The Republic of Mentor was in turmoil. Once it had been the largest collection of city states in the first continent, bigger than the Duchy and Empire combined, but that was before the uprising of the demon menace. Now it was a wasteland, scorched by burns and rotting demon corpses. The few remaining city states only survived through trading with neighboring Free States or the second continent. While some states still believe in the promises of the remaining regimes that one day the continent would be liberated again, other states allied with the new continents for hope to reclaim and maintain territory they already had.
It was a race to collect lands for the three greater factions of the world. The smallest was the Free States, hoping to reclaim steady trade routes for demon and rare lost commodities in the mainland. The second largest was the Theocracy of Evadne whose new beliefs that the mythical Silver Dragon would one day reclaim the lands promised by divine doctrine. The largest and most prominent movement by far, was in the Empire of Neoptolemus. Since the two feuding continents settled in a pact to reclaim their lost homeland, they had made major pushes in the region creating a consolidated battlefront composed of the largest collection of city states. With many more states waiting to be liberated, it became a race of three powers to dominate as much land as possible as quickly as they could.
Now in an unknown region of the occupied Mentor state, a great battle was underway with a horde of demons currently engaged. Fire Mages were at the rear launching waves of torches while Earth and Water Mages formed walls of rock and ice to hold back the tide of fearsome creatures. Ophiotaurus were a strong adversary, a hybrid of bull and serpent that constantly roamed the scorched wastelands. It was easy enough to handle at least two or three by a single skilled mage, but not an entire herd. As their horns charged forward, their bodies slithered through the ground like a great flood on dry land.
The permafrost was cracking as many demons tried to escape over and through the cracks in the wall. Fire Mages concentrated on the back of the herd while Water Mages warriors using fine bone weapons formed blades of burning frost against the few stragglers that remained. A commander at the back of the Fire Mage line called out to his troops.
“Keep the line steady, keep the herd back a little longer!” He commanded his troops.
His great coat of Chimera Skin posted his status as a ranking officer. He led the other Fire Mages to keep the herd at bay as he started to gather energy into the palm of their hands like brighting flash. When there was enough blinding light in his hands, he called two other men behind his back with a mighty call.
“Lift!” They punched the ground hard.
Their fists embedded in the ground, the Two Earth Mages lifted the ground and elevated themselves and the commander onto a solid pillar of Earth.
From his pillar the commander could see the horde of demons had thinned but there was still a great amount pushing against the permafrost. In one move he clasps his palms together to release a concentrated blast of white hot burning energy into the remaining herd of Ophiotaurus. Enough though their skin was tough as bull and serpent combined it could not stand the scorching sting of Holy Light. Those that were unfortunate enough to get caught in the beam were burned to a crisp while the outliers suffered serious scorching.
“Alright..." He sighed to catch his breath before roaring to the Earth Mages. “Take out the stragglers!”
By their side they release metal bolts into the air and tossed them at incredible speeds into the thinned flesh of the scorched beasts. Through this method they managed to pierce through the demon’s tough hide. When the last Ophiotaurus was put down it seemed the battle was over until it finally arrived.
Crash! An unexpected projectile shot back at the tower, narrowly missing its structure. It landed in a barrack of many auxiliary mages killing many and wounding even many. The commander looked at the projectile, a long thin silvery scale the size of a greatsword, he quickly turned around to see the source and turned pale with fear.
“Wyvern!” He shouted at the Earth Mages who quickly grabbed their commander and jumped off the tower.
Crash! Just in time, the Earth Mages managed to cushion their crash with a powerful Telekinetic push that left particles of dirty flying in the air as the tower fell.
The Commander knew that some demons were known to cooperate in combat, but never suspected a Wyvern the Demon of the Winds to intervene. Knowing this he had no choice but to call into reinforcements. He rushed over to the broken barracks hoping the one thing that he did need was still intact. As a barrage of Wyvern scales were firing all around the camp he searched for it in a frenzy. He finally found it under some rubble near his personal tent that had been crushed by the aftermath.
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In a strong box of hard metal he found it, a special communication device developed by the Imperial Scientists. He didn’t understand much about how it worked, only that it was developed a year ago, through a strange combination of Fortacillium, Mythirl and Orchialcum components to send and receive signals, very similar to the way 4th Circle Wind Mages receive signals using Silver Gem communication. It was an invaluable tool, which he used to call in for reinforcements.
“This is Maeve outpost 223, requesting aerial assistance.”
“Affirmative outpost, Black Light, is already on course.” An unknown voice responded.
The Wyvern was already on course, flapping its large wings spreading volleys of thin silvery scales that spike the surrounding countryside like large stakes in the earth. They started to tear down the permafrost wall piece by piece causing many mages to fall from maintaining it. A dragon was no easy task. It required many mages or at least special forces like the one currently in the air.
They rode a giant airship, constructed with a Mythril frame for its sturdy and lightweight structure and lifted by light weight gas. It allowed a ship to enter the heat of battle and a whole platoon of soldiers as death from above. In this case all the soldiers on board were 5th level Fire Mages who were specially trained for combat. None was more fierce than their leader who led the others as they opened the special hatch in the bell of the ship releasing the high altitude air above into the hollow corridors.
She was tied by a strong metal rope to keep her from slipping, her Dragon Scale Armor was more elaborate and engraved than the other soldiers, but it reflected her ranks as a highly important fire mage. Looking through the slits of her engraved helmet she spotted their target in sight meters below and approaching the fronts lines they were protecting. She raised her hand like a triangle, the strong wind punching her face as she tried to target it with the others. The sound of a voice ringing in her ear from the silver gem placed alongside her ear instructed her to coordinate the attack.
“Approaching target, ready the Holy Light Rain.” The voice said.
The palms of her hand glowed as did her entire suit of armor in a red hue, amplifying the effects for its Orchialcum properties. Like angelic chorus the group of Fire Mages light began to hum in the wind drowning by the wind’s fierce hymn.
The Wyvern was down below, focused on the enemies in front of its low altitude like an insane berserker. When it reached several lengths from the field and the blimp was in perfect alignment, the voice finally gave the command for all to hear.
“Mage it Rain!”
Each mage atop the airship released their Holy Light against the Wyvern like a magnificent ray of light breaking from above. While some missed scratching the earth, others barely grazed the demon’s hide, the leader’s intense light managed to hit the creature right in the back, piercing through the other side. The wyvern fell dead to the Earth crashing into the permafrost wall to completely stop. When the dust had settled, all the troops that survived gave a thunderous cheer. The day was won, the beast was defeated, but the commander on the ground knew there was still more work to be done.
“Don’t get sloppy men, get the wounded to the Wind Healers, recover the dead, search out for any more demons still in the area...” He commanded. “...and somebody, get a reclamation team out here fast. We need to salvage the skins and stones from all these demons.”
“Yes sir!” They all commanded their assigned duties.
The commander looked to the air to see the Airship’s hatch doors closing. He thought he could almost see the hint of someone wearing dragon armor, but dismissed it as irrelevant. Fire Dragons were a rare species and it was unlikely that even special forces officers could afford such refined garments.
Meanwhile, within the haul of the ship, the soldiers began to release their ropes and returned to the deck of the ship. All the while, the leader removed her dragon scale helmet letting her short ebony hair out drenched in sweat from the heat. It dripped down her face as if she had just stepped through her own inferno, as she breathed a sigh of relief. The Silver Gem earring by her right ear began to vibrate releasing a voice from the captain of the ship.
“Good work Dark Light leader, but next time try to leave something for the reclamation teams to salvage.”
“I don’t see what he’s complaining about.” A fellow soldier laughed as he walked to the woman’s side. “The Asterite Core is usually found in the brain anyway, it’s worth more than the hide anyway.” The commanding leader took a knee as she grabbed the heart of her armar as if feeling a vice in her chest for a moment.
“Major Erebus, are you okay?” He asked to pick her up to her feet.
“I’m fine.” She said as she pushed him aside with a laugh. “It’s just this old armor’s got me a bit too tight.”
“Maybe you should have it refitted.” He simply said.
When she was alone she confirmed what she had suspected. The twitch in her hands, the sweating of her brow, the shortness of breath. It was the first sign of The Strangling, a dreaded sign for one so young and in the peak of ambition.