Chapter 45: Killing

A few laser bolts hit Charon in the chest, throwing him back into the mud. His eyes widened, but he felt no pain. Madly grabbing at his chest, sure he would feel the burning holes, his brow furrowed as he only felt smooth cloth and the hard chains. A word rang out in his mind. ’Resolve.’ He mentally activated the holo-pad and brought up his summons’ second ability, having forgotten it existed. [Ability Name: Warden’s Resolve] [Ability Element: Soul] [Ability Description: At the dawn of time, one word was spoken across the cursed shore of the Acheron. That word took form, becoming something sentient. Something burdened with one eternal purpose. For eons, it has stood, waiting, watching, and fighting to deliver on the promise it never knew it made. Then, coming from the same sky it had forever toiled beneath, a new word was spoken, and a new command was given. As it has always been, and forever shall be, the Warden obeys.] Charon’s jaw dropped as he realized what the ability meant; far greater defense. ’The Warden never stopped in his mission, so when I’m wearing him, I can’t be stopped either.’ The wheels in his head turned as he came to terms with what it meant, especially during the battle. ’I can’t be hurt, at least not by laser guns...’ He threw himself to his feet, a fresh volley of bolts slamming into his torso, but he ignored them. Charon charged the man in the middle of their group, tackling him to the ground and bringing the dagger down into his throat. Blood spurted into the air, coating him in the vital fluid, but he refused to stop now. The other men pulled away while firing laser bolt after laser bolt. Each one hit his robes and did nothing, the power of the Warden of the Acheron blocking them from causing him harm. Charon watched the light fade from the first man’s eyes and turned to the second, pushing off the corpse and slashing his dagger down. It caught on the soldier’s armor, but Charon jerked it free and stabbed again, this time finding purchase. It cut into his shoulder, the blade piercing something important as the soldier opened his mouth to release a wet, hissing gurgle. Blood dripped from his lips as he collapsed. The next closest man watched it all in horror, frozen on the spot as Charon attacked him next. His blade cut through the man’s throat like butter, and he too died, his body falling into the mud with a thwap. More lasers hit his back, causing him to stumble forward, but he still felt no pain. He whirled with his dagger held high, only to watch as Emerius dispatched the two at the same time, each of his blades scoring a kill. His friend looked at him with bloodshot eyes. "How are you alive? I saw you get shot, I saw you go down!" Charon reached up and yanked on his robe, the fabric fluttering and the chains jingling. "My robe is stronger than it looks. The lasers can’t pierce it." Emerius nodded his understanding, his blades flicking out to get the blood off. Charon leaned down and wiped his dagger off on one of the soldiers’ pants. He did his best not to think about the fact that he just killed three people. He had always known heroes killed, and had been prepared to do so himself. Yet it was still something he didn’t want to revel in, despite a small voice in his mind purring with pleasure at his actions. ’I can’t feed the monster, or else I will never stop.’ Looking around, he saw that the mages had managed to push the Claytons back into the town proper, the wall being cleared quickly. A large group of magi was pushing down the main street, while a series of small units kicked down the house doors and rushed inside. Emerius placed a steadying hand on his shoulder and pointed down one of the side roads. "We will want to avoid the bulk of the fighting. Our best opportunity to be useful will be to attack their logistics. We sneak around the town, reach the center, and cause as much chaos as possible." Charon nodded, agreeing with the plan. The two set off down the main road before veering off to the left at the first fork they found. Mud and dirt gave way to neatly cobbled pathways, allowing them to move even faster. The shouting and screaming grew faint as they ran, becoming a distant hum. No one stopped them, the town being eerily empty. Damaged houses grew increasingly common, with the stone and bricks blasted to bits. Some were entirely destroyed, with only a few smoldering flames left. ’Where are the civilians?’ He didn’t have long to ponder the thought as they rounded another corner, revealing two shirtless men standing in the street. One was tall, and the other short, but both were bald. They each lazily held a rusty sword. A series of rough tattoos covered their chests, depicting what looked to be skulls, hanging men, and torture implements. The tall one noticed them first, hitting his companion in the arm and gesturing at them. "Oi! We got some company!" The short one practically bounced as he saw them too, his mouth opening to reveal yellowed teeth. He raised his sword, and his arms shook in anticipation. "Finally! And I were thinking this job was gonna be borin’!" Emerius looked at them with derision, his lip curling in a sneer. With steady movements, he stepped forward and flourished his blades. "You take the short one, the beanpole is all mine." He then shot off like a comet, flipping over the tall man and slashing at his back. The soldier, faster than he looked, spun and deflected the strike, retaliating with one of his own. Charon watched them fight for only a moment before putting his full attention on his own opponent, who was approaching him with a leer. "You ’ure you wanna do this? If you git on your knees and beg me for mercy, I may give it." He didn’t need any mind magic to know the man was lying. Without a word, Charon attacked, his dagger streaking towards the man’s gut. The rusty sword spun in a circle, slapping the attempt away. Half expecting the action, Charon threw a fist forward. He felt the man’s nose bend under his punch, but he didn’t feel a break. Grinning sadistically, the soldier threw a jab of his own, hitting Charon in the ribs and throwing him back. He coughed and rubbed the point of impact, a thought occurring to him. ’The Warden doesn’t stop kinetic force!’ Keeping the new information in mind, he let the man attack this time, side-stepping the sloppy overhand blow and thrusting his dagger forward. It sank into his flesh just beneath the collarbone, creating a grievous wound. Charon’s opponent opened his mouth for what he assumed was a scream, but was instead blindsided by a pinpoint shockwave. It streaked from the man’s gob, clipping him on the shoulder and sending him flying. He slammed into the road with a thud, his back bursting into pain as it took the brunt of the collision. He skidded a few feet before stopping. Instinct took over as he rolled to the side, a second projectile hitting the cobblestone and causing it to cave in. ’Sound magic!’ Knowing that he wouldn’t last in a prolonged fight against a mage with offensive spells, he shoved himself up, getting to his feet and surging towards the man. Caught off guard, all the man managed was a haphazard parry, his sword missing as the dagger slipped into his chest and pierced his heart. Charon kicked him away and looked up to find Emerius staring at him with a smirk, his hands raising and falling in a slow clap. "Well done, that is your first mage kill." Charon grimaced and shook his head. "We need to get moving." Emerius nodded and turned to continue their run, but stopped mid-step. Dozens of enemy soldiers had appeared at the end of the street, a mage at their head. More than twenty guns lowered as a thick volley of laser fire began to zing down the street. Picking the closest building, the two dashed inside and slammed the wooden door behind them. "Shit! We need to get out of here!" Charon’s gaze flicked around the cramped two-room house, only then noticing that there weren’t any windows to escape from. Emerius didn’t respond to his words, instead choosing to grab his arm and pull him up a staircase set into the far wall. Once at the top, they found a doorway leading to a final room, this one luckily having a lock. They entered and bolted it shut, taking deep breaths as they considered what to do next. Emerius ran a hand through his blonde hair before rushing to the walls, looking at the edges and creases. He must not have found what he was searching for, as he stood up with a sigh. "We are trapped."