Two Fates: Divine Storm and War Maiden

Chapter 14 : Alliance

The word of Maya Strongbow being alive was heard by the people of Alistair. It gave them a form of hope. Four figures stood by the tent, wearing dress blues  and black caps.

"That Maya Strongbow, was she not considered to be weak and dead?" One of the Alliance members said.

"That was part of the report..." Another officer said, looking at the details.

"The Morrows Estate was also attacked. Leaving no survivors. We've had some of our men check it. Turns out there is blood... Blood that belonged to Maya Strongbow. I doubt she will be in much of a condition to fight us. We need to strengthen our defenses. The Phantoms have been able to be detected via thermals. The Chosen... We don't have much info on them except that they are dangerous in combat. Frontal combat has been ill advised." One of them said.

"This resistance is futile... Why do they bother fighting? They should already know how much we outnumber them." Another officer spoke up. 

"Generals!" A soldier called out, rushing to the tent where the four figures stared at the blueprints.

"What is it, soldier?" The soldier was tired, he was about to speak but they watched how a blade pierced through from behind. A downward swing that left the soldier in half. 

"Who in the.." They looked at the white haired teenager in front of them.

"It's such a shame about your base. I'm guessing you four must be the current leaders of this area." 

"Guards!" One of them shouted.

"Don't be bothered. Your guards are dead. Besides. I need to kill you." Sieg said as he slashed the four Alliance officers inside. Then stepping outside, seeing the corpses of the soldiers of the Alliance.

"Leader. Two of our Phantoms are in trouble. They used civilians." Sieg heard on the radio.

"I'll take care of it." Sieg said as he made a move to the location.

"Leader!" The two Phantoms called out, they were the third generation members and seeing the civilians having guns pointed to the heads of his Phantoms along with a soldier that smirked.

"Well... Well. I didn't know that all of our trouble was caused by just a brat."  The officer spoke up while stroking his beard.

"Why must you resist? don't you see that your people will prosper under the rule of the Alliance?" Sieg yawned.

"Last time I checked, I didn't need your opinion." The officer then pointed the pistol to a child's leg, firing a shot.

"Do you not care?" The officer shouted, seeing Sieg sigh.

"Just remember this. When I head to your country. I will find your wife and children, and I will butcher them in front of you. Just for that." Sieg said.

"You are alone. Do you truly think that you can do that?" Multiple lasers marked over Sieg's body and Sieg caught a glimpse of the soldiers appearing from the rooftops and buildings.

Sieg stretched his neck, he snapped his fingers. In an instant the soldiers were thrown out of the buildings, falling in front of Sieg. 

"What the?" Sieg raised his right hand.

"Judgement Lightning." Sieg whispered, where the bolts of lightning struck the soldiers in front of him. The first bolt, burned their skin. The second bolt, removed all forms of their skin and letting their muscles be exposed to the elements.They were screaming loudly. Another bolt of lightning left them as skeletons, but that did not stop them from screaming still.

Sieg walked towards the officer.

"Stay away!" Sieg did not stop, he walked over to the officer. Grabbing the neck, and putting a collar onto the officer.

"What... What is this?!" The officer asked.

"Bury your head to the ground." The officer's body swung his head down to the ground. 

"Why... Why am I following your orders?" 

"It's a slave collar. I've put it on certain officers. Those that decided to involve civilians in the battle. Phantoms." The two Phantoms appeared by Sieg's side once more, the civilians looked at Sieg.

"Did you betray the country?" Sieg asked the civilians that held guns. 

"Of course we would! Living under the Empress has been nothing but trouble! You nobles have always taken advantage of us! The Alliance offered us a better life!" Sieg sheathed his blade.

"Understandable." Sieg said as he turned away from them.

"Leader, are you not going to punish them?"  The phantoms asked.

"What for? They are speaking the truth. The Empress hurt the people beneath. Anyone that voiced against her would be attacked. I cannot punish them for what was done by our own." Sieg answered

"I am a noble. That is true. But I ask that you wait for Her Highness, Maya Strongbow to take the throne. When she does, we will make changes to ensure that the people will no longer be in a state such as this. If Maya Strongbow decides to become a tyrant and oppress the people. I will kill her myself." Sieg said as he walked away from them. 

Walking through the streets, Sieg found the bodies of the civilians being hung by the buildings.Sieg grit his teeth. Though the corpses of the civilians angered him, the corpses of the alliance soldiers were enough to serve as a warning. The invasion was fast but Sieg and Maya's actions were faster. 

"Leader what about that officer?" 

"Oh him.. Just make sure he follows us. Make sure he is alive. He's going to be among the few officers that I want to bring to their country. Have we identified the forces of this country yet?" Sieg asked.

"Yes, leader. It is the country of Nelern. The Republic of Nelern. What will we do?" A phantom asked.

"If it's a country that small. Then I can go there myself. Let's first push the invasion forces out." Sieg said.

Meanwhile, Maya was fighting on the front lines. She was slashing through dozens of soldiers with Darkstar. Then roaring into the battlefield, her golden aura blanketing her like a cape. Maya jabbed a soldier's chest, piercing through the body armor. The others watched how Maya held the heart in her hand, crushing it. 

"You lot dare to attack the Alistair Empire! How dare you use civilians and parade their corpses like they were nothing... You do not deserve mercy. I will butcher every single soldier of your alliance! No mercy!" Maya roared as the ground shook with her voice, the Alliance forces were fumbling with their reloads. 

"Bullets are useless.. Bullets are useless." Muttered by a soldier that watched his rifle ran dry, merely hearing the clicks from the trigger itself. A tank fired off its cannon at Maya's direction.

"We did it! We killed her!" The smoke trail was enough for their confidence, but was it truly the end for Maya? Of course not. Maya stepped out of the smoke, unscathed. Her rage was renewed, the roar of her voice was heard by all in the area.

Like an omen to an inevitable calamity, Maya's roar was the first sign. The second sign were the sounds of screaming soldiers running away from her. The third? Was Maya's presence appearing before them. She was nothing short of a beast, rampaging through the Alliance. Was she tired? 

Yes. Maya was tired, her wounds were tearing through her body. But what was driving Maya was sheer f*****g will. The anger of watching her people to be thrown around like a bunch of dolls. She felt her rage from the day she watched her mother murdered by Crow's predecessor. 

This anger was her fuel, Maya did not let a single soldier of the Alliance leave.Their screams and horrified faces were enough to spread the fear like the plague to their allies. Bullets were useless, explosive cannons were useless. The fear was being broadcasted all over the country.

A cannon fired off a shot to the direction of civilians. Maya stood in front of it, taking the brunt of the cannon. Where her aura blanketed the people behind her, Maya threw pieces of her armor to form a shield to protect the civilians. It was damaged and useless, she threw the pieces aside. The civilians watched as Maya wounds bled out. She coughed her blood aside, then wielded Darkstar. 

"She's just human keep firing!" They fired, Maya did not move taking the bullets into her body. She still stood firm. Sheer f*****g will was all that Maya needed, she ran straight to the Alliance. They smiled with glee, expecting for her to fall. 

She did not, her body was in tatters, she was scarred all over. Bleeding profusely but that anger that she had was all it took to rip through the remaining alliance soldiers in the area. 

The people watched the blood on her body, she fell to her knees. Then she got back up, coughing out the bullets from within her body. She took a dagger, then stabbed herself with it, imbuing it with her aura.

The people of Alistair watched as Maya did that to herself, then pulling the knife out. Getting back on her feet, where she put on her helmet. Then her aura formed its own armor pieces over her. 

"Your Highness!" The voices called for Maya, she did not glance at them. She did not look at her people, she took Darkstar and roared again. Running into the field of battle. 

"She can't hear you." The people turned to Fei Lee.

"Why is that?" 

"Her Highness is someone who has inherited the style of Elena Strongbow. The late Elena Strongbow was someone whose anger was brought by the sight of her countrymen being attacked. When a village was razed by an enemy force. Lady Elena Strongbow did not falter. She charged into the enemy base and destroyed it. Then she continued to fight for days and brought the force to its knees. Her Highness is the same. As someone who has served Lady Elena Strongbow herself, I can see the resemblance. Please, put your faith in her. She will return it." Fei Lee said.

"The War Maiden's descendant has taken to the battlefield." Fei Lee said. 

"That must be the Divine Storm's Successor..." The minutes turned to hours, the people watched on the communication tower and mana radio network. Watching the feats of Maya Strongbow and Sieg Baratos. Earning the moniker 'The Fated Pair'. Photos and videos of Maya and Sieg fighting bitterly. It was enough to rouse an uprising. 

The Chosen and Phantoms hunted down the people that were responsible for selling the Alistair Empire out. Bringing forth the many nobles, among them was Duke Baratos's family. They were brought to the plaza, where people were present. 

Sieg returned, he was drenched in blood, his white hair had some bits and pieces of meat stuck between the strands of his hair. Sieg used his fingers to pick those pieces and throw them off, he would definitely need a shower. The traitors were brought in front of him. The people called for their deaths.

"Sieg.. You have to understand! We needed to take down the mo-" Sieg slashed the arm off Jorge, his stepbrother's words. He wiped the blood off his blade, then put it aside. 

"You can't do this!" Sieg then kicked Jorge in the leg, bringing Jorge to his knees. Following it up with placing his hands over Jorge. Strangling Jorge, slowly. Sieg did not blink, he did not say a word. He deafened the voices of his family members. 

"Sieg! You can't do that! That is your own brother!" Their cries fell to deaf ears. His expression was calm. Not a grin nor a sparkle of joy within his eyes. Jorge died, to which Sieg then cut his head off with a tomahawk. Then placing it on a pike. 

Sieg turned to his father.

"Sieg... I am your father, you can't do this! I raised you." 

"Yes. You did. But it does not change the fact that you betrayed the country." Sieg said as he slashed his father's head off. That was a mercy he gave to his father, then he strangled the other members of his family. His ears rang with their voices in his head yet Sieg could not be bothered.

Sieg turned to the people, where they see Maya standing beside him.

"This goes to Her Highness as well. Should the day come where Maya Strongbow becomes a tyrant, oppressing the people of Alistair. Then I swear to kill you." Sieg said, where Maya smiled.

"I would not have it any other way." Maya responded confidently. The people who watched the entire series of events were puzzled. How could lovers say such things to each other so easily? How could Sieg, the son of Duke Baratos kill his family in cold blood? 

Rumors began to circle the world that day. The spies of the Nelern Republic were able to report the detail, but that would be their last. 

This was only the capital, the invasion force was kicked out of the capital. The Phantoms and Chosen are now fighting to break through the other parts of the country. 

"People of Alistair. I will take charge to lead the country in this time. However, I would like to make it clear. That once these invaders are to be kicked out from our country. We will have to change our government. From this day onwards, I will be an Empress but only in name. The people shall decide, you decide the people that shall represent you and your Mayors shall be changed to Governors. Nobles will no longer be allowed to hold positions of power within the government. This is due to the corruption that has been discovered. This corruption is what led our country in its current scenario.We are all humans, the system that I propose may not be perfect but as a result of this... We've decided to become a Democratic Government. No longer, will you.. The people be charged for criticizing the Royals. To speak up against the injustices. I promise you, that if the government of commoners abuses the system. Then I will kill those in the government as well. I will act to protect the people and the nation. Till my last breath. To ensure that this oath is followed through. My fiancee, Sieg Baratos. Will kill me if I fall to Tyranny and I will be executed publicly." The declaration by Maya to the people was a change, it brought a lot of things to be discussed. The people that have not been liberated awaited for their turn.

"Warriors of Alistair. It may be scary for you to fight on the battlefield but you need to understand. There is a lot that is at stake. For the people. You who have taken the training to become a warrior. Now is the time. The odds are against us. Fear will take over when you fight. I understand if some of you will not fight because there is no chance of winning.  But, what of the cries of the fallen? What of the people who were treated like nothing but body bags? The Nelern Republic dares to attack us with their alliance! Mark my words, that I will not rest. Until I bring them to their knees!" Maya declared. A rallying call to arms.