NOVEL FROG Chapter 14: Capital Troubles
We enter the grand room and I see dozens of interesting characters throughout the intricately decorated room. A few featherfallen are here, but unlike the Guild building they are not flying around. In-fact, it appears they have their wings adorned with custom decorative bindings to keep them as tightly fitted to their backs as possible. There are still multiple levels to the hall though and I see a few very fancily-dressed children flying around with the other kids of what I assume are officials of the capital.
They are all chatting but begin clapping as those closest to us notice our entrance. I nervously wave as I walk slightly behind the Magistrate. He notices and says, "No need to be shy, this is a casual celebration and they are all here to congratulate and meet you, not me! Go ahead and enjoy yourself, you're the star today!" then he enthusiastically pushes me ahead of him.
I look back nervously as I am ahead of him a couple feet now and when I turn back around I am greeted by the sight of dozens of men and women surrounding me. Their chatter fills my ears as I get bombarded with questions, "How did you defeat the Dragon Emperor?" an otta girl asks flirtingly. A shibara animan almost as tall as me asks, "How much can you lift?" and an echidna female says, "Have you ever seen the Spectral Sorcerer?"
The questions continue and I sputter out half answers as I attempt to make my way to a table. I look back for help from the magistrate but he is already toasting glasses with some advisors far behind me. I am extremely overwhelmed as people continue asking questions and touching me, one woman even attempting to lift my helmet. Suddenly I hear a loud, "Alright people, give him some space!" over the chatter and it dies down a little as a human male just a bit shorter than me parts the crowd. He has a wearable timeticker on his wrist, the first I've seen, and a bright blue coat and pants that have a curious design. Everyone backs away sheepishly and without a word he grabs my arm and drags me to a table in the corner. I don't protest as we leave the crowd, several men and women a bit sad at my departure. There is a Naiad male and a felinial animan already sitting at the table as the man sits me down. "Well that must have been overwhelming huh?" He says with a sigh as he seats himself, lounging over the chair as he grabs a glass of something off the table. His behavior heavily contrasts his fancy apparel. I nod as I'm double checking that they didn't follow.
"And those beasts call themselves officials." he clicks his tongue and shakes his head before sitting up and reaching a hand out to me, "Well my name is Vraxen, I'm the head of the Knightage here and the Magistrate's right-hand man." he says amicably. "Levi" I say, shaking his hand. I quickly follow up with, "but you probably already knew that haha" nervously. He laughs a quick but hearty laugh. "Its perfectly reasonable to introduce yourself despite that, nice to finally meet you Levi, if you are ok with me calling you that instead of Great Hero."
I shake my head quickly, "I don't mind at all, honestly it gets a little exhausting hearing everyone call me Great Hero all the time."
He laughs again, "I bet, I get following formalities but even the most stiff guys need to lighten up every once in a while! Speaking of, these are two of my sub-commanders-" he points to the felinial, "-Duhnra-" he motions to the Naiad "-and Wib." Duhnra eagerly shakes my hand but Wib just nods and quietly says, "Greetings Hero."
Vraxen clicks his tongue again and says, "Don't mind him, we don't usually convince him to get dressed up for things so he is a bit annoyed at being here right now" he laughs. I smile and casually grab a glass, realizing as I bring it towards my helmet that I can't drink it before putting it down. Vraxen notices and says, "I'd feel bad if the Great Hero elt like he couldn't drink among new friends at is own party, go ahead!"
I hesitate nervously and awkwardly point to my helmet. He asks, "What? If you need somewhere to put it we can clear some space on the table. Your statue was pretty handsome but I bet you look better in person!"
He is smiling but it fades to confusion as I respond, "I... uh.. can't take it off anymore...." I trail off. Using the scar story would only make them pity me but I can't think of any other way to say it. Vraxen seems to catch my meaning and quickly changes subjects, "Well how is the capital, its been a while since you have been back here huh?"
Dunhra seems still confused and begins to ask, "Wait, why...-" before Wib interrupts by smacking the back of his head and hisses, "Read ttthe room moron."
Dunhra sulks as I respond, "It's incredible, I don't remember it being quite so large before, but maybe I've just gotten used to the smaller sizes of the outer villages and towns" I say excitedly. For the first time in a while, I feel like a normal person again and it's quite the refreshing change. But all good things must come to an end sometime huh?
The ground rumbles and the mood in the room darkens as everything becomes quiet. Screams can be heard outside and I turn to Vraxen to see he and the others are already standing and have pulled their swords out. There is a crashing noise and they rush out. I quickly follow, using my buff magic to increase my speed and I pass them, shoving open the heavy front grand room doors. The streets are lit well, but further down the road where there should be electric lamps lighting the way there is fire instead. I see people running from something but I can't quite make it out just yet. I'm temporarily paralyzed as a million thoughts rush through my mind. There wouldn't be beasts this far inside the capital, so the Spectral Sorcerer?! Wasn't he supposed to be recovering power? I can barely handle spiked boars, how can I fight Spectral creatures?!
I begin to hyperventilate a bit as the lights extinguish ever so closer and people continue running from the darkness. Vraxen's voice snaps me out of it as his men rush to the front doors and he shouts above the noise- "Protect the capital!!! Rescue the civilians!! Stay alive men!!!" and they charge forward. Whether I like it or not, I'm the Hero now and my powers are much more effective against the Spectral Summons than anyone else's. I can't just use buffs right now, I need divine mana on my blade.
I gather my courage and pull out my halberd, placing my hand over the curved edge. I close my eyes and try to imagine the soft white color of the female god. I can feel several different energies swirling inside my mana pool and I try to catch the white and airy one. I miss and curse as the cries get louder and my heartbeat races in my hearts. I draw a deep breath and steady myself as I attempt to catch it again, successful this time. I imagine drawing it through my body to my arms, then my hands, my fingers, and finally my weapon. The originally invisible weapon in my mental view turns a bright white like a beacon. I open my eyes to see my weapon shining in the open air just as brightly.
There is no time to waste. Vraxen's men have just begun to charge into the darkness. I apply speed buff magic to my legs, giving them a green glow, and strength to my entire body, giving it a golden glow, before almost literally launching from the front steps. Fleeing citizens and the guardsmen are a blur as I race past them. I apply light magic to my eyes, giving my vision a light brown overtone but letting me see into the darkness.
To my horror I see what appear to be normal people and guardsmen covered in a sinister purple shroud killing the fleeing citizens, but I can't waver here. One at the front is poised to stab one of the living guardsmen and I race to him, extending my halberd in what seems to be slow motion. The Summon's weapon clangs off the extended handle as the tip of my blade pierces it's head. I quickly retract the blade and grab the falling sword, subconsciously imbuing pure magic as I pull my arm back and throw it at lighting speed through three to my left clawing at injured citizens. They are flung into the pillar of one of the broken gates and the blade embeds itself in the brikks. I feel a blow glance off my shoulder and swing my halberd through a lized animan summon, cutting him in half. The bodies crumbled to bones as the summons deactivate but the feeling is too visceral to not evoke a reaction.
I don't have time to evacuate my stomach as another crashes into me, forcing me further into the horde, a large animan in guardsman armor. I lose sight of the living guardsmen who just joined the fight as I'm swarmed. I barely block his sword with my halberd's handle as he growls and snaps at my face over the blades. I push him away and slash through him vertically when another citizen summon jumps on my back.
I can barely think as another bites the armor on my left arm. I shrink my halberd and extend it behind me, feeling the weight release as I do so. I rip the one on my arm off, and feel a sharp pain at my waist as I can't entirely avoid a guardsman Summon swinging his axe at my waist. I would heal but it is hard enough focusing on maintaining the magic I currently am doing.
I am shoved to the left and feel clawing at my helmet as my view becomes more and more crowded. Another cut slices the back of my thigh and I drop to my knees. I'm fully panicking but adrenaline won't let me give up just yet. I pull the pure magic from my weapon, standing with all the strength I can draw from my core, gathering it as cuts accumulate on my armor and body, and forcibly release it from my core like I did in Bydel's shop.
A large wave of white light envelopes everything around me in an explosion of pure magic and all of the summons within a 30 meter radius dissolve to bones on contact. I can't admire it though as I collapse to my knees, my halberd the only thing keeping me from falling to the ground. I'm panting heavily a I focus on resisting the mana backlash from using more than my body is used to. The good thing is that I can't hear any more Summons growling near me.
I can see under my arm as I attempt to catch my breath. The guardsmen are quite a ways behind and running towards me. That should have gotten almost all of them right? Through my exhaustion I can barely hear Dunhra shouting to me next to a concerned Vraxen, "Look out!!!" But with my concentration broken my buffs dissipated and I can't raise my head. I grimace but the next thing I know I am several meters off the ground. I now have a bird's eye view of the ground, complete with a large round white circle in the center of the street, the center of which is an impact crater from a featherfallen guardsmen Summon's spear.
I hear a familiar grumbling voice say close to my head, "I can't believe I have to babysit you." I smile weakly as I see large leathery dragonite wings beat downwards into my view. I regain my concentration and re-enable my buffs. Fortunately I held onto my halberd somehow and I reinfuse it with pure magic. "It would be a good time to stop sleeping now!" Shyvea shouts and I open my eyes to see the purple-tinged brown and white featherfallen flying after us as we rise further into the sky. Fortunately there aren't many Summons left on the ground but this featherfallen looks different. His wings are much larger than usual and he has extremely sharp talons with armor adorning every part of him. And he is catching up, fast!
Shyvea can't fight because she is holding me, so its up to me to do something. I turn my head around enough to shout to her, "I have an idea, but it is going to sound crazy!"
"Just do something! I can't fly faster than him with your heavy butt!" She thunders. I look back and see that he is within range and shout, "Throw me!"
Without hesitation Shyvea twists around, folding her wings as we front flip and she throws me as the Summon. The Summons seems surprised as I speed towards him, my halberd above my head to strike him. He begins to fly to one side and reaches his spear towards me to block my halberd as I approach and swing downwards. I quickly shorten the handle as they are about to cross though and re-extend it onto his shoulder, slicing through his abdomen and severing his right wing. His spear cuts my own shoulder and I cry out in pain but it lacks power since my attack struck first and lodges itself only halfway in.
I continue flying past him as he falls from my attack, the pure magic degrading his form from my cut.
Shyvea dives after me, but as she passes the falling featherfallen he grabs her leg, digging his talons into her calf. She yelps as she is dragged down after him for a few feet before shaking him off, but the damage is done.
The ground gets closer and closer as fall and I turn to stare back at her, despairing that she won't be able to catch me in time. She actually seems genuinely concerned as she dives after me though, which makes me somewhat happy that she actually did mean to grab me. I say a quick apology prayer to the Gods for failing so soon and close my eyes just before the ground comes up to meet me.