It seemed like the Xegin army were not honoring this tradition at all. Up ahead were no less than 50 Xegin soldiers, headed by one of the Imperial Generals by the look of his armor. The soldiers lifted their weapons and pointed them at Erisda.
Erisda did not flinch, or even remove his hands from his pockets. If he was attacked, he would die anyways with so many enemies around. So he was grateful when the leader made a motion with his left hand and the soldiers lowered their arms.
“I am General Erisda Walker. Who commands these forces?” Erisda asked, projecting his voice as loud as he could.
The leader walked forward. “Greetings. I am Imperial General Delta, and I command these soldiers.”
Damn it, Erisda thought to himself. He had heard all about General Delta’s madness back when he had tried to negotiate. The general was known for his hardened outlook and harsh policies. This would prove more difficult if he was forced to speak with this man.
Nonetheless, he had to try. Finding his courage, he said, “We have already sent numerous envoys requesting an audience. Why have you ignored them?”
There was a chuckle from the giant Xegin, an obnoxious sound. He spread his hands wide and said, “We have come seeking retribution. You have violated the sacred laws of the great nation of Teforia and turned against your benevolent protectors. The hour of judgement is upon you.”
Erisda arched an eyebrow. “Hour of judgement? Do you realize what you are saying. You sound like you’ve come to destroy us.”
The Xegin commander crossed his arms. “That is precisely what we’ve come to do. Humanity is a plague on all life. And, just like a righteous fire, we shall cleanse this land of the infestation.”
Erisda had to take a moment to realize exactly what the Xegin had said to him. What exactly was going through this man’s head? He searched Delta for any sign of sarcasm, or foolishness. Even humanity...but he could sense none.
No, instead all Erisda could sense was darkness. And then he could not hold back any longer. “What the hell are you talking about with all that crap? You are Human as well! How can you say nonsense like cleansing the plague?”
If his words had affected the man, it did not show. “Don’t make me laugh. No, we are Xegin. We have evolved. And you...you are now obsolete. Prepare to meet your end. As one general to another, you may have one hour before we launch our attack. Use that time to say farewell to your loved ones.”
The Xegin and his soldiers turned and started to make their way back to their camp. “Stop this madness,” was all he could shout at their backs, but there was no response. This was bad. They would not halt their attack, and their general was issuing orders of total annihilation. Where was Commander Tyrannes in all this?
Erisda sighed. He could not rely on a miracle now, only his sword. He turned and ran. He would need to get to Giselle and organize the army. He found himself hoping Ivaldi had returned with Bakuya.
Erisda relayed what he had just witnessed to Giselle when he returned. When she mentioned how insane it all sounded, he simply said, “Oh, I know. I was there. Not a shred of remorse in that man’s voice. He intends to wipe us out today.”
“What will we do?”
Erisda’s eyes had narrowed to slits. “We take the fight to them. If we are going to be destroyed, I won’t let it end sitting on my hands. Gather everyone who can fight. And I do mean everyone. This is our last stand.”
Fifteen minutes later (that was all the time he could allot for it) Erisda had gathered his army before him. Part of him wanted to take Delta’s words to heart and go to see Silvia. But the way he saw it, if he failed here then she would share his fate regardless.
His hair blew in the wind as he lead the charge, moving at such a speed that he left most of his soldiers behind. He was a swordsman, his life revolved around battle. If he was ever to pull a phenomenal victory out of thin air, this was the time.
And if he were to die today, then he would die on the battlefield. That was the fate of all who picked up the sword after all. His soldiers would have wanted him to hang back with the rest of them, so that they could protect him. But he needed to be able to draw attention to himself, to protect them.
He drowned out all the protests from behind and it was not long before the enemy noticed his approach. They seemed to be confused as to his tactics. But that was just it. He had no plan. He was making it up as he went. And from the knowledge of the Xegin he possessed, that was the correct move.
Erisda raised his shield and hid behind it, as the Xegin energy weapons reflected harmlessly off it. He identified his enemy ahead, and charged. Xegin weaponry was superior due to the fact that it technically did not run out of ammunition, drawing power off the soldier’s armor. But it did take time to recharge for a second shot. That was when they were vulnerable.
Erisda slammed his shield into one of the Xegin and while he was off balance, stabbed forward with his sword. He pierced the armor with his thrust, then pulled the blade out and watched the soldier fall. Erisda was a trained swordsman. One vital strike was all he needed.
He rushed at the soldier’s nearby allies, who had drawn their swords they carried to fight in close quarters. His instructors had always cautioned fighting more than one opponent at a time, because it was too easy to get overwhelmed and get flanked. Erisda smirked. He welcomed the challenge of fighting more than one at a time.
He parried the lead striker and spun, bringing his sword over his shoulder and striking with a downwards cut. He split the Xegin in two, leaving a bloody shower. Their armor may protect them from gunfire, but good steel could still cleave through with enough strength. And Erisda was deceptively strong.
Erisda sniffed at the mess. He normally liked to keep his desecration of his opponent’s body to a minimum. However, he had no such luxury today. He was fighting for his life here. If he fell here, the Xegin would destroy everything. He circled around to avoid the slash of another soldier and thrust, piercing the man’s heart.
In his mind, he had been counting down the recharge time of the Xegin weapons. Twenty seconds had passed. He leapt backwards, readying his shield and sure enough, he blocked the incoming blasts. They were predictable if anything. But they would slow him down. He needed to get to the leader. It was now or never.
He was relatively sure he could not be defeated in a one on one duel. But there was no way he could take on an entire army alone.
11
Keta was still with Max and Pent when he heard the announcement at the base. The battle was about to begin. The plan had already been talked about, but he hadn’t expected the fighting to start so quickly.
Keta was even more concerned when he found that the army, and General Erisda himself had already launched an attack on the Xegin army. He and the others had rushed after in pursuit.
The city was in a panic, civilians rushing about, being ushered towards shelters by some of the soldiers that had been left behind. It was not a lot. They must have mobilized the entire army. It made sense, considering the devastation the Xegin weapon was capable of.
Their only chance of survival was to strike first and strike hard.
“These Humans look pretty confused to see us,” Max said, as they ran past them in the fields. Indeed, the soldiers were so jumpy they had almost fired at the three not wearing their colors. That would not have been fun if they had provoked Pent.
But Keta paid it no mind, as the trio rushed forward. What he was paying attention to was that Erisda Walker had basically broken away from his entire army and was charging the enemy single handedly. Was this man a fool?
Erisda was moving ahead, using his shield to deflect the rain of energy fire from the Xegin soldiers. With masterful strokes, he took down the soldiers in front. Erisda quickly created a hole in the front lines, allowing his forces to advance.
A few of Erisda’s elite guards had caught up, and they began to cover their general. With a new foothold into the enemy, they began to hunker down and place their shields in a bulw
ark.
“The man’s not bad at this, eh?” Max said, the three of them still running to catch up to the overextended general.
“No, he’s not,” Pent admitted begrudgingly. “Even so, the Humans don’t really stand a chance against the Xegin, right?”
The three of them were close enough that they could hear the shouting going on. Giselle was issuing orders to the other soldiers to advance to back up the general. They were well organized.
But Keta knew that they would be overwhelmed. The Xegin were extremely dangerous. And the longer they continued to fight, the more people would die. He had already failed trying to end the whole thing without fighting. The least he could do was end it as fast as possible.
Keta put on a burst of speed, leaving Max and Pent behind. He needed to speak to Erisda. His plan was to subdue the leaders of the army, and that would be much easier if he had the man’s cooperation.
As the man made his way through the Xegin ranks, Keta felt awe for the Human. He really is something else, Keta thought to himself as he closed in.
“Erisda!” Keta rushed up behind the Human general. The battlefield had erupted into chaos, and both sides were engulfed in a grand melee. Erisda had just finished cutting down an enemy soldier, when he craned his neck in the direction of his name.
Keta could clearly see the look of shock on Erisda’s face. “Keta? Why are you still here?” He asked, raising his shield to deflect one of the Xegin energy weapons. He quickly made his way over and took down the assailant.
“We’ve come to help put an end to this battle,” Keta said simply, taking up a position beside Erisda. He nodded back at his comrades, who had just arrived. “All of us.”
Pent scowled, but his eyes were committed. Max had that same insane grin he’d had on his face the first time Keta had ever seen him fight. The three warriors of Sanction, ready for their mission. Master Xehemoth would have been proud.
Erisda smiled. “I know not your reasons, but at this point I don’t care. Don’t let them get to the residential areas. My lieutenant Giselle is guarding that area. I’m going to get their commander and put an end to this!”
It was Pent who spoke first. “I’ll take care of them. Protecting helpless Humans seems like a noble enough goal for me,” the Demon volunteered. He took off in the direction that Erisda had indicated. Pent was still injured, so Keta had suggested that he take it easy.
Keta turned to say something to Max, but his friend had already taken off. Their strategy was to contain as many skirmishes as possible and force a ceasefire. For that, they needed Max’s flames. Pent was on civilian duty, something he knew the boy would appreciate. The young warrior hated to involve innocents.
That just left him. He’d given himself the toughest job. He would have to defeat the enemy commanders. If he recalled correctly, military protocol was to sound a retreat after the commander was beaten. So he began to follow Erisda, who was cutting a swath through the enemy army.
“If you continue to mercilessly kill your foes, I may have to turn my blade on you, General Erisda,” Keta said, catching up to the Human soldier, who turned to look at him. “I am here to stop all the fighting, including your army.” The man stared at him quizzically.
However, if he had something to say, it was cut off by what happened next. A booming voice erupted through the plains. “General Erisda Walker! I’ve finally found you.” The sound of running boots hitting the ground alerted them to the presence of another, who was charging directly at Erisda, with a giant sword Keta knew all too well.
“What the…is that a Demon?” Erisda exclaimed in shock, before realizing that the newcomer was charging right at him, aiming an overhead slash with his sword. Erisda did not try to block the attack. He probably knew better than to try against such a heavy sword. He quickly dodged to the left as the blade crashed into the earth, holding his sword at the ready. “Who are you? What business do you have with me?” he demanded.
Erisda’s assailant lifted the sword and let it plunge into the ground in front of him, leaning forward on it. His red eyes were dancing with delight, brown hair messy from the attack. Keta knew this man of course, even years later. “I am Xuan Barakan, mercenary extraordinaire. I shall be your opponent. Oh...hey Keta.”
That last part came out casually as the Demon turned his gaze to Keta. He flashed him a smile. The two of them were almost like brothers, having grown up in the Master’s care and trained together. Keta could not believe it. His best friend was here at this moment.
And then it hit him. His best friend was here...at this moment. Recovering from the shock, Keta found his words. “Xuan? Wh...why are you here?”
Xuan was a year older than him, but he was much bigger. Back in the day, he had worn the dragon clan’s outfit as well, a gift from the old Master. Now, he wore the same style of tunic and pants that many of the Demon clans wore, dyed all red. He did notice that he had engraved the insignia of the Master on both shoulders, but it still seemed odd to simply throw away the Master’s gift to him. Those clothes were masterworks.
Xuan tapped his chest, revealing another insignia. “Mercenary, remember? The Xegin hired me to take out this guy.”
This got a chuckle out of Erisda. “So, that is how afraid of me they are, huh?” He asked, shaking his head.
“Indeed. You should feel honored. You warranted enough cause to hire Xuan Barakan, the mercenary of legend,” Xuan said, and then turned to Keta. “Don’t worry, buddy. As soon as I finish killing this guy, you and me can catch up. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Keta stood still, unsure of what he was hearing. Xuan was...he was going to kill Erisda? And he had said it so casually, like he was going to the market to buy bread. This both was and wasn’t the Xuan he remembered. What had happened to him in those few years apart?
He was so distracted that he didn’t even realize that Erisda had called his name. The second time, a little louder, snapped him back to reality. “Keta, I hate to ask this of you, but if you really want to put an end to this battle, go stop their enemy commander in my stead. General Delta must be defeated before he uses that weapon and kills us all.”
That had been the plan initially, to force both leaders into retreat. But now that Xuan had appeared, his plan was falling apart. “That’s not a good idea. His name is Xuan. He’s pretty skilled. If he’s really here to stop you, I don’t think you should fight him alone,” Keta pointed out, placing his hand on the hilt of Abyss.
Erisda raised a hand to stop Keta. “I’m well aware of who he is. But if nobody stops General Delta, my people will die. That weapon he used back at the gate is being transported up that hill.” He pointed in the distance, and Keta looked in that direction to see some kind of caravan.
“That madman is planning to use it before giving the standing army a chance to surrender. If he gets it in place, it will even have a clear shot at Aurora. I can’t let that happen. And if my opponent is to be the Demon mercenary Xuan Barakan, even I might be delayed. That’s why I have no choice but to count on you.”
Xuan smirked. “Delayed? My my, you really have a high opinion of yourself, don’t you? But then, you’ve only intrigued me further. Run along, little Keta. I’ve a mission to complete, and I’m itching to get started.”
Keta clenched his fist, his heart racing. Xuan had no intention of stopping him going after the others. He could stay and try to convince his friend against fighting Erisda, but he was not confident in his ability to do so. No, his best course of action was to leave this to Erisda and end the battle.
“Right. I won’t let you down!”
He ran off in the direction of the enemy camp. A few of the Xegin soldiers noticed this and moved to intervene.
“Go, I’ll deal with these guys,” Max had appeared at this side, and ran at the incoming Xegin before Keta could stop him. The lead soldier aimed at the large Demon and fired at him, hitting him in the chest with the blast.
“Max!” Keta yelled as his friend stumbled back
wards. But Max threw up a hand to stop Keta from advancing.
“Idiot! If you don’t stop that guy, this will all be for nothing. I can handle a little pain, you know that. Now go, get out of here,” Max roared and he began to ignite, flames surrounding him. He charged at the Xegin who had opened fire on him.
Keta knew that his friend had some sort of ability to heal from wounds. But he had no idea how far it would go. Max was right, however. Keta decided to leave this to the Demon and continue forward. The Xegin had already reached the hill and had begun climbing. He could still reach them.
“You shall go no further, Keta Night!”
He knew the voice, he had first heard it in Frostclaw village back then. And so, when he turned back, he saw Sephiel, who had been with Tianna. What a stroke of luck.
“Sephiel, I need to…” that was as far as Keta got. He barely reacted in time to avoid the small warrior trying to hit him with a palm strike. Before he could say anything else, Sephiel spun around and kicked at him. He blocked the strike with his arm and leapt backwards to gain some distance. “Sephiel?”
“I’m through listening to your drivel!” came the reply. The anger in the voice was so overwhelming that Keta stepped backwards. “I won’t forgive you for what you’ve done to Tianna. And I’m not as lenient as she is. I won’t let you leave this place.”
Keta was shocked by the whole display. He could almost feel the hatred coming off of Sephiel. But why?
“You are curious as to my animosity towards you, yes?” Sephiel asked, as if peering into Keta’s mind.
The same thing happened when they were in the Frostclaw Village. Even before fate had placed them on opposite sides, Sephiel had seemed hostile towards him. Tianna was a Xegin as well, but she had been amicable.
Time was of the essence, but Keta knew he’d have to go through this person. So if anything, now was the best time to ask. “Yes, please. I wish to know. What is it I have done wrong to you?” Keta asked genuinely.
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