Error 508: Entity Query Service Unavailable

The system encountered an unrecoverable error and entered rescue mode

Please contact an administrator for further assistance

Distant fire tornadoes whirled in every direction around Haru as she crouched to take cover behind Opti’s raised tower shield. Gales threatened to topple her, carrying stinging dust, heated sand which was swept up from the beach. The sky glowed crimson, illuminated by the burning pyres that peppered the mountain behind and to Haru’s left. The colored fog that permeated the area evacuated into the sky the moment the ceiling, and consequently—the rest of the demon’s fortress, burned away.

Irae himself hovered on his plume of ash, arms folded, with a mangled grin of satisfaction. Then he raised his arm into the air, and a purple lash extended from his elbow into the sky. From above, Vernal’s second form appeared, glowing blood red. The sabretooth slammed into the ground only a few steps away from Irae, causing violent tremors.

The beast roared and looked ready to pounce on Opti. There was only a few steps of distance between the two.

Alara stepped forward and laughed at the demon. “Like I said, a brilliant idea coupled with terrible execution is a tragedy.” She sauntered into range of the sabretooth and started casting Thunder.

“You can’t be serious!” Haru shouted over the gales.

Alara cast a side-glance at Haru and smirked. “That you’re even mildly perturbed by this thing is disheartening, to say the least.”

Emu raised his fists and started bobbing back and forth on his toes. Taci stepped behind Alara and readied his bow.

Opti didn’t budge. He leaned forward to brace his shield and raised his head just high enough over the big rectangular guard to peek over and watch what was happening in front of him.

Likewise, Haru decided to comply with what he asked of her and stayed behind him. With her choice made, a warmth filled her. Despite the overwhelming, sweltering wafts from the infernos that burned among the landscape and bore down harshly, this warming sensation calmed her. Intuition sparked and urged to open her menu, to look at the Mark of Patentia.

Instinctively, she opened her key items but found it empty.

Alara’s Thunder spell finished charging and from the burning sky filled with ash, bolts of lightning crashed down on the sabretooth.

The beast pivoted and started to charge the mage down. After it took its first step, Emu hurled himself toward the sabretooth using Line Breaker. As his feet touched the ground, he stopped himself, immediately pivoting into an Accumulate.

Taci’s form disappeared as he Trick Attacked through Alara and the sabretooth. Appearing on the other side, he Sneak Attacked and Pummeled the beast.

As the sabretooth turned to rush Alara down, Taci’s accumulate finished and he Pummeled, downing the beast.

“I told you not to Trick Attack on to me!” Alara yelled at Taci.

The footpad shrugged and rolled his eyes.

Emu’s stance eased and he stared at the demon with arms crossed.

“That’s why you shouldn’t use an under-leveled mob for a boss encounter.” Opti shouted at the demon.

Haru’s encounter was built for level 10 players to solo. And the sabretooth was Vernal’s second form, which he transformed into once hitting the right HP limit. It appeared the demon couldn’t, or forgot to, adjust the level of the creatures he captured.

She tabbed over to her inventory to find the Mark of Patentia hovering in the consumables category. Haru hummed and pointed at the mote of light with her finger. “That’s not the right place, let’s put you back where—”

The speck burst forth from Haru’s chest and her menu suddenly flickered, then closed. The rest of her HUD suddenly disappeared likewise. She gasped as the mote of light that was the Mark of Patentia ascended upward while moving toward the demon.

Irae growled viciously at Alara, Taci, and Emu. “One puppet sacrificed to gain three far more worthwhile.” From behind his lanky form appeared the many black and violet tendrils that once comprised his whole body. As they emerged, the demon’s form swelled, and he grew bigger with their uncoiling.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

Alara smiled and watched the demon grow giant, twirling her staff then starting to cast Thunder on him.

Taci and Emu held their ground.

Opti braced and groaned at the sight of the demon, now 10 or 20 times bigger than they were.

Irae craned down, looming over the three while splaying his fingers.

Taci scoffed and yawned. Emu was the only one of the three that looked hesitant about the scene unfolding in front of him. He looked to Taci, then Alara, both of whom were unphased by the demon’s sudden growth.

“No, little one, don’t go that way! It’s dangerous.” Haru called out and stepped forward, placing a hand on Opti’s shoulder to prop herself up and reach for the mote of light. But she was too late, the mark soared upwards toward Irae’s face, fast enough to already be out of her reach.

Opti stood his ground, watching the three and the demon intently.

Irae’s tendrils shot out and descended on Alara, Taci, and Emu from their flanks, overhead, even their front.

Alara’s Thunder finished casting. Lightning crashed in the distance, but nothing struck the demon. Her smug smile melted, changing to a scowl with fists balled and clenching her staff as she let off a desperate howl at Irae.

Taci slowly turned to look at her and let off a depressed sigh.

The yelling startled Emu and after seeing Alara’s expression, he gasped, stumbled backward, and started to run toward Opti and Haru. But it was too late.

The tendrils crashed down onto the three. The violet streaks in the black tendrils melded and formed a void-filled blob where they once stood.

Just as the mass of tendrils reconstituted themselves, swirled, then darted for Opti and Haru, the mote reached the demon’s face. Then the glint exploded in a momentary blast of light.

The flash stunned Irae, and he recoiled with a howl which caused the tendrils to follow in his retreat.

Haru cried out as the mark exploded, dazzled by the blinding radiance. She cowered but remained with arm outstretched, leaning against Opti. The legionnaire groaned and hid his face behind his shield.

As Haru’s vision slowly returned, she could see shadowy silhouettes standing where the three once were. Recovering fully, three demons stood on top of the bodies of Alara, Taci, and Emu.

“I told you he would screw everything up.” The demon standing on Alara’s corpse groaned. She was shapely, with tall and wide horns that curved into a central mass behind her teardrop head. Blue, red, and orange liquid danced inside her body, revealed by glass-like skin held in place with ornate black metal ribbons. “Foolish waste of a prime opportunity.”

A great yawn shook the ground. It came from the demon laying atop Taci’s body. It was a gargantuan half-gorilla, half-bear demon with a unicorn horn jutting from its forehead. It had various runes, purple and yellow, jagged and swirling, etched into its gray fur. “I don’t care, this whole thing was a waste of time.” He shuffled and closed his eyes while laying his giant head on his hands. “Would have been better to strike him down before any of this nonsense happened.” He clicked his tongue and fell into a slumber.

“If you’d just let me handle it,” the demon standing atop Emu’s body called out, “all of this could have been handled much better by myself.” The demon was layered in green scales which resembled a full suit of armor. His head was narrow and thin, with three long horns that splayed outwards from his forehead.

“Shut it.” Alara’s demon hissed at Emu’s demon. “You’re almost as big of a fool as this one.” She motioned toward Irae.

Haru stood up straight. “You were all demons?”

Alara’s demon pivoted on her high heels, which swirled with a dark violet energy, to look at Haru. “I’m surprised you and your little birdie friend didn’t pick up on it sooner.” She sighed. “Unfortunate you found out now. Especially since you’re the only real threat here. I was hoping for a real fight paired with the fine wine that is ultimate betrayal.” She cackled.

Haru slinked back down, disappointed in finding out those she thought were her friends were yet more villains out to get her.

Above, the flaming clouds parted, and a ray of light expanded to shine down upon the ground where Opti and Haru stood.

Alara’s demon motioned toward Emu and Taci’s demons. “We’re done here. I can’t bear to watch this catastrophe any longer.”

Irae howled, his gangling mouth blasting the demons with a scorching breath to no effect.

Haru retreated behind Opti, who braced for the incoming heat wave that washed over them.

Taci’s demon jostled from his slumber and opened one of his four eyes to look up at the gold beam parting the clouds. He groaned and struggled to get his four legs beneath his body.

Emu’s demon’s confident posture melted at the sight of the expanding golden glow beneath Opti and Haru, and he retreated toward Alara’s demon.

Alara’s demon scoffed. “You’re a lord. Stop acting like a rat on a sinking ship.” She turned her chin up at Emu’s demon, who raced beyond her to hide behind Taci’s demon as the light advanced and expanded. Alara’s demon stood her ground as the light engulfed her form.

The moment the light hit her, loud pops and sizzles emanated from her skin. It was burning the monster simply by standing in the golden glow.

“Know this, Haru.” Alara’s demon didn’t budge despite being entirely engulfed and caught ablaze by the searing light. “I’ll suffer anything to win. I will defeat you one day.” Cracks formed in her glass-like skin, and the liquid once inside began to ooze out through the various fissures that formed. “I don’t care what it will take. Victory will be mine.”

“Saturnus won’t be happy about this.” Emu’s demon called out with a shaking voice.

“Shut. Up.” Alara’s demon turned to him. “We’re done here.” Bathed in her own nearly depleted internal fluids, the drained horror stared at Haru for one more moment before snapping her fingers.

“I’m not done with you yet.” Irae growled at the three.

Alara’s demon looked up at the sky to see a feminine figure clad in white robes descending from the parted clouds, following the ray of light, descending toward Opti and Haru.

“You never had a say in the matter.” Alara’s demon said to Irae.

Then Alara’s, Taci’s, and Emu’s demons faded into nothingness.