Underworld - Book 8 - Chapter 33

It wasn’t long until it became obvious that we were healing Ronja when her body had already recovered fully. We continued a bit longer but were soon kneeling over her and just waiting.

The moment he stirred, I rose to let girls be the first faces she saw when waking. He did it. Mystarius had fixed her core in time, and Sergeant Valls had succeeded. A sad smile came to my face. If only I had been there for Jasmine in the same way.

I quickly took in our surroundings. It was a large array formation for Portaling. It wasn’t the same one I’d glimpsed that the girls had returned to Sanctuary through, or that the Head Mistress had used before. Where were we exactly?

There were no attendants, succubi, or other Matriarchs. Had the three of them just been waiting for something like this to happen? It was easy to forget, but Lilith could watch us through the siphoning spell she’d originally cast on us. It had been bothering me. If Hadassah had planted a seed on one of us that could give birth to her clone, why had it activated when it did?

I was surprised when Lilith, Hadassah, and Mystarius exited the portal. All eyes were on them.

“That coward,” Hadassah sulked.

“You did well, sister,” Lilith encouraged. “Kress of House Emberson is among the most elusive enemies we’ll face.”

The portal closed behind them.

Reading the room, the Head Mistress addressed us. “Matriarch Kya and Lord Kress have tactically retreated for now.”

Mystarius replied. “With him out there, the assassination attempts have only begun, and these youngsters will not be the only targets. Lilith, I know you don’t believe your aunt may return to us if her side goes too far, and she might, but she couldn’t have chosen a worse ally. The damage he could do…”

“I know, old friend.”

Ronja had come to her feet, but it was obvious she still wasn’t all there.

Walking over to her, Lilith cupped the succubus’s face in her hands. “How are you feeling, sister?”

She nodded but didn’t say anything at first. After wetting her throat, she replied, “I didn’t know what she did was possible. Its like she invaded my mind.”

The Head Mistress gave her a sympathetic frown. “Matriarch Kya was old when I was born. As she likes to boast, she reach max level before undergoing the vampire’s experiments. She underwent them willingly. She takes advantage of the great concentration of mana in her blood. When it came in contact with your body, she willed it to invade. It does no long-lasting harm, but it forces the mana inside you into a chaotic storm. That is why you lost consciousness. As long as her blood remained on your forehead and it had sufficient mana, it would’ve kept the mana storm going on inside you. There are defenses against it, but I’ll have to teach you another time.”

“Of course, Head Mistress,” Ronja said, lowering her head to rested it on the woman’s shoulder before drawing back.

“As for this solider of the Illuminated Cathedral,” Lilith strolled over to where most of them were still surrounding the sergeant’s body. Many of the mages remained kneeling while the melee fighter rose to their feet. It wasn’t a defensive gesture.

I still didn’t understand it. Why had he broken formation? Why did he risk his life to save her?

A man stepped forward, smacking his chest armor with an open palm. He then bowed his head. “Head Mistress of the Succubi, I have assumed command due to Sergeant Valls death. There’s something I must say, if you’ll allow.”

“Please, say what you must.”

This soldier was much younger than Valls had been and was closer to my level. His helm was removed showing a mat of sweaty brown hair. He already had an afternoon shadow and a strong jaw. Once permission was given, he looked the succubus queen in the eye.

“Sergeant Valls witnessed it with his own eyes when you honored our Saint Cyprian before your assembly of the world’s representatives. He spoke of it to me in secret. His recommendation was sent to the First Spear residing in Sanctuary and from there the Cathedral.”

As the man spoke, I recalled the memory Lilith had shared of Cyprian Kilgore. The man said to be the most talented Astral Mage in history. He had saved her and insisted her people were victims even if she hadn’t personally viewed herself that way at the time. Now she certainly did.

The man pulled out a pendant with a memory jewel facetted in silver. One of his men attended to him, helping him remove a gauntlet. Placing the pendant in his naked hand, he removed a dagger with the other and slid the blade in under it. Blood pooled in his palm under the pendant and it began to glow. The man continued, “Valls dying message was clear. The Illuminated Cathedral hasn’t forgotten. What was done to your people—the greatest of crimes—must be answered. Valls believed in giving honor where honor is due. He sacrificed himself for your people so that you might know the truth of what I’m about to reveal to you.”

The filled with the new memory. Our surroundings changed to that of what looked like what could only be the Parthenon with its columns all around. At its center was a man much older than Valls, but he held a resemblance.

“Greetings,” the man said, placing an open palm over his heart and lowering his gaze. “I am Senator Nonus Valls. I have been chosen by the Senate of the Illuminated Cathedral with the blessing of our Chancellor to record this message.

“If you are hearing this, then my nephew or his representative has deemed you worthy according to the criteria agreed upon by the wisest among us.

“To the representatives of the Succubi Empire, war is upon us. It is not news to us that there are those among you that have been preparing for centuries. We have also been preparing.

“This is not the time to reveal the extent of our preparations, unless tragedy has struck, my nephew will have sent word. When it arrives, our ambassador will depart. Please receive her and those of her party. She has been given full authority to disclose to you what I can’t and coordinate between both our forces.

“The last time Dawn arose in the Underworld we were arrogant. Though we willingly allied with those who would join us, we didn’t seek allies. We will not make the same mistake this time.

“If my nephew has met his end and it is unclear whether the message was sent, a map will appear when this message concludes. Send your representatives to the location and talks will begin.”

The map appeared soon after, and I recognized the region in the Dungeon Level it was indicating even if I’d never been to the exact place.

“Does this mean what I think it means?” I addressed Shamash through mind-speak. “How much is the Illuminated Cathedral hiding?”

“It seems that way, yes. As for how much, it’s impossible to know. They might even have grandmasters and Astral Mages hidden that they haven’t revealed to their own people. Don’t think more into it than it deserves. As much as you have trouble trusting them, they have the same problem trusting you. Their existence is at stake.

“This revelation is mostly positive. If the Illuminated Cathedral can muster even a fraction of the power they had in the first war and they truly join forces with the Head Mistress, our likelihood of victory just grew exponentially.”

“What did he say?” Aeris said through mind-speak a moment later. It didn’t surprise me she knew I’d been talking to Shamash. I told her what he had said.

After a few nods, her eyes grew wide. “Should we have you check Jasmine? Maybe…”

I had similar thoughts after seeing what Mystarius had done for Ronja. Shamash had said she was already gone, but as often as he was right, there had been a few things that had surprised him. “Yes, we should.”

Lilith stood there lost in thought after the memory had finished playing. I was shocking to see what could only be tears welling up in her eyes.

The soldier who had presented it to her remained standing there with the others, awaiting her reaction.

She glanced up at the man and said, “Thank you. We will await the ambassador and receiver her at her arrival.”

The soldier bowed his head and backed away.

It was now or never.

“Head Mistress Lilith, our friend’s core was shattered during the assassination attempt. Could you look at her?” I asked. Without waiting for a response, the bed she’d been resting on appeared between us.

“This is the girl you brought back from the Vampire Realm?” she inquired, while examining her.

“She is.”

Her mouth drew into a line which didn’t bode well. “It is too late for my magic. And even if her body’s restored, who’s to say if her soul remains. Mystarius, this is more your expertise.”

The Vampire Lord’s eyes already glowed pinkish-purple as he examined her. Without looking up, he asked, “This bed’s restorative properties have helped to keep her mana intact but—how long has it been?”

Aeris answered first, “She was the first to be attacked.”

The glow in his eyes dimmed. “It has been too long to restore her core. She wasn’t born a vampire. When it was destroyed, her body reverted to its original state and would view the core as a foreign object. Restoring it might not harm her further, but it wouldn’t help as it did with Mistress Ronja. At the same time, her body is full of the vampiric curse. Trying to save her now, if her soul has departed it would just leave her in a vegetative state. So unless you practice puppetry or necromancy and want her as a vessel, the body will be restored, but the person will never return.

“But if she survives, some might consider it an existence worse than death.”

“What? Why?” Aeris barked.

“I must remove the vampirism to have a chance to save her, which leaves long term injuries to even a healthy patient.”

“She will lose the ability to use magic,” Lilith said plainly.

“Yes. Her current level and status will remain the same, but she will never be able to use magic the same way again. Advancing down a profession might allow her to continue to advance, but only if she reaches the highest ranks will she regain some ability to manipulate mana. Even then, she will never be the same. You must ask yourself if it is the kind of life she’d want to live. If not, it’s best to let her go.”

“We have to try,” Aeris insisted.

Did we? Is that really what she’d want? After the life she’d lead, she had finally gained some semblance of power over her own destiny. Now that power was about to be taken away. She’d come with us because she wanted to be of help. If she didn’t have that as a goal, was returned to a helpless state, how would she respond? It seemed selfish to want her back but equally selfish to say no. So even if she ended up hating me for it, I chose to be selfish. “We have to try.”

Mystarius gave a vampiric mirco-nod, then said, “I’ll need a room where we’ll have zero distractions. I’m assuming your lich will insist on watching, but only bring your wife you you’re sure she won’t be a distraction.”

“You need me?” I asked, taken aback.

“There’s no cure for vampirism. The only way to remove it from your friend is to purge it from her body. I saw your Life Aspect True Form light mage. I can do it myself, but, unless I’m mistaken, you should have far more precision with your ability to manipulate it than one of my kind ever could.”

“You want me to use the Cataclysmic reaction to destroy the mana inside her?”

“You’ll have the best chance of keeping the damage to a minimum during surgery. Even if she isn’t a natural vampire, she’s still a being of dark magic. As you purge her, I will be restoring her body’s health.”

I looked at Aeris who gave me a pointed look. “Go, El. I’ll be with the others. Try to save her.”

Sister Nava was rather rude as she used her shoulder to wedge herself in between Aeris and me. Her arms were crossed over her chest. Her look was threatening, but what she said was just the opposite. “Please.”

Cupping Nava on the shoulder, Aeris and I shared one last look.

“Follow me,” Lilith said.

Retrieving the bed with Jasmine on it, I placed it back in the Master Ring and followed.

Mind-speak reached Shamash as I asked, “Is this really possible?”

He was right behind me still in his butler outfit. His moment’s delay to answer could only mean one thing, he was searching whatever magical database the lich had access to that the rest of us didn’t for an answer. In the end, he responded, “I don’t know. His logic is sound. The purging of vampirism isn’t unknown to me, but to pull it off without killing the host is no easy feat. You’ve heard me say how rare Vitality Aspect talents are among the vampire. If it wasn’t for Lord Mystarius’s presence, it isn’t something I’d even consider an option.”

“Will she be able to wake up if we succeed?”

“It’s highly unlikely.”

“You’re a lich. Don’t you have some soul magic to know for sure?” I insisted.

“No. The realm of the soul is invisible to the living. Even one such as I. That is why the Wraith’s immortality is such an anomaly. A lich’s contract is something that exist because of magic itself. It’s the will of the world or whatever deity that’s over the realm of the living. It’s not like one can trap a soul with matter or magic. But just as my skeleton remains and my soul is attached to it, it’s the same for the Wraith. He invented a casket that does something similar.

“As for your friend, we cannot know. All you can do is try. For someone to have their core shattered is usually a death sentence for all but the most powerful monsters who can restore their own. I’ve seen people survive against every rule while there were those with simpler core fractures that were fixed without delay, and they still didn’t survive. Why one survives and another doesn’t is impossible to say.”

***

“Do not rush,” Mystarius insisted from where he sat on the opposite side of Jasmine’s bed. We’d left her on it but removed her covers. More wasn’t required.

I was in my Light Surgeon True Form while he had transformed into pure Vitality Aspect. Both of our perceptions were turned inward on our patient.

“Your mana is like a fish swimming against the current. Channel too little and the water will wash you downstream. Then the reaction won’t happen where you want it to and possibly damaging tissue unnecessarily. Too much mana, and you will damage the stream. The procedure is tedious, but remember the stream isn’t endless.”

It was like administering acid through an IV.

“Is it necessary to limit it to one thread?” I asked.

“No,” he replied. “But the more threads, the more likelihood of accidents. This is the surest way to limit them.”

“Would it be better for there to be more so that we finish quickly?”

“It would raise the chances of her survival, but only if the mistakes are limited. Her current chance of recovering is dismal at best even if we were to finish instantly.”

“How many insertion points can you safely heal?”

“As many as you can manage.”

I nodded. “Then let me do what you brought me here to do.”

“Very well.”

“Then before we get started, thank you.”

“For?”

“I know you’d prefer I didn’t exist and yet you’re helping me save my friend.”

“A friend you fail to mention is a vampire. One of my kind. But you’re not wrong. I don’t hate your kind, however. It’s the inconvenience of your existence that vexes me. If this Illuminated Cathedral can really help right old wrongs, then to hell with convenience.”

We were communicating through perceptions. According to the succubi tradition, our souls were touching. As far as I knew, it was impossible for him to hide what he was feeling under these circumstances. He meant what he said.

“Forgive me, but I must ask, is Lilith your daughter?”

Something impossible happened. This Ancient Vampire Lord laughed. “No, she is not my daughter. My wife died during the first war against the Illuminated Cathedral.”

“I’m sorry…” That didn’t bode well for the future alliance if it were true.

“Humans didn’t kill her. The infighting between Vampire Families is endless. War is no exception. We begot a large family before she was murdered. I loved Nyx, but I never would’ve tied us together in that way. I knew what she was, and I accepted it. All succubi scheme, but she possessed the greatest of talents for it. A gift her daughter inherited.”

“Then I must also thank you for what we’re about to do. Are you ready?”

“I am.”

I began with a few threads. Once they were attached to her hand and wrist, my stream met her stream of mana. The precision he was asking for wasn’t difficult. I check my work before a dozen more threads attached themselves to her other hand and feet.

Her limbs would come first, then we’d work our way up. With the vampirism purged from her extremities and restored by the grandmaster dark magic healer across from me, it would limit the trauma her body was facing at any one time during the procedure. That was what kept me from trying to purge it all at once. It wasn’t just mana in her body stream that needed purging, but that in the tissues of her body. Even her skeletal system. That was why the threads being used remained as thin as I could make them. If it wasn’t for their innate light, they might have been unseeable by the naked eye.

Once I got a feel for it, I really got started. Hundreds of threads shot from my hands and forearms.

There was Time Crawl to fall back on if I felt my focus failing, but it never did. Even if the chance was small, it was there.

Despite using more than a thousand threads, it took us over an hour to complete the procedure as Mystarius called it. At first, I had blamed Shamash for not telling me about this possibility, but no wonder he hadn’t deemed it impossible. I wasn’t a surgeon. In my mind, I was comparing this to her falling into a comma, but she hadn’t been breathing, and her heart wasn’t beating. It was the lingering mana that had sustained her for as long as it had. Once we were finished, the vampire lord channeled pure Vitality mana into her body and that changed. Her breathing and heartbeat returned. She lay there as if resting.

I’d changed to my Vampire Form.

When he finished, he reverted as well. “It’s done. We’ve done what we can. Now she will either wake up, or she won’t.”

The door opened and in rushed Aeris, Nava, and Degima. Ronja entered next but found a place against the wall where she watched.

Sergeant Valls men filed in in a similar manner followed by Lilith. I noticed Hadassah’s absence.

The Head Mistress spoke, “I will give you some time to attend to your friend, but I need to speak with you, Nava. And you too, Aeris and Elorion. I’ll call for you when I’m ready.”

Everyone thanked her in turn. She left a moment later.

When Jasmine didn’t wake up immediately, I began to pace. I’d heard stories of people pronounced dead waking up. Where they lose vital signs. It seemed like too much to hope for. Like we were playing the lottery with impossible odds.

It was sparse, but there was conversation. After a time, Aeris had me sit down and she gave me a back rub, which I appreciated. I ran my fingers through her hair after that before returning to my pacing.

I tried things like entering her inner world with my perceptions and trying to speak with her. There was no answer—no sense of emotion in response.

Mystarius had said it could be minutes, hours, or even days before she woke up if she ever would. I might just end up carrying around a sleeping dark elf in my Master Ring for the rest of eternity.

It was about half an hour later when Lilith sent someone for Nava.

We bid her a solemn farewell as we continued to wait. I decided to do something I’d needed to.

Walking over to the squad from the Illuminated Cathedral, I shook the hand of the man who was promoted after Sergeant Valls’ death. His name was Challis. I offered them my condolences.

More than an hour had passed when the attendant returned to summon us.

Aeris took the opportunity to try and talk to her.

After her, I tried one last time, sending my perceptions into her inner world. “Hey Jasmine. Not to rush you or anything, but everyone is kind of waiting around for you to wake up.” I chuckled. “I know you’re a tad shy, so just tell me if you’d prefer everyone leave the room so you can wake up in peace. We’re leaving for a bit, but we should be back soon. See you then…”

I waited for a few long moments before retrieving my perceptions. It was Aeris and I who were summoned, so we headed for the door. She was hovering low in her Sprite form, so I gave her a hug to encourage her.

As we stepped into the hallway, there was a shriek behind us. We both spun to find her sitting up on her bed. Jasmine was looking right at me, but she wasn’t. Her hand had come to her mouth where she felt at her fangs. Then her eyes turned downward in horror as she found her abdomen. She’d known instantly that her vampirism and core were gone.

Her eyes found me, and she started to hyperventilate. She was terrified.

I crossed the room with inhuman speed and through my arms around her back, embracing her. The next instant, her feet were dangling from where I held her. She felt tiny in my arms and had stiffened.

Sitting her on the edge of the bed, I stepped back. Her horror had changed to confusion.

My wife swooped in and grabbed her hand. “How are you feeling?”

Jasmine’s eyes widened as she replied, “You’ll never believe this, but I think my vampirism is gone.”

“Well. About that…”