6 The cantankerous Vagabond (1/2)
Chapter 6: The cantankerous Vagabond
A faint light glimmered from the sky, in the rural countryside. A male canine leashed, with blond hair was traveling alone on the dirt roads. The sun still hadn't fully rose into the sky, giving him temporary cover for the time being. This vagabond seemed to be traveling, without a set destination, yet appeared in a hurry. He was surrounded a by white fog, as he pressed on, his feet grinding along the gravel, under the sky of the early dawn.
”Urgh... fuck. The sun's already coming out?!” The leashed growls to himself. ”I better move my ass. The last thing I need is to run into anyone who wants to put acollar around my neck.” He said, before grumbling under his breath, ”Might as well make it a noose...” The vagabond adjusted a black hooded cape, that was concealing himself, in hope that the plethora of other life would not notice what his race way.
His blue eyes spotted something in the distance. Before him was a small abundance of Templar forces, positioned in front of what appeared to be a rickety old farm house. However, there also seemed to be some commotion coming from inside the building.
”(Shit... Whatever is happening in there, better keep their attention...)” The vagabond thinks to himself, as he was making his way by them quietly.
As he brushed passed the Templar forces, he could see slightly into the ranch home. There he noticed Lyra, the red haired Viceroy Templar commander. She seemed to be extorting the people inside as if it was usual business.
”You Templar and your master make me sick! Extorting us for helping that poor little child. WHAT GIVES YOU SUCH A RIGHT?!” The rancher snapped at her.
This caused Lyra to grab the man by his throat. ”Pitiful sympathizers. Aoba's word is law, so now, you'll suffer the same fate.” From her finger tips, the man froze over into a ice statue.
”NO!!! YOU MONSTER!!!!” The rancher's wife cried out in horror, her tears flying into the air.
Lyra knocked back the woman with a blade of ice, shutting her up. ”...” The icy rapier stabbed through the woman's chest, as gurgled sounds only emerged from her mouth, along with a gushing trail of blood.
The leashed saw the whole scene, including the blood spilling to the wooden flooring. ”(T-THE F-FUCK!? Uhh...)” The Vagabond thought in fear, now stuck in his tracks from the sight. He tries to shift himself, but what he had witnessed was running deep in his mind.
Lyra had yet to exit the home, however a Templar noticed the canine peering to the scene. ”You there! Isn't it a bit early to be taking a stroll?” One spoke up, looking skeptically to him.
”...Urh...” He regained his mind, looking to the Templar, angrily. ”Who the fuck asked you? I'm on business, so fuck off!” The leashed spat out, turning away from the Templar.
As he turned, another was positioned in his path, as the others all looked his way.
”Seems this condescending bloke's looking for some trouble, eh?” Another spoke, letting their eyes focus on the leashed.
”Not observing the curfew could get you in all sorts of misfortune, laddie.” Another provoked, accusingly.
”This guy's traveling by night, what if he's that notorious Amygdala we've been hunting down?” One of the others inquired, seriously.
”The hell are you guys on!? Fuck, I mean it's not even that late. It's probably morning at best, but come on! You fuckers are just looking for problems. Why don't you go fuck yourselves, or something?” The leashed spat at them, cantankerously.
Heels clicked, as Lyra broke through the crowd, approaching the canine vagabond. She looked to the leashed with her white eyes. ”Isn't this rather lamentable?” Her lips curled, extending her feminine hand, to gently place her fingers around his jaw. ”Thou has quite the vulgar tongue.” She spoke in a pernicious tone, her thumb rubbing along his lower lip.
The leashed pulls back from her, shaking. ”B-back off! (I'm so boned! How the fuck am I getting out of this!?) ...You back me into a corner, you're gonna regret it!”
He was surrounded at this point. Lyra's expression grew more amused. ”How foolish. Does thou even know towhom he's threatening? It would be wise to rephrase your statement, boy. Treading in such ways will bring you to worse fates then death.” She said, as the air grew colder. Some snowflakes began to float around them.
”I don't care who the fuck you are! You're in my way...” The leashed places his hand to the skull pauldron on his chest. It changed form suddenly, to that of a staff that he now carried in his hand. It had an animal skull fastened to it.
Without a sign of warning, all the Templar had their blades drawn to him. One knocked the staff from his grasp, positioning his sword to the throat of the vagabond leashed. ”Not a very pragmatic response. Being derisive will get you in the gallows, friend. Let's see who you are, under that shroud.” The Templar grunted, yanking the hood from the dog's head.
”A leashed?””Don't be surprised, I bet this dog's just some stray.” The Templar group corroborated, the one keeping his blade kept close to the canine's throat. ”So much for being the wanted felon. Stupid mutt.”
”Fuck me...” The leashed says under his breath,fearfully as he was staring to the blade with an unnerved, forlorn expression.
”A feral leashed, how quaint. Does thou have a name, I wonder?” Lyra appeared curious, in a sadistic manner.
”M-My name? Heh... (Don't give them your name, Zyron! You need to get the hell out of dodge!)” The vagabond stammered, thinking briefly to himself in a scolding way. He glanced to the staff, that had been knocked to his feet.
”Filthy vermin. No sense wasting time rehabilitating such a slovenly, cantankerous, vagabond.” Lyra appeared displeased, speaking grievously. ”If the dog doesn't obey the master, put him down, I say.”
Zyron grabs his staff quickly, enchanting a fire spell with his tome magic.The smoldering flames flew off at the Templar forces, dancing around them before creating a wall of surrounding flames. ”(Phew, time to get the hell out of here!)”
”Infidel!!” A Templar shouted, as the entire squad was ready for attack.
Lyra's eyes locked sharply to Zyron in rage, as the storm picked up. ”Don't let him out of your sight!”
Zyron quickly flees, rushing west bound to a massive weeping willow. As he nears it, Zyron turns his attention behind him, spotting the Templar forces in pursuit. ”(Shit, that didn't work...)” Zyron thought to himself, turning back to the tree.
He suddenly noticed a tombstone at the foot of the tree, hidden from site under the brush of the covering branches. He rushes over, hiding behind it. However in the process, he bumped it open, exposing an entrance to a secret passage.
”Huh?” Zyron turns his attention back to the Templar, then quickly back to the passage. ”(Not a lot of time to think, I have no choice here.)” The vagabond pondered to himself as he made his way into the passage quickly.
The passage abruptly closed behind him. Zyron was left in the darkness of the underground tunnel system. Various noises came from afar, but not anywhere to be seen. The noises resembled ghastly shrieks of demons, and other foul monster-like entities.
Above ground there was a ruckus, causing Zyron to jolt slightly. ”Where is that vermin!?” ”Spread out, and search this sector! Do not allow him to escape!” ”SER!!”
”Jeez. I guess I dodged that...But only for the moment. They could figure out how to get in here. Then what?” Zyron places a hand to his head thinking over his next plan of action. ”I suppose I should head deeper in. Man it's dark...”
Zyron ignites his staff, which held fire at the mouth of the skull. It illuminated the path ahead of him, cutting through the darkness as he progressed forward, into the depths of the underground maze. More sounds occurred from all directions, as beastly fiends appeared in the dark corners of the passageway. Their eyes kept on Zyron, as some drew closer to him, without hesitation, and let out bellowing screams.
Zyron shrieks as he starts to rush down the path quickly. He didn't bother to bat an eye to the sounds of the Templar that pursued him. He was more concerned with the cavernous claws that echoed around him, as monstrous creatures gave chase. ”(FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! There has to be a way out of here!)” He thought to himself, pushing forward through more of the thick darkness with his fire lit staff.
An eerie wind blew in the tunnel, blowing the flames out from Zyron's staff. Looming around him was an unsettling chuckle in the air, echoing around like an endless loop of insanity. ”Eh heh heh heh heh....” the feminine laughter flowed through Zyron's ears.
”W-Who's there!?” He shouted, in fear. Zyron was blinded by the darkness, with his skin crawling from the sudden bone chilling tone of the soft laughter. He couldn't identify it, but was left petrified in fear. ”...Crap...” He muttered, shakily. Though not too far off from his position, a red glow was seen, barely visible through the darkness that plagued him.
Zyron's heart was pounding out of his chest, as if he was witnessing the end of his very existence. Gripping to his staff, he presses forward to the glow, which seemed to be calling to him. Perhaps this red illumination he spotted in his eye, could it be the redemption he sought from this dark nightmare, or perhaps he was fooling himself. Many thoughts crawled through his head as he kept his stead to the red glowing aura. ”(Just maybe it's another way. It just has to be! I can't die in this place!)” The leashed thought to himself.
His eyes were focused on the light, rushing to it as fast as his feet would carry him. The sounds of monsters continued to draw nearer by the second. Then, when he thought all might be lost, his hand reached the red glowing stone in front of him. A blood red crystal. Before another thing could be said or done, Zyron felt his body pulled into the stone. Then suddenly, he was gone... Standing in the darkness was a silhouette of a female fiend, hundreds of eyes from her body staring intensely to the blood crystal.
The scene faded to black, panning back to the Knothole sanctum. Nye was perched on the ledge, finishing her monologue of persuasion. The location grew loud, as the fiends and Amygdala rejoiced upon her statements.
”All hail the Queen!!” They cheered, except a few of the bystanders who still seemed skeptical.
Miles seemed relieved, coming back into view as Nye descended to the lower level. As she landed, many of her followers surrounded her. She was bombarded with questions and statements. There was so many, that the dialog was distinguishable. She didn't seem too fazed by it, but couldn't speak over them.
Miles ran up to the crowd with his ears slanted backwards as his tail fluffed up. ”Hey! Stop crowding her!” He growled, shoving them away.
Nye's hand placed between his ears, ”You can place your mind at ease Miles, they just have questions that they want answered. It's alright.”
”...” Miles grumbled, crossing his arms.
As Nye was being slammed with questions and comments, there was two skeptical ones lingering in the back. The purple haired fiend from before, as well as a red haired Amygdala.
”She says all the right things, as if it's scripted. I don't know if I can trust her that easily.” Scoffed the purple haired fiend.
The red haired one looked lazily to him, ”Didn't you do enough blubbering to her face, Vex? Listen, you know I hate all the politics and rules... but, maybe SHE can fix things. Ya'know?” He said, taking a drag from a cigarette.
Vex gave the other a demented glare, ”I don't give a damn about your conspiracy theories Ashe! Either way WE LOSE!”
Ashe raised a brow, ”You just don't want to be under a woman.”
Vex grabbed Ashe's shirt collar, with a sly expression. ”I bet the only reason you're even CONSIDERING this, is because you're an Amygdala.”
”What's that 'spose to mean?” Ashe inquired, chuckling in amusement.
”Think about it dunderhead. You can marry into the throne, no questions asked.” Vex scoffed.
Ashe rolled his eyes. ”Like I have the motivation for that.”
”Blame it on low self-stem, or better yet, propaganda.” Vex mocked.
”Mind saying that again, I didn't hear you the first time!” Ashe snapped, growing enraged.
”You two need to control your mouths.” Spoke up Runfaust, the towering Oculus fiend who stood behind them. ”I didn't take you children in, to have you speak in such ways.”
”What are you gonna do old man? Make us fight in the front lines?” Vex glared over.