The first thing that struck Tilly as he struggled to regain his bearings in the unfamiliar chamber was the column of dragon glass shooting through the middle of the large, too smooth, cavern.  The substance''s normal opacity was shot through with a multitude of glowing colors. At its base, Tilly was shocked to find the Alliance’s Sovereign Crystal.


    Tilly didn’t know exactly how he recognized it; the thing had tripled in size and shone brightly with all kinds of colors instead of the reassuring blue and green hue it had held in the temple.  But as he took in the many colored lights practically bursting with power at its center, something about it just felt like home.


    “It is impressive how often your people continue to produce novel wonders…” a distinguished but tired voice uttered nearby.


    Its pronouncement pulled Tilly’s eyes away from the central structure to the other occupants in the chamber. To his immediate left was Stephen Brightborn, resplendent in his platemail. His salt and pepper hair and grave visage somehow added to the weight of his presence, and Tilly had to fight the sudden urge to bow to the leader of the Lady Light’s Faction.


    Tilly recognized Hiro, Shuji, and one of the two Honu elders, but the rest of the room’s occupants were completely new to him.


    Well, that wasn’t completely true, he vaguely recognized the huge Orc Faction leader looming over the others with an out-of-place smile, cramped with yellowed tusks.


    The rest of the group was rounded out by a tall leonid humanoid with armor that vaguely resembled Stephen’s, and something that looked like a shrub with a set of bark armor and a gnarled staff.


    “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful here… but this isn’t it… is it?” Tilly blurted out, still clutching his recovering bonded in his arms, and struggling not to feel deflated at the coalition''s big reveal.


    “BWAHAHA!” Boomed the orc, “You said he would make a way for us, and he delivered, if a little slow!  But you didn’t say how funny he would be!”


    “Excuse me, Jonathan Tillman, but introductions will have to wait.  If we delay any longer I am afraid it might be too late.” Shuji interrupted on the tail of the orc’s outburst.


    The others nodded, and Tilly turned back to the Crystal, a small but tenacious hope pushing back the tide of despair. They needed something big here…


    Shuji moved closer to the crystal and lifted his hands, flicking his fingers rapidly as if sorting through several pages of information, “As discussed, we are now able to accept your forces as conscripts into our Standing Army. This will link them to the crystal, and allow us to share in any bonuses you provide your people-”


    “The Defiant Fist will maintain its status as a mercenary force,” the orc interjected bullishly.


    “Yes, yes. We understand your position, honored chief, but would the rest of you please accept the invitation before we move on to the rewards and boons?” Shuji continued, seeming to flick something in their direction.


    Along with his motion, a notification popped up in front of Tilly,


    You have been invited to join the Three-Fold Alliance’s Standing army as a Kingdom Champion. This will result in an experience penalty for all kills achieved during the duration of your commission but will allow you to share in unit and army Buffs during combat.


    Do you accept?  YES / NO


    Tilly elected yes, wondering briefly where he would stand in the order of things as a Kingdom Champion. The others across the room gestured or muttered under their breath, and Tilly assumed they were all accepting a similar notification with different positions.


    “Good, good.  There doesn’t seem to be a problem with any of the others accepting despite already being busy setting up our defenses.” Shuji continued, moving through whatever interface the Crystal was showing him before a bird flitted in carrying Erash’s voice.


    “Shuji, as soon as I accepted the notification, I received a personal quest from the altar to consecrate the mountain.  I am not sure exactly what the consequences of such an act will be, but it will require all of those previously chosen to serve Origin to participate. From my initial understanding of the ritual, it will not take effect until well into the night.” She said in a steady but distracted voice, “And my scry has Corruption’s main force arriving in less than half a stick of time…”


    “Do it,” Stephen answered before anyone else could. Then looking around apologetically, he added, “Apologies, I am not accustomed to the order of things, but every record we have of a deity quest on the eve of battle has factored majorly into the conflict.  The cost does not matter.”  He explained.


    “Agreed. Begin as soon as possible.” Hiro answered, turning back to Shuji and nodding.


    “Yes, well, we had hoped for something similar to the reward from the second Patronage and Faction upgrade, and while there are some unexpected portions to what we have here, I think our plan will still work.” Shuji continued, flicking his hands again and sending them another set of notifications.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Welcome, Claimants to the Contested Lands… Calculating Starting Rewards.


    You are the fourth claimant to arrive:  You or any forces you represent have gained the right to claim one or all of the Council Peaks.


    Your force was the first to destroy a rival power: +50% to all first-strike attack damage during this conflict.


    Your forces defeated the dragon king:  Sovereign Crystal interface made available.


    Your forces claimed the Dragon Peak:  Defence Augment Input made available.


    Your force was the first to claim multiple peaks: 30% bonus to attack damage when contesting another Peak.


    Your force is the first to reclaim a lost peak: “Final Stand” boon achieved.


    Your force is the first to establish full Faction rights on a peak: Integration of Faction Interface with current Peak Authority access.


    Your force has established the patronage of a Deific Level force on a peak: Integration of deific places or objects of power made available.


    Tilly had just finished reading all of the notifications when the armored Leonid spoke up in a voice that was half growl, half chuff, “Do we have more on the Defense Augment Input? Anything there that will help us speed up our initial build.”


    “Yes, very much our chief concern at the moment,” Shuji answered distractedly, eyes rapidly scanning information only he could see.


    Another origami bird zipped into the chamber, this time speaking in a thick Australian accent, “Mate, me mob''s cleared the tunnel systems through this mountain and are scouting to the other peaks. My first crack at it is that they''re all interconnected, which is a real advantage for us gettin'' here first. The Dune Ranger lot are dead set at traps, and me gut tells me to turn these tunnels into a bloody killing ground before the enemy shows up.”


    Hiro nodded along with the report, “Proceed, but pull back at first contact. We will be raising our defense soon, and I don’t want to lose anyone before we know the full lay of the land.”


    By chance, Tilly had been turning back to the crystal when Hiro had answered, and he saw both of the armored individuals from the church share a brief look at Hiro’s words.


    “Copy that. We''ll ping you an update if anything shifts.”


    “Ah, here it is!” Shuji spoke up, selecting something on his screen and causing the whole chamber to glow as the scorch burned into the chamber all around them began to whirl and shift its enchantment patterns, Eventually forming a large circle off to the side, whose center was completely empty of the draconic magic.


    The whole thing practically shouted, “Put something here” to Tilly’s senses.


    “Fascinating,” Shuji said, scanning over the explanation, “this design seems to pull from the draconic practice of forming a Soul Chamber and slowly absorbing the strength of anything stored in its-”


    “Shuji-” Hiro interrupted the Librarian’s fascinated discourse, “Summarize, please.”


    As if to underscore Hiro’s point, the whole mountain shook, as if under a sudden impact. Tilly’s body tensed, and he immediately scanned the exits of the chamber, readying himself to go fight.


    But another origami bird zipped in, “Nothing to worry about… yet,” said a wizened voice, stretched thin with effort, “The groups occupying the nearby Peaks have begun barraging us with long-range magic, nothing that I and the rest of our magical division cannot handle. I believe their goal is to undermine our initial efforts at setting up defenses.”


    “Thank you, Merllyn, Keep us updated,” Hiro answered, turning back to Shuji expectantly.


    “In summary; anything we place in that area there,” he answered loudly, gesturing to the very conspicuous glowing circle near the base of the column, “Will augment our Defence efforts.  The speed and effect of the augmentations will be determined by the quality of the items… and each item will be consumed by the process.” He finished in a shout over the sounds of impact, while still rapidly reading over the screens in front of him, processing information at an incredible speed.


    “How much longer until the rest of our forces and materials arrive?” Hiro asked, turning to the Honu elder.


    “It will be…two sticks… until everyone is…through… But materials… have arrived.”


    “Shuji-” Hiro asked, turning.


    The Librarian was already whispering to one of his birds, and it shot off the moment he was through, “I have sent instructions for our highest-tiered items to be brought here.”


    Hiro then turned to address the rest of them, “You are all here because you thought you would have something to offer in the initial setup of our defenses; now is the time to speak up.”


    In response, the orc snorted and turned to leave, “I needed to get a feel for what kind of battle we would be fighting and what sorts of bonuses we would have access to… Now I go to prepare my people.  Do not count on us for defense, but know that when the enemy commits to a significant attack, we will counter with a fury this plane has not seen in millennia. My great ancestor will smile on us in this.” He finished, walking out one of the exits.


    “Not much of a team player…” Tilly grumbled as he left.


    “The Fist is ever its own.  It is probably for that reason alone that they have come to fight with us… well, that and the absurd amount of platinum we paid for their services.”  The Leonid spoke, watching the orc go before turning to Hiro, “Our forces stand ready. We will man the lines with your people side by side, and our builders are already working with yours.  As for our additional offerings… we will commit some of our Faction’s greatest treasures, and as agreed, I will oversee the northern-facing defenses.”  He added, bowing to Stephen Brightborn and then to the rest of the group before following the Orc out of the chamber.


    “And you?” Hiro asked, almost hesitantly, to the only other Champion in the room.


    Throughout the meeting, the man''s face had not shifted much, but at that question, the corners of his mouth turned down, sorrow weighing down his noble features, “I fear I am the last leader of my Order, doomed to oversee the downfall of our storied institution… But I do not do so without hope, and for that, I am truly grateful.” He answered solemnly before turning to give Tilly a bow.


    At a loss for words, Tilly simply bowed back, not trusting himself to speak anything appropriate at what seemed to be such a grave moment, especially to another champion.


    Then, straightening, he said, “I had a long talk with Father Mateus a few days ago… and found it quite illuminating. It has always been my experience that hope, in whatever form it may take, is one of the Light’s most dangerous weapons.” He added with an inscrutable expression.


    Then he turned and walked over to the circle, pulling items out of a pouch at his belt, whose insides glowed brightly as soon as the drawstring was pulled loose. He gently pulled forth item after item and laid them within the circle, each one flashing powerfully into Tilly’s awareness, shining like a beacon to Tilly’s Identify skill


    Tears of the Lady Celestial


    Ten-thousand year Incense of Tranquility Legendary


    St. Catherine''s Harmonious Bell Legendary


    Holy Hand Grenade of St. Barbara Epic


    The pouch continued to issue out items, well beyond what should have reasonably fit and Tilly’s skill didn’t give him any more than simple names and grades before each item began to fade.  As they disappeared entirely, vibrant energies suffused the surrounding scorch, shooting through the chamber and into the Crystal itself.


    “With that, I take my leave.” The champion said sadly, taking a long last look as the church''s treasures he had committed to the fight finished fading away. As he straightened, Tilly was struck by the thought that he looked like one of those stained glass figures Tilly had seen in the windows of older churches back on earth.


    “I go to prepare for my part in all of this,” He finished, face hardening in determination. “If we are to have an end, it will be one that shakes the Epochs to come…” He announced, as much to himself as the others in the chamber, before turning to the exit himself and leaving at a walk that carried him almost faster than Tilly could track.