Chapter 487: The Sword Paragon Part 2
…3 centuries earlier…
A young boy practiced his swordsmanship under a tree in the gardens of the Gale manor. Despite only having seen 11 summers, each strike was done with masterful skill. He moved underneath the winding branches of the yew tree with graceful precision, careful to not cut a single leaf.
Gian stopped his arm mid-thrust and relaxed his muscles. The wind felt brisk as it blew over his sweat-covered skin. His breathing was heavy but steady. Deciding to take a break, he sheathed his sword and sat down underneath the tree, leaning on the trunk for support.
It was here, a year ago, when his older sister had made him a promise the day she left. If he behaved well and studied hard in his classes and training, when Stryga returned she would take him to his favorite bakery and they’d eat as much cake as he’d like.
Gian leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and sighed.
It had been a year, but she still hadn’t returned. The adults whispered about where Lady Veres could be, but Gian wasn’t worried. He knew Stryga would come back to him, all he had to do was wait under the yew tree for her just as they had promised.
Until then…
Gian drew his sword and raised it high.
I’ll protect both our Houses in your stead.
~~~
…Present Day… Hollow Shade… Southern Gate…
The dragonbane Nethlas furrowed her brow and glanced at her tail, a deep gash ran along its length and oozed black blood. Gian stood across from her, Primoria in hand, the golden blade dripping with black blood.
“Hm, so you’re not impervious after all,” Gian noted.
Nethlas growled a deep rumble at the insolent man. The wound on her tail closed and the flesh knitted itself back together in front of his very eyes.
Gian furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side, “Interesting.” He raised Primoria and took a defensive stance.
Nethlas roared, sending tremors through the ground, and charged him. The enormous beast barrelled through Veres and Glaz soldiers as if they were grass underneath her feet. She raised her tail and struck like a scorpion at Gian. The elder vampire’s form blurred. The stinger seemed to stab into his chest, but a moment later his figure fell apart and shifted a few centimeters to the side.
The dragonbane pushed forward, not giving him a chance to retreat. Gian ducked underneath her clawed swipe and channeled Orange. He coated Primoria in flames and slashed at Nethlas’ forearm. The flames died even before the blade had struck her translucent-grey hide. Nethlas pulled back with a flinch and reflexively swung her tail out. Gian jumped away and landed softly on his feet.
He stared at the shallow cut on the beast’s forearm and frowned. In a matter of seconds, the wound had disappeared without a trace. Nethlas pulled her black lips back in a spiteful grin and leaped at him. Her spiked wing tips slashed out in wide arcs as she swiped the air with translucent claws.
Gian’s body blurred once more, dodging each strike. He channeled life force energy into his blade, coating the golden edge with green hues. Weaving through her stinger and claws, Gian ran his sword across her calf, before dashing between her legs.
Nethlas spun around and stumbled as her wounded leg faltered underneath her massive weight. Gian stared at the wound carefully. This time the cut was deeper and it took a few more moments to heal. He glanced at Primoria; the life force coating on the blade was withered and breaking apart, but it was still there.
I see…
It was as he guessed. The void monster absorbed chromatic mana much more quickly than other kinds of energy. The beast couldn’t break down the life force energy before it struck. And while the dragonbane’s flesh was tougher than steel, Primoria could still penetrate it.
Gian stared at Nethlas’ leg. The deeper wounds seemed to take longer to heal as well. Still, its regeneration was remarkable, far greater than any white mage’s capabilities. As he was considering a plan of action, Nethlas’ tail swept up a giant boulder from the barrack’s rubble and flung it at him. Gian looked up in surprise and his form blurred like smoke, narrowly evading the enormous rock. A sharp edge of the rock caught his cheek and tore a thin line below his scarlet eye.
That was close… Gian wiped the blood off his face with a small smirk.
His Haze Dance made his visage blurred and allowed him to dodge attacks through small shifting movements, but an attack of that size was impossible to dodge with the technique. He hadn’t expected her to throw a boulder.
Despite her enormous size, the dragonbane boasted incredible speed and agility. If she managed to land a single strike it could prove fatal.
The scent of his blood invigorated Nethlas and she licked her snout with a long grey-blue tongue. Gian glanced at the remaining soldiers trying to form a makeshift line of defense. Even from this distance, he could feel his chromatic mana being drained from his body, weakening him with every breath. He could only imagine how much worse it was for the other mages among them.
We won’t win a war of attrition.
Nethlas opened her wings wide and poured void mana into them. With a single beat of her wings, a cold gust blew across the gate courtyard, sending hundreds of soldiers flying. The Gale swordmasters hurried to Elise Veres’ side and formed a defensive circle, blocking the brunt of the attack. Gian channeled life force energy and sliced through the biting cold winds in front of him.
Through the wreckage and dust, Gian glanced at Elise huddled on the ground, her eyes closed tight. Her body trembled uncontrollably, out of fear or the cold, Gian didn’t know, but the sight angered him.
Nethlas got down on all fours and rushed him. Instead of taking a defensive stance as before, Gian dashed to meet her. Life force energy spilled out of him in waves of power. A sudden gust formed around him, trailing across his blade. Nethlas attacked in a flurry of claws and spikes, and each time they passed harmlessly through the vampire’s smoky visage. Gian fell into a dance of blades, Primoria moving seamlessly in golden arcs. He moved with such speed that the onlookers only saw a golden tempest blooming over the dragonbane.
Nethlas tried to catch the small figure in front of her, but with each second that passed more and more nicks and cuts appeared across her arms. She roared in frustration and doubled assault. The ground tore apart with every strike and yet Gian’s speed only grew faster as the tempest around him reached its peak. His figure disappeared altogether and a blinding crashing light struck Nethlass and sent her massive body crashing into the wall.
Gian landed on the ground, unharmed. His breath was heavy but paced. Black ichor dripped off his armor and scarlet cloak. Nethlas stumbled to her feet, her shoulders sagging with every breath. Deep sword cuts had been carved precisely between each of her ribs, slicing into her vital organs. Her abdomen had been torn open from the final slash. Her grey innards were spilling outwards in a pool of black blood. Strands of white flesh stretched outwards from the edges of her open abdomen, trying to knit her organs back in.
Nethlas looked up at him tiredly, her black eyes narrowed. Suddenly, she roared and charged him. Her gait was unsteady but filled with rageful strength. Drawing his blade, Gian crouched low and prepared for another assault. But as the dragonbane grew close, she abruptly pivoted and barrelled past him.
Gian followed her trajectory with his eyes to the Gale warriors huddled around Lady Veres.
Elise!
Gian desperately dashed towards them.
“Protect our Lady!” Gale yelled and drew her blade.
Lynette and the other swordmasters drew their blades at her command and rushed Nethlas. Their swords slashed across the beast’s exposed wounds, but she gritted her fangs and pushed through without slowing down. Elise opened her eyes and froze in fear at the sight of the massive horror looming over her. Nethlas opened her maw wide, black fangs glistening. Gian reached Elise and shoved her aside as the dragonbane’s jaw clamped down on his arm instead.
Gian shouted in pain as the sword-like fangs stabbed through his armor, flesh, and into the bone. Nethlas pulled her neck back and yanked Gian up. She shook her head around like a rabid dog, tearing apart his shoulder. With one final twist, she flung the ragged body into the wall. It crashed with a sickening crunch and tumbled to the ground.
Gale stared in disbelief at her uncle’s body lying in a broken heap in a pool of his own blood. Gian had been the greatest pillar of the Great Houses of Veres and Gale for the last three centuries, ever since Krikolm and its wielder had disappeared. He was a hero of legends, he was the hero of her childhood heroes, he was her teacher, and a second father to her. Gian Gale was the Sword Paragon of the realm. He had always seemed unshakable, invulnerable. And now… now he was…
Gale clenched her chest and doubled over in a painful cry.
Nethlas munched on Gian’s severed arm and swallowed with glee. She opened her jaws and muttered in a strange deep voice at Gian’s corpse.
What? Gale looked up in surprise. The monster was… talking?
A chill ran down her spine. This creature was intelligent?
Then…
Gale turned to Elise lying on the ground.
It targeted her on purpose. That thing wanted Uncle Gian to come and save her. It was the only way to catch him…!
The dragonbane’s actions suddenly all made sense. The surprise ambush from the sky. Its change of tactics to throwing rocks and stormy winds when ordinary melee attacks hadn’t worked.
It was searching for a weakness.
Elise groaned and opened her eyes blearily.
And it found one.
Elise spotted Gian’s body “Uncle…? No, no, no, NOOO!!” she screamed.
Nethlas turned to Elise with a hungry look in her eyes.
“Lynette, get our Lady out of here!” Gale snapped.
Lynette didn’t hesitate. She rushed to Elise and threw her best friend over her shoulder.
“Let go of me!” Elise cried angrily and thrashed around. “I’ll kill that monster! I’ll fucking kill that abomination!”
Lynette bit her lip and ignored Elise’s pleas and ran away from the gate.
“Archers, fire!” a Veres captain unexpectedly shouted.
The Veres soldiers glanced at one another and quickly drew their bows. They knew their arrows would do nothing, but at the very least it would buy their Lady a bit of precious time. Glaz soldiers saw their efforts and quickly joined in.
Nethlas laughed a deep rumble as the arrows broke apart harmlessly on her flesh. Her body was still riddled with wounds that were healing, but with each second that passed her strength slowly returned.
As the soldiers fought the Gale swordmasters stared listlessly at Gian’s body. He had known each and every one of them since birth. He had trained them all, mentored each one, from swordplay to daily advice. Gian had been a father to them all. A deep despair fell over them.
If Lord Gian could not defeat such a fiend, then what hope did any of them stand?
Gale picked up Primoria from the ground. It was still slick with blood. She tried to steady her trembling fingers. “I-I am the Shield of Veres…” she mumbled. “I am the Shield of Veres…” she swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I am the Shield of Veres,” her cousin muttered.
“I am the Shield of Veres,” another cousin said.
Slowly they all looked up at one another and saw the small ember of determination beneath the ocean of despair.
Gale took a shaky breath and stared at each one of them with tears in her eyes, unashamed. “I am the Shield of Veres.”
“Be it monster or man,” they spoke in unison. “Here I stand, and I shall not falter.”
Gale turned to the dragonbane stalking towards the firing archers and raised Primoria to the night sky. “For Lord Gian.”
The sword masters brandished their blades with a warcry and charged.
Frostbird https://discord.gg/uYqw7R6SKz
If you liked the chapter please leave a like, if there is something else you are interested in knowing about the lore, or if you have any questions, remarks, or just want to say hi drop a comment below!
Check out the glossary for more info on characters, lore, magic, and more!
Chapter 487: The Sword Paragon Part 2
…3 centuries earlier…
A young boy practiced his swordsmanship under a tree in the gardens of the Gale manor. Despite only having seen 11 summers, each strike was done with masterful skill. He moved underneath the winding branches of the yew tree with graceful precision, careful to not cut a single leaf.
Gian stopped his arm mid-thrust and relaxed his muscles. The wind felt brisk as it blew over his sweat-covered skin. His breathing was heavy but steady. Deciding to take a break, he sheathed his sword and sat down underneath the tree, leaning on the trunk for support.
It was here, a year ago, when his older sister had made him a promise the day she left. If he behaved well and studied hard in his classes and training, when Stryga returned she would take him to his favorite bakery and they’d eat as much cake as he’d like.
Gian leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and sighed.
It had been a year, but she still hadn’t returned. The adults whispered about where Lady Veres could be, but Gian wasn’t worried. He knew Stryga would come back to him, all he had to do was wait under the yew tree for her just as they had promised.
Until then…
Gian drew his sword and raised it high.
I’ll protect both our Houses in your stead.
~~~
…Present Day… Hollow Shade… Southern Gate…
The dragonbane Nethlas furrowed her brow and glanced at her tail, a deep gash ran along its length and oozed black blood. Gian stood across from her, Primoria in hand, the golden blade dripping with black blood.
“Hm, so you’re not impervious after all,” Gian noted.
Nethlas growled a deep rumble at the insolent man. The wound on her tail closed and the flesh knitted itself back together in front of his very eyes.
Gian furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side, “Interesting.” He raised Primoria and took a defensive stance.
Nethlas roared, sending tremors through the ground, and charged him. The enormous beast barrelled through Veres and Glaz soldiers as if they were grass underneath her feet. She raised her tail and struck like a scorpion at Gian. The elder vampire’s form blurred. The stinger seemed to stab into his chest, but a moment later his figure fell apart and shifted a few centimeters to the side.
The dragonbane pushed forward, not giving him a chance to retreat. Gian ducked underneath her clawed swipe and channeled Orange. He coated Primoria in flames and slashed at Nethlas’ forearm. The flames died even before the blade had struck her translucent-grey hide. Nethlas pulled back with a flinch and reflexively swung her tail out. Gian jumped away and landed softly on his feet.
He stared at the shallow cut on the beast’s forearm and frowned. In a matter of seconds, the wound had disappeared without a trace. Nethlas pulled her black lips back in a spiteful grin and leaped at him. Her spiked wing tips slashed out in wide arcs as she swiped the air with translucent claws.
Gian’s body blurred once more, dodging each strike. He channeled life force energy into his blade, coating the golden edge with green hues. Weaving through her stinger and claws, Gian ran his sword across her calf, before dashing between her legs.
Nethlas spun around and stumbled as her wounded leg faltered underneath her massive weight. Gian stared at the wound carefully. This time the cut was deeper and it took a few more moments to heal. He glanced at Primoria; the life force coating on the blade was withered and breaking apart, but it was still there.
I see…
It was as he guessed. The void monster absorbed chromatic mana much more quickly than other kinds of energy. The beast couldn’t break down the life force energy before it struck. And while the dragonbane’s flesh was tougher than steel, Primoria could still penetrate it.
Gian stared at Nethlas’ leg. The deeper wounds seemed to take longer to heal as well. Still, its regeneration was remarkable, far greater than any white mage’s capabilities. As he was considering a plan of action, Nethlas’ tail swept up a giant boulder from the barrack’s rubble and flung it at him. Gian looked up in surprise and his form blurred like smoke, narrowly evading the enormous rock. A sharp edge of the rock caught his cheek and tore a thin line below his scarlet eye.
That was close… Gian wiped the blood off his face with a small smirk.
His Haze Dance made his visage blurred and allowed him to dodge attacks through small shifting movements, but an attack of that size was impossible to dodge with the technique. He hadn’t expected her to throw a boulder.
Despite her enormous size, the dragonbane boasted incredible speed and agility. If she managed to land a single strike it could prove fatal.
The scent of his blood invigorated Nethlas and she licked her snout with a long grey-blue tongue. Gian glanced at the remaining soldiers trying to form a makeshift line of defense. Even from this distance, he could feel his chromatic mana being drained from his body, weakening him with every breath. He could only imagine how much worse it was for the other mages among them.
We won’t win a war of attrition.
Nethlas opened her wings wide and poured void mana into them. With a single beat of her wings, a cold gust blew across the gate courtyard, sending hundreds of soldiers flying. The Gale swordmasters hurried to Elise Veres’ side and formed a defensive circle, blocking the brunt of the attack. Gian channeled life force energy and sliced through the biting cold winds in front of him.
Through the wreckage and dust, Gian glanced at Elise huddled on the ground, her eyes closed tight. Her body trembled uncontrollably, out of fear or the cold, Gian didn’t know, but the sight angered him.
Nethlas got down on all fours and rushed him. Instead of taking a defensive stance as before, Gian dashed to meet her. Life force energy spilled out of him in waves of power. A sudden gust formed around him, trailing across his blade. Nethlas attacked in a flurry of claws and spikes, and each time they passed harmlessly through the vampire’s smoky visage. Gian fell into a dance of blades, Primoria moving seamlessly in golden arcs. He moved with such speed that the onlookers only saw a golden tempest blooming over the dragonbane.
Nethlas tried to catch the small figure in front of her, but with each second that passed more and more nicks and cuts appeared across her arms. She roared in frustration and doubled assault. The ground tore apart with every strike and yet Gian’s speed only grew faster as the tempest around him reached its peak. His figure disappeared altogether and a blinding crashing light struck Nethlass and sent her massive body crashing into the wall.
Gian landed on the ground, unharmed. His breath was heavy but paced. Black ichor dripped off his armor and scarlet cloak. Nethlas stumbled to her feet, her shoulders sagging with every breath. Deep sword cuts had been carved precisely between each of her ribs, slicing into her vital organs. Her abdomen had been torn open from the final slash. Her grey innards were spilling outwards in a pool of black blood. Strands of white flesh stretched outwards from the edges of her open abdomen, trying to knit her organs back in.
Nethlas looked up at him tiredly, her black eyes narrowed. Suddenly, she roared and charged him. Her gait was unsteady but filled with rageful strength. Drawing his blade, Gian crouched low and prepared for another assault. But as the dragonbane grew close, she abruptly pivoted and barrelled past him.
Gian followed her trajectory with his eyes to the Gale warriors huddled around Lady Veres.
Elise!
Gian desperately dashed towards them.
“Protect our Lady!” Gale yelled and drew her blade.
Lynette and the other swordmasters drew their blades at her command and rushed Nethlas. Their swords slashed across the beast’s exposed wounds, but she gritted her fangs and pushed through without slowing down. Elise opened her eyes and froze in fear at the sight of the massive horror looming over her. Nethlas opened her maw wide, black fangs glistening. Gian reached Elise and shoved her aside as the dragonbane’s jaw clamped down on his arm instead.
Gian shouted in pain as the sword-like fangs stabbed through his armor, flesh, and into the bone. Nethlas pulled her neck back and yanked Gian up. She shook her head around like a rabid dog, tearing apart his shoulder. With one final twist, she flung the ragged body into the wall. It crashed with a sickening crunch and tumbled to the ground.
Gale stared in disbelief at her uncle’s body lying in a broken heap in a pool of his own blood. Gian had been the greatest pillar of the Great Houses of Veres and Gale for the last three centuries, ever since Krikolm and its wielder had disappeared. He was a hero of legends, he was the hero of her childhood heroes, he was her teacher, and a second father to her. Gian Gale was the Sword Paragon of the realm. He had always seemed unshakable, invulnerable. And now… now he was…
Gale clenched her chest and doubled over in a painful cry.
Nethlas munched on Gian’s severed arm and swallowed with glee. She opened her jaws and muttered in a strange deep voice at Gian’s corpse.
What? Gale looked up in surprise. The monster was… talking?
A chill ran down her spine. This creature was intelligent?
Then…
Gale turned to Elise lying on the ground.
It targeted her on purpose. That thing wanted Uncle Gian to come and save her. It was the only way to catch him…!
The dragonbane’s actions suddenly all made sense. The surprise ambush from the sky. Its change of tactics to throwing rocks and stormy winds when ordinary melee attacks hadn’t worked.
It was searching for a weakness.
Elise groaned and opened her eyes blearily.
And it found one.
Elise spotted Gian’s body “Uncle…? No, no, no, NOOO!!” she screamed.
Nethlas turned to Elise with a hungry look in her eyes.
“Lynette, get our Lady out of here!” Gale snapped.
Lynette didn’t hesitate. She rushed to Elise and threw her best friend over her shoulder.
“Let go of me!” Elise cried angrily and thrashed around. “I’ll kill that monster! I’ll fucking kill that abomination!”
Lynette bit her lip and ignored Elise’s pleas and ran away from the gate.
“Archers, fire!” a Veres captain unexpectedly shouted.
The Veres soldiers glanced at one another and quickly drew their bows. They knew their arrows would do nothing, but at the very least it would buy their Lady a bit of precious time. Glaz soldiers saw their efforts and quickly joined in.
Nethlas laughed a deep rumble as the arrows broke apart harmlessly on her flesh. Her body was still riddled with wounds that were healing, but with each second that passed her strength slowly returned.
As the soldiers fought the Gale swordmasters stared listlessly at Gian’s body. He had known each and every one of them since birth. He had trained them all, mentored each one, from swordplay to daily advice. Gian had been a father to them all. A deep despair fell over them.
If Lord Gian could not defeat such a fiend, then what hope did any of them stand?
Gale picked up Primoria from the ground. It was still slick with blood. She tried to steady her trembling fingers. “I-I am the Shield of Veres…” she mumbled. “I am the Shield of Veres…” she swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I am the Shield of Veres,” her cousin muttered.
“I am the Shield of Veres,” another cousin said.
Slowly they all looked up at one another and saw the small ember of determination beneath the ocean of despair.
Gale took a shaky breath and stared at each one of them with tears in her eyes, unashamed. “I am the Shield of Veres.”
“Be it monster or man,” they spoke in unison. “Here I stand, and I shall not falter.”
Gale turned to the dragonbane stalking towards the firing archers and raised Primoria to the night sky. “For Lord Gian.”
The sword masters brandished their blades with a warcry and charged.
Frostbird https://discord.gg/uYqw7R6SKz
If you liked the chapter please leave a like, if there is something else you are interested in knowing about the lore, or if you have any questions, remarks, or just want to say hi drop a comment below!
Check out the glossary for more info on characters, lore, magic, and more!
