The two older knights tightened their grip on the reins of their horses and kept their eyes glued to the Behemoth. Since the knights belonging to the Order of the Holy Lotus were mostly engaged in protecting Ishani’s shrines and quelling religious uprisings, they had limited battle experience. The only monsters they had fought were low-level goblins and Salamancas. Although they were well equipped with weapons and armor, the knights from the Order of the Rose were all normal humans with no magical affinity. They were only trained in mounted warfare and hand-to-hand combat, but had little knowledge of fighting the undead. Seeing their younger companions getting eaten alive by the Behemoth made the knights realize just how much of a danger they were in. They weren’t dealing with a mindless ghoul or a skeletal warrior, but a cursed abomination that was strong enough to rip a fully-grown troll in half. And to make matters worse, unlike a troll or a Cyclops, the Behemoth was quick
Gunther aimed for the Behemoth’s head and fired with deadly precision. But the abomination shielded its face with its bulky arms, deflecting the iron pellets. “It looks like you have a tough hide.” Realizing that normal rounds were never going to be able to penetrate the Behemoth’s thick skin, Gunther reloaded his gun with magic bullets. The rifle went off with a loud bang as the coachman fired again. This time his shots hit the Behemoth in its bloated belly, squishing one of the eyeless faces growing under its navel. The Behemoth shrieked and stumbled back. Inside the carriage, the priestess was trying her best to get the chambermaid to follow her, but she was too terrified to step outside. “I don’t want to be eaten alive. We can’t go out there…That monster will see us!” the chambermaid quivered, trembling from head to toe. “Let’s pray to the Goddess. I know she will save us.” The priestess grabbed the chambermaid’s hand and tried to pull her from her seat. “Listen to me, child
The hungry Behemoth opened its gaping maw, revealing its dirty white teeth, and reached down to grab the knight trapped under the dead horse. “Get away from me, you vile abomination!” the knight shouted as he stabbed the Behemoth’s palm with his backup dagger. But it meant nothing to an undead creature of its stature. Its insensitivity to pain made it completely ignore this blow. It lifted the dead horse and tossed it away before grabbing hold of the knight. “Aghh! Let go of me!” As the knight realized he was about to become the Behemoth’s next meal, he turned his head to look at Tanya. “Run, my Lady!” Tanya opened her eyes, and the scene unfolding before her sent shivers down her spine. Her heart thumped inside her chest, and she felt she would faint at any moment. The Behemoth lifted the knight high in the air and tilted its head back. A pit of razor-sharp teeth awaited underneath, waiting to rip the Behemoth’s fleshy meal to shreds. “How can this be? I believe in you, Goddess
Out of all the fights Ezra had been in, this had to be the most challenging one. Few Gunners had ever encountered a Behemoth, and even fewer could boast of slaying one. The abomination would have continued slaughtering every person it could find on the highway and eventually reached the gates of Aranor if it hadn’t been stopped. Ezra had not only slain the Behemoth, but done so just in time to save Tanya. And what sweetened this deal was the added reward of unlocking a Gunner’s most useful skill: Bulletproof Armor. But before checking his skills and items, Ezra decided to help the girl he had just saved. He walked up to Tanya while she was still shivering on the ground and offered his hand. Judging by her fine silk gown and delicate features, Ezra realized that she belonged to one of the noble families. But he still had no idea that this was the Count’s daughter he had just saved. “Come on. It’s over now. The Behemoth’s dead,” Ezra said, offering his hand to Tanya. The knight ly
A veil of ashen clouds had darkened the skies over Aranor and its adjoining areas, shading the midday sun and drenching the land in an unnatural darkness. Ezra looked up; expecting it to rain, but what fell from the dimly lit sky was a tarry black liquid. “What on earth is this?” he questioned, staring at the black droplets as they dripped from his open palm. “Ishani is crying. She knows her children are in grave peril,” the priestess proclaimed in a prophetic voice, her eyes staring blankly at the gathering clouds. “We must reach her shrine as soon as possible!” Aurelia picked Tanya up on her stallion and instructed the mercenaries to gather the supplies scattered on the road. “I am sorry we did not bring a carriage, my Lady. I actually had no idea you were going to be here,” Aurelia apologized as she turned her horse around and prepared to ride back to town. Ezra was about to climb onto the last horse when he spotted Gunther’s double-barreled rifle lying at the side of the r
Sister Nymeria accompanied Tanya to Ishani’s shrine, but Count Gressil was requested to stay back as they did not feel it was a good idea to allow non-believers in the Goddess’ presence.Even Aurelia was told to wait outside in the general prayer hall, and the only ones permitted to enter the inner sanctum were Sister Nymeria and Tanya. Inside the inner sanctum, the High Priest had his head bowed over the altar, and Ramel was nowhere to be found. “Father Varya, are you alright?” the priestess asked, touching him lightly on his shoulder. “What ails you?”The High Priest turned around with a jerk, his lifeless gray eyes staring into hers. “Sister…Nymeria. Welcome to the abode of our Goddess. You have traveled quite far. I hope this is your final destination.”Sister Nymeria stepped back, as a sense of uneasiness washed over her body. “You do not seem alright, Father. Where are the other priests?”“I instructed them to go to the neighboring villages and distribute alms to the poor. The
As the sun set upon the western horizon, casting its dying rays on Ishani’s shrine, Tanya opened her eyes in Sister Nymeria’s lap.“The Goddess is in pain. She has seen terrible things,” she spoke in a feeble voice. Her magic power had been drained by the ritual and she felt exhausted.Sister Nymeria slowly helped her to a bowl of cold water from the fountain of Erelor. She drank it in little fervent sips, and it gradually restored her strength.“You have strained yourself beyond your limits, my Lady. The Goddess spoke through you, but it took a great toll on your delicate body. You need to rest,” Sister Nymeria expressed her concern in a motherly voice, gently helping Tanya sit up straight.“How can I rest now that I know our people are in danger?” Tanya asked. “The dead will walk upon these blessed lands unless we find a way to stop Zepheroth’s chosen.”Despite Sister Nymeria’s several entreaties to rest a while, Tanya decided to meet with the four families first and disclose all th
The festivities continued outside while the nobles from the four great families returned to their lodgings to rest for a while and change into traditional attire for the midnight celebrations.As soon as they returned home, Aurelia went up to Ramel’s room to check on his health. She knocked thrice and was about turn the knob when one of the maids opened the door, allowing her to step inside.Ramel was lying on his bed with nothing but a loose silk robe on his bare body. He was sweating profusely and an old man was applying a yellow herbal paste to his chest and frequently wiping Ramel’s forehead with a moist towel soaked in the icy cold water from the fountain of Erelor.“What happened at the shrine? Did you see any—”Aurelia stopped midway as the old man turned around and looked at her. It was none other than Arch Maester Zang Wu Ling.“What on earth are you doing here? Who called you?” Aurelia asked, fixing her questioning gaze upon his face.Zang Wu turned away while mumbling, “I a