Chapter 6

With Danivra in wheezing in my arms, though healing quickly under my touch, I clenched my jaw to stop my teeth from grinding in frustration as we passed through the portal.

Sania, Mal, Joel, and Destruction all stood waiting for us, relief flooding all of their expressions as they saw us.

“Thank the stars you saved her,” Sania said, coming over to check on Danivra. The Dokalfar queen smiled back. “Lord Clive has healed me, and he’s been pumping me with Ethereal Neuma. I’m already feeling better.

Getting the subtle message, I put her down gently onto her feet. I will be fine, though it appears I will be confined to this place for the foreseeable future and have no wish to face Hakan on my own ever again. I was powerless.”

I saw the brief flicker of sombre understanding as it crossed over Destruction’s face. Sania just patted her shoulder with an encouraging smile. “It makes sense. We need to protect our strongest until we’re ready and with full access to the Neuma now, we can do this. I promise.”

Danivra’s return smile wasn’t exactly convincing, but it was filled with determination. “I do hope so. If I am to sacrifice my bond and all of the powers I enjoy with it, I expect wonders.” She turned to me as she spoke the last words.”

Destruction moved closer to join us and placed a hand on her other shoulder. “I have been through what you have just suffered. I am in very much the same position in giving up my followers. We will make this work.”

The ferocity her eyes and words seemed to inject hope into all who heard apart from Joel who looked troubled.

“You okay, mate?”

“As well as I can be, but just one thing, before we all get carried away, didn’t you leave to save Natom?”

Danivra turned to face me. “Natom was attacked too?”

“He was. Hakan used him as bait to lure me to Onnekus while the bastard attached you. And yes, Joel, he’s alive. Well drained though.”

With an unnecessary flick of my wrist, I opened up my Void Storage and entered the opening to work on the shield around Natom. To my surprise, he was sitting speaking with Light and looking much fresher than when I’d last seen him.

“What happened to the containment around you?”

He turned and offered a disarming smile. “It vanished when you closed the Void Storage. A good use of the move, Clive. I’ll have to develop the skill.”

“You will. Now come on.”

“He leapt to his feet and hurried over. Once we were outside, he threw a thumb over his shoulder. “Do you intend to speak to Light?"

Caught off guard by the question I asked him to repeat himself.

“Light? When are you going to speak with her? She put forward a remarkable case of contrition and we need all the help we can get. I honestly think she would make a soul bond with you and shed her followers in order to kill Hakan."

I opened my eyes wide in surprise. “Oh? That is interesting. It’s a shame she’s such a hateful piece of fucking shit,” I spat. “She can die in there for all I care. Contrite or not.”

“You forgave me.” He replied simply. “And Destruction.”

Destruction is a demon and she’s the goddess of Destruction. She was doing what she’s supposed to be doing. Even as my enemy, she treated me with less contempt than Light. I’d also met her in the council meetings a couple of times and found she was honest and direct, and actually quite funny.”

“Honest?” Hakan replied appalled.

“Yeah. Honest. Deadly Dangerous and has no reason to lie.”

Destruction gave a toothy grin at my words while I continued. “Light, however, is supposed to be good and honest yet she’s an absolute shithouse. I’ve tried so hard to get her to listen to reason. To meet me halfway. She’s shat on me from a great height each time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she’s had her eyes open, but it’s too little too late as far as I’m concerned.”

“And she killed Sania,” Joel pointed out.

“You would never have forgiven Justice either,” Danivra added knowingly.

Natom wasn’t convinced. “Let her out to deal with Hakan and then put her back in her box for all I care, but it seems foolish to waste such a potent weapon.

“She can’t help. She’s his broken toy. Nothing more.”

He finally gave up with a shrug. “Whatever. You’re the boss of this whole thing. I might need to hang around inside the Sphere until I sharpen up my ability with dismissing attacks.”

“That’s why I was coming to get you, anyway. You all need to get to work practicing powers together. It’s the best way to learn how to dismiss each other’s attacks and defences as well as adapting your own to make them more difficult to read. I don’t know how far you’ll get with that, but I’m hopeful.”

My eyes fell on Danivra next. I wasn’t sure why I found this so hard, but it felt like I was about to cut off a limb. She caught my eyes, her face stern and serious.

“Now?”

“Now. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re an absolute powerhouse.”

“Good. And I will also continue to be your priestess for as long as is necessary.”

“I shook my head. Just be my friend and let’s do this together. Will you have agree to a Soul Mate Bond with me?”

She offered a rare grin. “I’d be honored, Lord Clive.”

“Hey! You didn’t ask me like that!” Natom protested. Everyone glared at him apart from Destruction who laughed.

“I assume you don’t need us to tell you why?” Joel said drily.

Surprisingly Natom remained silent, allowing me to focus on Danivra. A cold chill ran down my spine as I moved to rework the bond, but it was time. I thrust out the required Neuma pattern to convert it. A moment later, Danivra got the notification and accepted it without hesitation.

Congratulations:

You have forged a Soul Mate bond with Queen Danivra.

I could feel her clearly through the new bond. There was obvious fear, but alongside it, was unexpected joy.

After a moments silence to collect herself, she stepped forward and hugged me. “From the brink of death to the threshold of godhood with the finest friends and allies any one could ever hope for. Thank you, Clive. I’ve never doubted you and you’ve never let me down. Not once.”

“And I don’t intend to start now.”

She held my gaze for a moment before replying. “Nor I you. I will work relentlessly on this new skill-set.”

“We all will,” Natom grumbled.

“We will,” said Sania.

Mal who’d been very quiet so far, leaned back against one of the white marble columns finally decided to offer some input. “We should probably get to work then.”

With a nod, I gave my agreement. “Destruction, we need to go and get your people to safety and then you can join in.”

“Of course. But before we go, Joel and I have something to discuss with you.”

I eyed Joel. “Okay. I actually have something I want to talk to Joel about too. Now’s as good a time as any.”

His face scrunched up. “That doesn’t sound like a conversation I want to be a part of.”

“Probably not,” I replied, summoning Grigor as well. “Now what’s up with you two?”

“We know that joining my Sphere to yours will work and the resulting Sphere will be stronger than my own.”

“But?”

“It’ll be weaker than yours.”

“Fair enough. So that’s not fucking happening. I’m not taking any unnecessary risks at the minute.”

“We agree,” Destruction replied.

“The problem is,” Joel said taking over. “That Destruction’s Sphere is made up of the Neuma’s she has affinities with. So where they to mix with the same affinities you have they will be stronger, those parts that only you provide will be weaker.”

“Yeah, I get it. Not happening. Unless you’ve got a very good reason.”

Destruction took over with a sharklike smile, “Peace no longer has a Sphere or Temple either. She can’t rebuild it on Onnekus until Hakan is gone and, here’s the most important part. She’s also practically the opposite to me in terms of Neuma affinities. We think her powers might fill in most of the gaps I leave behind.”

“Ah!” I said, seeing where this was going. “I get you guys. There’s a problem, though.”

“Which is?”

“Neither of you have Void or Soil. The good news is we get a boost of Soil and Nature from the Sphere’s link with the Hearth tree, so that’s actually stronger than it needs to be but the missing Void? We don’t know how important that will be.”

“Shit,” Joel grumbled. “I thought we’d solved it.”

“No mate, you’ve done brilliantly. It definitely sounds possible. Just keep looking into it. Maybe missing Void Neuma won’t make that much difference, and maybe we could add it some other way.” I pointed to Destruction. “We’re bringing your guy back right?”

“We are. He is wise in the ways of Sphere management.”

“Good. And we know how to make boxes of Neuma now to gift others. Maybe I could make a battery of Void Neuma to fill the gap?”

“I’ll look into it,” Joel said firmly. He was about to say more, but Grigor flew in.

“Lord Clive, Goddess Destruction, Lord Joel.”

“Just the person I needed to see,” I cheered, slapping him on the broad back. I have a proposition for you two and while I say proposition, you don’t really have any choice in the matter.”

“I knew I wouldn’t like this,” Joel muttered.

“Grigor, Joel, you are both to be my Spiritual leaders.”

“What?" Joel snapped with a growl I would have expected from Grigor. "If you’re expecting me to run around wiping your arse like Danivra does, then you’ve got another thing coming. Don’t you think I’ve got enough to do?”

“Come on Joel. You know I wouldn’t expect anything like that. Basically a shoe shine and a nightly back scratch and we’re golden.”

He looked fit to punch me as I chuckled at his red-faced expense. “It's the cheapest way I can level people up mate. Right now, Grigor can be made into a spiritual leader, and you are very close to being able to. I’d only expect you to do what you’re already doing.”

"Look,” he said, palms out flat toward me. “Think about this. If you give me the Spiritual Leader rank, then you can't give it to anyone else to increase them. Not without cutting my follower bond."

"Yeah, well… about that. I will be cutting your bond once I’ve given you the levels. You’re going to learn how to use your own core.”

"No,” he said simply, folding his arms in protest. “Clive, I look after these fucking Spheres. That's my life. That's what I want to do. Don't you fucking dare take this away from me to make me powerful enough to fight some guy I don't want to fight. I will if I have to, but that's not my role here."

"Joel, you're being an awkward bitch. I just said I’d leave you fully in charge of the Sphere. But I could also give you enough levels to push you up toward a Divine core. You could have your own Sphere to manage and if you were a glutton for punishment you could still manage mine! That’s what Destruction’s about to do with her guy right?”

He finally seemed to give it a second thought and after an extended pause he nodded. "You know what? Maybe you're right. But, if we go down this path and I can't be the Sphere Manager anymore, then you need to promise to remake the bond.”

“Even if you can create your own sphere?”

“Even then. At least until you've beaten, Hakanal-god-of-goddamn-shitty-assholes. Then we can talk again."

“Good. I’ll let you know once you’ve reached a high enough rank with me.”

“Fair enough. If that’s all, I should get back to work. I’ve got plenty to do and standing around here chin-wagging all day, isn’t gonna get it done.”

“That was it, yeah. Crack on mate. ”

He nodded and gave Grigor a little salute. “Good look, general.” Then marched off, opening a portal to Earth I suspected to get as far away from me as quickly as possible.

I turned to Grigor to gauge his mood at my bombshell. He gave me a full chest bashing salute. “I would be honored to be your Spiritual Leader. But like Joel, I’m attached to my role and it’s an honor to lead your armies.”

“Oh, and you still will be. Kind of. But armies aren’t going to do much in this battle, and I need our best people to fight Hakan. Which means you. I want you to fight alongside me, with the Chosen. With Sania, Destruction and Mal.

“Then that is where I will be, Lord Clive. When do we begin?”

“Now,” I replied, activating the Spiritual Leader bond.

< Congratulations >

General Grigor, Co-Founder of Far Reach meets the criteria to become a Spiritual Leader. Do you wish to Elevate General Grigor to the Rank of Spiritual Leader?

Y/N

I selected yes. The bond blossomed into its far more powerful form. Grigor gasped and checked himself over. “That is a noticeable difference in power I receive from you, Lord Clive.”

“Not as much as the levels I’ll be giving you. That’s for sure. It won’t be as many as I’d have liked, with the time constraints we’re under and I owe others power too. But I’m going to push you well over three hundred and fifty to make sure you get the Ardumis Evolution. You can come with me to Onnekus and check out the Admin hub while I gather Destruction’s followers and once they’ve all sworn to me I’ll beast you up.”

His face went pale. “O…Onnekus? You want me to come to Onnekus?”

“Sure do mate. It’s just a rock spinning in space, same as any other Grigor. Don’t sweat it.”

“I’m not sure that helped, but I do know this is an incredible honor.”

I laughed at his words though it held no humor. “Grigor, I’m asking you to fight the God of Creation. This isn’t a fucking honor, it’s a suicide mission.”

He shook his head vehemently. “Not suicide. It is brave and noble, and it is an honor.”

“Bah!” I wafted a hand at him and looked over at Destruction. “You both ready?”