Chapter IX
After weeks of being concerned by the possibility of a trap laying in wait for them at Ankalla, Nigreos Noctis was utterly floored by the pathetic resistance being mounted against them. The Teeth of Rei, whom he had personally fought a number of times while a part of the royal team, were unable to stand against the best soldiers that Noctalus and Erika had to offer. They fought and tried to hold their ground, but no matter what they did, the Teeth could not push back against the onslaught of red and black that overwhelmed them. At that point, Nigreos was confident that the Korrei-Tarr and the Noctalus soldiers probably could have handled this without them, for the scales titled in Ijiria’s favor even without the aid of Alharo Bann, Toranei Iiji, Miklan Noctis, and Nigreos himself. That was why the Master of Darkness paused his control of the fortress’s shadows and stopped to watch as his cousin sent dark magic tearing through the last three Teeth remaining in the large dining hall they had been pursued into. Limbs flew into the air accompanied by a splattering of their blood as their lives were snuffed out by Miklan’s power, their bodies crumpling to the ground to lay amidst the remains of their allies.
What the hell is all this? Nigreos wondered with an irritated expression, his white eyes slowly scanning the room for any sort of trick or sudden shift in the situation. Is this truly all the cult has to offer us? I simply can’t bring myself to believe that. After Hiriech, after Stellareid—some of the most shocking and earth-shattering events of my life—are the Kosah-Rei just going to die with nothing but a soft whimper? I feel I should be satisfied after what they did to my parents and to Abi, but this just leaves me on edge. I keep looking over my shoulders, terrified that I’m going to see somebody begin to glow orange…
“Nigreos, you okay?” Miklan called back, her brow furrowing upon noticing him standing still at the head of the blood-covered dining table.
He gave a curt nod, snapping himself from his reverie before replying, “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just a bit worried, is all. This feels too easy.”
“Tell me about it,” she grunted as she shot a disgusted glare upon the corpses at her feet. “But I don’t think anybody’s getting complacent. As far as I’m aware, we haven’t engaged any of the leaders yet except for Keskivaara, so if something’s going to go wrong, it’ll be in battle with them. Should we try and seek them out?”
Should we? He grimaced, still annoyed by the fact that Markreas hadn’t ordered him to be a part of any significant fights despite his long and bloody history with these cultists. Truth be told, he wanted nothing more than to agree with Miklan and rush off in search of Vesh or Quill or even a lower ranked combatant like Leiolai and Uma, but he was given his orders by his King and he needed to follow them. Besides, I guess Miklan didn’t hear, but I’m pretty sure they’ve already engaged Quill Tyrus. I overheard a Korrei-Tarr mention that Cartus and Rana were heading up to take him down. Everything should be in good hands right now…
“No, let’s just keep clearing out the first floor,” Nigreos said with a shake of his head. “If we finish off the Teeth, then we’ll go give the others backup.”
“Fair enough.”
With his cousin’s agreement, the two Noctis turned and departed the dining room to rush back into the corridors of the bottom level. He wasn’t quite sure how long they had been locked in combat, and he was constantly desperate to hear that one of the cultist leaders had been defeated, but as deep into the fortress as he was, he doubted he’d know anything until the battle ended. Luckily, not long after heading back out, he heard a sharp call of his name.
“Master Noctis! Come here a second!”
Nigreos skidded to a halt and glanced over his shoulder to see Alharo just down the hall, frantically beckoning for him to approach. Curious, he spun around and rushed toward the Korrei-Tarr Vice Captain, and the second he rounded that corner, the man brought him into a small common room just a few feet away. He was confused, for he could hear the sounds of battle not far off, so he wasn’t sure why he’d be beckoned into this relatively quiet spot, but his uncertainty was immediately replaced by a smug satisfaction mixed with relief upon seeing what was taking place in this common room.
Queen Toranei and Master Koroha were deep in conversation as they stood just before the extinguished hearth, and laying silently at their feet was the limbless and silent form of Uma Miyon. Nigreos’s eyes went wide, the shock of this sudden revelation leaving him gaping and half-expecting the man to disappear into thin air, revealing that it was nothing more than a hallucination of his. Uma’s eyes were open, but they didn’t seem to be seeing anything, as if the magicless man had fled deep into his thoughts.
“Understood,” Toranei was saying to her friend. “In that case, I wish you luck, Koro. See you soon.”
Koroha bowed her head then turned and rushed past Alharo and the Noctis before vanishing into the corridors. Nigreos watched her depart before turning back to face Toranei and Alharo as he impatiently awaited an explanation—one that the Queen thankfully got right to giving him.
“Masters Koroha and Nakoma successfully confronted Miyon and Kristoff on one of the upper levels,” she began curtly, without so much as a greeting. “As you can see, Koroha has successfully defeated Miyon, but by Ijirian law, he is to be erased rather than killed, so she has chosen to spare his life. That being said, you, Nigreos, should know better than most what unexpected nonsense can happen when we choose such a direction, yes?”
Nigreos’s lips tightened as he was reminded of what the royal team’s mission had originally been when they departed for Stellareid. Lord Cartigan opted to spare Uma Miyon so that Album could erase him, and because of that, the magicless man escaped them within the chaos of the battle. Now there they were, three and a half years later, confronted with the exact same dilemma.
“Then do you agree with Master Rhitta, My Queen?” Nigreos inquired. “Are we going to spare his life until Album gets back?”
Toranei snorted, as if displeased with the conclusion she had come to. “It’s the law… However, I do not intend to give this man the opportunity he took advantage of back then, so I’m glad you happened to be nearby. I want you, Nigreos, to join me in dragging him back to the courtyard where Master Grunly is stationed. Between you and I, we should be more than enough to eliminate anybody who tries to free him.”
I see… the Master of Darkness thought. Yes, that should theoretically be enough, but… Again, that pang of paranoia spawned by his experiences with the Kosah-Rei left him nervous to think that even they might not be enough to keep Uma Miyon from slipping away. Though, if I let my fears stop me from doing anything, then the cult won’t ever die…
“Alright, I’m with you,” Nigreos stated, sparing another quickly glance down at the silent man on the ground.
“And me?” Miklan cut in, seemingly hesitant to speak without permission in the presence of the Queen, but also concerned about the current situation. “Would you like me to join you, Queen Toranei, or should I remain here?”
However, despite addressing Toranei, it was Alharo that answered. “Remain with me, if you will. While I think that our soldiers are more than handling it, the last thing I need is to be the only one here should Rotana Vesh or someone else of significant power suddenly appear out of nowhere.”
“Understood,” Miklan said, her features indicating that she wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of splitting up with her cousin, but also acknowledging the need to keep powerful mages on the front lines.
With that, the four of them accepted the roles they had to play, so Miklan and Alharo darted off towards the distant sounds of combat while Toranei used wind magic to lift Uma’s body from the carpet before motioning for Nigreos to follow after her. The Master of Darkness complied, internally steeling himself to do everything in his power to not repeat the mistakes of Stellareid.
***
Reluctantly, Nakoma Taurus had to admit that he may have underestimated Barron Kristoff. The circumstances of his battle with the red knight in the forests of Hiriech were some of the worst he’d ever fought under, for not only had he almost been fatally wounded, but Barron’s armor was nearly invincible and Uma Miyon was providing him with some sort of foresight that prevented Nakoma from getting the upper hand. Therefore, with Barron’s armor severely weakened, Uma removed from the fight, and Nakoma at the peak of his physical condition, the battle should have been a walk in the park for him. Even with the added caveat of needing to stall for time, the Master of Fire expected to barely rely on his powers past orange flames.
So if this bastard forces me to move up to blue, the blow to my pride will be somewhat rough… Here’s to hoping this fight remains just between him and me!
Ducking down, feeling the blade of the glaive swing mere inches from his head, Nakoma jumped backwards to put more distance between the two of them, fires erupting around his hands and forearms as he let off another casting of Infernus, filling that corridor with bright orange fire. In response, Barron, now standing a dozen yards away, blocked the slits in his helm with one arm while simultaneously casting Nex and Proto to cover his retreat. Similarly to the reports regarding Quill Tyrus, defense had always been the primary feature of the red knight, but unlike Quill, Barron was actually quite practiced in wind magic. This was something that Rennigan had reported to the Masters, for one of the reasons Barron was able to single-handedly hold off four Academy students was because he had insane offensive capabilities that made the Master of Fire wonder how Abigail Reiner survived against him long enough to identify the source of his armor’s power.
From out of that blast of flames flew Barron’s glaive, its point angled right for the Master’s heart, and in those tight quarters, Nakoma barely had the space to sidestep the attack and watch the weapon soar past his left side. However, that was obviously not going to be the end of it, so Nakoma turned his back to the wall on his right, wanting to be ready either for the glaive to swing back around or for a burst of wind to come at him from Barron himself. Unfortunately, both of those potential problems happened at once. A shockwave of Corsikei rumbled through the smoke from the knight’s outstretched left hand while his right resummoned the glaive, causing it to spin around and fly back the way it had come.
Nakoma clicked his tongue with annoyance, realizing that even with only two sets of armor left, orange Infernus wouldn’t be enough to finish the man. Unfortunately, with as high up as they were, the last thing Nakoma needed was to cast blue fire and send them both crashing down to the bottom floor. So, with two attacks closing in on him, the Master dove under the glaive, then spun around and threw up a shield of wind that just barely stopped the shockwave. Noting the pole of the glaive returning to Barron’s grip with a clang of metal, Nakoma jumped to his feet and snarled,
“Fyrui!”
The more concentrated form of Infernus blasted from his palm in a powerful beam of fire that struck Barron dead in the chest, staggering his footing but not enough to prevent him from Protoing backwards. Nakoma was breathing heavily as he frantically tried to ponder any means of getting them outside so that he could unleash more of his arsenal. A part of him even wondered if he and Koroha attacked them too early and should have waited until they weren’t so high up, but he supposed that what was done was done and there was little use in complaining about it. He was tasked with eliminating this danger once and for all, and being a Master of Ijiria, he should be able to succeed in that task even if certain conditions did not fall in his favor.
Barron landed around fifteen yards down the hall, his glaive clutched in both hands as he angled its point towards Nakoma, though he didn’t immediately hurl it, as if wanting to wait and see what the Master of Fire would do next. Nakoma drew his magic as well, also deciding to refrain from attacking for the moment. The hall went silent save for the distant sounds of fighting and the occasional rumbling of the fortress, the Master and the knight left in a standoff that did not contain nor require any words to be shared. In fact, he didn’t think he’d ever heard Barron’s voice until just before their battle began, for the man was well-known to be Uma’s antithesis when it came to dialogue. In some ways, Nakoma preferred not having to listen to his adversary’s screeching, but on the other hand, it meant that they knew next to nothing about who Barron Kristoff really was.
Where did he come from?
How did he learn to fight?
What was the origin of this damage-dispersing armor quartet?
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And most of all, why was he risking his life under the banner of the Kosah-Rei?
Barron gave them not even a tiny glimpse into his identity, making him appear as if he were a faceless set of armor summoned to act as Tali and Vesh’s bodyguard. In addition, the helmet covered his features, so Nakoma couldn’t even try and read his intentions, forcing him to rely on instinct and instinct alone.
There was a subtle surge of power into Barron’s legs, potentially indicating Proto, so Nakoma prepared to meet the attack, only to exhale sharply when the red knight suddenly propelled himself backwards. Understanding that Barron had chosen to flee, Nakoma pivoted his power from his hands to his legs, condensing a small and quick burst of fire beneath the soles of his feet that exploded enough to send the Master of Fire soaring after his opponent. He wasn't surprised that Barron was running, and was actually more thrown off that he decided to stand his ground as long as he had. Nakoma smirked, for while a normal wind mage would easily be able to outrun his fire magic, Barron’s large body and heavy armor would slow him down enough to compensate for the Master’s slower speed.
Watching Barron Proto around a corner and disappear from view, Nakoma brought some magic to his hands, and with each step of his foot against the stone floor, another explosion sent him forward, resulting in a sprint that cracked the ground every time he moved. Rounding the corner, Nakoma saw Barron already reaching what appeared to be a shaft containing a magical lift, indicating for the Master of Fire that the man was going to try and meet up with his allies. A part of him wanted to hold back and allow it, for Barron reaching the others would almost certainly mean Nakoma’s would be close by, but at the same time, the Kosah-Rei were clever and slippery. Adding in more elements of chaos, even elements that were in Nakoma’s favor, would increase the chances of Barron getting away, so he concluded it would be better to handle things alone.
Therefore, he cast Ignitta and formed five bolts of fire in the air around him, which he sent hurtling towards the lift that Barron just landed on. They crossed the twenty-yard gap swiftly before crashing into the wall and exploding on impact, filling the cylindrical shaft with scorching fires that sent rubble blasting outwards. Of course, that wouldn’t be enough to kill Barron, rather it was intended to slow him down, so Nakoma continued to run until he reached the now smoke-filled lift and turned his open palm down into it. He could see Barron rapidly descending, having successfully avoided the bolts, so Nakoma smiled and cast Infernus, filling the shaft with fire in the hopes of either cooking Barron alive or destroying the entire thing and sending him tumbling to the ground.
Unfortunately, Nakoma just barely made out the large silhouette darting off the lift and onto another level a second before Infernus turned the black disk into chunks of stone that tumbled down to the first floor. Snorting, the Master of Fire dove into the shaft, sending out his senses to seek Barron’s signature. Nakoma couldn’t count how many floors he passed before he spun around, turned his feet towards the wall facing the entrance, then let off another explosion that shattered that wall and propelled him into yet another corridor. He spotted Barron’s fleeing form still quite a ways ahead, but that didn’t stop him from planting his feet, turning his hand, and casting Infernus once more.
***
Barron Kristoff was tired of failure.
Even before the Goddess Rei gifted his armor through Tali, his large size and talent with wind magic resulted in him being one of the most powerful mages in his family. Nobody could stand against him, and eventually, his brother, the lord of their hometown, named him the Battlemaster, giving him full authority over the defenses and all the prestige that came with it. Barron knew he was never going to be a political figure since he was the youngest of four, so he was more than happy to take on such a role. He believed himself to have been blessed by Rei with strength, and that She had influenced his brother's decision to choose him.
He was meant to be strong.
He was meant to be a sword and a shield both for those he loved, and for his precious Goddess.
Kosahanity had been the religion of his family for centuries, though the outlawing of religious practice in the Age of Destruction forced their beliefs into secrecy. As generations passed and forgot about a world where religion was commonplace, naturally, members of his House ceased to follow Rei’s teachings. In his generation, Barron was the only one who still followed the words of the Ko-Hahn—something that earned him a lot of ridicule from his elder brothers and sister. They thought he was insane to believe in the imaginary teachings of an old book of fairy tales, but Barron swore by it and insisted that he would be the one laughing when Rei blessed him with Her love.
When Her blessings finally arrived, his siblings did not see them for what they were. Rei’s Voice came to them in the form of Tali, providing them insight into the future so they could capitalize on it and further their own positions in the world, but his siblings scoffed at it. They said Tali was insane, that she was a liar, or that she was too immature to be able to distinguish dreams from reality. Even when her predictions came true, they turned their eyes away even though there was no other explanation aside from Tali telling the truth. They shipped Rei’s Voice away, and when Barron stood in strong support of her, they finally got fed up with him, too, so he was stripped of his status and told to never return with his nonsensical delusions of being loved by a deity.
They were missing out, he told himself. They were too stuck in their ways to see the meaning behind Tali’s existence, so Barron stood by her side and reaped the rewards. Her foresight found him the armor quartet, further increasing his power and providing him with what amounted to near impenetrable defense and three spare lives should he actually lose a battle. Tali found others to recruit for their cause, people who had equally as unique abilities as Barron’s armor, and under her name, the Kosah-Rei went to war with Ijiria so that they could bring about Rei’s paradise on earth.
But strangely enough, as he began to serve Her, the world started to turn against him. He could not assassinate Ryokumo Caeli in the halls of Hiriech, nor could he stand against Nakoma Taurus a few days later. In Noctalus, Rennigan Glaus survived his blade to the chest, then Barron failed to kill any of their targets before Acostav Luz arrived to wipe the floor with him. In the Battle of Stellareid, Barron only succeeded in freeing Uma before The Angel he never trusted appeared to once again prove his lack of worth, destroying yet another set of armor in a mere few weeks. Ever since he took up arms in the name of Rei, he had been thwarted and humiliated time and time again.
“You’re an unlucky man, Barron Kristoff,” The Angel had mocked him. “Most mages in this world would crumble before a warrior as strong as you, but instead you find yourself facing people like me and Acostav. You get the jump on Ryokumo Caeli, but he escapes. You do the same to Rennigan Glaus, but are fought back before you can finish him. Yet you are a pious man who follows the Goddess? Sir, do you not sometimes wonder why Rei leaves you out to dry time and time again? Is your goddess going to save you? Or does she plan to let me end your life? What do you think?”
He vehemently denied The Angel’s words while hating the truth within them, but he couldn’t fathom why Rei would abandon him right as he sacrificed everything to support her. He was the only one who stood by Her Voice, he was the only one who understood what She was trying to communicate by blessing Tali with foresight. She was rewarding the family for their support, rewarding him for never allowing the words of his siblings to stray him from Her embrace.
So what has gone wrong?! Rei, my Goddess! Why do you bring the Masters of Ijiria to your sanctuary?! Why do you allow them to assault your most holy fortress?! Why do you not smite Nakoma Taurus where he stands?! Please, I am Yours! I am Your most loyal servant! So bless me with the power to defeat him! Let me eliminate this flaming heretic in Your name!
Barron didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to lead Nakoma down to where the others were, but he also wanted to go to Tali and make sure she was safe. At all costs, Rei’s Voice needed to survive. He didn’t think Rei would allow the Ijirians to kill her, especially not while they were on the cusp of assaulting Harunhein and Erika, but he also couldn’t fathom why this attack was happening at all. Why disrupt them when Her utopia was on the horizon? Why provide them with this challenge now?!
“Then by all means, Sir Kristoff, rush down to your death and let everything you’ve fought for these last few years be burnt to hell by the Iijis! I, however, do not plan on dying this day! I told Lady Firrik I wished to fight fate, so if fate has accepted my challenge, then I shall prepare! I am not going to die!”
Now it was Uma’s words passing through his mind as the magicless man began to lose all faith in Tali and Rei. He believed they’d been abandoned, that the Goddess was going to sacrifice them to King Markreas and the Masters of Ijiria. Barron vehemently denied it, and he wanted to keep denying it, but as he sprinted at full speed, relying heavily on Proto, he could sense Nakoma right behind him. He couldn’t beat him in a direct fight and he couldn’t get away, so was he doomed to die? Should he just allow Nakoma to finish him off so he could flee into his final armor set and get to the dungeon?
No… I have to believe in Rei… I have to believe that I’m going to be okay! Taurus is powerful, but if I can kill him, I can eliminate one of the strongest Masters that Ijiria has. Barron, trust Her. Trust Her and fight! If you lose then so be it, you have another set you can flee to! Just give it everything you’ve got and kill the Master of Fire!
Letting out a roar of determination, Barron suddenly spun on his heel, infused his glaive with wind, and hurled it straight for the Master of Fire as he blasted out of the crumbling lift shaft. Luckily, Nakoma had cast Infernus right as he emerged, so his fires may very well conceal the oncoming glaive. The knight braced himself, trusting in his armor as the orange fires rushed over his body, the searing heat agonizing but not deadly, though he made sure to lower his head so that the fire didn’t slip through the slits in his helm. The second the flames passed him, Barron rattled off Perkari, but when his head raised, he found no sign of his glaive and the sight of the Master of Fire soaring towards him.
“Hinosora!” Nakoma snarled, cutting down the blades with a curved arc of fire that trailed his right hand.
“Corsikei!” Barron countered, wanting to at least send Nakoma flying back into the shaft, but the Master planted his foot on the ground, sent a burst of fire into his feet, and launched himself over both the shockwave and Barron’s head.
He spun around, not wanting to allow the other man to get behind him, but the Perkari he sent towards where he expected Nakoma to be was met with nothing but air as the Master suddenly appeared right in front of him, his movements so much quicker than they had been back in the Hiriech forest. Fire was balled in Nakoma’s palms, and with the Master a mere few inches away, Barron couldn’t pull his hands back to do anything before that condensed fire was released. Nakoma would almost certainly be wounded by the backlash of such a destructive spell in close quarters, but it seemed the Master of Fire had deemed that necessary.
Another condensed Infernus slammed into Barron’s chest, and as even more agonizing heat swept over him, he suddenly found himself suspended in midair, the overcast sky hanging above him.
I’m…outside?
His armored form plummeted the four stories between him and the ground, but Barron was a wind mage, so it would be humiliating to die to gravity. Using his strength to slow his descent, Barron just barely managed to decrease his fall to survive his collision with the rocky ground between Ankalla and the outer wall, though he was still momentarily rattled by the landing. He could feel his armor’s defense weakening, and another strong attack might be just enough to break it, but he ached all over and he felt his body getting drained by the exertion. Perhaps if he’d been less damaged, he’d have evaded what came next, but sensing the rush of power too late, Barron could only take note of the bright blue fire hurtling towards him before his entire form was engulfed in it. The ground was ripped apart, terrible heat seared everything, and suddenly, he was in a dark room, the sounds of battle now distantly above him.
Barron blinked rapidly, his heart pounding with terror at the experience of being hit by blue fire, and it took every ounce of control he had to keep from panicking. He was in a storeroom, down in Ankalla’s basement, having been teleported to the final set of armor in his possession. He had steeled himself to face Nakoma and lasted barely a minute before getting tossed outside the fortress and losing that second-to-last set in a wave of blue. His shoulders slumped with embarrassment, but he had to convince himself that this must be a part of Rei’s plan.
Yes… It enables me to escape Taurus and go find Tali… I may be weaker now, but I’m still a powerful warrior. With me at her side, Tali will be safe from these Ijirian monsters. I’ll stand guard, and fend them off… I just need to find her… I told Miyon where to meet me if I lost, so if that man somehow managed to defeat Rhitta, then he’ll come to me… But do I wait for him, or do I brave that conflict above in order to reach my precious girl…?
He stepped forward, his eyes not adjusted yet to the pitch black room around him, so he knew he’d need to choose his steps carefully. It was possible the Ijirians were in the basement as well, so even once he felt his way out of the storeroom, he’d need to keep his senses wide open to prevent himself from getting jumped the way they did upstairs.
That being said, unless Tali’s down here somewhere, and I hope Vesh would have evacuated her, then she might still be upstairs… There’s a lift that goes from near her quarters to the basement, so I might be able to use that to go in pursuit of her…
Yes… Trust in the Goddess… All actions have meaning! All losses are part of Her design… Trust Her! Trust Rei!
Blood erupted into his mouth before spilling out over the side of his lips, his throat suddenly clogged and preventing him from breathing. His brow furrowed with confusion before he felt a strong force in his neck as something was ripped through it.
What happened? Is there…someone down here?
His body lost strength as he collapsed to the ground with a crash, his armor rattling as he hit the stone. He could feel someone standing over him, and as he weakly reached out to sense their signature, he felt his body grow even colder.
Rhitta? No… If she’s down here…then Miyon…? Wait, but… How did she know to come here? I don’t…
He couldn’t fathom what happened.
He didn’t understand why Koroha Rhitta was standing there.
Was he dying?
Had she killed him?
No…
Rei would have protected him.
His Goddess…loved…him…
Right?
***
From the large window of the meeting room where, weeks earlier, they met with Sarillia Martov, Tali Firrik could just barely make out the sight of Barron Kristoff being consumed by blue fire. She had been watching for it, hoping that she’d be able to see it from her vantage point, and now it was over. One of the visions she’d collected since that very first one regarding this incident would have now come to pass. That sight of him being stabbed in the neck down in the cold, dark basement storeroom, stuck in his final set of armor, had happened.
As predicted, Barron Kristoff was dead.
Slowly, Tali turned away from the window and moved towards the sitting area across the room from her before lowering herself onto the couch. For weeks, she’d been mentally preparing herself for what was to come. She had long since accepted that she could not control her visions, that she was a slave to them, so she shouldn’t have felt bad about all the lying—all the deceit. She had no choice but to obey the magic bestowed upon her.
Even so, it didn’t make it any easier.
Tears welled in her eyes, and allowing herself just one minute to mourn, Tali wept.
“Thank you for supporting me all these years.
“Goodbye, Uncle.”