Chapter 468: Lilith (1/2)

Rowan knew he was losing control. “Prepare to fight, take her down as fast as possible.”

“Everyone who flees will be executed!” he shouted, looking back. His eye twitched when he saw some of his soldiers were already turning away, more were stepping back, unsure of what to do.

Just because she can shout and kill one man! Undisciplined imbeciles!

“STAND YOUR GROUND!” he roared and prepared his two steel whips, imbuing them with power.

“I don’t give a fuck about her ultimatum. Take her down now!” he said to the team in front of him, even some of them showing uncertainty.

“Come, I don’t mind,” the Shadow said, crouching as she held up one finger. “One minute, flee and live. Or die at the hands of Lilith.” Her voice wasn’t particularly loud but it traveled far, like the whisper of a demon.

Rowan watched as his elites used their skills and shot forward, some teleporting right next to her while others sent their spells forward.

His eyes opened wide when the Shadow started moving, her limbs rushing around as she twirled. Three men were impaled, her fist punching in the chest of another. A loud crunch resounded as his chest plate bent inwards, his ribs broken and his insides squashed to pulp.

The three impaled men were flung at the mages, one of them unable to dodge the body. Marbles of ash zipped around, two finding their targets as heads exploded in a mist of red.

Four warriors slashed their weapons at her only to find thin air as she weaved through their attacks, her limbs impaling two of them as one of her wings slapped away the third.

The last warrior dodged two of her punches only to get a knee in his crotch. She followed up with an elbow to his face, the force ripping off his head with a part of his spine still attached.

Lilith vanished and appeared over the downed mage, his cries finding no mercy as he was silenced with a sharp limb of ash through his skull.

“Time is up,” the woman said as motion erupted all over.

Arrows were loosed, men and women shouted, spells impacted close to her but compared to before, none of them found their target.

Soldiers screamed and turned, some vanished and others went to their knees, overwhelmed by terror.

Rowan looked around at a loss. “Stand your ground!” he shouted, his voice lost in the explosions of ice and fire around them, the screams of men and women.

He turned and found two blue eyes staring at his own.

“Yo-” he started when a hand lashed out, slapping his cheek with enough force to nearly break his neck. He was lifted off the ground and landed hard on the ground a few meters away, disoriented and bleeding.

“Stand-” he started as he stumbled back to his feet, his voice stuck in his throat when he saw the ashen tendrils mow through his men as if they were bugs. Heads were pierced, corpses and living bodies were thrown around to all sides.

Spears and marbles of ash slammed through armor as if it was made of wet paper. Hundreds were fleeing.

Rowan saw soldiers trained and prepared for this day on their knees, praying to their gods as the creature of ash slaughtered their brothers and sisters in arms.

“A monster…,” he spoke, shielding himself from a fiery explosion to his right. Nothing stopped her. Shields and swords were broken through, spears snapped with their blades breaking against her armor. Arrows rushed past or had no impact. Spells hit allies or trees, the monster teleporting and shredding through their ranks like an unchained beast left to hunger for weeks.

What have… what have I done… who is she?

How could I have known?

He stumbled forward, his eyes still focused on the woman, only able to follow her due to the limbs of ash and the path of carnage she left behind.

Rowan watched as a mist of ash covered twenty men in formation, their screams drowned out until they fell a few seconds later, lifeless and covered in ash.

“Lord Harken! We must retreat!” an officer said, half of his right arm missing.

Retreat? How… one Shadow. Is she even human? He asked himself as he followed wordlessly, running into the forest with his ally, fleeing along hundreds as screams resounded and died.

He had lost control. Discipline and trust ripped from his hand by sheer force of nature. Whatever he was facing, it wasn’t human. A creature of darkness.

Was it punishment? For forsaking his king and country? The Order of Truth?

He could feel his steps hasten, his eyes focused forward as he ran. He was the commander, Lord Harken. He was supposed to stand, to face the enemy and lead his army to victory. All his instincts told him to run, his rational mind overwhelmed by what he had seen.

Adventurers told stories of creatures powerful enough to slay whole towns, to break through walls and slaughter hundreds if not thousands. He had thought it hubris. Overblown stories by men and women who thought themselves heroes, trying to impress their lowly peers.

He believed it now. The thing could speak too. Lilith. Lilith, he repeated in his mind.

A sudden burst of magic came from the left and he teleported, his whips at his side as he felt a strong pressure on his mind.

The officer who had ran by his side collapsed, foaming from his mouth as he died.

“You are the commander? Are you not?” a voice resounded in his mind, something that was not human.

“Show yourself beast! Lilith! Come and finish it! Show me your power!” he said, finding courage in the mindless slaughter of his comrades.

A creature clad in black rags hovered out into the open, abyss like holes instead of eyes in his skull as a large mouth opened, sharp lines of teeth glinting in the sunlight breaking through the trees.

Rowan took a step back, at a loss for words.

[Mind Weaver – lvl 219]

“Mistress Lilith is looking for you. But I found you first,” the creature said without moving its mouth.

“What are you doing here? Demon creature!” Rowan shouted, his weapons at the ready as he watched the dangerous being.

“I live close by. And then I felt this power… and now this… feast. She wastes so much flesh. A shame really! So here I am, collecting the scraps,” the being said as it lifted a clawed hand.

A powerful surge of magic slammed into his mind, Rowan finding no other way but to teleport away as far as he could. His Resistance was strong but not enough to counter whatever that being was.

He turned back and watched as it lifted the officer’s corpse, biting down on his neck.

“Run, human, run until you collapse,” he heard the voice, the being somehow still reaching him.

Rowan kept running. She commands demons too. Mind demons… I have to warn the kingdom, maybe the high king will forgive me, maybe they will be able to help.

No, we have to avoid this place. She offered us to flee and I laughed at her. Foolish! How stupid can I be.

He ran for twenty minutes, the shouts and screams lessening over time. Soon he found himself entirely alone, running still as fast as his legs would carry him. He saved up his teleport skill in case the enemy showed up.

Rowan felt his heart thrumming in his chest, his breath the only thing he heard in the thick forest. Did I cross into Nipha already?

He had to regroup, find the survivors, return to Wynehold and think about what to do.

A whistling sound came from above, Rowan jumping to the side, crouching between two trees for cover. Something heavy impacted the ground, roots groaning.

“There you are,” the voice said.

No

No, no

Rowan stepped back and stumbled, catching himself thanks to the high dexterity he had.

Before him stood Lilith, clad in her dark ashen armor, her eyes cold as ice.

The two trees snapped when an ashen limb flashed through, four more pushing the heavy wood to the side as if to make space for the queen of death herself.

He closed his eyes and sighed. “Do it then, finish it,” he said, resigning himself. “I only ask you to keep your word. Don’t kill those who fled.”

The woman seemed surprised. “I don’t plan on breaking my word. Nor do I plan on killing you. Not right now at least.”

“You want to torture me and feed me to your demon friend?” he asked. He could try to attack, could try to get a hit in but he had seen what his strongest warriors accomplished. There was no way he could succeed.

“Weavy came to join? That damn demon,” Lilith said and shook her head. “No, I don’t particularly like torture. We will free the slaves and you might be able to return to your city. With some changes to your local policies. You didn’t seem as stupid as some other nobles I’ve met and I’m happy to see you actually care about your soldiers. If only the same was true for your slaves,” she said and spit on the ground.

“Our slaves are well fed and taken care of! Don’t you dare talk down on Wynehold like we are some sort of savages,” he said and threw down his weapons.

“Slavery in itself is savagery. Every human has a right to their own freedom. One of the things that will have to change if you want to keep your city and people. I’m sure losing you would cause more harm to them than the sudden freedom of your slaves. Think about it. You’ll have plenty of time,” Lilith said as a few ashen limbs moved around his body.

Her wings moved, casting long shadows before she ascended. Rowan was dragged behind, hitting his shoulder on a branch.

He closed his eyes and calmed himself down. He was still Lord of Wynehold and his duty has yet to end. Rowan ground his teeth. Defeated by a savage and someone who thought slaves were worth the same as nobles.