Chapter 31: Framework 9
Elania swirled the glass of red liquid, watching it slosh against the sides. She wrinkled her nose, took a sip, and immediately regretted it.
The wine was not to her liking, leaving a bitter taste on the tongue. She set the glass down, pushing it away from her.
She would have been happy with frujuice.
Yolani had wanted to drink the bottle with her, but after a few sips, the other girl had turned red and started babbling incoherently until Elania had cuddled her to sleep.
She glanced into their bedroom, a smile tugging at her lips. Yolani was curled up in the sheets, hugging a pillow tightly. Her heart swelled with affection for the other woman, and she felt a warmth spread through her chest.
Honestly, it was better than anything the wine could do for her. Her body didn’t even metabolize the alcohol as poison anymore, meaning she couldn’t get tipsy even if she wanted to—at least not without finding an alchemist and some real, very dangerous poisons.
Elania turned back to the city, her eyes drawn to the stars. They were so different from the ones on Earth, all sorts of colors and sizes, but they all formed unique constellations she didn’t recognize.
Many of them were larger than the stars she remembered from home, and they seemed to pulse with a strange energy that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
It was alien and wonderful at the same time, and Elania found herself transfixed by the sight.
She sighed, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. She let the sounds of the city wash over her, the distant hum of artifice and the occasional shout or laugh from the streets below.
The thunderous crack that split the air was an unwelcome jolt.
Elania shot to her feet. The explosion echoed in the distance. She scanned the skyline for the source but couldn’t spot anything from her current vantage point; the blasts must have been coming from the opposite side of their balcony.
Without hesitation, Elania leaped into the air. She spun around, her eyes widening as a series of yellow flares and explosions lit up the night sky on the far side of Contia.
More detonations followed, the sound growing louder and more frequent.
“Elania! What’s going on?” Yolani’s shout drew her attention back to the balcony.
Elania landed, shaking her head. “I don’t know.”
She scooped Yolani into her arms and launched them both into the air, flying up to the roof of the estate. The footing was precarious, but they found a spot to stand without slipping.
The explosions intensified, the sky transforming into a deadly fireworks display as the blasts drew closer at an alarming rate.
A gust of wind slammed into them, nearly knocking them off balance. Elania opened her mouth to suggest they grab their armor and gear, but the words died on her tongue as two Silvers landed on the roof beside them, artifice backpacks strapped to their backs.
The first Silver stepped forward. “By order of Contia, you are restricted to the estate.”
Elania and Yolani shared a look, their eyes wide with shock and confusion.
The Silvers’ sudden presence here was unsettling, a clear sign that they were being watched more closely than they’d realized.
Elania shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant despite the growing unease in her gut. She turned her attention back to the battle raging in the distance, squinting to make out the details.
“Can you see what’s happening?” Yolani asked.
Before Elania could respond, a dazzling array of purple lasers flared out from the city, illuminating everything for miles.
The beams struck an airship with three balloons, its silhouette now clearly visible against the night sky. The airship’s magical shield shimmered under the onslaught, absorbing the impact of the beams.
The airship retaliated, firing a red orb that hurtled towards the city.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
A purple dome materialized before the orb, and a shockwave erupted as the two collided. The blast of air eventually reached them, whipping through their hair and clothes.
Elania tightened her grip on Yolani, pulling her close as the shockwave passed. “Hold on!”
High above the city, a yellow flare launched into the sky, bathing everything in an eerie, sun-like glow. Elania’s eyes widened as she spotted three streaks of light—blue, green, and red—appearing in the sky, all racing towards the airship.
“What are those?” Yolani gasped, her fingers digging into Elania’s arm.
“I don’t know,” Elania admitted, her heart pounding in her chest. “But I have a feeling we’re about to find out.”
The streaks of light closed in on the airship, moving at incredible speeds. Elania watched, transfixed, as they drew closer and closer until they were almost upon the massive vessel.
The airship unleashed a barrage of explosive blue projectiles targeting the colored lights.
Elania’s eyes widened as realization dawned on her: those lights were the Four Towers. The identity of the airship remained a mystery, an unknown assailant attacking without warning.
Another volley of light cannons erupted from the city, their beams piercing one of the airship’s balloons. Flames engulfed the punctured containment, the airship listing to one side as it struggled to maintain altitude.
A wave of silver lights leaped out from the city, swarming toward the airship like a rain of distant stars.
“Look!” Yolani pointed at the sky. “Those flashes—they’re Silvers, aren’t they?”
Elania nodded, her gaze shifting to the two Silvers standing watch on the rooftop. She cocked her head, a questioning look in her eyes. “Why aren’t you out there helping? Contia’s under attack.”
The Silvers exchanged a glance. The first one spoke. “Our orders are to monitor you, demi-divine. As a foreign entity, you must be kept under surveillance at all times.”
Elania huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She knew arguing would be futile. That didn’t stop her from voicing her annoyance. “I could help, you know.”
The second Silver shook his head. “The situation is under control. The Four Towers have everything well in hand.”
A laugh escaped Elania’s lips, the sound tinged with disbelief and frustration.
She gestured towards the burning airship, the explosions still rocking the city. “You call this under control? A magical battleship appears out of nowhere, attacking your city, and you think everything’s just fine?”
The Silvers remained silent, their postures rigid. Elania sighed, turning her attention back to the battle raging in the distance.
A large purple pillar appeared in the air, impaling the enemy sky battleship through its middle.
The airship fired another volley of projectiles into Contia, many of them bouncing off energy shields that materialized just before impact.
Some found their way through, though, and hit the Central District. Elania’s heart clenched as fires and explosions erupted. None of them looked like they were close to her district, or where the Guard or refugees were camped.
The Four Towers smashed into the ship as it hurtled toward the city.
It was clearly out of control, its trajectory set on a collision course with Contia. Elania watched, her breath caught in her throat, as she spotted Arlois. The Purple Tower flew to the prow of the ship and slammed into it. It wasn’t enough to stop the momentum.
Ember, a streak of red against the night sky, flashed near the rear, causing the propellers to explode, the sound of metal shearing and twisting filling the air.
Elysia, her green aura pulsing with power, summoned a gigantic root from the nearest island. The root reached out, slamming into the airship and altering its trajectory, steering it away from the city and towards the ground below.
The burning ship turned over on its side as it struck the ground.
An enormous flash of light burst forth from the crash, followed by a growing plume of smoke and fire.
Elania shook her head. “What the hell just happened?” she muttered.
“I don’t know,” Yolani whispered. “But whatever it was, it’s not over yet.”
Elania nodded, her gaze fixed on the wreckage of the airship. The Towers were already descending upon it, their colored auras casting an otherworldly light across the landscape.
Who had attacked Contia, and why? What was their purpose, their goal? The Sun Emperor and the Monevoians?
And most importantly, were there more of them out there, waiting to strike again?
Elania shook her head. She turned to Yolani, a question forming on her lips, but the words died in her throat as she noticed the other girl’s attention fixated on the Silvers standing guard on the rooftop.
Yolani approached one of the men, her eyes wide with curiosity. The Silver tensed, his posture stiffening as she drew closer.
“How long can you fly with those packs?” she asked. “And how do they work, exactly?”
Before the Silver could respond, Yolani slipped behind him, nearly losing her footing on the sloped roof.
She peered at his flight pack, fingers itching to examine the mechanism. The Silver shifted uncomfortably. “Please, step back. You’re not authorized to—”
But Yolani was already lost in her own world, words tumbling out in an excited rush. “The artifice required to create something like this must be incredible! Why didn’t Ember have any of these in the workshop? The power source alone would need to be—”
Elania covered her face with her hand, a mixture of embarrassment and exasperation washing over her.
“Yolani,” Elania called, cutting through the other girl’s rambling. “You can ask Ember or Arlois or anyone else about this later. But not right now, and definitely not tonight.”
Yolani peeked out from behind the Silver, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry, I just got carried away.”
Elania rolled her eyes and sighed before reaching out to take Yolani’s hand in her own and pull her close.
With a gentle tug, she led the other girl back to the edge of the roof, her arm wrapping around Yolani’s waist as they prepared to jump.
“Let’s head back inside,” Elania murmured. “We can talk more about this in the morning.”
Yolani nodded, leaning into Elania’s embrace as they leaped from the rooftop, landing gracefully on the balcony below.
The Silvers watched them go without a word.
As they stepped back into their room, Elania couldn’t shake the feeling that this attack was just the beginning of something much larger and more dangerous than they had anticipated.