he was not too late.
Saxon, weak but alive, witnessed his brother's rescue. A wave of relief washed over him as he saw the concern etched on Anthony's face. "So, you found someone nice, didn't you, Shiloah? " Saxon chuckled with joy before his head rolled back and he fell unconscious.
Pućella realized how badly he messed up when he saw the man's wrath-filled eyes settle on him, there was a dark aura dancing around him as if it was alive and was sending him watchful glances - waiting for the moment it could feast on him.
He sold his people to their enemies, confident that no one could stop them. According to the intel, this man must be the Raven. They were told the person was not a threat.
But the way death was slowly crawling into his skin proved otherwise.
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Artemisia surveyed the battlefield, her silver locks whipped freely by the wind's erratic little dance. She stood tall amidst the numerous corpses sprawled before her as smoke gushed out of the caters, ripping the very land. It was the product of a large-scale magic that had transpired before the grim reaper consumed the place. Artemisia's eyes, glowing an intense amethyst, the obvious hint of the being who ransacked the place with their incredible abilities.
Her usual eye color was that of gold but when time comes she'll release a huge amount of magic - it'll turn purple - an eye color unique to her race.
Artemisia sighed, her eyes laced with sadness. The once vibrant houses built in this place are now raised into smoldering heaps. The huge wishing fountain placed on the center of the town was now filled with blood; scattered across its bloodied pavements were lifeless forms of the cat-folks that were unfortunate to escape the place.
Tears streamed down on her face, she placed her hand over her chest offering a silent prayer to those who died. "I will end this, I promise, " she whispered faintly. This chaos started with her and she'll make sure it'll end with her. There were already so many lives that lay waste and too many missed opportunities to do something against it.
A chilling sound pierced the heavy silence - Artemisia heard a slow rhythmic clapping from someone who just arrived at the place. A jolt ran down her spine as her eyes darted forward to meet the sight of a person from her distant past - there stood Hale, the victim turned villain she failed to protect. His crimson eyes gleamed in amusement. The sound of footsteps he made towards her was eerily normal, as if he was just taking a stroll in the park. His hair was neatly combed in a rather formal fashion. But the fresh blood that stained his face and clawed hands tell a different story. It wasn't his own blood that was there, it was that of those who he killed.
"My, my, what a lucky opportunity meeting you here. '' Hale was smiling at her, he even took a graceful bow as a show of respect but Artemisia knew that it was all to spite her and she should never lower her ground to him but at least she wants to apologize to him. It was her failure that created everything.
"Hale..." Artemisia's voice cracked, guilt lacing her every syllable. But before she could finish her words, a sharp hiss cut her off. Hale, his eyes gleaming with a glint, silenced her with a finger pressed to his lips.
"There's no need to apologize! " A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, rising in pitch until it morphed into a chilling, unhinged laugh. "That's a good joke, really! " He threw his head back, his amusement a horrifying counterpoint to the scene of devastation around them.
"Apologies?" he spat, the humor vanishing from his voice as fast as it had appeared. His face twisted into a cruel sneer. "Do you think it can mend the damage it has done? Y'all must be delusional! " With a quick flick of his wrist, he propelled a sphere of blood from his palm. It pulsed with a malevolent light, it hurled towards Artemisia. "Taste this! "
Artemisia reacted with her honed reflexes, she quickly evaded the attack. It exploded on the shattered remnants of a nearby house.
"Tsk, tsk, " Hale clucked, a wide smile twisting his features. "You should be number two, I was trying to find the Raven, I bet he's here. But too bad I ran into you... " Hale's lips formed into a fake frown. "But no matter! The Raven is an easy prey to kill! "
The mere mention of the Raven, Anthony, sent a jolt of fury coursing on her veins. "I will not let you hurt him! " Her gaze locked intensely into Hale's. Her normal hands contorted, morphing into razor-sharp dragon claws. It cackled with purple flames of magical energy.
Hale's laughter echoed in the place. His heart was itching to taste the bittersweet taste of his long awaited vengeance.
Across the battlefield, Anthony and Aegir, together with Trace who was dragging two bodies with him, were making their way towards the Cat's Coven village - seeking Artemisia, bearing an important news for the sake of their goals.
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