Beyond All Expectations (Emerilia Book 8)

by Michael Chatfield

  Earn: 1 conquest point per minute

  Evolution: 1 (Second evolution 10%). Can increase evolution to Level 2 by paying (90,000) Conquest points.

  Upgrades: Soul gem construct defenses (player modifications do not count toward or against conquest points)

  Northern Castle 2

  Status: Under Control by Terra Alliance

  Earn: 1 conquest point per minute

  Evolution: 1 (Second evolution 10%). Can increase evolution to Level 2 by paying (90,000) Conquest points.

  Upgrades: Soul gem construct defenses (player modifications do not count toward or against conquest points)

  Western Castle 1

  Status: Under Control by Terra Alliance

  Earn: 1 conquest point per minute

  Evolution: 1 (Second evolution 10%). Can increase evolution to Level 2 by paying (90,000) Conquest points.

  Upgrades: Soul gem construct defenses (player modifications do not count toward or against conquest points)

  Western Castle 2

  Status: Under Control by Terra Alliance

  Earn: 1 conquest point per minute

  Evolution: 1 (Second evolution 10%). Can increase evolution to Level 2 by paying (90,000) Conquest points.

  Upgrades: Soul gem construct defenses (player modifications do not count toward or against conquest points)

  Castle Conquest

  For controlling 4 conquest castles, you gain an extra conquest point (1) per minute

  Castle Conquest

  For controlling 8 conquest castles, you gain an extra conquest point (1) per minute

  A new tab opened up in his quest log, next to his Administrator tab for Terra.

  “Damn.” Dwayne looked back to the different castles.

  “Each day, the progression bar moves up by five percent. We’re not sure what’s going to happen at the second evolution, but in eighteen more days we can find out. Or if we have enough points, we can pay to upgrade one of the castles and find out,” Esa said. “With every time that the castle evolves, we will earn one more conquest point per minute. Also, with upgrades, there are the ones that we do ourselves, which are listed but they don’t cost any conquest points. They won’t be affected by upgrades that we do apply but we can alter the different upgrades or items that are added to the castles, like we’ve done with the soul gem constructs.”

  “It says that as administrators we can repair the castles?” Dwayne asked.

  “Someone broke a part of a wall, decreasing the hit points. We rebuilt it ourselves and we didn’t spend points; we broke it again and then used conquest points. It’s about one conquest point for one hundred hit points of Health, but the more damage, the longer it will take to repair the wall. If we’re in the middle of a battle and don’t have the time to have our own people repair it, then it allows us a second way to fix our defenses,” Esa said.

  “If the Nalheim take one of our castles, what will happen?” Dwayne asked.

  “Then the evolution progression will drop down to the nearest level. So, say, if a castle is at Level 3 but is at 25% progression to Level 4, then it will start at Level 3 with zero percent level progression. They will also start to earn conquest points from that castle. We will lose the bonus for controlling all of the castles and stop earning conquest points from the castles.

  “Also, any and all infrastructure we’ve built up for the castle will become theirs to do with as they wish. So if there are bolt throwers there that aren’t destroyed, those become their bolt throwers,” Esa said. “Also, I think that they will get a bonus from taking an owned castle from us.”

  “Targets out in the open!” the artillery commander yelled. “Fire shells, elevate trajectory for first three rounds. If they have a way to annul our magic, I want to know about it and hit them with something!”

  Dwayne looked through the castles’ different tabs. With his points, he could buy bolt throwers and some Magical Circuit traps around the castles. He could also buy catapults and a few sets of dwarven artillery and about six different types of grand workings.

  He closed the tab. He was just looking to buy something when he didn’t even know what would be the best for the situation. Holding onto his points and figuring out what to do with them later was the best plan.

  Dwayne looked at the Aleph scout feeds. They showed the exit out of Goblin Mountain. Dismounted Nalheim were forming lines up as sky screams tore into the sky. War lizards moved around the dismounted Nalheim marching lines and charged forward in groups of five, looking to scout the area.

  The artillery waited as the Nalheim continued to pour out of the mountain and into the early afternoon sunlight. Sky screams’ cries filled the skies as they circled Goblin Mountain before they spread out and headed out in every direction.

  “DCA aerial forces are ready,” Malkur confirmed over the leadership chat.

  “Dwarven artillery holding fire until they move out more.”

  “DCA ground forces working on more traps.”

  “Elven forces ready and waiting.”

  “Aerial support battalion ready.”

  “Citadel ready for action.”

  “Eastern Castle One Ready.”

  “Western Castle One Ready.”

  “Northern Castle One Ready.”

  “Southern Castle One Ready.”

  “Stone Raiders ready to reinforce,” Esa said beside Dwayne. He didn’t look back, his eyes focused on the sky screams in the skies and the advancing flood of Nalheim.

  “Portal Purge Ready,” Kim Soon-Ok said, looking out over her guild.

  “Fellox Guild Ready,” Gimel grunted. It was easy to hear the excitement boiling up within the two player guildmasters.

  “Eastern Castle Two Ready.”

  “Western Castle Two Ready.”

  “Northern Castle Two Ready.”

  “Southern Castle Two Ready.”

  “Three brigades outside Goblin Mountain,” a scout reported.

  “Begin the attack.” Josh’s voice was solemn.

  “Fire!” the dwarven artillery commander yelled and waved their hand forward.

  Dwarven artillery fired down the line, creating a ripple of magical discharging halos. The inside of the citadel vibrated with the actions of the dwarven artillery.

  The guns’ barrels recoiled. Their projectiles howled through the sky as Mana halos dissipated around the barrels’ muzzles.

  The force of these massive weapons could be felt in Dwayne’s chest and stomach with the massive pressures released. From nine different defensive locations, shells could be seen reaching into the heavens themselves.

  Dwarves moved into action, checking their weapons, changing their elevations as observers called out corrections to each different gun crew. Once again the artillery cannons rumbled, spewing out new rounds.

  Sky screams yelled at the incoming projectiles, unable to do anything against them except climb higher to get out of their range.

  “To the skies!” Malkur yelled out. Wings unfurled as demons and Beast Kin rushed off the tallest buildings within the castles and citadel. They dropped down before flapping their powerful wings and rising up and into the air. They came together into fighting forces, quickly reaching a height above the dwarven artillery.

  From the west, the Great Ashal forest shook as magical beasts let out their war cries and flapped their wings. The forest itself seemed to be rising as thousands of flying creatures rose from within that great and imposing forest.

  On the backs of these powerful magical beasts stood elves and humans from multiple nations across Emerilia. They stood atop of their beasts that arched into the skies with powerful wing flaps.

  Even the incredibly powerful magical beasts and creatures of the Ashal wilderness were silenced as the power of the Terra Alliance took to the skies, ready to defend their home.

  Dwayne pulled up his telescope once again and looked to the Nalheim.

  The dismounted and war lizards seemed to be pointing their spears at the sky angrily, b
ut if one was to look closer, they could see the distorting light around the ends of their staffs. Their accuracy wasn’t that good but with the massed release of distorting spells from their spears, they were able to defeat a number of the dwarven artillery spells before they reached their advancing lines.

  Golden gryphons took to the skies. Their dominating roar made Dwayne feel his heart clench even at a few kilometers from these powerful beasts.

  The dwarven artillery landed among the Nalheim war lizards and dismounted. They had lessened the number of incoming spells but there were nearly two hundred, coming in from nine different directions.

  Purple Mana barriers flashed into existence, becoming lighter with the impacts of the artillery spells.

  “Barrier busters for artillery batteries in the first layer of castles, Mana bombs for second layer!” the dwarven artillery commander barked. Settings were changed on the dwarven artillery with a number of movable bands that ran down the artillery cannons’ length.

  The Nalheim continued forward. Their spears lanced out at the artillery shells as they were bathed in destructive light. These Nalheim watched impassively as hell rained down upon them and continued to march forward.

  Dwayne’s respect for them rose, as he gritted his teeth together.

  Wherever the Nalheim’s barriers weren’t—grass, shrubs, rocks, and dirt, all of it was torn apart under this heavy barrage. Dirt and debris was tossed into the air, creating impacts on the barriers and spraying dirt on the Nalheim soldiers.

  Dirt was turned to glass and rocks cracked from the heat.

  More of the Nalheim continued to pour out of the mountain as the barrier busters were fired.

  In the skies, the sky screams charged toward the castles and citadel around Goblin Mountain, intent on killing those manning the dwarven artillery.

  As they dove, the DCA was rising. From their hands, they fired Mana bolts, filling the skies with dazzling light. Around the sky screams, purple Mana barriers became visible, taking on the DCA’s hits.

  Lines of distortion were projected down by the sky screams’ riders’ spears, in turn lighting up the DCA’s Mana barriers.

  Light and distorting waves were exchanged at a faster and faster pace, personal and linked Mana barriers changing colors with the impacts.

  Sky screams were hit with Mana bolts, being torn apart by the DCA, who were focusing on one attacker at a time. The Nalheim were fighting just one DCA soldier at a time.

  As soon as a barrier went down, a sky scream was quick to follow.

  The Nalheim, to their credit, continued to hurl their distorting attacks at the DCA, even as they plummeted toward their deaths.

  The two aerial groups crossed one another.

  The sky screams unleashed their stunning attack, sending many DCA soldiers tumbling, only to be cut apart by the sky screams’ spear-like head or sword-like talons.

  However, the DCA was not a weak force. Soldier for soldier, they were much stronger than the goblin army that the Nalheim had fought within Goblin Mountain.

  Many were able to resist the attacks, looking after those who were affected and getting them away from the battle. Others unleashed their Mana bombs. They didn’t have much range but they were able to easily destroy the sky screams’ Mana barriers.

  The skies filled with a furious melee; it was hard to tell where the Nalheim sky screams and Devil’s Crater soldiers started and ended.

  The Nalheim, who rode proudly on their sky screams, were master beast tamers and wielders of the spear and shield.

  The DCA aerial forces had become masters with the sky and their own weapons. They didn’t have to rely on a beast to move them around; they could do it themselves. They had been trained for months till their reactions were automatic. It was clear to see that the DCA soldiers had drastically increased their abilities.

  More and more sky screams entered the fray as the Nalheim war lizards found the first traps. They were incinerated by a simple Fire trap here, a shadow erupted there, leaving nothing behind. Light projections so powerful that they cut through three lizards in a single second flashed into existence.

  The barrier busters dropped from the skies. They looked like tumbling spheres. As soon as they were close to the ground, what looked like lightning shot off from these spheres. They struck the Mana barriers, making them fluctuate slightly before overloading.

  The idea had been taken from Dave. The Mana barriers were made to take in power, not to reject it, no matter where it came from.

  With this, the dwarves had made artillery spells that sent compressed and wild Mana out. This was not compacted like the Mana bombs but instead allowed to roam freely once it reached a certain height above their targets. The Mana ran free, taking the path of least resistance and flowing into the Mana barrier power supplies until they failed.

  Mana barriers started to come apart across the fields.

  Generals howled out orders as the Nalheim surged forward. They weren’t fast but the war lizards easily outpaced them, finding the traps that the Terra Alliance had left behind.

  The dwarven artillery didn’t try to chase those making it into the trap-covered land. Instead, they switched out their shells, half with Mana barrier breakers and the rest with various destructive shells.

  Their job was to hammer the almighty hell out of the Nalheim leaving the mountain. Those in the secondary area filled with traps were under the domain of the Aleph automatons, elven rangers, and DCA ground forces.

  The first of the destructive artillery spells started to land among the barrier-less dismounted Nalheim soldiers.

  The Nalheim’s orderly lines were torn apart. The survivors continued forward while a great number of them were killed off by the spells, or heavily wounded and left on the battlefield.

  The slightly marred land was turned into a devastated landscape of smoking craters and crying Nalheim.

  Even the ones coming in behind them were stunned by the sight. Still, they pushed forward at their best speed.

  The war lizards and their riders were constantly finding more traps in their way. Magical or force-based traps covered the seemingly peaceful ground, leaving hundreds of dead and dying over the ground.

  Dwayne felt faint hope in his chest but it was a fleeting feeling. Through the Aleph automatons within Goblin Mountain, it was easy to see that there were plenty more Nalheim coming through the portal.

  This was but the first exchange.

  More and more sky screams entered the skies; even a few of the golden gryphon-riding generals headed into the melee.

  The forces from the Great Ashal forest let out their cries. Many of the beasts held a number of people who stood from their seats, unleashing arrows, bolts, spells, and destruction staffs at the sky screams.

  They cut through the fighting DCA and sky screams. The DCA disengaged from the sky screams, following the reinforcements. They had been just holding the Nalheim in place.

  A number of them were carrying wounded and quickly descended toward the castles or citadel to seek out medical aid.

  The gryphons didn’t head toward the fighters; instead, they charged toward the wounded leaving.

  The sky screams followed them down toward the castles, their riders hurling their distorting attacks at the retreating forces.

  The telescope in Dwayne’s hands was crushed in his hands.

  “Prepare batteries! Archers, give our wounded cover! Mages, see if you can reinforce their barriers!” Dwayne’s voice rang through the command chat.

  The DCA hurtled toward the castles and safety. With the Nalheim focusing on the able-bodied, they were now alone. The DCA didn’t panic; instead, they closed their wings, turning into darts as they cut through the skies.

  The sky screams and gryphons also closed their wings, their eyes red seeing their prey so close. The Nalheim let out warbling war cries as their attacks came faster and faster.

  Aleph bolt throwers were pulled onto target by members of the Terra Alliance. These bolts hurtled
past the DCA aerial forces so close that the DCA soldiers could hear them.

  Mages unleashed their spells into the skies, smashing into the oncoming Nalheim. As the Nalheim came lower, the archers added in their own blows.

  The mounted Nalheim were now fighting off the different spells and incoming bolts and arrows, overwhelmed by it all as their charge turned into tumbling as sky screams and their riders were killed off.

  The gryphons took a pounding; their golden feathers and bodies crashed through spell after spell. Their riders stood in their saddles like war gods as their every thrust cut through the skies.

  From the citadel’s battlements, a woman wreathed in the white rushing tempest of air rose up.

  Dwayne felt a hungry look cover his face as he looked to the Nalheim. Adrenaline coursed through his veins.

  “Looks like they’ve pissed off Anna,” Esa said, her voice hungry and cold.

  Dwayne looked to Esa and then back to the battlefield, the look of rightful and cold vengeance in their eyes. “Welcome to Emerilia,” Dwayne said in a deep voice.

  Anna rose about ten feet above the citadel’s exterior walls. The wind around her was like a tornado, but there was no noise, no wind pulling at those near her. It showed her absolute control over the force of Air.

  She drew her blade out to the side. A clear and clean hum came from it. The wind seemed to gather around it and slowed, as if soldiers seeing their general.

  Anna started to move; the air moved with her, gathering, compressing, following their master’s will. It flowed into orderly lines—there were no ebbs or peaks as the lines were clean, purposeful, and sharp.

  Streams of wind gathered, adding their strength to Anna’s.

  Suddenly, she pointed her sword upward. The very wind cracked in her passing as she shot up faster than a bow from a string, surpassing the arrows that had been shot by the archers and the bolts that now filled the skies.

  In her wake, these weren’t thrown to the side but instead their speed increased greatly, as they, too, broke through the sky.