The Builder's Wrath (The Legendary Builder Book 4)

by J. A. Cipriano

  “For now.” It was probably supposed to sound creepy or scary, like she was implying she’d kill me when she felt more like it, but I could tell she didn’t want me dead, and even if I couldn’t, she’d come to save me from the titan. She wouldn’t have done that had she not wanted to save me.

  “You say that, but you came to help me, and gave up your old beard.” I gestured at her.

  “That was different.” She narrowed her eyes at me, giving me the impression I should drop it.

  “Right, of course. My bad.” I sighed, and turned toward the horizon, and was surprised to see Galahad was on his way back with the grail. It was weird because the ending felt somewhat anticlimactic, but at the same time, I guess having the proper items for a quest tended to do that, and we’d already killed the boss.

  I looked down at myself. Man, I really needed a shower. I was still covered in gunk, and now that I was standing next to the lava field, it was drying all over my clothes and body. Ugh.

  “Well, this is exciting,” Sathanus said, snapping me out of my reverie. Galahad stood before us, thigh deep in lava and holding a wooden cup I’d have ignored at the dollar store.

  “I present to you the Holy Grail.” He smiled. “I know tis the real thing because Joseph told me it belonged to his son when I finally reached it.” He bowed his head and crossed himself. “Now we must return it to Heaven.”

  “Right, so, uh, how do we do that?” I asked, watching him climb out of the lava.

  “We must merely drink from the cup.” Galahad offered it to me. “That is what the spirit told me.”

  “You want me to drink from the Holy Grail?” I asked, taking it from him. It felt like a normal cup.

  “Yes, my liege. I have already done so, and it is safe.” He nodded to me.

  “It’s empty.” I looked at it and shrugged. “Okay, whatever.” I drank from the cup, and crazily, it sort of tasted like I was drinking water and then wine. As I swallowed, I realized I suddenly felt better than I ever had.

  “Wow, that is amazing. I feel great.” I held the cup in my hand and looked into it. The cup was still empty. “You try, Sathanus.”

  “I’m a fallen angel, Arthur. That might kill me.” The dwarf shook her head.

  “If you do not drink, we will be stuck here until time ends, and then we will sit here longer.” Galahad looked at her totally serious. “That is what the spirit of Joseph told me.”

  “You heard the statue. He says the ghost said it was okay.” Man, I felt really good. Better than good. “Drink up.” I waggled the cup out at her.

  “The thing with the spleen still applies,” she said, snatching it from my hand, and for a second, I worried that she’d spill some of the precious nectar within. Only it was still empty.

  Without another word, Sathanus tipped the cup to her lips. I watched her throat convulse as she swallowed and then a crimson glow surrounded her entire body and an exclamation appeared above her head indicating an urgent message.

  Popping open the new tooltip, I gasped.

  The user has drank from the Holy Grail within the Holy Host. All stats and abilities have been permanently increased by ten percent, including all those formerly at maximum.

  “There’s no way,” I said, my gaze shifting to Sathanus so I could bring up her stats.

  Name: Sathanus

  Experience: 463,843

  Health: 202/202*

  Mana: 184/184*

  Primary Power: None selected

  Secondary Power: None selected

  Strength: 105/100*

  Agility: 97/100*

  Charisma: 28/100*

  Intelligence: 72/100*

  Special: 103/100*

  Unique Ability: Archangel of Wrath

  My gaze shifted to Galahad, and I realized that his stats had increased as well.

  Name: Galahad

  Experience: 19,364

  Health: 199/199

  Mana: 99/99

  Primary Power: None selected

  Secondary Power: None selected

  Strength: 102/100

  Agility: 97/100

  Charisma: 18/100

  Intelligence: 44/100

  Special: 55/100

  Unique Ability: Knight of the Round Table

  “This is crazy, I feel way stronger than before,” Sathanus said, stroking her beard. “And my beard has regained its luster.” She was right, it looked more vibrant than it had even before she’d cut it off to make Galahad’s girdle.

  “Yeah,” I said, nodding. “But, um, how do we get out?”

  “I presume through the door, my liege.” Galahad pointed behind me, and I turned to find there was now a door there made of polished mirror, which was weird because there was nothing behind me but endless white.

  “Okay, so through the looking glass we go,” I said, glancing at Sathanus. “Can you keep the grail safe?”

  “Keep it safe. You’ll be lucky if I even give it back to you.” She stroked it lovingly. “I don’t even like wine, but I love this stuff.” She took another sip.

  “I’m going to take that as a yes,” I said, turning back to the mirror, and as I reached out to open it, the surface rippled into a swirling void that sucked me and my companions inside.

  35

  As the scenery changed, I found myself in the middle of a forest with the trees made of polished mirror. There was a lake off to my lest, and as I watched silvery mist waft off of it, Sathanus and Galahad appeared next to me looking just as disoriented.

  “By the great bearded black ass of Lucifer,” Sathanus said, gripping the grail tightly as she spun in a slow circle. “We’re hosed.”

  “Um… why is that?” I asked, trying to keep the sudden fear swirling in my belly from overwhelming me because Sathanus looked absolutely terrified. It was a little weird because aside from lake silver mist, the scenery seemed pretty normal.

  Okay, yeah, the trees were all polished mirror, and the sky was just a reflection of the ground, but given that we’d just been in a room full of unending white, that wasn’t really as vertigo-inducing.

  “This is the forest of mirrors.” Sathanus gestured at the closest tree with her axe.

  “And what’s so bad about the forest of mirrors?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as I stared at the only thing on the horizon that seemed at all different. The lake. Its bank was rocky and the water within seemed to churn violently. If that was where we needed to go, it was definitely not going to be fun, but it didn’t seem impossible especially since the archangel could cry, I couldn’t really get hurt, and Galahad was, well, him.

  “It’s the gateway to all realms. Even ones completely unlike ours.” She gestured at a tree. “Each of these leads to a new place, a new realm.” She took a deep breath like she was trying to calm herself.

  “So we need to find the right portal. Got it.” I took a deep breath and tried to call on my Builder powers. Only nothing happened. Like, I felt my power come as I called, but no tooltips, menu bubbles, or anything at all appeared. There was absolutely no way to discern which portal went where, and that seemed very bad.

  “Joseph did not speak about this.” Galahad looked at me. “The portal was supposed to return us to the Plains of Desolation.”

  “So what went wrong?” I looked around once again before approaching the closest tree. That’s when I realized two things. One, it wasn’t a true reflection. I could see a whole other world through the tree, and two, I had no idea which of the billion trees we needed to get back to our realm, let alone back to Heaven.

  “That’s not the problem, Arthur.” Sathanus pointed toward a tree several hundred meters away. “That’s the right portal. I can feel the call of our realm. That whole grove leads to our home.”

  “Okay?” I started toward it. “So what’s the problem?”

  As I took a step, I heard the roar of a motorcycle followed by horrible sleepy hollow laughter. I spun, just in time to see a girl with skin like chocolate riding a bright red Harley.

 
She was clad in stilettos, fishnet stockings, a short black vinyl skirt, and a fire engine red crop top, and as she came at us like a bat out of hell, her dark red hair fluttered behind her in a way that made me think of wind blowing bloody entrails through the air.

  “She’s the problem,” Sathanus said, and instead of moving to attack, she just tucked the grail into a pouch.

  “I shall defend you,” Galahad said, pointing his new sword at the woman as she approached. “Escape while you can.”

  “That’s not necessary.” Sathanus took a deep breath. “We’re here because she wants us here. If not, the portal would have worked.”

  “That’s bad?” I asked, looking to Sathanus. “If she wants us, maybe it will be okay.”

  “Yeah, the tax man often wants to see you too. Is that ever good?” Sathanus raised an eyebrow at me as the vixen unslung a fucking morning star and started whirling it over her head. “Or, you know, did that.”

  “I’m kind of okay with Galahad’s plan,” I said, especially since none of my Builder powers seemed to work. That might mean my armaments didn’t work. If they didn’t work, would I heal if she hit me? I wasn’t sure, but I really didn’t want to find out.

  “No. If you run, she’ll chase us.” She unfurled her wings and made herself bigger. “Act like a predator, not prey.” Sathanus hefted her axe even though it wasn’t glowing anymore.

  It seemed like great advice, except, well, I felt like prey. Still, maybe the dwarf was right. Better to stand our ground than run away.

  Following Sathanus’s lead, I gripped Caliburn and tried to make myself seem awesome, while Galahad unslung his axe, hefting it in one hand and the Sword of Strange Girdles in the other.

  Oddly, it seemed to work. As the vixen approached, she dropped her morning star and ceased her laughter before skidding to a stop a few feet from us.

  “Do you not fear me, Sathanus?” The woman raised an eyebrow. “That is… unwise. Your powers will not work here.” She threw her head up and laughed. “For I am the Princess of Mirrors, and all is as I wish it to be!” Her lips curled into a smile. “I am a god here.”

  “What do you want?” Sathanus asked, and her voice held way more confidence than it had a moment ago. Only, I couldn’t see why. The archangel was strong, but if she was as powerless as I was…

  “What makes you think I want something, Archangel?” The princess sat there for a moment, drumming her fingers on the metal of the cherry-red Harley.

  “We both know we’re not supposed to be here,” Sathanus said, gesturing to our trio. “That means you came and got us. Why?”

  “You’re taking all the fun out of this.” She sighed. “Very well. I shall tell you what I want, and you can do it in exchange for me letting you leave.”

  “I really don’t have time to do a quest for you.” I sighed. “I already have a lot on my plate.”

  “You’ll want to do me this favor.” She smirked. “Trust me.”

  “Let’s just hear her out, okay, Arthur?” Sathanus gave me a warning look.

  “Fine.” I nodded to the Princess of Mirrors. “What would you have us do?”

  “Two of your sisters have passed through here recently, and they have taken something that belongs to me.” She pointed to Sathanus. “You must bring them to me so they can return what they have taken.”

  “Which two?” Sathanus asked instead of asking more important questions like why the fuck would we do that.

  “Belial and Belphegor.” She rubbed her hands together. “I had set this trap to capture them, but instead you have triggered it.” She made a clucking noise. “Portal traffic is such a tricky business, you know. It’d be unfortunate if, I dunno, all your realms portals led to me for all time.”

  “What did Belial and Belphegor take?” I asked, somewhat confused. Those were the last two archangels I had needed to find, but they were also working with Dred. Or at least having naked fun time with him, anyway.

  “A Mirror of Transference.” The Princess pointed to one of the trees. “They grow on my trees and are capable of making a new realm when planted.” She sighed. “I want it back.”

  “Why would they need to make a new realm?” I asked, and Sathanus shrugged.

  “Don’t know don’t care.” The Princess of Mirrors shrugged. “Just retrieve it, and in exchange, you will be rewarded handsomely.”

  “Okay.” I nodded to her. “Send us home, and we’ll get your Mirror of Transference back.”

  “Excellent.” She held out her hand, and I shook it. “I look forward to doing Business with you.”

  With that, she tore off in a squeal of scorched rubber, leaving us standing there alone in the forest.

  “Why do I feel like I just made a deal with the Devil?” I asked, sighing.

  “Oh, this is way worse than that,” Sathanus elbowed me in the side before heading toward the tree she’d pointed out earlier. “And you’ve already done that.”

  “That’s a fair point,” I said, shrugging. I didn’t know why it was a bad deal or anything, but I knew one thing. If Belial and Belphegor were in play, we had to find them. After all, I needed their Marks and Armaments. Getting them might give me enough power to stop Dred even without completing the rest of the achievements.

  36

  After we reappeared in the Plains of Desolation, gathered up Percival and Bors, and bid Sathanus farewell, we headed back to Heaven with the Holy Grail. Part of me still couldn’t believe we’d found it, and only after about a day or so.

  I could practically taste the achievement. Once I got it, I’d be at forty-five percent legitimacy with Heaven, and my Armament of Death would be that much stronger. While not necessarily game-changing, especially since Dred had six legitimate armaments (I was assuming Sam’s still worked for him) he also had two demonic ones.

  Assuming his were also at twenty-five percent legitimacy, and I had no reason to think they weren’t, that only gave him a one armament advantage. If I could then get either Belial’s or Belphegor’s, I’d be strong enough to challenge him without having to complete the armaments, and if I got both? Well, I’d be more than able to save Gabriella.

  “We must hurry, my liege!” Galahad said, drawing my attention toward the horizon as we approached the main city. My eyes widened in shock.

  I wasn’t sure if it was because we’d found the grail, or if Dred had finally had enough, but the sky was quite literally alive with dragons. The ground seethed with so many ravagers, I could scarcely even see any other creatures save for one. A giant tarrasque, Godzilla-looking mother fucker that was busily slamming its bulk against the barrier spell protecting Heaven. With each blow, I could see concentric sparks of color radiate outward, and if this barrier was anything like the one we’d had in Hell, I knew it wouldn’t be long before it got through.

  Once that happened, well, I’d seen enough Godzilla movies to know what’d happen.

  “Go!” I cried, pointing at the army besieging Heaven. The three Knights of the Round Table nodded before charging forward in a blur. The moment they touched the hallowed ground of the city, the buff affecting the knights went back to full strength. Even still, I wondered if it would be enough.

  Part of me wanted to rush in and help, but as I stared at the massive kaiju, the Grail pulsed in my hands. What would happen if I completed the achievement now? I wasn’t sure, but from the way drinking from it had boosted the strength of my party, I was willing to bet it wouldn’t be a small thing, and right now, well, we needed all the help we could get.

  Charging into town, I pulled out the grail and found it glowing with golden light. As I moved through the streets, the glow brightened or darkened depending on which turns I took. Deciding the grail knew what was best, I moved my way through the city while trying to maximize the glow.

  An explosion rocked the city, nearly throwing me from my feet as I approached the center of town. Only, it didn’t look like I remembered it. There was now a sculpture of Michelle. She stood blindfolded, one hand out
stretched toward the horizon while her other clasped her blazing sword. Part of me wanted to smile as I saw it.

  Annabeth was smart, no doubt, she’d used this statue to ingratiate herself to the archangel who wasn’t keen on things like art, despite their many benefits.

  Still, I had a problem. The statue occupied the spot where the grail needed to go. Approaching it carefully, I held out the grail, trying to find another spot. As I did, I realized I could place the item in her empty hand. At least, that seemed the best spot.

  “Well, here goes nothing…” I mumbled before setting the Holy Grail in the outstretched palm of the statue.

  Light exploded from the grail as it began to glow with every color of the rainbow. Energy leapt through the air as sparks crackled all along the surface of the statue before ripping outward in a concentric ring of blue light.

  I threw my arms, desperate to block, but as the light swept through me, I suddenly felt at peace with the whole of the world. Then the light was passed me, and as I turned to watch it flow outward, I saw the broken, battered buildings restored, the streets brighten. Hell, the sky above was clearer.

  Then the ring struck the barrier, and the whole of it shone like a golden sphere of power. Sparks jumped from its surface right before the giant creature assaulting it screamed. Its entire body evaporated as the light passed through it, enveloping the battlefield and obliterating everything in its path.

  In an eye blink, there was nothing left of the massive force, but that didn’t seem to stop the light. It slammed into the Darkness, and the sound was like a sonic boom. The whole of the horizon crackled and popped as the Darkness itself was pushed backward until I couldn’t even see it on the horizon anymore.

  I blinked, stunned by the sight of lush fields that suddenly appeared in the wake of the Darkness’s retreat, and for a second, I wondered if all of Heaven had been cleansed. I’d have to find out, and as I thought about seeing how far out the cleansing wave had actually pushed the Darkness, a notification appeared in front of my eyes in shimmering golden text.