I hear a scream, no multiple screams. I hear swords clashing, arrows flying in the air. Is this what a war looks like? I see ugly people fighting beautiful people. Are they dead people fighting living people? Seems like torture for the dead people. The swords give me bad memories, horrible ones. Getting stabbed and slashed by it. It's like one of my dreams I've had. Getting stabbed multiple times in the chest and by a miracle from the goddess, my savior arrived.
I don't want to go there. I'm scared.
"Rui I'm scared to go, those people look very scary." I began clinging onto him and looking at his dark bluish eyes and silently begging him to not let me go there. He looked at the battlefield and said "Just hold onto me we will not do anything, we will just walk there to the elves." He said it and crossed his arms.
Just walk there? What is he saying? Won't that just kill us both? They will surely attack Rui and me. What are you planning Rui?
I'm scared, I wasn't even scared when I was kidnapped, I accepted my fate at that time but now, I have a reason to live. To be Rui's best friend.
'If you are going to kill me, I'm taking her with me' I start to get Stabbed multiple times and feeling the pain I had again.
I start having flashbacks
'Who is that monster? RUN!!' Screamed a man inside my head. I started to have a panic attack. After Rui looked at me for a second and placed his hands on my shoulders, I snapped back and looked him in the eyes with determination and said "Let's go Rui, please protect me!"
He proceeds to grab me and hold me like a baby, like my mother did back then. I felt that Rui's steps were more heavier than usual and sounded like a tiny explosion sounds are coming from it. He had a different aura than what he used to have. I feel hatred, sadness and fury from the aura.
After slowly coming down we approached the first waves of the ugly people, they started looking at us silently while Rui was continuing to move. As we kept moving they started to make way for us, it's like we were their leader. After a while we began coming closer to the people that look like me and I saw elves that looked like me.
As we arrived to the lines of the good people Rui stopped for a moment. The people that looked at him were all terrified and dropped to their feet. Then a woman started approaching us. A blonde, red eyed elf and she had unusual long ears. She was gorgeous. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She had a full set of golden armor and a bright golden sword. She stopped when she was in front of us and had a tear in her eyes.
"It's been a while leader."
Leader? Who is the leader? Am I the leader or Rui? Never mind that, she isn't scared like all the other people on the battlefield. She must be someone special to Rui that I didn't know.
"It's good to see you too Galadriel." His voice was softer than usual. It's like he is reunited with his family or a loved one. Galadriel spread her arms and went for a hug and somehow ignoring the fact that I am getting squished by her armor. After both pull away, Rui puts me down. "Hold her hands." He pointed at me. She grabs my arm and pulls me in to hold me tight with both of her hands. Rui turns around and walks two steps. He crosses his arms and looks up the sky and says.
"Forsaken Fury."
Rui chanted that name with a frighting sound. A sword magically appears from the heavens and descends fast. The sword stabs the ground in front of Rui.
"Run or die."
Those ugly looking people didn't move but kept looking at him intensely.
"EVERYONE RETREAT TO THE CASTLE" Shouts Galadriel. She picks me up and all us run inside the castle and close it shut. Rui didn't come with us. I hope he doesn't get hurt.
"As you wish."
Rui's voice starts to echo throughout the whole kingdom. I couldn't see anything because they closed the castle gate. "What is Rui doing?" I ask her expecting to get an answer, instead she just shushes me and tells me "It's best that you don't know."
Why? Why are they all being secretive? "Rui will tell you later, for now just stay with me." She added that why tightly holding me again.
"It's been a while leader."
Says Galadriel to me and I happily reply back with "It's good to see you too Galadriel" She smiles and she begins to tear up. She starts hugging me and I hug her as well. 'How have you been?' She answers 'Bad I hate living in this kingdom.' She tries to not talk out loud, we've always talked in telepathy. 'Let's talk later, I have to get rid of these undead.' I tell her that and add "Hold her hands" I point to Ari and Galadriel obliges and holds her firmly. 'I entrust you her soul, do not let her die.' She nods her head.
I turn around and call upon my Claymore that was named by the lich king Kadan "Forsaken Fury." The skies and the heavens begin to change color. A depressing and hopeless Grey color. The claymore descends down and hits the ground in front.
My aura begins to get unleashed and Galadriel begins to shout "EVERYONE RETREAT TO THE CASTLE" and everyone takes a moment to understand what she meant because the overwhelming fear of my aura made them unable to move.
"Run or die." My last warning for the undead. It seems their leader fled from combat and there is no one to command them.
"It's hopeless then."
I take a deep breath as I haven't used this style of combat since the death of the lich lord.
"Forsaken Fury: Devour." The sword answer my will and began releasing a toxic aroma that vaporized anyone touching it. I'm glad Galadriel knew what I would do and recalled their troops back. One by one everyone gets infected and disappear from existence. It takes a few minutes for them all to disappear but I let 1 survive for me to interrogate.
"Why are you attacking this kingdom?" The undead didn't say anything for a moment. After I fueled my Aura's power with fury, it began to speak slowly.
"We..we—re ordered to attack this kingdom by a human."
A human using necromantic magic?
"Who ordered it?" It began to shake from fear as my fury kept getting fueled. "It- was.. The cult of Eden." "The cult of Eden?" My fury began to boil.
"Where are they?" I tried to stay calm but my rage can't be sated without blood and hearing that name made it worse.
"I don't know I was summoned from the forest behind us!" He sat down in fear and held his hands begging for mercy.
"You. Go back to where you've came and report back about this massacre and tell your leaders:
Death knight Thaemine is coming to destroy you." I said it with intention of killing him, if he doesn't deliver it. He got up and ran fast.
I took a deep breath and "oRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH" I began screaming from the top of my lungs trying to clear my rage. I began breathing frantically trying to regain my composure. I took a deep breath and out and my rhythm got back in track.
My screams usually paralyze people that are unworthy of fighting. So they should consider themselves lucky that I wasn't in a worse mood.
"Forsaken Fury: Disperse."
My claymore begins to fade away and I take another breath and turn around. I cross my arms again and walk towards the castle gates.
"Open the gates, the undead have perished."
The castle gates slowly opens up for me and after it fully opens I see an elf girl run towards me instantly. She goes to hug me tightly while tearing up. "I was scared for you." I pat her head "I know, I'm sorry to leave you behind let's go in." I hold out one of my arm for her to grab. She grabs it and we go back in the castle while soldiers get out and look at the massacre that happened.
Everyone kept their distance from me as they knew my name and legend from the past war. They didn't thank me nor cheered for me, they looked at me with disgust in their faces.
"Thaemine the queen has requested your presence in her palace." Said Galadriel
'Also try not to be aggressive with her, because she knows if your legend and supposedly isn't scared of you. I would advice to listen to her request and try not to mention that I am Ines the warlock. They don't know that it is me' She told me that telepathically.
"Understood."
"Let me hold onto this girl till you are bac-"
"No she is coming with me." I interrupt her request as I don't want to make her sad again. She didn't continue arguing and let me go.
"Let's go."
"Do you know the way leader?" She asked me but she probably forgot that I can sense people.
"I know the way." I began moving and Galadriel followed suit.
The meeting point is up ahead after this door. I am unsure what the queen will request. I am bound to decline it anyway.
"Ready?" Said Galadriel
"Yes, and Ari do not bow to the queen." She looked at me confused. "Bow? What does that mean?" I guess she doesn't come from a high profile family. She is a villager with not much experience in the aristocratic culture.
"It's fine just don't say anything other than your name."
"I understand."
Galadriel pushes the door open.
"You are now in the presence of queen Federica I, you may now bow." Galadriel proceeds to do a half-hearted short bow while the both of us stay still.
"Incompetent fools, do you not have any decency and respect for a royalty?" Federica began to rant without even thanking us for intervening their proxy war.
"…" I stay silent. "Fine suit yourself death knight Thaemine. I do not recognize this elven girl, state your name." She says it with a commanding voice.
Ari hesitates to answer but after I look at her and she looks back, she takes a deep breath and says
"My name is Ari." The queen has an annoyed face on she clearly doesn't want us here. "Do you not have a last name girl? Are you a peasant or something of that sort?" Ari starts shaking nervously and is having a hard time answering it.
"That is enough, you wanted my presence, state your intentions or we will leave." Ari slowly calmed down after I stepped in.
"Fine after what I saw from the orb of all seeing eyes, I had interest in taking you in our holy army. My request is that you join in with the strongest battalion in the world with our strongest warrior Galadriel the merciful."
Merciful warrior Galadriel? What am I hearing. The woman that used to raid, experiment, torment and do unspeakable things to people in villages. She is a 'holy' knight and merciful? I guess I'll have a discussion with her later on why the sudden change.
"I refuse." Galadriel and the queen expected this answer so she came up with a different idea.
"Permission to speak your highness" asked Galadriel.
"Permission granted."
"Why not just stay and live here Thaemine?" suggested Galadriel.
"Yes please let's stay here!" added Ari. Honestly it would be great to stay somewhere safe while I get to think of where I can head off to next.
"Where?"
"Live with me." Said Galadriel.
"Yay I get to live with auntie Galadriel!" Ari had a jump of joy and went to hug Galadriel.
"Oh you."
"Death knight Thaemine, I hope you know our kingdom condemns magical essence usage." Federica had a disgusted face on her. I guess I broke a rule on her kingdom.
"I usually don't make exceptions but I myself hate for doing this. I at least have to reward you for saving our kingdom so consider yourself privileged."
She said it with arrogance.
"Where is your home Galadriel?" I completely ignore Federica and went to talk to my friend.
"Permission to speak your highness."
"Permission denied, Thaemine I will give you time to think about it. You make come at any time and take my offer on joining my army." I'm still not interested.
"You may go now." Said Federica.
After walking down the streets we finally got to her home and taken shelter.
"Thank you Ines." I say her battle maiden name.
"Well Rui you've got a lot to explain."
"And so do you." I reply back to her. Ari approached me
"Rui I'm hungry and thirsty." With a sad face.
"I've got some food lying around." She took out a rice bowl that she saved and heated it up with her magic. "Here you go Ari, please enjoy it." She started eating it slowly and only said "Thank you auntie." She was still shy around her. "Aw how sweet of you." She pets her head.
"Now Rui explain yourself, why do you have a child elf with you?"
"I am her shield." I start crossing my arms.
"Shield? What did she do?"
"I saved her from certain death."
"Certain death? Oh is that why she has cuts in her clothing?" She looks back at her and takes a deep breath.
"Yes and she is traumatized by that." 'I can access her memory and delete that incident, want me to do that?' She asks me telepathically.
"Ask her yourself." I say it out loud.
"Ari sweetheart, do you have nightmares?" She sits next to her. "I do but those nightmares I treasure dearly. If I didn't get kidnapped by bandits, I wouldn't have met Rui. That is why I treasure it." Ines begins to hug her and Ari begins to tear up.
"I'm sorry that it happened to you. I wish I was there to help you as well."
They didn't do anything for the most part just waiting for her to finish her food and asks her if she needs a refill.
"Auntie Galadriel, I'm sleepy…" She slowly starts to sleep on her shoulders. "Oh cutie let's get you to bed." She picks her up and puts her in her own bed.
"May goddess Rixxia have her blessing on you." She kisses her forehead and looks at me sitting on a chair looking at her.
"Now then, I'm sure you are shocked that I became a swordswoman and taken in the strongest army known to mankind. When I began my journey after we separated I headed to this new nation called 'revelation' and I got invited to be one of their new recruits. I gladly took the offer and hid my real identity to them. Months later there was an uprising.
A rebellion like our past started and they were strong mages. They did a lot of damage to the kingdom and I secretly wiped them out one by one. I killed them using magic without anyone seeing me. After that I pretended that I killed them using my basic swordsmanship and they didn't believe me at first but then I proved myself later on." She kept brushing Ari's hair while talking.
"Hm. And of this swordsmanship elaborate your skills further."
"Oh it's merely basic swordsmanship that you learn from training here, but unbeknown to them I sprinkle a little magical power to it. Serving the lich lord back then got me a lot of great skills, like hiding my magical aura." She chuckled while saying that.
"You've gotten yourself a new set of armor I see."
"Hey I was awarded this. Shame that it absorbs magic so my spells don't have much impact as much as I wanted to. At least it looks cool but I digress." She laughs softly and clears her throat to ask me this.
"What are you planning Rui?" she has a serious face on her.
"Until she wakes up, I will give her 3 options. I am still contemplating if I should go through this."
"And they are?"
"Option 1: Return her to her home village and forget that we ever met."
"Option 2: Let her stay and live with you and forget that I exist."
"Option 3: She becomes our adoptive little companion and will be taught they way of the blade."
"I sense that she could become a great swordswoman if she started with you, and I can feel great amount of faith from her. Spiritualism could also work for her." Ines can sense power and that helps determine if they are worthy to train.
"If she decides option 3 I'll ask her what type of training she wants. The blade or spirits. Then she can choose who to train with." I feel like this is the best course of action to maximize the amount of training she would get. If of course she chose option 3.
Time will tell.