‘I got the coach like you asked miss, we should ride to camp as soon as possible.’

Aren had looked solemnly at the boy Sophie was lugging over her shoulder. The poor kid was seduced by a power he couldn’t resist, and now his lifeless corpse was a warning to all the men.

‘Good. Load up the supplies, and get me a tarp to cover this kid.’

‘As you wish.’

The boy was thrown rather unceremoniously into the coach, and covered with a raggedy tarp they found in the nearby bath-house. Next to him were barrels of mead, wrapped and salted meat, and some carrots of various sizes.

The plan was to return to their camp and begin the extraction; the power within the boy lays dormant, and needs to be forced out.

That was the plan.

*THUD*

A resounding thud echoed at the village edge, the location of their departure. Daniel, a trusted member of the band, had been bludgeoned by the butt of a great longsword; falling to the ground and bleeding a pool of blood from his smashed in skull.

‘MY NAME IS WARKING ORCUS! I’M HERE FOR YOUR HEAD PRINCESS SOPHIE!’

‘Where am I...’

-Welcome Michael-

‘Michael?’

I was in an empty place. It wasn’t dark, but it wasn’t bright either; it was void, and free.

‘Who’s Michael?’

-You are Michael-

The air was a cool crisp, and every breath I took reached the bottom of my chest burning with a soothing cold.

All around me was a wispy blue smoke, billowing in stacks and crawling towards me.

‘Where am I?’

-You are dead-

DEAD?!

I vaguely remember a beautiful woman, and a sad sense of betrayal.

‘If I’m dead, then why am I here?’

-…-

The voice stopped, and when it disappeared so did the smoke disperse. All within the space was a resounding echo of voices and yells; the sounds of fighting, I think.

I only noticed then that I didn’t have a body. In this place, I am just free flowing thought.

Despite this, a spark flew in the place I thought I was.

‘Was that me?’

I thought of my form manifesting, and as I did a spark flew off into the nothingness.

*DING*

An ear-piercing ring resonated from outside, like iron scraping iron.

I guess it doesn’t concern me, I’m dead after all.

My mind was different; gagged and cold. I don’t feel like a person, I don’t feel anything at all. My mind craved nothing anymore, it was only furthered by the fear of boredom; and right now, the sparks I was making was the only entertainment I could find.

Incesivit Sang-

‘You think I’d let you!’

Orcus had the top of his sword’s blade resting in his palm, thrusting it towards Sophie to cut off her incantation.

Warking Ocrus was adorned in a shiny, metal-plated suit of armor. A mail coif was draped underneath protecting the gaps, and a fearsome skull helm guarded his head from the knife of a man named Gertrude.

*Dck*

The knife blade hit square, but Gertrude barely even left a scratch against the fine steel. Orcus turned and thrusted his blade tip into his breast, using the pain to force him to the ground.

On his back, Gertrude was finished with one final thrust to the nape; an execution.

‘Bastard!’

Sophie had stowed herself, and readied her blade. If magic was off the table, she’d have to fight and protect Aren while he retreated to the others. Currently, the rest of her troupe was spread out around town looking for gear they may need, and rumors that might help them later on.

‘Don’t think I’m one of those pansies you murdered in the woods bitch! I’m a conqueror, and you’re my next conquest!’

His taunts enraged her, and she knew it. Orcus’s armor was impenetrable for the standards of her weapons, but maybe she could get lucky.

*Ting*

A small crossbow bolt ricocheted off his shoulder, bouncing into the ground behind him. The covert crossbow she had under her garbs could penetrate wood, but the quality and rounded design of the armor had rendered her attack useless.

‘Heh smart move princess, but I already told you, I’m no easy MARK!’

At that, he thrusted his blade forward once more, but struck the air. Swinging his blade to his side, Sophie managed to parry it into the ground. Both hands grasping the handle, Orcus lifted the bastard sword over his head and took his stance.

Every swipe and swing were blocked by Sophies blade, but her stamina was running dry. A male of his standard would always have more stamina than her, and she knew her endurance wouldn’t hold out.

The situation looked dire.

‘HGHH!’

Orcus dropped the blade straight down, perfectly aligned with his center core; narrowly, Sophie managed to side-step the attack, and stab into his exposed thigh.

The awkward cross of her arm between his legs made Orcus trip and fall, his cry of pain ringed joy in her ears.

‘YOU BIT-‘

Swiftly, she kicked his head to the ground and ran like the wind to the village square. Aren should have gathered the men by now; it was time to leave.

-Impressive work Michael-

The voice was back, and only after the fighting outside had seemed to stop.

‘Thank you, voice.’

I had been busy trying to sustain the sparks I was casting, and managed to create an orb of crackling energy.

-Would you like me to assimilate the energy? -

‘Assimilate?’

-Yes. I can take the focused energy, and add it to our space-

The energy I was making wasn’t my own? And what’s this about our space, I thought this was my space.

‘Do what you want I guess.’

-Assimilating the focused energy-

The words weren’t fast enough to reach me before the changes took place. I saw the orb of energy condense into a surging sphere no larger than a grain of rice, and ascend into the nothingness until I could no longer see it.

How is there a field of view when I have no body?

-Assimilation complete. Is there anything else you need Michael? –

‘I would like to know what’s going on, and why we’re here.’

-…-

Silence. Whatever that whole ordeal was, the end result was real. I could feel the energy in my soul begin to vibrate with life, and the sparks I shot became bolts of arching static.

Time to start again.

The sparks became stable, and I began to form another core; weaving the lightning like it was yarn.

*Sigh*

Who the fuck was that monster?

Aren sighed a breath of relief as he boarded the horse drawn stagecoach he’d purchased prior. He managed to gather the other 9 in their band of misfits, and was returning to find Sophie; hopefully, he wouldn’t be too late.

‘Sir! Miss Sophie is in sight!’

The news had been a godsend to Aren as he rushed out of the coach to find the crumpled princess.

She looked unscathed, but her weariness had turned critical making her collapse.

‘GET SOME WATER!’

Aren washed her brow with a wet rag, and carried her into the stagecoach. The time for running was now, and they must run like dogs. The plan remained unchanged; return to camp, and perform the extraction.

Unfortunately, they were being held up once more.

‘Are you mad!’

‘HUGHARG!’

An indescribable sound escaped the mouth of Warking Orcus as he raised his blade over his head, elbow pointed backwards, and aiming the tip at the veiny neck of the charging horse; thrusting it under the cheekbone and holding fast, Orcus split the hide and ripped the pink flesh out from underneath.

‘Stop him from reaching the coach!’

9 shrouded men jumped at the Warking, and each took their swipe trying to overwhelm him.

Swords slid and bounced off his steel plates, and a mace stopped fast sending a painful shock to the hands of its wielder.

‘Pitiful.’

Orcus threw the men off him with a beast-like strength, and used his blade to grapple one of them by the neck, throwing the guy on his back.

Suddenly, an arm reached out and gripped his blade, stealing it from his hand. Without a sword Orcus grabbed what he could, borrowing a shield from the fallen soul he’d thrown to the ground.

Blocking an attack from a mace, another rogue stabbed at his exposed shoulder blade, but was stopped short by the chainmail links.

Dorcinpus Shell

The knight had cast an unlikely spell, and the battlefield was transformed at the utterance. The 9 men felt a wave of weakness, and Orcus arose appearing taller and more beastly than ever.

‘I WILL DECIMATE THE NEXT MAN THAT LAYS A HAND ON ME!’

A crimson navy blue miasma leaked from his armor, and the skull helm appeared to be inflamed like the demon of a cold hell.

‘How about a woman?’

Princess Sophie Emerged from the stagecoach alongside a worried Aren. She appeared strong, but deep inside her strength was failing her.

‘Come then. You’re here for me, aren’t you?’

Chapter 3 Part 1 End