Spiritbound [Spirit Magic, Military, Progression] (Book 1 Complete)

Rain poured through the shattered windows of the castle, sending ripples through the blood-slick floors beneath Tucker's feet. Each droplet broke through the crimson veil, briefly revealing the marble tiles beneath. Around him were the fallen bodies of friend and foe alike, followed by the iron tang of blood that was so thick, one could taste it. Yet, in the silence that followed with the enemy's appearance. None dared to make the first move. What had been a brutal test of endurance had now become one of pure, calculated strength.

The Everheart knights locked eyes with each other. They recognized the enemy order of knights by the steel cross badge on their pauldrons. On the surface was a metal engraving of a raven whose feathers were as dark as the night. A stark contrast to the silver armor and crimson capes draped over their shoulders. They were the Eleventh Order of the Avalon Empire. The only order that was known for its methodical approach, and seeing it firsthand, the Everheart soldiers understood why many didn't like them.

They had sacrificed their footmen to gauge the enemy's strength.

A tactic that they despised with all of their hearts. Aura rose from both sides as the ground rumbled. Broken stone fragments shook, and a blinding display of power took hold of the hall. One of azure and another of crimson. The Everheart soldiers pulled back to the cannons while the Empire's footmen evacuated from the gates.

Tucker's heart hammered in his chest. A trickle of sweat slid down the side of his face. Fear didn't grab hold of him. Only a calmness. They needed to take down the knights before they caused too much damage to their ranks. It wasn't a question of if, but how.

Lightning ripped across the sky in a jagged flash, splitting the rain with a blinding white light. Then came the thunder that crashed down like the rumble of a collapsing tower. Tucker felt his bones tremble with fury. But he couldn't make the first move. The ones to lead the charge had to be someone with experience. Someone like Captain Morgan or Captain Maystone. Yet from their expressions, Tucker could tell that was easier said than done.

Only a minute had passed, but the standstill felt like an eternity with neither side daring to make a move. The pressure exerted by the Everheart Knights pressed down against the Eleventh Order like a raging torrent falling from the peak of a mountain. However, with each second, the Empire's knights stood in defiance. Their aura refusing to submit to the display of force.

Tucker's hand tightened. His knuckles turned white, but his blade remained directed at the foes before him. If they fell here, then the rest of the defenders would get slaughtered. It would be a one-sided massacre. One that only existed in nightmares.

They needed to prevail, and just the slightest opening would pave the way for their victory.

Just a moment to break the tension.

And as Tucker prayed—a crackle of lightning entered his ears. The sound engulfed the entire chamber, with everyone raising their guard. His eyes scanned the room, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't find the source. It grew louder, fiercer with each slow growl crawling throughout the hall. All the knights could sense the danger looming over them.

Then, in a single heartbeat—the silence shattered. A colossal hammer slammed into the Eleventh Order's flank. The impact split the stone under the knight's steel boots as shards were sent flying. The enemy staggered back while clenching his jaw. His boots sank further into the fractured earth as he scrambled to raise his blade against the sudden ambush.

Benjamin frowned. "I've gotten old."

The Knight Slayer's arms swelled with aura as he pressed the great hammer down upon his foe. He could tell that the knight wouldn't break so easily. With the slightest shift of his body, the hammer slid along the steel, grinding against the edge until it caught against the crossguard. Benjamin landed on the jagged tiles and used the momentum of his hammer to wrench the blade aside. He pivoted on his heel while tearing through the air and drove his weapon towards the knight's exposed chest.

With one swift blow, he struck the center of his chest. The man vomited blood. His chest plate crumbled under the weight of the attack, but he didn't let go. He held onto Benjamin's weapon and refused to yield, and seeing this, the old man couldn't help but grin.

The knights of the Eleventh Order rushed towards him from all directions. Their blades aimed at his vitals, but this was exactly what the watchman wanted. He took a step back to reach the end of his weapon's handle. With a deep breath, he hoisted his great hammer into the air with the knight still clenching onto the metal body.

Electricity surged through the watchman's body. Aura covered the base of the weapon, allowing the spirit essence to flow freely. There wasn't a need to conserve his strength. Not anymore. With all the strength he could muster, Benjamin cleaved a full crescent arc around himself as a wave of lightning soared from his hammer.

The scent of burnt flesh hit Tucker like a punch to the gut. Yet despite the gust of wind that was generated from Benjamin's mighty blow. He couldn't lower his guard. The silver knights' aura solidified around their bodies, shrouding them as the spirit essence bounced off the surface. A handful of them had turned their backs on them, and Tucker's eyes widened in shock. This was the opportunity they were searching for, and without uttering a single word.

The Everheart knights broke out into a full sprint. Their blood-smeared swords glistened with the flash of lightning. Their boots thudded against the slick tiles. The knights of the Eleventh Order were prepared for the inevitable clash. Those who could, raised their blades and launched a counter-charge against the Everheart's finest.

The two forces tore headfirst into each other's ranks. Steel met steel in a trial of power. Sparks danced along Max's greatsword as he blocked a rapid succession of jabs from his opponent. While Brian struck the spine of his foe's blade, deflecting it to the side. Each knight had their match. All except for Tucker.

Time slowed as the raindrops descended through the broken windows. He could see it. The brief openings in the enemy knights' movements. Lines of silver flashed through the air in different arcs, each filled with killing intent that sought to claim the lives of his allies. Tucker clenched his sword and stepped forward as the aura stars in his body hummed. This wasn't a matter of if. He had to succeed. His comrades depended on it, and there wasn't a chance in hell he would fail here.

The fourth aura star within him gleamed, urging to manifest as energy poured out from its core. Tucker felt it surge through his body, spreading through his arms and legs. There wasn't a need to control it. Instead, he let it freely flow through his limbs. Each bit of aura removed the strain from his body and delivered a second wind. The newfound power was like a storm raging against inevitability.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Every step he took felt as if he were walking on clouds, and the moment the aura completed its course. His figure flickered. The enemy knight closest to him stood there in disbelief as one of the Everheart knights locked his sword in place. He had been following the watchman's every move, but in the blink of an eye—he lost him.

The man narrowed his eyes but soon spat out a mouthful of blood as crimson liquid dripped down his helm. He gazed down at his chest, staring at the sword that pierced through his chest. The searing pain radiated through his body. Then he blinked, and the sword was gone.

"How…?" he gasped, falling to his knees.

Tucker didn't answer before moving to his next target. From the corner of his eye, the Everheart knight swung his sword in a clean arc, severing the enemy's head in one motion. It rolled across the blood-slick floor, and before he could stare any longer. Tucker was already closing in on his next prey.

The wind guided his path. Every movement felt faster, and the spirit essence combined with his aura generated a speed that was difficult for most to match. He cut down one knight after another with ease as they focused on defending the aura blades from his comrades.

Yet after the fourth enemy knight fell, his opponents grasped the situation and formed defensive positions. They fought back-to-back, parrying every strike from the Everheart knights. The Eleventh Order's coordination was swift and relentless, overpowering their enemies while driving them back with each calculated attack.

"Push them back!" Tucker shouted. "We have them on the ropes!"

The Everheart knights answered with a thunderous battle cry, their voices rolling through the hall like an unstoppable force. The soldiers who waited by the cannons couldn't stand by any longer. They roared at the top of their lungs and charged with renewed vigor. Swords and pikes were raised in the air as the men rallied one after another. And seeing this, the Empire's footmen released their own war chant and pressed in to reinforce their ranks.

Hundreds of men charged into the fray. Shields were broken, and swords rang as aura lit the storm-drenched battlefield like whips of lightning. Rain plastered their faces, drenching their tabards and soaking their armor, but none of them cared. It was madness to hurl themselves into a battle of knights, yet their only chance to claim victory.

Tucker glanced at his allies. Benjamin, Max, and Brian were fighting tooth and nail against their opponents. Each attack sent shockwaves through the chamber, and those who drew near met a swift end. The Everheart knights were holding their ground by a thin breath, yet in this brutal melee, everything seemed like a blur.

He held onto his sword and cut down the Avalon footmen one after another, but the swarm seemed endless. Beyond the gates were thousands of soldiers eagerly waiting to break through. Even though the defenders were gaining ground, Tucker knew it wasn't possible to hold out forever.

What do we do?!

Tucker cursed in his head and struck the center of his opponent's blade into the air. Without giving the man time to react, he grabbed his head and drove his blade through the soldier's neck.

"Stay together! Don't let them separate you!" Tucker roared.

"Yes, sir!"

The Everheart soldiers rushed to fill in the gaps between their ranks. Arrows were sent soaring through the chamber one after another by the men on the second floor. Yet for every foe they killed, five more appeared. Tucker helplessly watched as an Everheart knight finally cut down his match, only to see a swarm of footmen rush towards him.

The knight released a powerful war cry, cutting down one man after another, but those who survived the attacks grasped onto his limbs with their dying breaths. They clawed at his armor with their hands, slowing his every movement. Blades chipped against his aura, stabbing relentlessly as bodies piled on top of him. In moments, he was swallowed beneath the mass with blood erupting from where he once stood.

Tucker could only stare, frozen in horror at the reality of war. Even if he rushed, he wouldn't have made it in time. There were too many adversaries in the way. Yet he couldn't give up here, not while his men continued to fight in this godforsaken hall. He did whatever it took to kill his opponents. Stabbing. Slashing. Cutting.

Whatever technique Tucker could think of to overcome their current situation, he used. Cracks formed along the edge of his sword as he swung like a frantic beast that refused to die. Until finally, his blade snapped in half. The iron sword had run the course of its life, its other half twirling in the air. Tucker clenched his teeth and hurled the broken blade at the incoming soldier like a dagger.

The aura-clad projectile lodged itself into the man's helm with a crunch. A cry of pain escaped him, but Tucker didn't stop there. He sprinted forward and drove his fist into the end of the hilt to bury the blade through the soldier's skull. Scarlet soaked his leather gloves as he pried a sword from the corpse's grasp.

It wasn't over. Not while there was a single soul still fighting.

Those were the words that kept Tucker moving.

A sharp pain raced down his back. Someone's blade had cut into his shoulder and would've torn in deeper if it hadn't been for the protection engravings. Tucker snarled and twisted to meet the attacker's eyes.

Fear flickered in the man's eyes. Beneath the rain and blood that dripped down the brim of Tucker's hat was a man filled with rage. A silent rage that refused to show mercy. Tucker slashed the man's throat in an instant. Blood sprayed onto his face as the soldier helplessly held onto the wound.

More and more enemies were rushing at him. Tucker spun on his heel, releasing a powerful back kick into the bleeding soldier's body that sent him flying back into the Empire's ranks.

How much longer? How much more did they have to fight until their allies made it out?

The flesh on the palms of his hands had long since torn. Yet he continued to move. Lightning split the clouds, and his men were fighting… dying… on his orders. Tucker couldn't let himself rest, his mind wouldn't allow it. As their leader, he needed to be at the forefront to lessen their burden. Draw as many foes as possible to create the tiniest breathing room for his soldiers.

The downpour drowned his heart, yet in its place was a soul that refused to yield. Thunder struck the ground once more as the tiles beneath his feet trembled. And in that moment where the fading storm vanished into the seas of conflict—Tucker heard it.

A bell rang from the depths of the castle. A deep and hollow groan that fought against the wind with each strike. The Everheart soldiers all heard this and roared in unison. Their spirits erupted as they fought like ferocious beasts, pushing back the Empire's forces.

Brian kicked the fallen knight to the ground and raised his sword in the air. "Forward!"

"Drive those bastards back with everything you have!" Max roared.

Both Captains unleashed all of their auras at once. Twin pillars of light tore through the ruined halls, forcing the Eleventh Order to focus solely on defense. Their auras rose in response, but it was too late—Max and Brian had already swung their blades from the sky, carving arcs of orange and gold that ripped towards the castle gates.

The Eleventh Order gritted their teeth and rushed to form their ranks. Barely making it in time as the two earth-shattering slashes crashed into their aura-clad bodies. Their boots dug into the marble tiles, mixing with the blood and rain. Agony tore through their muscles, yet they endured. If this attack made it past them, then their ranks would be thrown into chaos. With every stone pillar they passed, their desperation hardened into resolve. Their pride. Their dignity refused to yield, and once they were sent beyond the gates, did the assault finally fade.

The two captains fell to their knees while their chests heaved for air, and for a moment… pride stirred within the Eleventh Order. Yet as they stared at the Everheart forces, a look of confusion flashed across their faces.

Their foes were smiling.

Tucker stepped forward with his sword resting on his shoulder. He stood beside his captains, his eyes burning beneath the brim of his hat.

His voice cut through the crumbling stone.

"Enjoy your ride to hell."