9 Chapter 9: Fog Warriors

The group reached the village without a problem. They saw soldiers marching across most likely reinforcements to support the current siege in Karana. Onyx saw multiple people coming into the village, most likely refugees who fled before the battle started. Onyx looked around for something they could use to travel faster maybe a carriage or some horses, but nothing that didn't seem as if it wasn't in use.

"Have fun with your mission I'm out." Said Reik.

"Oh c'mon Reik it'll be fun. It's Spyre after all." Said Tigris as Reik was joining the soldiers marching through.

"No thanks I don't want to experience Tofar. Have fun on your little suicide venture." Reik joined the rest of the soldiers marching towards Karana.

"I swear one of these days I'll kill him if I get the chance." Said Onyx as they continued to march towards the center of the village.

Seo reached the village just in time. She took a moment to catch her breath. She was exhausted, but now she could finally catch her breath and with any luck she will have lost her pursuers. Seo peeked at the village from the top of a tree branch. There were a lot of Karashian soldiers marching towards the battle in Karana. It would be difficult for her to get through the village, but she had to take the risk otherwise she would lose the distance she created between her and her pursuers.

Embry looked around for anything they could use to travel, but came up empty. Just as she was about to give up she saw Sasha and the other merchant that gave them a ride towards Karana loading up some merchandise on their cart. Sasha and the boy both saw Embry and waved at her.

"Long time no see Embry right?" Asked the boy.

"Yes that's right. How did you guys get here so fast?" Embry asked.

"We dumped all of our merchandise back at Karana. The horses sure appreciated the light cart. We didn't want to risk the fight."

"Where are you guys going now?" Embry wondered if they could perhaps travel together.

"Company wants us to move out west towards the border with Dol-Sur. Apparently they expect to push the enemy back. Let's see if it works out this time."

"I see… I was hoping the two of you could give us a ride."

Sasha and the boy both looked at each other deciding what to do. "Where are you going?" Asked Sasha.

"Midir's Pass."

"Hmm… If you head to Drakon's Nest and take the ferry it should get you close enough to your destination." Answered the boy.

"Where is Drakon's Nest?"

"Never heard of it?"

"No."

"Well in any case it's just north of the village just keep following the path. You should see a large windmill followed by a small fishing community can't miss it."

"Thank you."

"Any time." Answered the boy.

Embry kept walking until she remembered the words the boy said when they rode the cart on the way to Karana. "… for now anyways." Embry turned around and saw that they were gone.

"When did…"

"Yo Embry over here!"

Embry turned to see Tigris waving at her calling her over. "Coming." She looked behind her once more. "I have a bad feeling about this mission."

Seo mingled with the crowd easily enough. That as the one good thing about Karash the sight of a twelve year old girl with knives and swords was not uncommon. She could easily pass for a legionnaire. She had to focus and put as much distance as she could. She made her way towards the northern entrance and got eyes on a small group of legionnaires headed in the same direction. She hid behind the building and tried to hear their conversation.

"What are you doing?"

She jumped as she turned to see a girl of no more than thirteen years old looking at her suspiciously.

"Sorry I was… Erm… I'm a courier for the army." Seo lied hoping to convince the girl.

"Where are you headed then?" Asked Maxwell.

"Back to HQ in the capital."

"I see… Would you like to join us? I'm sure an extra… legionnaire would be useful."

"How far are you guys straying from the capital?"

"Midir's Pass."

"Hmm…" Seo was deep in thought. That was right next to the border with Spyre. That was a lot of ground to cover especially if they took a different route. "I suppose I can join you all then."

"Let us go then."

"And so then… Who's she?" Asked Onyx.

"A courier she's headed to the capital." Answered Maxwell.

"Damn you have a long ways to go. Kuzani is far away." Said Tykal.

"Yes I… I was hoping to join you in your travel. At least a part of the way." Seo bowed her head.

"No problem. What's your specialty?" Asked Onyx.

"I'm adept at close range, knife throwing, and I can move pretty fast. I can also dual wield, but only short swords." Answered Seo.

"Okay then in that case you will provide support for Tigris here. Or cover Tykal from danger."

"Thank you."

The group followed the village road north towards Drakon's Nest to catch a ferry and take the river near Midir's Pass. Night was fast approaching and the moons lit up the night sky. Maxwell looked at the stars and tried to make out the constellations. There was Zephyrus, the first born of Khemmel, A'oth, the third born of Khemmel, and finally Ikksa, the seventh born of Khemmel. From the constellations she was able to deduce that they were in the final days of Bloom coming into the first days of Bounty. She kept an eye on Seo as they walked. She was a terrible liar, but she seemed capable enough besides they would need an extra body for the road ahead. The clouds moved in to cover the moons, and the darkness grew overwhelmingly. A heavy and thick fog settled in filling the air. A strange odor overwhelmed the group.

"That smell… What is it?" Asked Lyo.

"I don't know, but it smells like shit!" Said Tykal as she covered her nostrils.

"It's burnt palmesia. Don't inhale it or you'll risk paralysis." Said Seo as she covered herself with her scarf.

"Shit looks like we're about to get hit. Form a circle everyone!" Onyx barked orders as he and the rest tried covering their mouths, noses, and tried to hold their breath.

They scanned the area around them, but couldn't see anything. The darkness was too heavy whoever they were they knew exactly when to hit them. They couldn't see anyone make a move from within the trees, and Onyx and his team were running out of air.

"Everyone move! Get as far away as you can from the fog!" Onyx commanded as the fog grew thicker and thicker.

They all rushed forward hoping to reach a safe breathing point. As they ran they saw several balls flying their way each one blowing out more of the thick fog they were trying to run away from. They kept trying to run away, but they had more grenades than they had air. Eventually they all opened their mouths and breathed in the noxious fumes. Onyx and the rest felt their muscles going numb. Slowly they all started to fall one by one. Onyx began crawling forward until he saw someone standing in front of him. He looked up and saw a boot approach his face then darkness.

Seo retreated as she saw the Fog Warriors take the legionnaires away. She was able to withstand the effects of the gas thanks to her inherent resistance, but she could still feel a certain numbness overtaking her body. For now all she could do was follow them back to their hideout.

Onyx awoke to the sensation of water being thrown at his face. "Huh… Wha… Where?" Onyx scanned his surroundings seeing a man grin at him.

"Glad to see you are awake now then let's begin." The man grabbed Onyx's hair and dragged him away from the rest of his comrades. The man pulled out a knife which he brought close to Onyx's face.

"Where is she? I'm only going to ask once."

"Who?" Onyx was afraid to give up the identity of the Herald. As much as he hated Spyre he still had a mission to complete.

"Alright kid you asked for it." The man raised his arm ready to plunge the knife down only for him to be stopped by a teenager.

"She's not among them Sloane. You're wasting your time."

"Shit and here I thought I was going to have fun cutting them to pieces."

"Later first we have to find her. They might still prove useful."

"Hmm… I think I have an idea. Bring the girls over and the brat."

"What's the plan?" Asked the teenager.

"Rape them, torture them, and kill them until she shows up."

"Okay then."

The two dragged the group to the entrance and lined them up. Onyx was the first to be brought forward. The large man kicked him and put his foot over Onyx's head slowly bringing it down. Onyx's skull felt like it was about to split open as the man brought his entire weight down.

"Come out now Seo! We know you're out there!" Yelled the teenager.

"Want me to just crack his skull open?" Asked Sloane.

"Not yet. Knowing her she will have already made the first move already. Keep beating up the boy and the others though we don't want any of them to ambush us. I'll go out and search for her."

Sloane grinned. "As you say boss."

Sloane began kicking Onyx. Seo waited from one of the nearby trees trying to see what her next move should be. Sloane and Corin were both some of the toughest warriors they had in their clan. Killing them would not be easy. She opened her pack to see what she had available. She only had a couple of smoke bombs that were simply used as a smoke screen, throwing knives, and little else. She was not ready to fight them head on. She needed an opening something that would distract them long enough for her to make her move.

Onyx couldn't bear the pain any longer. "Please just make it stop!" He pleaded hoping the man would just kill him instead.

"Weakling." Sloane picked him up and threw him at the rest of the group. "Now who should I choose… You."

"I'd like to see you come and try asshole." Tigris tried resisting the man by kicking him in the shin.

"I like it when they fight back. Come here." Sloane pulled on Tigris' hair and began straddling her.

Seo used that moment to quickly rush in and throw several knives at Sloane. Sloane pumped out his chest and took the knives head on as they were not able to penetrate deep enough through his leather armor. Seo pulled out one of her short swords and aimed to stab Sloane's eye. Sloane evaded the girl throwing Tigris at her. Seo cut the binds on Tigris' hands hoping to even the fight.

"Thanks kid. Now let's kick his ass."

"Right, here take this." Seo threw one of her short swords at Tigris who caught it.

Sloane drew two large knives and lunged at the pair. Tigris guarded against his attack taking the full brunt of the impact. Despite successfully guarding against it she still felt the pain. Seo lunged at Sloane from his left side hoping to stab his side. Sloane saw her coming and jumped backwards.

"Just the two of you ain't gonna cut it kid."

"Maybe so but…" Seo began as she noticed Lyo, Tykal, and Embry about to jump him from behind. "You never were able to lay a hand on me."

"You little shit!"

"Now!" Yelled Tykal.

All three of them jumped him from behind. Tykal and Lyo focused on his legs whilst Embry focused on his head. Seo and Tigris lunged forward aiming to stab Sloane at the same time. Sloane had a difficult time repelling the girls and as a result felt both short swords enter his abdomen. Sloane threw his head back in pain leaving his neck exposed. Seo pulled out a throwing knife and threw it at his neck killing him instantly. Sloane fell to the ground as the blood spilled all over the dirt.

"Who are you really?" Asked Lyo.

"She's a Fog Warrior. It's a band of assassins created by the Divines with the sole directive to hunt and kill Gaeric. At least it was several thousand years ago. Now they are little more than petty thieves, mercenaries, and cutthroats. I'm guessing if you were being followed it must mean that you must have escaped their rituals." Explained Maxwell as she slowly rose to her feet.

"You sure do know a lot about my people."

"Only what we were able to shall we say 'extrapolate' from them. The human body is after all a very fragile thing."

"I don't mean to interrupt but we have a man down." Said Tigris as the group saw Onyx in his terrible beaten state.

"Damn it I don't have enough on me to heal him. We'll have to hurry to Drakon's Nest and hope they have something to treat his wounds." Said Embry as she tried to help Onyx to his feet.

Corin returned to the camp to see a dead Sloane on the ground. He examined the tracks and saw that they were still headed in the same direction as before. Most important of all she was with them. He heard movement coming from the tree line and readied his short swords. Suddenly a man appeared in iron clad armor.

"Who are you?" asked Corin.

"Damn looks like I'm late." The man approached the tracks and examined them seemingly uninterested in Corin.

"Answer me damn you!" Corin pierced the man's armor and stabbed him in the back.

"You are gonna have to do better than that." The man stood up and faced Corin.

"What are you?" Corin asked as he slowly started to retreat.

"That is a loaded question." The man started to pull the short swords out of his body. "There we go much better. There was a boy in this group wasn't there?"

"What's it to you?"

"Listen kid I'm willing to let you live if you tell me where they are headed."

"Drakon's Nest. I'm guessing Sloane must have beaten up the boy badly. There are drag marks here."

"I see… Well then in that case…" Sethos walked towards Sloane's dead body and put his hand on him. "I'm going to need some help it seems."

Slowly the body started to rise. Sloane began to growl, his bones cracked and popped, and his skin seemed to decompose. Corin looked at his once fallen comrade now raised from the dead. Sloane's eyes were colored red and cried tears of blood. His veins were much more pronounced but were now colored black as if they were poisoned. His teeth started to fall being replaced by a jagged and sharper set. This was not Sloane anymore it was a monster.

"Sloane? Is that you?" Corin slowly approached his friend.

Sloane looked at him and let out a low growl.

"Better go home kid and leave this to me." Said Sethos.

"I'm looking for someone. Someone I'm supposed to bring back."

"You are a Fog Warrior right?" Asked Sethos.

"Yes."

"In that case…" Sethos turned to Sloane who proceeded to attack Corin.

Corin was too slow to react as Sloane grabbed one of Corin's arms and pulled it out. Corin screamed in agony as he felt his arm being torn off of his body. He fell to the ground almost losing consciousness from the loss of blood. He began to crawl away as he felt a foot stomp his spine. He cried out in pain as he turned and saw Sloane's foot coming down again. Sethos saw as Sloane cracked the kid's skull open with a single foot stomp.

"That was for trying to kill my grandmother all those years ago… As for you… You are to follow the tracks and bring both the boy and the girl back to me. Alive that is."

Sloane just growled and rushed out into the wilderness hunting his prey. Sethos was about to leave when he saw another woman in armor.

"That's quite the cheap trick you pulled there little brother."

"Lamia… It's been a while."

"Apollyon will not be pleased to learn of your tactics."

"As long as the Zulamarian boy and the Karashian girl are in our hands nothing matters."

Lamia gripped her brother's arm. "If he fails I will not be the one responsible for what happens when the rest find out. Besides he's already made contact with the other two."

"The ones posing as supply caravaners?"

"Yes." Answered Lamia.

"Shit."