Chapter 8: A Mounted Battle

I walk through the streets of Lazarus, aiming for the shady district, but I hear a familiar voice. "Where have you been, Crescent? I started to think you abandoned us."

I sigh and turn to look at the captain of the guards. "Graham, I had something to take care of. I can't be here all the time. Besides, you and your guards are good enough to protect the people, aren't you?"

I smirk at the annoyed look on his face and swiftly walk away before he can say something. I continue to go through the town, quickly waving hello to Kruz and Abel as I see them patrolling.

I enter the shady district and I go to my regular meeting spot with Shana. She immediately runs out of an alley over to me.

"Brutus, you're back! Where's Lorelei?"

"Shana, I have bad news. She wouldn't leave Yuri's service. I...I had to knock her unconscious because she...wanted me to kill her."

Shana looks at the ground sadly. "Damn, I...I really hoped she would come back to us. Are you still going to try and bring her back?"

"Of course I will. You'll let me know if you get information about where she is, right?" Shana grins. "Hell yeah! I actually have some information for you, although it's not about her."

Shana sighs. "It's... about my father. He's currently training in the plains around Kantiron. If you're fast enough, you should be able to get there before he leaves."

I nod. "I know how I'll get there. Spiritus!" I summon Spiritus and he grows much larger, then I climb onto him. "Shana, I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to talk some sense into him."

Shana smiles. "Thank you." I ride through the streets, avoiding the confused people along my way, only stopping to get supplies as I leave Lazarus to the north.

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I ride across the plains and it starts to get dark as I see Kantiron in the distance. I look around and see a makeshift encampment nearby. The tents are all arranged in a circle, with a large campfire in the middle. I ride over and approach the fire, where I see Grelnar practicing attacks by himself.

"Grelnar! What are you doing outside this town?" Grelnar turns and looks at me. "Ha! It's The Blazing Scourge himself! Why should I tell the emperor's biggest enemy why I'm here?"

I summon my katana and point it at him. "Because if you do tell me, I might let you live." Grelnar chuckles. "Oh, really?" He cracks his knuckles. "I'd like to see you try. Let's take this out of the camp, though. I'd like to win this myself."

I ride Spiritus a decent way away from the camp, and turn to watch where Grelnar will come from. He eventually rides over on a massive gray behemoth that's even bigger than Spiritus is.

I give Grelnar a serious look. "Why must you serve Yuri, Grelnar? He has done nothing but harm the world." Grelnar glares at me. "Yuri's trying to unite the world under the Solaris Empire. Once all of Norzelrin's villages and towns are captured, there'll finally be peace! How is that harming the world?!"

I shake my head. "Are you even listening to yourself?! How is capturing good? Think about Shana. What do you think she thinks about this?!"

"I..." Grelnar growls and his eyes...flicker. For one split second, the purple in his eyes disappears, but then it immediately comes back. I think to myself: Hmm...Maybe that purple in his eyes is why he's like this. If I can get through to him, he might turn against Yuri! But before that, I might have to knock some sense into him...

Before I think of my first move, Grelnar roars and charges, his behemoth growling ferociously as he does. I quickly ride Spiritus past him and I duck as he pulls his axe off of his back and swings at me.

I immediately have Spiritus turn around, then I charge at Grelnar. Once I get close he tries to dodge, but I manage to get a slash in on his side. I use the opportunity to speak.

"Grelnar, think about what you've been doing! How is helping Yuri murder innocents going to bring peace? You even tried to throw your own daughter in the dungeon! What has happened to you?! You used to be honorable!"

"I...agh..." Grelnar holds a hand to his head, as if in pain, but then he growls and backs off. He turns his behemoth around to face me and charges again, yelling a battle cry.

I stab at Grelnar as he approaches, but he easily blocks, then his behemoth bites at Spiritus's back legs. Spiritus growls, more in anger than in pain. He swiftly turns, then spits a fireball at the behemoth's tail, setting it on fire.

Grelnar immediately turns around from on top of the behemoth, and quickly puts out the tail before the plains catch on fire. "What the hell is wrong with that beast of yours, doing that to Skullcrusher?! Is he trying to kill us all?!"

I roll my eyes and I sense that Spiritus is doing the same. Grelnar glares and gets back into position, then charges again. I realize that in order to win, I'll have to kill his pet. I maneuver away from Grelnar's axe swing, then I immediately stab Skullcrusher in the side, making him roar in pain.

I ride a decent amount away, then I turn and charge directly at Grelnar and Skullcrusher. As we approach them, I brace for a potential impact and I yell: "Spiritus, exploding fireball!"

As we get right up to them, Spiritus spits the fireball directly at Skullcrusher's face and it hits its mark, exploding and completely blinding the beast. I yell as the force makes me go flying off of Spiritus and I hit the ground.

"Ugh, that'll leave a mark..." I get up as quick as possible and I run over to Grelnar and Skullcrusher. I notice that the beast is bleeding severely from my attack earlier, so I swiftly slash its throat to put it out of its misery.

Grelnar leaps off of Skullcrusher's body and gives me a look of pure fury. "You bastard! How could you do this?!" He sprints at me, much faster than I expected, and frantically swings his axe at me. Unable to find an opening, I just defend.

"Grelnar, just listen! Whatever is happening to you, please snap out of it! You have to stop this! Do it for your daughter, damn it!" He stops, and I toss my katana to the side. "Please, come back with me. Shana needs you."

I very faintly hear someone running, but I ignore it and look at Grelnar. His eyes flicker as he holds a hand to his head, and for a second, the purple disappears, but then it comes back and he roars.

Unable to grab my katana, I try to back up as he attacks, but he swings his axe directly at me. Before it cuts into me, Shana appears and runs into its path!

She collapses to the ground, and Grelnar drops his axe. He holds his head and falls on his knees as he yells in pain, then he looks up at what he's done, with clear blue eyes.

"Shana...no..." Grelnar stares into the distance blankly. "What have I done?!" I give Grelnar a serious look. "Are you...back?" Grelnar looks at me. "Yeah. I...I don't know what happened to me, I..."

I hear a strange sound and we both turn to look. Shana's body shimmers and disappears, like it never existed. "An illusion...?" Grelnar gets up and looks around. "What the hell is going on?!"

We both hear a person slowly clapping from nearby, and as we turn to look where it's coming from, we both see a purple-skinned elven man in dark purple armor with strange purple gauntlets on his wrists walk out of nowhere, like he was watching us.

"Good job living long enough to figure it out. I had hoped the two of you would murder each other for me, but..." The man sighs. "We can't always have our way, can we?"

Grelnar looks at the man with pure rage in his eyes. "YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED SONIA!" The man laughs. "Why yes, because Mother required it. You should be glad you and your family were part of her glorious plan in some way. But now, it is time for you to die. Both of you should be grateful that your death will come at the hands of Rothzal, The Violet Shadow!

Rothzal lifts his arms so that they're crossed in front of his face, and then serrated purple claws extend out of the gauntlets on his wrists. "I am ready whenever you are, mortal fools."

Grelnar tosses my katana to me. "I'm going to teach this smug bastard a lesson. Are you with me, Crescent?" I smirk at him. "Hell yeah. He'll wish he never came near The Blazing Scourge and The Beast Rider!" Grelnar chuckles and we get into fighting positions.