Dalen limped his way back through The Vault with Volan in tow as he grumbled under his breath, “This is definitely something fucking dodgy! There is no way that fucking thing should be anywhere near here. Volan, do Dhinir’s followers know about this place? Gahh! Don’t answer that he’s a fucking god!”
“Be calm Dalen. The gods do not see as much as you believe,” Volan explained as waved his hand over Dalen’s shoulder with a soft glow of golden light, “They may know about this place but they cannot simply view it.”
Dalen didn’t know how much of that he should believe but it didn’t stop the paranoia, “Sure but it's not like that matters if any random follower could scry the place.”
Volan shook his head, “Again Dalen do you really believe the order would be dense enough to not ensure we have anti-scrying arrays in place at all times? Only elders of The Order are given knowledge of The Vault’s location. Tell me, where do you think we are?”
“Somewhere north of the capital…” Dalen frowned knowing his answer was crap.
“While true, that is not nearly enough information to track down The Vault with any urgency. No, if what you say is true and the demon who is striking against Elder Kaydan’s cell is this sanguine reaver then perhaps it has a method of traveling long distances.”
Dalen didn’t buy that for a second, “How do you explain two anchors being built so quickly? In what? Less than a day? No, something else is going on here.”
“I agree. Preparations are complete. The ritual is beginning now,” Jaliete’s voice echoed through their minds, “Elendria needs you here Dalen.”
“I’m comin', I’m comin'…” He grumbled. Dalen might have put on a good act earlier but he was in real pain now. His health and stamina were fine but he was injured on another level.
Behind them Lisette Lyndal and the other survivors who had managed to come with her staggered after them while Melisia cast her basic heal spells on the remaining minor injuries that weren’t healed by the other healers.
They looked fragile after whatever they had seen despite all of them being much higher leveled than he was. Dalen grimaced at the memory of the Sceleti village. It horrified him to think that the very same scenario had to have happened at least five times now.
Dalen ground his teeth as another lance of pain shot through his head and another notification appeared. Just like the ones from before.
ERROR: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“If you aren’t going to tell me shit! Don’t fucking bother!” Dalen growled.
He had received several error notifications just before the anchor timer appeared and several since. Something was wrong and he didn’t think it was just the demon arriving either.
Warning: Time until mass transposition 3:11
Warning: Time until mass transposition 3:10
Warning: Time until mass transposition 2:34
Warning: Time until mass transposition 2:33
They exited the last passage deep within The Vault and into the ritual sight. The entire dome hummed with power that Dalen couldn’t see but he could easily feel the potency like static across his skin.
Each of the space mages was in position and Elendria stood just outside the center ring, her small frail form seemed to warp the space for several feet around her. Her normal playful and joking nature was gone and in its place was an incredibly intimidating aura.
[Elendria Farstep | Warden of the Ways 126 | Elf]
Her arms began to move in slow practiced motion and the distorted space began to expand then focus in the center of the circular platform. Dalen didn’t need anyone to tell him not to stand in that circle, just looking at it hurt his brain. Standing in it would kill him.
Jaliete was standing beside Elendria and saw them as they entered, “I am communicating with her through her mind. I will tell you when it's time for you to join the ritual.”
Dalen nodded and stood anxiously and painfully waiting, “Come on Dalen just a few more minutes…”
----------------------------------------
Leo braced himself for the teleportation. After the several times he had experienced it in the last few months, Leo had grown somewhat used to the disorientation but that didn’t mean he liked it.
The Order’s fighting force had prepared remarkably quickly. It appeared that Jaliete’s cell wasn’t the only competent force in The Order. Elder Jak and his force were the first to be ready quickly followed by Jaliete’s led by himself and Elder Hedrik, and a large portion of the neutral faction or so Jaliete liked to call it led by First Elder Patellia’s second Elder Laryk.
[Jak Tinlan | Knight Breaker 98 | Human]
[Hedrik Koss | Fire Mage 96 | Human]
[Laryk Orayn | Pugilist 99 | Human]
At first, it had appeared they would be forced to travel on foot but the space mage that managed to rescue Lissette and the other survivors volunteered to take them immediately.
[Halan Vern | Shift Step Acolyte 87 | Half-elf]
“I can do it! Kaydan has a linking stone that will make returning easier! Just give me a moment to prepare,” Halan insisted, wiping sweat from his brow as he dug into his belt pouch.
Leo didn’t think the man looked in any condition to attempt a teleport on this scale. There were over five hundred people, more even than what Elendria managed to do and it took her nearly three days to recover. However, Elder Hedrik and Laryk didn’t seem surprised so Leo didn’t make a fuss and focused on his own preparation while the man handed several rods out to be put in place.
Leo was glad to have Hedrik with him, the elder had proven himself a very strong fire mage. He just hoped that whatever they were up against wasn’t resistant to fire. Leo could get by on strength alone but it was by no means ideal.
The three elders formed their force into several units. A shield-bearer unit made up of the vitality and endurance-focused classes that provided cover for a core of strength-based strikers. Behind that was a significantly smaller unit of battle mages and illusionists that would both provide ranged support and distractionary tactics which had proven quite potent on The Fractured Path.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
The more well-rounded and agility-based martial classes provided support on the flanks and if needed they could break away to flank themselves while the shield bearers repositioned to protect the mages.
It seemed like a well-thought-out system to Leo but it was significantly more complex than what he had experienced within the empire which wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
“Prepare yourselves!” Elder Jak shouted when Halan was ready and an instant later the world around them shifted, sickeningly as always but Leo recovered quickly and scanned the new terrain.
Just like the terrain near The Vault the area was dense with tall pines and scrubs but that barely registered what Leo noticed was the horrific smell. It instantly summoned the image of the village into his mind but something was off.
It was quiet, almost silent besides the sound of the recovering men and women behind him.
Halan staggered and fell to his knees panting for breath, “It's… just… just up ahead. I’ll be fine just go!”
Warning: Time until mass transposition 1:01
Warning: Time until mass transposition 1:00
“Move out! Scouts! Activate detection skills!” Jak shouted and their force began to move toward the stench.
Leo darted ahead of the force to leap atop a tree with one of the scouts.
“Where is the fighting? There’s no one… Gods!” The scout next to him shouted suddenly just as Leo saw what was at the end of the man’s gaze.
Ahead the trees opened into a small clearing dotted with dozens of large tents. Between the rows of tents bodies of all shapes and sizes were everywhere stacked in careful piles, their limbs arranged in a disturbingly consistent pattern. Seeing no sign of the demon Leo leaped from the tree and charged towards the clearing.
Warning: Time until mass transposition 0:14
As he cleared the trees the full stench of the decay hit him but he barely noticed as he saw the dead close up.
The bodies remained whole. Over a hundred bodies decayed in piles without a mark on their flesh only at the very center of the camp where the grotesque display of twisted bone was there any sign of mutilation.
“This was no demon…” Leo’s gaze turned back to the marching soldiers and fell on Halan as he stood from his display of weakness. The man’s face paled and his mouth widened into a grin.
“Halan is a traitor! Stop him now!” Leo roared over the marching of their men but before he had finished Halan was gone.
Leo spun and darted toward the abyssal anchor, his sword roaring to life as he brought it down on the dark bone. The blade crashed into the anchor but Leo gasped as his sword was wrenched from his hand as it rebounded painfully.
Barrier Health Remaining: 49930/50000
Warning: Time until mass transposition 0:09
Leo paled as the notification flashed before his eyes but he didn’t hesitate and retrieved his sword to bring down even harder on the anchor. This time he watched it carefully as it landed and a green and black fog flashed into existence just as his sword struck it.
Barrier Health Remaining: 49830/50000
Warning: Time until mass transposition 0:08
He didn’t stop and hacked at it with all his might, over and over again. Green and red sparks showered the camp, even setting fire to several tents but it became very clear that Leo would never break this barrier.
Barrier Health Remaining: 47613/50000
Warning: Time until mass transposition 0:02
They had been betrayed…
----------------------------------------
The dome hummed with barely controlled power as Elendria’s gestures increased in speed and variety. Dalen flinched with each warping of the air and the notifications continued to make themselves known with flashing lights and a poker to his brain.
Volan kept a continuous pain-numbing skill on Dalen but he honestly couldn’t tell the difference, “Volan, what about the people Kalum free from Alansu? Are they secured?”
Dalen’s mind wouldn’t stop ticking, he was missing something he fucking knew it.
“They are secured. Most are still catatonic, they are no risk to us just yet,” Volan said patiently.
Dalen itched to draw a handful of bombs just to be ready but he barely had any worth using since he didn’t have the chance to restock after that cluster fuck at Elendria’s ruins.
ERROR: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ERROR: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ERROR: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dalen gritted his teeth while he endured the mental bombardment until finally he heard Jaliete’s voice again, this time it wasn’t in his mind, “Dalen it’s time,” Her expression was far more excited than he had ever seen it before.
Dalen nodded and walked down the last few steps to stand beside Elendria who looked exhausted from the ritual but her arms kept moving as she turned to face him, “Alright scrawny. It’s time for you to play your part. I needed a link to reach him and with that mark, you’re the best one around. Stay still.”
Before Dalen could say anything she planted her palm on his chest far harder than he expected she would be able to and nearly knocked him off his feet. His vision buckled along with his legs as her hand left his chest and pulsed with a mix of blue and crimson light. Elendria barely seemed to notice his state as she spun and hurled the light up into the center of the dome.
As the light met the warping air a deafening crack tore through the dome and a hairline scar appeared, sparking with purple and crimson light.
Dalen scrambled back to his feet, his sorry state all but forgotten as the scar widened with the sound of ten thousand blood-curdling screams, “Is it working!”
All eyes were locked on the tear as it continued to widen and Dalen’s heart raced as he awaited his friend's return.
ERROR: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ERROR: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ERROR: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dalen screamed as blood spurted from his nose and eyes. The errors tripled in speed and pain was amplified tenfold. He staggered and fell to his knees as the world spun around him, arcs of crimson lighting blasted against the walls and ceiling.
His vision drifted around the room and even as his consciousness began to fade he saw several of the space mages raising their hands up into the air.
“Gods! Outside!-” Jaliete’s voice echoed in Dalen’s mind.
Confused, Dalen glanced toward Jaliete and Elendria.
Jaliete was falling, blood spurting from her throat and into the warping air. Lissette spun away from the grievously wounded Jaliete, a trail of blood following in the wake of a jagged black blade in her fist. Behind her Melisia lay in a pool of her own blood as the other ‘survivors’ darted away from her.
[Lisette Lyndal | WarERRORge 87 | ERROR]
[Lisette Lyndal | Umbral Hunter of Uton 109 | Umbral Entity]
Lisette’s blade didn’t stop and she moved toward Elendria whose gaze was locked on the space mages. Dalen threw himself towards Elendria’s back as the blade fell.