346 for Hero's War
Spoiler
Show
Erin watched the flares shoot upwards as the shrieks of the monsters echoed out over the army not busy with exploration. As she thought with the first worm monster, they were concentrated around the ruined section of the city. How or why she did not know but her role was to put them down.
"Orders," she said, watching the messengers around her perk up with attention, "all except you and you, go into the city and recall all scouts. Scouts to reform at entry points then move to the south gate to aid in the defence. Go, and stay safe. "
To their credit, the unarmed and mostly young boys and girls of the army messengers all went without complaint. Erin spotted traces of worry and fear but they were willing to obey instructions despite the higher risk than usual.
"One message to the special summoner squad, pull back and return to the south gate. " There was only one girl left.
Erin paused then nodded to herself. No point hesitating now. "Go into the city and proceed down the south big street, all squads you find are to perform a fighting retreat and draw as many of the monsters towards the gate as possible. "
As the less messenger sped off, Erin looked around at the remaining commanders of the forces that stayed in the back area. "Set up the spell cannons pointing towards the south gate. Keep in mind that there are our soldiers retreating through it. I do not want the spell cannons to kill anyone by mistake. All summoners to back up the spell cannons. The Minmay 2nd Guard are to aid in creating dugouts and defences for the spell cannons while time permits. "
If guns were poorly effective, perhaps spell cannons could work. They also had improved ammunition after all.
The report from the special summoner squad had not yet returned. Perhaps they had not yet even started fighting. Erin was going to have to bet on the spell cannons working.
"Divert all messages to the south gate defence. I have to be there. "


1184 for Singer (temp title)
Spoiler
Show
The room was well-lit, just bright enough to see clearly, but dim enough to not hurt her eyes.
She turned over and gurgled at the face, feeling a little hungry. A hand reached into the cot and she drank from the bottle before returning to sleep.

Richard hefted his sword uncomfortably as he stepped further into the empty marble building. The uniform whiteness and lack of people was unnerving. After the villages of women with not a single men, all terrified and avoiding him, this island of Ultimate Evil was turning out to be rather unlike what he had expected.
Exestar touched his shoulder to offer her support. He nodded at her appreciatively as the song she hummed under her breath calmed his nervousness. The tune just below the edge of hearing wouldn't have much power but he felt better.

The young boy held out his father's sword with fire in his eyes, the slave trader sneering at him. As more and more guards began to crowd into the open square, the nobles at the slave auction jeered him.
To be honest, he hadn't planned much ahead. Seeing that girl under chains being bid on had snapped something in him and now he was probably going to die. And so would she.
He glanced back at the girl, with an unspoken apology. She held his gaze for a moment before dropping her eyes. Then she began to sing.

Richard pushed open a door cautiously. The three women in the kitchen were all different again, as if they had been plucked from all over the world. Like the rest, they had squeaked in surprise and backed away from him. He eyed the meal being prepared and closed the door behind him.
Exestar kept up her simple unheard song, encouraging him to go on.

The boy watched as she gnawed at the rabbit bone hungrily. The girl didn't appear to know anything at all, apart from how to talk. And sing. He could see why all the nobles had wanted to keep her like a songbird. Her voice was beyond heavenly when she was singing, it had an otherwordly quality that seemed to reached straight in and change the world.
To a large extent, he thought that was what happened back at the market square. And why they were out in the country trying to evade pursuit.

The white corridors lead to a central large room at the bottom of the entire building. It was here he had to confront whatever evil had been plaguing the world. Exestar nodded to him and let her song die as he pushed open the door.
The wide open space was nearly empty except for a small wooden stool and an middle-aged man rocking a small cot.
The man looked up at them, seeming to look right through Richard. Exestar cowered behind him.

"Once in a high place, I was created. Cast out from my place, I was thrown into the world. To find my own place, suffering was known to me. "
The girl, who called herself Exestar, looked sadly at the wooden railings. The songs she sang had a language, that much Richard was sure of. He understood the meaning of what she was singing, despite being completely unable to repeat the words she actually used.
The deck of the boat rocked beneath them. Paying off the head-price on her had taken months of bounty hunting and mercenary work. Richard was sure he couldn't have done it without her songs to help him. Now they were heading to a new land, and a new life.
He still wasn't sure what to think of the girl. She never seemed to do anything by herself.

"Welcome back," the man said, nodding once to Exestar.
The girl looked blankly at him. Richard stepped in front of her, "Don't try your tricks. I have come to find her soul. "
The man sighed and flicked a finger. Exestar gasped and twitched, suddenly feeling weak. As she clung to Richard for support, the man said, "There, it is done. "
"What?" Richard regarded him suspiciously.
"Her soul? You came to find it for her did you not? You have it now. Or was that not enough?"
Richard turned back to Exestar, who only looked slightly confused.
"Don't mess with us, I'll..."
"Or you'll what?" the man shrugged.
"Exestar, can you sing?" The girl nodded back. "Sing Luminous Rain for me?"
She nodded and took a step back as Richard drew his sword. The glittering gems on the hilt and guard shone with risen magic.

Richard stabbed upwards with his sword, cursing for the lack of money for fire gems. He felt the blade pass through the ghostly dragon but the fire around his blade burned away at the ethereal being.
Exestar's song continued, echoes and supernatural voices chorusing with the magic. The fire blade enchantment was something she had just managed to learn and it took a heavy toll on her. Richard tore aside the blade back to a readied stance, feeling the innate magic in his body draining to force it through. He could not let Exestar shoulder the entire burden.
The dragon roared in protest against her song, the dissonance draining its power. Richard quickly bled more magic to stab it again, the draining feeling in his legs warning him of possible danger.
The ghostly image tore apart, leaving Richard kneeling on the ground in pain. He pushed aside the fire in his legs when he heard Exestar quietly collapse behind him.

Richard smashed the shield again and again, light pouring off his sword, but the man inside didn't react. The hemispherical translucent bubble deflect all his hits with ease.
The sword rang again, the magic around the blade suddenly resonating in time with Exestar's song. The magic spat and flared brighter. Richard nodded back at Exestar in appreciation and she smiled back, the song shifting.
The light streamed around her hands and shot forward to the bubble, smashing aside the ward.
Richard, sword still glowing, charged forward to the man, only to bounce off another slightly smaller shield. The man raised an eyebrow, "I'm surprised, you've been using Harmony Crystals?"
He shook his head as Richard's sword and Exestar's light beam merely bounced off the new shield, "Do you even know what they are?"
"What do I care?" Richard snarled as he hacked futilely against the shield. The song changed again, seeming to resonate to his bones. Suddenly speeding up, Richard turned into a blur of whirling steel and light that smashed through the second shield. There was a third below it. "It is a proof of our bond, between a Singer and her guardian. "
"You've been inside her mind haven't you?" the man sighed and looked at Exestar with a sad expression, "It's not safe you know. Not ethical either. "
The baby inside the cot murmured a little but settled back down, undisturbed by the events going on outside.