Chapter 351: Mercy and loss

A load boom woke Kydone and caused her to nearly fall off the branch she was sleeping on. In fright, she grabbed at the branch with her claws and looked around for the source. 

'What does that mean?' She wondered as she saw firework-like spell dying in the air, predominantly blue flames. 'Is that a new spell?'

Curious, Kydone stretched and then started moving to the source. Not long after another boom sounded with, the color this time blood red.

Kydone had no idea what it meant, but she assumed it had to be bad. Why else would someone do something so disturbing while she was trying to sleep? Picking up speed she arrived at the area just a few minutes later. 

Her sights welcoming her to a massacre, with the skeletons finishing of those who had yet to die. Unable to stand still and just look, Kydone rushed forward.

Her right hand's claws ripping the neck of a skeleton apart. Its head sent flying.  Her left instead pulled out her dagger and stopped the attack from landing on the near-dead soldier.

Without waiting and without doubt Kydone struck at the femur of the skeleton with her right again, shattering the bone and killing the skeleton on the spot. The bones falling to the ground as the darkness that bound them disappeared. 

Before anyone even realized she was had appeared she had killed more than half the skeletons. The reanimate charging her as it realized a new enemy had appeared. 

While Vivian had struggled to keep track of the attacks, to Kydone they were nothing. The flaming skeleton was just barely half her speed. However, she did not charge into attacking it. 

Dodging its flaming sword she pulled out her other dagger, her instincts telling her to not let the flames touch her. On top of that, she couldn't smell its weak point.

All undead had one. The zombies generally had it at their head or heart, often both. Skeletons instead had it in a random bone. This one however, Kydone had no idea what she was looking for. 

Jumping back she made some space and darted between the other skeletons. Making sure to kill them as she went, the skeletons still trying to kill those who were still alive. 

This seemed to enrage the flaming reanimate, however, it could do little to someone who could run circles around it. When it tried to get revenge on those the cat-like human was protecting, it would find a dagger suddenly cutting into its bones. 

Kydone dared not put all her strength into the attacks, as such she did not break the bones in those attacks. Still, she managed to cause large chips to form. 

The next time this happened, she was passing past Vivian who was just barely holding onto her consciousness. Kydone stopped for a slight moment as she felt the longsword would be far better for fighting something she needed to stay distant from. 

Prying it from Vivian's hands Kydone no longer held back. Her next charge she used all her strength, the blade cutting through the skeleton with ease. As it started separating the flames quickly worked to keep the two halved parts together. Distracting the skeleton as this was not a pleasant experience. Allowing Kydone to attack it without worry. 

Raining down attacks she finally managed to hit whatever she needed to hit. The flames dying and the bones falling to the ground. It was at this moment that Katania arrived, shocked to see she was too late for most. 

Immediately she started treating those who were still breathing. Doing her best to keep them from dying, knowing she would not be able to resurrect more than two.

"Kydone, please use the highest Tier of Anthos you know. Cast it on anyone who is still alive, the energy might just help them alive till I can get to them."

...

When Eldrian logged in he found himself overrun by memories he knew were not his. They flashed in his mind like a dream, nearly immediate. In seconds it was over yet he was left in shock as he replayed them in his mind. 

A scream brought him out of the shock, but only for a split second. He looked around but failed to take anything in. The tent was filled with patients and healers alike, Eldrian however was trying to recall who the girl in his mind was. More importantly why he cared so much for her. 

Even more shocking was why she suddenly aged ten years and turned into a decent-looking woman. She was not head-turning material but, she seemed kind and caring.

Long light brown hair flowing down her shoulders with complementing brown eyes. A few freckles highlighted her face and her build clearly of a person who often helped out with the hard work. 

"Medion? What's wrong?" The lady asked, turning to look at Eldrian in the memory and touching his cheek.

Feeling... No, remembering the warmth brought Eldrian to tears.

"It's you, your back?" One of the healers said, recognizing Eldrian. Eldrian however failed to realize what was going on in reality, or more correctly in the game reality. His mind was fully occupied by these strange memories. 

"Nothing Ziraili... It's nothing." A voice replied, one Eldrian had never heard before yet now it felt like he had known it all his life.

"You were always a terrible layer Medion. Share your burden with me. If not for me then for our child."

"Ch-child?" The all too familiar voice stuttered, turning his sights, and Eldrian's too, to the lady's belly. 

"Yes. Asteria blessed us."

"Are you alright?" The healer asked as he started using Observe to try and figure out what was going on with Eldrian. Why he was standing there, not moving. Tears streaming down his cheeks. 

Unable to form the words the man hugged his wife, Eldrian finding himself following. Finding that he was the man. His heart truly felt the man's joy and sadness. After an embrace far too long to be anything but one seeking strength, Eldrain pushed back and looked Ziraili in the eyes. 

"I am sorry dear... I have been called to the front lines."

The memory started fading, the last bits registering were the lady's touch wiped Eldrian's tears. "Go, prove what I always knew. We will be waiting for your return."

When the memory receded Eldrian kept standing there, tears flowing freely. It took him over a minute to overcome the emotions filling him. Taking a deep breath he turned to look around. 

Last time he had been in such a rush to log out that he had not even realized that he had been transported to a medical tent. The tent was filled with people, all looking at him. This confused him even more. Especially when many of those in the tent had gruesome wounds that needed to be treated as soon as possible. 

"Wh-what is going on?" Eldrian asked, struggling to form the words at first as his own voice sounded foreign to him. 

"Are you alright?" The healer who had recognized him asked, a female centaur, one of the smallest Eldrian had met thus far. Just 2,3 meters tall and a petite build if something like that could be said of centaurs. 

"I am not sure..." Eldrian lifted his hands and looked at them. Remembering how reassuring that embrace had been. Wishing he himself could hug someone for strength as he struggled to accept these new emotions and memories. 

Luckily, or rather unluckily the memories were few and limited. Always of Ziraili. Always of a special moment, the moments that made life truly worth living. 'I will find her and tell her of her husband, of his love.' Eldrian swore, choking up as the sadness attacked him again. 

"Is there anything I can do?" The centaurette asked, realizing that the thing Eldrian was struggling with was not something magic could heal. 

"No," Eldrian gently shook his head as he finally looked at the centaurette. "But thanks for asking."

"Of course."

Eldrian took a deep breath and tried to let his promise lift the sadness, the attempt somewhat working. "Can you tell me what is going on?"

"Right! You were unconscious before the news arrived."

"News? What news?" Eldrian asked as he looked around, finally taking in that the tent was full of injured people. The healers had all gone back to their jobs. All but the one Eldrian was talking with. 

"Follow me, I will explain as we walk." Eldrian did just that, the centaurette first introducing herself before continuing their talk. 

She was Deina and her specialty was healing through nature magic. It just so happened that she had just finished with her patient when Eldrian had appeared. 

"Deina, not that I want to interrupt you, but what news? It must be related to the fact that there are so many injured."

Sighing the centaurette paused for a step. "Yes, it is terrible news. The forest being slowly corrupted by an unknown source was bad enough. Now war has also come, and it will be this forest where it will be fought."

"What?" Eldrian asked as he also received two system notifications sending chills down his back as he knew an update never meant things became easier. This apprehension slightly weakened when he saw that one was about a quest completion. 

Naturally, he did not dive into the notification, instead, he let Diana explain to him what was going on. Having often done the opposite and realized how rude it actually was, though he would certainly do it again. 

"So you are saying... That can't be." Eldrian faltered as he summed the total numbers and became simply dumbfounded.