Andrea was silent for a brief moment, her eyes remaining fixed on the massive siege weapon in the distance. The glowing runes across its enormous frame were still visible despite the distance, reminding her that the humans couldn’t afford to let the Eidolons fire it again.
"Our target would be to destroy the siege weapon, or even better yet, take control of it. We can’t have them firing at us when we eventually retreat to the camp."
Ryan nodded.
"Those reinforcements should be marching soon. I’m going to help the men reorganise."
"Yes, thank you." Andrea’s voice sounded exhausted.
Ryan turned away. He immediately began walking towards the surviving soldiers, calling for the ones still capable of fighting to gather together while directing the others to help the wounded.
Andrea watched him for a moment before finally looking away.
Yuri stepped closer and took Andrea’s hands.
"Everyone knew what they were signing up for. They died fighting against the quest of the Tower, like true Awakened." Her voice was quiet, but there was no hesitation in it. "Don’t blame yourself for their deaths."
Andrea looked at her.
She had seen too many people die during their time in the Tower. Every time she tried to convince herself that it was simply the nature of the place they had been trapped in, but that never made watching people die any easier.
She chuckled lightly.
"How do you know I was blaming myself?"
"I know you." Yuri’s expression softened slightly. "Besides, he probably would as well..."
Andrea’s expression immediately changed.
"Don’t you dare bring him into this."
Yuri was momentarily stunned, then she couldn’t help herself.
She laughed openly, the sound strangely out of place on the devastated battlefield. Andrea simply stared at her with an irritated expression, but Yuri’s laughter only continued.
Andrea’s animosity towards Damien was a mystery in itself.
Even after everything they had been through, the mere mention of his name was enough to make Andrea’s mood change instantly.
Yuri eventually calmed herself and looked back towards Andrea.
"What should we do about the Divine Priest? I can still catch him if I chase after him."
Andrea immediately shook her head.
She didn’t want Yuri risking her life anymore than she already had. Her body was still covered in burns, her arms were bleeding, and she had already pushed herself far beyond what her Dormant Ability was supposed to allow.
Besides, they had already decapitated the bastard. And he still hadn’t died.
"Leave him be." Andrea looked towards the direction he had escaped. "I get the feeling his death wouldn’t be as dramatic as his ego."
Yuri raised a brow at that, but she didn’t argue.
...
The Divine Priest ran like his life depended on it.
Mostly because it did. His enormous body tore through the snow as quickly as his weakened state allowed, leaving deep tracks behind him. His scales had lost their former glow, several were cracked or completely shattered, and the wound around his neck was still slowly healing.
Every few seconds, he glanced behind himself to make sure nobody was following.
The Divine Priest had never imagined himself fleeing from anything. He was the Divine Priest, he was supposed to be worshipped and feared.
Instead, he had been stabbed, beaten, decapitated, and then launched hundreds of meters across the battlefield. His pride was suffering almost as much as his body.
Before he even realized it, he’d finally reached the main Eidolon army.
He opened his mouth to speak.
Before he could say a single word. The Chief’s foot struck him with enough force to send his entire body flying across the snow.
The Divine Priest crashed into the ground several meters away, rolling violently before finally coming to a stop. The impact had shattered what remained of his antlers, leaving broken pieces scattered across the snow around him. His body was covered in cracks, several of his blue scales had been damaged beyond repair, and the flesh around his neck was still slowly knitting itself back together.
He didn’t bother checking his injuries.
The moment he realized he had reached the Eidolon army, he forced himself onto his knees and bowed like a slave. His enormous body lowered until his head was almost touching the snow.
"Chief, your humble servant has returned to serve. Those insufferable creatures schemed their way to victory against your perfect assault plan. Please grant me another chance to redeem this failure of mine."
The Chief stood before him without saying anything.
His face was ugly.
Not because of the damage the Divine Priest had suffered, but because of the disgust spreading across his features as he looked down at the creature kneeling before him.
The Divine Priest remained completely still, he didn’t dare raise his head. The Chief suddenly lifted his foot and stomped down on him.
The impact drove the Divine Priest’s body into the snow, the blue scales covering his back cracking under the pressure. Several shattered completely, fragments flying across the frozen ground as blood leaked from beneath them.
"How dare you consume the flesh of the Storm Blizzard God? What makes you think a lowly slave like yourself is worthy of such grace?"
The Chief pressed his foot harder against the broken scales, the Divine Priest’s body trembled, but he didn’t resist.
The Chief eventually lifted his foot and spat onto the shattered scales.
"This ugliness soothes you."
The Divine Priest growled submissively and bowed even lower, his head sinking deep into the snow. He didn’t complain about the pain. He didn’t defend himself. Whatever pride he had possessed when he first appeared before the humans had disappeared completely.
The Chief stared at him for another moment before finally turning away.
The surrounding Eidolons remained silent, none of them dared to look directly at the Divine Priest.
The Chief took several steps towards the Eidolon army, his gaze was colder than ice. He looked over his army, then towards the distant battlefield where the humans were still gathering their survivors.
"I’m going to need a new Priest."