Vanguards Of Aetheria II: The Solace Rune

Chapter 17: Ensued Chaos

"Halt!" One of the Soldiers exclaimed.

Victoria stood up, and looked intently at the opposing soldiers. Cal and Victoria both knew that a battle was upon them, and they needed to defend themselves.

Cal looked to the side, and saw an axe in a display box. He bashed his elbow against the glass cover and smashed it open, reaching inside, and grabbing the axe.

Victoria averted her eyes around the room, looking for a means of defence. Her gaze landed on a spear that laid on a rack directly above their table. She reached up and grabbed it, and assumed a defensive posture with the spear in hand. Cal then looked over at Victoria, but keeping his head facing the soldiers.

"It seems like we can't eat in peace at any establishment nowadays, can we?" He joked.

"At least I'm dressed nice this time around." Victoria replied.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, and raised tightened his grip on his sword.

"Give up your life, and we will spare the rest of this town." The soldier said.

"We'll take our chances." Cal replied. "We've been quite lucky so far."

"Very well then." The soldier replied.

The four soldiers then charged at them, weapons pointed directly toward them. Cal quickly raised his axe in preparation to defend himself, and Victoria did the same with her spear.

The first soldier wielded a sword, and swung it horizontally at Cal, aiming for his gut. Cal quickly stepped backwards and hauled the axe at the soldier's side. The axe blade wedged itself into their stomach and the soldier winced in pain.

Another soldier attacked Victoria with a halberd. Victoria deflected their attack with her spear though, and then drove it though their chest. She ripped the spear out and kicked the soldier to the ground.

Meanwhile, Cal continued to duel with the sword wielding soldier. The soldiers sword thrusted toward Cal's chest, but Cal parried their attack with his axe. He then kicked the soldier backwards and proceeded to throw his axe at them. It lodged into their head, and they screamed in pain as the life slowly passed from his body.

Two more soldiers remained. One with two daggers, and the other with an axe. Cal rushed towards the dagger wielding one, and Victoria went after the axe wielder. The soldier with the daggers tried to slash Cal across the chest, but he tackled the soldier into a table before their blades sliced his torso. Since his axe remained in one of the soldiers heads, he had to use his fists.

Cal began punching them in the face, over and over. Eventually, they dropped one of their daggers due to fatigue and pain, Cal took this opportunity to grab the dagger and use it against the soldier.

He raised the dagger and plunged it into their throat, and their blood sprayed out everywhere like a sprinkler.

Victoria was still facing off with the axe wielder. She bashed the end of her spear's stick across their face, making them stumble back a little. She then threw it like a javelin, and the spear drove itself right through their head. The soldier dropped his axe as his blood poured out of his face.

By now, the patrons in the restaurant have ran out in a panic. Cal and Victoria were the only ones in the restaurant at the moment.

"This ain't good." Said Cal.

"Yeah, not one bit." Replied Victoria.

"We need to gather our weapons back at the cathedral, and get the others too." Said Cal.

"Let's not waste any time, let's move." Replied Victoria.

Cal picked up the daggers off one of the soldiers, and the duo then ran out of the establishment. Outside, they were met with a horrible sight.

Buildings were set on fire, bodies littered the ground, and Stellaria's soldiers invaded the streets.

"Holy shit!" Exclaimed Cal.

"It's a fucking massacre..." Muttered Victoria.

Cal ran down the street, Victoria following behind. As they ran, Stellaria's soldiers spotted them and chased after them.

"We got soldiers on our ass!" Exclaimed Victoria.

"Just keep running!" Exclaimed Cal.

They kept running, the cathedral in their line of sight.

"Cal!" Victoria yelled in agony and desperation.

Cal looked over his shoulder at Victoria to see why she called out to him.

There was an arrow, protruding from her chest. She reached out to him as she fell down to the ground.

"Victoria!" Yelled Cal.

Stellaria's soldiers caught up to Victoria, they picked her up and restrained her so she didn't try and run.

"Cal, get out of here!" Yelled Victoria.

"I..." Cal stuttered.

"Go!" Yelled Victoria.

Cal reluctantly continued running to the cathedral, having to leave Victoria behind. She wasn't dead, but Cal didn't know if it would stay that way for long.

He bashed open the cathedral doors, and looked around the main hall. He saw Elijah, Tessa, and Jill gathering their equipment and gearing up. They all heard the doors blow open, and looked at Cal with surprise.

"Cal!" Exclaimed Elijah.

"Where's Victoria?" Asked Tessa.

Some tears harshly ran down Cal's face, he was scared of Victoria's unknown fate.

"They... they took Victoria!" Yelled Cal.

"Oh no..." Said Jill.

"Where's my sword? I need my fucking sword right now!" Cal cried.

"Here!" Exclaimed Tessa.

She passed him his sword, and Victoria's sword alongside it.

"If you find her, she'll need a weapon." Said Tessa.

Cal quickly grabbed both his and Victoria's swords, and turned around towards the doors. He then bashed his shoulder into the door, and ran down the steps to the main area of Cailon.

He wielded his sword in his right hand, and Victoria's sword in his left hand. Thoughts of rage and anger flourished through him, he didn't want to lose another member, another person he was close to. Not again.

Three of Stellaria's soldiers approached him, their weapons at the ready.

"Cal Livio. Surrender now an-"

Cal's as ignited in blue flames, and the soldier was violently sliced in half horizontally. The other two soldiers gasped in shock as they witnessed the brutal kill.

"BRING ME STELLARIA!" Cal yelled the loudest he's ever yelled before. As rage became the only present emotion in his body.