Amdirlain's PoV - Undeveloped Demi-Plane

"Are you setting up this place as another training ground?" Silpar asked.

"This is one I didn't include in the list for others to use. I want to test something to annoy Orcus before we go anywhere," replied Amdirlain.

The song dug into the demi-plane's boundary and inflated it further until it was an empty sphere with a thirty-thousand-kilometre radius. While she worked, Silpar hovered in the air nearby, beyond her aura's reach. When the open expanse was complete, the next song retrieved the contents from the dimensional pocket on Culerzic. Megaliters of celestial-infused water fell towards the bottom of the demi-plane, but the crystals remained hovering at the mid-point. With its support and content ripped away, the space on Culerzic imploded and triggered a collapse and avalanche across part of the mountain.

A mass of water burst into existence below their feet. While at the limit of the demi-plane, the celestial energy of the slime's ooze provided a radiant light. In a wide ring around them, the crystals and the primordial energy hovered in the air and continued to release celestial waters. Amdirlain linked the primordial energy sources to the demi-plane and prevented their collapse.

Silpar tilted his head and watched the water that fell from the closest energy source. "How do you have celestial springs?!"

"They started as water sources in the Abyss that feed the Ravager's River tributaries on Culerzic. I repurposed them and tuned them to a celestial energy source," replied Amdirlain with a smug smile. "They've provided a source of annoyance to Moloch's demons, but I wanted to put them to better use."

"A better use?" Silpar asked curiously.

Amdirlain motioned to the cascading water, and her smile turned mischievous. "I'm going to flood a world occupied by Orcus' demons and undead. The flood might also wash into his domain since they've got multiple open gates to the world. It will take a few years to accumulate enough water at this rate, so I'll have to steal some more energy sources. I wonder if Culerzic's rivers will get new wellsprings if I remove all the primordial sources."

Silpar gave an amused tail swish. "Do you take on anything that doesn't involve enormous effort?"

"Now, how would that be interesting?" asked Amdirlain.

Silpar snorted. "I think you're just making light of it. You mentioned developing Mana Finesse to Te, but why did you need it with an ability like this?"

"I thought I needed to avoid using it for all my solutions, especially if I'm going to avoid Rahka's attention. However, at least one other individual knows of my situation than I had expected," replied Amdirlain, motioning casually to Silpar.

"You suspect others might know?"

Amdirlain shrugged helplessly. "I was listening to the energies of those around me, and a number seemed intent on helping, like yourself. A bunch more seemed pleased that I had arrived."

"That must take the guesswork out of much," noted Silpar.

"People can have many reasons for particular feelings," replied Amdirlain. "The feelings changing when situations change are a cue for the source. Everyone had a warning about my arrival, so it was hard to tell if they were helpful towards me just because I was a new member or for other reasons."

"Your possession of a Soul inspired many to offer help," advised Silpar. "I had to argue with a few for the first chance to become your mentor."

"I'll have to thank those sorting the texts in the library for me," said Amdirlain.

Silpar twitched the end of his tail upwards. "You'll need that information; I've only seen a fraction of what the deeper planes' inhabitants are like. Besides your ability with True Song, Mana Finesse, Flight, and resistances, are there other things you need to develop for your plans?"

"I need to get my combat skill to Grandmaster and, oddly enough, Dance," advised Amdirlain.

"Dance?" huffed Silpar

"There are a few ways to evoke True Song, and dancing was one Ori liked to use," said Amdirlain. "I learnt some details of a Prestige Class, and there was firm evidence I will need a Dance Skill into Grandmaster rank."

"For that Skill, you likely should go to The Exchange with Dagrastûr," proposed Silpar.

The Dryad dancer who had copied her sway came to mind, and Amdirlain nodded. "A melting pot of cultures would be an ideal place to learn many dances, but I’m not sure if variety is enough of a challenge for the Skill."

"It's not an activity that I ever expected a member to investigate," laughed Silpar.

Amdirlain shrugged. "Teaching people to dance can serve multiple purposes."

"In what way?"

"They can tell a story, raise someone's emotions, and it's a pleasant form of exercise for mortals," explained Amdirlain. "They can use it for courting or intimidation."

"Intimidation?" asked Silpar sceptically. "I've heard tales but never seen a dance I found intimidating."

A memory of the New Zealand all-blacks haka brought forward a smile from Amdirlain. "You're not Mortal. A dance can show the power in someone's motions and, with strong Charisma, undermine an opponent's confidence. There is also an Elven Bladedancer Class I remember."

Silpar grunted and continued a moment later. "Then you might wish to speak to Fallen from the elven courts. How had you planned to increase your combat skills?"

"I was going to kill some of Moloch's direct lackeys," replied Amdirlain.

"You know that demon lords don't just lounge around in the open?" asked Silpar.

Amdirlain smiled. "Digging them out was going to be part of the challenge."

Silpar's lips curled in anticipation. "I’d prefer you spent time training first, but I know not everyone is the same. Might I assist you?"

"You're welcome to come along if you'd like, but let me know if my journey takes you places you don’t wish to venture. I've identified two demon lords I feel confident to take on. They didn’t transform between species but used a Transformation Site only once to become demon lords," advised Amdirlain. "I was going to mess up towns and cities until I baited them out into the open or found where they live."

"That you could determine their strength shouldn't be a surprise. Might I suggest we openly attack them as Fallen?" asked Silpar. "That should get their senior ranks taking the issue seriously."

"I don’t need them to take it seriously. I only need to find one whose mind contains their Demon Lord’s location. Let’s go for disguises first and escalate as needed. I normally do recon first and prepare based on the gathered information. If it doesn’t work, I am happy to bloody their noses openly," replied Amdirlain.

"Alright, so we start with the small towns and work our way up," agreed Silpar. "How far away can you tell how strong they are?"

"Twenty kilometres at present," answered Amdirlain. "I'll have to make some preparations in case there are any Mortal slaves in the towns."

Opening a Gate to another demi-plane, Amdirlain led the way. Once the Gate closed, she rapidly established thousands of quarantine chambers with crystals to cleanse and heal. She adjusted the atmosphere of the demi-plane to match that of Limbo, where a being unknowingly controlled the content of its breathable air.

A series of hops placed them on a hillside with a riverside town at Resonance's edge. At least twenty thousand demons were present; fortunately, no Mortal soul was among them.

"There isn't anything above their species' greater tier in the town," reported Amdirlain, motioning in the town's direction. "I'm not sure what goods come through here. There are docks but no riverboats present."

"If you were attacking it solo, how would you handle it?" asked Silpar

"Last time I did that, I'd wander through in disguise and set a series of linked songs to simulate various spells. Once I had planted enough, I retreated and triggered them."

Silpar tilted his head, and his tail sketched a curious motion. "Would you need to go into the town to do that?"

"Not now, but previously I would have," replied Amdirlain. "Also, my ability to listen to songs wasn't as strong, so I wanted to make sure there weren't any mortals in harm's way."

Creating an illusion of the town's layout, Amdirlain added lights for the concentrations of the strongest demons. Pointing out the features she'd included, Amdirlain explained the various coloured lights to Silpar.

"I can barely see the town's walls from here," noted Silpar, and his spear appeared in his hands. "We should let those demons who want to run do so. If they're in motion away from us, they're easier to take out. Since there isn't anything old enough to provide a challenge to you, let's strike them and move on before the dust even starts to settle."

Amdirlain nodded. "Besides some detection wards around the perimeter, there are a few flimsy ones over individual buildings. The most dangerous Demon is a Greater Balor, with high levels in three classes."

"Bet he runs if we hit them hard enough. Stay airborne when we arrive. I'll make the ground jump," instructed Silpar.

"Four sets of spells or five?"

"When was the last time you pushed yourself against lesser demons?" asked Silpar. “You might be able to manage as many as fifty if they’re taken by complete surprise.”

"A while," admitted Amdirlain, and she smiled in embarrassment. "How many do you suggest?"

"I suggest we appear near some weaker ones so you can watch how slowly they react to your presence. Some of them will barely have raised their Quickness into the twenties, while the speed you showed against Te was at least a hundred times that," said Silpar. "You were with mortals recently. Did any of those possess classes that focused on Quickness?"

"Many of them had combat classes that focused on hand-eye coordination over brute strength, and they moved quickly," replied Amdirlain. "But I get what you mean. There is a big difference in the speed of their reactions between those with a few levels and fifty."

Silpar smiled. "I'm going to assume your intellect is at least double your body's speed since you invested in developing your Willpower."

Amdirlain nodded. "Yes."

"Then let us blanket the town in spells," replied Silpar. "If you hear foes beyond your strength approach, we'll depart earlier. If you Teleport out, I'll know it's time to leave. Do you have an image for the next target?"

"That works," agreed Amdirlain, and she caused an image of famine groves beyond another town to appear. "Wide area spells unless a strong target approaches."

The pair teleported to the town's outermost building, the erratically placed structures obscuring their view of the training fields further from the river. Keyed up for a fight as she was, the few demons close to them seemed to move in exaggeratedly slow motions, despite their alarmed state.

Silpar unleashed an Earthquake Spell. This caused the ground to ripple as if it was a rug he'd flicked. Cracks moved through the closest stone at a drifting pace faster than the demons could react. Before the first building began to topple, they were already casting other spells. Amdirlain sent a tidal wave of flames along the town's main road. The white primordial flames stretched for a kilometre towards the town centre and incinerated hundreds of demons. The strength of the foes she'd fought of late sank in, dropping the threat level of the average Demon dramatically.

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Silpar's next Spell was a Lightning Storm, raining down a torrent of electricity that melted demonic flesh. Amdirlain caused a waterspout to erupt from the river and twisted the water it carried into acid as it grew. Between them, nearly a score of spells blackened the sky before their impact was felt.

As the shaking ground finally flattened kilometres of buildings, the town's fastest inhabitants reacted.

Hundreds of demons appeared in the sky beyond the spells' scope. Those looking in the right direction saw the Mana erupting from the pair and started to flee. The ones looking in the wrong direction turned into ash first, while those fleeing survived a half second longer. Amdirlain duplicated hundreds of spells of primordial flames with True Song and obliterated them.

Amdirlain teleported away to appear beside a twisted grove of trees growing up out of drought-cracked soil. Silpar appeared almost instantly next to her and gave a nod of satisfaction.

"Your acid spout was just gaining speed. Did you aim it somewhere in particular?"

"The training field's armoury, so it should cross most of the town to get there," replied Amdirlain.

"I think it will be a while before the dying stops. There could be thousands of demons trapped by falling debris that won't get clear of the spells we unleashed," observed Silpar. "The primordial flames you used will catch their attention. They're the sorts of strikes the entities in the deeper planes tend to use."

Get strong enough in magic, and you're a walking cluster bomb.

"Give it a few minutes for the dying to stop and news to potentially reach the demons in charge. Will anyone even take word? I’m sure messengers in the Abyss can regret delivering bad news. If we don't get some reaction, I might have to trigger a town’s wards with the sisterhood sigil."

Amdirlain put concealments in place and gave Silpar advance notice before she brought up an image of the nearby town. This one had a central fort surrounded by a market square that could serve as a kill zone for those on the parapets. An outer wall lay two kilometres from the square's edge, and the space between was filled with thousands of tightly packed buildings. Many of the stone buildings looked to be of heavier construction, and their walls butted against each other for support.

Silpar had just pointed to a barrack beside the main gate when Amdirlain got a notification with a relatively pitiful experience amount.

[Combat Summary

Demons by tier

Least x 3,923 (50%)

Lesser x 412 (50%)

Standard x 57 (50%)

Total experience gained: 7,928,984

Ostimë: +3,964,492

Ontãlin: +3,964,492]

"There is a named Balor called Salgan controlling this fort," advised Amdirlain, and she checked the Analysis details from his song. "He's certainly in charge and reports to the Demon Lord Zozzuth, my first target to destroy. Unfortunately, he doesn't have an Oath Link, or it would make tracking his commander simple. He’s gotten immunities to Air, Earth, Fire, and Lightning but is maybe half Te’s strength."

“I wonder what deeds netted him a trade town to squeeze for profits,” muttered Silpar.

“Could have been part of his recruitment price, or he seized it from another Demon,” replied Amdirlain.

"As you have a Soul, can you summon entities?" enquired Silpar.

Amdirlain nodded. "I don't want to summon him out of his fort, as that will tip my hand."

"Good point. He'd likely alert the Demon Lord he reports to unless you secure the circle properly, or once we killed him," agreed Silpar. "Do you want the most practice in your spellcraft or melee combat?"

"I can fake spells with True Song, but I need my combat proficiency higher for a Prestige Class," explained Amdirlain. "I am interested in improving my Mana Finesse eventually, as otherwise I'm only using part of the resources available to me, which seems wasteful."

Silpar's tail idly twitched back and forth. "Wandering into a town of demons and just starting a fight isn't something I'd normally suggest."

"But in this case?" asked Amdirlain.

"Let's go chop them up," grinned Silpar. "The quickest way to get better at combat is through surviving the experience."

"The wards on this place aren't protecting against anything. They're set to look for factions like the sisterhood. What do you think if I put True Song protections around us and layer defensive spells underneath them before we attack," proposed Amdirlain.

"I'll handle the protection spells," offered Silpar. "That way we have the best of the combination."

"When I have the flames activated, my aura increases my magical resistance," advised Amdirlain. "I can prevent it from injuring specific individuals."

"I think you'd have demons running instead of looking to fight you," laughed Silpar. "You could save it as a surprise if they're going to swarm us."

"Start among the side streets?" asked Amdirlain.

Silpar gave a sharp nod, and a barbed spear appeared in his hand.

Considering her options, Amdirlain retrieved the mithril Kopis of Shattering and rolled her wrist to adjust to its balance before retrieving the second. "These are my lowest enchanted swords, but even these will make it too easy."

"Relying on enchantments when unneeded doesn't push your skills," agreed Silpar. "If he comes out to attack, I'll make an opening for you to capture him."

Frowning at their heft, Amdirlain returned the blades and created a new pair with only a size transformation enchantment and pushed away the meagre experience notification that showed up. "Understood."

Silpar glanced at the new blades meaningfully as the glow of creation faded.

"Those other ones were rated at two thousand, and these are only fifty, enough to let them hold a size transformation enchantment," explained Amdirlain. "If I can't break the Balor's skin with them, I'll switch out. No mortals in this town either, or at least not with salvageable souls—a single Demonologist and a couple of priests in service to dark powers."

"We have to succeed in drawing his attention first," replied Silpar. "A fight breaking out among demons isn't exactly unusual."

"Do we go in disguise or just as we are now?" asked Amdirlain.

"The former might get you more practice. Instead of low-level demons fleeing. it would likely invite more immediate pressure," stated Silpar.

Nodding, Amdirlain merely shortened her hair to prevent anything from grabbing it. "I think we can pick an interesting location, and if need be, I can fall back on True Song. Let's get going."

After they prepared the additional protections against spells, Amdirlain changed the illusion to present a crowded street. It was lined with shop fronts and demons lounging around the place passing flasks and assorted items around. Near some shops, Dretch labourers were unloading stone wagons, prompted by shouts and the prodding of stronger demons.

After looking over the crowd, Silpar chuffed in amusement. "You wish to start with them pressed close?"

"It'll save me chasing these down, and we're close to the market square but not in direct sight of the fort," replied Amdirlain. "We should be able to attract attention from the fort pretty easily."

"I'll make an opening among the demons this way and then destroy a few of the buildings so the explosions attract notice," stated Silpar, tracing along the street toward the closest main road. Silpar's form changed, the black dust became dark green scales, and he straightened into a tailless Lizardfolk form, closer to Human than others Amdirlain had seen.

There was a gap in the foot traffic, and Silpar jabbed a finger towards it. When Amdirlain gave a pleased nod, he shifted their position. The illusion and concealments faded out behind them.

Amdirlain appeared before a massive Dretch clad in hardened leather armour, and she didn't hesitate. Her blade blurred, cut him in two, and sprayed blood towards various seated demons before they could blink. A nearby Quasit's eyes had barely started to widen in reflex, but continuing the blow, Amdirlain also decapitated it. The Dretch's body toppled along the line of her cut, and Amdirlain continued her spin.

She swirled around the other side using unchecked momentum and kicked a goat-headed Schir under the chin. His head snapped back so hard from the blow that his skull's pulped remains went along the street and left his cartwheeling body behind. Lightning blazed from Silpar's spear, and a row of demons died behind her. With the crowd motionless around them, Amdirlain stepped through the spray of gore from her last target and pivoted. A heel drove into the side of a stone wagon, and she sent the mass into the packed crowd.

A slight flinch from one Demon had her next strike cleave through the front of its ribs from shoulder to hip; instead of the two halves going their separate ways, they wobbled in the air, connected by a flap of skin and a shattered spine. Cleft ribs and organs poked out through the mess but, before it could collapse, a turning kick sent it in through the front door of a shop. Gliding beneath a Demon's already outstretched arm, Amdirlain kept turning and severed it high along the bicep as her other blade took out another Demon's throat.

Another crack of lightning from Silpar's spear sent a blast of energy through the front of one shop to shatter its back wall. The burnt and broken bodies of the demonic customers and staff were sent flying along the blast's path. Amdirlain continued along the same course and left corpses in her wake while Silpar blasted anything that moved behind them. True Song piggybacked on the notes that tension caused in her arm's ligaments to create a Spell that sent a ripple of temporary earthen blades stabbing from the ground. Demons were cleft in twain before another motion sent a rolling wave of fire along the street to incinerate those who weren't immune. Those not caught up in the strikes saw the surges of Mana that accompanied the apparent spells, and crowds of demons exploded from their force.

As the pair continued to cut down swathes of demons and destroy structures, incoming spells arrived, and their combined defences brushed them aside. Amdirlain continually adjusted her path but flowed flawlessly from one Demon to another.

Impacted by a series of spells, the wards on an enchanter's shop shattered before its contents followed suit. The energy bound in various wands and staves for providing elemental effects erupted. As flames and lightning surged, Amdirlain drove a wedge of force into the explosion, a temporary breakwater that diverted the energy into buildings on either side of them. Before the structures between their street and the market could collapse, the pair had already moved to new cover.

One building after another turned into dust clouds mixed with the ashes of the dead. Wizards and sorcerers among the demons caught up with the assault and struck from afar; their spells sliding ineffectually off the pair's protections and rolled onwards through their supposed allies. As Amdirlain's dance of death continued, stronger demons moved to attack and were brushed aside.

A four-metre-tall Skëll suddenly loomed in front of Amdirlain with black-scaled talons already in motion. Amdirlain met the strike with the flat of her blade and spun along the outside of his arm. As he turned to try to follow her, the blade in Amdirlain's other hand disappeared, and she shoved a palm against his massive side. The energy in the blow was amplified, and he was blasted through a shop towards the outer wall. His body punched through hundreds more buildings until he hit the outer wall, which cracked but stood firm.

Once he pulled himself from the impression in the outer wall, the Skëll's Mana Sense showed him the residue of the Spell: a coil of force patterned after a Dragon's physical might. Ice dampened the fires of his anger, and he promptly left—others weren't so wise. The wrecking ball's departure added a sidenote to Amdirlain's view of the battlefield as the primary target arrived.

Despite all the destruction unleashed within minutes of the assault commencing, when Salgan's flame-shrouded form appeared in the skies above the slain, arrogance rang within his theme. The Balor's reptilian form was massive compared to Amdirlain's Wood Elf form or the Lizardfolk one Silpar was using. At least four and a quarter metres, the density of his flesh's music promised he weighed at least two tonnes. With a wingspan of ten metres from tip to tip, he cast a large shadow over the pair, but it was insufficient to keep him aloft without his species' innate magic. In one hand he held a giant falchion, and in the other, a flaming whip; their enchantments showed a master craftsman’s work.

Swarms of fist-sized globes of fire raced down from him to burst around Amdirlain, and the flames rolled out across Silpar. Before the flames died, a blast of lightning leapt from them and washed harmlessly over Salgan. The Mana of that first Spell hid the second Silpar had cast on its heels, and dimensional shears snipped the Balor's wings from his back. The sudden pain and weight released from his back startled the Balor into jerking a look over his shoulder, and he missed Amdirlain's strike.

Manacles modelled off the collars Moloch's people clamped around every succubus’ throat locked in place around his wrists and disabled his powers. His impact only injured his dignity, but the shattered stone made a thunderous racket.

Salgan's weapons had fallen from his hands during the plunge, and the enchantments on the giant blade pierced it into the ground like water until its cross piece smacked into the rock, while the flaming whip sputtered out and flopped impotently to the ground. He tried to yank the bonds from his wrists and found something to ease his boredom—pain. The enchantment that tormented trillions of succubi had him writhing on the ground as phantasmal agony cooked inside his mind.

Amdirlain set a protective dome to prevent someone else from killing her incapacitated prisoner before she could get an answer. Teleport placed her near his head, and she grabbed a horn to serve as leverage and smashed his face into the ground. The blow, though light to his demonic flesh, was amplified by the manacles and added a thousandfold to his agony.

Pinning him easily, she stopped the agony and slapped his hand aside when Salgan managed to lash out. The agony resumed again.

"I'm considered the owner of those manacles. Attack me, and the pain will start again," advised Amdirlain, and she stopped the pain again. "Where do I find the Demon Lord Zozzuth?"

The question was merely to direct his thoughts, and she yanked all the memories to the surface as soon as the first image appeared. With the fortress' location in hand, she nodded in satisfaction.

"And your home planes are?" asked Amdirlain, and she again snatched the information from his mind and let him know she had it.

"Elf, do you think I'll be so easy to find?"

Amdirlain snorted and looked down her nose at him. As she continued, Amdirlain switched to flawless Draconic. "Elf? Can't you see my maternal Dragon side beneath this visage? I've had enough of Zozzuth, so I have a choice to offer: don't tell Zozzuth we're hunting for him, and I won't come hunting you while your Planar Lock is active. If I get from his mind you’ve been in touch, we’ll meet again soon. Thanks."

She drove a blazing white fist into his chest and let her primordial aura erupt. Salgan didn't manage even a snarl as he erupted in a fiery explosion that didn't mark either Silpar or Amdirlain.

When the flames snuffed out, they and the manacles were nowhere to be seen. The pair appeared on a flat plain with nothing around for hundreds of kilometres aside from lurking abyssal lifeforms that didn't surface. Amdirlain tossed the manacles she recovered aside and melted them with a few notes.

Silpar's eye ridges lifted. "Dragon side?"

"Well, I'm oath sister to a Dragon, so if nothing else, I'm an honorary one," laughed Amdirlain, dismissing the minimal experience notification, though it did have one amusing aspect.

A point increase in Dance? That fight felt similar to the memory of Orhêthurin's obstacle course, was that how she practised her dancing? I'll have to dig for that memory again and see if I hear the True Song within it now.