Chapter 493 - Auri and the Thousand Lanterns

I’d been enjoying a carefree day with Auri, playing with the lanterns while privately thankful that we’d avoided another siege when the call came from Katerina.

“Sixth Legion! To arms!” She roared, the blast echoing off our walls. “Full assembly! Every last one of you, get out there, now!”

Auri and I sprang into action. I used [Rapid Reshelving] to snap my armor and all my gear on, and the rest of the Legion was scrambling to respond to Katerina’s call. Auri flew up in the air, gaining height to better dive down.

My first thought was a drill. It wouldn’t be the first time, it wouldn’t be the last.

There was something in her tone though. A tense note of fear, the call for everyone to get to arms. One way or another, for some reason, we’d been caught with our tunics down - but we weren’t ordered to man the walls of the fortress like we would if we were getting attacked. Calling us the Sixth Legion, not the Ironside Brigade, completely throwing the subterfuge out the window. The only reason Katerina, always in control, would do that is if it no longer mattered. The alarm bells weren’t ringing.

Something was very, very wrong. I was just starting to think about flashing Radiance around me to see if I was caught in an illusion when my ears clicked, a sure sign that Reed had looped me into a communication.

“Dawn, when you get the notification, immediately return.” Katerina ordered.

What was going on?

I took flight, catching up to Auri in a moment, and my heart dropped as I took in the scene.

Thousands upon thousands of burning lanterns were being released up into the sky, just like they would at a festival. Auri and I had noticed when we were making a few of our own that they seemed poorly designed. The torch was too close to the upper structure, and the lanterns would catch fire before they would burn out.

As the thousands and thousands of lanterns went up into the sky though, I realized they hadn’t been poorly constructed. They’d been made just right for the purpose - burning the city of Shuixi to the ground. The armies had encircled the city, and the lanterns were drifting with unnatural speed towards the tinder walls of Shuixi.

The combination of Katerina’s call to arms, orders, and my own fucking ethics made my decision, what I had to do, abundantly clear. I was not going to let a city of hundreds of thousands of people burn alive in front of me.

Quick math suggested that my actions alone wouldn’t be enough. Wouldn’t be nearly enough. But I wasn’t alone. The city had to have thousands of Classers by pure numerical calculation, and half of those could probably do something about the attempted arson.

At the same time, Zhao She and Wang Jian wouldn’t be trying this sort of treachery and attack if they didn’t have confidence that it would work.

“Auri!” I shouted, springing into action. She knew what I wanted, and we shot after the lanterns at top speed. I quickly outsped Auri, snatching her in my hand like a burning ball and continuing on at high speed. Katerina’s words echoed in my mind, a [Parallel Thought] spun off trying to parse her order.

Immediately return when I got the notification? Which notification? Should I turn my army-kill notifications on and return the first time I got a kill notification?

I almost instantly got in range of the closest wave of lanterns, and a set of [Nova Lances] spun around me in all directions as I twirled, rapidly destroying a chunk of them.

“BRPT!” Auri shouted, and I flung her towards the city. [Nova Lance] had a longer range than Auri’s [Inferno Control], and keeping her with me was pointless when she could make it to the city faster, and start her own work.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Legion forming up on the field, Katerina’s [Shadow Legion] duplicating the army. We weren’t going for a small defensive formation - Katerina had the Legion spread out in a line 1-century thick by 24 long. They weren’t even fully formed when she issued the order to attack, and the Legion plowed into the unprepared side of Wang Jian’s army.

What the fuck?

I was all against war crimes, and I knew Katerina didn’t particularly like participating either, no matter how often we’d marched, sieged cities, and otherwise peripherally participated, but stabbing our now-former allies in the back like this in a surprise attack seemed to be a bit much for Katerina.

My respect for her skyrocketed. Seeing a crime beyond the pale for even her, she didn’t hem and haw and refuse to act, or pull back and say ‘nothing we could do’. No, outnumbered at least 10:1, and possibly more, she was saying ‘this is not alright’ and doing everything in her power to change it.

My interpretation could be off.

The odds were so dramatically against us I didn’t want to think of likely outcomes. Both Wang Jian and Zhao She were lifers, having grown up on warfare. Katerina was snapping at their heels level-wise, and had at least a few decades on them, but I’d bet they had a better class quality.

A similar story went for most of the troops. With only a small degree of patriotism coloring my glasses, I believed that Exterreri professionals were just as good as the elite [Honor Guards] each general had.

But they had almost as many [Honor Guards] as we had in the entire Legion, and that was before the tens of thousands of less-elite soldiers in their armies.

In short, we had a great position, the element of surprise, and slightly immodestly, the Eventide Eclipse, but I didn’t have to be a scholar of warfare to know we were a little doomed.

It was now or never. I had a few extra cards hidden up my sleeves - literally. The Sixth was still forming up, but I could buy them some time.

I teleported out Queen’s Ooze card from where I’d kept it inside [Loremaster’s Library], and hesitated, searching for the best spot. I wasn’t quite clear on the range of the effect…

I spotted a concentration of Han soldiers rallying around one of their 5,000-man commanders, far from the Legion’s line but close enough to be their first serious challenge. I primed the card and flicked my wrist, sending it spinning through the air.

I went back to scything through the thousands of floating lanterns like wildfire through dry paper, getting serious work done even as the decidedly not deadly card spun through the air, the skill still potent enough to potentially turn the tide of the entire engagement.

The card landed and unleashed hell. Thousands upon thousands of thick, sticky strands as wide as my wrist unraveled from the card the moment it impacted. Each one sprung out in a different direction, and the moment it hit a target, dullahan, ground, or otherwise, the strands ‘stuck’ to them, the unfurled, each one going in another direct, springing forth like the spiderweb from hell. The further from the center it went, the thinner the strands were, but Queen knew her stuff. Even as thin as a hair, the strands were a gigantic pain in the ass - sometimes literally.

In moments thousands of troops were stuck together, strands grabbing helmets and hands, arms and legs, chests and backs, and tying them all together. The Ooze rapidly hardened, but stayed flexible enough to bend when tested, making it even hard to try to chop and break. It let people move around a little, but not much, and the strands that hit the ground ‘anchored’ the entire formation.

Good. The entire section of the army was out of the fight, and my only regret was how thin the Han line was. If they were thicker, if they weren’t trying so hard to encircle Shuixi, I would’ve caught significantly more. As-is, the Legion would have significantly more time to find their feet, get in formation, and fight the Han.

I was about a tenth of the way around the circle when an inky tiger snarled and pounced at me, deadly claws slashing at my head.

I twisted and dodged, Wang Jian himself flying after me with wings made out of paper, dozens upon dozens of talismans trailing after him. Reams of paper were slapping themselves onto his body, forming another layer of armor, while ink wrote out inscriptions, faintly glowing before disappearing as he buffed himself. His mouth started to move, but I ignored him, not caring what he had to say. I doubled back, knowing I’d have to cross over a number of paper lanterns that were already burned, but I’d get more done than trying to fight Wang Jian.

I did activate my own buffs though, the rarely-used runes on my bones boosting my physical capabilities. I was stronger, faster, and tougher. Not a ton, but every little bit counted.

The first lanterns, sped along by supernatural Wind, touched down in the city. Most were quickly extinguished, but even from my poor, obfuscated angle, I could see some fires started to catch and spread.

Wang Jian’s paper snapped into position to the side as a familiar frost arrow went for his head.

Iona! She was here, she was helping!

The arrow punctured through a few layers before stopping, but Iona’s best trick with her archery was never her piercing power. Dozens more arrows shot towards Wang Jian from all sorts of strange angles, her [Trick Shot] combined with the rapid fire rate of a shortbow forcing the general to react, spend time and resources combating her.

It wasn’t their first clash, and hopefully would be their last.

His talismans rearranged themselves, and a dark beam of disintegration carved through my chest. I ignored it and flew on, my magic healing my body as quickly as it was destroyed. Wang Jian rearranged his talismans, and blinding chains of Brilliance shot out at the speed of light, trying to shackle and control me.

Fuck my low strength. Normally I could just pull against the bindings, playing physical abilities against mana pool, and drain Wang Jian down. I was on a clock.

I had dozens of options, but speed and low mana cost were my prime directives. [Blink] would get me out at the cost of a huge chunk of mana; mana that I needed for the citizens of Shuixi.

I could fight Wang Jian, but I’d seen enough of him throughout the years to know he was slippery and well-protected. I couldn’t easily [Nova Lance] him like I’d done to Meng Ao, he was wearing a helmet of paper, ink writing out more enchantments as I watched.

No, my goal was to save lives, and right now, minimizing the number of lanterns that landed on Shuixi was key.

I tried to keep my bag of wizardry tricks endless. It didn’t always work, but dispel was always useful. Wizardry against wizardry, I was confident in my stats, mana, and ability to outlast Wang Jian.

I snapped out a book, knowing I’d just revealed I had Spatial magic and confirming a third class, but I knew the [Great General] was no idiot. Ever since I’d deflected Meng Ao’s strike over three years ago, it was clear that I was stronger than I looked, that I was hiding secrets.

I dispelled the chains, shot off towards the still-flying lanterns, and the race was on.

The dragoneye moons were full in the sky, watching our every move.

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Interlude - Iona

Iona had relaxed when Shuixi had surrendered to the Wei forces. A city being pillaged was the single worst scenario she could think of for herself, Nina, and Fenrir, as invading armies didn’t tend to be gentle to the resisting city.

Needing to step into the city, take a stand, and tell what was effectively three armies ‘no’ could only result in her death. A noble death, one she knew she was fated for one day, but it was too early. Iona was too young, Nina wasn’t ready yet, and the Valkyrie knew she could do more, be more, by staying alive.

She had a conflicted relationship with the Sixth Legion Elaine was part of. On one hand, they were the model of an upstanding army. On the other, even a great army was fine with others casually committing atrocities. With participating in them. Being the muscle that besieged cities of civilians. Requiring food and pay from their host army, which in turn took it from people. Shielding and sheltering those that committed the worst crimes.

That was on the big level. The Legion also fucked up on the small level, and Iona had needed to break a few Ironside Brigade helmets here and there.

All in all, not a fan. She did recognize that they had a certain stabilizing presence, and when they needed to march and throw their weight around, they did it far more politely than the native Han, who had to live there after. Iona’s degree of needed intervention was orders of magnitude lower than on anyone else.

The siege had been a deep moral dilemma for Iona, and in the end she’d made a difficult decision to show herself and Fenrir circling over the Sixth Legion in full view of Shuixi. The subsequent surrender and negotiations let Iona be at peace with her decision.

She’d protected the meek against the strong. Not in the usual way, and not in her favorite way - they’d still needed to bend their neck and pay tribute - but damage had been mitigated.

Something about the whole situation didn’t quite sit right with Iona. She knew people. She knew wargames and strategy. She knew the culture and most of the personalities involved.

The trio were relaxing after the siege, Nina scrubbing every inch of Fenrir’s body with a large brush. The wyvern developed flakey spots on his scales after wearing his armor too long, and one of Nina’s jobs was to brush the flakes off before they could develop into a worse sore spot. Iona paced back and forth, eyebrows furrowed in thought, occasionally glancing back at the two.

A moment of peace, versus her paranoia.

What do I do? She asked her goddesses.

“What you believe is right.” Lunaris responded.

“You’re the Valkyrie, not us!” Selene added in.

Iona eyed Nina, getting a moment in the sun like a teenager should. Laughing as Fenrir hiccuped Lightning, then sliding down his tail like a ramp.

Iona shook her head and walked over to the two, picking up a pick.

“Alright you big lug.” She patted the side of Fenrir’s head. “Open up and let me see what you’ve got stuck in there. I want to be in the air tonight.”

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The call was a good one, and Iona’s heart leapt into her throat as thousands of lanterns lifted up into the sky, the pieces falling into place. She immediately zoomed in on the Sixth, and what they were doing.

To her eternal delight, her lover’s Legion was doing the right thing. They had far too much tolerance for senseless slaughter, but even this was a bridge too far for them, the Legion promptly turning around and backstabbing the Han armies employing them.

They were beautifully positioned as well. The Han armies were spread out in a long, thin line, and the Legion was hitting them from the narrow side, chewing them up and spitting out bodies. The fight was impossible to win - even with the fantastic position, the Han had the home field advantage and outnumbered the Sixth Legion too hard.

Iona had nothing but respect for warriors and soldiers who saw an impossible fight against overwhelming odds, spit in their face, and said ‘fine, let’s do this.’ She was reminded of Wobby Pass and the overwhelming goblin horde that had cripplied Order Valkyrie, the event that had forged her into the Valkyrie she was today.

Everything was aligned, everything was perfect. Her love who held her heart and her [Vow] were in glorious harmony, and while the Sixth Legion was doomed against the overwhelming odds, well.

That’s what a Valkyrie was for.

[Frost Wyvern’s Fang] summoned a bow and arrows to her hands.

“Nina, you’re the eyes in the back of my head.” She told her [Squire], who wrapped her arms around Iona’s waist tightly, to better hold on with all of Fenrir’s potential aerial maneuvers.

The wyvernrider pressed her knees into Fenrir’s neck, the bond of trust and experience between the two of them communicating her will to the army-killer.

With Ice and Lightning, in a swirl of vicious snow, death descended.

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Interlude - Auri

The lanterns had started off pretty. The perfect display of fire, glorious lights shining in the darkness for all to see and admire.

The crackle of flame, the herbal scent of the burning oil, a balm to the soul.

So why!?

Why did they have to pervert it!?

Why did they have to make it mean?!

Why did they have to hurt others with it?

Why did they have to hurt me with it?

Why did I hurt?

Why were the bad tears here?

Fire was good!

Fire was the best!

I was the lady of flames! Mistress of the inferno! I’d studied every type of fire I could! I’d stolen divine flames from the goddesses!

But this fire… this fire was wrong.

The thousands of burning lanterns jumping into the sky were beautiful.

Glorious!

A view for thousands and thousands to see, know, and appreciate all that was fire.

Yesss, the lanterns were the epitome of beauty.

But then…

But then I saw what they were doing.

Where the lanterns were going.

And my heart broke.

No! It was wrong!

I thought the city was a great big pile of kindling when I first saw it.

I thought it might be fun to see it burn.

I thought I knew what I wanted.

When the moment came, when the lanterns went up, I knew.

This fire was wrong.

The fire was bad.

The flames themselves were perfect, but their use… no.

My heart cried out at it, and I instinctively knew, from the tip of my beak to the end of my tail, to put the fire out.

That this was one blaze that shouldn’t burn.

I put aside my thoughts and feelings for the moment, hitting the city at all the speed 79,658 zippiness could provide. I would think on them more later!

Yes! With Elaine!

She wasn’t a bird brain, but she was smart!

She would know why I was sad.

Already the flames were roaring, an all-consuming beast bent on devouring Shuixi. They flared higher when I came in, coming up to greet their lady.

WATER!!! I cursed my most vicious obscenity to myself.

[Domain of Fire] was on!

I flew, and the flames bowed to me. Extinguished to my will.

The city was big. Far too big.

The flames closed in behind me.

Stupid fire! Disobedient fire!

I knew why. I’d removed the flames, not the heat or air. The holy fire triangle still existed.

All around me, people burned alive.

They crushed themselves against the barricade, the press of bodies stopping them from being able to remove it.

They threw themselves out of windows. I tried to catch them! I did!

Too many.

They trampled each other rushing to the river.

The water… the water… the water was go… the water was good. Safe! Protecting!

Here, tonight, the water was… good. People running to it! Hauling buckets! Throwing it on the fire!

Someone throwing water like a ball!

Go… water?

This.

Fire.

Was.

Wrong.

How did I fix it? How did I make it right?

Elaine! Yay!

Elaine was here!

Elaine would make it all better!

Elaine…

Elaine couldn’t make it all better.

She cried as well.

The water today was good. The tears weren’t bad.

I wasn’t crying.

Nope.

But Elaine… Elaine was trying, and couldn’t fix it all.

I saw.

I saw with my little eyes.

I knew Elaine’s skills.

Sometimes… sometimes her skill was keeping burning people alive longer.

Sometimes it was good. I could reach them in time, yes! I could get rid of their flames!

Sometimes… I turned my beak away. Sometimes I couldn’t watch.

Fire… sometimes, fire was the bad one.

A cloud zipped across the sky, pitch black and rumbling.

Rain?

It stopped over the city, and the clouds parted, revealing a kun-peng.

Fish? Bird? Bit of both! Size of two whales.

[*ding!* You are in the presence of Guardian Teruo, The Pure]

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I didn't mean to throw you all off a cliff this large before admin week. Sorry!