10: Memories

Two pairs of eyes locked in a one-sided brawl, the first belonged to an old, half dead elder that was known as this village’s chief, beaten so a bad his face was barely recognized, Noa's orders to War were clear, bring him alive and able to speak, in what other state he did not really care.

The elder stared down the vengeful blue-eyed boy who just exterminated his entire village, they stayed like that for several long minutes before the man finally broke the silence.

“You didn’t even spare the children” The elder’s cold voice barely came out, like he already lost interest in life.

“They wouldn’t have survived” the boy countered, matching the coldness with even greater degree than the old man’s, as if he already anticipated what the village chief before him would say.

The only reason the pile of old bones were temporarily spared because Noa needed information, a place where he could find the person who turned his peaceful world into ashes.

“I believe you’re looking for the inquisitor, boy” The man grimaced with pain, his feet trying to unload his light body, but two of the larger ghouls held them in place, supporting him from crumbling down.

The chief went straight to the point, he knew what Lea’s monster wanted, he knew why his breath came and went as it pleased so far.

Noa stood unmoving with an anticipating silence, his eyes flaring hateful eagerness for knowledge of the man’s whereabouts.

“I don’t know” the elder sighed in defeat, making the boy’s tail sway like a lion ready to devour its prey, an indication of Noa’s bloodlust, but the man quickly added “But I know who does”, extending the few seconds he had in life by a little more.

“Baron Abnos, the map in my house” he monotonously said, his injuries winding his ability to speak properly, and the boy simply nodded in acknowledgement, satisfied with the little information he got, he knew there was little to know chance the beaten husk in rags before him knew anything, but gave it a shot anyway.

“Do not be mistaken , fiend. I despise you from the bottom of my soul, and I pray that the baron tear you to shreds” the elder gritted his teeth and bellowed, his eyes momentarily went back to life, bloodshot with hatred the boy already accepted and took the daggers the man’s eyes without complaining.

“This is for Lea, she was a good woman, a good woman who died because of you, FILTH. I never liked how the world worked, the nonexistent justice that was long forgotten, overshadowed by the iron rule of the churches of light. Ugh! It’s no use speaking to a monster anyway,” His wrinkled eyelids slowly closed. “Do it!” he calmly said like he just made peace with himself and the world, he believed his place in this life was no more. He already knew that the vengeful demon, spared none.

“Thank you” the words left the boy’s mouth slowly, and the elder head flew in one swift swipe. The boy made it as quick and painless as he could, the ghouls let the headless body go, his knees fell cracking on the sun hardened mud, joining the head with two muffled thuds.

The boy turned to leave towards an old, abandoned shack that only ghosts could live inside.

“Pile the corpses, pillage everything, I leave tomorrow” a clear command echoed inside the undead’s magically fueled minds, making them scramble like a colony of ants fulfilling their creator’s command with utmost detail.

Muddy floor, broken ceiling, reeking rotten wood and straw, the boy lied down where she once hugged him to sleep, where she gave him her unconditional motherly love, her smell, her happy sleepy face, her hair that tickled his face, her refreshing breath, her compassion, her kindness, her … screams.

He felt tears he never willed slide down his face, his heart started to ache, his breath went uneven as if the air in his lungs started a rebellion against him.

A colorful dress, a wooden stake, voices of the populous he just slew, cursing, stones hurling, oil spilling, fire rising, hugs tightening, mournful apologies, laughters, tears, tears that died before even the mouth tasted its salt.

And the flood couldn’t be held anymore

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

“AAAAAAAAAAaaaahahhahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa”

“MOTHERAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAahahHAHahaH”

“ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRR”

Agnozed wails came out from the shack, making the undead stop what they were doing for a moment, their empty minds wondered why their master was loudly crying.

From the ruined old shack, the boy couldn’t hold it and let his feeling take over, he cried like he never did before, and not long before his second soul joined him.

Metal hit metal with a loud clunk, waking up the owner of the rusty armor from his nightly drowsiness, he adjusted his pike and lifted up his helmet, but he stopped midway, frozen like a statue, his eyes as wide as his gaping mouth.

The guard rushed to the bell, trying to wake up the whole castle, not just the barracks. He looked back at the five hundred or so incoming undead, led by two hooded figures walking in front of the stenching small army under the faint moonlight. Marching on the vast grassy plains that led to the Baron’s small castle.

From his watch tower he watched as the dead marched in total sync, even more organized than the king’s army.

A head emerged from the barracks, a round face with two side by side trees of a mustache, the experienced guard commander did not waste a single moment.

“EVERYONE TO THEIR WEAPONS. ARCHERS, MAN THE WALLS” he kept shouting orders non stop, and the soldiers, who mostly knew what they should do with due to years of training and experience got into formations after mere minutes, weapons in hand, battle formations in head, determination in heart.

“SOMEONE GO WAKE THE GUARDIANS RIGHT NOW!”

“We’re already here” A voice that managed to startle the commander’s fifty years of battle awareness passed his ears, he turned back to see the three adventures Baron Abnos hired years ago to act as his bodyguards, the soldiers nicknamed them, the Guardians.

The first was a three meters tall muscular woman in scaly green leather, the same color as her shaggy hair. On her armor, a dozen or so throwing knives lined up near the string of her oversized bow on her back, near the quiver full of unrealistically large arrows.

Andoraphia of the Zar’a highlands, a famed adventurer with her rare [Arblaster] class, a rare upgrade class of the [Archer] that needed enough strength, stamina, concentration and years of training to be able to fire arrows the size of a man’s leg, basically, Andoraphia was a walking ballista, capable of even shooting an adult wyvern down.

The second was the leader of the three bodyguard, a middle aged man with a small beard with a hint of gray, much like his short badly cut hair.

“Hello commander, a fine night this one is, right?” He waved one of his two sabres, a small chainmail protecting his average figure, [Pirate] was his first class, [Sword Dancer] was the other,and it was very rare to find a dual class adventurer in this world, and tri classes were ones of legends only. The man known as Garrett fame in the castle was only second to his hefty paycheck.

He looked down to Androphia’s shadow with his hawk-like orange eyes and spoke

“So, what do we have on our hands?”

A head emerged from her large shadow, announcing the arrival of the third bodyguard, Xefan, a [Ninja], the hidden upgrade from the [Thief] class, a man fully wrapped in black cloth, not even his eyes visible, as if his body was molded from the thin leather he wore. He was barely recognizable as he emerged from Androphia’s shadow under the torches. A man with unknown past but a very well known feats of strength, earning him an A1 rank adventure, the peak of his tier, only behind the few, legendary S ranked ones.

“Three hundred skeletons, a hundred a fifty ghouls and seventy zombies, led by a human woman, Zyona redmane and probably a conjured demon” Xefan’s raspy, barely audible voice echoed with little to no concern of the incoming waves of undead.

The guardians leader scratched his chin, Garrett was his name, a former captain of the infamous Black Naga, a ship that ended the lives of countless pirates before Garrett decided it was time for an early retirement from the salty seas.

“Wasn't she supposed to be KIA? Also, and she a necromancer now? I heard she was a warrior or something” Garrett raised an eyebrow, “doesn’t matter, lets deal with this mess and head back to our beds, tomorrow is one hell of a long day” he paused for a moment before asking another.

“Any Spectres?” .

“None” Replied Xefan as the last of his body was fully emerged from Androphia’s shadow.

“Garrett, let's make this quick, I’m really tired from today’s escort” Androphia playfully stated as she took out the huge bow from her back and picked up a spear of an arrow from the quiver.

“Let’s go then Andy”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Kehehe!”

The trio walked up the walls, wonder how could one young lady like Zyona could have the mana and skill to control that many undead, a feat so hard even for an [Arch Necromancer] to accomplish.

“Why would a necromancer ever carry a huge warhammer like that in the first place” Asked Androphia nocking an arrow and getting ready to fire.

“Look who’s talking about siz- wait!” it was a bit late for Garrett to stop her, as the large arrow flew directly into Zyona, who’s in turn, saw it coming hundreds of meters away.

She held her hammer with one hand and skillfully whirled it, deflecting the oversized arrow away from her, the arrow continued past her into the undead lines, skewering two ghouls and one zombie into a serving of undead shish kebab.

“Tch! Lucky bitch?” Androphia spat as the red headed supposed necromancer swatted away her arrow, already nocking out the next one “what’s she doing?”

Zyona turned to the small hooded figure beside her, the demon that was supposed to be her familiar and gave it an apologetic bow, the demon simply extended his hand and ruffled her hair,

making her return to place with a small, barely recognizable smile on her expressionless pale dollface.

“She’s one of them” Garrett blurted “he’s the necromancer, not her”

“WHAT!?” Androphia gasped “seriously?”

And she was ignored by the leader scanning every bit of their surroundings.

“Shoot this one, light enchantment” he pointed at the smaller figure of the demon “ He’s the one controlling the horde”

Another arrow found itself in her man-sized bow, her eye gleamed as she chanted a small incantation, and the tip of the arrow shimmered golden.

She released with a force double of the previous one, and the arrow flew with a terrifying screech toward the demon.

“What the fuc-” her eyes widened as two dozens of ghouls rushed in front of the demon, piling up in an unnatural mound of moving corpses to protect their master.

“They respond so fast for an undead, doesn't matter, the aim is true” she emphasized at her arrow piercing the mound without slowing down, making a large hole and hitting the demon.

As the arrow touched the undead, they screech and disintegrated in golden particles.

“Huh?” Androphia and Garrett said at the same time, the arrow hit the demon right in the center and disappeared inside his body without him lifting a finger, their endeavour ended with just a large hole in his already tattered robes.

“INCOMING!” the horde started to move like cockroaches with alarming speed, even the usually slow zombies running even faster than a living human could.

Then it was the guard commanders time to make his move.

“ARCHES! ARM” and the archeres filled the oily tips of their arrows with the flames on the walls.

“FIRE!”

A carpet of flame descended down on the horde, turning the dark night into day, setting the running undead on fire, but surprisingly, they didnt stop and kept advancing in a mesmerising show of fireballs with feet.

The horde finally slowed down as the flames ate their rotten bodies, the last of first wave fell directly in front of the iron gates.

“Too easy” Garrett uttered, “something’s up!”

He looked down to see one of the flaming corpses rise again, taking out a badly hidden warhammer from under its robes.

The flames subsided, revealing a naked, half-burned woman who still retained the majority of her red hair,and with lightning speed, she reached the gates and raised her hammer.

“Oh shit!”

*BANG*

The earth shook under the archer’s feet as the metal cried and dented.

*BANG*

“SHOOT HER, SHOOOT HEEER!” the commander roared, the archers quickly came back to their senses and approached the edges, firing inaccurately hundreds of flaming arrows at the rampaging Redmane.

The scene was surreal, a flaming hedgehog of a naked woman full of arrows relentlessly banging on the castle doors, not minding the hail of arrows or the large stones descending on her.

“Garrett! Look, the demon is gone!”

He quickly shifted his eyes in a panic to where the small demon was, only to find an empty patch of land, he disappeared, along with a small company of ghouls, the second wave started moving to the monster banging on their door, throwing the archers on the walls into a state of fear and confusion.

“Xefan” yelled Garrett, and without a word, the Ninja disappeared into shadows.

She finally fell under the nearly endless attacks, but her mission was already accomplished, the gates were down, allowing the rest of the undead to pour through into the awaiting, half a sleep guards.

“It’s done, Master” War’s voice echoed in Noa’s head, who in turn felt that her life force was depleted, she was on the edge of earning her second death.

He walked the halls into the baron’s room, leaving a trail of dead guards who were replaced by new milky-eyed ones.

“That's the last of them” Panted Garrett as the last of the zombies split into half, followed by an entire, specialized squad of guards with the sole mission of burning the corpses of the downed enemies.

Less than quarter of soldiers died, and their corpses were instantly incinerated.

He then rush with Androphia into the Baron’s quarters, only to find the now-naked, fully revealed demon with a cross shape across his belly behind the fat baron, a large leathery book dangling on his side with a small chain, his tail coiled around the Baron’s fat body and the tip bone kissing a vein on his neck.

“Put the wea-... tail down” Garrett warned, putting down his swords on the floor as a gesture of him being not hostile “Andy, your bow and quiver too”. The giantess bend down and carefully put her weapons down.

“Now, what do you want?” questioned Garrett, his eyes fixed at the sword shaped tail on his employer’s throat. But the demon didn’t even bother looking at him.

“Listen buddy, you know you’re not getting out of here alive, we already eliminated your undead, including the woman. So please don’t complicate things and put the tail down, you have my word that you will keep your life, after you get just punishment for the mess you did”

The boy finally looked at him, and with a snort, he stated what he wanted.

“Location”

“I-I told you I d-don’t k-kno ACK!” the Baron hissed as the tail moved a millimeter deeper,nearly severing the vein.

“WHOA whoa, calm down buddy, what location are you speaking of?” garrett raised both his palms in defensive to calm the demon down.

“The inquisitor” the demon spate the word out, it came out full of malice and hatred.

“Which one?” garrett twisted his palm in question, still trying his best to get on the demon’s good side, after all, nothing more precious to him in this room more than the day’s paycheck, and for the look of things, no baron, no paycheck.

“Five years ago, Kh’onafa, harvest festival” the demon uttered,a hint of sorrow and pain hiding beneath his words.

“Yes, yes i remember, you mean the day they burned down the witch of Kh’onafa and her dem- …” the man paused, hid mind racing to correct what he just said, he was intelligent enough to know that the woman they burned and this demon were related.

“The innocent woman and her child, yes i know which inquisitor visited the village that day, but you have to promise me that you will let the Baron free after i tell you, unharmed”

“GARRETT DON-” the Baron tried to silence his bodyguard but he felt a new set of daggers touch his back, accompanied by an otherworldly growl of some beast.

The demon looked garrett in the eyes and slowly nodded, making the leader of the guardian sigh in relief.

“You can find this inquisitor at…” and he paused, making the demon squint his eyes, his blue pupils running across the room for anything that posed a threat.

“NOW!”

Behind the boy, a figure materialized from his shadow, and before the boy could take an action, a blunt, hard object found itself to the back of his head.

The boy fell in daze, but before his vision goes completely dark, he saw whoever downed him, a man in complete black attire, not even a shred of skin visible. He fell at the man’s feet, his tail uncoiling from the Baron who immediately ran to his bodyguards.

“Sorry buddy, it’s just business” The leader of the three guardians looked down the unconscious body of the boy, his belly split open, revealing a horrifying maw with enormous jagged teeth that seemed like it had a mind of its own, and right now, it was the same as the boy,in the land of dreams, or nightmares.

“Throw him down the dungeons until we see what are we going to do with this mess” Ordered Garrett, and a trio of castle guards reluctantly approached the body, carefully picking him up and heading down into the dark dungeons of Baron Abnos.