The Beginning After the End: Book 7: Divergence

by TurtleMe

  Dragging the dead S-class beast up by the bloodied scruff of its neck, I roared in triumph. The mana beasts around me, no matter how deranged and feral they had become due to the Alacryans’ corruption, began to quiver.

  I felt a rush of euphoria seeing the beasts around me shake in fear, my eyes scanning for the next victim to take its chances against me.

  ‘Arthur, the beasts may be corrupted, but they’re still intelligent beings. We have no choice but to kill for a greater cause; don’t take joy in it.’

  Sylvie’s words were like cold water splashed in my face. I had indeed lost myself to the bloodlust for a moment, high on the freedom to wreak havoc. I had acted like a wild beast let loose from its cage.

  It would be easy to say that this is what war did to everyone. In part, this was true—fighting countless beasts slowly turned men into monsters themselves. However, it was also true that I enjoyed it. Being surrounded by death, yet never being able to kill freely myself, might have had something to do with it. The countless duels I had fought in my previous life had all been supervised and restricted by rules and laws. Here, it was different.

  As I sobered from the battle frenzy, I could feel many aches and wounds I hadn’t even realized existed. There was no time to recuperate or rest, however; I could already feel the approach of another S-class mana beast. Its footsteps shook the earth, and its killing intent pressed down on me like a weighted net.

  It didn’t take long for me to see the towering monstrosity, which trampled the smaller corrupted beasts like they were insects. The iron hyrax—appropriately named—was as tall as a three-story building, and every inch of its body was covered in metallic plates. Spikes sprouted along its spine, and at the end of its trunk-like snout was a dented metal orb the size of Sylvie’s head.

  ‘Do you need help?’ Sylvie asked, sensing my hesitation as I watched the colossal beast advance.

  Not yet, I conveyed, sheathing Dawn’s Ballad.

  Wanting to test the iron hyrax’s resilience, I threw an arc of lightning at the beast, but it didn’t even flinch. As it stomped through the press, it swung its snout like a flail, bludgeoning mana beasts left and right. The mana beasts fortunate enough to evade the iron hyrax’s snout were soon trampled by its thick hooves. That’s when I saw him—a human.

  An Alacryan mage was holding on for his life from a perch between two of the spikes on the S-class beast’s back. At this distance, it was easy to tell that this was not part of his plan.

  That’s when it clicked: the weaker mana beasts appearing almost sedated and mostly ignoring Sylvie and me even as we killed them; the higher-tiered mana beasts seemingly possessing their own will even under the effects of whatever the Alacryans were using to control them.

  The pieces of a plan came together in my head as I watched the Alacryan mage struggle with something in his hand: a small black stone.

  I launched a fireball into the iron hyrax’s face. The flaming sphere splashed across its metallic hide without so much as a scorch mark, but it did its job.

  The beast bellowed and reared up in anger; the Alacryan mage was barely able to hold on. Intent on flattening me with its flail-like snout, the beast charged recklessly. I continued throwing spells I knew were just barely strong enough to annoy it, which kept it charging through the other beasts, doing nearly as much damage to the horde as Sylvie or I had done.

  Wherever the mammoth beast went, it left a trail of crushed corpses in its wake. To keep its attention on me, I continued to pelt it with spells. I drove earthen spikes into its hooves, layered the ground in ice so that it’d slip, and threw blades of wind at its eyes to blur its vision, but my half-assed spells weren’t doing any real damage.

  Fire seemed to work best, but when I threw another fireball at it, a translucent shield flickered in front of it, blocking my spell before it could land.

  I could use your help now, Sylvie, I sent, projecting a calm, leisurely air, then turned the beast toward where I could sense Sylvie was fighting.

  ‘Wow, how did you make it so angry?’ she replied, leaping into the air with a beat of her wings.

  Pin the beast down for as long as you can, I instructed.

  With a mental confirmation, Sylvie flew up high into the sky before dropping back down in a nose-dive.

  Clearing the beasts around me with a gust of wind, I stood my ground as the iron hyrax lumbered toward me. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I waited for the moment when the beast’s front legs were just about to touch the ground as it charged. This sort of spell required precision and timing, and the distance compounded the difficulty, but as a white core mage, it felt as natural as if I was shaping clay.

  The ground just below the beast’s front feet splintered, sending it crashing onto its knees. However, its momentum continued to carry the beast, and the mage riding on its back, toward me.

  Preparing my mind and body for the toll about to come, I waited until the beast was just a few feet away, then I activated Static Void. The elephantine beast and the Alacryan mage both froze in place, paused in time. Even as a white core mage, the size and complexity of the mana art caused my mana core to groan in protest, but I managed to hold the time-pause until the moment before Sylvie reached our enemies.

  ‘Now!’ she screamed mentally.

  I immediately released Static Void and leaped out of the way, almost crashing into the slavering jaws of a reptilian mana beast. It twisted and snapped as I flew past, rolled, and came back to my feet, already casting a spell to summon a thick stone wall between us to protect myself. The force of Sylvie’s headlong dive created a shockwave of wind and debris that sent the mana beasts in the vicinity tumbling. I heard the reptilian beast I had just passed crack against the other side of the wall, which I then kicked over, crushing the mindless creature under a ton of stone.

  With no time to rest, I dashed toward the iron hyrax, which was dazed but still alive and struggling to get out of Sylvie’s grasp.

  Don’t kill it yet, I said to my bond.

  ‘I’m not confident I even can. These metal plates are even thicker than my scales, and the hide beneath them is made of tiny, interlocking scales, like chainmail.’

  Leaping up on top of the beast’s back, I pried the oblong black stone from the unconscious mage’s viselike grip, then threw him down to the ground. He jolted awake from the impact, his unfocused eyes drifting aimlessly as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. He nearly jumped out of his skin when I landed on the ground in front of him.

  Before he had the chance to speak, I held the black stone to his face. “Does this control the mana beasts?”

  His eyes widened and he made a desperate swipe at the stone, but I pushed him back to the ground with my foot. Conjuring a stone nail, I impaled his hand to the ground. His scream carried over the battlefield, cutting through the earthquake rumble of Sylvie’s struggle with the mammoth beast behind us.

  ‘Hurry! I can’t keep him still for much longer,’ Sylvie conveyed.

  I glanced back at Sylvie, who was perched on her prey, biting and clawing and shoving it to the ground, keeping it pinned. With every surge of its massive bulk, though, it pushed her a little farther and came a little closer to righting itself. A gurgled cough drew my attention back to the Alacryan, and I saw with horror that he had bitten off his own tongue and was currently choking on blood.

  Reaching into his mouth, I cauterized the wound with fire mana, but the damage was done.

  “Damn it. What is it with you Alacryans and killing yourselves,” I sighed. “Well, if you won’t tell me, I might as well find out myself.”

  I quickly cycled mana through the stone. When I found that it wouldn’t react to any type of mana, or even aether, I did the only other thing I could think of. I crushed it in my hand.

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  Battlefield

  The mage’s eyes widened in panic as the crumbled fragments of the black stone fell from my grasp. Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, every mana beast in t
he vicinity seemed to wake up, their glazed and lifeless eyes burning with fury. It was as if they all went mad simultaneously; the mana beasts began growling and hissing at each other, baring fangs, claws, and horns at any living thing near to them.

  It didn’t take long for all hell to break loose. Beasts pounced on one another without even a semblance of sanity. They leaped at me with reckless abandon, though they were so wild, few made it to me. Any time two beasts collided, they would fall into a manic battle and tear each other to shreds.

  Quickly drawing the two swords I had received from Senyir Flamesworth, I transformed into a flurry of blades, cutting through the mana beasts that attacked me until a mound of bloody carcasses accumulated beneath my feet. Despite the massacre that befell those who came close, the mana beasts continued to attack, throwing their lives away as if possessed.

  ‘Arthur! I can’t hold on anymore!’ Sylvie’s struggling voice sounded in my mind.

  I turned back to see the iron hyrax break free, its eyes locked on me as it pawed the ground in preparation to charge.

  However, I noticed a subtle difference in the mammoth beast’s behavior. The way it glared down at me still indicated rage, but the fact that it didn’t throw itself directly at me showed some level of calculation, or at least of control, that the lesser beasts didn’t possess. It seemed to be considering me or waiting for me to react to its aggression. I was, however, slightly preoccupied by the never-ending flow of mana beasts that seemed hell-bent on ripping my limbs off.

  “Enough!” I roared, releasing every ounce of murderous intent I had built up throughout the battle.

  To the naked eye, nothing had changed, but for anyone that had an ounce of sense, they felt it. Even the beasts, as deranged as they were, froze in their tracks, trembling

  This may not have worked while they were in their stupor, but now the beasts around me shrank back out of instinctual self-preservation, some of the weaker ones collapsing entirely.

  With a little space to breathe, I took a step toward the mammoth beast. A path opened up as I walked; the mana beasts were unable to bear being too close.

  I locked eyes with the colossal S-class monster, directing the entirety of my killing intent toward it. It was a primitive thing to do, much like flexing your muscles in front of your opponent to discourage them, but it worked; the colossal monster broke eye contact with me, its body slackening. Finally, with a mournful bellow, the S-class beast turned and fled, trampling smaller mana beasts with each step.

  ‘It’s been a while since I’ve felt you unleash your intent. A good reminder not to tease you too much,’ Sylvie joked as she joined me at my side.

  It seems to only work on the more intelligent and powerful beasts, though, I replied, keeping my expression deadpan.

  The mana beasts that had been temporarily paralyzed by my intent had quickly broken free and resumed mauling each other.

  Having dealt with the largest threat, I turned back to the Alacryan mage. Despite being bloody and incapacitated, he was still alive. None of the beasts seemed to want to go near him. Seeing how the crazed beasts acted, it couldn’t have been out of pity or loyalty to their master.

  “Now…” I peered down at the frightened mage. “I wonder how you’re still alive.”

  Sylvie craned her neck and began sniffing at the Alacryan. ‘I’m not sure if this has anything to do with it, but there’s a rather repulsive stench coming from this human.’

  The Alacryan mage let out a muffled whimper as my bond bared her fangs at him, but there was little else he could do. Perhaps overwhelmed by the dragon’s presence, he fell unconscious once again. I decided to leave him there. He’d most likely die within a few minutes, painlessly in his sleep. That was more than he’d offer the people of Dicathen, given the chance.

  I bent down, sniffing at the unconscious mage’s clothes. Smelling nothing but the sweat and grime of travel and battle, I used mana to enhance my olfactory sense while dulling the rest of my senses. There it was… a repulsive stench, just as Sylvie had described, but very subtle to a human’s poor sense of smell. The beasts, though… If Sylvie could smell it, they certainly could too. The Alacryans must have discovered some sort of elixir or serum that was repellant to the corrupted mana beasts. That would explain their avoidance of him, even in their madness.

  There was little time to spend wondering about it now, though. There was a lot more work to be done.

  I spent the following hours on the ground, hacking, stabbing, and shooting mana beasts with swords and spells. My time training under Kordri had honed my body to last for days with the help of mana arts and martial technique, and the mock battles against Kathyln, Hester, Buhnd, and Camus had provided ample experience battling against multiple opponents, which proved invaluable against the unceasing waves of mana beasts without overexerting my mana.

  Though our purpose of doing as much damage to the horde as possible hadn’t changes, Sylvie and I had also spent the time hunting for other Alacryan mages. The substance that the enemy used to basically conceal themselves from corrupted beasts was an enticing bounty, and I already knew what to use it for.

  However, even after hours of searching, our efforts were fruitless. Just the sheer number of mana beasts alone made it almost impossible to distinguish even larger mana beats, let alone a human.

  How’s everything on your end, Sylvie? I asked as I struck down yet another mad monstrosity.

  ‘A bit tired, I’ll admit, but I’m fine,’ she responded, and I could sense the fatigue through our shared emotions.

  Tired already? It’s only been like four hours of nonstop fighting, I teased, plunging Dawn’s Ballad into the ribcage of a four-armed gorilla creature. Of my three swords, only Dawn’s Ballad had held up. The broken blade of the shortsword was sticking out of a boarish beast’s skull somewhere, and the longsword had grown dull enough to be used as a training blade.

  ‘The Wall is getting closer, Arthur. The conjurers and archers will be in range to attack soon. It’ll be even harder to find the enemy mages then.’

  You’re right. Once the beast horde reaches the Wall and the trap activates, it’ll be impossible to find them, I responded back as I slashed through another pack of frenzied canine beasts.

  ‘What do you suggest?’ my bond asked as she fought her way toward me.

  There’s no choice but to rely on Realmheart to search for the mages.

  There was a moment of silence in our minds as I felt Sylvie think over her next words.

  ‘I want to keep your family safe as well, Arthur, but is it wise to deviate from your obligations as a general and Lance? Using Realmheart will take a toll on you, and even then, we run the risk of it being for nothing.’

  Gritting my teeth, I jumped up on Sylvie’s back, letting the memories of my recent fight with my parents flood out of my mind and into my bond’s. It was easier to share the experience that way than trying to explain.

  It’s not wise, Sylv. I know that. But please, just for a little bit… I need to be able to tell myself that I’m doing everything I can to keep my family safe, and finding this substance might just do that.

  Assuming everything went according to plan, we’d be sacrificing parts of the Wall and the underground tunnels, but it’d be much safer for our melee troops to fight. Even so, with so many people I cared about participating in the battle, it was impossible not to be anxious and afraid for them.

  ‘I understand,’ Sylvie assured me, her powerful wings beating down. ‘Besides, who knows what uses Gideon could find for this substance.’ With a blast of wind, we soared up into the sky, shooting past several flying mana beasts before they could even react.

  Taking a deep breath, I ignited Sylvia’s beast will from deep within my mana core and let its power flow freely out into my body.

  I felt the physical changes to my body as the warm surge of power filled me from the inside. Long, white bangs obstructed my view, and the runes covering my body and limbs glowed brightly even through the
thick clothes I wore.

  Then my vision turned to shades of gray and flecks of colorful light began emerging out of thin air.

  No matter how many times I used this skill, it was breathtaking every single time. Being able to physically see the very substance that made up all magic in the atmosphere truly made it feel like I had fallen into a magical world.

  ‘Focus, Arthur. Can you distinguish any of the Alacryan mages?’ Sylvie said with a hint of envy. My bond had yet to grasp this ability, despite breaking out of the seal that her mother had placed on her before birth.

  Not really, I replied, narrowing my gaze to try and pinpoint any mana fluctuations that seemed different from the magic that the beasts were able to cast.

  Sylvie continued flying over the army, avoiding or killing any flying mana beasts that got in her way, while I scoured the horde for any sign of the Alacryan mages hiding amongst it. When Sylvie swerved suddenly to avoid a giant, corrupted vulture, I pulled my gaze from the forces below us for just a moment, and I noticed something odd up toward the Elshire Forest.

  Sylvie, can you take us higher for minute? I asked my bond, trying to make out what was happening up north. She let loose a gout of fire, which burned through the vulture’s wing and sent it tumbling to the ground.

  We ascended until it was impossible to make out the individual mana beasts below us. But as expansive and threatening as the beast horde appeared, my focus was on a much bigger threat.

  In the distance, I could see mana fluctuations that seemed to be made up of tens of thousands of mages—the Alacryan army. The bright trail of mana snaked through the Elshire forest right to the heart of Elenoir Kingdom.

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