4.

Erak stood caked in blood at the edge of the capital city. He dripped as he walked and his body was tired, the hordes of low level spawn having taken their toll on him even if they couldn’t kill him. They had left a trail of the dead behind as they fought further and further away from the palace’s walls.

He looked up to see the princess still on her armored horse. The horse had managed to turn enough spawn to paste beneath its hooves; he was sure the animal had gained levels. It looked thicker around the shoulders and it still pranced about with energy even after hours of heavy fighting and numerous blows that had dented its armor. Its rider still sat ramrod straight with her blade on her shoulder as she looked out and across the countryside.

The imperial city was a sprawl here on the edges. The tight, towering confines of stone and steel of the inner city, with its broad boulevards or narrow side streets fading away as one got closer to the edge. Here there were smaller homes, built for single families, on large plots with gardens and lawns for playing.

Most of the homes were ash now. The flower beds ripped apart and the lawns turned to bare dirt. Half moldering corpses lay about, some demons but mostly human. Past these suburbs though the city disappeared, only the ribbon of stone connecting the countryside and the city. Further away, on a gentle sloping hill surrounded by verdant grass and a copse of trees, was the first of the estates that the nobility kept.

“Victoria said you look to search for my father out there,” Aloria said as the rest of the survivors marched out of the city. They had gained in levels, those who had survived. The relentless fighting had assured them of that, but they were much fewer in number now. Even the incessant band had finally fallen silent as their losses had crippled their abilities.

Pomp crawled up his leg and then settled on his shoulders looking over at the princess. The normally crystal blue dragon was sooty and bloodstained, his white mustache black with dried blood. The Essence Pomp had harvested had helped Erak in leveling a few times, thus he allowed the dragon to use him like a ladder.

“The Queen has instructed me so,” Pomp said for him.

“Will you be taking my younger brother?” Aloria asked. Erak prickled at that as Sammus’s words came back to him. The princess was a killer at heart and all her siblings were rivals.

“Yes,” Pomp said after Erak cautiously told him it was alright.

“Take care of him. He’s not as bad as my other siblings and is no threat to my ambitions. His sister on the other hand,” Aloria paused as she looked up to see the Sword of Empire slowly trailing after them. The massive ship had been silent as the fighting had continued up and down the streets and boulevards, but she was no longer trailing fire and smoke from her wounds.

“Illyria is the type to fight for something she wants. I don’t think she wants the throne,” Erak said via Pomp.

“She does like a good fight and a better tumble. Ruling a nation isn’t her idea of a good time,” Aloria paused and tapped her chin as if thinking.

“If you see any of my remaining elder siblings, you could rid the world of their uselessness. Father is needed though, so I shall wish you the best of luck in your search.” With that, she spurred her horse onwards down the road and closer to the abandoned dwarven claim.

Erak stood to the side waiting for Victoria and Sammus to arrive. The long string of survivors were much battered, their eyes sunken in and glum as they marched on further down the road. They were exhausted and still had far to travel while the day was only halfway through. Erak looked at his influx of notifications and opened them while he waited.

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Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 26

Strength: 65

Vigor: 40

Durability: 40

Perception: 22

Processing: 21

“You’re beginning to outpace the extent of your mental capabilities again, Erak,” Pomp warned him as he lay curled around in an exhausted heap on Erak’s neck. Erak grunted back at his bond and then looked over the extent of his new skills.

Shield Bash

Aura of Movement

Ice Breath (Bond)

Ice Talons (Bond)

Erak looked at his bond who was looking up at the sky and putting on the appearance of innocence. Erak continued to stare at him before the little dragon finally looked at him.

“You can’t use Essence for a damn and I can. I’m a literal storage battery of Essence for you. Might as well have some ranged attacks that can do some damage instead of you running over to try to stab them all the time,” Pomp said, huffing in annoyance as he curled tighter to Erak’s shoulders. Erak couldn’t deny the dragon that.

Ice Breath (Bond)- Your bond produces an icy breath in a cone. Leveling will affect the range and width of the cone.

Pomp shivered, his body shaking until he released a sound that was reminiscent of a cat’s purr. He seemed heavier now, more real and in this world rather than just a spirit taking form. Reality wrapping around him as Erak stood there waiting for Sammus.

“If you don’t increase your mental stats next, you should do your Essence cultivation stats. One to each.” Pomp said. Erak turned his head to stare at his bond again. The dragon pawed at his dirty mustache and then muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

Finally Sammus appeared. The prince floated on the edge of the Queen’s coterie, his long sword unsheathed but his shoulders were relaxed as he marched with the rest. Erak stirred when he saw that Victoria now had a large dent in her breastplate, but she waved him down the moment he started toward her.

“Relax, Erak. I am fine. Got sloppy and I paid the price. Fortunately it wasn’t permanent.”

“Where were your guards?”

“They were also occupied. We had a last minute surge against the rearguard. The young prince was quite helpful in holding it at bay. Has a few more skills than I thought he would,” Victoria said as she tugged her helmet off. Her guards clustered around her and she went to one knee in the huddle, now invisible from enemy snipers or stray bolts as she talked to Erak.

“We will have to separate here unfortunately. I have no guard to spare you, Erak, but I have faith you will find evidence of where the Emperor has gone. If you can not retrieve him, retreat back to the dwarven claim and we will regroup. Hopefully by then we will have established a secure base and begun to rebuild.”

“Rebuild?” Pomp blurted out before Erak could think the same thing.

“The rift is closed now. I know from scouts that the world has changed, but most of the threat is gone, no?”

“Mitigated, but not gone. I am mostly spirit, but I can see the swirls and eddies of Essence. There are other portals, none as large as the one in the capital, but they are still there. More demons and monsters are flooding the planet. We have merely survived the first wave of them, my Queen,” Pomp said.

“Then the first steps need to be taken for a subjugation of the world. Regardless, Erak we need the Emperor. Find evidence of where he’s gone, any survivors, and return back to me,” Victoria stated with finality. She donned her helm and stood back up as her guard spread out to allow her room.

“Your will be done, my duty is my honor,” Pomp said for him as Erak bowed his head. The Queen reached out and clapped him on the shoulder, but then she was gone again, following the train of refugees with the ragged remnants of her guard trailing behind her.

“Why are you looking so glum, old friend? It’s just you and me against the world. I’m sure there will be plenty of monsters, demons, and fierce animals for you to kill. Plenty of excitement. Maybe find a few beautiful maids who are happy to see us, or even better, a few unguarded vaults, ehh,” Sammus said with a wide smile. Erak looked at him, face completely obscured by his helm. Sammus’s smile faltered in the silence.

“Worst case scenario, these rich bastards always have the best larders,” Sammus said with a shrug. Erak could find optimism in that.