Steel Burner

The Final Solution Part 1

“Shortly after, Grell find himself speak like this from the damage to Grells head. I woke alone with nothing but death around me. Only other that lived was Neebs. We left and found other group and went back to the main hall where Grell and others found they had left. We found them when Celestia had found them. I convince her to let us stay as long as in secret and she agree.”

Omior nodded slightly as he finished his story. Vigil just stared off into space, oblivious that Grell had finished his story.

The sounds of clattering silverware were heard by the entrance as a young looking gremlin stumbled in. “Sorry dad, I got your tea, but it’s kind of cold.” The gremlin said as he nearly dropped it, he managed to stumble his way towards Grell and laid it down next to where he was working.

“Thank you Neebs. Grell is mighty happy to have son like you.” Grell smiled warmly to Neebs as he finished his mixing in the cauldron.

Grell pulled three vials out and filled each of them. He handed one to each of the two and then drank his.

“What is it?” Vigil said as he looked at the vial, even sniffing at it a bit before pulling back and gagging.

“It minor healing potion, Vigil. Drink up and it help injuries heal.”

“Whatever,” and with that, Vigil downed the mysterious liquid, as did Omior.

Omior noted a distinct warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest as he felt his wounds start healing themselves. He noticed how each of his small injuries, even the bruises, were not hot and itchy as the potion did its work.

After the heat and itchiness faded, Vigil spoke up. “Well, we’d love to stay and chat, but we have somewhere to be. C’mon Omior.” Vigil started to drag Omior a bit using his teeth only gaining a few inches towards the door.

“Vigil......” Omior looked to Vigil’s bitter eyes with a calm and worried expression.

“No, they can handle themselves. You saw Grell out there, didn’t you?! They will be fine without us, trust me.” Vigil urged as he hopped up and down in anxiousness.

“You saw their leader fight, and not even alone. I doubt they can handle it if the situation is as serious as Grell is saying.”
“Dude, whoever this Blackwing is doesn’t matter! We can just leave and let this go by us. It isn’t our problem! We can get out of here and go on to the next town without a care!” Vigil started for the door.

“Vigil! We are not leaving a race to be doomed.” Omior was getting a bit annoyed and his facial features showed it.

“C’mon! They’re just gremlins! We don’t need to worry because they got the upperhand of secrecy!” Vigil was now a bit frustrated himself. “You know what? Fine. Either you come with me, or I leave you behind for the next town.”

When Omior did not reply, he spoke up again with a bit of sadness hinted in his voice. “Fine... have it your way...” and then he was out the door.

Grell walked up to Omior who stood watching as Vigil’s shadow disappeared around the corner. He placed a comforting hand on the end of the samurai’s clothing as he said: “Don’t worry human, Vigil will be back.”

**********

Vigil was storming out of the castle within minutes of the conversation he had with the samurai. He had no idea why he was angry but he felt he needed some fresh air. He had asked a guard if he could help him to the surface, to which the guard obliged a bit reluctantly.

They followed a slightly different path towards the surface as they ended up in a different exit, this one a hollowed out tree that was still living and healthy.

Vigil, glad to be back on the surface, smiled goofily as he inhaled godly amounts of air into his lungs. ‘No stuffy caves, no ungodly heat! I’m feeling better already!’ Vigil thought as he took a look at the sky above him.

The gremlin guard failed to notice the large quantities of eyes faintly glowing in the underbrush surrounding them.

Vigil spoke up a bit more excitedly than what he meant it to be. “So, where is the nearest town?” Upon hearing no reply, Vigil got a bit worried. ‘Had the guard left me all alone up here? Expecting me to leave, or not caring enough with the wildlife that could be here to kill me?’.

Vigil turned and saw as the guard’s neck was snapped by some kind of tail. It was reptilian in nature, but showed tufts of fur here and there. The tail dragged the body into the underbrush with it and the unicorn started to sweat.

He turned his eyes this way and that, trying to see who it was that was there. Vigil’s paranoia and self preservation kicked in as he slowly looked around at the underbrush, edging ever so slightly back the way he came. When Vigil hit up against something, he stopped where he stood, his blood running cold.

‘Feathers? Oh shit.’ Vigil looked behind him as the silhouette of a gryphon towered over him, smiling wickedly.

“Seems an opportunity has just arisen’ for us. Take this one alive; he’s more valuable alive than dead.”

A small amount of freakishly mutated creatures came out and grabbed hold of Vigil as he went full on hysterical and flailed about.

Once the unicorn was out of the way, the gryphon sneered as he said: “Do with the city as you will, but make sure to give the ‘human’ the message.”

The rest of the soldiers nodded as they swarmed into the hollowed tree, armor clattering and joyous battle cries sounding the entire time.

**********

Omior and Grell had moved their conversation to the palace gardens; Neebs was there as well but he did not participate in their conversation as much.

“How you expect to get home human? How you say it..? It seem... impossible.”

“I don’t know. I will have to hope to stumble upon it. Until then, I will be doing what I always do: Helping others.” Omior said as he kept his eyes fixed upon the cave ceiling high above them.

Both of them jumped to their feet as they heard the sudden screams and explosions start to come into earshot around the castle. Omior grabbed his sword and unsheathed it as Grell got his weapons. They got outside the castle gates to the sight of fire and death. A large amount of blood accumulated in small pools strewn about on the ground and bodies had already began to litter the streets and the guards were working tirelessly to put an end to the fires and to get the citizens to the castle.

Large amounts of citizens started to pool in from a large majority of the directions, obviously lost in their panics and fear.

On the other side of the city, a group of civilians were blocked off from escape as well as a small contingent of guards who were there at the time of the attack. The monstrous mercenary monsters skillfully used the tall buildings to their advantages, killing off the citizens in small amounts at a time. Explosions rang out as the buildings near them were alight with fire at the bottom floors, the ground showing large black marks where the merciless merc’s had tossed small bombs.

The guard had attempted to fight off the monsters, but were quickly dispatched of as they were not nearly as well trained in fighting agile opponents.

The citizens were now separated into two small groups as the merc’s tossed more explosives, hell bent on causing as much destruction, fear, and death as they were allowed.

“Hahaha! Stupid gremlins very weak. Die!” One screamed as it tossed a spear, slicing into a gremlin females forehead.

The monster laughed maniacally as he saw his shot hit its appropriate target. The citizens were cowering back right up onto a literal corner with little defense of wooden barrels and crates.

The few gremlins who thought it as a good idea to use the wooden transportation objects quickly regretted it as the mercenaries’ weapons cut neatly through them like butter. While explosions did much worse, completely charring the ground and anything living nearby.

The citizens were in a blind panic, screaming for help, mercy, or other futile concerns and hopes.

******

Grell and Omior had just encountered a small party of the mercenaries responsible for attacking the city. A group of four that just upon the sight of, made one either quiver in fear or puke in disgust. They were horribly disfigured and mutilated, battle scars adorning any place not covered by armor.

They yelled out in malicious entertainment once they saw the gremlin and human had no backup.

“This’ll be a fun kill guys. Let’s make ‘em last for our-” the monster paused for dramatic effect, licking the small dagger at its tip before speaking up,”...entertainment.”

The monsters began jumping in circles around the two from building to building. They did not tighten the circle they were encompassing the two in, but still made the two feel as though they were dragged into a corner.

The two stood back to back, weapons at the ready as the monstrous mercenaries laughed and tossed spears in their general direction.

The spears purposefully missed as the group of merc’s attempted to strike fear into the two. When neither of them so much as flinched at the spears, they got a tad upset.

“These two not as fun as the weaker ones. Time for more fun!” One yelled as it pointed its sword towards Omior.

The four immediately darted straight for Omior and Grell, bloodlust in their eyes as they aimed to slaughter.

In almost choreographed succession, Omior made a jump for a low hanging pole on the nearby building while Grell ducked and slid away from the ‘kill zone’.

The four merc’s noticed mid-flight that their targets had split up and once they made it to ground level they split up towards their chosen ‘prey’.

One of them, a four armed merc, and a skinnier and more agile of the group, had chosen to go after Omior; while the two others, a bulky and tough merc and a more serpent looking merc, went after Grell.

Omior faced a quick succession of steel shooting towards him one after the other, he started to accumulate small cuts around his body as he started falling behind on blocks and parry’s. The other of the two had jumped up to the building to his left and watched on a flagpole with glee.

Omior noticed as he managed to daze the four armed monstrosity that the agile merc was ready to pounce in and deal a final blow. After noting this, he managed to back away as the four armed individual fired off all four arms at him at once, slicing at his arm a bit, but otherwise leaving him unharmed.

This time Omior took the offensive and struck at the four armed merc’s left leg giving the monstrosity a gash on his leg. This also gave Omior a cut on his back. Lucky for him it was a rather thin cut.

The four armed merc fell onto his one good knee and the more agile of the two decidedly leaped out in annoyance all at the same time. He readied his sword aimed to kill Omior in one hit when the samurai dropped to the floor. The blade continued its path and missed by an entire foot. Once the blade passed the samurai, he quickly got to his feet and slashed out towards his very agile opponent.

The blade cut neatly through as the merc was split in half, organs falling to the floor and blood spraying around, pooling into the ground.

“Damn monkeys are too jumpy for me anyway,” Omior said as he turned towards the four armed warrior.

The warrior had already gotten up and looked on at the samurai with unending rage and frustration. Obviously slowed the the wound in his leg, the mercenary rushed Omior and attempted to throw everything he had towards the samurai.

The blows never came as a spear was cleanly lodged into the mercenaries’ head. Apparently, a guard that was nearby had decided to help and Omior was impressed as the malicious monster fell and skidded across the ground in front of him.

The guard continued on his way and Omior turned to Grell’s general direction...........

Grell had a small gash in his left arm as the serpent like merc lay dead at his feet. Grell had his weapon locked against the other strong merc that looked just as cocky as when their fight began. The warrior decided to fight dirty as he spit in Grell’s left eye before kicking him a few feet away.

Right before he slammed his sword into the gremlin’s face, a sword removed the muscle-y tough guy. The sword that was once aimed at Grell’s face now limply jabbed into the dirt next to him, barely nicking his ear.

Omior held out his hand to Grell as the body fell to the ground, Grell gratefully took it, laughing in relief at the untimely rescue.

Before he could say his thanks, a large amount of screams filled their ears. Grell and Omior silently nodded as they sprinted towards the sound of danger.