Chapter 26
SHE’S GONNA BLOW
Devon watched as the two fairies floated in the magical dust and peered down into its depths. He knew full well that the princess had endured a difficult life of abuse combined with inherited privilege. Devon was willing to tolerate her attitude as long as she helped their cause and tried to play nice most of the time.
April’s bonding with her mana-wyrm was going smoothly but what Devon now focused on was the monster that rose straight from the depths toward Fern.
Devon had to laugh. If he had understood correctly, his poor mana-dragon seemed to be in a panic because Fern was about to assimilate his wife. Maybe the creature had been enjoying his newfound freedom a little too much. He’d have to ask Lorn to tell him what they were saying. She was a powerful telepath and could listen in on the mana-dragons’ conversations.
Eventually, April clambered out by herself, looking triumphant. “Those vermin in the palace are going to get what is coming to them,” she stated.
“That they are, princess. Are you joining my group of soldiers then?”
The fairy started to look confused. “Uhm, forgive me, Wayfarer, I suddenly do not feel very well. Something is changing inside me.” April collapsed down to one knee and held her head in her hands.
A thought occurred to Devon, and he examined her with his aura ability. Her aura went straight to deep scarlet.
Devon leapt at April and grabbed her slim arms.
Black chains wrapped themselves around the fairy princess, and the mana-sapping mist got to work. Devon held her firmly as what little magic April had just accumulated seeped away.
Gwen finished her chant and touched April’s forehead, wincing as their skin met.
Devon remembered that they had two fairies in their care currently and shot a look back at the mana-pool. Sure enough, Fern was lying unconscious on the surface of the magical dust. Mana-dragons seemed to be a guaranteed knock-out when they assimilated with you.
Devon sprinted away toward Fern.
Once he’d laid Fern safely on the marble floor, he returned to Gwen.
Sulkiss had emerged and had a talon buried in April’s chest.
“Sulkiss syphoned off the hex, so she’s not going to explode. I’ve neutralised the spell pattern, but there’s something very weird—Oh crap! That’s not cool,” Gwen said, jumping back and grabbing her familiar as she did so. The shock was evident in her voice. “I think she’s transitioning!”
A glowing golden sphere about twelve inches across emerged from April’s chest with a mana-wyrm wrapped tightly around it. The creature looked at him and smiled a smile full of ethereal teeth. The orb, with the wyrm still hanging from it, shot his way with a flash of light and hit him in the chest, disappearing from view. There was no sensation of an impact, but it knocked him onto his back anyway. Devon felt like he was assimilating his mana-dragon all over again. Agony gripped him, and he wondered if this was the moment of his demise, outsmarted by the queen once again. Neither of them had thought to check the two fairies for traps, curses or spells, something they both now regretted with fervour.
Gwen raced to Devon’s side. “No, no, no! Don’t you dare leave me.” She placed her palm on his forehead, and above the pain that coursed through him, he could feel the tingle as she sent one anti-spell after another into him.
Another sharp pain hit him in the chest, and he saw Sulkiss with his talon now embedded in Devon’s torso. His old friend was trying to find malicious magic and syphon it away before it could do harm.
“Whatever the hell that was, it wasn’t malicious,” Sulkiss pronounced.
“It’s behaving in the same way a mana-wyrm would,” Gwen said, shaken by these latest events.
The pain faded, and he was able to think again. “Whatever it’s doing, it needs mana to do it. Its wyrm went with it.” Devon felt a second bond wind around the one he had with his mana-dragon. It was April, and her intentions were friendly but determined. She had bound herself to the Reaper part of him. “Oh! That’s new.”
“What?” Gwen asked in alarm.
“It appears that I’ve inherited a djinn, and it’s taken up residence inside me. The princess just bonded with me, and she did so without needing to receive my permission. I didn’t even know that was possible. I think I can break the bond, though; it’s weak.”
A form emerged from his torso and hovered beside him. It was the djinn. Its upper half was a very rough outline of a humanoid, only twice as large. It consisted entirely of shadows as Shalim did. Its lower half tapered away into mist, and it didn’t stand but hovered. The one clear indication that it was more than an apparition was its burning, red eyes. They had no detail, just two bright red beads of intensity, lodged within slightly corporeal darkness.
Devon thought about that for a moment. He needed to take Triana’s soul. Killing her himself wasn’t mandatory. He needed vengeance; the need gnawed at him. Now here was an alternative way to get it. By allowing this creature to kill the queen, he gained both the queen’s death and an ally.
Devon felt the weak bond he had with the djinn dissolve, and a new one form and strengthen significantly, becoming as strong as the one he had with Brack. The creature certainly lacked imagination when it came to names, though.
Gwen shook her head. “Never a dull moment around you, lover. The boredom of the village seems like a lifetime ago.” She laughed wryly at her own humour.
****-****
Devon stood in the war-room with Beth, Gwen, and Izzy. He studied the three-dimensional representation of Triana.
Mitsey stood beside him. He’d put her in charge of the new sapper squad, a group he’d formed and equipped in consultation with her and Glimmer, consisting of ten engineers, all gnomes or goblins, with munitions expertise trained to get in and out of just about anywhere without being seen. Their objective was usually to leave strategically positioned explosive charges, but sabotage and havoc were also among their skillset. Red dots flashed on the map showing where they were to target their munitions during the final raid. Each sapper had a specially adapted vision enhancement that Beth had created. The implant would guide them to targets and highlight structural weakness, allowing them to improvise if the opportunity permitted. They even had their own specialist magical class, gifting them some very specific, destructive magic, which was slow to evoke but powerful. As a bonus, they were also accomplished sharpshooters. Devon regarded them as an elite resource to be used strategically and protected at all costs, so he had assigned them a group of five protectors who had infiltration skills. Mitsey had volunteered to lead the squad and, with her skills, she was busy turning them into petty thieves too. Glimmer had nicknamed them the Chaos Squad.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Beth was now busy feeding the agreed locations into their targeting systems.
Devon planned to take Triana tomorrow night, and he was working his troops hard with training today. Tomorrow, they could rest up and equip before moving out just before dusk.
He wanted the attacks to emphasise to the queen that her time was over, and she was powerless to stop him. It gave him pleasure to imagine her trembling on her throne, barking impossible orders for troops that were already dead or had surrendered. He hoped he could take as many creatures as possible alive, but that was their choice, not his.
Mitsey looked up at him and raised her eyebrow.
“Oh! Sorry, Mitsey, I was miles away. Yes, of course, if you are happy with the locations, then go and run some exercises with the others and make sure you have the routines right. I want every one of those towers down and all the key locations set to blow before the main push begins. I expect your people to coordinate with Beth to ensure none of our people are anywhere near your blast zones.”
“Yes, boss. You can rely on us,” Mitsey promised. “Will we get the stealth armour and rifles we discussed by lunchtime tomorrow?”
“Yes, it’s on my priority list. Dismissed.”
Mitsey executed an elegant salute and left the war-room.
“You have a talent for inspiring people. That sapper squad is a terrific weapon for urban warfare,” Beth said.
“They can disable weapons and machinery too, which means, with you and Glimmer in here, we can make surgically precise incursions almost anywhere. You pick the target; they bring it down within hours. I created the Chaos Squad for your use. It plays to the strengths of you and your war-room. If you could talk Beks into joining you in here, then it would add her expertise to the mix.”
“Then, the plans are made. Nothing left but the waiting,” Beth said.
Devon snorted. “Maybe for you. I’ve got over forty sets of armour and a load of equipment to craft before lunchtime tomorrow. With the steady flow of volunteers we’re receiving, it may even be more by now. We’ll aim to march for the city tomorrow evening.” He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I might as well make a start on it all now.”
Beth looked at him then a mischievous smirk crept across her face. “No questions, be here at eight this evening. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
He went to ask a question, but Beth held her hand up and shook her head. He shrugged and made his way out of the war-room.
Devon pondered his idea for a new design of camouflaged armour while waiting for the room selector to bring the hub door around. It had initially been Pip’s idea, but he planned to take that idea a lot further. Positioned correctly, runic markings could guide light around the wearer, while others could cause the armour’s surface colour to alter to match the background. If done well enough, it would render the person wearing the armour virtually invisible without sapping their mana reserves, or, with a little applied power, they’d become undetectable.
He walked across the hub to his favourite designer bench, relaxed into it, and then got busy.
****-****
“Put this on,” Izzy said.
Devon had been expecting Beth, but instead, his beautiful elf had been waiting for him in the war-room. She was wearing an exquisite purple gown, and she had a smart dress uniform draped neatly over her outstretched arm.
“That looks fancy. Is this one of your designs?”
Izzy beamed her best smile. “Oo! You guessed. You like?”
Devon laughed. “Let me put it on first, impatient elf.”
Izzy couldn’t stop smiling as she excitedly watched him dress in her creation. She was starting to share Devon’s passion for designing.
Once he had dressed in the black outfit and Izzy had spent a minute straightening every seam, he examined his new costume. The jacket was stylishly cut, burgeoning at the shoulders and tapering tightly down past his bum. The trousers had a more conservative, straight cut but were tailored perfectly. Unusually, he had dress shoes and socks instead of his army-style boots. The jacket had a wide belt and showy, golden buttons with his logo of the weigh scales of justice embossed on each. To finish it all off, there was a mithril version of the Wayfarer’s scales pinned to his lapel with the word ‘Commander’ inscribed in black.
“You like?” Izzy repeated excitedly.
“It’s lovely, Izz. Very smart indeed. What’s the occasion?”
Izzy walked over to him, glanced at his elbow, and then twitched her head.
Devon managed to work out the hint and held out his elbow, and Izzy slipped her arm through.
She looked at him proudly. “I love you. Does there need to be another reason?”
He shook his head. “I love you too, but I know you’re up to something.”
“Just walk, smartarse.”
“Picking up new words from the natives, elf?”
For the first time in her life, Izzy was truly happy. The troubles weren’t over. The battle for Triana was yet to take place, but none of that mattered to her anymore. Being with him, her lover, and her god, felt right. She now believed that she had been destined to end up here, and she knew which golden-eyed goddess to give thanks to for that.
****-****
When Izzy and Devon emerged from the gateway to his realm, there was a cacophony of applause and cheers. Devon looked around, startled by the sudden noise and saw the ‘Hex’ as people now called it, awash with people, clapping and whooping. Everyone was looking directly at him.
“And here he is, our saviour and greatest ally, the Wayfarer, Reaper, and lord of souls, DEVON!” boomed an amplified voice.
Devon was looking around, trying to find the source of the voice. It sounded a lot like Sintra, but he couldn’t see her anywhere amongst the crowd. Then he spotted her on the upper steps of the temple.
Izzy was already guiding him forcefully toward the steps, and Devon thought it churlish to resist. Madi and Sintra were still working on providing entertainment for the city, and maybe this was their inaugural event – whatever it was, a celebration would do everyone good.
When Devon finally got to the steps, he turned to the many faces looking up at him. He noticed a clear area at the front, and his Shadow troops lined up within the space. They were all wearing dress uniforms like his, and all looked extremely smart and proud. They all stood at ease and smiled up at him.
“Did you organise all this?” he asked Sintra in amazement.
“Madi and I wanted to do something special for you, and young Beks suggested a party. So here we are, my lord,” she replied.
“There’s cake too,” Izzy whispered in his ear. She grinned when he shuddered at the sensation of her lips, touching his earlobe.
“We thought perhaps you might like to formally welcome your soldiers to the ranks of the Shadow Elite by giving them this insignia,” Madi said. “It’s traditional to pin it on their lapel, then shake their hand and say a few encouraging words.” She showed him a box of badges.
“I’ll nip in the temple and change. I want my badge too,” Izzy said, her voice eager. After the campaign, the badge would become a historical memento, and she intended it to be the first keep-sake of her new life.
“Would you like to say a few words to your people, my lord?” Sintra asked.
“Urgh! Okay.”
Sintra offered him a strange fat stick with a ball at the end that was attached to a string. He refused it and instead cleared his throat to use his ‘divine voice.’
“Ladies and gentlemen, males, females, and creatures of indeterminate gender.” His voice was commanding and strong. It was magically enhanced to engage any audience and positively influence their attitude toward him. He was a god; he had skills. “Thank you for taking the time to gather here tonight. Winning your freedom was just the first step of our journey together. Now we must all work as one community, not only to keep ourselves free but to make our liberty count.”
An uproarious cheer thundered from the crowd.
“First, I would like to pay tribute to the brave individuals who have volunteered to join the ranks of the Shadow Elite. A force dedicated to the fight, not only for your freedom but for the freedom of everyone who needs them. Their lifelong commitment is to put down those who seek to subjugate and oppress – a fight which we will begin tomorrow evening in Triana. I want you all to show your appreciation as I call each soldier up and welcome them. Then afterwards, I believe there will be cake.” He grinned, and the crowd went wild. Apparently, cake ranked right up there alongside freedom in their estimation.
His new army had a name, a dress uniform, and an insignia. By tomorrow, they would have the most advanced armour and equipment his talents could create. He was a very proud god. It was impressive how everyone had joined together to organise and assemble everything that he saw before him. In all, he welcomed fifty-two soldiers to his new army. He was glad to see that the unicorn medics had swollen in number to twelve now and that the ranks included a wide variety of creatures, all keen to represent their species.
Devon called each volunteer up by name and welcomed them with a few encouraging words based on some helpful notes added to each soldier’s profile, fed into his mind by Abi. One after another, each creature would walk proudly back down the steps to loud applause, sporting their new Shadow Elite insignia with immense pride. Pip, Grace, and Mitsey received special badges as they were now promoted to sergeants, while Lorn’s was different to everyone’s because Devon had made her the army’s captain. He would still fight alongside her, but now they had an official chain of command. In effect, Lorn now commanded the entire army, answering to him alone.
Once the ceremony finished, Madi whispered a few things in Devon’s ear, and he nodded with a smile. He held his hands up for quiet and, eventually, the uproar died back to a subdued murmur of excited voices.
“My friends, I welcome you all to your new home. Until now, we have just known the area in Earth realm as ‘the settlement’, but now we shall consolidate everything. I would like to name this new city spanning two worlds, Sanctuary. That is what that name should mean to all of us. Soon, we will join a third realm to the name, and our Sanctuary and the freedom it represents will span multiple worlds. Those that seek to steal it from us will perish, as will those that seek to corrupt it from within. THIS IS OUR SANCTUARY, AND HERE; WE ARE STRONG!”
The uproar nearly deafened him. Every person here felt strongly about preserving the freedom they had dreamt of, and tonight that emotion peaked.
When the noise dimmed a little and people began to settle, Devon continued. “Enjoy your night. Eat, drink, and celebrate.”
Madi passed him a tankard of something, and he looked at her suspiciously. Gods couldn’t get drunk on mortal liquor, so he felt confident he could drink whatever this amber liquid was, but he was still hesitant. She nodded to the tankard and then to the crowd, and he got the message.
“Let us drink our first toast together. Raise up your glasses and drink; TO FREEDOM!” and Devon raised the tankard high.
A sea of arms raised from within the crowd, and the loud response nearly bowled him over. “TO FREEDOM!”
Gradually, the cheers lost cohesion and turned back into a general hubbub, and Devon was able to relax a little.
The night was joyous and stretched all through the small hours until dawn. Not needing much sleep, he outlasted just about everyone, but eventually, Gwen and Izzy dragged him off to bed. There, the night became even more perfect.