Schism

By Logan Scott

The Steward Kingdom, the most technologically advanced nation in the world, is under attack! One day, without warning, the cult of Josiah rose up by the millions across the kingdom, slaughtering any soldiers or civilians in their way, but the kingdom still stands firm against them and their genocidal campaign against the kingdom, with their princess, Amber Steward, fighting alongside the soldiers as a rift jumper.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: May 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9780228891475

Logan Scott

My name is Logan Scott. I'm a 25-year-old Canadian author and a survivor of a heart virus that nearly killed me back in 2019. I've been writing since high school because I had been thinking up these stories and realized that no one else would write them if I didn't, so I got into being an author. I intend to continue writing and, like my content or not, all I ask is a fair chance for my stories, and I thank anyone who gives them that chance.

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Copyright © 2023 by Logan Scott

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-9146-8 (Hardcover)

978-0-2288-9145-1 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-9147-5 (eBook)

Contents

Chapter 1: The battle of Brimmingham

Chapter 2: Might makes right

Chapter 3: A sparring session

Chapter 4: Gregory Verwell

Chapter 5: The liberation of Crazen

Chapter 6: Wetran escort

Chapter 7: Governor Fredrick

Chapter 8: The last eagle

Chapter 9: A monster awakened

Chapter 10: Kill on sight

Chapter 11: Old demon

Chapter 12: The Rest and the Rogue

Chapter 13: Forest scouting

Chapter 14: A Monster’s Pride

Chapter 15: Death Threat

About the Author

Chapter 1

The battle of Brimmingham

(Amber)

I was standing at the ready with my powered katana raised and the blade ignited as I faced two cultists with a third behind me. While I faced the two cultists in front of me I heard the cultist behind me running up to me and I already knew that he was going to try and attack me from behind so, when I heard him swinging his sword, I brought my sword up and over my shoulder as I quickly brought it down across my back to cover it at the last second.

Thanks to my training I easily blocked the attack without facing the cultist behind me but with my sword behind me one of the two cultists in front of me charged me as he went in for an attack. As the cultist got closer I forced my sword upwards which made the cultist behind me lose his grip on his sword and as his sword flew upwards into the air the cultist behind me took a bewildered step back as the cultist running up to me was already swinging his sword at me.

I leaned back in time for the sword swing to miss me with me feeling the wind from the swing as it missed me by a couple of inches. While I was leaning back I used my left hand to quickly draw my lazer pistol and shoot the cultist in front of me in the heart, killing him outright. The bewildered cultist behind me was able to exclaim what the hell!? but while he did that I quickly holstered my pistol again before putting my left hand on the ground behind me to steady myself into a backwards roll.

While using my left hand for balance I curled up as I rolled backwards until, halfway through my roll, the bottom of my boots were aimed at the head of the cultist behind me so, with as much strength as I could spare, I shot my feet out and kicked the cultist behind me in the jaw with an audible crack from his jaw on impact.

As the cultist recoiled from the impact of the hit and took several unintentional steps back from me I followed through with the backwards roll and stood up as I got into a ready stance as the third cultist charged me and tried attacking me with a swing to my right. As the cultist swung his sword I dropped down into a low crouch and, as his swing missed me and flew above my head, I swung my legs out and swept his legs out from under him.

As the cultist landed on his back I quickly got on my feet and raised my sword before bringing the powered blade of my sword down into the cultists heart. The cultist on the ground had a couple last gasps for life before I pulled my sword out of his chest and looked back as the cultist behind me regained his balance he looked at me in anger as he told me gr, Josiah will feast on your heart! after that he tried running at me with his fists raised but, from behind him, I saw another cultist enter the room from the right, the new cultist was over a dozen meters away from us because we were in a large and open room.

After seeing the new cultist I looked up and saw the cultist’s sword coming down so I ran towards the cultist charging me with his fists with my sword at the ready. Just before me and the cultist were in arms reach of each other I extinguished the blade of my katana and switched from a two-handed grip on the handle of my sword to a reversed grip in my left hand before forcing the tip of my katana into the ground and, while I did that, I used my right hand to push downwards and push myself into the air for my signature blade jump technique.

My slim body makes this technique much easier to do and so far I have yet to meet an opponent who hasn’t been confused by it. As I flipped over the cultist I saw that his sword was coming down so I brought my foot forward as I heel kicked the pommel of the sword’s handle.

After I heel kicked the sword I sent it flying, blade first, straight at the cultist who entered the room as the blade of the sword went straight into his shoulder, pinning him to the wall behind him. As I followed through on my flip I swung my katana and slashed the cultist charging me with his fists across the back, either killing him or paralyzing him, I didn’t know which but either way he didn’t scream out in pain when I cut into his back.

As the cultist fell to the floor I immediately turned to the cultist pinned to the wall who was trying to rip the sword out of his shoulder. When he saw that I was facing him he told me arg, Josiah will take his rightful place as the god of your Kingdom’s people! after a couple quick breaths I quickly drew my lazer pistol and shot the cultist in the head, killing him outright and causing him to slide down the sword’s unignited blade.

With the cultists attacking me dead I raised my lazer pistol and scanned my surroundings for more of those yellow robed fanatics, nothing in sight. After holstering my pistol I went on my earpiece and tried getting in contact with my honor guard this is Amber, can any of you hear me? I waited several seconds before I tried asking again Rathnier? Greyson? Cooper? Anyone? with no response I turned off my earpiece and let out a steady breath.

After the floor collapsed under me when those cultist reinforcements showed up and separated me from the others my honor guard could be anywhere. I headed out of the room I was forced into and looked at the collapsed floor of the hallway from the floor above me. I briefly looked down at my satchel and pulled out a rift crystal, after pulling out the rift crystal I looked back up at the hallway above me before swinging the crystal in front of myself and opening a rift to the upper floor.

I stepped through the rift and, as it closed behind me, I scanned my surroundings again, as I looked across the hallway I saw that there were a lot of dead cultists but no signs of my honor guard. Considering we came from the hallway behind me and with the floor being collapsed I doubted that my honor guard went that way unless they used their rift crystals.

As I looked down the hallway I saw that this hallway split into three others and knowing that there were five honor guard with me I knew that there was a good chance that they might have been split up because of the cultist reinforcements.

Looking down the hallway to my left I saw several bodies littering the ground, the same as the other hallways around me which I felt helped prove my thought that they split up so I decided to head down the left hallway to start my search. While I hurried down the hallway I kept my sword at the ready in case any of these bodies weren’t actually dead, we’ve learned that lesson already.

As I reached the turn in the hallway I put my back against the corner of the wall and, as I carefully peeked around the corner, I saw that the end of the hallway had collapsed here as well and was blocked by the debris and rubble from it, damn suicide bombers.

I turned the corner and kept watch all around me as I approached the rubble, when I was close I called out Rentar, Cooper, this is Amber, are any of you on the other side of this rubble?

Princess?! it’s good to hear that you’re safe. I heard Greyson tell me from the other side of rubble.

Even though I try to avoid the fact that I’m a princess I told Greyson Greyson, I’m damned glad to hear your voice, are you okay? hoping that he wasn’t pinned under the rubble.

Greyson responded don’t worry Amber, none of the rubble fell on me, unfortunately I was too focused on the cultists to get a good view of the hallway you’re in so I can’t open a rift to the other side of the rubble and I need help.

I pulled out a satchel charge and asked Greyson I’ve still got my satchel charges, do you have enough space to stand back from the blast?

Greyson responded I do but are you sure this hallway can take another explosion?

Unless the others are with you I don’t see a better way, the main force needs us to flank the cultists. I told him while arming the satchel charge.

After I said that I set the detonation time to thirty seconds as Greyson responded understood Amber. after he said that I waited until he followed up by calling out I’m a safe distance away, ready for the detonation.

After he said that I made a fist and hit the detonation primer on the charge with the bottom of my fist before throwing it onto the rubble and calling out charge’s set! Thirty seconds!

After that I counted the seconds in my head as I turned around and opened a rift behind the turn in the hallway. After stepping through the rift I was up to seven seconds and counting as I continued to watch the surrounding corpses considering we’ve seen that these cultists aren’t above pretending to be dead. I waited until my count had reached twenty-five seconds before I covered my ears and counted down in my head ‘5… 4… 3… 2… 1…’ *BOOM*.

After the satchel charge exploded I stopped covering my ears and heard the debris crumbling so I quickly drew my pistol and aimed it down the hallway I came down in case any cultists heard the explosion.

With my pistol still aimed down the hallway I walked backwards to get past the corner as I thought to myself ‘if the hallway collapsed then Greyson will have to rift over here, we can’t get swarmed by these damn cultists again’ after that thought I walked backwards past the corner of the hallway and saw that the rubble and debris was blown clear. I was surprised to see that the hallway held up from the explosion but was glad to see that Greyson was standing at the ready with his lazer rifle at the ready.

I recognized Greyson because of his white skin tone, short black styled hair that was well kept and his somewhat handsome face. Greyson was also wearing his honor guard uniform which consisted of fine black military dress boots, black pants, a white military dress shirt, a fine red trench coat that went down to his knees and had the kingdom’s symbol, a proud star, over the heart of the coat and on the back of it, lastly the uniform also had white gloves.

While still watching the hallway I came from I asked Greyson are any of the others with you?

Greyson shook his head and said I’m afraid not, the pressure from these cultists forced us apart, luckily when I was forced back this far I spotted a suicide bomber among the crowd and shot his bomb, that’s what brought down the hallway here.

I nodded before asking him do you still have your crystals?

Greyson replied all accounted for.

After Greyson said that I holstered my pistol before saying well, the others probably need us right now.

Greyson readied his lazer rifle as he said understood Amber.

As I led the way back down the hallway Greyson was close behind me and as we walked I looked back at Greyson briefly and noticed that Greyson’s sword sheath was empty so I asked him what happened to your sword?

Greyson explained dropped it before the suicide bomber came, I don’t think it survived the blast.

As we approached the split in the hallway again I didn’t answer Greyson as I raised my pistol and aimed down the hallway opposite to us. As I reached the corner I went against it while Greyson was still watching the hallway opposite to us. When I reached the edge of the corner I quickly peeked around it and looked down the hallway to our left.

I didn’t see any cultists coming in response to the satchel charge detonating so I felt safe in thinking that it was safe for the moment. After seeing that it was clear I saw a cultist on the ground near me with a sword still in its sheath on his waist so I aimed my pistol at his head and shot it, burning a large hole in his head before I sheathed my sword and holstered my pistol.

The sword was a Wetran saber and, after I got it off of the cultist’s belt, I stood up and said Greyson. to catch his attention. When he turned to look at me I tossed him the sword and said you might need this. even though Greyson preferred keeping things at ranged combat over melee he understood that he needed a sword to defend himself.

After catching the sword Greyson used his thumb to push the sword out of its sheath a little bit before fully pulling it out of its sheath and looking over the blade. After looking over the blade he ignited it to see if the circuitry was damaged which, fortunately, it wasn’t.

As he extinguished the sword’s blade I told Greyson this way looks clear. referring to the hallway to our left. After telling him that I led the way down the hallway as he worked on unbuckling and abandoning his previous sword’s sheath before he worked on buckling this new sheath onto his belt.

Dead cultists were littered throughout the hallway and, after seeing the upcoming right turn in the hallway, I cautiously approached it while watching the dead bodies. After reaching the turn I carefully peeked around the corner and saw more bodies in yellow robes- Cooper!

I saw Cooper on the ground among the dead cultists because of the red uniform he was wearing that the rest of my honor guard wore. I personally wore my black one-piece I wear with my outfits, the one-piece had an open back for me to get into it, covers my torso, is sleeveless and had thigh high shorts as part of it and overtop of my chest I wore a red, chest low, sleeveless jacket that I had zipped up, my outfit helped me keep my mobility instead of a normal uniform.

After seeing Cooper I hurried around the corner while being cautious of the dead bodies around me. As I reached him I reversed the grip on my sword to ease myself down as I knelt down beside Cooper. While I did that Greyson turned the corner and when he saw Cooper on the ground among the dead bodies he quietly but mournfully said Cooper…

Cooper’s chest had clearly been run through with a powered sword, his eyes were open but he hadn’t blinked at all since I found him and after checking for a pulse… nothing. I let out a sad breath before shaking my head and mournfully telling Greyson he’s gone.

I didn’t look back at Greyson but heard his disheartened damnit. as I closed Cooper’s eyes.

With Cooper’s eyes closed I let out a disheartened breath as I looked down at his body and said after all these years and all the battles we fought together in…

After saying that I heard faint voices which made my head shoot up and I intently watched the upcoming left turn in the hallway as I stood back up and briefly tossed my katana in the air before grabbing the handle to get a proper grip on it. Without facing Greyson I told him voices, is the hallway we came from still clear? as I approached the upcoming turn in the hallway.

With focus in his voice Greyson responded as far as can see, I don’t hear the voices either so they might be down that hallway you’re closest to. as he said that I carefully approached the corner and put my back against the wall as I drew my lazer pistol with my left hand while still holding my katana in my right hand.

I peeked around the corner and saw more dead cultists and, while the doors in the hallway were closed, there was also a left turn at the end of this hallway as well so I told Greyson there’s six doors on both sides of this hallway, I’m going to check the upcoming turn, while I’m doing that you quietly check the rooms in case the voices are coming from any of them.

I didn’t look back at him but Greyson sounded close to me as he said understood.

After that I turned the corner with Greyson behind me, I heard him walk up to the first door on the right side of the hallway while I hurried to the turn at the end of the hallway. As I headed down the hallway the voices were getting clearer and one of them sounded like…

When I reached the corner Greyson had checked the first set of doors in the hallway and was checking the next set of doors. After putting my back against the wall I looked around the corner and saw three cultist standing over…. Hevran! I immediately recognized him because of his dwarven stature and his honor guard uniform. I also recognized him because of his weathered face, his shoulder length black hair and his black beard with the beard being braided at the ends of the mustache and under his mouth.

He had several slash wounds that I could see from the corner of the hallway and was holding his stomach with his axe, rifle and my rifle next to him as he was slumped up against some debris.

As my eyes opened wide from seeing that I quickly turned back down the hallway and saw Greyson hurrying across it to check another room so I waved for his attention. After seeing me wave he stopped in the middle of the hallway so I inclined my head towards the hallway with Hevran in it without saying anything so that I didn’t alert the cultists. As Greyson hurried up to me I heard Hevran painfully tell the cultists standing over him ahg, y-you crazed… fuckin’ bastards.

As Greyson reached me I made a shush gesture before pointing to the corner, after that I stepped back for Greyson to peek around the corner and while he did that I heard one of the cultists tell Hevran heh, bold words coming from a dwarf on his back.

After that was said Greyson took a step back and after I took my spot back at the corner Greyson quietly whispered to me Hevran’s in a bad way, I’ll get the one on the left, can you handle the other two?

Without looking back at Greyson I nodded as another one of the cultists told Hevran it isn’t every day we get to kill an honor guard and here we are, about to kill a second one.

After nodding to give Greyson the attack signal I pulled out a rift crystal and opened a rift in front of myself that led straight to the cultist in the middle. Before he was able to turn around to face the rift I quickly holstered my pistol and took a two-handed grip on my sword as I pulled the trigger on the handle.

As my katana’s blade ignited I rushed through the rift and slid on my knees to stay low as I cut the cultist’s legs out from under him. As the cultist fell I swung my sword from right to left to follow up on my initial sword swing and cut the cultist’s head off.

The cultists to my left and right were surprised by this and as they jumped back away from me the cultist to my left tried to raise his rifle but was quickly shot by Greyson with a lazer going through his chest. As the cultist to my left fell the cultist to my right had jumped back out of reach of my katana’s blade so I quickly jumped to my feet as he raised his rifle. As the cultist fired his rifle at me I quickly brought up my katana’s blade in defense and as he shot I readily deflected the shot.

After that the cultist fired two more shots, both of which I easily deflected due to extensive training and experience before I used my left hand to quickly draw my pistol and shoot his rifle, burning a hole through it and damaging it beyond functionality.

After doing that I aimed low and shot the cultist in his left leg before following up by shooting his right leg. As the cultist fell to his knees and dropped his rifle I quickly aimed at his head for a moment before lowering my aim to his stomach and firing several shots into it, burning out his organs as I thought ‘that was for Cooper’.

After gut shotting the cultist several times he yelled out in agony as I raised my aim again and shot the cultist in the head. After shooting the cultist in the head he fell to the ground and Greyson hurried up to me as I knelt down next to Hevran and quickly asked him Hevran, what did they do to you!? Where’s your crystals?!

As Hevran held his stomach he painfully answered those bastards… they…. they took down Cooper, another one took my crystals and rifted out… Amber, I need a crystal…. badly.

I quickly reached into the crystal satchel on my belt and pulled out a healing crystal, easily recognizable due to its green color. After pulling out the crystal I put it in Hevran’s hand, after I did that for him Hevran weakly raised his hand and crushed the crystal in his hand. After crushing the crystal his body briefly glowed light green for a second as his wounds rapidly mended and closed, just like every other time I’ve seen this happen when someone needed a quick heal.

With his body healed Hevran stopped glowing green and took a greatly relieved breath as he put his hand on his chest for a moment. I held out my hand to help up Hevran which he accepted. After helping him onto his feet I was half-standing by the time he was standing up, after helping him I asked him are you okay Hevran? worried about him after what he went through.

Hevran picked up his axe and my rifle, the reason he had my rifle was because in dwarven society it is considered a great honor to carry your superior officer’s weapon so I let him carry my rifle for me. After putting my rifle on his back he picked up his rifle as well before grimly telling me I’m okay Amber, but…. Cooper, those bastards…

Before Hevran continued I somewhat somberly told him we know, we found his body along the way. Hevran’s eyebrows arched in reflective anger as he looked down after I said that so I continued what about Rathnier and Rentar? Did you see where they went after the ground gave out from under me?

Hevran explained they headed down the hallway to the right of where we were forced apart. Hevran then addressed Greyson as he said honestly didn’t expect to see you again Greyson, how’d you manage to survive them?

Greyson explained a lucky shot on a suicide bomber, though I needed help from Amber afterwards.

I was worried about the Northerners and said either way, it’s good to see you on your feet, the other’s probably need u- I stopped talking as I heard approaching voices!

Hevran and Greyson seemed to hear the voices as well as Hevran pulled out his powered axe and Greyson readied his rifle. In response to the voices Greyson immediately but quietly asked Hevran how many?

count of five after they put me at death’s door but I don’t know if they’re bringing any others with them. Hevran quietly told us.

I looked from one side of the hallway to the other, the debris wouldn’t be able to stop lazer shots or powered blades so I asked the others either of you two have an idea for an ambush here?

Hevran quickly said we’ll need to hide in the doors to our sides, let’s hope their poor training and discipline stays true.

After Hevran said that he hurried into a nearby room on the left side of the hallway while Greyson hurried into one on the right side. I hurried into the room just before the one that Hevran had hurried into and, as I opened the door, I drew my pistol and raised it as I quickly scanned the room, all clear.

I hurried into the room and went against the wall next to the door as I stayed out of sight and listened to the voices as they got closer. I waited there for roughly half a minute before I heard the cultists turn the corner and, with the amount of steps I was hearing, I knew there were definitely multiple of them, at least four from what I could tell.

As they got closer I heard one of them say hm, the others must have moved on.

Another responded to him pity, and here I was hoping for some fun. seeming to not notice that Hevran was gone as well. As the cultists continued walking down the hallway I stayed against the wall next to the door frame and when I saw the first of the cultists walk past the doorway of the room I was in I was glad he didn’t check inside my room. After that I got a two-handed grip on my katana in preparation.

It sounded like there was a cultist just on the other side of the wall I was against so I was getting ready for- *SLASH* AHRG! that was probably Hevran attacking the last cultist to pass him.

As I heard the cultists exclamations of surprise I ignited the blade of my katana and swung at the wall, taking the chance to see if the cultist I felt like was there was within reach of my sword. My swords ignited blade went straight through the wall and I heard an agonized AAAAHG! so knew I hit the cultist.

After that scream of pain I sprinted out of the room and quickly ran up to the cultist that I saw pass the door with my katana at the ready. By the time the cultist ahead of me had turned around to face the noise I brought my katana back and brought my elbows forward, hitting the cultist in the face with my left elbow, I then followed up on that by quickly bringing my katana back again and pommel striking him in the face.

With the cultist in front of me stunned I raised my right leg and high kicked him in the face while keeping my left foot on the ground. That kick knocked the cultist off his feet and, as he landed on his back, I turned and looked down the other side of the hallway.

I turned around in time to see Hevran and Greyson keeping two other cultists occupied with the cultist I cut through the wall on the ground, bleeding heavily and holding his open side but not moving however, there was a third cultist standing in the hallway who saw me and was raising his rifle at me. I quickly steadied my grip on my katana and as he shot at me I quickly deflected the shots.

He fired three shots, all of which I quickly deflected, and after that I saw that Hevran knocked over the cultist he was fighting and extinguished his axe’s head before raising it with two hands and swinging the side of it into the cultist’s head.

The cultist survived the initial swing as his head slammed against the floor but Hevran raised his axe again and swung it into the cultist’s head again. I wasn’t sure if that hit had killed him but the cultist wasn’t moving as Hevran raised his axe again and slammed the side of it into the cultist’s head a third time. After the third hit Hevran raised his axe and, with a lot of strength from him, swung downwards, crushing the cultist’s head and breaking his head apart on impact.

While I continued to deflect the shots from the cultist in front of me Hevran got a proper hold of his axe again and ignited the blade of his axe as he walked up behind the cultist shooting at me. After Hevran walked up behind the cultist who didn’t notice him he brought his axe back and swung at the cultist’s legs, cutting them off at the knees.

The cultist screamed in pain when that happened and, after the cultist hit the ground, Hevran raised his axe above his head and brought it down into the cultist’s torso with a yell.

Hevran’s ignited axe blade cleaved the cultist’s torso in two and after that happened Greyson dealt with the cultist he was fighting. After they did that I quickly drew my lazer pistol and aimed at the cultist on the floor behind me who was starting to get back up and shot him in the stomach five times, burning out his organs and causing him to bleed heavily before I aimed at his chest and shot him in the heart, killing him instantly.

With the cultist squad dead I quickly raised my pistol and checked down both ends of the hallway before asking Greyson and Hevran are you two okay?

As Greyson sheathed his sword he said I’m okay Amber.

Hevran tore his axe out of the cultist’s torso and floor before following what Greyson said with I’m okay now, thanks, both of you.

After Hevran sheathed his axe into the holster on his back I said let’s hurry and find Rathnier and Rentar, we’ve already lost too many people today. Greyson and Hevran nodded agreement before the three of us ran back down the hallway we came from. After reaching the end of the hallway we rounded the corner, as we passed Cooper’s body me and Greyson ran past it but Hevran stopped briefly so I looked over my shoulder and saw Hevran look down at Cooper angerly before hurrying to rejoin us.

After a short run we arrived back at the section that connected to the other hallways and, with nowhere else to go, I took the lead down the hallway to the right of where I came out of my rift with my katana in my right hand and my lazer pistol in the left, both at the ready with Hevran and Greyson behind me. There were several dead cultists on the ground along the hallway but Rentar and Rathnier weren’t among the dead so I knew they must have moved further down the hallway.

When we reached the corner in the hallway Greyson hurried ahead of us and said taking point. as Greyson did that I kept my eyes on the doorways around us in case there were cultists hiding in them waiting to ambush us. After a few moments of peeking around the corner of the hallway Greyson informed us it’s clear. after that we turned the corner.

As we walked down the hallway I saw some more dead cultists and thought to myself ‘Rentar and Rathnier are good soldiers but with the cultists everywhere they could have been ove-’ *slam* one of the doors ahead of us broke apart as a cultist was thrown through it!

The cultist hit the wall on the other side of the hallway and the three of us quickly raised our weapons at her but, before we could shoot her, Rathnier quickly came out of the room that the cultist was thrown out of and brought his unignited axe blade down into the head of the cultist, pinning her to the wall and cleaving her head in half.

It was easy to recognize Rathnier because of his Northerner build with his well-built body. He also has light brown hair with his hair in a braid that reached the middle of his back and his beard reaching the middle of his chest and being braided halfway down it.

His hair was the usual length for a Northerner because the North’s climate was minus forty degrees Celsius constantly so the army allowed them to keep their grown-out hair and beards because of it. After cleaving that cultist’s head in half Rathnier looked over at us in momentary alert before quickly recognizing us and saying you’re all safe, good, Rentar chased some of them down the hallway.

After saying that Rathnier pulled his axe out of the wall and the cultist’s head and, as the cultist slowly slid down the wall with her leaving a trail of blood on the wall as she slid, Rathnier saw me and gladly said Amber, you’re safe, good, how did you fair when the ground came out from under you?

I explained I managed to fight them off, after that I’ve been finding the others one after another, I’m glad you’re safe as well.

After I said that Rathnier looked over the three of us before frowning and asking Hevran Hevran, wasn’t Cooper forced back with you? Where is he?

Greyson looked down as he explained we found Cooper… he…

Greyson had trouble continuing so I finished for him Cooper’s with his ancestors. saying it like that to be respectful to Cooper but also speaking of his death respectfully in a way a Northerner would.

Rathnier let out a breath and said damnit, I knew when we got separated that something bad would happen, we’re going to need everyone we can to win this battle. After saying that he frowned briefly before readying his axe and continuing come on, we need to find Rentar before we can aid the rest of the soldiers outside.

As we hurried to the end of the hallway I asked Rathnier how did you two hold up after we got separated?

Rathnier explained we were forced back but managed to fight the initial attack off but a rift jumper attacked me when reinforcements came and separated me from Rentar so he flew into a rage and chased the rest of them, these cultists lack of experience easily shows.

When the four of us got close to the turn in the hallway I saw that there was a split that led left and right but we heard shouting coming from the left and after fighting alongside Rentar I felt sure that Rentar was to the left. After hearing that Greyson said weapons ready, who knows what Rentar’s gotten himself into this time.

We quickly ran past the turn and faced the left hallway in time to see Rentar with his axe blade ignited as he faced four cultists. The closest one to Rentar’s left swung his sword’s ignited blade in a downward swing at Rentar who quickly dodged the attack by sidestepping it to the left.

After sidestepping the swing Rentar got a two-handed grip on his axe as he brought it back to his right. After doing that Rentar quickly and furiously swung his axe forward in a chest high swing from the side that cut the cultist who tried attacking him in half.

After that the cultist to Rentar’s right pulled his sword back to try and thrust his sword into him but Rentar quickly dodged the thrust and turned his axe around and swung it low to his right and cut the cultist’s right leg off, quickly throwing him to the ground.

The cultist dropped his sword as he fell and tried crawling away from Rentar and, after seeing that, the cultist in the back tried running but Rentar raised his axe and brought it back over his shoulder with one hand before throwing it at the fleeing cultist, the blade extinguishing as he was no longer holding his axe’s trigger.

The axe landed deep into the cultist’s back which threw him to the ground but didn’t kill him as I saw him still tried to crawl away. This left one last cultist facing Rentar but the cultist was armed with a sword and Rentar only had his fists so the cultist tried a two-handed swing at Rentar but Rentar quickly grabbed the cultist’s hands and forced them apart. After doing that Rentar pinned the cultist against the wall and slammed his hand on the wall four times, causing the cultist to drop his sword.

With the cultist disarmed Rentar threw him to the ground and got on top of him, putting his left hand on the cultist’s right arm to keep it down and using his right fist to punch the cultist to death by repeatedly punching him in the head. I noticed that Hevran was watching behind us and after Rentar punched the cultist in the head several times Rathnier called out Rentar. causing Rentar to stop mid punch and making his head shoot up briefly before looking over his shoulder at us.

After seeing us Rentar briefly smiled before turning back to the cultist and punching him in the face one more time. As the cultist laid unmoving on the ground Rentar got off of him and turned to face u- ARGH! as Rentar turned to face us it turned out the cultist had a little bit of life left in him and quickly grabbed a nearby sword, ignited it and brought it up, cutting Rentar’s right arm off from the elbow.

Rentar was bleeding heavily from that and grabbed his right arm as he painfully yelled RAGH! but quickly dove to his left to be out of reach of the cultist who received a prompt lazer shot to the chest from Greyson. With the cultist dead I quickly asked Rentar Rentar! Do you still have your crystals on you?! hoping he was okay.

Rentar held his stumped arm briefly before he painfully said yeah, one moment. he let out a pained but steady breath before using his left hand to fish through his satchel briefly before he pulled out a healing crystal.

After pulling out the healing crystal he stood up and crushed the crystal in his hand for the instant heal, after doing that he glowed green and he raised his stumped right arm and, from the stump and in the span of less than a second, the bones quickly regrew with the muscle and meat quickly covering the skeletal arm as it regrew with the skin quickly following that and covering the meat and muscles.

With Rentar’s arm regrown but left bare he briefly tested out his now regrown right arm and while he did that I asked him you good Rentar?

After seeming to be satisfied with his arm he said yeah, thanks for shooting that bastard Greyson. after saying that Rentar picked up his rifle and holstered it before turning to face us. When he faced us Rentar immediately knew something was wrong and as he looked over us he asked wait, where’s Cooper?

Rathnier frowned before he informed Rentar he’s joined his ancestors.

The news clearly hit Rentar hard for a minute before he was enraged by it and looked around briefly before seeing the cultists crawling away from him. The cultist he cut the leg off of was closer and trying to pull out a healing crystal so Rentar growled as he stormed up to him and, before he could pull out a healing crystal, Rentar stood over him and raised his foot.

After he raised his foot Rentar stomped on the cultist’s head three times, the cultist’s head took the first two stomps but the third stomp broke the cultist’s head apart and crushed it. After crushing the cultist’s head he stormed up to the other cultist who had his axe in his back and, after Rentar reached him, he stomped his foot on his back and tore his axe out of his back before taking a two-handed grip on it as he raised it and swung it into the back of the cultist’s head.

Rentar’s axe cleaved the cultist’s head open and killed him outright, after doing that Rentar tore his axe out of the cultist’s head before shaking the blood off of his axe blade. After doing that Rentar let out a breath to calm himself before he walked back up to his severed arm and took his uniform’s glove off of his former arm and put it on his new arm before discarding his former arm. After doing that Rentar asked us do any of you know if the main force is still holding? still sounding upset over Cooper’s death.

Thinking of the soldiers outside I answered I don’t know but they’re counting on us. I then asked Greyson Greyson, do you know where our objective is?

Greyson thought on that briefly before pulling out his tac-pad and looking over a map of the building, after looking it over he said er, it should be down the other hallway, around the turn and should be the fourth room on the right. referring to the hallway that Hevran was watching.

Hevran followed that with we’ll need to watch the doors along the way, we haven’t come this far for an ambush or a suicide bomber to take us out. as Rentar joined us the five of us hurried down the hallway with Me, Hevran and Rathnier watching the left side of the hallway and Greyson and Rentar watching the right.

As we reached the corner of the hallway I raised my pistol as I checked around the corner and, after seeing it was clear, I informed the others that it was clear. The five of us then turned the corner and we followed Greyson as he led us to the room he thought was the correct one. Me, Hevran and Greyson positioned ourselves outside the room with me to the left of the door, Hevran to the right of the door and Greyson beside me and, while we did that, Rathnier said we’ll watch the hallway until you’re ready.

The three of us nodded and Hevran slowly turned the doorknob before quickly throwing the door open and raising his rifle as I raised my pistol and the two of us scanned the room, all clear. As the three of us entered the room I quickly looked along the wall and saw that there was no window so I told Greyson I thought you said there was a window in this room.

As the three of us stood there Greyson said that’s what our intel said, this is the right side of the building, maybe if we check the other rooms we’ll find it?

As I thought of the soldiers outside I told him no time. I then raised my pistol and aimed at the wall as I ordered we’re making a window, open fire! with Hevran and Greyson raising their rifles with me.

The three of us wildly shot at the wall for a short time with dust filling the room slightly as we shot an opening in the wall, burning away at the brickwork with rays of light shining into the room from the opening. When the opening was large enough for the three of us to see through it we stopped shooting and I could clearly hear the battle outside.

After we did that we hurried up to the hole we just shot in the wall and I looked out of it and saw the battle below us even though we were on the fourth floor of the city’s administration building. We were above the cultists position with our soldiers at the other end of the street as the cultists were engaged with our forces, thankfully because they’re busy with our soldiers they didn’t notice us shooting a hole in the wall.

After seeing that I looked across the street and saw the tower we were here for, the tower was part of a library and was above the cultists position, the library tower went three, maybe four floors higher than the floor we were currently at but being close to that tower was good enough for me.

As I looked down at our soldiers I saw that we’ve taken an uncomfortable amount of casualties. After seeing that I looked over to the cultists side of the street and saw that they’ve taken significantly more casualties than our soldiers with some cultist swordmen still charging our lines but most of them were being shot down by our soldiers as they charged except for a few who knew how to deflect shots.

The rest of our soldiers were clearing important buildings elsewhere in the city and holding their positions in other areas but, even though the cultists were taking a lot of losses, there seemed to be no end to these bastards.

After seeing that I holstered my pistol and sheathed by sword as I pulled out a rift crystal and a satchel charge and quickly opened a rift to the right corner of the tower so that it would collapse and land on the cultist position.

After doing that I primed the satchel charge’s detonator and threw it through the rift and onto the tower’s corner back first so that the sticky back would hold the satchel charge in place. As the satchel charge stuck to the tower the rift closed behind it and I told Hevran and Greyson back into the hallway, now!

The satchel charge was set for fifteen seconds and the three of us getting back into the hallway took six of those seconds. When we were in the hallway I told Rentar and Rathnier charges set! after that we all got ready for the explosion as I continued to count in my head ‘12, 13, 14, 15’ *BOOM*. After the explosion I heard crumbling which was quickly followed by panicked yelling before it was cut off by a thunderous crash.

After hearing that we hurried back into the room and saw that the tower had collapsed and, after rushing to the hole we shot into the wall, I thankfully saw that the tower had landed on the cultists position.

With most of the cultists front line crushed or having rifted to safety our soldiers took that as the signal to charge, just like we planned. Some of the cultists rifted back in front of the collapsed tower but, as they stepped out of their rifts, they were readily shot by our soldiers. Some of the cultists didn’t even get the chance to step out of their rifts as our soldiers simply shot them through their rifts as they opened. After seeing that I smirked and told the others heh, finally, come on, let’s have some fun.

After saying that I pulled a grenade off my belt and used my teeth pull the pin out before opening a rift in front of me that was above a bunched-up group of cultists and tossed the grenade through the rift and into the group. As the rift closed behind my grenade I spat the pin out of my mouth which was quickly followed by the grenade going off, blowing the cultists around it apart before I told the others now! and opened a rift where my grenade went off with the others following suit.

There were roughly thirty to forty cultists left after bringing down the tower but, after I stepped through the rift I had opened and the cultists saw me, they readied their weapons and charged me. Three cultists were leading the charge at me so I holstered my lazer pistol and charged the three cultists leading the charge as the others stepped through their rifts.

After closing the distance me and the cultists were about to reach each other so I extinguished my katana’s blade and quickly reversed my grip on my sword and forced it down blade first into the cobblestone road as I jumped up to use my blade jump technique to jump above the cultists.

My blade jump confused the cultists briefly and right before I landed I spun around and slashed the cultist in the middle in his back, killing him outright. As I faced the two remaining cultists the one to my left brought back his sword for a swin- I heard I rift open behind me!

I quickly reversed the grip on my katana with my right hand and drew my pistol with my left hand. As I shot the cultist swinging at me in the stomach from a low angle I thrust my katana backwards and heard an AAHH! after I thrust it behind me.

While I did that I saw Greyson bayonet charging the cultist to my right with him stabbing the cultist from behind so I pulled my katana out of the cultist behind me and as the cultist to my right fell backwards from the shot to his stomach I quickly spun around for momentum on my katana’s swing as the cultist that was to my left yelled in pain from Greyson stabbing him through the back with his bayonet.

After that yell I turned to the cultist behind me and swung my katana at his neck, cutting his head clean off with his guard down from me stabbing him.

After cutting his head off I followed through on my spin to face the charging cultists as I got a proper grip on my katana again and, after a brief look to the left, I saw Rentar and Rathnier fighting together against a group of cultists and with a look to my right I saw a cultist try and block a left sided swing from Hevran but Hevran’s swing overpowered the block and broke the cultist’s guard long enough for Hevran to follow up with another swing into the cultist.

When I looked forward I saw some cultists readying their rifles and aiming at us so I told Greyson get behind me!

I heard Greyson quickly kneel behind me as I holstered my pistol and got a two-handed grip on my sword and, as the shots came, I deflected them with my sword’s ignited blade one after another. After I deflected four of the shots Greyson had an opening and leaned out to shoot one of the cultists shooting at us before getting back behind me. I blocked three more shots before Greyson leaned out again and while I continued to deflect the shots I hoped that my katana wouldn’t overcharge from this.

After Greyson shot another cultist I blocked another five shots before Greyson got a fourth shot in. After that I saw incoming shots from behind us but kept my focus on the cultists in front of me as Greyson informed me it’s our soldiers!

After Rathnier, Rentar and Hevran dealt with the cultists they were fighting they drew their rifles and fired at the cultists with our soldiers, a lot of the cultists were gunned down where they were and some of their swordsman tried deflecting our shots with their swords but with the amount of incoming fire and their lack of training they were quickly overwhelmed.

While this happened I saw two cultists in the back of the cultist force, one with his weapons sheathed and on his left was a cultist with his sword drawn. After spending a few seconds seeing that their position had collapsed the cultist with the sword raised his sword as he yelled and tried to charge us but the unarmed cultist put his right arm in front of the cultist with the sword and he told him no, the battle is lost, we’re done here!

After being told that the cultist with the sword begrudgingly sheathed his sword before the two of them pulled out rift crystals and, after opening rifts, left with roughly thirteen of the remaining cultists leaving with them with another twelve of the remaining cultist force being shot before they could open their rifts. With the main force of the cultists routed our soldiers cheered in victory and as I looked around I saw that it was clear so I casually held my sword with one hand and looked around.

With the cultists gone all of our soldiers were either cheering in victory or catching their breaths and, when I looked at my honor guard, I saw that even a couple of them needed a breather after that. After seeing that I let out a grateful breath knowing that we won this and saw Commander Montgomery climb down from the tower rubble and walk straight towards me.

Considering how hard they just fought for this city I understood Montgomery’s soldiers cheering and, when Montgomery was close, he gratefully said to me Princess Steward, thank you… dearly, if it wasn’t for you and your team we might have been overrun.

Montgomery looked around briefly before asking me wait, weren’t there five honor guard with you?

I frowned as I thought of Cooper as I explained he didn’t make it.

Montgomery sympathetically responded my condolences.

After he said that I looked back up and told Montgomery thank you, do you and your soldiers got it from here? Even though we won the battle there are probably still cultists hiding in the buildings and if the situation is under control then we’re probably needed elsewhere.

Montgomery said with their main force routed and the civilians evacuated we should be able to secure the city. Montgomery then held out his hand for a handshake which I accepted as he continued it’s been my honor, Princess Steward.

I met that with the pleasure was mine, Commander Montgomery, just remember to order any wounded to heal over time and to only crush their crystals if it’s an emergency, our forces are engaged all over the kingdom and who knows how our supplies are holding up.

Montgomery nodded and said understood, we’ll find the body of your honor guard and see to it that it’s sent home for burial. I nodded my thanks to him before turning and pulling out a rift crystal to head back to central command. After opening my rift Montgomery gratefully said to me good luck on your next assignment. as my honor guard got up and got rift crystals out of their satchels.

Knowing that there were already probably several new assignments and calls for reinforcements we were needed for I didn’t respond to Montgomery as I stepped through my rift and came out in the assignment area of central command.

After stepping through my rift I saw that command was still in chaos because of the cultists rising up across the fifteen regions of the kingdom with officers, commanders, generals, special forces and even some honor guard coming in and out as they receive new assignments and reinforcement requests.

As the others rifted in behind me I walked up to General Alexander’s area and, after letting myself in, I walked in and saw Alexander who was still furiously going over reports and issuing rapid orders to people who walked up to his desk ahead of us or were requesting orders over the radio. As we hurried up to Alexander’s desk I informed him General, Commander Montgomery’s forces held Brimmingham, they’re currently rooting out the remaining cultists in the city.

That was met with Alexander telling me and in the time it took you and your team to do that another three major assignments came up, where the hell are they getting all this manpower?! stressed from the amount he’s been working to keep up with the incoming assignments which was easy to tell by the piles of reports, various reinforcement requests and assignments on his desk.

He didn’t look up from his reports when he told me that and while he looked over the assignments on his desk an officer approached his desk beside me and informed Alexander General we-

Alexander cut him off by holding out a sheet of paper and telling him urgent reinforcement request! the officer took the request and left without a word, leaving Alexander to go over his reports and say this shit’s for D.P.D’s, how can there be none to spare!?

After he said that I thought of Cooper and said one moment. After that I opened a rift to the D.P.D lab where I went with Cooper before the battle. Having been there I was able to picture the lab in my mind and, after opening the rift, I saw that it was the lab where Cooper’s D.P.D was updated and stepped through.

When I stepped through my rift one of the technician’s seemed scared and reached for a pistol on his hip so I quickly reached down for my pistol. As he started to draw his pistol I quickly drew my pistol before he could draw his pistol and pointed it at him to stop him from doing something drastic.

After pointing my pistol at him he raised his hands in a sign of surrender but, after a moment, the technician seemed to recognize me and frightfully asked p-princess…? he then dropped his pistol and backed away from it as he tried to say I-I… I thought… p-please forgive me. after that I holstered my pistol.

Another nearby technician carefully picked up the dropped pistol and said please forgive him Amber, it’s just…. with the reports of civilian casualties… those bastards don’t try to recruit them and they don’t let them escape… any rift opening could mean death for us. after saying that he frowned before he continued by asking would you have shot him?

I assured him no but with how much he was shaking in fear he might have shot me without making sure who it was, besides, I was aiming for his pistol. I then looked back to the trembling technician who had backed up against a wall and continued he looks like he’s going through a lot of stress as it is, I think he needs to be sent home.

The other technician explained he can’t, his home is in Estmost.

With how hard