User blog:AloofComputer/Dark Winds: Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Defeat

A/N: This one is delayed and erratic, things IRL are somewhat hectic right now, so pardon and point out any errors I overlooked. Read and review.

 Pallanto rode at full gallop all the way down the mountainside, and into the relative safety of the forest below, before slowing down. The adrenaline rush was fading, and it wouldn’t be long before the full realization of what happened would crash on him. He unloaded Veronica; the succubus’ eyes glared shock and death at him, and tears streaked from them.

Now this will be a bitch to explain.

He pulled a bottle from the saddle of his horse and took a few swigs; his hands and feet began trembling. From his experience, post-battle shock would kick in after a few minutes. Cursing silently, he dispelled the spell he had cast on Veronica, only to be slammed to the ground a split second later, her body straddling him, her blade at his throat, and her tears falling at his face.

“HOW COULD YOU? HE WAS YOUR FRIEND! HOW COULD YOU ABANDON HIM, BETRAY HIM LIKE THAT?! HOW?!”

“Will you-”

SLAP!

Pallanto’s face turned to the side, his left cheek bruised, courtesy of Veronica. The succubus started sobbing and shaking with increasing intensity. Pallanto kept quiet; anything he said now would only rile her up, and put his very life in danger. Once the first wave of grief had washed over her, the moon was high in the sky. “Will you listen now?”

“Make it d-damn good.”

“He told me to break the Code of Conduct. That is the code phrase that means to leave him behind.”

Silence followed his words. Feeling his own trembling and weakness rushing over his body and effectively paralyzing him, he continued. “He assessed the situation, and decided this action, if things were to go wrong. It’s not something any of us would decide, or agree to, easily. Hate me all you want for it, but it had to be done.” The usually joking and teasing tone of the mage was completely gone, as he explained. The man who spoke now was a veteran, one who had seen friends lost; his voice was cold and hard like frozen steel. Veronica jumped to a stand before him, and turned to leave, her face blank.

“Where are you going?” Pallanto asked as he tried to raise himself to a sitting position.

“I am going back. You may abandon your friends at the drop of a hat, but I am not.” she spat coldly.

“Out of the question. We need reinforcements. You won’t be able to take those freaks alone, and I doubt that Alatar’s last stand has taken all of them out.”

“Spare me your excuses. I am going.” Veronica unfolded her wings.

“LISTEN HERE, DAMN YOU!” Even Pallanto was surprised at the tone of his voice. “What good would it do to you if you get captured or killed? Do you really think that this is what Alatar wanted? What he sacrificed himself for? So that you go off and get killed, or get captured and turned to an artificial incubus’ fuck slave?” Pallanto raised himself with effort, and started rubbing his arms and feet to get rid of the feeling of weakness faster. Veronica began shaking again. He sighed. “Fly to the last village, and tell the onsen hostess to rally every mamono of the garrison and border patrol immediately and send them there. Also, tell her to notify Druella. We must be quick. At the very least, we must recover his body.” He grabbed his bottle and took another swig. “We will mourn later, but now this is our top priority. I’ll try to recover a bit and meet you on the path. Take every battle-ready mamono that is capable of flight with you.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">He watched as the succubus took off, and mounted his horse. As he rode at a medium pace towards the clearing, his mind raced through the events.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">Pierced by a blessed blade… a prayer incantation… tapping into the ley lines… a blood curse…

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">He shook his head in disbelief. A last suicidal charge, with his very soul on the line. It was so like Alatar to try and pull this kind of thing. He had heard from Mimil that he actually challenged Druella herself. If he had been successful, there wouldn’t be much left… just four charred corpses. A shiver ran up his spine. That was certainly something that would haunt his nightmares to the end of his days.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">He heard cries and flapping of wings behind him, and turned to see Veronica leading a sizeable group of winged mamono. He waved as she swooped down on him and grabbed him, continuing her flight.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“That was fast.” he commented.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“The magical disturbance was felt very far. They were already ready.” Veronica replied, wincing slightly at her increased load.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“You can be a tad more careful-”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Can it. Unless you prefer them.” she nodded at the surrounding mamono, casting hungry glares at his crotch.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0.03in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Point taken.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">The group made good time; by the time they arrived, the moon had just set, and the horizon was still dark. Feeling his heart clench, Pallanto asked for a torch.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">With that flickering light source in hand, he turned to inspect the battlefield. Crushed and toppled boulders, charred trees… but no bodies. His face darkened. Alatar had not succeeded in his final spell. Turning to the center of the clearing, he carefully examined the scorch marks on the ground. The very earth was blasted away, and some small globs of molten rock were cooling down. The holy magic that had blasted this place was still lingering, and all the mamono were assigned to patrol around the area, save for Veronica, who was behind him. She seemed to have trouble breathing, but she refused to stand aside.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Pallanto focused and started casting a few spells to help him understand what had happened. The ley line energy seemed almost diminished; Alatar had successfully drawn an insane amount of power from them. Or… the thought of the mage incubus put him on edge. He was screaming an incantation as he and Veronica fled.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">The amount of blood on the ground was less than what he had expected. Looking intently for clues, he saw something that made his blood freeze. The seal. The seal that he and Alatar had drawn to the ground. Oh, the irony of it all. He turned to Veronica.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Tell the patrols to look for any signs of people leaving. Better yet, look for them yourself. They must have fled to the human realm.” he looked again, and sure enough, the paladin’s heavy footprints indicated the same. “Look for signs of blood. They must have been hurt by the final spell, or exhausted.” He turned to the succubus.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“From what I can tell, the paladin survived. The other two survived, too. I don’t know in what condition; tracking is not something I know. I will need some time to properly understand what spells were cast. I am afraid that I’ll have to do this alone; Mimil and Lucella will just react with the holy energy… speaking of which, you can follow the holy energy trail, at least for a while. From a spell of that scale, they couldn’t have escaped unscathed. This gives us some time. They will move slowly, for now. They seem to have taken Alatar’s body with them.” He noticed Veronica wince at the mention, but pressed on.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“We will need trackers and scouts. Primera and her werewolves, harpies, whoever can track inside forests. I must contact Frederic too.” He sighed and rubbed his temples, as the accumulated fatigue caught up with him. “If you find them, do not, and I mean, DO NOT engage them. They are dangerous. You know that firsthand.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Veronica listened to him with a blank expression on her face. ''She is still in shock and hasn’t truly realized it. If she encounters them, she will snap.''

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">He guided her, showing the tracks of footprints, to the charred edge of the clearing, and looked as she disappeared into the forest. He motioned to an Owl Mage, who swooped down and landed next to him.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Keep an eye on Miss Veronica. The group that attacked us was three men strong. They are powerful and dangerous. If she sees them, she will go berserk and attack them. Do not let that happen. Keep in contact with the rest of the group and notify them if you find something. Did she notify Lescatie when she arrived at the village?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0.03in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">The girl nodded, her grey feathers ruffling slightly. “Go then, and try to keep up with her; she can move very fast if she wants to.” With another nod, the Owl Mage took off, and a couple of Owl Mages followed her lead. Stretching lightly, Pallanto turned to the center of the clearing to continue his investigation.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Are you still alive, magic boy?” Lucella’s childish voice resounded in the clearing, making him jump. He had been absorbed so much in studying the residual magical energies, that he had lost track of time; the sun had just risen from the horizon, casting long shadows and painting the sky in red and orange tones. He turned to face the baphomet.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Don’t come close, the place-”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Yea, yea, like I wouldn’t notice. Come here and fill us in. Where is Veronica?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">As he came closer, he saw Mimil, Wilmaria and Primera, along with another werewolf. “This is Vanessa” Lucella answered his questioning gaze. “Best tracker of Lescatie, aside from Primera. So, what happened here? You look awful.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Pallanto almost collapsed as he sat on a toppled rock, and began recounting the events of last night. The girls’ faces grew darker as he described the encounter and the last, desperate attempt of Alatar. He felt even weaker and hungry when he finished, and his stomach protested loudly.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“So, Miss Primera, Miss Vanessa, you can catch up with Veronica if you hurry. But if you encounter the three men, do not engage. Those men withstood magical forces of tremendous power and lived. They are inside human territory, most likely.” Primera nodded and motioned to her aide, as they took off to the forest. Wilmaria kept staring at Pallanto with a mixed expression.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“What?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“You shouldn’t have done such a thing, separating her from him.” came the cold reply. He smiled bitterly.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“You may be a knight, Miss Wilmaria, but you will never understand the Order of Shadows. Or Alatar. Or me, for that matter. He chose to sacrifice himself, to try and take out those three, and give us an opportunity to flee. It was not easy for him, or me. As a former hero, you have never known the burden of a general. Did I leave him to die? Yes. It was the best I could do, given the situation. He chose so. I would have given myself that role, but only he could actually do it…” he clenched his fist, and fought a searing tear that threatened to well up in his eye. “So, I ran. Like a coward. And I took her with me. It was his last wish.” he took a deep breath. Wilmaria turned her face and took off, following the trail of Primera.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Speaking of last things, he actually tried to complete a blood curse.” he shot a glare at Mimil and Lucella. “How in hell did he know how to do such a thing? I thought that the old spells were forbidden under the new Demon Lord.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“You should know best, how good he is at learning forbidden things.” Mimil answered pointedly. “Besides, we thought that nobody could cast those spells anymore. But, given his own unique condition...”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“He was the only one that could. Monster mana fused with wrath.” Pallanto laughed bitterly. “That idiot. The magic resonance from the ley lines alone was enough to blast the whole mountainside. But here is the scary part. As I told you, we found no bodies. But there is more.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“More? Something more, besides all of this?” Lucella sounded worried.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Yes. In preparation for my ritual, we had drawn a magical seal. The paladin and Alatar were standing inside it. Before I fled, I heard the mage cast an incantation, but I couldn’t hear the words. That seal was intended to help isolate his soul.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“What nasty shit have you been planning?” Mimil sighed. Another loud protest from Pallanto’s stomach cut her short. “It’s no use, trying to figure things out on an empty stomach. We teleported from Lescatie once we got the message, so we all skipped breakfast. Let’s eat something. And you” Mimil pointed a tentacle at Pallanto “you get some sleep after eating. It won’t do anyone any good if you collapse.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Pallanto munched mechanically on whatever Mimil handed to him; his tired mind was working furiously. A faint hope, against all odds, threatened to derail his train of thought but he pushed it aside. He would have to confirm his findings and search for information on blood curses. It was most likely that Alatar had gained some information on them from his days as a human mage, but Lescatie was the most likely place where he could find what he needed. Aside from that…

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">He tried to recall, as clearly as he could, the last moments he saw Alatar. Stabbed by a blessed blade, his body didn’t react as he expected. That could only mean that he was almost depleted of monster mana. The wound itself should have killed him; after all, even as an incubus, a sword through the heart could kill any living being. Unless…

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">''Now what were the first words of the incantation the mage cast? Damn, I can’t remember.''

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“I will need to go back to Lescatie’s library. I need information on blood curses.” He said, as he stood up. “But I have to keep searching for-”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“No. You must rest. You are in no state to do anything more.” Lucella said, firmly. Pallanto ignored her and turned to the clearing, when everything went dark.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Was that really necessary?” Mimil asked in an amused tone, as Lucella caught Pallanto as he fell. “I mean, a sleeping spell is a waste of mana, a bonk on the head would have been better in his case.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0.03in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“I just felt like it. My, my, he seems to have lost weight. I’ll have to take proper care of him.” Lucella smiled at her aide. “I’ll go to Lescatie now. Keep me informed on what you find.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Veronica rushed through the forest, following the tracks of their attackers. Her mind was still in a haze; she couldn’t accept that Alatar was gone forever. She would believe it only when she saw his body. The lessons she had taken from Wilmaria served her well; she could see clearly the path the men had taken, the traces of their actions.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Small twigs snapped indicated clumsy moves. Small cracks around their footprints indicated frequent stumbling. It seemed that Pallanto’s assessment was close; the men were clearly exhausted. The paladin was also carrying something heavy, given the depth of his footprints. Her heart fluttered; they were carrying her husband.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Those men clearly didn’t know how to move through the forest without leaving trails. Or they just hadn’t bothered, given that they got what they came for. Chills were running up and down her spine, as the question repeated itself: why him? Pallanto was just as viable a target as Alatar, maybe even more so.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">The sight of two bottles gave her pause. The men had stopped here, then their tracks went off. Some kind of booster? She picked one of the bottles and sniffed it. Succubus Nostrum.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">''So, they drank this here and then went running at full speed. But why two of them? There are three sets of tracks. The bottles are close to the other two, the paladin did not drink.''

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Yet the paladin’s tracks were the widest of them. She cursed. The two men had this ace in their sleeve, and the paladin didn’t even need it! Another chill shook her. The memory of the man, armor glowing with runes, was etched in her memory.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“There you are.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">She jumped at the voice behind her. She had been so absorbed in her task that she failed to notice that she was being tailed. A fatal mistake on the field.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Luckily, it was Wilmaria, followed by Primera and Vanessa. A Mage Owl hovered above them; Pallanto must have sent her. She passed the bottle to Wilmaria.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“They drank this, then they went full speed.” she explained, as Wilmaria sniffed the bottle, and passed the other to Primera. “They are leaving us behind, and we are inside human territory as well. We will lose them soon if we don’t hurry.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Vanessa knelt and sniffed the tracks of the men. “We won’t lose them anytime soon, but this is a job for us, Veronica. We can move faster alone, and we won’t be easy to spot.” Veronica turned to Wilmaria, who just nodded. Grief and disappointment gripped her, and Wilmaria put her hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Don’t give up hope just yet, girl. Just leave this kind of job for the best, you will get your chance soon enough.” the fallen hero smiled at her subordinate. “We will find him. That bastard is strong and crafty, I can bet my panties that he will make it through this.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0.03in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">Veronica didn’t reply; she pulled Wilmaria in a tight embrace and started crying on her shoulder. The fallen hero nodded to the two werewolves as she patted the blonde succubus’ head. Primera nodded back and charged forward, with Vanessa in tow, and soon disappeared into the forest.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“Open the gate! Call Father quickly!” Sir Allan roared, as he ran towards a very castle-like monastery, his two companions running behind him.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">The heavy gates opened slowly, with loud groans. A bald monk stood behind them, his hands inside his robe. Sir Allan put Alatar’s body carefully before him. “Your blessing, Father.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">The monk smiled at the paladin, but his smile slipped when he saw the incubus before him. “It wasn’t easy.” Sir Allan answered his questioning glare. “He tried to cast a blood curse-”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">The monk’s blue eyes widened in surprise, and he knelt over the man before him. “I will explain as we go” the mage incubus interrupted, “but we have to start right away. He doesn’t have much time.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">“You are right. I was afraid that this would be the case, so all preparations are complete. Come, bring him in. Now, tell me, what exactly happened?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0.03in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">The three incubi picked up Alatar carefully and followed the monk inside the monastery, as the heavy doors closed ominously behind them. In the distance, the glowing eyes of two werewolves observed them from the cover of the forest.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; line-height: 100%">A/N: Small to medium size chapter now, written in the dead of night until the buzz of the coffee wore off. Read and review.