Tales of Revenants

Chapter 80 – Ladross Prairie

Another dawn has welcomed their day with the bright, warm rays of sunlight.

The fated day where they'll meet the empress of the Balakh Empire and cooperate through Tetra's command. Their reward is none other than the Shard of Energy, which is a step forward towards their objective; that is to collect all Shards of Creations.

Laken's party, Tetra and Eris prepared the things they'll need because they won't be back in Archreverie for a while.

They packed their health and mana potions, some survival items, and much more. Xenon had no choice but to pack them all inside his Magical Transporter since they aren't allowed to fly over the skies of Balakh Empire even with the permission of a Heavenly Hero.

Everyone embarked on Xenon's magical transporter ready to travel the Archreverie's eastern outskirts, and after exiting the forest; they'll be greeted by the Ladross Prairie wherein they'll change direction ignoring the cities across the southern part of the empire.

The party shall directly enter the Emperor's Domain. It's a city where the empress resides guarded by the elite balakhian soldiers. There are some saying it's almost impossible to enter the place without any valid reason.

Since the carriage can only fit a certain count of passengers with all the items they are carrying, Eris volunteered to sit beside the coachman's seat together with Xenon as her wings can't possibly fit inside.

Near the open window, Laken, Luciella, and Eirisse are sitting from the left passenger seat while on the right side is Alisa, Thalfeur, and Tetra. It might be a little too tight for them they have no choice anyway.

Xenon scourged the mechanical horses as they began their journey towards the Balakh Empire.

While they're at it, Alisa wanted to at least learn Thalfeur's curse and understand it much better to prevent the advent of the Demon Lord like what almost happened to Laken, Xenon, and Eirisse during their travels.

"So Thalfeur, what does your Revenant Metamorphosis does?" Alisa asked him directly to instigate the conversation.

The silence was present as her question is on hold. Thalfeur just finds it hard to reply casually since they never talk that much even when they're still adventuring during the past.

There's nothing he could do about it, needless to say, Thalfeur tried to answer her inquiry, "Wait, what do you mean by Metamorphosis?"

They were all surprised by his response as there's no way a Revenant couldn't know the curse they were stricken with.

"Aren't you feeling a little odd after you became a Revenant? Something or an emotion that drives your desires?" Eirisse asked him a second time.

"I can't sense any malice or darkness from him," Luciella mentioned.

It doesn't look like to them that he's bluffing nor he's the type who would tell lies. Thalfeur was dead serious that he doesn't know his Metamorphosis nor what kind of curse he had.

"No, I'm serious guys. Aside from my desires to peep women while they bath, there isn't something that can control my emotions." Thalfeur was stroking his hair backward which means he really had no single clue.

"What I mean is, don't you have any odd ability that only you can do? Or a trigger that might change your self or what?" Alisa's trying her best to wake up his mind cause she thinks maybe he just forgot it.

They gave him a couple of minutes to contemplate, and then he shook his head as he really can't remember he had anything in common of what his comrades are talking about.

Thalfeur wanted to at least have a slight idea or the gist of the Metamorphosis thing so he said, "Show me an example, maybe I can pull out my recollections if ever there is."

"Well, if you say so," after Alisa said that, she twisted her head three hundred sixty degrees that startled even a dragonkin. What Alisa just did was something that should make them panic.

Thalfeur was scared that everyone around him is acting like self-harm is pretty common.

He might also try to shake Alisa to wake her up since she's beside her. But to his surprise, an untouchable banshee emerged from her physical body.

"Wait... so that's why the hidden camera I stole from Tetra didn't work on you yesterday..." Thalfeur murmured under deep reflection.

"Hidden what?" Alisa frowned her eyebrows.

"Stole from me?" Tetra was curious as well.

The idea of him being caught made him cautious. He was able to avert their attention by asking about their initial topic, "Forget about that. So does it mean Eirisse, Xenon, and Laken had too?"

"Yes. Like for example," Eirisse bit her tongue to receive a little bit of blood to enter on her Revenant Metamorphosis. Her crimson hair became much longer as her skin was paler than before.

But most importantly, Thalfeur couldn't believe how beautiful she became as her lips turned apple-red. Though it reminds him of the night when he tried to assault Eirisse at a double full moon and he's the one who became the victim in the end.

"Damn I really did it. I hate to speak when my alter ego takes over. Don't mind me now." Eirisse faced towards the window since it's hard for her to express emotion or converse with her comrades during her Metamorphosis.

"Then what about you Laken and Xenon?" Thalfeur asked them.

"I simply turn into killing machine." Xenon honestly asked while scourging the horses.

Eris just learned they had somewhat amazing abilities, and he's eager to know what Laken can do with his power and swordsmanship skills.

"I can kill my victim without a drop of blood. Their life-force becomes the fuel of my azure flames." Laken simply said to him.

"That's why I'm telling you, don't you feel anything odd? I'll be honest but you're the Soulless Revenant, you were stricken by the Curse of Deprivation. Tell us if there is a time where you tried stealing a soul." Alisa directed what she wants to say.

The curse that changed their very life was truly an unfortunate event, at the same time, it became a part of their power for those that can control it.

Alisa knows the Soulless Revenant can steal souls so there must be some kind of switch or activation needed. If they can prevent his advent, then he won't become a Demon Lord.

Aside from Xenon who's considered the most unstable Revenant, they can't afford to fight an ancient dragonkin. Thalfeur may be a womanizer who likes to play around with different women, but just like Laken, he hated bloodshed and war the most.

He had no memory of using the power of his curse nor have a moment in his life where he went out of control.

Alisa is doing her best thinking about why Thalfeur doesn't know about his Metamorphosis. She believes there's something that doesn't add up as she suspects there's a missing piece of information that Thalfeur can't tell them.

"Let's not force him shall we? His stress level is above seventy percent. If he can't remember anything, it means he's saying the truth." Tetra was examining his physical reaction and was able to deduce he's under mental pressure.

They toned it down for a moment. Xenon scourged the horses faster. The carriage reached the vast greenery of the northern Archreverie. The place they are traversing had no road bumps since the road is clear.

"We have reached the Ladross Prairie. I'll begin changing velocity for faster travel." Xenon notified them.

"The wind is warm... I missed flying over here." Eris remarked.

"Iris flowers here are very pretty." Luciella couldn't get enough how vast a prairie can get.

The endless landscape of the Ladross Prairie is the place valkyries proved their pride isn't just for show.

During the Dark Wars, the Balakhian Empire deployed five hundred thousand balakhian soldiers to completely obliterate the existence of Archreverie. They intended to expand their land so they can become the strongest empire.

However, the Millenium Shore had the idea of attacking the Balakh Empire. Things didn't go well and the ten thousand merfolk suddenly turned against the Archreverie and the valkyries suspected they used political warfare.

Driven by the imminent defeat, they have no choice but to fight by force. The queen of the Archreverie deployed three thousand valkyries together with the most elite amongst them to guard the prairie.

They don't have any formation or any kind of scheme to win against an impossible number of soldiers and merfolk warriors, so with the help of the ten elites, they sacrificed their very lives for the true nature of the Dark Wars.

The valkyries count fails in comparison to the opposite faction. But there is just one person the balakhian soldiers and the merfolk warrior are wary of.

She was the strongest valkyrie and probably the most powerful female around the world.

The Tower of Sorcerers wanted her to accept the title of Heavenly Hero. But she refused because she vowed she will be the queen's warrior until the day she dies.

The heated conflict between three sides turns the prairie into a blood-ridden battlefield. Needless to say, the Balakh Empire and Millenium Shore understand they'll overpower Archreverie with overwhelming numbers.

Their mistake of thinking they could overpower the valkyries was their gravest mistake. The valkyries gloriously sweep the battlefield with the little force they have.

Opposing enemies couldn't believe their force of over half a million soldiers were being pushed back. The merfolk warriors switched sides in an instant and helped the valkyries in the twist of power they have seen.

They have driven out the balakhians successfully. They can't believe such an impossible task was achieved with the help of their comrades. The Millenium Shore didn't take credit as they were also at fault for backstabbing both sides.

The valkyries were three thousand at first, and after the battle that lasted for days, only one hundred thirty-five valkyries remained standing. Amongst the elites, the strongest female was the only one who survived.

Starting on that day, they named the vast greenery as Ladross Prairie. It was after the valkyrie's last name who never gave up despite the impossible conquest they've experienced.

Up until today, the Ladross Prairie is one of the best places to venture for its historical value across Archreverie.

The party is now headed towards the Lionbrigade or known as the Emperor's Domain to meet the empress of the Balakh Empire. No one knows what fate shall twist their path, along with the resolve to move forward.