*In the Bludwood palace the royal knights and Syndicate members were fighting each other. Lloyd and his men were currently on the defensive as the knights had them pinned down by a hallway. The Syndicate knew that they would meet resistance once they invaded the palace. But to meet this much resistance as soon they entered wasn’t in Lloyd’s calculation*
(Garcia): Something’s not right here.
*Garcia ducked behind the wall next to Lloyd to avoid getting shot by a magic bullet*
(Garcia): They’re way too prepared for this invasion. Almost as if somebody-
*Garcia thought for a second*
(Garcia): Dust.
*Garcia and other members of the Syndicate looked around and couldn’t see Dust anywhere*
(Lloyd): Where’d he go!?
(Gambit): He was standing right beside us when we came up and started fighting. I was right beside him but then the smoke bombs went off and I lost sight of him.
(Sae): That must have been when he escaped.
(Lloyd): Grr, he played me. I knew we were dealing with a snake but I still let him bite me.
(Sae): You don’t think he’s working for the Clan, sir?
(Lloyd): No. Quite the opposite. I believe he wants to get The Golem and present it as a gift to the Clan in order to get back into their good graces.
(Garcia): But how? He doesn’t have the codes.
(Lloyd): Perhaps. But at this point, we should assume the worst and believe he has all the tools he needs to unlock The Golem.
(Sae): If that’s the case then we can’t waste any more time here.
*Sae removes her jacket and concentrates as she extends her right arm. Four tattoos of crows begin to glow purple and jump off her skin. The four crows fly toward the Bludwood knights and attack with their talons. With the guards distracted by the crows, Garcia jumped out with his members of the Syndicate who went on the attack. Using his katars, Garcia slashed the necks of five guards to kill them and then tackled a sixth guard where he repeatedly stabbed him in the neck to kill him all while smiling sadistically. As blood started splashing on his face and clothes. It took Sae grabbing his arm to get him to stop. Sighing, Garcia gets up to see that the other members of the Syndicate finished off the remaining knights*
(Gambit): *Sniff sniff* More knights are coming.
(Lloyd): Gambit, which way did Dust go?
(Gambit): I’m picking up his scent down that left corridor.
(Lloyd): You’re faster than us. Find him and stop him.
(Gambit): Yes sir.
*Gambit ran down the left corridor leaving the group behind*
(Lloyd): Sae. Defeat those guards. The rest of you with me.
*Lloyd, Garcia, and the Syndicate members went down the right corridor while Sae remained at the intersection ready to fight the Bludwood knights who arrived shortly after Lloyd and the others left*
***
*In a security room within the palace, three Bludwood knights were knocked out, and monitoring the screens were Amarti and Zia. Amarti wore a black cloak over his forest green shirt and brown pants while Zia wore a full black combat bodysuit*
(Amarti): Lloyd certainly knows his way around the palace if he’s willing to take this detour.
*Amarti takes out his phone and calls Dust*
(Amarti): Hey Dust, expect company coming your way.
(Dust): Is it that young demihuman?
(Zia): Yes. He’s seems quite determined to fight you.
(Dust): All right. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be ready for him when he arrives. Also, I’ve got a favor to ask.
(Amarti): Ohh~, what is it? I see. Yes, it shouldn’t be a problem. You’re welcome.
*Amarti and Dust hang up*
(Zia): We should get going as well. Are we sticking to the original plan of you taking out the dark elf?
(Amarti): Actually, a change of plans, Zia.
***
*Back at the corridor intersection Sae was mercilessly killing the knights with her tattooed animals. She had summoned a lion, tiger, and bear to kill the knights. As the bear was closing in on one injured knight crawling away toward the corner, in came Zia who leaped off the top of the stairs and drew her kukris to slash the bear in two and make it disappear. Zia landed in front of the knight who looked up and swore he was seeing a goddess. He was instantly mesmerized by Zia’s beauty. Zia on the other hand looked back at the knight coldly*
(Zia): Run. Go!
*Zia’s words managed to snap the knight out of his daze*
(Bludwood knight): Right. Thank you.
*The knight got up and instantly ran up the stairs to safety leaving the two female elves alone. Sae stared down Zia unimpressed and mad at her for interfering*
(Sae): Who are you?
(Zia): Just a mercenary passing through.
(Sae): Let me guess. Dust hired you, didn’t he?
(Zia): I can neither deny nor confirm that statement. All I can say is withdraw peacefully or else.
*Zia pointed one of her kukri at Sae*
(Sae): It appears you’re not from around these parts. That’s my line.
*Sae’s tiger and lion charge at Zia. The lion is the first to reach Zia who leaps over it to avoid an attack. Zia then charges at the tiger where she slashes through it with her kukri. With the tiger defeated Zia turns around and tosses her kukris at the lion to slash it. The kukris return to Zia’s hands like boomerangs just in time for Zia to turn around and block Sae’s serpent dragon. Zia blocks the dragon with one of her kukris and swings down with the other. The dragon dodged Zia’s attack and flew upward only to come flying back down hoping to strike Zia. She jumped out of the way to avoid the dragon who crashed down into the floor. However, a small cut appeared on Zia’s right cheek*
(Zia): I see now. You fused your weapon with a speast.
*The dragon returns to Sae where it turns into a black arrow that’s fifteen inches long and lands in Sae’s left hand*
(Sae): Good eye. You’re the quickest person to have figured out my weapon. Yes, the arrow you see before you is my weapon that I fused with a speast. I then injected it into my arm to blend in with my other speasts who also are infused with weapons. I’ve battled many people in a Carpe Arbor and taken their most prized weapon into my collection. I’m looking so forward to adding your kukris as well.
(Zia): Is that a challenge?
(Sae): Yes. My arrow against your kukris.
(Zia): I accept. Your arrow is interesting. Am I right to assume the spirit comes with the arrow?
(Sae): Yes. The spirit is fused with the weapon and will obey whoever’s magic is poured into it.
(Zia): Very good. I’m wanting this weapon more and more.
(Sae): It’s a shame you won’t be able to have it.
*Sae summons her four crows who shoot their feathers at Zia who runs away quickly. Zia notices how the feathers fly as fast as a bullet and quickly pieces together that these crows were fused with guns. Zia couldn’t help wondering if she could double the bet for the guns and present them as a gift to Raika. While dodging the bullets, Zia turned her kukris into her crossbow. Finding time to get a clear shot, Zia fired off four light arrows to take out the crows. Zia then fired off a shot at Sae who exposed her right leg to reveal an elephant tattoo along with snake tattoos. Sae summons the elephant tattoo who takes the arrow head on not fazing it one bit. The elephant then charged at Zia who attempted to take it down by shooting at its feet which had no effect. Zia had no choice but to do a dodge roll to avoid getting hit, but the elephant quickly turned around and smacked Zia in the back with its trunk to send Zia upward into the air. When she came downward she was kicked by Sae’s other tattoo, a horse. The horse delivered a mule kick to Zia who got her arms up just in time to protect her face from sustaining damage. The mule kick sent Zia flying out of a window and into the nearby garden where she landed in a patch of snow. Despite being dazed and feeling the effects of the mule kick in her arms, Zia returned to her feet ready to fight*
(Zia): If arrows won’t work then perhaps something sharper and more efficient will. Zombo (Katana)!
*Two katanas that were blue appeared before Zia. Clasping them in both hands, Zia saw the elephant bust through the wall to reach the garden where it charged at her with determination. Zia ran toward the elephant where she slid between its legs slashing at the hind legs causing it to fall down. The elephant attempted to stand back up but was unable to do it. While Zia’s back was turned toward the palace she could hear the horse spirit charging at her. Closing her eyes to concentrate, Zia flipped into the air at the last second to avoid the horse charging into her and then swung her swords to decapitate it. Zia landed back on her feet and looked toward the busted wall to see Sae out of breath*
(Zia): It would appear that summoning multiple spirits takes a toll on your body.
(Sae): Yes. Although I’ve never come across someone who’s been able to destroy my spirits quite as quickly as you and on a constant basis.
(Zia): Let’s just say I know someone who’s very knowledgeable about spirits. Even if his lessons can be a bit long-winded.
***
*Back in Brister at the university, Morgan was teaching a class when all of a sudden he sneezed*
(Morgan): My apologies. I didn’t wear a hat. Please be sure to bundle up properly on these cold days. Now continuing with our lesson-
***
*Back in Bludwood*
(Sae): You may have been able to take them down one at a time. But how will you fare against all of them at once?
*Sae holds the arrow in one hand while gathering all of her spirit weapons in the other hand. The red tattoos all across her body converged into one red orb in her hand and she fused them all into the arrow. The arrow glowed red as it floated in Sae’s hand and she got ready to throw it*
(Sae): It’s not too late to surrender.
(Zia): One.
(Sae): Excuse me?
(Zia): One. One hit is all I need to end this. You better start praying to the gods that this attack takes me down. Because if I’m left standing after it I will take you down with one hit. Habvela (Glaive)!
*Zia’s katanas turn into a glaive. The pole was royal blue and the blade was gold with Elfan letters on it*
(Sae): Big talk. I’ll believe it when I see it.
*Sae launches the arrow as it turns into a big red dragon serpent with the faces of the other animals appearing on its body. Zia threw her glaive at the dragon and the two collided. Magic sparks could be seen flying between the dragon and glaive. Sae was confident that her dragon would crush the glaive and slash through Zia at any second. All she had to do was wait. However, her dragon wasn’t moving forward. If anything it looked as if the dragon was getting smaller. Before long the dragon had shrunk down to its original size and the glaive pushed past the arrow and struck Sae in the right shoulder unleashing the built-up magic through her body and she collapsed to the ground. Zia took a deep breath and began walking toward Sae. Zia picked up the arrow along the way. When Zia arrived at Sae she pulled the glaive out of her shoulder as quickly as possible. The arrow was soon absorbed into the glaive and Zia’s glaive converted back into her kukris*
(Zia): Like I said, one hit.
(Sae): How? How was that possible?
(Zia): My glaive isn’t just some ordinary weapon. The blade is made of Dispelium. It absorbs magic. Stores it up and then unleashes when it can hold no more. Seeing as how spirits are made entirely from magic it’s the perfect countermeasure against them.
*Sae smiled weakly*
(Sae): I surrender. It’s my loss. You are without a doubt the most dangerous elf I have ever met.
*Sae soon passes out from exhaustion as Zia picks her up and brings her back inside the palace. She gently places Sae down on a couch, makes a sling for Sae’s damaged shoulder, slips a piece of paper into her hand, and then covers her with a blanket. With Sae taken care of, Zia turns her attention to Lloyd and the rest of the Syndicate*
Author’s Note: Another Syndicate member bites the dust. Zia vs Sae. It’s ironic, I don’t have a tattoo nor do I want one, but I do respect the art and talent that goes into making it. The idea of having Sae’s body be a fusion of weapons and speast was actually idea I had I’ve been wanting to play around with since the end of volume 2. I actually thought about making her a knight of Brister but as I started coming up with her personality, it became clearer that she would have work better as an enemy and a perfect challenge for Zia. Speaking of Zia, we get to see more of the weapons she won in past duels and now she adds a dragon arrow to her armory. Next up is Amarti and he’s going to show us a side of himself we never knew he had. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.