Chapter 67: Heir of the Spear Clan
At the same moment when Andromeda infiltrated the Magic Clan, in the depths of the second level of the Catacombs, there were about twenty Chi Users.
At the head of the group, a young man with long black hair and piercing green eyes advanced with a confident step. His silhouette was slender with a light goatee.
Kellen Strain, heir of the Spear Clan, did not carry the Sword Clan in his heart. How could he?
Persephone had killed his father, the former patriarch of the Spear Clan, when Kellen was only a newborn. His uncle, Taran Strain, the current patriarch, had made sure to nourish this grudge day after day, constantly reminding him that the Sword Clan was responsible for all his misfortunes.
The mission that Taran had entrusted to him was clear: find the Pandora’s Box before the Sword Clan. With the power of this relic, destroying his enemies would only be a matter of time.
"And if Daemon shows his ugly face..." he murmured to himself, twirling the spear wrapped in bandages that he held in his right hand. "I would not hesitate to use it."
Raised in hatred... It was his uncle Taran who had taken special care of his education and training. Needless to say, he had spent a very, very harsh childhood. His training had been specially designed to effectively counter the Sword Clan’s techniques. He knew their weaknesses, their angles of attack, their vulnerable points.
Even if Daemon and he were both at the Second Sense, Kellen was convinced that he would beat him.
He glanced at the spear in his hand. The weapon was heavy and continuously drained his chi, a rather unpleasant sensation.
"I hope it will be effective."
While he was lost in his thoughts, one of his men approached him. It was Gelius, the son of the Clan’s second Lancer.
"Lord Kellen, activity has been detected thirty meters ahead."
Kellen nodded, a cold smile stretching his lips. "Good. Let’s get into position!"
But even before the others could react, he leaped forward.
Kellen crossed the thirty meters separating him from the spot where the activity had been detected in a few strides. He landed in the middle of at least fifteen daugrs.
In the second level of the Catacombs, the Daugrs had the power of a Second Sense Chi User. Their movements were faster and more resistant than those of the first level. But being a Second Sense Chi User and being the heir of the Spear Clan were two very different things.
Kellen took a deep breath.
< Second Sense: Olfaction >
The nearest Daugr rushed at him, its maw wide open. Kellen pivoted to the left, his bandaged spear tracing a quick arc in the air. The tip, still wrapped in its bandages, struck the creature right in the torso, piercing the putrefied flesh without resistance. With an expert movement, Kellen spun the spear and sliced the Daugr’s body into two halves.
He pivoted again, avoiding a claw aimed at his flank. Kellen drove the heel of his boot into the Daugr’s knee, knocking it down, then he planted the tip of his spear into its skull.
Kellen leaped backward to gain distance, then he hurled his spear like a javelin. The weapon pierced the first Daugr, went through the second, and planted itself in the torso of the third. The three creatures collapsed together, impaled on the spear like skewers.
The fight continued when a silhouette appeared at his side.
He raised his palm and brought it down forward. A powerful wave of Chi crashed into five Daugrs that were approaching from behind. The creatures were thrown far away, their bodies smashing against the wall.
Kellen turned abruptly, his eyes narrowed. "Who is it!?" he exclaimed, his spear pointed at the intruder.
He had a skinny build and sharp eyes...
"Well, I greet you, heir of the Spear Clan," said the man in a soft voice.
Kellen frowned. He recognized the emblem embroidered on the man’s tunic.
"The elemental family of the wind? What do you want, Liam?"
Liam tilted his head slightly: "The Spear Clan and the Sword Clan have had differences for generations," he said slowly, pacing in front of Kellen. "But it seems that the latter have quite a few allies... It would be dangerous for the heir of the Spear Clan to remain alone."
Kellen clenched his teeth. "If you have nothing to say, get lost!"
But Liam did not move. He approached Kellen and placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder.
"The Sword Clan is allied with the elemental house of water, which makes it impossible for my family to take the lead of the Magic Clan. But if we formed an alliance..."
Kellen narrowed his eyes. He instantly understood the message. "You help me destroy the Sword Clan, and in return, I help your elemental family become the leader of the Magic Clan?"
"Indeed," confirmed Liam.
"And why should I trust you?" he asked finally, his voice tinged with suspicion.
"I am going to give you some interesting information... Daemon, Persephone’s son, is in the Catacombs."
***
Meanwhile, thanks to Victoria’s first sense of water, Daemon managed to follow the traces of the Chi users of the Bow Clan.
Victoria walked by his side, her bandaged hand slightly raised to reduce the swelling. The black veins on her wrist had progressed slightly, but they remained contained.
She had about three days before the poison reached her Chi Core and became irreversible. Fortunately, being a Second Sense Chi user, she could slow the progression by channeling her energy to isolate the poison. But the process was exhausting, and she had to concentrate constantly, which made her slower and more vulnerable.
After hours of walking through the corridors, they arrived at a wider corridor, with recently lit torches, and a small base with the Venom clan’s emblem.
Daemon crouched behind a wall, observing the base with patrolling sentinels.
"From here, I can see that there are at least twenty of them," murmured Victoria, her black eyes narrowed to pierce the darkness.
Daemon nodded: "There are many of them... This will be complicated. They will never agree to give us the antidote."
Victoria let out a small laugh: "And in the worst case, they can attack us."
It was true that, in the Catacombs, people were not supposed to kill each other. But everyone knew that some people could die because of the Daugrs. And many deaths could be attributed to these creatures, thus avoiding any embarrassing investigation.
Daemon thought for a moment: "So we just have to use the terrain to reduce their numbers?" he suggested finally.
Victoria turned her head toward him, one eyebrow raised. "What are you thinking?"