Rocks from the castle walls crushed people as they ran, players and POE alike.
Esa couldn’t do anything but grit her teeth, dodging rocks and hitting others aside with her shield. The impacts were so powerful even from the small rocks that she saw her hit points falling slightly.
Motes of light covered the Grand Demon Lord’s weapon, looking similar to the light that one would see within a powered soul gem.
The Xelur Demon hit the wall again. The wall exploded outward.
Esa was hit by a slab of rock that slammed her through a wall. She lay there broken, her Health points falling down as she looked through the hole in the castle that she had come through.
The Xelur soldiers and various Demon Lords charged into the castle. Any wounded they killed with their enchanted weapons; motes of light floated up the carved lines in their weapons, passing through ports in their hands. The Xelur’s strength increased with each kill and soul they absorbed.
Finally, darkness surrounded Esa until it started to get brighter again. Esa looked around at the room she was in. It took her a moment to realize what it was as a screen appeared in front of her.
This is my game lobby. Esa felt cold fear as she read her screen.
You have died in Emerilia
You have been returned home.
You have 5:59 hours (game time) until you can respawn at (Nadorf, Opheir)
Or
1:59 hours in real life
Would you like to play a different game while you wait?
Dismissing the screen, she let out a shaky breath, her face pale and her hands clammy. Since coming to know the truth of Emerilia and Earth, she knew that every time she saw this screen, she had actually died.
It took a force of will for her to calm down. Quickly, she accessed her settings on her interface and moved to the shared lobby of the Stone Raiders.
There were tens of Stone Raiders hanging about, talking about their battles, how they’d died and replaying the death cam footage to the others. They greeted Esa as she took a seat, looking at the information that was being passed to those in the lobby. It allowed them to know what was going on with the guild across Emerilia.
“It doesn’t look too good,” Esa said to herself. The Xelur had come out of a few different locations. She had been based at the portal on Opheir between the Donasuk and Zelheam cities, near the Benvari Mountain Range.
The Xelur were powerful, able to create powerful Mana shields but unable to create Mana barriers, which meant that they used a lot of power.
Being fueled by souls, the Xelur were akin to walking, talking soul gems. Some might be even as powerful as a vault soul gem, but these were leaders of the Xelur race and rarely ventured out into battle, instead taking a tithe of soul power from those beneath them, which continued to keep them as the highest power of their planet.
Esa’s castle had been the second to fall, though the others were holding on still. The ono at Esa’s castle had been removed and placed in one of these other castles. Right now, with the lack of onos, they were being constantly switched between different locations so that people could move quickly. It was a stopgap measure as it took time for an ono to connect to the teleport pad and reconfigure itself before it could be used.
Time they didn’t have.
“Yes!” Esa stood and pumped her fists into the air as shells exploded over the portal that was hidden within an old ruin that had been camouflaged into the forest. Remaining trees were shattered, turning into splinters that tore apart the Xelur forces.
“Where did that come from?” one of the Stone Raiders asked.
“That was from Benvari Mountain. The dwarves’ artillery, when combined with grand workings and enough power, can reach out and barely touch the portal’s location,” Esa said excitedly, slumping back into her chair in relief.
“I didn’t think that the dwarves’ artillery could go that far,” another commented.
“Remember when we were dealing with the Elsoom spores? Those artillery cannons were massive and they were using reduced charges so that they wouldn’t overshoot where the Elsoom were,” the first Stone Raider said.
“Damn. Maybe we can get more of that support in other places,” the second said.
“It is powerful, but it wouldn’t take much for them to miss a portal and hit a castle nearby. That’s why they’re using grand workings, as the spells will affect the enemy and can be directed after it goes off to not hit allies. We would need to be having our battles a lot closer to the mountains if we wanted to use their normal rounds.” Esa’s voice trailed off as a notification appeared.
She went to it. Finding a message, she quickly read it and frowned at the words within. “What the hell is she up to?” Esa muttered under her breath.
***
Markolm might be a small country compared to the others but it was no less populated and it had a lot of undiscovered portals. One had opened on the shores between the Markolm forest and the ocean; another was in the swamps on the opposite side of the island nation. One opened between Mel’alla and Hovulof. One opened north of the capital Maphrol and another south of the city Ataraxis.
This meant that the island nation was dealing with five different portals. They had only known about the one to the north of Maphrol and the one between Mel’alla and Hovulof, calling on the Terra Alliance to assist them.
However, when creatures started coming from the southeast and west, the elves were shocked. They locked down their cities and were put under siege. There were Alturarans, Ooinfa, and Jera Root. However, the Jera Root didn’t come from the portal; instead, it had been released by the event near the swamps, though it had been so powerful that it killed off the Jakan forces. The Alturarans came from the south; the Ooinfa came from the eastern forests while the Jera Root spread from the western swamps.
Alturarans were creatures of limited intelligence and were created from inorganic materials. They manipulated their own inorganic bodies into weapons and lived to destroy life around them. The Ooinfa were beings of illusions; they could hypnotize people with a weak Willpower into a lull before killing them. They saw the portals as a desecration of their land. They, just wanting to be left alone, they thought that the people of Emerilia were placing these portals. As such they pied through to stop the Emerilians in a pre-emptive strike and attempt to shut down the portals to be left alone.
No one actually knew what an Ooinfa looked like.
The Jera Root was the most terrifying of them all. The root wasn’t sentient nor could it create slaves of others like the Elsoom spores. Instead, they were a plant of poison. They were created by a chemist in the midst of a blood war on Ashal in ancient times past.
The Jera Root spread across an area, creating different poisons. The Jera Root naturally mutated the poisons it created in its body every time a new Jera Root grew. They spread across a large area in just a few days, growing at a speed visible to a person’s eye. They would look like a colorful field, inviting and pleasant, with a slight haze over it. If someone were to get close, they would fall victim to the multiple kinds of poison, falling down and dying from exposure and feeding the Jera Root.
Incredibly hot temperatures were needed to burn away the Jera Root and its spores. And it had to be done at the same time because the Jera Root would mutate so that it would become harder and harder to burn them.
So far, they were having a hard time crossing the mountain range that went through Markolm, and were being funneled down toward Heatho.
There was an ono evacuating the city but it was slow progress. The fields continued to grow, day by day—even in the night—as they moved south.
The Lady of Light looked over Markolm, a calculating look in her eyes.
Markolm was the center of her power, an island that had once dominated the skies of Emerilia, an untouchable city of light, called home by angels, divine beasts, and warriors of Emerilia. People would look up at this floating nation with awe and respect in their eyes.
Such
times were in the ancient past for the people of Emerilia, where the world changed every week.
For Light, it had never been far away from her mind. Every time she thought about those days, her anger was ignited to the boiling point. However, she never let this show on her face, only a slight twitch at the corner of her eye or a light tapping. She had kept her anger and her power hidden.
As the nation of Light had landed in the sea, war was waged over her nation. She used the lives of those who died to fill her divine well, seeing an oncoming storm and waiting to reveal her power.
Markolm was conquered by the elves, who then raised edifices to the Lady of Light. Their devotion had diminished over the years but they were still believers that Markolm was a holy land, their true homeland.
They think too much of their bloodline. The Lady of Light looked down at these noble houses and their powerful and pure bloodlines.
The Lady of Light sat in her hall; her attendants and her people were gathered around. All of them focused on the orb that floated in the center of the hall. Khanundra was to the Lady of Light’s right, midway up the stairs that climbed to her throne. Along the base of her throne were several men and women, all wearing the golden armor of a warrior of the Light. Light had gathered these people who escaped from their bonds as Khanundra did. These were the eight generals of Light. On their backs, two wings glowed with brilliant radiance. Their eyes had a golden light to them as they watched the sights through the orb impassively.
Through it they could see the city Heatho.
They could hear the screaming and crying as people tried to move faster and through the single ono within the city. The fields of Jera Root had spread across the fields outside the city and were encroaching on the city. The walls were already sprouting with deadly flowers. Every minute, more and more of the flowers creeped through the city and toward the fleeing residents.
The Lady of Light watched, hiding her pleasure as she saw the looks of despair within the eyes of those elves. This is power, to watch those last moments and decide their fate.
Light waited a few moments and composed herself. It had been so long since she had the power that she now commanded that it was intoxicating.
“Go and save them, that they might learn the error of their ways and live with new life,” Light said, her words for her followers and angels as she waved an imperious hand. Golden light wrapped around the generals and Khanundra.
Light zoomed out seeing as the eight generals made a semi-circle in front of Khanundra, who stood above the Ono in the middle of the city.
People looked upward at the gold-covered angels with their pure white outstretched wings.
“With me!” Khanundra yelled out, pulling her weapon free as she charged forward. The eight heavenly generals yelled out as their weapons appeared in their hands, blazing with golden light that forced many to look away as they charged valiantly toward the Jera Root!
Golden spell formations appeared around them. Their speed made them seem like golden lights as their attacks lashed outward. The Light attacks were made to destroy the Jera, not the buildings or anything else. The precision needed was immense, but after making all of her generals also her champions, their power had doubled.
They passed over Heatho. People looked up in wonder and awe.
Light was unable to hide a hungry smile. Her eyes flickered in lust as she watched those expressions with glee. The time for Light to return to Emerilia has begun!
The angels pushed forward; in their path, there was no sign of the Jera Root. It was as if they were cleansing Emerilia of poison.
Cheers rang out of the elven people’s throats. Some dropped to their knees in prayer and devotion.
Light let out a sigh as power from the devotions made by the elves poured in, filling Light’s divine well. She looked to her left side. In the shadows, away from everyone else, there was a woman who looked nearly identical to Khanundra. Instead of the golden armor that the angels wore, this person wore simple clothes.
This was Daeundra, Khanundra’s sister. She was a fallen angel, part of Light’s forces that worked in the dark.
Although the angels were the public display of Light’s power, her control over her followers came from these fallen angels. Few of them had been released across Emerilia and many were making their way back to Light, working to undermine the other members of the Pantheon and inspire panic within different locations.
Daeundra, seeing Light’s look, bowed her head and moved away from the hall.
Light wanted to win the people of Markolm over to her side. They would act as a constant and empowering force for her and her divine well.
To do this, she needed them to believe and follow her. She had removed the people who would have been in her way, destabilizing the government of the elves. It had been bad when Khanundra was seen killing the first leader of the elves, and she had killed off others who weren’t too popular with the people.
Daeundra and her people had removed those who were well liked and gave the governments stability through blackmail or killing. They would do anything to succeed in their tasks.
Now this siege provided Light with the perfect opportunity. The elves were shattered; besieged on all sides and looking for aid from anyone able to save them s. The Terra Alliance was helping out but in limited areas. They didn’t have the forces to be everywhere at once.
Then here came the angels of the Light, pushing back the enemies of Markolm, snatching them from the jaws of destruction. It was enough to sway the hearts of these people who had already given up on life itself.
Now their plans were starting to come to fruition.
Daeundra and her fallen angels were placed in every city that had an ono, drop pad, or teleport pad. Their job was to disrupt these different teleportation devices, making the only way on or off Markolm via ships. With no outside aid coming in, the elves would start to panic.
I will play off their fears and prejudices. As they have sealed themselves here, not accepting many people coming to their island, it won’t be hard for them to start to think that the other people of Emerilia don’t care for them. That is when I will strike—offering them aid, reminding them of all I have done to assist them in this struggle. Then they will freely deliver themselves to me, becoming the soldiers of the Light. While the rest of Emerilia burns, we will gather strength and once again rise to the skies of Emerilia, to spread my domain to all of those who call Emerilia their land.
While the rest of the world seemed to not care about the elves, she would support them, groom them and manipulate them into becoming her faithful and devoted followers.
She grabbed a glass of golden-looking wine to the side of her throne; she sipped it, hiding her hungry smile.
Chapter 4: Entering a Dream
“What the hell is going on with the teleportation network in Markolm?” Lucy asked Dave, who was checking the runing on a console within the command room of what he was calling Citadel One.
“Someone is disrupting the location where the different teleports are, accelerating particles through the event horizons whenever they’re open—which takes up a hell of a lot of power to transmit all of that really fast matter. The teleportation networks are all being drained of power. The method is simple and it has to be done nearly all the time but it effectively reduces the time that the teleport pads and onos can work for.” Dave’s brow furrowed as he worked on the runic lines under the console.
“So, someone is sabotaging them?” Lucy tapped her chin in thought. “It has to be the Lady of Light, but why the hell is she trying to keep people on her island? Wouldn’t she want to kick them off?”
“Well, how does the Lady of Light or any of the Pantheon get their power?” Dave asked.
“From devotions, given by the masses... Shit, she’s using them as a devotion farm, an entire nation under her command. It explains the angels who swept away the Jera Root and then started to push back the other forces. I thought that they were kind of milking it. Wit
h their power, it should be easy for them to fight back the enemy forces on Markolm. However, the more time that they fight beside the POE and the elves of Markolm, the more ingrained their actions will be. Already there are stories coming out of Markolm of miracles. These might be events that the Lady of Light has come up with in order to get more people interested in supporting her. The churches of Light have also become louder in their preaching, not only in Markolm but in other places. They’re using Markolm as propaganda: look, the Lady of Light will save us! The Terra Alliance can’t even help us!” Lucy said, growing more and more alarmed.
“It’s crazy, and impossible, but it could work. If it could work…” Lucy’s voice trailed away, her eyes unfocused as images and possibilities played out behind her eyes.
Dave continued to work on the runes, making sure that they and the ones throughout the citadel’s structure were good. It was a lot of checking but there was a ton of runes; if just one of them was out of place, then everything would come apart.
“When will the citadel be ready?” Lucy asked.
“That’s the eight-million-dollar question,” Dave said. “We just need power, at this point. We’ve got Shard, Jeeves, and Steve all combing through the magical coding as well as a number of servers in Deq’ual Sato has allowed us access to. They should be done soon, but to power this thing up and have something in reserves—that will take awhile.”
“You’ve given us a basic idea of what it will be able to do, but I looked at the plans and there’s a lot more that you’ve done to this place than we expected,” Lucy said.
“And there’s more to come,” Dave said as an alarm went off on his interface. “Okay, looks like it’s time to go and see how Earth is doing.” Dave stood.
“Nervous?” Lucy asked as Dave moved to the commander’s chair in the command room.
Of Myths and Legends (Emerilia Book 9) Page 5
