Nick ran down the street, musket in his right hand and the spear slung around his back.

Another column of smoke brushed past his face, making it difficult to breathe and twice as difficult to see. He waved it away without much luck.

All through he was wincing inward, trying to hold back the primal desire for murder. His blood pounded against his head. The sounds and shrieks of battle inflamed it, making it all the harder to restrain himself.

Felix was ahead of him. Doing better than he was a moment ago, when he slouched and puked around the corner.

Nick didn’t. He’d been through enough crises to deal with adversity.

That wasn’t to say Felix lacked a good reason. All around them was the destruction left behind in the raiders’ wake. Marble houses with doors and windows torn asunder. Goods and stalls looted and abandoned along the street.

The prime cause were the bodies. The eviscerated corpses strewn across the streets either seared by muskets or hacked apart by weapons. Lifeless faces etched in horror as their bearers witnessed their final desperate moments. The air, already filled with fumes, was now poisoned by the stench of decay.

These were people he knew. Usually through their piteous stares or sneering glares. A few were friendly, although he never knew them well enough to know if it was genuine or just out of courtesy.

However, none of them deserved this fate.

Most troubling however was that there were no signs of a resistance so far. No corpses from the attacking side. Although nobody in the town with the exception of the watch were geared and nourished with mana for a battle, all of the adults had trained in warfare in some official capacity. They should not have been decimated this badly, even against raiders with this weaponry.

The shadows of one of the sloops veered over them, like a shark wading around a school of fish. It passed by, seemingly deeming them too insignificant for notice.

Nick figured out the Longwarder had to have landed at the training grounds. It was the only place in town with enough flat space for the Longwarder to land. Judging by the sounds of fighting and by the direction of the carnage, they were working their way inward. There were only two real main streets in Sevola, and both led from the gates, hugging the outer edge to the docks, before spiraling to the center where the watch garrison and mana repository were located. Most of the townsfolk were probably near the shore when the Longwarder opened fire. Now, without a good avenue for escape, they were being hemmed and slaughtered to the center.

There were no alleys in this part of town for them to take shortcuts, which meant they had to take the main street.

Something let out a guttural howl, animalistic and inhuman, which caused the hair on Nick’s back to rise. There was also the sound of crashing waves and running water, separate and distinct from the ocean.

Felix stopped. “What was that?”

“No idea,” said Nick, praying it wasn’t what he thought it was. “Let’s keep moving.”

Felix gave an uneasy look before moving onward. Nick followed, although the question of what exactly they would do if they caught up remained. If they could do anything.

Still they had to try something. He grew up here, Miri and Vlara were still out at large, and although he meant to depart, he wasn’t going to leave it behind in ashes.

They reached an intersection, and Nick made out the noise of fighting to his left, distinct from the fighting raging toward the town center. Nick grabbed Felix’s arm.

“Wait,” said Nick. “You hear that?”

Felix stopped, giving Nick an annoyed glance. However, he listened.

“It sounds like it is coming from the docks,” said Felix.

“Someone there needs help,” said Nick. “It is pretty close. Let’s go check it out.”

They moved, swinging down to the docks. He heard metal crashing against rock and stone. The thunder and crackle of lightning. The roar and yells of men shouting in the throes of battle.

Before Nick realized it, his hands moved in instinct, lodging a single ruby gempellet into the breech of the musket and cocking the knob in place.

It surprised him. It was like he did it out of force of habit, like how he swung from sword form to sword form after years of constant drills and practice. Except that he never had the same amount of practice with it, let alone using it in battle

They were approaching the final bend, and could see light flash from the battle around the corner. Felix stretched out his arms and summoned twin balls of fire which flickered above his palms. Nick readied the musket.

He shouldered the weapon, and it was like information was flowing into his mind.

It uneased him, but he went with the flow. This was the best weapon at his disposal, especially since he was useless in melee. He may as well give these raiders a taste of their own medicine.

It was just another mystery to add to the long list of things in his life.

They turned the final corner and came across three towering men who had encircled Cedric against the wall of a marble house. They all had blond braided hair which was overflowing from under their horned helmets while also wearing branded metal plate armor from the last century. But the most eye catching about them was the axes crackling with lightning they brandished.

Northlanders Berserks. Renown for their ferocity, viciousness, and absolute ruthlessness. Men who lived to fight, and welcomed the idea of dying in battle.

The three sprung toward Cedric as the old man swept his hands up. Three rock walls rose above the ground, blocking the incoming attacks. Axes smashed against stone. Lightning flashed and thundered upon impact. Despite being a countered element, the sheer force of the blows left craters and cracks against the barrier.

However, the attacks failed to penetrate. Sweat dripped down Cedric’s face, and the old man’s eyes widened as he noticed Nick and Felix arrive from the corner.

No words needed to be said. Felix brought his palms together, the fiery orbs merging and intensifying.

Nick moved, his body reacting as his mind recalled how to use the weapon. Feet apart and front leg bent, like he was bracing himself to push a heavy object. Left arm under the barrel to hold it steady with the right hand holding the stock and trigger. Both eyes open. Right eye looking down barrel, with the left eye squinting. Align the front of the barrel to its rear. Aim below the target.

Squeeze lightly with the finger.

The musket jolted against his shoulder and let out a deafening crack as the spell of the gempellet was unleashed. A blaze erupted out the barrel, joined shortly by Felix’s own spell. The lances of fire spellfire speared towards one of the Northlanders.

The center Northlander turned, right as the spells smashed against his body.

He dropped his weapons as his entire body caught fire. His screams echoed with the rising inferno.

The two remaining Berserks hesitated at the sudden intrusion. Cedric wasted no time in exploiting the opportunity. The earthen walls crumbled and green light wisped around his arms and fists, enlarging and hardening into armored rock. He took one step forward and swerved his fist into the closest Berserk’s chest.

Cedric was one of the most laid back and least combative person Nick knew, which was why it was so surprising when the Berserk, who stood two heads taller, was sent buckling through the air.

The Berserk smashed into a marble wall on the opposite end of the street, sliding down, staining the white wall with a red trail of blood.

The remaining Berserk bellowed a roar and swung his axe towards Cedric’s exposed flank. Nick could only watch in horror as the blades drew down.

Cedric twisted away with the agility of a trained fighter and the axe went wide. Before the Berserk could recover, he launched a straight jab at the man’s wrist. There was a flash of yellow-aether as the Berserk’s defense shattered, followed by the crunch of broken bones.

As the Berserk dropped his weapon, Cedric let loose a flurry of blows. Left fist to head. Right arm to neck. Left fist followed by elbow to head. Right fist to shoulder. Left fist to belly. Green and yellow light flashed as the Berserk’s aether-strengthened body did little to stop the impact of the strikes. Eventually the yellow light stopped flaring, replaced with the spew of blood.

The Northlander dropped to his knees. Cedric backhanded him, causing the helmet to cave in and the man crumpled dead to the ground.

Felix and Nick just stood there dumbfounded.

“I-I know that way of fighting,” said Felix. “You’re a Juggernaut?”

Cedric sighed, letting the earth from his hands crumble to the street.

“Was,” said Cedric. “Didn’t say anything because otherwise that is all I’d hear and see, kind of like how you two are doing right now. Still, it was nice for the two of you to show up.”

Juggernauts were the greatest of the earth-based Innatum, able to use a third-tier spells to mold earth around their bodies until they became living giants. They had no need for weapons, and formed a special vanguard separate from the regular Vislandan mercenary regiments.

First, he finds out Eric was an Imperial Officer and now it turns out Cedric was a Juggernaut. Nick realized he knew a lot less about the people in his life than he previously thought.

Cedric with a wry smile. “Right on the nick of time I’d say.”

His attempt at a joke broke the mood. Nick rolled his eyes and laughed.

“Good to see you Cedric,” said Nick.

“Aye you too boy.” Cedric looked at the tattered corpses of the Northlanders. “This is not how I expected the day to unfold. I was out on my boat when those ships flew over. Next thing you know fire and lightning starts raining down from one and all hell breaks loose. Started rowing back as quickly as I could when I ran into these three chuckleheads. Are you two alright? What in the blazes is going on?”

“We’re good,” said Nick. “I was by the gate when they set fire to the entire perimeter of the town with those cannons of theirs. I’d have to wager they are lobbing at least third tier spells.”

“Third tier?” said Cedric. “Are you sure about that?”

“Positive,” said Nick. “I saw agate shards left by their impact. Whatever they are flinging is a dual element of fire and earth.”

“Spell cannons with third-tier gemshells with dual elements,” said Cedric. “That doesn’t bode well. Are you two it then?”

“They are killing everyone who isn’t a teenager or a child,” said Nick. “I’d have to guess they are going to capture for the slave trade.”

“What?” said Felix. “What makes you say that?”

“The ship they flew in is a Northlander Longwarder,” said Nick. “Northlanders had only ever raided for two things.”

“Slaves and loot.” Cedric shook his head. “Buggers. They are going to be after the mana repository.”

A sharp ringing noise sprang from behind them. Nick turned around to see a white flare rise up into the skies, above the center of the town. A moment later it burst, casting a translucent dome around the center. When the edges of it reached the ground, there was a grumble and puff of marble buildings being demolished.

“Captain Volkar’s activated the aether-dome,” said Felix.

“And from the sound of the idiot didn’t get it calibrated like I told him.” Cedric shook his head. “He’s probably destroyed half a dozen houses by the garrison square.”

“It also means he is losing the fight,” said Felix. “The aether dome is only to be used as a final line of defense. We need to get going.”

“And I’m coming with you lot.” Cedric peered at Nick’s musket. “Is that one of theirs?”

“It is,” said Nick.

“Then it explains how they are roughing up everyone else then. Don’t know how people engrave spells into gemstones but never thought they’d be able to engrave a second tier spell like firelance into one.” Cedric turned to Felix. “Hey watchman, do me a favor and loan me a mana pill.”

“My name is Felix,” he quipped back, but he did as asked and handed one to Cedric from his pouch.

“Old habits,” said Cedric as he chewed it down. The old man let out a deep breath as his body absorbed the energy. “Let’s get going.”

***

The three of them swerved through the alleys with Nick leading the way. Taking the main roads would have risked them running straight into the bulk of the enemy force.

It was also faster, but the raiders had already pushed well toward the center of the town.

Before they entered the alleyway, an ominous pounding started rippling through the air. At this point, given everything he had seen so far, Nick wouldn’t be surprised if the raiders had something which would puncture the aether-dome. Breech-loading aether muskets. Gempellets with second tier spells. Northlander Berserks and Bracer pirates working together. What was one more surprise?

The only other sound was the crackling of the firestorm surrounding the town. The noise of fighting had completely died down.

Nick stopped before they turned the corner where their path through the alley crossed the road. He listened closely, but couldn’t make out any signs of any raider presence.

The three of them braced for a fight. Cedric took front while Felix and Nick followed behind. They entered the street, but there were no Berserks or Bracers. Instead, they came across a scene far more gruesome than the last.

Withered corpses and body parts plied along the houses. As if something had hacked them apart and drained all the blood out in cold efficient fashion.

“Why…” Felix muttered.

“Just keep your head straight lad.” Cedric recovered, shaking his head at the scene. “Plenty of time to mourn when this is all over. If we make it out.”

As Nick walked along, he noticed a corpse that didn’t seem Vislandan. It was face-down and tattered in its own blood. A burning hole swept through its chest. Wrapped around his right arm however was a gembrace, with a single emerald embedded into it.

It looked like it wasn’t a one-sided fight. At least not here. Nick looked around and noticed at least one paler Northlander and his helmet among the deceased.

The Bracer was darker-skinned, either from Adresta or one of the two southern desert empires. It also confirmed this couldn’t have been an attack by some sovereign country, but a looting expedition by pirates.

A coalition of pirates, judging by their multi-ethnic nature, and with advanced weapons to boot.

And with the carnage they wrought, they had shattered the mythos of Vislanda’s military invincibility.

Cedric’s gaze darkened as he crouched before one of the husks. “Only one thing draws blood like this.”

“Let’s keep moving,” said Nick as he looked away and stepped onward, recalling the animal-like howls from earlier. He did not want his suspicions confirmed.

Although if it was true, then he had no idea what they would be able to do against them.

Nick glanced another look at the silver gembrace before moving out of eyesight. It was too bad these were already soul-bound to their users. The things he could have done if he just had the same power…

They were jolted by a final solitary thud followed by the sound of shattering glass. They looked up to see the dome crack apart, the so-called impervious material dissolving away into nothing. It was immediately followed by the sound of multiple spells going off, along with men and women yelling as the battle began.

“Shit,” said Felix.

Nick led them through the next series of alleys.

With each turn among the maze of houses, the sounds grew with ferocity. That horrible howling noise returned, followed by a tearing noise along the shrieks of dying people. Muskets crackled to life in a withering volley, interspersed by people calling the names of spells to be cast.

There was a swishing noise, like the sound of rushing water. However, it was wrong, like it was flowing in all directions.

They turned toward the final bend, passing across from houses who were torn in half when the aether-dome activated and smashed through their roofs. Wrecked marble walls and rubble littered the alleys, although thankfully none were too big to block their path.

Nick was approaching the final bend which would enable them to enter the garrison square from the rear. The opposite side of the main street entrance where the raiders were certainly assaulting from.

Cedric ground to a halt.

“Cedric?” Nick stopped.

“Hold on,” he said, peering across a wide crack in the wall.

“What do you mean?” said Felix. “They need us out there.”

Nick noticed another wide-brimmed crack in the wall and peeked a glance.

The first thing he saw was Knight-Captain Volkar, floating just above the steps of the town garrison. He wore silverite armor, gleaming in spite of being miffed with soot. Scorched holes riddled his feathery wings. A gleaming green spirit sword flared from his right hand. Just below the steps, four guards clad in ruined pale uniforms crouched in a combat stance. Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning readied in their hands.

Volkar slashed once, blades of pure air cut towards the target, a hulking figure twice as large and as tall as Nick. It walked like a man, but its back was arched forward. The being was covered from head to toe with black fur, wearing nothing other than an armored belt buckle protecting its loins. Its head was elongated, shaped like a wolf. Between its jagged teeth was the blood-stained body of what used to be a town watchman.

Nick’s worst suspicion was confirmed. It was a Lycan, and around the unfettered creature were piles of shredded bodies and limbs.

The blades struck against the creature’s shoulder, opening a wide gash in its hide. Green earthen aether however, immediately glowed from the wound and began to knit it together until it closed.

The Lycan grit its teeth and began walking towards Volkar. The remaining watchmen launched spells, burning, crackling, searing, and ripping through fur and flesh. However, it did nothing to stop the juggernaut’s advance.

In the blink of an eye, four separate torrents of blood shot through the air from an unseen location towards the watchmen. They swept the guards off their feet, and took the shape of giant hands, strangling the men in its grip.

The fists tightened and their bodies burst like grapes, their blood joining the red tide.

Volkar managed to fly up, avoiding the torrent of blood. However, the Lycan leapt into the air, slamming into the Nephilim. They crashed into the wall and the Lycan landed into the ground with the broken man in hand, and reave the corpse, using its teeth and claws to tear into flesh as one would eat a crab.

Within those few moments, the remnants of Sevola’s guard garrison was decimated.

Nick knew a decent number of them. Many were kids with fewer aspirations than to serve their mandatory sentence and go work on something peaceful.

Nick turned to see Felix look away, rage dripping from his face. He was about to charge into the fray when Cedric grabbed him by the scuff of the neck and pulled him down.

“Let me go!” Felix tried to free himself from Cedric’s grip. “I’m going to make those bastards pay!”

“Shut up lad!” Cedric hissed. “You saw what happened. Have some sense before you walk to your death!”

Nick turned to look through the crack. A pale woman with blue lips and blue hair, dressed in a red-blue outfit stepped into view from the street entrance. She let out a bored yawn, covering her lips with her left hand. Floating above her right hand was a disc-shaped red-blue gemstone, Pietersite.

The torrent of blood swashed back to the woman, swirling and disappearing into the center of the gemstone. Gangly men, wearing the same tattered clothes as the Bracers they fought before stepped into the square toward the now-undefended garrison and mana repository.

Nick ducked down, joining Cedric and Felix on the ground before he got noticed.

Berserks, Bracers, advanced weapons, and now a Lycan and a Vampyr.

Cedric was right. Even if they went in now or even earlier, there wasn’t a chance in hell they could have could done anything.

Felix stopped struggling in Cedric’s arms as he came to the same realization.

“I… “said Felix. “I can’t…?”

Nick felt for Felix. He had just stood by while watching his friends die. All while he did nothing.

The same helpless feeling Nick lived with all his life.

However, Nick wanted to confirm something. He moved to the left, trying to get the street entrance within vision.

As he did, he saw what he wanted. A group of captives kneeling on the street with black aether disrupter cuffs looped around their wrists. All of them were children ranging from as young as eight to as old as those who just ascended. The youngest were crying.

At the corner he was able to make out Vlara’s bruised and beaten face.

“Going out there and dying isn’t going to make things better,” said Cedric. “I’m all for fighting but not for senselessly dying.”

The raiders had broken through the door, and made their way to the treasure within. Chests full of concentrated mana bars. The Lycan stepped back into view, one clawed hand holding Captain Volkar’s bloodied helmet.

Nick ducked back down.

“Wha-What are we supposed to do then?” said Felix.