"Remember our ranks according to the Esper system," Krown had said, his voice steady and firm. "There's one other thing you need to keep in mind — we're all Axiom-1. He isn't, seeing as he opted to tell us his Axis rather than his Axiom. Be alert at all times."
Those were the final words Krown spoke to his niece before breaking away from the cohort to face the worst of the incoming Fiends. Athaan observed with focused intent, unaware of their exchange, as it had been spoken in the Arthurian native tongue.
The forest seemed to groan as shadows swelled under the pale crescent moon, an unnatural silence pressing on the encampment. A stillness like this was never peace — it was the hush before chaos, the world holding its breath as predators closed in. Krown stood in the clearing, the glow of their campfire casting flickering shadows across his face. His blood-red eyes swept the surroundings, catching faint movements beyond the firelight.
"They're here." His voice cut through the air like steel.
The ground trembled under the weight of an unseen force, the noise growing louder until it became the relentless beat of leathery wings. The first Fiend appeared, a hulking mass of muscle and malice. Its massive wings folded against its sinewy body, jagged bones protruding like natural blades. Where eyes should have been, there were only deep, hollow cavities, their ears twitching grotesquely in search of sound.
The first screech tore through the forest. A harrowing cacophony of sound followed as more Fiends emerged, the clearing erupting into chaos. Krown's hand tightened around the hilt of his greatsword.
"Hold formation!" he barked.
Twenty Knights sprang into action, their movements swift and coordinated. The younger recruits hesitated for only a moment before falling in line. The cohort splintered into smaller groups, ready to engage the approaching Fiends.
"What's the report?" Krown asked sharply.
"A hundred and three Fiends, Sir. A full hundred of those, Tier-4 Fiends. With three being Tier-3, they seem to be the ones leading the charge." A Knight replied without delay. Then another added "They seem to be the same as the one you culled two days back, Sir."
Krown's blood burned as he fixed his gaze on the three Tier-3 fiends in the distance. They loomed like shadows given flesh, their hulking forms an ominous contrast to the smaller ones — which were by no means small. Each standing at nearly seven feet tall.
"Sir Krown! Orders?" Kevin's voice called, unsure but determined.
"Stay with your sister!" Krown commanded sharply. "That one's yours. The other two are mine."
He stepped forward, shoulders squared as he faced the two Tier-3 fiends. Each of them stood shy of ten feet tall, their bodies sleek yet powerful, their elongated claws reflecting the dim moonlight. The space between them became a deadly arena of instinct and strategy.
Krown darted away, drawing their attention from the larger group.
Having created enough distance between them, Krain was ready to do battle.
The first Fiend lunged, its claws slicing through the air with frightening precision. Krown sidestepped, his blade rising to meet the attack. Steel clashed against bone, the impact rattling through his arms, but he held firm. He countered with a swift diagonal slash, but the Fiend twisted, its wings propelling it backward with unnatural grace.
The second Fiend used the momentary opening to close in, its bone spurs aimed at his flank. Krown pivoted on his heel, ducking low to avoid the strike. The air whistled as the attack sailed past, embedding itself into the earth. The Fiend shrieked in frustration, its ears twitching to locate him.
'They're fast…. and silent.' Krown noted 'Are they controlling the sounds they produce? I can barely sense them without using Aura.'
"There goes my peaceful return." He sighed.
The beasts moved in tandem, their echolocation keeping them one step ahead. Krown's years of battle-hardened experience, however, were not so easily outmatched. He feigned a stumble, allowing the first fiend to charge, its maw opening to unleash a devastating sonic screech. The soundwave rippled through the clearing, splintering nearby trees and hurling debris like shrapnel.
Krown dove behind a jagged boulder, the impact of the screech rattling the stone. The boulder cracked but held firm. He crouched low, his breathing measured, as he analyzed their movements.
'They rely too much on sound.' He mused.
Emerging from his cover, Krown charged the first Fiend. It anticipated his approach, its claws sweeping toward him in a deadly swing. Krown slid beneath the attack, his greatsword slicing upward in a calculated strike. The blade tore through the thin membrane of its wing, a spray of blue blood staining the ground.
The Fiend reeled back, its shriek echoing with pain. Before it could recover, Krown pressed the advantage, stepping in close. His sword arced downward in a vicious overhead swing, aimed for the base of the Fiend's neck.
But the second beast was faster. It slammed into him from the side, its claws raking across his armor. Krown grunted as the force sent him skidding across the ground. He rolled to his feet, blood seeping from shallow cuts on his side. The two Fiends regrouped, circling him like wolves.
"You want me pinned." Krown said under his breath, his crimson eyes narrowing. "Fine. Let's see if you can keep me there."
His Aura flared, enveloping the clearing, its weight palpable.
The first Fiend launched another sonic screech, the soundwave a concentrated blast of destructive force. This time, Krown didn't retreat. He dashed forward, weaving through the rippling air with precise footwork. The edges of the blast brushed against him, tearing at his armor and splitting the earth beneath his boots, but he pressed on.
In an instant, he was on the first, his greatsword slicing upward with clinical precision. The blade barely touched its body as it retreated back, yet it was cleaved through the chest, blood spraying across the battlefield as the Fiend staggered, a guttural growl rumbling in its throat. The Aura that enveloped the blade visible as the blood made contact.
The second Fiend roared in fury, lunging at Krown with wild abandon. He sidestepped, gunning for the first Fiend. Aura manifested, ghostly red lights threading out of thin air into five swords, each shot like bullets at the second Fiend, piercing into its side. The Fiend howled, its wings flaring as it attempted to retreat. Attacking the first beast had been a feint.
Krown didn't let up. Following the second Fiend's motion, his sword a blur as he unleashed a flurry of strikes. Each swing was calculated, exploiting the Fiends' overreliance on their senses. He moved with relentless precision, his strikes targeting weak points — joints, wings, and exposed flesh. Cutting through the hide of a Tier-3 Fiend was no easy task, even for a Templar, but he was a Knight on the precipice of becoming a Bishop, this could not hinder him.
Finally, the second Fiend faltered, collapsing to one knee. Krown raised his sword high, the blade gleaming in the moonlight as he drove it down with his strength. The steel pierced through the Fiend's skull, its body spasming then falling limp. Before he could make bearings of the first Fiend's location, he was rammed in a stone wall with a loud boom. Blood rushing down his head.
The Fiend swooped in to feast on the dead remains of its companion. And then…. Its wounds healed, its senses seemed to heighten, its fatigue all but released.
The first beast didn't hesitate, staring down at Krown — if those holes could be called eyes — its mind set to calculated frenzy. Krown's crimson eyes locked onto it, his sword dripping with blood.
"Your move." he said coldly.