One Hundred And Ninety-Four

One Hundred And Ninety-Four

“So, do we know where the enemy actually is?” I asked as the musicians left through the Ring Gate, the last of our forces to retreat. While it might have been useful to have them for their supporting buffs and debuffs, they really needed to be protected by an allied force to be effective, which we simply didn’t have, yet. They would request reinforcements, but due to the unpredictable time dilation between the Boundary and lower Astral, it was impossible to say if we would receive any in time.

“Over there!” Shaeula’s eyes blazed amber, and through the trees she could see unpleasant traces of spiritual energy. “They are not-not far distant.”

“Right, then let’s see if we can’t drive them off.” I declared, my spear already in hand. “I’ll take them from the front, Shaeula, you support with your pinwheels and ranged attacks. Hyacinth, can you use your vines to snare them and prevent them from moving? Then the kamaitachi can hang back and pick them off.”

“I shall dooo it for you, master!” Hyacinth said, her expression fierce, her silvery-violet eyes glittering darkly. “None may threaten the masters’ home!”

“Fine then. We are damn lucky we have your eyes, Shaeula. It makes finding them easier. Maybe you should join the Way-Wardens?” I grinned as we ran through the forest, brilliant fireflies and small animals scattering before us. Once more, why can’t I get that skill to work? It’d be way more useful than my Examination skills...

She sniffed in response, not deigning to answer my jest as she was concentrating to use her Mystic Sight at a distance. Still, she guided us well, and soon the trees were starting to thin out. It was then that I could hear barking growls and sinister, heavy breathing, the sounds damp and menacing.

“Watch out-out!” Shaeula declared as a flight of arrows arced in towards us through the trees, followed by a pack of massive black hounds, their eyes burning red and yellow, their open maws leaking acidic drool from between curved fangs as long as kitchen-knives. Wind billowed, the trailing Kamaitachi calling it forth in an emerald tide, and some arrows went off course, the hounds staggering. The remainder... The arrows are fast, but not at a speed I can’t perceive. Bullets fly faster, after all. The arrowheads were made of what looked like obsidian, and they were smeared with some disgusting brown liquid, which I really hoped wasn’t what I thought it was.

Dodging those I could and sweeping the remainder aside, I plunged my spear into the open mouth of the first hound. The impact of its charge staggered me, but with my high stats I was able to hold. A second hound fell, head exploding as Shaeula swung her pink jade bells to amplify a drill of compressed wind. This was followed by a tide of her wind-weasels, and several more tumbled to the ground, dead or dying. As I wrenched my spear free, turning to face another, the ground erupted, tree-roots twisting and growing, the ends turning into sharp spears that pierced the tough hides of the hounds, squirming through flesh and seeking their vitals.

“Die, die, DIE, DIE, DIE!” Hyacinth was giggling like a madwoman, hounds howling in torment as she tortured them. More arrows flew in, but this time we were more than ready, so Shaeula conjured a wind wall which stopped them dead. I’m glad that she’s strong but... yeah, she’s still scary. Maids are supposed to be quiet and soothing. She’d never make it in Akihabara!

Wrenching my spear free from the dying hound, I switched to my two swords and started slashing through throats, finishing the hounds off. Shaeula then cried out, warning me of danger.

“Akio, behind you!” she screamed, and I spun round, bloody swords raised, only to see and hear nothing. “It is a Silent Hound!” she cried, as a heavy weight slammed me off-balance, and sudden pain flared in my arm as jagged teeth bit into me, piercing my defensive clothing, the force of the jaws nearly snapping my strengthened bones. “They can not-not be seen or heard when they stalk their prey! There are two-two more coming...” she cried, before her face set, resolute. “The trees are in the way...” her pinwheels, which were constrained by the edge of the forest we were in, suddenly spun to life, and trees toppled, sheared clean through, before a hound became visible, sliding into two halves, stinking guts spilling out as it died. Blood splashed from a second, and a leg fell to the ground.

“Ooover there I see!” Hyacinth chortled, and she gestured. Inky blue darkness rippled out, and suddenly the hound was visible, limping on three legs, eyes vacant. Then it died as spears of wood pierced it like a hedgehog.

“That doesn’t help me though...” I muttered as I thrust my blade into where the jaws were exerting pressure. Arrows came my way again and I spun, using the invisible hound as a shield. It cried out, the grip loosening momentarily, and my blade slid up through the roof of its mouth and into the brain. It let out a pained squeal and became visible as it died, the weight dragging down my arm. Damn, it looks like a sleek grey wolf, just... bigger and meaner. Levering it free, I started the process of Ether Healing.

“So-so many!” Shaeula was horrified, seeing what was arrayed against us. Now the trees in front of us had fallen, we could see the clearing where the Fae Stone border was. Several stones had been toppled and shattered, and a pack of dozens of the large black hounds was waiting, led by a dark wolf with brilliant red eyes like dying stars, which was of a size that defied belief. Fucking hell, that wolf is the size of a large van...

There were also a mob of what looked like goblins, though not the kind so popular in Light Novels currently, thankfully, but the type from old stories. They were green-skinned, true, with yellow eyes that stared at us with cruel malice, eager to hurt or kill us, but they were not naked brutes using crude tools, but well armoured and equipped, many carrying the bows they had been harassing us with, others carrying swords and shields. All of them wore long black caps, like a droopy wizarding-hat, except for two, bigger and more intimidating, who carried lanterns that burned with a mystical violet glow, and also... whoa, they are carrying scythes! Creepy as hell...

On seeing the mob, Shaeula paled. “Red Caps! They are highly ranked within both the Wild Hunt and the Unseelie! To think we would see them here-here! This is no small harassment but a full-full raid...” she cried, before meeting my gaze, expression resolute. “And worse-worse... a Barghest leads them. This will be a tough battle, even for us.”

“A Barghest?” I asked, and before she could answer, the massive wolf spoke, his voice like the rumbling of an earthquake, his vast tongue licking at teeth that matched my swords, salivating. “What do we have here?” it laughed. “Our scouts reported that this place was ripe for the taking, with naught but a few feeble servants nearby. It would have been the prefect base to infiltrate the hated Seelie Court.” The wolf spat, a surprisingly... human-like gesture, and the massive ball of acrid saliva splattered one of the nearby black hounds, which whined pitifully as it rolled on the ground to get it off. “Oh, my mistake, I am sorry.” The wolf apologised to the shrieking hound. “My annoyance led me to get carried away. Now, where was I?” the wolf grinned. “Six of you, hmm?” it sniffed the air. “One pure-blooded Fae... a noble line indeed. Very sweet. Three strange creatures, though they smell akin more to us than the Seelie. A... a mortal? No... you stink of royalty too, male, though it is faint. A bastard, born of low blood, maybe? And lastly...” as the Black Caps hollered and hooted, hurling insults at us, calling Shaeula out with a series of vile taunts, which caused my grip to tighten angrily on my sword...

“... You.” The wolf peered at Hyacinth with great curiosity. “You are Unseelie, are you not? How fascinating to see you in such company. Are you a slave to them, perhaps? To think the noble Seelie would stoop to such with their enemies.”

“I am nooo slave, I am masters’ cherished servant!” she declared sullenly.

“I see. Well, you belong on this side, here with us. Your heart burns black with hatred for the Seelie, I know it. If you are bound not to turn against your slavers, then at least stand aside. When we slaughter these Seelie, I will take you with us.” He growled then, clearly angry. “Alas, our plan to capture this forest as a staging area has clearly failed. This delay will give the Way-Wardens time to deal with our other distractions. So... it is time. Farewell, Seelie nobility. Die knowing you have at least foiled my plans for now!” he then howled, but I wasn’t so easily fooled. The signal to attack has already gone out. Shaeula has noticed as well... her pinwheels formed a whirling barrier encircling her, and blood showered around her along with body parts of severed Silent Hounds.

“Foehn, turn all the foes of the Seelie to ashes!” I decided to play up my role as a Seelie, after all, I was here to support Shaeula in the longer-term. Virulent napalm-like yellow flames cascaded out from me, and the Kamaitachi poured their wind into it, causing it to flare brilliantly, the yellow flames turning almost white from the increase in power. This Foehn is truly vicious. I can’t believe I risked dousing myself in it to beat Shaeraggo... shaking off those idle thoughts I ran to the side as the onrushing Silent Hounds became visible as dying silhouettes under the perpetual twilight of the Fae realms. Arrows were pouring down and several Black Caps had flanked me, supported by the larger black dogs...

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from Forty-Eight to Forty-Nine.

I had no time to take pleasure in that, as I called on earth element and wind element simultaneously, to unleash a technique I had been practising in my sparring with Ulfuric. Chunks of stone ripped free from the ground, and I launched them with wind like a shotgun blast. The onrushing hounds and Black Caps staggered, sickening impacts of breaking bones ringing out through the madness. There. Those rocks bounced strangely...

More Foehn spilled out, reducing my reserves, and yellow globes of it splashed down at the points I noticed the rocky projectiles acting unnaturally, drenching the hidden Silent Hounds.

“Annoying, very annoying.” The Barghest rumbled, taking a deep breath, before blowing it out, scattering the Foehn back at us. “Shit!” The tide of yellow washed back towards me, so I called up a stone wall to block it.

“This delay is unacceptable.”

“Shut uuup you brute!” Hyacinth cried, her vines clashing with the Red and Black caps. A number of archers had been strangled to death or worse, wrung like rags, their innards squeezed out like toothpaste, but the Red Caps were a much greater threat. Their scythes effortlessly slashed the thorny stems, and dancing purple light from their lanterns seemed to warp space around them, the vines severed by nothing, or directed away almost like they were striking an invisible dome. “Master Akiooo needs Hyacinth, he is the ooonly one that cared about my pain! A good servant lays down her very life for the masteeer!”

“Foolish little boggart... no, you are a brownie if you serve the Seelie, I suppose. You will regret spurning my generous offer. The Wild Hunt comes and goes as it pleases, killing, plundering and kidnapping as we will it.” with that the Barghest moved, his speed also van-like, barrelling towards Hyacinth, tongue lolling out, drool building and spilling out like a rancid waterfall.

“Shit...” I pulled out the experimental pistols Ixitt and Bjarki made me, and taking up a two-gun stance I opened fire. Shells peppered the charging brute, and dark blood scattered, the shells exploding with elemental energies, but with a series of agonised whines some more invisible Silent Hounds took the impacts, falling down, dying. I was then in agony as jaws closed around my leg and neck, one Silent Hound trying to bring me down, while a second went for the kill...

Shit, I didn’t see them coming again. Why... I need to be able to see... see everything I want to, everything I need to! I need eyes, like Shaeula’s, no, even better! Otherwise I can’t see what threatens us... Everything seemed to move in slow-motion as I activated my Body Enhancement, aether, fire, wind and earth cycling through my bones, muscles, blood, lungs, brain... Shit... desperate times... I also used Ether Healing to try and offset the damage I was doing myself, but the overall strengthening I was suddenly imbued with enabled my throat to resist the crushing pressure. I pointed the gun down and pulled the trigger, and several impacts blew holes in the flank of the Silent Hound grabbing my leg. It squealed and let go, and as spent shell-cases tumbled slowly to the ground my enhanced perception took in the battlefield...

Shaeula was splattered with blood and gore, her yukata soaked with it, piles of hound corpses around her, but now one of the Red Caps was engaging her, and her pinwheels had somehow become hopelessly tangled, becoming useless. She was using her dagger and bells, barraging the leaping, cavorting enemy with blades of wind, blasts of flame and bolts of light, but they were curving around the goblin, or being sliced apart by its scythe.

The second was engaging the Kamaitachi mob, and it was pushing them back. Oh come on, don’t die again now that we almost have all of you back...

Lastly the Barghest was tearing through the massive wall of vines and roots Hyacinth had conjured, his paws and jaws shredding them like mere twigs. A large felled tree struck him, causing him to pause for a moment, but the effort of using her abilities on such a scale had left Hyacinth pale and trembling, still, her eyes were unyielding, despite the many injuries she had suffered from his cruel attacks, leaving her bloody and her maid uniform shredded.

Shit, we’ve grown stronger. We should be able to handle this. My fists struck out again and again as I ran, my knuckles hurting as the sounds of breaking bone and agonised whimpers filled my ears. The Silent Hound at my throat became visible in death, jaws loosening, and I grabbed the fallen body, hurling it at the Red Cap who was nearby. The strike was true, but as it approached the back of the goblin the corpse split suddenly, ripped in half by an invisible force and tossed aside. The Red Cap turned back to me, wicked face split with a hideous grin, and it flourished the lantern at me. Dodging aside, not even sure if it was going to be an attack, but unwilling to take a chance, the air split behind me, forced apart, before rushing back together in a deafening sonic boom.

I was right. Shit... more attacks I can’t see. My lack of ability to perceive these dangers is putting those I love at risk... still... If I couldn’t see the invisible, like the hounds, I just had to make the invisible visible. I refuse to believe these Red caps are invincible...

I used earth, exploding the ground, but not as an attack, but as a fog of fine dirt, which was grabbed by the jade energies of wind and funnelled to the goblin.

“Trying to blind me, huh?” the Red cap chortled. “Foolish. I’ll skin those weasels yet and wear their fur...”

I was right... but I’ll only have one chance, I think... the lantern was indeed behind the defences, I could see the unnatural warping of space around the foe, centred on it. But it was almost like a field, magnetic or electric, which was affecting space itself. But like a field, there are points of convergence... my muscles and bones were screaming, my crude attempts at Body Enhancement paying dividends in power and equally harsh costs in damage. One chance... eat this you smug fucker... time seemed to slow even more as my brain worked, heat bubbling within my skull. The Red Cap was waiting for me to get torn apart by his defence, but as I thrust my sword, it wasn’t at him, but at the lantern. The blade started deforming, metal screaming, moulded as though it was clay, and I let it go, wind channelled into a hefty push.

... as the nonsense gibberish seared through the mess that was my vision, the remaining ether was drawn into me, and in addition I could feel a significant amount being drawn from my Territory, the silos emptying themselves into me. My eye shone, before exploding with a violent pop, blood splattering everywhere. My hand moved towards the open wound, slowly, oh so slowly, as with my remaining eye I could see Shaeula’s mouth creep open to cry in worry... what the fuck... my eye... it hurts worse than ANYTHING I’ve ever felt before...

It was as if a burning spear was driven into me, and as I wept blood from the open socket, I realised I could see again. The pain was fading, and suddenly I had a new eye, the scattered fragments of the shattered seed and aether gathering together, energy pulled through my bonds with Shaeula pouring into my lunar chakra and exploding upwards, merging into the swirling mess of energies within my empty socket, forming a replacement, which quickly began to show me a familiar type of message in silver, though now it only showed in this new eye...

Mystic Eyes Of Perception Rank 0, Kin-Examination Rank 6, Self-Examination Rank 6 and Self-Examination, Territory Rank 5 have been merged with the se$% of th$ F%^&* &^ *he $£rl% Tr$$ seed of the Fruit of the World Tree ...

The silvery letters of garbled nonsense were struck through by an amber line, before reforming into legible words, and the result was shocking. I felt... power. It was welling up within me, radiating out from my eye, down all through my network, which was shining powerfully, pulling in more ether from the surroundings and converting it to aether far more efficiently than ever before.

You have gained the Skill, Mystic Eye Of The Tree Of Knowledge Rank 1. Class: [Imperious]. Type: [Law]

Wait, now we have a Type, as well as a Class? No, that hardly matters... the description was shocking.

As the Allfather gained knowledge from the first tree, the World Tree, the root of all realms, whose branches support the Akasha, records of all knowledge where its branches or roots reach, at the cost of one of his eyes, so too have you, through coincidence bordering on the impossible, gained access to the merest fragment of Akasha. Eyes of a Fae, freely given, a Seed from the Tree itself, priceless and divine, a blessing from the highest Astral, a subtle body drenched in power gained through struggle, a need so potent that the Tree itself responded... this Eye can see and know all, yet though it has but taken root within your very being, the effect is still weak. Nurture it, grow the seed within you, and let your Eye comprehend all of creation, this gift that was granted to you that not even the first wanderer enjoyed without sacrifice. Your Eye was given freely, yet such sacrifice appalled the Fae who wished to share her sight with you, so her gift to you was awakened, a new Eye for a lost Eye.

Freely given? Really? I had no fucking clue my eye was going to blow up! Though I suppose I was desperate for the power to see what must be seen, to know how to defeat our enemies...

Your League and Determination have...

League has increased from 9 to 11.

Foresight has increased from 8 to 13.

Majesty has increased from 12 to 15.

Fate has increased from 1 to 3.

Fate? That’s new...

Your Intellect, Resilience, Alacrity and Aether have all increased substantially. They are now at...

Your Skill, Eight Moons Chakra Network has reached Rank 4. The skill has...

Your Skill, Silver Cord has reached Rank 4. The skill has...

Your...

Fuck, so many messages and I really, REALLY don’t have time for this. I closed my unfamiliar eye for a moment, before starting to move, time again seeming to speed up, though when I concentrated, my increased Alacrity and Intellect slowed everything down significantly. “Hey, Red Cap...” I glared at the bastard who was hurting Shaeula. She had an awful lot of blood around her right eye, and it made me feel sick. If I discovered that she had actually given me her eye as the replacement for my lost one, I was going to be so angry... I don’t even want to think about it... “I suggest you start running, because when I’ve killed this Barghest, you’re next, and for every wound you’ve put on Shaeula, I’m going to repay you with agony.”

“My heart can not-not take such words...” Shaeula managed a weak giggle, still fending off the Red Cap and his remaining Black Caps. She then spun, alarmed, but before she could react I already had, my new Eye detecting the presence of two Silent Hounds. Earth spikes roared free, impaling them, and I turned back to the Red Cap. “Last warning. I killed your friend, I know how that lantern works and how to break it...”

At that the Red Cap actually paused, his eyes flickering to the dying Hounds, thrashing futilely against the rock lances piercing their guts. The Barghest was not impressed though, and he came roaring at me, the spear still lodged in his eye socket. Damn, seems like losing eyes is a theme tonight...

“You, kill ME?” he howled balefully. “I am not going to kill you, no... I am going to drag you back to the Halls Of The Hunt, and you shall spend an eternity suffering. I shall make you watch as these other Fae suffer endless indignities, and...”

“Why the fuck does every second-rate villain always go to that when they take a beating? You’ve killed plenty, you should be prepared to die in return, right?” I grinned, though my expression had no humour, only withering contempt and rage. I’ve got quite a bit of flame and wind energy, it seems to have refilled somewhat from Shaeula and I’m also full of aether. I can do this...

“Insolent Fae wretch...” he roared, and as he barrelled towards me I set my trap. His front legs sank into the earth as I collapsed a trench in front of him, and the momentum sent him crashing to the ground, only to see me standing there, one freshly reloaded pistol pointed at his massive, undamaged eye.

“I only have one clip left... should be enough!” I fired again and again, his eye blasting apart, bullets blowing into his skull before he could react. “And then... Foehn...” his eye-socket erupted with citrine death, and his long, drawn-out howl was quickly silenced as the flames ate into his skull, silencing his howls forever.

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from Fifty to Fifty-One. All of your Material statistics have increased by nine. Aether has increased by twenty.

I then casually wrenched free the spear from his other eye, brushing off the trailing sparks nonchalantly, and eyed the still hesitating Red Cap. “Still here? I told you that was unwise. It’s your turn now...”

At that the goblins and few surviving hounds broke, rushing out between the ruined Fae Stones and fleeing. A couple of braver Black Caps raced into the fungal forest, only to stop after a few moments, clutching at their throat and eyes madly, before toppling over and expiring, mushrooms and tendrils of avaricious mould growing over them, their chest cavities bursting open to reveal glittering toadstools and waving tentacles of slime. The Red Cap looked back briefly, only to shake his head and continue along the grassy strip, heading for distant safety.

Damn, that’s a horrific sight... but... we won. Seeing that everyone was still alive, I walked over towards Shaeula, who rushed at me, her face and body dripping with gore. She leapt into my arms, her one eye peering at me, glowing brilliant amber.

“Akio, you fool-fool, when your eye burst I thought my heart would stop! Still, your new eye... I rather like it! It is still-still the moonstone shade I adore, but now faint flecks of my amber dance within.” She grinned wearily. “Eri will be so-so jealous.”

“But what about you?” I brushed aside her bloody hair, taking a closer look at her own wounds. “Your... is your eye okay? I got a message that you had freely given me an eye! Tell me that was bullshit!” I begged, and she only arched an eyebrow at me.

“Would that be so wrong? I felt pain at seeing you in such-such a state. We are connected, are we not-not? I would rather be blind than see you suffer!”

“But... I’d rather go blind than cost you your sight!” I growled, my anger rising.

“Well, it is fortunate then...” suddenly her blood-gummed eyelid slowly opened, revealing her still healthy eye beneath, and I sagged with relief, and nearly dropped her. Tears started to flow, and soon we were both crying.

“Thank the gods...” I whispered. “I was terrified you’d done something foolish...”

“Well, perhaps I did. I consented to have my eyes taken, both if need-need be.” She shook her head. “And do not-not scowl at me so. If you could do the same for me, why can I not-not for you? In any case... I tried to offer-offer my sight, but instead I was somehow able to rebuild your eye using my essence, the remains of some strange glowing fragments and Ether Healing. Such a feat, at such a distance separated... I could have done it to none-none other but you.” she grinned, puffing out her chest proudly. “Though I had made-made an Oath to trade my sight, I can not-not be held at fault if your eye recovered, making the oath invalid. You hardly need-need three eyes, do you?”

I had to kiss her then. We were bloody and battered, and despite my earlier injuries, I was probably in the best shape out of all of us after the strange vision or dream I had, since my body was flooded with incredibly pure aether at that time. As we entwined, I could hear the Kamaitachi snickering, while Hyacinth pouted, crying sad tears, claiming our flirting was “annoooying, as a servant who fought so hard deserved praise.”. Shaeula shrugged, and I turned, opening my free arm to her.

“All right then. You did do well. Come Hyacinth, let master give you a hug!”

“I am sooo happy!” she declared, rushing into my embrace, and for a long while I held the two girls tight, revelling in the fact that we made it through the battle still alive, if not unscathed, only for my Eye to see distant figures approaching, who suddenly resolved into a motley assortment of Fae, beast-types, faerie types, what looked like elves, and more, all riding white steeds that had rainbow manes and hooves. On seeing us and the mess around, the corpse of the Barghest still slowly evaporating to ether, the leader, an elven woman by the looks of it, raised her lance threateningly.

“I am Caeladaera of the Way-Wardens. Just... just what happened here?”