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Bloodsworn Ch. 65
🕑 Added 2025-01-15 20:01:11 +0000 UTC65.
Erak moved, bursting free of the ruins of the estate and crashing into the turned backs of the horde of demons. His dragonbone blade slashed horizontally at waist level and three demons were bisected from the singular blow. His shield was tight to his body and he ran without thought as yells from Sammus and the rest of his squad rang out behind him.
Erak had eyes only for that figure on the wall. It had paused, sword in the air as its head locked firmly on Erak’s position. Then the sword snapped down like an executioner's blade and a blast of white energy left the blade and arced downward. As it traveled it changed, coalescing into dozens of icicles longer than a man’s arm. They speared through the next closest clump of hellspawn, pinning them to the ground.
Erak ran through the forest of pincushioned demons, slashed apart a dismounted gnull rider, and then cut a pair of Infernal Soldiers at the knees. Sammus appeared next to him, breathing hard and hair astray, blocking an errant spear strike.
“You’re mad!” he roared, half laughing at the insanity of it all. Erak kept pushing as Pomp leapt from his shoulder and slammed into a knot of demons. The dragon was a slashing and biting furry, ripping apart flesh and bleeding them out before they could realize he was amongst them. It was all chaff, the leftovers of the invasion cobbled together for one final desperate assault.
They died with ease, every swing of his blade sending black blood arcing into the air. Caster fire was redirected off the walls and toward him, burning a channel of demon flesh that allowed Erak to push through faster. The Queen threw another bolt of energy free from the wall and a burst of icicles cleared the last few steps as Erak and the others got to the shadow of the wall.
A heavy door of battered black iron was thrown open and a squad of soldiers rushed out, firing their casters into the stunned crowds of demons as Erak barreled his way toward them. More and more they came, feeling the impregnable walls having finally revealed an entrance, but Erak stood firm.
Rivers of black blood ran down the stone paved hill, flowing over clawed feet and howling hordes, all without stop as Erak kept killing. The heat suffused him, his aura reaching out and filling the air as he kept cutting and punching and kicking. Every blow killed and still the demons kept coming.
“ERAK! That’s the last of them, let’s go!” Sammus yelled in his ear, tugging at his belt to try to stir him. Erak didn’t want to go, he was lost in the fervor of war, of blood spilling and his foes dying.
“ERAK! RETURN TO ME!” A woman’s voice echoed over the top of the walls, shattering the spell the aura had over him as his oaths burned and sanity returned. The vigor in his blows slowed and he allowed himself to retreat, foot by foot backward, still killing but with methodical precision rather than bloodlust.
He passed through the doors and Sammus grabbed the handle and slammed the heavy door shut. Thick rods at the top and bottom of the door slammed home and then a iron bar was wedged across the width of it. Erak’s heavy breathing filled the dark tunnel and he walked with hurried steps through the depths and out and into the light of the palace.
The outer courtyards were filled with soldiers or palace workers conscripted to serve. Royal Guardsmen rested or ate while sitting, drinking water or talking slowly to each other. Erak didn’t see who he was frantically looking for though. He cast his eyes up to the height of the wall and started to jog to nearest entrance to the stairs leading up.
A pair of guardsmen tried to stop him, shoving hands out and ordering him to halt, but he brushed past them and started up the stairs. Each step caused his damaged armor to clank and the heavy odor of demon blood drenching him filled his nose as he rose higher and higher to the top of the parapets.
The air on top of the walls was cooler and a breeze blew the harsh scent of the battles across him as he searched for that gleaming figure. He saw Lady Torpin resting against a stone wall, her eyes widening in shock as Erak marched her way. A half dozen Northern troops were arrayed out and around their charge, all of them familiar faces to Erak.
Then he was standing next to her, her silent shadow as he had always been. A soothing echo rolled from his stomach as he finally finished answering the call. She turned to look at him and he finally saw her.
Frost Queen lvl. 17
The armor she wore was as pale as moonlight and had a few harsh scratches down its polished finish. Black blood was dried in the creases and her helm had a nasty dent in the side where it covered her jaw. Her longsword rested in one hand and she ducked down to hide beneath solid stone as she looked at him for the first time in days.
“Erak, I can not say how good it is to see you. Well done with the work in closing the portal!” She had to yell to be heard over the fighting and Erak took a knee and leaned closer so he could hear her better.
“This is their last gasps, nothing more. Downward and to the courtyard so I may see you in the flesh,” she ordered and clapped him on the shoulder with her free hand. Her whole coterie rose as one and Erak fell into place as he always did, trailing beside and slightly behind her.
They went back the way he had just came and ran into Sammus who silently slid into place next to Erak as they all marched down the steps and into the courtyard. She spun on a heel and wrapped Erak into a hug, the lighter metal of her armor clanging against his pitted and scarred heavier suit.
“Off! Off!” she ordered, as she peeled her own helm free. Her guards lounged about, forming a circle as Erak tugged his gauntlets off and set them down before prying his helmet off. There were no gasps or shocked looks at his scarred and weathered visage from this group of warriors. They knew his face as well as their own and they simply clapped his shoulder or murmured quiet congratulations for a job well done.
“It is good to see you again,” Queen Victoria said. Her skin was unmarred and white as fresh snow, blue eyes twinkling with joy as her platinum blonde hair was plastered to her skull with sweat. Red tinged her cheeks from the exertion of the battle and her wide smile showed her full set of white teeth. She tugged her own gauntlets off and ran a hand down Erak’s scarred cheek, the glassy smooth burn scars that ran from cheek to upper chest.
“It happened too fast, my guards whisked me away before I could find you. I would never have left you, Erak.”
“Your safety is all that matters. I have my duty and you had yours,” Erak signed back. Victoria sighed and looked about.
“Father was cruel to arrange this marriage. No offense Prince Sammus, but your father is old and had plenty of Queens already. One more marriage contract would never have been missed. But, he did do it, and my duty is my honor. The Emperor is missing, Erak.”
“How can my father be missing? He has legions of personal guards, the best in the Empire?” Sammus asked, sounding more puzzled than concerned.
“This invasion happened, none of us were in good places. We were all out and about at different galas or celebrations for our marriage. The Emperor and the First and Second Princes were together. Second Princess Margaret was killed in the attempt to make it back to the palace. But First Prince Nathaniel and the Emperor went missing. Almonkar was planning on closing the rift and finding his father, but he failed.”
“Almonkar is dead,” Sammus said.
“Where was the Emperor when this happened?” Erak asked.
“That’s the problem. He was at his pleasure villa right outside the city with some of his courtesans and favorites from court." Victoria's voice was riddled with scorn and derision at the Emperor’s choices.
“With his children?”
“No, they have their own villas out there and we can only assume the Imperial Bodyguards gathered all three of them together before coming into the city.”
“Why come to the city when they had their villas and an escape route?” Erak asked.
“This portal is not the only one. When we had communications we were able to briefly connect with a few other cities. All of them had portals though nothing of the size we had. The countryside is riddled with beasts and monsters. I can only assume Guard General Alonzo thought he could get to the safety of the Palace walls and the rest of the Royal Guard stationed here,” Victoria said. Someone passed her a canteen and she took heavy gulps from it before passing it to Erak.
“Erak, even with closing the portal the situation is shit. We are completely surrounded and have no method of escaping, unless the Sword can fly over here and even then we have too many people. We’re going to have to fight our way out and rally somewhere else.”
“Iron-Beard’s Claim, we sent survivors and noncombatants from the Armory there,” Erak said.
“A fine as rally point as I’ve ever heard. But, Erak, I hate to ask this of you,” Victoria began and Erak could already feel what she was going to ask.
“The Emperor?” Erak asked.
“You are my greatest weapon and most reliable. Rest here for the night and I will see if we can find you some food and water, maybe try to repair your armor. But when we push out of the gates and through the hordes, I need you to find the Emperor.”
“You will be done. My duty is my honor.”
