Headed to Troér to take down the alter

Once Alivier had briefly explained what The Children of Deimos were planning to do, they bolted toward Troér before anything could occur. However, as soon as they arrived, the city of Troér was not as it was. Instead, the mechanical city turned into a castle surrounded by purple miasma.

“What in the, that’s Troér?” Lyra exclaimed in disbelief, alongside Eamon. Even Sly and Cassandra looked in awe at the terrifying building.

“Aye, that is the Altar I told you about. The Children of Deimos plan to use the one in their Grand Superimposium plan.”

“That is an Altar?” Cassandra exclaimed, gaping at the tall, castle-like structure. “It's enormous.”

“What's the status inside so we know what to prepare for?” Sly asked.

“Communication does not work inside, and there are strong, powerful Fiends with enhanced capabilities. You may also run into Magycte Beasts more frequently.”

Sly nodded. She turned to Lyra and Eamon. “You both are with me, but food for thought: this is something you have never faced before. It could very well be S-Rank level. I need you both to know that.”

They nodded, understanding the danger of the situation.

“As for you three,” looking at Cassandra, Tierney, and Aurora. “You will stay here. You’re hurt; Commander and the girls are inexperienced and young.”

“But… I want to go with you all and Lyra.” Aurora whimpered, sticking out her lip.

“Sorry, kiddo, too dangerous.” Lyra cooed sweetly.

And because they didn’t know the extent of her powers.

“But, I… can help.” Her eyes welled with tears.

“Hey, Aurora. Don’t worry, they'll come back.” Tierney reassured her. A look of relief reflected in her eyes, glad that Cassandra was not among the fray in her condition.

“Don't worry, sweetie,” Lyra bowed to her height. “Remember I told you that I'm stronger than I look. I did not let that jerk military best me, and I will not let this. Besides, I have to do this as a Locksmith; it's my duty to protect the people. You included.”

Aurora looked up at Lyra when she stood to her feet. She wanted to say so much but could not find the words. Incidentally, Aurora felt a familiar presence surfacing within her. She could not understand or even explain it, so instead, she nodded, taking Tierney’s hand for support.

“If everyone's ready, let's head inside,” Sly commanded.

“Already here,” Eamon said, checking all packs to ensure they had enough supplies and healing applicants for the unknown.

“You're coming too, Alivier?” Lyra seemed surprised when the bard stepped over to them.

“Of course! I have a job to do.”

Lyra raised her brow, hands on her hips. “And pray tell, what is that?”

He pressed his finger to his lips and made a ‘shh’ noise. “It's a secret; I cannot reveal it until circumstances allow me to.”

Lyra narrowed her eyes at him. She tried to understand but gave up, rolling her eyes and dismissing it as him making up a story.

“I'll state this once for your own well-being, Alivier. If you fall behind, we expect you to make the sound decision to return to the entrance. As you said, the Fiends and the Magycte Beast are increased in power here.” Sly was no longer cool and laid back; she was in Locksmith mode, which meant serious business.

“Very much so. I shall provide assistance where needed.”

With everything good to go, the party traveled into the castle entrance of Troér's Altar to brave beyond its borders.

•†•

The moment they entered the Altar, it no longer resembled that of Troér. While the outside resembled a castle, the inside looked like a ruined temple.

The Altar's layout looked simple enough, but there were specific paths that could lead you toward a hoard of Fiends, and these looked even more vicious than before.

“Ugh, what's that smell?” Lyra gagged and covered her hand over her nose. “It smells like rotten eggs and something way, way worse.”

“Something dead,” Eamon added, covering his nose as well.

The only two who did not were Alivier and Sly.

“Miasma,” Sly confirmed. “Try not to inhale too much of the poisonous gas, or you'll become sickly.”

The purple creeping Fog drifted around the area, spreading over anything it could touch.

The group tore parts of their clothing to make masks to block out the gas.

“Let us get a move on and lift thy spirits!” Alivier called out, strumming his lyre. He received a glare from Sly, but somehow, inexplicably, the three of them felt more robust and more agile.

The power they felt was Essentia, but it was alien to them. The sensation was ancient, making them wonder who Alivier was. They knew they did not have the time, so they proceeded through the Altar.

They traversed the miasma-filled terrain, avoiding confrontation with the strange Fiends. They could sense that the Fiend's power level had skyrocketed exceedingly, and their bodies had embedded sapphire Crystals.

“What's happening to them?” Lyra asked. They peeked behind a boulder at a hoard of Black Ursung Bear Fiends. Their eyes glowed blue with large chunks of sapphire stones pulsating negative energy pressure.

“It looks like an amalgamation of whatever is happening in this Altar,” Eamon explained.

Sly nodded in agreement. “Eamon might be right. This Altar possibly enhanced their capabilities to reach their ultimate potential. We should be careful.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“It looks like we'll have to get past them to reach that cliff-face path,” Alivier pointed out to them. He was right. This was their safest option unless they wanted to traverse into the foliage with who knows what lurks there.

“Maybe, we should Kesync?” Eamon considered. Lyra agreed.

“Now remember, you two, do not lose focus. Things are far more dire and dangerous here, and you can't afford to mess up.”

“Right!” They both said together, then springing into action. Alivier and Sly would provide backup if needed.

‘You ready?’ Eamon called out as they ran side by side.

Lyra nodded. ‘Yeah!’

With the power of their Kesync combined, their efficiencies rose significantly.

Woah, you feel that difference. That was not like that before. Lyra marveled at the new electric sensation pulsating throughout her body.

This Altar is causing the spike in power levels. It enhances anything with a living pulse. Eamon took note.

Lyra snorted with a shrug of her arm. She removed her blade from her sheathe and stood at the ready. Works for me. How do you wanna do this?

Having the Fiends take notice of them, they roared at their presence and readied an attack.

The usual? I go low. You go high.

Lyra scrunched her nose. We always do that. Maybe I want to go low this time. You go high.

He smirked. He enjoyed seeing her fiery side, which made him like her. One day, he would tell her the whole truth, and maybe, just maybe, she would still see him as him.

If you can catch up, be my guest.

Lyra smirked. She took that as a challenge. Pfft, watch this. I've been practicing.

The Fiends charged with rage and fury in their eyes. Lyra charged up her Essentia, and a pulsating aura of yellow flowed from and around her. She uttered a war-like cry, and the pressure on her Essentia increased.

“Radiant… DASH!” With the power of Zephyr at her heels, she zoomed through the Fiends and slashed them cleanly through. They exploded instantly on contact, except one had got away slightly injured and peeved.

“Uh, oh, missed one.”

“Hmm, I thought you said before there would be no enemies 'cause they'd be all gone.”

Lyra rolled her eyes. “Haha, just go, it's your turn.”

The Fiend circled back and forth, deciding who to go for. When it finally chose, it charged for Lyra and vengeance at barreling speeds.

“Oh, no, you don't.”

With a rush of Torrent, a summoned geyser of water circled Eamon. It lifted his body in the air and then bolted toward the Fiend. It took a direct hit from high-velocity speeds and weapons crashing into it. It exploded, too.

“Wooh, alright!” Lyra said, going for a high-five. Eamon slapped her palm back. Only for both of them to get plucked in their Foreheads.

“Ow, what was that for?” Lyra exclaimed.

Sly had her arms crossed, shaking her head. “Too much talking and playing, not enough Fighting and coordination. I told you this was serious.”

They bowed their heads, knowing that this was not the time or place.

“Berating aside,” Alivier stepped in. “Might we take this parent bonding elsewhere before more of them show up?”

The four of them made their way toward the cliff-face path, following the trail up the side of the mountain, where a powerful presence, more potent than a Magycte Beast, awaited them.

An Ultra Magycte Beast.

The massive, oblong shadowy figure, with multiple shifting limbs, looked like a disfigured heart with a million eyes and a wide-toothy grin. It exuded an aura of palpable darkness.

“What the heck is that thing?” Lyra cried, brandishing her sword.

“By the grace of Lumos, it's the Shadowmorph Sovereign, Abyssal Despot,” Alivier revealed with a hitched gasp.

“You mean you actually know what that thing is?” Eamon questioned him.

Alivier nodded. “Aye, the Abyssal Despot symbolizes the relentless pursuit of desires and the shadows within the human heart.

“Well, whatever it is,” Sly said, removing her whip. “We need to hurry and take it down so it doesn't reach the outside world. You all ready?”

“Ready!”

The Ultra Magycte Beast released a Roar; its shifting black limbs squirmed wildly. The team broke apart, half surrounding it.

Sly to the far left, Alivier to the right, and Eamon and Lyra are in the middle.

“Let's do it, Lyra.”

As the Kesync merged their psyches, Sly slashed out with her whip to lash out in a fury attack to take out its limbs before it attacked them. Alivier sent out a powerful array of Essentia-like energy that gleamed a bright white light. That alone seemed to send the shadow beast into a panic fury.

Let's go high, then low. Lyra took command. Give me a boost!

Eamon slammed the Escrima sticks into the ground and summoned Gaia Essentia to shoot out a rock tower formation from the ground, propelling Lyra into the air.

She held out her sword, brought it down with a “Radiant Smash!” and slammed it on the creature's head.

The assault continued when Eamon charged up his Essentia and commanded a Torrent of water pulse energy to shoot out like a geyser, aiming it directly at the Beast.

Lyra landed on the ground. “Yes, we did it!”

“Lyra, behind you!” Sly called out. She wasn't quick enough to use her whip to rescue her. Instead, a blur of light zoomed past their vision and was to Lyra in seconds. She dodged out of harm's way in seconds.

“Alivier?” Lyra gaped at the blonde-haired man. “How did you–”

“Let's celebrate after we win. Deal?”

She nodded. The time for questions was not now.

“Lyra, are you okay?” Eamon said, jogging over to her. She was about to speak when he grabbed her cheeks in his hands. Worry filled his eyes and made her heart palpitate immensely at their proximity.

“Thank you, Lumos. I thought I had lost you.” He sighed with relief, letting her cheeks go. They were still warm from where he had touched her, and she had to fight back the desire to touch her face.

“We all did. Now, how in Lumos are we supposed to defeat that?” Sly exclaimed when they grouped and looked at Alivier. “And it seems like you know more than you let on.”

Alivier sighed. Knowing he would have no choice but to admit the truth. “The Shadowmorph Sovereign, Abyssal Despot, is one of the seventy-two Unholy Beasts from the Radiant Codex after Saint Lumos trapped them there. Only not too long ago, the Codex was stolen, and now the fate of humanity rests in the Lichtkriegers' hands to defeat the seventy-two and retrieve the Codex.”

As he explained, everyone looked at him with wild-eyed bewilderment. Sly was the first to emerge from it.

“Alright, so how do we defeat it?”

“Wait, are you serious, Sly?” Lyra said. “He just told us all that, but you act like he told us the weather would be stormy in two days.”

“This is no different than what we're used to doing, Lyra. As Locksmiths, we make sure humanity is safe from creatures like that. We'll get answers after the job is done.”

She nodded, understanding the situation.

“Now, how do we defeat it?” Sly repeated.

“Stall for time so that I may summon the light of the Lichtkriegers.”

“You two hear that? Distraction only. Avoid confrontation and make sure nothing attacks Alivier while he's channeling.”

Newfound determination filled them as they nodded, ready for the fight.

“Fine, but you owe us a solid explanation when we stop these Altars from appearing.” Lyra jabbed a finger in his direction.

“A promise kept is assured.” he tipped his head in a bow.

They each took their place to distract the Ultra Beast long enough for Alivier to eradicate it. Sly stood as a backup offense.

Unfortunately, luck was not on their side, as many blue-eyed Fiends with crystallized rock formations on their backs appeared from the Ultra Beast's control. Sly reacted with time precision and used her whip to wrangle a few Fiends together before obliterating them with the powers of Gaia.

“Go!” she shouted to Lyra, and Eamon said.

Ready? Eamon called out to her.

Ready!

The two crisscrossed each other with blinding speeds as a rainbow hue of Essentia trailed behind them.

“Cross Fusion: Radiant Overburst!”

An explosion of light caused the Magycte Beast to stagger. They would need one more powerful blow to finish it off.

“Uh, hey, Alivier, any luck yet? I'm not sure we can fight this thing all day!”

“Almost… just a bit more.” The energy coursing through Alivier was invisible to everyone except the Lictkrieger. His exuding aura of power ignited fiery white light that vibrated off him brightly. “And just a little–”

“Eamon, Fiend above at 2 o’clock!”

Upon looking up at the winged Fiend whose monstrous leathery wings flapped so hard, it conjured up a sandstorm.

Eamon swung his arm back and propelled his Escrima sticks through the air. It struck the Ultra Magycte Beast directly in its eye. It screeched in agony, its health depleting.

“Now! Behind me!” Alivier shouted to them. They hurried from their positions and behind him.

Glowing sets of white, large gossamer wings appeared from his back, protecting the Locksmiths like a shield. Alivier sent a blazing orb directly from his lyre.

The light slammed into the shadowy creature, hollowing out a cry so fierce that they could see the vibrations in the air. The beast was defeated and exploded in a red aura. Slowly, the Altar that had been in place faded away and returned to Troér city.