The Blades amongst the dead. Gust Staff reverted back to her normal form shedding the armor. The others did the same. Bedlam bow was a short man who was bald and had big earrings dangling from his ears. He had a pointed beard and yellow reptilian eyes from his fusion to a mythical beast. His skin was a pinkish hue and his ears were pointed. Looking at him you wouldn't see him as a human anymore. Same went for all of them. Even human form resembled characteristics of their fusions. The Fire Sword had red lines coming from the corner of her mouth that swirled etched to the skin. Her eyes were big like birds and seemed to have the ability to see distances. Her hair was long and black with red feathers coming from the back of her head entangled with her hair. Her body is more muscular and toned with etchings of wings upon her bare back. She wore an armor that hugged her neck and covered the front of her leaving a circular opening for her wings. She sheathed her sword upon her belt and stared at the retreating army.
Iron axe was a big man with stone like skin and chiseled features that looked like stone. Beneath the cracks were glowing lava that seemed to move about his body. He heaved a heavy axe down upon the ground. He then found a boulder and sat upon it. The rock groaned from his weight but held. Cracking in some places but retained the shape.
Gust Staff had a more extended forehead and brow. Her nose was more deer-like and her eyes were plus sign pupils. She had small antler horns upon her forehead. She looked about and her zombie army stood at the ready submissive and passive in uniform lines. They were almost half the forces of the War King. All glowing blue eyes as they stared forward at nothing.
She clicked her tongue and sat upon a rock giving out a sigh. "How many did we lose?" A few knights in more decorated armor approached and bowed. "We lost only forty men from the range attacks. The barriers will need to be tweaked for further use in the future Mistress" she nodded. "Should we pursue the army and wipe him out?" Fire Sword suggested. "No. His majesty only asked to preoccupy him. And create chaos like we have been doing. We dwindled him piece by piece like our king planned" Fire Sword bit her lip and went silent at the mention of the king.
"What is his plan? What does prolonging our war here do? We have the ability to take him out completely now!" Bedlam Bow started with a menacing grin upon his face. "Simple. Need to know the basis. We are the Blades of the Sword King. If he commands it we do it" she stood up and began walking back to their line. The undead soldiers behind them slowly followed.
"With this many grunts she has just added to her personal garrison. Are we really okay with her getting more powerful?" Fire Sword protested as she walked over the horizon. "She's never been the same after Draven was killed. She willingly took up the procedure to further herself" Iron Ax spoke with a calm deep voice. "We all did it to further ourselves! That's not a secret! The new Stoic Blade is Draven's kid brother still incubating from him. Kid is a born leader and someone to follow" Iron Ax crossed his arms. "You keep thinking that. The king has become obsessed with this new breakthrough. I heard they bagged a Celestial level beast for his own transformation!" Bedlam Bow rested his hands on hips as he spoke. "Seems to me things are about change and we should be focusing on finishing this civil war. What reasons would the king have to not eliminate the War King?" Fire Sword shrugged, "The only thing that comes to mind is satisfaction and revenge. But there has to be more to this?" Bedlam Bow began to walk to their lines. "Think about it later, we should head back. I'm more interested in leaving this forsaken land and going home" Iron Ax followed and Fire Sword stood along amongst corpses that weren't turned by Gust Staff. "Waste of time" she turned and followed.
/////////////////
The War King and his army travelled across the sands towards Dread City. As they were a mile from the gate an explosion erupted in front of the vehicles. Men were hit with explosions from all sides. The automatons as well were targeted. War King could see the attacks came from cannons from the walls of the city.
He jumped from the vehicle as it was hit with a missile. His general and leautinents looked as if their own king saved himself as they exploded in a fireball. The King crawled on the ground taking cover behind debris. He peaked behind and saw the cannons firing simultaneously at his remaining army.
"What do we do sire!" One soldier said, running up to his position. "Retreat back! The cannons can shoot farther than five miles! Go have the men and remaining vehicles retreat!" He screamed. He lingered staring at the walls of his own city. He could see smoke billowing from within the city. His towering palace was missing the top, destroyed and smoking.
He then ran following his soldiers. They cleared over a hill and the cannons stopped firing. He regrouped with his men who all stood about or collapsed on the ground. He sat away from this as they all huddled and some glared at him. He sighed lost in thought, 'There is one thing I can do. All this was a means to an end. I could kill them and empower myself with their chi' he then met their eyes. Some looked away from fear but others stared right back at them. "I know you men are angry. Tired and hungry sickened by blood we spilled and those we lost. I know that some of you see me as a monster and not one worthy of a crown" he stood up brushing sand from his pants. "I will give you all a chance to voice grievances and help me come up with a plan to take our city back from whoever has taken it" he stood alone waiting for an answer. "I'll speak!" A young man rose up. His left eye was covered by a rag soaked in blood. "We fight for nothing more than your vanity and thirst for power! It's unquenchable and we all have suffered for it!" He looked around at his fellow comrades who all shared his views as they began standing. "You use us as nothing more than fodder. We are nothing to you and the people of that city know it. Whoever has taken it can have it if it means you lose your grasp upon it!" The War King started with the host mask unmoved, or unaffected. He fixed his vest and tightened his rings upon his fingers curling them into fists. "I can understand your frustration. Allow me to enlighten you all" he began walking forward slowly, his footsteps heavy in the sand. "You're right. You all are nothing to me. Nothing more than pieces for my games and schemes. I haven't cared about you or anyone else for a long time. I want your lifeforce and nothing else. That is your only use for all of your fuel to my cultivation to Primordial status. And I'm close, but all I need is a little boost. I think everyone here could help me with that. You're tired and time for you all to rest" he manifested a sword with the same hexagon shapes of bedlam energy burned into the metal of the blade. It was a saber-like blade with a boar head with the blade coming from its mouth. He then shot forward gripping the young man who was yelling by the throat. He then drove his blade into his chest. Chi flowed into the sword and into the king as the boy's body shriveled. He threw the carcass down and then began to systematically kill every soldier left under his command.