-------
In order for their plan to have any chance to work, the whole thing had to be at least somewhat believable. Tyrion and Teclis were leading the relief force, but they were not exactly advertising their presence. They attempted to maintain a similar level of secrecy that would be expected if the situation was genuine. Chaos had its eyes and ears even among the High Elves, and they would get word anyway. Teclis’ presence wouldn’t have been too odd anyway, as the High Loremaster was showing himself on the battlefield as often as his health allowed. Now that the problem had been rather publicly solved, his much healthier visage had been seen by a fair number of people, the enemy would expect him to take a more active role as one of the best weapons against the Demons.
Interestingly, the Everqueen’s little tiff and subsequent punishment turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The news of the queen showing her anger at some outsider overshadowed the rumors about the exact nature of those outsiders. All everyone could agree on was that the king had dressed down the queen and then taken a private-ish meeting with the outsider. The Demons might still get word that other outsiders had been seen at court, their arrival hadn’t been subtle after all, but it was less likely the Demons would learn of their exact nature or numbers. They’d be more likely to learn of the spat. That same spat also provided an excuse for Tyrion to race off to find battles, instead of dealing with his angered wife. Especially if that ‘outsider’ also went along. The rumors were already implying that the king was having an affair, and Tyrion purposefully did nothing to quell those rumors. It was also rather well-known that he was a warrior king, more at home on the battlefield than in the halls of the palace.
That didn’t mean the enemy wouldn’t be able to guess it was a trap, just that it was a less obvious one, and at least it introduced a degree of uncertainty.
To keep up with the rumors, Seraphiel traveled along with the army, only bringing along Yoruichi as a 'bodyguard'. In reality, the two were maintaining constant connection with their reinforcements, which could be brought in at a moment's notice. That connection was a threadbare connection without any actual communication, only there in case the Demons managed to sever all forms of magical communication once they attacked. Communication disruption was a rather standard part of any ambushes after all.
In the beginning, the soldiers in the army were not exactly welcoming to Seraphiel’s presence. In their minds, she was the evil temptress drawing away their king from the rightful queen. However, an excessive amount of Charisma had its uses, and the blessings she freely doled out smoothed any remaining problems. Unlike Tyrion, who was mostly hiding his presence, she spent a lot of time with the troops. Mostly to root out any potential traitors, though that didn’t need to be advertised. In any case, after a couple of weeks of travel, most of the soldiers have turned from detractors to potential fans and followers. It was easier to sympathize with someone close by than with a distant queen after all.
She was often asked about her relationship with the king, and she always primly denied any involvement. She couldn’t possibly do anything like that. It was not proper after all. That didn’t stop them from spending some time together, though mostly it was just to refine the plan. There was some underlying tension between them, and neither of them was addressing it, so their talks mostly just stuck to what they were doing, though not always.
"I have to thank you," Tyrion said one evening towards the end of their journey. “I don’t know how you did it, but when you removed the curse from my brother, the curse stopped affecting me as well. My mind already feels lighter.”
Teclis nodded his thanks again as well. “Indeed. Just the removal of the curse has made things much easier for us. Should nothing come of this plan, we are at least thankful for that.”
“Well, this might be a good chance to mention some bad news then.” Seraphiel used the situation to her advantage. “I cannot personally engage N’kari in battle. I can support, and the others can freely help, but I have to fight other Demons. Preferably non-Slaaneshi ones if they appear.”
Tyrion frowned. “Can I ask why?”
“Teclis already found out, but I carry a curse of my own. Received when I killed one version of Slaanesh. We all have our weaknesses. I am susceptible to certain types of Skills and N’kari is likely to have those Skills to a level where I’m going have problems.” She explained.
“What kind of curse?” Teclis asked, much more curious than worried.
“I’m not going to reveal the specifics, but I think you might be able to make some educated guesses. What sort of curse do you think one could get from killing Slaanesh?” She lifted an eyebrow.
“Ah.” Teclis realized. “Something to do with seduction, pleasure, senses, emotions, sex, or pain.” Those were the most commonly associated domains for Slaanesh, so his assumption was not unfounded.
“Like I said, revealing details would not be constructive. However, that does not prevent me from taking on a support role or engaging other targets. Especially if N’kari has managed to enlist the help of Tzeentch.”
“You did mention even back then that you were especially adept at dealing with mages, though you never showed off those abilities. I assume that hasn’t changed?” Tyrion confirmed.
"Somewhat diminished because I had to start from level 1 and haven't had the time to catch up yet, but if it comes to dealing with mages, I’m still confident. I may not be able to kill a Lord of Change, but I can sure as Hell keep them occupied.”
“About that. Something about this makes no sense.” Teclis shook his head. "You are obviously a Champion. I don't know why, since you didn't show off any real power when we last met. Skill, yes, power no. Even so, what sort of goddess has the power to easily remove the curse inflicting me and my brother, and then summon you as level 1?"
"As it was explained to me, there was not enough power to summon me as I was." She repeated the explanation she'd gotten before her mind wandered off.
“Returning to the original topic, I think the best way for us to become a tempting target, is for us to be separated from the main army by the eventual ambush. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be vulnerable enough unless most of the army was dead. And as important as getting rid of N’kari is, I’m not willing to lose the entire army to accomplish that.” Tyrion suggested. “And yes, before you say it, I recognize that it might be necessary to make that sacrifice anyway.”
She was no longer listening though. The explanation Lucifer had given her. It didn’t fully make sense. It had been given and made sense when she didn’t know Mother was involved. Lucifer had explained that the System didn’t have enough power, but she’s since learned that Mother had been involved enough in the summoning that She’d helped in creating her current body. Surely Mother had the requisite power to summon the real her? So why didn’t she use that power? Even though she knew Luci would never lie, and there had likely been other reasons, she had some questions for both Mother and Luci the next time she had the chance to ask them. There were things that she hadn’t been told.
-------
The Recordkeeper did not enjoy inconsistencies. He also didn’t like unexplainable things. His job was to keep accurate records, not to judge them. He knew that, even if the other gods forgot that sometimes. He didn’t mind if those at the top of the different rankings were gods he personally disliked. They knew better than to pick a fight with him. The rare few times someone had tried served as a stark warning to anyone silly enough to think about doing so in the future.
Stolen novel; please report.
What he did mind, were results that should not be. Results that made him question whether his records were accurate. He didn’t collate data. He very, very rarely made judgement calls, and only when it was absolutely necessary and usually inconsequential. The information he received wasn’t something he discovered on his own. It was something he just knew. It was part of his domain as a god. The information was handed to him. He wasn’t entirely sure how, but as far as he had managed to figure out, that information came directly from the System. If anyone or anything would have access to some of this information, it would be the System. In fact, he couldn’t imagine any other source for the information. Yet, he wasn’t entirely sure, and sometimes he wondered.
The System wasn’t infallible. It was close. It knew more than anyone or anything else in the universe, but it didn’t know everything. It knew close enough to everything where the difference didn’t usually matter, but he didn’t like to rely on usually. And knowing everything wasn’t the same as perfectly understanding everything. And that was under the assumption that the System was perfectly neutral. The last time he’d requested a direct interface with the System shook his certainty in its neutrality. The interface had had too much personality. It had seemed almost whimsical.
And now this.
He stared at the latest rankings he'd recorded. Making the power rankings of the most powerful and influential gods was something he did fairly regularly. It was something he barely even paid attention to anymore. Changes in the rankings were to be expected. Even some surprises not quite explained by the Champions, as there were other ways to gain power, even if the Champions were the most efficient way. Seeing Tzeentch suddenly shoot up in the ranks was somewhat unexpected, but not something he was shocked by. The current situation among the mortals fostered both Change and Chaos. The unexpected part was not seeing the god shoot up the rankings, but the number of ranks jumped.
Even seeing the sudden appearance of Slaanesh on the rankings, as he didn’t rank all the gods, just the 500 strongest, was explainable. Slaanesh too was a Chaos god, and the connection between the four was a complex one. Slaanesh had been weaker than the other three for a while, but seeing that change was not entirely outside possibility. At least the two Chaos gods he'd heard about and had a level of understanding of.
No, what made him doubt things were the two top spots. A name he'd never heard of before and an anomaly. The way this universe expanded sometimes brought in surprisingly powerful gods and goddesses, but never someone that shot straight to the top of the rankings. The gathered power and influence of the established powers were simply too much to make that feasible. Even if a god was nigh-omnipotent in their home universe, they'd be forced under the System in this one. But for some reason, he now suddenly felt that the two holding the top two spots didn't do so by a small margin. There were no numbers or anything else tangible involved, just rankings, but sometimes he got a sense for the magnitude of the difference, and his senses were currently in overdrive.
Why was the top spot suddenly blank?
And what self-respecting goddess named themselves Charlotte Richards?
And why did both appear now? This was the second anomaly in a time period too short for comfort. And too short to assume they weren’t connected.
---------
When the ambush finally hit, it was almost a relief. They’d almost reached their destination and had almost assumed there would either not be an ambush, or it would happen on the way back. Which sort of made it the best time to spring that ambush. Countless Demons came from the trees, screaming and calling out in their twisted language. Slaanesh forces were always characterized by speed and power, so when the ambush came, it came fast and hard.
Grotesque, yet at the same time seductive Daemonettes made the bulk of the assault force, riding lithe and extremely fast mounts known as Seekers, cleaving into the ranks of the elven spearmen, forcing the lines into disorder, before they had the opportunity to turn around and make a unified wall of spears to repel the attackers. Unmounted Daemonettes, Fiends, and chariots that seemed to be made out of nothing but spikes followed, striking the gaps in the disordered lines. Mutated spawns of Chaos, nothing more than twisted and brutal masses of flesh, the fallen and corrupted aspirants that had failed on the path of power fell on everyone and everything, throwing their lives away happily.
Behind them came the mortal forces of Slaanesh, barbaric marauders clad in furs and wielding whips known as Hellscourges meant as much for torture as for battle. Warriors of Chaos clad in the heaviest armor available solidifying the lines. Knights riding horses, both clad in armor so heavy they resembled living tanks thundered in to mop up. In the past, that extremely heavy armor, known as Chaos armor, had been the thickest and sturdiest known to this world. Ironically, the twisted Armor Skills of this universe changed that balance somewhat.
They didn’t have to pretend to get cut off from the rest of the army. The enemy did it all for them as smart tactics. Despite knowing that the ambush was coming eventually, and their careful scouting, they were still caught by surprise. Their scouts had found nothing thanks to the deceptive magic of the Demons, and the massive force of Chaos smashed into the Elven lines with ease. The High Elves were the most professional army in this world though, and it didn't take long for them to start forming pockets of effective resistance. In places, the lines were successfully formed in an orderly fashion, and in other places, even the disorderly lines managed to push the enemy back. Tyrion might not have brought the best, as there was a good chance they would all need to be sacrificed, but even the chaff of the Elves were disciplined and effective, despite being in a situation as unfavorable as this.
Tyrion and Teclis led their personal guard in effective resistance. Teclis' spells downed hundreds of Demons every time he cast one, and Tyrion was almost like a force of nature while wielding his runed sword, cutting down all enemies with ease. Seraphiel focused mostly on buffing the elves close to her, and providing healing, while Yoruichi kept any Demons off of her.
Despite this, they were forced further away from the rest of the army. Those behind and in front of them had been the hardest hit, and the sheer weight of the enemies pushed their group back despite the two Elven brothers downing the Demons almost as fast as they appeared. While they cut down hundreds, just as many appeared to replace the losses. The air was filled with the cries of Furies and the flying manta ray-like Screamers.
Tyrion and Teclis put up enough of a fight to make things believable, but not enough to stop their group from being pushed further and further away from the rest of the army. Seraphiel’s Skills and Teclis’ magic stopped most of the casualties, but one by one their group was being worn down.
Suddenly a heavy presence settled over the battlefield. Unlike the [Reiatsu] of Seraphiel, this presence felt more seductive. Something that affected your senses and mind, causing you to make bad decisions and doubt everything you saw. N’kari had arrived.
"Not yet," Tyrion stated firmly to the unsaid question.
The Demons pushed them further, almost frantically throwing themselves at their blades, dragging the Elves down even at the cost of their own lives. Even their group was now facing more losses despite Seraphiel's best efforts to keep them alive. Her blessings, aura, and healing saved many lives, keeping them going where they should've fallen long ago, but even when she was redirecting some of the damage toward herself, it wasn't enough. One by one the guards around them fell.
"Not yet," Tyrion grunted again, dodging a swipe from a Greater Demon of Slaanesh, a Keeper of Secrets, that had come thundering from between the trees. The huge crab-like pincers barely whizzed by the king, who agilely swiped his weapon at the back of the equally agile Demon, leaving a large gash behind.
The space around them locked, disallowing any teleportation magic from whisking them away. "Not yet," Tyrion growled in anger again, sinking his blade deeper into the Greater Demon, showing that his skill was above the ferocity of the monster, although the staying power of a Greater Demon meant the wound was far from fatal.
“Well, well, well. This feels almost like an invitation. And as a gracious host, it would be oh so rude of me to refuse.” A soft, indecent voice came from the trees. Where had all the fog appeared from?
Softly, the enormous form of N’kari leisurely walked towards them. The Demon was at least five meters tall, standing on cloven hoofs and holding a twisted blade in one of his hands. Two of the hands had been replaced with the typical pincers so common to Slaaneshi demons that could rend through almost any defenses. The entire being of the Demon practically radiated sensuality, and despite his grotesque appearance, he was alluring and majestic.
That was the power of a Greater Demon of Slaanesh. Even when obviously twisted and hideous in many places, anyone gazing upon the Demon would find themselves fascinated. Attracted in a twisted way. You knew it was wrong, but you couldn’t help the darker desires rising inside you. It was like you suddenly developed all-new twisted fetishes, and the Demon matched all of them. Such was also the effect of high Charisma, as that was just one of the ways the Demon's allure manifested. The effect worked on several levels, magical, pheromonal, mental, System-based, and otherwise.
When she’d first read the effects of Charisma and the Mental Stats, Seraphiel had noted that they withheld some rather dark possibilities. With enough Charisma, you could do anything to another person, and they would find it almost impossible to refuse. With Skills added on top, that could be twisted even further, practically taking the free will of people away. And the Greater Demon of Slaanesh was the embodiment of all the dark and twisted ways they could be used. Not only would you be used, you would like it, and think it was a good thing. A pleasurable thing. Something to surrender to. Why resist?
She shook her head, knowing her curse was partly to blame for the effect being so pronounced. She noted that she'd stopped casting support magic, and she wasn't the only one. The Elves around her seemed just as susceptible and had practically stopped fighting, now only a dozen of them left.
“Such lovely guests you’ve invited.” The Greater Demon looked towards Seraphiel and Yoruichi in particular. “Such lovely guests indeed. Well, I’m here. Now spring your trap king of the Elves. Let us see if it is effective.”
"Now," Tyrion said simply, and Seraphiel managed to gather enough of her wits to cut the tiny connection, sending the signal.
The fortress of the Draenei appeared above them, and the cries of Dragons could be heard over the screams of the flying Demons.
"Impressive," N'kari said in a seductive voice, seemingly not very concerned. "Not what I expected. Well then. I should bring in my help."
Several warp portals seemed to open simultaneously, and Demons of the other Chaos Gods started pouring through, led by their Greater Demons. Several mortal champions of the ruinous powers also walked out of the gates.
“Let us engage in this glorious orgy of violence. No matter what, my master will be the one that benefits the most.” The Greater Demon laughed madly, not entirely wrong, as even if he lost, Slaanesh would benefit.