Until death?

by Andur

  We can't get Warden any closer than we did. Our people can still use the pathways though. The effect is weaker on small objects.

  I watch in silence while our fleet starts to pick off demons which start appearing close to our ships. They are too small to be seen and so it looks like our ships start to fire blindly in all directions.

  The scene continues while we advance. It will take us forty minutes to get close enough to the enemy central planet for a decisive shot. Warden will start firing at the closer small planets at the five minute mark.

  But we don't even get as close as that. Four minutes after the start of the engagement two of our ships suddenly disappear from the tactical map.

  “What happened?” I sit upright in my chair.

  “A serious hull breach in both vessels. They reported a very big demon with huge claws. It cut the hulls open like paper. Then the vessels were boarded by the smaller versions. Both captains decided the situation to be hopeless and activated the self destruction after fighting back became impossible.”

  I nod. Our smaller ships have a serious problem in this type of engagement. There aren't enough crew members to fight a big boarding party. I refrain from instructing everyone to look out for those big demons. They know that themselves.

  At minute five Warden takes her first shot. A small red line of red energy shoots out of the central tower of Asheim and slices into one of the enemy orbiting planets. The planet disappears in an explosion of red energy.

  It's a clean and complete annihilation. That spell seems to be a little more refined than mine! I have to get the details for it out of Warden later.

  The fleet continues to advance while losing ship after ship. Warden is relatively safe because the planet is surrounded by us. We act like a net to keep the bugs away.

  Then it's our turn and the warriors are ordered to defend the hull. The whole engagement is one big chaos and everything I can do is sitting in my command chair.

  It's the fate of someone who commands a military battle. You make your plan. Think of strategies and counter tactics. Then you lean back and wait for something unexpected to happen. Otherwise you aren't needed any more.

  “The Ragnarok's defence was overrun! They are fighting but it looks bad!” -Officer

  When I focus my screen on the Ragnarok, I see a carved up ruin, which was once a beautiful flying fortress. Those fucking things are actually scratching off our hulls inch by inch!

  I feel Celes grabbing my shoulder. “Tell them to hold as long as they can and move the ships to cover the hole in our formation.”

  Suddenly the Ragnarok blows apart and I grab the armrest of my chair tightly! “What was that! Report!”

  “We don't know. There was no communication about it. We just got the information that the enemy was close to the crystal core!” -Officer

  I hit my fist at my armrest. We can't move our positions and everyone has their own troubles with holding off those pests. We aren't even at the twenty minute mark yet!

  Hopefully Arthur and Nicosar got out. They will have to report to another ship first. But couldn't they have come here?

  My useless thoughts are suddenly interrupted as the whole command centre bucks downwards and I am slammed into the ceiling.

  The whole room is thrown into a small chaos while people try to get back to their positions.

  “Something took out one of our plasma cannons! We have a gaping hole there!” -Officer

  I get back into my chair and look at our time table. Eighteen minutes! There is no chance that we will make it at this rate.

  “Someone strong is fighting his way free to our crystal core.” -Technician

  ~You have to stop him. The defence can't be upheld without the help of a crystal fortress. Asheim would be open to attacks.~

  Warden's voice echoes through the room.

  I lean backwards and inhale deeply while closing my eyes.

  “I will go and see what I can do to defend the crystal core.” Celes stomps out of the command centre.

  While looking at the ceiling, I wait until the door is closed behind her. Then I turn towards the main screen. “Defend the engines and the crystal core. Abandon the rest of the fortress. Break the formation and advance at full speed towards the enemy main planet. Signal the retreat for everyone. They have to use a pathway as soon as they are able to.”

  “Your majesty?” An officer looks at me with a dumb expression.

  “You heard me! We won't make it.” I point at the timer which is displayed at the main screen. “We haven't even reached the twenty minute mark and our most valuable assets are out of commission! Sound the retreat and get everyone out of here.”

  I stand up and leave the command centre without looking back. Then I walk at a leisure pace towards the control room with the crystal core of the fortress.

  ~What are you planning?~

  “Get everyone out of here Warden. This plan backfired on us. They will have taken the fleet apart long before we reach our destination.” I turn around a corner.

  ~That wasn't my question.~

  “Try to take it easy Warden. You almost sound pissed off. I will just attempt a little experiment before I lose this fortress.” I smile while I enter the control room.

  Celes is there with a good amount of other defenders. They started to set up barricades. She is looking with expectant eyes at a door which leads to surface of the fortress. Something is hitting the door from the other side and a few cracks started to appear.

  “Is this a bad horror movie?” I ask her with a light smirk on my face. Celes just shakes her head while I walk towards the big crystal core in the centre of the room.

  The crystal cores are the focus points for mana in all applications which use the crystal technology. Without it the fortress wouldn't be able to grow or release the absorbed mana.

  I place my hand at the crystal core and start to give it instructions through my mind. Margerie's hideous security measures cost me quite some time. But then I am done.

  -Full Energy Conversion activated. Fail-safe deactivated. Silent Countdown started-

  The cool voice within the room startles the defenders beside me and I turn around to face them. “Everyone. Please evacuate now. The dampening field will turn to full power within a minute. Afterwards you will be stuck here.”

  “What are you doing? Who will defend the core if everyone is gone?” Celes looks at me with an awkward expression.

  “Nobody. We will all retreat now.” I smile at her and hug her. A few seconds later I feel her relaxing. Her defence drops for a second and I invade the mana flow inside her body. Normally it would be impossible to do something like that.

  But I know her mana pattern from inside out. She slept beside me for years and the feeling of her soul is very familiar to me. It's like dabbling with my own body.

  A few cuts and the damage is done. She probably didn't even feel it as she goes limp in my arms. “Sorry sugar cat. But I can't have you fighting this time. Not with the kids.” I whisper into her ear.

  After taking her into a princess carry I become aware of her betrayed expression. But I pay it no heed.

  I fixate one of the defenders which are looking at us. “You! Take the queen out of here. I will defend the core alone. Try to be not too close to her when the healers fix her up. It will be a true mayhem.”

  Four guards take Celes and immediately enter a pathway with her. Then I turn towards the door while one defender after the other starts to disappear, using a pathway.

  A few stay and I raise my voice again. “Get out! Fast! I don't want hindrances locked up in here when the dampening field activates!”

  The last of them vanishes a moment before the dampening field activates. Well, at least I will have nobody besides myself on my conscience.

  Another crack appears in the door and I ready myself. Suddenly the door shatters into thousands of shards and multiple demons storm into the room.

  But they are the small fry versions and I don't intend t
o hold back. A short chant leaves my lips and a torrent of red energy sparks forth from my hand.

  The first wave of demons falls victim to my new adapted version of the soul shredder. Pretty stupid name. I will try to find a better one in the future.

  But there is no second wave of monsters. Instead a person with a monocle steps into the room. He is wearing something like an exoskeleton and looks like a scholar from a university.

  “So no defenders this time? How boring. At least they tried it the first time.” Then his eyes fall onto me and I wave at him. “If it isn't the king!”

  “If it isn't the mad scientist.” I answer Amaru while I take a look into the corridor behind him. It's filled to the brim with demons.

  “You are quite brave to stay behind alone. What do you intend to do? Self destructing the ship? You think you can stop me after I took down the other fortress?” Amaru gives me a devilish smile.

  “No. I don't think that I can stop you. Looks like you ate your subordinates and are using their power.” I can't think of any other reason for his strength.

  “Then step aside and don't waste my time. I will eat your soul later.” Amaru starts to walk into my direction, but is stopped by a barrier.

  “How cute. The others tried that too.” Amaru pokes my barrier with his fingers.

  I frown at that comment. “Others?”

  “Nah. Just an old geezer and someone who looks similar to you. Their souls tasted very good!” The maniac licks over his lips.

  I grab my staff tighter. “I guess I will have to rip their souls out of your guts. My wife won't let me be otherwise.”

  “Ahahahahaha!”

  “You are funny. I guess we are done talking for now!” Amaru waves his hand at my barrier and shatters it like nothing.

  I immediately invoke a fury of red energy bolts, but they just bounce off of Amaru. With a step he is before me and a strike wipes me off my feet.

  While falling I grab his collar and try to connect to his soul. A wild fury of elemental power starts to dance between us while I try to rip the mana out of him. But instead it's my mana that's sucked away! It's like I am fighting multiple people at the same time in this duel of minds.

  Before I lose my power completely, I try to kill us both by disconnecting my soul from my body and taking him with me. It's a dirty trick, but a kick sends me flying and I land at the console before the crystal core.

  “Fuck!” I spew blood onto the floor. Something important broke. I can't feel my legs. How many people did that bastard eat?

  “See? You aren't even worth the effort.” Amaru starts to walk into my direction again. But then the crystal core starts to pulsate and emits pure raw power and magic.

  “Ahahahahaha...:”

  This time it's my time to laugh which startles Amaru. “What are you laughing for?”

  “You are such a bad villain. You see? I rigged the crystal core for a direct energy conversion and you are inside a dampening field! Even if you start running now you won't get out of here in time. For you to come here personally! I couldn't have wished for more! I will not only blow all these worlds to quantum dust! I will get the head of the monster!”

  Amaru's eyes go wide while he turns to run. “I will rise again! You won't get my soul with a cheap trick like that!”

  The demons follow their master in a vain attempt to escape what's coming. I don't even understand why he is trying to run. There is no way to run from this.

  I pull myself into an upright position by grabbing the console. Haah. I can't feel my legs. I pull myself upwards and try to touch the crystal core, but my grip slips and I fall. Fuck! It's pulsating even faster now. Somehow I manage to touch the pulsating crystal core at the second try and open my mind to the raw power.

  This searing light and raw power! I was foolish when I thought that I could control this. But I still try to connect to this immense pool of mana.

  It's pressing down on my mind like a gigantic weight.

  And then the pulsing stops and there is.... just....

  WHITE!

  …..

  …

  ..

  I am flowing. I can feel this power. A gigantic flash of energy wipes the fortress and the demon planets out of the multiverse. Somehow I am aware of it. I am this power. My body is gone and I exist as pure energy. My soul is riding this wave of destruction. It's life should be measured in milliseconds.

  But to me it feels like an eternity. I can use this power. Within the boundaries of this eruption of mana, everything should be possible. As long as there is a guiding will!

  I imagine a white plane. It's my soul space. Here I am god. Yes.

  A white plane appears around me. Reassured I sit down and a chair pops into existence under me.

  “Mwahahaha!”

  I wave my hand and Nicosar and Arthur appear before me with dazed expressions.

  “What? What happened?” -Nicosar

  “Angrod? Did you save us?” -Arthur

  I smile at them with a sad expression. “Unfortunately not. We are dead and you were eaten by the agent of the Calamity. But I self destructed our remaining fortress and used the power to create this.” I wave my hand at the white plane around us.

  “You could call it a pocket-universe. It's my very own river of souls.” I nod at that explanation. It's fitting somehow.

  “Can you save the others too? And what about the demons?” -Arthur

  I shrug my shoulders. “That remains to be seen. But first we will have our fun with someone!”

  After another wave of my hand Amaru appears in the air and lands flat on his belly. He immediately gets to his knees and looks upwards.

  What he sees are three smiling faces with unimaginable expressions!

  …..

  ….

  …

  ..

  .

  I drift in a sea of darkness. Around me are the stars.

  So it worked. Somehow I came back from oblivion. If there wasn't empty space around me I would laugh.

  In my left I hold a marble with everyone I could save during that second of being almost all-mighty. In my right I hold a marble with a very special soul. I will take my dear time with this one. That's for sure.

  He already suffered for an eternity for his mistakes. But one eternity isn't enough in my opinion.

  But I will have to get back to Celes...... or is that actually a bad idea? I guess she will be happy to see me?

  Hmmm! I stretch my mind to sense my surroundings. To my surprise I have no troubles with it. Did my abilities actually increase from this experience?

  I guess I never handled such a huge amount of power before. Maybe I will try to train my abilities in the future again.

  After concentrating on the fleet of ships, I see Celes crying in Ireth's arms and the kids are sitting with a crying Katrine depressed at a table. Better not to let her wait any longer.

  I step on a pathway and appear right beside them. “I am sorry sugar cat! I will never do it again, I promise!”

  The room goes silent and Celes looks at me agape with bloodshot eyes.

  *WHACK!*

  She jumped up and gave me a sounding slap in the face.