Heretic Spellblade 6 - Ch1v2

Chapter 1

A discordant wailing echoed across Forselle Valley, bouncing off the hills and nearby mountains. The towering Aurelian Spires of the dark elves emitted the sound endlessly. Even those dozens of miles away heard it, and most likely thought the noise to be the work of spirits given night had long since fallen.

The dark elves knew better. The Spires themselves lit up from base to tip like beacons, while the Aurelian fortresses dotted across the valley scrambled to respond. Fireworks began to burst high in the sky above each fort, indicating that the defenders acknowledged the crisis and had rallied. The color blue dominated the sky as the crackling of explosions cut through the wailing.

One fortress launched fireworks of a different color, however. Its defenders painted the night sky red.

“How long do we keep firing, Marshal?” a dark elf officer asked, decked out in the heavy armor common to the Aurelian Army.

“Until you die, or I order you to stop,” Tatia said, expression like stone. “We need every soldier from nearby forts if we hope to win this battle.”

Her uniform differed from the many soldiers rushing around the fort around her. She wore lighter armor, bore various ribbons and other regalia, and, most importantly, a pair of diamond gemstones glittered from her collarbone. They weren’t inset in the armor but her skin.

Krepost Forselle stood as the greatest fortress of the dark elves, and a reminder to other races of the power the dark elves chose not to use. It held a nasty secret, however. Deep within the looming dark stone keep below Tatia sat a gargantuan steel gate, much like myths spoke of entrances to the underworld.

It was a portal to Hell itself. For millennia, her people had safeguarded it against demonic invasion.

Sure, countless demonic portals could be found across Doumahr, but few held the history of those defended by the dark elves. Her people never allowed the demons to breach and wreak havoc on Doumahr. Portals became vastly more dangerous the longer they had remained active and unbreached. A dozen Champions, some stronger than her, ensured the safety of the Krepost and therefore the world.

Yet this wailing…

“Can’t say I expected to hear this damn alarm so soon,” an attractive male dark elf said with a bitter grin. Jewelry covered his face in innumerable piercings, indicating his high status in Aurelia. “It remains silent for centuries, so quiet that only Astra herself recognized the noise. Now it’s gone off twice in only a few years.”

“It should have sounded thrice,” Tatia said. “Councilor Dmitri, that armor is unnecessary. Please proceed to the safe room allocated to you and rely on the protection of your elite bodyguards. A Champion is assigned to you for a reason.”

Tatia glanced at the young woman bearing a single amethyst. The light armor of the other Champion and revealing cut of her clothes meant she was a hunter, a dark elf Champion that specialized in battling people, particularly other Champions.

The eyes of both women met, and Tatia saw the utter fear lurking beneath the younger Champion’s. Given the casualties the Spires had suffered recently, Tatia wondered if this girl had ever fought a serious demonic invasion. Hunters rarely defended the portals.

Dmitri scoffed. “The alarm goes off for cascades, not just because we’re in danger. And I’ll refuse your polite suggestion. If you’re talking about the fireworks crews dying, I’m not sitting in a bunker sipping on vodka.”

His guards shuffled nervously as Tatia glared at them. They knew who held the reins here.

Tatia might be the commander of the fortress, appointed by her Bastion to oversee its defenses while other Champions handled lesser matters or focused on battling, but Dmitri was a member of the Council of Aurelia, which ruled all dark elves. No matter what, her orders were mere “suggestions” to a man of his status.

Even if he’d probably stab himself with the sword on his hip before he accomplished anything useful with it.

“We’re certain it’s a cascade?” She looked around cautiously. “Not… something else.”

The fireworks crews might overhear her, but they had their orders. Dmitri’s guards knew how the world worked and could be trusted.

“It’s definitely a cascade, if that’s what you’re asking,” Dmitri said drily. “All magical communications have been cut, including the wireless, and most of the fancy new inventions made by humans have failed. Even the defensive shield hasn’t activated.”

In times of crisis, Krepost Forselle should activate a glowing domed barrier to separate itself from threats. Should the demons breach, they’d need to deactivate the barrier before they could escape.

Yet it had failed. This occurred during the prior cascade, and proved to be a massive hole in their defensive plans.

“But where has it come from?” Tatia pressed.

Only an idiot wouldn’t understand the true meaning of her question. A few years ago, both Bastions responsible for the defense of the Spires and its portal had started a rebellion and attempted to overthrow the Council.

“West. The same place that both recent breaches took place.” Dmitri rolled his shoulders and looked in that direction, as if he might see huge rents in reality that poured forth demons. “Another reason to fight. The world is changing for the worse. Let the rest of the Council worry about the city, but if we’re facing the end, I’ll—”

He abruptly stiffened and whirled to face an empty section of the keep’s rooftop.

Only for it to cease being empty. Four people blinked into existence, as if they had always been here.

Instinctively, Tatia spun her spear and drew on the power of her gems. “Intruders! Take the councilor below and—” She froze upon recognizing one of the newcomers. “Astra?”

One of the four arrivals possessed the same dark skin as all dark elves and wore a revealing outfit consisting of dark armor and a cape that left plenty for men to leer at. Yet the three luminescent opals in her chest made her identity clear. Astra. The legendary unaging trigem Champion of her people, who had fought alongside the Watcher Omria herself centuries ago.

Tatia didn’t recognize the others, but she knew of them.

Nathan Straub and his pet demonic Messengers.

Nathan ran a hand through his black unkempt hair, wearing a bloodstained black and gold uniform of a Bastion of the Anfang Empire. Next to him stood the Twins, Maura and Laura, a pair of overly curvaceous succubi with bronzed skin, long white hair, and red eyes. Their hands wandered across Nathan’s body.

The simple white and black dresses they wore belied their power. Either one could destroy entire nations. Yet they served Nathan.

“Dmitri,” Nathan said, eyebrows raising. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? By Omria, Nathan, you just appeared out of nowhere and you’re asking me what I’m doing here?” Dmitri choked out a laugh. “I’ve heard rumors about your teleportation spell, but this is unreal.”

Then the councilor’s expression hardened. Astra seemed uninterested in small talk as she looked up at the fireworks exploding above them.

“I’m here to let somebody do their duty.” Nathan nodded at Astra, who glanced back at him. “I figured this portal was in the most danger. Although that wailing makes me think otherwise.”

“It is normal operation,” Astra grunted. “Every cascade.”

“I would not call it normal,” Tatia said, visibly uncertain due to the presence of her former superior.

Up until a few years ago, Astra had been the Grand Marshall of the Aurelian Army as well as the seniormost hunter. Every dark elf soldier and Champion followed her lead.

Nathan frowned. He hoped he wouldn’t need to stay, as he had other places to be.

“I’d like to see the portal,” he said.

Tatia looked away with a barely concealed scowl. He didn’t miss her reaction.

Astra beat him to commenting. “Checking for Messenger. They’re stronger. As strong as before.”

“Before…?” Tatia looked back while the nearby soldiers made rattling sounds as they shuffled. “You mean when Omria walked among the humans.”

“She walked among us,” Astra said, eyes narrowing. “But yes.”

“It’s fine,” Dmitri said while looking at the rooftop entrance to the keep. “Bastion Nathan is a friend of our people and trusted by the Council. He defended the Spires from traitors and a Messenger, and even now he brings back Astra even though I guarantee he has demons of his own to combat.”

With the councilor’s direction given, his bodyguards began moving toward the entrance. Nathan and his companions followed, although the succubi shot smirks at Tatia. The dark elf marshal remained quiet as they descended.

An elevator built from wrought iron and operated using visible chains and counterweights in an adjoining shaft carried them to the bottom of the keep, and then even further below.

“I expected to take the stairs,” Nathan admitted.

“Because all your human elevators have broken?” Dmitri laughed. “There’s a saying about not breaking what wasn’t broken, and I’d say the rush by humans to adopt new technologies violated that. Every time a cascade happens, all the wonders of ‘magical science’ cark it.”

“That’s what happens when wartime technology is developed in peace, and without any way to test it,” Nathan said. “It’s also why suppressing breaches is so hard.”

“I’ve heard from our Champions that the breach in the Empire’s southwest is still being cleaned up,” Dmitri said. “And now this. How bad is it, Nathan?”

Nathan had almost forgotten that the Spires had sent Champions to help them clean up the breach that Thanatos and Atlas had caused. The demons that had spilled forth remained somewhat active, with a large contingent of soldiers and Champions cleaning them up.

This cascade, plus the Holy Kingdom of Falmir’s warmongering, meant he’d need to split the Empire’s forces without risking those demons ruining everything.

“Bad,” he said. “The cascade reaches from Waier to here, and far north into Trafaumh. The capital, Aleich, has been spared.”

“That’s half of Trafaumh,” Dmitri said.

“It is.”

“So this really does feel like the end.” The dark elf adjusted the sword at his hip, which drew worried glances from his bodyguards.

“Hardly.” Nathan’s expression hardened. “But this is the beginning of… something worse. If we falter once and let the demons gain a foothold, we’ll never recover.”

“You always speak with such an odd certainty.” Dmitri ran a hand through his trim white hair, which caused his jewelry to jangle. “No wonder the prophet supports you. Although I can’t help but wonder…”

Silence. Nathan knew better than to probe him over this topic.

The fewer people that knew Nathan’s true background, the better. He’d long since stopped trying to hide his knowledge or power, because attempting to do so risked failure, but he couldn’t simply tell everyone the truth. It might backfire.

After all, not everyone would believe or trust a man claiming to be from an apocalyptic future. Some might even realize how he’d done so, and call him the heretic he was. Heresy or not, he fought for Doumahr and its people.

The elevator came to a juddering stop and they spilled out. Tatia led them through a large underground hall toward an open gateway.

Two solid steel doors hung open, revealing a world that looked like Hell itself. A pitch black sky exuded an unnatural light that lit up the barren rocky wasteland within, and cracks in those rocks shined with a white light that was the opposite of holy.

Once Nathan stepped through, his body relaxed. He recognized this place, and not because it was a portal.

A mountain rose above them, with large carved paths spiraling along its sides. Countless wooden towers dotted the length of the path, while towering stone walls blocked progress at multiple checkpoints. The goal of defending a portal was to prevent the demons from getting into the material world. In this case, the demons would descend the mountain.

“I know this Messenger,” Nathan said.

“Yeah, she’s an easy bitch, if a dumb one,” Maura said. “Not even a good lay, given she’s a real hag.”

“I’ve always wondered if she’s actually from Ancient Greece or just some crazy,” Laura added.

Everyone ignored the twin succubi, although Nathan took heart that they felt she wasn’t a huge threat.

“Fought before?” Astra asked him.

“Yes. She’s dangerous, but mostly because she’s fast. You’ll make short work of her in a duel,” he said.

“Well, that’s good news. Just need to stop the demonic army,” Dmitri said drily.

“It is good news, given how much more powerful Thanatos was.” Nathan grimaced. “Speaking of him, I need to check on the portal next to the Spires themselves. With Thanatos dead, a new Messenger might take his place.”

“Dead, huh?”

Tatia merely shook her head. “I was there last week, Bastion Nathan. The portal possesses a mundane appearance, not dissimilar to how portals in other countries are described. A simple clearing at the bottom and a valley leading to the entrance.”

“I’ll still check,” Nathan insisted. “The change might come swiftly.”

Kadria had taken him by surprise in his world. Now that he was battling elite Messengers, who knew what trickery they might use against him.

He placed a hand on Astra’s shoulder as he turned. She simply stared at him.

“I’ll be back in the morning,” he said. “Keep the Spires safe until then.”

She nodded. Astra disliked speaking more than necessary, so he found her silence unsurprising.

As he began to leave, Tatia took the chance to chase Dmitri off. “Councilor Dmitri, given Bastion Nathan’s assessment, I believe it is best if you—”

“By Omria, I get it,” Dmitri said with a huff. “Nathan, wait for me!”

Nathan did no such thing, but he heard the dark elf jogging to catch up while his bodyguard rattled after him.

Back in the elevator, Dmitri stared upward. The silence almost became permeable.

“If you’re taking Astra back in the morning, I take it you have more to do,” Dmitri said. “I assumed that if you were here yourself, the Empire was in good shape.”

“We have hours before the first invasions start,” Nathan said. “I can spare the time to ferry Astra here, especially as I need to stop as many breaches as possible.”

“That sounds like you expect breaches somewhere…”

“I do.” Nathan ran a hand through his hair. He’d been doing that a lot for the past hour. “Trafaumh’s the problem. Falmir’s invaded them. They’re unaffected by the cascade and Trafaumh is crippled, as communications are cut between the east and west. The Inquisition will need to decide between defending portals and stopping an invading army.”

“That crazed bitch did what?” Dmitri exploded, rounding on Nathan. “We’re facing down the worst cascade since that traitor intentionally caused one here, and that fake fucking prophet in Falmir is warmongering! How can anyone even pretend she’s the prophet?”

The dark elf bodyguards stared at the councilor in shock. Perhaps some of them had their own opinions on which prophet was real, as both Fyre and Charlotte claimed to be the voice of Omria. Yet Dmitri left no illusions about the stance of the Spires as a whole.

“I hadn’t been certain where you lay regarding the Spires until now,” Nathan admitted.

“Not everyone agrees, and the Council chose to remain silent. Guess I blew that.” Dmitri let out a bitter chuckle. “But the difference is apparent. Your horsegirl is a downtrodden warrior that has risen from hardship and carries the torch of her entire race. I can’t help but see my ancestors in her, and wonder if things might have been different had…” He swallowed his words, realizing they approached sacrilege.

After all, Omria had never openly supported the dark elves, and had in fact supported their enslavers, the faeries.

“And Charlotte?” Nathan asked.

“A pompous girl born with a silver spoon in her mouth, who uses religious rhetoric and whatever power she wields to advance only the cause of her country. Her actions right now prove it. She’d see the world burn before allowing it to defy her.”

Dmitri’s views on the dueling prophets relieved Nathan.

Because to protect Trafaumh, he’d need Fyre to be backed far and wide. A grand war between the great human powers loomed in the coming days and weeks. Falmir invaded Trafaumh during a crisis, and that meant the Empire would need to intervene. Nathan couldn’t allow Trafaumh to fall.

They arrived on the rooftop again and Nathan stepped out of the elevator. Dmitri nodded at him.

“I’ll leave you to it,” the councilor said. “But bring your prophet to see the Council soon. We told Falmir the same thing when they visited earlier this year.”

This year, huh? So little time had passed, yet so much happened. Both the Spires and the Empire had nearly fallen to rebellion last year, yet here they faced off an immense demonic invasion together. Nathan himself had only been active in this world for a little over three years.

“I’ll tell Fyre and Alice that,” he said. “Maybe once Trafaumh is stable again.”

Then he nodded at the Twins. The three of them cast a joint teleportation spell. Nathan could teleport short distances by himself, but his destination was some 300 miles away. Hardly short.

The world turned white for what felt like years, but was an instant. He and the succubi vanished from Krepost Forselle and reappeared inside the grand hall of a familiar castle. Although not one Nathan often spent much time in.

A handful of soldiers guarded the entrance to the keep, but Nathan’s attention focused on the grand double doors opposite them. Just as in the Krepost, these opened up to a demonic portal world. Multi-armed statues formed of steel surrounded it, unmoving despite the gargantuan blades they wielded. Should enemies break through, he knew those statues would spring to life to slay them.

“Nathan!” Fei called out, rushing over to him. Her cat ears and tail rose on end as she ran.

She looked as bloodstained as Nathan, and it even drew his attention from her abundant cleavage. Fei was a cat beastkin and the captain of his knight division. A trio of sapphires resided in her collarbone, marking her as a trigem Champion.

Automatically, he reached out and stroked her head once she reached him. Fei leaned into his touch.

The other soldiers ignored them, focused on their duties. They’d already seen Nathan teleport here less than an hour ago.

“How is the portal here in Waier?” he asked her. “I confirmed that the Spires should be safe and that the Messenger there isn’t too dangerous.”

Waier stood as one of the Empire’s greatest cities. Close to the Empire’s north-western border with Trafaumh, its immense population and military might made it vital.

More importantly, an ancient demonic portal sat within the binding stone on the city limits. The last time a Messenger had invaded here last year, the city had nearly fallen. While the defenders had won, Waier’s trigem Champion had been severely wounded. Nathan couldn’t risk a worse invasion shattering the city’s defenses.

“The demons haven’t invaded yet.” Fei tilted her head to try to encourage Nathan to stroke a different part of her head. “The defenses seem really strong here and Janice is a trigem. Do we really need to be here? Shouldn’t we worry about the other fortresses being struck by the cascade?”

“Yes, but that’s why I’ve split everyone up. Vala is defending Straub, Nurevia is assisting one of Archduke Milgar’s Bastions, and Seraph is assisting Alice and Reine with troop deployments.”

“Yeah, kitty, trust in Nathan. Just like you do every night he rails you,” Maura said.

Fei shot the succubus an annoyed look, but chose to ignore her. “They still seem to have everything locked down here. There’s even an elite troop of knights, although they’re not as good as mine or the palace’s Royal Knights.”

“I imagine they’re Otto’s ducal guard,” Nathan mused. “Milgar has his own knights. Keep an eye on them. Their strength will be a good estimate for the elites in Falmir and Trafaumh. Not everyone can afford to train up a small army of spellblades like the Imperial Family did.”

Fei nodded before turning to enter the portal. When she noticed Nathan wasn’t following, she doubled back.

“Nathan?” she asked softly.

He waved off her concern and ran a hand through his hair. “Just tired.”

More than that, his mind raced to ensure he hadn’t forgotten anything. Everything had gone to hell.

Hours ago, he’d fought against one of the worst demonic invasions he’d ever encountered. Although it wasn’t quite accurate to call it demonic. Undead, perhaps. A new breed of Messenger had nearly defeated him and seriously wounded two of his best Champions. The identity of that Messenger still troubled him, but he didn’t have the mental or emotional capacity to spare her any thoughts.

Kadria and the Twins called them “elite” Messengers. Nathan had spent his life battling off the demonic generals that tried to destroy Doumahr. Now he’d found out that they were the B-team, and the incomprehensible outer being in charge of the Messengers had a specialized team of cleaners. Hell, he even had a friend who sent in his own Messengers.

In order to prevent that elite from escaping, he’d forcefully closed the portal and triggered one of the worst cascades in history. But if another of those elites showed up during the cascade and broke through, everything would be for naught.

“Fei, the knights are—” a new voice called out, that of Sunstorm’s. “Nathan, you’re back.”

Sunstorm’s olive skin shined in the magical torchlight of the hall as she strode toward him. A pair of wicked short swords gleamed on the hips of her skintight black uniform. Two onyxes and a jade sat in her collarbone.

“The firehead is here, too, right?” Laura asked. “You think if you get her here, we could squeeze in a sixsome before the battle?”

Sunstorm snorted. “You know, I’ve always wondered if Nathan literally fucked your brains out when he turned you into his servants.” A pause. “Don’t answer that.”

“Scared to find out about all the nasty things Nathan does behind your back?” Maura cackled.

“Enough,” he said, silent thunder rippling from his voice.

The Twins froze and they shot him a look that mixed both annoyance and lust. Whereas Fei and Sunstorm simply blinked.

“Huh. That’s new,” Sunstorm said.

“Not really. He’s just been holding back around you normies,” Maura said, then leered at Nathan. “Getting all emotional, Nathan? I wouldn’t worry too much about these chump Messengers. There’s no way another elite is sneaking in so quickly. The goat would have been screaming at you if one was trying.”

“You’re assuming Kadria can catch them in advance,” Nathan said. “Anyway, we don’t have time for this. The invasion could trigger at any moment. I know I said we have hours, but we’re in uncharted territory. Let’s go. I’ll be fine.”

Despite his words, Fei and Sunstorm stuck to him like glue as they entered the portal world.

The appearance of this portal matched the one near the Spires, save for its layout. A craggy wasteland, pitch black sky, and eerie white light.

But instead of a grand mountain, a vast clearing roughly the same size dominated the pocket world. A large mound of rock in the middle indicated where the portal rift itself would appear. A couple thousand feet of barren land surrounded it, with only a tiny chokepoint between the entrance to Doumahr and the clearing.

“I don’t recognize this place,” Nathan said, feeling a pit open up in his stomach.

“Oh, please, I guarantee you’ve railed this bitch,” Maura said. “She’s like Thanatos, but way weaker. Off in her own world and all about honorable battle and shit. What’s her name again, Sis?”

“Why would I remember her? She’s the definition of forgettable,” Laura replied.

Honorable battle… That stirred a memory in Nathan of a Messenger who once breached in his old world. She’d fallen easily enough once he got his hands on her, but she’d also summoned an enormous army.

Which explained the huge clearing.

Multiple layers of towering stone walls blocked off the clearing from Doumahr. He watched as countless soldiers armed and prepared the many siege weapons atop them. Catapults, ballistae, and magical fire throwers of many varieties. More of those multi-armed statues stood guard on the ground. The soldiers wore the crest of the Imperial Army, although many also wore regalia that affiliated them with Archduke von Salms, who ruled this city.

Nathan proceeded to the furthest line of walls. A whole regiment of knights decked out in magical equipment separated the two outer layers of walls. They looked imposing enough, but he trusted Fei’s judgment. If she said they seemed weaker than his knights, then they were.

Atop the wall, he found clusters of battlemages preparing ritual circles alongside the expected siege weapons. A glowing silver barrier shimmered in the air, preventing any attackers from getting close.

He spotted the two women he’d been looking for on the battlements, along with several other Champions. No sign of the Bastion.

“Lord Nathan,” one of those women said, saluting as he approached.

He recognized her as Janice, although he’d yet to meet her in person. In his youth, he’d learned all about her given her status as one of Doumahr’s few trigem Champions. She looked old, but the muscle rippling from beneath her uniform and the three sapphires in her chest reassured him.

Champions ceased to be human once they accepted a gemstone. Janice likely was old, but age would hardly slow her down.

“Ifrit doesn’t think we should be too worried,” the other woman said. She leaned on a greatsword nearly as tall as she was.

“I’ll be less worried once we stop the cascade, Sen,” Nathan said.

Like Fei and Sunstorm, Sen was one of his Champions. She was also possessed by the primordial spirit, Ifrit. Her stark white hair marked the price she paid. Until just a few hours ago, she’d still possessed streaks of brown in it. The same went for her red eyes, once green. Her body remained strong, yet the spirit exhausted the lithe frame hidden beneath her baggy red cloak. A single sapphire resided in her collarbone.

“I know. I told Ifrit you’d say that, and he just grumbled at me.” Sen smirked at him. “Anyway, I think we’re all ready.”

“In a second. I need to top everyone up,” he said. “I was focused on other things when we left Prophet’s Hope, and I realize I’ve forgotten to ensure all of your gems are full of magical energy.”

Janice and the other Champions looked away out of respect. In most cases, the act of providing magical energy to a Champion tended to be somewhat lewd.

“Done,” Nathan said.

Fei scowled. “I didn’t feel anything. Stop using that new method, Nathan. It’s so boring.”

“It’s efficient,” Sunstorm drawled.

“Is that how you are in bed, little assassin?” Maura leered.

“No, but we’re not in bed, are we?”

Maura shrugged. “I mean, the invasion hasn’t started, so there’s still time.”

Rather than order them around, Nathan simply rubbed the bridge of his nose.

But he was spared the need to admonish anyone with the sound of rushing air. Instinctively, he covered his eyes and looked away from the clearing.

The invasion had begun. The time for banter was over.

- - - - -

Commentary: Take 2 for Spellblade 6. We're starting a bit differently, with the characters a little spread out and the action coming earlier. This should hopefully ensure more of interest happens amid the early infodumping and recapping, as it was a little heavy in the original attempt.

With that said, let me know if there is stuff that's confusing or unclear.