Diana stepped back, her footsteps heavy, the tip of her toes digging into the sand.
The voice that echoed in her head left faster than it arrived.
Was she going insane?
'Diana could have sworn she heard Bahamut's unmistakable voice. Yet the lingering presence faded so rapidly it was as if it never happened.
Diana chewed her lip, not that it mattered. Or at least she had bigger things to worry about right now. Her 'close' friend Ria was being venerated as the sworn warrior of a barbarian god.
The corners of Ria's lips curved ever so slightly. Diana frowned. If that wasn't telling, she didn't know what was.
The question was how?
Ria's crystal-clear blue eyes, which rarely held any emotion other than mischief, were glistening with mirth. A pleased look on her face, her hand on her hip as if she were going for a stroll.
She raised her hand to wave, before the budding smile on her face stiffened. Her head jerked towards the jungle.
'Quetzalcōātl' Diana was not so ignorant to not know the name of the Aztecan Deity, the lord of wind, the feathered serpent, and the one who crafted mankind from bones.
But that was the deity from her world, not this one. Could Quetzalcōātl just be an emerald wyrm?
Her eyes darted upwards. The silhouette of the gigantic wyrm remained in the sky, hidden by clouds. Its shadow looms over the pale golden sands of this distant beach.
Lightning streaked across the midday sky. Yet it didn't, it was just the sound that echoed in her ears, or rather something that sounded like thunder. Her eyes frantically searched the sky, which wasn't disturbed whatsoever; the radiant sun made sure no stormy clouds approached.
Then why did thunder ring in her ears? Her eyes naturally made their way towards the jungle, the trees subtly shaking.
Like a beating drum, the jungle began to rumble, and the sound of metal clanking against the floor became more prominent. A familiar sound, one she heard when her knights marched to subjugate an enemy camp.
The sound was faint but present.
Her grip on her axe tightened, and her legs inched closer to the sound, her eyes looking at the prostrating natives. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
Diana gritted her teeth. Move dammit. Their fervent gazes made them oblivious, but there wasn't time for this.
Diana had no choice. In a panic, words left her lips.
"Stand!" She quickly shouted. Her words didn't stir a reaction. The stupid blank looks on their faces remained as they murmured prayers in worship.
She bit her lip, her eyes darting towards Ria, whose eyes narrowed, towards the jungle, her eyes looking at the ocean with suspicion. Her navy-blue dress shirt fluttered with the wind, loosely flowing, while her hand clutched emptily where her sword would have been.
Her breath became short, her senses tingled uncomfortably, and something in her head was screaming at her that this was urgent.
A ding rang in her ears, and the white letters she hated most appeared.
[Quest: Survive!]
[Reward: Life]
[Failure: Death]
Unhelpful Piece of' She inwardly cursed, her eyes glaring at the sky, she frantically turned towards Leah, her hands were clasped together, her silver hair flowing gently among the rising wind. Her nun habit was pristine, unlike the situation. Her blindfold, an elegant cloth, was scrunched up as if her eyes were closed tightly.
Which was strange for a blind person.
Her halo grew in intensity, like a second sun in the sky.
"Hurry!" Diana shouted again.
Kath was the first to react, his distant look unfocused as his eyes narrowed, wrinkles formed on his face. He looked at Diana strangely. His head tilted, and his eyebrows raised, a frown marring his lips. He opened his mouth to speak. His displeasure was evident in his eyes.
"What—" His rigid words cut short by the abrupt movement of his head. It snapped towards the Jungle.
His knees, which were once dug in the sand, straightened as he wiped them off. His spear twirling in the air, as he coated it in sand once more.
"I see." His nose wrinkling, his mouth straining into a sneer as he stared daggers at the jungle. His followers stood up, mimicking his movements.
The light began to envelop them all.
[You have gained the Blessing of Light, all Stats +10]
The shuffling of armor echoed in her ear until it passed her. Her eyes turned to look. It was the silver paladin, guardian of the light. Her footsteps were heavy, each step leaving deep imprints. Her silver sword, dragging its edge across the sand, the blade glowing brilliantly in a white sacred hum. Its edge glistening with sand and holiness.
She moved until she was at the forefront, even ahead of Kath and his group, and she planted her shield down. Her right foot stomped forward, and she spoke for the first time since they landed.
"Stay behind the shield of Novak." Her words were solemn and devoid of emotion, her body glowing white.
The rhythm at which the jungle rumbled ceased as a squad of Hollows moved together. they stood deeper in the jungle, but close enough to be visible.
Her breath halted, and her grip loosened. Was this all? Her senses shouldn't have gone into overdrive for a group of these things.
They couldn't even step past the holy sand of Akhyls. As if to prove her wrong, A bigger, more fearsome hollow, one with a dark helmet on his head. His rotted armor was more intact, his sword morphed into a spear, and his blue eyes glowed.
He stepped forward, its foot sizzling as if being cooked as it stepped onto the sand, its left arm pulled back, it lunged forward, its arm releasing the spear, as it cut through the air.
The spear barely made any distance, as the paladin's sword cut it down mid-air. The metal spear was crumbling on the floor.
The hollow remained eerily still, its glowing eyes unblinking as another spear formed in its grip. The other hollows began to change their swords into spears.
Diana clicked her tongue. Were the other hollows playing with them? Her mind raced as she remembered all the information they told her. Warriors of the god of dread.
How insidious.
Ria raised her hand, the sky began to move, and the shadow cast disappeared. The wyrm moved once more to burn down the hollows.
"No!" Leah angrily shouted, and her halo grew brighter, its light blinding.
"You Idiot, you can't just—" Her voice dimmed as she noticed the wary look from the natives, and the corners of her ears were red as she shrank back.
"It's the domain of another god." She muttered loudly, slightly embarrassed as she held her arm.
"And?" Ria's signature smile appeared on her face. Her eyebrows raised as if to ask, 'Why is it important?'
Leah's eyebrows furrowed as she angrily stomped on the floor, the sand sputtering everywhere.
"Fine." She groaned, turning her face and lowering her hand as she tapped her waist. An elegant sheath appeared, and she dragged one out. The handle was a dragon wrapped around the blade, which was gold.
She hummed as her blade was engulfed in a golden hue.
Sword Aura. Diana wouldn't be outdone; her axe gleamed blue, and she dragged it across the sand, sticking to the blade's edge as if frozen.
[This isn't a—] What seemed to be Bahamut's voice echoed in her mind once, more, but as the tension reached its apex, she had no time to ponder.
Another spear whizzed by this time, and what followed it was multiple. In what she had only seen in movies, a flurry of spears attacked them.
The paladin, in front, charged forward, her shield soaking up the majority. The sound of metal ringing against metal echoed. She slammed her shield into a hollow, and its decayed Armour rattled.
Its legs flailed as it stumbled backwards, its back hitting the jungle floor. Her sword, which glowed with light, struck his chest, like a hot knife dipping in butter; it melted his armor as she pierced his guts.
A spear that flew past her made its way towards Diana. She brought her axe up in an arc, cleaving it in half.
Diana scoffed, her legs moving on their own, as she sprinted towards a Hollow. She could feel the Aura stirring in her core. Her edge glowing brighter, her steps in tandem with Kath, who moved alongside her, his group each meeting a hollow in combat.
Kath's boisterous laugh rang alongside her as he stabbed a hollow through its eyes, his spear piercing its head. "Life is with us, we cannot fail." His serious expression faded as his eyes glowed with Zeal. He pulled back his spear and clashed it with another's sword.
In truth, this was her first time in combat against a living thing. Her pupils contracted. Or was this a living thing? Not that it mattered to her. The axe fit snugly in her hand, her strikes flowed naturally as if she had practiced this routine a million times.
Her muscles reacted in a way that seemed almost robotic.
Her red eyes met the hollowed eyes of the flaming skull, its white skull chipped. Her eyes closely examined it. Its melted gauntlets gripped the silver sword.
Its grey armor was riddled with holes, and a green mossy substance was growing on it. She couldn't make out what was engraved on its chest. She stepped forward, her stride closing the distance, as she brought her axe up.
It hastily brought its sword up, its movements reminiscent of a soldier in a militia, the corners of her lips inexplicably curved upwards, something even she didn't realize. Its sword was cut through as she brought her axe down, its edge melting through the armor as it went limp.
She pulled her axe out, its rotted armor making her recoil in disgust. The smell was bad from afar, but now, without the prominent scent of the ocean, it was outright revolting. Green liquid oozed from the center of its chest.
[You have gained Xp!]
What the hell? So, it was alive? Her head tilted slightly.
This wasn't the time to be lost in thought; she steadied her resolve and pushed forward. Her peripheral vision caught something from her right as she turned and faced the Princess. Her steps were silent, as if she weren't even walking.
Ria simply smiled and dismantled a hollow.
Diana's mouth widened in shock.
"So, your eyes do glow red." The princess mused as she moved again, her movements like she was dancing, her sword cutting through the hollows. Every one of her strikes was flawless, like no energy was wasted. Her steps invoked a feeling of awe, as if watching a golden dragon display its dominance. It was clear as day that she was executing the Imperial swordsmanship.
As a fellow sword expert, Diana couldn't help but be shocked. This was the wall that she would eventually reach.
Diana could tell she was infinitely close to the realm of a sword saint.
Wasn't it a waste for her to be a summoner?
Of course, this wasn't a place to ponder such things, she had already moved on to the next hollow. This one was different. Much like the captain, it had a helmet, and its silver sword clashed against hers. It was by no means tiny, but it was small compared to the captain.
She was shocked but not alarmed. She planted her right foot. The Hollow pulled back its blade, its sword raised elegantly in the sky, as it brought it down in a flourish. She dragged her axe along the floor and brought it up to clash with it.
They continued to fight in a battle of strength. In what seemed to be a stalemate, Diana was not worried. She was slowly pushing it back as she got used to fighting a living being. She was learning to adapt.
And after another bout with their swords, she swept its foot and brought her axe down, cracking its skull in half.
After all, she was a sword expert.
[You have gained Xp]
Her eyes looked around the rest of the hollows had been dealt with, save for the captain, who was in battle with the Paladin.
"Wrath of Light." A yellowish hammer formed in her hand as she slammed it down. The blow created a crater and left the hollowed knight dead on the floor.
She dusted off her hands.
Ria walked closely, her eyes unusually unsteady. "That was easy." Her expression gave away her confusion as if it wasn't meant to be easy.
Diana froze. 'Now why the hell would she say that?' Not as if Diana disagreed, it was surprisingly easy.
Yet the quest didn't clear, and the alarms in her head hadn't stopped.
Thunder roared again, and the jungle began to rumble once more. Diana tensed; it wasn't thunder, it was more coming. Before she could even start worrying about the incoming hollows.
The wind howled, the waves crashed against the rocks fiercely, and the sea was unsettled. it was as if the very nature around them was angry.
Leah grabbed hold of Diana's arm, her fingers tightening. Her blindfolded face turned towards the sky, the view barely hindered by the trees.
Ria's wyrm, fluttering about in the sky in panic, with Diana's phoenix in tow.
"Diana." She murmured, her voice low. "Something's wrong."
Ria turned towards the sea, the corners of her lips pulling downward. Diana followed her eyes.
Then the sea split.