The hallway where Idris met the titan blade was nothing short of a grand forge, Aserite gleaming purple glowed around the surface of the hall, the floor shining silver and the crest of the titan blade glowed continually, a mountain with a blade above it burning as if coals were underneath its surface. Eyes roaming, he saw each of the cohorts’ banners were hanging from each of the banners, ten in all, gleaming as they led to the main forge itself, a large structure of Aserite and burning purple fires,
Aspect, pure aspect of the titan blade,
Amidst the purple flames, Idris could see gold sparks, a power he had felt once or twice growing from the titan, something akin to the titan aspect but greater. Idris had no idea when he fell to one knee in awe, the power suffusing the ship, a gentle warmth of protection, of strength and dependability. His broadsword in one hand, he glanced behind him to see the entirety of those in the room on their knees as well, diamonds and below bowing in the presence of the titan’s aspect.
He glanced up at the titan blade who stood there, a giant of a man, eyes glowing purple and glowed, and then the titan smiled, body burning with aspect fire,
“shola” he called,
The crystalline figure phased to his side, Idris could had sworn she had melted through the Aserite walls in the blink of an eye, the A.I of the ship that had merely being a holographic projection now had a body, made of pure Aserite, few ascenders in the entire archailect could boast of a body as powerful as that and yet, here was the titan blade, simply giving it out on a whim.
The A.I knelt in the presence of the titan blade as Moyo grinned,
“What has the defiance become?” he asked softly,
“In essence, a war planet” she responded, her voice sounding as authoritative and as powerful as a masters’ would,
Idris felt the powerful engines that controlled to the ship hum with power, the vibrations rumbling to life as the gathered ascenders got up. Idris got up, the guard behind him, in a crack of lightning so did Annika Stormseeker, spear in hand as her eyes widened, josh mithril warden appeared next, moving closer to the titan who nodded at them,
“What just happened?” Annika asked,
Moyo glanced at Idris who understood, nodding in compliance, the champion of the titan turned to the guard,
“Disperse the forces, continue preparation for the war, we leave in less than an hour” he commanded,
The guard, ten in all nodded, moving to comply as their voices rang out, ordering the entire search forces back to their positions. He turned back to the titan who gestured for him to come forwards, the large hall doors swinging shut as the guard began walking towards him as well.
********************************
Moyo felt the power of the vessel running through him like it was an extension of his body, every weapon placement, the aspect shard, the very grounds they stood on, he could feel it all, and he could feel the untapped power and the potential for destruction the ship held. Removing the fact that he was pretty sure the defiance had doubled in size, the sheer amount of aether that ran through the ship was literally enough to power an entire planet for at least a year,
A world filled with masters and rulers,
He stared at his right palm where a runic circle glowed,
“The rune of construct pacts” Shola said,
Moyo glanced at the A.I named after his mother, her Aserite body glowing with an ethereal purple light, pure titan aspect burning within her. Moyo wandered if that made her an emissary, but he was no ruler yet, so whatever she was, he doubted there was another of her type, he waved around the room,
“The boon of a supreme being” he said softly,
“Which of them?” Annika asked,
“The great Liakya, the true vessel herself constructions herself, where all the greatest weapons and relics of the archailect are forged” Shola said with a tone of reverence,
Moyo glanced at her, seeing the veneration in her eyes as his aspect shuddered, a thin line of silver thread only he could see flowed out of the A.I, moving into the air as it phased through the Aserite walls of the hall,
Venerations, he thought,
The A.I owed its existence in one way or the other to the supreme being herself, Moyo could understand where the venerations were coming from. With a flick of his mind, he added a bit more power to the sliver thread as it shone a little more, flowing towards the expanse of space to somewhere he couldn’t see, but he felt the warmth of his ship around him as a presence passed through, something insanely strong, so strong infact, that his allies around him felt nothing. Perhaps it was due to his status as a pseudo primordial and another being with venerations as well that he felt it, but he felt the pulse it shot his way, not spoking in words but in feelings,
Acknowledgement,
It was what it felt like and Moyo felt a bit of satisfaction that while he might not be in the good books of the supreme being, at least he was on a cordial term. Annika spoke, dragging his attention back to the room,
“so what you’re saying is this vessel is now a literal weapon of war?” she asked,
“To be precise, it would take nothing but the current flagships of all the rulers in the armada to cause significant damage to the defiance, going by current strength standards of course” Shola said,
“And you?, how do you feel?” Moyo asked, eyes on Shola,
The A.I bowed, her voice quivering,
“Despite my crystalline form, I can feel again, I can touch again and I can smell again, you have returned what was once thought lost to me my lord, I reaffirm my vow to you lord Moyo, I will serve you till the day I die” she said as a loud gong echoed,
Moyo shook his head,
“No, no more vows, of course I respect your decision but no more vows, not to me” he said sternly as Shola chuckled but nodded,
“As you wish lord primordial” she replied,
“So, we have a literal fortress to go to war with?” josh rumbled, talking for the first time,
“That we do young one” Idris replied,
“Pity, would had loved for our ships to be the same” Vaughn said, the other guard members muttering as well,
“The upgrades Ahib made to your flagships are more than enough to match up to the defiance pre upgrade, won't they?” Moyo asked with one eyebrow raised,
“Well, I mean, we do have a few bigger cannons” Yemi said,
“And then the faster scout fighters” marcel added,
“Oh, and they are faster themselves” Romulus said,
Moyo shook his head as he turned to the forge, eyes watching the burning flames as he put his hand through, scooping a bit of the fire, he scanned it with his Hud,
Aspect flames (M): this is the aspect of the titan reborn in fire, enough to melt even mithril, they automatically increase the rank of whatever artifact, relic or weapon being forged in the flames by one.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Moyo nodded appreciatively, returning the bit of fire back into the forge as he glanced at Shola,
“Take us to the deck” he asked,
The rest wondering what he meant, they lurched as the room seemed to twist in on itself and they were suddenly on the command deck, Urne shouting orders to its crew as the room became silent, its entire crew going to one knee. Moyo waved at them, turning to Urne who stared in awe,
“Like the upgrades?” he asked, a smile on his face,
“The defiance can challenge any ship in the armada now, this I say with complete conviction lord Moyo, we stand ready to punish the enemy of our house” she said, saluting him,
Moyo noted the way she claimed to be a member of house titan blade and nodded, Urne had shown complete loyalty to him time and time again, perhaps he could introduce her to Martha and see what key position she could give her. Urne drew his attention to the screen,
“The order is soon to be given lord titan blade, we will be one of the first to enter the aperture leading to the domain of the abyss” she said,
Moyo nodded,
“And Ibere?, what news comes from our capital?” he asked,
“Commander Ahib has begun complete fortification of the entire planet, an orbital station is currently being built along with an artificial moon satellite as well, they are in safe hands” she replied,
Moyo nodded, sitting on his throne as Annika folded her arms, moving forwards,
“How dangerous is what we’re going into?” she asked softly,
Moyo turned to her in alarm as she chuckled, raising a hand,
“Peace, I know what we’re going into, simply pulling your legs” she said as Moyo rolled his eyes,
“This is a chance to see just how far we scale in the archailect Moyo, we need this” she said,
“True, but not against foes like these, this is a life-or-death situation, we’re going up against three lords of the abyss, I went up against one and I barely survived” he argued,
“really?, we’re having this conversation again?” she asked in exasperation,
Moyo shook his head, watching Idris and josh converse silently,
“No, I know better than to try and convince you Annika, but promise me no unnecessary risks, your clan can’t afford to lose you” he pleaded,
Her eyes sparked as she smiled,
“I won’t promise not to have a good time though” she replied as he chuckled,
The alarm came through as Urne turned to him,
“that’s the signal, we move for the aperture now my lord” she said,
“You have my blessings” he replied,
With a sharp nod, she turned to the deck crew,
“Proceed, put thrusters at minimal force, engage all weapons on standby, prepare for abyssal breach” she said,
Moyo stapled his fingers together, silently watching as the defiance moved along towards the glowing abyssal realm pathway.
********************************************
The first signs of trouble were when they got close to the pathway, watching the hole yawn open as the grey coloured light of the entrance grew brighter and from the hole they came in their numbers, large fleshy ships that were the colour of blood, spikes all over their bodies and looking more like a deep-sea abomination than something that should sail the stars. He felt the aura of the craft reach his ship and his eyes shone purple, his very aspect that made up the ship repelling the powers, gritting his teeth in anger,
Pure madness,
That was what it felt like, an unquenchable thirst for bloodshed and the word Vusal rung through the very echoes, the ships, two in number, began to release pod looking things towards their position, Moyo getting up as Idris matched his stride,
“What are those?” he asked, breathless,
Like the archailect had been listening, a loud gong echoed as messages entered their Huds’
NOTICE!: you are about to face the forces of Vusal, lord conqueror of the abyss!,
Name: Vusal the conqueror
Description: Vusal is a malevolent and imposing figure, a dark lord who revels in the chaos of war and the shedding of blood. He stands tall and commanding, with an aura of darkness that surrounds him. His eyes burn with a sinister red glow, reflecting his insatiable hunger for battle and conquest. Clad in blood-stained armor that bears the scars of countless conflicts, Vusal radiates a palpable aura of fear and malevolence.
Vusal's influence spreads like a plague, corrupting and subjugating all who dare cross his path. His name invokes fear and dread, and his insatiable thirst for bloodshed ensures that his reign of terror continues unabated. Vusal's influence spreads far and wide, corrupting hearts and minds with his promises of power and conquest. He commands legions of Bloodfiend warriors and malevolent creatures, each driven by their insatiable desire for bloodshed and the intoxicating allure of battle. His followers worship him as the embodiment of their darkest desires, and they willingly offer themselves as sacrifices in his name.
Vusal, the Lord Conqueror of the Abyss, embodies the darkest aspects of warfare and bloodlust. His realm is a twisted reflection of his insatiable hunger for battle, where gore and carnage reign supreme. Vusal's influence spreads like a plague, corrupting and subjugating all who dare cross his path. His name invokes fear and dread, and his insatiable thirst for bloodshed ensures that his reign of terror continues unabated.
Realm: Field of the Vanquished
Vusal's realm, the Abyss, is a twisted reflection of his insatiable hunger for bloodshed. It is a place where maniacal battles rage incessantly, and the air is thick with the scent of violence. Armies clash in endless war, and the landscape bears the scars of constant conflict. Fear and suffering reign supreme, fueling Vusal's power and empowering his dark legions.
Servants: Bloodfiends
Bloodfiends - The Bloodlust Servants of Vusal
Description: Bloodfiends are the malevolent and bloodthirsty servants of Vusal, the Lord Conqueror of the Abyss. These creatures are twisted abominations, their forms embodying the darkness and violence of their master's realm. They are towering and muscular, with sinewy bodies covered in matted fur ranging in color from deep black to dark crimson. Their eyes burn with a fiery red glow, reflecting their insatiable hunger for bloodshed and battle. Each of their limbs ends in wicked claws, capable of rending through flesh and armor with ease.
Vessel: Carnage Striders - a symbiotic spacecraft of abominable power and insatiable bloodlust. This sentient vessel is a terrifying fusion of biomechanical horror and advanced technology. Its exterior exudes an aura of menace, adorned with jagged metallic spikes, pulsating veins, and fanged maws that drip with crimson ichor.
Beware the approach of Carnage Strider, for its presence heralds an impending storm of violence and unquenchable bloodshed across the cosmos.
Moyo snatched himself from the deluge of messages, eyes wide as he began calculating just what they were about to face, understanding just what was coming their way. His communicator blazed to life as Urne snapped back, closing her Hud, she brought up the call, Altair’s face showing,
“Moyo” he said,
“Altair, our forces” he said grimly,
“Indeed, I didn’t realize on time, some of the smaller vessels are recording fights breaking out, abyssal pathways opening up due to the bloodshed and letting these Bloodfiends unto the ships” he said grimly,
He glanced at Urne who nodded at him,
“Reports are coming in from ships not protected by aspects about bloodbaths, we’re losing smaller vessels to the bloodlust” she said as her eyes widened,
“it’s those carnage striders, whatever they are doing, its transmitting the aura of Vusal, are we that close to another lord of the abyss?” Moyo said,
“Unlikely, but to gain access to the abyssal pathway, we need to clear those vessels” Altair said,
Another communicator came to life as Mardar appeared on screen,
“Titan blade, Thousandblades, those vessels” he said,
“Agreed, we need to take them out, but regular ascenders would simply fall under the thrall of the aura of Vusal” Moyo said,
“Indeed, we recommend a small strike force, diamonds and above seem to have some resistance against this power, the other primordial ships are agreeing, they however are too far behind us to get here in time” Mardar said,
“Meaning it falls to house titan blade and Thousandblades?” Moyo asked, narrowing his eyes,
“And also house Kairos and Viaris” typhon said as his communicator came up,
Viaris appeared next,
“Are we expecting anyone else” Moyo asked, nodding in the direction of the ruler of Khemet,
“No, the cosmic dragon should have been present, she has things to deal with” Kairos said with a frown,
Moyo was about to wonder what Typhon meant when his Hud blinked with a message,
“Ajax” it simply said,
Moyo froze, schooling his features into a mask as his eyes flicked towards Kairos who gave a fraction of a nod, he shut his eyes tight for a brief second, expelling any errant thought. Whatever Ajax had done, he would have to face the beat of the drums of retribution by himself, Moyo had people to protect now, he was the ruler of a house, he simply couldn’t go off into the stars hunting his errant master any longer.
He spoke,
“There are two of these striders, and going by their sizes, they must have thousands of these Bloodfiends within them, we have to engage them within their craft, this close to my world, I’d rather face them in the cold of space than on my world” he said firmly,
Kairos nodded,
“Agreed titan blade, this is or will be your territory when we close the abyss, it is your call, what do you propose?” the lord of monsters asked,
“Each of us send a team of masters and diamonds as we can spare, we bring down those crafts and we push on” Moyo said grimly,
“All in agreement?” Viaris asked,
All the primordials nodded,
“I’ll take the first craft, I would welcome another lord primordial with my forces” Moyo added,
“The jade’s will follow all forces equally, we know how best to deal with the forces of Vusal, we’ve fought them for ages, you’d need our help destroying these sentient crafts” Mardar said,
“Or unless you somehow have the aspect of the titan blade that somehow burns the aspect of the abyss just as good as jade runes do, then you’d do just fine” the jade of the first order said,
The primordials agreed, Viaris’s forces would rendezvous with the forces of the titan blade and they would attack the first of the striders, the forces of the Thousandblades and Kairos would go for the second, and amidst all these, the forces of the archailect actively engaged the spores of the striders that released the aspect of Vusal.