by Kat Mandu
“Just what is it that he is planning, I mean to go through all this work as a means of what?” Tobi asked,
“Something big, I am hoping to stop it before this madman can finish it,” Richard said moving as quickly as he could, he could still see a line of hands as he passed by just faintly each one reaching out grasping as air as Richard turned to look back at the ground.
“I no longer regret my decision,” James resolved,
“It’s not but this seems worse than the pirate lords, if not a bit more merciful,” James commented,
“Well we stuck around it’s time to put people like this down,” Tin reminded as Richard finally found another door. Richard struggled to find the handle as it opened up on a spiral staircase.
Richard glanced down for a second, it felt like no matter what the world seemed to be like the stairs a never ending spiral into more human depravity. He was starting to wonder if the Dragon Mage’s age old enemy may have had a point to her desire to exterminate the human race. He stepped forward, as he came to a sad realization that the smell of dead bodies the decay of all the little things that came with death and even the evacuation of the body no longer seems to bother him, he could still smell what was likely smeared under his noise but the sad fact of it was it had stopped bothering him a long time ago. His mind left his body as he tried to recall exactly when this had happened.
Richard sighed as he looked forward, a throne room, row of flags on both sides let into the darkness and while he couldn’t see it he expected some kind of throne. The banners were all a purple with some kind of design that reminded Richard of an eye but the culture behind it eluded him. Richard moved cautiously out into the opening expecting something. He glanced back to watch as the rest of the group slowly funneled out of the stairs.
Richard about jumped when the sides of the walls suddenly light up as small fires ignited in between the banners as the room was allowed to light up. Richard tossed his torch off to the side.
Amaro sat smugly in a stone thrown that seemed to be covered in purple cloth and pillows to make the stone seat more comfortable, then Richard looked up, seeing a giant blood red crystal spinning an inch above the throne, as thin lines of what he figured were blood feed into it growing it at a slow rate.
“Oh I may have been a bit off in my original theories,” Richard admitted,
“A bloodstone?” Nathan asked looking at the man, everyone looked at Nathan.
“It’s an old story that during the final years of the first Mage war, the invading forces tried to create, the thing is blood of those who have magic can be a powerful substitute for actual magical power, but normal humans have so little it’s not considered worth it,”
“Unless you deal in slaves, to the point that working in the number I am who cares, I could kill thousands and it wouldn’t hurt my bottom line,” Amaro waved off. “You see it took, years a cult and a very large financial empire, but now, I shall someone the most powerful Demon, and bind him to me.”
“A Demon?” Richard, felt his words leave him like a whisper. “Your insane Demons can’t be controlled the last time someone tried that they lost everything. Don’t remember the old Stories of the Dragon Mage?”
“Oh,” Amaro smiled, “I am more aware of the Mage than you ever could you brat, I know his life better than my own.” He glared his smile turning into a sick frown. “The most powerful man to ever walk the planet, able to do things with a flick of his wrist, some might even call him a god. But he hoards his power, but now I will take my own place as a man more powerful than even him. He turned me down the chance to teach me, and now I will make him and this whole cursed world pay for it!” He screamed spitting at the group before him.
“Well now, thanks for doing all the hard work but I think I will take it from here,” Morgan cut in as Richard spun around, Davina and Darcy were with him as well, flanking him as Richard turned his body his eyes switching between the two threats in the room.
“Now I can kill him,” Boss said tapping the blades together.
“Boss that stone is still growing, Killing them will only speed it up. So Truce?” Richard asked looking at Morgan.
“I have my orders, lucky for you I have already carried them out, so let’s clean this mess up,” He said as they split the room in half. With Morgan moving to the left as Richard and his crew took the right.
“Ah to be young and foolish, I know you power Morgan, I am afraid that it will take some time before you can use it this far underground,” Amaro commented.
“I didn’t get to be a Pirate Lord by being weak, and foolish old man. Oh, and Boss was it?” Morgan asked as Boss glanced him. A sudden gust of wind slashed past his a face as a lock of his hair dropped to the ground.
“Fuck this,” Davina cured as she sent out a needle, Boss already had his blade out deflecting the needless. Time seemed to slow down for everyone, a mass of blades fell from the sky, everyone scattered. Morgan grabbed onto two daggers as he leaped over Boss, aiming right for Richard. The two blades hit the cross guards as Richard locked.
Richard heard the sound of magic, as He knocked Morgan back just into time for his to avoid a magical blast. “Nathan closes the distance, Tin, Tray run interference, James keeps everyone breathing.
Richard caught the blades as he back petted. “So why are we trying to kill each other when we have a deranged magic man throwing light bolts at out head?”
“Well, you see I like to take care of things of a head of schedule Blackbeard does not know you yet, he will want you dead,” Morgan admitted as Richard kept moving shoving.
“Nathan I am not made of metal!” Richard shouted,
Nathan moved in aiming for the man’s blasting hand only to have to cut off his charge as the man changed priorities.
Richard rolled to the side as another mass of blades fell from the sky as Morgan rained down daggers, Richard batted the blade away as he pushed forward charging and Morgan, He rushed forcing the man backward and into Darcy giving Boss the time to recover a bit from the dual onslaught of both twins.
“Get out of the way!” Darcy growled as She went for Richard, as he pulled up a claw, he didn’t have the manpower nor the skill to deal with so many combatants. Richard frowned as he narrowly managed to deflect a set of throwing stars. He set of firing claw but felt a growl of frustrations when it missed.
“What a weapon!” Darcy moved in with a thin short blade only for Claw to catch it as Morgan brought down a blade Talon.
“Well as much fun as this has been I am afraid you have a prior engagement,” Richard said with a smirk. Morgan frowned as Richard shoved the man lifting him off the ground Richard spun as Darcy tried to carve another part of him out expecting him to move after Morgan as he slid across the ground to the stairs.
“Oh,” Morgan said as he glanced up to see Madison in full armor, her helmet resting under her arm as she looked down at the man.
She didn’t waste any time as soon as he spotted her the blade was already moving for his neck. He rolled narrowly missing as he skidded to his feet drawing out his blade he glanced at her frowning.
He raised his hand as a mass of sharp blades fell from the sky as Madison raised her shield deflecting the weapons.
Boss and Richard both went back to back as they handled the twins, Richard spared a glanced over as Morgan now found himself in the position Richard was in, contently giving ground. Even if he had a chest plate he did not have the gear necessary to handle a fully armored knight and was now doing everything from dropping and throwing blades to wear the woman down.
“Keep on her, I am not sure who will last longer but with all that armor on if she keeps moving like that she’s going to leave herself wide open,” Richard said planning on keeping an eye open as well.
“Cautious are we not?” Darcy commented,
“Captain, Everyone under my,” he paused deflecting a needle very similar to the ones Stephano handled. “Command is my responsibility,” He explained
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��Duck,” Boss said as both of them dropped a few feet as a magical blast soared almost hit Darcy as She leaped out of the way. The smaller twin was not sporting her normal style of dress going for more of a very tight pair of pants and a brown corset. But her hair was still done up in a bone.
“I need to ask how the hell some of these people keep jumping out in the air like this,” Boss said as Davina tried to drop kick him. Grabbing onto her ankle and tossing her at her sister, “Though they are a lot lighter,” Boss observed.
“I think you may be hitting on something let’s move,”
“Oh, so something you don’t know about?” Boss bantered as Richard snorted and rolled his eyes.
“I know it’s a new concept for you but surprisingly people in authority shockingly don’t know everything,” Richard replied, “Arvil New plan keep a strong just on those two!” He ordered as Arvil cut of his actions blasting a powerful torrent of wind kicking both of the twins of their feet and pinning them to the wall.
Richard picked up his speed going right for the magic user, gaining his full attention Richard using as little energy as he could be avoided the magical blasts. “Fry!” the mage cried as Richard set of Tooth blasting the man’s dominate hand as he started screaming.
“Damn thing finally fired straight,” Richard sighed, as he holstered the weapon. Tin and James grabbed onto the man’s shoulders as Amaro cradled his stump. Boss paused as they both glanced back to see that everything else seemed in order.
“Nathan you would you be so kind as to help tie up the twins, make sure you use every knot,”
“Yeah can never be too careful with the assassin type,” Nathan said as Richard tossed him his rope he had taken to keep on hand.
“So what about Morgan we just going to let Madison take care of him?”
“Yeah,” He admitted as lead the charge against the Mage her and ended up getting stabbed by a sword the man had, summoned?” He asked as Boss nodded in agreement, as Richard glanced back and everyone seemed to know as well.
“Real shame, he was such a brave man,” Tray said whipping away a fake tear.
“Yep, didn’t know him long but I am happy he is in a better place,” James commented as everyone settled on the story.
“I will make sure that the man engaged is informed of your condolences,” Richard said with a nod.
Richard glanced from the fight at the Stone, “We may want to get him as far as we can from that thing, let’s start moving,”
Tin and Tray both grabbed a shoulder and started to drag him out as Richard watched frowning as the blood from the magic user was slowly drawn into the stone.
“Haha,” Amaro laughed, when a low popping and cracking noise, Richard turned drawing out his blade as he watched the crystal as bits of it started to flick off. “Nothing Like almost eighty years of work coming to fruition,” He laughed, as Richard glanced at the man, then back at the other three,
“What are you doing, is this a bomb?” Richard asked looking at the man,
“Something Like that,” the old man said with a smirk, the stone seemed to crack down the middle as Richard started to wave at people,
“Start making tracks I want this area cleared, as He looked over at Nathan who had just finished tying up the twins.
“Madison wrap, Morgan up and Let’s get out of here!” Richard shouted when suddenly some kind of dark red magic started to appear in-between the cracks as Richard noticed nobody was moving, He tried to as well only for his legs to only react slowly as if his body was ten steps behind his brain.
A swirl of energy seemed to be pooling as what looked like massive fingertips seemed to form “A demon,” Nathan hissed his eyes going wide in fear. He took a step back almost stumbling a bit as even Richard felt his body in fear. “That’s impossible, nobody has ever tried to summon a demon or any primordial creature centuries.”
“Until now,” Armora laughed, “Now my friend, rid me of these fools!” he shouted as the stone shattered as the creature.
Richard blinked as he found himself on the ground he felt a lot of pain he didn’t remember falling to the floor. He blinked in confusion as he heard a low rumbling as rock seemed to hit rock. Then the pain hit his body, he tried to find the source but he wasn’t able to so much as move his neck. When a pair of Grey bare feet walked into his vision, Some form of diamond embedded in the skin were the shins were as the being seemed to move closer, Richard glanced up his eyes not sure what to focus on. The light gray skin seemed to have some kind of orange colorations veins that seemed symmetrical and yet flowing through the skin, rather than hair it seemed like some kind of sharp stone that spiked up around the top of the skull crowning a pair of large orange eyes. He blinked as he noticed a few places of color bits of orange colorations around the shoulders and arms. “Female,” Richard coughed out as he struggled to keep alert.
The female knelt down slowly reaching out with blue tinted fingernails and just before touching Richard.
“Demon I order you to Destroy kill everyone and everything!” Amor shouted as the being suddenly was back on her feet looking in the man’s directions.
Richard blinked as he felt something pelt his back he found he could move finally moving back to his feet as he whirled around in confusion not sure what was going on. He glanced up to see the sun was shining through a massive hole in the ceiling.
He glanced around everyone seemed to be on the ground as an another mass of rocks crumbled down smashing the area. “I don’t have time for this, Boss!” Richard called out, listing of his crew as he spotted Boss covered on the ground covered in dust and rock.
“Richard?” Boss questioned as Richard dragged the first mate back to his feet. “Just goes to show there is shit out there we are not qualified to handle,”
“Not yet,” Richard said, as He stepped back as Boss regained his footing. Richard soon found the rest of his crew intact as thankfully everyone was moving under their own power.
“Did anyone get the name of the ship that hit us? Is that a thunderstorm?” Tray asked wincing a bit as he cradled his arm.
“Was that really a demon?” Nathan mused loud enough for everyone to hear. “It seems right all powerful to the point where normal humans being in the presence of one is enough to drop a man. But the appearance seems off, maybe, I need to do some research when all of this is said in done,”
“Leave it for another day were is Amaro, and Morgan,” Madison all but demanded as she stood up her armor more dented and scratched than ever before.
“Well the twins are still here,” Arvil pointed out as Richard frowned as he quickly added everything up. Somehow the two people that needed to be killed managed to get away.
“No time to lose we need to at least get out of here,” Richard shouted as another stone fell down to help drive the point home.
“So what did you we learn?” Nathan asked as He gave everyone a gibe smirk.
Richard ignored them as he stopped looking at the assassins, the ceiling was going down even more as Richard hesitated, he glanced at the way they came in to see the last man was in fact him. “Okay I made a deal, I don’t like it but I promised an alliance, you don’t stab me in the back while I am carrying you. We all make it out alive,” Richard said and not bothering on a response picked up both of the rather light women bother over one shoulder as he headed out. No sooner was he went up the stairs did the ceiling start to really cave in.
Richard got up and back into the opening with the rest of his crew as he dropped the two assassins. Richard staggered back as he took a deep breath. “Fuck that Mage, when a massive explosion erupted reminding Richard of the titanic battle in the sky.
“Agreed, we have reason to think his Target is the mad inventor,” Davina said as Richard glanced at her.
“Really?” Richard questioned not sure if he believed it.
“Yes, I may not be a strong as a normal human anymore but I can tolerate a lot more pain,”
“Kinky,” Darcy commented only for h
er sister to give her a hard glare
“But he kept talking to the Demoness, explaining that he just needed her to destroy and attract the Dragon Mages attention. He plans on killing her, as a last ditch means of revenge.” Darcy explained,
“He seems that pretty anyway better safe than sorry, Richard reached into his jacket and pulled out a knife as everyone seemed to wait, and the twins went wide-eyed in panic. “Right or wrong I have some standards,” he tossed the knife as it glanced off the rock near Darcy’s feet. “Okay let’s get a carriage and get moving,”
Richard took off as he followed the rest of his crew, Boss pulled back as he glanced at him. “Are you sure that was wise?” he inquired, Richard frowned as he shook his head.
“Stupid, incredibly stupid,” Richard admitted as he glanced back.
Chapter 51 Good Old Cart Chase
Richard had to hold his temper in check, “One side government business, do head into the area is been blocked off for a reason!” Boss shouted as the group tried to shove their way past. “Tray, you see any nearby carriages?”
“Take your pick,” James called back as they finally managed to get past their own boundary lines, “Anyone see Amoranth, the bastard could get lost in this crowd.
“Doesn’t matter if his destination is unchanged we can return the favor of the tunnels,” Richard said as everyone got a wicked grin on their face at the idea.
“You,” Boss pointed at one of the drivers, “We got business at the castle, don’t stop or slow down for anything.” The man frowned as Richard pulled out a bag of coins and tossed it at the man the weight surprising him.
“Yes, Sir,” The man said a little more open to the idea with the wheels greased so to speak.
Boss opened the door as he glanced in then looking at everyone. Madison moved around sitting next to the driver as Richard and Nathan hoped on top of the carriage, it’s self.
