by The Ranger
He whipped his sword around as they made their way through, sending flames towards any monster that thought to intercept them. A moment later, they had disappeared into the black mass and joined Andros on the other side of the battle.
Richard lingered for a moment as he assured himself that the Sentinel and his defenders were holding their own, then he turned his gaze onto the rest of the field. Of the other twenty-five men that had entered with them, there still remained fifteen. A few were injured, but most continued to hold fast behind their shields. He promised they wouldn't be alone for much longer.
Snow and dirt were kicked up into the air as Richard's feet crashed across the ground, his body swaying and spinning as he lashed his sword in front of him, sending ripples of fire into the gathered monsters. He leapt through an opening and stood between the assembled men and the Seekers that sought to slaughter them.
A sword was raised near his head, and he turned to face its bearer, only to find Brennan cowering beneath his gaze. He was unsure whether the man had mistaken him for an enemy or not but was certain he recognized him now. Brennan pulled back his blade as his eyes met Richard's and the fire within them.
"I can protect all of you!" he shouted, taking his attention away from the other man. "But you'll need to do what I say!"
Some of them nodded, a handful stared, and a few shifted their horror from the Seekers onto him. None spoke out against him, though, as he returned his focus to their enemies.
The skin of Richard's hand scratched against leather as he tightened his grip on the sword. He hacked through three of the creatures in a single strike; his blade passed through them as if it were cutting air. An arrow materialized overhead, and he smacked it with the flat of his blade, turning towards the Seekers' formation as he interrupted it. With the bow-armed monsters in sight, he made a sweeping, circular motion in the air with his sword. A spiral of flames erupted from the blade's tip and blasted forward, annihilating the skeletal archers standing in front of him.
"I'm going to start making my way to the veil," Richard announced. "Follow me closely, and be watchful of our sides!"
He had been hoping he would enter whatever form had burst forth during his confrontation with the Spriggan Lord; his focus then had felt so pure, as if he could clearly see everything happening around him at once. It was a gift he would have appreciated as the battle raged on all sides, and he did his best to comprehend every stray detail that flashed through his mind.
Clashing metal and scraping bone echoed through the air as Richard and his companions stormed forward. He had sensed another of their allies entrenched in battle just ahead: he was crouched low to the ground, huddled behind a cracked shield while the Seekers at his sides attempted to pierce his meager defense. Richard and the rest charged towards him, their arrival signaled by a wave of flames that swept through the monsters they fought.
The longer he wielded the fiery blade, the easier it became to direct its power; every swing and strike he released unto his enemies lent him insight into the magic he held in his hands. A magic that, he felt, was yearning for freedom.
The ground shook as a massive Seeker hurtled towards them, its glare fixed on the approaching warriors. Richard summoned his vines, tying them around the monster's ankles and forcing the creature to trip. He tucked his legs in time to duck under its soaring form, barely avoiding its flailing feet. It crashed behind him, and the warriors at his rear smashed it to pieces before it could rise again. Its defeat went unacknowledged, though, as Richard rushed forward, his fist shooting into the nearest skeleton and revealing the form of his trapped ally. He raised his blade to destroy the rest of the creatures, but he hesitated when reason took hold of him. He was too close to the warrior to unleash another bout of fire.
As if it were responding to his thoughts, the flames that billowed around the sword fell away to reveal cold steel. He poured all of his strength into a swing that cracked the Seeker's ribs, creating an opportunity for his allies to descend upon the rest. They shattered through the monsters' ranks and gave him a chance to check on their ally.
The man he had rescued looked up at him, his blue eyes timidly meeting Richard's as he accepted his hand and was brought to his feet. He had long dark hair that fell past his shoulder and was tied in a tail. It seemed to whip around slightly along with his head as he scanned the battle.
"Th-thank you for saving my life," the man stuttered, retrieving his fallen weapon.
"Of course," Richard murmured, staring at the battleaxe in the stranger's hands. "But, now we need to-"
He fell silent as a shrill sound pierced through the rain.
"They're attacking the veil! All of them!" a voice cried out.
Richard looked forward and saw the Seekers had begun to flee towards Solton in greater numbers; some turned their weapons onto the barrier, and others simply slammed their bony forms into it. Their new tactic seemed ineffective until the dome started to crack apart like glass.
"Stop them!" he yelled, pushing the stranger standing in front of him out of his way.
He ran ahead of them, eyes on the Seekers as some made their way into the settlement. He raised his sword and flicked a bout of fire towards the invaders. However, while he had managed to dispel the monsters he had targeted, the barrier cracked further when the flames hit it.
"Damn," Richard muttered, the light of his blade fading before he shoved it back into its scabbard.
Solton's warriors rushed past him as they began to engage the devious monsters, interrupting their advance into the village. It was a stupefying sight: watching his allies barrel into the Seekers, crashing and slamming into them with every ounce of strength left within. It was further complicated by Andros and his defenders' appearance as they leapt into the clash and halted the veil's deterioration.
A new approach quickly formed in Richard's mind as he watched the skirmish unfold before him. He took a deep breath and slammed his hands onto the ground, his arms twitching as he felt his influence take root.
The earth exploded in an eruption of vines— dozens upon dozens of thin, wiry tendrils bursting upwards and ensnaring most of their enemies. Richard chastised himself for not thinking of using his abilities on a smaller, more concentrated scale earlier.
He held the vines steady, feeling resistance within them as the monsters struggled to break free. It made little difference, though, as Andros was allowed to sweep through the trapped Seekers. Jensen led the charge against the creatures that had managed to escape their bindings; the once-reluctant warriors he had witnessed before were now steadfast at the baker's side as they quickly broke apart the wandering monsters.
"Richard!" Jensen cried out. "Be careful!"
He pointed away from the battle towards a lone Seeker resting atop a small hill. From the looks of it, it appeared to be a merged monster; a theory quickly confirmed as it drew closer and formed a gigantic bow between its hands.
An arrow just smaller than Andros' arm materialized within the weapon, and Richard prepared himself, waiting for the projectile to zip in his direction. However, the creature instead turned to face the others and released it into the crowd. It impaled the man nearest to him, and he fell dead instantly.
Richard had seconds to process what he saw when seven Seekers emerged at his sides. The dead man's soul had been used to create more of these monstrosities.
They charged towards him, striking him with their bony fists, and forcing his hands away from the dirt. The moment his touch left the earth, the vines he used to trap the Seekers fell away and set them free.
"Give me a moment! I can trap them-" he started to say before receiving a blow against his face.
The monsters that surrounded him pelted his body with attacks and forced him to split his focus between them and the rest of the battle. He turned his head back in time to see the Seeker on the hill release another giant arrow and watched it meet its mark once more. The killing was met with more monsters forming around the corpse.
"
Don't let them overwhelm you!" the Sentinel shouted, his arms bare and bleeding. "We have nearly won!"
Rain fell upon the back of Richard's neck as his face hit the snow, and his enemies approached. He quickly flipped onto his back and kicked at one of the Seeker's feet— forcing it to slip through the slush. He pushed himself backward and jumped to his feet, pulling his sword as he eyed the monsters.
Flames sprung from the cold steel as they crept closer, and he lashed them towards the monsters, leaving nothing but steam in the fire's path. He turned back to the others in time to see the archer nock a new arrow— one that seemed meant for Kiri.
"Arrow!" Richard shouted, slamming into the slush with each step as he raced forward. "Look!"
The young man turned to glance at him, confusion on his face as he watched him run across the field; he was oblivious to the threat against him. Richard stopped abruptly as the arrow zipped through the air, closing the distance between it and Kiri in a second. It was almost too fast for the eye to follow, but not quite as fast as the flames he had sent to intercept it— forcing the dark arrow to crumble in the air.
Richard almost laughed when he saw the surprise on Kiri's face, but there was no time to rest; danger had a way of trickling through all defenses.
"Another one!" one of the defenders yelled.
"Shields!" Andros commanded.
A line of warriors formed in front of the rest and raised their shields as the massive Seeker loosed its arrow. Richard followed its path and saw Brennan would be the one to intercept it; however, he noticed the fear on the man's face a second too late. He ducked just before the arrow met his shield, avoiding its sharp sting and allowing it to skewer Jensen instead.
Time seemed to come to a crawl as he fell; the same held true for Richard, who could do nothing but watch while the life drained from his friend's body. Even the battle, which had not ceased its tireless march, felt like it was far and away as he looked on. It was Jensen's eyes that rooted him firmly in the present— seeing the terror and surprise that echoed in their last moments.
Richard felt his face grow searingly hot as he brought his attention to Brennan, and something new took hold in his chest.
Fury.
Rage.
Wrath.
The ground seemed to shake as he burst across its surface, reaching Brennan before any of the others could blink. The Seekers fled as Solton's warriors disengaged them, instead turning to watch Richard as he raised his flaming sword high above the man's head. His eyes blazed yellow, and the wind cracked when his blade cut its way towards an execution.
Blue light fought against raging red-orange as the Sentinel's sword caught Richard's. He looked up at Andros and scowled before taking a step away from him.
"This coward let Jensen die!" he screamed, pointing his blade at Brennan, who had shrunk behind the Sentinel.
"And justice will see its work done, but not now!" he shouted back. "There has been enough death, and the fighting has yet to end!"
Richard was ready to take Brennan's life, even if he had to go through Andros to claim it. He tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the fire grow hotter along its edges when his senses sharpened. Another tragedy presented itself.
"The veil…" he whispered, watching as it dissolved in its entirety.
The strands of magic falling to the ground seemed to be cut down by the unrelenting rain as they crumbled to shining dust.
Richard froze for a moment, his heart threatening to fail as his awareness swept across Solton.
"Eren!" he cried, his exchange with Andros forgotten as the pair sprinted towards Solton.
A handful of the warriors soldiered on alongside the pair, but most were too exhausted to move on. However, none of them were prepared for the sight that greeted them when they reached Solton's pavilion.
Eren laid on the ground, broken and bloody, with Eilon standing in front of him, forcing Divine Light onto any Seeker that dared come too close to either of them. The monsters surrounded them, encroaching from Richard's direction, as well as the edges of the village. The sorcerer looked ragged in his every movement, his posture faltering with each strike against the creatures that tried to slay him.
"Get down!" he yelled.
Eilon whipped around and did as he was told, crouching near Eren's still form. Richard leapt forward into the air and carefully took note of where the Seekers stood.
With fiery blade in hand, he turned its point toward the ground in front of him and landed with a crash. He stabbed his sword into the soil, causing flaming cracks to appear across the snow and streak throughout the pavilion. Once the fissures stretched beneath all of the monsters Richard had accounted for, fire shot up from the earth and engulfed the Seekers that stood within it.
Eilon watched him for a moment, confusion flashing through his eyes before he brought his attention to Eren.
Richard ran to them and kneeled at the wizard's side.
"Can you save him?" he nearly yelled.
"I'm attempting it, but I don't have much strength left," the sorcerer groaned, golden light appearing in his hand as he passed it over Eren's unconscious body.
Richard turned his eyes to the mage's forearm and saw the mark of his Blessing; it was swollen and cracked red as his blood oozed into the snow. His gaze then shifted to the magic gathered in Eilon's hand and the fiery blade he held.
"Concentrate all the power you have left into your palms, Eilon," he told him, sheathing his sword.
"Concentrating the magic won't heal him any fast-" he tried to explain.
"Please, do it," Richard pleaded.
The wizard stared at him for a moment before complying with the demand. A bright ball of golden light materialized in his palms. Richard looked at the swirling mass of arcane power before him and stretched his hand towards it. Eilon seemed confused but remained still as he watched him.
The seed embedded in his hand began to throb as it met the wizard's magic. Whatever fire he had been channeling through his sword was nothing compared to the burning that raced through his veins. Slowly, the ball of energy in the wizard's hands began to shrink as Richard pulled its power into his own body— a violent mix rumbling within himself as Tala's might clashed with Divine Light.
In seconds, the sorcerer's gathered power was gone, and he fell back onto the ground. Richard, too, was tempted with collapse as he felt Eilon's magic rip through his own body. He knew the mage could sense the frenzy within when their eyes met.
"What is this?" he murmured, watching as Richard set a hand on Eren's chest.
"A hard-won gift," he whispered, a golden pulse seeping into his friend's flesh.
The wounds that graced Eren's body began to mend themselves, and his skin slowly brightened.
"We still need to save the rest," Kiri reminded them, quietly approaching.
"Give him space, Kiriko. He knows what he must do," Andros muttered.
He turned to look at Richard, and the latter nodded slightly.
He pressed his hands to the ground and shut his eyes. It was difficult to spread his focus across the settlement, especially now with foreign magic boiling within him. It was not something he could maintain for much longer, but he did not need to. All across the village, thin vines began to sprout from the ground. Richard groaned when his tendrils coiled and climbed around the healing house, and he could sense Khora and Edmund struggling within.
Once he was sure he had encompassed each and every edge of the settlement, his vines began to change.
Flowers formed of golden light began to bloom across Solton, enveloping everything within with an immutable warmth. The Soul Seekers dissipated beneath the golden gaze, cracking and convulsing as Divine Light seeped into their dark forms.
Once Richard was sure that every last one of the monsters was dispelled, he lifted his hands off the ground. The strain of forcing Divine Light to course through his vines left them weak, and they crumbled away without his touch.
He joined Eren on the snow as he f
ell back, exhaustion pulling him to the ground after bearing Divine Light. The sensation had torn through him and left his body delicate after directing such power. It was a cost he accepted, though, as he closed his eyes to rest for a moment, knowing that Solton had been saved.
Chapter Nineteen
Eren
Eilon's fingers seemed cold as they trembled across Eren's throat. It was an uncomfortable sensation, one made only more awkward by how close the sorcerer's face was to his own, but it was a necessary one.
He remembered little from after his fall, except waking up for a few seconds in Solton's pavilion; he had been lying next to Richard and managed to meet his eyes. They flashed gold when he looked into them, but he quickly lost consciousness again. He reawakened moments earlier, and Eilon had hobbled over to examine him.
"Your wound has healed excellently; however, I can sense the restorative magic is still at work," the wizard began, eyeing his neck intently. "The human throat is… exceptionally complex and will take longer to fully mend itself. Do you understand?"
"… yes…" Eren croaked, wincing as he spoke.
"Of course, with that in mind, you may have some discomfort whenever you try to speak for another hour or two. The process will quicken if you don't strain yourself, so it would be in your best interest if you didn't talk too much."
"… yes… doctor…" he mumbled back, regretting every syllable.
The wizard seemed annoyed for a moment, quickly trudging away to tend to the others gathered there.
The healing house reeked of medicinal herbs and boiling potions as Eilon and a few others rushed around to look after those wounded during the Soul Seekers' incursion. Eren scanned the room and counted thirteen of Solton's injured warriors, as well as four women helping the healer tend to them. Most of those they cared for seemed like they would recover nicely, especially with the mage's healing hands, but a few appeared… less resilient.
A stirring shape to his right reminded him that there was one more guest in the healing house.
