The battle went as well as one could expect. The Devil lead his soldiers in, and they collapsed tents, slaughtering the inhabitants, and driving them out. The soldiers were disorganized and called out for commanders desperately, fighting back to back in a tight knot. When the doors to the tents of their leaders did open, there were only the assassins, The Swordsman and Kotetsu wielding bloodied blades, and Morz lifting one man to snap his neck before the defenders. This only demoralized them further, and soon, the few remaining had surrendered, throwing their hands into the air.
Guilta nodded to The Swordsman as he led his men over."Good work, made things much easier."He chuckled."Though I wouldn't have minded a bigger struggle, in all honesty."
Katto simply nodded."The job is done."He replied, looking as Säel led Dao down and walked over, hugging her.
Dao blinked, then smiled."Everything go alright? No scratches?" She pushed him back slightly, checking over him.
The Swordsman smiled."No scratches."He confirmed."I promise."
Dao crossed her arms."You made the same promise in the Gana planes back home when you had a knife in your gut."She replied.
Guilta chuckled."Ooh, so the children don't calm down that feminine feistiness. Shame."
Katto stood with his people, looking at the crouching prisoners."...So, what will become of them?" He asked, choosing to ignore Guilta's comment.
Guilta grinned, looking over the prisoners."Hmm...Well, they were vague about that. I could do whatever I pleased with them really. Cut them apart? Burn them? Or I hear Vrai has a lovely slave market these days..."He looked to one particularly plump man."Ah! Say, how much do you weigh? I hear some traders pay by the pound."
The man forgot his position for a moment and stood."Hey, you ta-"
Almost as soon as he was on his feet, an arrow thudded into his chest, neatly piercing through his heart. He fell back, wailing piteously. Guilta turned, growling."We were having a conversation!"
The red haired woman walked over, ignoring him and slicing the man's neck with a dagger before removing her arrow."You said shoot if they stand. He stood. I shot."She replied.
Guilta put a hand on his sword hilt, then suddenly laughed, patting Reba's shoulder."Oh, that's right, I did!" He laughed off the disrespect to him, looking back."Rasca! Never get on this one's bad side, I promise you, it's not fun." There was strained laughter from the group, and Reba walked back to a relieved-looking Deena man.
Yozaku sighed."So...What now? How do we get our pay?"
Guilta looked at Yozaku."Hmm....Oh yes, about that, I have a bit of news from our employers."
The next moment was a blur. Katto saw his hand tighten on the hilt and attempted to call out, but too late. Guilta cut upwards, slicing from just below Yozaku's bottom left rib to his top right shoulder. He blinked and stood, a perplexed look on his face. Guilta smiled and stepped aside, shoving him to the ground face-forward, watching as his blood pooled to the ground around them.
Buna roared in rage and drew his sword, running for him."You bastard! You basta-"
A well placed arrow from Reba gored through his eye, and he swung for Guilta, missing his head by several inches. He grinned and slashed as the half-blind man staggered, cutting deeply into his side and dodging aside as he collapsed silently.
Katto managed to recover from seeing two of his friends cut down and barked out to Kotetsu."Run! Get Dao out of here, no-"
He was shocked as he looked back, having forgotten of the massive form of Morz, who had a hand raised. He started to call again, but too late. Morz shot out a hand from beneath his cloak. Kotetsu initially seemed undisturbed, but staggered forward."...Bro...ther..."He murmured, seeming to have abandoned his apparent ignorance of the Basic tongue of this land. He collapsed against Katto, who nearly vomited at the sight. A small hole, no bigger in size than a coin, had been punched through the back of his brother's skull.
He shuddered, setting him down a bit more roughly than he intended, and glared at his opponent."You...You stay back, all of you!"He ordered, drawing his blade and standing in front of Dao.
Guilta walked forward, smiling."My, my...So you have balls after all. Stay back boys, I think he means it."He laughed loudly, followed by a few chuckles from the soldiers closest to him.
Katto growled."...What is the meaning of this? You...you've murdered my comerades! Our employer will not stand for this!"
Guilta snickered."Oh, poor, poor, honorable foreigner. Are you really quite so naïve?" He smiled."Do you really think I'd murder without profit? I'm not a monster."
The Swordsman was caught off guard, and leveled his blade."...What are you talking about!?" He demanded.
Guilta smiled."Sawaln is a peculiar place with a peculiar people. Honorable on the surface, but underneath that first, shining layer is five more layers of filth and deception."
The Swordsman growled and ran forward."Stop speaking in riddles and tell me what you mean!" He snapped.
Guilta didn't even flinch as he raised his blade to block."They only hire mercenaries if they have too, and Assassins are a last resort."He replied, blocking the next flurry of blows from his attacker."And of course, they can't have it getting out that assassins were in their employ, so..."He suddenly punched out, knocking him flat on his back. He tried to rise, but Guilta put his blade to his neck."They offered us your pay if we insured you did not speak."
Säel, meanwhile, had looked in horror until this point, but marched forward, pushing The Devil aside."Guilta! You said you'd stop these underhanded jobs!"
Guilta just looked at her."Well, wife, I seem to have lied."He said impatiently."Now, I suggest you refrain from interfering further."
His wife stood her ground, lips pursed."Guilta...If you kill them, I will never forgive you. I'll leave."
Guilta scoffed."You wouldn't dare."
She crossed her arms."I will. And I'll rally the villages of our homeland against you, and you'll find yourself outmatched and killed."
Vaussten walked forward, putting his hands on her shoulders."Säel, don't make threats like that, it won't-"
Guilta let out a long-suffering sigh."It's what I get for marrying someone so headstrong. Father always said don't marry a headstrong girl unless you want headstrong defiance. Fine, fine." He lifted Säel's chin."Please, dearest, don't pout, it's beneath you. I promise I won't kill them, alright? I will have to make sure they don't speak of it, of course, but they won't be killed by me or anyone else here. Fair?"
Säel glared at him defiantly, then walked off. He sighed."Morz , walk her back to her tent, I don't want that strong head of hers lopped off by a straggler."
Morz nodded obediently, following her and pulling the edge of his hood down tighter over his face.
Guilta looked over the rest of the army."You all, get lost...Except Reba...And Vaussten, you stay too. The rest of you, get to looting."
Guilta turned back to the Swordsman, his broad smile returning."Ah! So, i'll make you a wonderful deal. I will let the woman go, while you stay here and do me a favor." He offered, smiling."With the gift in her belly, why, that's two for the price of one. Lovely, isn't it?"
The Swordsman glared."And if I refuse?"
Guilta sighed."...My dear wife could hardly blame me if it was self defense."He replied, a mischievous grin on his face."Have you a god, foreigner? I'll swear to it, if you'd like."
The Swordsman glared, then looked to Dao."...Go."
Dao blinked."...Katto, I-"
He turned."I'll not have you die like the rest."
Dao blinked, then suddenly kissed him."...You survive."She ordered."You find us, because this child deserves to know her father."
Katto nodded briefly, watching as she hurried away from the camp. He turned to Guilta, a defiant glare on his face."So...What would you have me do?"
Guilta smiled."Well, first...follow me. Believe me, the scenery here is dreadful." He walked off, nimbly stepping over the body of Buna as he went.
Katto took a deep breath, then followed, leaving behind the corpses of those he'd called his family.
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Guilta walked along, humming indifferently, as though this were a normal stroll, as though he hadn't just lead the charge and given the orders to have people slain. Katto was tempted to draw his blade again and stab the man, but he couldn't. As soon as he did, the others would attack, and he'd be slain. All the while, he held himself back, keeping the words of Dao in his head."Survive. You survive."
They were soon deep into the woods, and Guilta nodded."This should be far enough."He decided, turning.
Katto glared."...What do you want of me?"
Guilta looked at Vaussten."...Hold him down."
He had no time to react, and was thrown to the ground by The Ruin. He snarled."You gave your word!" He snapped.
The Devil smiled, kneeling near the struggling man."...Would you like to know a secret about this land? You see, in Sawaln, they've hunted nearly all of their beasts to extinction...All except the wolves. As a result, they have a tendency to attack those who wander the woods alone. No option really, either that or starve." He smiled."And a pregnant woman....well, she has a peculiar aroma that makes her seem so very appetizing."
Katto processed that, then snarled."Get off of me! Get off of me!" He demanded.
He smiled."So...As I told my wife, I won't kill you. this is far more entertaining, really. But, I will reduce the chances of your involvement significantly. So, once this is done, You're free to go save your damsel."
Katto snarled."I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you! Black Griffin will suffer!" He snapped, losing his composure.
Guilta sighed."...You see, this is why I don't like survivors. If you live, you're filled with hate. Of course, you're but a human, and you will eventually fade. But, your bloodline will persist." He shook his head."And that will begin a cycle of you trying to avenge your comerades, your children avenging you, their children avenging the,...it becomes quite the hassle for a near-immortal like myself...But, one lifetime of hatred to bother me will be acceptable." He decided.
He turned to Reba, handing her a knife off his belt."...Make sure he doesn't have any children." He ordered." Bind it shut afterwards and send him on his way."
Reba blinked, seeming horrified."...I'm a healer, I don't...I won't do that!" She said incredulously, shocked. Guilta had violence in him, she knew, but to involve others in it..."
Guilta chuckled." I'm sorry, did that sound like a request?" His demeanor turned back to its natural coldness."Do it or I'll behead your husband." He walked over to Katto, smiling down at him."Vaussten, do be sure to keep him still, I don't want him to bleed out."
Katto snarled."I'll kill you....I'll kill everything you know and love!"
Guilta smiled."Hmm....Let's do this. Reba!" He looked back at the still stunned healer."...If he struggles, do it slowly. If he's complacent, do it quickly. Every second counts for his mate, doesn't it?" He said, walking off.
Reba blinked, then gulped."I....I-I-I...Vaussten, you can't seriously..."
Vaussten looked back at her."Just get it over with." He ordered, continuing his hold on The Swordsman.
Katto was calm, gripping the hilt of his blade. "Just survive, just survive, just survive."
He did not scream when the knife was used. He refused to pass out when the pain made him want to die. He stood when they were gone, too weak to run after them, or fight them if he could, and staggered off."Dao....Dao!"
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Guilta was back to his cheerful disposition when he walked back to the main army. He felt a blur rush past him, a streak of red following behind. He smiled, then looked back to see a sullen looking Vaussten following."Hmm? Why so glum?"
In response, Vaussten punched Guilta across the face."...Why?"
Guilta staggered slightly, but seemed unaffected by the punch as he tilted his head curiously."Why what?"
Vaussten punched him again."Why would you make me do that?"
Guilta chuckled."Hmm...you could have refused. Could have fought me, destroyed my blade, set my clothes aflame...hell, hit me as you hit me now. And yet, you didn't. Why? Because you're weak. Because you're like that assassin. The weak are trampled upon by the strong, and this show of defiance?" He straightened himself."...Even a mouse will bite the cat. Now, another punch, and I'll take this seriously." He replied.
Vaussten glared."...Never give me an order like that again. Me or Reba." He ordered, before walking off.
Guilta took care to spit our one of his teeth before giving a smile as The Ruin walked away."Love you too, Vaussten!" He called, cackling at his own joke as he walked off.
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Gem blinked back tears, having been riveted by The Swordsman's tale."...And Dao?" She inquired, fearing the answer.
Katto stirred the flames, taking a deep breath."...Dead. I found her tracks, delirious though I was, and followed them. When I got to the end...I found her body. Her body was covered in bites...and her stomach was torn open."
Gem bowed her head solemnly, closing her eyes.
The Swordsman continued."....Three days after that, I recovered fully from my maiming. Four days after that, the king of Sawaln was found slain by my hand. Five days after that, I discovered my gift."
Gem looked up curiously.
He tapped his forehead."Memory Materialization. I can summon...copies, I suppose, of those I remember...I never even knew such a Lost magic existed." He admitted, sighing."...And in the end, I know Black Griffin is a mighty foe. I could sneak past the defenses, but the Devil was so formidable...if his progeny has inherited but a sliver of his skill, I will be killed. And so, I have spent my life preparing."
He stood, nodding to his sword case."I created the style of scattering swords, to keep my moves unpredictable, to ensure weapons will be near me always. I've mastered my gift, so that controlling them is second nature. Twice I've tried to take advantage of the chaos of battle to corner and kill The Demon. Once I failed due to you and that secretary, and once I failed due to the ineptitude of The Sai. But, against All Sons, it will be assured. Their army is too skilled and too numerous. I will finally avenge those slain by The Devil."
Gem sighed."...It won't change anything. Your friends will still be dead, and Guiltare...She's a good woman, she's raised me." She signed forcefully to emphasize the message.
Katto sighed."...So you truly have no clue?" Gem frowned, and he shook his head."Nevermind that....You will likely be dead soon, I will give you the luxury of your ignorance." He sat down."...I have kept track, and your Demon is by no means good." He replied."She's like her father...And I shall put her down." He smothered the fire."...We'll be there tomorrow, I suggest you sleep."
Gem sighed resignedly as weariness overtook her. She laid down, clenching her fists angrily as she thought to herself."How dare he...he doesn't even know her, he's an idiot! Guiltare is a good person!"