Fantasy Project Anima

[From Darkness]

Gills wasn't even looking at them anymore, he just kept his sight to the front, refusing to look at them in the eye. "...it's okay. The Queen was angry about it, by that young King doesn't seem to mind. I'm sure he understand," he replied. He wasn't lying. Erunt Srager clearly didn't mind when he suddenly slashed his sword to pieces. His eyes even showed some kind of relief. At the least, he was sure that that young King will not resort to war.


"It's not about will or will it not got to war!" Cruz roared. "I'm saying that your action is totally IRRESPONSIBLE! You are a Prince of Serion, Argillys! If you want to act outside the Kingdom, do it discreetly! ...Enough with this. I'll take you back to Serion. Riz!"


The little bodyguard jumped out from her horse and banged her gauntlet together. Her perfect clones appeared on the air, and she used them as footsteps to jump forward. She gained distance faster this way and approached the group in an instant. Meanwhile, Cruz slowed down his horse but started to chant another spell. Fireballs sparked out from his palm.


"Damnit. Crimson, can you take care of them?" Gills paced his horse even faster.

 

[Srion Receno]

"I completely agree with your brother I should let him take you back! " she said after hearing his explanation, she was irradiated. This was ridiculous and should of been at least mentioned to her at least Arty.


Hearing Cruz yell for Riz she rolled her eyes. She already knew he would asked her and stood up on her horse. "you know prince you really will owe me for this one" she said then jumped off of her horse and went to collide with Riz.

 

[From Darkness]

Rizeluke was just a step away from reaching their rear when she saw Crimson jumped off her horse and collided with her. She used the gauntlets to deflect Crimson's blade, then retreated back to the ground. Gills was already dashing toward the woods, and she had brought Arty with him.


"...Fang, do not, get in, my way...." Riz glared at her. Perhaps it was her old assassin's pride, but she felt her bloodlust coming up every time she saw Crimson. The blade on her gauntlets slid out, prepared to fight.

 

[Srion Receno]

She was still angry at the prince and so feeling Riz's glare only made it worse. "you know as well as I do that a job is a job and if you are like me then you know I will not back down" she flipped her dagger so it was facing down as she moved to defend her self. She was only going to by them time, though that may be all she is able to do anyway. The magic she used was draining, but she will keep at it until she is no longer able to.


"come in ex assassin let's see what you got" she laughed she could feel the blood lust rising. She licked her lips she always enjoyed a good fight and this one seamed to be fun even if she had lost to them already.

 

[From Darkness]

Riz readied his gauntlets in front of her. "Do not, push your luck..." Her right foot slammed the ground, and with a single leap she closed the distance in an instant. She kept her left hand to shield her vital points while her right hand swung up to stab Crimson from the side.

 

[Srion Receno]

"I always do" she said before she blocked her blade with her dagger. "Lanuae Magicae Umbra" she whispered moving her body only behind her just as there blades touched. As she was reforming she went to kick her with the force she had strait into her head.


She hopped it would do something perhaps to give her time to get to Cruz maybe make them stop at let's for a moment. She glanced at him coming closer and moves her hand as she was kicking and said her spell again aiming for him.

 

[From Darkness]

She didn't expect Crimson to be able to use her Magic in such close proximity. Riz managed to raise her hand just enough to graze Crimson's kick, at least averting deadly blow to her head. Yet she was still thrown away, and now that assassin was aiming for her master. She thought to jump back there and obstruct her path, but she remembered her Animus's power, the shadow-melding thing, which would just let her bypass Riz's attack completely.


Riz closed her eyes for a brief moment, and started chanting. That old, old spell she had once used and vowed not to use anymore. But beggars can't be chooser.


When she opened her eyes, a sliver of light went past her side, aiming toward Crimson's chest. It was a silver-colored blade-like magical projectile moving in enormous speed.

 

[Srion Receno]

She was so close to him, but her before she could even get near the horse or the prince she had seen a light and a blade coming to her and fast. How could it be as fast as her spell? She had just enough time to block it from hitting her directly, but she was taken back by the feeling of the air being taken from her chest. Her blade was forced back into her chest but as her feet made contact with the ground again she slid back forced the magic blade into another direction.


"what.... " she was confused for only a moment when she let out a laugh between taking breaths. "so we shall be playing with the heavy magic then?" she asked holding her chest were the blade was, there were cuts from the sharp edges making contact but that was all that could be seen.


She had some other spells though they were a lot more draining then her normal ones. She moved her hand from her chest and walked forward, it was painful she was sure she had a few broken ribs from it. "Umbra Clone" she couldn't use it at this stage but her others she could. As the clone was made she placed her hand on it. "Multipliciter! " she only had the energy for ten clones but they were stronger then the others.


As soon as they were made she ran for the prince with four of them as the others ran at her.

 

[From Darkness]

"Riz won't, let you!" the little bodyguard banged her gauntlets together, focusing on the area in front of Cruz, and immediately clones of her appeared there as well, their numbers matching with Crimson's.


"Argentum...magicae...lamina..." Lights sparked around her body, each forming into a tiny sliver of silver-colored blade-like projectile. The one she had used against Crimson before, only that she had made more of them. Five, seven, ten, twenty..."Scatter!" at her command, the blades shot out, each going toward the closest shadow clones on their trajectory.


Cruz had stopped his horse and set up a thin defensive barrier around his body, a precaution to at least lessen any damage he could take from bladed weaponry. He didn't dare to move closer. Not like he can keep up with those monsters.

 

[Srion Receno]

Seeing her blades taking out her shadows she let out a low growl as she dodged a few her self. She was watching the blades as something had come to her, she held out out her hand and faced Riz. "Inde est tenebrae et" as she started this spell dark spell circles formed around her. "Umbra gramina!" she said the last part loudly as multiple dark blades formed around her. "realise!" they moved towards Riz's blades and twords Riz her self.

 

[From Darkness]

At the moment the spell circle appeared under Crimson's feet, both Cruz and Riz was taken aback. That was not a spell taught among assassins! The dark blades were strong. Sharp. Against Riz's imitation-blade projectiles, the latter stood no chance. The blade pierced through the lights, extinguishing them in an instant. Even so, the little bodyguard tried to evade them as fast as she could. She managed to leap to the side right when the blades were about to skewer her, yet they still managed to cut through her left arm. The pain coursed through her body as she let out a cry.


Cruz had chanted a spell of his own, and from the Magic circle in his front shot out numerous flaming arrows toward the space between Crimson and Riz, creating a barrage toward the dirt ground and sending dust into the air. He ran toward Riz using that distraction, and when he arrived, he picked up the girl on his arm. Blood was gushing out from the wounds on her left side, particularly on her arm and leg. When the dust settled, he glared at Crimson.


"That's enough. We lost this time. Regardless of the outcome of this battle, that bastard had gotten away. Let us postpone this battle for later." Being a Mage himself, he can sense that that magic had eaten through Crimson's stamina much more than her usual Magic. After all, she had invoked the Circle even though she wasn't a proper Mage. That's certainly not normal.

 

[Srion Receno]

Hearing her cry and the sight of blood she smiled happily and was about to finish until flamed arrows landed between them snapping her out of the insanity she was falling to. Hearing his words she moved her hand down and sighed relived as the blades went away along with the magic circle underneath her.


"agreed..." she fell back breathing heavily, she was worn out and it was like all of her wounds from the past week were starting to hurt again. "I didn't mean to do that much damage to her" she let out a worn out laugh as she looked at them. She felt drained two battles that day and using so many big spells had reallu drained her. She smiled at them as she sat there if they made a move she only had the energy to run at this moment she could not use anymore magic.


"let's rest for a moment then walk away you shouldn't move her to much anyway" she took a deep breath, to calm herself as she leaned up slightly to look at them better.

 

[From Darkness]

Riz was stirring up, slowly opening her eyes just to see her master's face. She realized what situation she was in and began to struggle, but his grip just grew stronger and so she stopped. She buried her face on his chest to hide it, but it was burning red right now.


Cruz smiled. "She'll be fine, you might have won this time, but don't be so sure next time."


"Riz...didn't lose..." she mumbled. Cruz just chuckled.


"Regardless, I still have a question," he turned back to Crimson with a serious face. "That is not your Magic, isn't it? I sensed incompatibility between you and the Magic Circle, although it seems that to some degree that Magic allowed you to use it. And...I've seen that Magic before. In the capital. Are you...actually related to the High Priest, Arthur Lancwein?"

 

[Srion Receno]

She watched them and sighed "another love pair" she mumbled then laid back in the grass. "and I was wanting to see that delicious look on his face too" she laughed lightly then grabbed her chest in pain.


Hearing his question she sighed again then looked at her hand. "who knows.....no.... I'm not...." she laughed again. "I'll never know" she leaned up and looked at him. She had know idea what would happen at this point, he didn't know what had happened. She laughed again what would he do if he had found out she had killed the high priest?

 

[From Darkness]

Cruz wasn't satisfied with her half-assed answer. But there's no way for him to extract the truth right now, not in this situation. He sighed. "I guess I've been out of the Kingdom for too long...it's a good time to wrap up the job here and return home. Go. We won't follow you. Not like we could anyway...well, at least not until we've recovered up. I'll get that Argillys one day, just you wait..."

 

[Srion Receno]

She laughed as she clutched her chest. "alright have fun trying" she slowly got up and looked over at them and shook her head. "you won't get it though I won't let you" she glared at him then smiled. "see you around cutie" she winked at him then started to walk to the woods. "I look foreword to fighting with you again!" she turned and gave them both one of her rare actual happy smiles.

 

[From Darkness]

Riz glared dagger on her when Crimson addressed her master like that. Cruz just shook his head before putting her down. "It seems that I've been out of the loop for too long. Let's go back to the capital and catch up with the current situation. Having Argillys here is already weird enough, and to think that he got a 'sister' and an assassin following him..."


"So we, go back?"


He nodded. "We'll make some excuse to the King, then we'll return. I want to get to the bottom of this. My brother should be able to help."


==============


In the forest, the two siblings had not gone far away, courtesy of Arty who insisted that they waited for Crimson. Gills was sitting in the middle of a small clearing while Arty was yelling at him. The brother looked like he was totally ignoring her.


"Why did you do that? You haven't told me about it! More importantly, how did you destroy..."


"Enough with that, will you?" Gills sighed. "I'm just doing what I believe is right. Or do you not believe in me?"


"...It's not that I don't, but..." she looked as if she wanted to cry. Not that kind of face. Gills turned away, not wanting to see her face. That's when he noticed Crimson walking into the forest, clutching her chest.


"You're back. Are they gone?" He stood up and approached her.

 

[Srion Receno]

Seeing Gills her anger flared up again and she walked over to him and grabbed his shirt, still holding her chest with the other hand. She glared at him for a moment before pushing him away angerly. She was in to much pain and felt to weak to hurt him at the moment. "there going home that's what he said" she growled at him then walked past him.


"let's go before it gets worse" she didn't like the thought of her broken ribs going through her lungs or anything else inside of her. She walked over to her horse that had fallowed them and jumped on biting the inside of her cheek so she did nor cry out.

 

[From Darkness]

Arty jumped back to her horse and followed Crimson, pacing her horse so that she was beside her. "Are you okay, miss Crimson?" she looked at her chest. The assassin looked like she was in pain. Was it the wound from fighting Skyfall? Or because she had used her spells too many times this night?

 

[Srion Receno]

"ill be fine..." she kept her eyes foreword as she said this trying to ignore the pain of the bouncing horse. as they rode she moved her hand around her chest feeling around. "damn..." she whispered to herself, she had broken two ribs and it seams like she fractured a few as well. what she really needed was rest and a healer, but they needed to keep going so she would not complain. thankfully it was not close to her heart but she still had a chance of it puncturing a lung. "how are we going to go through the city?" she mumbled as she moved her hand from her chest to make it look like she was fine.

 

[From Darkness]

"Ah..." Arty still looked worried with Crimson's condition. She could sense her wincing from pain here and there, although she was clearly trying to hide it. "It's...still far away...do you think we should stop and rest for the night?"


"Shush," Gills was already catching up with them, riding in Crimson's other side. His eyes wandered around the dark of the wood, searching for something. "There's...some sound. I think I know this pattern, this is.."


Just as soon as he had said that, a shadow leaped from within the bushes on his side, trying to tackle him down. Gills was a bit faster and managed to hit it with his rapier's sheath, knocking it away. It was a guy dressed in dark garments. He remembered this happened before. Bandits!


"Damn it, again?" The bushes around them rustled, and more figures came out from them and behind the trees.

 

[Srion Receno]

She shook her head at Arty's wanting to stop then she had heard the sound Gills heard. "grate..." she said this as a shadow figure tried to tackle Gills off of his horse. she was faster to realize what was going on and sighed. she pulled out her dagger and looked around watching the woods and then the men coming out. "are you wanting me to take care of this as well?" she looked over at Gills as she held her dagger in her hand tightly.

 

[From Darkness]

Gills smiled, although he started to sweat from the tension. "Naah, I think I can handle this. You just take care of Arty," he unsheathed his rapier. If those guys started to come one by one like before, it will be easy. If only...at that moment, he noticed something. Something about them seems...familiar? The bandits had went out from their hiding spot and circled around the trio. Now that they were visible under the moonlight, he could see them better.


"Hello friends. What has made you come down this way?" That familiar voice. There it was, the one who moved the closest than the others. He was sporting that sickening smile, a big grin which he held long enough...but immediately turned into a frown when he noticed Gills's face. Yep, that's the guy who tried to mug Gills on the road before. He turned to Crimson and recognized the assassin as well. And the little girl. His face turned pale.


"Y-y-y-y-you...IT'S YOU!?!"


"Oh hey, it's an old friend," Gills let out a relieved sigh. Some of these people he didn't know, perhaps a new addition to the group, but this is certainly THAT exact same bandit group from before. What a lucky coincidence.


"S-someone! Run and go get our boss!" The bandit representative yelled. A smaller member, most likely an initiate, followed his command and ran back into the wood. The others readied their weapon, but he raised his hand to stop them. Not now. Not against that demoness.


"Heh. You guys managed to catch us by surprise before, but not anymore! When our boss gets here, you guys will be toast! Hear me! Toa-a-a-a-as..." He was trying to put a brave front, but each time his eyes met Crimson's, his body shivered uncontrollably.

 

[Srion Receno]

Seeing it was the bandits from before she smirked and sat up straighter, just them nothing else and here she was ready for a real fight. she leaned a bit on her horse ignoring the pain in her chest. hearing him tell someone to go get there boss she laughed "will he put up a better fight then the man I went against?" she locked eyes with the man who spoke with a smile for a moment then looked away. "it took me so long to get there blood out of my hair" as she said this she ran her hand through her long black hair. "I was really hoping for a better challenge" she looked back at him with the best smile she could master at the moment as she added a glare. though she acted like it she actually was not in the mood for a fight.

 

[From Darkness]

The poor guys were clearly out of their mind right now, some even trembling so bad he dropped his sword. Yet the shorts-wearing man, their representative...perhaps vice-leader, stood his ground. Even though he looked like he would pee at any moment now. Gills was tempted to yell at him and send the man running like his life depend on it. Perhaps the slaughter Crimson had done before was etched so deep in their memory it became a trauma.


"The boss is here!" The young member from before jumped out from the bushes. Suddenly the men were invigorated, and their stance no longer filled with fear but determination.


"Hahaha! You heard that? You might have won against our old boss, but we got a NEW boss! And guess what? He's suuuuper strong! Even you, demoness, are no match for him!" the vice-leader quipped. The bushes behind him moved and rustled, followed with the sound of metal scratching through branches and leaves.


From behind him came out a large, bulky man, seemingly in his forties. He had a strong jaw decorated with carefully-shaved stump, and well-defined muscle showing beneath his shirt. There was a large battle axe on his back, while a short sword hung on his belt as a secondary weapon. Wait. That description sounds familiar.


"Who dares disturbing my cute subordinates!?" His voice roared throughout the forest. Although...yep, it's very familiar. And now that he had stepped under the moonlight, it was clear as day.


It was Norman Levigh, the bartender from Serion capital. There was an uncomfortable silence for a good full minute as all parties involved froze while trying to decipher what the heck was going on.


"Err...Gills, Fang, is that you?"


"Nor...man?"


Both men just stared at each other for a long while. Arty was giggling the entire time, but she couldn't hold it and went full-on in laughter.