If Raelin had thought Valhalla was a beautiful place, she thought so even more now. She had always thought that beauty had been trees, grass, and running water, all under a clear blue sky. A village had almost always been a scar, a blight upon the land; something that was necessary, yet didn\u2019t belong. That was before she saw Valgrind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Raelin had seen in that glorious city had changed her opinion of beauty forever. Art was everywhere; there were no drab colors in Valgrind. Music had permeated the streets, changing mood with every step. Kindness had been in everyone\u2019s hearts. Drake had once told Raelin of a place people went after they died, a place where nothing bad could ever exist. If that place was real, Raelin was sure it would be like Valgrind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRaelin,\u201d said Drake, coming up behind her, \u201cdon\u2019t go too far off the path.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin laughed. She had been walking apart from the army, enjoying the smell of trees and the sounds of birds. \u201cWe\u2019re not even out of Nastralund, Drake,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are no enemies here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019d be surprised,\u201d Drake muttered, scanning the trees. They had left Valgrind two days earlier, and had covered over half the distance to Stechavan. The entire journey had been through a light forest, where the young trees, nearly bare with the coming winter, let the sun shine down on the hard ground. The air now held a definite hint of frost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWasn\u2019t Valgrind wonderful, Drake?\u201d Raelin asked. \u201cHave you ever seen anything like it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drake smiled down at her. He was riding one of the Templar\u2019s horses. \u201cNot quite like it, no. Although, I have seen some sights in my day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike what?\u201d asked Raelin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, London for one thing. You probably wouldn\u2019t like it \u2013 raining all the time, not the cleanest of places \u2013 but some of the buildings\u2026 they were\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re under attack! Help, it\u2019s the\u2014 AUGH!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drake whirled around. In an instant, the woods came alive. Beasts burst from behind the trees, snarling and snapping, and charged the force. They were skeletal and red, their large black eyes glittering in the bright sunlight. Taller than Raelin\u2019s waist, they charged the men, plunging their teeth into anything they could reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDrake,\u201d Raelin cried, \u201cwhat are they?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drake drew his sword. \u201cMarro,\u201d he shouted back as his horse reared. \u201cHounds. Get back, Raelin. Don\u2019t let them anywhere near you; they carry a deadly plague!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlague?\u201d Raelin repeated fearfully, but Drake was already gone. She leapt to the air and flew back to the main body of the troops \u2013 mostly Vikings and Templars. The soulborgs were up ahead, scouting. Despite Drake\u2019s warning, the men seemed to be defeating the marro easily enough. At least at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A moment later, more marro burst from the trees. These marro were humanoid, smaller than kyrie, and they rode atop wolfish mounts as big as horses. Above their heads they whirled what looked horribly like human spinal cords, flailing them like whips. A skull was attached to the end of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGroks!\u201d Drake yelled, riding into view. His sword was dyed green and yellow with blood. \u201cTemplars, form up and charge!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was confusion for a moment, and then the knights turned their horses into place and lowered their lances. Raelin took to the air again so she wouldn\u2019t be in the way. Drake wheeled his own horse about to face the oncoming Groks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCharge!\u201d he bellowed, slashing his sword down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin flew along above the horses, angling her spear downwards. In her mind, she focused on Drake and the Templars, and a blue field of magic erupted from the tip of the spear, enveloping them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a moment, the Groks looked hopelessly outnumbered. They seemed to realize it themselves, because a few broke ranks and ran the opposite way. But then, without warning, ten of the charging knights dropped dead. There was no attack, no movement. They just\u2026 died. Looking up, Raelin saw many more men drop to the ground as well. And then a lone figure rose above the trees, an evil smile upon her face, her helmet held in her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRuna,\u201d Raelin muttered to herself. She had heard of this kyrie from reports, and knew that she was deadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Runa rocketed downwards, speeding straight for Drake. Drake saw her a moment too late, and Runa crashed into him, sending them both to the ground. The Templars swerved in their charge to avoid trampling them, and the Groks smashed into them, aided by a new wave of marro hounds that burst from the trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin focused with all her might on Drake, willing her spear to keep him protected. Unfortunately, she focused so hard that she didn\u2019t see the Grok directly beneath her until his flail caught her foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin slammed into the ground, and her spear flew from her grasp. The Grok above her turned to face her, Raelin rolled away, and then she felt an extremely painful jab in her stomach. Something long, heavy, and extremely sharp was keeping her pinned to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin\u2019s immediate impression was of tangled hair and the smell of rotting skin. Neither was very pleasant. The creature above her was definitely a marro, though Raelin might have guessed it was a female. She had six legs, sharp like a crab\u2019s, and held a heavy staff in her two hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The marro thrust her face into Raelin\u2019s. \u201cDo you know who I am, kyrie?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin tried to back away, but the marro\u2019s foot held her secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am Kee-Mo-Shi, and from this point onwards, you will serve me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin glanced very briefly into Kee-Mo-Shi\u2019s deep black eyes. That proved to be a mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sound instantly died. Raelin\u2019s muscles tensed. She realized she couldn\u2019t move. She couldn\u2019t look away. She couldn\u2019t even breathe. She could feel her mind going fuzzy. Her senses became overpowered with the stench of swamp and rot, and Kee-Mo-Shi\u2019s merciless eyes bored deep into her own, penetrating, tearing, revealing all\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kee-Mo-Shi let loose an earsplitting scream, and Raelin fell back on the ground, gasping for breath. She couldn\u2019t breathe. Sound overwhelmed her. Her eyes couldn\u2019t focus. Everything was shifting between light and dark, clear and blurred. Raelin\u2019s stomach churned, and her mind went black for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRaelin! Raelin! Wake up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin drew a breath. It hurt terribly. She let it out slowly and drew another one. She wanted to take only small breaths because of the pain, but she needed oxygen. Her mind threatened to slip away again. She forced herself to breathe deeply, gritted her teeth against the pain, and looked up through watering eyes. Drake knelt before her, his sword a mass of green and yellow. Looking beyond him, Raelin saw Kee-Mo-Shi, twitching in her final seconds of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you all right?\u201d Drake asked. \u201cCan you focus?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d answered Raelin. Her speech was slurred, slow. It frightened her. Why couldn\u2019t she talk right? Her concern was mirrored in Drake\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Raelin,\u201d Drake said. \u201cYou\u2019ll be fine. You\u2019ve just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whatever else Drake was about to say was lost to the wind. Something red slammed into him, and Raelin was left blankly staring at where he had been. In her stunned state, it took her a moment to turn her head and see what had happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drake was struggling with Runa on the ground. He appeared to have the upper hand. He was on top of Runa, trying to get his sword pointed at her, but she kept squirming and writhing out of the way. Finally, she kicked him in the side, which caused him to lose his grip on her. She kicked him in the stomach, rolled over, and jetted out from under him, bringing her sword down at his shoulder as she flew upwards. Drake blocked the blow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A sudden barrage of gunfire overloaded Raelin\u2019s mind again. She watched in a dazed stupor as Omnicrons \u2013 soulborg minions of Zetacron \u2013 advanced on the remaining marro, annihilating them with their superior firepower. The smoke stung her eyes and filled the air, adding to the confused jumble in Raelin\u2019s mind. After a brief struggle, everything blurred together and Raelin faded into blackness once more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If Raelin had thought Valhalla was a beautiful place, she thought so even more now. She had always thought that beauty had been trees, grass, and running water, all under a clear blue sky. A village had almost always been a scar, a blight upon the land; something that was necessary, yet didn\u2019t belong. That … Continue reading Chapter Eight – Kee-Mo-Shi’s Attempt<\/span>