“Do you know the situation below?” Uriel enquired. His presence in the fight would inspire as much as it would worry.
“Not a whole lot Sire, I was sent to warn you,” the boy admitted. He had no combat training, so he had minimal use in a battle outside of messages.
A prominent cracking noise gained their attention seconds before a giant spiked tail cut through the wall, shattering the window and bursting out through the adjoining wall, launching debris flying out of the building. Uriel had missed it by an inch, but the boy had not been so lucky. He could see his body falling among the debris, readily becoming covered by blood.
The angel scowled and leapt out the window, spreading his regal wings wide as he cleared the sharp, broken wall section. With precise manoeuvres, Uriel managed to grab the boy from the wreckage, turning swiftly to return to the damaged corridor. The offending creature was flying high above Eriden, he would have to be hasty in his actions. If such a creature slammed into the citadel, it could potentially collapse the entire structure.
Terrified sobs emerged from the angel in his arms, the tail spike of the creature had pierced his abdomen severely. Blood flowed freely from the gaping wound, seeping into Uriel’s brilliant white armour. He laid the boy’s legs on the floor and pressed his now free hand against his chest. Healing magic was not his most well-known skill, but he had an undeniably potent use of it. The damage began to close up, stopping the bleeding and closing the cavity for now, but after a hit like that Uriel knew that there were far more consequences than just the damaged flesh. It would have to do, for now, any more in-depth healing would exhaust him too much to deal with the flying creature. He propped the boy against a wall away from the damaged section and stood up, drawing his blade.
“I’ll be back,” he spoke as he leapt back out the window and flew up after the creature. He would need to fight it away from the others to prevent its attacks from clipping the citadel.
The creature had stopped its ascent some distance above, too high for Uriel to fly safely. Uriel threw several waves of light tinged magic towards the creature. Due to the distance, they were unlikely to damage it, but he hoped it’d be enough to attract its attention to him. It regarded the situation for a minute, before descending into a steep dive, its path curved to meet Uriel where he flew. As the creature rapidly approached, he was able to get a good look at its body, or most importantly its weak spots. It had a deep blue body with a bright red wing membrane; the wing itself ended with three claws which clenched and then relaxed periodically as it went. Lighter blue scales lined its underbelly, ending near a set of stubby legs with clawed feet. Purple crystals laced its head, causing the whole thing to be brightly lit up. It would be easy to strike a meaningful hit on this one.
Uriel readied his blade, like Sebastian he too could infuse the blade with magic. A technique which was proving effective at piercing through the Nightmare’s inherent mana.
The creature came level with him. His blade darted out and slashed along the ridged head, scoring deep as it continued its descent passed him. It rapidly opened its wings in response; as they caught the air, they slammed into Uriel’s back, forcing him to cry out in pain. He gritted his teeth and turned to face the now flying creature. Every beat of his wings was agony, but he had to remain strong.
It took in a deep breath before releasing a beam of what he could only guess to be chaos magic, straight towards him. He tucked his wings in and dropped down, narrowly missing the attack. Seizing the opportunity, he swooped forward and drove another blow into the creature’s head, before pushing off and flying over the shoulders of the creature, where another large crystal vein lie. Giving the monster no time to react, he drove the blade deep into the crystalline spine. It roared in pain, the sound was loud enough to vibrate the air around him.
It righted itself above the citadel and tucked in its wings. A final suicide mission before Uriel could manage to finish it off, or at least that was what it intended. He managed to grab onto the creature’s neck before the wind created by the speed it was falling smashed into him. Uriel’s wings were already tight to his body to avoid himself being knocked off by the current. Focusing all the magic he could muster into his blade, he dug the polished metal into the thick neck, pressing with all his strength. The blade bit and cut the head clean off. The creature shattered harmlessly into the top of the citadel as it collided with it, sending bits of its body flying all over. Uriel landed back into the ruined corridor and sheathed his blade. Sariel and Gabriel were tending to the boy. They had managed to repel the frontal attack in the time it had taken him to take down the other one.
He strolled over to them, and they gave him a bow as he approached which he waved away, much to their surprise.
“Is everything alright?” Uriel enquired, gazing down at the boy who by now was looking back up at him.
“Few injuries, some serious but no reported deaths yet,” Sariel replied; he was a muscular angel who wore equally as well defined armour. His wings were stocky, more designed for strong retreating bursts than long maintained flight and his hair was blonde in colour, highlighting his bright blue eyes. He served as an Army commander alongside Gabriel, although Gabriel often acted more as Uriel’s first hand than anything else.
“This one will be fine also after some further treatment,” Gabriel added; he was tall for an angel but often hid his body behind long robes that sat over his armour. Majestic wings emerged from his back, the pinion feathers of his wings were far more elegant than that of a normal angel. For an angel, however, he had relatively dark brown hair which contrasted his pale grey eyes, which almost appeared to glow as the light caught them.
“Fine work,” Uriel remarked, taking a step forward. The pain in his back had become too much, though. As he moved he felt his body collapse under him and the world faded to black before him. Gabriel rushed forward to grab him. As he stopped his fall, he could see the bruised and scraped skin at the base of his wings. He gestured to Sariel who scooped the boy off the ground, before setting off for the healing quarters of Eriden.
* * *
Similar had occurred for Thardosean and the humans as well, though several causalities had been reported within Aelburn. They had faced an equally monstrous opponent, yet again different from the rest. The whole thing had been a show of power and an effective one at that, they certainly were starting to get the idea just what the Nether Plane contained. It had more than one intended effect, however. Such a large scale attack close to when they were planning to launch an offensive was done with the intention of destroying morale. If anything it had the opposite effect. The efficient defeat of their opponent had boosted their spirits, even if the humans did need some persuading that the losses they had occurred weren’t a bad figure considering what they faced. One thing they could agree on was the fact they needed to strike as soon as possible, not deterring from their planned date.
Sebastian and Thardosean had noticed it was not Uriel they were speaking with, though. Gabriel had taken up the position in his stead. He wasn’t giving out any information as to why, though. If the angel had been seriously injured, actively admitting so would not bode well by morale standards. With only a couple days left to go until they planned to strike, they set about finalising strategies. It would all be over soon, one way or the other.
Chapter 13: Constructed Madness
Sakura’s body was numb, but her mind made her push on, unsure where she was even heading anymore. The same creature she had found in the lodge was trailing by her side, nudging her on if she started to drag behind. A strange sight lay ahead of her, though she was struggling to see in the unrelenting, bitter winds. She could just about make out massive glowing structures, surrounded by a seething mass of dark shapes, which turned to regard her as she approached. The creature that had been following her signalled to the others guarding the tower, using flashes of magic to relay a message or to announce their arrival. In a swift movement, they parted, creating a passageway that led to an ent
rance, which she stumbled towards slowly.
Once inside, the creature shepherded her up a winding staircase that was completely blurred to her, reaching out occasionally to stop her walking off the edge. As it reached the top, it looked around, searching for which door held the magical signal it desired. The far door attracted its interest, so it directed her towards the room, nudging her back with its head to speed her up. It wrapped one of its hands around a roughly carved doorknob and pushed the door open, revealing the room ahead. This room was darker than the rest of the visible rooms within the spire with multiple pieces of furniture moulded from the crystal walls that lined the room, though she was unable to see what they were.
“You may leave us now,” a male voice arose from within the room. The creature slunk out of the room and the door shut behind it. “So, one managed to survive this process then,” it continued. There was a figure walking around the room. It appeared human in shape and size. With a wave of its hand, her mind cleared, and she collapsed down, gazing up at the one in front of her. They were indeed a human, a fairly young one from what she could see from her position. “The others have killed themselves before now,” he mused, “you’re the first demon I’ve had, though, perhaps that’s why.”
He regarded her for a while longer, studying her body. It was the first demon he had ever seen in his life. Her physique interested him, but more so her mind. She must be strong to have not have attempted to take her own life considering what he polluted her mind with, part of her must still recognise that it was an illusion.
“Who are you?” Sakura panted. Her body was too exhausted to move after being in the frigid conditions for so long.
“Call me master,” the man demanded, attracting a scowl from her.
“Like hell!” she spat. The man clenched his fist, and she felt a severe pain spike in her head, causing her to double over where she lay.
“Shall we try that again?”
He released the mana spike he had activated on her, causing her to once again crumple down. Her body seethed with pain, she thought it best to play along for now. Doing so might prolong her survival.
“Yes, master…” She replied through gritted teeth. It pleased him enough, however.
He pointed at a scruffy blanket and pillow that lay in the corner of the room, beckoning her to go over to it. “That is yours.”
She peeked at the items. Her body was still freezing, and she desperately needed the warmth, so she slowly dragged herself over, to the amusement of her onlooker. Wrapping herself tightly with the blanket, she rested her head on the pillow and laid there shivering, periodically looking up at the man that was still watching her.
“Why are you doing this?” Sakura flinched slightly as he raised an eyebrow, but the question appeared to be one he was wanting.
“I was wronged, the Magi Council decided to have me cleansed.”
That fact didn’t surprise her, considering the personality of the man that was addressing her.
“You survived, though,” she remarked on the obvious, but she was trying to keep him amiable. He paused for a moment before walking up to her, pushing his hair aside to reveal his face.
“Barely,” he replied. The left side of his face was covered in burn scars, which appeared to continue down his body.
“I’m sorry.” Some part of her did feel truly sorry for the man stood in front of her, he must have suffered deeply with that wound.
“That is why I’m taking my vengeance out on those who left me to die.” He smiled, turning to a grin as the thought ran through his mind. Sakura took a deep breath. The man was becoming notably twisted in the mind, her sympathy for him was starting to become fleeting.
“Is it right to punish those who are innocent as well, though?” she enquired, remembering her own wounds well, as well of those of her father. The man thought about the question for a second, regarding her as he remained stood over her body. He bent down and started lightly tugging on her ear, before running his hand through her hair and across her horns. She gave him a dubious stare, but he was not bothered.
“No,” he admitted, “but sometimes things are necessary.” Sakura was stunned by his answer, she had expected the complete opposite. “The Magi Council will never admit their fault, nor will they ever relent in their campaign.”
Rogue or otherwise unaffiliated mages were the banes of the Council; those who fell into one of the two groups often found their lives cut short, silently being removed from the pool. Considering the Council only consisted of human mages, the mages of the other two races were always under threat, something neither leader was overly fond of.
“I can tell you have experience with this yourself,” he remarked. She wondered how he knew such a thing, was her body language that obvious when he mentioned?
“My father has, yes.” Sakura watched as his interest grew. She was unsure just how far to rouse it, the last thing she wanted was for him to hassle the West.
“What did he do?” he probed, still remaining too close to her for her liking.
“He was Court Mage to a tyrant King,” the demon sighed. Her father was always uncomfortable about telling her his past, though over a few years she had managed to tease out most of the details. Amnur had performed some terrible acts in the time he served, but he was as much a victim of the King as Sebastian was, although Sebastian was unwilling to listen to the fact. He had suffered due to committing insubordination. After a while, he broke, bowing down to the one who had tortured him so.
“Ah, I see,” he replied, standing back up and walking away, continuing to face away from her as he went.
“How about you? How old were you when it happened?” She relaxed as he backed away, although the distance between them made no difference in regard to the effective range of his magic. It did, however, make her more comfortable with him at a distance, as his temperament was unpredictable.
“Eight. The cowards in the Magi Council wouldn’t try such a routine if they thought me capable of retaliating,” the mage’s distaste over the past was evident in his voice. Sakura watched as he tensed his hands before releasing his grip. For such a young child to have a drastic upheaval occur in his life, it was no surprise that it had fostered hate as he recovered. Hate that went unchecked as he grew up separated and alone. To think this man stood in front of her was once a carefree child was saddening. Such a fate could have been shared by her if the Council had been proactive with trying to dispose of Amnur.
“Do you mind if I asked for your name?” Sakura asked. A name was something personal, a way for her to tie the lost innocence of this boy into something to be remembered. A way for her to challenge the Council over the whole thing if they tried anything over her father in light of this event.
He thought for a moment, a hint of annoyance ran through his mind, but he kept his calm. These personal questions weren’t appreciated, yet part of him wished to tell her more.
“Maelor,” the mage spoke, attempting to bury the odd sensation that was affecting his mind, “not that it makes any difference to our arrangement.”
Sakura cocked her head at the change in tone as he spoke his name. It sounded genuinely soft, before reverting to his inherent underlying aggression. The hostility had increased after that question, it would not be best to push him further.
“Tell me something demon, do you think I’m right in what I’m doing?”
The question was a shock. She somehow doubted that saying no would sway his mind. If anything she would expect him to punish her for saying such a thing.
“I can see your reasons why, though I’d prefer if you were more discriminate in your targets,” she said, trying her best to keep her expression straight. It appeared to please Maelor, who bore a smile as he turned back around.
“Do you always lie so consistently?” His expression became increasingly worrying as she lay there, too stunned to respond. The mage crouched down and placed a hand against her forehead. She reached out and grasped his wrist, but her confid
ence left her body as he roared with laughter. “I have no need to speak with you any longer,” he replied, prying her hand from his wrist and throwing it back at her.
As he clenched his hand, an excruciating burning pain spread through her body. Her vision turned to blackness as she dug her fingers into her arms. “I’ll let the memories of your loved ones torment your mind,” he remarked as he left her to suffer in the corner while he returned to the desk. He had much to plan still.
* * *
Amnur stood in the snow, blades drawn and well alight, eyes focusing intently on the area ahead. Abel and Na-ri stood alongside him with an elemental sat at their heel, examining the area. From inside the snowy veil, an Acromantis appeared, scythes flared, charging towards Amnur who was closest to its current position. Amnur crossed his blades to catch the scythes, knocking the creature back a step before following up with an arcing slash, cutting its neck clean from the body. More emerged from behind the shattered remains of their ally, letting out a shriek as they descended onto the demons ahead.
A wide spread of icicles greeted the first one, piercing deep into the creature’s body, shattering it as they were extracted back out. Another one met with a bright form, lashing out at the blurred glowing figure. The attack had no effect. Instead, the creature received the sharp end of a blade, splitting it nearly in two. It staggered back, only to receive another wound from the weapon and the creature shattered as it fell down to the ground.
The rest that appeared met similar fates, the ground was starting to be covered in deep purple and orange shards, with a few hints of other colours mixed in between.
On the far side, Crono stood alongside Ciel and Drake. The assault on their end was fleeting at best, the majority of the Nightmares that tried to reach their side found the bog that surrounded Linlake first, trapping them within the sticky waters. Not that such a fate would kill them, but it certainly reduced the load they were experiencing. If their theory was correct, the creatures would eventually die from their crystallised mana anyway. A few demons remained around the perimeter just in case any did manage to navigate the bog, the majority of the combatants gathered around the northern or eastern entrances.
Skies of Fyir Box Set Page 35