*Whoosh*
Isen managed to dodge, landing a deep gash on one of the cheetah abominations that yelped in pain. His men thrilled to see this scene charged at the rest of the beasts. Isen was a master when it came to the art of the sword, not that much of an elementalist similar to his men.
The rest were armed with maces, others swords and multitasking with shields. The air instantly heated up with conflict as the cries of men and beast alike filled the air. Callista watched the whole scene with amusement, wondering how long they would last before they all came to fall at the hands of the beasts.
"Quick! Shield those injured l!" Isen shouted to which a line barrier formed separating the beasts from the injured who were now armed with bows. Though immobile, their hands helped the rest of their men.
Isen was the focus of the pack in a matter of minutes, his speed and reaction posed a threat to the abominations. "They're trying to target Isen, shield him quickly!" One cried however by the time he could take a step, his throat was slit open with one of the cheetah claws.
"Damn these idiots! Do they think that I can't defend myself or what?!' His hubris though short had taken a punch. One of the cheetah's leapt to bite his head off however with his heightened battle senses, he managed to dodge to the side where another was waiting for him.
'These things are actually coordinating with hair attacks!' He used his sword for support as he made an upward slash on the cheetah exposing a lethal cut to it's neck. However before he could finish it off, it quickly made it's way to he back and it's path blocked by other cheetahs.
Isen cursed at their coordination, once childish was growing with each passing second while his men one by one began to fall. The scene played out till he was left alone with a soldier, his face drenched in sweat and the axe in his hands shaking. The cheetahs circled around them proud with what they had managed to haul.
"Gah!" One snarled and leapt at the man shielding Isen. "Watch out!" The man muttered, his words coming a bit too late for Isen to fully dodge. "Arghh!! These damned beasts!" Isen cursed as he felt his back turn warm, a claw mark now etched on his back while the feline seemed to smile at it's work.
"It's been an honor serving with you Isen!" The man whispered before the sound of clattering filled Isen's ears. "What are you doing?!" He cried out in rage however the man had already taken a step forward into the cheetahs and without fail, his body was instantly shredded to bits.
Isen grabbed the mace dual wielding it with his sword. His head constantly shifted around as the pack drew in closer, others going into the town to search for any survivors. 'Looks like the old bastard was right! Still there's no place I'd rather die than with my comrades!' He mused in his heart, though ready to embrace what was to come going down with a fight.
'I thought that they would have lasted a lot longer than they did.' Callista mused inwardly, a playful smirk flashing on her lips. 'But then again with the poisoning and the hunger, they do deserve some credit.' She concluded as she aimed her finger at one of the cheetahs.
*Thud*
Isen who saw the cheetah lunge at him was stunned when it was it's carcass that landed at his feet. "What?!" He looked at it, the head cleanly cut off, the beast fully dead. Another tried to launch a sneak attack however the fate was still the same.
*Thud*
One by one they all began to fall till Isen was left surrounded with carcasses and a surprised look on his face. He looked around trying to see his savior however nothing turned up. "Ah! Looks like I won't be able to stop those as well." He cursed as he saw the other herds of beasts approach the town.
His body was drained with exhaustion, the cut on his back further adding to the toll further dimming his vision. He callously dropped the mace and using his sword used it for support. Still before he could lose consciousness, he tried to find his savior to thank them for living a little bit more.
***
Callista looked at the horde ahead not with worry by contempt. 'These things are so annoying to deal with. I guess Isen will have to let go of this town then.' With a flick of her fingers, multiple glyphs flashed.
*Whoosh*
Fifteen humanoid crystalline beings came to view, each standing awaiting orders to which she waved them off. Each vanished without a trace and dealt with the horde, be it with the one already in the town or the one outside.
'What do we have here?' Callista mused as she towered over an unconscious Isen. She looked at his scarred back before her eyes fell on his face. It had a look of a commander that had been through hell and high water, even in such a vulnerable state, the edge he had around him didn't waver.
'Guinevere should find this one interesting.' She mused inwardly as she brought out a potion from her crystalline world. As much as she preferred it empty, she knew that carrying items with her pockets would be more cumbersome.
*Drip-Drip-Drip*
Three drips on his wounds was enough before sending the potion back into her world. She looked around, her hands folded behind her back as she looked at the devastated state of this town. 'I guess a town like this wouldn't be missed by many. After all it's in the middle of nowhere.'
Just as she was about to end it all, Isen subconsciously shifted before his eyes opened with worry. "Hah!" He looked around in bewilderment to meet a beauty towering over him. However his dazed state didn't last long as he collected himself and rose to his feet.
"Who are-" His sword aimed at Callista was shattered into a million pieces by her crystalline strands no wider than a hair's width. It was a technique she fancied as it allowed her to execute stealthy kills and if needed large scale attacks. "Your goddess so worship me."
She taunted making Isen furrow his brows. Recalling the horde en-route, he looked at the town walls only to see an absolute carnage. Abominations were falling left and right, some unaware with what had claimed their life. The cause were her sentries, not towering with big bulky features but more refined, more human.
It wasn't long before they mowed the entire swarm. As for those already within the town walls, they met their end faster. "You're a her-..." Just as Isen was about to thank Callista for her work, his mind recalled something grave. "You're Callista, aren't you?" His once calm and friendly voice had now been switched with something more hostile.
"Your goddess hears. I didn't know that I had fans this far." She giggled as her eyes playfully rested on Isen as if finding her next toy to break. "Goddess? You're nothing more than a monster! You not only killed the king but his sons and daughters as well! For you actions you deserve-"
Callista cut him off. "Deserve nothing more than praise and love..." Her tone lighthearted before twisting into something sinister. "...because I'm sure that death is something you can dream for me." Her taunt daring Isen to make a move. He grit his teeth, cursing at his predicament.
*Whoosh*
Fourteen of the fifteen puppets reported back and disappeared into nothingness in her world of obsidian glass. 'There's no way that I can fight her.' Isen crafty knew that fighting Callista was out of the question. 'Even his majesty was fell by her.' He mused on in his mind.
"What? Aren't you going to bother killing me and all that? Here." The mace on his feet was raised in front of his face. "Come on, kill me!" She shot a smile capable of wishing Isen to have her drop dead, veins bulging on his temples and yet all he could do was watch and endure her games.
"Don't tell me you don't want to play now. You know me so why don't you bother with your pitiful revenge and die by my hands." Despite her taunts, Isen didn't bother as he clenched his fists. "Fighting you will result in my death, it would be pointless to fight you. My mission here is to save the people of Mirevale."
His tone strict making Callista drop her playful act. "Admirable Isen, truly admirable." She sarcastically added on before the two were approached by Berrick who was bathed in wounds. His right hand was missing however even in his staggered state he managed to make it over to the pair.
"Who are you?" His question was met with a chilling answer, his death. Isen groaned at how easily she killed. "What? He was going to die anyway. Besides I'm here not to kill you but recruit you. And before you start with that pathetic excuse, I want you to think about after because Redfall is under new management."
Isen narrowed his gaze at the beauty standing a few feet away from him. 'She's not wrong. With her intervention, my work here is null. Revenge won't work, running away could end with me being a target... Do I really have to yield to this psychopath?' He couldn't believe the situation he was in.
Either to submit to a person who could kill him with a thought or die. "And here. I noticed that you were lacking in terms of physical strength, I don't like weak toys." She handed him over a vial, inside gleaming with flames and mercury with a faint trace of ash making him look back at Callista.
'Is she trying to use this as bribe material?' The vial in his hand glimmered faintly in the sun's rays. What baffled him was the rarity of the vial in his hands. 'It's clear that she has a lot of resources if she can give this out so casually. Or maybe it's due to that Hollow Saint?'
Still, the Dragon Wrought molt in his hands wasn't something that he could overlook. Given that he was a knight who specialized in the physical realm, such a vial could be a step closer to achieving his ultimate form. "As for the malcore end of it for the breakthrough, your loyalty will suffice. I'm sure you know how hard it is to get a Graven Heart."
Isen shifted glances between the vial and Callista. "However if you're not interested then I could chop you down and find someone more fitting for the role." Her tone apathetic as she clasped her hands behind her back. "I..." What he was about to do was considered treason in his mind however reviewing the matter, he knew that it would be idiotic in the long run.
'If I vow my allegiance to this bitch and that excuse of a saint, my strength should grow and I could eventually manage to even the plain field and kill them both.' He plotted in his mind, unaware that Callista had already contaminated the vial. 'Even if he were to betray the kingdom, the vial should kill him with a thought from Guinevere.'
'And does he really think that he could kill us?' She scoffed in her mind as she shared a handshake with Isen. "I'll agree to serve this new kingdom." His words heavy as his eyes drifted to Berrick's corpse on the ground. "That's great to hear, all you have to do is stay here, someone should come and pick you up."
She mused with finality as she headed towards the main entrance of the town now in a state of ruin, bits of the wooden door all over the streets. "..." As much as he wanted to ask her destination, risking death wasn't a gamble he could make. His eyes then realized the crystal sentinel perched on the gate, it's frame imposing as a chilling silence clung to it.
'Just what is this new kingdom?' He knew what was about to be unleashed wouldn't be Redfall but something far more darker and all he could do was watch... for now.