Fan Fiction ❯ The Seeking ❯ #2 Luminae's first war ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter #2Luminae's First War

It was dawn that day when they arrived. They had signed in and received their data scrolls by the time most of those who had already arrived had awoken. “They are getting lazy and our side will pay the cost for their softness.” Noltrekor said bitterly. “It is indeed that way but we shall do our best with what we have.” Said an unfamiliar voice.

A Otakura Elf was standing there beside them. More like Southern Barbarians with pointed ears when it came to muscle mass, this armored Elf was quite a sight in his Sylvan Samurai armor. Leaf green as her own with metal bands holding the larger plates together it covered all of the person before her without gaps or any vulnerable spots to be seen. The sword at his side made her own seem like a eating knife it was so long and broad. He had his helm off at the moment to display the head of long shimmering purple hair that was an Otakura's trademark.

“General.” Luminae greeted him automatically. She felt the power that the Eastern China/Japan alliance had invested in this inhabitant of The Seeking. It rolled across her skin and caressed her senses making her feel more alive and vital then she had in the past three days. “Hero Luminae isn't it? Welcome, and my thanks for bringing some competent people to the war.” She smiled at him and nodded before putting her own helmet into place. He did the same. Soon the first day of battle would begin and the time for chatter was over.

She was lost in the middle of a mass of the enemy when an arrow came squealing over her head and by slaying one of her opponents allowed her to make her way out. Noltrekor was already working over another group with his flaming arrow techniques by the time she reached the side of the boar slayer and the Berserker again. Nolvedros smiled radiantly as he brought down flaming death from above upon the same group that she had just escaped from. She shot him a grim smirk of satisfaction then mowed down a really inexperienced newbie before going back out again. All day it was like that. You saved your self, saved someone else, and then started over again mowing down the enemies that seemed to come at you without end.

It was starting towards dusk when Luminae saw the General in trouble about thirty feet to her left. “Rally on the General!” She screamed. If he was slain at any time during the conflict it would give the other team massive points towards their side winning the War. That Luminae was not going to allow. She had no interest in losing her first war. Using the Winter's moon blade she made her own inroad into the foes surrounding the General. She had her back to his and was making a pile of corpses around her by the time half an hour had gone by. By dark fall she had lead the group that had gathered to defend him out and back to camp. A horn sounded. Battle was ended for that day at least. She felt her cheek stinging and realized that the last foe she had slain had been damn close to cutting her right eye from her face.

Healer Meklahvan was treating the General by the time she had seen to everyone accepted thanks from an un-allied Sorcerer for pulling his fat out of the fire and returned to have the cut looked at. She waited patiently as the three deep gashes in his flesh were mended by healers power.

“All better general?” Meklahvan asked the Elf.

“Yea healer my thanks. Best deal with your allied one now. The blood covers her entire face from what I can see in the torch light.”

Luminae smiled at the general and sat on the camp stool he vacated for her in true gentlemanly fashion.

“It's going to scar. That fellow chopped you all the way down into the cheek bone I am afraid.” Meklahvan said softly . She smiled at him.

“No worries Allied one. A little bit of battle scarring will make me look like less of a newbie. I don't have any concerns when I am in your capable hands.”

He gave her a warm smile then passed two glowing fingers over the wound. She felt it burn and sting briefly before the pain and most likely the wound itself faded away.

“Wash your face dear that looks gross.” Hero Ciregan said as she stepped into the light of the healer's fire.

Several of her fingers were broken and she was holding her blade left handed. If Ciregan felt the urge to be armed she better follow her example. Luminae unsheathed her blade and stepped up beside the General.

“Assassins will come soon I think dear. Best keep an eye on that one for a while.”

Luminae nodded in acknowledgement and pushed the General ahead of her over towards her allied firepit.

They sat there through out the night and true to her grandmother's prediction she slew seven assassins herself and none got by her allied ones ether. By dawn's arrival they each had a hefty pile of black clad bodies with poisoned weapons accompanying them. They threw them with the rest of the enemy dead on to the enemy flesh pile. At about seven the next night someone would come and resurrect the dead. Then they would have to worry about assassins again. Such talent was expensive to train in The Seeking as it was in real life so they would not have had more then the one squadron of black clad fighters.

Ciregan joined her in the general's personal guard. After that and they had little trouble between them keeping off the ones who were trying so hard to gain points for their side in the War. Makina dashed in and out bringing with her the deadly wind techniques she had learned from the Wind God. These techniques were not forbidden as the others since they used her mother's own power to decimate her foes. Only the knowledge of how to shape it and aim it was a gift from her patron God. Having her was as good as having any thirty other warriors. It was then that Ferigore proved that he was equal to any thirty other Shamans himself.

He called forth beasts and what came was no ordinary creature. It was a whole pack of Dark Mythos. The beasts came surging forward and ate any enemy they found in their path. It was the first time during any Seeking War that the enemy had ever been routed through fear. They all ran and Luminae's allies gave chase not letting them escape their doom. Whether it was losing a head or limbs to the beasts or the warriors behind them it proved a disastrous day for the Western Chinese/India alliance.

Things went that way much of the time afterwards and Luminae's supplies were only down to half when they found the war to be over. The General thanked her then walked off into the sunset. He didn't even get the white charger such heroes disserved. The East Chinese really needed to spring for the extras. She composed a letter stating this fact and that if they did not begin to she would not fight for their side in future conflicts. That done she attached it to a stuffed Gore Crow. As it floated along on the breeze to deliver her letter she caught up to the general. Luminae gifted him with a wild rose bloom preserved in between two circles of glass that were held together by a brass ring. It was strung upon a long royal purple silk ribbon. And he ducked his head long enough to be bestowed with the impromptu honor.

“See you at the California Seeking Con?” She asked.

He nodded. “Definitely little Luminae. You may count on it.”

Then the general walked off and she turned back to find Ferigore. He and she started off towards the lands of Silks in Western Shingorra only about seventeen days walk away.

They had been on the road about eight days when one of the Assassins from the war caught up with them. He bowed low when they brandished their weapons at him.

“I mean no harm. I merely did what I was hired for as always. Please forgive this unworthy slime for his past transgressions and allow him to offer himself as a new ally."

Here was an Assassin offering to ally himself with them and such skills were indeed rare as gold winged Unicorns. She turned to ask Ferigore but the throat clearing of the one in question turned her back around.

“I will of course be allies with whomever you chose to be allies with Lady Luminae, but it is to you alone I offer the handclasp of friendship.”

She looked at him from every angle. After some thought Luminae decided that this would be a good investment in her own future ability to achieve in The Seeking.

“Take off the glove and gauntlet of nullifying friend. I will not ally myself with someone who does not reveal himself to me in equal fairness.” She told the Assassin.

Ferigore smirked at her and she smirked back.

“I'd do as she says friend. If I am not mistaken she killed you once before and a repeat might not be such a good idea this far from the temples of civilized clerics who could resurrect you.” Ferigore suggested.

The assassin's eyes crinkled at the corners under the mask as he smiled in good humor.

His bare hand coming into contact with her own made her gasp in shock and turn very, very red. Then the truth of him in the outside world showed itself over the truth of him in The Seeking and she smiled.

“Carnage in carnage out eh Ally Fujiro.” She whispered into his ear and smiled at his reaction. He had read her just as deeply and had obviously not suspected a teenaged girl child from the valley to be the base of the brave warrior he met during the War.

“Ally Ferigore this is Totsaji Ori of the ancient house of Fujiro. Ally Totsaji this is Ferigore. His family has been allied in long good standing with my own since the beginning of The Seeking.”

She introduced the two, then stepped back to allow the male strutting to commence. The two shook hands as two men meeting for the first time not as allies. Totsaji's gauntlet and glove were back in place but the friendly grip contest between the two males ended in a draw much to the surprise of the Assassin.

They reached Vai' Estabarra in Western Shingorra about two hours after dawn on the last day of her supplies. She congratulated herself on having thought so far ahead. Vai' Estabarra turned out to be Totsaji's home base while inside The Seeking. He greeted his neighbors and friends with ease and led them along to the residential areas of town. Here in a silk strewn apartment that he had earned for doing tasks for the Western Chinese government (including this last War) he told them to settle their things. That done they could then seek out the hilt of Mysteries that Luminae would need for her new sword.

“The hilt has been moved by the mysteries guild to a distant fortress. It would be prudent of us to scout carefully before going in. The guild is legendary for their setting of lethal traps.” Totsaji suggested. Ferigore was smiling. He did love a challenge and most who took the alliance handclasp from him came to know this first about him. He wanted to help Luminae a whole lot more then he had ever wanted anything else before. He didn't love her or anything but it was somehow critical that he help her out.

He did not trust this Totsaji in the least. He felt all self involved and slimy. Like a wily old sewer dwelling gator with only a few teeth left in his head. Totsaji's type always made careful plans so his victories would be easy to swallow. This made Ferigore more wary then anything else. What happened if he or Luminae was in a fix and it went against that self interest for Totsaji to save them? Deep trouble is what!

Luminae watched Ferigore glare at Totsaji with absolute outrage simmering under a veil of mistrust. Worry not Ally Ferigore. I no more trust that sneaky viper then I do the Serpent King. However he will come in handy at times. She sent directly into his mind. This caused him to shoot her a relieved grin before he continued on their latest march.

“If I do not curry the favor of a Divinity soon I might just have to invest in a horse.” Ferigore grumbled aloud.

“I second that motion Ally Ferigore. We would be there in one quarter the time. However I will wait and seek out the Wind maker later after I have achieved my first weapons upgrade. He does hand out a doozy of a quest to those who seek his favor. All the more fun for us.” Luminae teased lightly.

The three laughed and finished their days march in a better humor. Now that Ferigore knew what Ally Totsaji had known from their first handclasp. Which was that Totsaji had yet to prove his worth as greater then a poorly disguised foe, all would go better. Or at least Luminae hoped so.

Totsaji watched the moves of the young warrior with awe though he did not let her see this was what he was feeling. She swung her sword the same way she carried herself in everyday motions like walking or running, with absolute grace and poise that a child of her years should not have. Even the eastern groups had heard of Ciregan and her heroic offspring and son in law. Obviously the traits bred true more often then not. He was impressed and found that he was eager as well for this one to be legal so that he could have a try at seducing her. Still her bisexual Ally was going to be a problem. Maybe he would just offer to share! That would ether intrigue the boy or make him so repulsed that he would leave well enough alone.

Amused with his own cleverness Totsaji, who was at the time only sixteen himself, walked on confidently. He smiled in amusement as he watched the interactions of the two. Ferigore did not think that he loved Luminae. The boy was fooling himself but being fifteen was a time for those who did not slay for a living inside and outside the Seeking to be innocent, even if only for a few months longer. By the time the boy had seen sixteen he would know not to lie to himself or be proved a fool before his precious warrior Ally.

Luminae looked up at the fortress that rose above the trees of the dark woods of Shingorra. It was made of dark colored rock with ebony colored shingles on the roofs of the buildings. Guards could be seen trekking back and forth on pre designated routes. Such routes had holes always. There was nothing that a person designing such routes could do but try to make the duration of vulnerability the absolute shortest possible. This one had obviously only done a halfhearted job at shortening the length of time when ways in went unguarded. She saw Totsaji's eyes warm with amusement at whatever idiot had done the work. She smirked at him in the moonlight, knowing that the blessings of the dark god that he had thus far earned allowed him to see her as well as an eagle watching her in the noonday sun.

He grinned back though she merely got the impression of it across her mind. She could not see so very well in the dark as even her shamanic ally. Ally Ferigore had cast a dark light spell. What shrouded him in darkness to the eyes of others made a light that only he could see that illuminated his way like a very well made lamp.

She had instincts of a warrior to guide her though. She would not fall over anything nor would she run into a guard unexpectedly. Her hearing and smell and even her sense of taste were so heightened that they allowed her lower brain to automatically steer her clear of trouble.

It was exactly at the three month mark when she and her two allies made their way into the fortress. They were back outside again and running rather fast thereafter. In her hands Luminae held the hilt of mysteries, wound about with ebony cloth that had sat under it on the altar of mysteries.

The fire ballista started up soon thereafter but her senses heightened by the mysterious powers of the hilt she just dragged her friends out of the way of each ball of flaming tar before it landed. They didn't stop running for the first six hours. Then panting and wheezing they halted across the river that marked the boundary between ordinary Shingorra territory and Mysteries Shingorra lands. They had done it! The Hilt of Mysteries was hers and now all that remained were three more items before she could upgrade her sword.

The Ore of Greatness (admittedly a dumb name but it had the greatest potential when made into sword metals of staying strong and holding an edge for a great long time), The hide of a Vortex Dragon and the Golden cord of the Faytes. These last two would make a sheath that would allow the wielder of the Sword of Fayte to rest a little while the thing was sheathed. For heightened senses all the time could drive a person mad. Until that time she left the hilt in her own vault at the vault house.

The Ore was the greatest struggle to obtain. The Wild Dwarves of Kenniborne do not give up that which they mine to humans without a fight. All of her allies went with her both the group which she had been introduced to by Nolvedros and a few allies of Totsaji's that had decided that she was worth forging an alliance with made their way as stealthily as possible into the mines and raided an ore storage hut on the third underground level.

Three hundred angry dwarves doesn't sound like much does it? Well the sight is much more impressive then the phrase. Brandishing axes that easily weighed more then herself Ferigore and Totsaji combined, they came screaming at the warriors. It was then that the now three assassins of the group proved what worth they possessed in among men and women of much greater physical prowess.

Assassins in The Seeking learn to disappear as if they are not there at all. These three used their gifts to shift the group just a little sideways from Seeking reality into a sideways area of space time. This made them invisible, undetectable and not solid to the Dwarves or anything else in that reality, and thus very difficult to catch. The ground of the space time shift area was at a different angle then the mines and they climbed up through layers of earth up and up and up until they reached the surface of the land. Then the assassins shifted them back again.

That had been close but now they had the Ore. It was not only for her blade but also for a Assassin's weapon of some sort that Totsaji wished to have very much. The others were also intrigued by this and their was enough ore for all of the three to have this weapon plus her own blade to be made. Oshei Oyamitsu and Fhokei Ivashi, her newest allies paid attention very carefully to Totsaji as he told them in a version of ancient Japanese of the amazing properties of the weapon. “Going to need anything else to make it?” Luminae asked politely. Totsaji nodded and their next quest began.