Armoury: An Apocalaptia Prequel

Chapter 4: Disruption

Athylia was pushing her body to its limits, engaging in a rigorous fitness routine that required incredible strength and flexibility. Her pearlescent muscles strained under the pressure as she exerted herself, executing complex movements similar to gymnastics.

As she balanced herself with one leg tucked beneath her knee, her body in an inverted position, the tranquillity of the natural surroundings only heightened the peacefulness of the moment. The soft breeze, the sound of the flowing water, and the serene atmosphere created a perfect backdrop for her intense workout.A routine she once saw her mother doing a notable warrior her tales more legendary than thought of the Alverians expected nothing less from her daughter, Edras Drottin its a shame she doesn't have many traits from her the only thing most noticeable thig she inherited were her notorious grayish indigo eyes,fair skin complextion and her heart fave shape her golden blond hair contrasted to Edras deep shape of crimson displayed on her locks.As Athylia continued her workout routine, a memory played out in her mind's eye. She remembered seeing her mother, Edras, performing a similar exercise long ago, their formidable skills and legendary tales echoing through the generations.

Athylia couldn't help but marvel at the resemblance, noting the distinct similarities they shared. Although she didn't inherit many physical traits from her mother, the one striking resemblance was their eye color, the same shade of grayish indigo, and her heart-shaped face.Her thoughts however were interrupted when Athylia felt somebody was watching her and before she knew it darts skidded past her,shedl dodged in time the darts missing only by a mere breadth of her hair,they were definitely laced with something alright.As Athylia's thoughts were interrupted unexpectedly, she barely dodged a barrage of darts flying towards her. Instinctively, she evaded the projectiles, her reflexes saving her from the hazardous weapons, although one dart barely missed her hair.

She quickly assessed the situation, realizing that the darts were undoubtedly laced with something, possibly a tranquilizer or sedative substance.She foresaw the darts coming in multiple directions with impressive agility she dodged and jumped as high as possible mid air long enough for the darts to no longer be at sight it seems she wasn't just being targeted by one but two people,but why?

With incredible agility and grace, Athylia dodged the incoming darts from different directions, leaping high into the air at the optimal moment to evade the onslaught. As she skillfully manoeuvred herself through the air, it became clear that she was not just the target of a single assailant but of two.

Confusion gripped her as she couldn't fathom the reason behind their attack. Why were they targeting her? What did they want?Athylia observed from the directions from the incoming darts her persuers weren't quite human,they had rough,bumpy ash coloured skin,theyre hands attached with claws gradiant they're figures cloaked in black with unknown symbols.As Athylia carefully observed the pursuers closing in on her, her gaze fell upon their unusual and intimidating features. Their rough, bumpy, ash-colored skin and claw-like hands caught her attention. Their figures were enveloped in all-black garments adorned with mysterious symbols, adding a sense of mystery and danger to their overall appearance.

The creatures weren't human-like in any way, heightening her confusion and increasing her sense of caution.If they weren't human who would be pursuing her because she knew the Illanoises didn't look like that,then her mind clicked....Custodians.

The realization dawned upon Athylia as her thoughts raced to find an explanation for the mysterious pursuers. As she quickly discarded the idea of Illanoises, her mind settled on a grim understanding. The creatures resembled the custodians she had heard about, possessing a distinct appearance that set them apart from humans and Illanoises.

The truth hit her like a ton of bricks. These beings were likely custodians, and their presence could only mean one thing.She tried to unsheath her sword but realised she came here unarmed desperate,Athylia quickly got out a hairpin which was really a hidden balde,her fingers touching the ball point of the pin before aiming it at one of the Custodians seemingly doing nothing at first before it hit one of they're eye sockets carving by the threading through theyre intricate skin,causing the custodian to scream in agony.With lightning-fast thinking and resourcefulness, Athylia swiftly retrieved a hairpin from her possession, using her fingers to aim it at one of the custodians. She targeted the creature's eye socket with precision, skillfully penetrating the intricate skin and causing excruciating pain to the targeted custodian.

The custodian let out a guttural scream in agony, momentarily distracted by the unexpected attack, which provided a moment of respite for her,Athylia shifted her focus to another custodians who by now was fleeing 'out of darts already really' she thought to herself sarcasticly she aimed her shot with another one of her hair pins but like they say 'fool me once shame on you fool my twice shame on me' and the custodian started to get hostile but then a bold idea crossed her mind,why not retieve the poisoned or sedated dart and end them herself.With the first custodian temporarily incapacitated, Athylia swiftly shifted her attention to another custodian attempting to escape. She aimed her hairpin for another shot, but to her surprise, the custodian reacted more aggressively this time, anticipating her plan. Undeterred, her quick thinking and resourcefulness kicked in once more.

She then sedated the custodian both the custodians and retrieved one of their foreign weapons from the custodians fallen brethren and killed of the one who was unwilling to cooperate.With her resourcefulness and quick thinking, Athylia seized the opportunity to strike back. She subdued the first custodian using a tranquillizer, her movements swift and precise. Then, she quickly retrieved a foreign weapon from the fallen custodian, efficiently neutralizing the individual who had shown resilience earlier.

Now, armed with a newfound weapon and having dealt with the two assailants, Athylia stood there, her breathing steadying as she considered her next move.Athylia then realized it was best to let the other custodian be in order to fish out information and began to drag the custodian to her village devising what to do next.Acting decisively, she decided to take advantage of the situation by capturing one of the custodials alive. Recognizing the potential value of extracting information, she began to drag the custodian along with her, preparing to bring him back to her village.

As she navigated the terrain, her mind raced to devise a plan for how to interrogate and extract information from the captured custodian. But as Athylia moved down further she felt as if someone was watching them and before she knew it ,knives darted into her direction three of them infact implying there were 3 persuers she looked at the knives buried across the soil and glanced back towards the direction targeted at her from which Athylia discerned to be a silhouette of a man instead of a custodian,she was unable to trace/discepher his identity or appearance since he was wearing a mask and and full body outfit the blackness of the fabric seemlessly blending in with his heavily tanned skin covering him head to toe the only thing visible was his vibrant elite emerald eyes it's irises having an icy ring around it from the looks of it he was a foreigner but his shadow quickly dissipated just as quickly she spotted him as if he was never there to begin with, a few minutes the custodian woke up and Athylia forced information out if him,but instead the custodian laughed sardonically,the tone cold, threatening Athylia she'll fall one day and it's not far off and her sign of victory will end advising her to enjoy whatever level of freedom she has now.As Athylia continued her way, she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of being watched by an unseen presence. Suddenly, a barrage of knives darted in her direction, forcing her to react swiftly. With a swift glance, she noticed a shadowy figure, masked and clad in black, seemingly blending into the surroundings. Despite being unable to discern his features or identity, the vibrant emerald eyes contrasting with the tan complexion caught her attention.

As she focused her gaze on the stranger, he vanished as abruptly as he had appeared, leaving an unsettling presence in the air.

As Athylia pondered the mysterious stalker's identity, she was met with the unsettling news from the captured custodian. Instead of revealing valuable information, the custodian delivered a chilling and ominous warning. He laughed sardonically, his voice filled with malice as he prophesied Athylia's impending downfall.

"Enjoy your freedom while you can," the custodian mocked, "It won't last forever. Your victory will be short-lived, and your days of freedom are numbered." Despite the bone chilling words Athylia instead looked a the custodian dead in the eye ,"I have been through hell and back I witnessed the lives lost of many women,men children...All because of you're cause and greed,war spares no one and I have a weight of responsibility upon my shoulders to guard my people.I won't let mere words stop me until you withdraw or every single one of you and your associates are dead." Athylia declared calmly undefeated,her ressileince was a calm amidst the storm,her stoicism portaying her as the danger and disaster herself as if she were the fate that awaited them ,left the custodian reluctantly in awe instead of spitting out another retort "Youre delusional he will come and will end this resistance of yours .Some legends are destined to perish " The custodian seethed.

"Perhaps some are but there are others who arise,they make history however what are the chances of simply dying in failure as there will be someone else to replace me one day if I don't succeed , life is naught but vanity and so is your kinds relentless pursuit for conquest." Athylia continued her tone indignant ,her words cut through the air with a resolute certainty, her unwavering determination unyielding in the face of the enemy's mocking. The custodian, initially defiant, found himself momentarily speechless, caught off guard by her indomitable spirit.

The custodian's attempt to dissuade her with threats fell flat as Athylia firmly asserted her own convictions. Her words resonated with unwavering strength.

"Legends don't die," she declared, her voice firm and unshaking. "They make history.

"And who do mean by 'he'?" Athylia asked.Caught off guard by Athylia's blunt question, the custodian realized he had slipped up and revealed more than he intended.

He paused, trying to find a way to backtrack, but the cat was already out of the bag. Reluctantly, he reluctantly answered, his voice filled with a mixture of defiance and frustration.

"He is the one who pulls the strings," the custodian confessed. "The one who truly holds power in this world."

"Tell whomever you serve will meet the same fate as you and your brethren for your tyranny and conquest that befallen all those you've enslaved...Especially the Illanoises you've brainwashed" She added.The custodian's expression darkened at Athylia's words, her defiance clearly striking a nerve. He gritted his teeth, his frustration growing in the face of her unyielding spirit.

"You have no idea what you're talking about" the custodian retorted, his tone dripping with disdain. "We are doing what's necessary to uphold order and bring stability to these lands." Then silence followed before a grin cracked upon her lips and it was the first time any custodian heard her laugh which was unsettling to say the least,never witnessed such humour in war or anytime she's became triumphant,victorious the custodian than realized ,no that was the face of someone who knows they've already won. "Stability to these lands really by how killing it's inhabitants,colonising them stripping people's individuality origin? Identity binding them to a life of ruthless labour servitude poisoning them? Is that what you call stability".She enquire her laughter ceasing into a more intimidating indignant look of disgust.The custodian's arrogance and cold demeanor faltered in the face of Athylia's unexpected laughter. He couldn't help but be unsettled by the shift in her composure, and the sudden silence that followed.

As she spoke, her tone filled with disdain and righteous anger, the custodian's confidence began to waver, his earlier certainty faltering.

"It's for the greater good," he weakly retorted, but even he seemed to question his own words. "Sometimes sacrifices are necessary to maintain order."

"Don't give that 'sacrifices had to be made' crap notice how the ones who utter those words are usually the ones who don't sacrifice themselves to contribute to their goals and instead use others for their gain?" Athylia added further ,grabbing one of the knives from her assailant's attack which was inrooted in the soil,striking the custodian down with it."Alright, I'm done talking." She stated,killing the custodian with a decisive slice tearing it from limb to limb. As the conversation continued, the custodian's facade of calmness began to c***k as Athylia challenged his justifications for the actions they had taken. The sharpness of her words struck a nerve, and he found himself struggling to defend the atrocities they had inflicted on others.

The custodian's words about sacrifice rang hollow, his argument crumbling under Athylia's scathing rebuttal. But before he could respond, Athylia seized the opportunity and swiftly ended the conversation in an unexpected way- with violence.She felt her clothes blood soaked with splatters of fluid tarnishig the custodians life,Athylia quickly went home that day the villagers eyeing her cautiously wondering what conflict occured some held fear while others held reverance and respect for her for the trials she adjorned to keep their homeland. The villagers watched quietly as Athylia walked through their settlement, her body and clothes bearing the telltale signs of her recent encounter. They murmured among themselves, their eyes filled with a mix of fear, respect, and reverence for the young woman who had become a symbol of their defence.

Back at her home, Athylia slipped into a bath, the warm water enveloping her weary body. The soothing heat seemed to wash away the tension, the bloodstains slowly fading into the water.Alveria safe,she took a bath the waters lapping around her limbs the bubbles coating her bloodstained hands the tranquility engulfed her,peace lost into her mid night in ecstacy form the warmth she began to doze off.