+ Reid +

The ice encroached and tried to swallow him as he launched himself up and through the hole made by his vertically thrown slug. He had to kick off the side of the hole halfway up to keep himself moving, and then again to launch himself up and free from the ice.

These stupid lizards had changed the landscape. There was an actual hill made of solid ice, sitting atop his simple bone shelter. Thirty-nine beasts, arrayed with the majority in a crescent, moved a mix of motions between breath attacks, the ice burst pulses, and circling patrols that seemed intended to stop prey from running.

Reid wasn't prey.

He rolled himself sideways in the air, and used his shield like a sled against the frozen hill. His hand glowed, and seconds ticked down towards his next brock as he worked to keep his balance over the uneven frozen incline. Skinks noticed him on the hillside, and cones of ice shot forward at him. He leapt off his shield and into the fray.

The first skink had a lip to the back of its skull that reminded Reid of a triceratops. He swung out sideways with requiem like it was a tennis racket, and completely pulped the beast's front left leg.

A pained screech erupted from the creature as it fell and writhed in the snow. Another four skinks ignored their fallen kin to blast at Reid with breath attacks, but he was already moving. Three more empowered steps, and he lashed out with another strike that crushed the midsection of a lizard, and made its back legs fall limp. Brock appeared in his hand, and a shrapnel variant hurtled towards the most tightly packed section of creatures he could see. It exploded early, but shards of bone still pelted the creatures and left another one immobile.

He started to resummon his thrown weapon as soon as he heard it shatter. Requiem, in his other hand, tore a chair-sized chunk out of the next skink, just behind its arm. He jumped away as the wounded creature pulsed its entire body, and shattered the ice it formed near itself. Shards hit his armor and the force of the explosion pushed him sideways where he landed on his back.

You have defeated Arctic Skink, Spawn of Crinoptera - lvl 47. Experience awarded.

"You vindictive little shits!"

More ice formed around him before he was able to rise off the ground. Brock reappeared in his hand. He threw a slug towards one of the offending lizards - with a bit of extra power.

The projectile smashed its way through the forming ice with enough momentum that it tore a new hole in the roof of the creature's mouth, back and out towards its spine. It wobbled and fell.

You have defeated Arctic Skink, Spawn of Crinoptera - lvl 48. Experience awarded.

He wheeled and sprinted through the crunching layer of crust on the ground to reach his next target. It tried to move around him, but Requiem crushed its back legs and continued on. He sprinted from target to target, swinging on the move and recalling his projectile as quickly as he could manage.

His goal wasn't kills - at least not yet. He had a more tactical method in mind. These were creatures willing to retreat - so he was going to ensure they couldn't flee.

As he fought on, Reid learned. He felt himself understand the flow of the fight - and the abilities of his enemies. He understood how much momentum he could lose by getting slowed or stuck in the ice breath attacks. He figured out how much movement the skinks were capable of depended on how recently they'd used their magic - as if the cold they created had a similar effect on their own bodies and sapped their dexterity. He learned how to more effectively cripple or kill them with imperfect and rushed blows. He saw how they actually launched themselves with their tails, and learned that while their teeth weren't impressive, their bite strength was.

A pair of gnashing jaws threatened to land on his leg, and Reid hopped back - far enough to be out of the skink's range if it redirected itself, but not so far back that he couldn't retaliate. Requiem whistled through the air and carved off the front of its face. Mouth and most of its tongue gone, the creature reared back and wriggled in the air, a ragged screech escaping its throat. He spun to avoid an incoming ice breath that froze the feet of the wriggling injured skink, and threw a slug that ended the magic.

You have defeated Arctic Skink, Spawn of Crinoptera - lvl 46. Experience awarded.

Pulsing magic alerted him to danger, and he rolled away from the gathered ice before it exploded. When he popped back to his feet, Reid took stock of things. Eighteen skinks were dead, and another 15 were immobile. Of the last six, two sported heavy wounds that should also slow them down. He focused in on the final four. Brock flashed back into his hand and he whipped a shrapnel variant forward, then followed a second later. Two of the beasts focused on the projectile, and their ice breath ruined visibility towards Reid. He used the opportunity - and ignored the stray shard of bone that sunk partway into his armor - to vault over the incoming ice breath, and into the middle of the two beasts. Requiem dropped on the first, taking a chunk of its neck. He lifted a heel and kicked the other one at the knee, and its front leg buckled. Both of the creatures tried to snap at him, but he rolled forward and ran. Two functional enemies left. One was pulsing - the other turned.

Reid clenched his jaw. No beast was getting away today.

He pushed power into his legs and sprinted at the beast trying to run. When he realized he wasn't closing in quickly enough, Reid lifted Requiem, and threw. His mace hurtled through the cold air and struck the beast in its side. It writhed and screeched - but was stuck to the ground. He let himself catch up to the creature, and the pained skink turned to hit him with one more breath attack. The level of fight it had left surprised him, and Reid ended up with a face full of magic ice. It clung heavy to his helmet and impeded his vision - but not enough to make him lose sight of his wounded enemy. Reid stomped down with a boot four times, and the lizard died.

As he pulled his mace from the wounded creature's side, Reid turned towards the final intact beast. It was still pulsing with energy. The stupid thing hadn't even attacked him while he killed its kin. He smiled through the ice still clinging to his face, then his lips went flat.

"Oh, you motherf-."

The beast stopped pulsing, and the ice clinging to Reid's face exploded.

)+\( Hugo )/+(

His pulse rang in his ears. He had been nervous before - especially at a younger age. But there was something in coming back to his people and their camp that was different and alien. Maybe it was him. Hugo had massacred the Belar goons, and had no regret for the act. He also found himself fine with ending the Vuxarinans that had taken up weapons alongside the invaders. His vision was different. His build was wider than when he trekked out from the camp, and his soul itself was a fortress and a weapon. Did he still deserve to lead, or was he grown into a simple tool of violence and retribution?

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Vidita squeezed his hand, and tension eased. Her smile warmed him, and she glanced back at the masses they led before her eyes locked back onto his.

"You shouldn't be worried." She offered. "You're a hero, Hugo. Look how many lives you saved. Each one of them is free because you took the fight to Belar, and brought them here. Speaking from experience, it's damn impressive, and they do - or should - love you for it."

Hugo gave her a placating nod, though he didn't agree. He was still the monster that-

"Stoppit."

"What?"

She narrowed her eyes. "What, you think we just met? I know that look, and that nod, and I know you well enough that I can guarantee you were just insulting yourself or playing down your actions. Don't. You are a warrior King, Hugo Vux. You are Vuxarina, and you bring victory back with you. If you won't raise your head for your own sake, do it for your people. Let them know this storm has passed, and they are safe, and that you have the courage and dedication to see them through the next. I already know you do. But they need to see it."

They stopped with the exchange, and Hugo swept his eyes over the masses following them. The shuffling of feet died down as the group stilled and waited for him to keep moving. He saw Norton poke his head out of the middle of the pack, then shrink back. The entire trio had avoided Hugo since the newly freed prisoners rightfully identified him as a prince. He hoped to get through that awkward phase, at some point.

Hugo swallowed. Worn and drawn faces stared on with sunken eyes, but their souls spun with hope. He could see it, and feel it from them. They deserved to have that hope rewarded.

He raised Vidita's hand in his own, cleared his throat, and shouted. "My kin! We are close! More food and shelter await you, and you will rest and recover free of Belar's influence! Our enemy is defeated here - and I will ensure they are defeated once this tutorial ends! I swear on my name! I swear on my throne! We shall be free, and I will earn our peace once more!"

His words were met with sparse cheers.

He took another breath and turned, but Vidita held him still.

Hugo's budding question halted at the sound of a voice in the crowd. It was an old stilted tune, a prideful song reserved for parades and celebrations. Words floated out and through the surrounding forest.

"Hail, Vux-a-rina, bring your scattered sun-rise. Dawn breaks fast for our em-pire."

More voices joined the chorus.

"My Vux-a-rina, deep and strong foundations, may you last millenn-ia from your formation!"

With each line, the song spread through the group.

"Peace and glory, war but a stor-y through we would gladly de-fend her line."

Hugo blinked back tears as voices rose. He did not want his people to defend him - he was here for them. He wiped moisture away from his face as he watched souls in the crowd churn and spin with reignited conviction.

"Our Vux-a-rina, capable and bright - we strive for-ward in your light!"

Vidita added her voice, soft and low.

"Praise to the mo-thers, praise to the knights, and praise to his ma-je-sty, the Vux di-vine!"

Hugo swallowed and plod forward as the tune ended, and started again. They walked on over the small and simple path, voices ringing proud and hopeful through the trees.

#

#

The song continued all the way to the camp. A group had gathered - as large as the mass of freed Vuxarinans following behind them, with a prominent face in their center. Vomar Niarina looked as though he aged several years in the time Hugo was away, and stepped forward ahead of his group. Hugo did the same, and they met in the middle with hushed voices.

"I welcome you, child of Vuxarina and one on the path of tribulation. Tell me, what is it you seek?"

"I seek to weigh my penance in the scales of justice, that absolution may find me."

Vomar nodded. "I need not ask what you place on the scales, Hugo Vux, for the lives of those you saved are here before me." He turned to the crowd. "Absolution - and more! I pronounce this tribulation over, and proclaim that Hugo Vux has earned glory that vast exceeds his perceived crimes! His position and his standing are-"

"NO!" The cry came loud, even over Vomar's raised voice. Yudel elbowed his way through the front of the line. Hugo found pity at the sight of his old friend. The man seemed to stumble as he moved, eyes shifting oddly as he jogged forward towards Hugo and Vomar. "I reject! Look at his eyes! He is evil - and he has plunged us into a needless war! This so called prince is the cause of these problems, so he cannot win any glory by fixing what he caused!"

A few assenting murmurs ran through the gathered crowd. Hugo watched a handful of nobles step forward, then winced as they raised their voices in support of Yudel's challenge.

"Silence!" Vomar demanded. "Your lies have overstayed their welcome, and we shall hear no more!"

Vuxarinans shouted in support - from the new group, and the old. Differing opinions gave way to shoves, and the situation started to quickly devolve. One of the rescued Vuxarinans, not of noble birth, took a fist to the collarbone from an angry noble. The noble fell with a gasp as they were tackled from behind.

Vomar turned to Hugo with a pleading gaze. "My prince - please. It was worse than you warned. The problems were beyond me - there's division here and I cannot solve it. Please."

Hugo swallowed, and reached out with his energy. He grabbed the closest group of fighting Vuxarinans and held them just tight enough to stop their movements. Wide eyes stared at him from shocked faces, and a ripple of stillness rolled through the surrounding crowd. He let that group go, and stilled another, then another. People went rigid, then panted on the ground as Hugo held and released them.

He raised his voice, and stared at his old friend. Emotions warred within him.

"How dare you." Yudel was full of pain, twisted and contorted like a ball of yarn. "How dare you try and turn us against ourselves. How dare you side with the same evil that put us in cages and killed the ones who resisted? You saw their darkness and still chose them over Vuxarina - over your kin!"

Hugo felt repressed anger rise over the rest of what he felt.

"What did they offer you, to forget their crimes? What did they do to turn you against Vuxarina - against me?" The crowd gasped as Yudel pulled a knife from his belt, and raised it towards Hugo. Vomar stepped forward, and Yudel lunged. The justice bled from his arm, and Yudel froze for a moment as coils of Hugo's energy stopped him from attacking Vomar on the ground. "Lies to weaken us - and a weapon to hurt us still! Your treachery disgusts me! You, and every other Vuxarinan that chose to align themselves with the invaders! You are a sickness upon Vuxarina! You are disease, and I will see our planet cleansed of your filth!"

He let the man lunge forward, knife in hand. His cables moved again.

Hugo's attack was pre-empted by a concentrated beam of light that lanced forward and struck Yudel in the temple. Skin and bone sizzled for a fraction of a second before the attack burned into the man's brain. Yudel fell mid-step, his body tumbling limp into a heap on the ground. Vidita panted, her hands still glowing with energy. She swept a worried gaze over the crowd.

Vomar stood unsteadily, and gave Hugo a knowing and thankful look before he shouted.

"Justice done! A swift end for traitors to Vuxarina - and I thank the one who brought it!" He pointed at Vidita with his still-bleeding arm. "Restrain the rest, and celebrate the hands of light!"

Another set of unrest went through the crowd as a half dozen nobles were pushed to the ground, hands tied or held behind their backs. Other sections clapped - whether at Hugo, Vomar, or Vidita, he couldn't say.

Hugo watched the words register on Vidita's face. She smiled, and made an exaggerated formal bow to the gathered masses. She tried to clear her throat and shout for attention, but failed to outdo the crowd's noise. It was only when raised a hand that glowed as bright as the midday sun that attention turned to her.

Seven strong words projected over the gathered mass.

"I serve Vuxarina! I serve my king."

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