OLN: Historic Legacy

[caparo]

Map of Rofam province - Lugovia (v0.1 draft)

Spoiler! :

Sorry for the delayed updates. Real life keeps getting in the way. That, and awesome new games. Okay, okay, I confess. It was mainly the new games.

[gamerbaki]

I just finished reading your OLN and let me give you my impressions on your work as a fellow writer.

The first two chapters of the story is well, a smooth read just like what the others earlier said.

It is an essential aspect if you want your story to remain consistent as well as to attract more online readers.

Even I, who is not fond of stories written in a literary format still managed to keep up with the flow of the story. (modern English language is enough for me)

Speaking of your story, I am wondering if you are using various tales during Middle Ages as a reference.
I even once thought that Arthur, who is one of the characters in the story is actually King Arthur of Camelot not until Edward and Rachel said about various things and they mentioned Rofam City (if my memory is right) which is a place I think don't exist in the Middle Aged Europe.
Also, the person named Lionheart--it seemed that I read about him somewhere, I can't simply remember where and when that happened.

Anyway, I'll keep an eye on the future developments in the story and hopefully, things will come in a most exciting way you could possibly think.

--gamerbaki

[Shiratori]

Wow, I love that map. And that island in the middle of that "lake" that has a narrow canal, it's so fantasy like! Good job.

I've read the 1st chapter and part of the 2nd, and as someone said, it really is easy to follow. Looks promising, and that hooded guy (vilain?) with the blue sword is super cool.
Do you have the whole story plan laid out or you make up the story as it goes?

[caparo]

Thanks to both of you for the feedback!

I'm glad that both of you found it a smooth read. To be honest, when writing this, I was really insecure about whether or not I've done enough to make it an enjoyable reading experience. There were many things I had wanted to include, but, upon review, those things could be revealed slowly throughout the later chapters.

@gamerbaki

It's interesting that you drew similarities between Middle Ages stories and the names of my characters. I'm not well versed in Middle Ages lore and what I do know of it comes from movies and video games. (note to self: do more research regarding the Middle Ages)

Regarding Arthur the wannabe hero, what better name is there for a wannabe hero than the name of an actual hero? The name itself would embody the heroic aspirations that character strives to achieve.

Well, at least that's how I'd like to think about it. In all honesty, I simply wanted my protagonist to have a heroic-sounding name and Arthur sounded like a nice name to have. Leonhart isn't exactly the same as Lionheart, but it sounds heroic enough.

@Shiratori

So you've noticed! I've always enjoyed the fantasy genre and that was my main inspiration for the map design.

I do have a general plan for the story. There are certain events I have planned and I have a solid idea of how these events should play out, but that's only it. A plan.

Even if I know where I want my story to go, I am unsure about the route to take to get there. It is like having a map that shows your current location and the location of your destination, but not the paths that you could take or even any geographical information about the area. It is like being stranded in a jungle and all the guidance you have is two dots on an otherwise blank map. So either I somehow manage to stumble across the destination, or I may be forever doomed to wander around in this literary jungle. Who knows, maybe I'll come across something even better than the original plan.

[Calculatrix]

Even if I know where I want my story to go, I am unsure about the route to take to get there. It is like having a map that shows your current location and the location of your destination, but not the paths that you could take or even any geographical information about the area. It is like being stranded in a jungle and all the guidance you have is two dots on an otherwise blank map. So either I somehow manage to stumble across the destination, or I may be forever doomed to wander around in this literary jungle. Who knows, maybe I'll come across something even better than the original plan.

It's the same for me, too. I haven't really planned out my whole story, but I know how I want it to end. I'm just kind of making stuff up as I go, although I do have a rough picture of what I'm writing and what I'm trying to get to. But I guess that's what makes it fun for me. I'm getting new ideas every day, sometimes even better than my old ones. Sometimes it's better to just write and not plan everything out, and sometimes it's better not to. Just personal preference though. Looking forward to the next chapter.

[Shiratori]

As for me, I had almost everything planned beforehand. However, I changed a lot as I wrote it, because the characters kind of got a life of their own and so the story flowed really well and ended up slightly different and much bigger.
But in the beginning, I kind of new what scenes I wanted to include. They just got slightly different and out of order in the end product. And I even changed the end too

But it's good that you know where it is headed. b

It looks like your story will be very long, but don't give up. You have to reach the end, definitely. Good luck!

[caparo]

Sometimes it's better to just write and not plan everything out, and sometimes it's better not to.

Indeed. There were times where new ideas would pop up that doesn't fit into the original plan. But you wouldn't really know if the end result would be better or worse until you had actually walked down the newly revealed path. It is like a gamble of sorts. Taking the risk with a new idea may eventually pay off or it may be a dud.

I kind of new what scenes I wanted to include. They just got slightly different and out of order in the end product. And I even changed the end too

Lol I understand

It looks like your story will be very long, but don't give up. You have to reach the end, definitely. Good luck!

Thanks for the encouragement! As this is my first serious attempt at writing fiction, I intend to keep going until the end.


For the next chapter, I'm currently playing around with a few different ideas. Wow, taking the first step into the literary jungle is scary. Who knows where it will end up. I need to think about this carefully ..... ah, who cares, lets just write and see where it ends up

[gamerbaki]

I agree on what the other said.

Just don't give up and try to reach the end of the story.

That is one of the important asset a writer should have.

[caparo]

Chapter 3

(Re-writing in progress)

Part 1 complete

Part 1

Spoiler! :

The Saint's Festival. From the aristocrats to the criminals, from the young to the elderly, there was not a soul who does not know about it. It was a day to both celebrate mankind's day of triumph as well as to commemorate Saint Elemia's noble sacrifice.

It was the most joyous time of the year. In the wealthy city of Rofam, in a north western province of Lugovia kingdom, the central plaza was more lively than ever before. There were several wooden stalls arranged in neat circular formations around a large statue of Elemia in the center. Both farmers and merchants happily interacted with the city's inhabitants regardless of the differences in social status. Near the statue, children listened with rapt attention as a minstrel retold an embellished tale of Elemia's heroics while workers prepared a stage for the evening celebrations.

However not everyone was in a celebratory mood. Grim faced soldiers methodically patrolled the plaza. Their eyes quickly darted around, alert for any signs of trouble.

But there was a pair of soldiers who seemed relatively carefree. Followed by a young female cleric, the two men steadily waded through the crowd towards the other side of the plaza.

If anyone were to give them a cursory glance, there would appear to be nothing remarkable about them. Like the other soldiers, swords in sturdy scabbards hung at their sides while their steel cuirass gleamed as it reflected the afternoon sunlight. But under closer examination, you could barely see hints of red blood that had stained the black haired soldier's orange clothing.

Their destination was a large military compound located a little distance away from the plaza. Here, instead of the joyous bustling of the plaza, there was a sense of urgency in the air.

As they approached, scouts on horseback rushed out at top speed almost knocking them over. Inside, many more horses were being saddled up while their riders hastily checked their equipment.

Slightly confused about the developments, the three new arrivals made their way towards a tall woman who was giving orders to a group of officers. Her shoulder length red hair stood out like a bonfire in the night.

"... and keep an eye on the Xadorian scouts on the border. If they try anything, take any action as you deem appropriate."

"Yes ma'am!" One of the officers saluted before she departed on horseback accompanied by the cavalry who had just finished their preparations.

"Lieutenant Taylor, you will remain in charge of the hunt for the arsonist."

Taylor, a distressed man in his mid thirties, seem horrified at his assigned task.

"But commander! Surely you knew of what happened in Darin? It's impossible to subdue that monster!!!"

"Not to worry. You will be glad to hear this: the Order have finally assigned a group to help us. I hear they have reached the city already."

In the blink of an eye, Taylor's distraught expression transformed into an eager grin.

"Hehehe, with the Order's support I will finally avenge my men!"

Seemingly satisfied at Taylor's renewed confidence, the commander addressed the other officers.

"The rest of you will follow me. Gather the troops and prepare for departure."

"Yes ma'am!"

As the officers dispersed, the commander directed her attention towards the approaching trio.

"Edward. You are late."

"Sorry, sorry," the brown haired soldier frivolously responded.

...

Edward startled to attention, crumbling under the woman's fierce glare.

"Commander Valeria! We have successfully retrieved Arthur!"

"... And?"

"You were right; the church near Breen village was also targeted and destroyed."

"Tell me something I didn't know," Valeria sighed.

"Arthur was stabbed in the chest ... and he's been unusually meek ever since."

"Edward, I know I allowed you to use force but you've gone too far this time."

"N-no. It wasn't me! Arthur was already wounded when we found him!" Edward panicked, instinctively stepping back while waving his hands in denial.

"That was a joke," Valeria stated with a deadpanned expression.

...

"Ahem."

With a sudden change in tone, Valeria shot an intense glare at the black haired soldier.

"Arthur. I'm disappointed in you. Ignoring my orders, rushing out on your own, if Rachel wasn't sent to heal you I'm certain you would be dead by now."

"Umm, but I didn't ..." the female cleric began to speak timidly.

"Regardless of the reason," Valeria continued on despite Rachel's feeble interjection. "Deserting your post while on duty is tantamount to insubordination."

Valeria heaved a sigh. There was once a time when Arthur held much promise. Judging by his skills alone, Valeria could see him eventually developing into an excellent knight. His military career looked bright. But his unruly personality made him unsuitable for promotion.

Valeria paused as she mentally prepared herself for Arthur's usual outbursts. Earlier in the day, Arthur had dashed off when a messenger reported that the criminal was sighted near Breen. If she remembered correctly, supposedly Arthur's childhood home was the church near that village.

But contrary to her past experiences when dealing with Arthur, Valeria was surprised at Arthur's reaction, or more precisely, at Arthur's lack of a reaction. The slight furrow in his brows as he blankly stared back at her was certainly not what she had expected.

"... Commander?" Edward asked tentatively.

Valeria recomposed her poker face in the blink of an eye. Not good, she almost forgot about the matter at hand.

"At any rate, a hooded figure had been seen within the city walls. It is most likely the same criminal who attacked the churches at Darin and just recently near Breen. The city garrison is combing the entire city looking for him right now."

"How did he enter the city?" Rachel asked. Then a thought occurred to her. "No, it couldn't be..."

"All the gate guards are alive and accounted for." Valeria reassured her. "As unlikely as it may be, it is possible that the criminal have climbed over the walls somehow. What is certain, though, is that the criminal will target the Rofam regional church."

"!!! ... Sorry Edward. I, I have to go," Rachel stammered before she ran away.

"Wait!" Edward shouted. But Rachel was already out of sight.

"No matter. You can inform her later," said Valeria.

"Commander, what is going on?" Edward asked while glancing at the rows of horsemen preparing for departure.

"A search and rescue mission. Your father, Duke Lehanst, has gone missing."

"WHAT? How?!?"

"He disappeared while returning from the capital. Bandits were seen in the area so it is likely that - "

"Nonsense! Father and his entourage could not be bested by mere bandits!"

"Edward. Calm down." Valeria commanded in a steely tone.

"Good." Valeria continued. "Lieutenant Taylor will be in charge during my absence. You and Arthur are to assist him in apprehending the criminal."

"But commander! Let me go with you! My father needs my help!"

"Enough. You will stay here."

Tension hung in the air as Edward and Valeria glared at each other. It was Edward who broke the silence first.

"Why? Why do I only get the easy tasks? Why am I always kept out of harm's way? Is it because I'm the son of a duke? Is that it?"

At Edward's accusation, Valeria found herself unable to look Edward in the eye.

"I am a soldier. I didn't sign up for special treatment," Edward said. "Please, commander. Let me prove myself."

" Haaaaah," Valeria relented. "Very well. For now you can borrow a horse from the stable master."

"Yes ma'am! Thank you ma'am!" Edward saluted and Valeria responded in kind.

After watching Edward leaving towards the stables, Valeria shifted her attention to Arthur. Something felt different about him now compared with his conduct earlier in the day.

"I'm surprised. I didn't expect you to accept it so easily."

"...Whatever do you mean? er, commander?" Arthur hesitantly asked.

"Rescuing a duke can be a glorious achievement. One worthy of boasting about. Are you really fine with sitting back while others gain the glory?"

"I see."

Arthur frowned, apparently deep in thought. Then he spoke up:

"But it is commander's orders. As I am a soldier, I must adhere to it. And there is nothing to complain about regarding commander's orders."

Arthur, the proud maverick and wannabe hero, is actually being obedient? It seemed too good to be true. Sure, Arthur's unruliness had irked Valeria to no end and, sure, how she had wished that Arthur would stop causing her headaches, but this sudden behavioral change unsettled her more than it reassured her.

"Commander! We are ready to leave on your orders."

Valeria's thoughts were interrupted by a male officer on horseback. Behind him were soldiers on horseback all neatly lined up with the other officers leading their respective columns. Edward could be seen on a chestnut mare among their ranks. Valeria's own horse approached and stopped beside her.

"Good."

"Lieutenant Taylor should be at the Rofam regional church. Meet up with him there," Valeria instructed Arthur after mounting her steed.

"Let's go."

At her signal, the mass of cavalry galloped past Arthur, leaving him standing alone in a wide courtyard.

[caparo]

I've decided to re-write chapter 3. I felt that the current version didn't deliver well enough story-wise, and the narrative needed a lot more work.

30/9 Update: part 1 complete

28/10 Update: part 2 complete (see next post)

[gamerbaki]

Finally! An update!

I just skimmed the latter chapter and it seems that the intensity of the story is starting to rise at this point.

Gotta make some intensive reading on it once I got home from school.

[caparo]

Chapter 3 Part 2

Edit: Changed Sigurd's name to Sigmund.

Spoiler! :

"Why are we on duty today of all days," a disgruntled voice complained.

"Look on the bright side. At least we are getting paid extra for this," another voice replied trying to sound encouraging.

"But working during the Saint's festival? This is torture! Everyone else is having fun out there! Damn Valeria that slave driver."

"It can't be helped with everything that had been going on."

"I 'respectfully' disagree .... Hey. Isn't that? That's Arthur, you know, that guy, right?"

"Y, yeah. Now shut up and don't say anything that might provoke him."

Arthur strode past another pair of patrolling soldiers who warily kept their distance from him. He felt that he was disliked. No, that's not quite right. From how the soldiers eyed him with a mixture of caution and anxiety, it was as if they expected him to suddenly snap and lash out at the slightest disturbance.

Why are they treating him this way? If only he knew then maybe he could attempt to improve his reputation.

Now that he thought about it, with the exception of Edward, only the soldiers treated him that way. The commoners didn't care, and the quartermaster seemed nice enough.

Indeed, Arthur had visited the quartermaster a short time ago. He knew he should have been going to assist Lieutenant Taylor, but the thin piercing hole in his armor persistently irritated him.

From a distance it would look like a large prominent scratch mark but Arthur had already deduced that something extremely sharp had pierced through his cuirass. The dried blood underneath proved it although he had no recollection of having suffered such a wound.

Its very existence was a hateful blemish on his aptitude to be a hero. A hero must always maintain their equipment in perfect condition. A hero must ... wait a minute, when had he ever desired to become a hero? Hmm. Nevertheless, that hateful blemish must be eliminated at all costs!

To the left of the courtyard was the barracks. It was practically deserted except for a bald well-built man who appeared to be the quartermaster. The things he said were intriguing. Such as how people should treat their equipment better, how Arthur was the only one who truly cared about his equipment and that everyone should follow Arthur's shining example.

The kind quartermaster generously provided Arthur with a complete set of new clothes and equipment, which was more than what Arthur originally wanted. The man seemed nice enough. But thinking back on Edward's earlier joke of how Arthur spent so much time polishing his equipment that he should have married it, Arthur considered the possibility that maybe he and the quartermaster are the abnormal ones.

Up till now, Arthur's interactions had slowly provided clues as to what kind of person he was. But despite that stimulus, his memories stubbornly refused to come out of the hazy depths in his mind. Still, the fact remains that he seemed to have an unsavory reputation among the regular soldiers.

Arthur ignored another pair of soldiers as they skirted around him. By now he had almost reached his destination - a well maintained church whose large size overshadowed the surrounding houses.

Oh?

There seems to be a commotion in front of the steps leading up to the church's wide doors. A group of orange-clothed soldiers stood back as their leader, who appeared to be Lieutenant Taylor, argued with a young man and woman.

But that was not what had caught Arthur's attention. Arthur barely saw the flicker of movement as a shadow quickly moved from behind a nearby house dashing towards the church. Very suspicious, sneaking around like that. Could it be the criminal that Commander Valeria was talking about? With rising anxiety, Arthur hastened his steps.

As Arthur approached, he managed to hear the argument in progress.

"How dare you! Even if you are heroes from the Order of Elemia, you have no right to look down on us!" Lieutenant Taylor shouted.

"Hmph. I merely stated the truth," said the woman. Her shoulder length reddish brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. "You lot failed to identify, much less apprehend, one single person. And you expect us to follow your leadership? Hah!"

"Exactly what my sister said. Now, be good little boys and girls and let the real adults take charge," a condescending male voice followed suit. He had prominently spiky maroon hair. He seemed to be the younger of the two.

Lieutenant Taylor could only gnash his teeth and clench his fists in anger, apparently unable to refute the harsh truth.

Hushed complaints broke out among the soldiers.

"Who do they think they are, calling us useless."

"I'm not useless! I can fight! ... but only if I have to ..."

"How rude. I can't believe these two are actually heroes."

"They're still better than you - Ouch! What was that for?"

"Shut up you cheeky little brat."

"Um, I don't want to alarm anyone but, um, that guy, is coming towards us."

"It - it's him!"

"What? Really? Why now?"

"Hehehe. I can't wait. He'll immediately go into berserker rage if these two call him useless. I guarantee it."

"They don't have to try. With their condescending attitude, they'll provoke Arthur no matter what they say."

"Oh man. This is going to get nasty."

"Actually, I'm kind of excited."

"Me too!"

I don't know what's going on, but their expectant looks are scaring me, Arthur thought as the soldiers turned in unison towards him, their eyes glistening with anticipation.

"And what do we have here? Another one of you failures?" the woman scorned at Arthur's arrival.

Unfamiliar anger flared up at the fringes of Arthur's consciousness. Arthur managed to repress it, although just barely.

"You can stay in the back with the rest of your useless ilk." the man sneered.

Arthur's mind reeled as the rogue emotion suddenly surged forth with renewed strength. It expanded, seizing parts of his mind one by one until it threatened to overwhelm him entirely.

W-what..?

Arthur felt it as the emotion engulfed him. Intense, burning rage. They insulted him. Called him useless. A failure. This is absolutely unforgivable. He could not let anyone doubt his heroic aptitude. The mighty heroic Arthur could not, will not, and shall not take such insults without a fight.

He felt his right hand impulsively reach towards his sword as his mouth snarled at the fools who dared to insult him.

No! Stop! Arthur tried desperately to stop his hand as it inched closer and closer to the hilt of his sword. His hand flinched for a moment as the uncontrollable emotion recoiled from Arthur's attempt to regain control.

"Oho? You wanna duel?" the man asked eagerly while reaching for the greatsword on his back.

"Now, now, Sigmund. Don't hurt him too badly."

"You worry too much, Sareva. I know my own strength."

"How conceited! Does he really think he can defeat me?" Arthur felt the emotion yell as his hand inexorably drew his steel sword from its simple leather scabbard.

But Arthur felt the emotion falter at the sight of his adversary's unsheathed greatsword, which was a golden looking claymore with a large, intimidating blade that seemed to glow.

Seizing the opportunity, Arthur strained all of his mental capacity to reclaim control of his body. As Arthur pushed back against the rogue emotion, he felt parts of it disintegrate and merge with his own thoughts.

'Is it really an orichalcum sword? And magically enhanced too, judging from its faint inner glow. It must be worth a fortune. Truly a weapon that is worthy of a hero.'

Arthur felt the emotion's rage subside only to be replaced with jealousy. The jealousy intensified as his eyes examined the man's armor in detail. 'Orichalcum plate armor, orichalcum gauntlets, orichalcum greaves, orichalcum everything! He even has an embroidered red cape!'

Aside from the lack of a helmet, the man does indeed look like a mythical hero in shining armor. Arthur wasn't sure what this orichalcum is, but it seemed to be a high grade material. He thought steel was the highest quality metal but apparently that was no longer true.

The woman beside him was similarly equipped but, instead of a golden greatsword, her knight's shield and one-handed sword was made from a silvery metal which the emotion recognized as mithril, apparently another expensive high grade material on par with orichalcum.

"Arthur! What are you doing?" hissed lieutenant Taylor. "Do you seriously intend to antagonize the Order against us?"

"It's fine, lieutenant. This is nothing more than a friendly duel," Sigmund smirked.

"Just to be clear, Arthur's actions are entirely independent. We bear no responsibility for any consequences that may result from his behavior. Is that fine?"

"Yes, yes, lieutenant. Even in the unlikely case of me being wounded, I won't hold it against you."

"Thank you for your understanding, Sir Sigmund."

With a complacent smile, Taylor bowed towards Sigmund before retreating to a safe distance.

Sigmund adjusted his stance as redirected his attention at Arthur.

"Well then. Shall we start?"

This is no time for a duel! They don't seem to be aware of the shadowy figure infiltrating the church a few minutes ago. I must raise the alarm.

But another thought interrupted him as he was about to speak.

'And back down from a duel? NEVER!!!'

That interference again. That feeling of losing control.

His mouth slowly formed the words: "Let the duel begin."

Oh, how did I ever get into this mess? 'He insulted me.' Really, is that all? Am I so childish to be provoked by a simple insult? 'He doubted my skills. I absolutely cannot allow anyone to question my abilities. I must teach him a lesson.' Haah, seriously, I never knew I was so egocentric.

With a savage grin, Sigmund raised his orichalcum claymore. Then suddenly he dashed forward while slashing downwards, which Arthur hastily blocked.

CLANG! Such strength! Arthur's arm trembled at the enormous pressure exerted on his sword. Despite resisting with all his might, Arthur's steel sword was being pushed back little by little.

Unable to handle the pressure, Arthur jumped back a few paces. His arm became numb from blocking Sigmund's attack. To his surprise, that initial blow had caused small cracks to appear on his sword which was now slightly bent at the point of contact.

"Wow! What incredible power!"

"As expected of a hero."

"And here I thought Arthur would show us his almighty skills."

"But the difference in weapon quality cannot be ignored."

"Orichalcum versus steel? The result was obvious right from the start."

"Tch." Sigmund made a displeased sound as he addressed the murmuring soldiers. "Are you failures saying the duel was unfair? That I couldn't beat him if we were using the same type of weapons? Fine. Give both of us your steel swords so we can continue the duel."

Can I admit defeat already? 'NEVER!!!' But he still has his orichalcum armor ... ... 'Never give up! Never surrender!' ... Sigh ...

But before anyone could volunteer their swords to either of them, the ground trembled as a rumbling sound could be heard coming from within the church.

Sigmund's expression immediately turned serious as he shared a glance at Sareva, who nodded back.

"It has begun."

The soldiers shared a confused look with each other.

"Sir Sigmund, what exactly has begun?" asked lieutenant Taylor.

"You will know soon enough. Follow me."

Amazing. He naturally took over command from the lieutenant, Arthur thought as he joined the soldiers in following the two heroes up the front stairs and into the church.

There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the church's interior. There were some wooden benches, colorful glass windows, an altar and at the back was a statue of a beautiful long haired woman, which the plaque identified as a statue of Elemia. It appeared to be a smaller version of the statue in the central plaza.

Sigmund led everyone to a door on the far left side of the statue, behind which was a staircase leading downwards.

Now they are hurrying through an underground passageway. Their path was illuminated by small glowing orbs that were set into the walls at regular intervals.

A high pitched scream pierced the air, causing the hair on Arthur's neck to stand up. The two heroes broke into a run, this time Sareva was in the lead with her mithril shield and sword in hand. Another scream. A flash of light can be seen at the end of the passageway. Then another scream.

Panting for breath, Arthur emerged from the passageway into an abnormally spacious basement. Surprisingly, while the soldiers looked out of breath, the two heroes didn't break a sweat. They simply stared at the scene in front of them.

Arthur followed their gaze, and saw a group of priestesses surrounding a robed figure whose face cannot be seen underneath its hood. Many priestesses lie unconscious on the stone floor while the few remaining ones appeared to be on the verge of collapse. To Arthur's surprise, Rachel was among the few clerics tending to the unconscious priestesses.

"It appears you need our help after all, head priestess Catherine," Sareva said to a wounded blue haired priestess.

"Haha ... I ... underestimated ... but ... at least ... the plan ... worked ... now ... he ... has ... nowhere ... to run ..."

"You've done well," Sigmund said. "Leave the rest to us."

"No ... I can ... still fight."

"... Don't push yourself too hard. Lieutenant! You lot shall protect the clerics."

Although I'm not keen on following orders from that insufferable prick, it sounds safer than fighting that hooded figure.

One quick glance showed hints about the extent of its power. Judging from their formation, it looks like the priestesses tried to bind it with some kind of advanced magic. But the result of their efforts was evident in the multitude of staffs lying scattered about with their orbs shattered into little fragments. It's terrifying, considering that even the smaller crystal orbs require considerable effort to break as they won't even crack if you deliberately throw it against a stone surface.

While Arthur and the soldiers formed a wall around the clerics, the heroes moved into battle formation with Sareva at the front, Sigmund to her left and the injured head priestess at the back.

update: I have a draft of the next part but its not good enough. Am currently in the process of rewriting it.


Update 2: the biggest obstacle right now, and the reason why I'm rewriting the next part, is how to describe high level combat in a way that can be understood when all/most of the combat and magic system had yet to be shown. I'm having second thoughts at jumping straight into a boss fight before even introducing the tutorial.