"SALARA WAS THE FIRST ARCANUM TO RALLY TO MY AID."
* THE HELLFIRE CHRONICLES, HOLY BOOK OF TRAGSXT
Helandrin looked down on the battlefield displayed before him. There were around 10,000 Yjraith soldiers, but none of them were fighting. They all stood still, looking back from him to a battle in the sky between the Elevated Ones and the King of New Learu City, who was using...Fire?!
Feeling himself start to drop, Helandrin kicked one leg back and summoned water to throw him towards the fight; Tidebringers couldn't fly, but throwing themselves was easy enough.
The former slave held his hand out, and Azstrik formed in his hands as a gleaming navy trident.
When he reached the battle, he slammed through one of the Elevated, Lrai with his Devilblade.
"King Etheail! Bring the fight to the ground!" Helandrin commanded.
The King did so, lowering himself to the red grass. The Elevated Ones followed.
"What are you?" Helandrin asked the king, "Hellfire was supposed to be a myth." Helandrin's mouth felt dry, "Are you an Arcanum?"
He is Jirath's successor, my new host.
Helandrin had to keep himself from squirming. He knew the voice, though he'd never heard it before; it was instinctual. That was Tragsxt speaking in his mind.
Etheail shook his head, "I'm no Aracnum..." He muttered.
"But you do have Hellfire?" Helandrin asked.
The hint of a smile displayed on the King's face. He held out his hand and summoned fire. Helandrin nodded. He probably should have been more shaken up, but the insanity speech had warned him about a King of Hellfire.
"Where's Daiez," Helandrin asked, quieter.
"I don't think he's been harmed since I spoke my pledge, but here's injured badly," Etheail replied.
"Go help him," Helandrin instructed. The King was about to object but the Tidebringer didn't let him. "The boost new Devildealers have doesn't last forever. Pretty soon, you're going to pass out; you'll way me down against the Elevated Ones. Grab Daiez and try to get to safety."
The king nodded.
Helandrin used his Trident to shield the King while he escaped the battle. An Elevated one growled at him, then charged.
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Etheail ran, letting the Ocean's Sword take care of the Elevated ones. He heaved his spear around, summoning flames to shy away the soldiers. It seems the dome where people would burn up only happened when he was speaking the first pledge.
A few brave Yjraith tried to attack, but Etheail managed to burn them before their blades reached. He felt his wounds closing up, the battle behind him, though he didn't know for how long.
He used flames to hover a few inches above the air and charge forward. He knocked a few soldiers down on his way to Daiez, who sat in a pile of red grass, unmoving.
Quickly, Etheail felt his pulse. Still alive. The King of Hellfire took the man onto his shoulder and started running through. At this point, the enemy seemed to have collected their wits and started charging.
He slashed away the ones in front of him with his spear, but eventually, there were too many for him to escape. He was surrounded again.
Your Devilblade can direct and manage fire as well. Tragsxt reminded. It was vague, but Etheail understood. He spun his spear above his head in a way that would normally be impractical, but being a Devildealer, he used it to manifest a wall of flame that expanded, clearing the way for him.
The tip of Etheail's Devilblade disappeared, turning into sparks and golden mist; he didn't have much longer before his time ran out.
More soldiers came in to replace the ones Etheail had killed. He summoned more fire, but the more he did, the weaker the flames got. Etheail could feel himself getting weaker by the second.
Make a Pledge. Tragsxt commanded. Etheail had heard of pledges, but never knew the details. It didn't matter, just like his first pledge, the ability to make more was ingrained into his soul.
"I pledge to live!" He quickly decided. Golden mist exploded from his eyes, and Etheail breathed it in. Power and energy filled him, renewing him with vigor, though his Devilblade was still falling apart.
Etheail stood around a pile of charred. He looked at the blob of white armored men and horses that all tried to kill him.
For a moment, all was still. The enemies didn't do anything but stare at him, and Etheail glared back.
A warm wind gusted from behind Etheail. The King of Hellfire looked behind to find another soldier of Yjraith in the sky, but he didn't look hostile, he positioned himself as an ally.
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The man had a head of black hair, a harsh face, and a javelin in hand.
The man threw his Devilblade at the enemy soldiers. In that single throw, he killed around a dozen of the hostiles.
The Cloudsummoner settled next to Etheail. "I am Odith." The man said, "I will fight with you."
"You're my Cloudsummoner?" Etheail asked. Though he was sure the man had no idea what Etheail meant, he nodded.
It was a small advantage, another in the series of luck and skill that delayed the inevitable. Even if two others came to his aid, it wouldn't matter. The Yjraith had brought an army; nothing less than one of their own could save New Learu City.
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Helandrin was facing four of the strongest Devildealers of the age. And he felt confident.
"I pledge to win." He shouted so the Elevated Ones could hear him. Azstrik laughed in his mind and agreed. Golden mist flowed out of Helandrin's skin, and he breathed it in, the power filling him.
Helandrin smiled. He may wear the clothes of a peasant and bear the brands of a slave, but he was still the Ocean's Sword. He was going to win without question.
One of the Elevated Ones, a burly man with a large mace growled at Helandrin before charging for him. The Tidebringer recognized the man, Karim The Slaver. Seeing the man-made Helandrin's brands burned with pain, but he ignored it.
Karim attacked with his mace, the other Elevated Ones following suit, except for Enjin, who stood blankly, watching the altercation. Helandrin weaved around the arrows Rebbeca fired at him and the slashes from Lrai and Rose.
"I can't believe that you were our property, and we didn't know!" Karim yelled with so much anger that Helandrin thought one of his veins might pop. To their credit, the other Elevated Ones did give Karim a look of disgust.
Helandrin said nothing to the angry man as he charged. He dodged the mace and attacked with his trident. The armor was hard to pierce, but a few well-placed strikes would weaken it.
It went on like this for a few minutes, The Elevated Ones attacking and Helandrin dodging, only collecting a few scars.
Karim summoned a powerful gust of wind so strong that it nearly knocked Helandrin off his feet.
The Tidebringer moved through the wind and towards the Elevated One. The Ocean's Sword swung his trident, cutting Karim and summoning a flash flood that knocked him to the ground.
The other Elevated ones rushed him, giving time for the slaver to get back to his feet. Helandrin weaved around their weapons, though Lady Rose did manage to leave a large gash on his right arm.
Karim rose and straightened himself. The man looked at Helandrin. "I'm very good with my property." The man said creepily, "I never lose it." Karim summoned winds in every direction, making a small tornado.
Helandrin manipulated his blood not to rise with the winds.
"I WILL PUT YOU BACK IN MANCICLES BEFORE YOU DIE!" That was the last straw.
The waves of the river started to rise again as Helandrin saw red. The Tidebringer charged at Karim. he intended to kill this one first.
The rage blinded him so much that he didn't even notice the other Elevated ones leaving the battle behind.
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Etheail fought with Odith against the hoard of enemies that came their way, Daiez still on his back. The king of Hellfire was running out of flames, and he couldn't find the energy to make another pledge.
Odith fought with vigor, but even Etheail could tell he was being worn down. The Cloudsummoner threw his javelin and then resummoned it in his hand a moment later.
Facing down the army was grim, but somehow Etheail felt confident. He was going to win, one way or another.
Three Elevated Ones came for them. The King of Hellfire glanced back; Helandrin was fighting the Slaver, and Enjin was still only watching.
As always, the archer stayed a distance away firing arrows while the Lady Rose and Lrai engaged them.
Etheail and Odith, especially after fighting for so long stood no chance against the Elevated Ones, but they fought anyway.
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Helandrin battled the slaver with anger like he'd never experienced before. He weaved around the hefty man's blows and struck with his trident until finally blowing a hole in the Elevated One's plate.
Karim stumbled back, giving Helandrin an opening to strike for the killing blow, but as he charged the slaved grabbed him in a chokehold.
Karim bellowed and forced Helandrin to face the other side of the battle. There were no other Elevated Ones. They had left; Helandrin and allowed them to leave in his anger!
Lady Rose stood over the King of Hellfire with a blade to his throat, the Cloudsummoner that had come to his aid hadn't fared much better, Lrai standing over him with a murderous look.
"Look at what you've cost yourself!" Karim laughed. Helandrin had to escape! He had to help them, but Karim's grip held strong.
The sky darkened as rain started pouring while lighting boomed.
Lady Rose slashed down with her blade. There was a flash of brilliant azure.
Lady Rose hadn't taken the King of Hellfire's life. Her blade hadn't even made him bleed; it was deflected by a large war hammer. Holding the weapon was a Stormforger. He had a handsome face, short blond hair, and a beard the same color. It was WarThunder, destroyer of hopes. He was on Helandrin's side.