The guttural roar of the non-human entity echoed through the charred village, a sound that drowned out the clash of steel and the fading chants of the Order of the Veil. Elias Vaeron crouched behind the collapsed granary, his frail, six-year-old frame trembling from exhaustion and pain, the crude musket with its newly attached bayonet clutched in his blood-streaked hands. His pale face, smudged with soot and marked by an arrow graze on his left cheek, was set with defiance, his steel-gray eyes flecked with amber scanning the monstrous shape emerging from the manor's ruins. The Dominion Interface blazed in his vision: Unknown Entity: Non-Human. Composition: Scaled hide, arcane signature. Threat Level: Extreme.
The creature was massive—fifteen feet long, its scaled hide glinting like polished obsidian, its red eyes glowing with predatory hunger. Its serpentine body moved with unnatural grace, four clawed legs tearing into the earth, a barbed tail lashing behind it. House Taryn's green-armored riders, led by Lord Edric Taryn, faltered, their golden stag banners trembling as the beast roared again. The Order of the Veil's white-cloaked leader, their gaunt face pale and their silver hair escaping their singed hood, raised their cracked staff, its green crystal flickering. The imperial vanguard, under Lord-Captain Valthar, pulled back, their gold-trimmed armor glinting as they regrouped.
Elias's burned right arm throbbed, the blistered skin visible through his tattered nightshirt. Beside him, Mira, her freckled face smudged with soot and her auburn braid frayed, gripped her bloodied dagger, her brown eyes wide but resolute despite the bandage on her arm. Lady Seline Kaelar, her silver armor dented and her blonde hair matted with blood, stood tall, her blue eyes fierce as she readied her spear. Her two remaining riders—scarred-jaw and patchy-beard—braced beside her, their silver plate battered but their loyalty unshaken. Garrick, the traitor, was gone, his pockmarked face and crooked nose a bitter memory after his betrayal, his wounded shoulder likely slowing him in the chaos.
The interface flashed: Tactics (Level 1): Suggest unified front with House Taryn to counter entity. Elias's mind, honed by his past life's battles, churned through options. The beast was a wildcard, its arcane signature tying it to the Veil or the relic in his blood—Vaeron Relic: Arcane Amplifier. He couldn't fight it alone, not with two muskets, no powder, and a dwindling band of survivors.
"Lord Edric!" Elias shouted, his voice raw but carrying over the beast's growls. "That thing doesn't care who you serve! Fight with us, or we all die!"
Edric, his weathered face framed by gray-streaked brown hair and a trimmed beard, turned his hazel eyes on Elias. His green plate armor, polished but scratched, gleamed as he raised a hand. "You ask much, Vaeron," he called, his voice deep. "But that beast threatens us all. Taryn! Form ranks!"
The interface updated: House Taryn: Status: Ally (Temporary). Taryn's fifteen cavalry and ten infantry moved into formation, their lances and swords ready. The Veil's leader hissed, their glowing green eyes fixed on Elias. "The Amplifier calls it," they said, their voice a low rasp. "Your blood woke the beast, child."
Elias's heart pounded. His blood—again, the key to this chaos. The interface pinged: Diplomacy (Level 1): Leverage Taryn's alliance to isolate Veil. He stepped forward, the musket's bayonet glinting. "Seline, flank left with your riders. Mira, stay on my right. We hit the Veil while Taryn holds the beast."
Seline nodded, her angular face set, her spear raised as she led her riders to the granary's left. Mira stuck close, her wiry frame tense, her dagger ready. The beast roared, lunging at Taryn's cavalry, its claws raking a horse, blood spraying. Edric's men held, their lances piercing its hide, but the scales deflected most blows.
Elias darted toward a burned hut, using its charred walls for cover. The interface mapped: Resources: 1 iron shard, 1 oil-soaked rag. Not enough for the Arcane Pulse Grenade, but he could improvise a fire trap. "Mira, light the rag!" he said, tossing it to her. She struck her flint, sparks catching, the rag flaring.
The Veil's ten remaining followers advanced, their black cloaks billowing, their staffs pulsing green. Elias raised the crude musket, its bayonet awkward but sharp, and charged a cloaked figure. The blade struck, piercing cloth and flesh. The figure fell, their staff dimming. The interface flashed: Enemy Losses: 1 infantry.
Mira tossed the burning rag into the Veil's path, the oil igniting a small blaze. Two followers screamed, their cloaks catching fire. The interface updated: Enemy Losses: 2 infantry. Veil Morale: Critical. The white-cloaked leader's staff flared, a green bolt lancing toward Elias. He dove, the beam scorching the hut, pain flaring in his burned arm.
Seline's riders struck, their spears felling another Veil follower. Taryn's cavalry battled the beast, their lances drawing blood but not slowing it. The creature's tail lashed, crushing a rider, the interface noting: Taryn Losses: 1 cavalry.
Elias's mind raced, recalling urban warfare—choke points, traps, misdirection. The village's central well, where the commander and assassin fell, was nearby. Its narrow rim could trap the beast, if he could lure it. The interface pinged: Tactics (Level 1): Lure entity to well for containment. "Seline!" he shouted. "Drive the beast to the well!"
Seline nodded, her blonde hair whipping as she signaled her riders. They broke off, taunting the beast with spear jabs, leading it toward the well. Elias grabbed the iron shard, rigging it with a rope from the granary to create a crude tripwire across the well's edge. The interface estimated: Trap Success Probability: 55%.
The beast roared, its red eyes locking on Elias, as if sensing the Amplifier in his blood. It charged, its claws tearing earth. Taryn's cavalry parted, their lances unable to penetrate its hide. Elias stood his ground, the musket raised, its bayonet gleaming. "Mira, pull the rope when it's close!"
Mira nodded, her freckled face pale but determined, her hands gripping the rope. The beast reached the well, its claws catching the tripwire. The rope snapped, stones collapsing into the shaft, but the creature's momentum carried it forward, its front legs slipping into the well. It roared, thrashing, stuck but not defeated.
The interface flashed: Entity Mobility: Reduced by 40%. Elias seized the moment. "Seline, hit the Veil's leader!" Her riders charged, their spears aimed at the white-cloaked figure. The leader's staff flared, deflecting one spear, but the second struck their shoulder, drawing blood. Their green eyes blazed, but their chant faltered.
The imperial vanguard, sensing weakness, charged Taryn's flank, Valthar's gold-trimmed helm glinting. The interface warned: Vanguard Reinforcements: 8 cavalry. Morale: High. Elias's heart sank—too many enemies, too few allies.
He scanned the granary's debris, spotting a cracked oil lamp. The interface pinged: Legacy Protocol: Unlocked. Blueprint Available—Incendiary Bolt. A musket round wrapped in oil-soaked cloth, ignitable on impact. He had no powder, but the well's shaft might hold alchemical residue from the commander's fall. "Mira, check the well—any powder or vials!"
Mira scrambled to the rim, her braid bouncing, and returned with a cracked vial glowing faintly green. "This was caught in the stones," she said. Elias grabbed it, packing the residue into a cloth-wrapped musket ball, his hands shaking but precise.
He loaded the crude musket, aiming at the beast's glowing eyes. The shot roared, the incendiary bolt striking its face, flames erupting. The creature screamed, thrashing harder, its tail cracking the well's rim. The interface updated: Entity Damage: Moderate. Morale Impact: Significant.
But the Veil's leader recovered, their staff pulsing. A green wave swept the village, knocking Seline's riders back. The interface screamed: Arcane Surge: Critical. Elias dove, shielding Mira, the wave cracking the granary's walls.
Taryn's forces rallied, Edric's bearded face fierce as he led a countercharge against the vanguard. But the beast broke free, its claws tearing from the well, its eyes fixed on Elias. The interface flashed: Entity Target: Vaeron Relic.
Seline grabbed Elias, pulling him toward a burned stable. "We can't hold!" she shouted, her blue eyes desperate. Mira followed, her dagger ready. The remaining militia—three now—covered their retreat, their swords bloodied.
The interface pinged: Tactics (Level 1): Suggest retreat to forest outskirts. The forest beyond the village offered cover, but abandoning the village meant losing the forge. Elias's mind raced—his muskets, his only edge, needed resources. But survival came first.
They reached the stable, its roof half-collapsed. Elias rigged a final trap, scattering oil from the lamp across the entrance. "Light it if they follow," he told Mira. She nodded, her brown eyes fierce.
The beast charged, its scales glinting, its roar shaking the earth. The Veil's leader followed, their white cloak billowing, their staff glowing. Valthar's cavalry closed in, their lances aimed at Taryn's rear.
And then a new sound—a sharp, metallic clank from the forest's edge. The interface screamed: Unknown Mechanism: Arcane Signature. Threat Level: Unknown. A figure in black armor emerged, their face hidden by a helm, wielding a glowing blade that pulsed with the same green light as the Veil's staffs.