Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

C19: The Two Empires of Chaos and Order

The closer they became to the wall, the higher it became.

Kai was no stranger to defensive walls. In his previous life, all animals had become giant monsters. The technology had advanced because of the virus-affected beasts' materials, but it wasn't enough to keep them all safe. To defend against a beasts' rush, Essence Cultivators had built walls, so high that at their highest they kissed clouds.

All those walls paled compared to what Kai was seeing now.

From his right to left, there was nothing but the wall. If it curved somewhere, then the turn must have been miles away, hidden in the barren lands they had come out of.

Ser Tussy, the silver-armored knight, hadn't been so quiet after their battle. He was jesting freely, cursing loudly, but most of the time, he was boasting of his battles.

Wooooooooooo!

A loud, piercing call welcomed them.

The sky was orange-pink of the morning, and the little skylight made the doors aglow like rippling waters. When the doors had opened into a slit, they stopped.

Apparently, the gap was enough for the rider and the walkers to pass through them.

A sudden noise hit Kai's ears as if the entire world had come alive. They hadn't seen a single sign of life beyond the Wall, and this noise seemed to fill the gap all by itself. In just a single glance, Kai could see dozens of horse carts rushing left and right in the distance.

"Ser Tussy, what took you so long?" a voice came from Kai's right, addressing the knight. "The others had come and gone hours ago." He was a middle-aged man, with light brown hair and eyes of the same color. A pointy chin, and a pointier beard besides. He was lean and was wearing a leather jacket for armor. He smiled at the mounted knight, but Kai noticed a sign of apprehension too.

"Stuart," Morgan nodded, opening his visor, drops of sweat trickling down from his nose. "Your captain will be glad this time. These six should come in handy in the next major battle."

Stuart smiled back, turning his face to look at the almost dead men and a woman. And then his smile disappeared. "Cough! My Lord, there are seven of them," the man said. "You must have counted wrong."

Ser Morgan twisted his waist, his armor creaking from the action. With one hand, he reached out and grabbed Kai's shoulder.

Kai could have tried to dodge, or worse, he could have attacked if he had the strength to do so. Instead, he found himself on the horse, sitting behind the knight.

"Are you calling me a liar now, Stuart?" Morgan asked coldly. "If I said there are six, then six they are."

Kai saw Stuart gritting his teeth, his bony cheeks failing to hide the bumps over his molars.

Morgan narrowed his eyes.

Stuart suddenly laughed. "Haha! Yes, my lord," he said. "You are right. Now that I have looked again, they are six indeed. I've become old. Perhaps I should ask the captain to retire these old bones."

Ser Tussy just chuckled in reply and brought the destrier to a trot in no time.

"Where are we headed?" Kai asked, not worried about the knight's intentions at all.

All his actions, subtle responses, and even the bloodlust he had shown during he battle was nothing but a part of manipulating the knight to get what he wanted. Kai preferred working alone, but it didn't mean he would waste his time collecting information, too.

"No need to worry, kid." The knight reined the destrier, bringing it to a stop. He looked back and whispered, "I am taking you in my personal squad. You are too worthy for those shit-stained units."