Chapter 21 - Breaching the City

Archer looked up at his master and Alora. Standing up and feeling along his body to ensure he was okay, Shuien walked up and grabbed Archer by his shoulders, embracing him. Shuien smiled slighly at him, looking relieved as Archer turned his attention to Alora. She was still standing there with wide eyes, staring at Archer in awe.

*SLAM* *CRUNCH*

The boat began to splinter under their feet as the Leviathan slammed against the side of the boat. Grabbing Shuien and Alora by their arms, Archer took off running across the deck. Following the crew, the prince could see some small rowboats hanging off the side of the boat. Pulling his arm free from a piece of wood that had snagged him, Archer spotted Captain Brutgard.

The Captain was staring at the beast with his sword hefted above his head, a bloodcurdling battle yell escaped his lips. The Captain looked over to the three of them and dropped his sword by his side.

Bowing slightly, Brutgard said, "Your highness. M'lady."

Archers faced showed confusion as he staring at the Captain, but didn't say anything. Alora and Shuien both held their breath with anticipation.

"What are you talking about?" Archer asked.

"Mighty convenient that there happens to be someone who can hold their own against these thing the moment they show up. There are many tales and story on the water. So when I saw you, and following the destruction of Draconvale at that, it spoke for itself. Your meant for more than this rabble here if the bloodlines are to converge again."

*SLAM* *HISSSSSSSS*

Archer caught himself against the nearby mast as his balance recovered.

Looking back at the Captain, Archer yelled to Brutgard, "Why don't you just come with us?"

Staring into Archers red eyes, Brutgards hazel eyes seemed calm- happy almost. The captains serious expression turn into an amused smirk.

"A captain goes down with his ship. And besides, I can give you a bit more time. This boat wont last another couple hits. When you get to Puraloke, seek out a woman named Thesana Dreffna. She part of my lot. She has no love for the crown, but she will do whatever is necessary for the people. She should be able to help ya. Farewell Prince."

Opening his mouth to argue, Archer decided against it. Nodding his head towards the Captain and bowing slightly, placing his hand over his heart as he did. The Captain nodded back and pulled a pipe from his pocket. He sat down on a barrel of oil and lit his tobacco with a piece of with some of the fat that had caught fire from one of the lanterns. Archer grabbed Aloras hand again and Shuiens arm, turning to run towards the starboard side of the deck.

As they railing came within to reach, Archer released the other two people and vaulted over the railing. After a couple seconds, Archers feet hit the surface of the rowboat. Turning around to face Alora and Shuien, Archer entended his arms, intending to catch them. Shuien jumped on his own accord and landed calmly in the bottom of the boat.

Looking back above, there was loud explosion followed by a large plume of smoke. The shockwave from the blast hit Alora in her back it launched her over the side of the ship. Archer reached his hand out to catch her once she was close enough, but she was going too fast and slipped through his grasp. The adjustment in her falling cause her body to turn slightly as she hit her head on the side of the boat with a loud *CRACK!*

The was a splash below the rowboat that had not yet touched the water and Archer immediatly removed Prides End from his back and laid it next to Shuien. He turned back to the water and jumped, extending his arms above his head to break the water surface. The same cold feeling enveloped his body as his body merged with the ocean. Grabbing Alora nearby, Archer waited in the water for the rowboat to touch down.

Supporting Aloras dead weight turned out to be more of a struggle in the water than he thought. She was unconscious and had a stream of blood running down the side of her face, dripping and mixing with the water. As the boat drifted beside them, Archer tried to lift Alora up, shoving his head under the water briefly. Shuien grabbed the princess and hefted her up, however; the prince didn't resurface.

Archer felt a pressure around his ankle that refrained him from returning to the surface. Looking down, he could barely see and saw only black, with the exception of a pair of yellow eyes staring back at him. He remembered those eyes.. when he fell from the boat earlier. The Siren.

There was no song now. Nothing to meddle with his mind. His lungs began to burn as the creature pulled him deeper in the abyss. Pulling his sword from the sheath, the crimson along the fuller of the sword seem to glow as he channels his internal flame into his arms. The glow reflected off the sirens face, revealing a slight look of fear as it realized what was happening. Swinging his swords in a crossing motion, Archer felt the pressure from his ankle disappear and a gush of water brush past his skin. It appeared to be gone.

Swimming towards the light as fast as he could, Archer finally broke through the surface and let out a loud gasp. A couple of men heaved him out of the water and onto the boat. Shuien removed his coat and draped it over Archer as the prince began to spit water from his lungs, gagging.

After several moments of rowing, Archer sat up and handed the coat back to Shuien

"Thank you." Archer said, grateful for his masters help.

"What happened down there?" Shuien asked, still worried as he turned around to finish bandaging Aloras head. Alora was still breathing, but it was shallow.

"The siren from earlier grabbed me when I hoisted Alora up. I was able to strike the creature with Spada and it ran almost immediately. So it's still here, I wasn't able to kill it."

"Well we should hurry up and get to the shoreline then. At least we have solid footing on land against these monsters."

Archer grabbed a set of the oars from the man he had seen in the crew quarters earlier that day. The man looked as though he was about to fall out and was grateful at Archers offer to grant him some relief. Shuien continued to bandage Alora, glancing at her, Archer noticed that her breathing finally seemed to have stabilized. Focusing back on his task at hand, Archer began to paddle in unison with the rest of the crew as the shoreline came closer and closer into sight.

---

The sun was starting to set when the group finally arrived to the shore. Archers muscles burned as he stood up and bent over to stretch, breaking the tension in his body. Shuien supported Alora who was now awake, but still staggering. Slowly they made their way to a rock not far from the water so she could rest. Assessing the area, Archer began to look around with his hand brushing the hilt of Spada.

The beach seemed clear, but there were footprints in the sand that seemed to wander down the sand a ways then turn around and head back. They were very clearly not human. The prints led towards the kingdom walls that had a huge gaping hole in it. It was been blown large enough that a creature such as the one they fought earlier could easily fit through. Boulder sized rubble laid all over the nearby beach. "No wonder that thing was there." Archer thought to himself.

"Do any of you know your way around here?" Archer looked over to see that the words had come from Shuien. He was standing next to where Alora laid and readjusted his jacket.

One of the men piped up and raised his hand, "It's been several years, but it shouldn't have changed too much since I was a boy."

Archer stepped forward slightly, "Would you know of this Thesana person?"

"Only rumors and assumptions. But I would imagine she in the sewers, away from people. She has a bad reputation among the nobles in the kingdom. On more than one occasion, she steals, and has even killed to help those that are starving or dying." The crewman seemed to shift a little uncomfortably, as though he was nervous about something.

Although the motion didn't go unnoticed, Shuien motioned the man next to him. "Would you please lead the way?"

Nodding his head, the man set forward. Shuien reached down and helped Alora up again, supporting her from under her shoulder. He pulled his sword from the sheath and began to follow. Checking to make sure Pride's End was still on his back, Archer then pulled his sword from the sheath as well. The fuller seemed to glow again as it was removed. Wishing it would go dark, the sword followed his wishes. "YES!" Archer exclaimed in his mind.

As the group walked closer towards the hole in the wall, Shuien, Archer, the guide, Alora, and the other four men paused at the commotion coming from inside. A voice echoed through their heads, "Goood.. good. Keep this up and I'll spare you. Your friend is another story though.." Then there was a yell that ripped through the air, followed by a long drawn out howl. The next sound made Archers stomach twist as he was sure it was the sound of the body being ripped apart.

Peeking around the corner, Archer spotted a singular wolf. There was a bloody woman who seemed to be sobbing and reaching for the torso of the desecrated body.

"My baby..." A mix of white and brown hair feel in front of her face as she hit her knees. Her voice appeared to hyperventilate for a few moments, then silence. A deep breath was taken as Archer snuck out from behind the wall, quietly. The wolf seemed occupied with the corpse, relishing in the womans cries. Holding Spada in his right hand, Archer was only a few paces from the wolf. The woman noticed him and stayed quiet despite her periodic shudder. As Archer took one more step and squatted down to jump, the beast turned alarmingly fast, slamming the top of its forearm into Archers gut. The impact knock the wind from Archers lungs and launched him through the air till he collided with the stone wall of a nearby house.

It took a couple seconds for the prince to recover and when he did, the wolf was already walking his way, standing upright on his two legs. The prince noticed that this one seemed bigger than the rest he had encountered previously. Standing up again on his two legs, the prince willed his Spada to draw on the power that it seemed to suck from him. There was a crunch of bone as Archer felt the foundation of the wall behind him collapse, with him following it inside. The wolf had punched Archer through the wall of the house and caused Spada to fly from his hand.

Looking up, the wolf was ducking to enter the newly formed hole in the wall and slid a table out of his way, eyeing Archer and running his tongue over his long fangs. The prince willed his body to release all the strength he had left right now, he knew he needed it. As the fire spread through his body, the voice in his head emmanated:

"So. Your the Morvlinsk brat I've heard about. A little bug in my ear warned me of a boy with your eyes. You have the same smell as that damned human anyways, so theres no mistaking.. I can't let you jeopardize our freedom again boy."

The prince spit some blood from his mouth and with labored breathing, he said, "What are you talking about?"

"A runt like you is still a long ways from the likes of Thuvren however."

Archer looked up, finally getting a good look at the beast: he was missing an eye, and seemed older. The gray blended with his black fur around its muzzle and eyes. It's chest and face had a variety of scars spread throughout. The wolf was almost the size of two and was significantly bigger than Archer was.

Archer went to stand back on his feet, never taking his eyes off the beast. The wolf lurched back a little, grabbing a table and splintering it against a nearby wall as he reached a large clawed hand forward, grasping Archer. Taking a breath, Archer let the fire envelope him and his mind went black.