39 The Invasion

(Continuation)

War cries were heard resounding on the open air, the archers above the ramparts began to shoot back to their enemies below.

Blue gritted his teeth from the pain, he crouched and yanked the arrows from his back. Celina roved her eyes to see the burly knights on the gate way, they unsheathed their heavy swords, they approached and stood near the gates.

Before Celina and Blue arrived on the city, they noticed the gate was vulnerable since it was still under repair. Thus the path to the city was open from the outside, many soldiers and knights defending the city have turned their focus on the gateway. While the archers and mages were firing back from the ramparts.

A soldier passed by the two. "You need to leave now, you might get hit by stray arrows." He said, then jogged away.

Blue faced her, he grabbed her shoulder, taking her attention. "Let's go woman."

Celina gave a weak nod, then both of them started to strut away. After hearing some groans, they turned around to their backs, to see a lifeless body chucked with arrows. Some of the archers fell from the wall. She gasped, her eyes frightened, her heart fluttered and the world seemed swirling. Blue grabbed her shoulder forcing her to look on the front.

When they turned their heads to their right, the knights on the gateway were trampled by the outsider soldiers who rode on horses, they were obviously the invaders. The invading army poured in across the town, and yelled war cries with their swords held up high. Some of them were even heading to their direction. They were clad in rusty and grimy iron armor, that resembled the designs made from the capital, Celina guessed they might have been what remains of the capital warriors.

Arrows flew towards the enemy soldiers who stepped inside the city, but the enemy archers also shot back, they were in a cross fire. While the rest of the enemy soldiers penetrated the inner districts of the city. "Take the mages!" Shout one invader.

Three enemy soldiers riding a horse were heading to both of their direction.

Blue grunted, he rose his arm, aiming towards them.

Celina gasped, she pulled Blue's arm down. "Blue, you can't kill them."

Blue rose her eyebrow, slightly irked. "Woman, whatever it was we made a deal, these people are set to kill you. Make some exception."

"But, they're our countrymen and humans." Celina mumbled.

"Idiot, abandon your pointless nationalist attachment, you're life is in danger." Blue spat.

When the soldiers were getting close, Blue wrapped his arm around her waist. He soared up into the sky, away from their sword's reach. Blue hovered above them, assessing the situation from below. Celina squealed after she eyed the ground below, she flailed her arms and jolted her body.

Blue frowned, he gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on her. "Woman, compose yourself!"

Celina closed her eyes and pressed her face on Blue's chest. "Okay." She whimpered.

Then one of the invaders, took a horn from his waist, he blew it, releasing a blaring noise that took the attention of everyone around him.

"I know her, she's a Pillar!" One shouted.

Blue smacked his lips, he propelled himself away, he flew above the street, with buildings around him blurring from his speed, diving across the city, when he looked over his shoulders he noticed they were still trailing him. "What an annoying bunch!" He hissed.

He made a slow descent, then turned a corner, afterwards the soldiers lost sight of him since the buildings obscured their view. Blue then hid behind a certain alleyway, clamping Celina's mouth, stopping her from screaming. Celina felt the cold texture of her palms, while they huddled together her heart slightly thumped, not from fear but from something else.

Blue heard that the clattering hoovesteps have subsided, they were probably confused to where they went, hopefully they lost sight of him, since he was lazy to deal with them. After the coast was clear he let go of Celina. Blue leaned on the wall, crossing his arms while she crossed the narrow alley, she noticed there were heart wrenching screams coming from the street. Celina slowly drew her eyes closer and peeked on the streets.

There, she saw the invaders were barging in across several doors, breaking each doors open.

The invading soldiers dragged the families from their homes and shoved them down on the streets, the soldiers buckled them down flat on the ground. Desperate screams roared from their mouths. The noises irked the soldiers, they then stepped on their backs, and pinned them on the ground.

"Shut up!" Yelled the bald soldier, whose scream pulsated their ear dreams. Then the noise completely fell, the citizens tightened their mouths and shivered instead.

With swords pointed on their necks they were forced to comply. "Please don't hurt my family." Said one man whose face were distorted from fear, his lips were heavy. His family was beside him, they were all huddled up, shaking as they were surrounded by vile looking men.

The bald soldier grunted, he eyed his goons. "Assess him, and if they're a mage, you know what to do."

Another soldier came forward, he clasped a dagger, he went first to the daughter. She was still a little one, around the age of ten.

"Please don't touch her." Said the father.

The lean soldier cackled. "Calm down." He held the girls arm roughly, forcing her to whimper. "It hurts." She said.

The lean soldier rose a dagger, then drew it close to her skin. The mother pulled her daughter away from the malicious soldier, she held a piercing glare upon the soldier. She growled and her teeth were tightly gritted. He cackled menacingly as a response. Another soldier came close to the woman, he grabbed her hair and tugged her inward roughly, forcing her to wail in anguish. She was hauled, her buttocks sliding on the road, her sons and daughters were released from her grasp. The mother cried in pain, while her children sniffled seeing their mother being tormented.

The bald soldier observed as he smacked his lips. "Tsk, hurry, the guards might be here soon."

Back on the alleyway, Celina gritted her teeth, she was shaken. "Blue, I don't know what to do. I thought the demons were evil creatures, but they are even worse."

Blue grunted. "What a naive point of view, woman. As long as humans have freewill and open to temptation, nothing stops a man from becoming worse than the demons themselves. And don't bother helping them, let's just deliver the letter and be done with it." Blue said, spiritlessly.

"Could you at least help them?" Celina said nervously.

Blue lets out a heavy laugh. "Why would I? You're the only one I should protect." He spoke.

Celina continued peeking, seeing the family in anguish burnt her heart, she gritted her teeth as sweat formed around her face.

The lean soldier gripped the daughter's arm, he then poked her skin with the tip of his dagger, a drop of blood dripped down, the dagger then recieved the blood and it glowed in white. After trying it with the other children, it seems only the daughter had the mage's blood, the others were normal. This type of dagger reacts to mages blood differently, allowing them to determine which one were the mages.

The bald soldier laughed menacingly. "Take her now, hurry."

"Yes sir." He grabbed the girl and pulled her away from her siblings.

"Help!" Said the girl, reaching out to her father.

The father roared with a wild mouth, "I won't let you," he stood back up from the ground and pushed the soldiers that pinned him away. He charged with great ferocity heading to the soldier two.

The bald soldier unsheathed his blade, "What a fool." He scoffed. When they both came close, he readied his stance and swung it into the father. The father gasped, as the sword were coming towards his face.

Then a clank were heard. Celina now stood between them with her blade up, blocking the bald soldier's sword. The bald man gritted his teeth and stepped back. "Who the hell are you!"

Back on the alleyway, Blue sighed, "That woman." He said wearily.

Celina growled. "I won't allow you to do that!" She turned her head. "Uncle, take your sons and daughters with you. I'll--

Her words cut off when the soldiers had her surrounded, they drew their blades up, with their stance cautious and strong. The soldiers cackled, "A girl, huh?" One spat.

"I would feel bad for cutting a pretty girl down." One said.

Another snickered, he leered upon her as he licked his lips. "No, don't cut her down yet, we'll have to taste her first." He said lewdly.

Celina gritted her teeth, her cautious eyes darted to and fro. "You people are the worst."

The soldiers were around her, they advanced slowly close to her.

Celina gasped after a quick assessment that she couldn't take on them alone, she forced a chuckle, acting playful. "Wait, gentlemen, that's kinda unfair for all of you to pick on one little girl alone. I mean, I think one of you might be enough to bring me down."

One man stepped forward, he brandished his sword on the air, he grinned like a maniac. "We will bring you to the fort and play with you after this is over. Since as it happens, you're my type." He cackled.

The other soldiers around them moved few steps backward, giving them enough space.

"Then, come and get this." Celina retorted.

The soldier smirked. "With pleasure."

He confidently walked alone towards her, with his slow pace it gave Celina a lot of time to take a deep breath, she rose her blade and visualized the mental energy surging in her mind. When they got close, she dashed across the soldier with a quick swing. It happened fast that the soldier got confused. He gasped when his blade got sliced into two. The armor plate on his shoulder fell off and clanked on the ground, his eyes widened and turned to her. He smacked his lips and barked. "What did you do!" The soldier noticed there was a shallow cut on his arm, blood gushed out forcing him to crouch, though it wasn't a fatal strike.

"You still have a lot to learn." Another soldier said to his companion, he then stepped forward. He eyed Celina with a wide smile. He had a long, scraggy blond hair, his words were soft and his movements graceful. "Well then, I think I should be next, but don't worry, I'm different from this men, I will treat you like a princess and take good care of you."

Celina snorted acting pleased. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

The soldier then charged towards her, Celina rose her blade and she tried to focus inside her head. The soldier swung quickly that she was forced to block.

The soldier sniggered. "You're a Zen user right? I'm sorry but I won't be letting you use it."

Celina grunted in dismay after sensing that she might struggle against the new enemy.

As they pressed against each others blades, the soldier sweeped his blade against her causing Celina to stagger backwards. The soldier laughed haughtily. "It seems you're good at using Zen, but you're sword skills still need some polishing."

Celina took a deep breath and gripped her hilt tight, then the soldier lurched forward not giving her any chance of rest. His blade swung towards Celina which she was forced to quickly deflect.

"I won't let you use it, pretty girl." The soldier spoke.

Celina gritted her teeth. "Damn it!" She cursed inside her head. Celina then eyed the weapon anxiously, "I think this is the time where I should utilize the mana inside of this weapon."