From the moment Spell descended on the War Realm, Awakened were always learning how to deal with different types of Nightmare Creatures. In the unwelcoming lands of Dreams, there were many various kinds of monsters, each of them behaved and moved in own way. Everyone was used to this.
The harsh reality of their world also taught them how to deal with their own kind. However sad it may be, the worst enemy for many Awakened frequently appeared as another person. So, they knew how such an enemy behaved and moved too, even if it was something extraordinary, it still was humane. Everyone was also used to this.
Humans going mad and behaving basically as Nightmare Creatures were rare, but even if such ones were met, they only been treated with more caution. And so, there was a certain number of people used even to this.
But what always brought fear in the hearts of Awakened, was when monsters possessed humans' traits.
And while Nightmare Creatures akin to a knight, or some ancient warrior, could be seen as more skilled, smart, and therefore more threatening, the real danger always posed things like they met today.
As the last Demon was squished under the might of Irregular cohort, warriors heard a step. They turned to the tree line, and with another step something charred grabbed one of the pines and brought it down. With the loud noise of cracking wood, two burned flesh horns peeked out of the forest.
From a single look it was clear, that this abomination was not like things they previously fought. Other golems were wobbly, walking and smashing around like piles of flesh should do. But Tyrant's movements were resembling more of some Saint's ghastly transformation. It was like a tired big man with nasty armor around his body, rather than an actual horror from another world.
On the way here, convoy already met one Tyrant, but it was weak, almost frozen, and died quickly. This one? This was directly opposite, like it crawled from the depths of the volcano. And even if it still walked slowly, nobody was mistaken about creature's mobility.
Monstrosity took a couple heavy steps away from the woods and spreading fire, its sagged body straightened, eyes now lifted from the ground.
As Tyrant walked closer, dragging a trunk of a pine behind, it quickly swept his gaze through awakened in front. Disregarding humans before it, horned flesh creature raised its head and peered at the elevation, where their defense group was located. An arrow was still sticking out of its eye, but second one was intently searching through the formation. Brail was certain who the creature was looking for, and the next moment a single mad eye locked onto him.
"I-is this thing just smiled?"
Sam was kneeling behind the box, she was using like a rifle stand, looking in her scope. Her face turned from composed to a very concerned.
"I don't know, but it sure felt like it."
Brail was thankful that his inner hurricane didn't play its shitty games right now because fear and anxiety he felt were pretty strong already. Explorer steeled himself and pulled the bowstring without breaking an eye contact with the Tyrant.
The moment after he released an arrow, a volley of projectiles flew in the same target. In response, abomination exploded with movement.
Tyrant hunched, ducking from the shots, raised its arm shielding the head and at the same time swept in a wide circle with the tree. Top of the pine flew with a great speed directly into two awakened cohorts, and most of them either fell to the ground, evading the danger, or jumped behind the range of improvised weapon.
Though, several people weren't fast enough. The closest one lost his head outright and three others were flung into the air. Tree didn't stop after that, flying directly into the Irregulars.
Brail saw as Lith charged directly into the pine and slashed right through, cutting the good half of it. Tree slowed but still was flying forward, and halted only after Dorn deflected it with his mace, splitting the tip of the trunk into pieces, stopping its momentum.
Before anyone could move further, Tyrant locked its gaze again on the elevation, and in backwards motion launched the last couple meters of a pine, returning a favor. Everything Brail managed to do is to throw himself on the ground, covering Sam, and send as powerful winds as he could somewhere in the direction of the projectile.
Projectile didn't care.
Trunk crashed precisely onto the Brail's position, hitting an MWP behind him. Pine exploded smashing the cabin and throwing mangled carcass of the war platform several meters back right into the soldiers in mechanized suits.
There were screams and numerous whistling sounds, as explorer sensed small projectiles flying overhead. In the next second came a deafening noise of explosions and screech of bursting metal. Brail tried to shield them from the danger, but the winds couldn't coalesce quick enough, and his spine was hit with an immolating heatwave. His growl ceased only when something heavy and hot crashed on his back.
***
Pressing hand to the bleeding ear, Kimmy gathered herself and tried to get from the ground. Rising to the knees, still disoriented, she tried to discern anything through the ringing in the head. First, she saw a fire up close, then were people running around. Someone tried to lift her by the elbow, asking something incoherent. Then her dizzy sight fell lower.
Red hair spread on the ground several meters from her, head covered by a hand in gray armor. Person in that armor pressed face in the dirt, blood flowing down slowly. Both stamped by the big smoldering chunk of the APC carcass.
Kimmy rushed to the scene stumbling and tried to drag them from under the metal debris. Shellshocked, she didn't even think to ask for help, but someone still noticed struggling awakened. Soon, mechanical manipulator grabbed and lifted destroyed carcass and Irregular managed to drag injured away.
Sounds started returning and Kim heard as soldier in the MWP tell her something. She simply nodded. The next sounds were coming somewhere from the battlefield. Sounds of swings, roars, noise of different abilities. She needed to help them.
'Yeah… right… help. But they need help too…'
Dragging Sam and fake Captain to the backline, she saw several cohorts jumping down from the elevation to meet the abomination. Abominations?
'Where these came from... what is…'
Then she heard a muffled scream.
"Sam!"
"Ugh, shit… My legs. Wha.. what happened?"
"Don't move, we are close."
"Kim, what happened?"
Unlike the heat they recently experienced, her colleague's voice was cold. Kimmy was silent for a while, trying to gather her cloudy thoughts.
"Tyrant launched a tree in one of the platforms. Impact triggered its rocket launcher. I was knocked to the ground when carrier exploded. He covered you."
Sam looked at unconscious Ascended dragged with her.
"His back doesn't look good…"
All armor on the back from the shoulders to the feet was almost completely burned through, Brail's back as a churned bloody mess. The same as Sam's legs.
"Well, he's… breathing at least."
"What with the Tyrant?"
Kimmy looked down on her colleague briefly and resumed walking.
"You need to go back."
"Yeah, but I will drag you to the healer first."
"Kimmy! Stop. You two, come here, now."
Samara pointed on soldiers reloading one of the MWP's. Both instantly rushed to them.
"Bring us to the medics. Kim, go. They need you there."
Nodding and trying to stop herself from swaying, Kimmy ran towards the battle.
***
Turning away from the dead and injured, Lith faced the tall ugly thing. His plan was simple, as always. Outlast the creature and cut the bastard down. He was pretty sure of own capabilities. Unfortunately, he wasn't so sure about others, that's why he wanted to make this quick.
With these colorful marks it should have been easier to do, but after Tyrant threw the trunk, they disappeared.
'Well, no matter, I'll kill you…'
"…one way or another."
Hearing his mumbling, Tyrant faced him, roared, and took a step forward. Lith chuckled and brought his sword high, charging right onto the monstrosity.
First several cuts were not so effective, as he hoped, but at least creature wasn't too fast, so it was possible to stay in close range with minimum injuries. He didn't think he would walk away unscathed, but at least he was able to mitigate the damage.
When flesh fiend understood that it couldn't beat small human easily, it took several steps back and tried to uproot another pine. That was a mistake, and Lith with predatory smile rushed head on to punish the Tyrant. It managed to grab the tree, and back away, but after a loud slash, the pine, as well as monster's limb stayed on place.
"Make another mistake, come on, do it."
Grinning, swordsman pushed forward, trying to corner the abomination. He was cutting and slashing for a while but couldn't manage to land another clean blow. The chance finally appeared when another Abomination, friendly this time, jumped and bit into the second Tyrant's hand, trying to drag him down.
Or at least that what Lith thought. Because the second he moved to attack, he was hit hard with the Echo's body, and they both were sent flying. Ascended was dropped heavily on the back, and before he managed to get up, several hundred kilos of giant dog landed straight on his chest.
He was tough. But even this was a lot.
Lith tried to breath, but it was a little bit difficult due to a huge body laying on top, and couple broken ribs trying to pierce his lung. He needed to get back as fast as possible.
"G-get off m-meee."
With a loud roar he managed to push the Echo away and slowly get on the feet.
"I need… to go… or…"
Leaning on the greatsword, warrior took a couple good inhales and turned to the noises of the battle.
"…this will happen."
While he was laying on the ground, Tyrant charged into cohorts he swept previously, to finish off survivors. Irregulars weren't fast enough to stop the towering creature, and its targets weren't strong enough to survive the onslaught.
A singular swing of fiend's limb was enough to instantly kill two defenders, breaking their weapons and crushing their bodies. Second swing landed poorly, but still hit a girl and protecting her frontliner. Shield shattered and both were sent flying. Irregulars managed to circle the abomination and even successfully defended against him for a bit, but even they won't have it easy for long.
'These two will live. But it's already three dead and four heavies. I need to take his attention.'
Lith charged back, swinging madly, and tried to put the Tyrant on the defensive. After a long minute, with the help of Irregulars, he actually managed to land a couple good blows, but it still wasn't enough. He almost sliced off another hand, but first one grown back already.
Tyrant swung newly grown limb at them, he blocked, but got pushed back. Quentin tried to block too and was thrown on the ground. Everyone else tried to back off, seeing as a main fighter was now behind. Creature also fell back a little and started snarling in irritation from the arrows that were immediately sent at him by the town defenders.
Seeing as several more cohort rushed down from their positions to engage in a fight, Tyrant made an eerily humane movement, resembling cracking a neck. Irregular cohort gathered to stand behind Lith, but before they engaged, he motioned them to scatter.
"I'll manage the Tyrant, it's weakened enough. You deal with other problems."
"What other... Shit."
Luster learned what Lith was talking about in the same second he started searching for signs of additional danger. Something was blocking the view on the pyre ahead. And this something was moving and wriggling.
Towering piles of charred flesh were crawling and rolling out from the burning forest, trying to coagulate back into living creatures.
Before facing the Tyrant again, Lith yelled to newcomers.
"Awakened are not engaging in melee with the Tyrant, provide only ranged support!"
Dorn supported his yell with his own, giving additional orders.
"Take injured back! Melee fighters destroy the piles before they become its minions again! Fire aspects holders in front!"
And as they were ready to continue the fight, colorful marks covered the body of a flesh fiend.
Out of breath, like after a marathon, voice sounded from the radio.
"I'm here, sorry there was a situation."
Belle pressed on his comm, smiling.
"Glad to have you back! Are our snipers ready?"
"No, they won't help."
He frowned, as well as others.
"Explain."
Kimmy's slightly disoriented voice was heard again.
"I dragged them to medics. They are out of the fight."
Lith instantly switched his gaze to the bracelet, but not seeing any changes, returned it to the abomination. What he saw sent a slight shiver down his spine. Tyrant was grinning. Not a slight smile-like thing he gave at the beginning, but a maddening wide snarl.
Not finding anything better, Lith returned the grin, and main powerhouses of two armies charged towards each other.
***
First thing Brail heard, was a cacaphony of the battle, but both magical and physical explosions weren't too close. What been close though, was a dark gaze directed at him from the next medical couch, he saw opening his eyes. It somehow calmed him down a bit. Sam was alright, his actions were worth it. Even if she was only a creation of the Spell, he didn't want something to happen with her.
He tried to smile, wanted to say something, but before he could, he moved for a tiny bit and dived in a world of pain.
In the past he was punched hard, stabbed, different parts of his body were mangled, and bones broken many times. Such was a life of awakened, nothing new. There was even that one time when he lost a palm, getting in a stupid trap during an exploration. But he never felt like that.
It was like he had no skin back there, all the air around was unbearably hot and impossibly cold at the same time, and every single nerve was exposed to it. Like he was simultaneously covered in lava and super-cold liquid reagent professors used in the chem lab. Brail couldn't properly feel his skin, but he felt all the pain.
Ascended opened his eyes again, feeling as a small cat pressed her nose against his forehead, and saw Sam motioning to someone in the tent. Soldier with white bandage around the arm came closer and gave him an injection, saying some words Brail couldn't fully focus on. Something about the pain will went off.
'Yeah, right.'
He tried to focus on soothing feeling, Zeph was sending him, but still felt horrible. Little bit after he managed to at least stop groaning and start asking about important matters.
"Hey, Sam. How long are we here?"
She smirked humorlessly and answered in slightly tired voice.
"Not long, explosion happened around ten, maybe fifteen minutes ago, so you were out only for that long."
She waited a little and then looked at him again.
"Thanks, by the way. It could be not only my legs, you know?"
"I… wasn't thinking much? Just did what first came to mind."
"As far as I saw, you always thinking much. But you shielded me there. If that was on reflex, you have damn good reflexes."
He tried to smile again, but moved accidently, prompting himself to wince in pain.
"Yeah. So. What's with the Tyrant?"
She grabbed device from the stool and pressed on it.
"Let's ask someone out there. Hey Tei, its Samara, what's happening out there?"
Nobody answered immediately, but after several seconds of silence, the voice of mundane soldier from Tei staff circle was heard from the radio.
"Sergeant Aneris speaking, Tei is down there. This is total mess, Awakened Samara, but it seems they will end it soon."
"I see, thank you, Sergeant. Well, you heard her… what the hell are you doing?"
Turning back to Brail, Sam saw as he tried to get on his feet, still frowning from pain. It would be comical in different situation, how he was crawling from the bed trying not to disturb his back, but she perfectly understood what he was feeling. Physically at least. What that strange man was thinking, was the real question.
"Get the hell back on the couch!"
"I'm going in there, they…"
"Lay down and stop playing a hero. You played it enough today."
Brail looked at her, clearly not convinced, and tried to retort, but she cut him off again.
"And how exactly you want to help them? Jump in without an armor? Trousers only, sword in hand?"
"All I need is my bow. Can't get down there anyway, with back like that."
She looked at him incredulously for several seconds, and then not changing expression said.
"Okay, that's a nice logic. Then I don't need my legs to shoot, so I'm going too. You wanna go, you need to carry me."
"What?"
"On your back, of course. And if you try to exit without me... Just a friendly reminder, but I'm still full on essence."
Brail's blinked dumbfounded. His thoughts were darting between helping his friend but experiencing more of that pain, and safety and calm of the medical tent. If being honest, he wasn't sure, he will even be able to walk back properly, not mentioning a fight itself.
After thinking for a good minute, explorer decided to trust his airheaded colleague to finish the job, so he nodded reluctantly and crawled back on the bed.
"Glad you are thinking straight. If there was Captain instead of you, I wouldn't know what to do."
"What do you mean?"
Irregular fell silent for a bit.
"The man always looked like… I don't know, unstoppable. Honestly, I think he wouldn't even ended up here at the first place. He would probably shrug that APC from his back and walk straight down there to punch the Tyrant in the face for inconvenience."
Brail could only chuckle in response.
"Or Tyrant wouldn't attack at all. Seeing how smart it is, he would be too afraid to attack, if Cap would been here."
"Okay, okay, that's already some mythical level bullshit."
He looked at Sam, but she wasn't laughing.
"You just never met him."
Brail frowned.
"Listen. Who the hell is he? You guys didn't want to tell me that previously, and I didn't tell all I know too, so that's only fair. But I told already that we went through a lot of data on Antarctica campaign before the expedition. Main events. Main people in these events. I never heard about such a person. And I hundred percent should have, from what little I already learned."
She contemplated for a bit, not taking gaze from him, and lowered her eyes.
"I think I earned a bit of trust, no?"
"Okay, I won't say anything on a gossip level, and only stick to what he confirmed himself, or what I saw personally."
"I'm fine with that. Don't think I'm prying into the man's secrets. I just want to know who that ghost guy really is."
Samara gathered herself and started explaining.
"Captain is from the Forgotten Shore. He was living a life of a solitary hunter in the Dark City. Killed a lot of things there, four hundred Awakened and Fallen creatures, if I'm not mistaken. Even chased down a particularly deadly Fallen Devil."
"As a sleeper?"
Sam just nodded.
"And you believe this?"
"Yes. Each time he fights it's just a pure chaos, he somehow controls. Month ago, we were fighting a horde. Three Irregular cohorts took one flank, he alone took another. Didn't let a single one go through him. When he lost his weapon, he just started crushing and tearing apart Fallen stonelike bugs with bare hands. And amidst all this show, somehow finished Corrupted Tyrant, Saint Tyris was battling."
"Holy crap…"
"Yeah."
"Wait, you are telling me, I'm basically in the body of a fucking murder machine?"
"Pretty much. And it's not only offence he's good at. Kim couldn't find any weak spots on him. She said it's the same as to look at an armored wall."
Brail blew his cheeks out, eyes wide.
'And Spell expects me to survive what he did. I'm so dead.'
"What… else… in the bio?"
"He helped Dreamers Army, opened the Spire, and led people out, as far as I know. Getting back, he couldn't stay still for long, and in a year or so went to the Second Nightmare and became the youngest Ascended in history, beating Boss's previous record."
With each word Brail's brows was flying higher and higher. All he could do is only blink his eyes silently.
"Then he worked as a professor in the academy for a while, and after Sour Reaper recruited him, came here."
'How is this even possible to become invisible, when you have such a track record. Even if government erased all the data for some reason, person of such caliber just couldn't exist unseen.'
"…immensely powerful for a Master. You're fast when empower yourself, but for him it's just a normal speed. Not even talking about the strength. And he's like dancing all the…"
'No, it's just impossible. I should find out how he disappeared after a trial.'
"…exploration record, his reports are…"
'I will be a Saint. It won't take long to contact someone from the Fire Keepers' higher ups. But explorer, academic, reports… and nobody knows him… it can't be possible, right?'
There was one name, or to be exact, its absence, incredibly famous in scientific circles, which was an enigma for almost half a century. Brail would never dare to even dream about being close to unravel a mystery of such level, but what if's never ceased to appear in his head.
Sam continued her ramblings about Master Sunless and his unbelievable deeds for a while. And Brail again became a victim of spiraling flow of frantic thoughts.
Not so long after noises of battle receded, fabric on the entrance was moved to the side by giant hand, and someone's head, as well as someone's butt, peeked inside. Dorn entered the tent with heavy steps, his face and torso covered in blood, dirt, and pieces of flesh. He was carrying unconscious Luster on his shoulder and coming to a free bed slowly put him down. Medic immediately walked to the driver and began examining his wounds.
Turning to the injured and seeing two pairs of impatient questioning eyes, Dorn sighed and spoke tiredly.
"We may have a problem."
***
Lith was tired.
It was hard to breathe.
He was pushing through the dense smog, not allowing himself to slow down even for a second. Belle was somehow keeping up with his speed too.
The battlefield they left behind was a horrible mess, but that was not the main thing to think about right now. The main thing was their target.
Lith knew, if they let it get away now, Tyrant will come back with a new strategy. And a new army. Not like they will easily deal with the flow of slowly reviving flesh it already released. It would take a long while to burn it down.
Plus, it was too intelligent to leave such a grudge behind, so if they won't chase it down now, fiend will chase them later instead.
Giant bloody mess of a Tyrant was running not so far ahead, breaking everything on its path. He pressed it down well, so now it was the time to finish creature off. Lith was reluctant to admit, but it will be much easier if the guy behind him would kill the thing. They already understood that no matter how powerful his swings were, it regenerated back, and Lith couldn't end the monster quick enough.
Finally, a wide grin appeared on Lith's face.
He couldn't see well, how exactly it happened, but the ugly giant stumbled and crashed into the ground, digging a long trench with its body. Before it could get up, fiend's leg detached with a loud slash and creature fell in the dirt and ash again.
Tyrant wailed in pain and tried to roll over to reach the attacker, but Lith was already on its other side, swinging at the second leg like a lumberjack. Flesh fiend clearly knew there were two pursuers, but it couldn't focus on anything except direct thread right now. So, it tried to lift itself up and lean on the wall of trees, to cover its back and squish the enemy.
It was the last mistake in its vile existence.
Because as soon as it sat up and lifted a hand to smash annoying human, its head dropped to the chest with gurgling sound. Lith looked up and saw a tip of the sword sticking out from the left eye, blade shoved in the back of horned skull to the hilt. Belle was standing on its shoulder, half-alive but smiling.
"My first Tyrant, heh. But you know, your strategies are a bit extreme even for me."
Lith raised his sword and motioned with it around himself, laughing.
"Extreeme? Just look at that! Loud fireworks, everything burns, enemies are dead, and we are alive! Queen-style strategies are always the best!"
"Yeah, I actually meant to ask..."
Catching Belle's skeptical glance, he raised a palm, stopping him.
"Better not to. I won't tell you anyway."
Belle laughed.
"Alright then, keep your secrets."
"I will, thank you."
"I guess, we need to head back then?"
And so, they did.
But when awakened walked out of the smoldering woods, they saw that only a small number of soldiers was clearing the battlefield, despite all the destructions and corpses. Everyone from the mountain position were either cleaning the road, or heading to the town. Tei was nowhere to be seen, and defenders from the central groups were all moving to the southern boundary, instead of regrouping inside the military camp.
Lith watched troops relocation and sighed somberly.
"It seems, someone else is late to the party."