---
Gate info:
Name: The long sand of crimson dunes.
Opening time: Every week for 3 days
Danger level: C++
Owner: Fifth dawn
Last clear: 5 years ago
Rewards for clear: N/A
Gate closing time: 01: 07: 10: 06
---
Sand, everywhere. The desert dunes of a faraway land; although not quite the same. This place, like its namesake were red sands of rolling dunes. Although, unlike the weather of otherwise blisteringly hot gates, it was fair weathered rather than that which Eren came to expect.
The wind blew a fine crimson dust into the air. Like a mist, swirling in the winds. A haze that obscured the distance from the naked eyes.
"Where are we going?" Jun questioned his mentor, taking it upon himself to watch over him.
His behaviour had raised numerous red flags to the student, and as a result, wanted to keep an eye on his teacher and friend. Those whispers through the Silvermane grapevine slithered through the mouths of his so-called juniors; increasing in severity the longer Eren's isolated spiral continued.
The run in with the police, certain violent tendencies; it was frightening to have such a man like him walk the same halls.
Eren however, paid no mind to his follower or the whispers, too focused on the mission ahead.
Climbing that chain to reach the top; to the mysterious El Rey Sol. Then he could take a moment to breath. To release that chain wrapped heart that struggled to beat under heavy irons.
"Follow the path..." Eren surveyed a dip in the sands. Heavy, tire marks in the crimson dunes, leading a beaten track to some destination unknown.
A path of commerce; a trade route for the criminal blood tooths most likely.
They continued along the path for a few minutes. Both silent and both deep in thought. Jun was a ball of worry, and it showed in the way that the nervous young man walked; a jittery, shaky mess. His hands gripped tightly around Seraph.
Whilst Eren himself had his own worried thoughts; the words of the mysterious reflection echoed in the back of his mind.
That smile leeched onto his vision, even among the crimson dues he would swear that smile was embedded into the sands.
It was just a trick of the eye, that's what Eren had to convince himself. But the hardest trick of all, is to fool yourself into thinking everything is right with the world.
*Ka-Boom*
A distant rumble in the distance. A plume of and crimson dust billowed high into the air. Akin to a mushroom cloud, red dust hung like a miasmic haze.
"I think we've found our destination." Jun commented with a bit of apprehension in his voice.
Eren stormed up the biggest dune; looking over the crest, into the valley beyond.
'Of course... why not...' Eren sighed. The scene before was not unexpected one bit.
---
A shanty town embedded into the plinth of black mountains with red veins. Like the blood vessels of the mountain were pumping red ichor; leading to heart within the black mountains.
Large trucks that transported to and fro amongst slanted wooden buildings.
Most eye catching was not the human influence on the town. It was the flags flown beneath the red smoke.
The dominus...
The slanted stick buildings all held each other like a spider's web of wood and nails, planks, and sheet metal.
Like the goblin city in the red canyon.
The mix of drug dealing humans and savage goblins; a combination that was strange on first glance… But the more Eren watched the town members scurry about.
"They were made for each other…"
Two races of foul beings, neither of which were enemies or allies to each other. More like a relationship of mutual benefit and profit.
The humans would get their spice and profits; the goblins likely earning their same keep.
"Are these the same ones that took our guildmates a couple months ago?" Jun, was only privy to the abridged version of the 'goblin' incident. He had heard that some members of the guild were attacked, and saved by the Reaper.
Rumours of mass death and destruction from the monster delivered to greater monsters.
"Not those ones... they fly a different flag." Eren's words were barely audible from the rhythmic cracking in the distance, a low growl of disdain towards the dominus.
"Should we go and get Guildmaster Baelor and the Silvermane for help?" Jun tried to tug his mentor back down the crest.
"We don't need the guild. I can clear this myself. You can watch or fight. The choice is yours." Standing tall, mask summoned to his face and a nodachi materialised from his arsenal of soulless steel.
The shadows of the dunes rose up to meet their master. Three battle squads already prearranged and ready for the signal to be given.
Square formations with the heavies at the front, vanguard making the bulk of the centre and mages at the rear for fire support.
Of course, each squad had a named shadow at the front to take charge. With Guren and Megi taking charge of two on the outer sides whilst Saku took up the middle squad.
Virtue and Vice took to the skies with the other crows. Saku approached from his station. Still yet to speak to his master after being yelled at. But he would not let duty get in his way.
"Orders?" Voice a little lower than usual. Perhaps not to draw the ire of his master once again.
"Take the town. Any humans leave alive, anything not... Kill them and pile them up."
"Very good." A bone hand raised high into the air. Signalling the advance.
"Master, please we can use the Silvermane for this. We don't need to end this in-"
Too late for pleas or mercy; the advance began.
The shadows clambered over the crimson dunes.
As black wave washed over the crimson sands.
***
"Over there! Intruders!"
"Sound the - ARRGGH!" One goblin sentry screamed for the entire camp to hear, only for a bronto that came thundering through the sands. Its horn charged with lightning; an explosion of thunderous static that did the sentries job better than he could ever have dreamed of.
'Grrrroooaaarr!'
The ground trembled from the force of its charge. A thunderous roar of an angry beast, as it crashed through the wooden town.
Leaving behind a trail of devastation and debris in its wake.
The second bronto came in the wake of the first, trampling through the trucks, knocking over piles of raw crimson spice.
Goblins began to swarm to the oncoming threat. It was really, a goblins only advantage; sheer weight of numbers.
But they were far too slow for the shadows; they breached the city with little opposition.
Arrows flung in first, taking care of the outer perimeter defenders of the town, allowing for the heavies to push forward without being crawled all over.
Theses goblins were far different than the ones encountered in the red canyon. Yellowed with reptilian skin in places and snake eyes. Still as ugly, and just as numerous. Each carried a rusted spear, or sword. With makeshift leather and plate armour.
A goblin wearing better gear than its brethren shouted to his fast-becoming routed forces. Whatever leadership qualities it took to be a leader in the dominus forces. This better armed one did not have.
"Quickly, send a message to the Dominus-"
*Shink*
A shadow's blade pierced through the back, exploding through the chest. Killing the pretender in a single blow.
They could have been descendants of the gods. It would have all ended the same for them.
Though as the shadows gained a foothold in the shanty town. The first sightings of humans gave some halt to the shadows.
"Espera, para. no nos mates." (Wait. Stop. don't kill us) A group of human men, dressed in the garb of chemical workers clean save for the red specs, fell to the ground before the shadows.
The vanguard held their blades over the workers. Not bringing the blade down… Yet.
"Bring them to the centre of the city. Put them with the others." The disembodied voice of the Reaper boomed over the town like an angry god; a deathly hollow voice that struck greater fear into the hearts of the humans than these shadows could possibly do.
"W-Wait. What about us!" The goblin warriors who failed to even reach their weapons; surrendered. Knees buckling from the monsters before them.
The Reaper didn't need the goblins to live, what information could they possibly hold. No, the goblins were nothing more than a minor nuisance, fodder to be devoured.
*Crunch*
A heavy boot from one of the marauders crushed the head of the goblin that begged. A signal to continue the onslaught as the shadows continued to rush into the city.
Like locusts feasting on wheat and barley, the shadows overran everything. A sea of black washed through the streets, clearing all living things.
The Reaper would never allow himself to take pride in clearing the rot of any gate. But this extermination took under 2 minutes. He gave no care for such petty scores; what was the point.
"Master... By the base of the massif. Something you need to witness." Saku informed, pointing towards the large red veined mountain.
Walking through the winding shacks and broken-down trucks. The town began to clear. The closer they marched to the point of interest the sticker the sand got.
A slick liquid that shared its hue with blood. Spice in its raw, unmanufactured form.
*Thump, Crack*
However, this is not what Saku wanted to show his master. Rather where the veins originated from.
*Thump, Crack* *Thump, Crack*
Rock creatures, golems, or stone giants, were the only way to describe these things. Huge hulking sentient rocks, many would put apartment blocks to shame; almost twice the size of any standard residence of Japan. A couple even bigger than that. Towering above all at twenty meters.
*Thump, Crack* *Thump, Crack* *Thump, Crack*
They pounded and cracked against the wall of the mountain. Their fists and hands beating like a drum. Although no discernible facial shape; the emotion of the slow pounding and scraping against the wall was clear.
Pain...
The groans, the crumbling craigs, deep-set symbols that glowed angrily in the red blood light were etched deep into the stone.
Bondage of a beast.
Eren stood with his army at the back, entering a wide pit where the renaming goblins looked to have miraculously re-gathered.
These golems were being used as slave labour, forced to mine the mountain for its raw spice. A horrible practice that was only matched by the cruelty of those who would force such a thing.
Most disturbing however, was not the bound giants or the humans that mingled with the goblins.
In the back; only a handful of snake people. Naga, heads of serpents with bodies of humans, a scaled and slimy tail that dusted the sand.
Worst of all…
Ninki Nanka at the back of it all, still retaining that human façade despite the obvious likelihood she was of this race.
She was the source of the problem. Not the humans that worked with the goblins, not the goblins that slaved away the giants. She was the glue that brought them all and bound them together.
One of the lieutenants of the Blood tooth cartel...
A liaison between the goblins and the humans...
A snake that slithers in the darkness...
This was her domain…
Here, she was the Viper queen...
Here, the reaper would bring it all to ruin…
---
"You! What organisation do you belong too?" She demanded. Her eyes narrowed, inspecting the skull that stared back at her. Not recognising the man beneath the mask.
"If you represent another faction, I'm afraid you have angered two of the most powerful throughout the gates! We will not rest until you-"
The reaper flicked a hand down; a signal to fire a volley of arrows.
The shadows raised bows, each firing a barrage of arrows into the remaining goblins.
Ninki herself barely had time to register the attack, narrowly avoided a dozen arrows. She used gymnastics to avoid the rain; her brethren too snaked their way through.
The goblins on the otherhood were now withered to under half of the original forces.
"Wait!" She skreiched in English.
"待って"
"기다리다"
"Esperar"
Cycling through several of her languages. The languages of those wronged by the cartel. She went to continue until the Reaper stayed his hand.
"What…" A Japanese voice for only those two to hear.
"Which cartel or guild do you represent? You have proven your strength against us. Please, allow us to negotiate on behalf of our organisations."
This was a different Ninki than what Eren meet a couple of days. Not a chaos weaver that targeted the weak spots of others. She seemed... desperate, scared.
A snake trying to slither its way out of death, even though she is capable of avoiding it. So why was here different?
The Reaper's gaze surveyed the area; fear worn well by the goblins. The naga were all looking to Ninki for leadership, and she was looking for a way to save them.
Perhaps the Naga were natives to this gate. All others were guests; the Reaper was the violent intruder.
"Saku."
"Yes master?"
"Release the stone giants from bondage. Give them their freedom. Kill the snakes." Saku's azure eyes lit up, the orders for release were why he and many others followed.
"Allow me some time master. They will be free."
Without a word the Reaper leaped down into the pit below, nodachi drawn through the sand as he approached the group.
His shadows remained watchful, keeping the goblins and humans in their little huddles.
The viper queen walked through the remaining horde and dead bodies from the arrow shower; a smirk on the serpentine face, she must have thought she had the upper hand now. To negotiate with the viper… by extension the blood tooth cartel… A fool's folly she thought it was.
A fatal mistake on her part, one that the Reaper intended to teach her the consequences of her.
"Once more whose flag do you represent?" She asked, an arrogant look of confidence.
"..."
"The silent type? Very well. On behalf of the blood tooth cartel, I can offer-"
*Woosh*
The blade of the nodachi swung so fast. A blur of black steel, faster than the crimson wind itself. Held at the tip of her chin. Inches from decapitation.
"Watch..." A growl from the reaper, a threat to her. He titled her chin to watch as the stone giants were freed. The magics of Saku and a couple other mages destroyed the glowing symbols etched onto a nearby tether point.
The thundering pounds against the mountain came to an abrupt halt. A silence washed over the area.
No more pain filled groans, or the wails of the bound. The golems were now free. Turning to the remaining goblins, a new sound began.
The march of the freed.
*Thump* *Thump*
Faster and faster the giants began to close the gap. Each step was like an earthquake that shook the ground beneath.
Hands outstretched ready to claim vengeance for what was done.
The goblins, terrified of the approaching mountains scurried through the sands; the naga had begun to slither away but were caught by the smaller faster golems.
"Wait, Wait! Please spare my brothers and sisters!" Ninki pleaded up high to the oncoming wave of giants.
There was no response given.
A loud roar echoed from the deep caverns of the mouthless golems, picking up a handful of goblins. Crushed between the fingers of the vengeful ones.
"Please, what do you want?! I'll give it too you! Call them off!" She continued to plead.
Desperation filled her voice as she watched as one naga was tugged on; bottom tail to the head. A slow tear that was agonizingly slow.
Green blood splattered across the sand; a shrill shriek escaped her throat.
She continued to cry, and plead for the end of this, for the pain to be ended quickly. It was only when she was split in twine, did she fall silent.
"El Rey Sol. La Sombra... Tell me and they will live." The Reaper growled out; the names that had been given.
"Who are they?"
"El Rey Sol. He is some business man in Japan; I don't know his face or true name."
Pushing deeper on her neck; green began to leak out from under the blade.
"La sombra?"
"Yes. The blood tooth's man for cleaning out the cartel's problems. He is not a man to underestimate. He is the shadows."
'He is the shadows...' The irony of that statement was not lost on the Reaper.
Nor was it lost on Ninki… Shuddering as she so easily had to spill these secrets.
"Now please save my family. Call them off…" Ninki pleaded, the last two naga were still before the giants.
"...No. It is not mine to decide…"
To her horror the last two naga were crushed underfoot of the golems, a sickly green paste smeared on the sands. She was now the last one, the green blood of her family stained on the boots of the golems.
"Why… There was no need to kill them."
Thick tears fell from those slit-eyes.
People would call this poetic; to have your family taken from you, when you take families yourself.
No care for poetry however, the Reaper readied his blade at the base of her neck.
"I'll see you soon."
*Schick*
A slash across her throat; green blood spilled out into the crimson sand.
A few final tears before her breath left her.
Likely another homunculus, that snake was more fearful of her family than her own death.
---
*Thud* *Thud* *Thud*
The stone golems all approached The Reaper.
Their imposing size even made the shadows wary of them. Taking a hand to their blades apprehensively.
A hand out from the Reaper, a gesture for the shadows to stand down. Although a little reluctant to lower the guard, they did so.
The greatest of them all stepped forward, rocks faded in many areas, falling away and creaking as it knelled low to the greet the skull. Tendrils from its exposed veins grabbed hold of one of the many dead goblins. A marionette that turned a light blue; the spirits of the giants were imbued into the puppet.
"You... Freed us?" The marionette spoke; its voice was old and tired.
"Yes..." The Reaper did what needed to be done. Slavery in all its repugnance and barbarism would not stand in his sight.
It is a noble sentiment, that despite the Reapers callous nature he would fight for.
For a time, he felt the elder stone examine his entire form; looking at the shadows, the nodachi and the mask. He then looked towards the dead bodies of the goblins, snake people and remaining humans.
"Why... do you wear the face of death?" The elder asked.
The question answered with silence. The Reaper began to move back into the shanty town.
"Death is not a man, nor a monster. Death is a force, a power greater than anything…" The elder began to ramble on, like a father or grandfather would speak to the young. As if they had the wisdom of the world, and could impart that wisdom. Even if it were unwanted.
"..."
"I see... Death is yours to command. You wear his skin, but we were saved by life. You... Are life and death. Thank you..." The cryptic elder ordered one of the smaller giants to bring something from the mountain's wall.
"Please, accept this token of gratefulness. Our fallen brethren will serve as your guardian in your times ahead."
A large golem was dragged along the sands, placed before the Reaper.
Long had the life of the golem been ended. A chance that this husk would offer no worthy soul. Although, the Reaper was more than willing to give it a chance.
A slight nod; the tendrils enveloped the golem slowly and surely. It was a heavy task to accomplish, physically and mentally.
'I was too late...' Behind the mask was a frown, a regret that could not be seen.
No matter what Eren felt a guilt that tug tightly against the soul. He could have been faster; the stone giant would not have died. Suffering could have been avoided.
A fact that the elder golem seemed to sense the feeling of guilt from Eren. A large cracked hand came down gently onto the shoulder of The Reaper, through it was just the tip of its index finger.
"You... cannot save the world." The marionette said.
"There is many one truths to these worlds... But no great feat can be reached without learning to walk first. We thank you for trying and succeeding in freeing us. This one would have gladly given its life to save us. It has not died in vain, but to a better future. With all the strength, all the courage in the world... You cannot save everyone." The wisdom from the elder golem's was a bitter truth.
Not everyone can be saved, a hard fact of life.
"We... will take our leave; we will go and find our own home now. Save others and free those in slavery. Remember to not take those who have fallen upon your heart." The marionette's body crumbled away into red sand; the golems began their trek off into the crimson horizon.
Whilst the deceased golem descended into the shadows. The reaper was left empty.
A good deed done, but nothing felt better.
The feeling of death, of blood, of hate, of pain. It wouldn't leave him.
These good deeds are slowly running out of solace.