by Atlas Kane
Holy mother, what have I done? Cade mused. Then he let out a disturbed peal of laughter, his own voice echoing off of the dungeon walls.
Pablo rolled his eyes and vanished, apparently done with witnessing how easy mortals could lose their mind given enough power.
Cade patted his pet golem on the shoulder a few times. “Good fucking boy,” he said between laughs, and then turned and headed back up the stairwell. He had to tell everyone the good news. He’d survived himself, something his old therapist would have been shocked to find out. But more importantly, the Casmeer Dungeon, every brick and stone, was firmly on their side of the existential courts.
26
One Last Look Under the Hood
“Fire!” Latsi shouted, and Rhionne triggered the cannon’s mechanism. The round shot out of the barrel and crashed into the bedrock. A flash of bright energy burst out a second before the sound of the explosion reached them.
Blinking rapidly, Cade shrugged. “Well, if it hurts my eyes this much, I can only assume it will fuck with the abyss creatures.” He closed his eyes and a perfect afterimage remained, clinging to his vision stubbornly.
“I agree. This is good work, Latsi,” Satemi said, her arms firmly folded across her chest. “Now, try the Shriek Shell.”
Latsi’s upgraded cannon sat open, waiting for the next round to be loaded. The empty casing had been flung aside and backwards, a simple but effective modification of the firing mechanism at play.
Rhionne took the next round and loaded it, slid the chamber shut, and then waited for Latsi to shout her command once more.
Again, the projectile flew out and landed amid the dark bedrock below. This time, however, when it struck the stone, a terrible shriek erupted outward. Even at this distance, Cade’s ears were ringing, and by the looks of it, every bird in the jungle had been woken up from its nap and set to wing.
Latsi looked as proud as she ever had, yet, all business, she pointed to the remaining test.
Rhionne loaded the last prototype and let it fly.
A puff of smoke emerged from the barrel, and when the round landed, something incredibly odd happened. The precise area where the Shadow Shell landed became hard to see. An oily blackness spread around the bedrock, and plumes of purple smoke rose up in the air. When it evaporated a minute later, a large empty crater, big enough to take a bath in, stood gaping.
“Excellent,” Satemi crooned. Cade glanced at her, convinced she was at least a little aroused.
Only destiny could have been cruel or kind enough to put me in the arms of a woman so… delightfully violent.
He faced Latsi and praised her work one last time. “I’m sure this will be a turning point for us in our defense. If any of us live, you deserve a pedicure.”
“A what?” the technician asked, her face amused.
“In this world, let’s just say I’ll scrub your feet with river sand and give them a good massage. Sound like a deal?”
Satemi scoffed. “Good luck with that. I’m pretty sure Minda and Gemma will eat you alive if you tried.”
The group headed back at a brisk pace. Satemi had claimed Cade’s afternoon, intent on showing him their many well-planned defenses.
They bade Latsi farewell, and continued down the slope. Though he could see many of the defenses already, their implementation obvious, Satemi insisted that she give him a thorough report on each, and would only begin once they reached the Lower Gate, as everyone had come to call it.
She walked out between the still-open gate and held out an arm, palm up. “Our cavalry is the finest in the land. While our ranged fighters do their best to thwart the enemy’s progress, Ketzal and her boar riders will conduct a few charges. When it gets too intense, they’ll fall back to their second position.”
Without having it stated, Cade knew that was when the gates would be pulled shut.
Satemi gave Cade a wink, and he realized that she was not only acting as a proud general showing off her work, but was actually flirting.
“As you can see, the gate itself is reinforced with steel, so there is no practical way it can be knocked down. Climbing will be an issue, but these should go a ways in at least slowing that potential threat,” Satemi said, pointing first to the pits dug in front of the gate and the foot-long spikes aiming downward all along the top of the front of the wall.
Anything climbing would have to leap the pit and then scramble through or over a row of nasty, forged teeth.
“The turrets are a nice addition. They’ll give us better shelter, that’s for sure,” Cade noted, taking in the final rendition of the added defenses.
Four small turrets faced the sprawling field below, each made of stacked stone. It hadn’t been challenging to find flat stones up at their pool, but the matter of making them strong enough to stick together was quite another.
At first, Satemi and Latsi had been thinking of either a mechanical solution, steel netting to hold the stones in place, or some form of mortar. Both had serious limitations, especially in the form of time needed to prepare and execute the plans.
Minda had solved it in a moment, however, by tucking a dozen small vine shoots in soil filled bags that rested against the base of each turret. Then, with an improved blessing, she grew the vines, commanding them to entangle the stone. Her enchanted vines wrapped between and around the loose stones, and when they had finished, the defenses were solid and immovable.
Satemi smiled up at the nearest of the turrets, large enough to house four fighters or two alpha apes. Pointing a finger, she quirked an eyebrow and added, “Don’t neglect to mention the widened foot path. Now even the Kotani Ma can move back and forth at will, should he need to.
“Also, do you see those ropes hanging there and there?” Satemi asked, gesturing to either side of the Lower Gate. When Cade nodded, she smiled mischievously. “Those have been soaked in oil, and should we be forced to sound a retreat to the upper gate, we will light them. There is approximately one minute of burn time until the hidden explosives will ignite. Should be enough to make the whole gate into a pile of rubble and hopefully kill dozens of enemies.”
The Boom Packs they’d placed along the base of the Lower Gate had been Satemi’s idea, and though he left the execution to her, he insisted on augmenting her designs somewhat.
They’d dragged large, flat rocks to lean the bombs against, and stacked similar ones on the tops and sides as well. Then, removing a large portion of their stores, Cade had filled pouches of Colossus Crystals, the material that had dropped when they’d killed the boss at the end of level 6 of the dungeon.
The crystals were relatively light but still hard as diamond.
They would make terrifying shrapnel.
Continuing with her tour, Satemi walked with Cade back up towards the Upper Gate. The walls between were staggered, which would allow for quick retreat, but prevent the enemy from storming up the slope directly.
Halfway up, between two walls, four poles had been driven into the ground. “We’ll have Bellows and three of his biggest boar pals fall back here after we close the Lower Gate. Then, when the abyss monsters charge up this far, Ketzal can conduct a few charges, killing as many of the bastards as possible.”
“And when they finish, they fall back through the Upper Gate, and we close that one like we did the Lower, correct?” Cade asked, wanting to be sure they agreed on every step of their battle plan.
Finally, they made it back to the top of the slope, stepping through the Upper Gate.
This last line of defense hadn’t been rigged with explosives, but was two feet taller and was decked out with a few more tricks.
Four more turrets had been constructed, and two wide platforms, especially designed to hold their cannons. The cannons had been tucked to either side of the Upper Gate’s wall, and could be operated by a single gunner.
However, the platform was large enough for two other fighters to stand and protect the cannons.
“We’ll hold here as long as we can,” Satemi
finished, her voice growing grim and hard. “You, of course, have your little trick, so hopefully that will be enough. But should we be overrun here as well, the boars will be unleashed, and the villagers and Kotani apes will fall back to fight in their village.”
Cade nodded, feeling once more this last decision had been for the best.
Much consideration had gone into their last-stand position.
Some suggested the Town Hall. It was a logical choice, but they could only hole up and wait to die. By retreating to the opposite side of the stream, a solid line of defense could be erected.
Still, Cade felt in his gut that should the battle become so grim, they wouldn’t stand a chance anyhow. No, we need to beat them at the Upper Wall. Plain and fucking simple.
The villagers ate a feast that night. It wasn’t merry but tense and fraught with anxiety.
Their countdown had at last ended. The abyss was coming. Or Abyss itself, Cade didn’t know. Reflecting on Cha’s warning, it had sounded like she’d been referring to a singular entity.
Such a concept made Cade’s blood run like a river of ice water.
He had to remain strong and positive though, so as the villagers stuffed themselves—nobody knew when their next meal would be and they needed to be fueled up to fight for half a day, maybe longer—Cade walked around and let his people feel his presence.
His Charisma was off the charts now, 36 points total, his highest Attribute by a long shot.
And its effects were noticeable.
Eyes lifted and faces brightened when they saw him. He saw the guards stand up straighter, iron bolstering their spines.
I might have been able to choose a more exciting class, one where I could cause more damage or protect myself more effectively. But Chimera Lord… No, Chimera King, Cade amended, will give these people the best chance at surviving.
Guards were set, at the Upper and Lower Walls, and Pablo had agreed to act as scout. Cade would know the minute a force left Tanrial.
So they all slept, as well as any could expect at least. Even tossing and turning could be counted as rest, after all.
It was the dead of night when Pablo burst out in the air above Cade. “They are coming, Cade. Hundreds, maybe more. Everything you’ve faced so far, and a few more nasties to boot.”
Sitting up, Cade began pulling on his armor, one piece at a time. “How long?”
“Three hours at least. They are moving at blinding speed, but they are on foot,” the demon said. For once, all traces of sarcasm or irony were bleached from his tone. “Three hours, Cade. And I am sorry, I cannot fight these monsters for you, not directly at least.”
He nodded then ducked out of the shelter, leaving Minda and Gemma to continue sleeping a little longer. Ketzal had chosen to bed down with the other handlers in tents near the boars below. They would be easy enough to rouse when the time was right.
Satemi had woken with him and gave him a nod. “I’ll alert the guards on the wall. They will sound the alarm should the abyss creatures get here sooner than expected.”
Clapping her on the shoulder, Cade strode to Vrin’s sleeping quarters and woke the Captain of the Guard. “Stay alert, Vrin. Let everyone sleep another hour, but then we should make ready.”
His last stop was to cross the stream and rouse the Kotani.
Two and a half hours had come and gone, and by then, all were in position. Silence hung heavier than ever, even coughs being stifled.
Roughly three quarters of their combined forces, twenty fighting apes and as many Casmeeri villagers, stood poised for battle near the Lower Gate. The boar handlers each had a single fighter mounted with them. The ranged fighters had positions in the turrets, giving them a place to hide between shots.
Cade stood with Satemi in the center of the wall, just ten feet from where the gate was hinged.
The sky was still dark, but a muted gray had begun to take hold. It would be morning in an hour. Yet, as Pablo burst into being beside them, Cade found out they’d officially run out of time.
“They are here, Cade. At least, something has arrived. The bulk of the abyss forces won’t arrive for another half an hour,” the demon explained. As he opened his mouth to explain further, a howl shattered the silence.
“Light the torches!” Satemi barked, and Gemma, who was in a nearby turret, lifted her silver bow and sent a fiery arrow up into both oil-soaked torches above the Lower Gate.
Held aloft by a thirty-foot pole, the specialized torches had enough fuel to burn for two hours. Flames engulfed their make-shift lanterns, and focused light, reflected off of polished steel plates, lit up the glade below them.
Dozens of glowing eyes shone back, moving in a line a few hundred feet away. A few hisses came from their numbers, but the exact forms and nature of the beasts remained a mystery.
That is until, roused perhaps by the glaring light, the first wave of enemies charged.
As the creatures came closer, Cade saw they were amalgamations, the twisted and mutated beasts they’d fought so often before. A line of the tall lizard amalgams came on in a surging pack.
A score of buffs were applied by the many support fighters, and Minda lit a huge smoker filled with a similar mixture of herbs they’d used on their expedition. The Bright Star Blessing had been improved by the addition of one final ingredient, Golden Sap, which increased both Strength and Dexterity.
Cade’s blood turned to steam and gun smoke.
Power rushed through him like never before, the combined buffs making him feel capable of killing a god.
“Fire at will!” Cade screamed as soon as they came within distance.
Arrows and javelins fell among the oncoming beasts and their numbers dropped rapidly.
Cade selected Explosive Cluster and fired in their midst.
Five mana-powered bullets launched from his blast staff, landing in sequence among the darting lizards. Each exploded, sending shrapnel in all directions, ripping through flesh and splitting bone.
By the time the last round landed, the first wave was nearly depleted.
It would be five minutes until he could use the Explosive Cluster once more, but in the meantime, he switched over to the Piercing Round and began to snipe the creatures, once every four seconds.
With such a rapid recharge time, Cade was well aware that he’d become the combination of a squad sniper, grenadier, and machine gunner.
A second wave of amalgamations charged the Lower Gate, this one a mix of the lizards and shorter ocelemurs. Fired missiles fell among the beasts and thinned them out effectively, but it was apparent that their numbers would be too many to push back easily.
“Ketzal!” Cade screamed, his voice echoing off the cliff face to easily carry to the demoness.
She responded by digging her heels into Bellows’ neck and shouting her own command. “Casmeeri Cavalry, charge!”
The boars fell into a run, their tusked snouts low to the ground.
A few of the amalgams turned to face this new threat, but most were crushed by the side-long attack, their ribs shattering under hoof or torsos being impaled by the boars.
Bellows released a Cinder Breath in their midst, scorching the beasts with a gout of flames.
His fellow boars did the same, all having gained a high enough level to unlock the effective skill.
Suddenly, the light from the torches seemed dim and fire burned through dozens of mutated beasts, all screaming and writhing in pain. The boars passed back a second time, and the field was left empty of threats.
“Okay, so this is going well so far,” Cade said under his breath to Satemi.
She grunted. “Yes, let’s just hope it stays that way.”
A third wave of mutations charged shortly after. These beasts moved different than the previous. Larger and bulky in form, Cade grimaced to see a line of twisted Kotani apes barreling their way.
Sure enough, the Kotani Ma, who was positioned in the opening of the Lower Gate itself, roared in protest.
A pa
ng of sympathy passed through Cade. If those had been Casmeeri, he would’ve felt the same.
Eight of the large alphas had been joined with some other beast. Their hind legs were elongated and looked painful to move upon. Yet they bounded with incredible agility and speed. As they neared, another thick pack of lizard mutants moved with them. Cade aimed a Piercing Shot at one’s skull.
His blast staff barked and the honed mana bullet found its mark, the warped ape’s skull snapping back. It fell and skidded to a halt before the gate.
Others fell to either side, and yet the apes continued forward.
Gemma fired an exploding arrow into another, leaving only two of the large beasts unharmed.
Cade made to call for those on the walls to prepare themselves, but then the Kotani Ma was charging forward.
The ape leader flung himself at the beasts who’d once been one of his own. He moved with terrible purpose, heedless of the danger. As the two lesser creatures came into range, swinging their claws at him, the Kotani Ma dropped his bone-clad shoulder into one’s chest.
Even from fifty feet away, Cade could feel the ribs and sternum of the mutation crackle apart. It tumbled away, its lungs trying miserably to continue to function. The creature didn’t rise again.
The other managed to get its claws into the Kotani Ma’s hide, scratching a deep furrow across his shoulder. The amalgamation lifted both arms high above its head and prepared to ape smash the great leader.
Turning on his remaining foe, the Kotani Ma swept his claw-tipped fingers across the beast’s throat, sending a gout of blood pouring down its chest. That had been the end of the fight, but perhaps needing to feel avenged, the ape leader who’d once been called Chandi tackled the dying creature before him. Hovering above its limp form, the Kotani Ma gripped his victim’s neck in one huge paw and lifted its face closer.
Even as the beast struggled to hold onto life, the Kotani Ma opened its jaws and bit off its twisted face.