The Bloodforged Kin

Chapter 202 - 196: Mason - A Silent Reaping

Elijah was slipping between shadows, knives finding arteries and tendons everywhere he went. He was well and truly surrounded, the crush of bodies sliding past him on silent or skittering legs. If he moved slowly and kept Silent Reaper activated he could remain hidden, provided nothing looked directly his way. With this many bodies it was bound to happen, and often, but each time it did his knives found them before they could find him. Knives ricocheted off of the brick facades, finding their targets unerringly. Knife Dance gave him perfect precision, even as they careened off one surface and into another.

He'd love to say he wasn't scared, but he was. He'd never been in this much danger - he and the Lieutenants had always been sent against people weaker than them, and if that posed any threat they always had Mason to protect them.

Mason, he thought, emotions swirling in his mind. Tonight was showing him just how much control Mason had over their minds, and he didn't like it. He wasn't going to leave him - being near Mason was the best protection anyone in this new world had, but he hated knowing the cost. In the deepest parts of his soul, places he didn't bother exploring, he knew that he was a coward. He was small, wiry, and short. Being short was the worst of all. Before The System he couldn't get any action from anyone that was under 250 pounds. Women hated men like him, men that had the audacity to be just over five feet tall. The first thing they always asked on the dating apps was 'how tall are you?' Fucking bitches. And speaking of fucking bitches, fucking Morgana.

It wasn't that the gang didn't share bitches - they did, and often. But there was an unspoken rule about approaching one that rode with someone else. You could fuck them, but only if they wanted. Dante knew the rules like the rest of them, and most of the time he was cool with it - but he didn't have a woman and the little rat bastard was bitter about it. Ever since he'd failed in that mission that got Viktor killed he had been even more erratic, trying to prove his strength or some shit like that. Morgana belonged to Elijah and their skills worked perfectly together, but Morgana was fucked up seven ways 'til Sunday. Lately she'd gotten bored with Elijah and started spending more time with Dante. Whatever they talked about after their fuck sessions was making Dante bolder, the stupid asshole going out of his way to show everyone that he could take Elijah out if he wanted to.

Seeing the two men at constant risk of killing each other over her only turned Morgana on more, and nothing Elijah could do could stop her. He fucked her harder, but that didn't set her straight. He beat her, but she loved that more than the fucking. He threatened Dante, always from a distance and with knives in hand, but he couldn't stay awake 24/7 - and Dante knew it. The last time they'd fought he'd woken up with Dante's machete on his dick. Morgana had awoken when he called out but, after seeing the blade, remained entwined with Elijah, a hungry smile on her lips as Dante threatened to cut it off. He didn't want to lose his woman - the shame would be too much - but he didn't want to not wake up one day because the crazy rat fucker decided to put an end to it once and for all.

Fine, I guess the only thing to do is get stronger than him. Gonna kill a whole shit-ton of these things - that's how everyone gets levels, right? He knew it was true, but was also a little ashamed that he wasn't totally sure. He'd never actually killed one of the System's creatures - he'd gotten all of his levels killing people. That wasn't allowed anymore, now that all the people they found were all being conscripted into Mason's army, which was a shame to Elijah. Didn't he have enough people? He could spare a fe-

Elijah's thought was cut off as something bumped into him with a huff. Two heads turned towards each other in unison and Elijah met the eyes of a massive wolf made of shadows, fur, and teeth.

"Squads four and five, with me! Remaining squads, close in on all escorts and guard them. This exercise is over." Craig moved forward at a jogging pace, leading the squad towards the screams that were coming from behind the houses in front of him.

The men split into two groups and flowed smoothly around the house in front of them, picking up the pace to a sprint. Squad four worked as a shield and melee wall, blocking the crush of creatures and giving room for squad five to sprint into the gap they opened. Squad five reached the other side of the house and converged into a neat unit, looking around.

"Where is he?" Craig asked. The question was asked rhetorically but one of his men answered.

"There sir!" They followed his pointing hand and saw Elijah, his body pierced by a set of massive mandibles. The spider had him in its maw and was climbing up the side of a house with its prize, fighting off the ones around it as it did. It didn't want to share its dinner. Craig wished they'd had some of the army's magic users, but those had all been saved for Platoon 3 since Jonas didn't have an Enchantress to back him up. No sense in wishing for what you didn't have, though.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Onto the roof, now! Surround the house, build a human ladder, and get to the top before he dies! And someone get the Enchantresses, he'll need healing!" He didn't remind them of the consequences if they didn't make it in time - Craig never gave the same warning twice.

They were at the house in a rushing sprint and men formed a human pyramid in seconds. Craig climbed and was first to the rooftop, pulling himself onto the sharply-slanted surface as quickly and quietly as he could. The house was massive and the roof was a landscape of peaks and valleys that were hard to make out in the dim moonlight. He hoped his men had reached the other side of the house and were pinning the spider in, but knew he couldn't wait on it.

He heard a scuffle behind him and turned to help a man onto the roof with him. He pointed silently to a peak to the left and the man nodded before carefully working his way there. Craig made his way to the one on the right, awkwardly leaning into the slope while trying not to lose his shield and sword. He reached it without slipping and climbed to the lip, peering over.

There, in a gully between the house's spires, was the spider. It had its mandibles buried in Elijah's stomach and an ugly slurping sound could be heard. Craig saw motion as men crested their ridges on the other side of the spider. He waved his sword and saw two others wave back. Craig slashed it downwards and suddenly all three men were leaping over the crests to sprint down the steep inclines.

Craig threatened to lose his footing, the roof too steep for a successful charge. He calculated the exact moment his run was unsustainable and leapt, flying through the air with the sword above his head in a two-handed grip, point facing downward.

The spider never saw it coming. The tip of Craig's gladius pierced through its exoskeleton with a sharp crunch and it reared up in pain and shock, throwing Elijah's body in a tumble. Craig held on, every muscle straining to keep it from throwing him off. Every time it landed he shifted the sword, trying to cut through anything inside of it, then gripped it again as it bucked and spun.

The spider dropped to the its belly on the roof, legs splayed, as another form landed on it. One of the soldiers had mimicked Craig's attack and now the two of them were riding the spider like a bucking bronco.

"Kill it!" Craig hissed. When the man nodded he leapt from the spider, leaving his sword buried in its body. He landed in a roll, coming to his feet instantly and gathering Elijah up in a fireman's carry. Without breaking pace he turned and ran towards the front of the house.

"COMING IN FROM ABOVE! CATCH US!" Craig bellowed as he ran, leaping from the roof without looking to see if his orders were heard or obeyed.

The men below heard and scrambled to obey, but misjudged the distance. Craig and Elijah sailed over them. Craig looked down and saw where the men were, spinning in mid-air and pushing Elijah to land amongst the group. His aim was true and they caught him just as Craig landed with a crunch beyond them.

The men scrambled, pulling Craig gently to his feet and carrying him to Elijah. Morgana was there, the soldiers breathing heavily after having fought their way through to get her here.

"Heal. Him," Craig wheezed through bloody breaths. He coughed up a spurt of blood and none could miss the way his ribcage was deformed.

"Oh honey," Morgana said as she slipped up to him, running a hand down his ribcage with fascination. "I hate to be the one to inform you of this, but there don't appear to be any enemies left to steal healing power from."

Craig cast his gaze around, eyes not tracking at the same speed. He saw the truth of her words.

"Bring him here," he muttered with short breaths. His men obeyed, carrying Elijah over. "Is. He. Alive?"

"Yes, sir, but barely."

Craig nodded and looked the man in the eyes. "You. Kill him." He looked at the man next to the soldier. Shock registered in the unfortunate victim's face but the sword found his gut before he could respond.

Morgana laughed. "How delicious!" Pact Renewal activated and the soldier's lifeblood drained out of him, the vitality closing Elijah's wounds and returning color to his skin.

"Is. It. Enough?"

The soldier looked scared to reply but knew there was no point in not. "I believe so, sir. He seems to be in rough shape, but okay."

"Another."

"Sir, I don't think…"

"A. NOTHER." The force of his command was broken up by coughing, blood splattering the young man. Without another word his sword slashed out and another soldier fell, blood gushing from his neck.

"Now?"

"Oh yes," Morgana replied this time. "I do believe my dear Elijah will be perfectly fine now. And how about you, my brave soldier? How many would you like me to kill for you?"

"None," he coughed. "Leave. Me. Return."

Craig passed out and thus wasn't awake to see the three other soldiers that died to restore him to life. Two were volunteers.