Underworld - Book 8 - Chapter 32

My first fear was that the thorny tongue-roses were going to pop up everywhere with Hadassah clones, but a more urgent problem arose. When Matriarch Kya saw the seedlings, she decided to scorch the entire tunnel seemingly with us in it.

So we flew. Ronja was mindful enough to scoop up my only non-flying golem Geros as we headed for the end of the tunnel. There was still a mile or more between us and its exit.

We were fast, but what could we do against an ancient entity such as Kya? Maybe she wasn’t coming for us. Perhaps she really had good intentions. To believe that with the inferno blasting our way was to put our lives in her hands. But what could we do? Aeris and I could survive. Even likely escape. Nava likely had the ability to do the same. As for the others, I wasn’t even sure the level 75,000 Ronja had any hope.

I had a thought. With the speed the succubus was travelling, if I summoned Scorching Sun at just the right time and she ran into it, there was a chance. A chance for the others to escape, but maybe, against the odds, I could really harm her. Even kill her if everything when just right. What if she was telling the truth and really trying to help, however?

There was no right answer. I prepared to do what I must even if I was wrong.

The Matriarch was rapidly catching up, but there was no way she was going at full speed. It was the only thing that stayed my hand.

Time Crawl allowed me to keep an eye on Kya and green growth. The seedlings thickened like a carpet. Any larger plants were missing. In the mana realm, the groundcover didn’t seem like many different organisms, but one massive one. Its mana signature was uniformly increasing. Something was about to happen, but what?

Even as more of it was burned up by the second, there was suddenly a surge of mana as it spent what it had left. When nothing grew and the mana started to dim, confusion followed. Had the Matriarch destroyed enough of it to stop it from whatever it was it was doing?

Of course not. A completely separate swell of mana appeared in our path near the exit. Seeing the portal, I knew the real purpose of the seeds and the carpet of green covering the tunnel. It wasn’t every intended as a weapon. It was a beacon, sending out a unique signal that one specific individual would recognize.

Matriarch Hadassah stepped out of the portal wearing the most ridiculous armor bikini with knee high boots only an RPG Game Developer could imagine. Her glistening dark hair was up in an intricate bun with a circlet resting high on her brow. It was really her. This was no clone.

And so we found ourselves thrust between two beyond max level monsters with no clue whether one or both of them wanted us dead.

Scorching Sun wouldn’t work. Even if I could use it to defend myself for a time if I was alone, I’d kill the others in the process. What did that leave us? We were out of options.

Glancing over to Nava flying nearby, I saw the beautiful young succubus with her jaw flexed and prepared for the worst. If it were certain we were about to die, trying something reckless might just give us a chance.

Opening mind speak to include everyone in the group, I addressed her, “Sister Nava. Can we trust either of them?”

Her brow creased with concern. “Until the last hour, I would’ve trusted either with my life.”

“Ronja?”

“I… don’t know.”

“Then be ready to defend with everything you have. Nava, it’s time for Cataclysm.”

“Here? It’s too tight. We’re as likely to kill ourselves as deter them.”

Ignoring he objection, I asked, “Shamash. How much mana will we have to use to block both paths with two separate cataclysmic reactions?”

Before he could respond, we were forced to draw to a stop. Hadassah was standing there patiently with her fingers laced between each other. Her portal was still open, which gave me an ominous feeling.

“A serious deterrent would require a minimum of 100 million MP a second from each of you for each pathway that you would have to sustain. Even with your mana pools, they would last less than a minute.”

“And how much we it take to kill them?”

“If they are fools that don’t defend themselves, a billion would do. If you want a better chance, the answer is, use everything. Either way, you won’t survive. Any of you.”

I cursed under my breath. “Anyone a really good digger?”

Shamash’s voice sounded in my head as he direct-messaged me so that the others couldn’t hear. “If you chose to do this, I can’t save you. I’ll have to use all of my means to survive myself. But if one of these succubi try to kill you, there’s still a chance I can save you and Aeris’s life according to our contract.”

“And this can’t be extended to the others?”

“I cannot. Not because I’m unwilling, but it is the nature of my existence. If I go against the will of magic, I will be destroyed.”

So the question was, would I willingly sacrifice the others to save my wife and me? If I knew it would save her life, then… Yes, I probably would if I had no other choice. But if it was just me? No. There was no chance I’d just walk away with my life.

Then it hit me. That hotheaded Primordial Cat was righter than I wanted to admit when he’d called me out during the beast tide.

How had it gone? “You don’t see this Liulfr as your alpha so you’re unwilling to let him sacrifice himself. But if you were in the same position, you’d insist on taking the responsibility. You’d bear the consequences.”

Were those really my only options? Because even if I didn’t want to admit it, my wife could survive what I could not. It was far more likely that Shamash would have to save me, leaving her to her own devices. If that were the case—

One hundred yards to either side stood Matriarch level succubi facing off with each other. We were the mice caught in the middle.

“Hurry and get behind me,” Kya called. She was a gothic demoness hovering midair with a wall of blue and green flames as the backdrop. “Where her assassins failed, Hadassah will have little trouble taking your lives.”

At her word, the flames started to calm. Their colors changed to yellow then orange before they fell from the ceiling.

The real Hadassah didn’t speak with the same levity her clone had. Rather, she looked grieved. “You’re a mother to our people, Mistress Kya. I know I’ve always been the silly girl in your eyes, but I’ve looked up to you. Why? Why betray your sisters? Your daughters?”

“You expect them to believe your performance?” The goldened hair Matriarch glanced at us. “You should be asking yourselves when she planted the seed on your person. That’s the only explanation for why she’s here now.”

“She speaks the truth,” Ronja screeched. Suddenly exerting an aura as if to expel any seeds that might be on her, the succubus socialite batted at her sleeves and clothing as she darted in Kya’s direction.

It was almost enough to convince me, but I was holding out my hand out as an indicator for Aeris and any of the others that might listen to not move.

Hadassah’s distress at seeing Ronja chose a side seemed genuine, but I wouldn’t underestimate the acting skills of a monster centuries old. Besides, I had no intention on choosing a side.

“Be ready to sustain a wall of Cataclysm the moment we sense either one attack,” I instructed. “I don’t care what they say. Actions speak louder than words.”

“Yes,” Nava replied with more conviction than I felt.

“I planted my seeds when you were still in Sanctuary,” Hadassah admitted. “I’ve been instructed to keep an eye on you, and so I have.”

As flawed as the bikini mailed Matriarch’s argument seemed, she had descended during the Head Mistress’s banquet and placed herself in front of us when no one else had.

“The question is, for who?” Kya jabbed. “What vampire lord has you—"

“For me,” an all too familiar voice blasted out of the portal behind Hadassah. Unlike the other Matriarchs, Lilith wore an armored great helm of gold that was covered with jewels and looked like she was dressed for war. The helmet reminded me of the one Sister Nava had worn during the beast tide except it was much more extravagant. As for her armor, it was perfectly fitting platemail that looked to be made from tens of thousands of Grandmaster Vitality Orbs. Its vibrant purple would’ve been hard to look at for a normal human.

“Head Mistress,” Ronja cried, but it was too late.

Matriarch Kya grabbed her by the back of the neck the next instant. Biting her tongue, she spit a small stream of blood as she held the socialite before her.

The level 75,000 succubus tried. There was a large surge of mana as her aura billowed. Her whip had appeared in her hand. But the moment the Matriarch held her up to face her, the trail of blood struck her on the forehead, and she fell unconscious.

As it happened, Sergeant Valls and his men moved. A dome of Light Magic formed over us as a protective barrier while the melee specialists covered their armor in aura. They’d placed themselves between us and the ancient succubus.

“Aunty Kya,” Lilith called with an impersonal tone. She shared Hadassah’s sobriety. “Where is he?”

“Little Lilith. How nice of you to join us,” the golden-haired ancient snorted. Her manner had completely changed. “Speak up, child. Of whom do you speak?”

“How about you let go of Sister Ronja, and I’ll give you my best guess?”

Inclining her head and looking down her nose, Kya replied, “I’ve always believed Nyx should’ve been much harsher with your discipline to teach you respect. If the lesson had stuck, we wouldn’t be in this mess. You’re damning everything we’ve built over a militia to destruction like a whelp that never outgrew her insolence.

“I’ve done what I must to try and force you into a position so that you mush repent of your whimsical actions. I have their word that they’ll spare your life as long as you’re stripped of your office.”

“Whimsical? The word of the Vampire Lords? You’ve gone senile, Aunt. Come peacefully and I’ll make sure you’re provided everything for retirement.”

“You can’t defeat me, Little Lilith. I reached max level before I was changed.”

The Head Mistress curtsied respectfully before responding. “There was a time when I followed you while enamored in child-like devotion. I hung on your every word. You’re formidable Aunt Kya, but since the death of my mother, I’ve fought more secret battles than the whole of your generation combined.

“And where were you during my madness? The moment I stopped following you for advice, did you seek me out to learn of my wellbeing?”

Mana began radiating off the ancient succubus in a slowly, ghostly fashion that sent a trimmer through the entire tunnel. “I was mourning the death of my sister.”

“Yes. And I never faulted you for it. But to assume I continued to advance as any succubi might… There is something that you never dared to understand. Our lust for pleasure and status—to be praised by one another—is our willing bondage. But hidden beneath is a marvelous secret. The vampire’s curse is potent in granting one power, but our curse is superior to theirs in every way. So what I once loved, I learned to hate by throwing myself into the hell of constant conflict. I had no right to survive, but to hell I went and hell I became. Now I bring it with me.

“Do you want to witness it, Aunt Kya? Have you forgotten the true terror of the most ancient of the Vampire Lords? I haven’t. The ones that don’t lust for the things that we lust but seek the mastery of violence and every possible implementation of death. Shall I teach you what they knew that you and the succubi never have? I won’t make you grovel. If you’re willing, let me open your eyes. You’re capable of so much more.”

Matriarch Kya sighed. Looking up to the ceiling, she shook her head. “That’s not true, niece. It’s just the opposite. The vampire and succubi curse compliments each other. When practiced in harmony with one another, the things we can accomplish are so much more.”

The tunnel behind her filled with darkness. Churning at its center like the emerging tornado from a storm cloud, an image appeared from the shadows. The pale of his skin and frigid demeanor shouted vampire from the housetops.

“Kress of House Emberson,” Hadassah called out with a mockish curtsey. “I thought I smelled something. That explains the expertise of such low-level assassins.”

“Head Mistress. Matriarch.” The vampire lord didn’t bother to bow his head. “I’ve entertained your Aunt Kya’s plan to persuade you through means other than your death. I will ask plainly. Will you surrender yourself and your Incubi army so that we can stop this war? I swear to you that I won’t allow you to come to harm.”

“Lord Kress,” Lilith said curiously. “How many centuries as my aunt’s secret lover did it take you to convince her to betray her people?”

“I’ve known Kya since before you were born. And her betrayal? You’ve betrayed the peace and the growing prosperity both of our people share. You are the one at fault, Head Mistress.”

“The only fault—” Hadassah began, but Lilith held out a hand to stop her.

“It is a battle of ideologies, then. Your lives we will spare if possible.”

The bikini-armored Matriarch nodded.

 Lilith’s voice whispered in the back of my mind. “Transform into your Astral Body and don’t change out of it. Lord Kress has reached the very peak of Shadow Aspect Mastery. Light Aspect is the only thing that will slow him down enough so that he can’t kill you instantly. As soon as you sense us move, fly to the portal as quickly as you are able. Let the others know.”

I did as she said. My wife, Nava, Degima, and my golems were on board before I finished my explanation. I saw a few odd looks from the formed-up squad from the Illuminated Cathedral, but Sergeant Valls straightened himself enough from the front of their formation for me to see him. He nodded sharply.

Suspecting they were going to try and stay behind momentarily to make sure we got away, I mentioned what I was thinking to Aeris.

“I got them,” she reassured me.

I didn’t need to wait to sense anything. With Time Crawl at full power, I saw the Head Mistress move first.

“Now!” I screamed even if it probably sounded distorted since I forced the word to all come out in an instant.

It didn’t matter. We started to move. Aeris indeed caught up the squad from the Illuminated Cathedral with her wind, but then—

Sergeant Valls erupted from where he was standing. The sheer brilliance of the light mana shining from his advancing form was nearly as potent as my Astral form. He wasn’t retreating. I then got my first glimpse of what high level melee fighters were really capable of. His speed was reckless as he charged the very beings we were being called on to flee from.

“No!” Aeris screamed.

Lilith and Hadassah had already shot past us, but somehow the Sergeant beat them there.

It was the Sergeant’s men that berated us for slowing down. Even though their mages couldn’t fly as quickly as the rest of us, they still took to the air under their own power and obstructed us the best they could.

Lilith and Hadassah were already there. What more could we do? I sent Nite Nite and Geros after them.

“Keep going,” I shouted. I took my own advice, but instructed Aeris, “I’m going to watch through my golem’s eyes. I might be able to do something through them.” Without waiting for her to agree, my perceptions found Geros first.

Kya tossed to Lord Kress as she bit her figure, drawing blood. Her form glowed crimson. Slashing out, liquid claws extended to intercept Lilith.

Sergeant Valls lunged past her to follow the unconscious Ronja. He was an avatar of light. As my golem sprinted to catch up, I was able to discern that he was burning his internal mana like I might channel excess mana to one of my blue magic forms. Except he was doing it to the very limit that he was able. Second were all that were left to him.

The moment the vampire lord caught succubus Ronja, Valls reached for her with an empty sword hand.

A flash of darkness lanced forward from Lord Kress’s empty hand. It mimicked a hidden dagger, except it extended outward with the length of a spear.

Speed and a lifetime of skill placed the shield covered in Light Aura in path of the shadow dagger, allowing the Sergeant to block it.

The vampire lord wasn’t even looking at him as they shared the exchange.

Lilith slipped under the ancient succubus’s claws as if sliding for homebase, only to come up when she reached her, and kicking out. With a boot to her aunt’s midsection, she sent the woman flying. She followed as quickly as she went.

Hadassah was readying her assault, so Lord Kress did the most logical thing and rid himself of what the light soldier was after.

Even though the vampire was holding her by the neck, an extended blade of darkness shot through Ronja’s back and out her abdomen. As the master who had taught the assassins their tricks, his aim was absolute as he shattered her core.

 When the sergeant’s aura dimmed in response, I didn’t believe it even as I watched it happen. He’d seen the assassin’s tricks when they first attacked. It was almost like he’d been waiting for this. Instead of blocking the shadow blade, he received it. Without any aura to bolster his armor, it shot right through his chest as he embraced the impaled succubus.

Kress tilted his head in surprise.

As soon as the shadow blade disappeared, Valls’ aura once again flashed. He threw Ronja back the way he had come.

I didn’t need to command Geros to move to catch her.

The greenery still shrouding the tunnel’s interiors rose up as a wall to block the sergeant from any more attacks.

Valls used one last surge of aura to launch himself back. His injury was bad but it wouldn’t kill a level 60,000 melee specialist.

Why the vampire bothered, I may never know, but several blades of shadow shot out from the ground as if they’d been waiting for his retreat. His aura dimmed as one caught him from behind while another did below. Two others from different angles punctured his lungs.

Nite Nite was there an instant later to receive the the sergeant and bring him to me. Even then, I was sure I could save his life. But Kress wouldn’t have it. The vampire had already retreated as Hadassah summoned something like a vine dragon with a mouth half the size of the cave. Instead of dissipating like the other blades, these exploded, leaving the man in pieces.

My shadow golem still obeyed and hurried to bring him to me when I heard a voice that caused me to shutter even with my perceptions extended from my body. “I will retrieve the body of your guard and your golem. He’s too far gone, but the woman I might be able to save. Return to your body and get in the portal. I’ll do what I can.”

I had no other choice. I found the Vampire Lord Mystarius standing outside the portal and ushering us in. There was an intense pinkish-purple glow coming from his eyes as he observed the situation.

He noticed immediately I was looking at him and commanded, “Go.”

Seeing that it was only Aeris remaining, holding me in the air with her wind, I did as he said. An Astral Mage and Wind Wisp darted through the portal. We were looking back the entire time as Mystarius’s Extreme Vitality Aspect form overtook him. Then lightning flashed. In a matter of seconds, he’d brought Geros who was carrying Ronja first. Nite Nite and what was left of Sergeant Valls came next.

The Vampire Lord that had sided with us left without saying a word. It seemed he was in charge of guarding the portal.

The men from the Illuminated Cathedral moved to go to their Sergeant, but I intercepted them. “Wait.”

I couldn’t save someone that was already dead. There was something I could do, however. Walking over to him, I converted just enough of my internal mana to Life Aspect to make Light Surgeon a little more effective then changed to my other True Form.

Threads of life extended from my palms as I knit the brave man’s body back together even if I knew as soon as I touched it that he would never return.

Why had he done it? She was a succubus, not one of his people. There was almost no chance that what he’d just tried would succeed, and he’d paid the ultimate price. For what?

It didn’t take long. When my perceptions returned to my body, I found Mystarius staring back at me from the other side of the portal. I had an ominous feeling that I shouldn’t have revealed this form to him.

When his eyes darted downward, I followed his gaze. He was looking at the corpse of Sergeant Valls that was now whole. He met my eyes one last time. He saw me. It was something I understood intimately from my time in the Vampire Realm.

“El,” Aeris said urgently.

Returning to my Astral Body, I found her kneeling at Ronja’s side. Nava was there trying to heal her with dark magic. When my perceptions entered her inner world, I came to a sudden stop. Her core. I had seen it shatter. Mystarius had only been at her side for what, a second? Yet here I was peering inside her and a whole core was glaring back at me.

I was already close, but I ran. My vampire form overtook me and I was helping Nava as soon as I arrived. I just prayed I wasn’t too late.