Chapter 272

The inside of the compound was a lot fancier and far more colorful than Riven would have thought, considering the dark and dreary outside that was so commonplace here in the descent.

Brilliantly colored paintings of scenes from other worlds hung from the walls, platinum trimming lined polished white marble hallways, colorful plants that obviously weren’t native to this place thrived under small artificial suns at crossways between passages, and large workshops of different types were set out for crafting experts at intervals through a network of interconnected buildings.

A bustling active community of apprentices rushed back and forth, sometimes stopping to stare - while clothes completely ignored the group as if they were in a panic while getting their masters needed materials. They lugged around large crates, vats of fluids, vials and glass instruments - and sometimes even large wheeled platforms of large metal ingots.

And the last room that they stopped at had one such platform of large metal ingots resting along the side of the wall when they walked in.

“This is an impressive forge.” Riven commented, noting the two pools of lava to the left and anvils alongside cooling weapons and armor. Along the walls there were numerous completed sets of finely made pieces, and a large hulking creature approached them from where it’d been sitting upon their arrival.

The creature was a cyclops, very reminiscent of the monster that’d killed Azmoth back when Fay had been new to the group. He bore a couple small tattoos, burn scars, and had a thick but short black beard on his face while his one eye scrutinized the bunch. Placing his hands on his belly, he gave a bow in Riven’s direction - and then did the same with Lillith as the skeleton introduced them.

“Esteemed guests, may I present Jamal Iktorian - the best smith we have available at the Firebrand trading company. He is sure to go above and beyond your expectations for whatever job you may have.” The robed skeleton turned to gesture at Riven and Lillith. “Jamal, may I present-”

“We are acquainted. She let me know she was coming already.” Jamal cut in with a smile, reaching out and grasping Lilith's hand in a shake despite his hand dwarfing her own. “My great, great, great, great, great, great… eh… you get the picture, my ancestor is a friend of Lillith’s. Any job she wants done is on the house.”

“You told the old goat I said hello, yes?” Lillith asked with a laugh.

Jamal snorted and let go of her hand. “Aye, I did. It’s a real honor to meet you, lady of the black skies.”

He looked at Riven with a little bit of hesitation next. “And the reincarnation… It is truly an honor. I did not ever dream I’d be serving ones of your stature here in the abyss, but it seems that Elysium smiles upon me. I only wish I could have thrown a party in your honor, but Lillith insisted that I keep hushed about it.”

Riven waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. I’d like to think I’m down to Earth, as a matter of speaking. I was told you’d be able to help upgrade my armor and weapon, and as longa s you’re able to do that I’m rather excited to be here.”

Gesturing to the skeleton dressed in black and gold, and putting his other arm around Athela’s waist when she stepped out of the shadows, Riven held out a wrist. “Payment for my request, as agreed.”

The skeleton glanced down, then back up to Riven with an uncertain excitement. “Are you sure, esteemed one? The blood of a reincarnated ancient is sure to be worth far more than just a single pendant!”

Riven laughed. “I am. Just be sure Prince Narzkal Rantali and his crew here get the black phoenix pendant like you promised.”

The skeleton literally quivered with enthusiasm, and drew out a knife and vial from somewhere within his robes. “Absolutely, majestic one! I assure you, the princling will have his amulet before the day is over!”

The vampire, Prince Rantali, watched with building tears of appreciation in his eyes from the background as the skeleton slit Riven’s wrist and began collecting the blood into the glass vial. The skeleton had to slit Riven’s wrist twice more because of the natural vampiric regeneration, but plugged up the container shortly and bowed low with another round of thanks.

“I won’t forget this. Thank you, great one.” Prince Rantali clasped his hands in front of him in a sign of respect while the skeleton began to walk out the door and gestured at him to follow.

“Don’t sweat it.” Riven gave the other vampire a thumbs up. “Just think of it as my wedding present to you. I hope it’s a marriage that lasts forever my friend.”

“As do I!” The young man replied, before quickly walking out of the room and wiping away more tears - and disappearing from sight.

The bubbling lava pits and the heat of the forge drew Riven’s attention back towards the cyclops, where he then produced the items he’d been carrying around in his spatial sack. Usually they’d have been left out in the open or worn, but Lillith had said something about the smith needing them to spend a certain amount of time in stasis for the process to work more effectively - something that neither Jackal nor Messenger had necessarily liked. But they’d complied nonetheless.

“These are the items I’d like you to upgrade.” Riven stated, handing the long sleek spear-staff of Jackal over to the cyclops first. The canine maw producing the blade at the center seemed to snarl when it was put into the cyclops’s hands, and the rivers of blood flowing over the weapon grew more intense.

Next Riven bade Messenger float forward, and the heavy ivory plate armor shifted through the air to hover next to the large cyclops while shifting its helmet as if to look at the smith. The red blood silk connecting the plates stretched from time to time, and it looked like the upper half of a man was somehow controlling it from the inside due to the way it actively manipulated itself.

Next, Lillith handed Jamal a small slip of paper with writing on it.

Jamal, who was staring at the two item’s he’d just been given - had to snap himself out of the trance before taking the paper to read it. He looked up with a grin. “This is a big job, but it’s exciting work.”

“How long for those specifications?” Lillith asked.

The cyclops shrugged, then gently laid the weapon on a nearby bench. “Perhaps a few weeks, perhaps a few months. Is that alright?”

Lillith shot Riven a curious look.

“That’s fine.” Riven confirmed with a nod, jabbing Athela in the ribcage and making her screech in retribution for her trying to grab him where she shouldn’t in public. “Do you think you’ll be able to rearrange the stats as requested?”

“Oh definitely. The materials were already delivered.” The cyclops replied enthusiastically, gesturing to where a large tub of various metals, ingots, bones, elixirs and gems were set out beside numerous dark black metal tools. “The Church of Gluttony was rather giving, for obvious reasons. And do not worry, we have very tight security here, so no one is going to try and steal them. Is there anything in particular you’d like to request before I get started?”

Riven thought about it, then nodded with a grin. “Yes. Be sure to make it… flashy.”

***

3 and a half months since Riven’s arrival in The Abyssal Descent…

Battle lines were drawn, and the legions were awaiting orders. Out into the horizon to Kathrine’s right and left, an ocean of men, women, monsters and mechs were grouped by type and experience in preparation for the possible battle to come. And ahead of them was the last holdout of resistance on the continent of Umbra, the city-state of Mayana, that’d once been home to humans before they too had been turned into undead. Barriers and magical siege weapons had been erected, and enemy combatants lay in wait along the city walls with steepled white towers - where a looming citadel lay ominously in the backdrop.

City after city, faction after faction, had either peacefully submitted themselves to Necropolis rule or had been forcefully integrated by means of coercion or force. First had been the elves of Tereen, then Dawn, and then the dwarves of the underdark. The Golden Bull Sect had been the first of the other continental factions after that to pledge loyalty after talk on the Panu forums had colled for an undead purge that was quickly ramping up support-wise from the rest of the planetary populace, and the majority of Umbra had fallen in line quickly after that - seeing the Necropolis as a pillar of support for a potential crusade against undead-kind. Even if Allie had indirectly been the cause, and even if unrest about their current predicament was somewhat present.

But soon the continent would be unified, it needed to be unified, or else securing their borders from outside invaders that were sure to come would be much harder to do. Not only that, but the Necropolis had a conquering criteria to keep in order to achieve the century of protection from Elysium that would in the long run save more lives than these wars now spent. So this city was destined to bow, one way or another.

Legions of vampires, sarak, undead, demons, and humans all formed up in ranks under their designated commanders to number just over 160,000 strong. And this was just half of their current force, with the rest of their armies being positioned on the coastline in the north or across the world around Chicago.

Smoke rose from blast sites where magic and missiles had created a landscape that was devoid of life and undeath alike, where craters riddled the land like a disease - and the corpses of many lay burned to ash or torn apart.

A squadron of jets from the machine-oriented branches of Chicago’s military flew overhead through the clouded sky, mirroring Dawn’s roc-riders that could almost keep pace the the planes at full speed now after hitting a certain level threshold. The site of the giant undead birds paired up with the machines of war so far above them gave Kathrine pause, before she turned from her perch on the outcropping of rock to look at her fellow leaders.

Chancellor Mara Tovane was there, alongside Nin and Vin. Gurth’Rok was also there in full battle attire, while Dr. Brass had remained in Brightsville to oversee the city. Jeltuna the sarak was present alongside a few of his purple-skinned sarak officers, and Crendir No-Name, the vampire E-grade military genius that’d been hand picked by the upper echelons of The Blood Moon Requiem, stood at attention in full black-and-red plate armor typical of the requiem’s forces.

“Where is the demigodess, Gaia?” Princess Kathrine asked, stepping forward as the circle quieted. Her red eyes narrowed from underneath her metal helm, looking around the battlefield without luck. “She was supposed to be here nearly an hour ago.”

The ghoul, Mara, gestured into the west. “She sent a transmission and said she is running late, but should be here any minute.”

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Kathrine’s stance relaxed at the news. “Good. She’s supposed to be spearheading the main push. I didn’t want to start without her, assuming the city of Mayana has declined our final offer to spare them and accept bloodless surrender.”

“We have yet to receive their answer, but I would be surprised if they did anything but refuse.” Crendir No-Name replied.

Many nodded in agreement. The city state of Mayana had been overly eager to refute any attempts at peaceful negotiations, which left the Necropolis with little choice. If they didn’t conquer enough of Panu to fulfill Elysium’s criteria in Allie’s name by the time 5 years of integration was up, their planet would be opened to the multiverse - and a wave of enemies would no doubt pour in. They did not just want the victory of conquest, but needed the victory, if they wanted to remain here on this planet and not abandon it entirely.

A crash nearby resulted in a spray of debris from the rocky ground, and all heads turned to see the figure of a small child lifting herself up out of the pit she’d created.

Gaia had regained her child-like appearance since Allie’s terraforming and transformation of the populace on Umbra. Though what had once been vibrant greens had now turned gray and black, and the demigoddess looked like an outright evil version of her previous self whenever she wasn’t in her tree form. When she did take on the form of a giant carnivorous tree however, she was even more dangerous - and more intimidating.

“Apologies for my late arrival, I had to run for two days straight at high speed to get here.” Gaia said, stepping out of the cratered ground and walking up to the group, not showing any sign of weariness or fatigue.

Kathrine brushed a long strand of brunette hair from her pale face. “It matters not, we are glad you’re here to-”

An explosion echoed out across the battlefield, causing Kathrine and the others to turn and look. More explosions followed, and balls of hellfire began tearing through the skies from somewhere within the city - where siege weapons were located and beginning to fire in the direction of Necropolis forces.

Kathrine frowned.

“It appears they have forgone the option of peaceful surrender.” Mara commented flatly, watching as the missiles were intercepted by anti-siege equipment and interceptor missiles on the Necropolis side. “Any word on whether or not Tre’Zix and the other demons are coming?”

Kathrine shook her head no, as the sky above them lit up with artillery fire and her own siege equipment began firing back at the city. “They’re preoccupied with the war in Negrada, it is up to us to finish this on our own. And since Mayana seems to have declined our proposal, we won’t waste anymore time here. To your stations. Crendir, you’re heading this operation. Get to the command vessel and prepare for a march.”

The officer saluted. “Yes princess.”

Kathrine glared back at the city in the distance while horns began to blow across the legions of the Necropolis, and the rest of the commanders began dispersing to their own designated areas across the battlefield.

It was unfortunate that they could not see reason, but like it or not - this city would be hers by nightfall.

***

The long slender blade at her side rattled against her armor as Kathrine marched at the head of her column with shield overhead. The column was mostly composed of elite vampires of House Crushada and House Wraithtide that kept uniform columns despite the bombardment that continued to crash against their defenses, and any of them she knew would die for her if it came down to it. Erected magical barriers, miracle auras, and stamina-infused tower shields held above their heads caused the turtle formation to look like a giant metallic caterpillar while crossing the pock-marked grounds, but they were not the only columns advancing on the city walls.

To her left and right were hundreds of other large formations just like hers, while projectiles of magic and metal continued to whiz by or skid right off their formation.

And the sound was deafening.

“FORTY YARDS TO GO!” Kathrine shouted over the in-step march of metal boots, while the ground shook and magics roared overhead. “PREPARE THE DRILLS!”

Immediately a whirring sound started up in the center of their formation, and the tower-shield roof parted for just a moment as a large mechanical object was brought down the middle of the ranks. It was one big drill adorned in spikes and various runes, with blood mana powering the engine as red light seeped out of the cracks of its interior. The thing was large enough to punch a man-sized hole through solid rock and enchantment alike, and she doubted that these integration-age F-grades could put together anything that’d stop it.

Another drill followed the first, and then another, until three huge drills were at the forefront of the column just ahead of her with the whirring sound growing louder. The walls above flared and debris rained down about them from the impact of a bomb that a roc-rider had dropped on the defenders, with the screams of enemy ghouls reaching their ears as the ones atop the wall fell with splats and crunches to their deaths.

Kathrine just focused herself to keep moving, despite her heartbeat racing over the din of the fight.

Twenty yards.

Ten yards.

Five.

“SET THEM UP AND TEAR A HOLE!” Kathrine screamed, yanking out her curved blade and sending a vibrant red slash through the air that tore apart a dropped boulder meant for the drills.

More of her soldiers began turtling around the drill site as the machines all latched onto the thick stone walls of the city, putting up further barriers and creating another ceiling of tower shields that blocked the arrows, lightning strikes and mana-infused javelin throws alike.

A fighter jet spun out of control in a fiery spiral and smashed into the ground a couple dozen yards away, jarring the ground and making Kathrine loseher footing - only for the vampire princess to regain it a second later just when the drills began tearing through the base of the walls.

Vibrations rippled across the earth under her feet, and her teeth chattered even despite clenching them. The stone was being chewed through at a rapid pace, absorbed into the blood engine, and was spit out the backside in a cloud of crimson ash that not only invigorated her soldiers - but healed them as well if they had any wounds from the bombardment during their trek.

What felt like hours was only minutes, and time ticked by far too slowly for her liking while she watched the three large drills bury themselves into the city defenses. Her soldiers waited with stoic faces behind her, and within fifteen minutes - they all finally heard the noise they’d been hoping for.

The crash through the other side.

In an instant the columns of vampires drew their weapons and headed in, with Kathrine in the lead.

The tunnel she’d chosen was the centermost one, and moving through the recently made tunnel in the thick stone wall was a bit awkward due to confined spaces, but coming out the other side - she sidestepped the closest drill and into the city interior.

It was absolute chaos.

Buildings burned and fighting had erupted across multiple places where the wall had either been scaled or burrowed through. She’d been fully anticipating an enemy formation to be awaiting her arrival after digging across the stone barrier, but found utterly nothing.

They were already too preoccupied with the rest of the assault.

In turn, this left the citadel wide open.

“FORWARD UNITS REINFORCE THE FIGHT AT THE WALLS! THE REST OF YOU - THROUGH THE CITY! KEEP TO YOUR SQUADS!” Kathrine yelled back at the lines of soldiers streaming in, barely shifting her tower shield to deflect an incoming crossbow bolt that sparked off the dark metal. “TOWARDS THEIR LEADERSHIP! FIND THEM! IF WE TAKE THE KING, THE CITY WILL SURRENDER!”

As one, the vampiric soldiers smashed their swords against their shields in acknowledgement and wordlessly began charging past the main battlements and into the deeper parts of the city. As they went, they began breaking off into pre-made squadrons to faster search for the enemy leadership.

Her own squad consisted of twelve other members, all vampires that she didn’t know very well - but that’d been guaranteed to be the best of the best that The Blood Moon Requiem had to offer for their F-grade younglings. Or at least that was what Crendir No-Name had told her, and she trusted his insight on the matter. He was one of the best officers for his age and rank, and she was merely a princess. What did she know about war, when compared to someone like him?

So if he said they were good at their jobs, they were without doubt good at their jobs.

“Behind me!” Making sure the rest of her squad was with her. The other twelve vampires all silently nodded, one of them deflecting a javelin and blasting the offender with a course of black lightning, before they started their way further into the city interior.

Or what was left of the city interior, anyway.

Rubble was abundant and more than once they had to change directions due to a burning wreckage that lay in their wake. They dared not take the rooftops either, due to enemy snipers killing most who tried. Roads were blockaded and resistance was sporadic, and the fighting was fierce, with a couple of enemy groups being encountered at random times throughout their forward approach.

Her blade blurred, leaving red ribbons in the air and corpses at her feet while she pressed on in a blood-stained suit of dark armor, not once speaking and keeping her breathing as calm as she could while focusing on the advance.

Just keep advancing. The targets would be there waiting for her.

“Princess Kathrine! I think I’ve found a shortcut!” One of her soldiers called back after the fifth time an enemy patrol had intercepted their group.

She wiped the black blood off her slender sword with the most recent undead victim’s shirt, who remained laying face down on the ground in a silent scream. Turning her red eyes back to the soldier who’d called out to her, she didn’t question the man and dashed over at super-human speed towards the alley he’d pointed out. “A shortcut? Towards the citadel? This is going North-East, are you sure?”

The man nodded, and he got a confirmatory shout from another of the soldiers further down the alley. “We are sure, princess. Please, follow us.”

Shifting her weight and not pressing the man any further, she did as he asked and went down the alley along with the others of her squad at a fast jog. They twisted and turned down the side streets, with another fighter jet crashing into a nearby street after ending in its own death spiral - and eventually Kathrine came to a dead end.

“It’s here! We found a passage!” The vampire soldier indicated with a finger pointing towards a small trap door that’d been opened, leading into some kind of basement. “It should lead to the citadel if our guess is correct.”

Kathrine raised an eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look. “You had time to explore the passage while we were moving and fighting all this time?”

The vampire merely shrugged. “I chased down one of the enemy that fled here, and interrogated him briefly before dispatching the man. He said that this was a secret way in, and I’m pretty sure he was telling me the truth based on how the conversation went.”

Another explosion and the screams of the dying echoed out across the city from somewhere nearby.

Clicking her tongue in uncertainty, Kathrine eventually nodded in approval. “Fine. Let’s go.”

The soldiers nodded, and the first two who’d scouted out the area went down first. The Kathrine came next, only to be followed by the rest of her squad as her feet hit solid ground. Looking around and frowning even more deeply than she had been, she saw that this wasn’t a passage at all - rather, it was a large basement without exit. She turned to the soldiers who’d led her here with an undercurrent of irritation. “This is another dead end, you fool! What are you-”

CRACK

Kathrine staggered, falling to the ground when a blunt instrument smashed against the back of her head. Her vision blurred and she immediately felt like vomiting, only to receive a swift kick to the face that sent her spiraling backwards before she felt hands beginning to restrain her.

“W-What are you doing!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” Kathrine began to scream, enraged and confused as her eyesight began to come back to her. She felt her mana blink out as a suppression collar was placed around her neck, and her sword was ripped off of her belt - scabbard and all - by another of the vampire soldiers who then took a step back.

Slow footfalls echoed from where a pair of large barrels had been stacked, and blinking rapidly while spitting blood - her eyes widened with even further confusion as she saw none other than Crendir No-Name show himself from his place of hiding.

They stared at each other wordlessly, Kathrine’s mouth gaped open as a sly smile overcame the other commander’s features.

She took in a deep breath, suddenly realizing that some kind of treachery was at play, and a stark fear began to creep into her soul. “Why?”

“Why?” Crendir No-Name asked, smiling - and then laughing as he clasped his hands behind his back. “Elder Thune is very persuasive. The soldiers here, and myself, are all being very well compensated for what we’re about to do here today.”

A sinking feeling continued to build in her gut at the elder’s name. House Crushada had been on edge with the elder and many other factions of The Blood Moon requiem.ever since the incident involving Lord Justo Barimont’s death.

“Elysium wouldn’t have allowed you to come here if you’d been planning to betray Allie or Riven… it was part of the rules…” Kathrine muttered to herself, as if in denial.

Crendir shrugged innocently, and held out both hands to either side. “I wasn’t intending to. But that was then, and this is now. Elder Thune is very persuasive, and for someone without a family name… his offer is simply life changing. Even if it does mean I have to capture, and potentially kill, one of the lesser princesses of our great empire.”

Snarling with an abrupt surge of rage, Kathrine tried to strike out against the man with her foot - but the soldiers holding her back didn’t let her get more than a few inches off the ground.

Crendir chuckled, then snapped a kick in her direction.

Her head flew back, and the helmet was knocked off as she yelped out in pain before a sudden burning sensation caught her in the collar bone.

Gasping and looking down at the dagger that’d been slammed there, she began to scream.

“Now listen to me, princess.” Crendir calmly commanded, picking the terrified princess up by the back of her hair and yanking her face roughly around to face him. “You’re going to answer all my questions, and do exactly what I say when I say it - or else I’m just going to leave you in a ditch somewhere. You know what happens if I do that?”

Kathrine didn’t reply, but her chest heaved up and down as his grip on the back of her head tightened.

“If I kill you, then someone else in House Crushada is going to be your replacement.” Crendir snarled. “I’m hoping you cooperate, lest I need to go take one of your cousins that so eagerly came to this planet in search of glory. And perhaps after I’m done interrogating you, if you do a really good job, I could even keep you as a pet. Better that, than what’s going to befall the rest of your family - if you ask me.”