Descent of a God

New Lance

Arthur POV:

Suddenly, a hurried knock drew our attention to the door. After trading glances with my parents, I said, "It's open."

The wooden door swung open to reveal Virion in the same black robe he had worn earlier today in our meeting with the Vritra. "Boys, have you heard?"

"Commander Virion!" My parents bolted up from their seats.

"Please. Just Virion is fine for Arthur and Jude's parents," he replied with a quick wave of his hand.

"Is it the attack?" I guessed, judging by his perturbed expression.

"Good, you have then," Virion nodded. "And have you told your parents?"

"My parents were the ones that told me."

Virion's brows raised in mild surprise but he merely let out a sigh as he regarded my parents. "Then you must've heard what happened to your ex-party member."

My father responded with a solemn nod.

"You have my deepest condolences," Tess's grandfather lamented. "Some of the soldiers that were there arrived at the castle just now. I came to get Arthur, but I'm positive that at least the leader of the Twin Horns is here. Would you like to come with us?"

After sending a quick transmission to Sylvie—that we were going to be on the lower floor and to stay with Ellie—the five of us hurried to the teleportation room.

The towering iron doors that protected the teleportation room had been left open as soldiers, still worn from battle, stumbled out of the glowing gate in the centre of the room, some still with their weapons drawn and bloody.

Guards lined the walls in case anyone other than Dicathen soldiers made their way through the portal as handmaids and nurses waited with fresh gauze and vials of antiseptics and ointment to provide treatment to the badly injured soldiers.

Spotting Helen first, I nudged my parents' attention to her direction.

Needless to say, she was in a miserable state. Her metal chest guard was cracked with only a fragment of her shoulder brace still attached to her. The leather armour that protected the rest of Helen's body had gashes in it, lined with dried blood, but her expression wasn't that of weariness or pain. There was a raging tempest in her eyes as she walked down the platform with her broken bow still in hand.

"Helen!" my father called out. My parents immediately rushed toward Helen. The leader of the Twin Horns' expression softened at the sight of my parents as she received their hug.

Leaving Virion, who was still anxiously waiting for Tess to walk through the portal, I made my way toward Helen.

"I'm glad you're safe," I said, giving her a gentle hug. "I'm sorry for what happened to Adam... If only I had stayed down there with you guys—"

"Don't," Helen stopped me. "No good ever comes out of thinking like that. What happened, happened. The best thing to do is focus on how we'll make those damn Alacryans and their mutant pets pay."

"What you have to focus on now is resting," my mother said. "Come, we'll have a nurse look at you."

My mother guided Helen, who had insisted that she was okay, with my father trailing closely behind them. I figured they'd tell Helen about their plans on re-joining the Twin Horns, but I remained in the room to wait for Tess to come back.

The soldiers that escaped had managed to reach one of the hidden teleportation gates within the Beast Glades, but without the time for a headcount and the fact that the horde of mana beasts might still ambush them outside of the dungeon made me worry the longer Tess didn't show up.