Cold sweat dripped down Ren's back like a waterfall as a heavy fear bore on his shoulders.
Arms and legs trembling under the weight, his blue eye gleamed in the darkness as it stared at the Tiger bleeding from all of its eyes.
Letting out a low growl filled to the brim with anger, its barbed steel like fur bristled as jaws of pure ivory white glimmered in what little light existed.
How did things ever come to this?
---
Three hours ago.
Silence was the only thing audible in the cave.
Even the flames of the candles and torches lighting up the inside stayed silent as if sensing the tense situation.
Grabbing the wand on his waist and manifesting the most basic of basic of Summer magic, a voice echoed from above "I wanted to remove the mage, but the Knight is a good exchange."
*Thud
Clad in a wolf pelt bearing twisting scars etched into the black fur, several ivory teeth and wolf skulls hung across his body marking them as one of the many Barbarians that had appeared as of recently in the Unnatural Turnings.
The Leader of this particular band of Unnatural Magic users.
Uncannily pale skin stretched across his features, the man's bony fingers ran across the rough mat black fur of the Rib Jaw Wolf as it's ribs still held the twitching body of Hillary.
Acidic Saliva hissing as it ate at the body, Harken's eyes went bloodshot as the Summer Magic still half formed instantly exploded into a ball directed at the Barbarian and the Aberration.
Being incomplete Summer Magic that still hadn't completely formed, it's power fell short. But in these close quarters without any way to dodge, it was just as dangerous as if it were fully formed.
Not that the Barbarian leader had any ideas of taking it head on.
Tapping at a wolf skull hanging on his waist, the Rib Jaw wolf standing besides the leader flinched momentarily unbeknownst to everyone as a sickly green shield suddenly appeared.
Letting out a ghastly howl that shook the heads of all those listening, the Captain's half formed Summer Magic crashed into the screaming wolf shield, it's howl ringing out loudly before falling silent. The flame and shield disappearing simultaneously.
Head having been shook clear of all the angry thoughts, a cold silence bore down in the cave as the Heiress moved alongside her Knight to the other entrance of the cave.
And as if on cue, both of them raised their wands simultaneously as the Barbarian Leader spoke words that instantly silenced one of the magics heading his way.
"This Knight's life depends on what you do."
Dissolving a bit more than half of the skull, another howl of pain echoed throughout the cave as the flaming fish crashed against it, the Rib Jaw wolf twitching slightly more unbeknownst to anyone.
"..." Eyes bloodshot, the Captain stared directly at the Barbarian Leader as Lorelai's shocked voice echoed loudly.
"What are you doing Captain Harken!? Cast your magic! If he is still alive I can swear on the Lorelai name that the Priests can treat him after we kill the Beast and the Barbarian!"
"I can kill your friend with a snap of my hand unless you agree to not get in my way."
Two different offers flew to the Captain's way, and one of them was a lot more convincing than the other.
"How can I trust that you won't kill him either way?"
A pallid and ugly smile made of crooked teeth stretched across his face as the answer he was waiting for appeared.
A howl of pain echoed throughout the cave as the rest of the skull dissolved into a wall that blocked an eel made of flame.
But unlike the previous shield that had disappeared instantly, this one stayed in place as near manic laughter echoed out of his mouth.
"I can swear on the Totem god, what about you?"
"...I can swear on my Magic Heart."
"Good good." The Wolf Leader drew a sharp mouth across his face, the pallid grin seemingly stretching from ear to ear "I swear on my Totem God Kiklo the Bloodthirsty Wolf that I won't kill this Knight in my pets mouth."
Captain Hillary reluctantly formed the seal of nature around his heart "...I swear on my magic heart to not interfere with the Barbarian in front of me."
"..." The Barbarian Leader's smile stayed constant as he patted the Rib Jaw Wolf's back. "Eat."
"!?"
Shocked that the Barbarian Leader would break an oath to their Totem God, the reality of the situation was still Hillary being consumed by the wolf as he stiffly turned to look at the Barbarian Leader.
If looks could kill, the Barbarian leader would've had a piping hot metal stick shoved up their spine before they were spun over a campfire until they were perfectly charred all around.
"You... Broke an oath to your totem god... Why?"
The Barbarian Leader shrugged his shoulders and spoke lightly.
"It's an offering of Death formed of betrayal of course" A toothy grin spread across his face "And My Totem God is Jenko the Three Eyed Tiger, a totem god who had feasted on Kiklo's corpse."
"I don't think Kiklo would care I used his name."
---
"Damnit! What did that Barbarian Bastard just cast!? If you can hear me Captain snap out of it!"
Slamming every type of magic that she could think of against the howling wolf screaming louder and louder with every strike of the flaming sea life, the Heiress Cursed as she felt the magic in her body deplete.
"Dammit!" Muttering underneath her breath, the Knight appearing from her back caught her attention as she swiftly shouted orders towards him.
"Aaron! Help me cut down this barrier so that we can get to th-"
"No"
"Huh?"
Feeling something in her stomach, the Heiress turned to look at the Knight who had been with her since her childhood as her eyes trembled with confusion and fear at the situation at hand.
Blinking in disbelief, the screaming wolf barrier collapsed at that moment, revealing a distraught and kneeling Captain before the pain of it all suddenly hit her.
"Ugh!?"
The Barbarian Leader laughing joyfully, the Knight Aaron having just taken their newly bloodied sword out of Lorelai's stomach kneeled and offered it to the Barbarian Leader.
"Tribe Leader."
"Child."
Lifting the cowl of his hood, a pale and manic face of an old man appeared, "I didn't think that it would be this effective!"
Maniacal laugh flittering throughout the entire cave as someone picked up the prone Heiress, the Barbarian took the blade from the Knight and took the Wolf skin off of his head.
"You've earned it child of the Former Wolf Leader."
Taking the wolf pelt with a bowed head, the Knight removed his helmet and replaced it with the Wolf Pelt.
"Now move child." A manic smile covering his face as a heavy unnatural presence pressed down on everyone present, making them feel as if they were sick.
Stabbing the bloodied blade into the ground, it sunk through the hard cave stone as if a hot knife through butter.
"I offer the Blood of Liquid Fire to the Blue rivers in the Mountain."
Sucking up the blood in the blade like a parched man given water, the Barbarian grabbed the pouch of eyes and plucked all three of them out, a manic grin strained across his face as the air thrummed with energy.
"With the Eye of the Sneaky Fox, none shall hide from your sight."
An eye with orange pupils burst in his hands and mixed with the bloody ground, the energy in the air intensifying, a heavy presence seemingly casting its gaze this way.
"With the Eye of the Conniving Bat, every plan would be laid bare."
An eye with a black sclera burst apart into several long strands of black goo that splattered across the ground, what seemed like the image of a tiger appeared around the chanting Barbarian.
"With the Eye of the Ravenous Wolf, everyone shall be marked as your prey."
Blue eye bursting into blue flames that danced in the air briefly, it split into two parts. One heading outside of the cave. The other flitting about over the kneeling Captain's head.
Smile seemingly splitting his face, the illusion of a tiger grew thicker and more solid.
"In the destruction formed of flame" Gesturing with one hand covered in eye goo, flames started to stream in from the outside.
"And the death formed of betrayal" A man who looked like the Vice Captain opened his mouth in confusion as he appeared over the mauled corpse before it was devoured by the blue flames.
Silently screaming, Captain Harken stared with wide eyes at the Barbarian Leader before instantly attempting to get up and tackle the Barbarian Leader only to be stopped by a blue glow on his heart.
Falling down and clutching his chest in pain, the Captain stared with eyes that could kill as the Barbarian absorbed the look with a laugh of relish.
"I offer to you the Master of death!"
The flames swirled chaotically in the air before they coalesced around the remains of the three crushed eyes.
Tiger skin slowly moving to cover his face, a laugh mixed in with a roar appeared as three eyes gleamed brightly in the blue orange flames.
"The Three Eyed King of the Mountain-!?"
That was until someone chose that time to interrupt the summoning ritual in that critical moment.
Opening and closing his mouth like a guppy, the man tried to speak only to be unable to.
Eyes looking down, his fingers instinctively moved to his neck where a sharp metal piece existed.
Staring at the sword, his eyes turned to the side where Aaron stood.
"..."
Mouthing the words. Why? Aaron held the blade steady as he spoke quietly.
"The Turned Behemoth sends his regards."
"...Gurgle."
Only able to speak with blood bubbling in his mouth, Aaron pulled out the blade from the Barbarian Leaders mouth and flicked it to get rid of the blood clinging to its surface as the now Dead Wolf Leader collapsed onto the ground.
Adjusting the wolf pelt over his head, the once knight turned to the place where the Heiress previously was and saw that a bloody trail had appeared in its place.
'...'
He could hunt her down and kill all the loose ends... But it's to inefficient.
Moving to walk away, the air behind him suddenly shuddered with anger.
"!?" Shocked. Aaron whipped around and turned to look at the now dead Tiger Leader's body which had began to stumble and attempt to stand despite the mortal wound stuck onto its neck.
Red crimson leaking out of the neck like a waterfall, like a puppet controlled by an amateur puppeteer, the body turned its head stiffly his way as the mouth moved slowly, another eye growing on his forehead as a voice filled with rage spoke
"How... Did... Happen... Child?"
*CRACK
The neck snapped causing the head it was supporting to limply lie against the Tiger Leader's shoulder, his three eyes still staring at Aaron as his mouth moved slowly.
"Quick... Or I... Kill... You"
Mind flashing with several thoughts in a singular moment, the once Knight hurriedly bowed to the Tiger before pointing at the cave entrance where the blood trail had disappeared off to.
"I'm sorry Totem God, by the time I realised it, the Girl with the Blood of Liquid Fire had just stabbed your chosen in the neck."
"Why... Not..... Stop?"
"I was busy stopping the Mage master."
Head stiffly turning to the mage who was glaring at the body of the Barbarian Leader currently inhabited by the Three Eyed Tiger.
"Kill... him... I'll... deal... with... her."
The Barbarian Leader's face bore his signature smile. A smile that seemed to split his face in half in its ugliness.
"You... now... leader..."
Crumpling to the ground suddenly, Aaron stayed bowed to the place where the Three eyed tiger just was.
It wasn't until a minute had passed did Aaron return to his previous state of uncaringness.
"Some Three Eyed King of the Mountain." Murmuring to himself, Aaron prepared to stab the still glaring Captain before the cave shook.
Turning around in shock, the world itself seemed to have been... Shattered.
---
'This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!'
Silently screaming in his head, despite his many misgivings, Ren dragged the body of a bleeding woman through the cave.
That bleeding woman being the Heiress of the Barony Meredith Lorelai aside, what the hell was happening today?!
Panting in exertion as the pain in his leg started to poke at him slightly, the Heiress in his hands finally had the presence of mind to shake him off.
"Am I really that heavy? Let go of me."
"No, it's just that my leg-"
"Shut up and place me against the wall."
"Yes."
Grunting in exertion, Lorelai placed herself up against the wall while sweating and raised a hand.
Forming an orange glow around her hand, Ren stared in wonder before it swiftly turned into awkwardness when her hand pressed at her stomach and cauterized the wound swiftly.
He had heard of how to cauterize an open wound in the case of emergency, but it was his first time seeing it done with... anything really.
"..."
"..."
*Sizzle
Silence interrupted only by the sound of flesh scorching, the Heiress's hair clung to her head in a cold sweat as the same process was repeated on the opposite side of the wound.
The Silence continued.
Until it didn't
"Why did you save me?"
"...What?"
"Why did you save me?"
"...Do I need a reason?" Tilting his head in confusion, the Heiress furrowed her brows in confusion, nearly forgetting the fact that she was currently scorching her flesh in an attempt to close the wound.
Nearly.
Grimacing as the blood and flesh melted together, Ren caught her as she tried to get up suddenly.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"What is your name?"
"Ren?"
"Ren huh..." Rolling the words in her mouth, the Heiress's eyes looked around suspiciously as she got up with a limp, her harsh gaze seemingly boring into Ren.
"Are you going to betray me Ren? Tell me the truth."
"What!? I would never!" Rapidly shaking his hands and head, Meredith Once Struck never twice Lorelai nodded her head slowly.
With her trust betrayed twice now, first by a captain who put his own priorities before others and second by a knight that had been with her since childhood, she stared at Ren who had just saved her.
Only time would tell what type of favor she would give Ren for saving her life back there.
It might be one of blood and fire, or it might be one of fame and gold.
Only time would tell as she stared at the boy supporting her awkwardly despite her incredibly vivid suspicions.
"Girl with the Blood of Liquid Fire, so here you are."
The chance came much to soon for her liking as she stared at a black abyss like fracture appearing before her eyes.
Appearing in the middle of the dark abyss like fracture, the cave itself bore numerous cracks as a tiger cautiously ambled its way through
With a mostly skeletal appearance coated in white fur and blue stripes, three eyes blinked in surprise before it swiftly morphed into glee.
"What a coincidence. Now I can kill you myself."
Mouth opening impossibly wide to reveal a tiger skull with three eyes, the skull's ivory teeth instantly neared Meredith Lorelai's face as several memories instantly flashed through her mind.
---
Guard's Log: Night Watch
- Event -1: During the shift change, Halsey appeared at the gates attacking the passerby. Using an unknown weapon to throw metal pellets at people with the sound of thunder.
Until day guard arrived and target fled, many injuries and deaths have occurred.
Confirmed Deaths: 9
Confirmed Injuries: 73
Investigation confirmed to have acquired an experimental weapon from the Autumn Tower.
Execution on sight requested [Approved]
- Event -2: Until target is found, exit and entrance from the city is restricted.
Higher security measures put in place to prevent more injuries and death
Mild dissatisfaction from merchant groups.
Request for Higher overtime Pay [Processing]
+++
Tree that is finally getting into the part that I had gotten a strangely memorable dream about.
I've seen about five different iterations of this dream over the course of a month.
Tree