CHAPTER 10

~Synthia~

“From now on you will be part of my squad with me as your commanding officer,” said the Exec.

“You have already met Esta, she is our resident Arcane Enchanter” continued the Exec as she gestured toward the other Abyssal Sister in the room.

Rather than paying attention to the introductions, Esta was facing the wall where a thin magical sheet was projected upon its surface. Her hand is in a state of constant movement as formulas of all sorts were being written down in some unknown language.

“There is also one other member who has yet to join us, but you will meet her soon. Oh, word of warning, she is a bit fanatical about blood so don’t be scared when you eventually meet.”

A leader who has a messed up sense of humour, a crazy scientist and some sort of vampire.

Great team.

I raised my hand to sign since I still can’t get conversation with voice to a fluent state yet, *Only four members per squad?* I asked.

“The Abyssal Sisters are the absolute elites of the Drow Empire, meaning we accept only the best. The fact that you have been accepted shows your potential.” The Exec replied back with a shrug of shoulders “this also means that we don’t have as many members.”

That brings to question, just how many members does the Sisterhood have? If the numbers are so low, could we actually turn the tides of battle in the case of an all out war?

The sound of rock sliding over solid ground brought me out of my scepticism. During my thoughts, the Exec walked over to the wall and pushed a pressurised plate opening a hidden section.

Walking over I peer over the Exec’s shoulder to find a wardrobe full of armour and clothes.

The Exec glanced at my body from top to bottom and frowned, “here, get changed. Can’t have our new recruit looking like a beggar. The bathroom is over there, go get cleaned up.” she said while pointing off to a corridor ending with a door.

After refreshing myself, I arrived back in the room wearing the same skintight leather hugging outfit except the one given is not ripped. Looks like it is the base uniform to be worn underneath all the other layers of armour. Or maybe I’m wrong and it’s just temporary trainee clothing.

Should I ask for some less revealing clothes? When do I get those cool looking overcoats that all the Abyssal Sisters wear? If I have to meet anybody looking like this…

“Here.” Came the Exec’s voice.

The Exec passed me two red with black striped long cloth, possibly two metres long and perhaps two handspans wide.

I raised an eyebrow over toward the Exec.

Before I could voice my question she answers, “wrap one around your waist like a belt. The sash is what denotes you as a Red Sister with that singular stripe indicating your rank as a trainee. The other is to be used as a scarf. It has an active enchantment to conceal the sound of your breathing when pulled over your mouth. These and your dagger is the standard issued gear for a trainee. Everything else you will have to earn.”

“Now Blue Eyes, we are going to meet the Elder where you will be debriefed -” the Exec stopped in her tracks. In front of her face, the air became distorted and blue dust shifted from space and hovered nearby before fading back into nothing.

The Exec’s face changed from shocked to serious as she loudly commanded “Emergency at the Great Wall! Esta, Synthia, we are moving out!”

Glancing to Esta, I see her let out a breath of annoyance as she claps her hand and the magical blue board collapsed in on itself and dashed out the door.

Stunned, it took me a moment to process I just received an order. Before hurriedly moving out, I stopped in my tracks.

A bandolier belt of throwing knives hanging on a hook against the wall. With only a moment's hesitation, I took it and clip the belt over my shoulder. It’s only borrowing. I’ll return it later.

Following behind, I find the Exec and Esta sprinting down the hallway.

“Hurry it up Blue Eyes, you’re with Esta” commanded the Exec as she and Esta pulled their own respective scarves over their mouth. Copying my superiors, I did the same.

The walls shake. Small rocks and dust begin dropping from the roof.

“What the hell is happening outside?!” yelled Esta as we turned out of the hallway into the courtyard of the fort.

We arrived at a distance away with the Great Wall looming over our heads.

It was a scene of carnage.

The head of a giant worm, the size of a five storey house had tunnelled itself through the natural surface of the Great Wall, hanging a few metres above the ground. Out of its open giant mouth, lifeless looking creatures from Drow and Duergar to sabre tigers and arachnids were constantly jumping out and engaged in an all out slaughter with the Drow Army Corp.

“How did we miss the Thralls approaching?” asked Esta in annoyance.

“Since when could Lurker Worms be used like that?!” yelled the Exec in displeasure.

The courtyard was a disorganised mess. Thralls are not capable of thinking for themselves after being turned. They lose all semblance of rationality, yet their body naturally remembers any training it underwent while the owner was alive. With rusted weapons used to butcher and cleave their path, they would stop at nothing to complete their orders. A Thrall with a disfigured limb or half of its body destroyed was a common sight within this chaotic skirmish.

Above the wall, the sentries were firing their crossbows against an unseen enemy on the other side of the fort with no time to assist the interior. The Drow Army Corp was scattered into small scaled formations where they steadily let allowed the Thralls to crash into a sharp mountain of blades. However, tactics and discipline could only assist the scattered army for so long, especially in the current situation where they are outnumbered and sections of the defensive line is already crumbling.

The Exec draws her two daggers as she plunges toward a struggling column of soldiers who are getting overrun. In mid-stride she throws her dagger stabbing a Duergar turned Thrall in the chest before yanking her hand back and executing a graceful combat spin, making her previously thrown dagger seemingly fly in an arc and decapitating the pitiful creature.

The onslaught continued as the Exec used a combination of delicate movements as she danced around the battlefield, assisting any of the soldiers that seemed to be struggling. A simple wave of her hand and the dagger flickers out of existence as it strikes its target like a snake. The sickening crunching of bodies being dragged along the ground, the loud screams of pain as limbs are torn and the copper smell of blood only adds to the existing red fog-like haze that covers the battlefield.

Mesmerising. The way she moves around the battlefield was fluid and graceful. Everything just flowed as the Exec spun like a ballerina and her daggers creating a whirlwind of destruction.

Beside me, Esta’s outline began to glow in a blue hue as she began drawing upon Aiur’s Source. Multiple tendrils of crystal blue light began to be weaved through a complex motion using her hand. At first, it was transparent, yet with every gesture it slowly became more substantial until a point where it looked like a revolving rune with numerous lines all intersecting each other, ready to burst at any moment. With a push of her hand, the magical construct erupted like a firework as the courtyard was illuminated by hundreds of miniature meteorites which each flew and targeted into an individual Thrall.

Hundreds of small scaled explosions echoed over the loud screams and clangs of metal as the blue Arcane shimmer that trailed each individual missile slowly dispersed in the air.

I was dumbfounded. I stood there gaping at the scene. Each explosion was so small that it wouldn’t cause any damage nearby. Contrary, it was so precise and controlled that the spell was only limited to blowing off a limb or two. It was all that was required to kill the Thralls.

The corner of my eye, I saw a thrall raise a broken axe, ready for an overhead chop toward a soldier who had his weapon out of position. I activated my enchantment. What once was a battlefield where the clanging of metal on metal resounded out in the courtyard is now dead quiet with the occasional drawn out thrum of metal ringing in the air. Hundred paces away. No clear line of sight due to all the other combatants. I envisioned an arc being drawn from my hand to the Thrall’s head. I breathe in and let it go.

Like a short gust of wind, time returned to normal. The soldiers were still fighting for their lives. The thralls were continuously reinforcing their invasion force from the Lurker Worm. The Thrall I aimed at, now lying dead on the floor. A throwing knife in between its eyes.

The troops noticing the Abyssal Sisters were right next to them roared with new vigour. By rallying together under the lead of their officers the counterattack began.

During the entire battle, I just stood there next to Esta, like I was ordered. Awkwardly, I kept guard in case a Thrall came charging. Turns out I wasn’t even needed. I felt useless the whole time. My skillset revolves around being a thief, not a frontline soldier. I wasn’t trained for this.

My eyes kept glancing between the Exec who continued to dance around in slaughter and Esta who weaved constructs of destructive Arcane art.

I’m not a soldier. But in time maybe I will learn to be as devastating as they are. Maybe after my training, I will be able to wave and twirl around as I slaughter my own enemies. The very thought of it makes me gleefully happy as I expectantly look toward the near future.

Within a few more moments, the courtyard was clear of any living Thrall. The soldiers rallied together as they begin readying to defend the wall. In contrast, my squad began to head toward the command room to inquire the situation.

*Remember Blue Eyes, you represent the Sisterhood now. If in doubt just act indifferently toward these soldiers. They’ll understand* signed the Exec from the side.

I gave a nod whilst my eyes roam the fort. The soldiers were in a pitiful state. The surprise attack created many casualties and even more wounded. Healers were dispatched and working in a frenzy to avoid the Drow from losing their life.

Many of the soldiers were anxious, yet after glancing toward my squad a glimmer of hope was shown as they happily saluted making me grateful for having the scarf covering my lower face, especially since I barely contributed.

The soldiers on guard outside the command room paled as they glance at the red sash at our waists and immediately made way for us to enter.

As we walked in, we bumped into a high ranking officer exits with a limp as he was trying to exit. The officer has dried blood and wounds at multiple places. He couldn’t even walk properly and required an attendant to assist him.

“Make way for the Lieutenant! Make way!”

Behind the officer's body was a hastily made stretcher being carried by two Drow soldiers rushing out through the door.

The Exec walked up to the officer, “Who’s the commanding officer?” she commanded.

The wounded officer gave a glance to the dead body who is now covered by a piece of cloth as some the free soldiers who saw the corpse saluted.

“You’re looking at him Abyssal Executor,” the officer said whilst giving a shaky salute.

“So who is now in charge of this mess?” the Exec grunted in annoyance.

“As the highest ranking member…” the officer hesitated “I believe you are, Abyssal Executor” he said as he continued, “The situation is dire. The Lurker Worm came out of the ground and plunged straight through the walls without any time for the sentries to act. Thralls have been pouring out of its mouth ever since. The Army has put up a containment area however, the Thralls are relentless, our Lieutenant… He...” the officer looked toward the ground as he attempted to finish his explanation.

The Exec gave a nod, “Goodwork Corporal. We’ll take over from here. You make sure your army keeps the Thralls contained” turning around she addresses me “Synthia, stay and guard the command tent. Esta, with me.”

“Here Blue Eyes, for your safety” Esta said as she chucked an object toward me. It was a metal ball with glowing lines pulsating blue at regular intervals. “If you get in trouble, activate the enchantment and throw it at them” she explained with a wink.

The two Abyssal Sisters left toward the ongoing conflict.

As soon as my squad left to save the day, a flurry of soldiers entered the command room to give their individual report.

“Sir, the Western Flank is falling. They need reinforcements!”

“Sir, the Central Unit is requesting support.”

“Sir, a new wave of Thralls are incoming on the other side of the Great Wall!”

“Sir, possible new Lurker Worm incoming!”

The Corporal turned to me with his face pale, changing from nervousness to hopeful, as he expectantly stared at me.

“Abyssal Sister, what are your commands?” he asked me.

The hell?! I just started this new job and I’m already the commanding officer? Isn’t it your job to control your army? I was only a lowly thief before this whole mess, how would I know what to do?

My mouth open and closes as I try to find the words to speak. All the soldiers are expectantly looking at me, staring at me, a glimmer of hope twinkling in their eye.

Thank Aiur I pulled the scarf over the lower part of my face earlier, otherwise they would be staring at me looking like a dead fish.

*My orders are to guard, not command. This is your army.* I signed with my hand while looking at the Corporal.

I’m an Abyssal Sister now. Got to act cold and resolute. When in doubt, push the responsibilities onto someone else and hide behind that cold facade. The time spent with Calira’s crew where I learned how to act all noble and graceful is once again being put to good usage.

“Yes Abyssal Sister! Thank you for putting your faith in me! I won't let you down. Randle, send Spider Squad out to relieve-”

Without another glance, I make my way outside the command room, making sure every stride I take is purposeful and full of authority.

Outside the command tent, squads are being hastily assembled to relieve the current soldiers on the frontlines. Runners carrying orders were racing in and out of the front entrance. The guards in my immediate surroundings would take a quick glance at me and then focus on their tasks.

Its as if the very presence of an Abyssal Sister raises the morale of the entire camp. Although that very notion makes no sense to me. All I am doing is standing in one spot keeping a vigilant eye on my surroundings, yet everytime I make eye contact, the soldier would look away and work with new a new intensity.

The rumour of how an Abyssal Sister is cold and zealous has spread so far that the very sight of them would inspire fear, or in this case raise the morale in battle. However, when I think of the Abyssal Sisters I’ve met, they are nothing like the rumours made them out to be. Esta is a passionate, albeit slightly crazed, hard working Arcane Enchanter. While I haven’t made that much contact with the Exec, I know for certain that she has a unique personality, if a bit twisted in the way that she always has that amusing smirk on her face.

This revelation sheds a new light on how I view my new Sisters, each and every one of them are unique to themselves, not what the stories fabricated about them.

Behind every mask, is just another person.