Joroboros

Chapter 157: Failure

“Tracking me? Seriously? I thought you would have learnt your lesson after last time.” Kalma’s presence washes over us, freezing my body in fear. No longer is it suppressed. She lets the pressure crush down on each of us as she closes the distance with casual steps. “I do not like people getting in my way.”

The air weighs down on me with a heft I cannot fight. Unlike every other time I’ve seen her, Kalma does not have the same air of amusement as both other times I’ve met ...

Chapter 156: Tracking Kalma

After killing my first play partner, another three volunteer themselves by pouncing toward me. Now that I know controlling ethereal flame influences my separate physical flames, I can dodge by adjusting the amount my jet thrusts. Each Viisin get a ball of flames to the face. 

If they were capable of thought, I’m sure they would be relieved that their faces aren’t scorched off on the spot. Unfortunately… or rather, fortunately, they do nothing but shriek in incoherent rage as ...

Chapter 155: Horde

While Ankor continues fighting back the Viisin, the four of us fly toward the former Forvaal as they sprint into the now undefended land of the pact nations. The lesser Viisin leave very little sign of the mercenaries they must have only recently cut through, but the odd limb or discarded weapon is enough that there is no doubt of the slaughter they’ve left behind.

There have to be nearly a hundred of the fresh Viisin rushing along the land. With so many crowding so close together, it...

Chapter 154: Ankor

“So, how exactly are we going to meet up with those inner circle mercenaries you convinced to help us?” I ask atop Grímr’s back.

We set out as soon as Solon gave his approval of my capability. Remus, Jav, Grímr and I left without so much as a goodbye to the centzon. It’s somewhat regrettable to leave Tzilac and his kin so soon after meeting them again, but the centzon hardly need us around to support them. Assuming none of the superior Viisin get in their way, nothing can thre...

Chapter 153: Riparian Lesson

“What is so important that you need me for?” I ask, unsure exactly who to direct my question.

“You can create inscriptions at will,” the riparian says. “I would much rather inscribe it onto a plate for use, but I had to give up all my usually equipment to travel here.” He slaps his artificial wooden legs. “Why else would I be donning this piece of junk?”

“So… you want to teach me an inscription? Like the ritual?” I ask. “What for?”

“I’m not clea...

Chapter 152: Solon

“Grímr, you look different.” Without a moment of hesitation, I’m already on top of him, inspecting the incredibly compact glowing markings that thread along his razor plumage.

He vibrates his feathers and they weave out of position, breaking the inscription and cutting the glow. When they lock back in place, another inscription illuminates, and a sudden gust launches me off his back. 

I land on my feet as Grímr laughs an amused trill. “Yeah, Remus knew a guy,” he ...

Chapter 151: Reversal

“That was a very cute attempt; tying to get these rodents to back down.” Kalma walks out of the cloud of dust as it concentrates into the last of her skin. “I told you, didn’t I? Doesn’t matter what you say, there’s no stopping this now.”

The unsettling feeling of her voice eating my very being returns along with her hardly suppressed presence. Why is she here? Didn’t she want to keep her involvement hidden? Her appearance has not gone unnoticed. All around us, both merm...

Chapter 150: Collateral Damage

Where has Tore run off to? If I had him by my side, this new mage wouldn’t be a problem. Tore could stop them from inflicting so many casualties. As things are, I don’t even dare approach. The air gets so much colder in the direct vicinity of the old albanic woman, that even at my hottest temperature, I’d be concerned.

If Tore were here, he would stop her with nothing more than his sheer presence. There would be no need for a battle. What is so important that he had to abandon me ...

Chapter 149: Chill

The Mercenary Order’s headquarters sits at the far eastern border of Meja. Right in the centre of the entire pact nations.

Well, the centre of what used to be the pact nations. Now, so much ground has been lost that the headquarters may as well be on the front line itself.

I soar through the air in Tore’s grasp once more. It’s become more bearable to handle his unique form of transportation, but I would still prefer to fly under my own power. No matter how much faster this a...

Chapter 148: Unconvincing

Wind whips across my body so fast it almost tears me apart. The feeling of simple air trying its hardest to smother my flames is only beaten by the intense jerk as we tear through the skies.

It’s insane how fast Tore can take us with a simple jump. Each time the earth rushes to meet us, I’m tossed around in his grip as he taps his foot against the earth and has us hurtling through the air.

Despite each motion being the slightest skip for the giant ursu, I’m sure he leaves cr...

Chapter 147: Grasping One's Own Leash

Even amongst the massive, musclebound ursu, Hund is a giant. Standing above five metres tall, he is impossible to miss. Impossible to keep your eyes off. He is a terrifying existence when his attention is elsewhere. So, to have his gaze squarely on me, hand on blade, and stepping forward with such menacing intent, is nothing short of soul-shaking.

He doesn’t even need his presence to drive a chill through my body.

That’s the strangest thing about all this; despite his aggressi...

Chapter 146: Those With The Leash

Hund is the only solution to Kalma. He has to be.

Even after the rest of his kind became hateful to non-ursu, he had been willing to guide me on how to safely deal with the Void Fog. If not for his Void enforced desire, I’m certain he will help us. As terrifying as he is, he helped me, expecting nothing in return.

I know he cares for his people, but I’m not exactly sure what his desire truly is. What is it that allows the New Vetus Council to control his actions?

Right n...

Chapter 145: Impatient

Helplessness is a feeling I’m all too familiar with. The overwhelming difficulty of simply trying to live is something that never seems to ease.

Maybe I’ve become arrogant in my strength. I mean, I can even compete with Viisin now, so I thought it would be no issue to just burn my way to my goals. Burn the mermineae. Incinerate any who threaten me. Violence and murder have become such an easy solution to my problems, but no matter how much power I gather, the world is determined to ...

Chapter 144: Kalma's Karma

Kalma? Here? What is she doing on this side of the Alps? Isn’t she supposed to be oblivious to the mermineae escape?

Did she find out? Is that why she’s here now? But that can’t be right. She would be cutting her way through the mermineae rather than wiping out our command post if that were the case.

Nobody here had a chance, did they? Fuck. Did Remus at least get out before she arrived? Plenty of time should have passed while I was crawling through the earth, so he must hav...

Chapter 143: Unexpected Attack

I may have worried for nothing over the threat of piping.

I don’t even have to travel far before a way up shows itself. A hatch above a ladder gives me an entrance to the basement within only a few metres from where I fell into the tunnel.

As well as my body is hidden, if there’s anyone watching the hatch, they’ll notice me immediately. I don’t waste time, though. If I’m seen, I’m seen. It would be preferable to staying in the tunnel with water flowing by my side. Plus...

Chapter 142: Absolution Opportunity

The evacuated city is about as close to ursu construction as I’ve yet seen outside New Vetus. The buildings are tall and the streets cramped. There is clearly more understanding in the art of construction by those in the pact nations than that of Joiak or Zadok, but they still don’t come close to the scale the ursu build.

To be fair, none of the races other than the ursu really need all the extra room. Dohrni are tall at their full height, but still only a portion of an ursu. Plus, ...

Chapter 141: Mistake

The travel back to the pact nations has been far more pleasant an experience than it was on the way to New Vetus. I opted to pass over the isthmus, so there was no concern about the sea looming below. While I would have preferred having Leal by my side, I didn’t miss having to carry her.

Without needing to struggle against the ursu’s weight, I could settle with my usual falcon form. It is so much more comfortable flying at this size simply because my white flame, while immensely mor...

Chapter 140: Bratchina

I clean the last ursu guards from the top of the wall. There isn’t any challenge to it. Nothing they do can slow me, so much as hurt me. A few ursu amongst the guards had swords of their own and far more enhancement than their comrades. Even these warriors might as well be tinder after my fight with the warden.

Thankfully, Leal gave me the go ahead to remove these ursu. After the treatment directed toward the prisoners, they deserve no mercy. On top of the abuse, entrapment is still o...

Chapter 139: PoV - Leal II

Solvei had not been exaggerating.

Leal could hardly believe it. She’d assumed the moment the warden appeared, they would not be getting away alive. Solvei had simply taken his advance as if it were a game. She played with a man Leal would consider unreachable. The man had been a major pillar of the military long before Henosis invaded. One of the few that actually practised the art of war during times of peace.

He couldn’t touch her.

When Solvei spoke with confidence and...

Chapter 138: The Gulag III

It’s great to see Gerben alive, but I shouldn’t stand around talking. Leal is waiting.

I step toward the rest of the cell’s residents and the tall ursu moves to stop me. Gerben pulls him back, his eyes not leaving me.

“Move,” I demand.

The group’s eyes flick between the massive arachnid looming in the corridor behind me and the flames around my form. When they don’t move as asked, I step forward again, forcing them to scramble to the corners. That’s good enou...

Chapter 137: The Gulag II

There are many more captive ursu than I could have expected.

I burn a tiny section of the wire fence away to give me just enough space to crawl through. As I slowly make my way forward, doing my best to ignore the crack of the whip and the wails of its victims, I get close enough to feel the heat of the people inside the prison building.

There are thousands. All cramped within what I can only imagine is a tight space considering how close they sit or lay. The prisoners far outnumb...

Chapter 136: The Gulag I

Despite my fears, land finally graces us after a day of flight. We land on the ledge of a tall cliff overlooking the gulf. Without wasting time, my flames burn through the surrounding flora, regaining my energy. The journey was long, but nowhere near what I’d been dreading, so I could still keep going for a while longer, but there’s no reason to refuse food when it’s available.

The landscape isn’t anything like what I remember when Henosis dragged me to this side of New Vetus. F...

Chapter 135: Gulf

While I rest my wings, the two of us talk about our lives since that fateful day. I spoke of my actions that night, and the permeating hatred toward Gloria that pushed me until I’d lost control. The Void Fog, crossing the Alps, the wars. Everything I’d been through, I told her.

Leal had to go through hardships of her own. Many of which kick-started by Morne burning to the ground. Barbs of guilt prick me whenever I think about what my mistake has caused.

New Vetus has changed s...

Chapter 134: Overburdened

Taking off should be no problem. I’ll just blast us into the air with a jet of fire. The problem will come once I’m at speed. I can hardly keep shooting myself forward with physical flames. Doing so will exhaust me in minutes. Especially up in the air where I don’t have earth to burn and mitigate the energy I expend.

No, I’ll need to apply what I’ve learnt of airflow from my firestorms to my wings. I have ideas, but I’ve yet to try them. Unable to do so until I’m already i...

Chapter 133: Repentant

“Leal?”

I can’t believe it. I’d planned to eventually go looking for her, but I’d never expected her to be here. On the other side of war.

I’m so happy to see her alive and healthy, but… why is she trapping me?

She’s older, taller than I remember. Her body now covered in the familiar glowing markings of a mage. Two distinct lines curve around her eyes, illuminating where it hadn’t nearly two years ago.

“Solvei… You appear to be doing well.” Betw...

Chapter 132: PoV - Leal

Leal longed to return to the times before her life collapsed. Back to when her mother had been there to hug her, and her father to play and joke. She’d welcome the isolation she’d felt if it meant she could go back before the war.

Life had been nothing but misery since Solvei killed her mother.

Her mother, along with so many of her neighbours, had died as Morne burned. They could not escape the spreading fire before burning alive.

So many murdered by her — former — b...

Chapter 131: Victory Celebration

I gorge on the artillery reserves. Technically, I’m not supposed to help myself, but they have so many and considering how much I’ve assisted in this war, they can hardly complain about a few missing explosive projectiles.

After Hund left without a word, the first thing I did was check on Grímr. Thankfully, he was up and moving when I reached him. The damage to his body is extensive though, and it will take him a while to regrow the wing he lost, even consuming as much metal as he�...

Chapter 130: Cornered Animals

Barely. I only barely move out of the way before the Viisin tears through the space I stood hardly a moment ago. The little flame that breaches its coating of dust disappears. Painfully. It’s like the gaze of the Forvaal, only at a far greater intensity. I can’t let it touch me.

It throws itself toward me, and I don’t even attempt to compete. A jet of flame rockets me out of reach. The Viisin doesn’t let me open the distance though, springing after me as soon as its claws find n...

Chapter 129: Cutting Off

Marching along with thousands of soldiers is a rather unique experience. Despite my short stature, I keep up rather well with the many far exceeding my height. It shows how far I’ve come since the little girl who had to ride on the back of her uncle’s wagon for half the day.

Our first battle will begin the moment all the troops are in position amongst the dug-in line. Grímr and I are to meet with the Luis teams for this dedicated section of the front before working with them to tak...

Chapter 128: Commitment

Letty’s words remain on my mind as we walk back to the town hall turned command centre. If the Mercenary Order wants to chain me down, it would be just another on a now rather long list. Of course, I’ll never let them, but it is concerning that I can’t seem to go anywhere without something or someone trying to control me.

They’ve done nothing so far, so I don’t intend to take any drastic actions. Though I acknowledge Letty’s warning with my full being, I cannot fight the mer...