Savage Divinity

Chapter 217

As a child, Jorani often shirked his chores and one of his favourite things to do was sneak off to the park. Once there, he would climb the wall and hide in the shadows, watching whatever play or opera being performed that day. His favourite story had one battle scene, made out like some honourable ceremony with lines drawn, speeches given, and challenges offered. Then everyone paired up to trade blows, taking turns swinging one after another. When someone killed their opponent, the victor stood and waited for a free partner, showcasing their courtly manners. One by one, the bit characters fell until at the very end, only the main character and villain remained standing, followed by more banter before the final showdown.

Only now did he realize it was all a load of horse shit.

Trapped inside his helm, he peered out from minuscule eye slits, trying to make order of the chaos hed gotten himself into. The clamour of weapons clashing and warriors dying filled his ears as the current of flesh carried him through the crowd, caught in a riptide of sweating bodies and writhing limbs. His towering foes blotted out the sun as he fought to keep his head up, gasping for air as if drowning on dry land, his heart pounding like a thousand tiny drummers beat upon it with iron rods. The sour stench of sweat mingled with the foul aroma of blood and shit as he screamed in a mixture of rage, fear, and frustration, a crazed gibbering echoing inside his helm and skull.

Frantically squirming and shoving in search of sweet safety, Jorani stumbled into the open and gasped, steadying himself in time to catch glimpse the saber flying towards his face. The world went silent and white upon impact, and a for a moment, he drifted in a sea of calm and tranquility. Swaddled by wisps of cloud and carried on silken winds, he soared high into the sky, weightless and free. Then his world came crashing down, his stomach lurching as he landed on his feet, head spinning and a high-pitched ringing in his ears.

A second strike knocked him away, his torso bouncing off a solid mass of flesh before being pushed back into the fray. More out of desperation than anything, he lashed out with a punch, his new chain wrapped neatly around his fist and connecting squarely with what felt like a brick wall. Jamming his wrist, he yelped in pain and fell back, only to be shoved into battle once more. This time, he went with the push and tackled his opponents knees, bringing him to the ground. Wrangling his opponents arms away, Joranis metal-encased fingers closed around the Defileds throat, the sharp tips digging deep into tender flesh. His opponent broke the embrace with a powerful kick, and Jorani came away clutching two fistfuls of flesh and skin. His opponent gasped, eyes wide with desperation as he struggled for breath which would never come.

Trembling from head to toe, Jorani scampered about in search of safety, avoiding friend and foe alike. He was a thief and scavenger, not a fucking soldier. In the Freebooters, hed been nothing more than a lookout. He knew nothing of fighting or leading nor was he good enough to fake it. Though Ravil and Bulat worked to keep the deception alive, every bandit in the Mothers Militia knew there was something wrong with the way things were, only their oath of service keeping them in check. They all played along with the charade but somewhere along the line, theyd lost all respect for him. Hangman Jorani was all a crock, a flimflam, a dupe, and they all knew it.

Damn Rain for making him do this and damn the old man for forcing him to keep it up. Giving him these cursed gifts and sending him here to be a hero, as if a Runic Armour and Spiritual weapon were enough to buy forgiveness and make up for a lifetime of disappointment. Accepting the gifts had been a mistake, especially considering they were more trouble than it was worth, attracting all the wrong sort of attention as the Defiled swarmed his position, believing him an expert warrior that needed killing. No matter how one dressed him up in fancy Runic Armours or armed him with a beautiful Spiritual weapon, Jorani was little more than a common thief.

How the fuck were you supposed to use a chain anyways? You cant swing it around at random, doing that was a good way to brain your allies or yourself. Apparently, he was supposed to Guide, Reinforce, Amplify, and fucking Lighten the damned thing all at once, but he couldnt do any of those things individually, much less all together. Why couldnt it have been a nice spear, sword, axe, or anything but a fucking metal rope? At least the armour was self-sufficient, drawing on his Chi whenever he took a hit, but the weapon was a mystery. He hadnt even bound the damned thing yet, and he was terrified someone would take notice and rob him. Jorani was determined to divest himself of these items at the earliest opportunity, freeing himself from their curse.

Though itd probably be best to wait until after the battle for Sanshu was won.

The battle for the bridge continued as Jorani struggled to stay alive, his mind firmly on the moment and nothing else. Attack after attack ricocheted off his armour, bruising his tender flesh and chipping away at his paltry Chi reserves. Once he was drained dry, the armour was nothing more than high-grade steel, offering little protection against the Enemys razor-sharp weapons. With the chain wrapped around his arms, he used it as an impromptu shield whenever he could, relying on the Spiritual Weapons sheer durability to stay alive. The Militiamen around him were not so blessed with weapons or armour and died in droves against the Defiled offensive. Though the Militia counted no small number of elites among them and had the support of the Azure Ascendants and Crossbone Corsairs, his rank and file comprised mainly of impoverished bandits and shabby thieves much like hed been only a few weeks earlier, no match for elite Defiled warriors.

A furious roar shook him to the bone and he swivelled to find a Defiled Champion bearing down upon him. A gargantuan warrior wielding an equally immense axe, his bloodshot eyes gleamed with crazed hunger as his weapon cleaved through the air. Raising his arms to shield himself in a futile gesture of resistance, Jorani cringed and waited for death to come. Even if the axe didnt cut him, the sheer power behind the blow was enough to pulp his innards.

Howling in bestial fury, Ral lunged and intercepted the Champions strike with ease, towering above the intimidating Defiled. You dont hurt Jor! Snarling, Rals meaty hand shoved the Defiled back, sending him stumbling away. Wielding his staff in both hands like an oversized club, Ral bashed the Defiled over the head. With a sickening squelch, his opponents neck retreated into his torso, forced in through sheer power. Though the armour remained undamaged, the body beneath it was no match for Rals immense strength.

While Chey cleaned up the Champions retinue in a far more elegant manner, Ral flipped his visor up to reveal a goofy smile. Sorry Jor, got distracted and couldnt find you, but I done good, right? We gonna go to the market soon?

Still recovering from his near death experience, it took Jorani several seconds to answer. Yea Ral, ye done good. Lets finish this up. Directing his friend to sweep away the Enemy, Jorani felt proud of Rals newfound prowess. Dogs and their sticks, it wasnt fair. While Chey had always been one hell of a fighter, her skills improved dramatically after binding her weapon, the task accomplished in a single day. Ral took three days longer and his skills didnt improve at all, but his strength was many times higher than before. Reinforcement probably, but Ral didnt know enough words to properly explain it.

There was a joke here about dumb dogs and big sticks, but Jorani was too terrified to think.

With Chey and Ral at his sides, Jorani felt much better about his chances for survival, even recovering enough to shout some words of encouragement. Fight on my Militiamen, victory is in our grasp. Damned if he knew who was winning, but telling lies was Joranis greatest strength. Suffer not the Defiled presence here in beautiful Sanshu! Send em back into the Fathers Maw from whence they came!

The bitter fighting continued for a few minutes more until, without warning, the Defiled broke and fled, retreating over the bridge and into the South-West district. The Corsairs gave chase but Jorani called for the Miliamen to hold and Lei Gong echoed the order, his Ascendants gathering outside of a mostly intact building. Pulling off the stifling helmet, Jorani made his way over, carefully stepping around the corpses as his Militiamen cleaned up. The sight of so many dead made him sick to the stomach, and after a dozen paces he couldnt hold it anymore, doubling over to empty the contents of his stomach.

Pitiful. Daxian The Virtuous sneered at Joranis display of weakness. So much wasted on a pitiful excuse for a man like you.

Spitting to clear the taste from his mouth, Jorani rolled his eyes, too numb to care about the stuffy warriors jab. Waste or not, it aint fer you to decide, now is it? Ye want this armour? Then come take em. He regretted taunting the powerful warrior in front of everyone, but Jorani finally had a backer and it would be a shame not to use it to his advantage. Confident Daxian wouldnt act out against him, he sniffed dismissively and said, If ye lack the courage, then quit yer bellyaching. Theres work to be done. Ignoring Daxians glare, he nodded at the smiling Lei Gong, seemingly amused by their little exchange. So? What now?

Shrugging, the eccentric old warrior turned the question over to guard captain Sovanna, a woman more than twice Joranis size, but that didnt keep him from imagining what she looked like underneath the armour. Frowning, she coughed and answered, Keep yer britches on, Ive sent word to the Magistrate. Until then, I suppose we hold the plaza.

Well, let me know when ye make up yer minds. Ill be here. Shuffling to the side, Jorani leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, still shivering and shocked he survived the battle.

Lei Gongs voice sounded in his head. Aint no time to rest, lad. I know this be yer first battle and ye done good, but theres still work to be done. Don't yet worry too much, we'll make a warrior of ye soon enough. Try to not push Daxian too far, a man can only take so much. A list of commands followed and Jorani inwardly groaned, taking a second to collect himself before turning back to his Militia, barking orders and keeping up appearances. What he wouldnt give to go back to being a simple thief. He might have been a nobody, but at least hed been free to do as he pleased. Now, he was trapped in the role of Hangman Jorani, Leader of the Mothers Militia. If the world ever discovered the truth, the bounty on his head would be collected in a heartbeat. Hed already mounted the tiger, so all he could do was cling for dear life and pray he learned to ride before everything went to shit.

A pox on Falling Rain and a pox on the Azure Ascendant. Bastards, the both of em.

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Stretching to relieve his tired arms and aching back, Bulat shook his head and focused. This was pitiful, he was probably one of the most well-rested Sentinels here. Sure, sifting through corpses in search of survivors wasnt easy or pleasant work, but things could be worse. He could be like that ruddy bastard Cham there, doing the same back-breaking work after days of constant riding and fighting. Steeling himself, Bulat set to his work with renewed vigour, determined to earn his keep.

The little hero Rain had it hard these past weeks, while Bulat ate well and counted coins in relative safety. If Bulat were a better warrior, then the little hero wouldnt have been forced to send his elite Sentinels to help babysit Jorani and his cutthroats. Lovely Dei An deserved a better man than Bulat, so a better man he must become. Though theyd only shared a single meal together, he'd been smitten with a single glance. Shed made no promises to wait and might even already be courting another man, but it didnt matter. So long as she was unwed, hed go to any lengths to win her heart.

Noticing movement, he readied his hatchet and dragged a corpse aside, uncovering a Defiled warrior with a gaping chest wound. The bastard jabbered of murder and bloodshed but Bulat paid it no mind, his hatchet striking the bastard in the face and ending his life. This was all he was good for, firing arrows and putting the wounded out of their misery, but it wouldnt always be like this. Bulat had aspirations of greatness, working harder than hed ever worked before, pushing himself to the limits in his training while babysitting Jorani.

A strangled cry sounded beside him. Turning in place, he saw Cham keel over as a wounded Defiled warrior stood over him. Leaping into action, Bulat lashed out with his hatchet, but the Defiled warriors saber sliced the weapon's haft in two, almost taking Bulats head with it. Ignoring the setback, he stepped in close to the Defiled warriors chest and grappled with the bulky bastard. Back and forth they went, each one struggling to gain the upper hand in a struggle of pure muscle. Pouring all his Chi into Reinforcement, Bulat reversed his momentum and pulled, lifting the Defiled warrior from his feet before throwing him to the ground with a howl of victory.

A little premature it would seem as the Defiled warrior jumped to his feet, his face twisted in anger before exploding in a mess of flesh and bone fragments. The bosss sword emerged from where the Defiled's nose used to be, and Bulat grimaced as he wiped his face, cursing his own inadequacies. All those weeks of hard work and practice and he couldnt even handle a rank-and-file Defiled, needing to be rescued by the little hero himself.

Looking frail and exhausted, Rain collected his sword before checking on Cham. Clutching a gaping stomach wound, he was pale as a sheet as Rain unsuccessfully attempted to stem the bleeding. We need a Healer here! Cham, listen, you need to stop the bleeding.

Feebling shaking his head, Cham whispered, Cant. Hurts too much.

Yes, you can. Focus. The healers on his way, but you need to buy a little time. Concentrate, you can do this.

Cham shuddered as the tension left his body, staring up at the bright blue sky. Bulat swallowed hard, knowing the ruddy bastard was done for. Boss, maybe you should step away and let Old Bulat handle this.

Shut up and gimme your water-skin. Upending the container, Rain poured water over Chams wound while channelling his Chi, creating a powerful torrent of energy around him. Come on, he muttered beneath his breath. Work damn you. Save him.

Bulats face twitched in sympathy as he watched the little hero fight to save Cham. Kneeling down, Bulat took his old friends hand and waited, hoping against all hope for Rain to defy all odds once more. After several seconds, the flow of water ended but still the little hero was unwilling to give up, continuing to channel his Chi, but to no avail. It was an exercise in futility. Talented though he might be, Falling Rain still needed a few years yet to master Healing.

Coughing, Cham shuddered and griped Bulats hand tightly, pulling himself up closer. Im scared, he confessed, shivering violently as his body struggled to stay warm. What if the Mother dont want me?

Bulat had no answer for him, gaping like a fish on land. With a long sigh, the little hero closed his eyes and breathed deeply, his torrent of Chi fading as he trembled with rage and impotence. Swallowing his bitter disappointment, he looked Cham in the eyes and said, Dont you worry about a thing. Close your eyes like youre going to sleep, and when you open them again, youll be in Her warm embrace, safe and sound. If she won't accept you, then you wait for me. I'll march right into the Father's Maw and pull you out myself.

Cham smiled and nodded, squeezing Bulats hand once more before closing his eyes. The blood flowing from his belly had already slowed to crawl, and after a few minutes, his body shook one last time before stilling in the finality of death. Loosening his hand, Bulat laid Chams arms across his body, taking solace in the peaceful manner of his death.

His voice cracking with grief, the little hero asked, Why didnt a healer come?

The gathered gawkers glanced at one another until Senior Captain XinYue answered. Theyre all under guard and out of the way, on account of the risk of Wraiths. I doubt the message has even reached them yet.

Deflating, Rain shook his head, silently recriminating himself. Im getting sick of losing Sentinels. Glaring at Bulat and the other Sentinels, he added, So work harder at staying alive. Understood?

Yes Boss.

With the little heros help, Bulat carried Chams body across the bridge and placed it with the other fallen Sentinels. Rain was a good kid, but too kind, taking the loss of his soldiers hard. Hed need to thicken his skin if he wanted to be a leader of soldiers, but Bulat almost didn't want to see it happen. It was refreshing to fight for a man who cared about his soldiers. Speaking to fill the silence, Bulat said, Wasnt yer fault ye know. Im to blame, I shouldve been watching his back.

No. The Defiled are to blame. Placing a hand on Bulats shoulder, Rain continued, I saw you lose your weapon back there. You put up a good fight regardless, but Ive been meaning to ask. Why didnt you take one of the Spiritual Weapons stolen from the Council? I know I told you to make Jorani look like the boss, but giving him a Spiritual... Rain trailed off as he studied Bulats face. What?

Sighing, Bulat shook his head. We didnt steal the weapons or armour from the Council, but I cant say any more. I took an oath. I can say that ye should probably avoid upsetting Jorani too much, fer... health reasons.

Rain blinked in confusion as he struggled to piece things together, his eyes lighting up in understanding. So... if you didnt steal them, then someone gave them to Jorani. Lei Gong would be my guess, or maybe whoever his boss is? But why? Whos the leader of the Azure Ascendants? Massaging his temples, Rain sighed. I need to talk to Gerel or Yuzhen. This is way above my pay grade.

Ah, if only the little hero knew how true his words were.

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