Star Warden: Slayer of Evil. Chapter 6.

 

6

Their journey lasted seven days and nights, but at last Sam and Kaguya arrived at the Monmouth lands. The effects of the curse were unambiguous as the nightly stars and twin moons were replaced by pitch-black clouds along with a rotating red vortex in the sky. The smell of smoke and ashes permeated the air with a heavy-handed feel. A few acres of dying grass were surrounded by arid ground.

The land was silent as no noises from beasts four-legged or winged filled the air, no sound of insects gave relief from the oppressive ambiance and even the very wind had been muzzled. A dejected look appeared on the Princess's face as she observed the state of the land. Sam wished he had a joke to alleviate the situation; it was heartbreaking to see her kind and beautiful face subjected to despair.

They continued to ride on in silence as they arrived at a town with watchtowers nearby. It was clear that the little town had been abandoned for some time, by people at least. What took their place were numerous vines that had completely overrun the town. Some were small and poured through the walls of homes while others were large enough to block an entire street. Some had dark purple veins that traveled across them while others had bright red ones filled with some liquid and pulsed like a heartbeat. It was as if millennia had passed and nature was reclaiming the land.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Sam said. He felt a hum coming from Dawnbringer which only added to his suspicions.

“Agreed. Something about this is unnatural.”

“How did plants even grow this big with no sunlight?”

“I do not believe we wish to know the answer.” She turned around as she heard running feet behind her and something being torn apart.

Sam stopped in front of one of the larger vines. It was so large in fact that he could not see what was above or around it. Its veins were red and pulsed in rhythm with the others. He found it uncanny how in sync they all were; not one vine out of cadence, not one pulse faster or slower than the others. Then in a blink of an eye, they started to beat at a rapid pace, but still perfectly in sync with each other.

“Sam!”

Kaguya's voice caused him to turn his head and he saw short pointed eared creatures running toward them. Their bodies were cobbled together from intertwining vines while their faces were wrinkled and leathery. Sharpened wooden teeth filled their mouths and wooden claws emerged from their hands. While others wielded weapons made from fibrous materials. The clear impression the Warden received is that they were some sort of plant creature.

Before he could reach his sword, he heard a quick ripping noise and then felt a blow on his back which knocked him off the horse. Regaining his vision, he quickly rolled out of the way of an incoming plant goblin. More of the creatures poured out of the large vine ripping new holes from it. They grabbed him and started to pile on him, using their sheer numbers to bring him to his knees and keeping him from drawing his blade. 

The Warden fought back like a cornered beast, kicking, punching, and head bashing these creatures. His mechanical steed aided him in attacking the creatures, discovering that individually each creature was weak. As a single strike was able to dissolve them into goo, but with each one destroyed five more took its place. 

Kaguya lent aid as best she could, fighting the creatures with her staff, causing the wind to rip through them, or deflecting their attacks with her barrier. Their persistence, or lack of self-preservation, ensured that her focus was strained. As more of the creatures replaced themselves and forced her on the defensive. One of them broke through her defenses and was slain by a point-blank shot of a ray gun. Kaguya held one under her skirt for just such an occasion like this. 

The situation grew increasingly hectic all around them as these creatures seemingly appeared without end. It was clear that even with Dawnbringer, his ray gun, and Kaguya's magic, they lacked the stamina to battle all of them. Soon the mechanical steed started to get overrun as the vile creatures began to hack away at its plates with claw, ax, and teeth.

“Back you mindless wretches!” A loud voice called out as a knight plowed through one of the vines with a large war hammer. Flames of plasma energy surrounded the head of the weapon. “Vile abominations! Your existence is an affront to Cerena's gaze! You shall be purged from this world!”

The knight slaughtered his way quickly through the goblins, carving a path to Sam and Kaguya. “Mount up and follow me! No glory can be gained from this fight, good sir.”

Without a word the two mounted upon their steed and rode after their rescuer. Kaguya focused her magic on keeping a light barrier around them while Sam gunned down any creatures caught inside of it. The wretched creatures outside continued to charge. Despite being knocked back upon impact, they would not give up their chase.

Their knightly ally brought them up a hill a good way from the village and to a camp surrounded by a large palisade. The wooden gate was opened up and closed quickly as soon as all three passed through the threshold. The knight grabbed a horn and brought it up to his helm. A sound loud enough to raise the dead from their graves erupted from the horn.

Around the palisade streams of light began to rise from the ground and for a moment Sam believed the dead were rising. The light turned into a halo above the camp and emitted a bright light that caused the charging creatures to explode en masse. 

“I recognize this miracle. A learned priest of the highest order must be behind this.”

“Indeed, My Lady, such a priest inhabits this camp. Sadly, his age matches his wisdom. Now to business. Good Sir, remove your helm and identify yourself.”

“Samuel Bailey. The Star Warden.” He removed his helm as requested.

“Yes, the heraldry you wear I recognize it,” the knight spoke curtly. 

He removed his gilded helm and revealed his face. Sam recognized that he was a Milesian. Milesians were physically closer to a stereotypical depiction of elves, tall, slender, and pointed ears. They had no wings of their own and appeared closer to humans with whites surrounding their irises. This one had fair skin like Sam's, orange eyes with dark tinted amber hair that went to the base of his neck.

“My name is Sir Gareth; I am known as the Flaming Fist. Proud Member of the Order of Lancelot.” Sam made a mental note as he noticed a bit of hesitation before Gareth said the word proud.

His armor, like his helm, was gilded and smooth with a scale fish pattern across it, topped off with a cloak of fur that adorned his back. There were numerous dents and scratches in the armor and the shine had dulled.

“So, you are Sir Bailey. Your reputation precedes you,” Gareth said. “This means you are the Emissary?”

Kaguya curtsied. “I am Princess Kaguya Bailey, Lady of House Bailey, and 2^nd Princess of the Asahina Dynasty. We have come to help remove the curse from this land.”

“I am afraid you have only come to your doom,” Gareth said.

“Crom laughs at your doom. He sits in his mountain and mocks those who bring him such news,” Sam said as he chuckled.

“Pardon, Sir?”

“What he means is that whatever potential doom seeks to hinder us we will reverse it. He may come off as oblique with his word choice, but he honors those words, Sir Gareth.”

“I see,” Gareth said sounding unconvinced. “The Gremlins you encountered are numerous without end. The priest Is old and soon will no longer have the strength to call upon Kira's grace to protect us. Then the gremlins will swarm without end and slay us.” He sighed and continued. “But the Powers shall not find me wanting. In my final moments, I will die as I live. It is as I said only doom awaits us... but I will face it as any other foe.” His voice was clearly tired despite the determined tone the words presented.

“Good to see you still have the will to fight. Now let's channel that will into fixing this problem.” Sam's voice was filled with determination and authority. Gareth was still unconvinced and so Sam pressed the matter.

 “Look I might be irreverent sometimes, but I take my duty as a knight and as Champion of Aetherium seriously. Now I can pull rank but I'd rather you help because deep in your heart you'd rather go out with a chance of winning rather than just waiting for death. Am I right or wrong?”

Gareth raised an eyebrow. “You are a curiously stubborn sort. Maybe too much for your own good. What is your plan?”

“I'll have one,” Sam said. “Just need some information. What happened here?”

“This was once a customs and border town known as Trader's Landing. When the Dark Lord’s forces invaded. My brothers in the Order led the fight in opposing them. While the enemy took the castle and Port Monmouth, we were free to harry them from the countryside with the aid of the people.”

Gareth pointed skyward. “Then the sky went dark and the machines came. It was easy to fight off the ratmen and other evil creatures. But the machines they were different, they were organized and relentless, and with the advantage of this eternal night we were driven back to Joyous Guard.”

“If you were only facing ratmen up until now then it is most likely that Daimos himself is here. Sam said.

“He does prefer his machines,” Kaguya stated. “I believe he must have arrived personally to enact the curse.”

“The Dark Lord is here,” Gareth asked. The nervousness was apparent in his face if not his voice.

“Stay calm, we don’t know that for sure,” Sam said. “Focus on the situation here. What specifically happened here to Trader’s Landing?”

Gareth looked personally offended. “I am calm.” He sounded offended as well, Sam however had a feeling he was attempting to reassure himself.

 “In any case. I was sent by Lord Commander Roland to leave and petition King Alistair of Falias for aid. When I arrived in town everything was normal at first.”

Gareth’s tale continued explaining the attack on Trader’s Landing. The Gremlins arrived from the orchards outside of the town. Like locusts, they sacked the town slaughtering any in their sights while vines erupted from the ground capturing those the Gremlins did not slay. Gareth united warriors of every stripe from town guard to private soldier under his banner. He sent some to round up and evacuate the common folk while he led the warriors to strike at the source of the threat.

The battle went well at first until the sheer number of Gremlins overwhelmed them. Aided by giant spiders and ambushing vines to prevent retreat.

“When it was clear the battle was lost, I called a retreat. I remember covering for others when a spider knocked me off my horse. I lost consciousness and woke up later in this very camp.”

“Do you remember anything else at the orchards,” Sam asked.

“I remember seeing a large black tree in the distance. I am unaware if it was there before this event or not."

Kaguya pondered the statement. “It could be any number of things. A sealed creature unleashed or some other side effect of this curse. I would need to meditate to know more.”

“Would Daimos have a reason to deliberately attack this place,” Sam asked.

“I know not how the enemy works,” said Gareth. “My only guess is to prevent any escape as the only other way out of this land is either through the swamps or through the mountains.

Kaguya added to it. “There is also the fact that if this was some sort of bio-weapon rather than a random side effect. Then Trader’s Landing could have been used as a sacrifice to establish the Gremlins' reputation as a weapon of terror. Combine this with the dying soil and the lack of food. The people here would have no hope of freeing themselves from the Dark Lord’s yoke.”

“A prison without walls and bars made from fear,” Sam commented.

“Now what is the plan or are we awaiting reinforcements,” Gareth asked.

“King Alistair is long dead. We are the reinforcements,” Sam said.

“You have a plan with only two people,” he asked incredulously.

“Like you said my reputation precedes me,” Sam said proudly.

“Reputations can be exaggerated.”

“True. But I assure you mine is not by much.” Sam turned to Kaguya. “Start doing those meditations see what information you can gather. Gareth tell the priest to turn off the miracle and conserve his energy. I will keep watch if the Gremlins return.”

The Star Warden passed out some rations to the survivors of Trader’s Landing while Kaguya and Gareth carried out their respective orders. During his conversations on guard duty, Sam noticed no children at all in the camp. Unfortunately, he learned that most of the casualties were the elderly or the children. He focused on keeping the people in good spirits and refrained from further questions.

Time passed whether it was only minutes or hours one could not say with any accuracy. Another effect of the curse had caused all timepieces to stop, even the digital one in Sam's heads-up display was on the fritz stuck at displaying all zeros. Even so, time waits for no man and soon the three heroes reunited to begin their plan to defeat the Gremlins.

Kaguya’s meditations revealed that the black tree contained some sort of creature that has been affected by unholy energies. She spoke of a spider larger than any man that fed on the very energy of life and did not discriminate on its source. From that life energy, it created the Gremlins to spread and capture more essence for its unending hunger. Whatever it was before, the unholy energies of the Abyss had turned it into a creature of pure greed.

The Abyss is the space that exists outside the universe, a cosmic force of pure evil and chaos. It crafts demonic spirits and eldritch horrors to spread its corrupting influence on the physical plane. Mutating whatever comes in contact with it and disrupting the laws of reality. It offers great knowledge and power if one is willing to accept the grizzly cost for its fantastical wares.

Why it has chosen to mutate this spider is unknown. But for a mortal ignorance in this matter is the greatest blessing, one can receive. For to understand the Abyss is to be driven mad if one was not mad already.

“I suggest we employ the townspeople in this,” Kaguya said. “With their prayers, I should have enough power to re-create the miracle that will let us cross without incident.”

“Would this not leave the civilians undefended, Your Radiance?”

“Only for a short time, once we arrive at the tree the priest can restore the miracle.”

“That means we need to ride hard and fast to the tree then signal the priest as soon as possible,” Sam said.

“I agree but I can not join you,” Gareth said. “We have no guarantee the diversion will work and even if it does the spider might lash out to defend itself. I must stay here in either case to ensure their safety.”

“I agree,” Kaguya said. “It should keep the Gremlins and the Spider fooled long enough for us to remove the source of the threat.”

“Once the spider is dead will it destroy the Gremlins,” Sam asked.

“Yes, without a guiding will these creatures are no more living than clay golems.”

“Then let’s get to it.”

The townspeople gathered in a prayer circle and the priest directed them to begin a chant. Each of them began a prayer channeling fear, hope, love, and anger to their goddess Kira, which flowed into Kaguya. The emissary felt the familiar energizing yet bittersweet feeling inside her. It was the raw power of faith from those who had nothing else to give and the responsibility that entailed. The fear of disappointing them or failing them bubbled up in her mind, it made her all the more determined to not fail.

Taking a deep breath, she cast the miracle and a halo appeared over Sam. With preparations complete, they took flight into the Garden of Evil.

Chapter 5

Chapter 7