Passing The Great Wall

Helen shuddered as I spoke. The war horses whinnied as they charged, their riders lowering titanic lances, barding clinking throughout the gallop. The veteran knights formed a line, loading their crossbows calmly. In comparison to the horrors of the forest, a cavalry charge was nothing more than a joke. Thanatos faced the cavalry alone, giving the veterans time to prepare, but from the looks of it he had no intention of waiting around for anyone.

Thanatos in his unsealed form stood at head height with the mounted knights. As I watched him, I noticed a strange magic permeated his body. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, but I knew those who opposed him weren’t in for a good time.

The distance between the two parties closed rapidly, Thanatos could not wait any longer, unsheathing the ice sword Galadriel he deflected the leading knights lance, punching out in retaliation.

*Crrrrk*

Metal screeched as the force of Thanatos’ punch multiplied by the charge reduced the heavily armoured knight to minced meat. Bits of flesh and armour flew into the air, from my perspective time seemed to slow but Thanatos moved at a normal pace, in fact, rather than everything moving slowly, it was he who moved at a speed impossible to track with the human eye. Before the second knight had passed Thanatos, the red skinned giant had already grabbed the dead man’s lance, throwing it like a spear, it impaled the second knight sending the man flying backwards.

As the lance punctured the second man’s chest the bits and pieces of the first began to land, splattering on the battalion’s armour. Helen gagged, covering her eyes from the scene. I however, watched on, observing my creation as he wreaked havoc, like a wolf amongst sheep. I felt that killing was so much easier than saving.

“Fire!”

A volley of mithril tipped bolts whizzed past Thanatos into the cavalry line removing almost half of the men from their horses, completely killing their momentum.

Thanatos sprinted forth towards the chubby man who was now quaking in his boots, the knights who had been knocked from their mounts struggled to lift themselves from the mud road. It was too late for them, Thanatos reaped their heads like wheat as he passed. One knights head had barely frozen in the mud before the next one landed.

“D- Demon!”

One knight, a young man, made Thanatos pause from his spree of death. The giant Stantibus peered down at his giant hands- as if to ask why.

“If you want to protect your prince, you must live on.”

I whispered to him through our master-servant bond, his previous mumblings coming to me in a sudden inspiration.

Like a whip to a horse, I had set him off once more.

The young knights head rolled in the mud as Thanatos charged at the bulbous man like a rabid dog. It was an ‘us or them’ kind of world. Reasons for killing were merely the cherries on top.

The knights who had passed by Thanatos continued their charge, no more than twenty of them, carried on towards the veteran knights. Lances couched, the group of veterans spurred into action, all brandishing their different weapons they expertly manuevered around the lances and horses, some men flung flails, hitting the mounted knights square in the chest, crumpling their armour like paper, others acted as bait while another man decapitated the cavalryman.

Spews of blood shot across the open road. The cavalrymen were speared, eviscerated and wholly wiped out. No matter how talented these men were, they couldn’t overcome experience.

I looked once more on the titan-like Thanatos as he caught up to the fleeing man.

“Baron Ulmus! Die like the dog you are!”

*Shiiing*

Galadriel pierced the Baron’s back Thanatos caught the barrel-like man in mid-air. Before the ice numbed his lower half, Thanatos cruelly bent the man’s legs backwards unnaturally.

*Snap*

“AAaaaaaaaaaaagh!”

A heart-wrenching cry of agony sent shivers down the veteran’s backs. They looked at the man who had once saved them. No longer was he a man. I noticed some nasty looks angled towards me but chose to ignore them. I covered Helen’s ears as she winced from the gruesome noise.

Ice crawled up Baron Ulmus’ body, the terribly obese man gurgled as Thanatos gripped his throat, holding him in the air.

“You should never have provoked me that year.”

As he whispered into the Baron’s ear, his gripped tightened. The man’s face turned purple and his eyes popped out on strings. Ulmus’ body went limp, but Thanatos’ grip didn’t loosen.

*Splat*

Brain matter and skull coated Thanatos’ red hannya mask. He kneeled next to the corpse, his rage appeased. Upon resealing him, reason entered the Stantibus’ mind. Downtrodden, he sat there contradicting himself by mourning for his victims.

“Now is not the time for such things Richard.”

Brent shouted down the road breaking the not-so-friendly giant’s stupor. The veterans busied themselves, quickly reining in the horses and removing any armour or weapons which could be sold. Finally, there was the money situation. The Baron had carried a fat leather pouch of Veinaries, as I found out it was the currency of the Kingdom.

The knights busied themselves, clearing away the massacre despite there not being many travellers in these parts, it didn’t mean there were none.

Brent approached me and Alarielle.

“Your eminence, and who might you be.”

“I am called Subere.”

“I see,” coughing lightly Brent asked, “what are your plans emissary, now that the Kingdom is aware of your defection from The Order.”

Alarielle glanced back and forth between Brent and I.

“I have a friend in the Northmost part of the Kingdom. We would be safe there.”

“Getting to the north is easier said than done.”

“Indeed, but we’ll manage. I’m sure of it.”

Alarielle looked at me, I noticed a pair of beautiful purple eyes behind the plain mask of the Order. I questioned the legitimacy of the woman’s intentions, but for now I would go along with it.

“I’m afraid both Richard and I-“

“He is Thanatos now.”

I interjected.

“Then, Thanatos and I cannot return to our positions without bringing you back with us. But our men have lives, families. Some cannot leave those lives behind.”

“Then we shall ask them, those who want to follow can, but the fewer of us, the better.”

“I, Brent of Muricea will follow you to the north emissary, after all, I owe you my life.”

“You owe me nothing,” Alarielle replied coldly before pointing at me, “it’s him who saved you and all your friends over there.”

The way Brent looked at me changed in that moment.

“Then the first obstacle is the Great Wall.”

I was confident in my own power, especially against inanimate objects.

“If you can guide us to a sparsely guarded area of the wall, then I can handle getting through.”

“With all due respect, are you some kind of wizard or something?”

Both Alarielle and I stared at him. He knew we held deadpan expressions behind our masks.

“Ah. I see, we’ll be counting on you. It will be a day long ride from here if we do not rest.”

“Good, then we will set off immediately, but first we shall see who wishes to journey with us.”

Nodding, Brent called over the veterans who had just finished clearing the slaughter and hiding the dead.

After questioning, only five men of the thirty or so who had made it out of the forest alive wished to join us. Such elderly and experienced men were more likely to have families than not.

The five who joined introduced themselves to Alarielle and I. Their names were Johnathan, Perseus, Ajax, Frederick and Alistair. After our introductions, Brent informed them of the plan, and told the rest of the men about our way of getting through the wall. Once through, the thirty men would head back to their families, while we would carry on north.

We mounted up with our haul of loot in tow and set off northbound.

After a day of laborious and very much uneventful riding a ginormous wall came into my vision. When comparing it to the tiny dotted men manning the battlements it was at the very least fifty feet tall. Far in the distance were gargantuan turrets dotting the wall. Clearly this area was the least guarded in the entire wall.

Patiently awaiting a few hours, we encroached under the darkness of night, Alarielle and I scouting ahead on our panthers while the others, including Helen waited for the wall to open.

Ensuring no guards were passing by, I dismounted the panther. Standing before the five-storey tall wall, I felt like insignificant, but also impressed by the ingenuity this world had despite their medieval technology.

I faced the giant grey blocks forming the wall, willing it, my glove dispersed, and I placed my hand on the block. Within seconds it began to crumble to dust. Repeating the process twenty times, creating a gap large enough for a man and horse to fit through. I nervously headed into the hollow wall, finally creating a similar gap on the opposite side. I looked up at the precariously balanced blocks taking a deep metaphorical breath.

It was like I was playing a giant game of Jenga Trump created on the Mexican border that upon winning you could pass through. I looked back through the gap seeing Alarielle waving piece of vibrant cloth. The rest of the party arrived upon seeing the signal. No time to converse, we hurried through, but of course it wouldn’t be that easy. I cursed our carelessness as shouting resounded from the top of the wall. They had expected it all along, sending legions of men to lie in wait at our most probable points of passage.

A blockade of spearmen surrounded the hole from which we emerged. Row after row of soldiers stared back at us.

“It’s the first army.”

“By the Gods, we are doomed.”

Everyone in the party swallowed hard. Archers lined the walls from above. Cavalry moved in and blocked the gap from behind. A man with an iron aura approached from within the ranks. He had a long grey beard and wore the armour of the Moonflower Chapter.

“Surrender now, and those from the Moonflower Chapter will be spared. We look after our own.”

“The Grandmaster!”

Brent looked back at me, and I nodded.

“Come on lads, the Grandmaster gave his word. Let’s get going.”

Thanatos began to move, but I reminded him.

“There is no longer a place for you there. Don’t make me remind you who you are now.”

He fell back into place obediently understanding this. I knew it was my time.

“Alarielle, I am going to create a gap in the blockade, you pass through with Helen. Thanatos protect them both. It’s what you’re best at after all.”

Finally, I turned to Helen who was on the panther.

“Let me show you what I really am, girl.”

The wizened Grandmaster saw me walking forth. I walked, calmly, consistently, like the constant approach of death, except this time they could see me.

“Stay where you are!”

I did not falter. The old man raised his hand signalling the archers above. A rain of arrows shot through the night sky. Removing my silver mask, my horns sparked, and flames appeared in my sockets. My aura broke free. The front line of spearmen instantly collapsed, the shockwave of mana knocking them out. The volley of arrows in the air were knocked away from the party and I, peppering the ground around us.

I unholstered Python, without stopping and checked the cylinder.

“One in the chamber eh?”

As I looked down the sights of the pistol everyone was bewildered, even Helen had not seen me use my magnum. I channelled Darkness, Shadow, Death and the Flame magic I grasped from the Minotaur into this bullet.

*BAAAAANG*

In the time the bullet left the barrel of Python and was hurtling towards the first army, it had transformed into a meteor, sucking mana from miles away growing larger and larger.

*Swooooooooooosh*

The meteor spread flames like wildfire, they melted armour and flesh alike as the first army was consumed by chaos. The thirty veterans used this chance to escape home, riding into the darkness under the command of Brent, not looking back. The elderly grandmaster stepped out from within the flames, slicing his flaming beard off unhesitatingly, the armour he wore was clearly heavily enchanted against magical attacks.

I clicked my fingers creating a gap in the flames, Alarielle and Thanatos knew what to do, they sped past the dead and dying with Helen in tow. Cavalry charged at them from behind, but like Moses and the red sea, I allowed the flames to spread once more, consuming those that charged into it.

Finally, I was alone. The open air provided an inexhaustible source of mana. This was true power. I waved my hand, forming more black bullets, in the meantime I sent a wave of Death magic to the burnt and desecrated corpses of the first army. I reloaded Python calmly still walking towards the Grandmaster.

“He is at the Archmage realm at least!”

The old man screamed manically. I didn’t know what he meant but by the response of the surviving soldiers they had grasped the extent of my strength.

They had started to back away slowly.

“If you think you’re leaving here alive, then you’re sorely mistaken.”

The reanimated corpses of the first army emerged from the flame, rising from the dead, they stumbled and trudged towards the survivors, only seeking to kill. The Grandmaster faced me, longsword in hands, a strange but familiar magic began to radiate from his body.

It was the same as Thanatos’ magic. I remembered something from my past life. That once someone reaches a certain realm of martial arts, they can use qi. This must be that energy, but on an entirely different level in comparison to the masters in my past life.

I faced the old man, not daring to underestimate him. We both came to a stop when we were roughly twenty meters apart. The fleeing soldiers were caught and ripped limb from limb by the undead. The gap in the wall was not large enough for them to fit through, only a couple managing it. I swivelled firing Python at the wall resulting in its collapse. The archers tumbled from the battlements and the soldiers beneath fought to the last man. I wanted to laugh at the futility of their struggle, but the Grandmaster wouldn’t give me a chance to.

As I collapsed the wall, he lunged, I sidestepped the blade resonating with qi. Not allowing me to get distance, he sent a palm to my chest. He had underestimated my physical prowess. Not only my body’s physical strength and endurance, but something far more lethal.

I grew excited at the prospects my strength brought. In my excitement, the flames on my horns and in my sockets spread, painting a cruel smile on my emotionless face. I could see my horrifying reflection on the Grandmaster’s armour, fresh out of hell.

Bone and flesh collided, my fist fragmented, but was held together by magic, the old man’s palm however was not looking so good. The flesh had already started to decay, revealing splintered bones beneath. The Grandmaster retreated in horror. The decay crawled up his arm. Upon noticing this he decisively sawed through his gauntlet, severing his arm at the elbow.

The Grandmaster winced but took a battle-stance once more. I knew he was prepared to die, but this resolve was shocking. I admired him as a warrior, living a simple life and dying a simple death. I envied him.

He closed the distance once more, not giving me time to fire Python. The ancient veteran jabbed at the centre of my body, a blow I couldn’t dodge. But I didn’t need to evade.

The sword stabbed through my empty ribcage.

“Fool” I muttered. About to lay my hand on his face, decaying his brain.

As I laid my hand on his wrinkled and coarse cheek, he smiled. The qi resonating from his body grew erratic. Something wasn’t right.

The sword in my chest began to vibrate, the qi was sucked into the man’s body before-

*BANG*

My consciousness went black.

An unknown amount of time passed…

The sound of creaking wood roused my consciousness. I looked out seeing a small window with an array of wood and thatched buildings outside. A medieval town. I couldn’t remember what had happened but a beautiful woman with violet hair and eyes sat watching me. She had long pointed ears and pure white skin.

“An elf.”

“I’m a dark elf.”

She furrowed her brows and pouted cutely, offended by my assumption.

“Where are we?”

“A village far west of the capital. Do you remember anything that happened?”

“I- I remember bits and pieces. The first army, I broke through the blockade, then I duelled the old man and he imploded…”

“Well that’s not all… We found you in your current form once the fires died down, I don’t know what happened, but there were no bodies anywhere near you. It was as if they disappeared.”

Hearing this, I jolted upwards checking my body. To my horror, disgusting pieces of black flesh covered my bones shoddily. The flesh seemed to have decayed, I had no skin, instead muscle and organs had covered my bones. I flung myself from the bed, going to the mirror lying in the corner of the room.

A pair of pure red eyes gazed back at me. I looked like a half-melted terminator, the muscles covering my body bulged as I moved, the black fibres shifting as I willed them to.

‘Python.’

‘Yes master.’

‘What happened to my body? Is it another evolution?’

‘Yes and no, your body entered a recovery state after being destroyed, subconsciously casting spells to gather energy from the nearby surroundings, it used Life, Death, Fire, Earth and Shadow energies to reconstruct your body. These energies have refined your body further, allowing you to wield greater strength.’

I was glad to be alive, that’s all I could think at that moment. I felt soiled, my perfect bone form had been polluted by flesh but upon closer inspection, I thought I could grow into them. Flexing in the mirror reminded me of my adolescent days, where I would convince myself they were growing bigger.

“Where are Thanatos and Helen?”

“Helen is with the five knights who wanted to come with us, Thanatos has gone hunting with Brent to conserve our Veinaries.”

“They came back?”

“Yes, they said they had nothing to go back to, as for Brent, well, apparently ‘he likes being the underdog’…”

‘Their company would be missed… but they can act as fodder in any sticky situations I suppose.’

I formed a suit around my body. Checking myself in the mirror, the upside to muscles was a better fit on my Armani. I covered myself with a silver mask and black robe before exiting the bedroom. Alarielle followed as I went downstairs.

The building was constructed from simple timber and thatch, interesting beams supported the place adding to the aesthetic. There was a homely feel as we entered the downstairs. Five burly men huddled around a large table with an assortment of tableware holding different foods and beverages. The men sat maintaining weapons and armour quietly.

As my foot landed on the final stair, a loud creak turned heads towards me. A squirrel-like girl popped her head up hearing this. She turned running towards me. It was Helen.

Hugging me hard, I stood there at a loss. The five men at the table bore witness to the worst case of hover-hand this world had ever seen. Developing gloves around my fleshy fingers, I patted the girls head. It was nice having someone worry over you.

*Bang*

The door to the tavern burst open. Thanatos’ cloaked figure swept through with Brent in tow.

“I sensed your awakening master. We cannot stay here any longer, they’re coming.”

Alarielle spurred into motion, giving the near invisible tavern keep a few silver coins. The five veterans readied the horses as the villagers shot us wary looks. We had packed and were mounted within the minute, galloping northwards.

The Order was hot on our tracks.