Sorry for disappearing for another month! I’ve been hard at work on two new non-AO writing projects, one of which I plan to release in May. So most of my writing time that should’ve gone into Awakening, ended up going into planning out those two projects.
However, I’ve still been working on Awakening chapters in the background, and I’ve completed chapters 3-7, which will be releasing on the regular weekly schedule. I’ll try to ensure that I won’t disappear for another month.
Around thirty five knights stood in front of the town center. It had been barricaded from the outside, with wooden poles and towers set up. A grand gate that blocked the entrance, stood between them and the innards of the village’s central hub. Panic and fear filled the knights. Clamoring and worry began to consume their fragile minds.
“Why is the gate rebuilt?” one knight asked. “Did the main fleet fail to overtake the town center?” another shouted. “Were we sent to our dooms by this accursed kingdom?” one knight angrily protested. Others began their own questions and cries for help, cursing the king and the nobles. “Enough with this nonsense!” shouted a hoarse voice in the crowd.
The general shoved his way through the crowd, making his way to the front of the battalion. He extended his hand outwards and summoned a magic circle. It grew larger and larger as it continued to charge up, until the circle was nearly as tall as the general itself. All the knights stepped back, as a large orange orb formed in front of him. The orb boomed with energy, pulsating as if it could burst at any moment. BOOM! The gate that stood in front of them burst open. Nearby walls and a watchtower came tumbling down, shattered to pieces. “ All the knights remained in place, gazing into the town center. Several wooden barricades stood tall further back, and spokes that were driven into the ground were turned to splinters from the blast. “What are you waiting for? Move you mutts!” shouted the general. “MOVE!” All the knights hurried and charged straight into the town center, with full intent to kill. However, their charge came to halt as the tightly defended town center was completely deserted. No sound but their footsteps and the heavy breathing beneath their helmets.
Cold air blew harshly through the deserted area.
The fleeting footsteps came to a halt, as they were reduced to small steps. Not a soul was found holding the fort behind barriers or in the watchtowers. Each of the knights split off from their formation, curious to check behind a house or pile of rubble. To their dismay, and slight relief, they encountered nothing. It was odd for the knights, and for the general. To feel such immense pressure at the sight of large structures. It still lingered within them. Something didn’t quite add up.
The knights approached deeper into the town center, identifying a crumbled waterfall, and more rubble ahead of them. There was a lack of wooden defenses past that point. They had been right to maintain fear in their hearts, as several knights spotted a massive light blue magic circle in front of them, aimed towards the entire squadron.
“RUN! TAKE COVER-!” A knight had shouted. They were too late. Dirt beneath them was replaced with ice, as a howling chilling wind blew shards of ice into the battlefield. Cubes and shards of ice shattered as they collided with rubble and the armor of the knights. Knights lost their footing as they were pressed back from the gust, and slipped on the altered flooring. The wizards were nowhere to be seen, and the entirety of the situation was thrown into chaos. Suddenly, blasts of elemental magics flew across the field, striking locations and knights at random. Fire, lightning, wind, ice, light, mud and more. Even metal daggers forged out of scrap and stone flew through the air.
The general stormed into the fray, watching his men frantically dodge the magic blasts coming from the mist ahead of them. He stood in the middle of the scrambling knights, ignoring the magic attacks that whirled by him. “Compose yourselves! It’s mere kids against dozens of men! Stand your ground valiant knights, and fight for your kingdom!” commanded the general. Immediately, his men heeded his call and quickly formed a messy formation, and charged forward. They let out manly cries that carried fear and anger with them, going headfirst into a volley of magic blasts that immediately knocked out several knights, and causing others to lose their footing on the slippery ground.
Seeing his men knocked down like falling trees, made the general a little uneasy. It was unusual for child mages to be performing this well, far better than the average wizard back at the kingdom. In the few seconds that the general averted his focus from the charge, three figures slipped through the mist. Their shadows now visible as they slowly appeared into view, casting magic circles on their hands as they dashed into battle.
“Fireball!”
“Gale Bullet!”
“Light Beam!”
The tri-attack of elemental attacks hit the general head on. Vega, Apollo and Jin surrounded the general, isolating him from his men. A second later, several more figures dashed out from the front, back and sides, surrounding the few men that were still standing to join the charge. More blasts bombarded the group, as the figures retreated back into the icy mist. As the knights were beginning to get up, another gust of icy wind thrust them back down onto the slippery surface, obscuring most of the vision around them.
Groups of knights huddled together in panic with their weapons drawn, anticipating the next attack. It came from above, or below as blasts split them up again, creating small battles in the field. Clashing of weapons and the firing of magic spells turned the quiet town center from mere minutes ago, into an uproar that shouldered the fates and futures of knights and wizards.
At the center of the quarrel, the trio stared down the general, casting magic circles in front of the general. He had yet to even draw his weapon, and stood there with his arms crossed, and a gloating smirk across his face. “I commend you children for your bravery! Not often do you see youngsters like you with more willpower than a full grown adult. Your endurance exceeds that of these fools scrambling about the battlefield.”
“Well of course old man! As long as we have each other, then we have something to fight for! If we have reason to fight, then why should we not back down?” shouted Apollo with utmost confidence. Jin and Vega pumped up their free fists. “Yeah!” they both exclaimed.
The general formed a smirk on his face, scoffing at Apollo’s comment. To him, that sort of blind confidence was foolish. “I’ll give you plenty of reason to back down…” he said, swifting charging a magic circle below him. A wave of energy burst out of the ground, blasting the ground with it. Luckily, the trio had evaded, as they dashed back upon seeing the circle form. Apollo cupped his hands beside his mouth. “Remember to keep your distance and buy time!” Vega and Jin, both nod to him. There was a mutual trust between the three. Knowing that each individual would carry out their roles, and back up each other. Blasts of fire and wind hurl through the frosty fog, flying frivolously through the air.
A simple step was all it took for the general to dodge their attacks. That was weak. Small. Slow. Are they worn out, or is there something I’m not seeing here… Suddenly, Apollo burst through the icy clouds diving in with a clean punch to the general’s face. Apollo shook his wrist, while still staring down his opponent with a determined grin. “Gotta get your head in the game old man!” he yelled out, before diving backwards into the clouds, while firing off a quick beam of light. The general took it headfirst, but like the magic blasts from earlier, felt incredibly weak. Not even denting his armor in the slightest.
“Strange. Even that kid too. All talk, but nothing to show. Maybe I was just wrong, about these KIDS, AFTER ALL!” said the general, first murmuring to himself as his words grew stronger and louder as he finished his sentence. He dashed forward to where Apollo had dived back, drawing his large blade as he moved rapidly. With a large thrust, he burst forward, slashing upwards through the clouds, finding no target. Two blasts hurl towards him from behind. The general crouched, then twisted his body around to face the blasts. He then delivered a wide slash, carried by the momentum of the twist, dispersing the fire and wind blasts with ease. Another beam of light shot out through the clouds. The general simply moved his sword up, to guard against the beam, before pushing towards the origin of the blasts.
Three shadowy figures moved along his left and right, spotted by the general’s peripheral vision. He stopped his dash, and began to run the other way. “Seems like he noticed!” said Jin. “No kidding! This guy’s senses are insane!” commented Vega. A hulking body appeared in front of the two. Jin narrowly dashed back, while Vega charged up a magic circle on his right fist, punching the general dead in the stomach, before a wave of flames was unleashed. Vega then retreated back, as Apollo appeared flipping through the air, holding out his hands.
“Divine Shower!”
Upside down, Apollo rained down miniature blasts of light bombarding the general, flipping above him like an acrobat. Their opponent hadn’t been quick enough to draw out his sword to defend the blasts. Vega and Jin didn’t miss out on the opportunity, as they aimed their arms out.
“Fireball!”
“Gale Bullet!”
The general was pushed back and lit on fire. He quickly rolled on the ground, drawing his weapon as he got up. Apollo had landed a meter away from the general, with Jin and Vega not far off either. Without a word, all three of them cast circles below their feet.
“Hot Dash!”
“Cold Mountain Breeze!”
“Luminous Esca-”
Apollo’s foot was grabbed by the recovered general as he began to lift off the ground. The general viciously slammed him down into the ground. “Apollo!” Vega and Jin screamed simultaneously, as they twisted their bodies and landed on the ground. Then dashing straight to where the general now had Apollo by the neck. They casted magic circles as they ran. Despite barely even covering three meters of distance, the run back felt like an eternity.
Apollo delivered a right hook to the general’s face, who took it unfazed at the attack. Apollo threw out several more punches, as Jin and Vega arrived, crashing into the general with a unified kick. The general was knocked back, freeing Apollo of his grasp. “Your punches are like being hit by soft toys!” insulted the general. All three of them stared in disbelief at the massive explosion magic circle below them. Vega’s eyes returned from the fear that had widened them, and he aimed his hand below the general, summoning a large magic circle below him. The general didn’t bat an eye to his attempt of a counterattack.
“Torchlight!” shouted Vega, engulfing the general in a mighty pillar of fire, before the explosion magic circle below the three of them glowed brightly.
“Nuclear Fury!”
BOOM!
The explosion fired, bursting immense energy into the area, blowing away the icy clouds that obscured the vision of the battlefield. A mushroom cloud of smoke burst up into the area. All the knights and wizards dueling in the battlefield, stared over for a second, before resuming their fights.
Scarlett stared at the large cloud in frustration. Her gaze was quickly broken by the incoming swing of a longsword. With a quick step forward and a leap upwards, she swung her body around, slashing the knight’s neck, and stabbing his back with her daggers. She breathed heavily, as she picked up the warrior’s bloodied longsword, and stared at her right thigh. Her carelessness earlier allowed her to be cut deeply. Blood continued to seep out of her wound.
She fell to the ground as she pressed her thigh, yelling in pain, letting go of her blade. Another knight ran up towards her, yelling out a battle cry of vengeance.
She scrambled to pick up the sword. Suddenly, a flash of purple struck the knight on his side, blasting him away into a pile of wood. “I got your ass Scarlett.” said Julius, walking over to her and lifting her up. “Can you stand straight?” Scarlett brushed off the dust and ashes from her hands. “I can stand, but the wound isn’t looking so good. If we could find some sort of-” Julius began to rip off the sleeves of his purple sweater. “Hey! What are you-” He knelt down to her wound, and wrapped the torn cloth around it. Being delicate as he tightened it. His sweater had changed into what vaguely looked like a karate gi. “All patched up. If you can stand then you can fight right?” Julius asked as he stood up. Scarlett nodded, pushing away the pain.
Both of them looked towards the large looming cloud, still present in the sky. Scarlett glanced over at Julius. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists. His face had a discontented frown. “I’m sure the situation isn’t looking too good for those three. No doubt that’s from the general.” said Scarlett, trying to break the silence between them. “No shit Scarlett. We heard that booming explosion.” In the distance, the clear sound of grunting and shifting wood caught their attention. The knight that Julius had blasted away earlier had recovered, and began to charge at them. His chestplate had been shattered at his right side. “We still need to do our part.” Julius said softly, before aggressively pointing at the incoming knight. “You really wanna die today you idiot?! Come at us!” He prepared a magic circle, as Scarlett drew her blade. Both of them ran forward in sync. Julius leapt into the air, while Scarlett dashed forward.
“Piercing Strike!”
“Nova Lightning: Dragon Hammer!”
Julius aggressively pushed out his palms, releasing a flurry of violet lightning bolts, striking the knight’s head, as Scarlett’s longsword impaled his chest. The two breathed heavily with another knight dead in front of them. “Gotten used to killing already?” asked Julius. Scarlett stared at her bloodied hand. “It’s already a part of me.” she answered grimly. Scarlett looked up. Three more knights approached them in the distance. The cleared fog had allowed them to visualize the battlefield. Throughout the area, they could see their friends in their own duels, on the rooftops, in the field and within wooden huts. It was surprising that their battles had all been so close. No stray knights were left, apart from the approaching three. Julius threw his hands up in the air in celebration. “Let’s fucking go!” he yelled, holding the “go” for as long as he could. “We’re actually beating their asses!” Scarlett held the longsword in her left hand, and the dagger in her right. “Shall we?” she teasingly said. Julius chuckled, while charging his magic energy. “No shit!” Julius exclaimed once again.
Smoke enveloped the battlefield. The explosive warrior walked nonchalantly, with a lack of concern over the obscured vision that the wizards had used to their advantage. He rested the hilt of his greatsword on his bulky shoulder, as he searched for the remains of his enemies. “What a waste…” he said, as he continued to walk, tilting his head left and right to search for any signs of a body. Suddenly, he froze in place and turned around. A sharp gust of wind flowed aggressively behind him. The smoke whooshed as a blade appeared from dark clouds. There was hardly any time to react, as the blade slashed the forearm plating before the general could grasp the handle with two hands. Blood seeped out of the cut. The general looked at his injury with worry. It was a clear sign that his opponents were alive, and now stepping up their game. But it raised a brow of confusion. Why hadn’t they fought him with full strength before?
“Firestorm!” called out a voice from afar. Through the smoke, a barrage of fireballs hurled in the general’s way. He took out his blade, swinging violently to disperse several blasts, before he ran off as dozens more came his way. “Thanks for the indicator Vega!” shouted Jin, as he leapt into the fray, arms crossed. He swung out his arms, slashing the general in the chest. Jin continued to repeatedly slash at the general, twisting his body around to weave around his defenses. Hiding his hand behind his back, the general charged up a magic circle, while blocking a barrage of slashes with his greatsword. He swiftly revealed his arm, releasing the spell.
Jin reacted with a swift movement of his own arm. “Gale Bullet!” Explosive waves were met with gusts of wind, causing a burst of magic energy to send the two backwards. Vega appeared from behind with three circles in front of his body. “Scorching Seal!” he cried out, swinging his arms outwards. Searing flames in the form of a beam flew out of the circle. It struck the blade of the general as he moved out of the way. He then began to chase the two down with his blade, tossing out wide swings. Each strike grazed the boys as they dodged above and below, firing off blasts of magic that would be dispersed or reflected back at them.
Behind the general, a glare of light appeared. Jin and Vega both covered their eyes, as the entire field had been blinded. Although the general had never faced the spell, his vision was blurry and monochrome. He heard the cries of an adolescent male, followed by crescendoing footsteps. Apollo had entered the battle, with several visible bruises and an ashy face that darkened his sandy beach skin tone.
“Divine Shower!” he yelled with more might than before. Dozens of light pellets hurled towards the general. In response, he turned around to block the blasts with his blade once again. This situation seems familiar…but I won’t allow things to repeat itself! thought Apollo, as he proceeded to let down his arms and dash to the side. “Move now!” he shouted. Three large light magic circles appeared around the general. He quickly manifested his own spell. Identical to the one that had nearly killed them earlier, had they not dashed away at the last moment. Jin rushed in with a wide slash to the general’s legs. “Kneel, you scum.” Jin said with a harsh and condescending tone, before Vega followed up leaping from the air, with two point-blank fireballs to his face, ending with a sharp kick to the jaw. A large magic circle appeared below Apollo. The same attack as before. Yet, he didn’t budge. “Apollo!” Jin and Vega cried out, before the two cried out their spells.
“Lux Bombs!”
“Nuclear Fury!”
A massive BOOM! roared and echoed around them. Three spheres of light ignited around the general, alongside the titanic explosion. Debris and smoke were sent flying into the air, and ash rained down from above. Another mushroom cloud formed on the battlefield. Their fight had taken them far beyond the reaches of the town center.
“Jin!” shouted Vega. cough cough. “Ah shit…” said Vega before holding his breath. A mouthful of dust had already filled his lungs. Burning his throat as the dryness and bitter taste of burned grass danced on his tongue and around his mouth. He got up, not bothering to wipe the dirt on his face, and ran across the field, nearly tripping over the disconfigured ground. That had to have been enough damage right? With the amount of hits he took, surely he must be at least tired… Thoughts of the plan wanted to enter his mind. Keywords flooded his brain. Time. Charge. Alive. Together. Together… We won’t be able to fight together at this rate. Without the others, we’re just biding our time.
“Vega!” shouted Jin from afar. Vega’s eyes widened. He exhaled in relief, knowing that Jin had managed to survive. “I have Apollo with me!” he shouted again. It was closer. Vega ran towards the sound. “Keep talking! I can hear you!” Vega shouted back. A tall silhouette was visible through the smoke, beside another one on the ground. Jin and Apollo! Vega sped up towards the figures, before running headfirst into a steel plate of armor. Vega fell backwards, seeing the general standing before his large blade resting on the ground. His foe slowly turned his head. Orange eyes of malice stared back at him, as the general picked up his blade. Vega got up and scurried away, as the blade crashed down into the ground.
“Aerosoul!” Jin cried out. A fierce wind blew around the area, lifting away all the smoke. The four could see each other clear as day. Spotting Jin and Apollo, Vega immediately headed towards them, with the general in hot pursuit. “We have to retreat for now! Head closer towards the docks!” commanded Vega. Jin propped Apollo on his back, and the three retreated for their lives. With death chasing behind them.