Imperial Spear Read online

  Part VI- Count

  Heather

  Damn it. Ivan got the new girl in his sights. Stupid Nah. I actually like Ivan. He is smart, kind, funny, handsome... special in his own ways. I just don't like the fact that I like him! Oh crap! Here he comes. "Hey lovely!" He started. "Get the hell away from me. Unless you'd like a sword in the gut!" He backed off. "Fiery today Heather?" I turned away from him. "Shut up Ivan. Leave me alone." He looked at me "Jealous of Nah?" I though to myself: Yes. "No. Not at all." He smiled at me. "Good. I need you Heather." I grew infuriated by this and whacked his face in. "Gods Heather!" He cried. "Next time make the arm bleed, not the face!" Xavier sat in the shadows of the current festival, buying some useful things like sword handles and a... sewing kit? Yeah, that's right. "Big Bad Assassin" buying a needle and thread. Unfortunately, at that moment Roy summoned all generals to a war council, but not after congratulating everyone and paying tribute to the dead. Anyways, in the exceptionally dull war council all generals gathered. I spoke with General Cat, and he seemes like an attractive man. Too bad I was asleep the last council. And Eva, she became a General without liking violence. But none match her aim, they say. Even Xavier only ties with her in shooting competitions. And every time they tie too. Then General Conner. A good natured man with a hatred of war, like Eva. And Cat. Cat will kill everything he can get his hands on. Foster. An interesting person. He jokes more often then Ivan does! Jacob seems like a barbaric man. He would BE somebody. And it takes skill to do that. Lute is Mattais's employer. She reads a lot, rather than doing things. She owns a school of magic. And Xavier. I don't know. He seems a lot like Ivan. Both in looks other areas. Like he could fight, and looks better. Then I was interrupted by Roy. "Lets bring this council to order." A cheer echoed thoughout the room. Jacob's deep voice boomed throughout the room "We destroyed them! Destroy! Destroy!" Jacob got up, and was flipping the side tables until Xavier lazily pointed his finger at him. Jacob slowly moved to his chair. I saw a look of satisfaction on Xavier's face. Roy started again. "After that interruption... lets start." Cat started talking, but the voice was muffled by his helmet. "They... bother...again." Foster looked at him. "Take off your helmet Cat!" I heard more noises from Cat. "Don't... helmet... public." But he...er...she, continued. "I don't like people seeing my face. It complicates things if I kill them." "Really Catherine? I don't think you'd want to fight me..." Xavier blurted out. "I probably could!" spat Cat. "Peace." Roy interjected. "Xavier would win Catherine. He is much older and durable than you." Cat was about to speak, but sat back and grumbled. "Lets Continue. We won this battle." He looked towards each of us. "Lucia. Thank you." Lucia nodded. "Nah, is it? Thank you." The wannabe ninja smiled. "Ivan. Thank you" Ivan smiled. "Heather. Thank you." I saluted to him. "To the rest of you, Loch, Hector, Mattais and Xavier. Thank you." They all nodded. "Now. Heroes, go. You must complete the prophecy. He waved us away. We all walked out of the castle. "Now." Lucia said. "For Animus." There was general consent about this. The first night Xavier stayed up all night sewing together new clothes. In the morning I took a good look at it. It was a full body dragonhide suit with dragonscale plating. It was invincible. Okay, the needle and thread were so much cooler than I thought. Nah came to me and looked at me. "I'm immortal! What about you" I hate girls like this. "As am I. Now leave me be." She pouted she left. She seems to do that a lot. Anyways, we walked across the plain that divided us from the forest. Of Death. The name surely describes the place. All the trees were rotted and twisted. "Perfect!" Said Ivan. "I get to enter the woods of death." Loch spoke for the first time in ages. "My people call this the woods of death." Nah approached him. He began to sweat. "Get back!" Nah stopped. "I do not like any of your kind, few exceptions."

  Day 1

  As soon as we entered the forest, the sky turned pitch black. Mattais put on his monicle. As did Xavier. "What the hell are those for?" Said Nah. "For seeing magic." Replied Mattais as he looked towards the sky. "Lots of elder magic here." I heard Lucia from far ahead. "Dark magic!" Mattais yelled back. "Shut up!" I just noticed that Lucia went far ahead of everyone. We walked through the forest, and quickly caught up to Lucia. I looked ahead. A bridge stood in our way. On the bridge was a girl, not older than 6 or 7. "Qui toi?" Xavier looked forlorn. "Je m'appelle Xavier. Et sa Lucia. Salut Gina!" The girl laughed, then spoke in perfect English "Well done! Its been a while Xavier!" Xavier was confused. "Gina, last time I saw you, we were with Great Catherine." She pondered this. "Oh yeah! Miss Catherine the Great, a truly hilarious person. If, that is, you can speak Russian." Xavier introduced her. "This is Gina. Deity of the earth." She hung her head. "Sorry I can't help any more Xavier... but... The deities are troubled on who to side with" "What?!" Asked Lucia. "Why?" Gina continued in her soft voice. "The gods want to side with you, the lesser kind of God, because you might turn like us some day. They want to side with Animus because he is a deity, of sorts. And if I help you now, Animus will believe that we sided with you. Anyways, Goodbye and Good Luck Heroes!" And she disappeared. "Well, We should start camping. But, Do not sleep on the ground." Rumbled Loch. Mattais looked at us "I can levitate us during sleep." Xavier piped in. "My Telekinetic powers will help you." "As will mine! " added Lucia and that night, however way we did it, we floated the entire night with our stuff.

  Day 2

  The levitation lasted until just before we woke up, sending us falling to the ground, screaming and yelling. Xavier and Ivan landed on his feet. Mattais and Loch landed on their face. Nah and Hector landed on their backs (show offs). Lucia and I, well, we landed on our tailbones, effectively injuring ourselves. I crawled to a rock and looked around. Xavier Lucia and Mattais were smiling at each other, as if they knew something. Anyways, I looked around. I was tidying up the skins and stuff, but I saw something glint in the trees. I picked up my axe. Lucia and Xavier gathered their weapons as well. I cautiously moved towards the light. A... GOD?! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! it was 1.25 meters tall... looked like a type of lizard. It was about 1.88 meters long, and had cruel teeth. I think Xavier and Lucia were talking about some creature like this... Dinasoars? So this one had sharp teeth and charged us... wait... what was that in its hand... a SWORD? It slashed at us, it's patheticly small forearms looking ridiculous. Xavier stabbed its stomach, then kicked it off his blade, muttering "Stupid Krillaz." Shortly after we were assaulted by several hundreds of these things. Xavier swore under his breath. Lucia called to everyone: "I counted 725." Xavier shook his head. "I counted 724." We all drew weapons. Nah climbed into a tree. Hector and I paired up. Mattais has a book of spells out, I think it was either Flux or Fimbulvetr. Anyways, the horde of dinasoars started to advance. Xavier was cutting up a few, and Loch's massive sword ripped several apart. Ivan was swinging his sword wildly, trying to kill something. Lucia had a Buster Sword out, slashing the dinas apart. Reminds me of my old friend Cloud. That guy used his Buster Sword all the time... then he left on an adventure. No sign of Nah though. Wait, Holy Gods! She is an idiot. She leaped out of a tree and landed on one dina's head. She lost her balance and fell. The dinas swarmed her, her screams turned to whimpers as we were just able to frighten the attackers off. Nah kinda looked like a mauled hunk of meat. It really was mortifying. Xavier looked at her, bloody and broken and he I saw the corner of his mouth twitch along with his eye. "Good job, meat shield!" He laughed, then picked up her whimpering body, staining his grey hoodie dark red. He put down a skin and laid her upon it. He then calmly took out a few jars, a couple syringes and a couple vials from his bag. Everyone held their breath as he performed his operation without hesitation. He first injected her with some kind of pain killer. Next he rubbed her wounds with water, then with disinfectant. She was losing a lot of blood. He injected her with another shot. Her blood flow seemed to slow. He then held a vial of liquid over her largest wound, pausing as if weighing all the benefits, he slowly poured the entire vial on Nah's leg as she writhed and screamed a terrible scream. Xavier smiled an evil smile. As the liquid hardened it turned ru
bber and skin-like. Cool. Nah finally got up on one elbow, hair in her partially skinless face. Dammit. She still looks good, even beat up and bloodied! Anyways, she stood up weakly. The Sun was falling. Xavier looked at everyone and removed his hoodie revealing a dragonhide and dragonscale chestplate. He produced a small tent made of the same material. He opened the flap and gestured for us to enter. Inside was enormous, like a fancy mansion. We saw a balcony inside, as well as a kitchen with enough food for a few years. "How?" Loch grunted. Mattais looked proud. "Us mages did it. All of us!" Lucia looked very proud of herself. Hector, Loch and I all went to go hammer down the tent. "So Loch, how do you feel about Nah?" He smiled from where he was standing, about four meters away. "She is a good meat shield..." Loch and I laughed. Hector stood silent. "I like Nah..." he whispered. "Typical male" scoffed Loch. "More into women than fighting. Come on Hector! Get a warrior's heart!" I sensed he was troubled. "Ignore him Hector. Let me bring you to your senses." I pulled back,