Ep 98. Ludin. (1)
“Talk about crowded. The pce is pretty mu ant y.”
“…”
Stretg before the twons standing on clifftop was a beautiful ndscape occupied by a vibrant city built upon the hills by a glimmering i. Despite the distaween them and the city, Raizel could still make out the numerous bodies busily moving about in its streets over the capital’s walls; although Serenis couldn’t make out nearly the same level of details as Raizel, she could clearly see that Zeria was, in fact, just a rger version of any other humalement.
‘…I expected a ost of sorts.’
Though, despite the city’s ued beauty, Serenis couldn’t bring herself to think very highly of the sight. If the empire’s army dwelling within were equipped with Kedor’s shell, then that was already of signifit threat to her current self; further, she scarce had passion to spare for a nation that would willingly attack her kin and defile her friend’s corpse.
Meanwhile, Raizel turowards Serenis after finishing her own observation.
“So? we bust in now? The emperor’s bound to be holed up in that huge pace at the top.”
“...’Bust in’?”
“Yeah. You know, just go in, think ter. You even taught me how to fly, I don’t see why we ’t just head straight in there.”
“…Right. I…suppose we could.”
It was a nation that had wronged her kin and friend both.
A, something about the prospect of attag the capital irked at Serenis’ sce. Something she couldn’t quite put a finger on.
Notig the dragonlord’s hesitation, Raizel spared a momentary gowards the dragonlord, crossing her arms in annoyahe youngling’s voice betrayed a hint of sarcasm, looking off into the distance.
“You feel sorry for them, don’t you?”
“No, that’s not…”
“No, I get it. You weren’t there when it happened, so you’re not all that angry about it. But…”
The steel dragon summoned her wings, metallic shards glittering uhe sunlight. Her feet dug into the grouh her as Raizel prepared to leap.
“…Don’t bme me if you find the emperor dead. I’m not as nice as you are, lord.”
It wasn’t long until Raizel’s figure disappeared from sight, her body speeding off into the distao bee a spe the air. Serenis watched the youngling soar across the distaowards the obvious pace located on top of Zeria’s rgest hill.
And still, she hesitated to chase after Raizel.
‘What is this reluce I feel?’
Despite being against harming is, Serenis, too, had scarcely any passion to spare against people of a nation that harmed her brethren. And if she were so against harming the i, then it was merely a matter of ign them and heading straight to capture the emperor. She could simply subdue and release the others, just like she had with the four soldiers at Hilia.
The dragonlord shook her head, summoning her own wings to follow after Raizel. Whatever it was that was b her stious, surely it wasn’t w abht now.
Surely.
? ? ?
“Hey…what is that?”
“Meh? What’s what?”
“Up there! Do you see that? That thing flying towards us!”
“…You okay? Did you drink too much st night?”
“This isn’t a joke! Look up, damnit!”
“What’s-“
Before their versation tinued any further, Raizel retracted her wings, letting her body freely fall down. It took no time at all for the youngling’s body to plummet down onto the pace ramparts, straight towards the versing, oblivious soldiers.
And before he could ever look up, a heap of metal crushed one of the two guards underh in its deafening nding, breaking off his skull and neck along with a signifit portion of the stoood on.
Ohe dust cleared, Raizel rose to her knees, whisking off the dirt and pebble on her body.
“Haha, that was fun. I could get used to that.”
“…”
The remaining soldier dropped his spear, taking a few cautious steps ba fear. He soon came to a stop when his back touched the rampart’s e, bits of stone falling towards the steep fall behind him.
Raizel then turowards the frozen soldier, beguiled smile on her face.
“Hey. Where’s your emperor?”
“…I…he…uhm…”
“Don’t know? That’s fine, I’ll ask someone else.”
Raizel nontly approached the trembling soldier, ering him against the rampart’s edge. She nudged her with an amused smile, gesturing towards the empty space behind him.
“What’re you waiting for? Not gonna run away?”
“R…run away? But there’s…nothing behind me…”
“Pft. What, you’re scared of heights?”
“If…if I fall from here, I’ll die…”
“Won’t know ‘til you try. Here, I’ll even help you.”
Raizel fixed her grip on the soldier’s head, pulling him up by force. She then tossed him off the ramparts, letting the soldier plummet down to the ground far beh the pace walls.
When his distant scream abruptly ceased after a loud g noise, Raizel snorted out a ughter. His body remained motionless in the bloody pool beh.
“Huh. What do you know, you were right.”
A series of screamed orders and yelling followed suit. Dozens ing noises began to echhout, warning the pace octs of their intruder.
But instead of waiting for Serenis’ arrival, Raizel instead elected to make her way into the structure’s depths, hopping down onte courtyard within the castle walls. Just this o was better to be alone – lest the dragonlord prevent her from doing as she pleased.
When armed soldiers began p in to surround the steel dragon, she couldn’t help but notice the odd, bronze-like glint in their various onry. Acc to what the dragonlord had told her, those ons could effectively null magic.
‘So what?’
Unlike Serenis, the youngling had no need fic when it came to bat. She only needed her own body.
A body that could ighe scathing of swords and spears. A body that could ighe hail of arrows and magic.
A body that could trample these is underfoot, just like her parents would have if their daughter hadn’t been taken hostage.
? ? ?
“…What is this noise?”
“Seems we have an intruder in the pace.”
Boom!
“Oh my, that was a rather loud one. I think a tower or two fell to that.”
The court mage let out a pleasant ughter; the emperor only returned a cold stare at his advisor’s unserious attitude.
“Elgade.”
“Yes, your majesty?”
“Do not disappoint me.”
“Why, of course. I’ll tend to the intruder myself as soon as you step through.”
“…Hmph.”
“Make haste now. He won’t be pleased if you’re te to his calling.”
The emperor soon turned away from the court mage, stepping into the shimmering disc of violet light in front of him. When the glowing portal disappeared along with the emperor, the mage lowered his staff, letting out a quiet sigh.
“I suppose I should get to it…”
After fixing his robe, the mage exited the throne room, making way towards the source of the noise. Even from here, he could feel the massive mana presence rampaging just up ahead. He could hear it too, r and tearing the pace to shreds.
‘I wonder how long they’ll st this time?’
If this was a bad day, 5 seds.
If it was a good day, maybe 6.
