ROUTE 1: CHAPTER 1: FIRST BLOOD PART 2: THE FRAIL BLADE

Suddenly he found himself in the middle of a forest, Manila appearing instantly beside him.

(Arma: It… it worked!)

(Manila: There is no need to doubt me, master, as I am eternally in your service.)

The trees surrounding the both of them had large and thick grey trunks, reaching up to their autumn red crowns which formed a compact roof above the thicket in which Arma and Manila had appeared.

One might have thought that this roof would leave the forest in complete darkness, but a myriad of fireflies, or a similar creature, swarmed high up above among the treetops, basking the forest in a surreal light.

In many ways the life of the small critters, and the light they gave the surrounding environment, reminded Arma of the orbs above the Field of dreams.

(Arma: Manila… where are we?)

(Manila: We are still inside Aquilegia: the sphere of the forgotten, but we have travelled to another location. This forest is apparently known as Krims Dwelling, there should be a settlement nearby, master.)

(Arma: This… this is…)

Arma smiled, an innocent and boyish smile and as he turned to Manila he couldn't help but to notice that this, in some way, bothered her, as she turned her gaze away in embarrassment.

(Arma: This is wonderful, isn't it?)

(Manila: Hrm… Yes, master. Your appreciation of visual input is quite endearing in its own way, I mean… this is quite the sight, indeed.)

The undergrowth of the forest was rough, the shrubbery of it all interconnected with large systems of roots and small bushes with berries that seemed to occasionally attract the glowing insects whose light made it all apparent in the first place.

Arma delighted in the experience, trying to notice every detail and that was when he saw the first sign of trouble.

Carcasses. Bones. The bed of the forest was littered with what seemed like the ancient remnants of deers and other animals, and in some cases something more similar to the shape of a humanoid.

For some reason this did not scare him, it seemed, to him, as just as a natural occurrence as the trees around him.

Noticing what he was looking at, it did, however, obviously frighten Manila.

(Manila: You know, master, perhaps this forest could lead us to… No, it is too early.)

Before Arma had the chance to answer her, or ask her what she meant, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of wood being torn apart.

Something was cutting down trees with brute force, the heavy weight of the wooden structures hitting the ground making it shake and tremble.

A large creature was moving among the pines and oak trees around them, ripping a tree into shreds when it stood in its way.

(Manila: Be quiet, master... maybe it will pass.)

Manilas voice was nothing but a whisper but sounded more serious than scared.

Arma could see the large shadowy shape moving only a short distance away, but unknowingly, lacking focus. It seemed as if its eyesight was poor, while being supplemented, by other senses, making up the difference.

But then the creature, clearly noticing a scent or a sign of some sort, started to amble towards their general direction.

As there weren't really any decent hiding places now that whatever it was had smelled their presence, Arma stood still as the creature moved into clear view.

It was a twisted being, huge and covered in a mass of what seemingly looked like a shadow that had taken an almost physical form.

The large shadow loomed around what appeared to be something akin to an improvised children's toy, a doll created from twigs and stringy vines, vibrating intensely in a mass of grey transparent goo.

The small doll shrieked as the creature turned its hulking body towards Arma and slowly started to walk towards him.

(Arma: Manila, what is that?)

Arma still seemingly lacking in fear, perhaps did not understand the degree of danger they were in.

But then, looking at his companion, it was clear to him that whatever this creature was, it wasn't anything good.

(Manila: …Analyzing. It's a ghaster, a sort of foul spirit, that has taken possession of a physical object. In this case a doll-like figurine, creating what is commonly known as a horror. We are not safe master, prepare to battle.)

(Horror: Skriskriskriskiskriskiskri…)

The awful beast let out a strange screeching sound, almost like a high-pitched laughter, and moved faster toward Arma, its abnormally large arms greedily stretched out.

(Manila: Speed communication activated, melding thought-process ability, my mind is yours master.)

And then time slowed down. The glowing critters far above, the leaves rustling with the wind, the creature in front of him, all suddenly seemed to move in slow-motion. It was as if they were moving through a thick mass of liquid plastic. Manila sighed with relief.

(Manila: Hah… I... I am glad we are compatible. If he were here I bet it would seem like time had stopped altogether... but this is the best I can manage.)

(Arma: Just what did you do?)

Although he could still speak, or communicate by thought, even Armas own trembling fingers moved at the same pace as the rest of the world around him.

(Manila: I have not slowed down time, that is beyond my capabilities. I have simply increased your perception of the surrounding happenings by adding my computational power to yours. It is quite… stressful, really. Your mind is a mess, honestly speaking master.)

Manila looked aggravated, her forehead wrinkled with concern.

(Manila: Anyhow, while you may not be able to move faster than our opponent, this will allow us to communicate unhindered, at least for awhile. You have not yet been taught how to utilize your abilities. While my instructions may be rough… I hope they will allow you to save us from this predicament, master. I do not yet wish to seize to exist.)

(Arma: I see… I think… So, what should I do?)

(Manila: Hm, hm. I was expecting to be able to teach you these lessons during different circumstances, so I will have to be brief. Master, you have the inborn ability to shape the world around you, to manifest objects or more advanced constructions, at will.)

Arma, trying to grasp the concept, felt the need to clench his fist, but his fingers moved just as slowly as before.

(Manila: In essence, you imagine what you want to create, and gather wind, raw power from the environment to make it happen. It is not something easily done… try to imagine something simple, something close to yourself, that you can utilize. And then, let it be real. This is manifestation, what your spirit is capable of.)

(Arma: Yes… I understand. I have been thinking about it, there is a lot of things i can simply “just understand”, as if I was born with the knowledge. Manila, not today, but someday, I want you to tell me what Vaporins intentions were… Right now, it is enough that I understand what I need to do.)

As time still moved slowly, Arma had time to think. Making an image inside his mind, if he could create it, something to help him, a weapon, he could make it real.

What sort of weapon would it be? Could he simply allow the earth to swallow his enemy?

Arma tried to imagine it… or, as he experienced it, feel it. He thought about the wind. Wasn't that his earliest memory? A wind, not made of color, but black. His frame of reference was distorted, twisted, he knew things he had not yet experienced or gained knowledge of and thusly, he knew, that the black wind was the sign of the abyss. The deep dark waters of the pure creative force.

And there he found it… from those blackened depths he drew, a blade.

(Arma: Abyssal blade!)

As time started to return to its normal form, and the beast moved closer, wind was gathering at Armas clenched fist.

The wind, in all its infinite colour was turning black as it twisted into particles, into matter, and formed, that which he had imagined, a sword.

A crude force of nature, a dark, uneven blade. Its hilt was bandaged, and the bandages wrapped themselves, as if guided by a godly force, around Armas arm.

He held the blade towards his enemy, with a fearless gaze as it trembled with power... and was instantly struck down.

The pain was immense. As the great fist of the beast impacted upon his belly he flew across the forest and crashed down into the thorny shrubbery, old splintered bones piercing his skin like needles.

Blood spurted out from multiple small wounds and scratches, his flesh aching and turning blue where the large fist had landed.

Arma lost his breath and was barely able to wheeze out a single word.

(Arma: Maaah, Maaahnila...)

The apparition was physically unfazed, but the green, beautiful woman clearly looked troubled, her eyes perhaps even giving away slight disappointment.

(Manila: Master, raise your blade, or you, we…. we will die.)

The horror moved in for the kill as Arma desperately tried to raise his arms, still stunned by the pain. Finally, with true fear in his eyes, he managed to feebly hold up his blade toward the incoming monstrous hand.

The large, titanic arm struck straight into to blade and the sword…

It exploded. It shattered into pieces, disappeared, was disintegrated, evaporated, erased from existence.

(Arma: It's… too weak.)

But as the sword turned into dust, so did the beast.

At the same time as the blade shattered, the shadowy form of the horror turned into mist and the twig-figure fell to the ground, no longer twitching.

Arma collapsed, still wheezing with pain and the shock of his flesh colliding with the raw force of the monster.

(Arma: Haaah hah hah haah… So there is this kind of experience to… fear. And the pain, much worse, so much worse than when you entered me… Ha ha, for some reason, it makes me... )

Manila looked confounded. With the grace of a gazelle she moved on her heels towards the small doll, bending down and gently sitting on her knees as she pretended to pick it up, creating a green simulacrum of the doll in her hand.

(Manila: I see… The horror, as a being of the abyss itself, whatever power that sword had, cancelled it out, making the both of them shatter. How lucky master, that even in your weakness you accidentally produced the perfect means to deal with such a foe.)

Manila stopped studying the doll and turned her serious gaze towards Arma.

(Manila: However, it is quite discouraging to see you so powerless. But do not fret master, with my guidance, you will be strong.)

Her concern and sternness was replaced in that moment with a kind and gentle smile.

(Arma: Thank you, I guess… But you know, pain, fear… In some way, I think I enjoy it.)

(Manila: That is a dangerous thought to ha…)

She was interrupted by a childlike scream, echoing between the trees from not that far away. The scream was followed by a much more terrifying noise, the high-pitched, chittering laughter of a horror, soon accompanied by another, and another.

Armas eyes was filled with his newfound emotion; fear, but on his lips a wicked smile was painted, showing his slightly pointed teeth.

(Arma: I don't think we have time for guidance, Manila. I guess I will just have to make do.)

Arma started to sprint towards the sounds, a frail darkened blade manifesting in his hand. Manila yelled out in alarm behind him.

(Manila: Master, dont!)

He jumped over a large root, sprinted through a meadow, ducked under the low hanging branches of a thick bush, its thorns scraping his skin, and finally entered a clearing.

While the thorny undergrowth dissipated and was replaced by grass, the same berry bushes he had previously seen also grew in this clearing. Both berries and bushes were torn asunder, and so was a couple baskets clearly intended for gathering these berries.

Several large, shadowy shapes moved about in the clearing. Sniffing and screeching, grasping after much smaller lifeforms.

There were just a few of them, children, two of them already lying dead on the ground. They had varied colors of skin; azure blue, amber yellow, lavender pink and ivory white, perhaps signifying what race they belonged to.

The children ran as best they could, but it was clear that the Horrors would soon catch up to them all.

(Horror: SKRISKRISKRISKRISKI!)

(Lavender: Get away, monster!)

The lavender girl, desperately trying to fend away the beast had grabbed a stick she waved towards it.

(Amber: Haha, fucking A! This is so cool, isn't it?)

The amber boy was deftly dodging the attacks of the beasts while smiling all the way to his thickly lobed ears.

(Azure: We are all going to die, might as well give in guys…)

The azure boy was lying on the grass, pretending to be a part of the scenery.

(Ivory: haaa, hah, aaah, ah.)

One more child remained alive, but the girl with the ivory colored skin was barely moving, only trembling with fear, her pale eyes covered with tears.

The whole scene would have almost been comical, if the grass wasn't already stained by the blood of two dead children.

Each of the horrors had a different shape to their body, although the center remained the same, a twig doll.

The one Arma had encountered earlier was bulky and thick but the closest one to him now was long and slender, with arms ending in pincers instead of brutish fists. The pincer walked slowly toward the shivering young ivory girl, raising its arm as if to pierce her body and that was when Arma arrived, and struck.

(Arma: If the blade breaks, I just have to make another one!)

He jumped up in the air, towards the back of the ghastly creature and swung his black blade with all his might. Although he was weak, the innate power of the sword was enough to dispel the possession.

(Arma: DIE!)

The blade slashed the shadowy form and just as before, in the same instant, both the blade and the beast exploded into mist.

Another sword started forming in his clenched fist as Arma charged toward the next horror, a beast that was currently grasping the azure boy, beginning to crush his body inside its long snake_like fingers.

(Azure: It's not like this will be any different…)

Arma jumped up upon the back of the beast, and as he did so, slithering wormish appendages shot out of its wide shoulders to tear him down, while others started to slide around his throat to strangle him.

(Arma: All I need is to pierce you!)

As the shadowy snakes squeezed his neck, trying to break it, he plunged the dark blade into the head of the horror. It exploded into nothingness, just as the sword disappeared.

Landing on the ground, Arma gasped for air as he focused on his fist and gathered wind yet again. This time, the sword was not fully formed.

From the bandaged hilt, only a short, broken in half, blade protruded. Arma saw the blade, and accepted his weakness. His goal had already been realized.

Four horrors remained, and all of them had turned their focus upon him, leaving the living children alone.

(Arma: Kids, I don't know you, but please… get out of here. I don't think I can kill all these monsters, but I can give you time.)

The children all stared at the stranger who had saved them and then they ran away, the amber boy dragging the azure boy behind him.

(Lavender: Thank you mister, if you die… we will never forget you!)

The four horrors collectively closed in on Arma, who exhausted by his continuous manifestations, had a hard time moving. Still, he raised his broken blade, fully aware that it was not enough to save his own life..

Two skewers penetrated his shoulders, shooting out from his back as a large, square fist of shadow punched his face, almost tearing his head straight off.

The lance-like appendages hoisted him up into the air, holding him still as another of the awful creatures started reshaping itself into something looking like a crude axe.

As the axe fell toward him, he struggled against the skewers but could not free himself.

All Arma could think about in that moment of impending death was that he wished he could have had a longer life.

(Arma: Not enough…)

(Manila: Foolish, foolish master! No! Not like this! I will not allow you to die!)

Manila appeared beside him and once again time slowed down. The axe hung almost dormant in the air, its motion barely noticeable. But the pain of being impaled flowed through Armas shoulders just the same.

(Manila: You do not get to die, master, not before I say so. I will help you… Just this once, use my spirit, allow me to be a part of the sword you create. Although it will cost me dearly, there is no other way, master.)

(Arma: Manila, what do you…)

(Manila: No time to argue, just agree and I will take care of the rest. Just promise me, when your perception of time returns to normal, kill them.)

(Arma: Yes… Let's do it, Manila.)

Manilas manifested form returned to its home inside Armas mind and as it did he could feel her, splitting in two. A small piece of Manilas being separated itself from its owner and flowed like a stream of water through his arm and into the blade he held in his hand.

As it did the sword started to reshape itself, repairing its broken form, even though time almost stood still, meaning that it was happening incredibly fast.

Once the black iron tool had reached its true form it glowed with the same green static light that shaped Manila, as she had first appeared in front of Arma.

When the perception of time returned to normal the glow intensified, turning the blade of the sword into an unruly beam of light, twitching and dazzling as it rippled through the dark material.

(Horror: SKRIEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!)

(Manila: Guiding Light, let my form seek out his enemies.)

At the same instant that the horror which had shaped itself into an axe was about to strike down Arma he swung his lightning blade into the creature, slicing its shadowy flesh faster than the time it took for it to explode into mist.

This time his blade did not break, instead it released a wave of power and light, forming into green lines that angled themselves through the air.

The flickering, thin beams of energy seemed to naturally seek out the horrors, multiple lines flashing through the air as they searched for their prey.

The horror that had impaled Arma was struck in the blink of an eye, and the horror closest to it was blasted into mist just as instantaneously as multiple beams pierced its body. Just as the beast that had held Arma in the air seized to exist, he started to fall toward the ground, his sword, and the beams, disappearing as he crashed down unto the grass.

One horror remained, but it had already fled beyond the treeline, abandoning its comrades.

(Manila: Master, wake up!)

He could not answer her. The wounds he had sustained where to serious and Arma could feel his consciousness slipping away.

It felt as if he was falling still, as if the ground had failed to catch him as he continued to plummet into darkness.

(Arma: Mhaaaa…)

(Manila: Wake up! Wake up!)

Arma could hear her voice as a faraway echo, but he was too weak to answer her call.

And then, even that faint echo faded away, reducing all sound into the steady rhythm of waves crashing on a distant shore.

(Manila: It's no use! He needs help, as quickly as possible. Override activated, external mode!)

Green light emerged from Armas dying body as Manila manifested, not as a figment of imagination, but as a holographic projection, visible to the surrounding world.

She screamed, and hoped that it would be enough.

(Manila: Children! It's not too late, please save him! Come back, please, my master he is… he is…)

~

As the children helped each other drag Armas bleeding body through the forest, toward the village in which they lived, a shadow stirred in the woodwork surrounding the clearing. Now that the battle was over, it was safe to return and reap the spoils.

The horror moved with erratic motion as it slowly walked toward the bodies of the two dead children. With Armas condition being critical, there hadn't been enough time to reclaim the two lost friends.

(Horror: Skriskriskriskri…)

It could barely contain its excitement. One boy, one girl, what should it choose? A horror did not have much conscious thought, but it was driven by a single will, the same will that had driven it to possess the twig-doll; corporal existence.

Finally the horror had decided, and chose the body of the young boy to carry its fate.

The shadows surrounding the doll bubbled and moved as they deformed into a less physical form and entered the young body, streams of black liquid, floating through the air and becoming one with the corpse.

And then, the previously dead body opened its eyes.

(Demona: SkriskrihihihehaHaHAHAHAYES! I DID IT, YES YES YES THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKUTHANKU! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!)

Soon after, the newly born, evolved creature, found its way through the woods, searching for the village known as Aster.

~~~