Gliding through the air, Nadia couldn’t help but dwell on the sense of incongruity she was feeling over the bond created by their Oath. It was just too strange to suddenly feel so connected to a stranger, all thanks to effectively ‘wishing’ for it.
I swear, I’ll never wrap my mind around this magic business. She thought to herself.
She was wearing the Aquila Flight Suit, accompanied by Zarathea, Tirie and a squad of harpy fighters, as well as a pair of rooks, preparing to attack the Robed Hunters’ camp.
Rooks and harpies, Nadia had come to learn, shared similar origins and numerous ties, owing to the fact that much as all harpies were female, all rooks were male. From there, their similarities diverged sharply, but ultimately the two distinct species were closely knit.
Possessing a considerably less humanoid appearance, rooks instead resembled a feathered cross between a werewolf and a raven. They had lean, muscular frames that were notably larger than harpies, and their feathers were more monochromatic, ranging from white, through grey, and into black. They were savage fighters, and fiercely territorial in most cases, even spurning their own kind… except when they lived in harpy communities.
Rooks and harpies could (and typically did) interbreed, and with a Banshee to lead, rooks naturally became much more docile compared to their usual aloof and territorial nature. Through their unions, a certain portion of the children would be born as rooks, while a larger portion would typically be harpies, but like this, both species could grow and prosper together.
Nadia had been surprised to learn that some of what she had read about harpies was not completely inaccurate, however. Apparently, harpy communities without rooks would search for and capture male humanoids for breeding purposes, in order to sustain their numbers, generally preferring human adolescents for ease of transport, and how easy they were to handle within their communities.
Well… Can’t say I’m a fan of that… but those are pretty unique circumstances. Nadia thought. The real problem was that over the past few centuries, rooks numbers had been badly devastated. They were solitary and aggressive creatures by nature, when not managed by harpies, and human expansion and constant attacks on harpy settlements saw the deaths of many of their rooks, as they often served as the first line of defence.
How much of this world’s suffering is being caused by those hunters? She wondered idly as she landed, her armour switching from the Aquila to the Evo Suit, its outer layer shifting into a dull camouflage pattern, blending into her surroundings.
Zarathea’s figure flashed with a pulse of indigo light as the Aquila Flight Suit wrapped itself around her body, its mechanical wings augmenting her own. “I know that you are doing this for me, more than from your own desire to drive the hunters back.” Zarathea said to Nadia in a solemn tone. “The strength of this bond, this unity… it is an unexpected gift. I am grateful.”
Through their connection, Nadia could feel warmth and concern radiating from Zarathea, comforting her despite the battle to come. “Just make sure you stay safe,” Nadia chuckled lightly before replying. “And once the snakes are dead, maybe sing whoever is left in that camp a lullaby.”
With that, Nadia advanced on foot towards the hunters’ camp, her survey drone alerting her to enemy positions as she advanced through the deepening shadows and sheets of rain. As soon as its dark, we begin.
~
Nadia found herself a perch which gave her a clear line of sight into the hunters’ encampment and drew out the Wavecaster Armament in its rifle form.
As she looked through the optic, she began designating targets for the Aiming Assist Module. Much like the encounter before the temple, she wished to use the initial strike to decapitate multiple enemies at once, before the enemy had a chance to react.
At the upper limit of the weapon’s capabilities, she could designate five targets for the initial burst, potentially bringing the number of Cloudhunters down by nearly half.
The storm had picked up throughout the day, with periodic flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder, violent in their intensity. Now, Nadia waited for a flash as she held the weapon in a firm, yet relaxed grip, ready to fire.
…
…
…
Blinding white light arced from the sky, illuminating the darkened landscape for a moment frozen in eerie silence. Nadia’s finger squeezed the trigger, and in less than a second, the barrel of her rifle lit with five pulses of energy. Impossibly precise angle adjustments were made between each shot, guiding them towards their recipients’ doom.
Without hesitation or delay, Nadia slipped from her perch, descending the tree and moving to a new position without inspecting the damage she’d wrought, her form an indistinct and flickering shadow amidst the chaotic storm.
—
Within the hunters’ camp, lightning lit up the darkened lands, bright as day as the storm raged. Robed hunters took shelter as they waited it out beneath whatever cover was available. Their mission here in the wilds was to capture a harpy village that was harbouring a banshee, and for many, it was a welcome prospect.
Cra~Ack~! Crash~! Rumble~!
As the thunder rolled over the camp, the Cloudhunters began panicking and cries rose up throughout the camp as hunters began scrambling. From the centre of the camp, the ringing of a bell was soon heard, along with voices yelling over the howling winds.
“Attack! We’re under attack!”
Four of the Cloudhunters laid dead with pieces of their heads missing in a spray of gore or burnt away by the shots’ impacts, while another had had its throat punctured, spilling its blood upon the soaked earth below.
Eyes turned outward, frantically searching for the attacker while officers screamed out orders, calling for handlers to move the remaining serpents.
—
Nadia took up another perch. From here, high above, the survey drone informed her that the hunters were pushing outward in squads of five, sweeping the area for their attacker. The closest ones to her were still more than a kilometre distant, however, leaving her a comfortable margin to fire on the encampment again.
Unhurried, she climbed to a new perch, sighting in on the Cloudhunters within the camp once more. Unlike her initial strike, this shot would be depending on the data from her drone in order to target the creatures, as the hunters had moved them within their central ring of tents, obstructing her line of sight.
Good effort. She praised them internally. I guess you guys don’t encounter indirect fire too often.
The AAM locked onto another set of targets, releasing a burst of fire that cut a screaming path through the wind and rain, passing through the tent ring as if it were nothing and reducing the Cloudhunters numbers from eight down to five. Unfortunately, two hunters had been in the line of fire within the tents, exchanging their own lives for two of the winged serpents.
As Nadia dropped from her perch, she could see the flurry of activity within the camp through her drone’s eyes. In the face of her continued assault, the hunters deployed three of the Cloudhunters, keeping back the one she’d wounded and one more, still cautious of an attack by harpies.
Nadia allowed the Wavecaster to melt away as she ran, feeling its magic leave her as Zarathea called upon the weapon. You guys have this, Zarathea. Nadia sent encouragement through the bond as she repositioned.
The hunters were moving towards her own direction now, just as they had planned, giving Zarathea the opportunity to take out the Cloudhunters that were in pursuit. Once they became aware of her position, she would flee, baiting the serpents further away from the pursuing hunters, and into Tirie’s range.
Nadia waited, concealed by Active Camouflage within the hulking plate of her Heavy Battle Suit, Ironclaw Brawlers at the ready. The Cloudhunters were only 300m from her position when a spray of red mist erupted from one of their heads.
Almost there!
The remaining two beasts scattered, flying in erratic patterns as they searched for the attacker, while on the ground, the Robes milled in confusion. Nadia shifted into motion without delay, moving to intercept the first ground party.
Barrelling ahead at her highest speed, Nadia’s armoured form crashed into the robed hunters accompanied by the resounding crunch of crushing bones.
The claws on her mechanical fist punched through the ribs of the first hunter in her path, forcing a gout of blood from the man’s mouth as he was lifted from his feet suddenly. His face didn’t even have time to register the shock and pain of the impact when the pistons engaged, causing the strike to impact once more as his organs were crushed against his spine.
The man’s pulped remains were sent flying, bowling over more as Nadia became visible, gore dripping from her massive armoured fist. Without hesitating, she lunged forward, a low jab aimed to shatter another Robe’s hip and leg as she danced like a hurricane in their midst.
Perhaps thanks to her time fighting Husks in the underground temple, Nadia had grown more accustomed to using the inertia of the Ironclaw Brawlers to her advantage, allowing their mass and momentum to carry her through spinning strikes to unleash devastating impacts on all sides, a whirling dervish of steel and violence.
Thump~! Crack~! Tss~! Crrck~!
Her ironclad figure fell into a bloody, visceral rhythm as she tore through the hunters, her stamina and power bolstered by the constant flow of Essence from her fallen opponents. In mere minutes, the collection of ten hunters had been reduced to three, none of whom dared stand before the unbridled savagery they’d witnessed.
Courage failing, the hunters scrambled to flee, only to be filled with despair in the next moment.
“Stop.” The air vibrated with power and their muscles seized as the Geass settled onto them. Nadia could feel the swell of power that dominated their wills, forcing them to obey. Slowly, steadily, the power drained her, enforcing her will over the hunters as she moved forward to finish them off. Shaking herself from her brief reverie, Nadia struck each one, piercing their skulls with the claws of her massive gauntlets, leaving the corpses lying in the mud and rain.
How fucked up is it that I don’t feel guilty about this? She wondered idly as she moved through the cover of darkness. Maybe I’m a monster too.
The rain poured and the wind howled, washing away the coating of bloody gore that decorated her armour.
~
Zarathea POV
In the back of her mind Zarathea Castra could feel the link, formed by Oath, that bound her to Nadia. A truly unusual human, far removed from those she had encountered in her many years of life. Now, that human had not only helped to plot her vengeance against the Hunters, she was carrying it out, delivering ruthless judgement upon their numbers.
Through the link, Zarathea could feel the self-recrimination the woman experienced, a tangle of turbulent emotions held in check by discipline and will. Zarathea felt sympathy towards her, as in many ways the woman was now closer to her than her own people, the many sisters and daughters that depended on her to guide and protect them, and whom she was bound to serve.
Now is not the time for musing. She reprimanded herself firmly as she cut through the gale, leading the Cloudhunters into Tirie’s ambush. Zarathea was grateful to be actively involved in the combat. Her thirst for vengeance sang in her blood, and were it not for the Alchemists’ abominations being present, she would have descended on the hunters’ camp herself to give it voice.
Patience. That’s what was required of her now. Patience, so that with Nadia’s help, her people’s vengeance could follow. Together, we are strong. Together, we will make you pay for what you have done.
Holding on to that belief, Zarathea’s heart calmed itself, and she focused on the part that was hers to play.
Good story!