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"You sure you don't need more people?"
"This is more than enough for the reported Wild Hunt numbers. Even thought it's a makeshift squad, they're all elite members, and we've got a lot of supplies because of the fresh shipment yesterday." Illuga sighed. "Pops, you do recall that I'm a squad leader, right? You're treating me like I'm fresh meat."
"I know, I know. It just never hurts to be too careful," Nikita commented, adjusting Illuga's coat. "I know you always do a good job."
Illuga smiled. "That's right. That's why you don't need to be so worried."
"Captain! We're all ready!"
"Alright! Be right there!" Illuga yelled. He nodded at Nikita and turned away.
The sky over Piramida was dreary as always, bleak and gray like a puddle of mud. "You know the Starshyna means well, Captain," a member chuckled. Illuga shook his head. "Of course I know. But he keeps treating me like a little kid."
The squad members looked at their Captain endearingly. Sure, the lad had plenty of experience fighting the Wild Hunt—but despite it all, he was still a young boy in their wrinkled eyes. How could one not baby him a little?
Illuga, oblivious to their soft gazes, flipped through the report one last time before departing for the designated location. The papers noted as such—adventurers had witnessed a number of minor Wild Hunt entities (an approximate number of four to six) lurking around the path by the outer layer of Kipumaki Cliff, close to Cliffwatch Camp. The mission was to clearly eliminate all entities before they could reach civilization and endanger ordinary people. Though Illuga's squad was typically stationed by Cliffwatch Camp, today they were departing from Piramida to take the new supplies with them.
"Supplies, check. Gear, check. All members accounted for. We're ready. Are we ready?" Illuga declared. "Yessir!" The squad replied, voices thunderous.
"Another dangerous mission, is it Young Master?"
Illuga spun around to see a familiar face approaching. "Flins! It's been a while!" the others greeted enthusiastically to their old comrade.
"It really has been a while, Sir Flins. Here in Piramida to submit your reports?"
"You assume correctly, young master," Flins smiled. "It really has been a while, everyone. I hope the best for your mission."
After some lighthearted banter, the members began to walk towards the elevator. Illuga stayed behind to talk with Flins a little more. "I would've liked to join your mission, Young Master—but of course, someone has to look over the Final Night Cemetery."
"You really should come over more often," Illuga pouted. "Everyone misses you. I miss you."
"Oh?" Flins inched closer, looking down into Illuga's eyes. "You do? You're not always so direct like this, my Young Master."
Illuga gave Flins a light punch on the shoulder. "Whatever. Just make sure to have some time for me once I come back. It's been too long since we've spent time together."
Flins rustled the young man's hair. "Of course. I'll be waiting for you. I'm already looking forward to our date." He chuckled at Illuga's flushed face, and waved goodbye before the captain sped up to reach the rest of his squad. Another day, another mission for the ever so busy leader. Flins headed in the opposite direction, reports in hand.
This particular mission would take a total of three days to a week, should Flins' estimate be correct. Of course, it could take a little longer depending on unexpected obstacles or switches in the weather—but he was usually right.
I need to make sure I have free time in the next few days, he thought, and I'll buy some tea if any merchants are around.
He smiled at the thought of having the young master over for tea. Perhaps he could go over to Aino's craftshop today to learn a krumkake recipe from Ineffa.
Krumkake, pancakes, Snezhnayan crepes... surely Illuga would be sick of the same old beef jerky they were rationed by the time the mission was complete. Sweets could be so wonderful after a prolonged time without any.
Flins hummed to himself, an afternoon tea plan already set in his mind. He could already imagine the Young Master's surprised face—ah, how delightful.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
"Captain—arghh!"
"Bartosz! Bartosz?" Illuga looked around in the fog, breath hitching. But no voice emerged from the purple mist. It was eerily silent—as if the Wild Hunt was laying low, mockingly watching his every move. Illuga cursed under his breath.
"Marek. Marek, are you there?" he shouted. His chest tightened. "Ugh—" he stumbled backwards but swiftly regained balance. When he looked down, he saw the still foot of a fellow Lightkeeper. Bile rose in his throat, but he kept it down.
"Ivo? Radek?"
No response.
Illuga's throat was torn; his limbs were full of ragged gashes oozing with blood. The air was sparse and his vision was beginning to blur—he breathed in, but all he could feel was raw skin searing with cold pain.
"Milos?" Illuga called out with the last of his voice.
No response. There was only silence.
This couldn't be how it ended. Pops was waiting back at Piramida. The other Lightkeepers were looking forward to their return. Flins promised him a date.
A growl resonated from somewhere within the thick fog. Illuga instinctively knew the vile creatures were hiding nearby, teasing the remaining survivor like a plaything.
Where did everything go wrong? There were no signs. There were only about five Wild Hunt entities at first, like the report had said—but they suddenly grew in number without warning. He knew missions could always go wrong, which was why they always took more manpower and supplies than necessary. This time they even had the most experienced veterans on the team—yet the result was this.
A massacre.
He gritted his teeth. He had to at least make it back to the base to request backup. But alone?
... Just one more look around. There had to be more survivors than this. Please. He couldn't do this again. There had to be someone, anyone.
His throat burned and his hands felt like they were on fire. All he could see was red. "Anyone answer me! Anyone!"
Blood splattered on the ground. He felt the metallic taste surge up his throat and spill down the corners of his mouth. Aedon had long since stayed silent.
"Please! Anyone... answer me..."
He felt faint. His vision was blurry.
"Anyone..."
It had been a week.
Nikita arranged for Flins and a few other Lightkeepers to see to the situation. It was still within the expected time period for the mission, but Illuga's elite squad typically returned days earlier. "They might be having trouble hauling their supplies. I know their bags are pretty old, so I wouldn't be surprised if a few burst. They could have taken some time to reorganize by Cliffwatch Camp—take a caravan while you're at it, why don't you."
Flins usually wouldn't accompany the Lightkeepers on short errands like this, but he did want to see Illuga's face light up in surprise for him. So he complied, trailing at the end of three other members and their rickety caravan.
The rain never stopped on their silent journey. It pattered against the dirt and against their thick coats. The fog thickened as they ventured through. Perhaps this was why the squad was taking so long, Flins thought.
They continued to walk. Only when they arrived at Cliffwatch Camp did they realize the oddness of it all. "I thought we'd meet them sooner. We didn't, so I supposed they stopped here, but..." a confused Lightkeeper looked around. "I don't think they're here."
They laid down their supplies for a while and asked the members stationed by the lighthouse, but they all shook their heads. "We did meet them when they came through, but they haven't come back. We were actually going to go check."
Flins and the others exchanged concerned glances. Something about this didn't seem right. They thanked the Lightkeeper for the information and assured them they would go in and confirm their status.
The temporary squad readied their weapons and entered the foggy layers of Kipumaki Cliff. "Becareful. The fog is unusually thick today," Flins warned.
Despite their worries, the four never encountered a single Wild Hunt monster on their way into the deeper depths. "That's odd," the forefront Lightkeeper muttered, "they're usually scattered all over the place."
When the fog became so thick one could no longer see what lay right before them, Flins felt a chill crawl up his spine. He could feel every hair stand on end. The lantern in his hand flickered a threatening red, blinking erratically.
"At the ready!" he yelled. He felt the others tense, their weapons tight in hand.
oughhhh
There it was—the bleak moans of the Wild Hunt. The drooping figures of Lightkeepers long since passed stumbled out of the eerie mist. "Stay calm!" the others shouted, barely audible through the sound of clashing blades and bullets.
Where's the squad? Flins scanned the area while discreetly controlling his blue flame to scorch the enemies into ash. And these monsters—there's more than we considered. They must've faced an unexpected number. And this weather... its almost like the sandstorms of Sumeru.
"Ugh!"
Flins snapped towards the sound. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine—I'm—oh, oh no, but you..."
Within the fog and dust, Flins saw his fellow squadmate on the ground, backing away from something he couldn't quite identify. "No... no...!" he heard her whisper.
"Get up!" Flins shot a blast of electro to the monster approaching her. He ran to her side and pulled her up by the arm. "Come on. Collect your breath and use your sword."
"But... but... Bartosz is..."
Bartosz? That was the name of the veteran in Illuga's squad. Flins gazed towards what the woman was pointing at—and froze.
It was a severed leg. The boot was far too familiar—for all his Lightkeeper comrades were wearing the same ones. Not too far from the leg was a battered body, so bloodied Flins could barely make out who it was. But the wiry gray hair, the framed goggles—it was Bartosz.
He grimaced. "We need to fall back," he told his squadmate. She nodded shakily and exclaimed into the fog, "Fall back! Fall. Back! We return later with backup!"
"U—Understood!" the others replied, their voices trembling. Within the chaos they managed to regroup, still pushing back the monsters through it all. "I saw Milos," a younger Lightkeeper mumbled, "I knew immediately he couldn't be saved. He was completely tainted by the abyss."
"Head back. I'll join you later," Flins said, pushing the others towards the path out.
"But Flins—"
"I'll be fine. Go on!"
They hesitated, but eventually left. Something about the man seemed unmoveable, and they all knew Flins was much stronger than themselves. All they could do was look back in worry and hope for the best.
"... Well then." Flins collected himself. Without the others, he could display his power to its full extent. "Illuga... where are you?"
The blood stains on the dirt made his heart tighten. This was an unprecedented attack—there was no way the squad could've anticipated it. And the Wild Hunt here... they were much stronger than the ones they usually faced.
Cold sweat formed on his forehead. He could feel his hands quiver. "Illuga?" he called out. There was no reply—only the groans of the approaching Wild Hunt. He tightened the grip on his spear. He was sure of it; this attack was just as dangerous as the one from three years ago, maybe even worse.
But why? Thoughts began to cloud his mind, but he shook them away. With the swing of his spear, a strike of fire rushed out in waves. The hot air pushed the fog away, clearing his vision.
"...!"
The scene was horrific. Flins clenched his eyes shut. The bodies of his comrades were sprawled across the field, mauled beyond recognition. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. There were five bodies before him—he couldn't make out two, but he recognized Bartosz, Milos and Stojan. The other two were too mutilated to identify, but Illuga wasn't one of them.
In fact, there were still four members missing, including Illuga. Perhaps they got lucky and managed to escape...? Flins thought in hope.
The fog was encroaching again. Flins tried to push it back as he did before, but it stubbornly pulled itself in. This was no ordinary weather condition.
"For the Professor..."
Flins looked up. An abyssal eye stared back, aiming a bullet made of shadow at his forehead. "For the Professor's paradise and our ideal world!" The voice hissed. The bullet shot out, missing Flins' head but scraping his cheek. The fae wiped the blood off his face, wincing at the intense heat that burned his hand. His blood crackled into crude purple ash.
Intense abyssal power, "Professor"... this is one of Rotwang—the mad monk's—believers. To think it had been hiding here all this time...
This was no ordinary foe. Using the power of the environment's kuuvahki, Flins deflected the abyssal bullets. "Begone!" he exclaimed in the language of the fae. Blue electro and flame enveloped the black eye, exploding in a burst of hot air. When the dust parted, Flins clicked his tongue—damage was done, but not enough to take it down.
"We will see his plan to the end!" the voice sputtered. Abyssal energy erupted from the earth, surging like a black geyser. Humanoid forms crawled out, gripping at the ground with pale fingers. Their necks sputtered ragged purple flames, their bodies no longer belonging to the realm of humanity. They approached in continous waves, one after another.
"Tsk." Flins blasted out another ring of blue flame. His stamina was slowly running out. How much longer until this ends? There must be a limit to how many it can spawn. Flins calculated his limits; if he was lucky, he could manage five more waves. Still, his biggest concern was Illuga. The Young Master was nowhere to be seen.
Another monster approached. Flins pointed his blade at the figure—and froze.
He knew this person.
Or at least, this monster who used to be a person. It wore the uniform of a Lightkeeper, as many did, and stumbled forward with its arms stretched out. On the finger was a chunky jade ring.
"I got this as a souvenir from Chenyu Vale! Sick, right?"
This was Radek. Another member of Illuga's squad.
"No," Flins whispered. Radek wobbled towards him, jade ring shining in his outstretched hand. Flins didn't hesitate for long–he sliced through the Wild Hunt in one clean motion. "I'm sorry," he prayed under his breath.
The giant abyssal eye gave him no time to rest. Soon, another Wild Hunt monster emerged from the darkness. Flins lifted his chin and saw his worst nightmare.
"...No,"
A Lightkeeper, their uniform still somewhat intact. The head was almost wholy swallowed by abyssal flames; but even so, Flins knew exactly who it was under the flickering shadow.
"Illuga..."
What was once Illuga lunged at Flins. "Illuga! It's me! Illuga?" Flins shouted as he evaded the attacks. The monster moaned and swung an abyss-tainted arm at him.
Flins threw away his spear and pulled the creature in by its shoulders. "Illuga! Look at me, please!"
The dark gloom protruding from the neck fluctuated, revealing what remained of the face. Flins saw Illuga's delicate nose, his lips—and his single remaining eye, open and empty, looking nowhere. Dried blood stained every orifice. Flins knew well, but didn't want to admit it. But clearly,
he was begging a corpse.
"Curses. Curses!" Flins buried his head in Illuga's shoulder. The corpse clawed at his back, leaving long black gashes. Flins pulled him in tighter, then bolted from the area with the creature still in his arms.
"........."
The abyssal eye hummed ominously, but failed to take aim at the fleeing fae.
Flins ran until there was only an infinite stretch of water before him. "Illuga," he pleaded, peeling away from the body, "Illuga, you can't just—please, wake up."
The abyss was contaminating Flins' body at every point of contact, but he refused to let go. "Illuga? This is no joke, my dear Young Master. I beg of you, please, come back to me..."
But all Illuga's body did was weakly growl, swiping at Flins with its abyssal limbs. The fae tried to look into the other's eyes, but was once again met with a lifeless pupil staring off into the distance.
How much time had passed? Flins remained still, lifelessly collapsed by the shore with Illuga in his caress. He beared all the relentless attacks until the body went limp, it's abyssal energy spent.
The waves grew rougher with every passing hour, rain beginning to fall as the dark clouds rolled in. At some point, Flins heard the faint sound of a fierce battle from afar. It lasted a long time, and eventually reached an end.
"...lluga!"
"..F..ins? Flins!"
Multiple voices called out their names. Flins couldn't muster the strength to reply. All he could do was sink his head into Illuga's bloodstained coat, drowning in the familiar scent.
"Flins."
A heavy voice sounded from right behind him. The fae slowly turned to look. It was Nikita, his face stiff. "Is that..."
Flins rose to his feet. He lifted the small body, unable to meet Nikita's eyes.
"Is that... is that my boy?" Nikita whispered. Flins nodded, and rested Illuga into the Starshyna's arms. Nikita seemed to understand immediately—he fell to his knees and held the boy close, gently brushing the dried blood off his pale face. "He's hurt. And he's..."
Nikita set a quivering hand upon Illuga's chest. "He's... he's gone. Why..."
"Flins! You're safe! Did you—" Another Lightkeeper, Flins' squadmate, stumbled onto the sands. "Wait, is that...?"
The scarlet shadow of the abyss no longer flickered within the body. Nikita used his fingers to tenderly close the boy's eye. Illuga looked peaceful, almost like he was in a tranquil sleep—only if you ignored the blood that stained his face. Nikita shook with barely contained emotion. "... Have you discovered any more casualties," he asked the soldier.
"Is that—"
"To the point."
"... We have found seven members. Milos, Radek, Batosz, Stojan, Marek, Iskra... they all fell in battle. We've found Ivo and Tevž, but they're both badly injured. And, um, Illuga..."
"Squad Leader!" Another voice sounded from behind. A bloodied Lightkeeper, supported by two others, dragged his feet towards the crowd. "Have you found the Squad Leader?" he asked desperately. "He saved me and then went to look for Radek, and I lost sight of them—please tell me they're both safe!"
"Ivo, stop! You're seriously hurt, any more movement might permanently disable you!"
Despite the others' concern, Ivo rushed forward. "The fog was too thick, I couldn't see what happened. Did you find—"
He stopped in his tracks. "Squad Leader?" he whispered. At a single glance from Nikita, the two other members hurriedly pulled Ivo away.
"So they've been accounted for," Nikita muttered solemnly. "Um, should we call for more backup? If there's more members out there..." a timid Lightkeeper began.
"No need. Get some people to go back to camp and fetch more equipment." He took off his own coat and draped it over his little boy. "This is now a recovery mission. Let's get everyone home."
The massacre. One of the most unexpected attacks in Lightkeeper history. News quickly spread to the headquarters in Piramida; by the time the recovery squad had returned from Kipumaki Cliff to Cliffwatch Camp, more backup had arrived.
The bodies were in terrible condition. The Ratniki could barely even look at them, even with all their experience in battle. How were they supposed to let their families know? Someone's father, a reliable mentor, a strong daughter... all gone in one unprecedented battle.
And there was Nikita's son, the Squad Leader of Nightmare Orioles. No one could believe it when they saw the wisp of silver-beige hair under the cloth.
"A remnant of big abyssal energy? How was anyone supposed to expect that? This... this is truly a tragedy. A tragedy no one could've possibly foresaw."
The Lightkeepers all shook their heads in quiet despair. Caravans and hand-drawn wagons passed by busily. There was no time for calm.
The events of the devastating battle soon spread to Nasha Town. Shock and grief resonated through those who knew the deceased.
Before the mass funeral, Flins had the chance to see Illuga one last time. He entered the dark room alone.
The young captain lay on a metal bed, dressed in his distinguished Lightkeeper uniform. It was cleaned up and stitched where it had ripped during the attack.
"Young Master," Flins whispered fondly, brushing his fingers through the silver-beige hair. Illuga looked so peaceful, Flins almost expected for him to answer back. Of course, he knew well that wouldn't happen. This was just the physical remnant of his dearest, after all.
"At such a tender age, leaving so much behind... Young Master, I'm hurt. We never got to go on that date together," Flins muttered. "This much, I should've anticipated from humans—but I just never thought it'd happen to you of all people."
He rustled Illuga's hair for longer before exiting the room. "Have you said your goodbyes?" the Lightkeeper guarding the place asked. "Yes. Thank you." Flins walked away.
The funeral gathered many people. Mothers, sons, close friends... they all greeted each other smiling bitterly, knowing that they had hoped to never reach this conclusion. The graves were lined up by the outskirts of Piramida, facing the emerald slopes beyond. One by one, the guests left, but not before leaving bouquets by the stones. Flins stayed behind. Nikita watched the fae gaze upon the misty sky.
"As I always say. Your visits are welcome here in Piramida," Nikita said. Flins acknowledged him with a slight nod. "I know."
After much time, Flins turned away to leave. "I insist, Flins." Nikita reminded him, "please come visit."
"You don't need to tell me twice Nikita. I promise I will."
The Final Night Cemetery welcomed the lone Lightkeeper's presence. He felt the usual chill seep into his clothes, the sharp breeze flipping his hair. The lighthouse illuminated the isle with a golden glow.
His steps led him to a single grave. "I'll visit, I promise. Just... maybe not in the foreseeable future."
The fae eased himself into a comfortable form of purple flame, then sank beneath the earth. The dirt was cold but soothing, perfectly cozy for a long, long sleep. "Perhaps this will be my last... ah, I don't know. Illuga, the underground feels much more snug than I thought. Thank goodness. You must be having a splendid sleep."
The flame dimmed. "Am I being too spontaneous? Ah, well... as it all was those many years ago. I'm sorry Nikita... but it won't be a lie as long as I do eventually visit at some point in time. And if I don't... my apologies. But I'll try my best."
A deep sigh sounded. "Young Master. I'll be going off now."
"Sweet dreams."
