The Guardian gods-Chapter 224

The Veloran buyer, a tall woman with sharp eyes, inspected the silk critically. "Triple, you say? Perhaps if it were imbued with magic. But as it stands, this is merely fine cloth. I’ll give you half of what you’re asking."

Nearby, a group of sailors from the Kingdom of Yarrow laughed raucously as they recounted tales of their recent voyage across the treacherous northern seas.

"I swear, the waves were taller than the masts!" one sailor boasted, gesturing wildly with a mug of ale. "But we held steady, and here we are, with our cargo intact and pockets full of gold."

As the port thrummed with life, a sense of unease began to ripple through the crowd. Overhead, the sky darkened, and a chill wind swept in from the north. At first, it seemed like a sudden storm, but the truth was far more sinister.

High above, Yuki and Finn surveyed the scene. Finn, in his werebeast form, his fur bristling with anticipation, let out a low growl. Yuki, her eyes gleaming with determination, nodded.

"It’s time," she said softly. "Today, we force the demigods to show their hand."

Without warning, the tranquility of the port shattered. A deafening howl echoed through the air as an army of werebeasts, their eyes burning with feral intensity, stormed out of the nearby forest. Panic erupted among the port’s inhabitants. Traders abandoned their goods, sailors scrambled for weapons, and the air filled with screams of terror.

"Defend the port!" a voice rang out above the chaos. It was the port’s commander, a burly man with a scar across his face, rallying his men. "Protect the ships and the people!"

Meanwhile, at the home of the port owner, both the owner and a tall giant figure covered in a dark robe watched calmly as chaos began to unfold over the port.

The dark-robed figure looked at the commander who was rallying his men. Turning to the port owner, a deep voice spoke, "You have kept him in the dark for this mission. Hope you don’t plan on letting such a good man die."

Robin looked at the dark figure before a smile blossomed across his face. "It seems your highness also cares deeply for his pawns."

The dark-robed figure gave no response, to which Robin shrugged as he put his hand to his ear where a small magic circle appeared.

"The time has come," he said. A voice came through the magic circle, saying, "We are ready."

The commander at the walls, with the few men he had, stayed ready to meet the army of werebeasts coming at them. Suddenly, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming from behind the wall.

Taking a moment to look back, the commander was met with the sight of a huge army moving out from the owner’s home. Along the way, many whom the commander thought were traders pulled apart their clothes, revealing the armor underneath as they joined the army.

By the time they got to the gate, the army’s size already filled the port. The commander’s mouth hung open in surprise as he looked at the army. He also noticed how advanced the soldiers’ armor was.

The commander wasn’t the only one taken aback. Yuki and Finn were also surprised by the army. They never could have imagined there was an ambush waiting for them.

The werebeasts they had as an army weren’t the original force of the Björn kingdom. Instead, they were a group of believers who were told that the port blocked the teachings of the gods.

In devotion, they took up arms, eager to worship Björn in battle. They had no qualms joining the plan brought up by Yuki to attack the port, as for them it was only a massacre feast they planned on enjoying.

Yuki watched as the army parted, making way for Robin, all dressed up in his armor, riding a horse from his manor to the front of the army.

Once he got there, he shouted, "Open the gates."

The port’s heavy gates swung open with a creak, revealing the disciplined ranks of soldiers ready to defend their home. Robin rode through the opening, his demeanor calm and resolute.

"Who are they?" Finn growled, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the unexpected threat.

Yuki’s gaze was steely, her mind racing to adjust their strategy. "It seems we’ve underestimated the humans and their allies."

On the ground, the werebeasts hesitated as they saw the army, their feral instincts picking up on the shift in the tide of battle. These were not simple villagers they could overwhelm with ease; this was a well-prepared force, ready and waiting.

"Commander," Robin addressed the burly man, who still stood in shock. "Our enemy has underestimated us. Today, we show them the strength of our resolve."

The commander snapped to attention, his earlier despair replaced with newfound determination. "Yes, sir!" He turned to his men, barking orders to form up with the newly revealed army.

A tall werebeast that looked like a lion,armored up and armed with two blood stained axes walked out from the hesitating werebeast army. He made a dropping motion as his two axes felt to the ground the sharp edge slicing through the earth.

The lion werebeast dropped to one knee as he began praying with eyes filled with madness and devotion "Oh mighty Björn, Lord of Madness, we stand upon the brink of chaos, our hearts pounding with the rhythm of war." As he said that, he hit his heart with a heavy thud that was heard by the werebeasts.

"With your fiery gaze upon us, we embrace the madness. We welcome the battlelust that surges through our veins. Björn, we call upon your strength. Grant us the fury of a thousand storms. Let our enemies tremble at the sight of our ferocity."

"In the face of this unexpected horde, we are not shaken, we are not afraid. For we are your chosen warriors, bound by blood and destiny. With every clash of steel, with every roar of battle, we honor your name, oh Björn the Unyielding. Fill us with the relentless desire for victory. Guide our blades to strike true and deep."

"In the heart of chaos, we find our clarity. In the madness of war, we find our purpose. Björn, imbue us with your indomitable spirit. Make us vessels of your wrath and warriors of your will. As we charge into the fray, with blood and fury, let the battlefield be our altar, our enemies our offering. We shall emerge victorious, drenched in glory, for we fight with the fire of Björn burning within us."

"By your power, we shall conquer. By your madness, we shall prevail. Björn, god of battlelust and madness, be with us now, in this hour of reckoning!"

As he said that, a loud lion-like roar spread throughout the port, rattling the armors of the human army. In response to his roar, the army of werebeasts followed through, roaring as well.

Robin, who was at the front of his army, was taken aback by the roar. He could feel the momentum they had built diminish with just the roar. He himself was also starting to feel scared.

Looking at the eager werebeast army, Robin’s mindset began changing. Before, he was a bit mad at being used as a pawn to ambush this army, but now, seeing their behavior first hand made Robin fully understand that Björn’s religion needed to be stamped out immediately before their whole continent fell into chaos.

"This is madness," Robin thought to himself. A normal army under ambush should be scared, uncertain, yet in front of him was an army defying this logic. The whole situation now seemed like the army was a prepared meal for the werebeasts.

Yuki, who was in the sky looking down, glanced at the lion werebeast, then at Finn, and said, "You have such a good vice general."

"If he survives this battle, maybe we should think about promoting him to have an army of his own," Yuki said as Finn nodded, looking at the lion werebeast with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, down in Robin’s army, he could feel the increasing fear in his soldiers as the werebeast army approached. Thinking of the visitor in his home, Robin took a deep breath.

From the ring on his hand, a harpoon-like weapon appeared. Because of his profession, Robin’s main deity of worship was Jaws, and right now he was connecting with the blessing.

Lightning covered his harpoon as he made a thrusting motion to the sky. A thick lightning shot out from it into the sky, followed by a brief delay, and then a loud thunderclap.

The thunderclap covered the roar of the werebeasts and made the human army immediately straighten up as they clenched their weapons.

Robin, whose harpoon was covered in lightning, began praying, "Great mighty Jaws, Lord of the Depths, we call upon your power in this hour of need, as we stand ready to face the tempest of war. You who command the waves and the winds, grant us your strength and fury. Fill our hearts with the relentless surge of the ocean’s might."