Zectas Book II: Heraldic City of Coatl (51 page)

 

 

However, the Brandals were gathering towards Espion and the Maneators. Sierra arrived to where Adder and the other battalion commanders were positioned.

 

 

"Adder, what's the plan?"

 

 

The one-armed man gave Sierra a quick smile of relief.

 

 

"We have to cover Espion and the Maneators' escape route, so they can get Smoke out of that death trap."

 

 

Sierra nodded. She quickly delegated the plan to Mamelon and the Captain of the Avendre Mercenaries. Both groups instantly responded and dove into the trench.

 

 

All of their ranged attackers targeted the bandits that blocked Smoke's escape path, while the militia members and the Avendre Mercenaries spread around the trench attacking the bandits that tried to escape.

 

 

The red werebear led the charge. She didn't know how Smoke did it, but most of the Brandals were left with only 50% of their life bars.

 

 

Sierra and 600 various Knights started to reopen the closed escape path. They pushed onwards, and massacred the injured bandits.

 

 

The red werebear and the Knights haphazardly fought through twenty meters of bandits. She was afraid that she was too late to reach Smoke in time.

 

 

Desperately, Smoke stood on top of an earth platform and used his power chainsaw bow to attack the bandits. He switched out his chain and sickle because he was afraid he would injure his companions.

 

 

Espion, Weise, Stark, and Rasant formed a circle around Smoke's platform. The four fighters on the ground trusted each other completely, and only focused on the enemies that were in front of them.

 

 

Their five man team held their formation until Sierra arrived. The injured Brandals had no chance against the combined might of Sierra and 600 Knights.

 

 

After Sierra and the Knights cleared a path to Smoke, the red werebear went directly to where he stood. The DarkElf gave her a reassuring smile.

 

 

Smoke unequipped his bow and opened up his arms expecting a hug, when Sierra's claw came out of nowhere and clonked him in the head.

 

 

"Ouch! I thought you came here to save me?"

 

 

Sierra was genuinely angry at Smoke.

 

 

"I thought you told me that you didn't want anyone else to die?"

 

 

Smoke grimaced and raised both his hands in surrender.

 

 

"I said, I didn't want to lose anyone else. Besides, I knew you would get here in time. Or at least I hoped."

 

 

"See, you weren't sure we would make it. Even if we do revive, you should treasure our lives here in Zectas. Think about the Zectians who sacrificed their lives to preserve yours. Don't you think you're mocking them by sacrificing yourself like this?"

 

 

"I know that, but isn't it unfair if I wasn't prepared to offer my own life as they would do the same thing for me? We've lost the lives of almost a thousand men! Even if we're inside Zectas, it feels all too real for me."

 

 

Sierra remained silent and kept on glaring at Smoke. She knew that he had a point but so did she.

 

 

"Anyway, let's not fight over this now. We still have to deal with these Brandal bastards."

 

 

As the two of them spoke, Smoke felt that someone was watching him. He looked around and noticed that some of the Sonstwelter Knights kept on glancing over his direction.

 

 

Smoke quickly unequipped his hooded cloak, and fought on with the thought to suppress his secret abilities. He kept in mind to only use the actions he performed in his videos.

 

 

An hour passed as they went on to butcher the Brandals. When the last bandit fell, a notification message appeared in front of everyone in the battlefield.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somberly, Nash reviewed his latest video feed for the tenth time. His last video where he pretended he was training himself as Ilad, only got him a check of $10,000.

 

 

He was close to the required number of views for the $15,000 check, but unfortunately he ran out of time.

 

 

Nash was hopeful for the check to be $15,000. Donny had lost miserably at the national competition of the AUTOMATA (Amateur Unarmed Tournament Open Martial Art Techniques Association).

 

 

The general aura around their house was depressing. He thought a short vacation was something that his entire family needed, but a vacation meant he would need money.

 

 

This made him decide to upload his latest video feed as soon as possible. Nash would have loved to show his adventures inside the labyrinth, but that would only confirm that Smoke and Ilad were the same person.

 

 

For the latest video, he chose his battle against the Brandals. It was a video in honor of Konig Mitleid's heroic sacrifice and of those militia members who offered their lives for Verbrannt village.

 

 

Nash carefully edited out the parts where he glided with his hooded cape, or jumped high with his lunar boots. He did include the part where he used his chain and sickle.

 

 

Apparently, Sherry and the other Sonstwelters saw him using it when they came to rescue him. Rumors had spread that Nash's advance hidden job in Zectas was that of a Ninja Weapon Master.

 

 

Normally, these rumors about his hidden job would have brought a smile to his face. Yet, today his depressed gloomy face remained.

 

 

After he was done uploading his battle with the Brandals, Nash clicked on the most active thread in all of Zectas' history.

 

 

 

Nash turned off his desktop and was about to head downstairs. He took his eskrima sticks with him as he was about to leave his room.

 

 

He planned on beating his frustrations on a hanged tire. He needed to keep himself from thinking about Konig Mitleid's death.

 

 

 

 

Grief and sorrow blanketed over Verbrannt Castle. However, the residents refused to give in to the pain in their hearts.

 

 

They kept themselves busy with the farming, fishing, and other menial tasks. Various defensive projects were on the works outside of the Castle walls.

 

 

Everybody looked for different ways to help out and improve their situation. Which was why Ichaival Jackal was busy helping out the residents in Verbrannt village. Especially the families of those who had died in the last battle against the Brandals.

 

 

He filled their water tanks to the brim, chopped their firewood into a neat pile, and even entertained the children with a few of his parlor tricks.

 

 

Ichaival was known as Nanahuatl's village clown, but all of that was to cover his grief over his mother's death when he was five.

 

 

As he carried another bucket full of water, Ichavail stopped and looked over Sharanga's shop as she was experimenting on her new defensive weapon.

 

 

Throughout his entire life, there was only one person who saw through his facade. It was Sharanga Sundara when they were eight years old.

 

 

Ichaival was catching frogs near the river when Sharanga happened to pass by. The young WoodElf was usually quiet and kept only to herself or her twin sister.

 

 

However, on that particular day Sharanga stopped walking and sat near him. She told him that it was okay to cry.

 

 

She went on to say that she cries herself to sleep at night as the memory of her own parents were starting to fade.

 

 

Ichaival got really angry with her. He couldn't believe how some abandoned kid could possibly understand his feelings.

 

 

So, he got one of his captured frogs and shoved it down Sharanga's blouse. He kept teasing her as he ran away.

 

 

From that day on Ichaival's love for Sharanga grew, but he didn't know how to show it. He always resorted into pranking her instead.

 

 

Yet, now that they were older, Ichaival thought that he would act properly and show her how he truly feels. Sadly for him, Sharanga only sees him as the boy who kept on playing jokes at her.

 

 

Ichaival's gaze on Sharanga was disrupted when Adder stepped in front of him, and told him that they were summoned to the war room.

 

 

 

 

Smoke and Sierra were having a heated argument in the throne room, as they waited for everyone in their private army to arrive.

 

 

"Why can't you understand? If you created a guild and invited more people in to join, then I think we would have a good chance of getting 10,000 Sonstwelters like Tristan."

 

 

"Sierra, it's you who can't understand. You can't trust these Sonstwelters. They'll always have a hidden agenda of their own."

 

 

The red werebear stared at the DarkElf with frustration.

 

 

"Then what about your Non Aggression Pact members? Why did you do that? Isn't that the same thing as making a guild?"

 

 

Smoke did a face palm, as he tried to let Sierra understand his reason.

 

 

"Those two are completely different. The NAP members had strict rules that prevented them from betraying me, but even then I was caught by Macher. "

 

 

"Wait a minute, I thought that Macher's men weren't a part of your NAP? Also, there are other benefits that we could get as a guild."

 

 

"I know that... But I just can't bring myself to trust any of them."

 

 

Thyrsus knocked on the throne room's door and walked in. He came to tell them that everyone had assembled in the war room.

 

 

Smoke and Sierra abruptly ended their discussion and silently followed Thyrsus.

 

 

The DarkElf sat at the center of a long rectangular table. Sierra sat at his right side, while Adder to his left.

 

 

The other members were spread throughout the table. Ichaival had to ask Espion to change seats with him, so he could sit next to Sharanga.

 

 

With everybody settled down, Smoke started their meeting.

 

 

"I would like to thank everyone for all your heroic actions in the last battle. We may have survived that army of Brandals, but I wouldn't call it a victory. We've suffered too many casualties, and I'd like us to have a moment of silence to remember Konig Mitleid and those who laid down their lives for our cause."

 

 

The war room was filled with solemn silence.

 

 

"Now, I'd like to formally introduce to you the newest members of our family. The young Spy with the eye patch, is called Espion. Then we have the tall burly red Maneator, he is called Stark. The hyperactive orange Maneator is Rasant. Finally, the gray Maneator who is quietly observing all of us is called Weise."

 

 

The four new members gave a nod and other various forms of acknowledgement as the war room erupted with applause.

 

 

Smoke proceeded with the meeting once everybody was done clapping.

 

 

"Our biggest concern at the moment is Duke Burmistrz next attack. I don't think we could survive another one, as we are now."