1143 Scavengers

Like so many others, the survivor breathed his last breath. Was it pain or was it the saddened truth of hopelessness? The gods abandoned Draebala and there was no going back. A deflowered lass, a broken heart, a shattered glass – they all have one thing in common, none can return to their prior dignity. Such was the case of this godforsaken land, a place dejected by the hell spawns. ‘Another one bites the dust,’ Staxius paused.

An ominous silence, followed by the muffled expansion, left this particular lot lifeless. ‘-Part of the landscape brings memories from my youth. The smells aren’t the same, for once, the stench of unburied bodies isn’t prominent. Battlefields have ways of combining the worse smells a person could ever imagine.’ A piercing gale interrupted the settling waves of tranquility. Few robed figures approached from the west, they were tall and dark in their auras. Staxius watched nonchalantly.

‘Found myself quite the good spot,’ he casually took a cigarette, toggled a concealment spell, and observed. ‘Judging by their appearance, they must be from.. there’s the problem, I don’t know much about the land. Hard to see who’s friend and who’s foe,’ he puffed, ‘-like it matters.’

“Any survivors?” one cried.

“Not that I see off,” another answered, “-they used the gem.”

“To think the Titan’s answer to our insurgency would be so cruel.”

“Don’t say that, it’s not like we gave them any chance.”

“I’ll be surprised if there are any bodies left,” said yet another from the back, “-we should split up and gather as many supplies as we can.”

“Are you robbing the dead?”

.....

“I get being new and all, signing to our purpose comes with more trouble. Recruit, don’t look so troubled, it will cast a shadow upon those who’ve opened their hearts to the safety of our world. The gods might have forsaken our cause, I will not, long as I breathe, I will carry the will of our order to the last limb I have.”

One of the trio held the newer man’s shoulder, “-I would watch and learn if I were you. Few can do our job and fewer have the ability to survive. Do what you need to, we’re scavengers.”

“Right people,” the leader of the robed band clapped, “-let’s get to work. Use the dimensional portals to store the items. If you sense danger, run, I will not accept death, bravado is for the foolish,” they split like a firework, exploding in many directions.

‘Scavengers. Must be the people from before, the ones who tried to save the people. I can’t afford to waste time learning about their purpose. What I need is directions,’ he finished the cigarette and flash-stepped to the leader, taping the man who cowered with a loud hiss, “-who stands there?” he whipped out daggers and growled.

“A survivor,” Staxius replied, dusting off his shoulder, “-I was wondering if you could help me find the town of Inux?”

“Inux?” the robed man slowly tightened and untightened his grip, casting much doubt over the sudden appearance, “-I can say we’re in Zayan D’olsak. Why Inux, the place’s the headquarters of the Titans. It’s manned by the God of Darkness, Lixbin. You better head south to the coast, there’s a little hamlet called Gesborrow.”

“Hamlet?”

“Yeah,” the man dropped his robe and inhaled, “-there used to be nothing there. I doubt it’s on any maps.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’m a spy?”

“Are you a spy?”

“No.”

“Then it’s settled, you’re not a spy,” he slumped his shoulder and scanned the ground, “-you feel strong, very strong. Maybe even stronger than those angels of war. I don’t know much.. my father founded the Scavengers and we’ve lived like rodents. Feeding off the sacrifice of the resistance.”

“So the people earlier, those trying to evacuate, were they you?”

“No, not us. They’re the true faction trying to fight for the people’s safety. They were once stationed in Inux under the Shadow Realm’s banner. Formle, the god of war fell, and following his defeat, everything collapsed. The resistance’s momentum shot, and they scattered into the wild. Since then, every town and village of significance has been captured. They’re on the main continent headed to the Aapith Domain.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Well, I met someone like you before. A warrior of another world. He came with amazing strength and wielded power like nothing I’d ever seen.”

“Where is he now?”

“On a stake lining the entrance to Inux.”

“..”

The leader smirked, in two lines shattered any hopes a young hero might get, “-we don’t need heroes here.’

“-You need the devil,” Staxius answered.

“How did you-” the man dropped his jaw.

Staxius turned and faced a crumbling house, “-behind there, there was a man who said those words.”

“..” a gust of wind, the leader sprinted, ‘-he’s quite fast,’ Staxius observed and teleported to the man’s dying spot. The robed figures gathered one by one, the leader stood closest to the grim outline of what used to be human. Skin had burnt off the muscle, exposing the innards, and his guts spilled down one side, someone or something had dug its claws inside the man’s body and forcefully ripped out the intestines.

‘Living things are very ugly when they die,’ Staxius crossed his arms and watched.

“Uncle,” the leader dropped on one knee, “-such is the price when the laws aren’t followed. We’re scavengers, we don’t need strength to fight, we must learn to survive. This is what my father always said, and for so long, that idea has kept my team alive. Why would you forsake our ways.. was it dishonorable..”

One of the scouts leaped across the rubbles, *-clang, clang,* he rang a cowbell and cried, “-soldiers from the extermination force are on patrol. They’re coming from the north. Evacuate.”

Whispers, none cared for the man’s moment of weakness, each took to their heels and scattered, “-don’t move,” another scout approached from the west, “-we’re being surrounded. They’ve got us cornered.”

“How did this happen?” cried one, panic bubbled below the pseudo surface of strength, ‘-are we getting ambushed..’ one answer, the leader threw a haunting glare at the recruit, “-you.”

The little fellow dropped his hood, “-too bad,” he yawned, “-seems like I’m figured out. You shouldn’t be so trusting of other people. This is the very reason why Inux fell, they allowed their pride and reckless sympathy toward the weak to get in the way. I was honestly surprised when my cliché sob story worked. Guess many others have suffered the same fate. Don’t get any weird ideas,” he shot a glance at possible attacks, “-the army knows your location. And they know where you’re stationed. Thank you for the information, I’ll take my leave,” wings sprouted, “-so long.”

“It’s done, they know where we are.”

“How did this happen?”

“I said we shouldn’t accept members, it’s a gamble we can’t afford to make.”

“Leader said it’d be fine, and the master trusted his judgment.”

‘What is happening?’ leader fell on himself, ‘-everyone’s turning against one another, they’ve forgotten our purpose. A leader needs to set the pace in these types of situations.. how can I bring them together, people are concerned with survival during times of crisis. Overwleming charisma or strength.. if only I had one-”

historical

“Pathetic,” Staxius emerged from the shadows and rose his hands at the hovering spy, “-though I appreciate a good plot twist. A big-mouthed spy like you getting away doesn’t sound pleasant,” he did a zigzagging gesture as if to cut the air, everyone’s eyes glued to each move.

“-AHHH,” the spy fell, the wings cleanly chopped at the root, “-WHO ARE YOU!” he yelped.

“Who am I?” Staxius casually entered the fray, everyone moved subconsciously, allowing him to be at the center of the crowd where the spy bled, “-oh, no one special. Just your friendly neighborhood devil,” he placed one foot over the spy’s face and lit a cigarette, he dropped the empty hand and stared the sky, “-listen here people, I need a ride to Inux. I’m not looking to spend weeks on foot if you people have a better way of travel-”

“-hmmhmhm,”

Staxius lifted his foot, “-what is it?”

“YOU WILL DIE BY THE SOLDIERS’ HANDS, NO ONE ESCAPES OUR WRAT-”

“Right,” Staxius dug his heels into the man’s mouth, cracking sounds had some tremble, “-I’ve heard that cliché warning so many times it’s not even funny. Leader of the Scavengers, time is running out. You have information and I have a few cards up my sleeve.”

“..” nothing, the man was too deep in thought.

“Come on,” they nudged, “-sorry?” he came too.

“Offer, will you help me?” said Staxius.

“What can you do for us?” he echoed.

“For someone who was inside his own mind contemplating the end, I won’t hear a word of any favor I can do. I will act on what I think is best. You’re scavengers, yes? why not hid in shadows like the rodents thee aspire to be and witness what this man here,” he pointed at the dead uncle, “-meant with his last words,” he casually dug in his foot, crashing the spy’s head into bloodied morsels.

“How long until they arrived?”

“Thirty seconds,” said one scout.

“Better get to hiding,” he closed his eyes, ‘-open the gates of my past. I’ve hidden my talents for too long, it’s time to awaken the muscle memories developed through thousands of hours dealing with death. No more restraints, Draebala’s the perfect place to test my strength,’ an imposing pressure fell on the circle, and the scavengers ran into the ruins, many hid and some watched through fractures.

“Who is that?”

“I don’t know,” said the leader, “-I’ve only just met him.”

“Well, he’s in for a rude awakening. The extermination squad is filled with veterans who love hunting the weak. It’s a foul sport..”

“Who knows, we might see a miracle.”

Staxius leaped onto the tallest point, a tower shining over the broken remnants of a church dedicated to a forgotten deity.

*Hear me, weapon forged in the death, relish the thought of slaughter, enjoy the thrill of sufferance, raise from thy slumber, Orenmir!* the sword shook, the hilt nearly jumped out his hand, ‘-did you grow stronger on me?’ he waited, the clueless force advanced, ‘-since there’s no one strong to oppose their might. They’ve forsaken fear and don’t care about being ambushed. They know it’s hopeless for ill-equipped peasants to stand against a behemoth. Too bad,’ the white pupil flashed, *Fifth-layer Spell: Detection,* layers, a derivation from the class system, went like so in the realm beyond mortality; each layer is split into two, for example, layer one is split into rank I and II, which groups under the category of Singular Magic. Layer Two, would hold rank III and VI, which is known by Lower Tier magic. Like that, the layers go from one to five; Singular, Lower Tier, Mid-Tier, High Tier, and lastly, Celestial Magic. Celestial Magic, the fifth layer spell, would be considered a world-changing spell used by only the gods and entities of equal rank. In essence, the higher the number, the stronger the spell. And of course, there is a special category for spells beyond one’s imagination – domain-changing abilities, like the one cast by Scifer that sought the advent of monsters in Orin.

‘I see it,’ he watched, the figures moved in linear patterns, ‘-not even bothered to split their ranks. How foolish,’ he extended his left arm, *Spewed from Mothra’s granular mouth, bitten and seething from her perpetual hatred – lives and cries the begging of her child, thus rages the flame of Mother, one of many faces but one mouth, the whispers from her lips, the whispers of folly and misdirection, whispers of demise, Mana Control: Purgatory Flame Variant – Crando,* a ring of fire manifested, “-time to pay the entrance fee,” he dropped his hand, the flames erupted, instantly vaporizing the grouped forces.

*Mana Control: Tempest Variant – Hastened,* ‘-let the song of death play,’ he dove and midway into the fall, pushed off the tower like an arrow and shot into the incoming army, “-onward onto death!”