Chapter 14: Warning

  Zhi and the Legionnaires neared the coastline now. They had erected a camp at the base of a hill. The current discussion in Zhi’s tent centered on what they expected to encounter once they reached the coast.

  “Kaisu has confirmed sight of the first Leviathans near our current path.” Kadus alerted the group. “As expected, there are two patrolling the seas near the coast. We should expect to reach the area they patrol in two days at our current pace.”

  Kadus pointed to an area ahead of them on the map. Zhi could see the outline of the area where the two Leviathans currently roamed.

  “Do we know which Leviathans we can expect?” Zhi asked.

  “Asino and Auru.” Kadus answered.

  “I don’t believe I recognize those names.” Zhi replied.

  “I’m not surprised you haven’t,” Kadus began. “They are not particularly strong Leviathans.”

  “And we are sure that there are no other Leviathans around the area?” Zhi replied. “Or other Titans?”

  “If there are other Titans in the area, whether Leviathans, Dragons or Giants, we have yet to spot them.” Kadus replied.

  “I see,” Zhi replied. “Despite their status, we cannot underestimate our opponent. All it takes is one mistake to undo all our efforts.”

  “Ah, the numbers matter not!” Moro boasted. “They do not know what power they are about to come face to face with!”

  Zhi was deep in thought as she considered the challenge ahead.

  “This encounter will be unlike any we have faced so far.” Zhi spoke. “The battlefield is ill-equipped for our weapons. What sort of terrain surrounds the area?”

  “The coastline there is very rocky.” Kadus replied. “The path is narrow as there is coastline on one side and a large hill on the other side.”

  “How narrow is the path?” Zhi asked.

  “I would estimate that it would be wide enough for about ten men.” Kadus guessed.

  Zhi looked at the map and mentally put herself in the space they would fight in.

  She could see herself standing on the coastline, on a small lane, with lines of soldiers around her, jagged rocks to her front, and the large hill behind her. In front of those jagged rocks were two large and menacing creatures ready to rain carnage down on them as soon as they were visible.

  She tried to imagine the flow of the battle. Her soldiers positioned to fire at the Leviathans. They would have a small section to maneuver in, to engage in maneuvers, while the Leviathans would have ample room to move, to launch attacks from, and to move about while being fired upon. She opened her eyes and looked at the map once again.

  “There are no advantages for us on this battlefield.” Zhi stated. “And our forces are not trained to fight an opponent in the water.”

  “But the same can be said for these Leviathans!” Moro said. “They cannot go on land to fight us.”

  “That has never been an issue for Leviathans when they attack furtives in their homes.” Zhi replied without taking her eyes off the map. “Leviathans have also engaged in fights with Titans before, they understand the battlefield mechanics of engaging a powerful foe on a different domain than theirs.”

  “But Lady Zhi, you yourself faced off against a Dragon and Leviathan and won before.” Moro replied. “Two weaker Leviathans should be no issue.”

  “When I faced the Dragon and the Leviathan I had the element of surprise in my favor.” Zhi quickly interjected. “They were prepared to fight against each other, and my presence was unexpected. That is why they retreated when I arrived rather than stay and fight. I was too much of an unknown back then for them to stay around and fight. They know now what opponent is coming and they know the terrain on which we will engage them, terrain of their choosing. Despite their weaker stature and their small numbers, they chose this specific location because it favors them.”

  “But what about your triumph over Baoba?” Moro asked. “He was one of the strongest Giants and you dealt with him!”

  Zhi turned to look at Moro and smiled. She appreciated how the dwarf did everything he could to boost her morale.

  “Baoba was one of the strongest Titans, that much is true, and was probably more dangerous than these two Leviathans. But that does not deny the fact that fighting Leviathans will be a completely novel experience for us. Although it is not our focus right now, this will be the first of many fights we have against Leviathans, and we have to make sure we get it right or it will be our last.”

  Silence filled the room as they studied the map in front of them.

  “So what do you propose, Lady Zhi?” Moro asked.

  She looked at the map and then at her comrades. She smiled as a revelation came over her.

  “The Leviathans are entering this battle knowing that the battlefield benefits them. I will take away their advantage and reshape the battlefield to ours.”

  ***

  Moro led at the front of the legion. They marched along the road at their usual pace. The current route they found themselves on had diverted inland for the past day. Around them the calm trees would suggest to them that there was no danger nearby, but that could not be further from the truth.

  “Soon we will see the sea once more, is that right?” Moro asked Kadus. He looked at a large hill in the distance.

  “Correct. It will take less than a quarter of the day to reach the edge of that hill. Once we reach it, we go around it and find the coast.”

  “Do you think the Lady has had enough time?” Moro asked him.

  “She said no later than today, but she did not specify when.” Kadus replied.

  “My whole body is itching for a fight.” Moro replied. “How big did you reckon those Leviathans are?”

  Kadus thought about it for a moment and then looked at Moro.

  “Bigger than you, I would estimate.” He replied.

  Moro looked at Kadus with a straight face, which Kadus reciprocated.

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  Moro was the first to break, laughing at the bird’s remark.

  “Sometimes I wonder how you’ve made it this far with such a big mouth!” Moro said. Kadus merely grinned.

  “It’s a secret I’ll take to my grave.” Kadus replied.

  “I think it would be prudent if we were to rest one last time before reaching the coast.” Moro said.

  Despite how eager he was to fight the Leviathans, he knew they needed to be as prepared as possible before facing them. There was only one certainty once they reached the coast, and that was that chaos would erupt.

  The order to break for camp went out, and the cohort of furtives came to a halt.

  As the soldiers prepared for a meal, Moro gathered at the center.

  “Once we reach the edge of that trail, we will encounter our first Leviathans, Asino and Auru. They are not the most formidable of Leviathans, but they are experienced in fighting against land-based enemies, whereas we do not have the same experience when fighting against sea-based creatures.” He announced.

  No word came from the crowd; they knew what they had been marching towards.

  “But to account for this, the High Onsiel has been preparing the battlefield to help us in our fight against the two Leviathans. Once we reach the hill, we will give our signal.” Moro continued. “Once we receive the High Onsiel’s response, the fight will begin. At that point, we are to rush to the battlefield and establish our positions and begin firing on the enemy. Are there any thoughts or questions before we continue?”

  No reply was heard.

  “Enjoy this meal, lads.” Moro said, and the soldiers obliged in silence.

  The cohort continued moving and made its way to the edge of the cliff. They could smell the salt spray, with the sea just over the horizon. A lone cannon came up to the edge of the formation.

  Moro looked at the dragoors that manned the cannon, Turno and Norr, siblings. Turno was one of Moro’s most reliable men, but even now Moro could see him fidgeting with his hands. He held a small figurine in his hand and kept rubbing it with his thumb. Norr stood ready to light the cannon’s fuse, muttering something under her breath.

  There was only one thing Moro could do now.

  “Ready!” Moro ordered.

  Turno and Norr quickly readied the cannon. He loaded the cannonball, and Norr held the flint ready.

  “Fire!” Moro ordered.

  Norr lit the wick, and within seconds a single cannonball shot toward the ocean. Their signal reverberated; now they waited.

  “Reform positions!” Moro ordered the siblings. The duo returned to the rest of the furtive force.

  Beyond the horizon, commotion stirred in response.

  “Argh!” Raging voices cried out from the ocean.

  “Hold steady!” Moro ordered.

  The surrounding ground shook.

  “Keep holding!” Moro shouted.

  The sound of waves crashing from the ocean intensified.

  CRACK!

  A loud sound came from the hill next to them, as if someone had struck it down the center with an immense hammer. The furtive force reacted, with shouts beginning to emerge.

  “What was that?” “Is that their attack?” “What do we do?”

  “Steady!” Moro yelled.

  As they stood in silence, an unbelievable sight developed. The hill slid forward, like a massive tower slowly collapsing onto the sea.

  “What is happening?” A furtive cried out.

  “I believe that is Lady Zhi’s doing!” Kadus replied. “And that is my cue!”

  He flew into the air.

  The hill continued its descent into the sea at a faster pace, barreling into the sea with great ferocity, shaking the ground as it went.

  The roar of the Leviathans echoed through the air. Suddenly large chunks of ice flew from the sea towards the furtive position.

  “Hold!” Moro shouted.

  The furtives stared at the large projectiles, which looked as large as a Giant’s fist coming down to crash upon them. But at the apex of their flight, the projectiles erupted, leaving a gigantic cloud of ice suspended in the air.

  “Lady Zhi!” The furtives yelled with fervor.

  Moro grinned. They all knew they could not lose as long as Zhi was with them.

  The large hill splashed into the sea, sending sea spray flying everywhere. An anguished cry from a Leviathan filled the land.

  “It hit one!” Kadus yelled from afar.

  More projectiles flew towards the furtives.

  But this time the furtives did not even react, and their faith was rewarded. The large boulders of ice erupted in the air, leaving all the furtives on land free from harm.

  “Wait!” Moro yelled.

  “The bridge is near completion!” Kadus yelled. “Now!”

  “Forward!” Moro yelled.

  The furtive legion followed the command and cleared the hill ahead of them. The sea in sight was a raging battlefield. Ahead of them, Zhi was at the foot of the fallen hill, and within mere moments a large bolt of red lightning shot from the sky.

  A large shark-like creature, as big as any seafaring creature Moro had seen, struggled as it was caught under the hill. The red thunderbolt came down directly and hit the creature. The thunderbolt left a gaping crater on the side of the massive creature, snuffing its life out without it being able to react. Its body smoldered in the impact’s aftermath.

  “Die furtives!” The lone Leviathan yelled at them.

  Moro turned his attention to it. This Leviathan seemed like a large squid. It had an enormous head with big bulbous eyes staring towards the furtives. Moro could not even see where its mouth was, but he knew that the voice came from it.

  The furtives marched onto the hill, which now created a large artificial peninsula, and readied their weapons.

  Red thunderbolts rained from the sky, but the lone Leviathan evaded them.

  “That was a great hit, Lady Zhi!” Moro shouted as she attempted to hit the remaining Leviathan.

  “Let us concern ourselves with the remaining beast!” She yelled back.

  “You heard her!” Moro shouted. “Fire!”

  The cannonade fired instantly, flying toward the Leviathan. Chaos surrounded the Leviathan. All at once, cannonballs and lightning swarmed the location the Leviathan found itself in. The Leviathan did all it could to avoid the lightning. He, and Zhi, knew that all it took would be one hit from it and that would be the end of him.

  The cannonade splashed around him, missing him by the smallest of margins, but one of them struck, hitting him right in one of his gigantic eyes.

  “AARGH!” The creature yelled in pain, and a large black spray blossomed all around it. The creature concealed itself in the thick miasma.

  “I’ll uncover it!” Zhi yelled. “Continue firing!”

  The furtives did so as Zhi wielded her magic.

  From above the position, a large downpour of rain suddenly fell, bringing the entire spray of ink down to the sea. The creature was nowhere to be seen.

  “It is hiding!” Zhi yelled.

  “Furtives!” an unknown voice yelled in anger in the distance.

  The unknown voice came from far beyond the horizon; the intensity of the voice was felt by all present. The voice carried with it undeniable rage.

  The squid Leviathan emerged at a distance.

  “Asino has reemerged!” Kadus yelled.

  “But that was not his voice!” Zhi shouted back at him.

  “Another Leviathan is incoming!” Kadus shouted back at her.

  In the distance, Moro saw an enormous wave that covered the entire horizon barreling towards them.

  “Who?!” Zhi yelled back.

  “I can’t tell!” Kadus yelled.

  “Ajan!” a voice cried out in fear. It belonged to Asino.

  The enormous wave did not discriminate. It washed over Asino, sending him reeling backwards towards the furtives.

  Zhi reacted.

  “Form ranks behind me!” She shouted at the furtives.

  Ahead of them, a gigantic wall of stone shot up from the sea. Moments later, the incoming wave crashed around it.

  The massive stone wall bent and bowed under the enormous pressure of the water. Zhi yelled as she poured all her energy into keeping the massive stone wall standing. The surrounding ground shook intensely as the sea barreled into the wall. It was hard to stay upright.

  “Stand your ground!” Moro yelled.

  Asino could not escape the massive wave as the enormous wave swept him inland.

  “This is a big one!” Kadus yelled down at the furtives.

  Within moments, a large tentacled arm swung, destroying the barricade Zhi had erected and leaving in full view their new assailant.

  Ajan, the new Leviathan, was larger than the other two Leviathans put together. He was a large, monstrous mass of tentacles with a body as large as a mountain. At the center of the gigantic mountain, two eyes stared down at the small furtives, full of rage.

  “Return that which was stolen from me, thieves!” Ajan shouted at the furtives. His voice seemed to come from all directions towards the gathered furtives. Moro could not believe the overwhelming sense of dread that exuded from the Leviathan. His body could not move; all he could do was stare at the creature.

  “Thieves?! We have stolen nothing from you, you foul beast!” Zhi yelled at the creature. Her voice boomed as loud as that of the Leviathan. Despite her size, she projected a presence as strong as his. Her confidence boosted Moro’s spirit, and he, along with the other furtives, felt their morale rise. He knew he had to act.

  “Cannoneers ready!” Moro ordered.

  The Leviathan did not act as if he would attack. He seemed interested only in attaining what he sought. But Moro knew that did not matter; if he hesitated, it could be the end of him and the other furtives.

  “The secrets I guard are for no one’s eyes! No one’s!” Ajan yelled in anger. The entire sea roiled in anger behind him. The surface steamed as the Leviathan raged.

  “You fools think those powers will benefit you! They only destroy! You will destroy everything!” Ajan shouted.

  “Fire!” Moro ordered.

  The row of cannons detonated their charges in a violent eruption. Amidst the cacophony of the raging sea, the sound of the cannonade drowned everything out. At this range, it was impossible to miss Ajan. Every single shot from the cannons impacted the massive Leviathan, leaving large wounds in the creature.

  “Argh!” Ajan shouted with rage. “Fools! Miserable, idiotic fools! You seek not only our destruction, but that of your kind as well! If reason cannot be found, then destruction I shall give you!”

  The creature flailed its many tentacled appendages at the furtives smashing into the peninsula that Zhi had created. Each of its tentacles was about three men wide. They smashed into the ground and the sea with such intensity that the ground beneath Moro shook as if a Giant approached.

  As each tentacle fell toward the furtives, Zhi did everything she could to shield them from the oncoming barrage. She would slice at the tentacles with blades of wind, and erected ice pillars that helped redirect the tentacles.

  “Do not stop!” She shouted at Moro. “Press the attack!”

  “You heard the Lady!” Moro replied. Ajan continued his assault, attempting with all his might to eradicate the furtives in front of him.

  “Cannoneers!” he ordered. The row of soldiers mustered around the cannons and began loading the cannons.

  “Fire!”

  Another volley erupted. Ajan was stunned, stopping his attack for a moment.

  Zhi shouted. “Kadus!”

  The sparrowling reacted. He flew high into the air, and once he hit a high enough altitude, he swept his wings and dove. As Ajan readjusted, Kadus gained speed, flying toward the Leviathan.

  “Zhi!” he yelled mere moments before impact, wrapping himself in his wings.

  From her hand, a lance of ice flew towards him, enveloping his body in a large pillar of ice. Kadus, now encased in ice, flew straight at the massive Leviathan, piercing him through his eye. The impact sent the Leviathan reeling backwards and caused its flailing to stop. The Leviathan’s body slowly adjusted itself as he turned to the furtives.

  “You are… fools.” Ajan said weakly. “Those powers… regret, all will regret…”

  The Leviathan’s massive frame crumpled in front of Zhi and the others.

  Zhi ran up to the edge of the fallen cliff and spread her hands out with her eyes closed.

  “Is it dead?” Moro shouted at Zhi.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  Moro stared at the massive corpse. His heart beat with such intensity that he thought it might jump out of his chest. Zhi moved her hands, and a large gust shot out from her hands.

  Moro saw an invisible blade cut into the corpse of the large Leviathan. Within moments, Kadus emerged from the corpse, flying high into the air. As he flew, he spun, flinging viscera from him. He submerged himself in the water and came out clean, landing next to Zhi.

  “Primus Moro, please take the furtives back inland.” Zhi ordered him.

  “But is the danger over?” Moro asked, still confused about what had just transpired.

  “I gave an order Primus.” Zhi replied tersely.

  “Yes Lady Zhi.”

  Moro quickly relayed the order to his troops and left.

  What did we just witness?