"My name's Ignacarious Gigantareno Rex Le Spes Offerentis, but my human friend named me Smolder."~ Smolder, The Fiery Fledgling
Bigger chapter today!
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"Babidee Boop De Dum~" Caalyx sang as he swung his spear in a wide arc. "I swing my spear, don't come near, Babidee Boop De Dum~"
Guards that had come to stop him fell to the ground dead. Those who stood at the back, dropped their weapons and ran.
He had thought of transforming a bit. Boosting the body with some blood magic... but this was more fun.
Being limited to just this physical state was enlightening. He hadn't felt this way for thousands of years. It was just him and the spear. No magic. Just skill.
It felt.... liberating. He felt more human than he had ever been.
"Please... please stop..." A voice pleaded in the back of his mind. "Don't kill anymore..."
"Oh!" Caalyx spoke. "He can speak! Took you long enough...."
He had expected the voice to come in early but it took him an awful lot of time to speak up.
The guard.
His new host.
"Just.... don't kill anymore.... please..."
Just pleading.
"Anything other than those words?" Caalyx asked. Hoping to make some merry conversation. "You cannot just repeat it over and over buddy."
"Please....."
Caalyx sighed. "You see lad. Despite every warning give to you dumb fuck morons... you still picked up the weapon. No amount of pleading is going to change your actions. And all of this that I'm doing right now?" He swung his spear flicking limbs that got stuck onto it in his rampage.
An arrow came whizzing at him.
He lazily swatted it away.
"This is the consequence to your actions." Caalyx's words were cold serving as the final nail in the coffin to the poor guard. His mind broken under the weight of Caalyx's millennia worth of memories. His body surrendered to a being he couldn't fathom. But he would always remember one thing. How much of a mistake it was to pick up this weapon.
-x-
"Where are we going next?" Daani asked. Excitement had overcome the initial fear for his father. The presence of their aunt had somewhat helped alongside their father's reassurances.
The rest were also in a similar state.
Excitement to explore.
Everyone except Annie. She clutched her bear close to her chest and kept whispering to it. They were probably having an important conversation
Briar despite her earlier silence had regained her energy and was happily interacting with the rest.
WHOOOSH
A wave of magic washed over her.
Her head shot up. She remembered this magic it had washed over her a few days ago when her father used it.
"Eileen!" She called.
The woman's focus turned to her. "What is it?"
"Is daddy still in prison?" Her voice was shaky. Even though she had left the confines of her own prison, she hadn't yet lost her fear of the place. It was why she had barely spoke in their visit to the prison.
"He should be." Eileen answered with a thoughtful expression, "Why?"
Briar looked at her siblings before answering, "Then why is uncle Caalyx outside?"
"What?" Eileen looked dumbfounded. "How?"
She faced the direction the magic was emitting from and pointed. "There."
Eileen stepped forward her eyes firmly in that direction. "Those fools...." It had to be them. The nobles. They would never have considered the dangers of the stupid decisions they often took. "I need to be there now." She began running in the direction.
Not knowing what to do the children ran behind her.
-x-
"Walking up to me without fear?" Caalyx exclaimed. "Either you must be very confident in your skills or a child with a death wish."
He stepped past the dried up husks surrounding him, his eyes firmly on the newcomer.
A young woman. Black hair with red accents on them covered half her face. She was in a full bodysuit with a rapier in hand. A pauldron on one shoulder and an arm guard in her weapon hand was all she had. A small cape hung off her.
"Creature you are the one who will meet death." She said as she got into a stance.
Caalyx seemed surprised at her confidence.
"Confident." He remarked as he started off with a simple thrust.
Instead of dodging, the young woman moved into the spear thrust, dodging by a hair she closed the gap between them and pushed her saber in his side.
With a flick of his wrist, the other end of the spear fell downward, knocking the incoming weapon out of the way.
"Interesting..." He muttered as he raised twisted the spear, sending the butt end upward forcing her to jump back.
He spun his spear back into a better holding position and waved her forward.
"To the death!" She grunted as she launched herself forth. She made a swing to his right. Caalyx swung his spear to parry it.
SWISH
She spun around on her heels and the rapier shot toward his forehead.
Letting the spear curve downward, Caalyx kicked its end sending it right back into the path of the blade. "Good feint."
"Do not speak." She grunted, her accent heavy.
"HA!" Caalyx exclaimed as he used the butt end of the spear to tap her in the head.
A non-lethal blow.
He was having fun.
"Why would I not speak?" Caalyx asked. "I haven't been able to make my thoughts known for so long and between me and you...." He raised his hand to his mouth acting secretive. "Speaking to only one person for nearly thirty years is not fun lass...."
She dashed at him with another thrust.
He stepped back as she shot past him, her cape whizzing past.
"And now that those noble morons freed me.. why should I not have fun?" He finished as he swung his spear at her behind.
She stabbed her weapon into the ground and used the momentum to turn around and kick the spear upward.
"How delightfully fun you are!" Caalyx spoke excitedly. But he stilled for a second, "You aren't holding back are you?"
"I never hold back." She replied as her saber shot right at his heart.
Caalyx dodged the attack once more but as she whizzed past, his hand shot to grab the cloak.
THUMP
The young woman was jerked back with the cape being pulled taut.
"Capes in battle are quite a hindrance child." Caalyx said as she landed on the ground. He let go of the cape and took a step back.
It was a win but not an honorable one.
"Lets try that again shall we?" He gave a little bow as she stood up. "What is your name lass?"
She raised her blade parallel to her body and got into a stance. "Fiora Laurent."
Fiora Laurent.
Caalyx liked this girl. She had not shown a single ounce of fear. Truly something to behold. These Demacians had a girl like her in their ranks? Why didn't they use her more?
Not only did she lack fear as she faced him, she was willing to take risks to take him down. Well trained. Showed proper discipline in her attacks.
A true gem in this lackluster kingdom.
"Come on then Fiora Laurent." Caalyx stood at attention and slammed his spear onto the ground twice.
Caalyx was beyond excited for this. A battle of pure skill. One he thirsted for. This girl was a lot weaker than him even in skill but she had potential. He wanted to see how far that potential went.
She lowered herself as she rushed at him once more. Her blade catching the glint of the sun as she stabbed. Caalyx despite being temporarily blinded by the shine spun his spear with both hands with immense force.
CLANG
The end of the spear hit the saber sending it straight down. Fiora tried to right herself to lift the saber from under but Caalyx slid the spear along her rapier and into her pretty face.
She jolted back, her eyes shut from the pain. She opened her eyes again to find Caalyx missing.
"Never close your eyes in battle." Caalyx advised from behind her. This was accompanied by another smack with the spear.
She stumbled forward and turned around, the anger in her face evident. "You.... YOU PEASANT!" She yelled as she ran at him.
"Couldn't be farther from the truth young lady." Caalyx jested as he repeated her first action by stepping into the saber but avoiding it by a hair. His hand shot up as he grabbed her by the face and slammed her into the ground.
"Never fight angry." Caalyx advised once more as he stepped back.
WHIZZZ
An arrow whizzed past his head.
His eyes hardened as he stood to full height. Who would interrupt his fun time?
After a long while, he finally took in his surroundings, countless guards had arrived and were watching the battle.
"You are spoiling my fun..." Caalyx muttered as he looked at them.
WHIZZZZZ
An arrow shot toward him. Caalyx reached out and plucked it out from the air. "Why are you interfering?"
"A.... Attack him!" Some guard yelled and the rest of them charged at Caalyx.
"I'm sorry lass it seems for session is unfortunately being cut short." He spoke to the girl who was now struggling to stand up.
He launched himself into the incoming wave of guards. His spear looked like it had a life of its own, weaving through the crowds of guards, reaping lives like a breeze passing through trees.
In an instant Caalyx obliterated an entire quadrant of attacking guards.
"Keep attacking! He has to be tired!" Another guard screamed.
Caalyx tilted his head in confusion. "I cannot get tired though?"
But they didn't stop.
He ducked the first strike and stabbed the spear through the guard's helmet. Shifting his entire body, he lifted the guard's body from his head and swung him around. He swung it until the body dislodged itself from the spear.
Once again he leaped into a group of guards, this time tilting his head slightly to avoid the incoming arrow. His spear reaped a few more lives in the assault.
The decimation sent waves of fear through the guards as they took many steps back.
But despite it all one took a step forward.
Fiora Laurent.
"Not afraid?" Caalyx asked.
She shook her head.
Caalyx smiled a big wide smile. "Good." He levelled his spear and rushed her. This time fully aiming to kill her.
She sensed his intent to kill and fully immersed herself into the incoming attack.
WHOOOSH
CLANGGG
The spear that seemed unstoppable found itself stopped by a simple straight thrust of the rapier.
At that moment Caalyx sensed her stepping into a new domain in her swordsmanship. One that would put her among the best in the world at her choice of weapon.
A second passed as they both stood still.
Fiora's arm began to shake. Then her entire body shivered as she fell to her knees.
"I can repeat that attack as many times as I want lass." Caalyx spoke. "But I suppose we can end this now."
He raised his spear high into the air and swung down.
"STOP!"
His spear stopped at the voice.
Turning his head, he spotted Eileen running toward him, her sword out. "Place the weapon down and surrender Caalyx."
"Idiot!" Caalyx chastised. "I am the weapon. Why will I put myself down?"
"UNCLE!" Briar yelled as she flew into his arms.
Caalyx stepped back from the impact. "Briar?" He asked incredulously. In the corner of his eye he spotted the still shivering Fiora. He hadn't been thinking of actually killing her just putting her to sleep.
He couldn't bring himself to kill such a talent.
"Yes!" She answered. "Uncle why are you out like this?"
Caalyx sighed. "Well some IDIOT..." He looked at the guards around him. "Decided to pick up a cursed weapon due to a couple nobles." He turned to Briar and the now approaching kids. "Despite your father warning them over and over, they still decided to try picking me up."
"But you didn't become a monster?" Eileen half spoke- half asked.
Caalyx turned to her, "Nice observation! Did not clearly see that!" He raised a hand to his face. "Moron." He muttered under his breath.
"How?" She asked dumbfounded that she was having a conversation with a sentient weapon.
"It is a choice." He answered. "I wanted to have fun.... so I chose this form."
Eileen took in her surroundings, "This.... is fun...?"
"Of course!" Caalyx spoke. "I limited myself to just the physical capabilities of the body."
"But you killed so many...."
"Well you were warned?" Caalyx shrugged. "It is in my nature to kill and you guys did not listen to the warnings."
He patted each of the kids separately as he continued speaking to Eileen, "Though you are lucky they picked me instead of the other one. Now that fellow wouldn't have stopped till he destroyed Demacia entirely."
"C... Can you stop?" Eileen tried.
"Okay!" Caalyx replied brightly.
"What?" Eileen asked not quite understanding.
"I'll stop." Caalyx responded.
"Why?"
Caalyx shrugged, "You asked politely. Now follow me." He spoke as he began to walk in the direction he came from. "Now Fiora Laurent.... you are good... can be better.... but good."
"Ah and one last thing." He turned back for last time. "The next time any of you try this..... I won't go away this easily and if you pick the other one..... we won't help you. Simple. Gregori has already paid the price of wielding me and he won't do so again."
With that he led Eileen and the kids to the weapon's holding and placed himself down. "Well kids.. it has been fun seeing you properly but uncle has to go to sleep for sometime okay?"
They nodded.
"Now you." He turned to Eileen. "Grab the wrapping and tie it around everything that isn't the tip of the spear. That should seal me properly."
As those words ended, the guard's body withered and it crumpled to the ground.
Caalyx happily vibrated "Good night children."
"Good night!" Briar wished him back.
Eileen then wrapped him back up and Caalyx sighed as the darkness claimed him once more.