Chapter 119: Cult Appears

Everyone knew what she meant the moment she uttered the words. ’There are enemies around.’ Charon mentally ordered his skeletons in front of them, facing the direction Red was pointing in. The Defenders were in the front, with his lighter infantry on the sides and the archers in the back. The lieutenant was kept behind them, ready to intercept any threats that got further. His eyes darted upwards, toward Achlys, who was surprisingly already in motion. Her hands slammed together, the mist above them curling to create a series of humanoid figures. They then dashed into the fog, hiding themselves from the group. It wasn’t what Charon was expecting. ’I thought she would’ve just ignored us till I asked her for help. I guess she takes combat more seriously than that.’ A faint smile appeared on his lips. ’Maybe she doesn’t dislike us as much as I thought.’ Liam twirled his axe, a satisfactory look on his face. "Finally! It’s killin’ time! My god has been starved for blood these past few weeks, wouldn’t mind pleasing him today!" Emerius seemed to share a similar sentiment, his twin shortswords leaving his sheaths with a loud ring. He approached the right flank and crouched down, like a tiger waiting to pounce. Darius moved to cover the other side, but was stopped by Charon. "Stay with Emerius! You two can work together, trust me! Your styles are perfect matches!" The two swordsmen flashed him a curious look, but nonetheless did as he said, both standing shoulder to shoulder as they tried to peer further into the mist. ’That leaves me and Liam for the left.’ The giant man looked down at him with a wicked grin, a dangerous light in his eyes. ’Yeah, that’s a blood mage all right. What is it that Emerius called him? A... Blood Reaver! That’s it! His element is that of the Blood Reaver.’ It was an interesting element name, not one Charon had ever heard before. Usually, elements took simple names, like his soul or Emerius’ shadow. Blood Reaver reads more like a title. ’He has two abilities. One that makes him regain his stamina by causing people to bleed, and another that Darius didn’t want him to use. They said it was dangerous around so many allies, but that means it must be powerful. Let’s hope he doesn’t have to use it now.’ Charon adjusted his grip on the dagger at his hip, its hilt cold against his skin. The mud was thick around his ankles, tugging at his boots as if it wanted him to stop moving. He forced himself to breathe slowly and steadily, waiting for the first sign of motion. His summons mirrored his tension, shields raised and jaws clacking as if they were gnashing teeth in impatience. The heavy armor they wore helped sink them further into the mire, forcing them to yank their limbs free and step on the more solid patches. Shapes flickered in the distance, just outside their visible range. Everyone hunched up as they prepared for the first clash, yet it didn’t come, the shadows retreating as they vanished once more. Seconds passed by in tense silence, everyone readying for the inevitable that never came. ’By the time we see them, they will practically be on top of us.’ Liam leaned toward him, whispering without looking away from the fog. His knuckles were white around his weapons shaft. "If they don’t come to us, I’ll drag them out myself. I don’t like waitin’." Charon didn’t respond, too focused on preparing himself for the confrontation. He knew it had to be soon; Red had heard their thoughts after all. ’Unless they noticed we were ready and are repositioning. They could be the ones preparing the ambush, and have a way to see through the fog. If that’s the case, we could be screwed.’ He tried not to think about that too much. Emerius shifted, crouching lower, his eyes narrowed. Darius did the opposite, standing up straighter as he held his sword out, far from his body. He looked ready to intercept a strike and redirect it, hopefully into Emerius’ waiting blades. Above them, Achlys watched patiently, her arms crossed and eyes closed as if viewing from a different perspective altogether. Occasionally, Charon caught sight of her spawn, the others seemingly oblivious to their existence. ’I hope they prove to be more aggressive than the kind we saw before. There is little use for extra eyes only she can use during the fight.’ Behind him, the girls were still, unmoving as they did their best to remain calm. ’I understand Red not helping, but Annie? We saw her glowing sword when we met her. Are we supposed to believe she isn’t willing to use it, even now? What kind of bullshit is this?’ He didn’t have long to consider the stupidity of her pacifism, a shape approaching them from a mist. When he appeared, he was exactly like Charon expected. Long brown robes with black trim covered his tall frame. A series of geometric shapes was drawn on the fabric and seemed to shift with every movement. His hood was down, exposing a bald face set into an all-too-wide smile. His arms were spread out wide as if to invite them all into a hug, one of his hands normal, with the other being made of steel. His metallic fingers curled and uncurled, releasing a staccato creaking noise. ’They definitely seem like a worshipper of Alastor. They even got his creepy robe and half-machine vibe going on.’ For some reason, the sight of him angered him to no end. His teeth gnashed together as he fought the urge to charge him and cut him down where he stood. He paused a dozen feet out and spoke, his voice fluid and charismatic. "Welcome, soldiers of the Fort. I do hope the transportation period was... acceptable. It has been a great deal of time since we were able to operate our relics, and the records were... inconclusive to the effects." Charon saw Liam’s arms flex beside him as if the brute was preparing to strike. ’Not yet, we should see if there is a peaceful resolution.’ The moment he thought it, he discarded it, unwilling to let this abomination leave the mire alive. Charon blinked. ’Since when was I so judgmental? This could be a huge misunderstanding; they could have changed.’ His eyebrows narrowed as he scoffed. ’No, servants of Alastor could never change.’ He didn’t know how, but he knew it as if it were a fact. Darius called out to the man, taking the role of group representative, just like he took the position of group leader. "Who are you, and what do you want from us?" The man’s impossible smile somehow stretched further. "Why, the same things you want! Peace, freedom, and justice for all! Citizens of your society have come to our lands before, and the ideals they speak of are so admirable! We wish for you to share them with us!" Everyone glanced at each other. ’Peace, freedom, and justice? What is this, a political speech? They kidnapped us, and now talk about freedom?’ Darius echoed Charon’s sentiments. "Then why did you take us from our mission? If you truly do seek those things, then allow us to leave this place so we can complete our objective. We will be able to send a delegate from the High Council itself upon our return." The cultist tilted his head and laughed. It was a short, breathy noise that felt beastial. His mechanical arm spun, the metal grinding against itself as it whirred like a dogs tail would wag. "I apologize, I believe you misunderstood my offer to you all. We were not seeking those things for you as you remain now." He paused as thirty, or more, figures appeared alongside him. Charon gasped as he recognized them as the soldiers serving in Alastor’s army, but twisted. Rather than sleek and intelligently designed, they were rustic and ramshackle. Gone were the powerful arms and chest plates, replaced by metal scrap the color of dirt. Their legs were bent at odd angles, like a chicken’s, with their feet ending in jagged claws rather than flat pads. The advanced, futuristic rifles were replaced with ugly laser weapons, their power packs crackling and sparking as they were jostled. The only part that remained from the demi-gods imposing force was the purple cores, humming behind dirty glass. Even those seemed warped, the light far dimmer and randomly pulsing. The man in front of them cackled. "We seek you as revenants, returned from the grave to serve in our perfected world. The humanity you possess is nothing but a plague, disgracing progress." With a snap, all of the machines straightened, their guns held across their chests. The action was anything but clean, with none of them being in sync. Sparks jetted from their backs, pushing against the fog to reveal Achlys’ minions a few feet away. "Today, you shall evolve!"