Book 5: Chapter 53: The Purebloods

Gravitas watched the battle unfold with a calm detachment. She didn’t have as much at stake as the tribesmen, but even she couldn’t remain unaffected by the widespread death and destruction. All across the battlements, dozens of skirmishes raged, as the Icefang warriors fought desperately to hold back their far more numerous foes.

The defenders were holding their own, but every so often, a tribesman would suddenly collapse. It became clear that the snakes weren’t trying to overwhelm them with one massive assault. Instead, they often retreated when pressured. However, even the smallest wound from their venomous weapons left a lasting mark, the poison slowly building up in their victims' bodies over time.

The eastern flank, where the coalition of Elders had gathered, saw this happen far more often. The enemy frequently exploited their lack of coordination to scale the wall without resistance, leading to bloody skirmishes to push them back. Still, the defense was holding for now, without showing any major weaknesses. If nothing changed, they might be able to hold...

Of course, the very moment that thought came to her, a change occurred.

Almost simultaneously, the nine Purebloods took action, with only Razeth and Polaris standing back. They spread themselves equally before the length of the wall, joining their troops in their assault—four to the west and five to the east.

Gravitas frowned. The eastern flank had been struggling, but they had enough powerhouses to fend off the assault. Their poor performance was purely due to disorganization, not a lack of individual strength. In contrast, the West only had Elder Fang and Frost, the overall commander. There was no way they could handle four Purebloods at once, especially with Frost being tied up in the center.

With a single leap, the Purebloods effortlessly scaled the walls. Elder Fang was ready, engaging two of them at once, but he could barely keep up and had no chance of handling the others. As a result, the remaining two wreaked havoc, moving freely through the ranks. Occasionally, they encountered a worthy opponent and exchanged a few blows, but no one could truly challenge them. Gradually, the tide of battle began to shift on the eastern wall.

“I’ll go,” Ash said after watching a few such exchanges. He glanced at Vulcanos, who had also stopped his onslaught to watch the changes on the wall. “Cover?” he asked, without adding any other explanation.

Vulcanos grinned, already channeling a massive ball of molten stone in his hand. With a single motion, he sent the projectile sailing across the wall and into the area beneath it. His strike didn’t hit anyone, but that had never been his aim. Ice and Snow melted instantly, and from the area of impact, a massive amount of steam emerged, shrouding the section of the wall.

Ash had disappeared from his spot, and there was no sign of him anywhere. However, Gravitas and Vulcanos weren’t worried, their eyes trained on a section of the wall. There, a Pureblood was eyeing the steam warily, but he dismissed it after a moment. The phenomenon posed no danger to him, after all. However, the moment he turned his back, a figure materialized from the smoke.

Daggers in hand, Ash silently lunged at his unsuspecting target, driving one blade into the man's chest and the other into his throat. Though mortally wounded, the man swung his spear wildly, but Ash had already vanished into the mist, leaving no trace behind.

"That won’t work a second time," Vulcanos murmured, though the big smile on his face showed how pleased he was. They had devised this maneuver long ago, and it was satisfying to see it succeed exactly as planned.

Ash emerged from the mist, heading straight for the remaining Pureblood on the eastern flank. This time, he didn’t rely on a surprise attack, confronting the man directly. They clashed once, then again, and a dozen more times in the blink of an eye. It was clear that Ash was no match for the Pureblood in terms of skill, but his ability to turn incorporeal prevented the enemy from landing a hit. More importantly, the Pureblood couldn’t afford to ignore him, as a sudden strike could still prove fatal.

Ash evidently knew this as he didn’t ever press his advantage. He was wholly content to keep the Pureblood busy, using his power sparingly. Gravitas and Vulcanos soon grew bored by the display, convinced that their would be no change to the fight in the short term. Instead, they inspected how the others were fairing.

In the center, Frost was locked in battle with Polaris. The siblings traded long-range attacks, seamlessly shifting between offense and defense, with Frost gaining a slight edge in most exchanges. However, Polaris wasn't fighting alone. Each time Frost gained the upper hand, Razeth intervened—hurling spears or releasing his poisonous mist. This forced the Commander to remain on the defensive, preventing him from helping in the other battles.

Taking her silence as her answer, the woman turned to face Gravitas, utterly disinterested in Elder Claw. By now, he could barely stand and posed little threat. The section of the wall was almost empty, leaving the area clear for their fight. This wasn’t due to any consideration; it seemed Elder Claw had lost all his allies after his fiancée betrayed the tribe. It was commendable that he had even dared to fight under these circumstances.

“Fine...” the woman said slowly, drawing out the word unnaturally. “I was getting bored with that toy anyway. Let’s see if you are more entertaining.”

Before she had even finished the sentence, the woman launched herself forward. Despite not having a tail, like most of her tribesmen, she still retained a similar level of agility. She approached with the ferocity of a thrown spear, a manic grin on her face. However, Gravitas had expected that move and was already prepared. Without as much as a twitch of her hand, her power snapped into place, reversing gravity in an area before her.

The woman slowed, her grin turning into a frown as she halted mid-jump. Instantly, she was propelled backward as if falling off a cliff, plummeting far faster than natural. Her weight seemed to double. She flailed her arms and legs, desperately trying to find traction, but the frozen ground offered little help as she shot away like a meteor.

With a bone-shattering crash, she slammed into the sheer cliff wall surrounding the battlements. Debris and shards of ice flew from the violent impact. Gravitas stood still, having moved not a single step. She watched impassively as the dust settled and the woman staggered out.

“What... the... fuck,” she huffed, angrily swiping away a trickle of blood that ran down her face. “What the fuck did you do?”

Gravitas remained silent, her eyes locked onto her target. It seemed Polaris hadn’t provided any information about her power, likely because she didn’t know about them either. That was good. Her innate abilities were hard to understand, and if one didn’t study them carefully, it was difficult to find her weaknesses.

Realizing Gravitas wasn’t going to explain, the woman’s anger subsided. Her eyes narrowed further, revealing pupils that were slightly elongated, like those of a reptile. This hinted that her bloodline wasn’t entirely pure after all.

“I am Zelkara, daughter of Shassra,” she announced calmly. “Who am I facing?”

Gravitas eyed her for a moment. She had refrained from speaking so far, but this was a sign of respect between warriors, and she had no intention of disrespecting such a worthy foe. “I am called Gravitas.”

“...Of what lineage?”

Gravitas remained silent. She had been brought to Korrovan as a child, being sold many times before she was even an adult. She had no idea about her heritage, nor had she ever met another Chimeroi similar to her. However, it didn’t matter; she had grown powerful under her own merits and not through the nurturing of her forefathers. However, her single name seemed a bit lacking at this very moment.

“I serve the Ruler of Blood, the scourge of the empire.”

“Ruler of Blood?” Zelkara repeated with a frown. “Never heard of them.”

Gravitas smiled behind her veil. “You will,” she said firmly, “...if you live long enough, that is.”