Chapter 31

“So where will you build your temple, then?” I asked Danivra as we slowly made our way down to meet Joel.

“You need to ask?” She replied with a ferocious expression. “Where else but Far Reach?”

I shrugged. “Thought you might have chosen Helvien if I’m honest.”

“Far Reach is my home. It is the place where I died and the place I was reborn.” She drew herself up, proud and powerful and more than a little terrifying. “It is the place where the Dokalfar race was saved, and my temple will honor that.”

I offered a wry grin. “Powerful place then, huh? Because it’s the place I died and was reborn. Hell, Sania was actually born there!”

“Indeed. And I can’t wait to add my temple to the growing number we have there. I will hand the care of my Sphere over to Joel until we end this.”

“That’s a big move, Dani. Are you sure?”

“I will have no time to devote to it and in my opinion he is the most competent person to take on the responsibility. He is a diligent warden and his work ethic to not only to better Far Reach, but to understand the nature of the Sphere is clear for all to see.”

“Hell, I can’t disagree. But please don’t let him know that. His head’s already big enough that his neck can hardly support the weight.”

She smirked. “I have not found that to be the case, but I will take your word for it.”

I was about to respond when Peace came zipping down from the transport tower and began shouting frantically.

“Clive! Hakan is on Falritas, and he’s brought a vast army with him.”

My selfish side reacted first, and my thoughts went immediately to Sania’s safety. I checked her bond and found it was still active and strong. I might not have been able to communicate with her, but that was enough to know she was okay. It was also enough to prove to me at least, that I wasn’t fit to be true leader.

I squashed the thought and responded. “I’m coming. Have they breached any of our defenses yet?”

“No. There’s been no attack on the Sphere at all, but they’re clearly gearing up to attack in force. I need to go back now. I only came to warn you as you’re impossible to reach in here without coming.”

“We are,” I spat bitterly before being stuck with an epiphany. Toukal was inside our Sphere now, which meant we didn’t technically need the Distortion field active to protect it. Obviously if Hakan broke through it would provide a solid fall back, but if that happened, we’d probably be royally screwed anyway.

“Aly! Drop the distortion field around Toukal. It’s time.”

While Aly did as I asked, Danivra gasped, and Peace made a choking sound at my decision. I ignored them to use Spirit Sight and get eyes on his army. It was useless. Somehow, he’d managed to block me, which meant I’d have to go to the border in person if I wanted to see what he was up to. The good news my connection to Sania was back.

“Sania, do you know about Hakan?”

“Yes. Devotion told me. So far his presence seems only to be effecting the north of Holse. We are in the far south. We have Jurien’s scent Clive. We should catch up with him soon.”

“That’s good to hear. Let me know the moment you do before I have to eat humble pie.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Nothing. That’s a tomorrow problem. Just find him. Speak soon.”

As our conversation finished I met Peaces anxious stare. “I’m going to go and speak to Joel and then I’ll be back. A few minutes should do.”

I sensed relief from her, despite her face remaining impassive. We parted company and I continued down to the underground portal room.

Joel was already there with a group of Guardians as we arrived. “You dropped it! What the fuck Clive?”

“Hakan’s on Falritas  mate. Sounds like he means business and I can’t be blind from the others when I’m in here.”

“Well from what I’ve just learned, this will make things a lot easier on our side. Having free access to Toukal should help our defense a ton. Just be ready to throw up the barrier again, should they breach our sphere. And I mean immediately.”

I nodded. “Will do. In fact… Aly?”

Yes Clive?

“You good with bringing the Distortion Field back online immediately if our Sphere falls?”

I will see it done, Clive.

“Good enough for me. In that case, it’s time to go see what this dickhead’s up to. You ready Joel?”

“I’ll be ready,” he replied with firm assurance. His jaw set, his eyes on fire. “But I have my own things to do to make sure the Sphere is as strong as it can be. Trust me, you want me busy here and in Far Reach. I promise you that I’ll die before he gets through it.”

His words shook me out of my nodding agreement. “No. No dying. You get your ass here if the Sphere fails. You’re too important to lose if were to have any chance.”

Joel didn’t look nearly as convinced as he offered an appeasing nod. I could see it in his eyes. He’d go down with the ship if it came to it.”

There wasn’t much I could do about that, so I put my hand out/ He gripped it in his builders grip and shook firmly. “We’ve got this, Clive. Together we can do this.”

It was the first time anyone other than Sania had said we, and I felt like they truly meant it. Everyone else put the entire weight of the universe on my damn shoulders despite my protests that they shouldn’t.

“Thanks, Joel. I needed that. See you soon mate.”

Danivra cleared her throat to speak. “How long do you think it will take me to raise a temple and activate my Sphere Joel?”

He shrugged. “Not sure now’s the time, but it all depends on what you want to do with it really. Can you even…” his eyes widened. “What Level are you? I can’t see it anymore.”

“1000,” she replied proudly. “I wish to erect my temple and Sphere as quickly as possible to help our cause. I also wish to hand its management over to you in its entirety until the threat we’re facing has been defeated.”

“What? Me manage your Sphere…”

“There is no one else and you are the perfect choice. How long will it take?”

“Minutes,” Aranel, the Stone Guardian said. “Build the temple and pass over management to Joel, then do as you need to do. He can take it all from there.”

Danivra nodded and turned to me. “Then that is what I will do. Lord Clive, I will catch up with you as soon as is possible.”

I had to agree it was a solid plan. We certainly needed more Sphere in our lives. Joel had already moved on from our conversation, setting other wheels in motion as he turned back to the watching Guardians. “Any help from you guys on the alterations would be appreciated if you can spend a few hours away from here?”

“We’ll come,” A stocky, brown armored Earth Guardian said, indicating the two browns either side of him.”

“As shall we, a Nature Guardian added. I desperately want to see more of this Sentient forest you have nurtured.”

While other guardians responded, I focused on Destruction’s position on the Akomoka - Vemerak border. As fascinating as all this was, I had work to do.

She hovered high above the land, glaring into the enemies land with Rakle, Kraeyuk and Natom alongside her. Natom was the first to notice me and speak.

“So you decided to show up then? About time!”

“I was leveling Danivra,” I said with a touch of malice. “Now she’s at level 1000 she can add her Sphere to ours.”

“You what!” he half screeched. “I thought you were spreading the flavor! That’s picking favorites, Clive.”

“I understand why you did it,” Destruction said. “And if not for Hakan’s sudden arrival I’d have agreed with the decision. But, expanding the Sphere is worthless until we can get Vemerak and Holse under our control and that’s not looking likely. Can you feel the power coming off them,” she said with a subtle nod to the dark shadow of massing troops a few dozen mile west.

I got my first proper look as she gestured. Dark creatures, demon-like in appearance, but like no demons we’d seen before.”

“What the hell are they?” I asked, taking note of their power signatures. They each had Seven Neumas and they were all strong in void which was worrying in itself.

“We don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like them before,” Destruction replied quietly.

“Nor me,” Hakan replied, then added in with an off kilter laugh, “But they’ll still die like anything else!”

“Let’s find out,” I muttered, before activating my time dilation and shooting forward at top speed. The moment I broke through the barrier preventing our Sphere Growth I built a Taste the Difference Spicy Ball with lashings of Gravity and unleased it on the column of roiling darkness. I didn’t wait to see the result, repeating the attack twice more before throwing myself back beyond the safety of our Sphere.

A torrent of fathomless void attacks crashed harmlessly against the Sphere a moment later. I ignored them. Peering past the light-show to assess the damage I’d caused with my attacks. And grimaced.

I definitely took a few hundred out of the game. The only problem was that the attacks I’d unleashed should have killed thousands.

“So they die,” Destruction said eyeing me sidelong. “But not easily. That was a powerful attack you loosed, Clive. Where are these things from? Did he create them?”

I looked long and hard at the army again, and the answer came soon enough. “Even an Alo-im can’t create a core. I think these were living souls, altered beyond recognition. I don’t know how he’s done it, but it’s not like gifting MN to friends. This is a corruption of innocent lives and if I didn’t already, this would really make me hate the bastard.”

As I spoke, Mal appeared close by. Devotion, Harle, Karius and Gabriella soon followed through portals of their own. My old friend was the first to speak.

“Thought you could use some help mate. What’s the crack?”

“We don’t bloody know. Just that it’s bad. I’m glad you’re here, though. I think we’ll be needing some defensive skills by the end of the day.”

“And you’ll have it. Where’s Danivra and Sania? I thought they’d be here.”

“Danivra’s creating her temple, Sania is…” I held up a finger to pause what I was saying. “Busy. But she’ll be with us soon enough.”

Aly’s voice entered my mind. I groaned before she even spoke. I knew it wouldn’t be good. “Clive, something has passed through the Distortion Field on Talitus. I cannot make out what it is yet.”

“Like a meteor or something?”

“No. Something controlled. Something unaffected. Or should I say many something’s all of them devoid of Neuma.”

I rubbed at my face for a moment while I gathered my thoughts. “Can you speak to anyone down there to find out what it is?”

“No. There are no Administrators present on the planet’s surface and I am being blocked from sending out drones to inquire.”

“Shit, shit, double shit.” I spun on my friends. “Looks like this is a real big assault. Something’s not right on Talitus and Aly can’t get any visuals at the minute. Whatever it is came through the Distortion Field around the planet.”

“but that’s not possible,” Mal replied.

“Possible or not it’s happening.” My eyes fell on Destruction. “I need someone to go and check it out and you’re the only one strong enough to send other than me at the minute. Just a quick look and come straight back.”

I could see the fear on her face, but she nodded. “At least we know that Hakan isn’t there and that he can’t pass through Distortion fields. I’ll go.”

“We’ll come too,” Kraeyuk rumbled, but Destruction shook her head. “You are needed here, and I am just scouting.”

“That’s all we need,” I added. “Eyes on whatever’s happening.”

“You will have them.” She pulled the totem from her storage, and I heard Mal sigh at my ear.

“I might not be much use, but I’ll go too and offer what protection I can. I’m pretty good with shields now.”

She shook her head. “You will be dead weight, Mal. More a hindrance than help.”

I was impressed with Mal’s confident reply as he wagged an extended finger at her. “Not true. I might not be god level yet, but I know how to create a pretty decent shield. Better than anyone here, but Clive, I’d bet.”

With those words he threw a shield around Destruction, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the complexity he’d been able to achieve despite just using two Neumas. More impressive was that the two he’d used were the only two he had access to that Destruction didn’t, and he’d done it on the fly.

Destruction lashed at the shield. Kraeyuk and Rakle tried to help. Natom clapped his hands together with glee, and then Mal dropped the shield and spoke firmly. “I can be of use, and I can protect myself.”

Destruction pulled her two ex-Chosen back first and then smiled at Mal. “Please accept my apologies for underestimating you.” Then she activated her totem and disappeared.

Mal looked at me confused.

I offered a knowing smile. “I think she said you can go with her.”

“Ah, right!” Then disappeared himself.