The Heart Of Gaia - Chapter 17 A Knight's Resolve

Out of shock, I kicked him away from me. He fell grunting onto the floor, the light from the hallway illuminated the monster and it’s appearance. This certainly wasn’t human anymore, as I felt sick to my stomach.

“What are you?!”

In retaliation it started flailing around the ground, hurriedly it stood up as the crystals on it’s body started glowing.

“Viscorrs?!”

“Grahh!”

As it tried to lunge onto me while baring it’s jagged disproportioned teeth towards me. I redirected it by pushing it away mid air.

“I really hope they’d come down here. Soon!”

It snarled at me with animal-like movements, the drool fell from it’s mouth as if hungry for my flesh. What kind of person would do such a thing, I could tell that it’s body had gone through medical treatment as there was some dressing stuck to it’s neck. It’s as if inhumane experimentation had been involved–It’s definitely stronger than a ordinary human being.

*SCREEECH!*

It’s ear piercing voice was unbearable. It ran towards me as I braced myself with fists in the ready. Soon I locked into a fist fight with the creature and with it’s simple movements I finished it.

“Enough!”

It’s was still moving despite of how unbelievably fragile it’s body were. I’ve broken several bones that were crucial for its movement but it still kept struggling to gnaw at me. It crawled towards me

with it’s one arm, while it left traces of thick and dried blood in it’s wake.

*Stomp!*

I snapped its remaining arm. It couldn’t move anymore and was just flailing on the ground.

“He-help m-me…”

With a low voice it begged. It’s voice somehow retained a bit of humanity in it, it pulled at my heart as there was one thing that could only save it.

*Crack!* *Splat!*

It’s skull broke under the force of my foot as it’s brain matter scattered everywhere. I gagged at the sight and smell of the atrocity. Finally I saved it’s poor soul, I couldn’t comprehend but somehow

I could tell that it was aware; Instinctively.

Soon men kept coming down steadily as we grew in numbers. I saw Sir Bardel and my trusted men along with him as I joined them. We swarmed the area while our mages lit up the darkness with their spells. As the place came to light, we saw several paths that surrounded us. The place was dome-like shaped area made up of mossy stone bricks, each direction had a hallway erecting onward to the unknown.

Disturbingly the hollowed voices I heard felt like it came from all directions, as it echoed further we couldn’t establish where the voices came from.

“Hackmann!”

I turned to Sir Bardel as he threw my prized possession towards me.

“Thank you!”

He saluted in reply.

Soon He rounded his men up as he cut them into several teams, with our situation he must’ve realized that exploring separately would hasten our chances at finding the princess.

“Alright! those with higher ranks should spearhead a team! Our goal is simple! look for the princess!”

“AAHHHH!”

At the back of the group, we heard one of ours. Quickly his teammates disposed of his attacker as we hurried to their location. What we saw was the same creature I faced, except this one was charred like coal.

The sight of this creature caused mass hysteria as random voices reached out.

“What the f*ck is that?!”

“Is it human?”

“Don’t be stupid! that doesn’t look like a human being!”

“Get me out of here!”

“I don’t want to die!”

Bardel clenched his fists as he stared into this monstrosity.

“SILENCE!” He screamed.

“THIS IS THE REASON WHY WE FIGHT! LOOK AT THIS POOR SOUL!

Silence met the whole dungeon.

“IF YOUR SPIRIT WAIVERS! WHAT THEN! THIS CREATURE WAS ONCE A PERSON! IMAGINE THE NEXT PERSON TO YOU TURNED INTO THE SAME THING! INTO A MINDLESS MOVING CORPSE!”

Most of them had shameful look upon their faces.

“IF WE DON’T STOP THEM! THEN WHO WILL?! NEXT THING WE KNOW OUR FAMILIES LIVES ARE AT STAKE!”

“IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE BETTER THAN THEIR OWN THEN I WONT STOP YOU!”

The stillness concluded the morale of the whole squadron. No one left as their fear loosened the grip on them. All of them had their reasons but kept to themselves. Bardel had a natural knack for leadership which was one of the reasons why men such as myself look up to him.

“OVER THERE!” A random voice shouted.

I stared at the direction from which one of the soldiers pin-pointed.

“What the heck is that?!” said dale.

“Gaia have mercy…” Timidly John followed.

I squinted as the faint light that illuminated this dark dungeon made it challenging for my eyes to focus. Then I realized what I stared at was the dim glowing of different colors that came pouring out by the dozen.

*SCREECH!*

I felt my whole body shudder in realization as I ascertained that those creepy moving figures was a horde of obscurities. The dim glow added more to my anxiety, as they came with voices that gradually grew in volume.

“Holy F*ck!” I shouted.

“Well! I guess my time has come!” said Cain sarcastically.

“IT’S TIME TO PROVE YOURSELVES! READY! TO POSITIONS!” Bardel screamed.

What continued was the dance of life and death between our army versus the endless cadavers of Laxxo.

*Clang* *Clash* *Screech*

“These creatures are nothing against us! they’re mindless!” said dale.

“IF YOU HAVE TIME TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH! THEN YOU HAVE TIME TO SWING YOUR SWORD!” Peeved Cain answered.

“Well, aren’t you two certainly lively!” John followed.

“No, Dale you’re wrong” I thought to myself as my body was preoccupied with the constant bashing and beating of the damned corpses. Experience wise, there is no denying that they’ll lose but this is not a test of skill.

It was of endurance, we’re outnumbered ten to one and they still kept on coming…

“HEHEHEHEHE!”

“GAIA! THE MESSIAH!”

The voices of the dead kept ringing that interrupted my thoughts until eventually they meet their second death. It was disturbing, the constant pleading, completely opposite of what they portrayed. It’s as if their consciousness held on to whatever hope they wished upon and there it lingered.

“NOT MY SON!”

A monster screamed as it tried to claw at my face, with my shield that served as a bulwark to my life, I bashed it’s face as it flew away from the impact. That’s what I thought…

To my surprise the monster was guarded with a spell, it’s body was coated with glowing orange Corr that shielded him from any physical attack.

“N-not my s-soooon…” it’s voice crackled.

“This is going to be trouble.”

With a normal disruption spell I destroyed it’s defenses, as I proceeded to bash it’s face in. Good thing the spell it utilized seemed to be a low tier spell. Thank Gaia the spell I knew was one tier higher.

*Boom!*

I could hear explosions from afar, this is going to be trickier than I thought.

“What if they could use different spells?!” I whispered to myself.

“DALE! CAIN! JOHN!” I shouted.

The ensuing chaos separated us within the crowd of men, my voice was overlapped by the constant shouting and struggling. Overtime our numbers were dwindling as the numbers of spell using creatures increased. From afar I saw two men fending off against a hulking creature that rendered their skill and experience useless.

Dashingly I went behind the monster.

“Chew on this…”

The spell I buffed my shield with tore away its right leg as it fell stumbling onto the floor like a tree. They ended it’s pathetic life as it said it’s last words.

“Too… w-weak…”

I told them the dangers that these monsters brought as I ordered them to spread the info around. They nodded in agreement. This exact scenario happened over and over, aiding those that needed it while trying to instill some sense into their fear ridden minds. Hopefully this would prevent our numbers from decreasing over time.

Finally different kinds of magic spells could be seen anywhere on the battle field, This was getting out of hand, our task was further away from completion. What if this was a distraction, as our enemies ought to slide away from our grasp.

Soon I saw that familiar blonde hair that covered his sky colored eyes, he was disposing of anything that opposed his direction. The hordes were useless against his lance as he enchanted it with numerous spells. The brutal results of his attack left the battlefield painted with the marred bodies of the defeated, as limbs were scattered everywhere.

I ran towards his direction as his destructive blasts left a clear path.

“Hackmann!”

“Sir?! These monsters! they know how to use simple spells!”

“I know… I defeated one earlier.”

“I made sure the rest of the squadron knew of this.”

“Good!”

As he pierced one of the coming attackers in the head.

“What about the mission Sir?!”

I could tell he pondered for a moment.

“You’ll have to do it…”

“WHAT?!”

“In this current situatio–”

He was cut off as the path he cleared soon filled with these forsaken monsters.

*BANG!*

Once more he disposed of them.

“Situation! it’ll be easier for you to slip away due to the chaos!” He continued.

Lost in thought, I answered.

“Yes Sir!”

“That’s the spirit! I’ll clear a path for you and take that chance to move through!”

Although I had doubted my own credibility due to the mishap yesterday, I still wanted to prove myself to him. Plus the sooner we found the princess, the better.

*CRASH!*

After his unbelievable counter-attack against the damned, like grass they fell in one swoop. I saw his display of power and skill that inspired me to reach his level, maybe even surpass him; I hoped.

Soon, I separated from his presence that eventually led me in the midst of the clearing. Without a hint of hesitation they came in waves, I prepared myself whilst holding my shield forward. The seemingly endless stream of monsters came to a halt.

“Wha?!”

It looks like there was an end to this havoc. Their endless numbers that could be seen pouring out the entrances had finally ended. In front of me was an empty hallway that was filled in by a human figure.

“More coming?” I thought.

There was something odd about this figure, I moved towards the path to further inspect the silhouette. I saw the back of what seemed to be a young girl, her brown long hair was barely exposed to the lamp at the entrance.

It had looked like she wore clothing completely opposite of the regular rags that adorned the bodies of the lesser class. As I was about to chase after her–To my left I heard a familliar voice.

“Die! haha! these creatures are too stupid!”

I saw Dale fighting against three enemies by himself, he wore a cocky expression that failed horribly to mask the predicament he was in. I could tell that eventually he’ll get overpowered by the numbers he’s facing.

It seemed like he wandered to far from his fellow soldiers–My mind was torn between the two: it was either him or the mysterious figure.

“STAY BACK YOU WRETCHED–”

I saw him getting backed into a corner as he screamed at them with contempt, as my eyes gazed back to the pathway where the child had gone. She was nowhere to be seen…

My gaze jumped back and forth as I stood frozen in the middle of the open battlefield, it’s as if these monsters had forgotten I was here. My thoughts locked betwixt loyalty and companionship. I felt the pressure of having to choose which.

With burning determination I couldn’t afford to disappoint Sir Bardel again. In the end, I owed Bardel too much to lose his trust. Shamelessly, I left Dale to fend off the creatures alone. The back of my mind slowly ate away at my consciousness,

We have been through a lot together.

I bit my lip in frustration…

“I’m sorry”

Silently, I apologized to him. As my eyes grew wet from the exasperated feeling while slowly distancing myself far from him.

“AHHHH! AHHH! STAY AWAY!”

His screams of anguish resounded well into my mind, scarring both heart and mind. I dreaded this feeling of lament…