Chapter IV
It was within mere seconds of the Ijirian attack force crossing the ruins of the front gates that the first soldiers entered the fortress itself. Vice Captain Alharo Bann led the charge into the first floor while Markreas instantly launched himself through a hole in the wall on the second, thus wordlessly splitting them into two parties with some remaining on the ground with the Korrei-Tarr while others used wind magic to hurl themselves upwards and follow the King. Despite having been at the vanguard of the initial charge, Ilirianna had yet to do either, instead choosing to fall back just after dismounting so that she could enter Ankalla alongside Ryokumo. Because of this, she was able to swiftly identify the prominent members of their force and take note of which direction they went in.
She, too, had noticed Keskivaara up on the second level, so she was unsurprised that was where Markreas opted to go. Knowing the King the way she did, she was absolutely certain that at that very moment, he was engaging the People’s Mind. Nakoma and Koroha were already deep inside the fortress with the orders to track down and jump Barron Kristoff, though since the red knight had still yet to be identified, there was no guarantee they would find him. In the least ideal circumstances, the Masters of Fire and Wind would simply have to abandon any hope of killing Barron and rendezvous with the rest of them. She had already spotted Queen Toranei bolting through the front doors with Alharo, and from where Ilirianna now lingered off to the side, she spotted Sinna and Nyx following suit with Rennigan right behind them. Grunly would remain in the courtyard so they could turn it into a makeshift medical zone, so with all that in mind, Ilirianna decided she and the others would be better used up on the second floor.
“Liri!” Ryokumo called out a second before he landed just beside her, Album not far behind. “Orders?”
“Second level,” she stated instantly as wind magic surged into her legs.
The Princess then propelled herself into the air and towards the gaping hole that Markreas and Keskivaara had previously disappeared into. Ryokumo used Proto to remain on her tail while Album turned her flesh into energy before flashing across the courtyard in the blink of an eye. She reached their destination first, so she glanced back and watched Ilirianna and Ryokumo finish their ascent. The moment her feet found solid ground, the Princess reached down and ripped her two emerald swords from their sheaths, her head snapping back and forth to get her bearings. The corridor was already filled with the glittering red and black of the Korrei-Tarr armor, with a cacophony of shouts reaching her ears as every combatant cast their own incantations. Fire and wind erupted around the weapons of the Korrei-Tarr, Perkari castings were being hurled by both sides of the battle, and she could even spot a rock-encased Tooth just down the hall from where Markreas had gone. She couldn’t see any sign of her father, but destruction could be heard in the distance, more tremors running through the fortress as the King did everything in his power to execute Keskivaara.
Ilirianna took a deep breath, knowing that, for as powerful as he was, the People’s Mind did not stand a chance. His death was assured, and she probably wouldn’t ever see him again. Despite everything that Keskivaara had done, she still considered that fact a tragedy, for Ilirianna had never once abandoned the belief that the People’s Mind wished for peace more than anything, and that things could have been very different had King Markreas and Lord Cartigan managed to overcome their pride.
That being said, there’s no helping any of that now. You made your choice, Keskivaara, so pay your dues and be done with it.
Having allowed herself that one moment of mourning, Ilirianna spun on her heel, shouted for Ryokumo and Album to stay with her, then protoed off in the opposite direction from Markreas.
While it was important for this battle to go their way, Ilirianna still held her own personal goal that she had opted to prioritize above all else, and that was tracking down Tali Firrik. She had already been ridiculously suspicious of that young woman, but her suspicion only grew more powerful following her brief interaction with Vesh and Keskivaara. Something was going on behind the scenes, and she needed to know what it was at all costs. The problem was that, unless Tali willed it, it would be next to impossible to track her down amidst the chaos taking place in Ankalla. The Kosah-Rei believed Tali to be the Voice of their Goddess, and as such, many of them would give their lives to ensure that she was protected from any harm. They would either try and evacuate her through the underground tunnels, in which case Ilirianna had to pray that Seiras somehow decided not to kill her, or they would take her to some other safespace within the fortress and have somebody like Quill or Vesh defending her.
So as much as I hate to admit it, I think the chances of me finding her against her will are slim to none! If I get to talk to her, it’s because she wants to talk to me. I’d hate to be at her mercy again, but at this point, I’d take a meeting on her terms as opposed to no meeting at all!
On top of all that, Ilirianna still had to be ridiculously wary of any trap that Tali may have set for them. Even if it was apparent that Keskivaara had no idea they were coming, she was unable to deduce whether or not Vesh had been taken by surprise. It was a near certainty that, if Tali predicted this, then she informed the core six cultists and simply left Keskivaara out of the loop due to his status as an outsider. Under those conditions, she knew a trap could be laid around any corner, so with each step she took, her senses were on high alert for anything that could indicate a sudden shift in the environment.
And yet, nothing was happening.
All around her, Korrei-Tarr were overpowering the lesser-skilled Teeth of Rei, with it so blatantly a one-sided battle that a part of Ilirianna wondered if Tali was sacrificing her own forces to lull them into a false sense of security. When she, Ryokumo, and Album joined the fight, it was such a pathetic slaughter that she felt her heart beginning to pound with paranoia. Her flame-enhanced blades, Ryokumo’s speed, and Album’s overwhelming light magic incinerated, sliced, and burned every cultist that stood in their way, enabling them to clear that corridor within mere minutes before they had reached another hall that led further into the building where more Teeth charged them, and died in another few minutes.
This should have been the expected outcome, for as strong as Rei’s Teeth were, they were nothing compared to Alharo’s hand-picked warriors or Ilirianna’s group. Anybody would look at this result and accept it as an inevitability, for how could the Kosah-Rei hope to stand against such raw strength?
But…after always being at their mercy, and having witnessed the events of Stellareid with my own eyes, I just can’t help feeling there’s something more! I mean, when we captured Miyon, we thought we were about to turn things around—we thought that would be the catalyst of the Kosah-Rei’s demise! And we couldn’t have been more wrong…
As her body flew down the hall, her flaming right-hand sword cleaved downwards to shatter a Tooth’s shield of wind, and as that meager residence crumbled, her blade sliced through the masked soldier from shoulder to hip, their top half collapsing to the carpet in a pool of blood and splattered organs. With no other living Tooth left in that corridor either, Ilirianna could only stop and try to catch her breath, her eyes locked onto the two pieces of the corpse at her feet. When she yanked her eyes away, she confirmed that Album and Ryokumo were finished with their own opponents and were looking to her for their next directions. The hall was filled with bodies, the walls and ground stained with blood, and among the many corpses, she didn’t see a single one from the Korrei-Tarr.
Her lips tightened as she turned around and noted the entrance to a large staircase a few dozen yards ahead and to her left, its existence confirming that they had already cleared the way to the third floor.
“Princess, should we advance?” one of the red-armored men inquired.
Ilirianna glanced back to where four of the Korrei-Tarr stood behind Ryokumo and Album, having joined the former royal team in their patient waiting for new instructions. The Princess furrowed her brow, hating how uncomfortable she was feeling about everything, but also knowing that she was one of the highest ranking people there. It would fall on her to make her decisions and live with the consequences, so forcing herself to trust her gut, Ilirianna replied,
“Go back the way we came and help the others clean out any adjacent corridors and rooms. My team and I will continue up to the third floor alone and check things out. Join us only when you’re certain this level is ours.”
“At once, My Princess!” the four soldiers answered in unison before doing as ordered and sprinting back the way they came.
Only once they were alone did Ilirianna add, “Alright, what do the two of you think? Are we being played or did we seriously catch them with their pants down?”
Album and Ryokumo exchanged uncertain looks, as if wanting the other to be the one to respond first. It was obvious from that single action that they were as unnerved as Ilirianna, so the Princess let out a sigh and went on.
“Master Rhitta’s reports indicated that Ankalla didn’t have many inhabitants, almost certainly due to Vesh and Firrik’s desire for caution and secrecy. Many of those inhabitants were non-combatants, so at the rate we’re going right now, this battle could be over in an hour—an hour. I know we haven’t encountered one of the six yet, and Tyrus especially could change the course of this fight, but still… I don’t like this… Where’s the trap? Where’s the sudden rug pulled out from under us? What’s the damned catch?”
Ryokumo nodded his agreement as he lowered his head and gazed at the sword clutched in his right hand, his eyes lingering on the bloodstains specifically. “I’ve been wondering the same thing. The Korrei-Tarr still don’t seem concerned, but those bastards don’t know this cult the way we do.”
“And…as impossible as it seems, I’m still worried that someone might explode at some point,” Album added. “If they manage to mark one of the Masters the way they did to my father, then they won’t need the Teeth to help them beat us. In fact, it almost seems like the Teeth could be a diversion—like Firrik’s using them as sacrificial pawns to set up the board the way she wants it.”
Ilirianna grimaced as Album put to words something she had already been pondering. “Well I wouldn’t put that past her…”
“So what do we do then?” Ryokumo pressed. “Do you actually want to head up to the third floor or should we remain close to the main force until we know what it is that Firrik’s plotting? After all, I know you said you wanted Album and I to deal with Vesh, and I’d be surprised to find a rock mage any higher than the first floor.”
“Good point,” Ilirianna conceded, walking forward so that she could gaze up the roughly two dozen steps leading to yet another dark corridor above. “You’re right about Vesh, and if Tyrus and Kristoff are here, I expect them to be in the thick of it as well. Miyon and Firrik are a toss-up, but if they didn’t evacuate Firrik underground, then I expect her to be further up, perhaps with one of the others at her side.” The Princess nodded to herself, a clearer picture of what she should be doing finally coming into view. “I’m going higher. At all costs, I have to reach Tali Firrik… What you two do is up to you. It’s not impossible that Vesh has chosen to guard her.”
Another tremor ran through the fortress, causing the walls and floor to shake, meanwhile the distant shouting of incantations could still just barely be heard as Ilirianna moved her head to gauge Album and Ryokumo’s expressions. Both seemed conflicted on whether to leave her or stay by her side, but as Ilirianna was about to assure them that she could handle herself, she noticed something strange hovering just behind Ryokumo’s head. In the dim firelight of that corridor, it was hard to make out, but as if realizing it had been seen, the little object darted past the wind mage’s shoulder and moved to the space just inches in front of Ilirianna’s face.
It was a hummingbird no bigger than her fist, its wings moving so fast that they were a blur, and its long beak angled downwards so that its eyes were aimed right at hers. It was only for a split second that Ilirianna wondered what a hummingbird was doing in such a place before realization hit her like a brick to the head. Her right hand swung outwards as she jumped back, hoping to cut the little creature in half before it even knew what had happened, but unfortunately, her wind-propelled blade found nothing but air as the hummingbird darted past her and took off up the stairs, out of sight. Ryokumo and Album rushed to Ilirianna’s side as if to help give chase, wind surging around the former while balls of light appeared in the latter’s hands, but in yet another surprise, the hummingbird vanished from their thoughts as they found themselves staring at a hulking shadow standing just at the top of the steps, its eyes glowing yellow orbs that were directed right at them.
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“Corsikei!”
“Luminetta!”
Ryokumo snarled out his incantation first, extending his hands without thought and launching a shockwave of wind tearing up the staircase, smashing the firelamps attached to walls before slamming into the silhouette. Bolts of light followed them by a hair as they, too, sought to kill the individual at the top as quickly as they possibly could, but Ilirianna knew from experience that it wasn’t going to be enough, and where she would have normally sent her own attack with her partners, she had to embarrassingly admit that the hummingbird’s appearance combined with this shadow had thrown her off enough so that she didn’t react in time to fight. However, she snapped back at the perfect moment to notice the sudden movement of the shadow and to cry out,
“Out of the way!”
Ilirianna jumped to the left as Album and Ryokumo shifted right, the three of them just barely getting out of the way before something long and thin hurled out of the staircase. It was only once it smashed into the ground and buried itself in the wood beneath the carpet that she identified it as a spear made of solid rock. Fire erupted around her sword as Ryokumo and Album summoned their own magic, and soon enough, the heavily-armored rock mage barreled into view, his large feet landing with a sharp crash and indicating that he may have jumped the last few steps. He spun on his heel immediately, his hands going to the air as if to indicate surrender or peace, but there wasn’t a single person there that had any intention of heeding that signal.
Ilirianna cast Proto and raised her flaming swords, Ryokumo pivoted to support her with Condite, and Album used Luminey to form nearly ten bolts of light in the air around her. Yet, the man did not move as ropes of wind wrapped around his body nor did he react when Ilirianna crossed the distance between them and swung her sword down into the open space of his neck, hoping she could crack the armor and sever his head in that one attack. Her blade made contact, the fire power infused in it exploded outwards, destroying Ryokumo’s ropes and sending the rock mage flying down the hall. The armor visibly cracked, but the attack didn’t fully go through as his big form hit the ground with a crash before sliding a few inches and going still. All three of them reluctantly hesitated at the lack of defense or reaction, with Album holding her bolts midair while Ilirianna and Ryokumo stood in front of her, their weapons raised in preparation of what must be an inevitable counterattack.
“Princess… Caeli… Did you not notice that I raised my hands?” the rock mage grunted as he rolled over and shoved himself back to his feet. “I was hoping we could have a chat?”
Naturally, she had already suspected who this mage may have been, but his voice now confirmed it despite the distortion caused by the armor. “Oh, I saw your hands, Rotana Vesh…” she growled. “I just didn’t care. You did throw a spear at us a few seconds ago, did you not?”
He gave a casual shrug, then responded, “You attacked first.”
“Well, forgive us for defaulting to violence, but I’m sure you understand why we would do such a thing. Nevertheless, we were hoping to track you down anyway, so thanks for making our jobs easier. I take it that bird was Sartella?”
A low rumbling escaped the man’s lips that may have been a laugh. “That it was. She and Firrik wanted to extend an invitation to you, Princess, so by all means, pursue the bird. Unfortunately, Caeli and Luz are not permitted to join, so if they attempt to follow, things will have to get bloody after all.” He then shook his head as he regarded the corpses of his Teeth strewn about the hall. “Though it seems that may have happened anyway… A pity…”
Ilirianna narrowed her eyes, a bitter feeling rising in her chest. Just as she previously remarked, the only way she was likely to speak with Tali was if Tali permitted it, and here she was, being given that very permission by Leiolai and Vesh. She hated that, as always, she was playing by their rules, but she supposed this was just as ideal for her as it seemed to be for them. The original plan had been for Ilirianna to split up and leave Vesh to Ryokumo and Album, so as long as there wasn’t a trick going on here, she saw no reason to decline. Yet again, the Princess found herself gazing up the long staircase, which was now bathed in complete darkness due to the destruction of the lamps.
“Did she say what she wished to speak about?” Ilirianna inquired, to which Vesh replied,
“She did not. Not to me, at least.”
And that doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. The utmost faith these people have in their Voice is so bizarre to me…though I suppose that’s just a natural occurrence within cults. They bow before a leader, and more often than not, that leader is nothing more than a puppet master.
“What’s the damn catch?” Ryokumo hissed, his ability to hold back now exhausted as he sent wind magic up his sword in a silent threat to the other man. “What are you and Firrik plotting?! How much of this did you know was coming?!”
Yet, all Vesh did was tilt his head to the side. “Who really knows? Perhaps Firrik will tell the Princess, but I have no interest in giving you anything you desire, Caeli. My orders are clear: defend these stairs until the Princess and our Voice have finished their discussion. If you wish to fight me, then so be it…but just know that I was in that vision as well. I cannot die until that future comes to fruition…”
Ilirianna tensed up a little, knowing that the last thing she needed was for Vesh to reveal anything about Tali’s visions in front of Album, who had never been told any of what truly happened that night in the Jester’s Nirvana.
“You’re fucking delusional!” Ryokumo snarled. “I’ve had more than enough of you for a lifetime! I’m sick and tired of you always getting away—of you always posturing like you’re some sort of saint as you butcher innocent people in the name of your imaginary friend! In Aeyir’s honor and in the honor of all of your victims in Stellareid, this is going to end right here and right now! I won’t let things go the way they did back then! I’m not running, and I’m going to kill you!”
Yet another rumbling laugh came from Vesh’s stone-covered lips, but this time, it grew louder and louder until the rock mage was cackling in unbridled amusement. He wasn’t taking Ryokumo seriously, and he had full faith that his survival was guaranteed. Rotana Vesh and Ryokumo Caeli had always despised one another, and Vesh had admitted multiple times that he wanted nothing more than to kill Ryokumo if his goddess permitted him to, so Ilirianna was confident that Vesh would not run away either. He would take this opportunity, so all the Princess could hope for was that Tali’s visions either lied, or that Ryokumo would manage to survive even if he couldn’t beat Vesh.
However, as much as Tali’s words had gotten into Ilirianna’s head over the years, one thing was still very much certain: She trusted in the skills of Ryokumo Caeli and Album Luz far more than she trusted Tali’s visions.
“Laugh all you like, Vesh,” Ilirianna sneered. “It’ll only make that much more satisfying when your head hits the floor.” Whether or not the laughing mage heard her was uncertain, but having said her piece, Ilirianna turned to regard her allies and said, “Good luck, Kumo. Good luck, Album. Finish him off for me.”
Ryokumo grinned confidently while Album remained silent as she focused on holding her bolts, but still managed to give a stiff nod. With that, Ilirianna cast Proto and launched herself up the stairs. Her faith in her allies allowed her to shove Vesh from her mind and turn her attention solely to the upcoming confrontation with Tali.
You’ve made a severe mistake, Firrik. Vesh isn’t going to walk away from this, and there’s no shot in hell I’m letting you slip away from me!
***
“Master Cartus! We have a visual on Quill Tyrus!”
Amidst the chaos of the bloody battle on Ankalla’s ground floor, Rennigan Glaus just barely managed to make out that shout. He wasn’t sure how long it had been since the attack force breached the walls of the fortress, but for that entire duration of time, Rennigan had been fighting fiercely beside the Masters of Water and Rock, as well as the battalions of Korrei-Tarr that were rampaging through the corridors. Naturally, he knew from the stories that the Masters of Ijiria were some of the most powerful people in existence, and he had even borne witness to that fact when Acostav Luz took on Barron Kristoff in Noctalus.
But even so, it was sometimes easy to forget just how impressive they were.
It was said that ever since she was appointed Master, Sinna Cartus’s armor had never been cracked. He thought that was an exaggeration, but watching her tear through the Teeth of Rei like butter made him suddenly believe that was, without question, the truth. Sinna was violence incarnate and primarily fought with a hand-to-hand style rather than relying on magic past her armor. As for Nyx, despite being the Master of a less combat-oriented affinity, she had a control over the ice form of water magic that even Rennigan, who was often praised as being one of the greatest water mages of his generation, could not hope to reach. She could freeze an entire hallway at once, holding down handfuls of Teeth by herself so that Sinna could crush the statues of ice into chunks of frozen flesh.
He was awestruck, and in that particular corridor of the first floor that they were clearing out, Rennigan wondered if he even had a purpose. Sinna and Nyx were handling it themselves without much effort, but when a member of the Korrei-Tarr appeared from behind them and called out that report, all thoughts of his necessity went out the window as the name Quill Tyrus rocketed through his head. Their party was the one assigned to finish off the unkillable warrior, so the rest of the force had been ordered to immediately inform them the second they laid eyes on Quill.
“Where is he?!” Sinna snarled over her shoulder half a second after crushing the frozen skull of the final Tooth barring their way.
“Second floor in the hallway adjacent to the western tower staircase!” the soldier replied instantly. “A group of seven Korrei-Tarr have engaged him so we can keep him pinned until you arrive!”
Rennigan swiftly tried to recall his time spent studying the layout of Ankalla, and to his relief, they were currently in the western wing of the fortress. In fact, the western tower shouldn’t be terribly far from them—something that the Masters clearly knew, for Sinna immediately spun on her heel and bolted down the corridor, with Nyx right on her heels as she called out,
“Come, Rennigan! Let’s move!”
“Right behind you, Master Rana!” he answered, taking off in a sprint as he and the two Masters rushed in the direction Quill was supposed to be.
However, as he rushed past the scattered pieces of Teeth, Rennigan couldn’t help remarking at the pathetic resistance the Kosah-Rei were mounting. He vividly remembered Stellareid, and while they’d been assured time and again that there was nothing the cult could do against a group like this, he still found it hard to believe that there was nothing laying in wait for them. Yet, the Teeth were being eliminated swiftly and efficiently. Was it possible that the whistleblower truly wished for the cult’s demise, and that the Kosah-Rei had no clue they were about to be under attack? Or as he marched towards his long-awaited confrontation with his team’s murderer, was he about to bear witness to another set of horrors? Even if they didn't compare to his team, he still didn’t want anything to happen to Sinna and Nyx. Nyx, especially, had shown him such tender understanding that very morning when he awoke from his drug-induced dream.
Then again, if Tyrus managed to kill two Masters, then there’s no shot in hell I’d be alive to see it. But I have my ace… I know how to kill him, and he doesn’t realize I’ve met with Ms Jellia—that his grandmother gave up his greatest weakness so that I could avenge Faye, Jessi, and Hiro! He’s a monster, a supposedly unkillable menace, but…
Having allowed the Masters to clear the way to the spiral stairwell, Rennigan bolted up behind Sinna and Nyx, following them to the closed door that would lead to the spot his enemy was supposed to be. Sure enough, when Sinna kicked the damn thing off its hinges and sent it flying into the adjacent corridor, they were met with the very sight Rennigan had been preparing himself for.
A man had just jammed a rather long dagger into the throat of a Korrei-Tarr soldier before splattering their blood across the stone and shoving his body to the ground. Scattered around him were the corpses of the other Korrei-Tarr that had been engaging him—something that the man merely stared at with annoyance before rapidly turning at the sound of the door getting smashed down. He was tall, perhaps around six feet, with an average sized build and a gaunt face, the sullenness heavily emphasizing his protruding, bony chin. His brown hair was slightly curly, though there were traces of red within it. It was an appearance Rennigan didn’t recognize because this man had been disguised for the entire battle in Stellareid, but even if they hadn’t already been told who he was, his demeanor and style of fighting would have given it away. On top of that, there was a flicker of recognition and curiosity in his eyes as he spotted Rennigan among the two Masters just before an amused, smug grin turned his face.
Quill Tyrus… At last…