Twin tears raced down the sides of Pandora’s cheeks. She stifled a sob as she gazed upon the Mana Gem…and that was when it suddenly flared red, just as it had before.
Pandora looked at me, eyes wide in disbelief.
I smiled. “I told you,” I said. “We might not be able to see her, but she’s going to stay by our sides forever.”
*****
With her illusion eagles on patrol, Bella showed me the shitstorm that was brewing to the north.
“The Emperor is using illusion magic to conceal his new army,” Bella said. She brought up the POV from an eagle perched atop the outer walls of Pearlton. “Look at this, Champion,” she said.
I looked through the eagle’s eyes and saw nothing but a perfectly peaceful pre-dawn sky. Off on the horizon, there were hints of the coming sunrise. Guards quietly patrolled the streets. The only sounds came from the city’s bakeries, where the bakers were up early working at their ovens so they’d be ready when the markets opened.
“This is what the Imperials in Pearlton are seeing,” she said. “But now, let’s go a bit farther south.”
She pulled up a different eagle, this one wheeling high overhead of the new, rough line between Imperial territory and rebel territory.
Here, just below that rough boundary, a terrifying wall of magical hellfire was cutting the land in half. Ghouls and zombies were lumbering out of the hellfire with liches and primal vampires walking among them. They moved like a wall of necrotic flesh, gnashing their teeth, looking to satiate their endless hunger.
Demon knights atop zombified horses rode out along with them, barking commands at the feral werewolves racing alongside them. Among this throng of unnatural creatures came demon spiders and massive centaurs. Vampire bats the size of small airplanes dashed out of the hellfire veil, shrieking into the night.
Bulky, ten-foot-tall cave trolls stomped through the horde, gripping huge blunt weapons as necklaces made of human skulls rattled around their thick necks. Unnamable creatures from vast corners of the cosmos slithered through the fiery veil, Lovecraftian monstrosities that seemed to consist only of tentacles and teeth.
There were more, far more, but chief among the endless, hell-born horde were the seraphs. They had smug, haughty looks on their faces as they strutted around their underlings, and I saw at once that the Emperor had placed the seraphs into officer roles.
Then I saw him, the Seraph General.
Unlike the immaculate white armor worn by his peers, the Seraph General’s armor was stained red with blood. He sat atop a dragon wheeling above the horde. The dragon’s skin was thick and shined like gold, contrasted against its blazingly bright, ruby-red eyes. The Seraph General yanked the reins and the dragon flapped its massive wings, roared, and belched a stream of dragonfire into the night sky.
And all this was just the tip of the spear, because as the horde marched forward, even more vile monstrosities were lurching out of the hellfire veil behind them.
Even for a well-armed, healthy army, this would have been an impossible fight. However, our Red-Hand allies near the border weren’t exactly battle-ready.
While I’d been out cold, Duke Elfblood’s workers had only gotten silver weapons to a handful of these isolated forces to the north. Bella had visited most of them via her illusion eagles.
“Some have only just put down the last pockets of resistance from Imperial loyalists,” Bella said. “The Red-Hand uprising had been well-coordinated, but marshaling a standing army is something different altogether.”
She was right. She showed me chaos unfolding to the north and I grit my teeth in frustration.
When the Red-Hand Legionnaires rose up against the loyalists, they had the advantage of surprise. It more than made up for the often-times fractured leadership among the Red-Hands. But now, they were the ones being taken by surprise.
The cities and villages they held were still in disarray from the uprising, with only a handful capable of mounting any respectable defense. Some of these Red-Hand squads barely had enough healers to treat their numbers wounded in the uprising, let alone the casualties they’d receive once the darkrealm horde fell upon them.
With a little more time, with a little more preparation, they might have been able to put up a decent resistance. However, at the moment, they had no chance.
It would have been a mistake to say that our ‘line collapsed,’ as our allies to the north never had enough time to coordinate a proper defensive perimeter in the first place. As word spread of the coming horde, the cities began to empty, with our allies quickly fleeing south.
Of course, the Red-Hand Legionnaires were honorable fighters. They took the time to make sure that the civilians had a chance to flee first, before the soldiers began to make their own escape.
That would buy us some time, but our allies fleeing south were moving with supplies, plus their wounded. The growing horde would run them down in just a few days, if not sooner.
We had to find a place to make a stand.
We were back in the dining hall, but this time, there was no food, nor any mugs of ale. My top lieutenants were gathered again, with Duke Elfblood sitting at the head of the table. The only one who was missing was Sephara. Since I returned from the realm inside the Mana Gem, I hadn’t seen her.
“What’s the plan, then, Earthman?” Duke Elfblood asked.
Above the table, Bella still had the POVs of her eagles on display, so we had a real-time view of the chaos happening to the north.
“Even if we had an extra day or so to mobilize our armies, we’d never reach the refugees before the horde descends upon them,” Pandora said.
Erhoff frowned. “But we must do something,” the old war mage said. “Aye, if we don’t, others might feel as though the United Rebel Front is willing to abandon them, even if we don’t have the means to come to their aid in time.”
I closed the Soulguard into a fist and looked upon the Mana Gem below the knuckles. “No, you’re wrong,” I said. “We do have the means to reach them in time.” I pushed away from the table. I had a plan now. “Bella, send word to the forces fleeing the horde. Tell them to make for Woodkeep Village. The uprising hadn’t been too violent there. It’s a small village, but it’s the best place for them to make a stand.”
Bella nodded. “And if they question your order?”
“Tell them it’s not an order,” I said. “Tell them it’s an invitation. I’ll be there to meet them, then aid them against the horde.”
“But Earthman, how will you get there in time?” Pandora asked.
I held up the Mana Gem. “This gem has boosted all my magic. It’s not exactly close, but I’ll be able to teleport myself to Woodkeep without too much trouble.”
“Surely, you’re not planning to go alone?” she added.
“I am,” I said. “You all remain here and get our armies ready. Head north to Woodkeep to meet up with our allies. It’s the best place for us to make a stand while the civilians continue to flee south.”
The door to the dining hall swung open. Sephara was clad in a light version of the traditional Silverton silver armor. She shimmered from head to toe, with that amber-tipped spear in hand. She had a pair of silver daggers on her hips.
“The idiot Earthman wants all the darkrealm beasts to himself, eh?” Sephara said.
Up until then, I had assumed that since she had her connection to restoration magic severed, Sephara wouldn’t be joining us in battle. It looked like I was wrong. Of course, that was no surprise. Pandora had been a vicious fighter even when her connection to mysticism magic was broken.
“I must advise against this,” Esmerelda said. “Earthman, even with the Mana Gem, you should bring allies.”
“The darkrealm creatures are too many,” Layla added.
I smiled, despite my own concerns. I needed to get a handle on how the Mana Gem could be used in battle. I figured there were worse ways to do that than rally a fractured force against a dark horde.
As I smiled, th
e Mana Gem flared bright red. “Oh, I’ll have an ally with me,” I said. “There’s no question about that.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
DARKWOOD AMBER LONGSWORD OF CIARA’S WRATH
WEIGHT: 6 LBS
DURABILITY: 4000/4000
ENCHANTMENT: 8000/8000
EFFECT: +100 COMBINED ELEMENTAL DAMAGE UPON STRIKE
I inspected my newly-enchanted weapon, enchanted with by my own hand no less, as I vanished from the dining hall and reappeared among the panicking citizens of Woodkeep Village.
Farther north, I could actually see the horde growing on the horizon. No wonder the people here were panicking.
When they saw me, though, a hushed quiet fell over the crowds.
“Everyone!” I shouted, with my voice amplified by my illusion magic. “You’ve heard of me. I’m the one they call Gamelord, the Earthman!” I pointed my sword north. “We’ve got allies fleeing south, toward our position! We’ve got reinforcements coming from Silverton and Homehold! I’m here this morning to help you hold this town against the coming horde!”
A handful of Red-Hand Legionnaires were nearby. Their tired-looking officer stepped toward me. “Aye, Gamelord, we welcome you,” he said. He looked to the north and shivered. “But Woodkeep is but a small village, sir. We don’t have the physical defenses in place to guard against so many enemies.”
I nodded to him, because he was exactly right. However, I meant to correct that problem right away.
“Leave that to me, officer,” I said. I clapped him on the shoulder. “Rally your men. Send the citizens south, toward Silverton. They’ll be safe there.”
The officer nodded, nervously but dutifully, and ran off to find his men. I walked north, through the main street running through the chaotic village. Once I was ten yards north of the village perimeter, I closed the Soulguard into a fist and called upon my green magic.
“Let’s see what this gem can do, Ciara,” I whispered, then shut my eyes and cast a new custom spell.
At my silent command, thousands of tree roots burst forth from the soil in a rough square around Woodkeep’s perimeter. The vines came in all sizes, with some thick as a tree trunk and others scarcely thicker than vines. Using my TK magic to bolster my green magic, I formed the twisting vines into a thick, solid wall, complete with a swinging pair of gates built into the north face. I even managed to mold rough battlements upon the twenty-foot-tall walls.
Behind me, the gathering Red-Hand Legionnaires let out a cheer. I cheered along with them, because that should have been a difficult spell to cast, but I’d done so effortlessly.
Even better, my mana had already completely recovered.
“Archers on the northern battlements!” I said. I threw open the gates just as the first of the northern refugees began appearing on the road ahead. “I’ve created a similar set of gates in the southern walls! Send all civilians through those gates! Swordsmen and spearmen onto the walls to support the archers!”
The Red-Hand Legionnaires fell into place quickly, moving with renewed confidence now that I’d joined their ranks.
However, when I looked to the horizon again, I saw that the dark horde was on the move.
I grimaced. They’d begin to overrun the Red-Hands from the north before long.
Well, I’d have to help them with that.
I found that tired-looking Red-Hand officer. “Hey pal,” I said. “Are you the ranking officer in this town?”
He shrugged. “It’s been so chaotic, I’m not sure.”
“Well you are now,” I said, and I said it loud enough for his men to take notice. “You take the lead while I’m gone.”
A dreadful look fell across his face. “You’re leaving us already, Earthman?”
I clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m not leaving,” I said. I nodded to the north. “I’m just running interference. Without my help, the soldiers fleeing south will be overrun. When they get here, make sure to arm them as best you can, and have your healers tend to their wounded.”
He nodded. “I’ll do as you command, Earthman.”
I unsheathed Ciara’s Wrath and turned back to the red hellfire veil on the horizon. “Alright, you guys hold the fort,” I said. “I’ve got work to do.”
*****
I teleported myself a few miles north, just where the road finished snaking through a dense patch of forest called Royersford Woods. When I appeared, I did so just as the fleeing Red-Hand Legionnaires were approaching.
Behind them, the dark hard was growing larger and larger on the horizon. Even from here, I could hear their howls and moans ringing out in the distance.
The soldiers gawked at me as they passed, many realizing who I was once they got a look at the Soulguard.
“Keep going south toward Woodkeep Village!” I shouted as I walked through their numbers. “We’re going to make our stand at Woodkeep Village and, shortly, we’ll be joined by reinforcements from Silverton and Homehold!”
I heard them talking amongst each other as they passed me.
“Is that truly him?”
“Is that the Earthman?”
“I heard he was bigger…”
“Well I heard the Soulguard was a gleaming, golden weapon…”
If any of them had any doubts about my identity, I quickly erased them. I raised the Soulguard over my head, clenched my fist, and made the Mana Gem shimmer with its multicolor rainbow shades.
A gasp when up amongst the men…and then the cheering started.
“It’s him! It’s the Champion!” they shouted.
I used my illusion magic to raise my voice so the entire retreating force could hear me. “Yes, it’s me!” I shouted. “I’m the one they call Gamelord, the Earthman!” A sense of awe and excitement rippled through the throngs of retreating soldiers. “You men keep going south to bolster the defense of Woodkeep!” I repeated. “I’m going to guard your retreat against the darkrealm horde!”
Here and there, I noticed soldiers lingering instead of fleeing. They were having heated conversations.
“Guys, get a move on!” I shouted, because the darkrealm creatures were close enough that I could begin to make them out individually. A wave of ghouls and skeletons and werewolves were charging in first. They’d be reaching this exact spot within minutes.
The ranking soldier approached me, a captain with a long scar down the side of his face. “Earthman, me and my men would like to stand with you,” he said.
I shook my head. “I don’t need dead soldiers,” I said. “I need living ones to help protect Woodkeep.”
“Aye, none of us would last very long going up against that horde,” the captain said, as if he’d been anticipating that response. He gestured back the way I came, at the road running through the Royersford Woods. “But those woods are damn dense. Me and my men know the land well. We can create a choke point along the road. Also, we can hunt the darkrealm beasts that attempt to advance through the trees.”
I had to admit, it was a good idea.
He must have sensed me warming to his plan, because he pressed his case further. “And we’re well-armed,” he continued. “Each of us wields a silver weapon. There are close to two-hundred of us, all said and done, Earthman. We could slow the invading forces considerably.”
Still, I shook my head. “Hey man, I get it,” I said. “But that’s a suicide mission. I can’t allow that.”
He grimaced and shame ran through his eyes. “Champion, sir, me and my men…before the uprising, we’d been part of a subdivision of the legion called the Emperor’s Fist,” he said through clenched teeth, as if every word caused him pain. “We never questioned the Emperor’s orders. We’ve done things, Earthman. Heinous things. Things we’re not proud of.” He nodded to himself, then looked grimly at the forces fleeing down the road. “We have much to make amends for, my men and I. Please honor us, please give us this chance for redemption.”
I took a deep breath. I was starting to think this was going to be a common sentiment
among ex-loyalists. Men who’d done exactly what they were told while under the Emperor’s command, finally coming to see the brutal truth of what the Empire stood for.
“What’s your name, pal?” I asked.
“Ignacious,” he said.
“Alright Ignacious,” I said. “Take your men back to the road. Do what you can to slow down the creatures that get past me. I’ll do my best to limit that, but it’s inevitable.”
“You honor us, Earthman,” the grizzled captain said. Then he turned back to his men, the Red-Hand Legionnaires that had once been known as the Emperor’s Fist. “Let’s do it, boys! It’s time to reclaim our honor!”
As they took their positions along the road and in the woods behind me, I started forward again, staring at the oncoming army.
They were roaring, howling, moaning, and kicking up plumes of dust as they charged. I clenched my fist and the Soulguard hummed with the Mana Gem’s energy.
Then, wheeling around overtop of the oncoming horde, I saw the Seraph General sitting upon his dragon. Using the illusion magic once again to bolster my voice, I shouted up to him, loud enough for him and every creature in his army to hear.
“Hey, you fucking coward!” I shouted, my voice booming across the plains ahead of me. “Why don’t you come down for a word with me before we get this started?”
A thousand feet overhead, his dragon shrieked and roared and spewed fire.
Me? I just smiled, because he was playing right into my plans.
*****
Back home on Earth, I had an uncle. He’s dead now, no surprises there. He drank a ton and smoked a ton and had a nasty temper at times, but I always loved him. As he got older, he calmed down – no more bar fights, no more petty crimes. Every weekend when I was a kid, he’d come over to our house, crack open beers, and tell me stories.
My favorite story he ever told me was the one about his first day in prison. He’d been doing a two-year bid for beating the shit out of a guy who owed him money.
He smiled at me as he told the story, tilting his beer back as he took a sip. “Mack, kiddo, the first thing you gotta learn about prison is this: On your first day, you find the biggest, meanest son of a bitch in the joint. Then you march right up to him and punch him in the mouth. That’s exactly what I did my first day. For the next two years, nobody as much as looked at me sideways!”
Monstergirl Quest Book Three Page 20
