Blade Over Magic

Specimen

”Did it work?” After a few seconds, the Captain, who’d been standing next to Aubrey, asked tentatively.

Aubrey was silent for a moment, then she exhaled.

”She isolated the network before I could see much. But i was able to confirm that the plague carriers reached their destination before I was removed. So my preliminary assessment is that it was a success. To what extent, though, is the question.” She adjusted her goggles.

”If things develop the way we want, though, we shouldn’t experience any attacks for now as the ants will be too focused on isolating the affected chamber so as to quarantine the plague. We’ll continue to observe and not drop our guards.” She explained.

The captain didn’t let out any relieved gestures and just nodded, having simply accepted the explanation. Instead, with the help of Aubrey, he began making more preparations in case their actions had an opposing effect and sent the ants into a frenzy.

At this time, Xander finished his sharpening before taking out a bottle of water. He drank from it before pouring the rest on his head to cool down. To be frank, he had been busy these past few days. The combat and planning had become his new constant, and he had already resolved himself to this reality, at least for the moment. He hadn’t kept asking himself when Xavier Lowell would arrive because if he kept focusing on that, he would get increasingly frustrated at why it was taking so long, which could lead to him making mistakes.

As for why he knew he was coming, Mia had confirmed such to be the case before she took Mary and Keir to wherever. He still wondered where they went, though. He guessed Mia was training the other two. Either way, there’s a reason they hadn’t been seen since this whole thing began.

Xander also suspected that Mia was doing it to teach them to be self-sufficient and figure out ways to handle serious situations without having someone to act as a safety net whenever.

After putting away his water bottle, he sensed someone approaching and saw Sparrow coming over. She sat next to him and handed him a pack of rations, a piece of dried meat already sticking out the corner of her mouth as she chewed slowly.

Xander took the pack with a nod and opened it.

The two of them ate in silence, watching as both of their squads interacted. Which was mostly Ragna and Curtis having an arm wrestling contest. The latter holding his own surprisingly well while Falael cheered him on with their very backhanded praise, whereas Nash and Bodhi were hyping up Ragna, and Zeke was just in the corner, tossing up his needle-like dagger idly.

After a moment, Sparrow spoke.

”You know, you never really struck me as someone of noble birth.” Hearing this, Xander finally glanced at her.

Her leather armor was covered in dirt in several places, and her braids had been redone into a single large braid. Her frame seemed to carry tiredness like sign, and she looked as exhausted as he felt. But even then, she sat strong.

”What did you expect? For me to be snobbish, proud, hard-headed, self-centered, loud, condescending, and potentially racist?” He asked back with a small smile, and Sparrow barked a laugh.

”Exactly! Almost all nobles I’ve seen from this kingdom are just like that. Acting like the world is their playground and the people are their chess pieces. Refusing to see anyone who isn’t at a similar level of status as human. And sometimes even those who are at their level are barely recognized. Hell, even some of the noble equivalents we have in our tribes aren’t much different. I guess arrogant assholes are a universal constant.” She chortled, and Xander had to agree.

”Heh, well, I’m an illegitimate child, so I didn’t really get the same level of treatment as other true born nobles. Otherwise, who knows? I might have turned out far more obnoxious than I am currently.” He said before adding in his heart. ’Then again, even if the original Xander was an arrogant piece of shit, I’d have still have taken over his body after he died.’

When he said that, Sparrow stared at him in genuine surprise.

”You’re an illegitimate child?” She looked at him up and down. ”You? The one who seems to have completely revolutionalized what many consider to be a dead path?” Her skepticism was thick, and Xander just shrugged.

”The circumstances of my birth and my talent are two completely different things. Also the family I’m from isn’t actually that terrible. Which says a lot for nobles.” That earned another snort from Sparrow.

”I swear, if nobility was based on the skill rather than birthright, you could probably have a shot at the throne.” The statement was so abrupt that Xander let out a startled laugh.

”I’m sorry WHAT? Nah, immediate pass for me. I don’t see myself ruling anything ever.” Sparrow raised a brow at that.

”Why not? You’ve proven your leadership and decision making skills many times over since you got here. I think it would fit you.” However, Xander just shook his head.

”Nah. It would interfere with what I really enjoy.” That made Sparrow curious.

”Oh? And what’s that?” Xander looked straight as her and said in a deadpan manner.

”Practicing my sword.”

”...”

Sparrow stared at him for a few seconds to see if he was joking, but seeing the earnest look in his eyes, she just sighed.

”Right, you have a few screws loose. Why am I surprised?” She sighed again, but Xander wasn’t really offended. Rather, he deliberated for a few seconds before asking.

”By the way, is Sparrow your actual name? Or is it a nickname?” This caused her to pause.

”Why do you ask?” She didn’t seem annoyed by the question.

”Well, you and Ragna seem to be from the same place, and his name sounds... hm.” Xander trailed off as he contemplated how to phrase his statement without sounding like a dickhead. Then Sparrow just chuckled.

”Fitting?” She finished, and Xander nodded slowly.

”Hm. Well, Sparrow is indeed a nickname. I got it since my speed reminded the people here of how the actual bird moves.” She shrugged.

”Eh. If nicknames are based on the way we perform then I personally think that blue flash would fit you better.” He shrugged, and Sparrow gave him a look.

”Since we are labeling things exactly as they are, why don’t I call you talented swordsman instead?” She scoffed, and Xander shrugged.

”If it fits, it fits.” That just made Sparrow roll her eyes. Then she stared forward again, and after a moment, she spoke.

”My actually name is Benita. Ragna and I are from the same tribe. Actually, he’s my elder cousin.” She watched as Ragna managed to beat Curtis in the arm wrestling contest before cheering loudly, the few soldiers also cheering.

Xander nodded slowly.

”I see.” He contemplated for a moment, considering whether to ask his next question. Sparrow saw this and spoke first.

”Our Tattoos are a form of ancient magic passed down for generations.” Xander perked up as she started to speak, not interrupting and urging her with his eyes.

Sparrow, or Benita, continued.

”There’s a lot of history behind it. Most of it oral. The people of this kingdom don’t really consider it as true magic. But it gets the job done.” She stared at her tattooed hand.

”Different tattoos have different effects. Mine grant me access to Force magic. Ragna’s allows him to use Berserk magic. However, not everyone who has these markings are equal. Rather, their efficacy depends on how compatible they are with who receives them. Hence, two people could receive the exact same markings, but one will be able to bring out their power far more than the other.” Xander listened with unabashed fascination before asking.

”So, sort of similar to how mana quality affects the final product of a spell, even if two people of the same affinity cast the same spell, their differing mana quality affects the final product.” He ventured.

”Yeah, that’s a good analogy.” Benita nodded in approval, and Xander didn’t hide his interest.

”You said its origins are mostly oral. Could you elaborate?” Benita smiled at that.

”Oh, you’re interested in history too? Well...” She fell silent for a moment, then she spoke.

”Our elders teach us that long ago, when magic was still largely unrefined and crude, our people who lived out in the wilderness were constantly under threat by magical creatures and fought for their lives often. So after getting fed up, they sought the aid of a powerful Elemental Spirit to guide them in the ways of magic. The result was these markings. Hence, my ancestors were able to more effectively combat the magical beasts and establish a place for themselves in the wilderness.” Hearing this, Xander feel silent.

’An Elemental Spirit, huh.’ His mind couldn’t help but shift to Mary. When he sat down to think about it, it was a bit surreal when he acknowledged that such an existence was a maid, even though she was—in her words—quite young by the standards of her kind. It was evident that they played a significant role in the history of this world.

But either way, the whole thing was quite interesting, so he kept asking more questions, and Benita answered gladly, seemingly happy that someone was actually taking the initiative to learn about her culture and history.

***

Meanwhile, in the ant chamber.

After several hours, the ants finally began to move.

The ones covering the queen began to move off her. The outermost ones falling on their backs dead, as the plague had killed them.

For this same reason, the ants covering the acid pool didn’t move, because they couldn’t. They had already been killed by the reverse-engineered plague, but in return, their bodies acted like an insulator that kept the rest of the spread at bay.

In the grand scheme of things, the plague hadn’t actually spread that far within the chamber. One needs to remember that just one chamber was large enough to comfortably fit the whole of Landor inside. The issue, however, stemmed from the fact that, in order to gain access to the food easier, the queen was quite close to the acid pool, so she had actually taken a brunt of the infection when it initially began to spread.

Now, similar to Xander and co, her vitality was nothing to scoff at, so it was only a matter of time before she recovered from her infection. But she was not happy at all.

Looking around, she saw that a large number of the eggs near her, both the original ones and the new variants, had gone inert, the rapidly developing larvae floating inside no longer showing signs of life.

Then she sensed the developing eggs inside her own body, and sure enough, most of them had died as well.

Then she looked down at the brood of eggs she had moved her body to protect, and this time... this time, she released a shriek of pure rage.

It reverberated throughout the chamber, and the surviving ants all pressed themselves into the ground, not daring to make a sound.

Where the eggs were, almost all of them were inert, the creatures she’d spent ages nurturing inside showing no signs of life. Only one, the one that was closest to hatching, remained.

After venting her anger, the queen looked down at the remaining egg. It’s surface was dark and red, and the aura it gave was the closest to demonic corruption among all the ants.

By a long shot.

At this moment, the surface of the egg distorted, as though sensing the raging emotions of its emotions. This caught the emotions of the queen, and before she could do anything, something burst out in a deluge of dark fluid.

As soon as it did, a sinister aura suddenly suddenly enveloped the chamber, causing the bodies of the remaining ants to tremble.

Slowly, a figure stood up from the fluids. It looked somewhat humanoid, standing at 2 meters tall. It’s body was lanky with abnormally long limbs, and its surface was a pale white, but it was rapidly darkening as a black chittin that was unlike anything seen before started to cover its body.

Its mandibles twitched before it... spoke.

”... Mo... ther...” The voice was rough and low, barely coherent.

It stretched one of its lanky limbs which resembled a long blade and touched the forehead of its mother, the action morbidly intimate.

”No... ang... er.” It looked up, the shell over its body now completely settling into a deep black.

”W...ill... get... revenge...” It lowered its limb, raised its hand, and shrieked.

The entire chamber shook as a dark red aura erupted.