Realm of Monsters Chapter 519: Late Arrival

The ruined remains of the rchant house began to shake from the sheer amounts of mana pulsating from the four titans. Lunae glanced at Holo and lantha and the three shared a subtle nod. The Queen of the Titans, Ananta lood even over Lunae. Ananta shook her head in disappointnt and whispered under her breath in an obscure voice.

Stryg stared at Holo and lantha’s lilac irises. Their pupils were round, but the resemblance was undeniable.

A warm, uncertain feeling blood in his chest. He had always felt different, alone among those he called a tribe. He had tried desperately to be one of them, to have what they all took for granted. After many years, he had found his own tribe, painstakingly, but he had found it. Different as he was, he was accepted among them. Yet as he stared at the two won he didn’t feel different, he felt—

“Little one, run!” Lunae shouted as she charged Ananta, shapeshifting into a massive wolf.

Ananta snatched her by the throat mid-leap. Lunae tried clawing at her chest, but Ananta held her at arm’s length and squeezed her throat. She choked with a grimace.

Holo Flickered behind them in a burst of orange sparks, her scythe poised to strike. Ananta moved in a blur. Her leg shot out and kicked Holo in the chest, sending her crashing into the wall.

lantha dashed forward and swung her sword down on Ananta’s wrist. She released Lunae and pulled her hand back, evading the strike. Ananta drew Honorem and thrust the dagger into lantha’s chest, but she caught the queen’s wrist mid-thrust.

Ananta tried to push the dagger in, but the blade refused to move. Their hands shook from the effort, but neither one budged.

“Who— are you?” asked Ananta, surprised.

“I was wondering the sa thing.” lantha headbutted her. Ananta stumbled back and lantha blasted her away with a bolt of lightning to the face.

Stryg stared wide-eyed at the warrior knight as she turned and looked him over curiously, “Hello, little brother.”

Ananta jumped out of the rubble, wisps of smoke rising from her face, though she seed unhard. “I see, you must be Death’s favored child, lantha.”

She cocked her head to the side, “And you are?”

“I am Ananta, your rightful queen, and the only one here trying to save Aleirune.”

“Ananta…? The goddess of love,” she recalled.

“You know ? Good. Then I’ll make this simple; I have no desire to kill you, rather the opposite.”

“You can see my heart then?” lantha noted. “Everything I love and hold dear laid bare. So, that’s how you manipulate people into making deals. Or am I wrong, Caligo?”

Ananta narrowed her iridescent eyes, “You aren’t like your siblings, but if you—”

“—You’re right, I’m not like them. I have no interest in hearing you out.”

“...Very well.” Ananta raised her outstretched hand, “Heed my call, Votum.”

From across the city, the giant orichalcum dagger flew into her palm. Honorem humd excitedly at the return of its other half and the two daggers resonated with power in her hands. 𝙍𝐀₦ȏᛒÊs̈

lantha drew her orichalcum shield and banged it against her blade. “Stryg, is it? I suggest you heed the wolf’s warning. Run.”

He scrambled over to Svartna and used the spear to help him to his feet.

“Oi! Lunae! Holo! How long are you two gonna stay down?” lantha called out.

Stryg glanced back one last ti, then limped away as fast as his tired legs could.

~~~

The streets blurred by. Stryg leaned on Svartna like a walking staff. His legs were rock, every step creaked painfully, his muscles spasming without pause. His vision swam and he swayed from side to side. Every breath was labored and short. He wanted to fall over and close his eyes, if even only for a mont. But the hope of his mother kept him awake.

The cloak of black feathers Ananta had thrown upon him hugged his body closely and seed to conceal him in darkness. He hid in the shadows as people ran past. Valley warriors, fleeing citizens, or goblins, Stryg couldn’t tell. He was too tired. He used what little focus he had to put one foot in front of another.

His mind wandered from dream to reality. He didn’t know how long had passed when he found himself in front of the ruined gates of the Mora Manor. He looked up slowly and spotted Blueberry curled around his mother. She lay unmoving, Blossom wrapped tightly around her. Vines had grown out from the flower cloak and embedded themselves into the grass.

“M-Mom!” Stryg shouted weakly. He ran to them, but his knees buckled underneath him and he fell. Whatever strength had kept his legs moving was gone.

He gritted his teeth and dragged himself forward. Blueberry opened his eyes and whined as he neared. His tail uncurled and brushed Stryg close. He smiled gratefully at the frost wolf and crawled over to Aurelia.

She wasn’t moving. Her warm forest-green skin had beco sickly pale. Stryg placed his ear over her mouth. It was faint, but he could feel her breath on his cheek.

“Mom,” he whispered. Stryg sniffed and cried softly over her.

“Oh, wow, you were actually right. Gods dammit,” cursed Kyriil.

Stryg looked up and spotted the elf standing next to a creature he had never seen before. It was taller than even a dire human. Its grey skin was hairless and seed almost slick. Its nose was flat, save for a small bump. The eyes were pupiless, a milky blue.

“Of course, I was right,” said Grim. “I heard my master’s command as if she were whispering right into my ear. She told us we’d find him here and so he is here.”

Behind the two strangers followed a retinue of valley warriors, weapons at hand. Blueberry growled at their appearance and tried to stand, but blood poured from his side where a broken wooden beam was protruding. He whined painfully and collapsed.

“Blueberry!” Stryg said anxiously.

“Looks like the beast still has so fight left in it,” Kyriil smirked. “Try not to resist, we’d rather not kill you.”

“Our commands were clear, Kyriil,” warned Grim.

“Yeah, yeah, capture, don’t kill. But Crow didn’t say anything about the giant wolf did he?” Kyrill raised his eyebrow.

“...No,” Grim shrugged. “Do what you wish.”

“Gladly.” Kyriil channeled White. An orb of light spun into existence above him, a ter in diater. It gave off sparks of light as if barely containing the power within.

“N-No!” Stryg leaned on Blueberry and tried his best to stand. “Touch him and I’ll rip out your throat,” he hissed.

“Oooh, scary. I like it,” Kyriil grinned. He snapped his fingers and a radiant beam shot out from the orb.

Stryg raised his arms and braced himself.

A vampiress leaped between them and t the beam with her sword. The spell dispersed in ribbons of white light at the edge of her blade.

Stryg looked up in surprise at the woman. Her soaked golden hair billowed in the rain and wind. Her tattered scarlet cloak was stained with blood and mud. But her crimson eyes were clear and steely with purpose.

“Gale?” he whispered.

She glanced at him and inclined her head, “Apologies for our late arrival, my lord.”

“It took us so ti to find you,” said Willow. She appeared next to Stryg and gently helped him to his feet, “Can you stand, my lord?”

He shook his head awkwardly, uncertain of who she was. “N-Not really.”

“Are you injured?” she asked.

“I— I don’t think so,” he admitted.

Willow looked over his weary appearance and frowned sympathetically. “We’ll still take you to our healers.”

“This one too,” said her brother, Stellan. He knelt next to Aurelia and checked her pulse. “She is alive.”

“And who the fuck are they?!” Kyriil glared at Grim.

The axlean frowned, “My master didn’t ntion there would be anyone else…”

“So we can kill them, yeah?” Kyriil asked.

“...I suppose so,” Grim nodded.

Kyriil rolled his shoulders and smiled, “Three dead bloodsuckers coming right up.”

“Three?” said Gale calmly.

A dozen scarlet-cloaked vampires erged from around the manor’s wreckage. Gale took a sword stance as did the others. “We are the Shield of Veres,” they said in unison. “Be it Monster or Man, here we stand, and we shall not falter.”