by Michael Sisa
They had yet to recover from shock when the child again spat, “So, you’re at the bottom of the hierarchy? Pity. And I thought that I would learn a lot from you, priest. I suppose you won’t have an answer to my question then.”
By now, the atmosphere had turned nasty. The previously docile and innocent child turned out to be a condescending youth that knew no bounds. What should they respond after such remarks? Lancelot and Faith looked at the old man for help. He was the oldest among them, and his experience might help them make the best out of the situation.
The old man gave a deep sigh. “I may be old, but it doesn’t mean I have the experience. I’ve never had a kid of my own. You do it Commander. You have a son his age, no?”
Lancelot suddenly felt great burden upon his shoulders. He also gave a deep sigh then turned at the child. He noticed that his eyes were focused, definitely sincere with the words he had just spouted. He had the feeling that it was the child’s usual attitude. Then, was the child the son of the village chief? It was the only explanation he could come up with after witnessing the condescending demeanor.
Lancelot creased his brows and cleared his throat. “Child, before that—I’ve asked for your name before, right? Tell us your name, and we’ll talk.”
“Jiablu,” said the child. His answer was firm and immediate.
“I see. Then, Jiablu… what is the question you wanted to ask our High Priest? I know that you’ve gone through a traumatic experience and all, but let me tell you this—in society, there are rules you should adhere to. The most basic of them is courtesy.”
“Are you telling me that I should be polite to creatures lower than dust?” said Jiablu. Everyone groaned after the remark. What the hell was up with the kid? He was raised quite horribly.
Lancelot firmly bit his lips. He should not back down on this. It was for the best. He said, “Yes. Exactly.”
Jiablu snorted. Was this how human society worked? Laughable. Inside his Labyrinth, hierarchy was absolute. Those without power were made to serve those of higher status. It was not a matter of seniority. It was a matter of strength.
The old man slapped his forehead in resignation. He looked at the sneering child then said, “You must have been raised that way, but at the very least, could you stop treating other people like insects? I can’t believe you’ve reminded me of my niece for a second.”
“That’s right,” said Faith. She mumbled her next words, “I can’t believe this kid. Seriously!”
“So, what’s the question you wanted to ask?” said Lancelot. He had enough already. He just wanted everything to be over with. For some reason, his muscles ached and he felt sleepy.
“Why do you continue to live? For what purpose?” said Jiablu. His question was unexpected, like a thrown stone in the middle of a forest. He was a box of surprises.
Like a lit lantern, a realization dawned to them. Was the child questioning his reason for existence? Surely, he had seen his fellow villagers succumb to their deaths. Was he feeling remorse for being the only one that survived? Was he dreading the future that would come? Sure, he was now alone, without any parents to guide him, but it did not mean that he should give up on life itself.
The sour atmosphere from the condescending attitude before slowly vanished and was replaced with worry and grief. How could they forget? No matter how piercing and arrogant the child was, he was still a victim of slaughter. They were sure that he was aching deep inside. Who knew, maybe his brusque words were only a façade meant to hide his anxiety and fear.
The old man was the first to respond. His voice turned soft and gentle, as though afraid that a wrong move would shatter the heart of the child, “Child, the answer will differ from person to person. But I am sure that there is a common point for everyone—Love.”
Jiablu turned silent. Love? It was a feeling that he had a hard time grasping the meaning behind. Was his devotion to his creator a form of love? Or was it sheer loyalty born from the bond of master and servant? He was unable to find the answer.
“Love is the greatest thing man could commit. To love and be loved back is the greatest feeling, but it doesn’t mean that it should end there. There is also unrequited love, but the value of the act doesn’t diminish the slightest. To love is to not expect,” said the old man. He stared directly at the child’s eyes. “If you’re going to ask me: Why do I live? For what purpose? Then I would answer with the same thing every time. It is because I have loved and am continuing to love.”
The answer of the old man was abstract, but Jiablu had the feeling that he was getting closer to his goal. He closed his eyes and mumbled, “Love, huh?”
He made a mental note that he would someday uncover the secret behind such words. For an undead like him, someone made not to feel too much emotion, such things were hard to grasp.
Faith, Lancelot, and the old man smiled at each other. There was no need for the other two to answer. The one given by the old man was more than enough.
“This is awkward. Suddenly talking about love,” said Faith. Her face was slightly red, and Jiablu noticed that she took a peek at Lancelot, whose brows were creased in thought. She shook her head twice then said to Jiablu, “If the answer you got here is not enough, then you should go to the temple. I’m sure the Cardinal could help you.”
“The temple, huh? That’s a great idea. We could also ask the Order to take care of him. It’s hitting two birds with one stone,” said Lancelot.
Normally, Jiablu would be against going to the temple. To him, Thanatos was the only true God. Still, if meeting the so called Cardinal would enable him to reach his goal, then he would be willing to set aside the differences for now.
A fluttering sound was heard, and the entrance to the tent opened. A soldier entered. After a salute, he said, “Commander! We’ve received a Blue Falcon from the Kingdom. The message sent is bound by the Royal Seal.”
Lancelot’s expression immediately turned serious. The Royal Family would never use the Royal Seal for anything short of an emergency. Immediately, he asked the soldier to give him the letter. His eyes widened as he read the words written.
He gripped the parchment then turned to his comrades, “Change of plans. We’ll take a detour to Rube Fortress.”
“Rube Fortress?” asked Faith. Their initial plan was to safely send the child towards the nearest city, then meet up with the third division of the Knights of Tesma. The Fortress of Rube was the opposite direction from their original destination.
Lancelot nodded, “It’s a decree by the King. We shall aid the allied forces in repelling the monsters’ invasion.”
The old man stood up. “Monster invasion, huh? How many are we talking about?”
“Ogres, a thousand of them,” said Lancelot.
The old man nodded then combed his beard. “A thousand? That is a difficult number, but it should be manageabl—”
“—and a hundred thousand Goblins,” added Lancelot.
Everyone’s faces turned grim and pallid.
Chapter 5: Raymond and Lady Sophia
It was early in the morning, with the sun yet to reveal its glory. The sound of air being split apart was heard in the courtyard, followed by huffing sounds that depicted great fatigue and exhaustion. Raymond, one of the numerous foot soldiers in the city, kept swinging his wooden sword, his youthful face shrouded by the numerous scars that adorned his cheeks. A swing turned into a hundred, and a hundred turned into thousands. Still, he did not stop. He kept swinging until his muscles bulged and ached, until the pain turned unbearable and excruciating. His world and hers were heavens apart, and the sword was his only way to bridge the gap.
After the daily regimen, he donned his leather armor and strapped his short sword at his waist. He tied his long, night black hair to the back. With brisk steps, he went towards the cathedral. He knelt down and prayed to his God.
“God Aquina, this humble servant of yours prays for victory. Please grant the Fortress of Rube your divine protection,” he prayed.<
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The statue of the Water God stood at the center of the pedestal. Its small figure hovered above like an overseer, with its fragile wings opened wide in dominion.
After his prayer, the soldier exited the cathedral and passed through the numerous stone houses that filled the Residential District. Peculiarly, there was hardly a soul present in the streets, as though all the life in the area had vanished entirely. After passing through numerous sidewalks and alleyways in his attempt to cut time, he eventually arrived at the Army Camp. The Army Camp was bustling with activities, a stark contrast to the ghostly Residential District. Numerous soldiers kept moving about, all clad in the same leather outfit.
“Soldiers—assemble!” a voice echoed.
Immediately, the sea of brown and black moved in unison, eventually forming a singular formation. Everyone stood in attention as a woman, probably in her early twenties, stood on top of a pedestal. Her armor was fully plated, giving semblance to the knights. The crimson hair that flowed down her waist was incandescent against the white plated background. Her skin was ivory, definitely more pallid than snow, and her eyes held great fierceness that would only be found in the greatest of warriors. One could not say that she was utterly beautiful, but there was an irresistible charm in her that would make one stop and stare.
She pulled out the claymore on her back, creating a mellifluous unsheathing sound. She held it up to the heavens and snarled, “For decades, this fort had served as the border between the Kingdom of Renaga and the Kingdom of Tesma! We are a neutral party! And as such, we are heralded in great light!”
Silence was absolute as she continued, “Today, we fight! We fight the invading army of monsters that threaten to take our lives away! We fight to ensure the lands that had been passed down to us by our forefathers! Soldiers!— ” Her voice crescendo, almost reaching the heavens above. “—We fight for glory! We fight for freedom!”
The army burst out into shouts of resolve. The ground quaked and rumbled from the stomping of their feet. Swords were raised up to the heavens, and the morale of the troops soared to great heights.
Raymond gazed at her with strong, yet gentle eyes. She was his goal. She was the reason he swung his sword every day, every night. For Lady Sophia, he would gladly die.
After a thunderous roar, the entire army moved out.
***
The army gathered right outside the colossal iron gate of the fortress. Beyond, just right after crossing the Gralvan Plains, a sea of green was seen moving about. The numerous small figures approached from the distance, their movements sending dusts swirling upwards. Though the soldiers were veterans, the intercepting army of the Rube Fortress hardly passed seven thousand.
Fear and anxiety was palpable as the army awaited the approaching mob. They had been to numerous sieges before, but this was the first time such a large scale invasion transpired. It was beyond logic; as though some cursed God was playing his pranks upon the mortals.
“Lady Sophia! We’ve received news of reinforcements! The Knights of Tesma will arrive here in the next few hours!” a soldier said.
His words immediately gave relief to everyone that heard it. The Knights of Tesma was among the strongest forces in the mainland. Sophia nodded in affirmation. They needed to hold out, at least until the knights arrived. Still, she was feeling uneasy. The Knight of Tesma were veteran warriors, with some soldiers capable of magic, but would they be strong enough against their current foe? Even she was unable to believe it when she had heard the report regarding the massive invading army.
A monster’s roar reverberated, and it was quickly followed by numerous others. Sophia furrowed her brows as the clouds of dust soared to the sky even further, and the view of the massive army loomed closer.
“Soldiers of Rube! Spearhead formation! Magicians—begin the lightning spell! Archers—fire!”
The massive army of monsters eventually clashed against the army. Arrows flew and covered the sky as spears pierced through hundreds of green bodies. Ogres swung their clubs and swept away soldiers by the dozens, sending their bodies flying about. Lightning fell down the sky and scorched the bodies of monsters. The stench of blood lingered in the air ever so strongly.
Raymond brandished his short sword as he hacked away at the goblins one after another. He had been to numerous monster subjugation quests before, and he had encountered goblins several times already. Still, the amount that surrounded their army was beyond compare. The air seemed stale, and it was getting harder to breathe with every swing of his blade. At the corner of his eyes, he kept a firm watch on Lady Sophia. She, along with a thousand others, charged head-first into the fray. Her battle cry invigorated the soldiers’ morale.
“I won’t fall here! I’ll make it to the top!” declared Raymond.
One after another, goblins fell from his blade. Blood mucked his leather armor as his entire body trembled from fatigue. No matter how many he defeated, the wave would not stop. They kept on coming, like pests in the middle of harvest. Seconds passed and turned to minutes, and minutes quickly turned to hours. They kept blocking the monsters, wave after wave, and assault after assault. How many hours had it been? He had no idea. All that ran through his mind was to slaughter as much enemies as possible, his body in full throttle as adrenaline boiled to its utter limit. His throat was parched and dry, and his body was sweat-filled all over. His vision dimmed, yet, there was no sign that the horde was diminishing in number.
The sound of a blunt force hitting metal resounded, and he instinctively glanced at the gate. Three Ogres were bludgeoning the colossal iron using their wooden clubs; each of their strikes seemed to unhinged the partition from the wall itself. The arrows from above receded, and the hundreds of soldiers stationed to directly blockade the front of the gate had been reduced to almost nil.
It was only now that Raymond realized that their army was losing, that it was only a matter of time before the Fortress fall. He pulled out his blade that was pierced through the body of a goblin then made a dash towards the Ogres breaking through the gates. He was able to see around a dozen soldiers running towards the same direction, their goal probably the same as his. After a roar that contained his entire might, he leapt and stabbed his short sword into the back of an Ogre. It yelped in pain as it shook its body in an attempt to shake off Raymond. The force made him fly a few meters back and his body skidded on the ground. The three Ogres that had penetrated their ranks glared at him in utter fury.
“Damn it!” said Raymond. He had lost his weapon, and he had now become the target of three gigantic monsters easily spanning four meters. After his pair of jewels frantically swiveled left and right, he found a bastard sword on the ground. Immediately, he picked it up and ducked when a club came cruising towards him. Just a single hit would be enough to tear his body to shreds. He shivered at the thought.
“Reinforcements! The Knights of Tesma are here!” a voice echoed in the battlefield.
Shouts of joy rumbled as numerous cavalries came running through the battlefield, their weapons mowing through the hordes of monsters. The prowess of the almighty knights boosted everyone’s morale, and even Raymond could not help but be amazed as they decimated the monsters one after another, their tempo hardly stopping. Balls of fire occasionally flew about and hit the Ogres. Even the three Ogres that targeted him fell down limp and scorched on the ground when numerous balls of fire struck their gigantic bodies. He inwardly cried in bliss as he watched their reinforcement push back the invading monsters.
“So strong… So, this is the Knights of Tesma,” mumbled Raymond.
—But his joy was short-lived.
From a distance, he saw that their Commander, Lady Sophia, was surrounded by monsters in all directions. Her unit was almost wiped out; a consequence of taking the role of bait and vanguard. Along with around a dozen soldiers, they repelled the surrounding monsters. But Raymond knew that it was only a matter of time before they fell. It was impossible for a dozen soldiers to fight against thousands
of surroundings beasts. Without hesitation, he ran ahead towards her. His body charged forth despite the numerous cuts and injuries, despite the fatigue that enveloped him. He was terribly huffing, and his vision was clouded from the blood that dripped down his brows.
“Lady Sophia!” shouted Raymond. But his voice was immediately muffled by the clanking sounds of metal.
He ran. He ran. He ran. He ran until his lungs screamed out in agony, until his body was close to breaking and exploding. Why did the distance seem so long? By now, the dozen soldiers supporting her dwindled down to five. It was only a matter of minutes before they all fell together. No, it was a matter of seconds. Raymond hacked away the monsters that blocked his path, sometimes not bothering to dodge the claws and sickles that cut his body. It would only impede his speed, something that he cannot afford to give up right now.
—And the thing he dreaded turned reality.
Sophia was hit by an Ogre’s mace right before his very eyes. Her body flew a few meters into the sky, before falling down the goblin infested ground, tattered, limp, and probably lifeless.
Raymond screamed.
Was it from shock, remorse, regret, or rage—he was not sure.
His mind went blank and he charged right into the now retreating army. One after another, he cut the fleeing monsters. Their flesh resisted at first, but eventually gave way like butter in the end. His armor was soaked with his enemies’ blood. His eyes were wide with rage. He finally arrived at the place where Sophia fell, and he went to the brink of insanity upon seeing her corpse. Her previously well-toned body was torn to shreds, and her left arm was missing. Her eyes were gauged out, probably eaten by the goblins that surrounded her after she fell from impact.
