Chapter 46: The Order of Thirteen

Ronan’s head ached like he’d woken from a nightmare that had stolen precious hours of sleep.

He drew the Hellblade in a fast black arc as he saw that the sleeve of Scindo’s trench coat was torn by blade slashes. Blood trickled from Scindo’s arm and down to his fingers, then to the grass beneath by his feet.

Ike snatched a lance out from the ground near the fire pit, and Clove pulled a dagger from a leather sheath on her lower back. From her hip, Maritza drew her father’s curved sword.

Ronan put his hand on her wrist and said, “You’re not going out there. You need to sit this out.”

Maritza tugged her hand away and snapped, “Like Hell I am!”

Scindo cut between the two and added, “The Black Butterfly is needed. It’s her that they want.”

Ike rolled the sleeves of his tight white shirt up and asked, “Who’s they?”

The ground shook and the Nightblades were put off kilter by a roar that exploded into the air. Bright orange flames the size of a lake shot into the air, and even from inside the temple and within the large gate, Ronan could still feel the fire’s heat.

Sweat trickled down Scindo’s ashy face and he said, “THEY, would be The Elite Butterfly Nightblades outside, and the Corrupted dragon they’ve brought along with them!”

Maritza’s face went blank, but it reflected a different sort of distance than what Ronan was used to. Unlike when she was locked in their room, Maritza was clearly calculating her thoughts and considering options. In an odd way, Ronan felt it comforting to see her like that and gripping a sword. Although lacking her once fierce physicality, it seemed as though she was back to her fiery and tactical self.

Seahorses charged for the main gate, spears in hand. Many thrusted a palm to the ground to create a jet of water, and the water propelled them high into the air where they landed upon the garrison’s wall.

“Let’s move,” Maritza said, strutting away.

She turned to Scindo and asked, “How many Butterflies did you see?”

Clove, Ike, and Ronan rushed over to keep up.

Scindo shrugged and slid open the greeting slot in the gate and peered through. He grit his teeth and said, “I don’t know. A dozen at least. Too dark to tell, and they’re FAST. Fast enough to strike me.”

Maritza's chin stuck out as she swore under her breath. “It’s the Order of Thirteen,” she muttered.

“That’s impossible,” Clove retaliated. She shook her head. “That Order is a legend to keep bad kids from acting out of place.”

“No,” Maritza replied quickly and seriously. Ike looked at everybody in confusion, and Ronan and Scindo listened intently.

“I’ve fought beside them before,” she added. She swapped places with Scindo, stuck her eye in the slot and peered through.

Her jaw dropped.

“Get your people off the wall, NOW!” she screamed.

Scindo cupped his hands over his mouth and called out, “Those on the garrison, RETREAT!”

But it was too late.

Scindo dragged Ike and Clove to the ground as raging flames burst over their heads and onto the Seahorses lining the garrison.

Maritza slammed the slot closed, though not fast enough to avoid embers getting through. Her bodice was peppered with fire. Ronan had hung by her, and he raised a hand to the small flames on her chest. Before they could grow, water hosed out from Ronan’s fingers, dousing the fires.

He and Maritza shared a concerned look.

“I’m okay,” Maritza nodded.

Scindo jumped to his feet and growled, “Where the hell did these people find a dragon?”

As the giant purple banners of The Temple of the Seahorse burned on the side of the lit garrison, a pretentious voice called out, “Give us the Butterfly traitors and there will be no more casualties.”

There was a tone to the voice that Ronan thought was unnatural, like when Scindo had allowed The Shroud to transform his body, and the sound of Scindo’s voice changed along with it.

“Is that Lord Wallace?” Ronan asked.

Maritza gulped and replied, “Yes.”

A gray flake sprinkled the tip of Scindo’s nose. He swatted at it and it spread along to the top of his mouth. More flakes began to fall like snow on the small army of Seahorse Nightblades beside Scindo.

Scindo’s eyes grew wide and he mumbled, “It’s the ashes of the warriors on the wall.”

Charred skeletons and corpses fell next, landing with meaty thuds beside Ronan and Maritza. Clove and Ike plugged their noses. What remained of the corpses smelled like decaying oysters.

“Damn it, Wallace!” Maritza shouted. “What is it that you want?”

She debated opening the slot again but Illia rushed over, spyglass in hand.

“Don’t,” Illia said. “I’ve seen from the perch that there are thirteen Nightblades in purple cloaks. They can move faster than I’ve seen any warrior move. With them is a large man holding a set of clamps on the dragon’s throat, controlling it. Both the dragon and the man have been Corrupted by the Hellsworn, and their features show it.”

Maritza punched the temple gate. “They got Farrier.”

Blood trickled from her knuckles.

The Hellblade lit up in Ronan’s hand so brightly that it made everybody squint.

“If these were people,” Illia remarked, “I think they’re Hellsworn now.”

The Hellblade clacked it’s tip against the gate, as if thirsty for combat. Along with it, Scindo’s staff jerked in his hand, moving in the same direction as the Hellblade, and lighting up in a strong black light as well. And to everybody’s surprise but Scindo’s, the set of daggers at Illia’s hip throttled in their sheaths, emitting the same ferocious light.

Lord Wallace’s pretentious and warped voice penetrated from behind the gate and said, “What we want should be obvious, Former Lady Maritza. We want you and Ronan to pay for your crimes against our city, temple, and magistrate.”

Maritza said to her fellow Nightblades in a way that was quiet and chilling, “When we defeat everything out there, I kill Wallace. Nobody else gets to end his life but me.”

“I’m more concerned for Farrier,” Ronan remarked. “If he’s Corrupted we need to turn him back.”

“There’s no way,” Illia said, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, but we need to eliminate him as well.”

Ronan’s heart sunk. He would need to find some way to uncorrupt Farrier, no matter if others thought it to be impossible. But he listened on, knowing that would be a task for the field.

Scindo took his lance and drew a mock battlefield in the ground. He summoned the other Seahorses over as well.

“And we’ll do it this way,” he commanded, looking to the Seahorses. “You all will move out with Ike and Clove under their command. They know Butterfly magic and therefore can counter. Our priority, for everyone, is to determine how far these Corrupted have gone, and if any of them have turned into Black Blades. Only Illia and I have the magic to put the Hellsworn and Black Blades down for good.”

“So Scindo and I will need to get close,” Illia said. “The only way to kill a Black Blade is for one of us to freeze and shatter it.”

“Nobody else knows ice magic among your ranks?” Ronan asked.

“Just the two of us,” Illia replied. “Which brings us to you and The Black Butterfly. Maritza, you will combat their leader Wallace as you’ve requested, and I will aid you in that fight. He’s clearly been affected by The Shroud, so once I freeze him, you will land the finishing blow.”

Maritza nodded, and she and Illia shared a deep glance.

"I won't let you down," Illia assured, in a very personal manner to Maritza, as if to make up for pushing Maritza too hard on the night she had drowned.

Maritza nodded and still serious, gave a soft smile and replied, "I know you won't. Nor will I with you. We'll fight for each other, and for every Seahorse we've lost to these monsters so far."

Illia returned the smile and lovingly set her hand on Maritza's shoulder.

Turning to face Ronan, Illia said, “As for Ronan, it’s my understanding that you’ve killed a dragon before.”

“With help, I have,” Ronan confirmed.

“This time you won’t have help,” Scindo said. “Can you do it?”

The ground shook again, and another wave of fire blasted against the door.

“I have to,” Ronan said, gripping his sword.

“Then we all know our positions,” Illia said. “I’ll open the main gate and we’ll exit from the side hatches in the wall to flank them.”

“Everybody ready?” Scindo asked.

“Wait,” Clove said. “Why is The Shroud something that you all can use, but it turns Wallace and the others into Corrupted?”

Scindo and Illia glanced at one another, as did Ronan and Maritza.

“There’s no time to explain right now,” Illia said. “Once we’ve defeated this threat, I’ll tell you everything.”

Clove took a second, nodded, then said, “Okay. I trust you. Ike, let’s lead these warriors.”

“With pleasure,” Ike said, waving a group over towards a hidden side-hatch on the temple’s wall.

Scindo counted down from three, and Illia opened the main gate.

In a way that inspired hope, Scindo called out, “Seahorses, ATTACK!”