Response

The moment Ryun grabbed hold of her, Erdania reacted. She released her authority, her Soul expanding outside of her body and flowing through the floor, through the walls, through every solid piece of Essence around. The very meaning of Reliability seeped into the shells of each individual Essence grain. Ryun’s Authority washed over everything else.

She focused on safeguarding the people in the range of the attack. Her and Ryun’s power filled the world.

His body vanished as he diffused his existence, then surrounded them. Erdania felt as he threw himself at the explosion beneath them, suffocating it with his very being.

A Reaction Engine, a small one, she concluded as her mind made sense of the information she got from Ryun over the bond.

Ryun’s being was destroyed, then regenerated in a surge as his perks activated. Even as lessened as his survivability powers were, it was more than enough.

He fed the Reaction Engine, keeping it constrained and preventing it from growing, from spreading and destroying other Essence by feeding it his own.

Erdania moved, her perks activating and her will smashing into the world. She shattered the building around them, turning the stone to dust in an instant by pulling any Essence related to Reliability from it, collapsing the bonds of anything solid around them, turning the structure into a pile of collapsing dust. Gravity bent, and every person in range was pulled upward into the sky, out of danger as the air shook from the struggle between two forces below with a roar of sound.

She manipulated the world ready for any follow up attack.

Then everything went quiet, the Reaction Engine’s explosion winked out as its fuel was spent. Erdania felt Ryun’s authority, his being moved immediately, heading out of the city to their home, to Selia.

Erdania dropped the people she rescued on the ground and followed.

----------------------------------------

They stood in a large tent, in an open field not far away from where their home used to be. The entire territory was buzzing with activity. Airships flew above them, their entire fleet.

Warriors were doing the same on the ground. The city, no, the entire Sect was on high alert. Messages went out, some through Far-link Orbs, others by way of airships or runners, but by the end of the day, the entire Sect would be ready for war.

Erdania stood next to a table that was covered in the reports, while Ryun and Selia sat on a bench nearby. Selia was, thankfully, fine.

Erdania’s fear had spiked hard when she realized that all of them had been targets of what could only be an assassination attempt. Selia had already been checked over by Tarsh Yuron and their own healers, both she and the babies were fine. The relief that Erdania felt in that moment frightened her. It reminded her of the loss they had suffered in the past, and that no matter how powerful they got, they could still die. It was a sobering thought.

Ryun hadn’t left Selia’s side since they met up, the attack had been hours ago, and he, or at least a part of him, sat next to Selia with a hand on her thigh. His side of the bond was closed down tight, the three of them had a rule about things like that, they didn’t hide things from one another. But… she had felt his anger, the rawness of it, and knew that he was only shielding the two of them from it.

People entered and exited the tent often, bringing more reports or just relaying the news. The atmosphere was wary, they had suffered losses. The attack had struck their research facility as well. The place where they were holding the recovered miniaturized Reaction Engines, or at least where most people thought they were. Not many even knew that they had them, so it should be easy to figure out how the information got out. There was only a handful that knew that the Reaction Engines weren’t actually there. But seeing as the attack happened there anyway, they at least knew that their inner circle wasn’t compromised.

Two dozen people lost their lives there, less than could’ve. The research facility wasn’t yet fully operational, so they were lucky in that regard.

The tent flap opened, and Anrosh walked in quickly. She wore her full gear, her armor rippling in all the colors of the rainbow.

“Tell us,” Selia said.

“We ran down the list of people with access that we believe were involved with placing the Reaction Engines, three that we believe most likely were found dead not far from the bomb locations. It’s as if they just dropped dead mid-stride. All three of them joined the sect within the last five years, and had no issues raised before.”

Anrosh started her report, her dissatisfaction with it was clear on her face.

“What about your prisoners?” Erdania asked, referring to the squad that was sent to kill the researchers that had come to ask for asylum from the Sect.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

“I’m still keeping them frozen,” Anrosh answered. “But, we do know some. All six are cthul, but one of them is a shade.”

Everyone in the tent blinked at that. “A shade?” Selia asked.

Anrosh nodded. “My people confirmed it. Seeing as shades can’t ordinarily enter the Real Realm, we are working under the assumption that it is one of those that were present when the Triumphant Hive used the ritual to bring over Grand Spirit of War and its army.”

Ryun’s expression twitched for a split moment, but then quickly returned to his impassive mask.

“You haven’t interrogated them,” Selia said.

“Until we know the cause of the deaths of others, I’m not risking them dying the moment they realize they’re captured. We don’t know how the others died, whether by choice or if something triggered from afar. I’ve called for experts from Karya who might be able to ward them properly to prevent that.”

Selia nodded at that. “So what do we know?”

Anrosh sighed. “A lot,” she looked around, meeting each of their gazes before continuing. “We’ve gotten word over the Far-link Orb, this attack wasn’t an isolated incident. Other sects were hit too, how many is uncertain.”

Erdania narrowed her eyes. “A coordinated assassination attempt?”

Anrosh grimaced then nodded. “More than an attempt, many Sect Heads across our lands are dead. And there is more.”

“What is it?”

“This isn’t confirmed, everything is so chaotic out there, information isn’t being passed on properly. I’ve been in contact with Sect Leader Vitor of Dragon Heart Sect, and the information he is working with is second hand at best right now. But… There are reports of invasions across our borders, several Sects being hit at the same time.”

“The Exalted Empire invaded,” Erdania whispered, almost disbelieving.

“From what I’ve been told, the assassination attacks happened within a short period of time in all the powerful sects, maybe more. Not all sects have Far-link Orbs to communicate, but… Based on the timeline I was given, and unless we learn something else, I suspect that the attack on us happened first, about twenty minutes ahead of all the others. An hour after is when the first reports of forces crossing Sect borders from the Core happened.”

Selia put a hand on her belly and straightened her back. “Us first?”

Anrosh met her eyes. “I think that they were planning this for a long time, the fact that other Sects were hit says as much. They had people already in place, and…” She glanced at Ryun before continuing. “If they planned to start a war, taking out the Sect Heads and other powerful individuals makes sense. They would also be familiar with Ryun’s perception. Attempting what they just did would usually be unlikely to succeed, he would see it coming.”

“But we gave them an opening,” Erdania sighed.

“It’s not your fault, either of you,” Selia told them. “We’re safe.”

Anrosh cleared her throat. “Selia’s right, they’ve been planning this for a long time, the presence of the team that went after the asylum seekers tells me that they would’ve probably attempted it in the near future anyway. The fact that other Sects were hit tells us that this wasn’t just something targeted at us.”

“They underestimated us if they thought those Reaction Engines would’ve killed us,”Selia started.

“With respect,” Anrosh turned to look at her. “Those attacks would’ve probably killed anyone else. And besides, they don’t know about your growth in the last few years. The last real information they have on us is the war with the Dome Monsters. The attacks on the Domes too probably, I’m sure they had spies present. But your recent developments have been kept a secret even among the Sect.”

“There are many ways to survive Reaction Engines when you are at the peak of power,” Erdania interjected. “These new ones especially, they are weaker, have a smaller range.”

“Not if you get hit before you have a chance to react,” she put her hand over Ryun’s that was still on her thigh. “If you haven’t noticed, warned us…”

Ryun narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say anything.

Anrosh cleared her throat. “There is more, Vitor has summoned all Sects for an emergency gathering, at Dragon’s Peak.”

“He summoned us?” Selia asked, her voice dropping dangerously.

Anrosh raised her hands. “I don’t think that he intended it to come across as an order. I think that he was shaken. He… I didn’t talk with him for long, but with the way he spoke, I suspect that his brother is dead, or at least injured.”

Selia blinked, her expression calming. Vitor’s brother, Hitor was the Sect Head of the Dragon Heart Sect, one of the strongest factions in the world, a leader among the Sect Heads. If he was dead…

“I’ll go,” Ryun said slowly, his voice coming from all around them without his vessel’s mouth even opening, the first words he spoke since they made sure that Selia was alright.

“Ryun,” Erdania started, but Ryun shook his head, his control slipped for a moment and the raw, hot anger spilled over their bond making both her and Selia wince. He quickly blocked it, but Erdania could still feel its effect. As if something had stabbed her right in her head. She too was angry but that… In all the years they’ve spent together, she never felt such intensity of emotion from him. Usually, Ryun was the calmest of them, the one that felt the least.

“They attacked us,” his voice came from his vessel now, mouth moving. “They nearly killed…” he glanced at Selia’s belly, then his vessel rippled as if he barely had enough control to keep it manifested. “If they’ve attacked the Sects, a response is required.”

Erdania looked at the others in the room, there wasn’t much that she could say to that. He was right.

“Go, we need to learn more about what is happening,” Selia started. “I’ll stay and make sure that the Sect is secure.”

“I—” Erdania started, but Ryun interrupted her.

“Will stay with her,” he said. “I don’t want her alone here.”

Erdania wanted to argue, but… She didn’t want to leave Selia alone either.

She saw Selia open her mouth to say something, but then paused as Erdania let her emotions flow through their bond.

Selia sighed and nodded.

“I’m coming with you,” Anrosh said.

Ryun looked at her, his face still with no expression at all. “You’ll—”

“Be by your side,” Anrosh interrupted him. “Don’t try to convince me otherwise. That’s where I’m meant to be, I’m your Herald. The sect will be secure with Selia and Erdania here, I’ve already asked Karya to come to Consequence and take my position, and Nayra is headed to our borders with your warriors. We are on the other side of the core, any army coming at us will have to get through either Dragon Heart of two dozen smaller Sects. We’ll see them coming. At most we have to worry is assassination, but we are alert now, it won’t happen again.”

Ryun didn’t say anything for a few long seconds, then finally he inclined his head and stood.

“We go,” he said tersely. “Now.”

“I already have our fastest airship prepared,” Anrosh answered.

Erdania took a deep breath. It was going to be war once more. She had to prepare, and there was still power to be gained. Her Class waited for her, it was time to advance it.