At last, the plan for reclaiming the chief's position over the Dalish tribe has begun. Zaptan, Gaurdon, Aurdim, and Melisha were assigned to pull out a frontal attack, while Estrow and Sharlock were on a secret mission. He told the group about the strange feeling he got when he was at Ramphu's outpost with his mother. Sharlock suspected that Avita was manipulated, as was the whole village. So they made a plan for rescuing her and lifting the manipulation magic if that were the case.
At the front gate, Zaptan and his crew started the attack. Gaurdon howled to get the guard's attention, while Aurdim threw big rocks at the gate.
"We're under attack! Tell the chief! We're under attack! "One of the guards shouted as he rang the big bell as an alarm to the whole village.
"Who's attacking us?! "The other guard asked.
"It's the previous emperor, Zaptan Regur. Together with his general, Gaurdon Ereke, and two vampires," Arkhim Durhas, the captain of the guards, answered.
"Never have I imagined them teaming up. Prepare the catapult! We're going to strike back! "ordered by Torhin Yrnash, the vice chief of the tribe.
"Yes sir! "All of the guards shouted.
Aurdim continued throwing big rocks at the gate, but they're indestructible. Gaurdon buffed Aurdim to boost his physical strength. Zaptan, on the other hand, was just behind them, staying calm. Melisha was waiting for the gate to be broken so she could sneak in and attack the guards.
"I can jump up those walls and break the necks of those guards," Melisha said.
"We're not here to kill them; we just have to make a diversion," Zaptan replied.
"I know, I'm just kidding," Melisha responded.
"What kind of gate is that? It's so durable," Aurdim irritably uttered.
"I assume they already built a baricade behind that gate. Destroying it will be a little bit hard," Gaurdon replied.
"I told you guys, we're just here for diversion! So destroying that gate doesn't matter! "Zaptan shouted.
"I'm sorry, my lord. We're just too thirsty for battle," Gaurdon apologized.
"Is he always like that? "Melisha softly asked Gaurdon.
"Not really. He's just taking this seriously," Gaurdon answered.
The catapult was ready, and the chief was also at the scene. He saw Zaptan from afar, and then he smiled.
"I didn't expect him to greet me like this. I guess we should give him a proper greeting too. Light up the boulder! "Ramphu said.
"But chief, the forest behind them might get burned. Our crops were also on that way," Arkhim replied.
"Didn't you hear me?! Light up the boulder! "Ramphu shouted.
"Yes sir! "Arkhim answered. "Light up the boulder! I repeat! Light up the boulder! "He ordered the guards.
"Sir. It looks like Estrow was not with them. Is it possible that he was not with Zaptan this whole time?"Torhin softly asked Ramphu.
"I doubt that. Estrow was not strong enough to sneak in alone. The only place he will go is the Horkun tribe, just as Zaptan lost his throne," Ramphu answered.
"So he's just hiding for now? Waiting to sneak inside again? "Torhin replied.
"Probably. We just have to wait and be prepared, I guess," Ramphu said.
"I'm going to order the rest of the guards to roam around the whole village," Torhin said.
"Alright. Do what you must do," Ramphu answered.
The boulder was lit, and the catapult was hot. The Dalish were ready to strike back. Aurdim was still throwing rocks at the gate; he saw that it was damaged. However, a boulder on fire flew into their position.
"Incoming! "Gaurdon shouted as he jumped and dodged.
They scattered around when the boulder hit their position. The whole area was on fire. Trees and valuable crops were lit.
"Are they out of their minds?" That's their food, right? "Aurdim furiously said.
"Yes. But it's the chief's order. No one will stand against it," Gaurdon replied.
"The gate was damaged. A little push might break it," Melisha shouted.
"Don't rush! Remember, this is just a diversion. We just have to wait for Sharlock's signal before getting inside! "Zaptan said.
"Are you serious?! We will catch those flaming rocks here?! "Melisha irritably asked.
"Yes! That's the plan. We should stick to it! "Zaptan answered.
"Melisha. He's right. The plan was still on track; we must stick to it," Aurdim said.
"Alright. It's your call. But if anything goes south, I'll improvise. Got it? "Melisha responded.
"Thank you," Aurdim said.
The flaming boulders keep flying to their positions. They barely dodge some of it. Even Gaurdon got burned from the impact. Ramphu saw their desperation in breaking the gate.
"The four of you wouldn't stand a chance against us! You can't keep running this boulder forever! "Ramphu shouted.
Melisha heard what he said. She was pissed and attempted to charge toward the gate, but Zaptan stopped him.
"Let go of me! I'm going to give that jerk what he deserves! "Melisha angrily uttered.
"Calm down! He was just teasing you; it's a trap. He probably knew that this was just a diversion. I assume everyone inside was already searching for Estrow and Sharlock," Zaptan replied.
"So what we're going to do?! Just keep dodging those things until it hits us?! "Melisha asked.
"We just have to trust them. Do you trust your captain? "Zaptan replied.
"Y-y-yes. Of course," Melisha stuttered.
"Then stick to his plan. We will wait for his signal, alright? "Zaptan asked.
"Alright. I'm okay now. I can still do this," Melisha answered.
"Good. You can perfectly dodge their attack. You're the fastest one here," Zaptan said.
"Yes. I am," she replied.
Melisha got back on her feet. Their diversion continued, but this time Aurdim hit those flying boulders with the rocks he was throwing a while ago.
"I have a hard time dodging you guys, but I can destroy you in an instant! "Aurdim shouted.
Ramphu saw what Aurdim was capable of. He considered him a threat, so he ordered one of his best men to eliminate him immediately.
"Yorzu, got a time to slay that one big fella out there? "Rampu asked.
"Of course, chief. I always have time," Yorzu answered.
"Good. Kill him now," Ramphu said.
"As you wish," Yorzu replied, then jumped down from the fortress' wall.
Melisha noticed Yorzu rushing towards Aurdim. She immediately stopped him.
"Look what we got here. A princess trying to save a prince? "Yorzu teased Melisha.
"I'm not a princess, but I'm dressed to kill," Melisha replied.
Yorzu struck with his claws, but Melisha dodged it. She countered with a kick, but Yorzu blocked it. He backed away a bit, then jumped up to strike again. Both of them couldn't land a clean hit against each other. Melisha decided to go even faster; she quickly rushed towards Yorzu and unleashed a powerful blow. However, Yorzu read her attack. He perfectly blocked it once again. Yorzu smiled.
"Do you know what a berserker is? "Yorzu asked.
"I've heard of it," Melisha answered.
"You've heard of it, huh? How about I show you what it is? "Yorzu replied.
"A berserker? This is not good. If he's one of those crazy fighters, I might have a hard time dealing with him," Melisha told himself.
Yorzu buffed himself, activating his berserker mode. His body was releasing a tremendous amount of energy. Ramphu saw it, and he was amazed by the sight of it.
"Berserkers is really fascinating. I knew he was a good match for the guy right there. The more damage he takes, the stronger he gets. But I never thought that woman could make him use it so early. Is she really that strong? "Ramphu uttered it in amazement.
"If you will ask me, sir, she might be more dangerous than we ever imagined. She's the only one who didn't get hit by our attack. Then she fought against Yorzu toe to toe," Torhin replied.
"Maybe you're right. Those vampires can really pull off such tricks," Ramphu responded.
Yorzu started attacking Melisha. Though he's big, he can match her speed. Melisha barely dodged Yorzu's barrage of attacks. Some of it wounded his face and limbs. Yorzu really enjoyed the sight of his enemy trying to dodge his every attack. However, Melisha was just getting started.
"I guess that's enough. You're having so much fun," Melisha said.
"Yeah. It's really fun to see you giving your best just to evade my attacks," Yorzu replied, laughing.
"My best? I haven't shown you where I'm good at yet," Melisha replied.
"Is that so? Then tell me, where are you good at? "Yorzu asked.
In the blink of an eye, Melisha broke Yorzu's neck, resulting in his head's dislocation. He was facing his back in an instant.
"What happened? Why am I facing this way?! "Yorzu cried out.
"You're still alive? I thought a lycan's neck was their weak spot. "Melisha sarcasticly said.
"You bitch! What did you do?! "Yorzu furiously uttered.
"I'm just messing with you. I didn't fully break your neck. But a light kick like this will instantly kill you," Melisha replied, then he kicked Yorzu's head, resulting in its detachment from his body.
Melisha clearly won the fight. Ramphu witnessed it, but it didn't faze him a bit. They kept throwing flaming boulders at them.
"Sir, we haven't found anything unusual inside the village," Arkhim said.
"Just keep looking. I believe this frontal attack was just a diversion," Ramphu replied.
"As you wish," Arkhim responded.
Then a demon-like creature appeared from thin air. Arkhim was alerted and ready to attack.
"Sir, watch out! "Arkhim warned Ramphu.
"Don't worry, I know him. You can go back to what you're about to do," Ramphu calmly replied.
"Are you sure, sir? "Arkhim confusingly asked.
"Yes. I'm sure," Ramphu answered as he glared back at him.
"I understand. I gotta go." Arkhim left, frightened.
The demon-like creature came close to Ramphu. He kept staring at him.
"What do you need? "Ramphu asked him as he kept on observing the enemy outside the village.
"My master wanted to meet you," it answered.
"Can it wait? I have something to take care of first here," Ramphu asked again.
"He insisted that I'd bring you with me, no matter what," he answered again.
"I see. When do we leave? "Ramphu responded.
"I need you to come with him now! "A familiar voice suddenly appeared.
"Like my master said, It is now," the demon-like creature said.
"He's really impatient. Too bad I can't bring her with me. I guess the dreaming stops here," Ramphu told himself.
"So what now? "It asked Ramphu.
"I'll go with you," Ramphu answered.
The demon-like creature grew out of a pair of flaming wings. It spread out and flapped. It grabbed Ramphu and flew him out of the village.
"He's escaping? "Gaurdon confusingly said.
"You won't get away from us," Aurdim said, then he threw a boulder at them.
"Too bad you missed Aurdim." Melisha teased Aurdim.
"They're gone," Zaptan said.
"But those boulders are still flying towards us," Aurdim said, as he kept on destroying the boulders.
"I wonder what happened to Estrow and Sharlock," Zaptan asked himself.
Meanwhile, Estrow and Sharlock were shocked when they saw what was inside the hidden passage leading inside the village. Thousands of glowing red eggs were nearly hatched, lurking in the darkness of the passage. Sharlock knew that those eggs meant trouble, so he destroyed them. However, because of their numbers, it could take them forever before they can totally eradicate the eggs.
"What kind of eggs are these? "Estrow asked.
"It's parasitic. I believe all of the villagers here were controlled by these. That's why they deliberately obey your uncle," Sharlock answered.
"That's what happened to my mother," Estrow said.
"Yes. The bigger problem is these thousands of eggs. We should destroy them as soon as we can. I can do it with my power, but the damage could end up catching on the surface. A large area of the village might be ruined," Sharlock worriedly uttered.
"That's the last thing we want—to have casualties," Estrow replied.
"I know. Is there anything you can do to evacuate them? I know you're an enemy to them right now, but I'm hoping you can figure something out," Sharlock asked.
"I'll try to provoke them. I hope all of them will follow me and leave the area that will be affected by your attack," Estrow answered.
"Good luck," Sharlock replied.
Estrow continued walking his way out of the passage, and when he's inside the village, he goes up to the highest roof where everyone can see him.
"Dalish people! I'm here to slay your beloved chief! Don't get in my way, or I will kill you too! "Estrow shouted.
"He's right there, the intruder! Get him! "One of the guards shouted.
Estrow destroyed a portion of every house to force the villager to evacuate. He did it randomly to avoid suspicion.
"Everybody, please evacuate! The intruder intended to destroy this area! "One of the guards ordered the villagers.
Everyone panicked and ran for their safety. Estrow continues to destroy every house without harming the people.
"Where's your chief?! I'm going to kill him with my own hands! "Estrow shouted.
"He's long gone." Someone behind him suddenly spoke.
"M-m-mother?! "Estrow stuttered.
"You're here to save me, right? "Avita asked.
"You were manipulated by Uncle, right? "Estrow replied.
"It doesn't matter if I was manipulated or not. What's important is your here to save me," Avita responded as he slowly came closer to Estrow, but before she could make it close to him, Sharlock started attacking.
Bright white light in the shape of swords fell from the sky. As it touches the ground, big explosions occur. It destroyed a large area of the village. His comrade saw his attack.
"That's the signal! "Melisha shouted.
"It's time. We'll go inside! "Zaptan ordered.
All of them charged towards the gate. Aurdim destroyed the gate with one blow. Melisha quickly put the guards to sleep with her sneak attack. Gaurdon rushed towards the catapult and destroyed it. Zaptan just slowly walked behind them.
"It took them forever for that signal," Aurdim said.
"Maybe something came up. We never know," Zaptan replied.
Sharlock continued destroying the eggs. With his power, a thousand of them feel like hundreds. While Estrow was still bothered by his mother's strange approach to him,.
"What's the problem, my boy? I thought you're going to take me away from here. "Avita teased him.
"You're not my mother, are you? "Estrow confusingly asked.
"Do I look like another person to you?"Avita asked.
"You're just confusing me. You're not real! "Estrow shouted.
"Estrow, your position is the only one I haven't clarified yet! "Sharlock shouted.
"It looks like your friend was kind of impatient. We're still having our mother and son talk, right?"Avita said as she was smiling creepily.
"You're not real! I know! My mother wasn't like that! "Estrow furiously replied.
"Estrow! Just give me a signal! "Sharlock shouted.
Estrow's head was filled with his mother's images and memories. He can't decide whether to save her or leave her. Out of nowhere, he suddenly saw his mother smile—a sincere smile. It's like permission to leave her like that. Her voice suddenly filled his head.
"My son. Everything will be alright. If not now, maybe tomorrow or the next day. You need to always remember that, as long as you believe, everything will be alright," Avita softly whispered in his ear.
Estrow's face ran down with tears. He walked away from his mother. Avita's creepy face suddenly changed into an angel-like expression. The mother, whom he always knew, was back.
"It's clear," Estrow softly uttered.
Although the signal was softly spoken, Sharlock heard it and proceeded to clear out the remaining eggs. The area was within Avita's reach, so she was caught up in the attack. Contrary to what they wanted to happen, there's a casualty to their mission.
Sharlock approached Estrow and saw him in tears. He instantly knew that they couldn't save his mother.
"I'm sorry," Sharlock said.
"Don't be. It is what she wanted," Estrow replied, then he stood up and wiped his tears.
"So what now? You're going to face your uncle? "Sharlock asked.
"He's not here anymore. I guess we have to set the people free from being maninulated," Estrow answered.
"About that, once they hosted that parasite, it's hard to get rid of them from their system," Sharlock said.
"You mean there's no way to save my people? "Estrow worriedly asked.
"I've said it's hard, but not impossible. I can help you free them, but you have to do one specific thing first," Sharlock answered.
Sharlock explained what he needs to do in order to save his people. Estrow was surprised by Sharlock's plan. It seems like he doesn't want to proceed with it, but he also knew it was the only way.