Chapter 55: Ch. 55 – A Battle of Attrition

The next three days flew by as all of us worked on setting up our defenses. I was in charge of building the castle and the road that led up to it since it was my master plan. Lexa went about the forest, depositing hydrazine all throughout, while Raven and Echo set up mines, bombs, and other nasty surprises throughout the forest.

The castle was a piece of art when I was done with it, even if it was mostly an empty shell since I was limited on time and need. The walls were real and died into the forest a few thousand feet from the only opening, which was on the main road and making it an obvious challenge. On top of the gateway, I made a watch tower where Echo would be stationed with her rifle with a pole that she could slide down if she needed to come help us. Raven wanted the ability to help us, but she also feared being used again by Iseto, so I also built a crow's nest for her that would lock her up, but with a limited view of the surroundings. She had a sniper rifle, built mostly out of the metal that I had created, and a stock of ammunition and food. Whether it was hers or Kane's idea, she never told me, but there were plenty of bullets for her gun.

Inside the castle, we all agreed that it should be minimal since we expected to be dead if they made it that far. I made two separate bedrooms in opposite corners and then a makeshift kitchen and sitting area in the very center of the large space. The outside of the castle looked like a typical medieval keep with round towers at the corners that stood about a hundred feet tall, so that it could be seen from far away. I topped the keep with a large statue that was in the shape of the Heda's symbol, as a declaration of our challenge to him.

Technically, it was the fourth day since it was after midnight, and I could not sleep. It was hard when I knew that I would be fighting a giant force with just three other people. True, there is no one else that I would rather have at my side, but that didn't make the numbers that we were facing any less, nor remove the weight of what we were committing to by fighting his army.

The drones placed Iseto's army less than half a day's march from us when we checked during dinner, so everyone else was trying to rest. Raven was asleep on my chest after I had thoroughly worn her out, but unfortunately, my stamina was two to three times hers. Since I did not want to wake her, I practiced my Shadow Limb spell, bending the darkness to turn the pages of a book that I was reading by channeling a thin amount of mana into my eyes.

Dark Vision was, technically, another spell that I should gain from defeating a greater spirit, but I had discovered a method to emulate it through some trial and error. After Katye had said that she could not sense Shadow mana, I realized that she probably had stuck too much to the story and had not tried to replicate the skills in the book on her own. I had told her about my discovery, but since she could not manipulate natural Shadow mana, she was limited on Shadow mana unless she entered the Shadow Realm while I could slowly refill my personal reserve. I knew that there had to be a way to change my personal mana into the various elements, since that's pretty much what I did when I conjured flames. My pure mana created the spark then I focused my mana into the Fire element of whatever spell I was casting, so I could follow a similar idea when replicating different spells, but I had yet to be successful so far.

Raven started to stir a little after dawn as light filtered in through the high windows of the castle. I ran my fingers through her hair, gently easing her awake, as she instinctually curled into me. She opened her eyes and smiled at me.

"Good morning," she said after a quick peck.

"It always is when it starts with you in my arms," I replied.

She gave me a smirk and retorted, "Charmer."

"Do you want me to stop?" I asked with a teasing smile.

"Never," she whispered before sealing my lips with hers.

We got out of bed a short time later and got dressed. Lexa and Echo were already up, and Lexa was cooking. Over the past few days, she had revealed that she was a talented chef by turning our bland rations into delicious meals. The three of us had proven to be disasters in the kitchen, so no one argued when she banned us from helping aside from the occasional chopping.

There was a strange atmosphere between all of us as we went through our morning routine, but the root cause was easy enough to guess. Reports from the drones said that the army was already on the move, so it was only a matter of hours before they would be marching through our blockade. This was just the calm before the storm, and we could all feel it. There was nothing more that we could do or prepare at this point, so we just sat around in silence while we waited to sense his approach.

An hour or so before midday, both Lexa's and my head turned towards the southwest at the same time. Raven noticed my reaction, of course, as did Echo notice Lexa's since they were on the other side of the main space. I nodded my head to her unasked question, and she sighed before we stood up.

"I'm going to move Raven into position. I'll be back in a few minutes," I said to Lexa and Echo.

They both gave me a nod, so I activated both my Shadow Skin and Void Walk spells, drawing Raven into the Shadow Realm as I stepped into a nearby shadow. The figures of Lexa and Echo changed to a yellow glow and a blue one which was Lexa since she was a Naru Darc as well. Raven's appearance was similar to mine since she was physically in the realm, her body dyed jet black, but over her heart, where I had drawn my symbol, was glowing blue. As long as we stayed touching, my Shadow powers would protect her, and I could move her just as easily as I moved myself.

Holding hands was enough, but I took it a step further, picking her up into a princess carry. I dashed out of the castle, ignoring the walls, then leapt into the air as I used my Shadow mana to boost my jump enough to let me land on top of the walls. Since I knew that it was uncomfortable for most people to enter this place, I rushed along the eastern wall then jumped into the crow's nest tower that I had made for her.

Stepping out of the shadows, we were in her cell of sorts. I had made it as comfortable and functional as I could. It had a platform with soft dirt and a sheet over that as a makeshift bed and several packs of rations and bottles of water. There was a large window that would give her a big view of the expected battlefield, but it cut off about a dozen or two feet from the gateway where Lexa and I would be fighting. Her rifle was hanging on the wall, and I had made shelves to hold all of the ammunition that we had brought.

"You don't have to help, you know. You could just sit up here and try to ignore the fight. If I take your rifle with me, Echo won't have to keep chiming in your ear every five minutes to make sure that you are still unaffected," I tempted as I placed her gently on the makeshift bed.

"You know that I won't, so why ask?" she retorted.

"Because... I don't want you to think of me as a monster," I replied, gently rubbing her cheek with my fingers.

"I never will, Rebecca. I know you... I know your heart. You are only doing what you need to, to ensure that everyone is safe."

I sighed internally since I did not want to ruin what could be my last minutes with Raven. This would not be an easy or simple fight. Iseto had brought an army of innocent people and turned them into an angry mob that no one else could hope to control. There might have been a better solution to handle this mess, but Lexa and I had committed to these decisions, so second guessing them now would only curse us later down the road.

"So, after this, and when the world ends..." I said with a light chuckle as I sat down next to her. "We'll finally have the chance to settle down for quite some time. Are you sure that you'll be able to handle living with just me, Lexa, and Echo? Except from checking up on the bunkers once a month, it will pretty much be the three of us, unless Maddie ends up living with us, but I'm hoping that we'll stick with the plan to have her live with Clarke and Luna."

"I can always keep myself, and you, busy planning out the new city if you really prove to be that annoying," she teased then rested her head on my shoulder. "Nothing sounds more amazing."

"I agree," I replied after kissing the top of her head. "It will be nice to focus on what comforts my powers can provide aside from the violence. There are a few applications that you like, so there must be more tricks that I can figure out."

She elbowed me in the side, but I just chuckled at the weak attempt as she sat up.

"I love you, Raven," I said, looking into her eyes with a light smile on my face.

"I love you too, Rebecca," she sighed.

I ran my fingers through her hair then cupped her cheek. It was the first time that I would be set against impossible forces, but not the last. This was yet another memory that I would carry with me for the rest of my life and draw strength from. I kissed her with all of the passion that I could muster in case this truly was our last meeting.

"I'll be back when this is done," I promised.

"I'll be waiting," she returned.

I sighed, looking at her with affection, then activated my Shadow powers and slipped into the void. As bad as the temptation to stay with her, or run, called to me, I knew that I could not. This fight was more than just a test set by Tori. Iseto posed a true danger to those in the bunkers, the last of humanity on Earth. I would not be able to live with myself if I just abandoned them all now that my presence had, undoubtedly, caused his.

I made my way back to the castle keep, using significantly less mana this time. Lexa and Echo seemed to be having a moment, and despite likely sensing me, that did not stop Lexa. I ignored them and sat down to start meditating. I wanted to top off my reserves of Shadow mana since moving Raven had expended most of what I had. Thankfully, my heightened sense and the abundance of it in the Shadow Realm, I was able to recover what I had used in the matter of a few minutes.

When I had finished, I left the Shadow Realm next to where we stored our armor. Their gear was still on the racks, but I could already sense Lexa moving towards me from behind. With my mana fully integrated into my armor, it was only a matter of stirring the slumbering energy inside of it and having it equip itself to my body. By the time that they reached the corner, most of my gear was in place except for my Blessed Metal bracer which I was slowly bending into its proper place.

"Raven's all set?" Lexa asked as she neared.

"Yeah... don't forget to not pass the markers for long periods of time, just in case," I replied.

"Will do," she agreed with a nod of her head.

"I'm heading out... Good luck," I said with a light sigh. "I'm not holding back this time, so please don't judge me too harshly when this is done."

"We're in this together, for the rest of our lives," Lexa assured.

I gave her a weak smile then headed towards the exit of the keep. I was not in the mood for idle conversation and, while I knew Echo would be of a similar mindset, I was not entirely sure of Lexa. Her personality was certainly more outgoing than my own and the last minutes of peace that we had, I wanted to embrace.

I walked out through the main door which led directly towards the road that they were marching up. On the outside side of the main wall I had built two alcoves, which blocked the sunlight, so that they could be constant spots where we could slip in and out of the Shadow Realm. There were a dozen or so glass bottles inside that were filled with the last of the hydrazine which would help me maximize the effectiveness of my Fire spells, and a large barrel of water.

Looking down the road, I still could not see the approaching army, but I could sense it. I sat down with a sigh and pulled out my music player then started shuffling through the enormous library. Although I would likely ruin whatever song I picked, it was better than hearing the cries of pain that I was expecting with my twisted plan.

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As the stronger of the two of us, Lexa had let me make the strategy of how we would approach the fight. Echo and Raven would provide ranged support with their rifles while Lexa and I would be on the ground, doing the main fighting. Although Lexa was developing her elemental powers, they were still in the early stages that mine were when the Grounders attacked the dropship, so they would be of limited help. There were premade stone blades placed all over the walls that she could use, but because of that, she was restricted on how far she could move out and still be as effective. I, on the other hand, would be charging straight into their ranks, causing chaos and as much damage as I could before retreating back to the wall. I would be the one putting myself most at risk, but I would rather do it than have someone else take my place.

"Are you ready?" Lexa asked as she walked up, fully armored.

"As I'll ever be," I sighed, noticing the dark mass that was approaching from the far end of the road.

"I know we haven't had a lot of time together, but it's been great working with you. Maybe if we actually survive this, we can truly get to know each other and not just the title that we have been."

"I'd like that," I replied, standing up.

"Nou fir wamplei in, em bilaik stoda kom new soujon noumou. Do not fear death, for it is only the beginning of the next journey," Lexa said with a weak smile as she held out her arm towards me.

I clasped her arm and replied, "Well, there is no need to rush into our third life, so don't leave me yet."

"I don't plan on it."

We stood shoulder to shoulder in the gateway while we watched the army approach. None that we could see wore armor and they only carried swords, axes, and spears. When they crossed the thousand-foot mark, I gave Lexa a nod and she tapped her earpiece.

"Light it up," Lexa announced.

A moment later, a series of fiery explosions rang out from the woods all around us which spread out even further as the residual hydrazine ignited. Within a few minutes, the forests on both sides of the road were engulfed in flames. The army, though, seemed unbothered and kept marching at the same pace.

"They are mindless... Some might not have been frightened after surviving the missile strike, but to not even break stride, impossible," Lexa said.

"Then that just makes this easier," I sighed, putting in my headphones, and started playing 'Bodies' by Drowning Pool on repeat.

I drew my swords and walked over to my alcove, activating my Shadow Skin. I slipped into the Shadow Realm as soon as my foot crossed into the darkness and looked back at the army behind me. The yellow light of the mortal souls stood out in the black world, but as I raced towards them, I could see a faint red glow clinging to them which did not exist in the world where our Shadow powers originated from, but neither did mind magic, or possibly soul magic since this place was supposed to show a person's spirit.

Despite not physically being in the real world, the people reacted to my presence as those nearest to me abandoned their formation and tried to rush at me. I launched myself into the air, over their heads and opened the way back into the real world, using double the amount of mana as if I had used a proper shadow for my exit. Still, it was needed since I had been caught off-guard by the fact that they could sense me.

I swung my sword while also channeling my Wind Blade spell, sending it ahead of me into the crowd. The compressed blade of air spread out and sliced into the crowd, killing six instantly while another dozen or two were heavily injured before the invisible blade hit the ground. I rolled as I landed on the ground, knocking bodies out of the way, yet those that could move around me jumped in my direction. They waved their weapons with no care for those around them, charging in to do as much damage as they could to me, but it was their glowing red eyes that I would remember.

Standing up, I launched another Wind Blade ahead of me and then a third behind me once my feet were under me properly. The compressed air blade could cut through a single person and heavily injure someone behind them, yet they still kept coming. I threw out several more Wind Blade before I retreated into the Shadow Realm once again.

It was strange and unnerving to see the destruction around me in fading yellow glows. There was a spot in the center of the chest, near the heart, which seemed to be the last place for the glow to retreat, but right at that instant that it was extinguished, it would give off a faint blue pulse. Death was all around me, but I could not dwell on that now. Using my Shadow mana, I flew over the heads of those that were still alive and raced back to the alcove by the gate.

"You're not doing that," I announced as I stabbed my swords into the ground and then scooped up some water to splash over me.

"...You completely immobilized their left flank throughout the whole time that you were gone!" Lexa shouted while I pulled out my headphones.

"That's because they could sense me even when I was in the Shadow Realm!" I snapped, walking out into the light.

Lexa froze at the sight of me since I was dripping in blood. If I could see myself right now, I would understand why as I looked like an armored version of Blodreina, but I did not at the time, and even if I had, it was still an unflattering thought, so I took it badly, looking away with a huff.

She seemed to realize her mistake and started apologizing, "Rebecca, I'm sorry..."

"I don't need sympathy. I'm just telling you not to try it! Without a powerful Wind Blade, you're walking straight into an ambush," I said.

"Then what if I stayed in the Shadow Realm? As long as I stay out of their reach, their weapons can't hurt us without mana. It would give me the ability to slow down their movements, giving more time for Echo and Raven to use their guns to thin their numbers."

"Actually... that could work," I agreed, "but you can't leave the Shadow Realm near the army."

"I know."

"Alright, give me the earpiece. Radio waves don't penetrate the Shadow Realm and I'll be stepping into the real world regularly. If I point you towards the keep, we just need to regroup, but if I point towards the forests, you need to retreat with the others."

"Alright," Lexa agreed, passing over her earpiece.

I tapped the headset and said, "I've taken over the earpiece for Lexa. Iseto's power is allowing them to sense us when we are invisible, so Lexa will distract them while I engage them directly. Let me know if you see anything strange on their side."

"Understood," Echo replied.

"You're still okay, right?" Raven asked.

"Just used an eighth of my mana, no injuries... Love you."

"Love you too."

"I'll announce when I exit and re-enter the Shadow Realm, so keep an eye out. We're leaving now," I said before tapping the headset again.  Before I headed back into the alcove, I said, "Be careful, and keep your eyes on the horizon. We don't know what other tricks that Iseto has in store for us."

"You too," Lexa replied.

I nodded my head and grabbed several bottles before I slipped back into the Shadow Realm. Lexa joined me a moment later, but I did not wait for her and rushed ahead. Every moment that we were not fighting was a moment that the army was drawing closer to Raven and Echo.

As I ran, I drew in what Shadow mana I could, but it was difficult, and I got little for my troubles. Again, I forcefully exited the Shadow Realm in the air and sent a Wind Blade to open the path for me. I tossed out a bottle of hydrazine then destroyed it with the next Wind Blade, spreading the flammable liquid in that direction, then did the same thing behind me.

"I'm here," I announced through the headset as I conjured a ring of fire around me then pushed it outwards.

The hydrazine had nearly aerosolized when my attack hit it, so when my fire touched it, everything ignited in a roaring fire. Now, when I sent out Wind Blades, flames clung to them and spread the fire out further, yet more people kept rushing through the fire, ignoring their own pain.

"Holy shit!" Raven gasped.

"Arrow rain! Retreat!" Echo yelled into the mic.

I glanced upwards at the sky and saw a black mass arcing through the sky. I slipped into the Shadow Realm just before the arrows hit, and over fifty people were killed instantly with double that injured. It was clear that Iseto had no care for the lives of the army and that he was just wearing us down, but it did not matter. We were already on this path, and it was too late to jump ship now.

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