The puddles formed into a small army of faceless people all black. Their skin was smooth like sculpture, and their face empty like a mannequin— there were about 50? No, at least 80? of them spread throughout the vicinity.
“W-What are they!” Xantha's voice trembled.
“Ink soldiers, I think,” Kael said.
“Bloody hell,” Edric muttered. His gaze shifted to the gate, his mind started formulating ways to escape this place. Waiting won’t do any good and there’s no telling what Serce has up her sleeves or her brush.
The gates were surrounded by around ten guards at least, there was a barrier with a blue glow wrapping it. A crystal in the center of it, probably the source. 2-3 people covering themselves with robes and carrying staff guarding the center, might be mages.
“The gate’s covered on all sides. These ink soldier's aren't doing us any favor either.”
Aeries clicks her tongue in frustration. “You think? Quit talking and come up with a plan.
“That’s what i'm doing–” Edric, frustrated, shifts his gaze to the wall, he looked up at big wall. At Least 30 feet, on top guards patrol with their weapons. He stared at it for a good moment. Then an idea stuck his mind—
The amount of guards on the walls have reduced, most likely sent to the ground that gave him an idea. He took a deep breath and said,
“Let’s climb the wall.”
The group gave him a condescending side eye once he uttered those words.
Kael, who was busy clearing out any approaching ink soldier, looked especialy quite pissed.
“Listen, I have a plan.” He points at a direction towards the wall with the least soldier on top. “ Let’s head thier, then we climb up.”
Kael took a deep breath. “Fine, I’ll lunch us to the road. Then you take the lead.” He swung his staff horizontally below them, a gust of wind lifts the up.
They landed on the road, the wall was about 150m diagonally. Edric took out his sword , started swinging at the blobs on the road. From the nearby walls, the shadow soldiers started swarming them.
Aeries took a deep breath, and made waves of flames. The shadow soldier’s melted one by one as they burned. The smell of tangy ink filled the air thick, the snitch was strong enough to make the guards wary. Weather that was intentional or just pure coincdense was up for debate.
“What’s that smell?” The guards at the gate cover their nose, squinting they look around.
“OVER THEIR! What are those things and who are they chasing?”
“Calm down look, it’s vice captain Serce. Those things are from her magic.” The senior guard elaborates. His voice was deep and rough. “Those four being chased must be criminals . Raise your weapons and be on guard.” He shouted.
The guards raised their shields, pointed their spear outwards. The mages start preparing some sort of spell.
God damn it! First this ink army and now the guards are alert. Edric looked around hastily —- and he took a sharp left adjacent to the wall. He stops in front of the looming grand wall, the wall seemed massive up close even though they were only 30 m from the wall.
The ink soldier swarmed them without an end in sight.
“Why’d you stop?” Aeries shouted at him.
Edric, without answering, raises his pistol, aims at the wall at an angle, and shoots at it. Aeris looked at his action with deep confusion, as ice spikes formed on the wall.
“Follow my lead,” Edric ran up to the wall and hopped on the ice spike. Then he jumped diagonally vertical, aimed his pistol on his feet and shot another ice step.
Kael and Aeris were quick to understand his plan.
“Climbing the wall with your steps, it’s either smart or reckless.” Aeries commented.
“Reckless, sounds like my style.” Kael chuckled. “My shoulders are aching.” He tossed Xantha to Edric. She screams as she lands onto his arms.
“Warn me next time!”
“Kill me later. Now go up, we will handle these blobs.”
Edric nodded, without saying a word he created the next step. He placed his feet firmly on the ice, holding Xantha on his arms trying not to slip on the ice. He continued on with his adrenaline rush, creating blocks of ice, he hoped from one to another, with each step just a few feet up they managed to climb vertically.
He didn’t look back, his mind was focused on not falling to focus on anything. He jumped like a reckless mad man from one point to another. A few hops later his legs started wavering, after the next step he kneeled down to gather his breath.
*Sniff*
A pungent tangy scent of ink hit him suddenly, he covered his nose , and looked at the city.
“Woah,” the burning noble district looked irene in the moonlight. The fires and chaos seemed to be reduced, with only a few spots left with prisoners , few creatures were in cages. This wasn’t good, the chances of the guards catching will be quite high if they don't escape.
Troubled he looks down at his allies— the walls, roads and roofs were painted in ink— the blobs of ink soldiers have increased exponentially. Like mindless goons they used their bodies as ladders , piling up until they reached the steps. Fortunately their numbers were the only scary part because they didn’t have any power.
Kael and Aeris were only two steps below with simple swings the ink soldiers splatred onto the walls. The ink then started to evaporate into the air causing the tangy scent. Although one thing stood out as odd to Ed.
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Mainly where the hell was Serce, if she has the title of vice captain then should be a menace like the captain. Edric looked around frantically, he noticed the blobs coming from the streets so he darted there.
Found her,
Serce sat on top of the roof. Legs crossed, with a book on one hand, and on the other she summoned her minions. Her faced— bored, listless. This unsettled him, the book was even more concerning. He didn’t know what it was but something unsettled him.
Not wasting time, he got up after catching his breath. Lifted Xantha back up with his sore arms.
1
2
3
He took a big leap with all his strength. Xantha flayed her arms and closed her eyes in fear. Edric locked his gun on the wall, with a vertical angle he shoots. *BANG* The ice spike grew vertically in jagged shape, almost like a small mountain or plant growing from the wall. He landed on the tip, giving some necessary height, he looked up— the top! He could see it. It was only 10 feet away.
Kael and Aeris watched his dumb, reckless or ingenious stunt from below with awe and concern. Kael gave a small chuckle to Ed. They seemed to approve of his method of climbing, all that was left was to create space from the goons and join him. But then—
*WOOSH*
A cool air burst through like a fan hitting Edric, his eyes were still locked on Kael. But Kael’s attention was somewhere else, his eyes widened. Aeris gestures to Edric frantically. He turned to see a bird made of orange ink. Its details were jarringly perfect, it’s wing were more reptile, like a dragon.
The bird hovered in place— it’s eyes locked on Edric. Edric's heart started to thump loud and deep.
Xantha’s voice trembled. “AH-AH Ed… what should we do..” her voice trailed to a whisper.
Gulp , that’s what I want to know. He looked at Serce once more– she had a canvas on the floor with the bird silhouette drawn and to her side the book layed closed. If what Edric thought was right then the book is the source of the bird.
*CAWK*
The bird's scream echoed in every direction, it certainly directed attention to them.The bird hovered in place in front of him with it’s eyes fluttering from side to side before landing its gaze on Edric. It flew back by a few centimeters like it’s preparing to lung with its claws.
“Shit,” Edric muttered as tried to come up with something, anything. He turns to Xantha, “Hold tight,” he shifted her weight to a piggyback ride. Before Xantha could ask what he was about to do, he jumped— forward slightly right as the claws attacked.
The bird’s strike missed by mere inches, Edric grabbed it’s legs as leverage, used his momentum to twirl upward, landing on its back like a madman. Xantha screamed like a little girl, Aeris' eyes widened and probably wondered whether the tangy scent of ink made him crazy and Kael started laughing .
The bird shook itself from left to right, Edric grabbed his dagger and pressed it against his back. The bird screeched in an ear bleeding tone, Edric couldn’t handle the weight of Xantha while gribbing his dagger.
“Let go,” he told Xantha, before she could refute, he screamed: “NOW!”
With blind trust, she let go, Edric had thrown on the direction of the ice piller. She slides and lands with a thud on the pillar. Aeris and Kael jumped up, landing on the pillar, Aeris slashed the previous steps to melt them and stop the ink soldiers.
Kael looked at Edric in a very confused and concerned expression as he saw— Edric and the bird flying around like a bee… more like a flying bull from the way it shook.
Edric held his dagger with all his might, he took his gun aimed at its left wing, and froze its tips. The bird started losing control, Edric used his chance and like driving a car without brakes — he maneuvered it somehow making it go up.
It collided with the walls several times on instinct, but still maintained it’s trajectory up. It was almost at the top..
Edric saw the end in sight— he turned and shot two more shots on the walls— ice spike form on the walls forming steps for Kael and Aeris.
*SCREECH*
It let out it’s biggest cry, flew back and headed head straight to the wall. It crashed just as he reached the top. Edric flew on impact, rolling on the floor. For a moment the world became a blurr— only the sound of metal hitting stone, screams of guards and the annoying sound of that gosh dart bird echoed into his ear.
He rubbed his head, tried to sit up while his body ached. “Ouch, remind me never to try that again. Why did I even think that would work.” he spoke to himself out loud… perhaps he truly has gone mad.
He looked up to see the scene on top— the orange bird flayed its wing, eventually cracking the ice. Surrounding him were guards glimmering under the moonlight, their shields were up in defense and their spears forward. They stood in silence for a moment not knowing what to do, until someone spoke.
“Serce, It’s vice captain Serce’s magic. I am certain,” the guards broke some confusion,the guards shifted their gaze towards Edric with their sharp spears pointing at him.
“Shit,” Edric said, just as Kael and Aeris soared up behind him, landing with sharp grace. Kael dropped Xantha beside him gently, then cracked his neck.
“Nice landing, reckless, insane but stylish” Kael said, still catching his breath. “Next time, warn us before you hijack a demon bird.”
Aeris didn’t respond. Her eyes were on the guards. There were at least five in front and another five behind them, and as they didn’t start cowering from seeing that bird they must have some skill
*TAP TAP*
Footsteps echoed down the path.
Serce walked towards them from the other side, taking slow steps like she had all the time in the world ,her brush hung lazily from her hand and the book hung from a chain on her belt. The guards made way for their vice captain, lowering their head to show respect.
Serce smirked, in a dry voice she said. “That was fun.”
She walked towards the bird, and stroked its feather like an owner with their pet.
“Aww you poor little thing, did that man hurt you. There, there.” She turned and gazed at the group. Her eyes were sharp as she locked on Edric. “But, I think that’s enough of that. I have grown tired of you. *YAWN*”
She raised her hand, the guards directed their attention. “Finish them,” she declared. “Break a leg or two if needed but— don’t hurt that little girl.”
The guards followed her orders without a hint of hesitation— they started marching forward in a pincer attack, surrounding them. There gazd sharp and determined.
Serce grabbed the canvas where the silhouette of the bird remained— with a simple stroke of her brush, she drew over it— as soon as she finished drawing. Several tentacles of black emerged from the canvas, it wrapped around the bird forming some sort of armor.
The bird's wings grew wide, its claws became bigger, sharper and it’s gaze became bloodshot red and its feathers turned black. It sent out a scream only this deeper , broader than before.
Kael lifted his staff, Aeris had her grip tight on her sabres, and Edric with his gun covered Xantha. The group was slowly being pushed back towards the edge of the other side.
Serce smiled , she parted her lips to say something but got interpreted as something flew in the air—
A black hawk landed on her shoulders, it had a note tied on its claws. Serce untied it, opened it and started scanning the note.
After reading the contents, she crumpled the note in her hands. “That governor! Baby sitting nobles again..” she mumbled to herself in contempt.
She took a deep breath, rubbed her temples. “Consider yourself lucky,” she started walking to the edge facing the city. “Deal with them,” she let out a final command before jumping off.
Great, the vice captain was gone but that didn’t change the situation.
For several minutes everyone stood silently in place, the guards didn’t know what to do— some confused weather to attack or let the bird go first— the bird had spread its wing, kneeled down, and started siphoning mana to its body.
Kael, Aeris ,Xantha and Edric were on their toes at the edge of the wall. Kael gritted his teeth, raised his staff like a shield ready for the bird. Aeris grabbed her swords to the sides, covered Edric who had his pistol on the ready to shoot, and Xantha held on to Edric’s shoulders praying silently to herself.
Edric looked back to the outside— it stretched far and wide with forests, trees, roads and some lights on the path— he looked below to see the 30 feet drop.
Would jumping work? No… What if I shoot an ice spike? He looked down again . Yeah no that won’t work, it’s too far of a drop and ice isn’t soft to land. His brain scrambled with various ideas with none showing signs of hope. Kael’s air magic might be an option but with his current state he couldn’t lift himself much less four people.
*SCREECH*
The stand still broke as the bird opened its beak, the mana absorbed started forming into a projectile sphere in its mouth. The sphere grew bigger and bigger, sucking the air nearby. The guards started feeling lightheaded, then someone spoke.
“Don’t lose your ground. After the vice captain's bird attack, we will give it back up.”
The guards became stern with confidence, and started closing in on them one step at a time. The bird’s attack was still growing in volume and width,
“You got some more stunts in your head to survive this.” Kael’s voice trembled.
“N-N-No, There’s no way out of this.” Edric’s mind went blank, the pressure was too much for his heart.
“Shoot it.” Aeris commanded.
“Wha-”
“Shoot that thing with a full blast. Use every inch of mana you have.”
Kael chimed in before Edric would respond. “Has your mind gone mad too! Shooting that thing will cause an explosion on impact. And we aren't really in a distance to escape, we’ll be wiped out with them.”
“Dying is better than getting captured-”
The bird had finished its preparation, Aeris knew, the guards knew everyone knew.
*WOOSH*
The bird launched its attack, the guards raised their shields and closed in.
*BOOM*
Edric shot the sphere head on with a magic bullet. His shoulder felt like getting dislocated from the recoil, the green streak of light ejected from the barrel and contacted the black tentacle attack from the bird.
*BANG*
The wall exploded into several pieces— debris flew into the sky along with the guards, other guards were pushed back, and the bird hovered in the sky . It’s eyes were locked on the wall.
The smoke cleared way— a chunk of the wall had disappeared like a bite mark. As for the group… they were nowhere in sight.
“There dead, they're dead, cough, cough.” The guards cheered.
But has Edric truly died?
