Mara-struck

*Yes, bit of a shorter chapter for the day. Thing is, I'm also working on my own personal novel (yes, I got my own series in the making, this one I'm working on would happen to be the second book) and yeah, I gotta spend time on it as well, splitting whatever I can however I can. I'll see how well I can use my time and what I manage with it. Also, tomorrow the chapter might arrive late, all cuz I have some stuff to handle. Welp, meanwhile, enjoy. Peace out and Deus vult*

They all disembarked, walking along the empty place, staring at the containers. 

"This area isn't for receiving guests, it's for unloading cargo! Who decided to send us this way?" complained March, being as vocal as usual about what bothered her. Stelle chuckled, shrugging. 

"Well, considering that no one was there for us, we might have ghosts on our hands." 

March shrank back, hiding behind Mark and holding on to the hem of his shirt.

"Stop teasing me, meanie!" 

Mark glanced at Welt, their communication silent but effective. Stay on your toes and watch out. 

"Stay vigilant, all of you." 

His message was more for Stelle and March, since Mark was already clutching his metal pipe, ready to strike at a moment's notice. His body felt a tiny surge of power from within, something to boost his abilities a little, enough for him to not feel the strain. Controlling the energy he held was still a tremendous task that required more practice than he could afford. 

Behind the corner, a wounded Cloud Knight was lying on the ground, hurt, barely speaking. He could only mutter a few words. 

"Up ahead..." 

Welt was quick on the uptake, telling him to stop talking and preserve his strength. March used her ice to stop the bleeding, all at Welt's order. Mark nodded, having thought about using ice for that purpose many times before, even back when he had no powers. 

"Let's keep looking. This area looks pretty roughed up." 

Mark's words were hushed as he began walking ahead, his steps light, barely audible even in the deathly silence that lingered in the air. 

More soldiers, wounded, tired from battle, all of them holding on to their weapons, some large glaives that were as imposing as Mark had expected them to be. Still, he didn't bother with one of those, mainly because he lacked the skills needed—the same issue that didn't let him use his sword more freely. 

Along the path, the air seemed to still, broken only by the sound of a Cloud Knight telling Tingyun to stay back, stating that the mara-struck were people they'd already lost completely. 

Mark dashed ahead, the memories clearing up in his mind. The name gave him too much of a headache for some reason he couldn't place, but he didn't let it bother him. The others followed behind, ready for battle in that very moment. 

His eyes fell on the mara-struck, and the sight was pure nightmare fuel compared to what he had seen. Twisted branches with golden underhues grew out of them, twisting along their limbs and bodies, pouring out through open wounds and even their eye sockets. For a moment, Mark found himself faced with an eerie feeling that he had only faced one time before, back in his own world. 

"Fuck it, these bastards look way creepier in reality!" 

Lacking any sign of mercy, he swung, choosing to deliver them liberation from the curse. In his mind, he kept thinking it over and over, small memories about it coming to him, along with one little idea that had struck him at some point, but he'd have to explore it another time. 

Crack. The pipe met the creature head on, shattering its skull. Mark watched it fall to the ground, only for it to stand up once more. 

"Fuck! Zombies stay down when their brain is done for!" 

He kept swinging, hitting over and over, blissfully unaware of the others fighting by his side. The Cloud Knights, aided by Stelle and March, were pushing back the mara-struck with ease, their bodies falling and rising anew once more, only to fully succumb to their fate after the second death. 

"Phew, we're done with the zombies," breathed out Mark as he noticed the mush he turned the creature into. His pipe was dirty on that end, but he didn't care much, just swinging it once to throw away the extra waste and then using that end to touch the ground with as he went. 

Tingyun watched them, eager to deliver her thanks to her supposed benefactors. 

"My name is Tingyun. I'm the Amicassador for the Luofu Sky-Faring Comission merchant guild. May I venture to know the illustrious names of my heroes?" 

The language she used was way over the top, even when compared to Mark's antics back in his world. Still, he didn't back down, answering in kind. 

"Well, beautiful maiden, it is my honor to be in the presence of one such as you. Allow me to introduce my comrades, the very ones who dared venture to the Xianzhou during these troubled times. This is March 7th, our most precious companion that makes the sun pale in comparison with her radiant joy." 

March gave Mark a look like he had finally gone insane, but the compliments did bring a bit of blush to her cheeks. 

"Next is Stelle, our most beautiful maiden with an iron will. Nothing manages to stand up to her bat, the most gallant weapon of them all." 

She raised a brow, crossing her arms as her eyes fell on the bat, thinking about using it to make Mark snap out of it. Welt had a tiny smile on his face, for some reason enjoying the situation. 

"Last but not least, we have our most secretive comrade, Mister Welt Yang. Nothing topples his intellect in the heat of battle, his prowess too much for us ordinary mortals to bear." 

Indeed, Mark was sort of right with it. Welt's powers would easily create more issues in their case. Battles on small scales like that didn't require blackholes thrown around. 

The Cloud Knights were confused by the sudden change in atmosphere, but Tingyun seemed most delighted. 

"It is my pleasure to be in your presence, benefactors. However, the question remains; since Starskiff Haven is under lockdown and none of you are residents here, how did you manage to get in here? If you can't offer an explanation, I'm afraid these Cloud Knights will have to escort you out." 

Mark placed a hand on his chest, dramatizing the whole thing. For some reason, he woke up feeling like a drama queen that day. 

"Oh, most beautiful maiden, how you hurt me with those words. Mister Welt, please explain our bidding." 

With that, Mark took a step back, staring for a moment at Tingyun's smile. Something about it felt off, and the very thought triggered his mind. He wiped his nose, fighting back the sudden headache that came to him. 

In the end, they wound up making their way to Madam Yukong, another name that made Mark curse his shattered memory and the pain that came with it. Still, he didn't show it, nor did he complain. Without hesitation, he followed, until they wound up with a roadblock, a few crates blocking the path. As Tingyun began talking about moving them aside with some odd mechanism, Mark was right next to them, looking up and around. 

"This should be easy. I got experience." 

He climbed on some tiny fence-like thing on the side, balancing himself with one hand against the crates. He held on tight to the edges, giving his body a tiny boost, and he jumped, managing to catch on to them with a leg, which allowed him to easily climb on top. 

"No time to waste moving these aside. Come on, up all of you." 

He helped the others climb, lending them a hand and boosting his physical abilities with a bit more power for short bursts, just enough to help them up easier. Soon, they had all passed. 

"Guess you didn't think about this, right? Learn to do things outside the box, Tingyun." 

The rest of their path held a few more mara-struck creatures, but none of them were any trouble, until the last one that seemed to be guarding the starskiff they were to leave with. 

"Welp, Mister Welt, maybe you'd like to clear the way?" 

He glanced at Mark, shaking his head. He didn't expect any other answer, but still, it was worth a shot. 

"Well, in that case, shall we get to it?" 

The trio nodded, and thus began their quick assault. 

"March, ice on the legs, try to make it stay in place! Stelle, prepare to take it to my right and smack the fucker's head!" 

He dashed, running to the creature, watching as March's ice trapped it in place. Stelle came in from her side, swinging for the head, only for her bat to be blocked by the large shield the creature bore. Mark found himself slamming the pipe with a satisfying crunch, but he quickly moved aside as the spear came hungering for a piece of him, aiming to his side. 

"Woah, dangerous fucker," he muttered, keeping up the attack, striking once again right in the head. Stelle didn't idle around, moving to the side, managing to slip past the shield and hit right on top of the skull. The mara-struck soon stood up again, only for March to finish it with an arrow to the eye. 

"100 points for March. Clean hit." 

She chuckled, smiling proudly of her own attack. Both Mark and Stelle stared at the starskiff, speaking at once. 

"I'll drive!" 

They exchanged glances, both determined to drive. 

"I actually do have a driver's license, even if not for this thing, alright?" 

She shook her head, not budging from her decision. 

"Then we're both in the same boat when it comes to driving this thing. I'll drive." 

Tingyun came from behind, laughing. 

"Oh, do not worry about that. All Amicassadors know their way around a starskiff." 

Mark and Stelle both shot her a glare, but they relented and chose to peacefully stop throwing a fit. 

In the blink of an eye, they were inside, waiting for her to drive that thing to Starskiff Haven. 

"I guess this one's going to be a bit too boring for a mission. Still, I gotta be on my toes at all times. The last thing I want is something going south." 

With their arrival, Tingyun wanted them quickly sent over to Yukong, pretty much to get rid of them and save her hide should something go wrong. Welt was quick to reassure her, and the group remained behind, taking a breather. 

The discussion was something obvious, about them having to be careful with what they say, least something takes a wrong turn, and they're deemed enemies. 

"Mister Welt, you should do the talking. That's the best way to get out of this quicker. I tend to just go ahead and speak my mind at times, ignoring the consequences. Knowing me, I'd be upfront with what I know, so it's better to let you handle it." 

Stelle and March gave a nod, agreeing to the plan. Once again, it all fell on Welt's shoulders. Still, despite his ability to talk things out, Mark did choose to let someone else handle it. 

"I might get into deeper trouble if I speak honestly. I better let Welt put the terms nicely. Plus, it's obvious that they'd think of us as someone who came here to take advantage of the situation. The whole ordeal is pretty much hell."