Chapter Seventy-One – Emlyn's True Might

Ailith and Emlyn shrank deeper into the tall grass, crawling on their elbows and knees behind the three poachers from a safe distance. Watching the unconscious Mamethshire being carried to an unknown fate in Bone's massive arms made Ailith's blood boil. She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself from doing something rash, though, she imagined Emlyn would stop her before that would happen. There was no time to return to the others. Whatever they would find, the two of them would have to deal with it.

Before long, the bickering between Tooth and Nail was drowned out by dozens of distant voices ahead. Metal clanging echoed through the trees. Unfazed by the sound, the poachers strolled up and over a hill and stepped over a thin wire laid out between the trees, glancing down at their feet as if they were unsure of anymore traps in their path.

''I'm not losing another toe because Tripp can't remember where he buried his blasted mines.'' Tooth snarled.

''Without his traps,'' Nail grinned. ''You'd have become the main dish for half a dozen different species in this forest.''

''Not if I took a bite out of them first.'' Tooth replied, baring his metallic fangs at his companion. The jagged spikes gleamed when they caught the light of a campfire not too far away from them.

Ailith and Emlyn stopped at the top of the hill and hid behind a large tree. Pulling over a loose shrub to conceal themselves, they peered out from their hiding spot. Emlyn's eyes surveyed the area meticulously, absorbing every intricate detail. As for Ailith, once she caught sight of the camp, her heart hammered against her chest and the colours she saw melted away until all she could see was red.

The open area, encased in a large circle of tripwires and barbed fences, was large enough for a camp of more barbaric individuals than Ailith could count at first glance. The smell of fire and metal wafted through the air as blacksmiths prepared weapons and armour. Stumps of cut trees were scattered around the camp, leaving plenty of room for cages where dozens of Mamethshire were imprisoned. Their harrowing neighs were swallowed by the reeving engines of automobiles that sat close by, hooked together and ready to be towed down a flattened road that reversed back into the forest. Spears, broken swords and jagged bones lined the perimeter, warning off any predators that dared to strike.

At the centre, watching the cages being tugged by the automobiles was a large, stocky woman in a ripped, black jacket. A necklace adorned with teeth and bones of different animals hung around her neck, and as she turned around to greet the three returning poaches, Ailith could see four scars clawed down the left side of her face, leaving her left eye a lifeless white. The smile that crept on her face when she saw her new catch being bundled into a cramped cage made Ailith's stomach twist.

''We have to do something.'' Ailith hissed, lurching her body forward.

''Don't,'' Emlyn whispered as quietly as she could.

''You heard them! They're going to be shipping them to Arsalan!'' She gestured to the automobiles. ''Even domesticated Mamethshire are twice as strong and fast as common horses. With a wild bunch, Kardas's forces will be stronger than before.''

''Every minute we spend in this forest is another minute closer to the kingdom's end. Our mission is the reach Fylian at all costs.''

Ailith shook her head at the swordswoman. ''So, we're just going to let them get away.''

''No,'' Emlyn replied, reaching to her belt and grasping the hilt of her Jian. ''You are going to return to our group, inform them of what's happened and continue on your journey.''

An uneasy silence fell upon them as Ailith's gaze hardened. ''You're going to fight them alone?''

Emlyn didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on the camp with such intensity, Ailith was shocked that none of the poachers had felt her eyes boring into them.

''Listen, I've dealt with these poachers before...''

''Then I can handle them,'' Emlyn said.

''I know how strong you are, but it might be too much. Let's get back to the others to tell them, and then the two of us will...''

Emlyn snapped her head in the warrior's direction. ''By the time we do that, they will be gone.''

''Remember what happened last time you tried to fight alone?'' Ailith barked. She didn't back down, even when Emlyn's steel eyes narrowed on her. ''I get it. You want to prove yourself against Kardas. You think that stopping these poachers will heal your wounded pride.''

''It's not that.''

''Then what is it? Do you think I'm going to hold you back? Are you sending me away because you still don't trust me?''

''I need people I trust to stay with the Princess!''

Ailith flinched at the confession. The red in her eyes faded. ''You trust-,''

Emlyn's expression softened slightly. ''I know you will do whatever it takes to protect her. Get to Fylian and save your home.''

Overcome with shock, Ailith stared at the ground as if she could find her words buried beneath the mud. When her gaze lifted so that she could lock eyes with Emlyn, a smile tugged at the corner of her lip. ''Alright, if you trust me, I'll trust you too.''

With only a slight tilt of the head, Emlyn rose to her feet and skulked towards the camp, the hiss of her unsheathed blade rang in her eyes.

Ailith turned heel to leave, but not before turning towards the swordswoman one more time. ''If we reach Fylian and you haven't caught up...''

''Then assume I'm dead and don't come back for me.''

~X~

''Well done, you three have proved to be a magnificent investment!''

Tooth, Nail and Bone gleefully accepted the praise from their scarred employer. As they approached her, they spotted movement on the woman's leg. Crawling up from behind and twisting around the knee was a large white centipede. Opening their mouths to warn their boss, the stocky woman grabbed the arthropod before a sound could slip out of their throats. She brought the head of the creature to her mouth and bit down on it, the sound of the shell being crunched between her teeth made the poacher's stomachs churn. Bone turned away, holding his stomach and almost hurling under his helmet.

Tossing the beheaded creature aside, she took a step closer. ''Did you have something to say to me?''

Nail swallowed a lump in her throat and exhaled slowly. ''We were curious about our pay-,''

''You'll get your pay when these beasts are shipped to Arsalan.''

''We understand that, Pakhet,'' Nail replied calmly. ''After an unexpected development with our last employer, we just want assurance that we shall receive coin when all this is done.

Licking the tip of his teeth, Tooth glanced at the last of the Mamethshire cages being hooked to the automobiles. ''Also, from what we've heard, Arsalan is under lockdown. What exactly is going on?''

''You need not worry about that,'' Pakhet answered. ''I have a client in the kingdom, high on the food chain, who will reward us handsomely depending on how many Mamethshire we bring them.''

''How handsomely?''

''As handsome as the face you see before you.'' She smirked, tracing her finger over the scars running down her face.

Tooth and Nail glanced at each other with unconvinced expressions.

A heavy metal clangour reverberated throughout the camp. Everyone turned to watch as the automobiles were turned sideways by the impact of a heavy force moving almost too quick for them to see. The carriages fell on their sides, displaying deep cuts that sliced from one side to the other. A white blur slammed into the cages, carving through them effortlessly. As soon as they saw an opening, the Mamethshires galloped to freedom, barrelling through the poachers that were in their way or that tried to stop them.

Pakhet heard her underlings screaming as they rushed around in confusion, trying to find the cause of the chaos. Suddenly, she noticed the blur out of the corner of her eye. Reaching to her belt, she pulled out a small, curved dagger and threw it at blinding speed.

Emlyn stopped to bat the dagger away with her sword. The loud cling alerted everyone to her position and within seconds, she found herself surrounded. She stared down the sharp ends of dozens of weapons without a hint of fear in her eyes.

Pakhet glared at the swordswoman. ''That was a grave mistake.''

Keeping her lips sealed, Emlyn's eyes passed once over the first wave that circled her.

Baring his teeth through a hungry snarl, Tooth chuckled. ''Not much of a talker this one. Look here, there's forty of us and one of you...''

''Actually,'' another poacher raised his voice. ''We're thirty-nine now. Tripp stepped on one of his mines this morning.''

An amused laugh slipped out of Tooth. After a stern look from Nail, he returned his glare to Emlyn. ''Either way, those aren't favourable odds''

''I agree,'' Emlyn replied, pointing her sword to the ground. ''You should have brought more.''

Before anyone could blink, Emlyn closed the distance between herself and Tooth. Her elbow was outstretched towards his face and the poacher was falling backwards with a bloody nose and metal shards spraying out of his open mouth. Tooth's body hadn't even touched the ground when Nail and Bone received tremendous jabs to their stomachs, causing them to buckle over and collapse unconscious alongside him. Shock and awe-filled the camp as Emlyn straightened and raised her sword.

Pakhet grit her teeth and stepped back. ''Kill her!''

A crossbowman fired the first shot. Emlyn shifted her body so the bolt could fly past. Two archers tried their luck, but with a flick of Emlyn's wrist, she cut their bolts in two. Three poaches were cleavers and axes were upon her, swinging wildly with their weapons. One swift slash was all it took for her to send them flying with shattered armour. She leapt over another group that charged at her, evading more arrows that skimmed right by her. Her body was fluid like water as she dodged and parried every attack.

Watching from the back, Pakhet almost stumbled over in shock as one-by-one, her underlings were tossed aside.

The swordswoman countered, knocking her opponents back with the blunt side of her blade. Even those with magic were powerless against Emlyn's speed. She felt the earth beneath open up to swallow her. She kicked at another poacher's chest and used the momentum to tackle another, bouncing off them and breaking through their defences. Panic tore through them as cleanly as her sword.

However, one poacher got too close and palmed the blade of her Jian with his mutilated hand. Emlyn's eyes widened as her sword crumbled into dust. Without a weapon, the poachers felt their confidence return and closed in. Another arrow glinted to Emlyn's side. She ducked and reached out to catch the bolt in mid-air before jabbing the head into the knee of the poacher that disintegrated her sword.

''I took an arrow to the kn-,'' his scream was cut short by a quick uppercut to the chin.

Arrows whizzed past her head and swords threatened to cleave her in two as Emlyn resorted to dodging until she could find another way to fight back. A looming shadow from behind caught her attention. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a large man wielding gauntlet-swords in both hands come at her. She vaulted at the man, sliding down and through his legs. Kicking the back of his knees and hooking her arm around his neck, she swerved her body and slammed him into the ground. The grip on the gauntlets loosened enough for Emlyn to snatch them and make them her own.

She crossed her arms over her chest, touching the blades together. Her fingers clenched tightly inside the gloved hilt. For a fleeting moment, as the remaining poachers readied themselves to pounce, Emlyn was reminded of Ailith. The memory of their duel echoed in the back of her mind. She adjusted her stance to resemble that of the warrior's. While she couldn't have Ailith fight by her side, this was the next best thing.

''Kill her!'' Pakhet screamed. ''Someone, kill her!''

Meeting the advance of the army before her, Emlyn carved through them with everything she had. They tried to flank her, but she burst through one small pack to focus on the next, pushing through and leaving a wake of immobile bodies. Her arms smeared in all directions. In her mind, she demanded more. She knew that she could do better. She had to do better. Refusing to hold back and ignoring the blood and sweat that poured down her face, Emlyn became a force of nature as she blasted through everyone that dared to stop her.

She panted heavily when the attacks stopped. Glancing to the side, she saw that only one person remained.

''I'll paint the forest with your blood!'' Pakhet scowled menacingly, but that vanished the moment Emlyn advanced towards her. He recoiled from her as if she were a walking plague.

Her trembling hand reached down to her belt and she pulled out a weapon that made Emlyn freeze.

''Aramir Model Two Revolver,'' Pakhet smiled, licking her scar at the corner of her mouth. ''The latest design from the sky continent itself. It can discharge projectiles ten times faster than an average archer. Even someone with your skill wouldn't be able to dodge at this short a distance.''

Emlyn's hard stare didn't falter as she stared down the barrel leading to a revolving cylinder.

''Oh, I know how you are,'' Pakhet's thumb pulled back on the small hammer at the end and her finger rested against the trigger. ''The white hair should have been a giveaway, but there's no hiding it now after that display. You're a Baldur. The youngest daughter, if I'm not mistaken. How else could you have accomplished such a feat? Though, I am curious, if the secret to your family's skills with a sword is an illusion? I believe it's all a trick. Clearly, without a weapon, you're no better than a common warrior.''

Silently, Emlyn looked down at her gauntlet-swords. The blades were crocked and the hilts were heavily dented. Still, she could tell they had enough in them for one more strike. However, a fire burning inside of her compelled her to toss Pakhet's taunts back in her face. The poacher's eyes widened as Emlyn removed her weapons, letting them fall to the ground before she marched towards her.

''You actually fell for it?'' Pakhet cackled, aiming the barrel of her revolver between Emlyn's eyes. She pulled the trigger. The deafening blast exploded in her ears.

Emlyn tilted her head to the side, letting the bullet whizz by.

Pakhet gasped, unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed. In a panic, she fired more bullets to stop Emlyn's advancement. The projectiles ghosted past her as she shifted her body. Closing the distance didn't take long. Pakhet remained rooted, desperate to stand her ground and hit her mark.

''That's impossible! It's a trick! An illusion!''

Emlyn was near enough to reach out and grab Pakhet's wrist. ''Is this an illusion?'' she twisted it until she had a snap.

Pakhet let out an agonised scream and staggered away, clutching her flaccid hand. Snivelling like an injured animal, she looked up to see Emlyn holding her revolver. Her face paled, fearing that her weapon would be turned against her. Emlyn constrictive grip tightened, cracking the metal slowly. A second later, the revolver exploded into pieces.

Watching the fragmented bits rain down on the ground, Pakhet sneered. ''I'd hate to see the rest of your family...if you're the outcast.''

Emlyn's face coarsened at her words. The statement hit her harder than any of the attacks the poachers launched at her.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them quaked. It lasted for only a moment, but it was enough for Emlyn to take notice. A few seconds passed before she felt the shaking again. The quakes continued like a heartbeat, growing louder and becoming more violent as time passed. Expecting a trap, Emlyn glanced around the camp. However, the only movement she could see was the swaying of the trees as the quakes drummed on relentlessly. Overheard, she saw birds flying away, hooting and screeching loudly. She heard trees from the other side cracking.

Realisation dawned on her, and when she turned to retrieve a weapon, she saw the Terragwangi bursting through the trees.

A/N: Hello guys, girls and everyone else. I hope that you're all well and safe. Did you enjoy this action-packed chapter? Be prepared for the chapters coming this week. Are you excited for what happens next? Thank you all for reading and take care.