Erebus didn’t have to look far to find them. It had been almost impossible to miss the climactic battle between Alice and Charigris and they’d all been on the way back to find the survivors.
The last to arrive was Lana, even with her speed second only to Amara, Charigris had with a single blow sent her so far it was almost an hour before she turned up, out of breath and looking about ready to tear the throat out of the first person dumb enough to point it out.
“Do we bury her?” Alec finally asked, staring at Alice’s fallen form, finally asking the question that had been weighing upon him from the moment he’d been brought here.
In death the warshifter, perhaps, by her own admission, the greatest Reath had ever known, looked peaceful. It was a terrible cliché but she truly did, and it wasn’t where Erebus had closed her eyes. It was the soft smile that graced her lips.
It was not an expression that she ever would have worn in life. There was no fire to it, none of the burning passion and lust for life, just quiet and ultimately satisfied with a life not just well lived but lived on her own terms until her dying day.
“No. She wouldn’t have cared if we buried it, burned it or turned it into leather.” Natalya told him gently, “Wherever she is now, I promise you she isn’t sparing her body so much as an idle thought… she was almost a necromancer in that regard.”
“We’re leaving her here.” Erebus informed him. Not elaborating further on the matter. “We really should start considering our next move, by now the people down that mountain will have sent messages out to the Council. Do we scarper?”
“We’re still fugitives.” Amara pointed out, “Just because we’ve gotten the assassins off of my back doesn’t do anything for the assassins after yours.”
“Problem is what’s our course of action?” Natalya countered, “We’re low on leads. The only threads still dangling are whatever artificer Lutan hired to trap Lady Von Mori and the destruction of Triple A.”
“Seruatis’ archmages had a few other places they wanted me to check out?” Their leader suggested. It had been rather a lot of places in truth, the list long enough he doubted he’d get to all of them in a lifetime, but that had been the point, to clean up and prepare Reath as best possible for what would come in his absence.
“We’re running out of people.” Natalya stated, cutting down that idea as fast as she could. “I’m happy to help you with whatever nonsense they gave you but I am tired of doing it on the run with no time to prepare.”
“What if we accused your Lutan of being a bard?” Lana offered, “Turnabout is fair play, and your accusation even has the benefit of being true.”
“It would just look like an attempt to get out of trouble. Sour grapes and no more.” Amara shook her head sadly, “As much as it’s an idea I would love to try.”
“It’s a serious enough accusation they’d have to at least look.” Erebus mused, stroking his chin as he did so, “They might even find something… but it wouldn’t help us from inside our cells.”
“We could just stay here?” Weaver said slowly, the arachni pulling her legs in a little under the weight of several amused stares, “I know I’m the new girl, and not so used to these life or death kerfuffles as you guys but… we just saved the world right?”
“More just a major magical institution.” Erebus corrected gently, “But go on.”
“My point is that we’re heroes. We just saved a load of lives, potentially the world too if you count what happened back home. So why not just… act like heroes? Stick around and take the credit. It’s a terrible look to be congratulating someone while throwing them into a cell.”
“Hmmm…” Natalya mulled the idea over, similar sentiments coming from the group’s more experienced plotters, “I like it. There’s potential for backfire certainly but I really do think it could work.”
“It would be very easy to just have us killed.” Lana stated, not enthused by the idea at all.
“But they won’t. The Council like to think they’re the good guys, and frankly they’re in need of successes.” Nat pushed back, “They don’t do the whole ‘mysterious accident’ gig unless it’s absolutely unavoidable. I should know, I’m one of the people who they get to do it when they do have to.”
“There are still charges against Erebus, and probably most of us by now.” Amara noted, “You really think they’ll just brush those under the rug? Like you said, they think they’re the good ones.”
“Oh there will be a trial, but the charges against Erebus are baseless, and if he’s being vaunted as a hero then there’s no way they’d hand him over to the Protectorate.” Natalya explained eagerly, really starting to get enthused by the idea.
“And the rest of us…?” Lana asked, starting to really consider it.
“Acting in support of an unjustly accused man. A slap on the wrist at worst. You they won’t touch, no one wants to peeve an imperator. Alec and Holly are just kids, no offence, so they’ll just get shunted into one of the academies. Qrilotesh has Amara’s back. I’ve got favours to cash in… and Weaver hasn’t actually done anything that can be charged.”
“So we just wait for the Council to turn up?” Erebus deciding to put it to a vote.
Surprisingly agreement was unanimous.
*
It was a rather tense wait. Erebus and Natalya, the experts in these matters, had predicted it would take Second Response another hour at most to turn up. Second Response because there was no way they’d send First Response to a report of a fortress sized elemental on the rampage, and even Second Response would likely be just doing a threat assessment so it could be kicked up the ladder to one of the immortals or one of the supernatural superheavyweights.
They hadn’t elaborated on what the Council of Mages might consider a match for Charigris, and Alec hadn’t been entirely sure he wanted to know.
He also wasn’t going to find out. There was no warning. No hint of danger.
He had been eating one of Agh’zak’s preprepared meals (a wonderfully creamy curry over what he believed to be a mix of beef, pulses and peppers) when the demon simply appeared amongst them.
She was a thin, grey-skinned waif. Her demonic horns little more than nubs. She was a commanding and buxom matron, her horns towering towards the sky. She was a winged beast with a dozen amethyst eyes. She was little more than a mass of writhing tentacles. She was a berserker, soaked in so much blood it had stained her soul more than it had stained her skin. She was a clinical tactician, staring dispassionately as she sent yet another piece to be plucked from the board.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
She was all this at once and a thousand other things. To look at her was to be driven near madness as one’s eyes argued with each other as to what they were seeing.
That wasn’t the scary part for Alec. The scary part was that he, who even when given remedial lessons had not been able to sense so much as a wisp of mana, could feel her power. It washed over him like a tidal wave. It was a pressure on his eardrum so heavy he thought they might burst. A heat on his skin such that he might roast. A wind that threatened to flay the skin from him. It was, in short, terrifying.
For those who’s esoteric senses were more practiced it was worse still.
The aetheric chains twisted, twined and writhed around the demoness, binding her bit by bit. Reath had been designed from the outset to handle threats like this and though they’d never faced a challenge on this scale they were up to the task, cutting down her domain bit by bit until it was able to extend no further than her skin. Binding her to a single form at a time and restricting a multitude of other powers the gods had simply deemed too dangerous to ever be allowed loose on their great life raft.
Almost as one being the mages scrambled for their weapons. They wouldn’t do them any good if it came to blows, it was more of a comfort thing.
Erebus and Lana hadn’t reached for anything, both dropping smoothly to a single knee, heads bowed in quiet supplication. “Master.” “My Lady.” The two intoned respectively.
That at least put a pause on their fellows before they could unwisely cast their lives into oblivion, spells dying in their hands.
The demoness stroked Erebus’ cheek, talons raising beads of blood from his skin, the necromancer not even wincing and even leaning in to the surprisingly tender touch. “I had long wondered how you would address me next we met. Very well. It is good to see you again my apprentice. Please rise.” That said she turned to address Lana, “And you Lana, you have done great service under what I can only imagine were very trying conditions. You have my thanks.”
“Will you be staying long master?” Erebus asked softly, still there was an edge to the question. For what was supposed to be a joyous reunion the necromancer's hackles were up.
“Forever I think.” She replied lightly, “Your nemesis’ catspaw was a skilled warlock but his ambition far outweighed his talent. Not unlike a young necromancer I recall.”
“And this warlock is…?” Natalya asked, finally working up the courage to speak to the imperator.
“Very dead. I have no need of a second apprentice.” She explained, smiling in fond reminiscence as she did so. “Now I suppose we should speak of the future, before the little godlings finally work up the courage to attack me. I will have need of a right hand once I rule Reath, the role is yours if you desire it apprentice.”
“You had no desire to rule when I summoned you.” Erebus observed, slowly reaching for his warstaff at his feet.
“The state of the board has changed.” The imperator explained, “Oblivion’s name is returned to it. It is a person once more.”
“Oh Martyr preserve us.” Her student groaned, “Did I-? I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. My fellows might be rather upset over the change, I am not. People are fallible.”
“Is there something we can call you?” Weaver asked suddenly, the arachni surprising even herself with her temerity, “It feels a little rude just referring to you as ‘the imperator’ in my head.”
“Of course little curse-child. A fragment of my name will suffice, call me Tsa’rahlitzek.” She replied easily enough, seemingly pleased at being addressed by her student’s companions.
“I always went with Sarah.” Erebus chimed in. His teacher’s glare managed to open a cut on his forehead.
“Your insouciance remains intact.” She observed, “This time around I will fix that.”
“So um… excuse me Tsa’rahlitek, but you mentioned ruling?” Weaver asked, shaking a little as she did so, “Is there any way we could persuade you not to do that?”
“I fear not. This world is the one place Oblivion cannot touch, and you mortals have all but trashed it in the absence of the gods.”
“I see.” Weaver continued, “Are you sure? Because people really aren’t going to like that.”
“Of course they won’t. Were I anyone else dear Erebus here would already have tried to strike me down. Sentiment has always been your weakness hasn’t it apprentice?” As she said it she moved to kiss the necromancer’s forehead, lips leaving blisters behind. “So conflicted. Tell me boy, what stays your hand? You wanted to protect this world didn’t you?”
Erebus didn’t say anything, gaze averted in shame.
“You can’t possibly think you can fight the entire world and win.” Natalya declared, trying to step in where Erebus had failed.
“Of course not. I am powerful but not that powerful.” Tsa’rahlitzek said, holding back a cackle, “You forget Reath is a very large place, I don’t have to fight it all at once. Just a little bit at a time. Once I’ve broken the Paladin Protectorate and the Council of Mages, Contemnere will fall in line. After that it will be a simple matter of consolidating before I take the rest. Ten thousand years at most.”
“What if we say no?” Nat pressed.
“It won’t happen, mortals have always knelt in the face of greater power.”
“You misunderstand me. What if we say no?” The necromancer raised her battlestaff, the gem at its tip sparking with barely restrained lightning.
“Oh. Then you die. Obviously.” The imperator of madness declared. Natalya didn’t even see her move. The monster’s talons were a millimetre from her exposed eyeball as both Erebus and Lana held back her hand with every ounce of strength in their bodies.
Tsa’rahlitzek stepped back, tugging them both off balance as she did so. “Lana, what treachery is this?”
“No treachery my liege. You bid me to protect Erebus. That is all I am doing.” The devil stated gently, not a whisper of defiance in her words. “Had you slain Natalya he would have tried to strike you down.”
“Ah.” The imperator breathed, understanding dawning as she stared pityingly at her student, “Sentiment. You will not raise a hand to protect this world. But these mortals stir you to action. It seems I truly failed you apprentice.”
“You misunderstand teacher. If I fight you, here and now, my friends will die. The world would not.” Erebus finally answered, breaking his silence, “It would be an inevitable consequence of the fight. That becomes moot if you try to strike them down yourself.”
“I see. Don’t tell me you think you can win against me boy?” She laughed, “I made you to be confident, not arrogant.”
“No. I could never defeat you alone.” Her apprentice conceded, “Nonethless I have no choice but to try. The last thing Reath needs is another tyrant. I will be but the first and likely the least challenger you will face if you desire this world.”
Tsa’rahlitzek sighed, genuinely mournful as she spoke, “It seems I owe you an apology. I had hoped to rule with you at my side but in some ways it seems I made you too well. Lana, I relieve you of your charge. I will make this swift apprentice, you shall not suffer.”
“I refuse my Lady.” Lana replied, moving between Erebus and her imperator. “You made me swear to protect him from all threats. All threats includes you.”
“Lana don’t-“ Her ward began to protest but it was far too late. Tsa’rahlitzek’s claws had already scythed the devil’s head from her shoulders.
The imperator stared at her bloodstained nails for a moment before she shook her servant’s blood from them. “Sentiment. Sometimes I truly fear it is a disease.” She said to herself before she turned her attention back to Erebus.
“You didn’t need to do that.” He said softly, the embers of rage beginning to build, though the great fire did not quite appear, drowned in the waters of bewilderment, “I don’t understand why you’re doing any of this.”
His teacher considered that for a moment, and the intensity of her reply, no her plea, made Erebus take a step back in its intensity. “Because the board has lain static too long. Because without change defeat is inevitable. If my father is to be denied then things must change. Giving Oblivion back his name is not enough. The legions of hell are spent child. My fellow imperators bleed power moment by moment. If there remains the power to stop him it lies here, and I will have it.”
Her eyes flitted between Erebus’ surviving friends, “I had hoped you would be the one to unite this world, to lead it, but you fear your own strength overmuch. So I will step in where you will not.”
“A bargain then. We can make a new pact.” Erebus tried desperately. “Master this doesn’t make any sense!”
“No. I’m not making that error again.” Tsa’rahlitzek growled, “I made you to be the perfect weapon, either strike me down or be slain yourself. Those are your options.”
“You can’t hurt me…” The words were slow, hesitant and full of wonder. “You can’t actually hurt me.”
“What nonsense are you babbling?” The demoness snapped, stepping over Lana’s corpse to advance upon him.
“Our pact is still in effect.” Erebus continued, the shock of realisation more or less forcing the words from him, “You swore to make me the perfect weapon, but what use is a weapon if it refuses to cut? All you’ve done since you arrived is try to goad me into battle. Belittling me. Threatening Reath. Threatening Natalya. Killing Lana. You need me to attack you or you’re in violation of our bargain.”