With her health restored, Amdirlain returned to the first temple site and, after orientating herself on the advancing teams, started mapping with Clairsentience. She confirmed Ebusuku’s find was twice as far as her initial explorations had gone from the shoreline. A mental map of canyons prepared—but the others beyond Telepathy’s range—she sent it out via their Oath link and received a sense of acknowledgement back. Cutting across the canyons, she cleared another five temples occupied by liches and their battalions along the line of the Teams’ advance.
Ki Movement carried her effortlessly through the dead civilisation, yet the weight of the place sat heavily. Only the odd noises of the winds through the damaged buildings provided any break from the heavy stillness. The lengthening day weighed with the familiarity of the Necropolis.
“Amdirlain, can you hear me? I found something you should see.” O’Nai’s words whispered directly into her awareness had her mistime a jump, and she caught herself with claws driven into a stone wall.
Not taking her gaze from the dark waters beneath her, Amdirlain huffed in amusement and sent a message. “Neat trick O’Nai. I know you didn’t take Wizard. How did you do that?”
“A Valkyrie explained—if I understood properly—it’s using the bond of our Oath,” replied O’Nai, the words still faint in her awareness.
“Anything new in your Profile?” asked Amdirlain, focusing just on O’Nai’s Oath link.
“I’ll check,” replied O’Nai. “Did you see a picture just then?”
“No, I didn’t,” conceded Amdirlain, wondering how bad things could be.
“I have Spirit Bridge now, but only at four,” O’Nai offered.
Amdirlain teleported closer to the area she expected O’Nai to be, and easily linked to his mind. “We’ll work on it. I’ve teleported closer. Is it okay if I look through your eyes?”
“Of course. Be warned, it’s worse than anything else I’ve seen here,” said O’Nai. Anger that hadn’t been in the message was clear in his mind.
The late afternoon sunlight streaming through a dirty window overhead cast a chamber in shadows. It appeared to be an indoor auditorium; arrayed from a central dais in hexagonal lines were low stone blocks, each set on ascending levels. A large crystal, drawing in wisps of energy from the chamber’s undead, was positioned on the room’s central dais. Thousands of small skeletons flailed about on the auditorium’s floor with fractured bones. They weren’t a danger to O’Nai and didn’t even seem inclined or able to move towards him.
Teleport put her beside O’Nai, and the situation became clear in Soul Sight. Every skeleton still had the child’s Soul bound to it and mirrored the bone’s wounds. The Souls experienced an endless repetition of the torture inflicted on them, and their anguish drained into the crystal.
Tendrils raced out from her and brushed by each child to free their Souls. Looking over the crystal’s enchantments, she ensured they were clear of traps. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and the tentacle she reached out towards it paused. Instead of smashing it apart, she stored it into Inventory.
[True Sight [M](42->43)]
Two today, that’s a bit of progression from checking gear. I’ll stop using Analysis as the first option on enchantments.
She blinked away the tears for the pain of the Souls she held within, and spotting the distress on O’Nai’s face, she placed a hand on his forearm and gave a reassuring squeeze.
“If they take them to the Abyss, they have to release them to Judgement. They were keeping them here to harvest their misery—you helped free them,” said Amdirlain, more to make sense of it to O’Nai than any need to hear it aloud. “Suffering is a valuable commodity in the Abyss. I can use it to make them pay the bill for what they’ve done here.”
“You would make the suffering of the children mean something rather than simply destroy it? Ebusuku says you have a strange mind to use Protean in such a fashion. It seems it’s not limited to the use of your Powers,” observed O’Nai, motioning to the retracting tendrils, his tone calmer than his mind.
“From her, I’ll take that as a compliment,” quipped Amdirlain, patting him on the arm. “It’s getting close to nightfall; we should head back shortly. Thanks for letting me know, O’Nai, now let’s go outside; it feels vile in here.”
O’Nai nodded and shook bone fragments from the footman’s mace he held in a white-knuckled grip. Their path out led through decorative chambers far more elaborate than other buildings she’d looked inside. Scores of destroyed skeletons lay along their path before they reached the terrace. Amdirlain looked over the building front for some clue to its content, but its exterior was indistinguishable from so many others she’d passed.
“I’ve not found any places like this one, but I’ve not explored a lot of building interiors. I could have passed by worse than that horror show,” commented Amdirlain.
“We can only help where we can. We didn’t cause their suffering,” O’Nai poked her with her own words, his tension setting a cutting edge.
“True, but it means we need to inspect every building,” Amdirlain said, letting the edge of the words slide off her, unsure how to comfort him. “Thanks to you, we freed them. Our activity today might have attracted attention, we should tackle a different region next time we return.”
“You mean tomorrow?” questioned O’Nai gruffly.
“No, I mean next time, we might not return every day. Even if we come tomorrow, it doesn’t mean we’ll strike here,” refuted Amdirlain and she teleported them both back before explaining further. “If we’re predictable, we’ll end up sticking our head into a trap.”
“Like prey coming to the waterhole,” O’Nai said thoughtfully after a moment.
Motioning to the stone circle she’d etched the previous day, she said “I’ll need to get rid of that marker before we leave. While we’re acting, it doesn’t stop others from enacting their own plans in return.”
The other teams arrived just before nightfall; even Ebusuku and Farhad returned without prompting. Amdirlain couldn’t see a mark on either of them, except for some dust on Farhad’s shoes. The cliff’s lip gained a jagged break as she fractured the rock face to remove the evidence of the circle.
Their return path via Limbo quickly washed their trace away, and when they reached her Domain, Amdirlain waved them on. “I’m going to get my scrap melted down. Ebusuku, could you have a chat with Malnar for me while I’m gone?”
“I’ll see if I can find her. What did you want built?” asked Ebusuku, directing a curious look at Amdirlain.
“A training corridor full of embarrassing traps, nothing that would risk someone’s life. A face full of dye is clearly a bad sign when disarming a trap. Along with doorways with various challenging locks, that sort of thing,” explained Amdirlain.
Ebusuku gave her a brisk nod. “I know what you mean.”
“Oh, and chambers filled with obstacles to make it challenging to get through quickly, even for Farhad,” added Amdirlain. At the mention of a challenge, Farhad looked pleased, and she shifted planes.
Thousands of Souls washing out across the grey cloud in Judgement again had the Titan’s Servant appearing almost instantly. Relieved the children’s damaged Souls had lost all sign of their injuries, Amdirlain turned towards the Servant.
“Does Cemna have anyone left alive on it?” Amdirlain asked.
“Good day to you as well, Amdirlain,” replied the Servant.
Amdirlain rolled her eyes, but her tone was polite. “Oh yes, my bad. We’ve always taken time for the small talk. Good day to whomever it may concern since I don’t know your name. I just think of you as the Titan’s Servant.”
“That is correct. In answer to your question, except for some animals—as you’ve seen—the world no longer has any member of its sapient species left alive. The Demon Lord Orcus hates the living, he wishes everything to die.”
Amdirlain breathed a sigh of relief that new Souls weren’t being born into that torment. The pain Ebusuku had carried with her prompted another question she hoped to get answered. “Why were there children trapped in the Titan’s Maze?”
“Those trapped weren’t children no matter their appearance. They were proto-deities from various worlds that failed to achieve a full transition from spirit to Power, for whatever reason,” the Servant said. “She could see them as their original nature aligned to your own. Those too different to your nature, she could not hope to rescue. They appeared human merely for her benefit, otherwise she would not have recognised their forms.”
“I’ll let her know-” Amdirlain said, halting as the Servant and the Souls vanished. “Thanks.”
Storing the crates left behind, Amdirlain braced herself and shifted planes again, ready to teleport in an instant. The chamber’s rock formations didn’t press suddenly inwards, but it still wasn’t a place she’d been aiming to reach. Though the chamber wasn’t large, Amdirlain dumped the weapons and armour to the ground. Laying wall after wall of Celestial energy in place, Amdirlain mentally reached out, and confirmed there weren’t any minds close.
[Summoning Notification
You have received a summons from Summoner Aleko of Chernihiv via your ‘Use’ name.
Your Willpower, Intelligence, and total levels all exceed the summoner.
They meet no conditions to compel you to respond.
The individual is not a member of your faithful.
You can ignore this summons.
Do you wish to accept the summons? ]
Amdirlain grabbed at the name with Analysis and frowned at the information she received.
[Name: Aleko of Chernihiv
Class: Summoner / Thief / Fighter
Level: 43 / 39 / 21
Health: 1,398
Defence: 61
Magic: 63
Mana: 722
Melee Attack Power: 54
Combat Skills: Dagger [Ad] (27), Short Spear [Ad] (3)
Details: The youngest son of a Slav Witch, Aleko inherited her gift of dealing with spirits, but not her abilities with Spell crafting. So instead, he received training as a Summoner to help ensure the safety of villages in the family’s care. After his family died in Hobgoblin raids, he became a mercenary, taking whatever jobs paid the best.]
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
[Analysis [S](16->17)]
No
Amdirlain brushed the summoning aside and chewed on her lip as she considered the implications.
* * *
Duskstone
Amdirlain hadn’t previously made it onto the main floor of Duskstone’s Foundry with Jaixar. On this visit, she’d turned up after night shift’s commencement and the only Foundry Master present was already supervising a pour. The staff at the outer office sent her inside with an escort to ensure she didn’t ‘get lost’. Entering the main floor, waves of heat and noise washed over her even from the furnaces not in use. Each added to the Foundry’s sweltering conditions and emitted a massive amount of Fire Mana, but their setup made it impossible to determine the exact source.
Amdirlain spotted the Foundry Master directing a team, but her escort motioned her behind a line etched onto the floor, and she settled down to wait. Unhurried in his approach, his reddish-black gaze regarded her silently for a few moments before he pulled off a long heavy work glove and held out a hand. Though his beard was unmarked, his bare skin was splotched with burn scars that showed even under his thinning black hair. Amdirlain shook his hand without hesitation and carefully matched his solid grip.
[Name: Palnar
Species: Mountain Dwarf
Class: Master Engineer / Fighter
Level: 23 / 51
Health: 2,181
Defence: 81
Melee Attack Power: 75
Combat Skills: Dagger [M] (5), War Hammer [M] (23)
Details: Palnar, the third son of Narrax, worked his way up from a Foundry crew hand on his own merit instead of following his family’s custom of mining. He is currently the youngest shift chief in Duskstone, having combined Engineer and Smith at level 50 into the Master Engineer Prestige Class.
[Master Engineer
This Prestige Class combines Engineer with one of several other crafting classes at level 50. The secondary class combined with the Engineer Class influences the benefits provided.]
“Master Palnar, thank you for talking with me,” Amdirlain said politely, the moment he released her hand.
[Diplomacy check failed!]
Oh fuck off!
“We’ve a busy evening ahead of us Wood Elf. What did you need?” growled Palnar.
“I brought in a load of Celestial steel etched with foul runes, and I have more I needed smelted,” said Amdirlain. “I was told to give it directly into the care of a Foundry Master.”
“That would make you Amdirlain then, correct?” Palnar asked. When Amdirlain nodded, he immediately continued on. “Well, your steel lots are on the work docket for tonight. How much more do you have?”
“Six times the original amount, of both ordinary and Celestial,” replied Amdirlain.
“The night just got busier, it seems,” Planar grumbled, and putting fingers to his lips, let loose an ear-piercing whistle even over the Foundry’s noise. He motioned a team to bring carts over before he looked back at Amdirlain. “Drop it there, and we’ll get it smelted. We’ve a reduced crew on, given the runes nature, so some furnaces are free.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, Master Palnar, but what do you use to power the furnaces?” enquired Amdirlain. “They radiate massive amounts of Fire Mana.”
“No secret there, petal pusher. Efreeti Hearts make for the best source of power for a furnace. It’s the only good use for the bastards,” Palnar declared, and a smile twisted his burn-scarred lips.
“That’s vaguely disturbing,” commented Amdirlain.
“Not as disturbing as finding cooked miners they’ve roasted on the edges of the Magma,” growled Palnar, before giving a snort. “You know why their hearts can fuel a furnace for decades?”
“No, I don’t,” Amdirlain admitted, wondering what the punchline was going to be.
“Because the Efreeti never use them while they’re alive,” chuckled Palnar dryly.
Does that count as Dwarven black humour?
Unamused, Amdirlain started setting the salvage on the floor.
“Plus, it’s not a fleshy heart, flower muncher. The stronger Efreeti crack apart after they die and leave a burning ruby behind. You do find ugly lots of steel,” observed Palnar, nudging a piece with his foot. “Leave it with us. What we don’t get handled tonight, we’ll fit into a gap in our schedule. Delivery terms the same?”
“Yes, please. Jaixar will handle the rest of the details,” replied Amdirlain, ignoring Palnar’s snort.
[Diplomacy check failed!]
I still need to take these crates through to Clan Gildenshield, wonder if I’ll end up flooding the market.
* * *
Outlands
None of the Archons was immediately where she could see them on her return, though Amdirlain could feel them spread out through the Domain. Fighting down the blush that the energy from Farhad’s dwelling had brought up, Amdirlain worked to block her awareness of their home as she wandered through the original buildings. Though the Norse feel of it was consistent, she still wasn’t sure she would have chosen it herself, however familiar it was to her original worshippers.
This is what Sidero means about letting others put the bit between my teeth. If others are making choices for me, inertia can keep them in play. Need the right people to decide.
Moving towards the closest Archon, she found Mirage sitting at a heavy table set in the sunlight with Artificer tools spread across it. Like Amdirlain had seen Salnox practising, Mirage was setting runes along a disk’s edge that sat secured within a stand while one of Morgana’s escorts gave her advice.
The Archon looked nothing like Amdirlain had seen her earlier, and sat working as an alabaster-skinned Human, with wild, dark red hair. She glanced up as Amdirlain approached, revealing a brilliant emerald gaze. The quick motion caused the crafting glasses she wore to slip a bit on her snub nose. Releasing the disk’s stand for a moment, Mirage quickly pushed them back into position and refocused on her work.
Amdirlain sat down across from her and watched Mana steadily flow into the Artificer runes. While she waited, two Archons approaching drew her attention. Tickles taking on a human form was apparently catching on with the others. Berry and one of the male Archons—Echo—approached the bench carrying a crate each. However, each had taken on very different forms than any Human she’d yet seen.
Berry had wavey black shoulder-length hair and dusky brown skin, her broad nose and jawline giving her a look similar to a Pacific Islander, though her skin tone was darker. Echo was far different, and his height made Berry look tiny even though she was slightly taller than Amdirlain’s Wood Elf form. His skin was so pale it almost glowed, but covered by a network of blue tattoos, and his dark leaf-green hair reached to mid-back, its colour matching his eyes. While neither Tickles’ nor Berry’s features matched the Norse, Echo had their broad, solid look overall, though he looked like he could stand out in any setting.
“What’s in the boxes?” Amdirlain asked quickly to avoid commenting on Echo’s appearance. Though his questioning gaze looked as if he’d been trying to elicit a reaction.
Echo hefted the crate slightly, and she heard wood pieces slithering across each other inside. “Mostly your symbols. Torm sent a message via Svenja asking for some. Sage is preparing a bunch for him since he’s been asking so often.”
Moving to sit beside Amdirlain, Berry set her crate on the bench, careful not to bump Mirage’s work.
“Farhad only just give you a break from training to sort it out?” enquired Amdirlain, as she reached for the latches on Berry’s crate.
“No,” Berry replied, and she continued on the moment Amdirlain gave her a raised eyebrow. “Ebusuku sent some previously. Aggie had brought a Relic made by the Lady of the Forest to prepare them more easily. She wanted it kept here in case of trouble.”
Pausing as she undid the first latch, Amdirlain nodded. “I know the one you mean, dark wood, with amber grain in the shape of my symbol. What sort of trouble is she worried about?”
“There have been some Greeks asking questions among the Norse and Egyptians. Eivor and Aggie have been growing concerned about them,” Echo explained. “They weren’t sure if they were Hestia’s followers or someone else.”
“I hope Hestia is the only one of them looking on the Material Plane, but she’s potentially not,” frowned Amdirlain, and she froze as she looked inside the crate.
Mirage glanced up for only a moment. “Aggie mentioned they’re changing the engraving in the temples slightly; added a mix of faces and including adjustments to your Elven features—since everyone should do their bit to help.”
Berry tilted her head at Amdirlain’s continued frown. “Did we do something wrong?”
“You’ve done nothing wrong,” reassured Amdirlain, and she patted her arm. “I had someone try to summon me earlier, but I’ve never heard of them. The notification gave their name as Aleko of Chernihiv, which is more Slavic, but their details showed they’re a mercenary, basically.”
Forcing the frown from her face, Amdirlain took in the forearm dimensions of the cube-shaped crate. “It seems to be mostly symbols. What else is in here?”
“Five thousand symbols in each, plus some potions,” Berry clarified.
“Why so many?” asked Amdirlain, glancing between Berry and Echo.
“Ebusuku already sent him five crates of one thousand each over the last two weeks—he keeps asking for more,” explained Berry. Taking the crate from Amdirlain she re-secured the latches.
“I told him to see if their culture was okay and tell them about Týr,” protested Amdirlain, as she ground her teeth.
I’ve no idea if I’m doing right by the people who look to me already.
Echo gave her a relaxed shrug. “He’s been doing that, and telling them about you as well.”
“Once I get past level thirty, I’d like to go to Eyrarháls and join up with Livia,” Berry said hesitantly. “I figure if the Greek Gods are going to send agents to strike at someone, she’ll be one of them. I’d like to get practice travelling through normal lands as well.”
“I’ll switch with you when I hit forty, and you can work on catching up,” Echo interjected before Amdirlain could reply.
“The choice is yours, but thank you,” Amdirlain replied, giving them both a grateful smile for their concern. “Now fill me in on what you’ve heard about Torm’s activities.”
“He’s been talking to the Senior Shaper along with checking various villages and towns. Svenja sent Ebusuku a message today, and after you headed off, she asked Sage to create the symbols. That’s all I know,” replied Berry.
“Oh, she offloaded it to Sage so she could go celebrate. I see how it is!” exclaimed Amdirlain.
Echo laughed and gave her a broad smile. “She talked to Malnar first, but I’ve never heard her speak so quickly before.”
“I’m glad they warded their place. I swear I’ve seen the walls shaking,” Berry offered playfully.
Amdirlain laughed at Berry’s amusement. “Guess they’re doing stability testing of Malnar’s construction techniques.”
* * *
Viper’s PoV - Raivo’s Quarters - Blades of Ruin Fortress
Analysis showed that the inner door guards were Cambion rather than Hymadan. It had only been the lack of rotting fur on the Hyena-headed pair that had prompted her to check them—the plate armour that encased them had made it hard to spot. Though it was tempting to see how fast they could shed the armour, playing with someone else’s toys might draw anger and that wouldn’t gain her what she desired.
'Only what gets me closer to my goal'; that’s what she’d have said. I’m sure to find plenty of Mortals I can fuck to death along the way.
A bang from within prompted the guards to leap into action and yank the doors open.
“Enter.”
The snapped order came from a wolf-helmed Narauk just within the doors. Even with his wings tightly folded against his back, he was nearly double her height. Then again, she’d chosen a very special form for today’s visit, and its lithe build wasn’t that tall.
As she stepped past him, the black flame wreathing the Narauk’s almost human form, caused weird shadows to dance around the chamber’s furnishing. The shifting flames competed with the red illumination cast by the throne’s lightning-wrapped figure. Even if its heat didn’t affect her flesh, she was glad she’d kept her link to the clothing she wore—first impressions and all that.
Raivo stared at her flatly as she came to a halt near his throne. “Why are you here again, Viper?”
“I want to make use of your lackey’s Gate,” declared Viper.
“That will cost you. What’s with the pixie form?” asked Raivo.
“Don’t you like office girl Julia, or should I say J?” purred Viper, turning a quick circle and letting her skirt flare out to show off her tanned legs. “Last time you spoke to her, you wanted to cut clothing off her. Should I add some layers for you Lêdhins, or do you only answer to Raivo now?”
“I thought bargaining with your flesh beneath your Mistress,” stated Raivo, not raising to her bait of his old name.
Viper made the Rod of Lightning appear and spun it in her hand. “I’m not here for her, I’m here on my behalf, and I brought another present as well.”
Raivo looked her over and sneered at the empowered item she was waving about. “Why should I cut a deal with you?”
“Because I can go where your Manes can’t, and you seem to have a distinct lack of succubi willing to deal with you. I wonder why that might be?” teased Viper.
“You’ll provide a half-breed for every five years you’re there,” declared Raivo.
“One after each half-century on the Material Plane, and if you haggle with me, fucking this form is off the table,” Viper retorted.
Raivo looked her over, and the next words came out in a heated growl. “That was really her Mortal Form?”
“Yes,” Viper replied.
“I’ll leave you alive enough to heal,” Raivo said, his hand around Viper’s throat the moment she finished speaking. She released her lightning-seared clothing from Protean’s hold before he started cutting the blouse away. After the initial pain, the lightning aura died away, but Viper screamed in delight. Her special form was still in place, and she couldn’t feel his will trying to suppress her abilities.