Forged Destiny [Book 8: Ch. 11]

Crocea Mors hissed as she slid free of her scabbard. It was answer enough and Vernal tensed, eyes narrowing as she took in the weapon. Beside me, Yang fell into her own stance and tossed her hair back.

[...]

I glared up at her and shifted from a Blacksmith into a Swordmaster. The small pain in the back of my skull was worth the way her eyes widened. She recognised me now. How could she not?

"Shit," she hissed.

It was all she had time to say as I closed the distance with `Piercing Thrust`.

Vernal and I tumbled off the barrels and down into the Greycloaks, who reacted slowly to the sudden assault. By the time they'd realised they were under attack, their attention was on me, which let Yang slam a fist down and shatter the decking under her, sending out a spiralling crack that dropped six of them into the water below.

[...]

I didn't see any of that, too focused on driving Crocea Mors down against Vernal's curved blades, trying to split her head in two. I pressed down, resting all my weight on the sword. Even if she was a higher Level, she couldn't keep up with my A-Stat Strength. The blade inched lower.

Cursing, Vernal spat into my face, catching my eye. I hissed and faltered for a second, which was enough for her to roll and drive a knee into my side, dislodging me. Crocea Mors slammed into and through the decking. I had the presence of mind to roll in the other direction, tearing my weapon out the shattered wood as I did. Coming up, I saw both weapons hurtling in.

I stepped to the side and brought up my own to parry, then twisted back and tried to score a blow on her in turn. Vernal was faster than me. Almost as fast as Blake. She snaked back and then struck again, driving one weapon up under my guard and into my side, where it slipped past my breastplate and into the meat of my flank.

Past the pain, I managed to slam my elbow down and pin it against and into my side. Before she could draw back and gut me, I brought Crocea Mors down on her hand, forcing her to be the one to let go. She did so, content to still have one weapon that came around for my neck.

"Dividing Slash!" I roared, eyes blazing with light as my hands moved of their own volition. My sword cut into hers and shattered it immediately. Vernal gaped like a fish and nearly lost her head for it as I came back around. As it was, she stumbled back and dodged by a hair's breadth, then kicked back and drew a much smaller knife form her belt.

"The hell are you!?" she howled. "You're a Blacksmith! You're nothing!"

"I'm the man that's going to kill you," I said conversationally. Vernal was more powerful than I was but wasn't going to be able to fight me with that little thing. I stepped forward and brought Crocea Mors up.

"Fuck this." Vernal turned and ran.

I chased after her.

The attack was in full swing now, the ambush from behind having slammed into the back of the Greycloaks and pinning them down on the deck. The party guarding the docks was being pushed back, several thrown into the water and then killed just as the pirates had the day before. There was no easy escape for Vernal, but she cut back toward the path up the spire, heedless of the people in her way.

One pirate was brought down before he knew she was there, her knife plunging into his skull. She rode his body down, disarming him and flinging the man's sword back into my face. I swept my own up to deflect it and kept going, closing the distance if only because she had to stop to kill those in her way and I didn't. The Greycloaks were being pushed back. Individual quality didn't mean much when it was almost a thousand against one hundred, and when the hundred had been split up, ambushed and also attacked by several high-level Heroes.

Vernal attacked like a mad hurricane, slashing and striking out at anyone that got in her way, killing and maiming indiscriminately. At least twice she took down a Greycloak, stabbing them in the back and twisting their bodies so that they were facing me, forcing me to cut them down or push them aside. I closed the distance and caught her hood.

She slipped down and under, ditching the cloak and charging on, slipping under the weapons of two people locked in combat and breeching the lines. Free from distraction, Vernal was able to put her naturally higher Agility to good use, tearing away up the path.

"Damn it."

—Forged Destiny [Book 8: Ch. 11]