Chapter 204 Incoming
[The girl's POV]
When Archer disappeared into the distance, Ella made her way to the wall, followed by the others.
Eleni was rushed home by the Royal Guard, who escorted her back to the Duke's mansion. Once the girls were on the wall, they all sat down and began talking.
"I've never heard of Frostholm. Where is it?" Hemera asked Ella, who looked at the elf with a friendly expression.
"It's in the far north of the Avalon Empire, where Archer and I come from. It used to be a thriving city and a major trading hub for the northern regions. However, about twenty years ago, three of the five northern kingdoms fell," Ella explained.
Hemera nodded, a flicker of recognition crossing her face. "The story reminds me of a city in the Lunaris Empire, located in the north."
She rummaged through her bag and eventually found what she was searching for a small notepad-like item. She started reading from it intently.
The other girls, excluding Nefertiti, smiled upon seeing the elf's focused expression while she read.
After a couple of minutes, Hemera looked up and continued speaking, disregarding the smiles and occasional disapproving glance she received from the pink-haired girl.
"There was a city named Argos. According to accounts, human-looking creatures emerged from a fog that descended from the mountains. The city had a population of 500,000, but only a few thousand managed to escape. It was also the last known location where my eldest brother, Pericles, vanished during a trip. Rumors suggest he was meeting his lover, who happened to be a Lunaris Princess."
She looked down with a melancholic expression before she continued, "The city fell 21 years ago. Ever since then, the Lunaris magic core separated the peninsula from the mainland, and now it is known as Erebusa Island."
Hemera was about to speak again when they were all captivated by a breathtaking sight.
The night sky transformed into a mesmerizing display of shimmering colors as the Aurora Borealis spell ignited, casting its radiant glow across the entire city.
Lights danced and twirled, creating the captivating battle of illumination with darkness. Nefertiti's voice broke the silence, filled with certainty, "That's definitely Archer's doing."
They watched in amazement as the spell unleashed its magical power, defying encroaching darkness.
The spell pushed back shadows, illuminating streets and buildings with captivating brilliance and shining brightly.
That's when Teuila called out as she looked over the palace walls. ''The creatures are running around the streets causing havoc.''
All the girls gathered at the wall, peering over its edge with wide eyes. Their gazes fixed on the chaotic scene unfolding below.
Rat-lings clashed with the valiant soldiers, their swords and spears clashing in a desperate struggle.
Black smoke billowed into the sky, creating an ominous haze that obscured the streets and made it hard to see anything.
For an hour, the battle raged on, with neither side gaining a decisive advantage. The sounds of combat echoed through the air, mingling with the cries of warriors and the screeches of the Rat-lings.
Just when it seemed like the fight would continue indefinitely, a low rumbling sound filled the air.
The ground shook beneath everyone's feet, and their eyes widened as they spotted tall figures charging through the streets.
Stone soldiers, tall and formidable, surged forward, their massive fists smashing into the creatures with tremendous force.
With each thunderous blow, Rat-lings, Blightborns, and Rat-Orges were toppled, their vicious onslaught countered by the immense strength of the golems.
The ground shook with each step as the golems unleashed their fury upon the enemy. The girls watched in disbelief.
Stone Wardens, stoic and unyielding, were a sight to behold as they battled the horde of creatures, their stone bodies withstanding the onslaught with unwavering resilience.
[Back to Archer]
When Archer cast Stone Warden, he was shocked by what appeared before him. However, he couldn't contain his laughter as the stone men began effortlessly slapping the Rat-lings around.
At that moment, an idea sparked within him, urging him to quickly open a portal and call out, "General!"
Standing on a random street, he observed with amusement as the stone men continued to overpower the Rat-lings without any difficulty.
But his laughter subsided when his gaze fell upon General Mohamet and a group of fully armed and armored dragon-kin warriors.
Approaching Archer with a broad smile, General Mohamet stopped in front of him and spoke, "Your Majesty, it's wonderful to see you again. How may we assist you?"
Archer still had to look up at the man he had met years ago and spent time with, and took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding.
"General, we need your help to defend Ravenna from the incoming swarm. These creatures won't be the last ones we encounter, and we need to prepare ourselves for future battles."
Mohamet's face mirrored Archer's seriousness as he nodded in agreement. "Your Majesty, you can count on us. We stand ready to fight alongside you and protect Ravenna from any threat."
Archer's eyes gleamed with gratitude as he expressed his thanks, "Thank you, General."
The dragon-kin quickly formed up behind him, aligning themselves in a neat column. He glanced at their formation and nodded with a smile as they started following him.
As he walked forward, Archer cast the Cosmic Sword spell, summoning the familiar Dragonslayer sword into his hand within a matter of seconds.
Mohamet walked next to him and spoke. ''So where are we? And what is this swarm you speak off?''
He Analyzed the General before speaking to him.
[Name: Mohamet Kaba]
[Race: Dragon Kin]
[Age: 58]
[Rank: Expert]
Archer stopped scanning him and shook his head, the General didn't look nearly sixty, he looked like he was in his thirties.
He stopped thinking about it and told him all he knew about the 'swarm' and what type of creatures there was.
Just as they spoke Archer's Aura Detector picked up dozens of pings heading toward them, he turned to the General and spoke. ''Incoming.''
General Mohamet's commanding voice echoed through the air, issuing a swift order for the dragon-kin warriors to form a square formation.
With remarkable efficiency, they swiftly organized themselves, creating an impenetrable shield wall with their shields raised and swords and spears poised for combat.
In the midst of their formation, a figure clad in black suddenly lunged from one of the rooftops, aiming for Archer.
Reacting swiftly, he cast a bolt of thunder, crackling with elemental energy, directly at the assailant, thwarting their advance.
The powerful strike struck true, incapacitating the intruder as it dropped to the floor with a thud.
Archer approached the body and saw it twitch so he summoned his tail and quickly plunged it into the creature's back.
It let out a dying growl before falling silent. However, more noises could be heard on the roofs, prompting him to shout, "More are coming!"
The dragon-kin warriors in the center of the square raised their shields as small knives struck them.
Without hesitation, Archer cast numerous water-based Element Bolts, launching them at the Rat-ling ninjas.
As the Rat-lings swarmed towards them, Archer swung his massive sword with raw strength, lacking finesse.
His blade cut through the air in a swift swing, taking down half a dozen Rat-lings in one powerful strike. Their lifeless bodies crumpled to the ground.
Meanwhile, the dragon-kin warriors stood their ground, holding back the approaching Rat-lings.
Their spears thrust through gaps in the shields, piercing many of the Rat-lings.
Amidst the chaos, a particularly ferocious Rat-ling, larger and more menacing than the others, emerged.
Its malevolent red eyes glowed as it lunged toward Archer. Reacting quickly, he cast Crown of Stars and Elemental Fury, firing a Chain Lightning spell into the Rat-Ogre.
The bolt crackled through the air, striking the creature and causing it to stumble backward. The lightning passed through it, striking several other Rat-lings in its wake.
Archer swung his sword wildly, slicing through as many creatures as he could. However, his Dragon Sense alerted him to another Rat-ling sneaking up on him.
He spotted a poison blade in the hand of the creature and quickly whispered, "Draconis."
In an instant, his Draconic features appeared, and he used his wing to block the blade while his tail stabbed the ninja Rat-ling.
Before discarding the body, he used Analyze to gather information on the creature.
[Assassin]
[Race: Rat-ling]
[Rank: C]
They fought the Rat-lings for another hour until the creatures vanished into the shadows. Archer dismissed his sword and turned around to assess the condition of the dragon-kin.
He saw a few with injuries being tended to by others, but he approached the injured and cast Cure Wounds on them.
The men expressed their gratitude as their wounds closed and the pain dulled. They bowed their heads to Archer, who finished his healing and continued walking.
After a short walk, they arrived at the town square where a panicked Solari soldier rushed over to Arche and started asking questions.
[A/N - Leave some comments, power stones, and gifts. It all helps support the book. Artwork in the comments or discord]
[I owe you guys a bonus, would you prefer an Archer and Sia chapter? Or do you have any suggestions? Let me know]