Surrender

Aldric scanned the battlefield to assess the war. 

Nephis led the front of the battle against the main contingent of the castle guards and the hunters. It seemed like Tessai and Gemma entered a coalition. At least until they got rid of their enemies. 

Barbaric.

That was the word that came to Aldric's mind. Blood. Limbs. Death. It was a complete massacre. There was not a hint of honour or class. Just unadulterated murder. And it was not silent. Wails of agony and pain sounded across the large room. 

He could not take the high horse. After all, he was just as bad as them. 

'There he is.'

Caster and Gemma were in a bout. A ring of space cordoned around them. Caster blitzed the hunter and pierced his spine with his ghostly green Jian. With a small exhale of pain, Gemma ignored the attack and countered while the blade was stuck inside him. In a split second, Caster appeared metres in front of the attack, desummoning his blade. Anyone would expect the man to crumble like a marionette with its strings cut off from having a severed spine.However, at another glance, the older sleeper was perfectly fine. His armour was covered in cuts and tears; however, his skin underneath was unblemished. 

Aldric arrived at the scene. Interrupting the two as they looked at the newcomer. 

"Caster, get out the way."

Aldric ordered.

Caster's face subconsciously twitched into a grimace at the disrespect, but he expertly covered it up. 

"Alright."

With a burst of speed, he was gone. Likely returning to Nephis' side.

Aldric conserved his reserves and focused on pure swordsmanship. With a black-coated blade, the exchange began. 

Gemma utilised a simple form of swordsmanship. Years of honing his blade and hunts developed his blade into a weapon of slaughter.

WEAVE

SIDE STEP

PARRY.

With a counter, Aldric performed a diagonal slash through his shoulder, lodging his blade deep into his clavicle. Before his opponent had the chance to land his counterattack, Aldric removed his blade roughly out of the wound as it healed. 

No one noticed how that wound closed ever so slower. Too focused on the battle, Gemma did not feel the small change. 

"Not bad. My turn."

Gemma launched into a heavy attack. Utilising his weight advantage, Aldric could not block the attack if he did not want to be disoriented from its force. 

What began was a rough battle. Gemma taking advantage of his strength and endurance. With Aldric trading attacks that seemed to have no lasting damage. 

However, the darkness on his blade did not lighten. 

Until something happened that the young sleeper could not foresee.

An echo belonging to one of the hunters under Gemma, began an aerial assault. As if it were timed to perfection, Aldric was pincered between the two attacks. A slash to his front from Gemma and an attack from the unknown echo above him. Making his choice, he parried the frontal attack. Using the momentum behind the attack to shift his body to the left. Avoiding the line of attack from the echo.

Or so he thought.

'DAMN!'

He gritted his teeth in pain as what he could now see as a monstrous raven ran its indestructible talons across his shoulder. Puncturing his shoulder and leaving a ghastly wound. 

"Lucky bastard."

Aldric admitted. 

Laughing at what he heard, Gemma replied. 

"Luck is fickle. But it does seem I am lucky."

Inhale. 

Exhale. 

Aldric took a deep breath to centre himself. 

'I can't keep playing to his strengths. I have to take risks.'

Lunging into a flurry of calculated attacks, Aldric began fighting much more offensively, risking to gain. 

His stone-plated armour bearing the brunt of his venture, Gemma was taking much more damage. 

More than he should. 

'What the hell? Why am I healing so slowly?'

The wisened hunter thought. With essence to spare, it made no sense as to why he was a bloody mess. Covered in cuts and wounds. His eyes went immediately to his opponent's black blade. 

'So that's it. If I keep fighting against him, then I will lose.'

Looking for his paramour, Kido. The woman was in battle with the huntress that started this whole mess, Effie. And she was losing. A spear wound gutting her abdomen.

Seeing his lover wounded, sobered Gemma's mind from the endorphins. Taking stock of the battle around him, it seemed like they were losing. Tessai's castle guard was in disarray from losing their leader, and with no one to lead them, they fought chaotically. His small group of hunters and pathfinders were overwhelmed by the sheer number of outer settlement dwellers. Even though they were much more experienced and better armed. For every three they killed, they would lose one of their own. The handmaidens that supported the outer settlement sleepers did not help either. He had lost too much.

However, his biggest reason was Changing Star and the Black Knight. Changing Star and Caster were killing any sleeper that was not on their side. Changing Star was unrelenting. He could hear screams of agony from the hell flames that she unleashed.

The black knight was another. The indestructible echo. The knight was cutting through groups of castle guards at a time. Death on the battlefield. 

'She can have the damn throne. I'm sorry Kido, but your life is worth more to me than your ambitions.'

Gemma let out a deep sigh. Taking out all his frustrations and fatigue.

'I should have known. The moment Tessai lost. I should have known.'

Looking deeply into his opponents eyes, Gemma spoke in a loud voice. Loud enough to be heard by the hunters behind him.

"I surrender."

Some heard his statement. Stopping their fights to assess whether he truly gave that order. 

Aldric did not relax for a second, eyeing his opponent carefully. Seeing something in his eyes, he pointed his blade at the man's subordinates.

"Call them off." 

He ordered. 

"MEN!"

His shout echoed across the hall. Catching the attention of hunters and castle guards alike. Kido and her group of artisans looked at him amidst the battle. With Tessai and the Lord dead, he was the de facto leader of the Host. Locking eyes with the critically injured Kido, he resolved himself.

"We have surrendered. The castle is theirs."

His trusted hunters looked at him with a questioning look; they looked around to make their own assessment of the battle. The castle guards, wrath lingering in their hearts, shouted in anger. Letting loose curses and shouts of disagreement. 

While Gemma was technically the defecto leader, it meant nothing to most of the remaining castle guards. 

Aldric signalled his apostle to return to his side for the last time. He took stock of those that wanted to continue fighting. While they were all angry when he had killed Tessai, it seemed as though the reality of war hit them. Many seemed numb to the surrender, while others were relieved to stop fighting. Only the experienced Castle guards stood strong, ready to see the goal of their deceased leader through.

The thing about the castle guards is that while they had the most numbers, the quality of each sleeper was leagues behind the seasoned hunters. They were often enlisted based on their loyalty to the host and not their abilities. Recruited from when they had been transported near the castle by the spell, many hadn't fought that many battles. Only the experienced castle guards who dealt with the nightmare creatures that came near the Bright Castle proved their worth.

His apostle had reached his side. Transferring some darkness to fuel his apostle, he swung his blade with viscous black clinging onto it.

Aldric shouted in measured hostility. Emanating darkness all around him. 

"You heard the guy. Fall in line or else, you'll have to deal with me."

**********

Thanks for reading. 

Big chapter 50. Things are going well. 

Enjoy your weekends. Till next time.