Cataclysm War | Chapter 88: So It Begins (First Draft)

Friday, August 12, 4 S.E.

Leonidas awoke to the sound of bells ringing throughout the City, snapping to alertness at the same time as his wife. Consciousness returned rapidly, and he glanced at Aylar, whose azure eyes met his with an echo of trepidation, but more prominently, calm determination.

“It’s time,” she said simply, reaching over to grip his face and kiss him firmly for a long, precious few seconds.

“Don’t die,” Aylar commanded, smiling at him with tension, and then throwing back the covers to rise from the bed with a momentarily distracting view of her unfolding body, and then strode for the wardrobe without wasting a moment. Leonidas blinked once to reorient his focus and then rose himself, thankful they’d both had the foresight to take a shower before falling asleep, and pulled on the clothes he’d left near his bedside just in case.

A shirt, underwear, and a pair of secure leggings later, Leonidas walked toward the doors and glanced over to make sure Aylar was decent before pulling open the doors.

“{Your Majesty!}” Leona greeted him, snapping into a crisp salute.

“{Status?}” Leonidas asked without delay, eyeing the Haelfar and the coiled readiness of the Royal Guards outside.

“{Three forces are attacking the city,}” the Lance-Master said immediately as Aylar joined them, finishing up buttoning the white blouse tucked into her practical dark jeans. “{Initial reports ascertained that two forces are Svartfenn, and the third is entirely comprised of Terrans.}”

“{Targets?}” Leonidas asked while his Tempered mind processed the information.

“{The Terrans are attacking the main gate, which is being defended by the Army. The Aegis is protecting the Moonrise and Sunrise Gates, which appear to be the Svartfenn targets. The Dawn-Lord and Dusk-Lord are already en route to their Quarters. The Duke made it clear he’s leaving the Prosperity Gate to you.}”

Leonidas nodded at the logic and glanced at his wife, who met his gaze with calm determination, before turning back to Leona. “{Where are the Legion-Masters?}”

“{The War Room, Sire,}” Leona responded immediately.

“{Take the Queen there and coordinate the defenses from the War Room. I will be going to the main gate.}”

“{You need an escort to—}”

“{Have them meet me there,}” Leonidas said flatly, and turned toward the balcony. “{This is war, Leona. The Royal Guard will have to learn that I am an Archon as well as a King. I have no time for pageantry. I will be at the Main Gate.}”

Leonidas paused when Aylar’s hand gripped his bicep and blinked down at her.

“{Save it for emergencies,}” she said to him fiercely, her blue eyes unwavering. “{Promise me.}”

Leonidas hesitated and then finally smiled.

“{Promise,}” he agreed, before bending to grip her face, kiss her firmly, and then step away, leaving her blushing and smiling at the same time. “{Send Synthra, Bardulf, and Parnym to meet me at the gate—and stay in the damn Palace, Aylar. We need one of us here to give orders.}”

“{You’re the one who knows War!}” the Queen shot back, though her tone was less argumentative and more bemused.

“{I’m also the strongest of the two of us,}” he said shamelessly to the Swordmaiden. “{Listen to the Legion-Masters and coordinate the defenses. Muster the Shield Hosts and task the Residential force to search for infiltrators within the city. Use the other two to reinforce the Moonrise and Sunrise gates. Sieges are about attrition more than anything else. The Aegis won’t last long without those reinforcements.}”

Leonidas catalyzed his [Archon’s Warplate] and [Archon’s Psiblade] after he spoke, and made for the balcony, invoking his [Manastorm Pinions] when he reached it and threw open the doors.

“{If the Moonrise and Sunrise Gates cannot hold, we have already lost. Give Ceruviel and Uriel whatever support they need,}” he called over his shoulder, the memory of dozens of battles flooding through his enhanced mind, and processed rapidly by his upgraded Intelligence. “{I will handle the Prosperity Gate. Leona, leave two Lances of the Royal Guard in the Palace, and send the rest to reinforce the Gates, as evenly as you can. If I hear of one extra held back out of some idiotic adherence to protocol, I swear to the Divines I will unleash Ceruviel on every last one of you.}”

The Lance-Master saluted, and Leonidas turned as his armor manifested, gripping his sword in his hand and stepping onto the balcony’s balustrade.

So it begins, he thought to himself grimly, and launched off the balcony with his wings to bear him aloft. But this is not how Dawnhaven ends.

*

Aylar watched her husband dive off the balcony with his [Manastorm Pinions] at full extension and turned back to Leona, meeting her Lance-Master’s eyes as Leonidas departed.

“{He seems confident,}” Leona said, the tension in her voice only slightly eased by humor. “{Like this is just another day for him. There are secrets there, I wager.}”

Aylar couldn’t help but smile faintly.

“{The King has many secrets, Leona. You only need to know that they are to our benefit. Now, I am going to the War Room. Please have someone bring my armor. I only have my weapons in my storage.}”

The Lance-Master nodded, and Aylar swept from the room, adjusting her blouse as she strode intently through the Palace corridors. She’d thankfully had time to wear a brassiere, but the entire sequence had been rushed, and she quietly adjusted it to avoid embarrassing chafing as she marched down the hallways.

Three gates, three leaders. Uriel and Ceruviel will meet little to challenge them in the main, but we cannot ignore the chance of unexpected surprises. Leonidas going to the Prosperity Gate makes sense; the Terrans won’t be able to truly challenge him—not like the Svartfenn. We have to assume that they at least have Ascendants. If they have Venerates…

She swallowed a shudder at the thought and worked to keep the worry off her features, walking with purpose but not running. Panic, even perceived, could ripple across ranks, and she needed to present as strong a front as possible. The City was under attack, but they were prepared—thanks to Leonidas and his insistence on readiness. It was an advantage their enemies likely hadn’t expected, but it wasn’t battle-winning.

Armored footsteps pounded down the corridor past her, and Aylar watched three Contenders from the Royal Guard all-but-soaring past her, racing to fulfill orders they’d no doubt been given by Leona, who was hanging back just slightly to coordinate her Lance. Leonidas had been right to dispatch the gilded warriors to the various battlefronts: it would give sorely-needed morale and reinforcement to those defending the three gates.

Aylar’s focus and determination carried her forward down two flights of stairs and across the mass of the Palace until she reached the war room, nodding to the salutes of the Royal Guard outside of it and striding into the chamber without ceremony.

“{The King has taken to the field,}” she said without preamble as she entered, affixing her gaze onto the Legion-Masters and their attendants standing around the map table—including a flustered-looking Baron Cartellis. “{I am apprised of the overall situation, but further information would be most welcome,}” she finished as she strode toward the table, and received the salutes from the assembled leaders.

“{The King’s caution has aided us greatly, Your Majesty,}” Legion-Master Colquen said without preamble, while Legion-Master Endymion nodded in agreement. “{We were able to meet the enemy attack forewarned and ready. It has immediately mitigated the most disastrous possibilities.}”

“{But not removed them,}” Legion-Master Endymion added, gesturing to five siege towers represented by figurines outside the Prosperity Gate. “{The humans number somewhere between twelve and fifteen thousand, but they are using a perplexing mix of forces not seen since before Altera was integrated. Their approach to prosecuting war relies more on conventional tactics than on System-aligned ones, which helps us immensely.}”

Aylar nodded as she joined them and braced her hands on the table, sweeping her eyes over the situation quickly.

“{The King has commanded the Prosperity, Sunrise, and Moonrise Shield-Hosts to reinforce their gates, while the Residential Shield-Host sweeps for infiltrators within the City,}” she informed them without preamble, and tried to still her racing heart. “{He’s gone to take command of the Prosperity Gate directly, while the Dawn-Lord and Dusk-Lord manage their own.}”

The Legion-Masters nodded, and one of their aides retrieved a golden cylinder from the table, picking it up to speak into it as runes lit up along its length.

A sending rod. Of course, they’d have it here. Thank the Divines.

“{Those orders align with our thoughts,}” Legion-Master Colquen said, pointing to various locations within the City. “{We can be reasonably confident in the Venerates to hold the gates, but the reinforcement of the Shield-Hosts will be of great aid to them.}”

“{The Royal Guard is also being deployed,}” Aylar added, pointing at the Gates. “{Leonidas wants them to reinforce each gate and leave two Lances to defend the Palace.}”

Colquen raised his eyebrow, and Endymion smiled wryly.

“{I assumed he would,}” the second Legion-Master said after his smile. “{But I couldn’t be certain. The King doesn’t seem to be too worried about deep penetration.}”

Aylar ignored the thoughts that inspired and fought down her memories of the previous night as she nodded in agreement.

“{I am no veteran, my lords. I will greatly welcome your advice.}”

The pair of Legion-Masters bowed their heads in acceptance, and Colquen spoke once more.

“{Right now, it is a matter of move and counter-move. If the Gates hold and if the enemy cannot press deeper into the City, it becomes a pure matter of attrition. The City is well-equipped for this and will benefit from the presence of the Adventurers’ Guild. I believe they’re already helping defend the Prosperity Gate.}”

“{It comes down to timing, Your Majesty,}” Endymion added on afterward, gesturing to the map in an all-encompassing manner. “{Marquis Colquen and I are both Ascendants. If needs must, we’ll go to reinforce any failing lines, but our thoughts lean toward breaking the Terran force first,}” he explained calmly.

The First Legion-Master nodded and continued thereafter.

“{If we can do that, we can use the Prosperity Gate to flank the Svartfenn, or reinforce the Sunrise and Moonrise gates and push them back with numbers and force of arms,}” Colquen elaborated simply. “{The Shield-Hosts have less than a dozen Contenders among them, and are relying on sheer force of numbers to make the difference. If they succeed, it will greatly ameliorate the immediate danger.}”

“{And if they fail?}” Aylar asked more calmly than she felt.

The Legion-Masters exchanged glances and then turned back to her.

“{If they fail, Your Majesty,}” Colquen said grimly, “{it becomes complicated.}”

*

Xarina sprinted through the Peackcok District as the bells rang, gritting her teeth in fury. Yvrain had attacked without warning. The Matriarch had been a Night Sister; misdirection was ingrained in her, and now the Starhold was launching itself into the jaws of disaster. Even if they brought ten Ascendants to deal with the Venerates, as Xarina had no doubt they would plot to do, they had no idea what was waiting for them.

The number of Contenders, Elites, and Ascendants within Dawnhaven was absurd. Six Ascendants, sixty Elites, and over six hundred Contenders—more than enough to tip the tide firmly in the Haelfenn's favor, especially during a defensive siege. They were coming in believing themselves ready to face what lurked within the city, and wholly ignorant of the sheer power that the lightlanders had amassed.

Xarina had thought the City weak herself, but time and insight had proven that assertion woefully ignorant. These were not Talrinar’s soft lightlanders—these Alterans were war fanatics. The more she’d learned of their so-called ‘codices of honor’, the more insane the entire lot of them had appeared. They worshipped war like a religion and honor as its gospel.

And then there’s the Cataclysm, whose appearance will turn this entire thing on its head.

She’d seen him soaring overhead, surging toward the Prosperity Quarter on wings of red-and-purple lightning, and had very nearly had a heart-attack. Thunder growled where he flew, and the air around him seemed to tear apart from the force of his presence, leaving reality hewn apart in a way only her [Starshadow Core] could usually do. The man was a living calamity, and her people had no idea what they were potentially unleashing.

The Experience he gains from this battle will immensely accelerate his growth. This is an unmitigated disaster for the entire Planet!

Xarina glanced movement ahead with a flash of gold and slammed herself into an alley, folding her body against a building and invoking her [Stealth] as two Lances of the Royal Guard surged past her, their footsteps thundering on the manastone as they raced toward the Prosperity Gate without a backward glance.

So even the Royal Guard is being deployed. These lightlanders—no, these Alterans aren’t taking any chances.

She needed to reach the Cataclysm, to convince him to reveal himself to her people before this went beyond control. The City was already crawling with patrols and panicked citizens, especially in the Residential District. She’d already had to show her Adventurers’ Guild badge twice just to be left alone. As a result, she’d realized that the only way the Starhold would get out of this mess was if they took the path of least resistance—and that meant going against every instinct she had and helping the Cataclysm claim victory through presence.

If he revealed himself to the Starhold’s forces, the attack would fracture. Many of them would surrender immediately or pledge themselves to him out of doctrinal terror, but it was the lesser evil.

It was better than her people being devastated to the point of inevitable subsumption by a force they had no true chance of defeating. Venerates were a known quantity on Talrinar, but not like the two she’d met. Ceruviel Latherian and Uriel Aventus were not ‘regular’ Venerates. There was something dangerous about them, something that warned her instincts that they would be far less vulnerable to the usual means of suppressing others of their rank.

When she’d learned they had both Tribulated, that warning had been given teeth in her mind.

Two Tribulated Venerates, a Cataclysm, and the Adventurers’ Guild. This City came prepared to build an Empire, and now they’ve found their keystone. If the Archon-King dies here, that might be for the better, but then the City will be hellbent on vengeance—a vengeance I do not know if the Starhold can survive.

Damn Yvrain and her ambitions! The Matriarch was too deeply rooted in Nightlander dogma. She should have known better. This attack was riven with all the hallmarks of a power play. The woman was trying to solidify her influence among the Matriarchs in a bid to become Empress. She could see it as clear as the hateful sunlight washing over the City.

The Cataclysm is my only option; I have to reach him.

She stepped out to resume her movement and then halted, blinking at spying a pair of young Terrans winding their way through the streets of the Residential District determinedly. One of them was a tall adolescent in dark armor, and the other an auburn-haired girl in flowing white robes, parted for battle flexibility.

What are they doing?

“...isn’t a good idea, John! They told us to—”

“I don’t care!” the armored boy said, trying to sound brave as the fear leaked out of his voice and he marched determinedly with a longsword in his right hand. “Ace is fighting at the front gate! We have to help him, Sonny. We owe him our lives!”

“We aren’t even Tempered, John!” the girl protested, though she didn’t stop following him, while gripping a gilded white staff in her hands.

“Ace wasn’t tempered when he fought the Hydra, Sonny, and he’s King now!” the boy insisted. “If we don’t show some courage, we’ll keep getting left behind!”

Xarina’s eyes narrowed at those words, and her mind raced with consideration. The pair evidently knew the Cataclysm, but they didn’t appear to be related to him. Friends, perhaps? Wards? It was unclear to her. She could follow them, perhaps, and find him more easily through them. It was as good a plan as any, especially when reaching him through conventional means might prove impossible.

Thank Nocturne and let it be so, she decided silently and set off after the pair in shadowed [Stealth].