Baleful Wings (Dragon's Dogma Fanfiction)

Chapter 17: Radiance

The next cavern was narrow and riddled with wooden foundations. There were stagnant mushrooms and other fungi growing throughout the path.
"I've never been to Abalon. How is it?" Asked Arya, staring at Jean's mustache.
Jean raised an eyebrow as he looked over, causing Arya to giggle a bit. "Well.." He looked into space, "It rains a lot. When it's not raining, the sky is always cloudy."
"It's like the land is crying," said Ceres.
Jean smiled, "Right, but not for long. I'll do aught about the sadness of our land with my own hands."
"There is no cure for sadness," Ceres said, "There's only treatment."
Jean's eyes widened, "What.. Are you saying?"
"There's no solution for sadness. Sadness will always exist, we can only keep it at bay with happiness."
He smiled, "Your words are poignant. My thanks, madam."
They walked for a bit before coming to a strange wooden door.
"Wait!" Jean whispered, slowly sidling to the door. He pressed his ear against it, raising his hand, "There are people inside."
-shk-
The blade of a sword shot forth from the door, just missing his face. He stumbled back, drawing his sword. The door came flying off as a rugged man kicked it off.

"Ooh! I almost had him!" The man said, with an insane smile on his face. His yellow eyes slowly dragged themselves to Arya, who sprung at him with a thrust of her sword. He rolled back into the room, dodging. Ceres stepped in the doorway, shooting only once before being flushed out by the enemy's arrows. A strange raven-haired woman jumped out and kicked Ceres to the ground. Jean pushed the door away and hurried to his feet. Another man came out and tackled him, scraping him against the packed walls of the cave before busting another door down, leading outside into the night.
The tall, massive man dropped Jean's unconscious body to the ground and looked over to Arya and Ceres, who stood in front him, weapons ready.
He looked down at them, "I am Blade." He cracked his knuckles, "I am he that initiates suffering."
The yellow-eyed man stepped forward, tying his red hair into a ponytail, "Call me Graze, I am he that gives hope that ends in despair."
The woman with long, flowing raven hair licked her lips, "And I am Pulse. I am she that personifies the final breath."
They spoke in union, "We are the Nameless Men."
Blade assumed a strange stance, Graze brandished his curved sword as it shined in the moonlight, and Pulse drew an arrow.

Just as they sprung forth, Arya raised her hand, "Wait a minute. You fancy yourselves 'Nameless Men' yet took the time to introduce yourselves?"
They paused, with shocked expressions. Blade only folded his arms and looked away.
"And aren't you a woman?" She pointed at Pulse, who was frozen.
"Damn it, shut up!" Yelled Graze, dashing forth, "You'll be the only one to embarrass us like this!"
Pulse ran to the side, nooking multiple arrows. Ceres knocked off her lantern and ran parallel to her.
Arya parried Graze's blows, but was overwhelmed by his amazing speed. He planted his hand into the ground and sprinted forth. Arya traced a skyward arc, missing him by a small margin as he stepped the side. She could barely keep up with the crazed assassin during their exchanges. He jumped in and out of her lantern light with each attack. As they clashed blades, Graze leaned into Arya, pushing her back.
"You must be the Arisen! Ohh I'll enjoy killing you."
He kicked her to the ground, Arya rolled back, controlling her fall.
"Gotcha."
An explosion burst forth from the ground, a bout of fire and smoke. She slid out of the smoke, covering her face.
Ceres and Pulse stared at each other, both waiting for the perfect moment to fire as they ran.
-scrape-
Pulse released her shot the moment she heard it. Ceres spun out of the way, firing three arrows in return. Pulse's raven hair danced in the wind as she dodged Ceres's attack.
They both reached into their quivers at the same time.
Ceres paused as she nooked another shot. She looked down at her oblique which had been pierced by an arrow.
She instinctively rolled to the side, dodging four more.
"This.. This cannot be..!"
She looked up, noticing the hulk of a man, Blade appear in front of her. He swatted her with the back of his hand, causing her to whirl to the ground.

Graze attacked Arya relentlessly, she just barely avoided his attacks. He looked at her with a wild grin on his face, "You're making this too easy, Arisen!" He jumped back, taking a defensive stance with his cutlass. Sweat trickled down his heavily tattooed body.
Arya breathed heavily, "He's right." She thought to herself, "I've naught a chance against this headcase." She blinked quickly, relieving the sweat that tickled her eyelash.
As he dashed forward she dropped to the ground and grabbed Jean's shield. He smirked, "Oh, you cheeky little bitch."
He ran at her, his bloodlust seeming to seep from his lips. Arya guarded against his attacks easily and crouched as he approached her, thrusting the shield under his risen foot.
He looked down, "What the--!?"
With a quick yank, she tossed him skyward. The assassin readied his blade to parry her attack, as his movement is completely out of his control mid-air. "She's going to try to finish me during my descent!" he thought to himself.
As he came to the ground, instead of taking a slash at him, she raised the shield.
"Fool!!"
He landed and spun backward before leaning in for a thrust. Arya flicked the shield to the side, directing his blade into the ground.
"What!? How could I--!?"
-shhhk!-

"You don't stand a chance, husk!" Said Pulse. Ceres struggled to evade the massive Blade as he attacked her. He turned around as he heard Arya's finishing slash, "Graze!"
Ceres jumped off the man, firing three more arrows at Pulse, who became an easier target as the night brightened. The femme fatale dodged just as easily as before, but was met with Arya's blade.
Pulse slid back, holding her stomach. "Only a small cut.. You must be quite spent, Arisen."
Arya breathed heavily, "Quiet, harpy!"
Blade sprinted at her and dealt an intense knee to her stomach before smashing into her back with both hands. She gasped for air as she hit the ground.
Pulse turned toward Ceres, who ran up the valley, "Where do you think you're going!?" She chased after her with a twisted joy.
Blade picked Arya up, she coughed up blood. "You think you're strong, do guy you?" He tossed her against the mountainside. "I'll finish you."
"Guh..." Arya weakly struggled to her feet, "This is nothing." She coughed again before raising her sword.
Blade knocked her sword from her hands with ease and grabbed her neck with both hands.
Arya couldn't even scream as he poured his strength into his grip. His eyes opened wildly, and suddenly she raised both her hands.
Blade quickly pulled away as she pounded her hands together, "Trying to break my arms, are you? Not so--"
-crack!-
Arya dealt a heavy kick to his groin and picked up her sword. As she swung her broadsword he grabbed her wrist and held her above the ground.
"You'll pay for that. Aughh!"
Blade dropped her and turned his head slowly, "Y-you.."
Jean thrusted the Almace deeper into his back, "Aha! Sneak attack!"
Arya finished the man with a broad cut across the chest.
Blade dropped to his knees before collapsing, "I should've known from the.. Fire in your eyes.." Blood poured from his mouth as his eyes became lifelessly dull.