"Chief, we must decide now."
"Yes, everyone is already in agreement. What more must be spoken?"
"I know where everyone is coming from, but-"
"No buts. I mean, by the God's Drevid."
"Ju'Shal's right. If not for Nix-"
"ENOUGH!"
Jennifer shouted and slammed her hands on the table, making some small cracks in the old wood and making the Main Hall fall silent.
It had been two weeks since the battle against the Dark Beasts, and Nix had yet to recover. Thanks to another group of Beasts suddenly appearing, they were able to get everyone to safety in the village and defend themselves from the dredges that would occasionally appear at random. If it wasn't for Nix's weapons, they would've been wiped out long ago after the sudden appearance of the Rank 7 Nightmare Elk. Thanks to the Dark Beast though, the fires that began to spread through the forest were quickly dettered by the frosty aura the Elk possessed.
"I know how everyone feels. But we cannot decide without Nix's approval. I want it as much as everyone else, but we must wait for her to recover." The Va'Rish sighed softly as she sat back down and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She'd taken her helmet off and muted all alerts, letting Vela take care of the guard and keep the low ranking Dark Beasts at bay.
"What of Sheeva?" Kajit asked as he raised his hand. "That child has barely been seen since Nix had returned. The poor thing." The Gnome trailed off with a sigh as he shook his head.
"She's taken up the task of training the medical personnel the way Nix wanted. She's amazing in her own way, picking up Nix's work so fast." Drevid sighed as he leaned back against his seat. "And thanks to her, we have a few new sets of armor and weapons for our soldiers."
"We cannot just rely on Nix's weapons and armor. You saw how-"
"Shut it Vern. You know damn well that none of us would be able to last a second against those things, with or without Nix's armor." Ju'Shal snarled at Vern, making the Stone-Folk sigh and shake his head.
"Admit it, without her help, we would've all perished long ago." Clark spoke up suddenly. The normally silent Vyrin speaking like this made everyone fall silent once more and think on the subject a bit deeper.
"Um, if I may?" A voice suddenly called out from next to Kajit. The small voice belonged to a Ghoul named Serena.
Her body looked like she belonged to a Dru'ven, though she was much taller and skinnier than any normal Dru'ven. Her bald head was painted blue to show she belonged to the Ice Tribes to the North. A few days after Nix was brought back, she'd led her people through the dangerous forests after the Dark Beasts had ravaged their village, bolstering the villages number to a healthy 137. Unlike other races, it was well known that Ghouls used Magic in their everyday life. From making food to fighting, they were well versed in the flow of Mana.
"If you would, Serena." Drevid sighed as he nodded, hoping the new Mage would have some new wisdom to spare in this mess of a meeting.
"From what we have gathered, if not for Nix, this village would've been lost like ours. I see no need to hesitate in allowing her to oversee this villages production and security." Serena spoke in a soothing voice, though it seemed to fade just as it reached everyone's ears in a hushed whisper.
Though her words did make sense, everyone else agreed that she was missing a vital piece of information they hadn't laid out when her people arrived. Suddenly, the Beast-Kin standing behind her interjected. "Why put so much faith in this stranger? I'd heard she's not only new to this forest, but is a stranger to this land. Perhaps she wanted to bring these Beasts to your village and take it over like this." The Beast-Kin looked almost Dru'Ven, save for the pure black, panther like ears and panther tail swinging behind hum. His skin was nicely tanned as well, complimenting his long, black hair and golden eyes.
"You dare."
"I knew we shouldn't have taken these vermin in."
"One more word and I'll have your head."
Jennifer, Vern and Ju'Shal immediately went on the offensive, reaching for their weapons before Drevid slammed his hand on the table, making everyone slowly sit back down while the Panther-Kin smirked at them.
"What proof do we have that she even fought these battles anyway?" The panther continued as he folded his arms over his chest.
"Ga'Lik, that's enough." Serena sighed as she held her hand up, making Ga'Lik click his tongue and look away. "Though sadly, I must agree with him. Though I have spoken up for her already, my people still need proof that she can be trusted Drevid. Our villages have been in contact for a long time now, but to rest your safety on the shoulders of this stranger does not rest well with my people. No matter how great her creations are."
Serena's words cooled everyone's anger with some much needed common sense. After a few moments of silence, Jennifer turned to Drevid as she raised her hand. "Nix did the same with us dear."
Her words made Drevid sigh and look to the others, who all nodded in agreement simultaneously. Finally caving, he gestured for Jennifer to continue.
"Everyone, this is something called a projection. It uses Mana to relive a memory that those of wearing these suits have experienced." As the Va'Rish spoke, she tapped some symbols on the glass screen attached to her arm. A green light then grew to life and stretched onto the table. Unlike Nix's projection in the past, this one spread on the table to show a scene filled with trees.
Everyone else recognized this scene as the one where Nix fought the soldiers that threatened them in the past. In one tree, they saw Vela's figure sitting in wait as Nix laid in the shrubbery.
"About a month ago, this village was assaulted by the Empire's army, who'd wanted to use this place as a forward camp for their war in the future. What you are seeing here is the battle Nix held to defeat the Main Force to protect us."
The Ghoul and Panther-Kin could only look on in awe once again. They admired the weapons and armor this Nix had created, but this was something else. Serena could feel the sophistication in the Mana as it displayed a large force weaving through the trees a distance away from Nix's prone figure. Each tree, person, even the weapons, they were all easy to see and truly brought on how real this image was. To them, it was like a moving painting or an image transfer they'd used in their village to communicate.
Suddenly, bright light appeared from Nix, dropping the General at the center of the march. The way the soldiers moved into formations and encircled the corpse was also like how the Empire would react just to kick them in the chest and shatter their pride. Especially Ga'Lik, who could only bite his lip as orange lights exploded on the image. The two could only watch in horror as soldiers were dropped like flies. Where they would've packed their things and ran in fear, Nix instead stood alone with Vela watching from a branch far from the battle.
A sudden excitement welled in their chests as Nix stood up and made her way into the inferno she'd created and began taking the remnants of the soldiers with random weapons she'd picked up from the fallen soldiers. When she was stabbed in the calf, they thought she was done for, only for a roar of excitement to leave their lips as she took out three more. The others joined in, save fir Jennifer, who had already witnessed this projection several times.
They then fell silent as Nix stood off against the remaining soldiers, watching as the mage passed out after healing another of the wounded. They'd watched as this mage raced around to pick up his fallen comrads to try and take out the demon, barely managing enough for the final stand-off.
They all counted 14 enemies in Nix's path, watching how the woman fearlessly ran at them. The soldiers stumbled into formation to block her assault only to have Nix jump up and slam her feet against the weakest part of the formation. She brought three down onto their backs while the rest stumbled back and aimed their weapons at her. An Oracian was the first to swing, meeting Nix's shield head on and making her roll away to the feet of a couple of Vyrin and a Goblin. Before they could react, her mace bashed against a Vyrin's shin and crumbled the man in a silent scream. While Nix's wooden shield was splintered, it still held true in blocking the blade of the Goblin, while the other Vyrin brought his sword down on her back.
The sword bounced off her back and made the man stumble back a bit, giving Nix enough time to stand up while bringing her mace up to slam into the fallen Vyrin's chin and throw him onto his back. The other soldiers then bared down on the woman, a few spears aiming for her back as she gripped the Goblins throat and spun around to use her as a shield.
The Goblin girl let out a silent howl of pain before collapsing to the ground. The horror of killing their own ally shook the two that stabbed her, dropping the spears and taking a few faltering steps back. The Goblin fell onto her chest and allowed Nix to pull one of the spears out and swing it low in one swift motion. She caught the legs of those that dropped the weapons and made them both fall onto the ground before she suddenly stopped and flipped the spear to force the tip into the chest of the Vyrin that tried to swing down on her back.
The spear ended up getting stuck, a gasp heard around the room as Nix's head was met with the Oracians club and shattered her helmet. Even with the small projection, they could see the fury in Nix's eye. The blow only knocked her back a step, using the Vyrins fresh corpse as support before spinning to slam her shield into the man's cheek and send him tumbling to the ground.
The group counted 12 living enemies, and the fight only lasted a minute. None of them could imagine themselves being in Nix's shoes, who'd picked up a fallen longsword and rushed the two that struggled to their feet. They were quickly met with steel, falling lifeless as ones neck was cut through while the other was stabbed through the center of his chest.
Nix then dropped the blade and rushed the terrified group of soldiers. One tried to drop his axe to surrender, but was instead met with Nix's shield to his jaw. He spun a bit, but wasn't allowed to fall before Nix grabbed his head in both hands and snapped his neck swiftly. Among the horror the group felt, they could tell the soldiers feared worse.
Ga'Lik held a lot of pride in being the Commander of his old village, but this scene made him wish that he would never fight Nix. The way the woman grabbed the axe and threw it into the head of a Beast-Kin, picking up his sword as he fell before swiftly cutting down two more soldiers that tried to run away. The beast like mannerisms in Nix's merciless brawl brought a deep fear he never thought he'd feel from anyone. The people were right, this now halberd wielding woman was truly a Demon in mortal flesh.
Yet, it was beautiful. The way she swung the weapon to lop the head off an Oracian, using the hilt to hit a Stone-Folks chest and cause him to fall onto his back before stabbing his chest and piercing the ground. The helpless resistance the remaining soldiers tried in vain, everything only helped to enhance the growing beauty of this woman.
His thoughts were interrupted when Nix took a club to her back from the remaining Oracian and rolled forward. He watched as the two stood off and tried their best to catch their breath. Nix then crouched to reach for a weapon, only for the Oracian to rush her and bring his club down. Before the man could connect, Nix jumped at him and slammed her shield into the man's chest and rush him into the ground. The two landed next to the Goblin who'd had one last spear in her back, allowing Nix to take it and drive it at the man's throat. The group watched as Nix gave a silent roar before finally piercing his throat into the ground, as well as her reaction to Vela suddenly approaching to check up on her.
It was then that Jennifer ended the projection and folded her arms over her chest. "This is the result of Nix's first major battle in this world." She said in a stern voice, glaring at Serena and Ga'Lik.
The two could only stare down at the table as they tried to absorb what they'd just seen. None of it made sense. The way she wiped the army, how she used every weapon available to her, that merciless way of fighting, none of it made any sense. Ant normal person would immediately run and find help, but she took them all on and not only survived, but killed them all with minor injuries at that.
"This woman, Nix, did all of that?" Serena was the first to collect herself, bringing all attention to her as she tried to remain composed.
"I know, it all seems other worldly, but that's just it. Nix isn't from our world, she was sent here by a Goddess." Drevid answered with a warm smile as he closed his eyes. He seemed proud of Nix, much more now after having watched that fight.
"A Goddess, one outside of the war?"
"Yes, and an old one at that. Do you remember Lady Night?" Drevid asked, using the name the Ghouls would use in their Tribes.
"What? I thought she'd forsaken us." Ga'Lik suddenly spoke up, holding his hands up in confusion. "Hasn't it been over a century since we've last heard anything from her?"
"Yes, and it seems she hadn't abandoned us after all. Though Nix calls her Mother Moon, she is the very same Goddess that created this sanctuary for us." Drevid spoke up once again, gesturing for Jennifer to sit back down.
"Then the reason the Empire invaded..." Serena trailed off as she began to piece everything together.
"As well as the Dark Beasts sudden rampage, it's all due to her power waning. Nix, I believe, is the last blessing she is able to offer for a long time." Drevid ended with a sigh, placing his forehead in his palm. Jennifer then rubbed his back and gave him a soft smile. Everyone else had heard this before the others arrived, so they were well aware of just how important Nix was to the village. Now that these two know, her importance would only reach the stars now.
"If this is the case, there is no need for hesitation." Ga'Lik spoke up, slamming his hand on the table. "I agree with Nix being our new leader."
Though he wasn't originally apart of the meeting, Ga'Lik's words held incredible authority that seemed to wash everyone's worries away. As everyone turned to eachother, murmurs of agreement and nods erupted from those attending.
"Then, if everyone agrees, we will now change the topic of the meeting. Not only must we prepare the ceremony, but we must prepare the village." Drevid spoke as he slowly stood up and placed his hands on the table.
Once again, everyone began fervently speaking, bringing new ideas for defenses, prosperity, and how things should be in the future once their new leader woke up.