Chapter 598 - 598 - Why?!

*A few moments ago…*

Far behind the front lines, halfway between the rebel camp and the Underground City of Ugburg, another clash was reaching its Zenith. With the mousetrap sprung, the little rodents of Captain Ixorak and his team of merry misfits were having one of the worst clashes of their short-lived lives. 

Attacked on two fronts, the already agitated, and nervous-wreck warriors were barely holding on. Madam Dara and her daughter's main traits were their catlike agility and nimble dexterousness. Their attacks whilst not carrying anywhere near the strength of even the regular male soldiers, but instead they were fast as the wind and were always aimed at the critical joints, nerve clusters… all the weak points of the body. 

Each strike, each attack, slicing across the air, with a speed that required the utmost focus and attention of their opponents lest they would receive fatal damage. Whilst they barely were holding on, at least for the time being, Captain Ixorak was aware that they needed to make a move sooner rather than later. Their stamina was limited and was drained at an unimaginable pace already.

Their current draw was only temporary, once these wenches inevitably tire his men out, wear them down, their demise would be swift. Even worse than these assassin maidens, their leader, Madam Dara was said to be capable of some rather disturbing source of magic… Her title as being the Madame of Darkness, the Queen of Shadows wasn't just a measly nickname after all…

Yet, for some reason, as Captain Ixorak blocked another of her horizontal strikes he could only frown; for Madam Dara did not utilize her full skillset… She was only toying, playing with them… 

Like a true predator, that hunted for not only to bring back substance for its kin, but she did it for the sport, for the joy of it. The thrill of the hunt, she seemed to like to play with the prey before taking the trophy…

As he raised his spear to block yet another light attack delivered diagonally in a backward motion, Captain Ixorak wrecked his brain trying to come up with a course of action that they should be doing.

It was clear that they can't stay at this place, despite their initial numbers which have now dwindled to 17 men counting himself as well, they needed to either turn around and fight their way through this demonic tormentor of a woman and her four strongest daughters… or, in the other hand, the full force of dozen daughters stood in front of them, each at a more favorable position. Half of them already jumped to a semi-close range, whilst the other half of them retained their elevated positions, their higher grounds and were kept on hurdling the sharpened glinting metal of doom towards them…

None of these paths were showing any promise… On top of that, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Madam Dara wanted them to push through back to the city… Most likely there would be more than one trap set up already…

He couldn't help but shiver at this realization… How did she know of their plan? How did Madam Dara had already have several checkpoints set when they have just decided to set out…

'[Reptilian] Did the General was right after all? Could it be that… they were already watching, monitoring us just as he said?' He lamented, raising his weapon blocking yet another strike coming in a diagonal arc once again. The block, just like the attack was effortless, barely taking any effort at all. Still, it was chipping away from his limited energy with each strike, with each blow…

"[Reptilian] Madam Dara! Just tell me… why?" Frustration reaching its peak and seeing no light at the end of each tunnel, each choice he could take, Captain Ixorak couldn't help himself but cry out. He had a deep frown creasing his eyebrows, he was growling as he uttered the emotional words.

A light, almost carefree, soft giggle filled the air in response. Taking a step back, opening up a slight distance between them, Madam Dara chuckled at the visible, audible frustration of her target.

"[Reptilian] What do you mean, oh brave captain of the Temple Guard?" She asked back with an alluring, seducing tone. She did not jump back into action but instead watched the man, the dragged captain as he used every fraction of this short temporary pause to catch his breath.

"[Reptilian] Why are you doing this? Why are you with the rebels? Why do you fight? What do you tend to gain from all this?" Captain Ixorak asked, turning his attention from the ground back to the mature masked mistress.

"[Reptilian] Ohohoho… Why indeed!" Madam Dara chuckled at the question, a broad smile donning her face.

Suddenly, her soft giggle stopped, her smile vanished, her face contorted, twisted into a deep, ugly-looking angry scowl. 

"[Reptilian] Why wouldn't I?! You people, torture, humiliate, and even outright murder your fellow kin, because it was the 'Will of the Ancient One'?! You commit atrocities to our kind… Not enough that we are forced to such a state, as the once lush landscape was charred and ruined beyond redemption… not enough that we are forced to contend with the rest of the surviving races, the other 3 Great Tribes, and the numerous small ones just to survive yet another day… We even need to live in fear amongst those that would be supposed to protect us!" Madam Dara roared with all the buried emotion. Her deep-seated hatred exploded suddenly, crashing down on the shocked, and stunned little Temple Guard Captain all at once.

Captain Ixorak looked at the woman with wide casted eyes, he didn't know what to respond with. Truth be told, he too felt the wanton injustice that was happening all around, yet he was too weak, too scared to do anything about it. He, like many others of their circle, decided to simply look the other way.

They had no faith, no hope in the pointless rebellion, they instead dug their heads in the metaphorical sand.

"[Reptilian] You have no response suddenly… Heh, who would have guessed. Just like the rest of your disgusting peers, you only revel when you are top. Once you are pushed down, you suddenly turn silent, like a meek little lamb…" Madam Dara sneered with a contemptuous look on her face, enjoying the cavalcade of emotions that the man was displaying in the span of a few fleeting seconds. 

Getting bored of their sudden discourse at the heat of the battle, she stepped closer once again, she tightly clenched the hilt of her daggers in both of her hands. 

"[Reptilian] In any way… Let's just end this farce. We both know it, there is no point to continue fighting." 

Raising her hand, Madam Dara got ready to strike the fatal blow on the man that now showed no willingness to continue going against the storm…

"[Reptilian] Try better in your next li-"

Before she could finish her words, suddenly an ear-shattering explosion shocked the ground from behind them…

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