Bray Hyrian, Kivi B. [best summer reads txt] 📗

I wouldn't move. How could I? The longer I waited, the thicker the fog got and the more nervous I became. 

 

The enemy soldiers started to grumble all in chaos.

"What's going on?" - "What's happening!" - "I can't see!". Their cries made me shudder. One of the enemy soldiers suddenly shouted.
"Ah! Get it off. Get it off! It's all over me!"

A blazen grind was heard from my weapon as I drew it in all haste and concern. I two-handedly grasped my sword in front of me, as I floundered backwards, until I hit the large rock behind me. The screams now came from multiple directions, in absolute panic.

Suddenly, the voices blended out and it returned to complete silence.
My back was still pressed against the wall as I flicked my eyes from left to right and even up. I heard light footsteps right in front of me.

I grunted in dismay and prepared for the worst.

Out of the mist, a woman emerged. Her hair was a cyan blue and her eyes glowed in the same colour. She didn't have any weapons on her. Chlorophyll green was the color of her leather jacket and she wore a miniskirt, which covered her black fishnet stockings, leading down to her long, dark brown boots. As I inspected her with every step she took, I then decided to raise my sword in a threatening manner.

 

"Hey, hold it right there", I spoke out loudly.

The woman giggled and placed a hand onto her hips and shifted her weight onto the other leg. An odd white aura surrounded her fists. It must've been Anima but it was different from Jeik's or Xodin's. I frowned and observed her for a brief while.

"You're quite noisy, you know that?"

She giggled again and the hilt of my iron sword suddenly felt extremely cold. I had to drop it, due to the very uncomfortable sting in the palm of my hand. With a glance at the weapon, that chinked as it hit the ground, there was a transparent but solid material surfacing on its form. It was ice.

 

I grunted and pushed myself harder against the rock, in a natural reaction. She came even closer until we were intimately face to face. The woman was about as tall as I was and her facial features were far away from unattractive. My head hit against the cold stone as our bodies touched each other. She moved her face even closer. Our noses touched and are lips were only milimetres away from the same state.

"He's with us, Zhoe."

"Aww! I was about to give him my Hiberna."

 

Zhoe backed away from me and I suddenly gasped, since I was given more room to breathe. My face most definitely reddened, as heat rose to it from the sudden intimacy.
Jeik and Xodin now appeared out of the mist, as well. I pointed at them in irritation.

 

"Who the heck is she? Why did she almost kiss me?"

 

The young woman giggled once more and placed her index finger on her lips.

"I had to make sure. I planned on paralyzing you with an ice imbued kiss."

  "You what?"

I raised a brow at her. So she was an ice manipulator in the Anima arts, I thought to myself.

Jeik Staeger sighed and walked up to her, while the fog seemed to subside in the long term.

"She's in my unit. Our field support specialist and second in command of our Task Force. Second Lieutenant Zhoeskar Shayra and the one behind the scenes is Sergeant Bheskar Shayra, her brother."

 

I turned my head and spotted a young man walking towards us His haircolour was the same as Zhoe's, though short and spikier. His attire contained a sleevless brown leather shirt and beige clamdiggers. His hands were buried in his pockets and he had a toothpick in his mouth.

 

"What's up, call me Bhes", he said and lifted his hand in a greeting, lazily.

 

The Hraygnan soldiers were nothing more than blocks of ice, just resting in the morning sun. Zhoe snapped her fingers. All ice figures just scattered into thousands of tiny ice grains. My eyes widened.

 

The dense fog retreated into some strange metallic maces with several holes in them, which he carried in both of his hands.

"Oi, Jeik, who's the cute guy?"

I grunted in surprise and couldn't help but blush.

"Settle down, Zhoe. He's only temporarily assigned to us by the Head Captain. His name is Bray. The only survivor of the fifth Hraygnan execution caravan, this year."

"Ehhh? How did you manage to let everyone die, 'Jeiky'?" She said teasingly and tapped his cheek with her finger, which was slapped off by the Lieutenant instantaneously.

He grimaced and pushed her back in annoyance.

"They were unintentionally targeted by our Tormentos and hit. Bray solely survived the blast of our projectiles."

"Ooooh. A tough guy, huh? You don't seem that tough, but you know what they say. It's on the inside what counts", she said and wrapped both of her arms around my neck from the side, as she hung her weight on me. It nearly made me stumble over.

I felt slightly uncomfortable by her jolly attitude.

"Cease this foolishness, Zhoe. I believe you were sent by the Head Captain?"

Her expression shifted to a more serious state, as she broke from her embrace around me.

"Yes. He told me what happened. Can't believe Kiri' was kidnapped. We're gonna' help in any way we can to save her."

"Very well. Sergeant Shayra's mist will grant as the upper hand in our infiltration. Please use it right now", Jeik said and nodded at Bheskar, who nodded back in response.

Fascinating. First there was Nex Buothor's Shadowstep, then there was Xodin's impenetrable skin and the sight of Jeik Staeger's lightning orbs. Now there's two more who can control the Anima to create ice and mist.

Bheskar lifted his maces into the air, as the same vapor escaped through the gaps and spreaded around our bodies. Although, for this instance it wasn't as thick. Jeik signaled us to move, before we head out towards the Hraygnan outpost.

Our team moved in a single file, led by Xodin and closed by Bheskar. In front of me was Jeik and Zhoe walked behind me. She smiled everytime I glanced over my shoulder. It made me really nervous.

"So, tell me about yourself, Bray", she said quietly in her young womanly voice.

"Well, I uh~"
"He suffers under amnesia, there's no point in asking", Staeger answered for me without looking back. I grimaced in irritation.

"Aww. You poor thing. After this operation we will sit down in a nice tavern and talk it all out, right?"

  "We're doin' what..?"

    "Quiet, you two. We're approaching our target."

Jeik signaled a halt and everyone lowered themselves to knee-height. Naturally, I followed their lead.

Throughout the mist, were we able to see the palisade wall of the settlement. Staeger waved Zhoe over and they began talking over their plan. Bheskar yawned as he started sketching things into the muddy earth. Xodin's gaze was fixated forward.

Staeger led out a hiss, indicating us to carry on.
Our group moved along the wooden wall until we reached the river, that flowed through the village outpost.

The river was several meters wide and the current was immensely strong. How are we going to cross it?
Zhoe reached out with her right hand, as a translucent beam shot out of the tips of her index and middle finger and hit the surface of the river, before my thought even finished.

 

The top layer of water froze instantly, while the water still streamed beneath the ice. She winked at me before her right foot landed on the icy field on the river. I raised a brow, as everyone followed her lead.

The river led directly into the village, while Bheskar's mist protected us from any spying eyes.

 

"Apply your hoods over your head. We are trying to blend with the villagers."

 

Our navy blue coats provided us with our needed concealment clothing, as we progressed through the settlement. Many villagers tensed up, upon seeing us and most of them went inside their houses. There were no guards to be seen during our stroll, which struck me as slightly too convenient.

 

We arrived at the village center, where a large fountain and several market stands encircled it. Dead silence.

 

"Damn it...!" Staeger suddenly exclaimed.

 

A strong gust of wind raided over us, while Bheskar's vapor disappeared in its wrath. We were exposed to dozens and dozens of Hraygnan soldiers. They completely surrounded the village center. Archers were lined up on a hill located right behind some houses. Their sharp and pointy arrows were only waiting to be fired at us.

 

"All-round defense", the second and first Lieutenant ordered simultaneously.

Our entire group formed a circle facing outwarts, while drawing our weapons and magic out.

 

A woman in a long black and red dress walked out from the lines of her soldiers. Her long black hair absorbed the morning sunlight, which caused a faint orange glow. She chuckeled eerily while her long legs swaggered back and forth. In her left hand was a long scythe, which's blade was shaped like a bird's talon.

 

"Warmaster Lynda Corvus", Staeger said slowly and squinted his eyes.

"It sure has been a while, Lieutenant."

Her toothy grin and her black lipstick sent shivers down my spine. A raven crowed and landed on her shoulders. She petted it with her excessive long, black fingernails.

 

"I believe we have caught you quite off guard, haven't we? Shall we demonstrate our traditional Hraygnan hospitality by killing every single one of you in a quick and gruesome death?"

Her snickering was so omnious, I froze. Although, that feeling felt familiar for some reason.
Lynda Corvus seemed to have thought the same. As her eyes met mine, they widened.

"Well, well. Seems as if our prisoner survived his impending doom. But do not fret, young Bray. You will receive your judgment as soon as we are through with your pathetic Ysoldian friends."

 

"Who are you? How do you even know me?" My voice was shrill and loud.

The female Warmaster let out a sharp laugh.

"So, they have used the Deleoria on you. How unfortunate. You would have felt joyful, seeing me. Yes, indeed."

"Shut up", I shouted and cross slashes my arm in a frustrated manner. Jeik and Xodin both gave me an irritated look.

Lynda turned around and waved us off dismissively.

"Exterminate them."

Chapter Five

Fizzling is heard from multiple directions, as the Hraygnan arrow bombardment began.
I grunted in dismay, since I had no means to defend myslef against such an attack.

"Bhes, now!" Zhoe shouted, before her brother raised his maces into the air, releasing another dense fog into the atmosphere.

The Second Lieutenant's hands gleamed in her light-bluish tone as she induced her Anima into the fog, causing it to instantly change its condition. A massive wall of ice emerged from the Anima of Bheskar's mist, succeeding in fending off the volley. It shattered right after the defensive measure, and sent shards flying in all directions. Enemy soldiers were occupied with the icy rain, despite that it wasn't lethal.

 

"Bray, Behskar, you're with me. We're gonna' take care of these ranged bastards", Zhoe said and tapped my shoulder.

 

Both Shayra siblings sprinted off, again, using the mist to cover up their approach. My body moved, following them closely.

 

Jeik and Xodin, in the meantime, prepared to fight the infantry of Hraygna. The Sergeant covered himself in his steel type of Anima, as he stormed