Huff... Huff..
His shoes slammed into the ground, opting to jump from floor to floor instead of the stairs. The great sword sheathed on his back added weight to his landings, the rapier attached to his side not so much, but he held himself up with little struggle. The weapons bounced and shifted, a couple of times he was forced to push his rapier back in place.
"I really should have fastened this better before I left."
Like he thought, the Blades left the dungeon after the first explosion, but more than likely they were now taking care of whatever fell through the castle roof a minute ago. He prayed Anne was safe, but knew Erickson would make sure of that.
"Of course they'd try her as a tresspasser.. I should have checked here first."
"Someone get me the hell out of here now!" An angry and demanding voice echoed from the bottom floor. It sounded like hers, even angry, beautiful. His pace quickened, and his mind focused. Finally he reached the bottom, fiddling with keys to find the one for her cell as he approached.
BANG-
The cell door abruptly flew from its hinges, slamming the wall on the other side of the hallway before crashing into the ground. Desmond stopped in his tracks and watched Grimm walk out, brushing dust out of her long hair. She looked up, visibly caught off guard by the sight of another person. Short, wavy brown hair, hazel eyes. Dressed rather elegantly with a white collared shirt tucked into brown pants, his top covered by a black cloak. All of it pinned to him by sheathes strapped to his back and waist, for weapons that couldn't be more different from each other.
"You are?" Her question bitchy, interrogative. Questionably erotic?
"Your uh, benefactor?" he replied cautiously.
"Baelish? What the hell? Why are you here?" Her tone shifted to a comforted confusion as she started walking again.
"Why can't you stay out of trouble?" They now walked beside each other heading for the stairs.
"Screw you. How did you get keys? Did you fight through those Blades?"
It would have definitely looked good on him, but Desmond couldn't lie any longer, it was time to tell her. "Well, since I live here I just knew where they were, hah." He held his breath and waited for her to react.
Grimm shot her head back giving him a look, and burst into laughter. "Yeah okay, you live in the Sierra castle and I'm the queen of Velsin. What? That makes you prince-"
He finished her sentence, "Desmond Sierra... Yeah."
"Wait. You're serious?"
"Yes and I'll explain when I can, but right now's not a good time. Scroff is waiting outside so please stay close!" He started sprinting up the stairs, his face flustered. He wasn't trying to impress her by announcing he was a prince, but.. Why wasn't she?
"Wait damnit!" Grimm quickened her pace with an array of questions she wanted answered. She noticed a lack of Blades as they climbed the staircases. A huge contrast to the packed crypt from before.
She felt a wave of relief seeing the entrance of the crypt open, with no chains attached to her. She could tell the day had waned to welcome an evening glow. She honestly thought she might not have ever seen it again.
Scroff instantly pulled her into a hug as she exited. Their reunion was short, but Grimm needed it more than anything.
"I didn't train you to get beat up by a bunch of tin-cans, damn brat." He half jokingly smacked her in the head.
"Quit it! damn pig... Now why are you with the prince of the Sierra Kingdom? And where is everyone?" If anyone would tell her straight, it was him. She always appreciated that respect.
He sighed, there was no slow mode with her.
"Kid, brace yourself okay?" He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. Her eyes locked onto it almost instantly, widening, like her mind was quickly connecting dots. Her dream, the door. It all came rushing back to her. The proof was right there,
The barrier was shattered. Pieces of it falling from the sky like in the murals some churches put up. Hell fire was raining from the sky-
And it was her fault.
She couldn't hold back the instant nausea, Hunching over beside herself to expel this undeniable truth of the situation in a puddle of vomit. Scroff stepped back to not catch the projectile on any of his clothes, but still kept a hand on her back.
"Hey we're gonna be alright kid, just bre-"
CRASH
Something blasted into the lawn beside them, smoke erupting from the point of impact. Before Scroff could get a read on the situation Desmond darted past him.
"Vanu, give me strength!" He'd yell drawing his great sword. He spun himself around in a quick motion, using the gained speed to hurl the sword into the cloud.
The force in the sword split the smoke in half, and Desmond watched for a split second as the Great sword stuck itself through the chest of a thin, no faced, dark red beast. Quickly after the smoke re formed.
"V.. Voidborne?" Desmond asked himself. The thing before him had been described in almost every bible he had ever read. Red beasts with no faces in different shapes and sizes. They were the harbingers of destruction. The catalysts that marked the end of the world.
They couldn't be that tough, the impact of the sword slung the slim monster through the air, until it found ground, quickly sinking into the forgiving dirt. The voidborne screeched as the remaining life drained from its eyes, and two more popped out from the dust, knuckle-running towards the prince.
He drew his rapier and quickly took a stance. The first swiped it's long arms at him. He'd knock it away using the length of his rapier, barely leaving enough time to duck and weave as the second one tried to lunge on top of him.
They attacked at once. Desmond ducked under a swing, and shoulder-checked the attacker to push it back, giving Desmond the space to kick it in the chest and send it to the ground.
Using the small window he opened, Desmond traded swings with the second Voidborne. They were smart enough to fight in groups, which was worrying, but their fighting style resembled a wild animal's; No plan. Just violent and rabid. That was his advantage.
Finally, disarming the attempt of an attack Desmond struck the heart of the Voidborne, pushing the entirety of his sword through it, and it dropped. He put his foot over the beast to pull his rapier out of its chest, but was interrupted by the one he kicked a moment ago. He'd barely dodge out of the way before it slammed into him, falling on top of the other Voidborne's corpse instead.
He ran for his great-sword while the last Voidborne scrambled off of its friend and gave chase. His legs carried him on top of the impaled corpse, and after a quick jump, his full weight stomped down on it. It sent the body sliding down the great-sword, a squelching noise exerting as the sword retracted from its soft intestines, until it was no longer propped up with the sword. He had little to fight before the sword would pull out of the beast's chest. Just in time too, Desmond instantly turned his body to block a predicted slam.
The monster gave another slam down onto the sword, and then another. On the fourth, Desmond pushed the Voidborne off balance, swinging it sideways while its arms were still on it. He spun behind it, using the momentum to slice the top-half of the monsters body away from bottom-half.
He stared at the product of his training, huffing until his lungs could calm down. He got lost in the scene he had created, almost proud of how well it went. Erickson would be proud.
He sheathed his great-sword and walked over to his rapier. Both of his hands wrapped around the hilt before he pulled it out of the monster's chest. It was difficult, like the corpse started engulfing the part of the sword that was inside of it. The gunk was wiped off in the grass, sliding back into its sheath right after.
Desmond turned to Scroff, who had picked up Grimm in a Bridal Carry kind of fashion. She looked pale.
"She's fine! Coming to terms with the end of the world isn't an easy thing to do. Good work by the way kid." Scroff nodded towards him, impressed if nothing else.
"No, no need at all, I'm just glad you're alright. We should head for the front doors, Erickson said he'd meet us there when he could."
"Got it, we're following you kid." They ran for the front entrance, eventually stopping at the bottom of marble stairs to catch their breath. Above the first set of steps sat a beautiful foundation in front of the castle. A fountain with a robed, long-haired woman centered with the door, seating areas, and rose-focused shrubbery made up this welcome area, before another set of stairs behind it lead to the the grandeur doors of the castle.
The only imperfection in this whole place was the very visible hole in the roofing. Like something big had crashed into it. Which, something had.
"Well, I never liked my room that much-" In a moment a figure burst through the door, flying with violent force. Definitely uncontrollably.
"Scroff Grab-" Before Desmond could finish his sentence Scroff was already tossing him Grimm.
"Solidify!" Scroff's command was heard, a green bubble forming around his hands, that then deflated to fit him like a glove. Without a moment to spare he caught the person. The force of impact scooted him back against the ground, but still he stood. A tank.
"T-thank you." The person caught sighed. Scroff let them down, and they quickly they regained their footing. He took an offensive stance with a spear in hand. It was none other than-
"Erickson? What in the hell is happening in there?!" Desmond asked.
"Worry not Master Desmond, our guest will be joining us out here." Erickson wiped blood from his mouth, and as if waiting on a cue, an eleven-foot Voidborne ducked its head to claw its way out of the front doors. Its wings squeezed through behind it, and when they could escape into the outside they spread in ethereal elegance. It's arms had mass, but it's ribcage and stomach looked as if its skin lied on top of its bones.
"grAHHHH!" The angel cried out into the sky, stretching its arms horizontally. Out of the palm of its left hand held a woman. Anne, still alive and trying to wiggle free. It's right hand begin pouring a sword out of it. It looked like half solidified blood, the hilt and handle sloshing around like liquid in a bottle. A lengthy hand wrapped around the sword, and only then did it acknowledge the group standing in front of it. Waiting.
"I was wondering where that had went. Hey, bigger fellow? You seem like you can fight, might I request your help?" Erickson stood, ready to get Anne back.
Scroff moved his arm out in front of him facing his palm upwards, "For old time's sake?" Scroff replied.
"It hasn't failed yet, old friend." In a quick manor Erickson jumped into Scroff's hand, he kept a firm hold on Erickson's shoes as he fell in the air. Catching his chest, holding Erickson like a log. Prepping his throw by moving his arm back, he hurled Erickson straight for the angel.
Erickson jousted the spear in front of him in the air. The angel quickly dangled Anne by her legs in front of it to act as a shield, but Erickson did not falter.
Inches from Anne, Erickson disappeared. Reappearing in front of her. Without time to react the angel had to tank a spear driven through its left clavicle. The force of the attack sent the angel sliding all the way into the wall above the castle doors. It dug a few feet into the stone, pinning the angel to it. It cried in pain, and finally dropped Anne.
Erickson left the spear in the angel's shoulder , dropping to catch Anne before she hit the ground. The two landed safely. Angry, the angel used its free hand to reach for the spear and drew its leg back to punt the two away. Erickson pushed Anne out of the way and threw his arms up. The kick connected, and again he was sent flying.
This time Scroff was ready. He'd jump in the air to grab Erickson, and use his momentum to throw him back towards the angel, a game of back-and-forth. Erickson spun in the air to stomp his feet into the hand of the struggling angel, which caused it to drive the spear deeper into the wall.
It'd wail and fling its arm back, throwing Erickson off of him. The two regrouped, quickly charging it without hesitation. The angel flapped the tip of its wing despite being backed into a wall, and the wind created almost threw the two off of their feet. Despite the power difference, they inches their way closer. They didn't have a choice, If it could use both wings, if it had enough time to free itself...
They would surely be killed.
"I-I have to help them." Grimm stuttered. Desmond looked down at her while she struggled to get off of all fours. She was still sickly, and yet she stood up.
"Grimm wait! You're not well!" He pleaded
"I can fight. I'm not feeling as bad." she grunted.
"My ass... But fine. lf you're going I am too."
"GRAHHHHHHH! GREEAAACHHAA!" Grimm and Desmond snapped their attention to the fight. The angel was reaching into the air screaming louder than they had heard it so far. They had only looked away for a second, but Erickson, Scroff, and Anne were sprinting back towards them with fear in their faces, screaming something they couldn't hear over the angel-like beast.
The only thing he could make out was the spear Erickson drove into the Angel freed from its flesh. Falling onto the ground.
A low pitched humming noise started filling the air. It grew louder, and louder, like something was powering up.
"YOU HAVE TO RUN-" Scroff's voice finally pierced their ears, but it was too late.
A white beam shot from the ground to the sky. Encasing the castle, the fountain, the trees, the ground.. Grimm and Desmond stopped in their tracks right on the outskirts of the beam, wincing their eyes closed and covering their ears to muffle the light and noise of the deafening hum.
And when the noise was gone, and the only noise was the ringing in their ears, they slowly opened their eyes.
The castle was gone. The ground below the castle was gone, some twenty feet deep. The bottom half of the crypt now seeing light for the first time in forever. There was no more landmark for the Sierra Kingdom in sight. Just a bunch of empty land, the encasing trees, and the inevitability of the end of the world crashing down in meteors, in the distant sky.
Grimm dropped to her knees, wailing. Desmond stood still, his mind telling his body to move, but his body refusing to do so.
"Scroff?!" She yelled into the pit. " Scroff!" She exhausted her lungs screaming for him. Gasping for breath just to yell out for him again.
"Scroff! Please! Where are you?!" Nothing answered her cries.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for ever fighting with you! I'm sorry for making you worry so much about me! I wouldn't have opened that door if i had known this was going to happen! I swear I wouldn't have, I just wanted to go home! I wanted to see you again!"
Desperation.
Desmond came out of his daze long enough to notice figures appearing from the tree lines, and none of them looked friendly. He wanted to join Grimm crying, his care taker was gone, his mentor, his home. He promised his father to protect the kingdom in his absence, and in less than twelve hours the world started to end. He was confused, and scared. He wanted his dad.
But a king must swallow their emotions, for his people.
"Grimm... We have to go." He whispered. Trying to put his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm not going anywhere! I should have been there! If I would have helped him-"
"If you would have went to help you'd both be dead!" The sentence sounded better in his head, but Grimm did not hear that type of sentence. She gave a scornful, teary eyed stare before standing up to punch him straight across the face.
Desmond flung a foot or two back, sliding to a stop on the ground.
She bent down to get in his face, holding back tears, but holding them well.
"I don't know you OR why the prince of this god-forsaken kingdom has a fetish for VASILISKS, but if you wouldn't have brought him to save me in the first place he'd still be here. This is your fault."
"MY fault? W-what the hell is that supposed to mean? None of this is MY fault, maybe if a VASILISK could keep herself in the Eastern Continent he wouldn't have had a reason to come here in the first place! And what did you mean by opening a door? What door?!"
Grimm's face twisted in guilt and anger. She did not mean to say that out loud, but she didn't owe him an answer.
"Stay the fuck away from me." She threw her hand back to punch Desmond, and when he flinched, she spit in his face and walked towards the road leading into the city.
Desmond lie there spiraling in his head. His people were gone, his home was gone, and now the woman he loved for some unknown reason was gone. He didn't mean what he said about the Eastern Continent. He just wanted to hurt her, and it worked better than intended. The thought punched his stomach, he fought himself back from throwing up.
The sounds of closely approaching steps and growls let Desmond know it was time to clear his head. He turned towards the monsters, slowly stood, and drew his great sword. Ten Voidborne stared at him like they had found their next prey.
"I'm not in the mood." One got in his face and screeched, its spit hitting his cheek. His hand slowly wiping it off in disgust.
"Only one person got to do that to me today, and it wasn't you."
It didn't take long, when he was done his clothes were more blood than cloth. Once again he let his lungs calm down from the extensive fight, and sheathe his sword. Not even bothering to wipe it off. A good while had passed, he fought from the remaining light into the dark. Grimm was more than likely at the outskirts of the city.
Right now she couldn't matter, Desmond had to get to his people. No matter how he was feeling, a King needed to be the first to respond to a crisis, so he picked up the weight of his emotions and ran for the road.
The path from the kingdom to Sierra's biggest city was one long road paved through a dense forest. His great-great something grandfather had decided to put it there, isolated from everything else. He remembered hating that loneliness since childhood, and it was no different today.
The roars of burning buildings, clashing swords, and smell of blood violently infiltrated his senses. After a long run he was approaching the city.
"N-no get away! Stop right now!" A woman pleaded. The lengthy Voidborne attacking her lifted its sword in the air, ready to claim another victim. It swung down, but a long length of metal just a little bit faster pierced through the back of its head, exiting through its eye. The woman was confused, just watching blood spurt from the socket. It dropped to its knee's before a man grabbed its head to force the rapier out, shoving it backwards. The Walking Blades behind him surveyed the area, making sure it was clear. It was Temporary King Desmond, looking at the woman.
"Ma'am are you okay?" His hand reached out to help her up. She took it eagerly, still flabbergasted.
"Prince Desmond?" She asked cautiously.
"King right now, but this isn't time for formalities. Desmond is fine." He gave a warm smile. The woman didn't answer him, instead pulling him into a hug. The Blades went to take a hostile stance from her sudden movement, but he waved them off.
"You need to head for the outskirts of town. I'm gathering people to Hoffbrook, we're going to defend ourselves there. One of these Blades can guide you. Will you do that for me?"
"H-huh? Y-yes I can, but I was trying to get to a booth in the Shopping Center. My father went to sell our goods today and then the barrier broke and I haven't seen him!" She started upsetting herself, Desmond called over one of the Walking Blades as he reassured her.
"I'll find your father, what's his name?"
"M-Marcus Friel." She struggled through hyperventilating.
"He's going to be okay, just follow this Blade, okay? I'm heading for Hoffbrook too when I've saved everyone, but there are already royal army members with my plan - help them set up everything okay?"
"O-okay Desmond, thank you." He nodded at her with a smile, before motioning the Walking Blades. One took the woman away, and the others followed him into the thicket of the invasion.
The roads leading to the Shopping Centre gave Desmond a good idea for how this was playing out. These threats were new, and their need for destruction was an unprecedented blood lust, but the Sierra Royal Army was feared for a reason.
For every soldier lying on the ground, there were two, no three Voidborne with them.
They could win this.
The shopping center seemed to have been the most trafficked place when everything happened. Piles of civilians, soldiers, and monsters lied sporadically around the area. Most of those were his people, people he swore to his father he'd protect. Yet because he was off saving an infatuation, here they were. Their blood collected in pools so deep their corpses could swim in it.
"Gah!" A woman's grunt followed by clashing echoed from a few rows beyond his. Needing to see any sign of life during all of this he wasted no time rushing over, his swords banging around as he jumped over bodies and broken buildings. After crossing the battlefield he saw Grimm in front of two civilians. One kid, and one older man huddled on a wall. She was defending them from Voidborne.
With no time for words he drew his great sword, in one motion grabbing it with both hands and slinging it over his head. He'd take a second to aim and then
Shoo- SQUISH!
It went through the second Void borne, the momentum violently sticking the sword and the beast to the side of a building. Grimm looked over to see Desmond.
.."W-what the hell?"
Her peripheral barely caught a glimpse of the monster swinging at her, acting on instinctive reflex she grabbed the swing. "GRAHH!" it screeched in her face and the two struggled for a moment. She finally over powered it enough to shoulder pressed it into the hilt on Desmond's sword. Using the lodged weapon as a wall to beat down her opponent in a quick motion.
Gut. Gut. Right hook. Left hook. The one stuck to the wall reached for her, and even got ahold of her arm. Desmond ran to help her.
She grabbed onto its arm to contest its grip. The free one clawed at her, her body pivoted, the stuck one's arm stretching in unnatural ways as she spun, the first attack missing her.
It struck again, smacking her head once. Twice. It's hand tensed, its claw swinging downwards to slash her face. She couldn't move.
Desmond jumped in front of her and took the attack directly into his arm. He grunted, but used the lodged hand to his advantage to force the beast's arm upwards. He'd pull his rapier out with his free hand and stab it in the ribs.
Grimm wouldn't let the beast let go of her, she pulled, and pulled until its arm ripped off of its body. The beast screeched. She was so tired of hearing that today. The severed arm was thrown down, her hand grabbing the Voidborne's head to swing it into the building it was stuck to. its ehad recoiled, but Grimm just grabbed it again, slamming it against the wall until it quit crying.
She finally let go and it dropped. Its slender, dark red corpse standing purely on account of being stuck. While catching her breath she'd stare the thing down, waiting for it to move even an inch.. Hoping, in a way.
Neither of them moved an inch. They were more afraid of this conversation than any monster. Finally, Desmond spoke first.
"Grimm." he turned to meet her gaze. He needed to apologize. Even if after this she left and they never saw each other again he needed her to know he was sorry.
"What part of leave me alone do you not understand?" she scoffed. Not even answering her, once he was within a few inches of her he dipped his head as low as he could standing.
"I said vile things to you. Wherever you choose to go after this, I won't blame you. But please know I'm so so so sorry." He kept his voice low, and earnest. Grimm looked dumbfounded, with no idea on how to react. This was the first time anyone had apologized to her, and it was a king none-the-less...
She said awful things too.
"Damnit all."
"Don't bow your head to me, Desmond. I forgive you." She lightly punched his shoulder, Desmond's head raised up in surprise. He wanted her to forgive her, but was it really that easy? She continued to talk after they were looking at each other again. "I shouldn't have said you had a Vasilisk fetish.. That was weird, and we can talk more about everything.. after we deal with those giants behind you."
Confused, Desmond turned around to see two, twelve-foot Voidborne make their way into the market. An army of smaller ones poured in behind them. He turned to the two civilians still huddled on a wall away from them. With not enough time to do anything else for them Desmond pulled his sword out of the building, and ran over to the two people.
"Sir, are you Marcus Friel?"
"What? Yes, but how do you know my name?" He asked nervously.
"Your daughter sent me to look for you. She's alive and is on her way to Hoffbrook. I need the both of you there too. I'm sorry I know that's a lot to take in, but will you go with these blades?" He looked behind him, introducing the royal-grade machines.
Marcus turned from the prince to look at the two Royal blades behind him. Exact copies of each other, with matching swords to boot.
"Yeah, okay.. I can do that." He'd crunch small debris under him as he stood, then reach his hand out towards the girl. "You're coming too okay? It's gonna be safer where they're taking us." The girl looked timid, but after glancing over to see a small army of monsters pouring in near them, it didn't take much convincing. She grabbed his hand, and being guided by the Walking Blades, ran out of the area.
Desmond watched them leave with a smile. Two more people who would be spared from this onslaught. The interlude of calmness was over, waning for the storm ahead. All that was left were the two of them, and this army of monsters. Though Demond and Grimm were getting fatigued, these beasts didn't seem to have the same weaknesses.
"Hey, what's that?" Looking towards the sky, the two of them watched two small balls of light flying down towards towards the market at great speed. A White ball, and although harder to see, a black ball glowing a radiant hue.
"What the hell.." They watched them as they fell to the ground behind the army of Voidborne, and then nothing.
VOOM-
They both shot out from the outline of the army. Time almost seemed to slow as Desmond watched the white ball shoot towards him, and the black shoot towards Grimm. He didn't like it, any of this, but he knew he couldn't let Grimm get hit. Before he really knew what he was doing he turned to push Grimm out of the way. He used all of his force to make sure he could catch her off guard.
They locked eyes for a second, Grimm's searching for frantic answers as Desmond's tried to calm her. the moment was short lived, in almost an instant the black ball hit Desmond, and the force sent him flying into a building behind him, his sword dropping in front of her.
Grimm fell to the ground, her eyes closing as she hit. By the time she opened them Desmond was already through a wall. She watched as the white ball stopped mid-air some forty feet in front of her. Nothing, and then it changed direction to fly at her. She looked to Desmond's sword, snatched its handle, her body scrambling to stand up. She slammed the sword into the ground and hid behind it, pressing her body to strengthen the makeshift shield. Her attempt to block the orb was futile, she watched as it completely phased through the sword without problem-
and then everything went black.