Chapter 31
Kadlak paced in the encampment. “We should have sent those demons first…” he
groaned, his cadaverous fist clenched as he slammed both steel-clad forearms on
the table where the map of the whereabouts was. “Those fresh troops they obtained…
they are decimating our militia!”
Even Xamaris started to wonder of the outcome of this war. “For once, I agree
with you.” The necro-alchemist remarked, pondering of why the near-thousand
demons had been summoned in the first place. “Those immense sacks of flesh have
hardly been used. He could have just brought beasts of burden instead.”
“And what would you propose, o glorified lobotomist?” the skeletal warlord
added, putting a thick layer of sarcasm on the flattery.
Before the man could answer, Pison entered the tent, a skeletal hawk on his
arm. “I hope you have come up with a better approach to refreshing our troops…”
he spoke, looking from one general to the other.
“With all due respect, my men have scavenged every possible bone in these
plains.” The alchemist explained. “They must have started cremating the dead
and making their dead into powder. I can’t-”
The mercenary grabbed at Xamaris’ throat. “I don’t want excuses… I want
results!” he shouted before tossing the man like a rag-doll, causing him to
crash onto the table, which split in half from the fall.
“Perhaps I could be of some service.” Kadlak worded. “Why not send the demons
to-”
Pison turned to scowl the boney general. “Those beasts are our last-effort
plan. Unleashing them would cause even more damage to our troops than to
theirs.”
“You didn’t let me finish.” The warlord shot back as he walked over to Pison,
ignoring Xamaris that was on the ground, wincing in pain from the impact. “Why
not send the demons to attack the less-guarded areas? From what your courier
reported �" and I can see through the eyes of the dead -, they have strengthened
their defenses to the north and eastern walls, as well as the intersecting
tower. Moving the rest of the troops into position would be relatively easy.
Once they find out that they have been had-”
“Divide and conquer.” The demonic warrior figured. “This means we need a proper
decoy. Perhaps… a duel?”
Kadlak quickly understood what was running through Pison’s mind. “Of course.
Slaying their champion will weaken their resolve. I’m sure they will be less
eager to fight once their best warrior has joined my ranks!”
The mercenary made a sinister sneer. “Take a score of demons with you. I want
the message to be clear that this will be a battle to the death.” He ordered
the skeletal warlord before looking at the necro-alchemist who was slowly
getting up. “And as for you, prepare your troops to march on the southern wall.
I will send the rest of the demons to attack from the west.”
---------
Karyana was trying hard not to show her disappointment, going instead for anger
as she spoke with Luriah. “Why would the Planar of War deny a soldier his
blessing?”
The angel looked at the woman. Even though she was dressed in chain hauberk
with steel shoulder pads, gauntlets and a chest plate, and that she kept one
clenched hand around the hilt of her sword, he knew that the woman did not have
the heart of a warrior. “You are not a soldier, Karyana Desteen, daughter of
Eredrick. You may wear the apparel, but I can see deep down that you fear
combat.” He answered, folding his arms. “You are afraid, but do not act to
fight this fear. Instead of joining the battle, you holed yourself up in this
tower like a damsel in distress…”
The black-haired young woman was almost ready to stab the messenger. “Then why
not give me the courage to fight?”
“Courage is not something you are given, young mortal.” The angel explained.
“It must be found within yourself. Unless you find the strength to stand for
those you care for, do not try and contact me again.”
Walking over to the sniper’s hole, she placed her back against the wall as the
angel disappeared. “What if he’s right?” she whispered to herself. “Am I just…
hiding behind everyone?”
The floor’s fold-down door opened as Alban walked up the stairs. “Kary… thank
the Planars you’re here… We were looking everywhere for you.” He said, letting
out a relieved sigh.
“You’re a terrible liar, you know that?” she commented. “I told Onyx that I
wanted to meet Luriah-”
“Now’s not the time.” The ranger shot out, his words hasty and his tone urgent.
“Korgan has a plan to explain to you. Come down, right now!”
Before he could grab her hand and pull her down the stairs, the wall was shaken
by a deflagration. “Great… now what?” the ranger wondered, not liking the
timing of this attack one bit.
Karyana looked out the hole and noticed a group of large creatures �" nearly
thirty �" approaching the main gate. “Wh-what are those… things?”
The ranger looked down. “Demons… big ones, too.” He answered. “It looks like
the enemy brought out their shock troops… but I thought Meilin said they were
fifty scores of them… that’s barely two.”
It dawned on both of them that something was amiss when another tremor �" a more
distant one �" struck from several yards away. Karyana looked further to the
west and spotted more of them. “The rest are over there!”
Alban grit his teeth. “Damn them… they plan on surrounding the Shrine with
those fiends! If we spread the troops, it’ll be far too thin…” Looking back at
the young woman, he grabbed her hand and pulled. “We need to find Korgan! Now!”
--------
“So they have us surrounded…” the High Priest commented. “It seems that our
luck has reached its limit.” Korgan sat at the table, while the others were
standing or pacing about.
“And that’s not the worst of it.” Baratus added. “Right now, they haven’t
attacked… as if they are waiting for an order. All they do right now is force
us to bar the gates. It’s like they want to starve us out, and pick on the rest
of us!”
Allision let out a sigh. “That’s exactly how…” she said, but stopped for a
moment. She remembered the stories about how Kadlak the Merciless had coerced
her kind into fighting for him by hiring hill ogres and orcs to cut all water
and food supplies, then keep them from taking the roads. Still, these were
stories that most historians didn’t remember. “It’s how Kadlak overcame Cald in
the first place…”
The “First Fall of Cald” was the beginning of the rise to power of the warlord,
as he had hired slavers to storm the city, flanking it from all sides. A single
charge of numbers and strength to take the struggling city. Cald was soon
razed, its remnants forming a series of tunnels and hidden passages that snaked
about like a maze within a mine. The city’s first architecture became a necropolis
from thereon.
“So Kadlak is leading the attack.” Onyx thought before remembering something.
“If I remember correctly, Kadlak was not the kind of person to charge
mindlessly into combat. He would try and weaken the enemy, then give them a
false chance of escape before cutting them down…”
“That would explain why the demons didn’t attack yet.” Yu Shaia figured.
“They’re just toying with us until… whatever it is he wants to do is under
way.”
“Then we should storm the enemy!” the barbarian shouted. “We need to make stop
him before-”
“You have no chance.” Boomed out a loud voice as a mana-scar appeared in
mid-air. “And as for what I have planned…”
“It has to be him!” Turalyon shouted before grabbing his crossbow.
“Still your arm and listen.” The warlord spoke. “I propose a duel, between us
and the Chosen. Win, and you will have one day
of peace. Lose, your Shrine will be torn apart, stone by stone until there is
nothing left!”
“I won’t be played like a puppet!” Baratus shouted as he grabbed his throwing
axe and hurled it into the mana-scar. However, before it could pass the
threshold, the weapon imploded, as if struck by a fireball.
“You are not the one I seek…” came another voice �" as sinister, but not as
broken or clacking as the warlord’s skeletal chatter.
Allision recognized the voice easily. “That… it’s Pison!” she uttered
fearfully.
“I will make this simple for you.” The mercenary worded. “Bring me the girl,
Karyana… and choose her pawns well. Her fate, and all of yours, hangs in the
balance…”
Korgan looked confused. “That girl? But why-”
Kadlak’s voice resonated anew. “Bring your Chosen
to the Moltenroot Cliffside… you have one hour!” he shouted before the
mana-scar closed.
A long moment of silence filled the room. “This is irregular…” Turalyon
commented. “Why ask for her directly?”
Allision stepped forward. “Karyana… she saved me from him.” She explained
before clenching her hands together, as if begging. “Please… we can’t allow her
to face him, or she… she won’t make it!”
Yu Shaia scratched his head. “Well, one thing’s certain: I can’t go, since
Meilin and the child still need me.”
Baratus was about to break the table in half. “I can’t believe this! That cur
slew the warriors of my tribe, and I can’t even give them vengeance!”
Onyx scratched his beard. “It looks like we don’t have much of a choice. Best
if we match their best with ours…” he spoke. “I know Alban’s sword was made and
enchanted for a Chosen of Raemu, so I think he should go.”
“Not to mention that he was also blessed by Luriah.” Korgan commented. “Very
well. If we can match their strength with our own… but we will also have to
match them in mana-weaving… I should go.”
“No, wait.” The battlemage remarked. “If you go, there won’t be anyone to begin
the incantation should his word be a lie. Only you and I, as well as Allision
and Demyan, can cast the incantation, and-”
“Your blasted spell won’t be of any use if we can’t fight back!” the barbarian
shout out. “And what about that spell-sword Arius?”
“He’s still weak.” Demyan commented as he walked back into the room. “I just
checked on him. The mere presence of those demons is causing his wounds to
flare. I would not be surprised if the other soldiers who suffered from these
abominations undergo the same side effect.”
The high priest looked distraught. “For once, I wish we could trust the enemy…
We can’t cast that spell and send one of our mana-weavers to battle.”
“Then let me do it.” The young man shot back. “I was taught to fight with
weapon and spell. I will keep her safe.”
“I hope you can live up to that promise.” Alban shot as he rushed down the
stairs, Karyana slowly following.
“You two are late.” Korgan commented. “The enemy has pushed us into a duel.”
“We know.” The young woman answered, sounding completely discouraged. “And I
think I understand now… Pison did this… because I was here.”
Everyone in the room turned to look at her. “What?” Baratus shouted before
rushing over to her, pinning her against the nearest pillar. “My tribe suffered
and bled… because of you?”
“Calm down, Baratus!” Yu Shaia shouted. “It doesn’t matter if she’s here or
not. The point is that Pison wants her dead, and he’d be ready to burn all of
Medierth to the ground to settle… whatever it was.”
Karyana let out a sigh. “I defeated him.” She answered flatly.
The barbarian let her go, then looked at her. “You… defeated Medierth’s most
dangerous assassin? How?”
“I… I don’t remember.” She said, turning away from the red-haired warrior. “One
moment, I was almost drowning… the next, I was standing next to…”
Turning to look at Allision, Karyana got a slow head shake from the priestess.
“I was standing next to Allision.” She said, bending the truth enough to make
it seem like it wasn’t a complete lie.
“I see. So this duel is his chance to kill the one person who ever defeated
him.” Onyx commented. “I think I can get you something better than that hauberk
you’re wearing.”
The young woman looked down. “I’m… really sorry.” She uttered. “If I barely
survived last time… how do you expect me to win this time?”
Demyan looked uneasy. “Karyana, please…” he said, trying to reach over to her.
The young woman stepped back and away before running off. “Wait!”
“I just hope she can pull herself together…” Korgan commented before looking at
the nearby hourglass. “…before it’s too late.”
------
“Do you honestly believe they will do it?” Xamaris asked Pison. “I wouldn’t
trust Kadlak’s word even if my life depended on it.”
“In a sense, it does depend on it.” The mercenary commented as the three
reached Moltenroot Cliffside.
The place was known by that name because of one of the first dragons that flew
away from Bejem had somehow made its temporary nest in this area. As the cliff
was quite populated by snow-grass and cold-resistant trees, it spread its flames
to warm itself, which caused the ice to melt into the roots of the plants,
making them die off when the roots thawed from the blaze, only to freeze again
from the weather. The area was more than an hour away of walk from the Shrine,
which made the warlord’s threat more urgent, as the only way to reach it in
time was either via magic or by horses.
“Still, I must admit: the venue is quite ideal for a battle…” the
necro-alchemist commented, rubbing his hands as he scoured the area. “That
cliff looks steep enough for a deadly drop… and a perfect place to dispose of
their bodies.”
“Quite…” the warlord added before looking in the direction of the Shrine, where
one of the towers was lit. “It looks like they accepted the challenge.”
“How can you tell?” Xamaris commented. “Did you send your… oh. You did, huh?”
he added, noticing the absence of the skeletal hawk familiar.
“But it looks like that girl is playing damsel in distress…” Kadlak sneered.
“Maybe I should… motivate her.”
The lone human among the generals walked over to the warlord. “Allow me. You
need all your strength for the duel, and I can easily summon from afar…”
“Don’t play dumb with me.” The warlord commented. “I am like a lich… I do not
need to recover my strength.”
“I never said ‘recover’ your strength…” the necro-alchemist shot back. “And
besides, you never said how many Chosen you
will have to face… nor how many of us will fight!”
“Why, you rotten weasel!” Kadlak shouted as pulled out his sword.
“Oh, don’t be so hard on me. Besides… ‘my’ skeletons are already on their way…”
the wizard commented.
------
Karyana watched as the three horses raced off. Though she was glad that Demyan
had been able to enchant the steed’s saddle to imprint the illusion that she
was riding it �" a spell that he took from Meilin’s spellbook �" she knew that it
would only take minutes to reach the destination. Depending on how quickly
Alban and Demyan would reach their destination, it means that she only had
minutes to bring herself to decide whether or not she would join the battle.
All it would take for her to reach the saddle’s position would be for the young
man to dispel the enchantment.
Before Allision had left her back at the temple, she had tried to steer them
away from the duel. In fact, both Karyana and the priestess wanted to avoid
that duel, which brought the idea of this decoy. The illusion was near-perfect:
the one thing that would give it away was the weight of the horse’s print in
the snow.
Looking up at the sky, the young woman couldn’t help but sigh. “If the Planars
don’t want me, then why am I even allowed to live?” she pondered.
Gazing at the coming night sky, she noticed a shooting star. Though she had
heard of tales that such stars were messengers of Asuna, the most common
thought was that shooting stars could grant wishes. Clasping her hands
together, she knelt down and began to pray. “Star light, star bright, the first
star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish
tonight…”
Whispering her with inaudibly, hoping that it would come true, she opened her
eyes… only to see the star stop in its tracks before shooting towards her.
Shocked by what she was seeing, she hurriedly rushed to her feet and hid behind
the wall, just as it appeared on the other side, where the carpeted stairs
opened to the parapet.
“Wh-what… what’s happening?” Karyana almost shouted, scared at what was
happening. The star, rather than crash into the wall, stopped and floated
about, an innocent giggle, which sounded like that of a young woman, came from
the astral object. “What… what are you?”
The starlight faded slightly as a human form appeared within. Curiously, the
black-haired young woman walked towards the object, only for a pale-skinned,
elegantly-dressed dancer to appear. “I am Selene, envoy of Asuna… and I have
heard your words.”
Karyana examined the woman, though the light was making it difficult to notice
most of the facial details. “You look… familiar.”
“All of the stars are sons and daughters of the Alabaster Maiden, and many
share her beauty, in one way or another.” The star-avatar explained. “Do not
worry; your wish was heard.”
The young woman looked shocked. “But… that means…”
“You wished for the strength to save your friends, and that is a noble
thought.” Selene commented, brushing a hand through her long, silvery-white
hair. “However, what will you do with such power?”
Looking towards the south-east tower, Karyana let out a sigh before explaining
to the star-avatar. “My friends were all chosen by Lord Raemu… I want to prove
to him that I could have become one of his Chosen
as well. But now, there is a powerful spell they and I must cast, and-”
“It will not suffice.” Selene remarked. “The vanguard of the night will not
obey an arcane spell cast in desperation. Only a Chosen of the Alabaster Maiden
can successfully invoke the power we possess…”
The young woman let out a sigh, paced for a moment, then looked back at the
astral traveler. “Then make me her Chosen.”
She concluded. “If I have to take the entire burden of this spell because I was
too much of a coward to aid them, then so be it.”
The celestial creature looked at the woman before smiling. “Your eyes… it seems
hope is rekindled.” She commented. “I see… Now I understand why your words
reached me.” Karyana didn’t have time to ask what Selene meant before the creature
traced the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead. “You were born as her Chosen… I can unlock your power, but know this: the spell
that you will use can only be used this once… and only by you.”
“What must I do?” the black-haired lass asked, wishing to learn the secret to
be a Chosen. However, before she was given an
answer, she felt Selene’s hand push into her, as if the star-avatar was a key
to her lock.
------
Baratus took a moment to look outside. “What is going on?” he wondered as he
noticed the bright lights coming from the tower. “I thought they weren’t
supposed to cast that thing without everyone there?”
Allision walked over to the barbarian’s side. “Is something wrong?”
The barbarian looked back, and down, at Allision, as the woman was almost a foot
shorter than he was. “Looks like the night lights are really low tonight.” He
said with some matter of jest, before noticing that the half-elf woman was
removing her overcoat. “What about you?”
“The labor just finished. It is a girl.” She answered with a relieved, if tired
smile.
The rugged man wasn’t sure how to react. Having lost some of his tribesmen in
this conflict was a horrid thought, but he couldn’t help but be glad for the
elf ranger and his wife. “So that makes another half-elf in this place. Did
they come up with a name?”
“Not yet.” The young woman said, wiping sweat from her brow. “They have yet to
figure the proper family name.”
Baratus almost laughed at the situation. Meilin was from the Southern Unknowns,
a mostly inhospitable area riddled with bayous and towns built on rafts. The
Kasma tribe was known for its illusionists, as animals were easily duped by
spectral creatures, which made hunting easier. Yu Shaia’s name was much more
difficult as his tribe name was actually a mixed breed �" the same as he, for
his father was of the Silver Elves, blessed by Asuna, and his mother from the
Wild Elves, blessed by the Wildbearer. His full name, Yurix Maar’dek Shaia, was
usually pronounced quickly, which made it sound like hogwash, so most people only
called him by the first and last sounds of his name, and even there, they often
mispronounced his last name.
“Well, I only see one solution.” The barbarian commented. “If the girl has
magic like her mother, she’ll be a Kasma. If she doesn’t, well she can be a
Shaia.”
“You make it sound so easy.” Allision commented.
Before the rugged man could reply, the baby’s cry was heard. “It looks like
that child will be a lively one.” Baratus commented.
Yu Shaia ran out the door and towards the two. “You will not believe what just
happened!”
“What, your wife kicked you out of the room?” the barbarian replied in jest.
“No, not that!” the elven ranger spoke. “I was looking outside to… to get some
air, when a bunch of demons just started wailing and bashing their heads
against the walls!”
While the large man looked confused, the she-elf thought for a moment. “Well…
there’s a Grey-Elf legend that says that the first scream of an unborn child
can rebuke demons…”
Yu Shaia cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously?” he shot in surprised before an idea
came to mind. “Could you help Meilin get her energy back? I think I got a
plan.”
--------
Korgan had ordered all of the able monks to strengthen the sigils and barriers
around the Shrine ever since the demons started head-bashing the walls, but
when Allision came back to tell him that the child’s scream was causing them
pain, he knew that the moment to retaliate was now. Though Alban and Demyan
were away, he made sure to dispatch Turalyon, Baratus, Onyx and Yu Shaia.
The five met at the hall. “It looks like the demon horde can’t make heads or
tails of themselves.” The high priest commented.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s strike them down!” the barbarian shouted,
slamming his fists together.
“I already have a plan.” The battlemage began. “I heard the child’s scream
while I was reading a spell, and-”
“Keep it short!” Yu Shaia commented. “We don’t have a lot of time to act!”
“In layman’s terms, I can echo the baby’s screams and focus the sound to
literally ‘attack’ them.” The lanky wizard added.
“Like the wail of a banshee.” Baratus figured. “I’m in. We’ll do as much damage
as we can, and you make sure they blow their heads out!”
Korgan rose from his chair. “It’s time I join the battle. Sacred magic on
sacred grounds is at its highest when dealing with infernals.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” the elven ranger asked, unsheathing his two
swords. “I live for guerilla tactics!”
------
Alban stopped the horses a few yards from the position of the enemy. “Are you
sure this will work?” he asked Demyan.
The young man readied his war-staff as if it was a jousting lance. “We just
need you to keep them busy long enough for the real Karyana to show up. I
readied some of my men to protect us. They know how to keep covered.”
The ranger looked around. The boy was right… Aside from deep prints in the
snow, there was absolutely no way to see the rest of the forces, as the
invisibility spell that enshrouded them was too strong of a weave. “How many
are we counting?”
“Fifteen spear-men, thirty swordsmen and five clerics…” he answered. “I don’t
know how powerful they are, nor if they have more demons for us to deal with.”
Given the size of the creatures, it would take at least half of the entire
forces to surround the Shrine if they were a meter apart, and two-thirds of
them if they were shoulder-to-shoulder. “Meaning we’ll have enough forces to
press them into a concentrated pincer once this is done and over with.” The
ranger counted before tapping the young man on his back. “Clever lad...”
“Let’s just hope we’re clever enough.” Demyan concluded as he put on his mask.
“I already prepared some sigils in case we need to make our Karyana look
convincing.”
The duplicate was merely a solid vision �" an illusion that emitted no sound or
scent �" of her, but the image was perfect… if immobile. “Best to just leave her
here, and just charge them.” The ranger commented, not liking that a lone stead
would likely not rush into battle without a real mount. “Let’s do it, then… for
the Planars, and all of Medierth!”
Demyan readied his war-staff for the charge as Alban unsheathed his
great-sword. “For my friends…” he whispered before forcing the horse into a
charge.
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