Chapter 888

Chapter 888: Empty Fortress.

Bells rang loud, clamor rushed amidst the coliseum. Celestial’s peered from their elated seats, talking and laughing about the amusing stand-off. One side held a child, a girl, the other, a knight of the realm who drew his sword against a short but sparkly figure. Her eyes burnt a reminiscent flame, one unshaken by size or strength, one at the ready to defeat. Two gongs marked the start, before their eyes, the little lady transferred into a fairy princess, guardian of the forest and wildlife. Sat at her back loomed a sanguine sneer, one dark, cold, and joyful. He looked on, dressed in peculiar clothes; a military-style uniform – Claireville Academy’s suit, first outfit that ever gave a sense of authority and a place of belonging. He watched confidently through a rounded glass. Seats immediate his were empty – attendants knowingly avoided his gaze – fear, envy, jealousy, hate – the mixture ranged.

Three gongs echoed; the chevalier laid defeated at the hand of a purple hue. Tania, princess of the faes, gave a lady-like curtsy to the crowd, her stare infuriatingly looked upon the stronger familia, then turned to the ominous aura, she smiled and struck a cheerful pose with her fingers in a V-shape. He returned with an acknowledging bow of the head.

“He did it again,” muffled greater figures, “-how is it possible?” they whispered. Intrigue and incertitude thickened, deceitful clouds rode over their heads, “-it’s the one backing her,” they concluded – helpers rushed the field to assist the fallen celestial, “-take him out and the balance won’t be troubled.”

Ill-intent washed through the helmed chevalier for he flung a dagger at the lass’s back. Less than a second, Igna stood, wind from the displacement carried the dust, the blade laid in-between his fingers, “-hear me, Celestials,” said a conniving laugh, “-there is no way any of you have the strength to defeat my student,” the blade shattered, “-and you,” he locked onto the man and snapped, “-I shan’t stand for cowards,” the heart imploded and he dropped, “-may this be a warning, no matter the champion, hero, or god. Paint me as your greatest enemy. Raise a finger at her,” he turned, a wall of blaring flames curved to cover the arena, “-I swear, a more painful death will await thee.”

The eruption dropped and left no trail of the intruders, “-we must do something about him,” urged spectators held at the highest seat, “-else they may think us jokes.”

“Don’t fall for the bait,” said a wiser voice, “-he’s inviting us to battle on his term. We rather wait and see how the situation unfolds,” Thus ended the sixth match of the Haggard dynasty, placed a few months after the events of Orn village.

“Xinfe, Danio, Lombart, and Lixbin,” paused Igna at the manor, ‘-four dynasties I must defeat for Laurine’s contract. Xinfe, God of Wind, Danio, God of the Fallen age, Lombart, God of Mischief and brother to Lixbin, lastly Lixbin, the God of Darkness. Lixbin’s faction is strong, very strong. The others are a mystery to me,’ he sat in the middle of a fish pond in a cozy kiosk, surrounded by trees, lovely flowers, and nicely placed rocks. After a lovely crimson bridge laid an out of theme training area. The equipment, layout, and lifeless combat dolls, if given a monetary value, would rival the price of multiple houses in a good neighborhood. Said price was not accounting for Igna’s enchantment over the area, parchments -words of power, symbols comparable to weapons of mass destruction.

.....

*Whoosh,* a misfired spell flung short of his nose, “-easy,” he yelled, “-nearly took out one of my eyes,” he jokingly said.

“Sorry,” she returned, “-next time I’ll aim for the eyes.”

“Good girl,” they chuckled and she returned to her intense training. ‘Tania’s a sponge for everything I teach, she adapts and takes in knowledge, unlike anything I’ve seen before. She’s genuine, the real deal. The mark of Andrea, guardian angel of the eternal forest lays on her forearm. I nearly missed it,’ he blinked, ‘-she’s like Shanna if I had to say, not as strong as her, not yet,’ time halted, ‘-we have guests,’ he looked at the bridge, two mysterious figures nonchalantly peered against the railing. Tania readied spells, Igna shook his head and stood, “-lord and dame,” he said, “-to whom do I owe the honor of the surprise visit?”

“To Elya and Ron of the Lixbin and Lombart familia. I represent the head of the family, whilst Ron here represents the Lombart. I apologize if he doesn’t seem in the mood to speak,” apparent by the hooded outfit and jaded mien.

“Nothing to apologize for,” returned Igna, “-tell me, Elya, what does your master stand?”

“I’ve come to declare war,” she said, “-the Lixbin familiar, joined by blood to the chevalier so coldly murdered at the previous battle, will be avenged. We came to give the Gruen Urn.”

“A formal declaration of war,” he observed, “-so be it,” he returned, “-if tis war thee wishes, tis war the’ll get.”

“As guardian of Orn Village...”

“I don’t have property or land, therefore, nothing to protect or attack. Fighting is prohibited in the capital. I understand – the war shall end once one surrenders or decimates and take the leader’s head.”

Declaration of war through the use of the Gruen Urn. On the opposition receiving the item, he or she can choose to break the urn, thus setting the stage for a brutal wave of death and destruction or if accepted; can mediate the battle somewhat. Conditions varied per the opponent’s discretion. Elya and Ron, soon as they came, disappeared. Distance footsteps arrived, “-were those Elya and Ron?” narrowed Jae, “-don’t tell me,” he locked the Urn, “-a declaration of war,” he threw his hands and did a 180. Lady Elliana arrived a few seconds too late, “-what happened?” she thrust covered by the hand fan.

“Look,” said the exasperated Jae.

‘The Urn,’ her heart sank, “-Master Igna, please, there must be a limit to the aggression...”

“No,” he returned willfully, “-the more the merrier,” he said, “-the defeat of Lixbin’s forces shall bring about a new order, one where I stand as ruler of the isle. Nothing will stop me,” the ground growled, “-nothing save the famished hunger of Cthulhu.”

“He’s awake, we should head to the flying castle.”

“Understood my lady,” returned Jae, “-Been a while since it screamed.”

“What about my...”

“Information about the factions is here,” she threw a leather bag. The island rumble, the guardian deity’s starved stomach.

Igna shortly summoned a portal to an unknown area. Tania knew not to ask questions, though her side-glances were curious. He simply smiled and gestured to focus on training. Whispers and lesser amplified growls. Armed with an orb of light, he made way deep into a tunnel system under the volcano. Unintelligible cries carried – the vexing, uneven path gave onto somewhat flat ground. An orb of blue hovered at the center of a lake of tentacles. Scavenger rats ran for the middle where a cloud of taint fried the rodents.

“Enough pouting,” he thundered. The grove of tentacles opened, there, a humanoid figure of dark-blue complexion exited. Semi-transparent and bearing no resemblance to man or woman, it walked and left molten footsteps, “-good.” The figure laid a few meters away, Igna carefreely reached and patted the entity.

“I-Igna,” it shakily pronounced, “-f-foo-d.”

“Understood,” two chairs and a table made of purple flesh rose by the figure’s gesture. “-There, specially made mana-noodles,” a bowl of pure essence dropped by its chin, the undefined visage licked its lips and dug into the bowl.

‘The feared guardian of Marinda, a shapeless form who but wishes to eat. Stumbling here was a fluke, so was surviving the encounter too. A beast abled to spread its limbs across dimension’s scarier than anything I’ve faced before,’ once the meal finished, Igna left – the tremors stopped and he reappeared at the manor. There, time elapsed. Tania grew stronger by the day, she searched for her brother and Igna’s covertly worked in wiping Laurine’s list of enemies. Nearing the first year spend on Marinda – war was over the horizon.

Lixbin’s army of voluntary celestials stood at Orn’s doorstep, a simple stream separate danger to safety. The terrain didn’t favor the attacking army, however, it didn’t matter for their strength consisted of under-the-table alliances. Help from other familia, there was no holding back.

Igna settled as a gate before the village’s defenses. Forces from the Shadow Realm were summoned and surrounded watched the village. Lixbin’s army, the general, Shin, crossed a valley, where they expected traps to be laid, and arrived at the clearing leading to Orn. The river and grove were but little inconvenience.

“General,” cried a scouter, “-the devil’s on a watchtower playing the flute.” The gates were wide open and paths inviting to the opposing army. General Shin, straddled his might steed breathed a loud laugh, lieutenants at his side were bemused, “-my lord general, why are you laughing?”

“Fellow soldiers, look upon the man who plays his flute,” he rose his spear, “-he thinks he’s Zhuge Liang employing the empty fortress strategy. Tis an insult, I won’t have it. Forces, be at the ready to attack, the village is ripe for the taking. We knew the battle would end once the army moved, and here we are – free from duties of the capital. I won’t be fooled by the Empty fortress strategy!” horns and drums sounded commencement of battle.

‘Igna,’ movement rushed past, ‘-you don’t have an army, else the valley would have been an easy way to think our numbers. Tis a good idea to open the gates, by the reputation, we know the terror you represent. However, the risk is when you’re on the field. Now, you but stand upon a watchtower and played a flute.’

Amidst the rush, Igna gave a side-smile and played melodically, “-Zhuge Liang’s strategy worked based on psychology. I know Shin enjoys reading older military books and strategies, I also know the personage he enjoyed most was the fable about the empty fort. I’m not insulting Zhuge Liang, instead,” forces overwhelmed the village, “-I’m paying tribute to the fable. A battle of wits, one where I hold the pieces and thou art the pawn upon the chessboard,” soldiers dressed in black leaped from their hiding places and sprayed, the sweet melody of gunfire and death, Igna joyously accompanied the destruction with calm notes of the flute. Shot after shot – units hidden in the groves shy off the river, found themselves at the enemy’s back. Lixbin’s army was stuck in the middle of an ambush – unknown weapons to them were utilized and killed senselessly.”

“General Shin,” Igna dropped from the tower and walked, bullets whistled past, he dodged and stood beside the horse, “-the battle is lost,” he smiled, “-driven by pride and knowhow of warcraft. You sought war, you brought up the reason for an army to be sent against innocent villages. I know, I have eyes and ears all around,” he taped the force with his flute, it vanished and the general fell, “-look at me,” rattled a very somber voice, “-who was it that planted the area of war in thy head?”

“Planted the idea of war?”

“My aggression, the military prowess I bragged about. I wanted war, and I still do, you were unfortunate to fall so easily into my trap. We, outsiders, are born from the very idea of battle, Hidros is a cutthroat continent. Never,” the flute laid against Shin’s neck, “-ever think about fighting again. The war was won before it ever began.”

Both arms rose, Shin’s proud expression and jet black hair lined the ground, “-I surrender. Igna Haggard of the Haggard Dynasty has won against the Lixbin familia.”

“Good, that’s what I wanted to hear,” he rose an arm – survivors were bound in chains and sent back, bodies of the fallen were hauled onto supply carriages, a massive shadow hid the fortress, “-there’s our ride,” he said, “-my floating castle isle, Rosespire the II.”