Curselock

Chapter 251: Soldiers

“Sand Castle” was just as small on the inside as the outside. Leland was hoping for some space magic shenanigans, maybe a spell that made the inside of something bigger than the outside. But there was no such luck. If such a spell existed, he supposed it would be under a highly specialized Legacy. Though he couldn’t help but look at Gelo when he thought this.

Maybe he should make a suggestion for the Legacy of Dungeons. But that was for later. Right now, he had hands to shake.

The first hand he shook was Brigadier Dis, the yelling man from the roof of Sand Castle. Up close, Leland pulled apart the man’s appearance, solving the question of Legacy, specialization, and weapon. The man was tall and lean, but with plenty of strength to back up his choice of killing. The man was a melee fighter like Jude or Glenny, who opted for fisticuffs rather than axe or dagger.

Around these parts, Dis’ Lord was known as the Lord of Savagery. Elsewhere, the pugilist Lord was known as Lord of Brawling or the Lord of Knuckles. Regardless of the name, the Lord was rather famous all over due to the number of his Legacies that fought in martial arts tournaments or in underground arenas. There were even tournaments held specifically for Legacies of Savagery, which pitted everyone on equal footing.

Wearing a padded military uniform made of brown and black leather, thick combat boots, Dis looked like a warrior without armor. His sleeves stopped at his elbows, which contrasted with the usual military dress of long sleeves. The reason why was apparent enough. Burn scars, from his wrist to his elbow.

The man was a fire-pugilist, a Legacy of Savagery specializing in flaming punches.

“They hurt?” Jude asked when he shook the man’s hand, he and the Brigadier measuring one another’s strength with a simple game of squeeze.

Unfortunately for Dis, Jude’s pain only meant he was growing stronger. With muscles clinched and a face that betrayed nothing, Dis separated his hand from the bersker’s.

“No. Got these scars well before I came of age.” He rocked his head to the side, cracking his neck. “Lord of Savagery liked them so much he offered to make my punches catch fire.”

“Eh,” Dis said. “You’d be wrong.”

Maybe for some, casual blasphemy would be a big deal. But to the group, no one so much as batted an eye. Although, Gelo did stare at the man.

“Why…” she quietly asked, “why would you want to produce flames and not ice?”

Dis flinched at the bear’s words. “A talking bear!? A summons?”

“No! I’m a person just like you! See! Legacy of Dungeons!” Gelo held up her paw, showing off the slowly oscillating circular tattoo.

“A Champion!?”

“That’s right!” she beamed, preening like an exotic bird in front of a group of tourists. “So watch what you say about me!”

Dis’ eyes slowly shifted to Leland, the person he considered to be the leader of this little posse of stranglings before him. “Is she a shapeshifter?”

Leland shrugged. “I bet she’ll answer you if you ask her.”

Gelo waited, teetering on her front legs as the moment came and passed. Dis shook his head, summoning the trio of soldiers waiting in the backdrop.

Wearing matching uniforms, the three soldiers who were standing on the battlements stepped forward. Two of the soldiers looked exactly the same – twins, unless it was just one person who held a similar ability to Jude’s mirage. They were male, fit with narrow shoulders and lazy eyes. Between looking at their guests and the floor, which was more interesting to them was not apparent.

The third soldier was the exact opposite. Short, female, brimming with life and smiles, the woman’s eyes darted from Gelo to Leland back to Gelo then to Jude and Glenny. Long hair tied back in a ponytail, she practically skipped forward and thrust her hand out to Leland.

“Knight Bulldog at your service, Vagrant Warden, Sir!”

Leland took his hand back slowly, afraid the woman was going to bite him. With a personality such as hers and a nickname such as “Bulldog,” he couldn’t be too careful. He’d already seen what “the Huntress” could do.

Without missing so much as a beat, she crouched in front of Gelo. “So are you a shapeshifter or an actual bear!?”

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“I’m a bear. Gelo, nice to meet you.”

Paw and human hand clasped. “Wow! Never thought I’d be shaking hands –paws – with a bear! What a crazy world!” She whipped her head to Glenny. “And I’ve never seen a person made of shadows before! Cool cloak! Is that a parasite—"

Brigadier Dis loudly cleared his throat, making Bulldog spring to her feet.

“Oh right, I should introduce my brothers! We’re triplets, you see! They got all of the magical abilities, and I got the personality!” She laughed. “Introduce yourselves Grain, Giant!”

“Knight Grain,” one said.

“Knight Giant,” the other said.

Brigadier Dis loudly cleared his throat, again.

“Knight Grain, Legacy of Magic. Specialty in sand and fortifications. I created Sand Castle.”

“He never left the sandbox as a kid!” Bulldog quickly yelped.

“Knight Giant,” said the other brother, ignoring his sister and staring at the floor. “Legacy of Avatars. Specialty, area of effect, long range denial magic.”

“He summons a giant thing to fight for him!” Bulldog added.

“It is not a ‘thing,’” Giant muttered. “It is an amalgamated avatar.”

“It’s a big strong thing!”

Dis, even louder, cleared his throat. “That’s the team, I suppose.” He pointed up at the ceiling. “I guess there’s the Captain, but she’ll make her own introductions when she’s done dealing with the current situation.”

“Current situation?” Leland asked.

“There’s a monster rushing toward Sand Castle carrying two dead will-o’-wisps as weapons.”

Glenny’s eyebrow raised. “Weapons, how?”

“As whips.”

Sighing, Leland said, “On our way over, I scouted a single dying will-o’-wisp and a bunch of decapitated monsters.”

Dis gritted his teeth. “That… is the Captain's problem.”

“Err, what?”

“She’ll handle it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. It’s the Captain we’re talking about.”

Bulldog’s hand shot to the ceiling. “Oh!” she screeched, “I forgot to explain who I am! Knight Bulldog! Legacy of the Hunter! I specialize in long range arrow—”

Leland had his face in his hands. The other boys were in similar states.

“Is something wrong!?” Bulldog asked, her head tilted slightly. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No—” Leland smirked to himself. “It’s just that we know a rather famous Legacy of the Hunter. Ever heard of the Huntress?”

Bulldog gasped. “I sure have! She’s, like, my icon! I wish to be like her when I’m her age!”

“Well,” his smirk turned sinister, “I know some people. Maybe I can schedule you two a time to meet at some point. She loves teaching, I’m sure she’d give you some tips.”

Both Jude and Glenny completely agreed with their friend’s course of action. Although, Gelo wondered if Leland was trying to punish Isobel or Bulldog.

“That would be amazing! I just love putting an arrow through my enemies! It’s like my favorite pastime!”

All three boys lurched at her casual sentence. Gelo, in that moment, decided the punishment would be for Isobel, not Bulldog.

Clearing his throat again, Brigadier Dis—

“Sir are you sick!? You’re clearing your throat a lot!”

The mask of stoic neutrality Dis wore never cracked. “I just might be.” He looked at Leland. “Please, I’ll show you to the bunks.

Dis showed them around the place, which wasn’t much. Instead of inspecting the small mess hall and kitchen, Leland diverted his attention to Zeke. The crow had been perched on top of the battlement, overseeing the area. And as Leland peered around, he almost jumped.

Staring at Zeke from only inches away was the Captain. She looked at the bird from several angles before grunting and looking back off into the distance.

Leland looked as well. From Zeke’s eyes, he couldn’t see the monster approaching, but he could feel it. When he focused on what the bird was seeing, he could vaguely make out a beast of black fur with two long streaks of blue following it in tow.

“There you are,” he heard the Captain say. “Just a little closer kitty. Come ‘ere little kitty.”

Leland supposed the monster was some sort of cat.

“Oh what a beautiful creature you are.” She sighed. “But monsters always perish.”

Her last word had been a power word, like Leland’s own fracture. Magic spun from her fingertip before blasting across the landscape. A beam of black mana split the flat desert in half, as well as the monster.

Leland watched as the beast died, cut in half from the shoulder to waist, from a vantage over an hour away by foot. He made a note. Make a contract that lets him attack from such a distance.

With the monster’s death, the Captain rubbed her hands and turned her back on that second of the sand. Then, she spoke.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

Zeke hopped, twisting around to find the subject of the question. A big crack appeared in the distance. Within the crack, the dark night sky was gone and was replaced with blood red.

Leland instantly knew what it was. The Tear.

Zeke cawed.

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