“Quingon! Pompadous! Push on!” The spear and lance bearers lunged and swing their weapons as the party split through a pack of Red Wolfs and continued on. Another ball of fire summoned by Emma discouraged the pursuit of the wolf pack, but the situation remained critical. They had pushed through numerous creatures such as the red wolfs as they avoided stones thrown by feral monkeys from above the trees. Floki and Emma dealt with sticking webs of Dark Widows by burning them down. Having no time to stop and deal the final blow, the party rushed through while been tailed cautiously behind by the frenzied creatures.
Lucious also assisted in the covering and attacking support for Quingon and Pop with basic elemental attacks. Adjusting his breathing while focusing to shorten his chant, Lucious aimed his beckoned wind at a Dark Widow the size of his head with grotesquely overstretching talons as the gleaming dark spider lunged at his head. The attack merely knocked the large spider from its aim as the Dark Widow landed at his side. A Breath-focused stomp from Merridian gravely wounded the spider as the disgusting fluid squished from the squealing creature. Lucious cursed silently as Cassia pushed him on.
Given the circumstance, the party made good progress as they charged through the forest swarming with agitated and feral creatures. As Cassian expected, the forest was turning into an indescribable picture of death with mutated vegetations and trees oozing foul gases. The forest creatures were heavily infected by the malicious influence of the Abyss. Fafner Forest and its wildlife were wearing down the expedition. Considered the disadvantages, even Lucious knew that they were doing well, brushing the stunned creatures with their fierce and speedy blitz while leaving a few warning shots such as Emma’s fire flare, Penn’s ground spikes, and Gabriel’s arrows, to dissuade the wounded creatures from charging at them from the rear recklessly. Judging from his fading memory, Lucious thought they should not be too far away from the cave. A nod from Floki proved his assessment as the party navigated with the help of Lucious and his instructor.
Lucious was caught in surprise when Quingon and Pop stopped their assault and looked at their front with extreme caution. Catching a glance, Lucious found a giant grey bear approaching unsteadily from the darkening part of the forest. Its fur was stained in dried blood and was clearly limping with its eyes focused cloudily on them. “Undead beasts!!” Pop’s cautious shout answered the alerted behaviour of their storming warriors. Even Lucious knew of all dangerous creeps and creatures, the undead topped the list due to its alienated nature to the laws of nature and the world. Consumed and corrupted by the Abyss, these unholy creatures could not be put to rest with conventional means. Only purifying light and fire of competent Maiests could put these pitiable existences to rest. Fortunately, these creatures were rejected from the world of light as they were blinded and could not comprehend light although the thought of running to these creatures with keen ears at night was a terrifying prospect.
“Lucson, light the light.” The Maeist knight quickly flared an orb of light toward the undead bear. Masses of undead approaching them, some were the creatures of the forest, the others were human silhouette with robes and cracked armour bearing the crest of three shields. The party drew a short gasp of surprise and disgust as Lucious felt his bile working its way from his stomach and vomited as his shoulders convulsed from the terrifying sight. “Daelous...” Hoping that his brother did not join the approaching undead beings, Lucious scanned frantically, but there were too many to keep track of.
“Cassian, I don’t think it is possible to shake them off this time.” The calm and collected voice of Merridian shook Lucious from his frantic search. “Leave them to us, but take Emma.” All eyes were on to the de facto leader of the Ex-Gale squad as the heavy swordswoman decided the course of her team. “But...” “Merri, you...” “This wave is relentless unless you do something about the cave. Cassian, you need as many Maeist as possible. Help them, Emma. Lucson will be with us.” Merridian calmly silenced the objection of her teammate. “Merri, I’ll not forgive you even if the team come back with minor scratches” Emma gazed at Merridian with a serious expression. “Scratches are luxuries, Emma. Or we can use Quingon...” Emma smiled faintly at Merridian’s wicked grin. Quingon looked disgruntled by the thought of using him as a shield.
“Right, my squad members and Emma will storm the cave. Floki and Lucious, don’t get lost. Quingon, I am counting on you.” Quingon grunted in dismissal while Emma waved silently to Penn and Gabriel as she joined the Centalion squad. “Are they really will be alright, Emma?” “I’m not perfectly sure, but Lucson is with them.” Emma smiled weakly at Lucious’s concern. “Lucson is an expert of purifying and cleansing arts. He will keep the team safe.” Lucious nodded and did not ask for more as he noticed the glooming look on the lady Maeist’s expression. “Quingon, knock them down and leave them to Lucson...” Lucious heard Merridian talking to her team as the aggressive noble swordswoman started to direct the tactic of their offensive.
“Cassia and Pompadous, cleave the way. Shields at the sides. Others at the back. We are going through after Lucson set things up.” Lucious widened his eyes in question as Cassian gave a simple directive to the squad. “What is Lucson going to do?” Looking at the Maeist knight, Lucious was wondering when a smack at his back stumbled him from his thought. “Get yourself together. You will be left behind, lad.” “Floki, what is going to happen?” Looking at Floki with questioning eyes, Lucious sounded his curiosity. “You will see, but what Lucson doing is not suitable for a light-hearted trainee.” Ignoring the sarcastic tone of his instructor, Lucious continued to observe Lucson when Quingon’s detached team began to move forward.
Wondering about Lucson, Lucious noticed the Maeist knight stood at the front of his team. Raising his hand to his lips, Lucson whispered and sang a grim melody. The heads of the undead bear snapped and looked at Lucson, followed by countless reddening gazes. Staying away from Quingon’s team, Lucious watched with his eyes bulged in horror as the undead bear suddenly rushed toward Lucson and the wave of undead beings followed its lead as if they were called by the song. Lucson shouted with his chant as he strode forward fearlessly. The sudden rush of the undead became slow as if a mere chant from the Maeist knight chained them down. Appearing from behind, Quingon smashed the undead bear to the ground. Taking his immaculate sceptre, Lucson touched the stunned undead lightly as he chanted. The undead bear started to disintegrate at the touch and turned to dust as it blew away by the wind.
Lucious dropped his jaw in amazement as Quingon’s team centred themselves around Lucson as the undead continued to make their charge against the team. “See?” Lucious looked at Floki in bewilderment. “Right, we don’t have time for this. Squad, charge!!” Interrupted by Cassian, Lucious composed himself as the squad ready for another push. Emma blessed Cassia and Pop’s weapons with the grace of the fire while the shield knights supported a light barrier around the squad with Julian’s chant. Floki tensed and readied for any situation. Lucious channelled his Natura to Julian. At the lead of Cassia and Pop, the Maeists followed behind, covered by the shield knights.
Attracted by Lucson’s song, most undead beings ignored Cassian’s squad as they charged toward the Maeist knight. Cutting through several distracted undead beings, Cassia and Pop made way for the team as they led the way under Floki’s guidance. Maintaining a rigid formation while charging forward was a reckless act for a squad with new members. However, the battle against the Fang Coyotes knitted this makeshift squad into a solid team with decent teamwork. Keeping pace with the party while fulfilling his position and role in the formation, Lucious was rapidly growing during his three days with the warriors and Maeists from Jercflosey.
Tensed with his newfound joy and responsibility, Lucious focused on Julian and channelled his Natura to the white-robed Maeist. Enveloped by Julian’s barrier, the squad charged through and knocked aside stray undead beings. Their procession was quite a breeze as Quingon’s team bore the worst of the unholy onslaught. It did not take them too long to break through the undead. “Julian, you can stop the barrier and conserve some strength.” Lucious ceased his task as Julian stopped his chant and breathed a sigh of relief. “Squad, continue to move forward with haste.” Looking at the worrying Emma, Cassian cast a faint smile. “They’ll be alright. You know them more than me.” Emma nodded grimly with a weak smile.
Lucious panted heavily as he tried to keep up with the pace of the squad. “...Come on, brat. Work your legs. Do your breath.” Lucious shook his head furiously at Floki’s provocation. “That’s why I told you to work with your body first before trying anything else.” Looking ahead desperately, Lucious bit his mouth in frustration when he caught Julian’s pitying smile and Emma’s encouraging gesture as the Maeists from Jercflosey seemed to keep up with the squad effortlessly. Having no choice, Lucious swallowed his complaint and struggled along with the hurrying squad.
Lucious was about to faint in breathlessness when he noticed the rocky terrain which shook him with horrid recognition. “...Cassian, we have arrived.” Floki chimed with a calm tone, but Lucious could tell the turmoil of emotion broke across Floki’s expression. This place had lingered in their nightmare for more than a month after the tragedy of Knights of Sheldon. Surveying the gloomy clearing with countless withered trees while feeling the eerie chill of wind even when it was summer, there was no way for Lucious to forget the barren surrounding and jagged cliffs where the cave opened its darkened widening entrance, awaiting its prey to enter and meet their end. Struggling to regain his breath, Lucious pressed his weight against his creaking training staff. Without realising, Lucious gripped his fists around the staff until his knuckles paled with pain. “...This is it. Squad, shields at the front. Maeists at the centre. Others watch the back.” Lucious tensed in anticipation as he assumed his position and waited for the signal to proceed. “...We are going in.” The squad closed in and entered the cave.
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