Tales of Revenants

Chapter 45 – Aerial Battalion

The party went and tied Sheria up near the tall tree beside the riverbank where she landed.

Laken took the leisure time from finding firewood and some wild boar again to enjoy their interrupted temporary camp before going into Alfeiyn.

The culprit can't do anything stupid as she struggles on her own. Eirisse and Luciella definitely got their time to take a dip in the river water while Xenon keeps an eye on Sheria assuring she will not escape.

Laken just finished hunting from the deep parts of the forest and is setting up the kindling and firewood to start a fire so he can roast the boar he sought. He first grabbed his all-purpose knife on her waist belt to butcher the boar and separate the soft meat and tough ones.

He surely enjoys doing the prepping. He puts the soft meats on sharp and long stick branches he just cut near the riverside before cleaning it in the water.

“Come on! Tell us what is your plan right here and now!” Xenon threatened Sheria by showing the long-chain whip he used on his mechanical horses.

“Aside from trying to capture you, I had no choice but to go with blonde elf lady. I won't tell anything if they tied me up on this tree that is full of bugs.” Sheria is as stubborn as a rock and won't answer Xenon's interrogation.

“It's unaccounted for everything I do during the inquiry, or you absolutely wanted to be scourged to death?” Xenon set the bar higher on his sinister method of questioning.

“Oh, I don't want to be hurt?” Sheria just drawled over Xenon's menace. She truly is emotionless and looks like a talking puppet machine.

Xenon kind of groaned with disappointment. He's getting lethargic by talking to Sheria for minutes considering she is candid but in a different capacity.

“This is bad. The Zargon Republic produced a type of mechanoid defender that reduces emotions over skills. Look at her, she's not even scared or feeling happy or anything.” Xenon remarked talking to himself.

“The boar meat is ready! Get them here if you want.” Laken finished cooking the boar meat in-a-stick and left them near the campfire.

Eirisse immediately smells the aroma of the boar meat. She emerged from the water with Luciella to take a little rest and have snacks Laken prepared for them.

Xenon can't make any progress with the unyielding toughness Sheria had. Laken went and took care of the business about forcing her to cough the information they wanted.

“Now, tell us why you abducted Luciella or else my sword shall make you into a pile of metals.” Laken threatens her this time and pointed the tip of his sword right on her forehead. He pretended to remove the silver choker on his neck to spice things up.

Without saying or uttering a single word, Sheria turned completely silenced as if she became a doll.

“Wait, Laken. You made her passed out because of extreme amounts of despair! Look she lost consciousness with her eyes open.” Xenon affirmed and removed the rope that is tying her up from the tree.

She fell with her face right on the ground. Motionless and she certainly entered into hibernation mode.

“Ugh...” Laken groaned, “I'm sorry so it's not my fault.”

Laken carried her and placed her on a camping fabric near the carriage. They still tied her up with Xenon's special fiber rope just in case she tries anything rash if she ever woke up.

“Where are we right now?” Laken inquired to Xenon. He washed his face from the river through his palms.

Xenon peered through his navigation map checking the geographical location. They didn't realize they traveled miles in the skies.

“Wait... we're in the Reshlin Forest, right after this point is the Alfeiyn itself!” Xenon announced and everyone couldn't believe they flew that much.

“Isn't that convenient? Why don't we just fly whenever we travel.” Eirisse suggested. She munches the roasted meat.

“That would drain my energy!” Xenon groaned complaining.

“Well, I guess that's lucky considering that was our plan all along.” Laken is delighted more than anyone that they were able to easily get near their destination.

After finishing their relaxing detour, they boarded on the carriage and departed from the river.

They can't leave Sheria by the riverbank so they let her join in as well for the ride. They still needed her to tell all the information she has.

Everyone is enjoying the soft breeze of the wind through the open window. They were alarmed when Sheria's communication device that had a magic stone on her arm started blinking red dots repeatedly in a specific pattern.

Xenon came right into the action. He is well aware of what does it mean, “That's the alert code for a dangerous situation of the other defenders! Wake up now Sheria!” He strenuously shakes her until she wakes up from her slumber.

“Where... am I?” She twists her head one hundred sixty degrees before turning it back.

Xenon grabbed her arm and shoved it right into her face so she can understand the situation.

There's no telling what could the alarm be. Xenon couldn't just accept the call because every mechanoid defender has a code name that they can use to wield their given weapon.

Meaning if Xenon's Stargazer is stolen, they can't use it unless they are him. That goes for the rest of the mechanoid defenders as well.

Even with her expressionless countenance, Sheria's startled when she saw the pattern of the call on her device and immediately answered it, “What's going on? Lieutenant Sheria Hexiria speaking.”

Everyone in the carriage surely heard the gunshot and explosions from over the communication device. It was as if a war broke out. They overheard the noise of a man crawling in the bushes with his panting condition.

“Vice Commander Rufriar speaking... the enemy has breached the camp and is destroying anything at sight... Commander Sheria you must leave–” the huge sound of an explosion is the only thing they listened right after before the call was canceled.

“As the Battalion Commander, I need them to be with me until the last of my comrades dies...” Sheria crawls and tries to take flight but she is overly weakened. She is not in a condition to fight.

Without her emotion, you can't tell if she's serious or anything. But the way she clutches her shoulders as she kneels in despair when her tears plainly stream on her cheeks proves that actions speak louder than any voice.

Xenon felt extremely miserable because he's the one who rendered Sheria's wings useless and the fact that she can't assist her battalion being annihilated by unknown enemies. He knows how painful it was to be powerless in the face of adversity.

He gripped the whip of the mechanical horses and scourged with haste, “Now tell us the coordinates of your camps.” The moment Xenon questions, another huge explanation occurred in the south-east division of the Reshlin Forest.

“Don't worry now. We'll assist your comrades.” Luciella acted on her own and comforted Sheria. That's just how kind she was, is what Laken thought.

“Xenon made up his mind. So, you might as well tell us what is going on and why does mechanoids are camping in the border of the Astral Kingdom.” Laken also addressed the situation.

“I'm the Commander of the Zargon Hexer Aerial Battalion. We are tasked with assisting the Astral Kingdom's line of defense with the battle against strong enemies...” Sheria introduces herself.

She tweaks up her device and showed them holographic imagery just like how Xenon manifests a navigation map through the use of photons.

Eirisse fixed the bridge of her eyeglasses. Things are going to get serious when she perceived what is the image formed.

“As you're all aware. This is a Dark Entity in the form of a dragon. A type of aerial-type Nightbeast that should be living by the mountains, but...” Sheria halted and took a deep breath.

“But what?” Laken is eager to know.

“The Nightbeast Dragon is attacking the Astral Kingdom's second barrier. They claim to be a part of a cult called Midnight Pentagram and they can control such an atrocious beast.” Sheria stated what she remembers.

They were alarmed to hear the cultist again after the incident in Ravina City. There's no way Laken will let the unusual turns of events be wasted.

The party is now heading towards Sheria's battalion camp to aid them on the enemies that are currently obliterating the forces of the mechanoid defenders.