In a world as magically saturated as Eryn, Icons are inevitable. It’s also inevitable that the world would develop a response to these false gods. Such was the case when reports of the beast tribe native to the southern mountain range bordering the great forest had amassed enough aether crystals to attempt a summoning of their deity, Vulcan, the icon of fire.

Long oppressed and looked down upon by the elves of the forest, the Katatska decided enough was enough. Now with a corruptive Icon, normal adventurers couldn’t confront it. Not without risking succumbing to its influence and becoming another of its thralls. Enter the squad. Signing up for the job had been hard enough. But after passing a rigorous test administrated by the Guild, and the fact they took out Saphron some few months ago, it gave them special dispensation to take the job.

“We ace this Icon, and we’ll have enough to finance some solid gear to bail out New Xinjia.” Sirsir eying the number of zeros behind the 1 in the payout.

“We wouldn’t have to if Amara didn’t take off without stuff.” Yasiin said, sounding a little more moody than usual.

Akamori studied the Nomad marksman for a moment before finally noding. “Yeah. But we play the hand we’re dealt. Besides, this needs done and there aren’t many available who could take the job.”

“It’s a shame you had ta 86 Morwen’s step mom. She probably would have been who the guild went to for the gig. Rumor has it those two were unstoppable on the battlefield.” Sirsir said.

“Yeah. I’ve seen some recordings. Lucinda and Morwen’s old man were monsters to fight.”

“Demi-gods,” Yasiin added.

“Yeah.” Akamori said. He stared into the distance, through the buildings and trees of the capital and into the far distant mountain range. Somewhere out there, another Icon waited. He’d faced two now. False gods that warped and corrupted aether and souls. Like mindless shacklers, bending others to their will to lavish them with worship and gross in power.

Icons are like divine cancers. The previous Pantheon recognized them for what they were and culled them before they had the chance to take root. Without a pantheon, there is none to keep them from being summoned, Thanaton said in his mind.

“So. What are we gonna call ourselves now?” Sirsir said. Uncomfortable silences never set well with him. Akamori liked that about him.

“Sirsir’s Soldiers.” The beefy sergeant suggested with a boyish grin.

Groans issued from everyone as they strode through the forest towards the mountains. Bird songs and insects chittering filled in gaps between the suggestions as life went on with its routine around them.

“The Outriders.” Yasiin said.

“Nice. But I don’t want us to be seen as just another pack from Anazi.”

“Yeah, no offense, but they can get fucked for trying to have you killed.” Sirsir said.

“Technically, they succeeded.” Akamori said.

“What was it like? Death I mean,” Yasiin asked.

“Disorienting really. I remember feeling confused. It all happened so fast. And I lost all sense of time.”

“Sounds like a drag.” Yasiin said.

“The Big Man Squad.” Sirsir said, flexing with the new spell cannon he’d bought. Everyone gave him blank stares that answered the unspoken question. No.

“I’ve heard whispers from some that you’re a demi-god, sir. Is that true?” Sala asked from behind.

“Yeah. It’s true.”

Sala nodded as he strode along behind them before finally speaking after several strides in silence. “I suspected as much. Your aether and aura feel different now. Stronger than mortals now, easily.”

But weaker than all gods. Thanaton added dryly, eliciting a sharp glare from Akamori over his shoulder at the blade’s hilt.

“That’s enough, you.” Akamori hissed to the sword.

“Who?” Sirsir asked.

“No one.” Akamori said.

“What about Morwen’s Boys?” Sala said.

Akamori cringed. “Makes it sound too much like we’re her kids.”

“Or worse.” Sirsir said.

Yasiin held up a fist to halt the squad as the trees thinned out. The brush and grassy forest floor gave way to rockier terrain. The temperature was also rising steadily. They scanned around the area, confident they were getting closer. A faint tinge of sulfur hung in the air that stung Akamori’s nostrils and made his eyes water.

The approach into the beast tribe’s village was empty, making the hairs on the back of Akamori’s neck stand on end. Sirsir clutched the spell cannon he’d bought on loan from the Adventurer’s Guild a little tighter. The leather gloves he wore issued a soft groan of protest as his hands flexed on the weapons grips. Sala balled up his fists, and Yasiin held his rifle at the high ready as the squad sans Amara progressed deeper.

The village fed into the mouth of an open cave system. Within the cave, a tail blazed down to a ring of fire. Akamori paused and glanced back at the guys. This was typically where things got ugly.

“Watch my back.”

Sirsir pumped the slide on his cannon. “We got your back, sir.”

Akamori nodded and paused. “Technically, I’m not a sir anymore.”

“Oh yes, you are. We ain’t had no change of leadership discussion. You’ve been the Captain’s point man since Hidros, and that shit ain’t changed yet. We can iron out the details later, though. For now, you got a fake ass god to put to down. Sir.”

Akamori bit back the chuckle at the small twitch in Sirsir’s eye as he tried not to blow a gasket. The man really was a soldier through and through. Looking back, he was thankful for Sirsir’s help. The burly noncom had been the hardass he needed in order to shape up to survive this conflict. And then somewhere along the way, the two had become friends.

“Alright then. Let’s get this done with so we can go save New Xinjia.”

Solemn nods all around gave him the final reassurance he needed that they’d be alright. No more gut punches by dick headed dragons. This time they’d start punching back, and he wasn’t going to wait around until someone said he could. If that meant going rogue and doing it himself, then so be it.

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He descended further underground, and the temperature rose notably as he progressed. Soon there was a muted red glow of molten earth, fire, and magic. Thanaton thrummed on his back eagerly. Each Icon he slayed, he grew more powerful.

He waved a hand, unrolling a fiery translucent scroll that held the AG’s mission on it.

Quest: Cooling Off

Objectives: Defeat Vulcan. Pacify corrupted Beast Tribe.

Rewards: Extremely large amount of Guildmarks.

He waved the illusion away, and it dissolved into embers of fire and mind magic. Beat Vulcan, huh? No biggie. He could do that.

Heat pushed warm air up the tunnel passageway until Akamori emerged into a wide, circular area. A small rock ring separated the area from flowing molten rock. His black coat gusted gently in the air, pushed off the lava like interior. Thanaton thrummed like a hunting dog growling at prey.

A large horned form with a lion’s face and flaming mane clawed its way up free of the magma. Red, hot glowing talons extended from Vulcan’s fingers, carving shallow trenches into the stone. When the Icon was finally free, it floated up to study Akamori.

“A non believer.” Vulcan growled. “Why have you come to defile my temple?”

“It’s nothing personal. But I’ve got some Sauridius ass to kick, and you’re in my way.”

Vulcan pulsed with aether, waves of corruptive energy washed out, but when it splashed against Akamori’s aura, a ward on his soul protected him from the corruptive influence.

System Info: Vulcan has cast Conscript on you. You have resisted Conscript .

System Info: Effect - Blessing of Light : Immune to aether corruption and spirit binding. Treats the user as always having a Light Ward erected on their soul.

Akamori whispered a thankful prayer for the effects of the Blessing. Suddenly, not having light magic wasn’t so bad. He glanced down around himself as the aether clashed with his aura and broke the Icon’s spell. Conscription worked like a willed shackling. Binding the conscripts’ soul to fervent devotion and worship of the Icon. That’s all they were. Self driven worship engines. Souless voids that just devour Aether and power for the sake of it.

Vulcan’s conscript attack gave him an idea, striking with his aura like that. A raw push of will. He flexed his hands a few times, mentally visualizing the attack. When he felt ready, he looked up to Vulcan’s molten glare.

“My turn.”

He focused on Vulcan. The heat roiling off of the burning god’s flesh caused a shimmer in the air. Large ram like horns protruded from a flaming mane. Piercing yellow eyes glared down at Akamori. Obsidian black talons flexed idly from massive hands. Vulcan’s fur was blood red, with licks of flame that whispered off the massive icon’s body.

Akamori tensed, and his aura surged out like a thrust spear. Vulcan trembled and his eyes shot wide. A soundless scream issued from the icon’s mouth. Columns of magma erupted all around them. Eventually, the icon’s aura erupted outward and pressed Akamori’s own back. Though physically unwounded, Akamori could sense the spiritual wound he’d just inflicted.

System Info: New Ability learned!

Soul Lance

Effect: Use your soul to attack a target. Target suffers no physical damage, but takes direct damage to their soul.

Damage: 5 Soul,

1 accuracy

Range: 30

Defense: Soul Resistance

Cost: 3*

Soul Lance allows the caster to directly manifest a Soul Lance from their aura. Casting the spell allows the user to use the controlled Soul Lance for as long as they pledged the aether points, and they can cast this spell many times back-to-back if needed.

Akamori studied the missive’s information before waving it aside. He could review it later. He returned his focus to Vulcan, who was slowly recovering composure. The void reaper folded his arms, waiting on the icon. He canted his head to the side curiously.

“Still need a minute? I can wait.”

Vulcan roared his disapproval. A sphere of raw fire magic formed in Vulcan’s maw as its jaws distended to accomodate the rapidly growing orb of power. Akamori squinted as he noticed an orange cone appear from Vulcan’s mouth.

“What?”

EVADE! Thanaton roared mentally.

On pure instinct, Akamori dashed to the side just as a beam of super heated flame roared out of Vulcan’s mouth and slagged the far wall of the cavern. Vulcan then pounded the ground. Orange spheres appeared on the ground, as if marking target zones. The cave shook and flaming rock spears fell from the ceiling, crumbling into the cavern floor.

“Is this like Amara’s ability?” He asked, while continuing to evade a progressively more frustrated Vulcan.

No. This is a rudimentary and basic divine ability that you’re only now just able to access thanks to your Blessing of Light .

Akamori caught the veiled dig by the spell blade at his skill and sighed. “Thanks. You’re such a confidence boost.”

And you’re such a constant disappointment. Just when I wonder how much slower you can progress, you amaze me with yet again another blunder.

“Well, you know what they say. Better late than never!” Akamori yelped as Vulcan lunged with a swiping slash that he just narrowly evaded.

Vulcan raised his arms, and the ground flashed with pulsing orange circles that soon blossomed into erupting flaming spears that surged upwards. Akamori jumped back and away to catch his breath and take stock. Vulcan had a variety of attacks, but now that’d tapped into his divinity enough he could decipher them, he could counterattack.

The icon didn’t lack for power, hurling magnitude 3 and 4 spells easily, showing no sign of slowing down or stopping. This also said nothing about the icon’s powerful physical strength. If he was going to beat Vulcan, he had to do it decisively, and in such a way that he avoided taking damage. He could mitigate some of it, but not all of it.

He flicked Thanaton, preparing to strike.

“Alright. My turn again.”

Air blasted behind him, hurling him forward as if fired from the Crasher’s spell cannon. Blade held to the side, ready to slash, Akamori roared like a human bullet aimed at Vulcan’s heart.