Chapter 25: Harem’s Armored Passion

Sven Falk – Az, Princedom of Kivoneth, The Strifelands of Zeutch

Metal thundered forward. The iron body hurtled at me, a brutal sword clutched in the animated statue’s hand. My eyes scanned across the room in a heartbeat, glimpsing strange monsters lurking in the background while a massive blog of slime undulated in the center of the room, a shape buried inside of it.

I couldn’t focus on that as the statue charged straight at me, face twisted in a mask of anger. A face I recognized.

“Scatter!” I snarled at my women as Prince Meinard charged at us. “Carsina, watch over Aingeal and Ava!” How was the bastard here already? We should have days before he arrived and—

“What happened to Master Theophil?” Carsina shouted behind me, her voice quivering with pain.

Prince Meinard reached me, his arm drew back. Sword slammed down at me. My new leather armor quivered. Shadows writhed around me as I flowed to the right. I moved with such speed and grace. My perception slowed to a crawl. The gray iron sword fell past me. I could follow its brutal progress. It moved like it swung through tar and—

The blade hit the stone floor.

Metal rang. Stone groaned. Chips of rocks exploded from the impact. He swung with enough force to shear through me despite how slow I perceived him moving. I shuddered as his head snapped to the left at me. His iron body creaked as his sword lashed out at me in a horizontal thrust.

Shadows dived down my wrist, forming the rapier of darkness while at the same time I ducked low. My armor gave me such mobility. Despite the death hurtling at me, I almost wanted to laugh in delight. It was like before I donned this armor, my body was wrapped up in iron chains, restraining my movements.

Now I was free.

The iron blade scythed over my head. I lunged my blade upward at Prince Meinard’s chest, a flowing blow of darkness. He was utterly open to attack. At my speed, Prince Meinard couldn’t even react to parry. He was still swinging as my rapier knifed at his chest. The shadowy point aimed right at his heart.

I struck.

My shadow blade bent and flexed. I felt the resistance in the grip. My blade didn’t penetrate his iron proxy at all. It didn’t even so much as scratch the surface. My exhilaration sank. I could flow like smoke, but my weapon couldn’t harm Prince Meinard.

“You corrupted my daughter!” howled Prince Meinard. His iron body groaned as he drew up his blade into a brutal swing at me.

Kora Falk

As Sven flowed beneath Prince Meinard’s attack, I stared in horror at the beige ooze writhing and convulsing. Inside of it was the shape of a thrashing man. Master Theophil. Carsina shouted in horror beside me as I stared at the silhouette of the old man thrashing in obvious pain.

“Save him, Ealaín!” I gasped, horror filling my soul. There were so many terrible things. Other monsters scuttled through the church. The women of my harem, my new wives, darted away from Sven, obeying his words. Nathalie and Greta, empowered by their new armor, didn’t flee away like they used to. Ava and Aingeal grabbed Carsina and dragged her down the hallway we just came from.

Ealaín charged forward.

My aoi si muse glowed as she rushed into battle. Weapons of light flashed into her hands. Her war hammer and ax had a graceful appearance to them, flowing with their own warm, golden hue. Her black skin appeared as negative space in the gaps of her shining accouterments. She became a living work of art as she rushed at the blob to save Theophil’s life.

I felt so helpless as Ealaín slammed her weapons down at the undulating blob. My hands went to my chest. I didn’t have any sort of weapons. I had no way to fight. To help save Theophil’s life. What could I do. My body shuddered. The amulet I wore around my neck brushed my hands.

I clutched it, squeezing the gem. All I could do was make illusions. I could paint something, but would that work against the blob? Did it even see? Could I use my dazing spell on him? Would it work on the thing? How did a massive blog of jelly see?

A twinge shivered through me. I had to do something.

Ealaín

My armor glowed brighter as I raised the two weapons of pulsing light. They felt weightless in my hands. What could I do with this armor? I felt it brimming with power. It held potential, but what could I do with it?

Could I save Theophil?

He thrashed inside the formless blog. I raised my weapons and swung hard, crying out. Shadows flashed around me as my weapons blazed brighter. It shed golden light across the blob, illuminating Theophil thrashing inside.

His body dissolved. The thing digested him.

My weapons landed against the blob. It slammed into the gelatinous surface. It rippled and jiggled like a bowl of jelly. I shuddered at the undulations. My skin crawled witnessing it. My weapons rebounded off of the elastic surface. The force made me stumble back.