"...I can tell that you believe your strength is unbeatable. Let's test how strong you really are…"
"...Emotionless Precision… Whisper of Bone… Phantom Spine Blades… Resonance Armor…"
Emotionless Precision was an innate magic skill that granted him clarity: fighting without fury or haste. He calculated each breath and each step within microseconds. His fighting style and stance seemed to mirror Sir Garran Vael, but honed in darkness.
The Whisper of Bone was another innate magic ability that allows him to manipulate the density and flexibility of his own bones, and partially of others, through a forbidden experiment conducted by the Gravemarket's Fleshwrights. This makes his strikes unusually sharp, flexible and unbreakable. It also allows him to use nearby detached bone fragments as projectiles.
One of the abilities of the Voice of Bone, Phantom Spine Blades were segments of the coiled relic that unraveled and hardened into razor-sharp bone tendrils, which can extend in lashes or form makeshift weapons, such as knives, spears or even chains. The makeshift weapons can act independently via whispered voice commands.
Another ability, Resonance Armor formed plated bone armor, where the relic stiffened along his body, offering physical protection against slashes and blunt force.
"It seems you are done with your preparations." She looked upon him with momentary interest.
"Let's see how fit you and your beloved relic are against me and my Velmourn." She then simply walked over, her blade grasped in her hand.
As soon as she entered his perfect range deemed by his Emotionless Precision, he launched forward at overwhelming speeds, physically enhanced by his Whisper of Bone. The Phantom Spine Blades then struck forward, enhancing his offensive capability and his Resonance Armor enhanced his defensive capability. He seemed to have planned accordingly, but did not know how truly strong she was.
Seliora was a master of assassination and swift warfare, blending sorcery with lethal swordplay. She also had the innate skill of shadow manipulation, allowing her to cloak herself in living darkness, track targets unseen and deliver swift, fatal strikes.
"...Vengent Resonance… Shadow Severance… Soul Echo…"
Soul Echo was the last magic ability of Velmourn. When striking a mortal enemy who has committed great wrongdoings, the blade can trap a fragment of their soul temporarily, weakening their defenses and amplifying Seliora's strikes.
Velmourn, glowed with blue and red runes, met his dagger and shattered it with ease, as the blade then struck through his Resonance Armor like a knife cutting through butter and his skin was pierced by the slash. The slash was then amplified as the Bone Whisper then felt as his entire body was physically weakened and his ribs cracked by the force of the attack.
"...M-m… m-monster…"
The Bone Whisper was on his knees, as he felt like he could barely move.
"Oh, the realization. Do you understand it now? How vastly different we are."
Seliora then walked backward, her back entirely turned, as she returned to her initial position.
"...She's looking down on me… how could anyone just simply turn their back to their enemy so elegantly…"
He then activated his innate Bone Suture, where his bones themselves regenerated his wounds and his ribs were knitted back together instantly. Bone Suture can also create skeletal weapons from the bodies of the recently slain, often crafting twisted, serrated blades on the fly.
"Come at me, oh great Bone Whisper of Gravemarket." She chuckled.
Due to Velmourn's Soul Echo, he couldn't properly use his innate magic abilities as parts of his soul were temporarily restrained, restricting his overall magic usage.
"...Shit, Shriek Pulse or Vocal Dagger won't work… I'll have to just rely on the relic's physical capabilities…"
Another ability of the Voice of the Bone, a low hum through the throat activated Vocal Dagger, he can whisper into a target's bones through a magic wave, inflicting internal vibrations that disrupt concentration, paralyze limbs or induce vomiting, fear or seizures. It is typically and particularly effective against heavy armored foes.
"...Phantom Spine Blades… Resonance Armor…"
He then made use of the makeshift weapons that the relic can unravel and harden into, as he launched spears to pierce through Seliora and chains to restrain her.
He then ran forward without his Whisper of Bone, which still demonstrated his natural athleticism and fast speed without enhancements. However, it made it much easier to deflect and block his incoming attacks with his dagger.
Seliora slashed through the incoming weapons that struck through the air with ease, using her Velmourn to break the arcane connection between the weapon itself and the relic, as the bone-crafted weapons disappeared to dust.
As the Bone Whisper attempted to strike at Seliora several times, she easily countered and parried each of his attacks, causing him to stumble or fall backwards. It was like Seliora was fighting against a mere child.
"Oh, are you tired?" She then realized as he breathed in and out, attempting to control his breathing without his Emotionless Precision.
"It seems it is my turn." She then launched forward, his eyes widened as her Velmourn rose up and slashed through his Resonance Armor, shattering the plated bone armor that the relic created. His face showed fear and despair, realizing he was about to die.
The Vox Ossium, the relic itself, recognized Seliora as a genuine threat to its host, where it activated its Choral Ward. When directly struck or under duress, the Voice of Bone activates a bone chorus barrier, a swirling soundwave defense formed by overlapping harmonic echos. This barrier can deflect arrows, mute spells briefly and distort perception, making the Bone Whisper's movements harder to track.
Despite the Choral Ward's activation, Velmourn's Soul Echo and Shadow Severance were still active, limiting and dissipating its defensive magic effect. While the Bone Whisper attempted to make another move by striking his side, believing that she couldn't see her, Seliora immediately deflected his attack with ease.
He also realized the relic's psychological effect did not register with Seliora either, where prolonged exposure to the relic's harmonic frequency causes nearby listeners to hallucinate voices, lose their sense of direction or become compelled to stop fighting. These effects are typically the strongest on the weak-minded, those with unresolved guilt or those with no defense system to fully counter it.
"...After all I've done… after all I've faced… in order to overwhelm and defeat the Crown's Blade, I was still this… weak?" He began murmuring to himself, as he was demoralized and small tears streamed down his face.
"...I'm an idiot…" He then sucked up his ego and ran immediately, using Bone Suture to heal his wounds once again and used the ability to create twisted, serrated blades that attacked Seliora while he fled.
"An assassin running away from another… what an interesting show of events." She said as she slashed through the blades that were sent hurtling toward her.
"But… that is enough playing games… I should wrap this operation up soon."
"My Silent Daughters, hunt down any that remain within the outpost. The Bone Whisper is mine."
"Yes, Your Excellency." Nine voices responded, as they then split up through the depths to investigate and assassinate any that belonged to Gravemarket.
*
The Bone Whisper approached the Black Vein Chamber, a surgery-theater hybrid buried the deepest within the outpost. Walls are stitched with flayed skin-paintings and scrawled anatomy texts. Dozens of half-conscious test subjects are suspended in flesh cocoons or laid bare on bone-slabs with runic instruments orbiting them like hummingbirds.
An outer defense outside of the chamber consisted of Choir Wardens and Choir Ferals, while the inner defense consisted of Ashcloaks. They mostly had folded shortbows and compact crossbows, with their assassin blades and throwing needles holstered. One kept his bone-handled saber unholstered, held in his hand, revealing his status as a veteran.
"Bone Whisper!" The veteran felt at ease, as he suddenly saw the Bone Whisper run past their defensive formations, quickly entering into the Black Vein Chamber.
"Why is he running like that?"
"...Wait…" The veteran then turned toward the entrance, feeling a large ominous presence, despite seeing nothing. He thought he was paranoid.
The Silent Daughters then revealed themselves after the Choir Wardens and Choir Ferals were steadily defeated with precise cutting and slashing from their sabers. Some were even strangulated by their garrotes, as it tightened with their silence and their necks were squeezed and their heads dropped to the floor.
The Sable Trinities wore their adaptive camouflage cloaks that blend into dark environments, shedding excess heat and magical signatures. They then revealed themselves. The Ashcloaks saw their skin-tight black armor laced with nightwave, granting silent movement and resistance to divination magic. A half mask covered their lower faces, made from soul-stitched silk; enhancing focus and preventing identity scrying.
"S-shit! Shoot them down! Don't let them get close!" The veteran yelled out.
The Ashcloaks began to open fire with their arrows as the defensive formation tightened and closed. The Sable Trinities then split up in their groups of three, slashing and deflecting the incoming arrows with either their twin sabers or war fans.
Once they got close enough, the Silent Daughters then threw Whisperbombs, small black-glass orbs containing smoke, hallucinogenic dust and shatterglass. It was typically used for retreat, infiltration or mass confusion. It causes hallucinations where the target sees their worst nightmares and silent flash-bursts that blinds and disorients.
As Seliora approached from further behind them through the column, the Silent Daughters made short work of the Ashcloaks that were either blinded or suffering from their hallucinations, granting them quick deaths.
Seliora then used her Vengent Resonance to slice through the entrance to the chamber, as the large doors broke down.
"Find Elphane and bring the wrath of vengeance upon him."
"Yes, Your Excellency." The Silent Daughters began soaring the large chamber, as Seliora went through a secret passage that the Bone Whisper used to escape. She discovered the escape route through her shadow magic that allows her to track her unseen targets.
*
"That pale skin!" One of the figures from the exterior called out.
Seliora looked as remains of Choir Wardens and Choir Ferals were exorcised by the group in front of her. Dressed in pale armor, faces hidden behind smooth, expressionless masks. They were equipped with blessed crossbows, concealing silver stakes, divine bombs and purging scrolls. They seemed to be tasked with eradicating the Hollow Choir.
"The Host of the White Dawn…"
"Prepare yourselves!"
"...My Vengent Resonance and Soul Echo won't work against them… they genuinely believe in the God of this world and in his divine purity…" She murmured to herself.
A Sable Trinity then appeared from behind Seliora, immediately charging forward to engage the group of White Dawns.
"Crush them, my daughters." She chuckled.
The White Dawns immediately opened fire with their crossbows. They were blessed with divine magic, but as the Silent Daughters deflected or slashed through their arrows, the divinity had no physical effect on them as their bodysuits were resistant to the magic.
There were two lances, 20 White Dawns, in the formation. The Silent Daughters immediately threw whisper bombs to confuse their ranks with the smoke. While the hallucinations did not affect most of them, some were still temporarily blinded or deaf.
Some of the White Dawns threw their silver stakes, attempting to strike at least one of the Silent Daughters in the confusion, but to no avail. Most of their equipment had no effect against the assassins and they were clearly more skilled.
After some time passed, one of the White Dawns was left alive to be interrogated by Seliora, as he was dragged by one of the Silent Daughters and thrown onto the ground.
Seliora immediately struck the mask off of his face as she then detonated one of the whisperbombs on the floor, intentionally exposing it to him. He fell short to the hallucination effect, as she then manipulated it by writing magic runes around him.
"What is your objective and why were you sent here?"
"...The Host of the White Dawn had received word from the Host of Apostolic Execution about the Hollow Choir attempting to summon the dead to take over the Kingdom of Draevarr and ordered to eradicate the organization for demonic corruption and heresy. However, before we could arrive, a mysterious heroic white-armored mercenary had already defeated Father Wyrnn and his compatriots…"
"So His Majesty's fame is steadily rising… as expected of our master."
"...Only one of our objectives had been fulfilled. We were still tasked to wipe out the remainder of the Hollow Choir to prevent them from conducting the same ritual again…"
"...The Host of Apostolic Execution…"
The Host of Apostolic Execution is a clandestine and sacred order within the Holy Dominion of Solmira, acting as the divine hammer of justice for both battlefield and tribunal matters. They are not simply warriors; they are special forces, executioners and divine interpreters of law, sanctioned to judge kings, clergy, and commoners alike. They are feared even among the Seven Holy Hosts, for they answer only to the High Pontifex. When the Host moves, whispers of heresy, apostasy, or divine betrayal follow.
Each member of the Host is known as a Numbered Host, titled after one of the Seven Divine Apostles. There are only seven active Hosts at any one time, and each represents the most elite servant of their Apostle's doctrine. New members are only inducted when one falls — a rare event, as Hosts are almost mythic in might. Each is entirely autonomous when operating in the field, and even the Dominion's military must yield to their authority.
"...Our forces were split up secretly across the Kingdom… The Host of Apostolic Execution accompanied us after revealing that the Foretold Threat emerged in Draevarr…"
Then, in seconds, she saw as the interrogated White Dawn had been ignited, as holy fire descended from the sky onto the very ground they stood on. The holy fire seemed to have been called as if it was God condemning a sinner. Velmourn immediately activated Shadow Severance to prevent the magic-induced holy fire from causing irreparable damage to its wielder. Seliora saw as the White Dawn's flesh was burnt to mere ash and so was his soul, unable to be resurrected.
Seliora saw seven tall figures in her peripheral vision, but unfocused on their vastly different appearances, as she deemed them dangerous. She immediately tried to strike at the strongest of the group, as the Silent Daughters took on the group's spearhead.
Before Seliora and the Silent Daughters even moved, the group were expecting their assault, as if one had read their minds before they moved themselves. The Silent Daughters were then cut down swiftly by a massive two-pronged spear, held by the spearhead of the group, clearly a battlefield champion, able to readily read and counter their attacks before they even made them.
Seliora then realized which individual was intercepting and reading their movements, as she then changed her target to the one that had a weightless, morphic codex flanking them. She recognized the codex as a sentient magic relic.
"Invocation Pages." The female individual spoke out. The spell summoned protective glyphs and elemental sigils that briefly stalled Seliora. It was not to completely defend against her foreseen onslaught, but to allow her comrades to aid her.
A different individual launched in front of Seliora and yelled: "Martyr's Reflection!" As Velmourn struck right through the other female, Seliora felt brief physical weakness and pain. It seemed as if the female had a relic that wounds inflicted on her can be redirected onto her attacker, divinely mirrored in scale and pain. Shadow Severance and Martyr's Reflection battled each other, but it was enough time to allow the rest to interfere as the female that was struck was incapacitated.
"Binding Vow!" A masculine voice was heard, as runes written as pacts appeared on Seliora's skin, causing searing agony and divine paralysis as she grunted in pain.
"Prism of Judgment!" Another feminine voice was heard. A powerful rite was then casted, as Seliora found herself in a prismatic prison of glass-like light. It was one that made its occupants relive their sins until they broke or confessed, but it seems as though that effect did not activate on Seliora, which surprised the female.
"Chain of Heaven." Another masculine voice was heard, the male that Seliora deemed to be the strongest of the seven. A radiant, sentient platinum chain was then manifested, as it easily surged through the prism and bound the soul and body of Seliora, attempting to suppress her magic, movement and thoughts.
Seliora then shouted at the top of her lungs: "VENGENT RESONANCE!"
Velmourn fed on her emotional state, as she truly wished to enact true vengeance on those that intended to harm her master after they dealt with her, as the blade grew even sharper and stronger. It was not selfish anger, but righteous fury that fueled her.
After Velmourn briefly took over her mind to prevent the Chain of Heaven from suppressing her thoughts, Seliora lost consciousness and everything turned to black…