42. Entering the Umbral

Castus panted standing next to everyone. Only him, Alyssa and Wyden were huffing and puffing. Everyone else just had some remnants of the battle. Darius most notably barely looked to have barely broken a sweat.

Of the ten Ryden soldiers, nine remained. They were elites but a brutal push like that will always have dangers. They formed up then looked to Darius. The tallest of them stepped forward. "We need to get moving quickly. They won't lag behind us long. We have confirmed reports that have two jumpers as well." Darius nodded and began a brisk walk in the direction of the umbral. Castus took a dry swallow and stumbled after. This trip was just getting started.

It took 10 minutes to get to a good view point of the umbral. From where they were Castus spotted six guards outside the mouth of a cave. They were well equipped but they seemed to be more for the odd wanderer than to prevent an invader.

They back up behind a large boulder and the nine Ryden soldiers stepped forward. They were to be the muscle after all. Might as well use them. The group of transplants watched as the soldier stealthily approached the six guards. For all the heavy armor they wore they were quite agile. Castus noticed this and considering he planned to make armor one day, noted to inspect the armor when he got the chance.

The men swiftly dispatched the guards and made a hand motion to give the all clear. Finally they stood in front of the umbral. Castus now knew what Grant had meant by a dangerous place. A smokey black air whispered out of the cave. The group got into a crude formation. The nine Ryden soldiers in the front, the transplants in the middle and Grant and Darius at the rear. Then they entered the umbral.

Castus didn't feel anything change for a bit. They had walked for a number of paces at this point. He was starting to doubt this umbral was much of anything beyond an eerie atmosphere. Slowly though he realized his surroundings had differed greatly. The originally dry cave became extremely damp and the air grew thick and difficult to breath, like molasses.

The man at the front of the Ryden group stopped. He turned around facing the transplants. "We have officially entered the umbral. As your aware there's no way out now. Prepare yourself." He turned back around but Castus felt something move behind himself.

Darius pushed past Castus and put himself between Castus and the soldiers. He lowered himself and spoke. "Get on with the betrayal. We already know your not elite soldiers. You move to stealthily and the kingdom would never send only elite soldiers for an umbral."

Castus took a step back. He had never once considered that these men were not on his side, but Darius seemed to have known for some time. Grant now took a defensive posture. He moved to the side, ready to intercept any movement.

The nine didn't move for some time. Then, they slowly shed the bulky armor to reveal black leather clothing. "I suppose you were eventually going to figure it out. I just assumed we had more time." The helmet came off the tall man, revealing a light skin and pointed ears. He looked like a classic elf, so did all the others. They had matching attire.

Grant seemed nervous now. "Darius those are royal Ryden wraiths." Darius for one of the first times had a honest grin on his face. "Well, now you've got me excited Grant. Keep the kids safe. It seems the Rydens fear the transplants more than the wrath of Sol."

In a blurring movement Darius made the first move. His hand grappled the man closest to him and snapped the arm off in a fluid motion. The force tossed him into the cave wall with a resounding smack. That movement sent the remaining eight into a frenzy. Grant's rapier moved like a cobra, striking and parrying blows all around. Castus could barely keep up. Most of what he was following we the brief flashes of light from sparks between what looked like daggers and Grants rapier.

Everyone except for Cerone and Zed backed up, giving Grant more space to hold back the attackers. Castus could see shallow cuts already riddled Grants body. Looking past him though he saw Darius rip another man in half. Seven left.

Feeling the impending danger Cerone cast that red mist once more. Grant was no longer on a full back foot. He was now capable of standing his ground. The surge of strength and agility boosted Darius enough to catch another man off guard. His face was smashed like a gourd with a resounding crack. Six left. The gore and blood made Castus sick to his stomach. Sure he had semi gotten over killing beasts and monsters, but people. That didn't sit right with him.

Zed stood still. His head moved quickly, tracing movements of a man attempting to bypass Grant. He did. Like a shadow the rapier suddenly slashed through the man, causing no harm and he arrived in front of Zed. Time seemed to slow as Castus watched the blur of a dagger arch through the air towards Zed. Zed however seemed calm. He raised his forearm and used it to block the man's attack at the elbow. His other hand held a dagger that Castus had spotted Zed playing with days earlier. In a swift movement the dagger pierced the man's heart and he his movements weakened. Zed pulled back gaining distance as the man slowly bled out. Five left.

Grant was currently in a stalemate with two men and the three were now whittling away at Darius using their obvious speed advantage to land small cuts on Darius and avoid is monstrous strength. Castus felt the danger and started to panic. Flashed of the house fire played in his mind as his knees weakened, but then the training in the marsh with Grant and Grant's words echoed in his head. Steeling himself Castus formed the gun in his hand. He then made the bullet, putting together the entire weapon for the first time. He felt the weight of it and the wood against his palm. All that theory and planning. Now was the time for it to pay off.

Right now the fight was balanced. The original initiative of Darius and Zed's counter attack had evened the playing field, but Castus could see Grants heavy breaths and the Darius has slowed down some already. The combined stamina of five men were greater than two. Castus watched Grant defend noticing the pattern of the two assailants. One would go in, attacking Grant and provide and opening for the other to strike. While the first engaged, for a brief moment the other man was stationary. That was his opportunity. His chance. Castus kept the gun lowered.

The fighting fortunately distracted everyone from noticing Castus actions. Castus saw the men trade. The other dove in with a flurry of attacks and trade spots with the first man. The first backed up and ready himself and then Castus moved. He raised the gun and funneled mana the same way he had leaned from Freth to enchant into the shouk powder. An instant later a resounding explosion went off.

BOOM!

The shot went wide, but the noise distracted the man attacking. Grant seized the opportunity and stabbed the man through the throat and swiped wide, cleaning removing the head of the man. Four left. The remaining man now had to face Grant one on one. Grant advanced on him, locking him down.

Just as he did Darius made a bold move. He had seen the effect the noise Castus made had on the elves and clapped his hands together hard, creating a sonic explosion. Alyssa, noticing the movement reached a hand out. Castus never heard anything, but the remaining four men dropped to the ground suddenly, stumbling from the noise. Castus noticed blood pouring from their ears as Darius made quick work of two. Grant finishing his opponent off as well. The last remaining man looked around in fear, before his body morphed into liquid shadow and he vanished. Just in time for Darius' fist to crush the location he was in.

Darius grunted, standing back up. Grant was using his rapier to keep standing. They both had taken quick a bit of damage. Castus felt a hand on his shoulder and then the voice of Wyden whisper in his ear. "Hide that damn thing now. And make up an excuse quickly." Castus realized what Wyden meant. Guns were not a technology that was seen in this world. If the church mass produced them they would gain a significant advantage in combat. Castus forced the gun to return to neutral mana, dispelling it. Like it never existed.

Grant finally turned around. "Thank you for the help Alyssa. That loud sound and controlling Darius' clap really saved us there." Castus sighed realizing that Alyssa's blessing of sound perfectly covered for the gun shot. The group was beginning to sit down for a moments rest, but Darius dragged them away, insisting on getting away from the scene of the betrayal. Concerns that the blood and noise would attract other beasts. Once they had gotten sufficiently away, Cerone asked the question everyone wanted to know.

"Why did they try to kill us?" Grant looked up from a seated position. "Fear. The church of Sol may capture you and use you, but some places like the Rydens just off transplants when they can. Fearing you will grow into immeasurable threats. Most places have different policies on what to do." The answer, while sufficient, still soured the air. No matter where they went they would always be singled out.

They rested for a bit, some ate some rations or drank some water, but Castus didn't. The gore and killing of people left him nauseated. The rush of the day so far had been intense and he simply closed his eyes trying to calm himself and rest up. He cheered himself up, remembering that Shi and Rys might still be alive in this place.