Nephilims: Into the Wild

Chapter 6: An oath fulfilled, a covenant broken

The two of them walked pass labyrinths of sprawling corridors and squares, through great arch ways and emptied alleys, each less and less magnificent and guarded than the last. Loi hardly has to try to keep up with Lucious, the "Lord Inquisitor", as he's known as, led the tanned boy further and further into the human quarters of the garrisons. Fighting alongside with the elves, valkyries and Anacondrai were human, actual human, but not the tribal warriors from the dozens of refugee columns. They're well trained, better equipped with weapons made of finely crafted metal instead of rocks and haphazardly forged scraps.

- Auxila Terranai, - Lucious exclaimed, as they moved passed the final gate leading to the outer line of defense, right at the foot of the great wall, where thousands of human have gathered, along with virtually all of the auxiliary forces. - if there's one thing you human are good at, it is this.

Loi didn't reply to the man's belittling remark, his eyes dashing from one group of refugees to another, trying to find those from his tribe, specifically those that have harmed Haru. He could Quetz roaring and unleashing his unequalled powers outside the wall, along with the symphonies of the mighty guns mounted on the wall and the cheering of the garrisons. A total contract to the grim and fearful atmosphere of the human inside the wall, as they huddled together in hastily built tents and layers of barricades. Most of them were huddling behind those barricades, while the rest has swarmed the gates, spears, blades and axes poised to engage anything that would get through.

- Chief you cannot do this!

- I have to!

A familiar voice cut through the murmuring of the crowd, arguing with someone else from the boy's village. Loi ran pass Lucious, not noticing that the inquisitor was simply standing there, his watchful golden eyes followed him as he dashed toward the gathering of familiar faces. Shoving the occasional stranger that was in his path, the tanned boy slowly came closer and closer to his kin, what pathetic left of them. He came to a halt suddenly, just a few feet away from the crowd surrounding the chief, slightly panting from the running as he tried to comprehend what's happening, what has happened to his people. Before Quetz, before everything, they were a strong tribe with more than five hundreds people, but now, they were a fraction of that, killed in the fire, the cold, or otherwise.

Yet even in that chaotic scene where what left of his people were trying to stop the chief from climbing on the mighty horse, arm clutching with a finely crafted spear, the tanned boy noticed them. Haru's bullies, his tormentors, they were still alive, somehow. He gritted his teeth, his hands coiled into fists, so hard that he could feel his fingernails digging into his palms as he looked at them, all of them, not a single one of them have perished as they should while countless others have. They stood there, eyeing the old chief, trying to stop him with what seemed like a token attempt, their pocket filled with scraps they've salvaged from around the camps. Thieves, the tanned boy thought, feeling his feet slowly shifted on the trampled snow, getting closer and closer toward the crowd, toward those...monsters, the sights of them, the memories of what they've done to Haru. Droplets of blood dripped down from his tightly clenched fists, his wounds chilled from the biting frost of the highlands as he rushed toward of the monsters that have tormented his brother.

- YOU BASTARDS!

Loi managed to let out a roar, a manifestation of all the time he had to hold back from beating them, from seeking justice for Haru, his fists now burn with hatred and anger. He leapt through the air, pouncing at his hated enemy, his fist rapidly descended, until the sensation of it colliding against flesh and bones. The tanned boy squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his knuckle exploded with pain, spreading onto this wrist as he pushed more force into the punch. The face gave way, both the attacker and the attacked fell onto the ground, yet the boy came out on top, seeing red as he crawled atop his bigger adversary still shocked and reeling from the sudden assault. He began to pound his face with whatever strength his rage could muster, screaming insults and crying, each flash of memory of Haru being tormented back in the village by those monsters only urged him to punch harder. He didn't feel pain, even when his knuckles became wet with the life blood of the bully mixed with his, he kept on punching and screaming, until even breathing seemed impossible.