hi. veynes for sure sending a strongly worded message in general after this one
[Part 6] — — — — — — — — — — — — — — [Part 8]
Chapter 13
Towering
The trio are woken up in the early hours of the morning by a roaring crowd outside the inn. They each get ready and head outside, seeing a large crowd.
“What’s going on, here?” Cain asks, trying to see over the crowd.
“Ahhh… The Grand Navy hosts executions on this island, since it’s under their protection. It’s… I dunno, an intimidation tactic of sorts?”
Cain and Emilios hop up to a rooftop for a better view, with Bevel soon joining them.
“We are gathered here today, for the execution of the criminal Lorenzo. We have reason to believe that this man has aided the ancient cult, known as the Seekers of Sight. For his heinous crimes against the War Seas, he will be executed here and now. If you have any last words, scum, you may speak.” The executioner spoke, with a monotonous tone.
The man with blonde hair looks down at the ground solemnly. “You fools… You wish you could see the light as I have… The light that struck down my home… Chaos has festered, and will soon devour all… REMEMBER IT HERE. CHAOS WILL TAKE THE WORLD, AS IT DID TO LUMEN!!!” The maniac shouts aloud.
“Enough ramblings, heretic. Do not look away, for this is the fate that awaits all criminals of the War Seas!”
With a swift chop of their glaives, the man is beheaded. The crowd murmurs for a moment, before dismissing his ramblings and going back to their business.
“Gods… What a psycho.” Emilios whispers, shuddering at the thought.
“Lumen… I guess it shouldn’t be common for an entire kingdom to vanish… Right?” Cain asks, looking at Bevel.
“Definitely not. I mean, some small countries and island nations, sure… But not a kingdom like that.”
“We aren’t supposed to talk about it, you know.” Emilios says, looking at Bevel with slight distaste.
“Whatever, it’s not like anyone’s gonna care..”
Cain nudges Bevel with his elbow, and directs her attention to the remaining navy men, who seem to be staring them down rather fiercely.
“Uh… I-I’m sure that’s got nothing to do with it, c’mon, let’s go, hurry up.” Bevel says, turning and sprinting back toward her ship.
Emilios and Cain run after her, looking back once at the town before hopping aboard. They help her set sail, with Cain looking back again while a flock of birds fly out of the town. Something in him felt uneasy, but he decided to put his fears aside and look back out to the ocean.
Out to the northeast, he spies the Grand Navy base, Silverhold. It has a distinct flag, similar to ones he saw around Palo Town, and more unique architecture. He thought for a second, but was cut off by an explosion that engulfed an island past Silverhold.
“What was that…?” Cain points to the explosion, which dissipates quickly.
“Huh? Oh, hah! Seems like someone got a little too into a fight at Munera Garden… They host tournaments all the time!”
“Who’s ‘they’?”
“Anyone, really. Tournaments, honorable duels, or just some folks wanting to fight for the hell of it. I wanna watch, someday… But we’re busy now!” Emilios finishes, looking at the arena.
“Huh.. That sounds pretty fun, honestly. Maybe I’ll watch, after this is all over…”
The three make it to Harvest island, but don’t disembark quite yet. Bevel circles the island with her boat, to the coast on the western side. As she does, they spot the tower on a plot of land, with some figures in green cloaks inside. Bevel anchors her ship on the coast, with the three hopping off.
Cain looks up at the stone tower. “So, that’s the place?”
“Yep. Looks like… What, six floors? This should be light…” Emilios responds, cracking his knuckles.
“Don’t get cocky. Poison steeped weapons are dangerous. Bevel replies.
“Yeah yeah, I’m not a child. They won’t even be able to land a hit on me!”
Cain chuckles slightly as they approach the tower together, garnering the attention of the footsoldiers cloaked in green. They pull out knives, with a distinct liquid coated on them.
“You three… So you’re the ones the Syndicate failed to kill… No matter, I suppose it’s up to us to finish the job.”
They rush the three invaders as they back out of the doorway of the tower. Cain pulls the polearm from his back and brandishes it with a smile. He dodges a blast of magic, and catches the dagger of the cloaked woman with the crossguard. He jerks the swordspear to the right, knocking the dagger from her hands, and slashes her with the blade.
Bevel looks at Cain with pride. Not so much for Cain, but for her newest masterpiece, seeming to hold up nicely. She barely dodges a slash, and sends a beam of ash toward the cloaked figures. She takes the hunter down with a couple slashes from within the ash cloud.
The trio finish the short fight, and begin to ascend the tower, defeating more and more Veridian Hunters. They reach the fifth floor, and see a trap door that blocks their ascent. They hear a distinct couple of voices talking above, muffled by the trap door. They stop their swift advance, and listen closely.
“…So you’re certain, then? That a survivor is among their ranks?”
“Yes sir. That’s what the letter from the Assassin Syndicate stated. I’d imagine we’re not the only ones who were notified… But if you bring his head to them, that’s quite a price… Especially if that assassin’s theories are true.”
“It could fast-track your way to being a Duke of Nexus… Hah, imagine that… Duke Veyne. Has a nice ring to it, hm?”
“It does indeed… They may even grant me a curse for the trouble, if the rumors ring true… Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to locate the vermin…”
Cain clenches his fists in anger, sheathing his polearm. He grits his teeth, a large Explosion Magic circle surrounding him.
“Hunting me… Hunting survivors of Lumen… For.. For SPORT?!” Cain yells.
Veyne’s dialogue is cut off as he hears Cain’s yelling, and looks down.
“Hm… We may eat well tonight, gentlemen.”
“I won’t let you… I’ll stop you here, bastard!!”
Cain raises his hands to the sky, the circle of magic glowing brighter as Emilios and Bevel back up. They look at each other, and begin to make a quick escape from the building.
“DIRE BURST!”
Chapter 14
Downfall
A massive burst of Explosion Magic tears its way through the entire tower, causing the building to shake violently. Stone bricks are dislodged from the shockwave, and the structural integrity of the tower begins to fail. The lighting of the tower falls, causing the wooden floors to start burning. Cain looks up with anger, as the floor above nearly collapses onto him.
Cain backs up as he sees three people come down. Alongside a muscular man, two corpses fall. Captain Veyne looks up at Cain with tired eyes, readying his axe. He cracks his neck
“So you’re the one… Yes, he certainly makes a point… Your head will make a wonderful adornment on the walls of the High King.”
Cain rushes Veyne down with his polearm, dodging a blast of wind magic and slashing at him, but Veyne leaps into the air with his magic to avoid it. Veyne imbues his axe with a bit of wind magic, and launches it at Cain. Cain clashes it with the steel platform on the haft, deflecting it off to the side. Veyne uses an explosion of wind to send it back toward his hand, and conjures a javelin of wind in his other hand.
He runs toward Cain, and begins a short duel against his polearm. Cain uses the blade and platform to clash the javelin and axe, getting better over time. Veyne uses his gauntlets to guard against a downward slash, and impales Cain with the javelin. The wind magic detonates twice, knocking Cain into a wall, dislodging a couple of stone bricks. Veyne begins to sprint, spinning his axe around, but suddenly stops and backs out.
Cain gets up and sprints toward Veyne, accidentally avoiding the burning rubble ceiling in his rage. His gaze shifts a bit to the captain’s armor, or rather, the lack thereof. A distinct gap of protection on his chest, instead choosing to display his muscular chest. Cain launches himself up with a stomp imbued with explosion magic, and spins his swordspear around in the air, aiming the platform end to the ground. He launches himself with another burst, and summons a small magic circle on the bottom of his polearm. As he slams it to the ground, a large shockwave of explosion magic rocks the tower, hitting Veyne despite his attempts to dodge.
The attack causes the wooden floor beneath them to collapse, sending them both down to the floor below, with cuts and bruises. Veyne coughs into his cloak a bit as he stands back up, meeting Cain’s gaze. Cain spins his polearm around, building up power, before thrusting it at Veyne, launching a bullet like projectile of pressure. Veyne leaps up with his magic and sends a beam of wind toward Cain, knocking him back. Cain stays on his feet and takes out his tanto, launching a small slash of air as he runs toward Veyne. Veyne gets knocked from the air by the slash, then is knocked further back by a whirlwind slash, cutting him twice across the chest from both of Cain’s weapons.
Cain observes Veyne as he coughs up blood, putting his tanto away. He readies his polearm, and charges toward the captain as he staggers. Veyne is impaled by the blade, and held against the stone wall. He coughs more, his green cloak becoming stained with red. He struggles a bit, before his limbs go slack. His axe embeds itself into the wooden floor, and he looks at Cain with dead eyes.
“Talk! Why is this… ‘Nexus’, trying to hunt down citizens of Lumen?!” Cain yells, thrusting the blade further into Veyne’s chest.
“I am not familiar with Nexus’ squabbles with Lumen… I’m disinterested with the politics of these seas. You, however, are but a lamb… A stranger to this world, if the report is true… Know this, survivor… Their hunt is relentless… And they exist… Everywhere.”
With the last of his strength, Veyne pushes Cain back with an explosion of wind magic, sending himself out of the tower. Cain’s jacket catches fire as he rolls across the floor, but the flames are paltry compared to his anger. He rushes through the same hole that Veyne leapt through, and jumps from the fourth floor. He uses a burst of magic to send himself down at the captain, and impales Veyne once more with his swordspear, killing him. He crashes against the ground, and breathes heavily.
Bevel and Emilios look at Cain with a combination of shock, fear, and some awe. The stone tower fully collapses, a large cloud of smoke and dust enveloping the trio.
bye, next