Realm of Monsters - Chapter 695: Bellum

Chapter 695: Bellum

  “This Lucas Katag, fellow. Is he part of the main branch of the family?” Veronica asked Gilgard as they took a stroll through the castle’s halls.

  “Yes, he is Lord Krall’s son and heir.”

  “Then he is Tauri Katag’s brother.”

  “Yes.” Gilgard gave her a curious look. “Do you know her?”

  “We met at Undergrowth at the ball. It was brief, but if Lucas is anything like his sister, then I’m sure he is quite charming.”

  “Oh, trying to make me envious?”

  “Hardly. I simply wish to know your family better. Take Tauri, for example, is it true she is going to marry Stryg instead of her sister?”

  He nodded. “She will soon be Tauri Veres, so they say.” 

  “Lucky girl,” Veronica sighed.

  “Now you’re definitely trying to make me envious.”

  She shrugged, “Have you seen Stryg?”

  “We’ve met,” Gilgard said dryly. Stryg did not fit the conventional rugged, masculine looks that were prized among the people of Murkton. But when it came to the beautiful grace and physical features that were admired in drow culture, he supposed there were few who could match the blue Aspirant’s appearance.

  A blue figure suddenly streaked past the duo at breakneck speeds, leaving them stunned.

  “Was that… Stryg?” Veronica blinked.

~~~

  Stryg ignored the faces that blurred past him as he ran down the halls. His focus was solely on his lover. Her angry yell had echoed faintly through the halls, even for him, but he had heard it just the same.

  He turned a corner, using the wall to bounce off instead of slowing down, and spotted Tauri at the end of the hall. One of her arms held Lucas, who hung limp, while her other hand was outstretched, orange flames curling around her fingers, ready to fire. She was favoring her right leg. The left hip had been slashed and was bleeding down her leg.

  A human and a vampiress in black cloaks blocked Tauri’s path. The human held a sword, his blade still slick with blood. The vampiress remained unarmed; her corded arms were covered in dark veins, the mark of agility magic.

  Stryg didn’t think, he sprinted. The swordsman barely had a chance to turn before Stryg was upon him. He grabbed the human’s face, digging his claws into his flesh, and let his running momentum carry him forward.

  With a sickening crunch, Stryg slammed the man’s head into the castle wall. The back of his head burst in a splash of red, painting bits of brain and bone onto the stone.

  His element of surprise gone, the vampiress moved in a haze of speed and struck Stryg twice. One in the throat, the other in his chest. The first stung, but Stryg barely felt the second, though he heard the clear sound of bone breaking.

  The woman staggered back, her fist bloodied and misshapen. Stryg didn’t let the opening escape; he stepped forward and threw a straight cross into the woman’s sternum. Her chest caved in along with her airway and she stumbled back and fell.

  “Bel… um…” the vampiress gasped as her eyes darted around in a panic.

  Stryg drew Krikolm and drove it into her heart. The woman seized up and the scarlet blade hungrily drank in her blood until she was nothing more than a husk after a few seconds.

  He sheathed Krikolm and moved towards his lover. “Are you alright? What happened?”

  “I’m fine,” Tauri leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. “I’d have had them if I hadn’t been carrying dead weight.”

  “Is he dead?” Stryg asked.

  “I’m alive,” Lucas said in a raspy voice.

  “He got punched in the throat. Then the gut and then the crotch,” Tauri couldn’t help but crack a small smile.

  “Damn bitch,” Lucas rasped and glared at the dead vampiress.

  “Who were they?” Stryg asked.

  “Still trying to figure that out,” Tauri said.

  “What are you doing here, Cousin?” A cloaked giant strode into the hall. Her face was obscured, but her scarlet curls fell past her hood.

  There were only two people Stryg knew with such vibrant hair. And this woman was much taller than Belle.

  Bellum glanced at the two corpses on the hall floor. “Did you do this, Stryg Veres?”

  Tauri grabbed Stryg’s arm and tried to whisper something to him, but he answered without hesitation, “Yes.”

  A low rumble escaped Bellum’s throat. “I see.”

  A feeling of dread crashed onto Stryg, Tauri, and Lucas, threatening to drown them in despair. Stryg gnashed his teeth in defiance and channeled a funnel of fire at Bellum. She reached out her hand and drew the flames into her palm before snuffing them out.

  Stryg kicked off the ground and charged at the woman twice his height. 

  Kicking off the ground, Stryg threw a hook. Bellum kicked him as if he were a pebble on the road and he flew back into the wall, the stone cracking from the impact. He fell on his hands and knees. Pain seared across his chest and he coughed up blood.

  “Where is my daughter?” Bellum picked him up by the throat, her hand large enough to wrap around his entire neck.

  “Here!” Belle hurled down the hall on all fours and leaped at Bellum, slamming into her back. She raked her claws across her mother’s back and sank her fangs into her shoulder.

  Bellum hissed and tossed Stryg away as she tried to grab her daughter, but Belle kept scrambling across her back, evading the goddess’ hands.

  With a growl, Bellum snatched her daughter’s arm and flung her off. Stryg rushed to catch her. The force of the throw sent him reeling back and they both fell to the ground in a heap.

  Bellum sighed. “What are you two doing?”

  “Whatever we want!” Belle yelled.

  The small wounds over Bellum’s back closed over as she rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck. “Very well.”

  “Aim for the legs,” Belle whispered.

  Stryg nodded and drew Krikolm.

  The two charged in unison. Belle leaped high, claws outstretched. Stryg went low and slashed Krikolm across Bellum’s ankles. The goddess of war moved with a speed that belied her size and dodged their attacks. Stryg spun on his heel and attacked with the Cascade Stance, launching a series of strikes with accumulating speed. 

  Bellum dodged each strike with ease, shifting her feet, but never giving ground. Belle thrust her hand into her mother’s face and hurled golden flames at her.

  The flames burned away the hood, but left Bellum’s face unscathed. She cocked a scarlet eyebrow. “Really?”

  Stryg leapt at the chance and swung Krikolm down on Bellum’s waist. She snatched the blade in her hand mid-swing. Stryg stared, stunned as the blade bit into her brown skin, dark purple blood seeping into her palm, but her grip did not weaken. Rather, she held onto the blade without struggle.

  “Enough with this.” Bellum yanked the scarlet blade forward.

  Stryg stumbled forward and caught Bellum’s backhand to the face. The world spun as he went weightless, before crashing into the wall. 

  “No!” Belle caught her mother’s arm and channeled brown. The might spell empowered her muscles and with a roar, she hurled her mother into the wall, or at least she tried. Bellum didn’t budge and simply watched her daughter struggle. 

  “You never learn,” Bellum noted.

  “Bite me!” Belle snapped.

  She punched her daughter in the face. Belle’s head snapped back and she fell to the floor, arms splayed out, nose broken and gushing with blood.

  Ignoring the girl, Bellum flipped Krikolm over and caught it by the hilt. The grip bit into her hand, but she didn’t react save to examine the blade. “It’s sharp, hm.”

  “How are you—?” Stryg staggered to his feet, head ringing. “That’s my sword!”

  “Come take it then, pup.”

  Belle threw her arms out from the ground and fired bolts of lightning at her Bellum, causing the latter to stagger. “Now, Stryg!”

  Brown, Orange, and Yellow magic filled Stryg’s veins. He dashed forward in a burst of speed and tackled Bellum. She slid back half a meter, but it was as if he had crashed into a wall, the force sending him reeling back. Bellum flicked her wrist and slashed Stryg’s shoulders and thighs in an imperceptible flash.

  “AAAHH!” Belle roared and leaped at her mother’s back. 

  Bellum spun around and stabbed her in mid-leap. Belle sagged forward and into the blade as Krikolm impaled her stomach and severed her spine. She hung in the air, a vampire skewer.

  “Ugh,” Bellum scowled in disappointment and tossed Belle away. She glanced at Krikolm as it struggled to drink the blood in her palm and tossed it away, too. The wound in her hand closed in a couple of breaths, leaving no trace behind.

  “I expected more from you.” Bellum stood over her paralyzed daughter.

  Tears burned in Belle’s eyes as she glared at her mother and tried to form a growl to no avail.

  “Get away from her,” Stryg said.

  “Then stand.” Bellum picked him up by his neck and shook him like a rag doll. His head swam from the pain and all he could do was try to stay conscious. She picked up Belle with her other hand and shook her as well. “Is that all you two pups have? Huh!?”

  Belle groaned weakly, her body hanging limp. Stryg growled and tried his best to bite Bellum’s hand.

  Bellum abruptly stopped as she noticed ice forming around her fingers holding Stryg. “It cannot be…” she whispered. “Enough horseplay.” She changed her grip and grabbed them both by the scruff of their necks. “We need to talk.”

  Tauri looks at the ruined hall and the blood covering both Stryg and Belle. ‘That was horseplay?!’ she thought in disbelief.

  “My lady,” Lord Corvus rushed into the hall. “Forgive my tardiness. You had disappeared so quickly. It took me some time to locate you…” His voice trailed off as he took in the sight of the hall. Based on appearances, what looked to be the goddess’ daughter hung from Bellum’s hand, but she seemed half-dead.

  “May I ask who are our guests?” Corvus asked.

  “My daughter and Stryg Veres,” Bellum said. 

  “The Ebon Aspirant?” What was he doing here? Corvus was about to ask for more information when he spotted his niece and nephew. “Tauri, Lucas, what are you two doing here?”

  “Hi, Uncle,” Lucas gave a little wave.

  “Ah, yes. I almost forgot about them,” Bellum said.

  “Stryg!” Gale ran into the hall with the rest of her companions behind her. She pulled to a stop when she saw Bellum standing there.

  “Oh shit,” Callum dropped his sword and held his hands up.

  “Are you scared of some fire giant, Cal?” Freya hefted Oginum and readied to fight.

  “She’s got Stryg and Sylvie!” Nora glowered.

  “That’s not a fire giant… That’s Sylvie’s mom…” Kithina mumbled.

  “Pardon?” Kegrog blinked.

  “Look at her ears,” Kithina hissed.

  The group stared at the pair of scarlet wolfen ears sitting atop Bellum’s head.

  “Oh.” Nora paled.

  “You two are my daughter’s schoolmates,” Bellum recognized Kithina and Callum. 

  “Y-Yes, it is my honor to lay my eyes upon you once more, my lady,” Callum stammered and bowed.

  “Likewise,” Kithina bowed.

  “And you are—?” Bellum looked at Gale.

  She swallowed and stepped forward. “I am the Shield of Veres.”

  “Hi, Gale,” Stryg said as he dangled in the air.

  “And that one, unfortunately, is my Ward. Apologies for this mess, I assume he caused all of this. If you could please let him go, I would very much be grateful,” Gale bowed her head.

  “Huh. All of you, follow me,” Bellum turned and walked away, still holding the dangling Stryg and Belle by the scruff of their necks.