Chapter 526: Stand, Warrior (Patreon)

“I can manipulate my life force and suppress my aura’s presence, yes, but not even I can fully hide my aura. The Unildyr beasts are heavy sleepers, but we can’t sneak up on them. The beast will sense the aura of anyone who draws too close. It won’t work,” explained Lysaila.

“So what do we do?!” Kithina whispered in frustration.

Lysaila stared silently at the clearing for a long tense moment. “...I have an idea.”

“Which is…?”

“When I tell you to, run back to the ship as fast as you can.”

“I don’t understand.”

“An ambush won’t work, even if we manage to kill a few, the Unildyr will wake up and it will kill us. But that doesn’t mean our quest will fail,” Lysaila said slowly.

Kithina wrinkled her brow. “What? What are you saying?”

“She’s saying our quest does not hinge on our survival, only on the destruction of the chrome gate,” Callum said grimly.

Kithina crossed her arms. “Wait, so you want us to— what exactly? Run in there, destroy the gate then get eaten by that monster?”

“No, that’s why she told us to run… isn’t it?” muttered Callum.

Kithina’s eyes widened in shock. “You can’t be serious, Lysaila!? I’m not going to abandon you!”

“It’s the only way any of us make it out alive,” she replied. “We won’t win a drawn-out battle, but we still have the element of surprise. I can damage the gate before they can stop me.”

“But— they’ll kill you,” Kithina said hoarsely.

Lysaila drew her blades and ran her hand across her belt, and the magestone sigils on the centerpiece flickered to life. “If my life can save the lives of thousands across that gate, then it is a price I will happily pay.”

“Wait,” Kithina choked. “Wait, please. We can figure something out. It’s almost sunset, if we wait for the sun to fall, when it’s dark, maybe we can—”

“There is no time. The twins won’t wait that long. They’ll cross the chrome gate soon and our last chance to stop the Unildyr from leaving this realm will be gone.” She glanced at Kithina and smiled reassuringly, “You’re strong, Kitty, you’ll get through this. …Callum.”

“Yes?” he straightened his back and nodded.

“Tell Stryg I held up my end of the bargain; I brought Feli and Rhian home safely. It’s his turn to keep his promise. He’ll know what it means.”

“I will. You have my word.”

Kithina shook her head, tears in her eyes, and grabbed Lysaila’s shoulder. “Don’t do this! Please!” she whispered.

Lysaila smiled softly, “I’m glad we met. You’re the only person in this damn realm who didn’t see a monstrous lamia… but me. I am honored to call you my friend, Kithina of Hollow Shade.”

Without waiting for a response, Lysaila leaped out of the bush and dashed to the chrome gate downhill. As she neared, a valley warrior caught a glimpse of her in the corner of his eye and shouted in alarm. His comrades looked up with surprise and drew their weapons. The archers pulled back their bows and aimed at the lamia.

Purple light flared over Lysaila’s belt and her image shimmered and fractured, splitting into four Lysailas. The arrows wooshed through the air but found only snow. Each Lysaila moved with a serpent’s grace and agility, dodging every missile with ease, all the while rushing towards the gate.

“Lysaila!?” Vaughn shouted.

Dawn channeled Blue. Electricity crackled at her fingertips and she hurled a lightning bolt at the lamias. They shifted around the spell, but the lightning branched out and struck one of them in the stomach. The Lysaila burst in purple strands of light before fading into the wind.

The dragonbane in its cage grumbled sleepily and shifted its arm, but it did not wake. 

Vaughn conjured orbs of fire over his head and loosed them. The orbs all focused on a single lamia, and despite her deft movements, an orb caught her tail and exploded in a wave of flames. Her body melted away in violet light with a cry of pain.

The dragonbane snorted and grimaced, eyes still closed.

The archers drew their bows once more and the twins channeled mana into their hands, and prepared to fire when a searing light flashed the clearing in pure white. They all flinched and staggered back at the sheer brightness.

Callum stood at the edge of the trees, hands held over his head, a ball of blazing white light in his hands.

Lysaial glanced back in surprise. What are you doing!?

Wind magic swirled over Kithina’s feet and she leaped high into the air. She shot out from the trees and landed in the midst of the archers. Before they even had a chance to turn around, Kithina thrust her hands out, palms flat, and blasted them away in bursts of wind. “GO!” she yelled.

Lysaila clenched her jaw and sprinted through the snow as fast as she could. The last of her illusions and she reached the chrome platform. She raised her swords and infused the blades with her life force, and swung the blades down at one of the chrome spires. The blades rang sharply at the strike, sending shivers up her arms. But only faint scratches were left on the spire.

Lysaila screamed and struck again.

Orange mana flowed into Vaughn’s veins and he charged Callum and smacked him into a tree. The bright orb in Callum’s hands shattered and he wheezed for breath while clutching his chest.

The valley warriors rushed Kithina from all sides and overwhelmed her. She formed yellow protective scales over her body when they knocked her to the ground. Curling into a ball with a grimace, she poured mana into the scales as they piled on her with swords and axes.

A bolt of blue struck both lamias at the gate. Lysaila collapsed as her muscles seized up. Her last illusion evaporated in sizzling smoke. 

Dawn calmly walked over and clicked her tongue. “I thought you’d be at the side of your new master, by now. Did the son of Mortem put you up to this?”

Lysaila gritted her teeth and rose with a hiss. “I have no master and I chose to be here.”

“Why?”

“I won’t let you send that beast into other realms to kill countless innocent people.”

Dawn couldn’t help but laugh. “So you fought for money as a mercenary and you’d kill the enemies of your employer, but you draw the line at people you’ve never known, let alone seen, because they’re— innocent?”

“You find that amusing? To give a shit about others, besides yourself and your twin?”

“Not at all. I find it amusing that you care about people who would sooner kill a lamia on sight than even give you a simple greeting. You’re fighting for people who despise your kind.”

“...I’m fighting for my people, for all beast-kin. And if it means saving every other bastard along the way then so be it.”

“Oh, Lysaila. What happened to the cold-hearted monster I found in the Amber Realm?”

She glared at Dawn, “I am no monster.”

Dawn narrowed her purple eyes, “No, you’re right.” Shadow tendrils sprung out from the floor and wrapped around Lysaila. The lamia tried to resist but the shadow’s grip only tightened. Dawn sighed, “You’re not a monster. Just a beast, a dangerous animal who needs to be put down—”

Dawn stopped and frowned. She tilted her head, before suddenly throwing her arms up and shielding herself with yellow protective scales as an arrow cracked into her chest.

A small army of black-cloaked figures rushed out from the treeline and clashed against the valley warriors. 

Still, curled in the snow, Kithina opened her eyes hesitantly and spotted a familiar face underneath one of the dark cowls. “Mary!?” 

The spy from the port town glanced at her and locked eyes. She nodded in solidarity and continued to fight.

Vaughn turned to the newfound enemies. He conjured a massive fireball and hurled it at the cloaked figures, but a warrior cowled in golden flames leaped into the fray and met his spell with her own fire.

The scarlet red hair flowing in her swirling flames made Callum freeze. He knew those crimson eyes, the warm olive skin, and that terrifying scowl. “Sylvie…?” he whispered in disbelief.

The dragonbane’s eyes snapped open at the sound of the unfolding battle. It roared angrily and ripped apart the metal bars of its cage. The centaurs tied to the wagon screamed in panic and tried to run, but the dragonbane raked his claws through them, slicing them apart in a bloody mess. 

The void beast turned to the terrified men and women in the clearing and roared hungrily. It abruptly stopped mid-roar as a sword plunged into its throat from behind. It shrieked a gurgled noise and reached behind its back, but the figure atop its shoulders pulled out her blade and in one smooth rapid motion, sliced off its head.

“Impossible!” Dawn gasped.

The dragonbane collapsed heavily, dark ichor flowing loosely from its open neck down into the snow. The warrior stood over its shoulders and rose to her full towering height. Golden flames wreathed her ebon armor and turned black as they touched her orichalcum greatsword. Strands of scarlet hair escaped the edges of her helmet and her golden eyes blazed with the light of the sun. Bellum, the goddess of war, turned her gaze upon the mortal fighting her daughter. 

Vaughn’s eyes widened in panic. He channeled the greatest of his agility spells, the black amber. His veins darkened and his muscles burned from the exertion. The world seemed to slow around him and he sprinted away at blinding speed. But Bellum was on him in an instant. She raised her blade and struck him down, her greatsword cleaving him in two.

“NO!!” Dawn screamed. With tears in her eyes, she channeled Yellow, and shot up into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.

The valley warriors scattered at the sight of their fallen leaders and ran into the forest.

“With me!” Sylvie shouted and gave chase.

The cloaked figures nodded in silent agreement and followed her, leaving the snowy clearing a blood-stained battlefield of corpses. 

Callum and Kithina slowly turned around and stared in awe at Bellum, standing over her enemies, blade drawn, eyes ablaze.

“I… I don’t believe it…” Kithina mumbled, eyes wide. It was her, the Guardian of the Realm, and Patron of the Vampires. She was real.

Callum swallowed hard and fell to his knees and bowed as his goddess walked past. Kithina noticed his reaction and she anxiously got on her knees and emulated him. Bellum passed by them both and walked onto the chrome platform.

Lysaila stared at her fearfully. She wanted to run, but her muscles were frozen with terror. This was the Guardian. She protected the realm from threats and outsiders. And Lysaial knew more than anyone that she did not belong in this Realm, her kind belonged in no Realm.

Bellum looked down on the lamia with a stern gaze, then raised her blade, and sheathed it over her back. She leaned forward and offered her hand, “Stand, brave warrior. We have much to discuss.”