Chapitre 8: THE OTHER ARCHER
Caspian's eyes widened as he watched a steel blade cut through the frozen air, barrelling towards his lean neck. He barely rolled to the side in time, mere seconds away from decapitation. The blade meanwhile sunk into the white snow, stalling its one-handed wielder for a few precious moments.
Seeing this, Deven quickly raised her bow. The next second a black bolt with white fletching streaked through the air, finding the armoured chest of some taciturn knight moments later.
The metal armour rang with a melodious hum, as the force from the shot sent him skidding a few steps back. Thankfully, that bought them a few moments of reprieve to recover from the deadly ambush.
Unfortunately, their assailants weren't yet ready to concede.
The harsh winds parted as arrows fell from the sky. Each one a deadly bolt aimed to reap the lives of Caspian and his companions. None of the arrows met their marks but the pressure led Caspian to scatter behind tree barks for cover.
"Damn it."
Caspian cursed as he cleverly revealed his ruby-red eyes from behind the tree. He observed the lonesome white scape and the men that crawled on it. Three were currently heading for him while the remaining four slowly crept towards Makima and Deven.
"What to do. What to do. Deven surely could handle herself but Makima didn't look like she was ready for a fight. She doesn't even have a sword."
From what he could tell, the knights seemed to have already engaged a rather deadly foe, and although there was no way to uncover the finality of that battle. The severity was quite evident. Every single one of them had terrible injuries that still bleed profusely.
The strangest thing was the chilling look every one of them shared. With stark white eyes, and faces so still, they looked to be sculpted on. Then there were the arrows that stuck to some of their backs.
'Had they fought other humans?'
With Spectral gaze, he could see the single swirling mass of Celestial will, that brimmed in their abdomen. Which suggested they were human– Most likely government Squires. But then there was this foreign Will that suppressed it– blood red and revolting, like some virus. From his memory of the war, he could tell it had something to do with an abomination. Their Wills were just like they were– Abominations.
Suddenly, the air lit up as heat radiated from Caspian's right. When he turned, he could see Deven releasing bolts of combustible arrows at the men who approached her.
He felt his guts churn when he didn't see Makima, but before he could hastily search for her. Makima was already besides him with a stunning blade held tightly in one hand, and some purple mist swirling around the other.
"Stay here."
She said with her eyes glimmering from the purple light that brimmed from her side. Before Caspian could even reply, she was gone, appearing right in the midst of the knights like a terrible omen.
She held her blade with both hands, and it immediately erupted with a purple hue. Her dark hair danced in the cold wind as her eyes turned to deathly slits.
The knights shot forward, brandishing their blades, but she was quick to dodge already driving her blade through one of the knight's armour-plated thighs, splitting flesh and bone.
'What is that? some kind of soul weapon?'
Caspian wondered as he scanned the weapon in her grip. Black wooden guard, with a curved one-sided blade, and with how easily it dug into the steel armour even withstanding the pressure of her Will. It had to be a Soul weapon.
'Who is she really?'
Caspian wondered as he watched her dance between the knights. Her graceful movements almost made the knights seem sluggish with how easily she evaded and attacked them.
'Majestic.'
She looked so regal with that calm look on her face that it was easy to doubt she was about to cross 14 years.
'Now I get why they were so confident about entering the forest.'
Of course, these knights were no real threat but the ease she handled them was easily enviable. Even when the archers sent in their arrows– paying no heed to their companion's safety, Makima still evaded them, while seeking shelter behind her foes when she couldn't.
Caspian was already feeling guilty, so while Makima was busy with the axe wielder, he snuck behind the last man and drove his blade through the man's brain, immediately turning him off.
He lifted the man's round shield to cover his head and when Makima was done he rose it for them both as they retreated behind the tree.
"That was quite the spectacle."
Caspian said as leaned on the bark of the massive tree. It took some time but Makima soon replied after catching her breath;
"Wish I could say the same about you."
Outrageous!
Caspian was stunned by her shrewdness but before he could counter Makima spoke again saying;
"It seems Deven's about finished at her end."
Caspian turned at that, and right there a couple metres away were three bonfires. The flames danced wildly, lighting up the entire forest.
Deven lay just after the brilliant flame, peering into the darkness ahead, with deep focus.
"Just the archers left then."
Cas said as he wondered what the two had planned. He was already enjoying their performance, so he was eager to find out what they had planned next. He wouldn't mind as long as he played no strenuous part in it.
'They've already proved to be quite the pair. I doubt they'll be much need for my–'
"Sorry for this."
Makima suddenly said, breaking him out of his train of thought, as he rushed to wonder what she meant by that. He didn't have to wait too long though, as the next moment she grabbed onto his shirt and pushed him out of the tree's cover.
Instantly an arrow came flying at him, Caspian's eyes went full circle as he watched the cut through the air heading right for him. He was already panicking when Makima pulled him back, mere seconds before it struck the ground he had been forced to stand on. He was about to lay all sorts of curses on Makima when Deven suddenly rose to her feet, releasing an arrow almost instantaneously.
The black arrow disappeared into the sky, almost like it had never been there. A couple of moments later a soft thud rang in the air, and a cheer-full yell followed after.
"Yess!"
Deven cheered as she leapt into the air with a fist.
Caspian was watching her with a dark look when Makima ran to her friend.
"Nice shot, Deven."
"Your swordsmanship. Muah as impressive as ever."
Deven replied with a compliment of her own. Caspian still watched them with a dark look as he approached. Deven saw this and a dark smile crawled onto her face
"Aww don't be so sad. You did well too mushroom."
Deven chuckled as she patted Caspian on the back.
"Yeah as arrow fodder."
He muttered, but just then something struck him, and he immediately asked;
"Weren't there meant to be two archers?"
The girls all exchanged strange looks but then the sky split apart as something came flying at them.
They tried to run but before they could, something landed in between them.
"W-Who?"
Deven shuddered, staring at the lifeless body that lay between them.
He had steel armour on just like the other knights they had faced. Unlike the others, this one had a bow inhumanely forced into its torso. With a neck wound identical to the boy from before.
"Hell."
Caspian cursed.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone