ã€ŠBloodswornã€‹


 CH.1 Hell Arrives

    1.

    Burning black blood splashed across flawless white marble as Erak rammed his new spear through the demon spawn¡¯s guts. The creature screamed, conical teeth showing as its long black talons scratched at the armor Erak had liberated. The screech of metal was loud and grating, assaulting his ears as he ripped and tore.

    Lesser Hell-Spawn lvl. 4 Slain

    Essence acquired

    Level Earned

    Bloodsworn lvl. 2

    Erak shoved the stray words out of his eyesight as he kept moving, his heavy footsteps filling the cavernous halls. Tall stained glass windows shone a thousand colors across the marble as the distant shrieks of battle drifted into the museum. Nothing distracted him as he kept moving toward the exit, even these twisted beings could not perturb him as he focused on heading toward his Queen.

    Glass shattered behind him, drawing his attention as he spun to watch as more of the corrupted creatures landed. Erak didn¡¯t hesitate as he charged the cursed trio, his clanking form drawing their sulfur yellow eyes. A roar burst asunder, singing forth from his lips as he called upon the old gods to aid him.

    The long spindly creature closest to him staggered back, swiping at him with talons black as sin. The heavy kite shield on his opposite arm rose and the talons scraped ineffectively across its mirror finish. Erak dropped his hips and drove his spear deep in the creature¡¯s concave chest.

    Bone and blood spewed out as the broadhead tore life from flesh. Erak kicked the creature free of the blade, sending it to the ground limply as the next two leapt at him.

    Six and half feet of bone and flesh pulled taut, skin pale as moonlight while ink black blood dripped free of thin wounds from shattered glass. Ragged wings hung limp and ragged while yellow orbs danced in black seas as their bulging eyes rolled wildly as they struck.

    Erak feared not, his heart stern as he struck. Neither of the beasts were skilled, standing tall and unafraid, presenting their chests to him as if death was not a possibility. Erak killed the one to his right, pinning it to the wall with his spear in a powerful strike that split the wall. His raised shield stopped the returning blow from its compatriot.

    He turned and charged, his steps thundering like war drums as he drove the taller creature back. His shield pressed in its soft belly and bony chest, crushing and driving its breath free of it as he lifted up, shoulder straining as the creature''s long feet left the ground.

    Erak charged in silence, only the beat of his boots on the floor and the creature¡¯s wail spinning into an orchestra of pain audible as he rammed it into a wall. Bone broke and organs pulped, hot black blood spattered across him as Erak twisted, grinding the screaming monster against the wall. It spasmed and grew still, body limp over his shield.

    Lesser Hellspawn x3 lvl. 4 slainA case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Essence acquired

    Level Earned

    Bloodsworn lvl. 3

    Erak grunted, ignoring the words for now as he peered out the shattered windows the cursed beings had entered through. The city burned, black plumes of oily smoke mixed with puffy white clouds, leaping flames dancing on the horizons. Forms flitted across the skyline, dark and fell shrieking heart chilling cries,  they circled and danced feasting on the pleas of the dying.

    He looked down to the museum¡¯s grounds twenty feet below. The museum was large and built to wander, with few direct ways to leave. Erak walked back and pulled the spear free of the wall, letting the corpse slump to the ground as he marched back toward the window.

    Throwing a leg over the edge, he held himself with one large hand and dangled for a moment before releasing. He fell for a moment before the spear stabbed out and dug though the wall, sliding through the brick like it was paper. His momentum slowed and he hit the ground with a powerful rattle, his knees protesting loudly as he rose to his full height.

    The well manicured grounds were strewn with bodies. The gala had filled the grounds and museum, a veritable feast for the monsters. Erak kept striding, passing corpses without looking, his eyes sweeping in front of him and the skies above him. The liberated spear in his hand felt natural, the heavy armor a second skin, the shield an extension of his being.

    His breath rasped unnaturally in his helm as he had to sweep his head back and forth to obtain a full view around him. Survivors huddled in small groups, fear writ across their faces as he strode by them. Bloodstained, their courage shattered like the peace of the day, they were broken and haunted, eyes distant and lost as they prayed wordlessly.

    It was beyond Erak at the moment to empathize with them. His purpose was ironclad and inviolate. His Queen called him and he would answer. Erak entered the wide boulevards, once kept pristine and now dirty and stained with blood and bodies.

    Erak recognized the uniforms of a squad of Adjudicators, their small batons useless against the Hellspawn. The simple peacekeepers had been torn limb from limb and strewn across the road like detritus. A single spawn lay on the ground around them, abandoned where it fell.

    Erak turned to look toward the Imperial Palace where the Queen had been whisked away too. He could feel her orders, tugging at his gut, urging him to find her. A bruise black portal hung over the Iron Cathedral, spawned between the forks of its peak. A form nestled there, backlit by the violet lights.

    Nestled in chains that tore and constricted golden flesh. Black iron slashing and peeling skin to release a flow of golden ichor that dripped across the Iron Tower¡¯s prongs. A crown of bone tore at its scalp, freeing its lifewater to run and ruin its vestments. Its eyes were carved out sockets, blackened and scorched with an infernal purple-red blaze in their cavernous depths.

    It lifted a hand, chains stretching tight, as an unholy flame gathered along a shattered sword''s edge. Its wrist twitched and the flame fell like rain and burned stone and flesh alike as the downtown region was desecrated. It stood between Erak and his Queen.

    Erak looked about, eyes searching for an answer to the immovable roadblock in his way. The sounds of battle as the armies of the Empire shook themselves awake began to thunder up and down the stretching boulevards. History whispered in his mind and he looked directly away from the chained being and toward the ancient shipyards and its sole occupant.

    Oblong and ancient, gunmetal gray, protruding weapons emplacements bristled outwards like the bristles of a hog. The Sword of Empire, the last battlecruiser to have ever seen combat. The wounds of its time still stretched across the breadth of its chassis. It was operable. It was well known as the Empire fired the engines and sailed it across the city every year.

    Erak turned and started towards the shipyards. It was the most powerful weapon in the capital and offered him the best chance of slaying that being. He needed it removed to get to his liege and he cared not for the gathering shadows that crouched over the shipyard or the multicolored blasts of power that emanated from the armory underneath the great ship.

    None would stop him.

 Ch. 2 Hunter or Hunted

    2.

    The wide boulevard was littered with dead and dying, pitiful wails a symphony of despair as he marched towards the Armory. Men and demons fought in alleys, rooftops, and in homes. Erak ignored it all as he closed in on Titus''s Square. The sounds of energetic battle filling the air invigorated him.

    Another of the decrepit beasts lunged from the shadows at him, talons glinting in hunger as its ravenous smile spread across its face. Erak planted himself and lifted the heavy kite shield in a contemptuous swing, heavy steel shattering teeth and flinging the hellspawn to the side. It lay in a crumpled mess, blood and saliva oozing from its mouth as it spat a wad of chipped and broken tooth fragments out. Erak rammed the spear down and groaned through gritted teeth as another surge of power wracked him.

    He turned away from its still corpse and looked around the wide boulevard and the towering buildings of white stone around him. Chaos and death all around him, but for the moment he stood alone and unchallenged. Every person that he measured, words appeared over their head, highlighting who and what they were.

    Classes, levels, rarity, weapons, all of the information flowed with ease. Survivors began to look at him and dead spawn at his feet. Cries of salvation rose to the heavens and the people began to flock toward him. Erak raised his bloody shield like a banner and roared wordlessly, challenging the denizens of hell.

    A cry matched him, a shrill shriek that stopped the wave of citizens from reaching him. Hellspawn stopped what they were doing, turning and looking down upon him and backing down as the hunting cry rose again. Erak pulled forth his spear from the spitted demon and lifted it up above him, black blood dripping in steaming rivulets down to the smooth stone street.

    It came running on long knobby legs, elongated head pale as moonlight with inky orbs for eyes. Jutting yellowed teeth gnashed at the air and its wide nostrils flared back and forth again and again as it loped forward. Thin arms of bone and sinew ended with long claws dripping with viscera. Erak met its gaze and roared at it, unyielding in the face of its speed and rage.

    Plane Hunter lvl. 9

    Erak cared not for its arbitrary number or name. He set his feet and watched as the hunter sprinted at him with its cruel hooked talons outstretched. Drool dripped from its jaws as a gray tongue licked at its black speckled chops.

    Erak brought his shield down to shoulder height and tucked it hard to his body as he matched the beast''s charge. They rushed at each other, crossing the space between in a moment¡¯s notice to collide, steel and flesh, talon and blade. The hunter tore at him, jaws snapping and hungry, skating off his armor while curved talons failed to find traction on his breastplate. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Erak¡¯s spear pierced a long thigh, shattering bone with ease as the beast screamed and went into a frenzy of slashing and hacking, metal shrieking in protest but failing as Erak rammed his shield¡¯s edge down into its other leg. Bone snapped and the beast¡¯s jaw unhinged and it reared up and clamped down over Erak¡¯s head.

    The thin visor went dark and his world became hot and humid, foul fetid air washing over him as its smell invaded his helm. Erak calmed his frantic heart, cooling his first nervous urge and he reacted with calmness as he left his spear buried in the creature¡¯s thigh. He balled up his now free fist, feeling the ancient steel shifting over his knuckles.

    Metal met flesh with a meaty smack, echoing through the air as Erak began to hammer the beast. The grinding of the fangs on his helm, the pressure on his skull, the feeling of blood over his fist. Blow after blow rang out, the iron like flesh slowly yielding to his strength as the creature¡¯s shrill screams became a barking whine as pain overrode its bloodlust.

    Steel broke flesh and Erak felt thin rivers of blood become a lake as he pushed his hand deeper and deeper with every blow, the ridges on his gauntlet shredding flesh. Erak wedged his hand deep, sliding and gripping and pulling, yanking the beast¡¯s insides out.

    Teeth released their grip and sweet, cold air flooded his mouth as Erak could breathe again. His vision slit returned and he saw his right arm drenched in black gore to the elbow, entrails pooled around his feet and the hunter¡¯s torso with a gaping wound in its chest. The hunter tried to pull away, dragging at the lodged spear that kept it pinned to the ground.

    The heavy kite shield slammed into it again, smashing teeth free as he began to bludgeon the crying hunter as it tried to flee. It fell to the ground, claws scratching at the stone trying to get away from him. Flesh tore away from the spear and it burst forward suddenly as it sacrificed its own flesh.

    Erak leapt, not willing to see his prize escape from him. The gore drenched shield rose and fell, battering away at the screaming demon as the world grew quiet in Erak¡¯s helm. Only his echoing breaths audible as he continued to break and shatter bone with each strike. It shuddered and grew still and limp beneath him and a flood of power that made pale everything that had come before.

    Pain intermingled with the ecstasy of power, his stomach and sternum tightening and cramping with fire burning along his veins and through his heart. Erak choked back a cry of pain as he rose to his full height and looked over the street and met the gaze of all who looked at him.

    Human and other they met his eyes and slowly the hellspawn retreated back into shadow. Humans crept out and gathered slowly around him as Erak pulled free his spear from the ground, shaking free the flesh of the dead.

    First a dozen, then a score, then two scores, they gathered around him. Questions rained down on him like hail and he stood silent waiting for them to quiet as the last survivors came down to gather around him. He stood silent with his spear and shield and then turned and began to walk.

    The fire in his stomach was lessening into a comforting heat as Titus¡¯s square and the sounds of war beckoned him and his trailing line of followers.

 Ch. 3 Regrouping

    3.

    Crimson-gold lances of fire seared the air as they streaked soundlessly to burn away hellspawn. Wicked creatures burned in the holy light as Erak led his flock around a corner and saw death and destruction as the army held the line. Burnt bodies turned into blackened charcoal beneath the blasts of weapon fires. A line of blue uniformed soldiers knelt, holding rifles as they kept up withering fire.

    Erak stopped and cocked his head as he looked at their weapons. They were different, not the same bulky weapons of war they should have been. They were now sleek pieces of art, nestled to the shoulders of the soldiers, they spat death without the explosion of gunpowder and fiery lead.

    Essence Caster

    Common

    Not a rifle, but a caster. Similar to how so much of the museum had changed. Erak lifted his spear up and the soldiers stopped firing for a moment as the last wave of weak hellspawn was pushed back. The crowd behind him pushed forward, eager to see the familiar uniforms and the safety they offered. Erak let the press carry him forwards and toward the line of defenders.

    ¡°Sir, sir! Look at his armor! And spear!¡±

    ¡°Rare! Even Captain Denoy¡¯s sword is Uncommon.¡±

    ¡°Someone go and find Professor Rutledge!¡±

    Their words were harmless and skated over him as he walked by. He had looted the museum when the gates had opened and the words appeared before him. He needed the greatest tools at hand to complete his goals. The continual tug in his gut was a constant reminder to his oaths and the pull of his Queen.

    A commisar came running up, the black tunic with scarlet striping making him stand out as his flushed red face trembled with rage. Sweat slick with pig thick lips he sprayed spittle as he screamed questions, shoving and battering about the soldiers to know why they had stopped shooting.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?! Sergeant, were you given permission to cease firing? Where is the officer for this detachment?¡±

    ¡°Ees o¡¯er der,¡± a soldier drawled without looking up, pointing to a pile of corpses entangled with each other. Hellspawn and soldiers resting at ease with each other. Erak nodded his respect to the dead and passed by the commissar without bothering the smaller man.

    ¡°YOU!¡± a finger was jabbed against the armor and the man quickly pulled it back, grimacing even as the pudgy man wheeled himself in front of Erak.

    ¡°What is your name and rank?¡± Erak stared through the visor¡¯s slit at the commissar before slamming the spear down and into the stone. Stone split with a resounding crack. Erak fished in the crack between his gorget and breastplate, his fingers clumsy with the steel. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Sighing in annoyance, he tugged the heavy gauntlet off, having to take off two different straps, before sending a nude finger down to the fine chain that rested against his chest. Pulling it free Erak enjoyed the look of fear that blossomed like bombs in the commissar¡¯s eyes as he stared at the dangling ring.

    ¡°My apologies sir, right this way. Colonel Gressen is in command of the square. I will lead you there,¡± he spoke quickly, bowing his head and keeping his eyes locked on the ground.

    Erak pulled the gauntlet back on slowly before grabbing his spear free of the stone and following the sweaty little man. He shed civilians like a duck did water, they flowed and were led away toward the center of the square while the commissar led him toward a squat building to the side. Rings of soldiers sat around or stood at the edges of the building.

    Bright plumage of officer dress uniforms. Sabers and other former ceremonial weapons were now brandished about. Stared at. Gawked at. All eyes turned toward him as he moved toward them, their ranks parting to allow him to walk by.

    ¡°Rare?¡±

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°Look at Gunroy¡¯s face. He¡¯s shitting himself.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s big as a fucking house!¡±

    The doors were pulled open, a wide eyed boy staring at him. Erak looked at his uniform and saw the lack of epaulets, he was just a squire. Today of all days, children were forced to take the duties of adults. This child stood tall and without fear, though awe ravaged his stony countenance, eroding the image of strength.

    ¡°Colonel! Colonel! Someone get me the Colonel,¡± Gunroy screamed about, kicking down at the junior officers who were scattered about, working desperately. Erak peered about for a moment and then reached and tugged the heavy helm free of his head.

    Fresh air flooded over his face bringing with it the undisguised scents of fear and anxiety. Dozens of junior staff officers had frozen where they were, looking at him with a wide gamut of expressions. A single iron grayed man stood in the center of the chaos like a boulder in a storm. He spun slowly, contempt dripping from his face as he stared at the commissar.

    ¡°Yes, Gunroy?¡±

    ¡°An Iron Ring bearer, sir,¡± the commissar babbled, his words running thick as honey. He waved a pudgy hand at Erak and every eye quickly shifted to look at the ground except for the Colonel.

    ¡°What can I do for a bearer of the Emperor¡¯s will?¡± the Colonel asked slowly.

    Erak leaned his spear against a desk, laying his helm next to it. Then the shield was finally lowered and he worked the straps that kept his gauntlets secure. It took him some few moments but both heavy, clumsy, thick steel gauntlets were laid on the desk with a heavy thump.

    He turned to meet the Colonel¡¯s unyielding blue eyed gaze. His eyes were tired, the events of the last hours having aged him in ways that should have been impossible. Erak quickly signed his needs, fingers flashing through the complex sign language with a graceful fluidity that belied his size.

    The Colonel stared at him with uncomprehending befuddlement for a moment before throwing his head back and roaring with laughter that shook the room. Erak waited for the military man to get it out of his system.

    ¡°Oh that is rich, the voice of the Emperor is mute. Irony will never cease to amaze me.¡± Gressen wiped at a tear at the corner of his eye before sighing loudly. He looked around at his trembling officers, who stood bracing themselves for an explosion of tempestuous rage. Erak cared not what those laughed about when it was in regards to him. He had lived through worse.

    ¡°What are you dumb lunks doing? Go and find me someone who can interpret sign language. Go find one of the professors, one of them must know it!¡±

 Ch. 4 The Academics

    4.

    Erak stood with the patience of an oak tree, silent and resolute against the chaos of the world. The screams and cries of the dying splashed around him as he watched over the square, waiting for the professors to arrive. The mass of humanity was packed tightly, squeezing each other, praying to  lost gods. All of it a jumble of despair and fear as soldiers fought with grim determination, refusing to back away even as the abyss beckoned them forth.

    The hell tide never stopped. The silent bolts of the casters were a definitive ending to each of the targets and Erak watched as the soldiers'' levels grew. He glanced at his own numbers before dismissing them. He was never one to leap to conclusions and toward anything unexpected. He could wait and see what the numbers did and then move forward when he had confirmation.

    Finally, the sea of flesh parted and a harried looking soldier came trooping up, a pair of civilian looking people right behind him. Both wore nice, if now rumped and dirty, clothes. They had the faintest resemblance to military dress uniforms, but not as crisp or decorated. Pale creams with black trim, the crest of a black raven holding a scroll in its golden talons.

    The professors had finally arrived.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir¡­Bloodsworn?¡± the younger of the pair asked. His soft features were plain aside from a nose of terrific size. Soft blue eyes were underscored by black bags and his rumpled black hair was hardly long enough to touch his shoulders.

    Erak signed to him a brusque greeting and then nodded toward the awaiting officer corps. The second professor was old, face lined with crags that a mountain climber could explore. Frizzy white hair exploded off her head in a wave, still thick and alive in her ancient age. Glasses as thick as a battlecruiser''s armor expanded her brown eyes to the size of saucers as she walked with the assistance of an ebony cane capped with silver. The handle had been worked into a sleek raven with rubies as its eyes, the gold talons transitioning into the haft of the cane.

    ¡°Genetic aberration, Julius. Simply look at the size of this one. Mother must have bedded a giant! You¡­.yes, you. I know you can hear me, turn around and bend down so an old lady can see you!¡± Her voice was a whip crack, fierce as the frost in the darkest days of winter.

    Erak found himself obeying without pause, his body conditioned to responding to commands. His helm came free as he bent his knees to meet the old professor¡¯s gaze. She didn¡¯t flinch as so many others did, for he knew there was much to flinch from.

    ¡°Maybe quarter giant. Bone structure is right, nasal cavity has the appropriate girth, brow is wide enough. Iron ring holder too? That newest Queen, she comes from the polar fields, does she not? A guardian sent with her then.¡±

    Erak simply raised an eyebrow at her and rose to his full height, pulling his helm back on. His origins were for him and his Queen alone.

    ¡°Finally! Please, I wish to know what the Iron Ring bearer has to say,¡± Colonel Gressen pleaded. In the intervening minutes since Erak had stepped outside, the aging Colonel seemed to have wilted further.

    Erak turned and met Julius¡¯s eyes and began to sign efficiently. There was a minute part of his that enjoyed the soft man¡¯s widening eyes as he parsed out what Erak had to say.

    ¡°Ummm¡­he wishes to go to the battlecruiser. The Sword of Empire. And¡­uhhhmmmm, Captain her. He says a broadside of the cannons to clear the creature in the rift, and then we fly to the palace to save the Imperial family.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Oh. Is that all?¡± Gressen asked, his face having paled.

    ¡°No sir, he also wants all information accumulated about what is happening with levels, weapons, and anything of that nature along with a general report of the status of the soldiery.¡±

    ¡°I know little of what is the devilry happening today. That¡¯d be better left to you two,¡± Gressen said, nodding at the two professors.

    ¡°As for the state of the soldiery. Two hours ago this event started. General Conroy ordered this battalion out of the Mid-City barracks and to secure this square one hour and forty-five minutes ago. We have discovered that our rifles have been¡­changed. Officer sabers, sidearms, knives, all of it has undergone metamorphosis. The rifles use essence generated from the troops. Somehow. We have sustained heavy casualties holding the square, but our perimeter is finally secure.¡±

    Erak signed to Julius and watched with a grim grin as the man licked his lips nervously before glancing at the Colonel.

    ¡°The Bloodsworn wishes for all available troops that can be spared without losing operational security here. He will lead them on an attack on all forces between here and the armory and attempt to reestablish contact there.¡±

    ¡°I have few men. Lieutenant Nevia!¡±¡± Gressen barked and Erak watched as the smallest soldier in the area bobbed and weaved through the crowd, an energetic spring in her step. Platinum blonde hair and a button nose, freckles spattered across her face and serious aquamarine eyes. A curved saber rested on a slim hip, the handle not decorated as most ceremonial blades were. The handle was wrapped in sweat stained leathers, no embossing on the scabbard. It was a true utility weapon.

    ¡°Sir,¡± she snapped a crisp salute and then glanced nervously at Erak.

    ¡°Rouse your men, grab as many Adjudicators as you can reasonably rally. Also the commissar should go as well.¡±

    ¡°Understood sir. Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Escort mission for the big guy. What is your name?¡± Gressen asked suddenly, his iron will rusting away by the moment. Erak flashed an annoyed sign to Julius.

    ¡°Ummm, he says he is the Bloodsworn.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful. You will be escorting the Bloodsworn to the armory and to the battlecruiser.¡±

    ¡°The battlecruiser, sir?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The Bloodsworn shall take it and use it to kill whatever the hell it is in that portal.¡±

    ¡°Does she still fly? Are the cannons operable?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not your mission, Lieutenant. Your mission is to escort the Bloodsworn to the ship. The ship is on him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± She snapped off another crisp salute and bounded away, already roaring out orders to gather her platoon to her.

    ¡°Now that they are done with their prancing about, I can interest you in my knowledge of what has arrived,¡± the old professor said with a wide smile. Erak had the feeling he was looking down the maw of a ravenous beast, itching and eager for its next meal.

    ¡°A new power source, or possibly an old one, has arrived and infused the world. Old magics are stirring, I saw some fool Practitioner actually use his powers for once. Julius, be a dear and jot this down. We will have to do an in depth study on this in the future, oh I wonder if Abelard is alive. I doubt it, but nonetheless. Where was I? Oh, yes, energy.¡± Erak had to refrain himself from rolling his eyes at the act the woman was putting on. He could see it, the way the others relaxed around her, leaning in to support an old woman in her dotage. Fools all of them.

    ¡°Essence. Now from what I¡¯ve been able to observe it seems to be in the air. Soldiers are able to gather it slowly and use it fire through their rifles, casters now I should say. Now, on average, they are gathering enough energy to fire one bolt every eight to eight and a half minutes. Those who are stronger, who¡¯s levels have increased, have reduced that time to slightly below eight. They are also reporting that they can infuse their bodies with this essence to change themselves. I will need to find and slay one of these Hellspawn to confirm this. Bloodsworn, oh what a foolish name, what name did your mother whisper to you in your cradle of bones?¡± Erak didn¡¯t ask how she knew he was rocked to sleep in a cradle of wyvern bones, he just signed to Julius.

    ¡°Erak, oh how wonderfully drab.¡± Erak noted she didn¡¯t wait for Julius to translate.

    ¡°Oh look, the soldiers are here. Julius, it¡¯s time to go, Erak is taking us to the ship. I want you to take notes as we go, especially on how levels work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Julis said while Erak had to ponder how she had attached herself to their group and no one had objected.

 Ch. 5 Street Fight pt. 1

    5.

    Erak turned the corner and jerked his head back as the side of the building erupted in a spray of stone splinters. A forearm long, yellowing bone spear exploded in a wave of razor sharp shrapnel, pinging off his armor. The half dozen Adjudicators behind him weren¡¯t as lucky, their thin uniforms offering no protection. Shrieks of pain resounded, echoing off the canyon-like alley way they had been herded into.

    Erak spun around the corner, shield rising to cover his head, and charged the abomination that sat perched like a toadstool down the street. Eight feet tall and just as wide, its bulbous body puffed up like a balloon and Essence shone around it, crimson red in the light of the sun. Erak made it two more steps before all the Essence condensed into the creature¡¯s body, sucked away like a whirlwind. New bone splinters rose out of its saggy skin, sharp and gleaming as the demon expanded to its limit.

    Demonic Bonespitter lvl. 7

    The bone hammered into his shield, stopping him in his tracks as his entire left side went numb. Growling in his throat, he shook his arm out as he continued toward the now deflated sack. Essence was gathering around it again, but its short legs couldn¡¯t move itself fast enough as Erak closed the distance.

    Hellspawn came running at him, all bones and bloody talons, screeching as they tried to step in front of him and the organic artillery piece. His spear shifted, flashing in the light of the day and bodies fell to the ground as he cut through them like a thresher through wheat. The weak monsters were battered and tossed, their broken bodies hitting the stone buildings and failing to withstand the impact.

    The bonespitter began to inflate again, air whistling into it, pulled by an orifice underneath the layers of baggy skin. Erak lined up and thrust with one smooth motion, the spear piercing through the semi-filled air sac with a pop as an unearthly scream filled the air, causing him to grimace in distaste.

    He twisted the spear, ripping it free with a spray of ichor as the alert came that the demon was dead. Erak turned back to the alleyway where they had been pinned down and waved them forward. It was the fifth bonespitter he had been forced to kill in the last hour, the monsters clinging to rooftops and throwing missiles down with deadly accuracy. His heavy armor was the only thing allowing him to stand against them, otherwise their expedition would have been left in puddles of blood already.

    ¡°Something with intelligence is herding us,¡± Professor Rutledge hypothesized. The old academic walked with little assistance from her cane and peered around the world with sharp eyes. She prodded at the deflated bonespitter and then looked around wildly.

    ¡°Julius! Julius! You fool boy, what are you doing back there behind the soldiers? You will go nowhere in your field if you are always lagging behind. Now get up here and tell me what you have observed of this monster,¡± Rutledge¡¯s voice cracked like a whip and even the soldiers parted around Julius, exposing him to her wrath. Erak kept moving up the street as the voices of the academics followed behind him.

    ¡°We have witnessed it gather, what we can only assume is Essence, and then use it to spit spears of bone at us. As its name indicates.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Is that all you observed? No wonder the Archaeology department hasn¡¯t produced any papers in a decade. If only Abelard was alive!¡±

    Erak tuned them out as he watched the intersection. Many of the hellspawn had fled as they marched, too weak to stand against either the concentrated caster fire, or his spear. That hadn¡¯t stopped their ransacking of the city. The screams of the dying still filled the air and battle was being met everywhere he turned to look.

    The glow of the rift competed with the sun as the chained being lounged in the boundaries. The Iron Cathedral had begun to glow as the metal heated, but few dared move in that direction. Fire rose from bursts of lighting from the creature¡¯s hands and huge swathes of the Imperial City burned, black ash rising to choke the sky.

    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve sustained heavy losses. Almost all of the Adjudicators are injured. We should retreat and regroup. There¡¯s plenty of citizens who need help as well. We can establish a defense point between the Armory and the square. A rally point.¡± Nevia¡¯s words were as useful as pissing in the wind. His goal was immutable.

    He shook his head and pointed his spear down the interconnected street. He had been swayed to follow the side streets and try to avoid fights as the small command had been fearful of facing the hellspawn in open confrontation. For too long they had wandered, scuttling around in the dark as they tried to avoid the invaders. No more. Erak would cut his way through the horde to reach the armory and the guns of the Sword of Empire.

    Infernal Soldier lvl. 12

    Infernal Soldier lvl. 11

    Infernal Soldier lvl. 13

    The road he looked down was filled with them. True soldiers and not the mindless horde they had been fighting so far. Nevia peered around him and her pale face blanched till she was as pale as the stone around them. She ducked back and looked at her own ranks, the soldiers slowly fanning out and taking up firing positions with what limited cover they had.

    ¡°Julius! Up here!¡± Nevia barked, waving her hand to the berated professor. He bowed and bobbed and babbled apologies as he fled from Rutledge to race to them. Julius looked between the two of them before peering around the edge and seeing their newest foe. He held back a shriek of fear as he quickly slithered back behind the false security of the stone buildings.

    ¡°They are higher than everyone. Even you Erak! We need to go around them!¡±

    ¡°I am hesitant to agree with him, Ring Bearer, but we have confirmed that there is a correlation between strength and levels. If that bonespitter is only a seven, then I fear we lack the necessary strength to overpower them. At least while maintaining the strength needed to accomplish your goals.¡±

    Erak looked at his own floating numbers that he had been ignoring so far. Julius and Rutledge had been hard at work, extrapolating every iota of data they could from the soldiers and their own observations. He had listened as they spoke, theory and hypothesis flying forth with little confirmation. Erak had been willing to wait, but the soldiers who had used their levels had experienced boosts in strength.

    The Infernal Soldiers were in his way and was done walking around and to the side, lengthening his journey to the Armory. He had been content to wait to fully understand what the levels would require for him, but he needed the strength they offered and he needed it now.

    He signed what he was going to do and Julius and the Professor¡¯s jaw dropped as he quickly spun to Nevia.

    ¡°Erak hasn¡¯t used his levels yet. He¡¯s going to take them and then says we¡¯re going up the street. Your soldiers are to deploy on either side and box the enemy into a crossfire while he goes down the middle.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been doing all this without using Essence? By the gods, he¡¯s a monster.¡± Nevia¡¯s whisper was loud enough for Erak to hear but he paid it no mind. He was born and bred for war. Whether it was on the ice caps of the polar fields or in the streets of the Imperial City against the soldiers of Hell, none would stand before him.

 Ch. 6 Street Fight pt. 2

    6.

    Moments passed as Erak retreated away from the intersection. Lieutenant Nevia¡¯s platoon moved up to secure it without alerting the Infernal Soldiers down the street. Julius stuck to Erak¡¯s side like his shadow, the two men going to where the bonespitter lay in a deflated sack. Rutledge was kneeling on the hard stone, her wrinkled hands prying at the monster¡¯s leathery skin.

    ¡°Professor Rutledge, Erak hasn¡¯t used any of his level gains!¡± Julius spoke quickly, eagerness and desire for praise evident. The old woman looked up, eyes sharp as she rose smoothly to her feet.

    ¡°I wonder. Tell me what the screens reveal.¡± Rutledge walked to put her back to a building and watched as Erak struggled for a moment, hands swiping the air before Julius helped him.

    ¡°Sir Bloodsworn, it¡¯s activated with thought. The soldiers struggled at first as well.¡±

    Erak lowered his hands and thought of the screen that had so often impeded his vision. It burst forth and filled his eyesight and for the first time Erak actually read what it had to say.

    Essence has been Detected and the System has been Deployed.

    Welcome to the

    Erak scrolled through paragraphs of explanations of what was happening. He cared not for any of that. Let the academics pour over the words of this System and see what truths they could discern. Erak needed strength. He got to the end of the introductory essay and skimmed it.

    The System will help you Properly Allocate Essence to grow Stronger and Master New Abilities. Choose Wisely, Not all Paths are Suitable for You.

    Erak

    Bloodsworn lvl. 6

    Physical Attributes

    Strength: 14

    Vigor: 15

    Durability: 14

    Perception: 11

    Processing: 9

    Essence Command

    Channeling: 1

    Potency: 1

    Core: 1

    ¡°You have no command of Essence at all?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re how strong?¡± Julius and Rutledge¡¯s voice overrode one another as Erak signed to them what the array of numbers were.

    ¡°Giant¡¯s blood perhaps. Even in the old texts, giants wielded little in the way of magiks.¡± Rutledge was looking off to the distance even as the last of the standing Adjudicators spread out around them, forming a wall of flesh around the old professor.

    ¡°The highest strength I¡¯ve been able to record so far is from Sergeant Harvath, and he was only an eight!¡±

    Erak shrugged. He had always been the strongest human passing person he had met. He didn¡¯t need floating numbers to tell him that.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°How many attribute points do you have available? From what we¡¯ve seen, the points differentiate with what your title is.¡± Julius was finally seeming to come out of his shell, his spine straightening as a fever infected his eyes. They glinted with something besides fear and doubt for the first time all afternoon. Curiosity.

    Bloodsworn

    Bound by oaths etched into your very blood.

    Genetic Modification and previous vows interfere with Essence casting.

    Physical Attributes are Recommended.

    Aura Skills are Recommended.

    Five Free Physical Attribute Points per Level

    Or

    Three Essence Command Points

    One Skill Every Five Levels

    Erak

    Bloodsworn lvl. 6

    Strength: 25

    Vigor: 20

    Durability: 18

    Perception: 15

    Processing: 15

    Erak ignored all the Essence Command attributes as he felt his body shift. The fire that had been burning in his veins since he killed the first of the hellspawn burst forth in an inferno of agony, scorching him as he Changed.

    Muscles tightened and grew denser, flooded with power as a mangled groan escaped his helm. Sounds once dull became clear and distinct, the taste of ash and blood in the air thick. The outer edges of exhaustion that had begun to tug at his limbs burned away as he was filled with energy. Minutes or hours, he knew not, but the agony ended as he was left panting, mind rattled from the experience.

    ¡°What happened? How many points did you affix? Professor, have you ever seen a reaction that extreme?¡±

    ¡°No. The soldiers have been using their attribute points immediately, nothing extreme has happened like this. Interesting.¡±

    Erak waved his hand, shooing them back as he looked at the last thing of interest on his screen. It had said a skill with every five and he wondered exactly what a skill was.

    Skill Point Available: 1

    (Aura Skills Advised)

    Aura of Bloodlust: 1

    Aura of Steadfast: 1

    Aura of Implacable: 1

    Spear Thrust: 1

    Shield Bash: 1

    Erak looked over the list and then to the professors before telling them what was happening. Both of them frowned and leaned towards each other, whispering quickly.

    ¡°The soldiers are on a balanced path while Erak is being foisted toward purely physical. I wonder if it¡¯s the giant¡¯s blood or his temperament. We need a larger sample size,¡± Rutledge said.

    ¡°I think Steadfast would be best. He can already thrust a spear and bash people with the shield. The soldiers need to hold steady, their confidence in themselves and the Empire is waning.¡±

    ¡°More scions will be needed. Lord Kalgaris arrived five days ago to pledge fealty with the new Queen. He will have brought warlords with him. They will have the information I need.¡±

    ¡°Erak, I believe you should take Steadfast.¡±

    Erak had already taken Bloodlust while the two had conversed with each other and him.

    Aura of Bloodlust

    As you kill your enemies begin to fear and your allies grow stronger. Bathe in the blood of war and you shall feel invincible.

    Erak looked down at the professors and read the titles that hung over their heads for the first time. Julius was as he expected. Rutledge was different, wisdom had suffused her to the point she was not just a plain Academic.

    Imperial Sage

    Lvl. 3

    Erak shrugged and headed back toward the front of the street. His brief interest in the titles long gone as he felt a tug in his guts as his oaths urged him forward. Nevia met his eyes and hurriedly barked out orders. Erak felt the Adjudicators behind him, hiding in his shadow as they clutched at their weak batons. A storm gathered around him, potential and wrath as he turned the corner to stare down the three Infernal Soldiers.

    A hundred meters down the abandoned boulevard, the three spun to meet him as Erak broke into a trot, his body more responsive than he could ever remember. Each strike of his foot propelled him further, the weight of the armor negligible as he lifted the shield to right below the visor.

    Lean and mean, dressed in blood red leathers, studded with black iron, the three Infernal Soldiers were similar in appearance to the hellspawn. They lacked the wings and their frames were thicker than the emaciated creatures that plagued the skies. White elongated skulls, hairless and bare with sulfur yellow eyes and black sclera. Two held long spears, slender and crafted of oily, black, wood with a violet spear tip that sucked in the light.

    The third, and most powerful, carried a slender blade styled like a rapier. Composed of the same purple metal as the spear tips. The soldier led with the tip dancing, making lazy circles in the air as they rushed at each other, Erak¡¯s eyes drawn toward the needle thin point.

    Gold red heat seared by him, splashing harmlessly around the leathers. Thin conical teeth showed in a flash of a smile as the soldier¡¯s caster fire rained harmlessly off the three demons. Erak smiled in return as the strange trance was broken and he lifted his spear and roared as the four of them collided.

 Ch. 7 Street Fight pt. 3

    7.

    Erak¡¯s world dissolved into screeching metal and snapping teeth. Hot, humid breath washed over his face as he was forced back. He caught the first spear strike with his shield and used his own spear to force the second attacking spear off vector. The rapier came close, striking at the place where his shoulder plates met his neck. Erak jerked his head to the side and the needlepoint tip scraped enamel off his armor and slid past him as Erak kicked the weakest soldier in the gut.

    The soldier jackknifed, bile spewed from its maw, chunks of flesh mixed with its yellow-orange stomach acid. Erak twisted his spear, rolling his wrist to lift his spear tip up and over the top of the shaft of his enemy¡¯s weapon, and then he forced it down.

    The purple point clattered against the smooth stone boulevard as the demonic soldier strained against Erak¡¯s strength.

    The rapier point came at him again, another long thrust aimed at his knee. The bottom edge of the kite shield clanged the rapier away from his knee while Erak stabbed the second demon, using the demon¡¯s own spear as a guide. His spear ran up the length of the opposing spear and punched through the thick red leathers with ease.

    Screeching in rage and pain, it whipped its head back and forth and tried to pull back as the spewing soldier slowly regained itself, stabbing weakly at Erak¡¯s head. Erak blocked the blow and charged forward, shoving more of the spear through the shoulder of the demon, its screams of agony music to his ears.

    Caster fire singed the second spear demon¡¯s face. It pawed at its vulnerable eyes, backing away from Erak. The space was enough for a dozen more bolts to hit the demon in the space of a second, the soldier disappearing in a haze of heat and fury. The rapier wielder jumped back, clearing ten meters with a single bound.

    The impaled soldier looked about frantically, suddenly alone. Erak smiled wolfishly behind his helm as he began to hammer the shield into the trapped demon. Bones cracked audibly, flesh was rent, and all the while the demon screamed. Erak was forced to admit that the higher level soldier demon was much more durable than the hellspawn at the museum. Seven times the edge of his shield impacted its skull before on the eight blow it finally collapsed. slain.

    ¡°Concentrate fire on the spear! Leave the sword to the Bloodsworn!¡± Nevia¡¯s bullhorn voice roared over the chaos of the fight. The caster¡¯s emitted no noise as they sent bolts of energy out. Erak¡¯s own breathing was the loudest thing he could hear, much different from the battles of the past. No explosions or crack of rifle fire, just the red-gold heat of energy burning the air before scorching its target.

    Erak put a heavy boot on the dead soldier¡¯s chest and pulled his weapon free with a sucking sound. The rapier wielder looked at him with dispassionate eyes. Erak raised his spear in salute and began to march upon it, intent for blood. Erak felt the draw around him, the pull of Essence drawing on him as he began to desire the fight more than honoring his vows.

    It was glorious. Euphoria and adrenaline. Life exerted to its fullest, where every breath reaffirmed that this moment was the greatest moment in one¡¯s existence. Erak stopped, foot frozen in mid air as he forced him mind free of the temptations of Essence. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Weight, responsibility, honor, each of them a loadstone around his neck, grounding him as he rode out the high of Essence. Erak¡¯s eyes never wavered from the demon¡¯s as he fought back against the tide that threatened to sweep him away.

    Rapier flashed a tendril of purple fire condensed from the atmosphere, darting toward Erak as the soldier retreated. The fire burned out as it hit his shield, lacking in strength to pierce the Rare grade armor. Erak¡¯s eyes burned into the demon¡¯s retreating back as it turned a corner and fled, lost from sight.

    He looked over to the smoldering corpse of the second spearman. It was nothing more than charcoal, armor burned away as it lay in a collapsed heap. The pull of the Essence faded away as he stood there, the drive to kill and spill blood lost.

    ¡°Get that spear!¡± Nevia barked towards one of her soldiers as the rest of the platoon leapfrogged up the street by squad while Erak watched them. They moved quickly and efficiently, their casters swinging back and forth looking for a target as they closed in on him. They had found their confidence in killing the higher ranked infernal, like direwolves dragging down a mammoth.

    Behind them the professors and Adjudicators came around the corner, hurrying up to not lose the the protection of Nevia¡¯s platoon. Julius looked queasy as he stared down at the two dead infernals while Rutledge passed by without glancing down, her cane tapping on the stone.

    ¡°The runner is likely going to get help. We need to move,¡± Nevia whispered as she caught up to him. Her slight form hardly reached his elbow, but she moved with a warrior¡¯s grace.

    Erak nodded and lifted his spear, pointing down to the end of the street to where the wide boulevard ended. Dominating the end of the boulevard was a Hall of Justice, where many of the Adjudicators currently with him would have been stationed out of. The twenty foot tall doors were shattered splinters. Wide windows gaped open, black pits that yawned open invitingly.

    ¡°Erak. There are bloodstains all over that building. I can assure you, that building is filled with hellspawn.¡± Nevia looked slightly aghast at the thought of going into that five story building that dominated nearly an entire block.

    Julius waited patiently to translate for Erak as he signed clumsily, cursing the bulky metal gauntlets.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn says that we don¡¯t have to clear the building. Just cut through it. There should be an exit in the back of the building, one that will allow us to cut through a major part of the city and get much closer to the Armory.¡±

    ¡°Damnit. Adjudicators! Who was stationed at this hall?¡± Nevia turned to the handful still left alive and walking. They all raised their hands and Nevia sighed and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Senior most Adjudicator, please step forth.¡± A thin man with a bushy mustache came forward, bowing his head toward Erak before looking towards Nevia. ¡°How may I help you ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Is there an exit out of the back of the hall? One that will lead us closer to the Armory?¡±

    ¡°Two ma¡¯am. One underground into the sewers. The other at street level.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Nevia dropped her head and all the soldiers close groused and complained, kicking at the stone and shaking their heads with vitriol.

    ¡°What?¡± the Adjudicator asked. Erak told Julius and Julius looked confused but explained without hesitation.

    ¡°The soldiers are superstitious. They believe since you mentioned the underground exit first, that¡¯s the one we will be forced to use. Fighting underground and in tight confines does not appear appealing to the men.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯ll be fine. The backdoor is wide. Loading bay door really, easy in and out.¡± Erak looked at the man and sighed. The Adjudicator had definitely laid a curse on them. It mattered little in the end. Cutting through the Hall of Justice would lead them to the Armory faster, so that¡¯s what they¡¯d do.

    Erak started to walk.

 Ch. 8 The Hall of Justice pt. 1

    8.

    The Hall of Justice had broken down doors, shattered splinters of wood strewn about the entrance. A corpse lay draped over a metal rail, the black robes of a Justice wet with blood as her bloodless face peered up sightlessly toward the smoke choked skies. Erak walked past the Justice and into the dark halls, Nevia and her platoon lagging behind as the two professors, Adjudicators, and commissar fell behind.

    Erak didn¡¯t wait for them to rally their courage as he bulldozed into the depths. As a child he had always been weary of the Halls of Justice and the grotesque gargoyles that had lined the entrance. Old superstitions that they could see the sins of the defendants as they walked into the depths had propagated even into the far North. Now they were nothing more than broken masonry, littering the ground.

    Adjudicators, Justices, and defendants alike littered the ground in a thick carpet, guilt and innocence caring little in death¡¯s embrace. The only thing that cared was the toad-like demon perched on a Justice¡¯s still form, jaws wet and extended as it ate noisily.

    Hellspawn Scavenger lvl. 7

    Erak stabbed it as the wide eyed demon looked at him, its luminescent green eyes glowing as it smiled toothily at him. It ducked to the side, six hooked legs dragging it off the dead body quickly to avoid spear thrust. Erak didn¡¯t hesitate, lifting his boot as his momentum carried him closer to the scavenger. He stomped down, boot crushing the spongy flesh as the scavenger popped in an explosion that drenched his legs.

    A pungent aroma arose as it died, sulfur and rotting flesh mingling in an unholy stench. All around the dim hall, more and more eyes rose up, the quiet sounds of their feasting fading away. Erak shook his boot, trying to dispel some of the dead carrion eater¡¯s innards off of his foot.

    Caster fire lit the hall, shadows dancing as the few remaining gargoyles leered above them. Erak marched forward, dragging Essence around him to project his aura as he speared down at one of the other scavengers. The hall descended into chaos as the soldier¡¯s fire burnt away the scores of scavengers before he could reach them.

    Nevia¡¯s voice rang over the screams of the dying scavenger screams as she coordinated her fire lanes to cover every inch of the welcoming hall. Erak felt a bolt caress his pauldron, the heat tickling his flesh as he kept moving. Every now and then he would stab a scavenger, but he left the little monsters for the soldiers and Adjudicators behind him.

    ¡°Adjudicator Gregor! Front and center!¡± Nevia bellowed as the firing finally stopped and the smell of cooked meat now mingled unpleasantly with the monster¡¯s odor.

    The Adjudicator who had talked to them outside of the hall came forward, towering over Nevia as he scanned the hall, clutching his baton tightly. Erak looked back toward them, waiting for Gregor to give him the directions to the back loading bay.

    ¡°We have to go through temporary holding, then the bullpen, and down a maintenance corridor. Take the first right and then follow the hall, plenty of signs.¡± Gregor emphasized his words with his baton, stabbing it in the way they needed to move.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Excellent. Gregor, stay next to me. Polroy, your squad on rearguard. Adjudicators, Professors, stay in the middle of the formation. Commissar, I request that you position yourself there as well. Sergeant Constance you have lead behind Lord Bloodsworn. Do not shoot him again.¡±

    A series of affirmations came rattling through, all of the non-commissioned officers agreeing while a young woman looked ashen faced as she stared at Erak¡¯s singed pauldron. Everyone slid into their positions and Erak¡¯s foot began to tap impatiently while he waited.

    ¡°We are ready, Lord Bloodsworn,¡± Nevia said. Erak burst into motion treading over corpses as the dark grew deeper and deeper until his eyes strained to see anything more than shapes. The ragged breaths of the soldiers behind him heightened as they grew more nervous as they lost their fields of vision.

    Erak turned the corner and all light fled, darkness surrounding him. He froze for a second, hoping that his eyes would adjust now that his senses were stronger. They didn¡¯t.

    Erak lifted his spear in front of himself like a cane and kept moving forward. Something shuffled ahead of him, moving flesh hitting the ground, talons scraping marble. Erak moved, lifting his spear to waist height and charging forward with his shield protecting his neck and head.

    A bestial roar filled the hall, a scream dredged from a primordial time as something large shifted in the dark. Electricity tugged his guts, fear and excitement thrusting him forward as he roared at the monster in return.

    Weight smashed into him. Pressure crushed him as he lost his feet and felt a wall crater beneath him. His spear dug into flesh and that thing screamed again. Erak grunted as he was pushed up the wall, out of the crater that had formed underneath him.

    He hammered down with the shield, the tip of the bottom of the kite shield stabbing. Blood sprayed across him as he lifted the shield and struck again and again. In the darkness he could do little but keep hitting, striking with shield and fist, spear lost in the shuffle of the fight.

    Talons shrieked across his rare grade armor, sparks flickering off him to die inches away. A bolt from a caster lit the hall, burning Erak¡¯s eyes as he got a firm glimpse at the monster pinning him to the wall. Green pebbled skin, long teeth, red claws grasping at him.

    The caster bolt hit the monster and the light disappeared as fast as it had come. Erak punched at where he had seen the monster¡¯s beady eye had been. Something squished under his fist and the resulting scream was pain and not a challenge of dominance. Erak smiled even as his ribs groaned as the beast continued to squeeze him.

    Erak straightened his fingers, forming a dagger hand and stabbed straight down. The dull metal around the gauntlets met malleable flesh and Erak scooped outwards as the beast began to thrash, finally releasing him to fall from the wall.

    Bolts filled the hallway, one after the other as Erak saw the hunched over monster reeling backward. It bounced off a wall as yellow blood flowed down its stubby snout. Erak¡¯s spear was pinned into a thick thigh, the creature¡¯s bent knees were wide as plates and its two long arms were disproportionate to its body, easily long enough to scrape the ground as it walked.

    Erak charged as his heart sang, finally challenged by something. He tackled it, wrapping his wide arms around the creature¡¯s waist as he drove his legs toward the wall. They struck with a teeth rattling impact and Erak grasped the spear protruding from the thigh. He pulled at it, wrenching it free in a twist and spray of blood.

    Teeth bit at his shoulder and neck, pain flaring through as the armor was pinched down and tore at his skin. Caster fire was being extinguished all around him as soldiers fired into the ceiling or down the hall rather than risk hitting him. Each flicker of light let Erak aim as he jammed the spear through the center of the short torso of the monster.

    It trembled and shook, gasping as death began to claw it free from the material plane. Erak tore and twisted the spear free. The continual screams died as the monster slumped to the ground.

    Abyssal Hunter lvl. 10

    A decent fight. Erak wished it had been longer. He stepped over the dead creature and kept going down the dark hallway, hoping that there would be another challenge waiting for him.

 Ch. 9 The Hall of Justice Pt. 2

    9.

    The doors leading into the holding cells had changed. Erak ran his fingers over the thick, iron wrought door, certain that the original door had been wood. Gregor, the Adjudicator, stepped through the crowd, apologizing for every stepped on foot or jostled soldier. His voice loud in the dark hall, the only sound other than the heavy breathing of fearful men.

    ¡°My lord, this door has changed.¡± Erak turned and looked down to where he assumed Gregor was. A flutter of irritation wormed through Erak as he rattled the lock door.

    ¡°Oh, my apologies. I think I have a key for it. Well, it used to be a swipe card. You know. The magnetic ones¡­ok, you don¡¯t care. Found it!¡± Gregor¡¯s babble ended as Erak heard the man moving, hands brushing against the door until he exclaimed in surprise.

    ¡°It works!¡± The door rushed open and dim orange light assaulted their eyes. Gray talons raked through Gregor¡¯s neck in a spray of blood as a wall of monsters rushed out, free of the holding cells. Erak slammed the nearest one back, his shield shattering bone. His speared another, but there were scores of the spindly creatures.

    Caster fire filled the hall and the monsters screamed, inhuman in pitch. Erak got a good look of the spitted one as he lifted it up and out of the crowd. The horde lacked the strength to cut his armor and they were dying in droves from Nevia¡¯s platoon.

    It was skeletal thin, flesh stretched tight over bone. Sunken hollows where eyes should be and a nose that was just a gaping cavity. Teeth snapped, rotten and black, while the creature¡¯s long fingers scrambled over the shaft holding it in the air. Pale red blood ran out of it, dripping on the ground as Erak shook it like a terrier did a rat.

    Ghoul lvl. 5

    Erak dropped the dead ghoul to the ground and yanked the spear free. All around him the soldiers finished the monsters, Gregor the only casualty. Peering into the holding cells, Erak felt his eyebrows climb his brow. The modern architecture had been changed, the steel and plexiglass holding cells morphing as candelabras filled with eternal flames burned in the corners providing light to the newly minted dungeon.

    ¡°How interesting. Erak, would you be so kind as stop blocking the door?¡± Rutledge¡¯s voice came from the back of the crowd and Erak found himself moving into the transformed room.

    The cells were empty. Simple cages with their doors swinging wide open. A few dead Adjudicator¡¯s lay sprawled in gnawed on pieces across the black stone floor. The troops shuffled in nervously behind him, their casters swinging back and forth while Nevia had drawn her blade.

    Nevia Family Sword

    Uncommon

    Aside from the weapons at the museum, it was the first time Erak had seen a weapon that wasn¡¯t common grade. Her sword was short and with a slight curve to it, a blue sheen in the steel that reflected darkly in the light. She held the blade with long familiarity, moving to the front to stand beside Erak as her men faltered.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn, I think the ghouls were men before. The prisoners.¡± She pointed to the open cages and Erak could only nod. Rutledge and Julius pushed their way to the font and quickly began to peer about and investigate. More so Rutledge than Julius. Julius appeared to be following in a mix of fear and morbid curiosity as Rutledge found a ghoul dead in a cell and began to prod at it with her cane. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Erak nodded and began to move, looking for the signs Gregor had promised would lead the way. All he found was more of the reflective black stone and iron cages. The holding cells had turned into a warren of bars and dancing light. The platoon spread out while the Adjudicators, academics, and commissar stayed in the center of the sprawling room.

    ¡°The interior has definitely changed. Holding used to be a third of this size. Maybe even less.¡±

    ¡°Gregor died without a sound. Poor bastard, he was getting close to retirement, was going to go and get a farm out in the country.¡±

    ¡°Julius, why are you so green? Please, hand me that knife, I wish to see if the internals of the ghouls have changed as much as the exterior has. Julius?! Honestly. It¡¯s dead, it can¡¯t hurt you. Now help me eviscerate it.¡±

    ¡°Polroy, watch the exit. Constance, split into trios and find the damn exit. Everyone watch your lines of fire!¡± Nevia¡¯s voice was impressive coming from such a small frame. Erak looked at her for the first time and read her title.

    Imperial Officer lvl. 6

    Erak began to think that his decision to cut through the Hall of Justice was going to backfire. The time it was taking to work through the building would have been better spent actually moving, even if it was going around the monstrous building and the block of burning buildings.

    ¡°Over here!¡± a voice rang from the opposite direction. All movement stopped as everyone turned to look through the iron bars to catch a glimpse of a waving hand.

    ¡°Excellent work, Flanders! Everyone move¡­¡± Nevia was cut off as the Flanders opened the door. Red flame burst through the door, Flanders and the two others with him disintegrating into shadow stains upon the floor as something big came charging through.

    Erak cursed his limited visibility. The thin slit of the helm, the poor lighting, and the maze of bars showed him something big and armored. Caster fire brightened the room, bolts searing through the air. The rasp of metal on metal and then the sounds of men screaming filled the air.

    Erak started to run, bouncing off of cages when he was to slow to turn, clanging from one to the next as he hurried to his next challenge. His spear tangled in a cage and it wrenched in his hand, shaking free. Nevia screamed a wordless battlecry and the sounds of swords striking teased his ears.

    Cursing in his mind, he untangled the spear and turned, chasing through the maze the two dueling shapes. Nevia¡¯s smaller form flashed in the gaps of the cages, uniform blending with the surroundings as her sword glinted as it wove a dizzying defense.

    The thing after her lumbered, a greatsword hacking about, hitting cages more often than meeting Nevia¡¯s sword. She was running out of room to dance as she was forced into a corner. Erak got a clear line of sight finally, only feet away as he finally saw what it was that had cut through the soldiers.

    Corrupted Justicar lvl. 12

    It was a hulking form, a mass of bloated flesh wedged into ill fitting armor. The sword it was wielding was an amalgamation of pieces of metal melted together, straining to stay together with every resounding clang.

    Erak stabbed it in the back.

    The rare grade spear parted steel like butter, emerging from its chest in a burst of foul blood. The creature stiffened, screaming in agony as it backhanded Erak, twisting on the spear and ripping more of itself open in the process. The blow rocked his head back, the world dimming and a ringing filling his ears as he staggered back. He left his spear wedged in the creature as he staggered back, finally catching himself when his back hit a cage.

    Erak looked at the creature face to face for the first time as it began to lumber toward him. It was an Adjudicator. Or at least the scraps of a uniform hanging from its fleshy neck had been an Adjudicators. His spear was still protruding from its chest and red-black blood and yellow pus flowed from the gaping wound. Nevia was crouched, nearly hidden behind its bulk.

    The Corrupted Justicar¡¯s beady eyes were filled with madness and pain. Its features were warped and swollen, hardly recognizable as human. It snarled and snapped its teeth as it ran, monstrous sword trailing behind it as it charged Erak.

 Ch. 10 Halls of Justice pt. 3

    10.

    Erak met the corrupted creature¡¯s charge. His shield rose and caught the powerful blow of the pieced together sword. Metal rang and Erak grinned as his body shook from the power in the justicar¡¯s blow. Erak punched it in the face, crushing the nose and blacking an eye. It flew back, slamming into a cage and fell to a knee.

    It looked up and its mouth gaped open, fire burning free like a dragon¡¯s breath. Heat and corruption spilled over Erak as he covered his face with the shield. Sweat blistered and steamed as he began to cook in his armor. The barrage ended as fast as it began, the billowing flames disappearing in the space between frantic heartbeats.

    Erak lowered his shield and was rewarded with seeing the monster¡¯s mouth burned and blistered, unable to stand the heat of its attack. His spearhead still jutted free from its wide torso, the beginning of the haft just visible. The justicar rose to its feet and charged and Erak met it.

    He hit it across the face with the still smoldering shield, flesh burning with an audible sizzle as it was stopped in its tracks. Erak reached down with his free hand, grasping the sliver of shaft available and heaved. The spear pulled free with chunks of rotting flesh hitting the ground, cooking on the hot stone floor.

    It punched him, wide fist cracking into his gullet. The pressure made his breath whoosh out of his lungs, but Erak still managed to swing the spear around to point the deadly tip back at the justicar. Erak met its swollen eyes and relieved it of the burden of life. The speartip slashed through its doughy neck, between the ill fitting gorget and breastplate, to rise higher and pierce its feverish skull.

    Fire, red tinged black with an awful sulfur smell, came spilling out of its throat. The body shrank in on itself as the disjointed armor began to dwarf it as it collapsed inward. He got the notification of another level gained and smiled as he stared down at his conquered foe.

    It had been a decent fight.

    ¡°That strip of ground is too hot, I have to go around. I¡¯ll rally the remainder of the men and meet you in the next room, Lord Bloodsworn,¡± Nevia¡¯s voice held an edge of admiration and fear now. She had crossed blades with the creature and had barely survived. She stared down on it now with disgust and disbelief.

    Erak gave her a warrior¡¯s salute, before turning to head into the room the justicar had been locked in. Half a dozen soldiers lay dead. Four turned into pieces and two burnt so badly they looked like charcoal.Then the original three who had disappeared in the heat, leaving nothing left but shadows stained on the black stone floors.

    Nevia had lost nearly a quarter of her force in the single encounter. Erak could empathize with her. He had led warriors into battle before and had laid their shrouds upon still corpses. A great weight to bear, but one that an officer and commander had to learn to carry.

    He left the dungeon and his followers behind, entering into the bullpen. It had once been a regular office, cubicles, desks, bulletin boards, and all the entrapments of a modern day building. Like the holding cells, it had been transformed into a barracks.

    Long and narrow with cots bolted to the walls and trunks stashed beneath them. Three cots on each wall, none of them occupied at the moment. A single Adjudicator lay, neck twisted sideways, in the center of the room. Her baton was still on her belt. Erak could read what had happened easily enough. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The corrupted monster had died too easily. An oathbreaker was a monster most foul. That it had slain its brothers in arms in the course of shattering its vows made it even worse.  Erak picked up her still body and laid it on a cot, pulling a blanket over her body. She never had the chance to distinguish herself, to face the hell horde and see if her mettle was greater than theirs.

    Erak left her and began to look around the room. He couldn¡¯t abandon the rest of the group, no matter how much they had slowed him down so far. He might need their expertise in the coming trials. Nevia was a proud and brave warrior, distinguishing herself with her cool command and personal valor. Rutledge was terrifying and much too keen, her eyes piercing and seeing into the depths of things. He needed Julius to communicate to the rest of the uneducated.

    Housed on the walls, between the hanging cots, were heavy lockers of stained wood. When he tugged them open, Erak was shocked to see the batons that the Adjudicators used, but changed. The thin, lightweight, flexible batons were gone. In their place were cruel and heavy rods of thick, made of the same violet metal as the Infernal Soldier''s spear was.

    Lawman¡¯s Baton

    Common

    Erak tried to pick it up and felt his fingers brush across an invisible surface. A sense of rejection was projected at him, as if the weapon was saying he couldn¡¯t bear it. He grabbed it anyway.

    This Item is For Specific Title Holders

    Lack of Cohesion Detected

    Weapon degraded to Inferior

    The rod wilted in his hand. The rich luster faded and he felt the weight dissolve as it became the regular baton that the Adjudicators normally carried. Erak tossed it to the ground and was disappointed when it didn¡¯t revert back into the Lawman¡¯s Baton. The half dozen remaining heavy rods were better than nothing and there was another cupboard on the other side of the room. If nothing else, at least the Adjudicators wouldn¡¯t be as unarmed.

    Erak continued his bored exploration, looking at more and more of the room until he remembered that he had leveled. Behind him he heard the soldiers and knew he had only a few seconds before they were here and they¡¯d be on their way again.

    Erak

    Bloodsworn lvl. 7

    Strength: 28

    Vigor : 20

    Durability: 20

    Perception: 15

    Processing:15

    The extra burst of strength and the feeling of being more solid rushed through him. Nowhere as extreme as the first time he had moved those points around and it was a much more enjoyable experience for it.

    Nevia entered behind Sergeant Constance, the young woman who had accidentally shot him, with Rutledge only trailing a foot behind Nevia. The old sage¡¯s eyes lit up as she saw the room and she began to poke and prod quickly. The Adjudicators filed in next and most went to see the cupboards filled with weapons only they could use. There was a brief scuffle as they fought over the sticks, before someone pointed out there was a second cupboard. Only Julius checked the shroud covered body, lifting the edge of the blanket briefly before offering a soft prayer and walking over to Erak.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn, were there no other foes here?¡± Erak looked at him and shook his head, not bothering to sign.

    ¡°Professor Rutledge is scaring me. She¡¯s always been inquisitive and pushed the boundaries. She has two reprimands in her file for her methods, but this goes beyond the pale. She had me cut open that ghoul and look for if the organs matched that of a man.¡± Julius kept a sharp eye on the subject of his rant. Erak stood there waiting for him to finish venting.

    ¡°I fear for what she plans. She wishes to see the effects of levels on herself. She will ask for you to let her kill something, I¡¯m sure of it. Or me. She has run out of Teacher Assistants after all. I almost had tenure and then this happens.¡±

    Erak signed to him and waited for Julius to collect himself. The smaller man read his words and nodded his head.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn says a five minute water rest and regrouping. Then we push onward!

 Ch. 11 Into the Basement

    11.

    The backdoor was blocked. Gregor had been right in that it was an oversized door. He had been right that it was used for loading too. Boxes and shipments of supplies were scattered about with little rhyme or reason. Corpses were stacked around the backdoor like cordwood, blood still wet and dripping off them to the floor. They were a mix of Adjudicators, Justices, and office staff, all stacked with little care or thought.

    The crowd following him spread out like a wave, eyes locked on the doors that were melted shut to the stone. The soldiers had looks of resignation on their faces as they kicked and scuffed at the ground while Nevia stared at the doors with exhaustion tugging at her features.

    Julius and Rutledge examined where the metal doors had fused with the stone, talking of what could have melted it. Erak thought of the heat from the Corrupted Justicar he had battled and had an inkling of what had melted the doors.

    ¡°Adjudicator¡­who is next most senior?¡± Nevia looked about the small knot of Adjudicators,  growing smaller and smaller by the hour. They looked at one another like sheeps before the butcher, until one stepped forward.

    A lean woman with iron gray hair and deep lines across her face. A scar traced the side of her face and her nose was crooked. When she spoke Erak saw several missing teeth that lent itself to a lisp.

    ¡°That¡¯d be ma¡¯am. I¡¯m Gwendolyn.¡±

    ¡°Gwendolyn, where is the second exit out of here. The sewers.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a maintenance hall ma¡¯am. We can follow this back hall to the stairs, not far from here, and then down. Two flights of stairs, and then into the infrastructure, the heaters, pipes, electrical, stuff like that. The door is down there, somewhere.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know where it is?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t have much reason to be entering the sewers ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Fuck. Lord Bloodsworn, do we continue, or backtrack?¡± Nevia had hope glinting in her eyes that they¡¯d be backtracking. Erak looked at his own long spear and thought of the claustrophobic depths beneath the building. He needed a better sidearm.

    Erak pointed a finger down and Nevia deflated. She rallied herself so fast that if Erak hadn¡¯t been watching, he¡¯d never have seen it. THe energetic junior officer was growing weary as the day progressed, even with the few levels she had earned.

    ¡°Sergeant Polroy, you¡¯re in the lead. Constance, you have the middle. Butik, you have the rearguard,¡± Nevia ordered. Erak noticed the third non-commissioned officer for the first time. A short and wide man with a florid face. It had been his squad that had been massacred by the justicar and the handful of survivors were being rotated out of likely combat.

    The soldiers shuffled around as Erak started down the hallway. The light was weak and thin, balls of light drifting in place where lighting stips had once been. It was enough to soften the darkness to a pale gray, Erak straining to not trip over anything spilled on the ground.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    His senses were alert as he looked for anything that would come at him, heart beating a slow beat that pulsed in his ears. He hoped something would come and challenge him, to continue testing him as he worked closer to the basement.

    Nothing bothered him.

    The door leading to the stairwell was ripped free, torn and tangled metal strips still stuck to the hinges. The door lay in a balled up heap on the landing, the pale illumination of the fae light barely piercing the dark.

    Erak didn¡¯t hesitate as he choked up the hold on the spear as he tromped down the stairs. His heavy boots clanged with every step, the soldiers followed behind, their steps lost in the thunder of his march.

    ¡°Darker than sin in here. Lou, how are we going to see what to shoot?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s eating you, shoot it,¡± Nevia¡¯s voice sounded, ringing down the stairs to Erak.

    ¡°Told you Podzki, stop being a dumbass.¡±

    ¡°Julius, loan me your arm, my balance isn¡¯t what it used to be.¡±

    ¡°Of course Professor,¡± Julius was ever so polite to the older woman.

    Deeper they went. Until Erak used his spear as a walking stick, the butt of it leading ahead of him, tapping away as kept his shield ready to react. Curses and people staggering into things kept coming from behind him. The confines of the basement were tight, Erak forced to walk sideways so his shoulders wouldn¡¯t scrape the pipes.

    Something skittered. Movement in the dark, felt and sensed more than seen. Erak froze and someone walked into his back, bouncing back with a grunt.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Nevia whispered, her voice loud in the tight confines.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn stopped, ma¡¯am. I ran into him,¡± someone¡¯s nasally voice echoed behind him.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know ma¡¯am. He didn¡¯t tell me why he stopped.¡±

    More movement. Erak lifted the spear awkwardly, trapped as he was with his shield shoulder leading and the pipes preventing him from turning square to face whatever was there.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn, we are going to fire a blast past you to see,¡± Nevia said. She gave him a moment before a scarlet beam of energy lit the surroundings. Erak saw what it was that he was sensing.

    Gray bloodless skin. Black eyes peering at him. It lunged with a grunt hands outstretched as Erak held his spear steady to stab it through the ruined Adjudicator¡¯s jersey. The creature screamed, piercing in the tight confines, as Erak moved forward, driving the creature back.

    Undead lvl. 7

    More things were shuffling around him, cries rising up as panicked curses filled the air. Caster bolts started to light as the basement came alive with undead. Scores of the drained monsters came flooding around, only seen in the quick flashes of light.

    A strangled scream and a body was being dragged away from the group, body disappearing under pipes. Another flash and another corpse was falling, landing in twisted and scorched remnants.

    Rutledge standing proud, her cane flashing out as a blade sprung from the bottom, piercing a limping creature¡¯s skull.

    Julius was batting grasping hands away. Nevia stepped up behind him, her sword stabbing the undead grabbing at Julius.

    Erak¡¯s shield was tugged, pulling him forward. He turned it into a charge, crushing the undead back and into the wall, bones shattering. More screams, Adjudicator¡¯s rods striking flesh with bone shattering force. More and more flashes of light as the soldiers began to fire faster and faster, the undead pouring out of every crevice there was.

 Ch. 12 Undead

    12.

    Erak stomped down and was rewarded with a  slurry of brain and bone as the undead popped like a grape. They were weak but veritably endless, a horde without fear or pain, absorbing the strength of the Erak and his escorts without complaint.

    Twisted heaps of ruined flesh and bone, brunt and shattered from casters and knives and rods of heavy metal. Still they kept coming. Scores if not hundreds, filling the basement in their silent fury, one after another the soldiers and Adjudicators fell and were dragged away as they fought closer and closer to where they hoped the doors were.

    Nevia¡¯s blade shone in the flashes of crimson light, spattered with sticky red-black blood as she cut and hacked her way free of grasping hands. Rutledge¡¯s little blade was like a sparrow, pecking here and there and when it struck bodies to never move again.

    Julius hit about himself with a pipe he had liberated from somewhere, striking in a wild frenzy. Erak watched him hit the wall twice, both blows nearly shaking the pipe out of Julius¡¯s hands as he screamed in rage and fear.

    ¡°BLOODSWORN! WE NEED TO LEAVE!¡± Sergeant Constance screamed at him, her smaller form nestled against his back as she fired around her as fast as she could regain her Essence.

    Erak nodded and kept pushing forward, his spear near useless in the tight confines. He kept it gripped in his shield hand as he struck all around him with his free hand, crushing fragile human skulls with a blow each time. These undead with their pale faces and bloodless limbs excited nothing in Erak. There was no challenge here, just mindless stalks of flesh to reap.

    The group stuck tight to him, keeping his flanks clear of grasping hands even as they paid for it in blood. Erak struck the walls, looking for the maintenance tunnel that would lead out of the basement and into the sewers. Only the light of the casters, throwing bolts of illumination to show the sea of gray faces, his only hope of seeing the entrance.

    Another flash, close to his arm, and another body tumbled backward seared through. The undead had been blocking Erak¡¯s view of a simple door with a neon lettering over it.

    SEWER. It was simple and plain and so ordinary that Erak might have missed it, if not for the stray shot. He kicked the door, steel meeting steel and the door buckled and blew in backwards. Erak turned and shoved Constance towards the sewers and the dim green light emanating from it. She didn¡¯t hesitate, screaming for her men to follow her as Erak held firm, a bulwark against the undead.

    Rutledge and Julius flowed past with a pair of Adjudicators still alive with them. Nevia was in the middle of the rearguard, her sword slicing apart the undead as the undermanned squad who had been the rearguard fought desperately to hold on. Erak slammed the butt of the spear against the floor,gaining their attention.

    Nevia backed up and looked at him and he pointed his finger into the sewers as he stepped forward. The soldiers retreated in near panic, Nevia the last in the field, waiting for him to back up. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    The pressure of the gray men pushed against Erak and his spear and shield worked in tandem, having room to strike straight towards the heart of the horde finally . Every stroke caused death, every swing of his shield crushing and inevitable. He was a god in that tight hallway as he slowly backed up, the ramparts of the freshly dead forming a wall to protect the band from the rest of the horde.

    Erak entered the dimly glowing sewers and frowned at the broken door he had kicked. He had been a bit hasty in that moment. He picked the door up, ignoring how it was bowed in the middle and wedged it sideways into the door frame. Metal squealed as he twisted the doorframe and door to form a mass of metal that only partially blocked the doorway.

    ¡°Fucking Gregor!¡± Nevia spat as she looked around at her much reduced command. Constance was the only sergeant still alive. The other two had disappeared in the mass of pipes and shuffling hordes.

    Nine soldiers were still alive aside from Nevia, less than a third of their original command. Two Adjudicators, clutching their weapons and looking about in shocked horror, and the two professors.

    Imperial Sage lvl. 6

    Rutledge had been rewarded with plenty in the tight confines, in fact the old woman was groaning and grimacing with her eyes closed as she affixed the points to herself. Julius was groaning and shaking, but Erak saw that he hadn¡¯t gained any levels.

    ¡°Erak, our losses are catastrophic. We need to regroup,¡± Nevia pleaded. Erak shrugged and then waved at Julius to come to him. The man rose slowly, drenched in sweat and staggering as if drunk as he came up to them.

    ¡°How may I help you, Lord Bloodsworn?¡± Erak didn¡¯t sense a single note of sincerity in his voice. Erak told him what he wanted and the other man shrank slowly as he translated.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn insists we continue to the Armory. We shall regroup now and push towards the Armory from underneath. Hopefully avoiding more unpleasant surprises.¡±

    ¡°Erak. The damn sewer is glowing. There are unpleasant surprises in this place.¡± Nevia seemed shrunken on herself. The losses having piled up over the last few hours till she seemed a shell of herself.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn says to stay behind him. He will face anything and everything in the sewers. Collect the strength you have earned from battle and we will march in five minutes.¡±

    Nevia nodded, wiping her blade free of gore with a piece of cloth and resheathing it before going to the small huddle of her soldiers. She gave her orders, breaking the squad into two fire teams, one under her and the other with Constance in command.

    ¡°Do¡­do you think we will survive.Erak?¡± Julius whispered. Erak looked at him and shook his head in disappointment. Survive? He was thriving.

    He would reach his Queen and honor his oaths, but the challenge was here. Erak felt as if he was being woken for the first time in his life. Rising from a deep sleep, shaking the drowsiness from his limbs as he took in this new world.

    Death was here, perched and feasting on the Empire, but Erak was not an Imperial. This wasn¡¯t his society. He had his people, but they were like him. Ice and strength molded into flesh, the heat of war a beacon for them.

    Erak signed to him a few words of encouragement before leaning his spear against a wall as he shook his gauntlets off, intent on plying out the scraps of flesh and bone caught in the grooves. He had his own levels to look at while everyone regrouped, more strength to claim.

    Erak felt his face twitching, the smile threatening to bloom. He had left warriors behind, those who had sworn to stand with him, but he couldn¡¯t help it. The glowing water of the sewers offered enough light for him to see the ripples in the water, heading toward them.

    Another Challenge coming for him.

 Ch. 13 Sewer Fight

    13.

    The luminescent water exploded in a flurry of scales, teeth and fury. Erak stabbed it as it flew towards him. The spear tore through the slippery scales like tissue paper and Erak lifted the five foot long primordial looking eel up to show everyone. The little monster had a thick, powerful tail that had propelled it. A long snout, gray-brown thin scales, long arms with yellow talons on thin fingers. It spasmed once powerfully, nearly shaking itself free before it went limp as it perished.

    Carrion Eel lvl. 6

    ¡°Fucking ugly as hell,¡± one of the soldiers spat at it as Erak tossed in from his spear with a flick of his wrist. More ripples in the water as more of the eels leapt free, snapping and snarling. They died just as easily as the first one. Erak stood firm, spear flickering this way and that, pieces of eel slapping wetly on the stone walkway.

    It ended just as fast as it came, a half dozen of the eels laying on the ground. The survivors looked at him with a mix of awe and shock. They had seen him be a juggernaut of steel, but the speed had been a surprise to them. Erak wanted to smile then, to see their realization he was nearly as fast as he was strong.

    ¡°Stop gawking and get ready to move!¡± Nevia didn¡¯t give them time to get bogged down as she started to shuffle the men forward. Erak started forward after tugging his still soiled gauntlets back on. The heavy steel was reassuring as he marched away from the basement and into the depths of the sewers. The weight of the city above him didn¡¯t bother him, the pale lime green light of the glowing water didn¡¯t disturb him.

    He kept his eyes looking forward, searching for anything that would actually give him pause. Another eel leapt at him and he slapped it contemptuously away with his shield. It splattered with bone shattering force, falling limp in a puddle on the pathway across from them.

    The paths in the sewers were a twisted maze, time losing meaning as the eels kept rushing to their deaths, Erak slapping them away or spearing them with little trouble. The earlier hope that this would be a challenge was fading rapidly as only the little monsters presented themselves. The pounding of undead fists on metal faded behind them as they distanced themselves from the Hall of Justice¡¯s basement.

    Rutledge moved her way to the front, cane clicking on the moist stone, and took up following next to Erak. She did keep him between herself and the water. She wasn¡¯t a fool afterall.

    ¡°Have you thought of what else might have changed?¡± Rutledge asked, her voice was richer, a timbre to it that had previously been lacking. Erak shrugged and stabbed another leaping eel. He was anxiously waiting for the new alert that he had gained another level and more power.

    ¡°The Hall of Justice was changed. Our weapons have changed. We have changed. The name Essence itself hints at it. What is the essence of a thing. Your spear and armor are replicas from the Conquering. They have been looked at and thought of as pieces of something great and powerful. That makes them great and powerful for that is their essence based on how they are thought of, at least that is my hypothesis,¡±

    Erak shrugged again. It was interesting enough, but it wasn¡¯t something for him to contemplate on. Especially as he was working his way through an invasion.

    ¡°I wonder how something like the Sword of Empire will have changed. The most powerful remnant from the Conquering outside of the Imperial Palace. What makes the essence of something like that, a weapon of war that is revered and reviled?¡±

    Why would he care? It was a weapon and he was willing to use it no matter how it had changed. Another eel lashed at him and he crushed it to the ground with the butt of his spear.

    ¡°The follies of youth. You¡¯re willing to use a weapon, but care not how it works. What if that ancient weapon of war is not what it used to be. If it has been changed like everything else and your plan is no longer viable?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Erak dismissed it. If it didn¡¯t work then he¡¯d do something else. There was no option for failure or yielding to circumstances. If the great warship did not kill the chained being in the portal then he would find something else. Or he would grow strong enough to kill it.

    ¡°Something to keep your mind on. Also that these eels aren¡¯t fully developed. They look like a similar animal from the Southern Swamps, just changed. They grow to nearly fifteen feet long.¡±

    Erak looked up at that. If these eels were something from the planet and just transported here, then maybe he could face a non-juvenile one and finally push himself over the ledge for another level and more strength.

    Rutledge fell back, her wisdom and words left behind like a heavy weight. It did not crack his iron determination, but it was a weight nonetheless. Erak shifted his mind to the more immediate concerns. How a ripple was forming into a wave, a form thrashing the middle of the sewer.

    Erak had a moment of thought that the Sage had a way of showing up to impart knowledge right before he needed it. He¡¯d have to think about that later.

    Brood Eel lvl. 12

    It was monstrous, ten feet of thick, corded muscle rising up and out of the sewer, green glowing water sloughing off of its scales in a waterfall as it rose higher and higher until its wide triangular head brushed the ceiling. The long arms were wide and powerful, five fingers with dagger talons glinting in the dim light. A hiss rumbled up its sinewy body, thick phlegm blowing out of its wide nostrils to spray across Erak.

    Erak hefted his spear and rushed it, leaping with ease off the edge of the path to crash into the surprised eel. The creature bowed backward as his spear punched deep as it screamed, the two of the crashing into the water in a spray.

    The heat of the water was shocking, a warmth that was out of place in the depths of the world. The wiggling body underneath him tried to escape, only his iron grip on his spear kept him rooted with it. It rose up and out of the water and Erak spewed foul water as he ripped down with the spear, the long blade parting scale and flesh to mingle blood with the green luminescent water.

    Shouts were behind him, a bolt flashing by, but Erak was focused. He was wedged tight to scales of the monster, his vision nothing more than brown scales. The eel was hot, growing slick with blood as it flopped around. Erak hit a wall and the breath was crushed out of him and the spear was driven even deeper and the creature screamed even louder.

    Its flexible claws dug at him, scraping across his armor with a shriek as it landed, half on and half off of the pathway. Erak quickly scurried up, his strong fingers digging through the scales, popping under his gauntlets. He reached its snapping jaws, dodging sword length teeth as he began to squeeze the thinner neck.

    The eel grew more panicked, its efforts redoubling as it tried to pull Erak off of its body. Erak dug deeper, his fingers covered in blood as he swung around behind it and away from its grasping talons. His long arms hooked its neck and he began to squeeze as the eel rose up to its full height before diving into the false safety of the water.

    Erak took a deep breath before they hit the water and the world turned murky and green. Tighter and tighter he squeezed as the eel bounced off of walls and scraped him across the rough stone of the channel. Time began to blur as his lungs screamed and burned, urging him to release the stale air in his chest.

    His mind brought back memories of different water, hot with steam rising off of it in snow capped lands. Of pulling his way through the dark channels of the underground rivers with steel in his hands. And his arms tightened again, as if trying to pull the front of the eel¡¯s neck into his gut.

    It grew slower. And slower. Its movements falling away as it began to sink to the bottom of the channel. Erak released it, standing on its back and pushing off, heading to the surface with a powerful shove. His head broke water and his gasp was loud and rang out as his fingers scrabbled to find a ledge before his heavy armor pulled him back in.

    Bare hands grabbed his wrists and heaved, pulling him to the path as Erak¡¯s eyes were staring at the new alert. Giddiness rose through him at the claim to strength, more power flowing into him. Julius leaned over him, face wrought with anxiety and worry.

    ¡°My lord, are you alive?¡±

    Erak signed a few words to the small scribe and the man paled before looking into the murky waters. He gulped repeatedly as he turned to look back to Erak. He rose and pulled his shirt off and tugged his boots free as he looked down at the water.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± one of the soldiers asked.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn left his spear behind and needs it.¡± Julius dived in with a bit of grace while Erak began to look at how he could strengthen himself.

 Ch. 14 Back to the Surface

    14.

    Erak

    Bloodsworn lvl. 8

    Strength: 30

    Vigor: 20

    Durability: 20

    Perception: 18

    Processing: 15

    The burst in power was relatively small, but the improvement was still welcome. He was growing weary of squinting all the time in the dim spaces. While the increase in perception did not make the world as bright and clear as the daylight outside, it did push the murk back a bit further.

    He rose, steady and strong, and looked down into the depths of the sewers as Julius came bubbling up. The man tossed his hair back and forth, gasping and gagging as he struggled to stay above the water as he hoisted the spear towards Erak.

    Erak pulled the spear, and the professor, up with ease. His ancestry had made him stronger than almost all mortal men, and his training had made it even more so. Killing his foes and reaping their power had made him unnaturally strong. He felt he could contest a full blooded giant now with the strength flowing through his limbs. There was a whisper in his mind to challenge that being in the portal, to stand before its presence as it lobbed cursed fire at him and stand before it.

    The weight of his vows kept him grounded. There was nothing that could stand before that creature and survive. At least not yet. If he continued on his path, he would meet that thing in a contest of strength, skill, and steel. Erak¡¯s heart hammered excitedly at that thought, yearning for the Challenge that could not be conquered.

    ¡°Erak, we should be close to an exit that would have us out of the sewers and into the streets beyond the Hall of Justice. Look for a ladder or maintenance tunnel to the surface,¡± Rutledge said, her sharp eyes peeling away the layers of armor between them. She saw through him, into his being and saw that his battle lust was rising higher and higher.

    Erak nodded and simply patted Julius gently on the shoulder in thanks as the other man tugged his boots on. The soldiers watched this exchange with no words, their eyes still locked on the swiftly settling waters and the beast that Erak had slain. Soon enough they would have been able to match it, though Erak was beginning to wonder how far their casters would carry them in the long run.

    Nevia had kept her sword drawn, having abandoned or lost her own caster. The officer peeled her eyes off the water and looked about.

    ¡°Eyes up and about! Emperor¡¯s Blood, Constance! Squad, eyes on the rear,¡± Nevia railed back and forth between her and Constance¡¯s fire teams, trying to get them to maintain some form of discipline.

    Erak shook water off of himself and checked to see if there was any damage to either the shield or the spear. Both appeared pristine, ready to keep fighting without a mar upon them.

    It took only a few more minutes before he found what Rutledge had talked about. Those minutes were crucial, as the heat in his chest for the battle faded to a steady glow in his core. He would have to be careful when affixing if he was consumed by battle lust every time. The urge was still there but had settled into something that could easily be set aside. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    A simple ladder, steel embedded into stone, led up into a narrow tunnel. Erak held his spear in his shield hand and climbed awkwardly up. His shoulders grated on the sides of the passage as he continued to shuffle upward. This more than anything calmed his mind even as he grew more and more frustrated with the lack of size in the tunnel. This passage had been made for dwarves! Or at least diminutive humans.

    The tunnel was capped with a thick piece of steel that Erak had to strain against. He wedged his shoulders and back against one side of the tunnel and pushed with his legs and free arm, until with a might scream the rusted bolts snapped and the plate was freed.

    Erak scrambled up, switching his spear to his free hand, and looking about himself. In the hours since he had left the surface, the world had changed. The smoke clouded the horizon, thick and black with streaks of red and gold lighting zipping through it. Fires leapt all around him as the Imperial City burned, the cries of the dying having fallen silent as the denizens were slain.

    All around the skies were infested with shapes, bat wings stretched out in ragged sails as they floated on the updraft of the fires. Battle sounded, further away that before, as some still held hope. Erak peered about looking for the distinctive tower of the Iron Cathedral and the portal that dwarfed it.

    Miles away he saw it, the being sitting there, perched in the frame of it. Boredom and pain stitched across its features as it waited, ghastly and great all at the same time. Further away, across the city from the cathedral but only a few miles from him, the Sword of Empire still sailed, connected to the earth by the floating docks of the Armory.

    Erak could hear the fighting still coming in that direction, the clash and scream of war beckoning him forth. Nevia and her soldiers continued up, spreading around him as horror spread across their faces. Rutledge simply observed, face as calm and placid as ever. Julius buried into himself, his shoulders shrinking as he trembled.

    ¡°What¡­what?¡± One of the soldiers murmured, their eyes growing wet and their face ashen.

    ¡°Stow that shit! The Armory still stands, we move towards it now.¡± Nevia¡¯s voice was a whipcrack and the soldiers found their faltering courage and wove it into a cloak of armor. Erak started moving, heading through the maze of burning streets and homes towards the towering edifice that was the Armory.

    It was perched atop one of the three hills of the Imperial City, furthest from the city¡¯s core. A monstrously large fortress that had once been a king¡¯s castle before the Conquering. Now it held a battalion of infantry, the entrance to the floating docks and the fleet, and an entire regiment of armored cavalry.

    Peering through the smoke and haze Erak could see flashes of caster fire coming from the walls. Bursts as thick as trees scouring the city around its base. Purple blazes fired back though, rotten and rich they hit the white walls of the armory and left them stained and cracked.

    Erak began to move them towards the thickest part of where that purple-black fire came from. He hopped through alleys and darted across streets, all the while keeping an eye on the skies and the swirling hordes above him.

    He paused at the end of one side street, peering at a wide river of stone that formed one of the main boulevards for the city. Corpses lay thicker than a carpet, a mess of flesh and bone, demon and man twisted together forever more. A parade to honor the newest Queen, turned to a slaughter before anyone could react.

    Now it lay deserted, with the only movement the hot, ashy wind stirring tattered clothes. Erak looked down the long boulevard, stretching onward to reach the heart of the city and beyond, the Imperial Palace. Far enough away the boulevard would pass under the eye of the being sitting above the Iron Cathedral.

    To the other direction shapes bounded forward. A knot of tall figures, each over eight feet tall with shoulders as broad as boulders. Swords, spears, and great hammers could be seen as no more than shadows in the thick smoke. They grew closer and closer, looming until they were visible.

    Armored head to toe in gray and white armor and furs. Ancient ceremonial weapons renewed with purpose. Half-man and half-giant, true scions of the Northern Polar Fields.

    Deathsworn lvl. 10

 Ch. 15 Deathsworn

    15.

    Erak stilled his fast beating heart as he walked out of the shadows to stand before them. The rest of his party crowded right behind him and he heard their gasps of shock as they stared down the nine figures jogging across bodies and stone without a care. Genderless in their thick armor and furs, they looked like spirits of wrath drug out of the ancient histories.

    Erak lifted his spear in greeting and waited as the leading figure slowed. A giant hammer spear sat on its shoulder and it lifted it in response before tugging their helm free. Long hair, white with age, was bound with ivory and bone rings. Dark features carved by harsh winds and unrelenting sun, with a bushy beard tucked into his breastplate. Emerald eyes, filled with fury as he ground to a halt before Erak.

    ¡°Little one, why are you not with your oathkeeper?¡±

    ¡°Hail old one, I seek them, but the way is blocked,¡± Erak signed with elegant speed, trusting in the old warrior to know what he spoke. The old scion simply shook his head in disgust, turning to spit on the ground.

    ¡°Meet it then as is the old way! Steel vs. steel, skill vs. skill. With honor!¡± His voice was a thunder that rattled Erak¡¯s bones and the eight behind him nodded in agreement, horned helms making them look as demonic as the invaders.

    ¡°I wish to serve my Queen with my life, not with my death. I shall commandeer that ship and clear the way,¡± Erak stopped and pointed with his spear at the warship sitting unused.

    ¡°Ahhh, you serve the Queen. Honor matters not then, only duty. Our oathkeeper lays dead. Grachus the Twisted! He slew half a hundred of these foul creatures in only moments before falling. A great warrior on a dread steed, armor soiled but resplendent, the night sky woven into steel. Five times they clashed and on the fifth Grachus fell. The warrior took Grachus¡¯s weapon, our tribe¡¯s ancestral sword, and fled. We seek the blade now, those of us still living. He headed that way,¡± the old warrior pointed toward the portal.

    ¡°Only death awaits you there, senior. Join me and help me lift the siege here. Then we shall travel together and retrieve your tribe¡¯s honor.¡± The warrior laughed, throwing back his head, great white beard dancing on his face, tinkling with carved wyvern bones and steel rings.

    ¡°Little one, this foe is far beyond us. Only the ancestors could have faced that thing,¡± he spat as he spoke looking upon the chained being in the portal.

    ¡°We seek death with honor now. Let us carve our stories into the flesh and memories of our enemies and may they tremble as they tell our tale. Find us then, in our enemies legends, in their cautionary tales they whisper to their recruits. I wish you well brother, for I shall see you no more. Let us go my brothers in steel, let us meet death with a smile and embrace like the old friend she is!¡± the warrior tucked his helm back on and lifted the polehammer up and pointed forward. He sprang forth with a laugh and the others followed behind in a stampede of armored death.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± one of the soldiers, Podzki, asked. His eyes were saucers as he watched the scions race forward without hesitation towards the portal.

    ¡°There are many tribes in the Polar Fields, the descendants of the treaties between men and giants. A martial culture that prioritizes hunting, fighting, and oaths to the highest regards. The Lords of the Polar Fields often have several Tribal Warchiefs sworn to them at one time, acting as wardens and enforcers across the great distances and as ambassadors to the giant¡¯s in the Northern Peaks,¡± Rutledge replied without hesitation, her voice shifting from discerning to lecturing in a heartbeat.

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am, I meant them laughing as they go fight that fucking thing,¡± Podzki said as he kept his eyes locked on the portal¡¯s guardian.

    ¡°Ahh, while it is not my main area of expertise, I believe the once the oathkeeper has died, the cultural norm is to pass the oaths to someone else. If the oathkeeper dies in combat, then normally the sworn brothers will try to avenge their fallen leader. It seems these Deathsworn are intent on trying to meet their former oathkeeper in the next life as fast as possible.¡±

    Erak didn¡¯t say anything. Their presumptions were close enough, thought missing the nuance. The nuance none who did not grow up under the frozen boughs and in the steaming pools could understand. There was honor and there was duty. Erak was bound by duty, they were seeking honor. If he was not so chained by duty he might have been tempted to chase after them, those old wolves with glory in their eyes.

    ¡°We move forward. There is a weapons embankment close by. We will clear it and proceed to the Armory,¡± Erak signed. It took a moment for Julius, as starstruck as the rest, to translate for him.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know the strength of the enemy, sir. We don¡¯t have the numbers for a firefight of any type of magnitude,¡± Nevia whispered as best she could so only Erak could hear.

    Erak waited for Julius to meet his eyes before he started to speak his plans. The annoyance that none knew the Silent Tongue was frustrating. In the Polar Fields, all knew it as well as the Spoken Tongue.

    ¡°You will follow behind me. I will engage and when they are fully distracted you will finish them if you are able. If not, push forward to the Armory and regroup there. I will follow after.¡±

    ¡°And if the foe is too great for you. If there are too many and you fall? If the throne is still occupied my bloodline will be culled for abandoning a Ring Bearer. Better me, and the rest of my command, die by your side. You begin the engagement, my teams will take flanking positions and fire down upon them. I beg you though, that if there are too many or they are too great in strength, that we rely on stealth and not strength,¡± Nevia spoke earnestly and with sense. Erak could not deny that she had wisdom, but the sight of his brothers marching off with deathsongs on their lips, reignited that desire to test himself.

    ¡°We must try to relieve some of the siege. If they are beyond us, I will consider moving forth in silence,¡± Erak said. He was honest, if they were beyond him, he would not engage.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I ask, Lord Bloodsworn. I wish for my men to see the next dawn, however clouded it is.¡± She turned back and started organizing her few remaining troops as they crossed the boulevard. There wasn¡¯t much to organize, the plan was simple in the extreme.

    Erak entered the last of the alleys before he reached whatever it was that was spewing the fire upon the Armory. The heat was enough to make him sweat even from blocks away. The moments grew longer as the sound of his armored feet hitting stone filled the air.

    Harsh cries in a language, foul and barbaric, stung his ears. He slowed, growing more cautious to the clang of his armor as he left the false comfort of the alley and looked at the group of demons. A bloody smile spread warm across his face as he tightened his grip on his spear.

 Ch. 16 Horror

    16.

    In a half destroyed building, seven Infernal Soldiers stood about with spears standing upright, looking on from a shattered wall. They stood with careless ease behind the scant cover as the return fire from the Armory slowly faded away, weapon emplacement after weapon emplacement falling silent.

    A mass of metal and corpses lay against the back of the building. A frame vaguely humanoid, but with four arms, and covered in glistening muscle fibers stretched over the violet metal. Crimson crystal orbs lay in its shoulders, knees, head, and the center of the torso. Each of them the size of a griffin egg glowed with energy. A mass pile of bodies were arrayed around the frame of the giant monstrosity and Erak figured out what the glistening muscle fibers were as he spotted a short, black, creature with hooked fingers, horns, and milk white eyes.

    Flesh Shaper lvl. 9

    To the other side of the building a huddled group of citizens lay in a pile, trussed and gagged. A circle of purple metal sat in the middle of the street, a¡­thing in the middle of it. It was like a cannon had been stretched and tied to a table and had the wheels removed. A bipod held the long tubular barrel pointing at the Armory. Faded blood red runes pulsed gently in the hazy air along the cannon¡¯s length.

    The table was long and wide, a trough in the middle that ran down the length and into the barrel. It was wet and glistening and Erak watched in horror as they grabbed one of the prisoners and hoisted her to her feet. He looked around and saw someone rising from the rubble, marching forward with an obsidian blade in his hands.

    The man, and he was a man, was pale with haunted black eyes. Young but hard worn, with ashy blonde hair and blue-black bags entrenched under his eyes. His skeletal face was blank of emotion as two of the Infernal Soldiers lifted the woman up and upside down, dangling her long pale neck above the trough.

    Blood Mage lvl. 11

    Erak¡¯s spear cut through the air without warning, flying fast enough it was nothing more than a blur. The mage looked up, shock and horror just beginning to register before the spear obliterated his skull in a spray of carnage.

    Erak was chasing his spear even as Nevia began to scream, half-orders and half-curses. Erak¡¯s arms pistoned as he barreled into the closest of the soldiers holding the hostage as it turned. He punched out with his shield, the rim crunching the demon¡¯s face where nose met brow with a bone shattering crunch. It fell bonelessly to the ground, dropping the shrieking woman. The other soldier was looking about in a daze, still holding one of the woman¡¯s legs as Erak pounced on it.

    They fell in a tangle together and Erak got the mount, rearing up and over the demon, his knees pinning its arms. The shield rose and fell as Erak changed the demon¡¯s skull structure. It stiffened and shook, squealing and screaming until, finally, it went still.

    A spear grated off his armor, scraping loudly as the push of the blow threw him to the ground. He rolled and came to his feet, shield knocking aside another strike as the Infernal Soldier pressed its advantage.

    Behind it Nevia dueled another of the soldiers, her blade swift as an arrow as she slowly dismantled it. A fifth soldier lay in a smoking ruin while more fire came pouring down on the last two, who were trying to cross the space between them and the rest of the soldiers.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Erak was drawn back to his fight as the edge of the spear nearly spitted his head, the blow instead ringing off the side of his helmet. His head rang and his vision swam as he backpedaled, the demon giving no quarter as it stuck to him.

    The blade of the spear flashed again and Erak reacted by instinct and grabbed the spear under the blade and held firm, pitting his strength against the demons. The demon snarled, teeth flashing as it snapped at him. Erak pushed the spear back as the demon strained to take it. It overbalanced and took a few hurried steps back, refusing to drop the spear as Erak followed it.

    The bull rush worked as he got within its guard, dropping his shoulder and crashing into its midriff. The air whooshed out of it as Erak straightened, lifting it off the ground, before driving towards the earth, demon shielding his body from the earth¡¯s hard embrace.

    The soldier broke as Erak¡¯s armored bulk landed on it. Erak felt the pop of organs pulverizing and the snap of bones breaking. He rose up and over his battered foe who lay there with blood trailing out of its mouth. Erak stomped down and ended it before looking about.

    Nevia had finished her opponent off, but at cost. A long bloody furrow lay her arm bare, sliced to the bone. She was already hurriedly wrapping a tourniquet around her shoulder as she glared daggers at Erak. The last of the Infernal Soldiers were dead, burned down before they could reach the survivors.

    Erak looked at the hostages, two score in number, and the mountain of bodies that were arrayed around that golem. The woman he had saved was trying to get to her feet, but failing as her tethers prevented her from finding a stable base. The rest of the hostages had hope, treacherous and frail, in their eyes. Nevia¡¯s men were running to them, knives out as they began to free them.

    Rutledge walked down to stare at the golem while Julius assisted Nevia in bandaging her arm. Erak walked over to retrieve his spear from the dead Blood Mage and then went to where Rutledge stood. He took in the edifice of cruelty, the thick spars and pounds of flesh wedged between them.

    Half its body was done, legs covered in red and white sinew and scraps of skin. The small demon was dead, Rutledge having speared it with her cane while it cowered underneath a half used corpse.

    ¡°I fear what this implies. Not just monsters, but weapons of war. This is only the beginning, Erak, the first wave. They are incorporating us, our bodies, into their weapons of war. How¡­efficient.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t how Erak would have described it, but she wasn¡¯t wrong either. Erak clambered up the frame and adjusted his mental calculations. Standing this thing would have been nearly fourteen feet tall. He reached the first shoulder and reached in, grabbing that glowing crystal ball and pulling it free of the pedestal it sat on. It was weighty and dense and Erak struggled getting back down without dropping it.

    Small Energy Core

    Uncommon

    He handed the heavy core to Rutledge who grunted softly as she cradled it in both hands. Erak looked up and down the line and saw dozens of bolts of energy reaching up to blast at the walls of the Armory. He looked back to the near forty hostages they had saved.

    Imperial City had hosted tens of millions in its labyrinthine streets and sprawl. There could be tens of thousands of hostages being used to fuel the onslaught on the Armory right now, waiting to be saved.

    His duty was to his Queen and it demanded he go back to serve her. These were her subjects though and they were being slaughtered like sacrificial bulls. How many of these little camps could he reasonably clear before he drew a response from something that could stop him?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool boy. We had the element of surprise with us. The more of the guns you silence, the more noticeable it¡¯ll become. Two, maybe three more and they¡¯ll be dropping the hammer upon us.¡± Rutledge let the brief silence stretch between them.

    ¡°We do need to open up a gap in their fire though, to safely make our way across,¡± Rutledge said, a small smile on her weathered face as she moved carefully to the squad and the survivors. Erak looked over to where the nearest blast of fire had come from and knew that it was at the cost of a person¡¯s life.

    He lifted his spear and began to jog.

 Ch. 17 Is this Cannon for Me?

    17.

    Erak stared at the next cannon and the crew. There was no golem being crafted from the dead flesh of humans here. Five Infernal Soldiers and a single Blood Mage were all who manned the weapons emplacement. Erak arrived as the last drops of blood dripped onto the collection tray, rolling down a trough as runes flared to life along the cannon''s barrel.

    The two soldiers tossed the dead man to the side as Erak burst from his cover, racing forward with his spear lowered like a lance. The soldiers saw him, but the cannon was already ready to fire. The runes flared once, crimson light blazing out from the spiky symbols. Then flames, putrid black and purple, a burst of fire that flashed across the distance and struck the stone of the Armory walls.

    Erak speared the first soldier through the chest as it tried to gather its weapon from the ground. As the soldier wheeled away, Erak slammed his shield in the second one¡¯s chest, breaking bone and sending it sprawling to the rubble strewn ground.

    The three remaining soldiers were spinning, two lifting their own spears while another raised to its shoulder a bulky cannon. Erak lifted his shield as the thrill of fear formed ice in his veins. A wall of fury rolled over him, his armor heated up, glowing as sweat broke out across his face and body.

    Even as the enamel flaked away and metal began to glow, Erak didn¡¯t sear. He was uncomfortable, but not cooking in his own gear. Erak rushed the shooter, his shield parting the flames as a spear stabbed at him. As fast as the flame had burst out and surrounded him, it disappeared.

    The demon looked stunned and panicked as it backed up, not fast enough. Erak stabbed it through the head, piercing it between the eyes and then kicking the corpse, sending it flying to hit the fleeing Blood Mage. They fell in a tangle of flailing limbs as Erak was forced to divert his attention back towards the two soldiers that had pincered him.

    A spear slammed into his spear shoulder, twisting him around. A second hit his knee and his body screamed in pain as he fell to his knee. Erak ducked his head to avoid the follow up strike, the air hissing by his face. Erak lifted his shield, blocking another spear strike as he rose up, using his own spear to smack away the original attacker¡¯s weapon.

    The two soldiers backed up, and circled slowly, trying to both stay in his blind spot as Erak twisted with them. Erak¡¯s heart waited no longer, Essence burning and his blooldust filled him as he burst forward in a sudden burst of speed. He trusted his armor, taking a blow to the back as he ran over the first soldier, deflecting the blow to the side as he shoved the soldier to the ground.

    Heavy boots trampled flesh and bones broke as Erak spun, feet crushing down as he spun to face the second demon. It looked stunned as Erak continued to shuffle back and forth on its fellows body, feeling bones break under his powerful atoms and twists. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    They exchanged blows, Erak using his shield to batter away the soldier¡¯s spear as he left the mulched demon half ground in the dirt. Erak did not try to tease or dance past the Infernal Soldier¡¯s spear fighting skill or his fancy footwork. He crushed him under an onslaught of thrusts and shield bashes until he had the soldier pinned to the cannon.

    The fight finished with a blow to the gut, sliding the spear tip out of the side of the demon¡¯s side. Blood and guts spilled over the cannon, black blood filling the cannon and the runes lit again. Erak glanced over where the Blood Mage was trying to still disentangle itself from its dead guard.

    It wasn¡¯t human, but something pale and waxy with diamond patterns tattooed in faded blue ink across its skull and face. Thin limbs struggled to get the dead and heavier demon off of itself. Erak looked back at the fully charged cannon and shrugged.

    The bipod screeched as Erak turned the cannon to point at the mage as it finally started to get free. Erak grunted and strained from the back of the weapon, shoulders screaming as he held the strange weapon by the blood stained collection table.

    The barrel was pointed in the general direction of the mage and that was going to have to be good enough. Erak searched for a way to fire and found a small rune, not glowing but etched into the metal. As he touched it he could feel the Essence that surrounded him, fueling his aura, drain away in a rush that left his knees weak and his breath short.

    The runes burned brightly, shining with an intensity that burned his eyes as black-red fire rolled out, consuming the mage so fast it didn¡¯t have time to scream. The backlash of heat slapped him like a physical blow and he staggered back, regretting using the siege weapon on the singular mage.

    Steam rose off his armor as bits of blood and other viscera evaporated as he walked to the small room that the fifteen survivors were nestled in. It had been a small one bedroom house with the roof partially caved in, blocking the backdoor. Erak had to wait for his armor to stop smoking before he could risk getting close to them to cut away their bonds.

    Babble rolled over him as they thanked him and gave him praise, their words flattering but pointless. Erak was busy staring at the alert that he had gained yet another level. He needed to get back to cover before he could risk affixing the points and being weakened, even momentarily.

    He led them back after looking at the siege weaponry, not knowing how to permanently disable it. The small squad of dead soldiers and the fifteen foot wide, thirty foot long, patch of scoured, blackened earth all that he left behind. The people trembled as they walked and clung to him as he followed a side alley that led back to where Nevia and her team was.

    Constance¡¯s squad was waiting for them with casters aimed and they visibly relaxed as Erak led his charges into the secured camp. The civilians hurried to thank the soldiers in their familiar uniforms before being hustled to the civilian group in the middle. Nevia was looking pale and swayed on her feet as she rose to her full height.

    ¡°We can¡¯t waste much more time clearing out more of these guns. Unless you wish me to bleed out here. Then we can continue to wait as you hunt.¡± Much of the deference was gone from her voice now as she teetered on the brink of the abyss.

    Erak nodded, disappointed but not surprised. With two of the siege weapons at least temporarily out of order, there was a narrow alley they could approach the Armory without being incinerated. He lifted his spear and pointed towards the Armory and the soldiers started to gather up the civilians to make their run.

 Ch. 18 No Mans Land

    18.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 9

    Strength: 33

    Vigor: 21

    Durability: 21

    Perception: 18

    Processing: 15

    Erak let the flow of power rob him of his mind for a moment as he waited for everyone to get ready for the sprint to come. Rutledge had swiftly deposited the energy core to Julius, telling the man that she had trouble enough walking without the hindrance. Nevia watched, leaning against a wall, only moving when they were ready to set out, and only with great effort.

    ¡°I will fall behind. Do not slow down for me. Get my soldiers to safety,¡± Nevia¡¯s words were half whisper and half hiss, pain robbing her of her composure. Erak nodded and she straightened, the weight removed as she waited as the last stragglers got to the edge of the rubble line.

    A whole block of houses had been leveled to nothing more than skeletons and strewn charred timbers jutting out to the sky. Then there was the gentle hill that the Armory sprawled across. In the old days it had been plain hardpacked dirt with no signs of vegetation. Now it was fields of burnt ash where grass once lay, two roads running towards its gates, marred but still passable.

    They were going to run through the fields of ash and dust and hope to make it to one of the smaller gates before someone shot them. Erak didn¡¯t let his hopes get too high at the prospect as the nearly fifty civilians shuffled around nervously like sheep.

    It was a no man¡¯s land of burnt scoured earth. Erak had been watching off and on and nothing had crossed that hill, guns on both sides firing and scorching the air all around the circumference of the Armory. The two guns they had silenced left them a thin corridor to run down. As long as the Armory didn¡¯t fire on them.

    ¡°Constance. You¡¯ll take the lead. Then the civilians and the professors. Then my squad, the Lord Bloodsworn, and I¡¯ll pull the rearguard.¡± Nevia¡¯s each sentence sounded like she was forcing a boulder uphill. Her voice breathless as she rasped out her orders. Her bandages were spotted red and Erak watched as they spread out as she talked.

    Constance took one look at her pale officer and the bloody bandage before snapping off a crisp salute. She bayed her orders, forcing the last of her men into position before they took off. Not in a fast all out sprint, but in a steady jog that the civilians could keep up with.

    Rutledge was spry for her old age, holding her cane in one hand as she stayed tucked back at the edge of the crowd. Julius was already red faced and sweating as he carried the orb up the hill, then it was Nevia¡¯s personal squad, spread out along the edge of the crowd. Erak stepped forward, one foot past the line of demarcation before he turned back to see Nevia swaying. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Erak looked back at the edge of the crowd and the dying Nevia. She would slow him down, increase the risk of a stray bolt from a cannon obliterating him. She was a risk to fulfilling his oaths that went beyond combat.

    Erak held shield and spear in one hand and reached over, grabbing Nevia under her knees and lifting her up and over his shoulder. He spun and bounded, pushing off as hard as he could as he raced to catch up with the crowd. Nevia beat weakly at his shoulder, her fist thumping ineffectively on his armor.

    ¡°You fool. I¡¯m slowing you down. Leave me.¡± Each sentence was punctuated by the sound of knuckles on steel. Erak just kept his legs pumping, hardly feeling the strain of carrying her as he got close to the end of the train of people.

    The soldiers glanced back and there was a palpable sense of relief as they saw Nevia slung over his shoulder. They turned back and began to chide their charges to move faster as they began to move up the hill.

    ¡°Erak. Behind us.¡± Erak turned back and saw what she was talking about. A swarm of Hellspawn filled the horizon, twisted and pale bodies wheeling on the ashen winds as they began to circle above them.

    Erak turned his head back around and began to stride faster. He caught up and ran in stride with the soldiers and they began to look panicked as they glanced back. Their urging began to be filled with fear as they pushed the civilians harder.

    ¡°Move it you fat sacks of shit! Move it!¡± Podzki screamed at them as he turned to look over his shoulder. His features became frozen with fear and he tripped and stumbled, catching himself with one hand and started to sprint up the hill.

    The circling Hellspawn began to dive, their dark talons outstretched as they screamed in joy of the hunt. Erak wasn¡¯t a fan of being hunted. He tried to shift his hand, to get the spear at the ready so he could fight, but the straps on his shield were in the way and he couldn¡¯t adjust while holding Nevia to his shoulder.

    They strained up the center of the hill, the scarred wall of the Armory rising to blot the horizon. Gun emplacements were burnt shells, craters where they had once stood. Soldiers scurried through the walls, visible as they ran by the holes in the outer walls. Men and women in Imperial uniform took up position, casters aimed at the sky and the swarm behind them.

    Erak could feel the hot breath of the demons on his back and Nevia cried out, either in pain or fear he knew not. Then a wall of fire was flashing overhead, the grounds lightening as the golden-red fire illuminating the world. The sizzle of flesh burning filled his ears and the screams of the hunt devolved into screams of agony as bodies began to fall.

    Corpse after corpse hit the ground with bone shattering force, but more and more of the monsters came. Erak risked a glance back and saw that they had forced their way through the barrage and the distance was not measured in inches rather than feet. Nevia¡¯s sword slashed weakly and parted a talon from hand. She went limp against him, her entire being exerted in the effort. She still clung to her sword with a maniacal grip, refusing to yield it even as she perched on death¡¯s doorstep.

    ¡°FIRE!¡± the command boomed out and the world turned red. Erak¡¯s vision drowned, lost by the intensity of the blast of fire that covered the world. He staggered, blinking tears from his eyes as the rest of the party screamed and cowered, falling to the ground. Even Nevia¡¯s soldiers staggered and fell, losing their grips on their discipline for a moment.

    ¡°Quickly! To the gates!¡± hands grasped and pulled at him, gentle and guiding as fellows spoke in Imperial, trying their hardest to guide the survivors onward. Erak kept blinking, trying to free his eyes of the burn and the glare of red superimposed over them.

    He looked up, vision still inundated red, and saw blurry doors swinging shut and the clamor of the Armory swelled up and rolled over him like a wave.

 Ch. 19 Under the Armory

    19.

    ¡°Close those doors! Captain Lee, get your men into the walls!¡± More orders and more chaos as hands pried Nevia away from him and led him to the side.

    ¡°By the Cold God¡¯s frosted nuts look at the size of him!¡± Erak grimaced at the epithet. The Cold One was something not evoked lightly, but these thin blooded Southerners knew little enough to take its name so lightly.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up Horvath. Captain Nellis is on her way. Sir, just wait here.¡± A hand pushed against him, urging him to back up. Erak gripped his spears tighter, but didn¡¯t switch to his free hand. There were numerous nervous soldiers around and he didn¡¯t feel like testing his armor against an army.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn is mute! I am his translator, when I can see that is,¡± Julius declared. He was breathing hard but sounded alive enough. Erak just waited as his dim eyesight sharpened as his eyes recovered from whatever it was that the soldiers had used to clear the skies.

    ¡°Lord?¡± A woman¡¯s voice, sharp and intelligent, asked. Erak stabbed his spear down, heard the crack of stone and someone¡¯s curse. Squinting tightly he managed to get his shield off and started to pull the gauntlets free.

    ¡°I am Erak, Bloodsworn to the newest Queen and on an official mission of the Throne,¡± Julius translated as Erak fished the ring free to show to the blurry shape of an Imperial officer.

    ¡°Another Ring Bearer. We are up to six now. I had only met one in my whole life and now have six here. Strange times. Let¡¯s get you to the Prince and General. They are most distraught with your maneuver.¡±  Erak made out a middle aged woman with dark skin and darker eyes. Her shaven head had traces of silver and she had a pair of large soldiers behind her.

    Erak gathered his gear and followed her, taking in the Armory and everything inside of it. With every moment his vision got better and he saw the horrors of the war inside of the Armory.

    Civilians sat in clustered huddles, thousands clinging to the shadows of the outer buildings, trying to stay out of the chaos of the soldiery. Different uniforms were everywhere, patches and insignias not matching as officers herded the defenders from one spot to the next.

    Dead lay in stacked piles like cordwood. Wounded lay in a morass of misery, moaning or crying, or just deathly still, as they waited. Frenetic medics ran between the cots or blankets they had been laid out on and Erak watched as white light enshrouded their hands. Flesh knit back together in moments and the cries stopped as a fully healed soldier got to his feet.

    There were so few healers and row after row of wounded. They spilled out of the infirmary and across the lawn of the building. Everywhere he looked Erak saw misery. Tens of thousands were moving about the massive fortress, in the walls and across courtyards, dozens of buildings hidden by the high walls.

    Then there were the floating docks in the center of the Armory. It had originally been a keep that had been expanded into a massive working elevator that shuttled goods up to the sprawling docks that were over two hundred feet above their heads. If the sky hadn¡¯t been shrouded in smoke, then they would have walked in the dockyards shadows. Now they simply marched in murk.

    He wasn¡¯t the only giant blooded warrior here. Seven foot tall behemoths of muscle walked about, strapped down with gear and weapons, acting as porters as they ran supplies across the vast distances. The tram lines that had once allowed for the rapid resupply of the walls vacated, the shining metal rails stepped over without looking.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°General Foy has taken command. Most of the general staff were killed in the opening minutes of the portals opening. They were outside the walls and by the parade grounds. They never made it back,¡± Captain Nellis broke the silence. Erak didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Then we had Prince Sammus stroll through the doors like nothing was wrong. An official Heir. They have taken over a joint leadership role.¡± Nellis¡¯s voice was contemptuous of the prince. Erak remembered reading about the prince in a dossier before coming here, but there was little about him. He was deemed a non-threat.

    ¡°Here!¡± Nellis pointed to a squat building, no more than a hut, with a single guard outside of it. She passed by with barely a glance from the guard, and threw open the wooden door. Erak followed while wondering what surprises were waiting for him.

    Julius stayed stuck to his side and when Erak looked back he was surprised to see Ruteldge had attached herself to their small procession with no one mentioning her.

    She was a sneaky woman when she wished to be.

    The shack was just a covering to a metal stairwell that led down, Nellis¡¯s boots already clanging away as she trooped down. Erak followed more slowly keeping his head on a swivel and alert to the sights. There was little to see, just steel walls and the soft blue light of whatever it was that had replaced the illumination strips.

    ¡°Similar to what was in the dungeon,¡± Rutledge muttered behind him.

    ¡°Professor, do you still want this orb?¡±

    ¡°Of course my dear boy, keep carrying it will you. I am not as strong and young as I once was.¡±

    ¡°Of course Professor,¡± Julius sounded disheartened but didn¡¯t try to fight back against Rutledge.

    The stairs led them down, deep into the heart of the hill. Four times the stair twisted back, each of them ten steps downward. Forty feet under the earth, or close enough for Erak, when they passed by the first doorway. It was a open hatchway that led to a long tunnel lit with more of the pale blue lights. Soldiers were camped out here, laying about or playing dice and cards, their weapons close at hand. A dorm.

    They passed two more and had to be sixty feet deep when Nellis turned down a hall and got off the stairwell. There were no markings anywhere and Erak wondered how long it took for everyone to remember what went where in the uniform environment.

    This wasn¡¯t a long dorm like the other stops had been, but rather a round room with maps spaced out everywhere. In the middle of the room was a holographic display that showed off the state of the Armory. Erak paid close attention to the display and noticed that it was changed too.

    ¡°General, we have visitors,¡± the display said. Erak looked down at it for a moment before turning his attention to General Foy. An old woman with white hair cut brutally short to her wrinkled scalp. Piercing gunmetal gray eyes and a spine so rigid and straight Erak thought one could use it as a ruler. She hardly glanced their way, turning her head back before snapping back up again.

    To look at Rutledge.

    ¡°Helena, I didn¡¯t know you were alive,¡± Foy had a soft voice, but a firm hand as she pumped Rutledge¡¯s vigorously.

    ¡°Neeta, it is good to see you. It¡¯s been years. I had thought you had retired?¡±

    ¡°Next month actually was the official retirement date. I was only a few weeks away from being on my estates in the Middle Kingdom. Alas, the world.¡±

    ¡°This is Professor Julius Meckard of the Archaeology department. And Erak, the Bloodsworn to our new Queen. And Ring Bearer.¡±

    ¡°Another one?¡± Incredulity filled a melodious voice, coming from the young man who had been standing in the corner. Whipcord lean and dressed in fashionable golds and blues, a ceremonial long saber rode on his hip. Red hair tucked back and into a warrior¡¯s knot showed the angled tips of his ears, hinting at his ancestry. Cream colored skin and emerald eyes, his lips quirked up in amusement as he strode forward to introduce himself, hand leading.

    ¡°I am the 17th Prince, Sammus Greenbough.¡±

 Ch. 20 The 17th Prince

    <ol start="20">

    <li> </li>

    </ol>

    Erak didn¡¯t shake his hand, instead signed to him. The prince stopped instantly, folding his slim fingers behind his back as he watched Erak¡¯s fingers with rapt attention.

    ¡°I am Erak, sworn Shield of Queen Victoria. I have been entrusted with her will and sigil and granted all powers so forth,¡± and with that, Erak pulled the little ring out and showed it to the Prince. The Prince didn¡¯t touch it, but looked at it closely, murmuring under his breath before straightening up to look at General Foy.

    ¡°He is who he says he is. A true Ring Bearer. Unlike the others.¡±

    ¡°Fools have tried to imitate a Ring Bearer?¡± Julius whispered, half in shock and half in scandal.

    ¡°Two Senators, a Governor, a Duke, and one rather scared postman. The postman we put to work while the others were given the rather honorable task of closing a breach on the walls. They didn¡¯t survive, unfortunately,¡± the prince said without a trace of remorse.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a good thing Erak¡¯s is a true Iron Ring then.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Foy broke in.

    ¡°And how is it that we can serve the Imperial Throne today?¡± Sammus asked, irony rich in his voice.

    ¡°I will take command of the warship above us and use her guns to clear the portal above the Iron Tower and then fly to the Imperial Palace.¡± Erak explained himself eloquently and succinctly. Both the general and Prince watched his fingers with no need of Julius¡¯s services.

    ¡°That is all?¡± Foy asked, raising a single thin eyebrow.

    ¡°My dear man, I fear there are several impediments to that plan,¡± Sammus said. Staff was trickling in, taking up positions around the edge of the room and Foy turned to look at a handout given to her.

    ¡°A third of our reserves were used in clearing that swarm off of you,¡± Foy spat with venom in her faded voice.

    ¡°Which I am quite glad for, Neeta,¡± Rutledge said with a sly smile.

    ¡°This changes things, General,¡± the holographic display said again. It was a smooth and genderless voice, neither deep nor high. Erak looked down at the display as he tugged his helm off, reveling in the feel of the cooler air on his skin. He ignored the horrified looks of everyone staring at him.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Rutledge asked, leaning over to look at the display. Foy sighed and shook her head before waving at Sammus.

    ¡°That is the former Artificial Intelligence of the base. It was a basic A.I that kept track of supplies, troops, logistics basically. Nothing to advanced.¡±

    ¡°Was?¡± Julius asked.

    ¡°Was. Now, it¡¯s something different. Come on out, Dull.¡±

    ¡°Dull?¡± Rutledge this time.

    ¡°They named themselves. I believe it¡¯s a reflection on how they previously viewed themselves,¡± Sammus said.

    ¡°You were always a good student. Unlike your sister,¡± Rutledge gave the boy the faintest of acknowledgements and he lit up, smile widening as he preened.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°The Prince is correct. I took the name for how I viewed myself,¡± the voice said as a wispy shape came into being. Strands of light flickered about, forming strands until a blueprint of the Armory came into being. Except it was twisting and turning, pieces moving at speeds that Erak couldn¡¯t keep track of.

    Basic Knowledge Spirit

    Uncommon

    ¡°Did¡­did all the A.I become, like this?¡± Julius said as he pointed a knobby finger at the blueprint spinning in the air in front of them.

    ¡°We obviously don¡¯t know, but that could be a good guess.¡± Sammus shrugged.

    Erak looked up towards where the Sword of Empire sat, docked tight. She had an A.I inside of her too, one far older and more renown.

    ¡°Ahhh, Erak also has seen what we have too. Yes, we believe the warship has a sentient spirit inside of it. One that has the potential to be much more dangerous. And Dull is quite dangerous inside the boundaries of his domain. Aren¡¯t you Dull?¡±

    ¡°I could kill everyone inside of this room in under three seconds,¡± Dull informed them. Julius paled and gripped the energy orb tighter.

    ¡°As long as there¡¯s functioning infrastructure that was once supported by them, they have access to it. So the vents deep down here, rail lines, everything. They¡¯re in complete control.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they working then?¡± Erak signed. If this spirit was hostile, he¡¯d have to figure out a way of neutralizing it.

    ¡°Power. I lack enough of it. The stores inside of the Armory were supplemented by the city¡¯s power grid. When the change happened my internal stores were converted into Essence powered machines or power sources. It¡¯s not enough currently to fully utilize the services of the building as well as man the defenses.¡±

    ¡°The third you burned through?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°It was supplementary firepower. The external stores were changed into a disposable, single use munition. We were planning on holding that in reserve for their big push,¡± Sammus explained.

    ¡°The Prince is correct. If my stores weren¡¯t being so heavily drained I would have the ability to store and generate these munitions, but as it is I can hardly keep the weapons online. The more damage is accrued, the weaker I grow. More of myself is broken up and scattered. Outer walls have three potential breach points already,¡± Dull said.

    ¡°¡±You were going to wait for them to breach and then just evaporate them with all the single use munitions?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°That was the plan. We lure them into a single breach zone, pull all their local forces in with a slow fighting retreat. And then punch them in the nuts,¡± Foy spat.

    ¡°And we can¡¯t access the Sword of Empire because of this, why?¡± Erak asked. Sammus chuckled and nodded toward Dull.

    ¡°The dockyards have a separate power supply, they¡¯re not connected to me at all. They also didn¡¯t have an A.I for me to communicate with. Right now, Sword and I are trying to figure a way to power the doors to give us entrance,¡± Dull said.

    ¡°Sword being the warship?¡± Erak clarified. The spirit could read the Silent Tongue without pause.

    ¡°That is correct. There are several areas where we believe a power source could be added that would allow the doors and security systems to be operated. I believe I have the capabilities to produce these orbs. Eventually.¡±

    Rutledge and Erak both turned to look at the power orb sitting nestled in Julius¡¯s hands.

    ¡°How many of these orbs do you need?¡± Erak asked, taking and hosting the power orb up to Dull. The spirit grew silent and strands of light flickered over Erak¡¯s hand and the orb.

    ¡°If they are of the same quality as that one, at least eight. Four to enter the dockyards from the Keep, two to get through the security station in the dockyards, and two to open the outer seals into the ship.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where you can get more of those?¡± Sammus asked. There was an edge of hope there. Erak handed back the orb to Julius and rolled his shoulders before talking to the rest of the group.

    ¡°They¡¯re coming to us,¡± Erak signed.

    ¡°Not in the good way, are they?¡± Sammus said, shoulders slumping.

    ¡°Fourteen foot tall monstrosities made of human flesh and muscle, powered by six of these at a time,¡± Rutledge said.

    ¡°Which of the breaches is closest to falling?¡± Erak asked. He was in a hurry and had no plan on waiting out a siege. After all, they still had two thirds of the single use weaponry left.

 Ch. 21 The Prince and his Plans

    21.

    ¡°This is where we allow them to breach,¡± Prince Sammus had a cluster of officers around him. His lean form made a fitting image of royal heroism, his black uniform trim and his boots gleaming while his lacquered sword case glinted in what hazy light pierced the veil of ash above them.

    The cluster of officers around him nodded and took notes. A wall of junior officers were waiting behind them ready to actually carry out their orders. The section of wall they were looking at was near the middle of the wall, wide ceremonial gates half slagged drooping on their hinges.

    Now useless tanks and armored vehicles had been dragged in front of the gates, forming a wall of hardened steel between the Armory and the demons laying siege to them. Companies of soldiers were forming defensive lines, cracking open the stone roads with picks and hammers and digging firing lanes.

    A secondary elevated position was being made, sandbags and loose pieces of armor hastily erected over a latticework twelve feet in the air. Tarps were stretched across every building''s roof, stretching it out to cover from peering eyes. Erak hadn¡¯t seen any of the Hellspawn since the Armory had blanketed the sky with fire.

    Cannons were being moved around from damaged parts of the wall and positioned to face the melted gate. Mortars and extra weapons were being dredged from the bowels of the Armory, their handlers uncomfortable with their new designs. Erak kept grip of the simple steel of his spear and shield. There were no worries about sharpened steel and how it would be changed.

    ¡°If they keep their cycle pattern on firing, they¡¯ll be hitting this area in the next hour. We have to be ready when that happens. We lure them into the kill box and absolutely destroy them. But¡­we have a secondary objective. They have large¡­uhmmm¡­flesh things?¡± Sammus looked around for help and Erak gave him a thumbs up.

    ¡°They¡¯re large and they have these inside of them,¡± Sammus lifted the power core up with a quick flourish.

    ¡°Each of these monsters will have several inside of them, hosted in the joints and core. We will need to retrieve them after the battle to access the Sword of Empire. Any questions?¡±

    There were lots of questions and General Foy allowed the young prince to handle all of them. She stood off to the side, talking and pointing to her staff as they enacted her will. Sammus was doing the morale portion of the briefing, giving general strategy and trying his best to encourage the men. Foy was doing all the hard work.

    They were playing off each other¡¯s strengths. Foy¡¯s whispery voice and frail frame was not something that the men could rally behind. Erak just waited for the two of them to tell him where to stand and who to kill. He grabbed a peanut and cracked the shell between his fingers, discarding the empty shell to the ground as he popped it in his mouth and enjoyed the snack. A pile of empty shells sat at his feet, growing larger by the moment.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°I see that you are fine. I must thank you for carrying me,¡± Nevia said, striding up to him the picture of health. She had a new uniform on, the effects of her wounds nowhere to be seen.

    Erak offered her a peanut from his dwindling bag. She peered at it, tiny between his dirty, blood caked hands, and then shrugged. She grabbed the peanut and carefully peeled it apart.

    ¡°My men will stay with you. Wherever you go, so shall we.¡± Erak was touched by that. Most of her soldiers had died, broken in the basement surrounded by the undead. If she had no desire to ever see him again then he would not blame her.

    ¡°We need better armor and a way to communicate with you aside from the academic. I don¡¯t mind Julius, but he had no place in this.¡± Erak agreed with her, but he could offer her nothing more than a thumbs up.

    ¡°Excuse me, but I believe I have a solution to your problem,¡± Dull said, materializing in wisps of white light in front of them. Nevia startled, her sword half drawn before she realized that Erak hadn¡¯t reacted.

    ¡°There is a small research vessel in the floating docks. Not yet finished unfortunately, but there was an A.I stationed inside of it. Now, it hasn¡¯t communicated with me, but it should have been on a closed system, so there is a chance that it is alive. Once you enter the floating docks, if you would liberate my sibling, I would be grateful, and they may be able to help you with communications,¡± Dull continued, ignoring the half-drawn sword.

    ¡°The fuck is that?¡± Nevia demanded.

    ¡°I am Dull, the spirit of the Armory.¡±

    ¡°I missed too much in the infirmary. Lord Bloodsworn, I am going to be trying to secure armor for my men and weapons that are a bit better suited for the tasks ahead. You will be here?¡±

    Erak nodded to her and went back to eating his peanuts. Sammus had finished off his orders and was drifting closer and closer to Erak until he was standing right next to him.

    ¡°I would never have guessed I would be here today. A leader of warriors.¡±

    ¡°I would never have guessed about the demon invasion, personally,¡± Erak signed to him.

    ¡°Of course, that is the surprise of all surprises. As bad as this all is, and it is a tragedy beyond scale, it probably saved my life. Court politics can become a bit lethal and a new Queen, well it would shake up the status quo. Some of my older siblings might have wanted to have pruned the family tree a bit, to say the least.¡± Sammus reached over and stole one of Erak¡¯s peanuts, throwing the whole thing in his mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s rather quite tragic. The blood loss and death that happens. It¡¯s why my sister ran away so young. Became an Adventurer. Plundering ancient tombs or some such nonsense. She¡¯s out there, somewhere,¡± Sammus pointed out at the city while Erak stared at his bag of peanuts and the audacity of the smaller prince to steal from him. Sammus reached and grabbed another one, munching noisily on it.

    ¡°She came back here with her company for the coronation. Party of the decade she said. How right she was.¡± He grabbed another peanut. Erak grabbed his bag and pulled it back to himself.

    ¡°I worry about her, but if there is anyone who could withstand what is happening it is her. Well, and you I guess. Where did you find that armor by the way?¡±

    Erak just ate his peanuts as he turned away from the chatty prince and towards the army working to build their trap. He¡¯d be busy soon enough. More challenges, more strength claimed, and one step closer to returning to the Queen and fulfilling his oaths. Sammus kept talking, filling the air with a constant stream of chatter as Erak munched away placidly. The time for action would be soon enough and maybe the peanut stealing prince would find himself on the wrong side of a demon¡¯s spear.

 Ch. 22 Frankensteins Golem

    22.

    ¡°Here it comes!¡± Sammus yelled as the air around the gates burned hot and bright. The thin metal gate¡¯s bars began to glow, within moments turning white hot. Chains snapped taunt and the gates were pulled inward, yanking open a hole that they were hoping to lure the demonic horde into.

    Erak shuffled from foot to foot as hundreds of casters focused on the hole in the wall. There were several retrofitted vehicles ready to be shoved into the breach to plug the hole once their goal was accomplished.

    A scream, high and piercing, rang out far above and Erak glanced up and tried to peer through the tarps stretched out covering a quarter of the entire Armory¡¯s inner workings. He still couldn¡¯t see through the tarps, so he looked back toward the gates and waited for the demons to take the bait.

    Next to him Nevia shifted, looking uncomfortable in the liberated riot armor they had found in some dusty corner room. It had changed, the bulky vests becoming tight, but flexible, heavy leathers. It looked similar to what the Infernal Soldiers wore. She had managed to find and distribute knives and officers'' swords, the officers having no need of them anymore.

    Her small command now was one of the most well equipped, swords, knives, casters, and body armor. She had managed to even find some helmets that covered the majority of their heads. It was more than he had expected her to find. That Foy hadn¡¯t already raided those stores was disappointing. He had thought she was more thorough.

    ¡°It¡¯s like the mouth of hell,¡± Nevia whispered, staring at the now open gateway. Flames spewed into the Armory, licking over the first of the barricades in a burst of dark flame. Soldiers disappeared in a flash as the flipped over heavy metal tables and various salvaged equipment provided no protection. It had supposed to look like it was something that had been slapped together and the soldiers there a fast reaction force.

    The demons kept firing their siege cannons, more and more bolts of flame searing away at the entrance. The stone around the gate glowed, pulsing white and standing out in the general murk of the day.

    ¡°Above!¡± The cry came and caster fire filled the sky as Hellspawn came diving for them. Erak kept his eyes focused on the glowing tunnel in the murk. Thick, oily smoke was billowing into the Armory and men began to cough as the first of the attackers came running forth.

    Infernal Soldier lvl. 11

    Infernal Soldier lvl. 13

    Infernal Commander lvl. 14

    They came flooding forward, scores of them, but Erak kept his eyes locked on the newest enemy he had seen. The commander was different than the horror shows that were the regular soldiers or Hellspawn. It was shorter and broad with pale pink skin with poisonous green lines tattooed across its bald head. It carried a whip, leather braid studded with cruel bits of metal, flesh still clinging to it. It sneered, showing off thousands of small nubby teeth.

    Caster fire illuminated the world and the first wave of Infernal Soldiers disintegrated. Erak watched as the commander died, whip turned to ash. Erak¡¯s disappointment in losing a fight was swiftly disabused as the next wave came rushing in, never slowing as they ran against walls of fire. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    For an hour Erak watched as Infernal Soldiers, none above level 13, died by the hundreds inside of the glowing gateway. Commanders would appear, but died just as easily as their subordinates. Above them, Hellspawn circled and died, their limp bodies falling to hit unyielding stone and crunching. Weapons fire was flashing out from all around the Armory wall as the entire fortress was being pressed. The siege weapons never stopped their assault as they tried to open a second breach.

    ¡°Soon,¡± Sammus said as he sauntered up to them. He had followed Nevia¡¯s example and taken some of the reformed riot armor and had a helm of stainless steel that reflected each of the bolt of caster fire.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Nevia asked. Her soldiers shuffled closer, trying to eavesdrop on them.

    ¡°They¡¯ll send the heavies. Those golems you were talking about. They can¡¯t breach the walls yet and they¡¯re losing to many of their base troops trying to open up a gap. They¡¯ll send the heavies to force it open. Erak, are you ready?¡±

    Erak nodded. It was what this entire plan had been enacted for after all. He grabbed his spear and shook his arms out. And then waited. And waited. And waited.

    ¡°They have a higher tolerance for casualties than I thought they would. And what Foy thought too.¡± Sammus pursed his lips and watched as a pile of charred corpses grew higher and higher with no end in sight. If the tunnel didn¡¯t get cleared soon, then they wouldn¡¯t need to put their barricades into place, the dead would defend the gate.

    Another ten minutes passed and the caster fire was slowing down. The Essence generated by the soldiers not enough to keep up with the steady swarm of bodies. Slowly but surely, the soldiers got further and further into the Armory, pushing deep into the established killbox.

    The ground rumbled, so softly at first that Erak couldn¡¯t tell in the chaos. A steady tremble that tickled his feet, but slowly increased to an earth rattling rumble. A wet, red hand reached inside of the gateway and pulled, ripping free the partially melted stone and then it was squeezing into the tunnel. Steam hissed as the golem crouched walked, the stone evaporating the wet blood and cooking its raw flesh.

    It stood up straight towering above the field. Fourteen feet tall and wide as the gates had been with four oversized arms that drug across the ground. All of, aside from what had been cooked in the tunnel, was red and clotting, blood dripping off of it to splatter on the hot stone floors.

    Caster fire hit it, small scorch marks appearing wherever they touched, but not harming it. It lifted its square head up, a half dozen eyes swirling madly in sockets as they looked about. Six different eyes. Six different colors.

    ¡°That looks to be your cue, Erak. I¡¯ll wish you luck from back here,¡± Sammus said with a fake smile. Erak looked away from him and hoisted his shield into position and started toward it.

    War Golem (Flesh)

    Rare

    Erak started to jog, his armor rattling as he smiled behind his helm. This thing could be the challenge he was waiting for, something to truly push him to his limit. Six mismatched eyes turned to look at him as he stepped in front of the defensive lines. Caster fire was redirected, targeting the hall behind the golem.

    The golem lifted a single arm up and brought it crashing down. Erak twisted his hips and hit it with his shield, exerting the entirety of his strength to push the arm to the side. Stone shattered and exploded into fragments as Erak was sent in a tumble.

    He rolled to his feet, rolling his sore shoulder as he reevaluated the war golem. It was strong and fast. His smile broadened as he closed the distance, trying to get inside of its guard. Fists came down like thundering meteors, Erak forced to jump back and to the side, slashing at the thick arms with his spear. More clotted, black blood dripped out of it faster with each slash, but it didn¡¯t slow.

    It was forcing him back, each attack forcing him to retreat. Frustration grew in his chest at the momentum shift. He was on the backfoot, pushed to nearly his maximum just to stay ahead of wide fists. Erak watched, and watched, fighting back his impatience. His mind stirred and thought and finally he saw it. The pattern.

 Ch. 23 Going for a Swim

    23.

    It wasn¡¯t a living, thinking thing. A war golem shaped of flesh, muscles and sinews straining tightly over the top a metal frame and powered by infernal means. It was strong and brutal and knew not pain or fear. His every blow did naught but cause more blood to flow over the stone ground and it continued to swing its mighty arms about like a drunkard.

    A drunkard who fought in a simplistic pattern. Erak was a trained and thinking thing and he figured out the rudimentary attack pattern in only a few cycles. If he could do anything about it was another matter entirely. He gritted his teeth as he dove into the windmilling arms.

    He ducked under a swiping arm and jumped to the left to avoid a downward swinging arm. He rushed forward and twisted right, slashing his spear along another outstretched arm. Muscles and tendons separated with an audible pop but it didn¡¯t slow the war machine down.

    He was underneath the machine now, inside of its long arms and it could do little but punch straight down ineffectively. It only had the two legs, both oversized and grossly misshapen, but there was a joint he could attack. Erak pitted his rare grade spear against the machine.

    He believed that the golem was a sum greater than its part. The dead stripped of dignity and molded to simple metal joints and frame, powered by common power sources, all held together with dark magiks. Erak put the entirety of his body weight behind his blow, piercing muscle and fat and clanging off the metal superstructure. He wiggled the speartip, trying to find a seam and then the spear plunged further in.

    Erak twisted, putting his back and legs into pulling the spear towards the gate and away from the soldiers. There was immediate resistance but Erak kept pushing, tendons popping in his neck as he ground his teeth and prayed that the spear outlasted the metal spars.

    All resistance disappeared and Erak staggered back, nearly falling down as the front of the golems'' knee exploded outward in a geyser of gore. A round orb went sailing away, hitting the stone and bouncing with a clear ping that sounded over the screams and cries of battle.

    The golem sagged and collapsed down, barely missing Erak as it fell forward, catching itself at the last moment with its four arms. It was bowed down, giant boxy head near the ground and its back only at neck height. Erak jumped up and clambered to its back, the squishy materials crushed under his weight. Pools of blood formed with every step as he staggered up its back.

    If he remembered correctly there was a joint¡­right here. Erak stabbed down, feeling with the spear as he wiggled about. Something hard clinked and Erak began to cut and leverage as the big golem tried to get up with its ruined leg. Without the power core though, it seemed the leg was inoperable.

    Sammus came running up now, Nevia and her team behind him. The prince ran and leapt in a smooth motion, long dagger appearing out of nowhere to stab an arm. He began to climb, moving up the arm with quick motions.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Right there, you highness,¡± Rutledge¡¯s voice came booming out over the battle. The Prince began to cut, sawing away at the flesh in a shower of gore that quickly coated him. Erak redoubled his pace as the rest of the soldiers began to climb up and over, looking for ways to help with their own knives.

    The golem was weak now that it was grounded, its great weight and strength rendered useless under sharp knives expertly applied. Erak pried the second core out while Sammus got his first. Nevia wasn¡¯t far behind with her own and the golem began to wilt, flesh sloughing off in greasy blankets. Parts of the frame became visible as Podzki claimed his own orb and then Constance one. Erak looked toward the center of the massive chest and knew what he had to do.

    He inhaled deeply, pulling in the tainted air to fill his lungs, and then he cut. Flesh parted along the back where the spine would run and he was worming his way down. His feet twisted and turned, grinding away suddenly rotting flesh, and then he was up to his chest in the machine. He exhaled and breathed in again, filling his lungs even further as he closed his eyes and left his spear buried in the machine.

    He wiggled down, further into it. The darkness pressed all around him, hot liquid filled his helmet as he moved by memory. The half constructed machine appearing in his mind as he grabbed struts and pulled his way through liquefying flesh towards where he hoped the core was.

    His chest burned and his face was wet. The warmth of the golem pushed through his armor, heat rising as he got closer. His fingers grasped metal  and he pulled himself along. He couldn¡¯t feel for the life of him as he worked further and further in, the thick metal of the gauntlets leaving nothing for his tactile senses.

    Worry began as his chest burned further. Salt and iron were faint on his tongue no matter how hard he squeezed his lips together. Erak kept searching, the flesh firming to a spongy resistance that parted with more and more effort.

    The urge to breath was becoming all consuming. Claustrophobia wormed in his mind as the heat was rising, blanketed in pressure all around in the pitch black.

    His hands touched something round and firmly latched into the machine. He tugged and pulled himself towards it. He tried to find something to brace on and finally hooked his feet around struts and began to pry slowly increasing his strength.

    The thin metal bands began to bend around him, he could feel it even through the armor. Rage evaporated the panic. Hot and burning it powered him as he thought of the murdered who formed this monstrosity.

    Mothers and fathers and children all. Plastered together to form this machine of nightmares. This inefficient waste of resources. The dishonoring of their bodies to build something so pathetic and weak.

    Muscles trembled as he yanked harder and he felt the orb begin to shift. The heat crept higher and higher and he began to feel pain even through his suit. Something strained in his chest and shoulders and a roar of pain slipped free. Blood rushed into his open mouth and he gagged, fighting the instincts to heave.

    Then the orb was free. Something broke, audible even in the golem, and the orb was against his chest. The heat faded away and then there was a rush as the flesh of the golem came apart completely.

    Light streamed into his eyes and Erak spewed blood and bile out as he gasped for fresh air as he dangled upside down with his feet hooked into twisted metal struts. The explosion of rotting flesh rode like a wave over the handful of defenders, blanketing them.

    Erak swung above them all like a metal bat, the oversized core clutched in his arms. His spear fell past him, landing in the stone and piercing it with ease to wobble as he swayed back and forth. The blood was rushing to his head as he tugged at his helm to release it and its contents to splatter on the ground.

    ¡°Someone should help him down,¡± Sammus said. Nevia sighed as she sheathed her sword and began to scuttle up the side of the structure, two soldiers behind her. The ground began to shake again, deeper and with more power. Erak twisted back to look at the still glowing tunnel and saw more of the flesh golems entering.

    He hoped Nevia would hurry

 Ch. 24 Into the Breach

    24.

    ¡°BREACH!¡± Foy¡¯s voice boomed like a war drum across the courtyard, everyone stopping as they stared at the flesh golems slowly inching their way through the gates. Erak turned and saw heads pivoting further down the wall where a smoldering hole was spitting plumes of toxic yellow smoke.

    Demons threw human corpses down, their bodies striking the ground limply. Waves of their hellfire caster fire rained down on the defenders, men and women disappearing in the bursts of flames. From where he was the breach looked small, but it would expand rapidly if nobody acted quickly.

    ¡°Erak, go and close the breach. We will hold the gate!¡± Sammus said as he lifted his sword up and over his head. The tip of the blade glinted in the light, flames and pale light reflected in the sword as the prince. Essence boiled around him, condensing in the blade before spreading out to encompass a small area all around him.

    The soldiers who had the wave of Essence roll over them straightened up and grew stronger. Erak could almost watch as their movement became crisp and they leapt to the prince¡¯s commands. An aura ability like his own, Erak surmised.

    Nevia twisted a spar using her own sword as leverage and then Erak was falling, landing in a roll to get to his feet, smooth as silk. Nevia scrambled down as Erak pulled his helmet off to let all the viscera slop out of it as he breathed clean air. Even infused with smoke and death, it was sweet.

    ¡°That was the most disgusting thing I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Nevia said as she stood beside him. Erak shook his helmet, sending long strings of coagulated blood and guts to splatter on a rushing soldier. The man shot him a disgusted look but didn¡¯t say anything as the shaking of the ground grew more intense.

    Erak shoved his helmet back on and began to run, heading up and toward the squad of Infernal Soldiers and their suppressive fire ravaging the rear of the formation. Foy was back there, along with Rutledge and Julius.

    Soldiers fled from his charge, forming a path for him as Nevia and the rest of her squad followed in his wake. Sammus was continuing to bark orders, the pulse of his aura still blanketing the area.

    Having been in his presence, Erak could feel the change as he left the area. The thin layer of bravery that had coated him poorly dissolved, leaving nothing behind but his pounding heart and the desire to push himself. The wall loomed up and above him, stained gray and black with nearly twenty of the demons firing downwards without hesitation.

    There was a small door that led into the interior of the wall, a maintenance hall or something in a similar vein. A half dozen soldiers stood about it, fearful as blasts of hellfire splashed about them. Erak lifted his shield and the great slab of metal scraped the sides of the wall as he rushed into the doorway and began to ascend the stairs.

    Sticky fire clung to his armor, the heat uncomfortable, and the sides of the walls. Something screeched and cried out in a harsh foreign tongue and then his spear was piercing something. The screeches rose by several octaves and filled with agony. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Erak shook the heavy spear, ripping it free of the Infernal Soldier and turning to the three others that had been holding the landing and filling the hall with suppressive fire. He kicked the closest one, his boot cracking ribs and smashing it into the wall opposite of them.

    Erak shield bashed another, sending it flailing away as the last solider retreated, crying out in fear. He remembered the first time he had fought these types of invaders, the cowardly curs fleeing rather than dying with honor. He flicked his wrist and the spear shot across the short distance and skewered the soldier.

    Erak gave the two injured Infernal Soldiers the mercy of a swift death with a boot to the skull. The interior of the wall was tight, his shoulders nearly scraping the sides while he had to keep his head bowed as he walked. Pipes and cables ran along the walls, cut and burnt and broken now.

    ¡°Erak, are you still alive?¡± Nevia called up to him, the stairwell still glowing with fire. Erak hit his spear against the wall in a rhythm, the spear ringing loudly.

    ¡°The fires will take a minute or two to go down, and then we¡¯ll come up!¡±

    Erak shrugged. So far none of these things had given him a challenge, failing to pierce his armor or do more than survive a single exchange of blows. He walked down the maintenance halls, searching for more of the demons to fight. Fallen warriors lay in broken pieces, burned to charcoal or cut apart. A few of the invaders were mixed in every few paces, still and ghastly with warrior¡¯s blood on their weapons.

    Erak turned a corner and saw where the enemy''s siege weapons had blackened and blown a hole open. The size of a small house and twenty feet above the ground, more and more of the Infernal Soldiers clambered up. A dozen heads turned to look at Erak, most with their hands filled with things that weren¡¯t weapons. They were helping each other up, stashing swirling orbs filled with black mist in piles, laying their brutal blocky casters in corners.

    Erak was upon them like the fox in the hen house, a blitz of steel and fury as his aura burst out around him. Blood splashed the walls and painted them a kaleidoscope of death, demons screamed and begged and Erak felt his soul soar as he speared, punched, kicked and crushed the invaders. Bones shattered, organs were punctured, and Essence filled the room so thickly that one could breathe it.

    Fear.

    An Infernal Soldier jumped out the hole and towards the ground to escape Erak. Another three rushed up and over the edge and died, each of them in a single blow. A strangled laugh bubbled free of his scarred neck, vibrating painfully as he paused amongst the corpses.

    A wide, red hand grabbed the lip of the hole. Black iron gauntlets that left the last half of the fingers free had spikes on the knuckles. A second hand grabbed and then a face was over the edge. Long and narrow, four yellow eyes peering from slits in the helm, the same dark metal as the gauntlets.

    A sword pommel poked out from over a wide shoulder as it carefully stood tall, head scraping the top of the ceiling. It looked about carefully, observing the dead demons laying in pieces. A wide smile crossed its face, showing the long, pearlescent, needle like teeth.

    ¡°WORTHY!¡± its screech assaulted his ears as its overly long arms twisted and pulled the long sword free. Erak cocked his head as the big demon realized it couldn¡¯t use its weapon in the tight confines. Its smile faded a bit, then it looked at the hold behind Erak, leading into the Armory.

    It lowered its head and lunged, free hand knocking Erak¡¯s spear thrust awry and slamming into Erak. The two of them staggered and tripped, Erak snarling as he grappled with the creature, but then they were falling. The floor disappeared and then the feeling of dropping overwhelmed him.

    Erak¡¯s eyes locked with the demon''s four as they smashed into the ground and began to roll, each kicking the other to get free. Erak jumped to his feet and brandished spear and shield as the demon spun like a top, blade whipping around like a scythe. Bodies fell around it like wheat around it, Imperial Soldiers never having a chance to fight.

    Blade Dancer lvl. 14

 Ch. 25 Crushing Duel

    25.

    The sword swung back and forth, swishing through the air as the demon built momentum. Its long arms and strong wrists kept the blade a veritable blur of gray steel as the blade formed a mirage of afterimages in front of the demon. A hint of a melody, chaotic and jarring, formed in the afterimages. Erak snorted in contempt. A waste of effort.

    He charged, steps short and sure as he kept his shield covering his body. The moment he entered its range the blade slashed a half dozen times, sparks erupting off of his armor as each blow struck with the force of a meteor. Erak¡¯s knees bent and bowed, threatening to fail him as the demon¡¯s smile widened.

    Erak stabbed at it, a simple, straight, thrust. Power rippled through his body and the spear seemed to teleport, scraping the demon¡¯s armor in a long line as it leapt backward. A white line marred the demon¡¯s armor and it looked down to stare at where that spear would have disemboweled him if it had been just a step slower. Its four eyes narrowed and the smile thinned.

    Erak kept pushing. Never once slowing, every thrust and step a half beat faster as he began to strike with precision. Essence pulled around him again, stirring through the center of his chest and filling the air around him. The demon¡¯s sword hit and bounced off his shield, diverted his spear, tried to contain him.

    Erak could not be contained. He was inexorable. Unstoppable. Relentless. Erak¡¯s smile spread across his face as his heart beat faster and faster. Each thrumming beat pounded louder until his ears were trembling with the echo of the beats. His aura spread and spread, filling the area around them as Erak felt pressure building in his chest.

    Aura of Bloodlust Advanced

    Lvl. 2

    Potency Increased

    The pressure exploded out of him and he could taste the fear in the air, the hints of the madness of the fight. Erak growled in his throat as the higher level demon backed up, its eyes'' pinpoints of yellow as it swings became erratic, the fluidity and song fading away.

    Erak continued to press until the demon¡¯s back was against the wall. It tried to regain its momentum, lunging forward and slashing twice, but Erak weathered its storm, stomping on its instep. Bones crunched and the demon screamed. Erak punched it with his shield, the edge crumpling metal and shattering bone.

    Above him, the lesser demons were backing away from the breach as Imperial soldiers screamed and raged, racing up the stairs to fight the larger demons in a frenzy of rage. The war cries echoed out from the breach, mingling with the demons'' cries as the warriors of the Empire threw them from the defenses.

    Erak slammed the blade dancer against the wall, stabbing it through the thigh as it bounced off the stone. He headbutted it as it bent at the waist, then hit it again with the shield¡¯s edge. The spear pinned it to the ground and Erak left it, grabbing its wrist with his now free hand. He squeezed and felt bones pop and then break, the demon releasing its sword to clatter to the stone. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    He headbutted it again and the creature went limp. Erak finished it quickly as it lay against the wall dazed and confused. His spear popped free and he looked at the sword laying there on the ground.

    Adept¡¯s Sword of Discord

    Uncommon

    He¡¯d come back for that later.

    The interior of the wall was a mass of chaos as soldiers and demons fought without mercy. He watched a human scale a downed demon, crushing its skull with the butt of her caster. He saw another human disemboweled on demon claws, the man still stabbing the creature with his knife over and over even as his entrails spilled out.

    Madness gripped this section of the Armory, madness and fear. The demons were breaking. The legions of hell were filled with fear and Erak basked in it. He shed blood as he killed a pair of Infernal Soldiers, then spun and kicked an Infernal Commander out through the breach and to the hard ground below.

    More fighting. More dead. Demons and man, all piling up in the dark, hot, passageway. The stench of blood and burnt meat mingling thick enough to choke a man. Erak kept killing, ignoring the alert, as he sent another corpse to the ground. Then there were no more demons, horns blew in the distance, brass and bellowing and the stream finally stopped.

    The demons fled. All of them running, their backs to Erak as the scattered remnants retreated back to their encirclement. The ring of crushed rubble and siege weapons that the demons had built around looked flimsy and weak. The protruding cannons that aimed at the Armory looked scarce and non threatening as the urge to leap from the hall and chase after them.

    ¡°ERAK!¡± Nevia screamed, her voice piercing through the urges to chase them down. Erak¡¯s feet were on the edge, teetering to jump down and chase those who fled. To continue the slaughter.

    Erak backed up, his heart beating with frantic rage at being leashed. Erak looked down at himself, drenched in blood, and then back at the demons who had fled. He lifted his spear and the remaining soldiers cheered, their minds clouded by the bloodlust aura.

    ¡°Sammus is preparing a counter assault. He needs you down in the courtyard. They¡¯re planning on breaking the containment and linking with Colonel Gressen!¡± Nevia had to lean in to scream at him from inches away.

    Erak turned away and marched down the steps and toward Sammus. He had mistaken the young prince, thinking him nothing more than a fop. There was a true ring of steel to the man if he was planning to assault that ring of guns and demons.

    Erak looked down at the broken Blade Singer and roughly pulled the scabbard off its back before sheathing his new sword on his hip. The long blade sat awkwardly, but he had been needing a secondary weapon. He needed a good knife or three now.

    Level Earned

    Bloodsworn lvl. 10

    That was nearly as rewarding to him as the fight had been. The sword demon had been a decent challenge, but the reward looking back at him made it even better. There was a definite addiction to this, acquiring strength and power from fighting his foes. It was an intoxicating drug, one that he was going to use with great frequency as he made his way towards the Queen.

    But first, he had an army to break.

 Ch. 26 Oh, Thats Why

    26.

    Sammus and Foy were beside the broken gates, the interior hallway broken and shattered from the battle, gaping open like a sore on the wall. A pair of tanks sat there, massive and broad, the red light of fires reflecting off their silver carapaces. A thick tube emerged from the center of the squat vehicles, brutal and utilitarian. Soldiers were clustering up behind the vehicles, armed with casters and blades.

    ¡°Erak! Good work on sealing that breach! Many of those monstrosities came upon us, but we stood firm and battled them like real warriors. With artillery!¡± The prince¡¯s words rang out across the grounds as Erak came to stand next to him.

    ¡°Prince Sammus is correct. We destroyed over a dozen of their war machines and were able to salvage six of the prime cores. Enough for these two tanks. We are breaking the encirclement and making toward Colonel Gressen. Your assistance would be appreciated.¡±

    Erak nodded and flashed a signal that he needed a moment. He sat down to the side and brought up the screen again and looked at what it had revealed to him. Hitting level ten had brought enough words that it had made his head swim, but he had found what he needed to in the mountains of text.

    Level 10 Title Earned

    Invincible

    Your foes have struck you, clawed you, bit you, and shot you, yet you remain. For one second of every day you can become invincible.

    Skill Available: 1

    Spear Strike

    Shield Bash

    Aura of Inevitability

    Aura of Immutability

    Erak had to look at that for a moment, the difference in the aura abilities had changed since the last time he had options. In the same vein but more refined. The events of the past few hours stopped him from making the easy pick. That feeling of being overwhelmed by the bloodlust, of wanting to continue the fight past the point of it being smart. Of the desire to keep spilling blood overwhelming his oaths.

    Spear Strike

    Essence empowered strike.

    Cost: One Essence

    Erak took it. He had felt it in the last fight, with the sword dancer. The demon had been doing something with his sword, something that had threatened to tip the scale. He needed that same edge.

    Spear Strike Acquired

    Advisement: Improve Essence Core

    Advisement: Improve Essence Potency

    Advisement: Improve Essence Channeling

    Erak sank a single point into each of the stats, bringing every one of the stats up to two. He closed the menus and then waited for the euphoria to hit, wondering what the Essence growth would feel like. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Pain. Intense and overwhelming. A fire that burned in his chest. Blood turning to acid. The breath was stolen from him as his vision whited out. The center of his chest tightened, compressing in a weight like a cannonball, then bursting out. Stretching his bones and skin, he felt like he was about to pop.

    Then it was gone and the loss made him a hollow pit.

    Erak staggered two steps forward. His vision darkened and he could make out shapes. Soldiers staring at him and he realized he had screamed. The strangled sound of his tortured vocal cords no more than a harsh, wheezing gasp.

    ¡°Erak!¡± Sammus said, concern spreading across his fair face as he lunged for him. Nevia beat him, her small form wedging under his shoulder and offering him enough stability so he could continue standing. Julius and Rutledge appeared like vultures while Foy simply turned back to organizing the attack force.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Julius asked, the others were simply quiet, looking at him with concern.

    ¡°Essence.Bigger.¡± Erak signed awkwardly with one hand while using the other to hold on to Nevia.

    ¡°Ahhh¡­interesting,¡± Rutledge eyes unfocused as she stared at him and Erak looked at her, realizing she had reached the fifth level of being an Imperial Sage.

    ¡°What¡¯s interesting, Professor?¡± Sammus asked.

    ¡°I can see truths. Or at least pieces of them. It¡¯s an interesting ability that I find to be very distracting. And illuminating.¡±

    ¡°How vague. It seems time has not changed you at all Professor,¡± Sammus said with a hint of a smile. Rutledge didn¡¯t acknowledge him.

    ¡°Erak, I would advise you not to continue on growing your Essence at the moment. It seems that there are some¡­obstacles with that route. How frustrating.¡± The last part was no more than a whisper of her own irritation.

    Erak felt his strength return slowly. He had never felt this weak before. Limbs were rubbery, flopping about as he was held up only by Nevia¡¯s strength. Each pulsing heartbeat filled him with more and more strength, limbs becoming strong and firm. He stood straight and grabbed his spear and walked slowly to where the assault force was gathering.

    ¡°Six hundred men. They¡¯re all fresh and have fully charged casters. Four shots before they have to use their own. Every spare piece of personal armor we can find, knives, axes, and single use munitions. This is the last of what we have, Lord Bloodsworn. If this fails, the Armory will fall and Colonel Gressen will be overrun.¡± Foy was staring straight ahead through the widened out gates.

    Erak nodded and grabbed a piece of protruding armor on the tank and hoisted himself up so he stood above everyone else. Eyes turned to look at him, thousands of eyes, most who had been concerned moments ago. He raised his spear above his head and shook his fist, spear wagging in the air. There was a silence for a horrible moment, and then a roar. It shook the air and men and women streamed forward as the tanks lurched forward in silence.

    Nevia ran behind the lead tank, her squad tucked close to her as Prince Sammus leapt onto the back of the second tank. Rutledge¡¯s sharp eyes never broke away from him, peering out from under her withered brow as Erak passed under the melted stone gates and into the smoky haze of the chaos outside.

    Erak¡¯s eyes watered instantly, the harsh sting of smoke burning through the slit of his visor. The world had changed in the last few hours, the thin ring of buildings broken down to nothing more than piles of rubble. Corpses decorated the ground, covering the hillside and down to the demon¡¯s fortifications.

    There was a whirring in the tank¡¯s turret, the long barrel depressing to aim down at the thickest knot of siege weapons. From here Erak could see the wild scramble of demons, grabbing their human sacrifices and hurrying them to the bleeding tables.

    The cannon fired, air distorting from the heat as a meter thick bolt of pure energy raced down the hillside and struck the center of the fortifications. Rubble exploded, blown apart in a wave, bodies thrown in ragdoll heaps out across the field. A second lance of energy flashed overhead as Erak¡¯s tank raced forward, gathering steam as Erak held on for dear life with one hand. He lifted his shield, to protect himself as stray bursts of demon caster fire splashed around him.

    More explosions rippled out as the cannons on the top of the Armory fired. The entire knot of defenses dissolved in a wave of fire and smoke. Then they were plunging into the thickest of the smoke, blinding him in a black haze.

 Ch. 27 A Worthy Foe?

    27.

    A pug ugly man stuck his head out of the tank¡¯s hatch, a halo of chestnut brown hair cut tight to his scalp. The center of his head was sunburned and flaking, dead skin pulling back from his bright red scalp. A five o¡¯clock shadow darkened his jowls, black rings beneath his bloodshot blue eyes as he met Erak¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Fucking giant¡¯s ass, you¡¯re huge. I can¡¯t see shit through this new fucking port, I¡¯m going to ride up top and you¡¯re going to keep me alive with that huge fucking shield!¡± The man spun and wedged a black boot against the hatch¡¯s edge and pulled a caster from the interior of the tank. The man looked around again as they broke free of the smoke screen.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Del! Now, get off your ass and cover me!¡± The irreverent tanker scanned the ruins of the city, demons running and screaming about, bolts of hellflame splashing harmlessly off the silvery hide of the tank. Erak shrugged and rose up higher, tanking his position next to the tanker and lifting his shield to protect him from the knot of demons in the half destroyed row of houses to their left.

    ¡°CONNY! LEFT 7 DEGREES. SECOND STORY!¡± Del¡¯s roar was a bass rumble that rolled over the sounds of the battle with ease. The tanks stopped with a sudden lurch and the cannon twisted, tilting to the side and aiming at the houses that Erak had seen movement in.

    Another flash as the cannon spit fire and the second story of the building disappeared. The thunder crack of the blast of displaced air rolled over him like a wave. Erak smiled as pieces of demon rained down on them, Erak raised his shield over his and Del¡¯s head.

    ¡°I fucking love this damn thing! Oh fuck me, those fat, ugly, bastards!¡± Del pointed out a half-dozen Flesh Golems lumbering forward. Erak watched as the second tank fired and one of the golems was dispersed across the street in  pieces. Their tank fired and a pair of the golem¡¯s lost their legs. Waves of singular caster fire washed over the remnants of them like a wave and they fell under the barrage.

    Erak had never participated in a battle of this scale and he could not help but revel in the size of it, the scale. Those golems were powerful creations, used to be hammers to crush the defenses. Now nothing more than scraps of meat and twisted metal.

    ¡°Send someone to go get those cores! We¡¯re burning through ours too fast!¡± Erak turned back and looked at Nevia, meeting her eyes as he lifted his spear to the pile of carnage.

    ¡°CONSTANCE! You and your squad get those cores. Everyone else, lay down covering fire!¡± Nevia¡¯s voice was a bullhorn in the chaos. Constance nodded and waved her four soldiers with her, all of them staying low to the ground as they raced toward where the golems had been destroyed.

    ¡°Knock when you¡¯ve got ¡®em¡± Del said, slithering back down into the tank and closing the hatch behind him. Erak looked around and saw the surge of demons that Del had spotted before ducking back in the tank.

    Erak landed heavily, stone cracking under his feet as he lifted his spear and shield. The leading Infernal Soldier hesitated, urine yellow eyes widening with fear as it hefted its own spear and looked about. Erak leapt upon it, his boots trampling it into the ground as he struck the demon behind it.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    He felt the demons squirming and crying underneath him and a knife scraped across his shin, grating on the metal in a shower of sparks. Erak killed a second demon as it ran toward him, spear punching through its chest and lifting the creature up and off the ground. Erak shook it like a terrier did a rat and then threw the creature down to splatter in front of the rest of the squad of demons.

    He jumped and landed in the middle of them, his spear flashed and his spear crushed, the foot soldiers chaff around him. Bolts of caster fire singed by and more of the demons died. Imperials ran forward, their weight blunting the demon''s attack.

    Erak spied a foe rushing forward, a large shape stirring the black clouds of smoke. Flickering fires cast strange glows off its pale armor as a golden axe shone through the gloom.

    Fallen Empyrean Axeman lvl. 16

    It had the face of a man, golden hued skin traced with black lines of pulsing corruption. Red sores wept puss and blood as crazed, bloodshot silver eyes tracked Erak. Armor was tarnished white, pitted and scarred, and the seven foot tall warrior carried a double headed axe that glowed with an intensity that threatened to blind those around it.

    Caster fire hit its armor and bounced away, denting and scorching bits of it, adding to its disarray. It opened its mouth and rotting brown teeth showed as it cried out in a clarion call.

    Erak charged it before it could hit the thin line of the Imperial vanguard. The Empyrean saw him and smiled, the axe flashed and six men were bisected in a haze of light. Erak snarled in rage and crashed into the creature, the sound of the armor hitting a dull gong.

    Erak stabbed and twisted, wedging a hand into the Empryrean¡¯s tangled white hair, wrapping it around his fist as he tugged it into a building. They crashed through a partially broken down wall, rolling and spitting, both weapons lost as they punched and kicked. Erak kept his shield, as it was strapped to his arm, and he rained blows down on the axe fighter.

    The Empyrean wedged a foot between them and then Erak was sailing across the room, splintering a table as he landed heavily. The air whooshed out of his chest and Erak groaned as he got back up and looked at his opponent.

    The Empyrean lifted its hand up and the axe materialized in a flash of golden splendor. The rotten brown teeth peered out again at Erak as it began to laugh, a clear sound like the ringing of a bell.

    Erak rolled his neck and marched toward it, fearing not the blade that flashed at him. His heavy shield rose and met the blade and for the first time Erak was driven back, the strength in the blow staggering him as the Empyrean grinned and continued to throw blows like a crazed man.

    Erak¡¯s armor held up, but he was being tossed about like a ragdoll. He gritted his teeth and ducked, letting the axe sing by him and rising with a powerful uppercut that cracked into spoiled brown teeth. The crunch of bone was satisfying, the Empyrean tripping backward and spinning around to regain its balance, axe slashing the air behind it in an attempt to ward Erak back.

    Erak wasn¡¯t following up his attack. He had found his spear amongst the detritus and picked it up. The familiar heft of it was already a welcome change and Erak met the creature¡¯s eyes once again. It spat broken teeth out, mixed with red-black blood. Erak smiled wider and felt the instinctive use of his new skill. Erak lunged, activating Spear Strike.

 Ch. 28 Kill them All

    28.

    Essence stormed his body, a fire that etched his veins and burnt his soul. Power thick as ambrosia and with the strength of a mountain. His heart was made of ice and filled with electricity and his eyes were ready to burst as the pressure threatened to overwhelm him.

    Blood red energy caked his spear and as his lunge crossed the room, fear entered the Empryrean¡¯s eyes for the first time. It struck out with its double bit axe, trying to divert Erak¡¯s Spear Strike. The steel broke, bits of the axe head spraying around like a grenade as Erak¡¯s lunge continued on and into the Empyrean.

    Blood geysered outward and painted the remnants of a wall behind them as Erak slammed his shoulder into his enemy. His legs pumped as he rode the high of the Essence rush and he carried the dying Empyrean through a wall and out into the street.

    Bits of charred wood and plaster coated them as he picked the Empyrean up and over his head like a pennant, blood raining down to coat him as everyone stopped to stare. Erak flung the dying Empyrean at a group of Infernal Soldiers knocking them over as he roared in joy and victory. His scarred vocal chords ached as he screamed his dominance, but the rousing sense of his bloodlust began to fill the area. Essence swirling around the soldiers as they screamed and cried out, attacking with fervor.

    ¡°ERAK!¡± Nevia bulldoze into him, her blood glistening black and a cut across her brow.

    ¡°The golems are looted. It¡¯s time to keep pushing. Scouts went ahead. There¡¯s a large group just a block over, through those houses,¡± she stopped to point with her bloody blade. Erak followed the steel and looked at the burning homes and beyond them.

    ¡°It¡¯s a reserve, Erak. If we crack them, we can scatter everything the fuckers have in the area. Foy will be able to link with Gressen and we can have the breathing space to enter the floating docks!¡±

    Erak nodded and trotted back to his tank, the kill notification for the Empryrean still not having come through. He clambered on and smacked the top of the tank twice and Del popped his head out. Erak pointed at the wall of burning homes and the tank driver looked confused.

    ¡°Fire on them?¡±

    ¡°Through them!¡± Nevia explained.

    ¡°Oh, we can do that. Conny! Through those fucking houses!¡± A wild smile lit the man¡¯s haggard face and he dropped down again as the tank lurched forward, picking up speed as it crushed through the fallen.

    Gun slots opened on the front and lines of needlething bolts raced out, peppering the remaining demons as the tank strafed them. Erak kept his eyes open and when they passed the dying Empyrean, he leaned over and struck down with the butt of the spear, braining the creature and killing it.

    Anothering level alert. Erak ignored that, he could do it later. Right now there was a wall of buildings to push through and a demon army to kill. Del was humming, the tune nearly lost in the rumble of the treads over corpses and stone. The cannon fired again and a hole appeared in the center of the line of houses. Slowly the hole collapsed, boards and timbers cracking and falling inward as Del whooped in joy.

    ¡°Psycho,¡± Nevia whispered next to Erak¡¯s side. Her spare hand was looped around a handle and she huddled in Erak¡¯s shadow. He lifted his shield to cover her as the tank hit the burning buildings, plowing through without hesitation.

    Bits of wood and plaster, wiring, tiles, and other odds and ends slammed into Erak, battering him, but he didn¡¯t budge. The rest of the squad waited as the tank demolished the house, bursting free in a spray of flung wood and into an army. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    They were on a wide cul-de-sac with large homes lining the court and demons everywhere. Hundreds of Infernal Soldiers, Flesh Shapers, Flesh Golems, and more filled the cul-de-sac. Siege weapons were laid out in neat lines and thousands of eyes turned to look at them.

    ¡°Oh, fuck me,¡± Del whispered. Erak grabbed Nevia and jumped clear of the tank, landing behind it before the demons could react.

    ¡°FIRE CONNY! FIRE!¡± Del screamed, the slam of the hatch shattering the stunned demons out of their stupor. Small arms fire struck the tank and evaporated in a burst of flames, doing nothing more than scorching it as several squads of demons gathered around a siege engine, trying to spin it around and point at the tank.

    The second tank burst out of the houses, not slowing as its cannon fired into the heart of the demon formation and then its treads were pulping demons. Conny fired and the siege engines were turned to slag and then their tank was running forward too. Hundreds of soldiers poured through the gaps and Erak led the charge, heading toward the thickest grouping of Infernal Soldiers. A commander was rallying them, whip cracking in the air above their heads. Erak took a hop, skip, step and threw the spear, watching as the Infernal Commander¡¯s head blew apart.

    The spear went on, embedding itself in the next demon¡¯s chest. Erak drew the sword and began to lay about himself. The long blade screamed in the air, notes of madness on the breeze, as blood flowed like rivers. The handle was too thin and the blade too long, but it killed with ease. Leather armor parted like paper and demon heads rolled while freed limbs splattered to the ground.

    Spear strikes and bursts of hellflame rolled over him, but Erak kept on. Pain mounted, each blow bruising in force, his vision becoming red as he painted himself in black gore. A roar filled his ears as the sword cleaved and cut. Demons tried to flee, but the battlefield was too compact, their bodies wedged too tightly together. Erak¡¯s strength carried the sword through multiple demons, the supernaturally sharp blade unstoppable.

    Imperial soldiers fired into the panicking ranks. The tanks continued their rampage, firing their main cannons on any concentration of forces while their smaller casters fired continuously, spraying into the crowds as they cut a bloody swath through the reserve force. Kill notifications were ringing out, levels adding as the aura of bloodlust grew and grew, soon covering a large portion of the battlefield.

    Imperials were frothing at the mouth as they grappled with demons half again their size, their knives rising and falling in a delirious ecstasy. The demons were running, fear ripe in the air as they tried to escape, but they were penned in by the ring of still standing homes.

    Erak split a demon in twain and heard a harsh shriek split the air and burst the bubble of his aura. Imperial warriors calmed and then looked horrified at their deeds while the ragged handful of Infernal Soldiers still alive tried to regroup in a house. One of the tanks fired on the house, and then the second one did as well and then the demon army was gone. Crushed and pulped, cut and burned, they were all scattered about as the Imperials cheered out.

    Erak looked about for where that crying shriek had come from. There was nothing in the shrouded skies, nor on the battlefield. There was little to see at all in the smoky haze, just the burning fires and the surviving men of their mad charge.

    Then the cry came again, haunting and lonely, filled with scorn and hatred. It sent chills down his spine and rose the hairs on his neck. Erak looked toward the entrance of the cul-de-sac and watched as the smoke was blasted away in a burst of air. Clean sightlines was something that he had forgotten existed, but now he wished the smoke had stayed a moment longer.

    Lances glittered in the found sunlight. Pennants streamed on the conjured winds, flayed skin tattooed with the logo of a horned beast with black eyes. Ten across and deep back, wide and broad shouldered lancers sat on insectoid beasts. The leading rider lifted a curved horn, four feet long and ivory, to its lips and the haunting sound came out again.

    ¡°FUCKING KILL ¡®EM CONNY!¡± Del screamed and the tank fired again. Heat suffused the air and the bolt crossed the distance in less than a blink of the eye. A wall of flame went up towards the sky and diffused in the atmosphere. A robed figure sat behind the wall of armored lancers, a cowl covering its features. A pale hand was stretched out from oversized robes, black manacles biting into flesh.

    Flame Guardian lvl. 19

    Herald of the Damned lvl. 18

    Gnull Rider Commander lvl. 21

 Ch. 29 Melted Lances

    29.

    Erak had a moment to look at the monster that the lancers rode. Insectile with emerald green carapaces, six legs ending with capped steel spikes that dug into the stone boulevard like it was cheese. The round head was eyeless and had a pair of waving antennae that twitched and shifted with every second. Mandibles clacked, coated in blood and with scraps of flesh dangling.

    The Gnull Riders lowered their lances, forming a wall of death as the horn cried out once more. Imperial Soldiers backpedaled, fear crushing their morale as the echoing blast of the horn rolled over them like a blanket. The gnulls lunged forward, eating ground with a brutal pace, cutting the distance in a heartbeat. The second tank fired, desperate to blunt the wall of steel and chittering mandibles.

    The robed figure rose up in their saddle, hands swiping and the tank¡¯s blast ricocheted up into the air to detonate harmlessly. Erak shoved Nevia to the ground and beneath Del¡¯s tank, the rest of her squad following behind. Erak covered the edge of the tank, holding his sword to the side as the lancers swept the field in a flood of death. Imperial soldiers were ran down, cut down, speared, and crushed.

    Erak struck a stray lance that was aimed at him, the momentum of the rider numbing his sword wrist as he diverted the blow. His return strike was slow and the sword scraped a layer off of the creature''s thick shell, but no blood flowed. He had to duck behind the tank as the second wave of lances threatened to take his head.

    ¡°We need to kill that guardian!¡± Nevia said as she huddled in the shadow of the tank. Del had dropped into the safe interior of the tank as it fired its secondary weapons into the mass of lancers. The lancer¡¯s armor deflected most of the bolts and the gnulls simply ignored them, the bursts of heat scorching their shells but not piercing them.

    Erak looked to where the Fire Guardian rode, a cluster of higher level lancers around them.  The commander and the herald both rode at the frontlines and had begun to spin in the wide cul-de-sac to begin the second charge. Scores of dead Imperials now mixed with the demons they had just finished killing. The lancers had lost one or two, their armored corpses laying, shining in the light.

    Erak nodded in agreement and looked for his spear. The sword didn¡¯t have the distance he needed to compete with the long weapons of the riders. He had last seen the spear wedged in a demon corpse and he saw it with a quick scan. The long spear was still sitting in the midst of a gory mess and Erak knew what he had to do.

    He brought up his status screen and saw the three levels he had earned.The fifteen points sitting there. He dumped five into processing as the demons were moving in quick bursts of speed he had trouble keeping up with. Then another two into perception, and then the remaining eight went to strength.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 13

    Strength: 41

    Vigor: 21

    Durability: 21

    Perception: 20

    Processing: 20

    Aura of Bloodlust lvl. 2

    Spear Strike lvl. 1

    The world slowed down as his body pulsed. Blood flowing through his veins, infused with strength. Every limb trembled in anticipation as Erak lunged into the swirling mass of bugs and demons. He struck down a lancer, sword wedging in between the neck and shoulder and ripping the lancer off its mount. The gnull turned, mandibles clamping down on its former rider''s legs as Erak dragged the demon free. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The monstrous mount dragged the screaming lancer into its maw, crunching metal and bone with equal ease. Erak wrenched his sword free from the lancer¡¯s neck and left it there to be consumed, continuing into the fray. Screaming Imperials raced about, the few remaining officers trying to rally their troops. More Imperial troops were coming out of the broken down line of houses, but it was a meat grinder of strafing lancers, firing small hand held casters into the mostly unarmored Imperial soldiers.

    Erak shoved a dismounted lancer off its feet, the armored figure not seeing him until Erak¡¯s shield was in its side and lifting it off its feet. The demon was smaller and more compact than the Hellspawn or Infernal Soldiers, and Erak chopped down on it with the long sword. Erak split its armor like it was cheap tinfoil and demon blood ran fresh again as Erak stepped over it and picked up his spear.

    He looked about the lot and found the guardian riding in its huddle of lancers near the hold Imperial troops were trying to force open. Both the tanks, and the remaining Imperial Soldiers, were trapped inside of the cul-de-sac, with over a hundred mounted lancers holding the line to prevent reinforcements from reaching them.

    Erak looked to where the lancers had ridden in from and his heart sank. Another company of foot soldiers, tightly packed together with more dried skin banners. Behind the packed rows was a knot of gnull riders, another of the Fire Guardians in the center. One problem at a time.

    He tracked the original Fire Guardian as they held the line, hands waving about to block the waves of caster fires from burning the gnull riders. Erak took a skip step and then the spear cut through the air as he threw with all his might. The extra energy and euphoria burning through him put extra emphasis on it.

    The freed sunlight reflected off the rare grade spear as it pierced the Fire Guardian¡¯s back. The hooded figure arched their back and froze, arms outstretched, Essence fading away from its hands. The gnull riders were shocked as suddenly the cast fire hit them full force. Shining armor held for a moment, but then began to pierce, bodies slumping off of their mounts. Gnull¡¯s themselves thrashed about as the concentrated fire began to blacken their sides.

    Erak lifted his sword and looked about for the Gnull Rider Commander, not caring about the rank disparity. The commander was whirling its bloody sword around, trying to gather its command to it. The herald blew its cursed horn again and the scattered lancers began to coalesce together. They were beginning to push back, to head towards the block of infantry protected by the other Fire Guardian.

    The whir of straining metal caught his attention and he looked at Del¡¯s tank. Nevia was perched on the side, yelling into the hatch as the cannon pointed at the commander and herald. Erak smiled as the tank fired and the commander and herald disappeared in a flash of light.

    The haunting notes of the horn faded away and some of the panic that had been consuming the soldiers of the Empire faded, their commander¡¯s voices suddenly piercing the fog that infected their minds. Nevia stood tall and proud on the top of her tank and roared, her voice soaked through with Essence.

    ¡°FORM LINES! FACE FRONT!¡± Erak rushed to the tank, leaping atop of it to raise his shield just as bone spikes came flying at her. Bonespitters came scuttling to the sides of the infantry block. Hellspawn choked the skies as the burst of wind faded away and smoke began to choke the world again. The lancers scurried to the sides of the cul-de-sac, racing their mounts as tank fire and squad levels of fire targeted individual members.

    Most of the lancer company was still alive, but they were broken and disorganized. Imperial soldiers flooded through the broken houses, filling the gaps and tanking cover in the shadow of the two tanks.

    ¡°Fucking trap! Kill the last guardian and we will break them.¡± Nevia shouted into his ear. Erak nodded, still riding the high of pushing so many points into his stats. The tight blocks of infantry were marching forwards, spears first in a pike formation. The guardian was waving their hands frantically to stop the caster fire, but bolts still streaked through.

    Erak picked up Nevia and sat her down behind the tank again before turning his sight on the block of infantry coming down the way. The mass of infantry was nothing more than Essence waiting to be collected. Erak stepped in front of the tank, sword on shoulder and shield raised as he began to advance.

 Ch. 30 Song of Despair

    30.

    Bones splintered against his steel, showers of off white bone flung into the air as Erak picked up speed. He peeked over the edge of the shield and saw the line of spears facing him, tips steady as the line of Infernal Warriors marched forward.

    Erak felt his core stir as Essence whirled through him, gathering strength as his aura spread out amongst the Imperial Soldiers and began to infect the front lines of demons. He saw the shift in their stances, the fear beginning to blossom like a rot. The Imperials behind him roared, their caster fire coming furious and hot as Erak charged in front of it all. A stray bolt dinged off his armor as he reached the leading edge of spears.

    His sword swept a spearhead away, while his shield battered another, leaving him a crease in the spearwall to push through. The tightly packed demons screamed in rage, in defiance, and in horror. Erak kicked out, his front leg shattering a demon¡¯s knee.

    He dragged his sword down the shaft of a spear, relieving the owner of its fingers, before he cut its belly open. He threw himself side to side, jostling the entire front row of demons as he continued to lash and kick, trying his best to free up room around himself to use the longsword to full effect.

    The mounted lancers were a distance away, the Flame Guardian protected by the wall of armor as its arms danced in a frantic display to keep caster fire away. Erak started through the ranks of demons, shouldering and tossing demons to the ground. Most of what he saw through the thin slit of his helmet were weaker demons, not a single one above level ten.

    The back row was a different beast, the lancers all lower teens and the final row of spear holders were slightly lower. A spear scraped his leg, a fist pounded ineffective against his shoulder blade, a knife tried to wedge itself in the gap of armor at the back of the knee. The demons pressed and shoved, the weight of the crowd threatening to tip him backward.

    They were too weak. His aura swelled as demon blood drenched him as he finally made enough room around himself to swing the sword. He slashed and hacked, moving forward one step at a time. The uncommon sword continued to scream in the air as it split flesh until a notification popped into his view.

    Synergy Found

    Sword of Discord and

    Aura of Bloodlust

    Fear effect doubled on all enemies

    Erak laughed, his scarred throat making it sound like the crackle of gravel. Demons blanched and tried to back away from him, their weapons doing nothing more than scraping his armor as he marched over them. His laugh swelled, joining the music of the sword, mingling with the fear of the demons until Erak could see it. Essence flowed above their heads filling the smoky clouds with a red energy tinged with yellows and violets.

    His speed increased and demons died in droves, their lines breaking as Erak rampaged through them. His direction was unwavering, his will undeniable, his existence violence incarnate.

    The honor guard shuffled around their charge, affected by the aura attack to a lesser degree. They backed their mounts up and from behind, Erak could hear caster fire burning flesh. There was a range to the Flame Guardian¡¯s skills then. Erak cut through the back line, taking an arm and a head from different demons and then was facing the line of higher ranked spearmen.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Ten of them, all of them only a few levels below him. Erak¡¯s bellowing laugh dropped to a threatening rumble, the exhilaration of the fight slowing as he paced forward. The leader struck like a snake, energy wrapped around his spear in the same way Erak had used Spear Strike

    Erak turned and twisted, letting the energy wreathed blade flash by him. He moved faster than the demon and trapped the spear to his body by wrapping his sword arm up and over the spear and pinning it to his torso. He yanked the spear and the demon foolishly held on.

    The Infernal Soldier flew at him, its strength a pale shadow do the depths of Erak¡¯s monstrous power. Pale yellow eyes were wide with fear as Erak headbutted it, leaning down and forward to connect, the sound of breaking bone loud in the confines of his helmet as the demon was staggered backward.

    It released its spear as its clawed hands went to clutch at its ruined face and Erak stabbed it through the belly, twisting and ripping the blade out of its side to block another attacker. The rest of the spear line sprang at him, skills coming in a fast flurry as Erak was forced to use his shield and sword in concert to survive.

    A Spear Strike hit his chest, Erak a second too slow to block, and pain burst in his chest, stealing his breath. His armor held, but now there was a small dent in the breastplate, when nothing else had managed to do more than scrape away the enamel of the rare grade armor.

    Erak lopped the offending demon¡¯s head off and then was staggered as a pair of blows hit his right knee. He managed to stay on his feet and kept his composure as he slashed back, cutting a furrow in a demon¡¯s thigh. It screamed and tried to back up, but Erak pounced. Forcing his tired legs to surge forward, he caught the spearman and hit it with the front of his shield and sent it sprawling as Erak dueled its partner.

    Another blow to the back, between his shoulder blades, and then another to his left hamstring. Erak snarled, pain and rage deepening his bloodlust as he cut down the demon he was facing.

    Erak spun on the ball of one foot and then in a smooth motion crushed downward with his other heel on the throat of the demon he had knocked down. Six of the ten demons were now dead or fled, the remaining four all arrayed in front of him in a thin imitation of their company¡¯s formation.

    The gnulls were fleeing, their charge nestled between them. The scattered company of lancers had managed to regroup with them and they rode away in a force of several hundred, disappearing into the smoky chaos of the capital city without pausing. They had abandoned the foot soldiers and the song the sword and his aura made crushed what morale they had.

    The block of infantry collapsed and Nevia was there, her own sword slicing and cutting as she made her way to him. He turned his eyes back to the four remaining demons and leapt, clashing with them in a ring of steel on steel.

    Two in the middle fell, one under his boots and the other as he ran the edge of his sword along its neck. The last two split apart, leaping far away from him. The one on Erak¡¯s right broke, turning and fleeing away toward where the gnull riders had left. The one on the left lifted its spear up and roared in defiance to its fate.

    Nevia¡¯s sword burst from its sternum, the small officer appearing behind it as the higher ranked demon staggered about. She withdrew her sword and let the demon fall to the ground before taking its head in three bloody chops.

    ¡°Erak.¡± her chest heaved as she gulped air. A few stray hairs were pinned to her sweaty and blood spattered face. Erak looked about and saw the state of the Imperial Soldiers. All of them were lost in the fervor of battle as they hacked and clawed apart the invaders with feral intensity. He looked up to see the thick cloud of Essence above him.

    Releasing the aura was hard but instinctual. Reminiscent of climbing out of a warm bed on a cold morning. The cloud faded away and the Imperials slowly regained themselves as the tanks rumbled forward. They still had more blocks to secure until they reached Titus¡¯s Square, but Erak¡¯s part was over. He had a ship to command.

 Ch. 31 Making Contact

    <ol start="31">

    <li> </li>

    </ol>

    Erak and Nevia¡¯s squad worked their way back towards the Armory and Erak got to see the devastation wrought by their attack. Corpses piled high as supplementary Imperials pulled and stacked the dead, securing every piece of functional weaponry or armor that the demons had. Their blood sacrifice fueled siege weapons were being drug into the Armory and Erak had to frown at that.

    There was no honor in those foul contraptions. It was better stored inside of the Armory than outside of its walls though. There at least the demons could not reclaim or repair them to use against the Imperials.

    The surviving civilians, those who had been captives and those who had hidden in the rubble, raced toward the stained walls of the Armory and the scant protection it offered. Erak¡¯s battle high was fading, his heart slowing and the weariness of the long day settling. He was staring down a large number of announcements in his screen, but had little desire to deal with them.

    Nevia and her people trudged behind him, their feet nearly dragging in their exhaustion. All ten of them were still alive, having used the cover the heavy tanks provided to their advantage.

    The wide walls of the Armory were scorched and blackened, the once pristine white walls filled with cracks and carbon scoring, smoke already staining them gray. Erak walked through them, only his own grim determination keeping his legs pumping as he entered the bustling hive of the outer courtyard.

    Hundreds if not thousands of civilians now sat or stood around in catatonic stupors. An equal amount were screaming and crying as the strain of the day broke free and expressed itself. Erak shouldered past them all, most sliding away from his large figure as if he was a demon himself.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn, you are¡­quite a mess. I would advise cleaning your gear and self as soon as possible,¡± Nevia whispered up to him. Erak glanced down at his own arm and found she was right. He was caked in sticky, drying blood. Scraps of flesh stuck to his shield and both sword and spear needed to be cleansed as soon as possible.

    He looked up towards the scarred behemoth in the sky. In the darkening light of the hidden sun, the great warship was nothing more than a shadow in the smoke. The trailing lattice work of the floating docks, skeletal and menacing. Shapes flickered far up there, Hellspawn and whatever else had crawled free of their portals.

    ¡°Erak! You live! Not that I doubted you¡¯d survive, what with the heavy plate armor you''re wearing, but it¡¯s good to see my suspicions confirmed!¡± Prince Sammus said. His own clothing was dirty and there was a smear of ash and blood across his forehead while a stained bandage was over one arm.

    ¡°I have great news. We have taken many of the energy cores from the golem¡¯s and fed them to Dull. He¡¯s been able to awaken several dormant systems, including our longer range communications. Erak. We have made contact with the palace.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Erak shoved by the Prince, heading toward the small building that housed the stairwell that led down into the hill. Nevia shouted as did Sammus, but Erak was moving faster than any of them could easily keep up, long legs eating up ground as he raced away.

    He slammed through the doorway, choked full of people who got out of his way, and then began to descend. The heavy tread of his boots on the stairs was lost in the general chaos of the underground bunker, dozens of bodies moving up and down and shouting. Erak found the right exit and headed toward the war room that they¡¯d had their brief meeting in so long ago.

    Foy was there, haggard and gray as she leaned against a table. Dull floated to the side, a twisting blueprint of the Armory. Other officers clustered around Foy, but they leapt away as Erak came to a skidding halt at the sight of the projection in the center of the table.

    Lady Clara Torpin, the personal Handmaid to their Queen. A young woman with harsh cheekbones and a scar that ran the width of her forehead. Pale gray eyes that were hooded and sunken with exhaustion as she clenched a bloody sword in one hand.

    ¡°ERAK! Is that you!¡± Her voice was tinny and far away and Erak quickly grabbed at his helm, eager to rip it free. His gauntlets came next, freeing his fingers as he looked at one of the sworn guardians of the Queen. He flexed his hands a few times and then began to speak the Silent Tongue.

    ¡°Queen?¡±

    ¡°The Queen is fine, Erak. The Palace has many safeguards, most not known to the public and a few that weren¡¯t known to the nobility. She¡¯s leading the defenses on the West Wing as we speak. Erak we have a problem though. We are cut off, completely surrounded on all sides of the hill. This is the first time we¡¯ve managed any type of contact outside of the Palace¡¯s outer walls.¡±

    ¡°Orders?¡± Erak asked.

    Lady Torpin straightened, a sad look crossing her face. It was a look Erak knew. The look of someone ordering the death of a friend.

    ¡°The portal above the Iron Cathedral. That creature is what is keeping us from breaking free. Every time one of the gates opens it throws that fire down upon the troops. Two companies of the Royal Guard have died trying to get outside of the gates already. General Foy said you had an idea of fighting it, but Erak. When we retreated, Prince Almonkar and his personal guard rode to kill it. He had a company of a hundred strong and they were well equipped.¡±

    ¡°He was the third prince,¡± Sammus whispered behind him. Erak had been so caught up in his discussion with Lady Torpin he hadn¡¯t heard the young prince arrive.

    ¡°Prince Sammus, it heartens us that you live and continue to serve.¡± Clara turned back to Erak.

    ¡°Kill that creature Erak and close the portal. The scholars believe that is where the majority of these invaders are coming from. Now that you have freed yourself, General Foy, you are to rally every man, woman, and child who can wield a weapon. After Erak closes the rift, you will attack through the city and relieve the siege on the East Wing. Princess Aloria holds, but they have taken heavy losses.¡±

    ¡°Is she available to speak?¡± Erak asked. Clara¡¯s face fell further and she shook her head.

    ¡°I am sorry, Erak. The battle goes on and twice she has ridden out to rally the men. She has a company of Royal Guard with her along with her personal guard from the North. She is safe as any out here. I can not risk pulling her away while she is needed.¡±

    ¡°My duty is my honor.¡± Erak stood, grabbing his helm and gauntlets, then his weapons. New fire burned in his gut as he turned and walked out of the bunker. There was no time to rest, not when his Oaths were to be fulfilled.

 Ch. 32 The Floating Docks

    32.

    The entryway to the floating docks had a pale yellow light emanating from them now. Several of the smaller energy cores harvested from the flesh golems had been inserted into ports along the doorway and with a pneumatic hiss they parted for Erak as he walked up to them. Its hallway was dim but clean, the steel floor polished to a sheen, protected from the day¡¯s chaos by the heavy locks.

    An Engineer lvl. 7 was working, a heavy toolbox at his feet with several of the energy cores stacked around him as he tried to open up other doors. The woman had a thin line of grease across her head and she swore with the virulence of a sailor but with the vocabulary of a scholar. Behind Erak a trail of people followed after, muddying the floor with their ashen boots coated in blood.

    Lieutenant Nevia, still beside his elbow even though her mission was completed, and her squad of survivors. Prince Sammus had managed to tuck himself into their number and was now exchanging lightning quick verbal exchanges with Sergeant Constance. Rutledge and Julius had appeared and followed behind them quietly. Erak didn¡¯t mind the company as long as they didn¡¯t slow him.

    The Engineer looked up and saw Erak then Sammus. Her face paled as her hands suddenly trembled, threatening to drop the tool she was working with. She bowed her head violently enough that Erak thought she may have incurred whiplash.

    ¡°Are the elevators working to take us up to the docks?¡± Nevia asked without prodding.

    ¡°Yes. Uhmmm, nobody has gone up there though. I was waiting for an escort just in case anything had infiltrated the docks. Are you my escort?¡± Her voice was thin and reedy, pleading that the Emperor¡¯s Voice and an Imperial Prince weren¡¯t there for her.

    ¡°We are now. Open the doors. Constance, rearguard. Professors, it may be best if you wait till the pathway is secure.¡±

    ¡°Julius shall shield me,¡± Rutledge said with a thin smile. The other scholar paled and looked about with worry on his face. Erak had to restrain himself from tapping his foot as the Engineer hurriedly shoved an energy core into the slot she had uncovered.

    The small elevator¡¯s door opened soundlessly and they all stared at it. Erak might fit in it. If he squeezed in tight.

    ¡°This is a personnel elevator. We haven¡¯t figured out how to open the service and loading bay elevators yet,¡± the Engineer explained. Erak shoved himself into the elevator, shield, sword, and spear all having to be set into a corner so he could wedge himself in it.

    Erak lifted a finger at the Engineer and pointed to the thin sliver of room left in the elevator. The woman was visibly shaking as she stepped into the gap and turned around, her toolbox pressed tightly to her chest with the remaining energy cores inside of them.

    The elevator doors shut and they started upward. A speaker played something Southern and brassy, the music frustratingly irritating. Erak waited a moment then reached over and ripped the speaker out of the corner of the elevator, letting the ruined metal fall to his feet. The Engineer gulped loudly as the now silent elevator kept streaking upward.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    The doors opened and the woman bailed out without looking. Erak took considerably longer to unfurl himself, pulling his weapons out and readjusting them. The heavy kite shield on his left hand, the sword on his left hip, and the spear in his right hand. Erak turned about in the near pitch black corridors and cursed the Imperials for their lack of height. His head threatened to scrape along the top of the ceiling and all of the doorways he could see in the dim depths were small and narrow.

    The elevator left, racing back down to continue ferrying people up to the docks. Erak nudged the Engineer softly and the woman almost fell to the ground. She looked up at him, fright and pain writ across her face.

    Erak pointed to the dead light housings and imitated his best shrug. It was hard when he was locked into a mountain of hard steel.

    ¡°Oh, the lights. Yes, I think it should be close by. There¡¯s a power junction and that¡¯s where the other housing spots appeared. Inside of a breaker box. Ummm¡­.can you come with me?¡± The last bit was nearly a whisper and Erak just nodded. She sighed in relief and took off instantly, still clutching her toolbox and the cores tightly.

    Erak followed after, twisting and stooping every time they came to a hatchway. The woman was much more suited for the tight confines and slowly started to outpace him, her focus on the job outstripping her fear of the dark.

    They entered a long hallway and kept moving forward when Erak heard a rustle of leather. He leapt forward, wrapping the woman up and covering her just as a wave of fire ignited in the tight hallway, consuming where she had been.

    His armor glowed, shield pulsing in the heat, but nothing affected the Engineer. The flames disappeared and Erak uncoiled and lunged at where they had come from, his spear shooting into the darkness with a blur of deadly speed.He met resistance and pushed through it and a familiar screech echoed out.

    Not demonic. Something primal and old. It stirred his blood as memories of the hunt came flooding forward as something twisted and a curse was spat out. The curse was similar to the hacking, coughing, brutal language he had heard them speak.

    ¡°I¡¯ll turn the lights on! Keep it from frying me!¡± Erak was too busy grappling with a slashing sword while what he had stabbed twisted and writhed on his spear. Something heavy banged into the wall and another cry came out as Erak ripped his spear free. A sword strike sent a shower of sparks off his helm, giving the lightning quick impression of something large and scaly.

    Erak lunged forward again, stabbing twice more, each strike piercing flesh and eliciting another pained cry. Pressure and pain overwhelmed him suddenly and he was weightless, flying backward through the air to clang heavily to the ground. Erak had lost his spear, still embedded in what he had stabbed, and he rose up drawing the longsword just as the lights flickered on, hardly piercing the dark and creating a dark gloom.

    Pools of blood sat, dark in the light, where he had fought whatever it had been. His spear wasn¡¯t there though. A line of blood was smeared across the deck, leading deeper into the docks. The Engineer came back around the corner and skidded to a halt at seeing the dented and bloody walls where Erak had briefly battled.

    ¡°Damn thing, I don¡¯t think I can get the lights any brighter, now without a bunch more of these.¡± She lifted one of her remaining power orbs before continuing.

    ¡°Are we going to go and get your friends?¡± she asked.

    Erak pointed toward where they had entered the docks and flicked his fingers in a shooing motion. She slowly turned and walked back the way they had come, glancing over her shoulder before turning and dashing away. Erak hunched over and prowled forward, his old instincts taking over. There was a hunt to be conducted and a spear to be retrieved.

 Ch. 33 Hunting

    33.

    Erak followed the streaks of rusty blood deeper into the docks, moving in a low crouch with the sword in front of him. Every step was careful as he looked over the multitude of entrances and exits that his prey could have taken. The docks were a warren of twisting halls and small rooms.

    He passed a pair of legs, one in the middle of the hall in the bright orange of a construction worker, and the other a deep violet sweatsuit that was propped against a corner. The walls were coated in the sticky gore and Erak could taste the hints of violence still lingering in the air.

    Every breath was a harsh exclamation, loud in the silence of the haunted hallways. He stepped down and the ring of his boots on the metal was sharp as he looked around, waiting for the beast to come and confront him.

    The blood slicks were growing thinner, the creature¡¯s companion likely having assisted in stopping the blood loss from its wounds. He leaned down to look at the closest blood trail, wet and glistening.

    A drop of saliva hit the floor. Erak slowly peered up and saw the creature he had been stalking looking at him with hungry, yellow eyes. They moved together, Erak rising up, sword and shield in harmony as the creature skittered at him, jaws wide and fire gleaming in the back of its throat.

    The ball of fire washed over him, blinding Erak and stealing his breath as the superheated air burned. Weight slammed into him, knees buckled as he twisted and slashed, sending the wyrm to the side in a deafening crash. Erak rolled, turning the force of his fall in backward momentum and rising to his feet in a fighting stance.

    A door whished open behind him and the demon came at him screaming a war cry as its short sword stabbed at Erak¡¯s neck. Pinned between the two, Erak attacked the rider, trusting in his armor to hold as he crossed blades with the small demon.

    Beast Tamer lvl. 11

    The demon looked different than those he had been slaying all day. Smaller and more delicate, with sharp cheekbones and a button nose. Its ruddy red skin had black ink runes tattooed across the bridge of its nose and under its violet eyes. Thick iron gray hair was chopped in a pixie cut while short fangs protruded from its mouth as it hissed at him in defiance.

    Erak slapped aside its sword with his shield and stabbed it through its thin leather armor, piercing its sternum and erupting from its back in a spray of pink blood. It coughed once and died as Erak put his big boot on its small chest and pulled the sword free to turn back to view the wrym.

    Juvenile Wyrm lvl. 10

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    It looked similar to the Ice Wyrms he had hunted in the North. Six legs on each side with three talon claws, a long sinuous body with dull brown scales and yellow eyes that gleamed with intelligence. Drool dripped from its mouth as it moved side to side like a snake did before it struck.

    Erak matched its movements, bobbing side to side with the sword ready to engage the nearly twenty foot long monster. It exploded in a furor of movement, all talons and teeth and Erak slashed and connected, parting scale like they were paper. Blood spilled on the deck in a loud splash, but the wyrm¡¯s weight knocked him down and he hit the deck in a clang.

    The wyrm screamed in his face as it tried to wrap around him, Erak¡¯s heavy body being slammed back and forth as the wyrm coiled about. Its head twisted to look at him and Erak let go of his sword and slid his other arm free of his shield and wriggled both free of the tightening coils. Even through his armor he could feel the pressure mounting as the coils continued to tighten.

    Erak punched it in the face, right where the eye was and was rewarded with its scream morphing into a yowl of pain. Erak grabbed at its thick neck with his other hand and squeezed, his fingers crushing small scales beneath in his clench.

    Heat blossomed all around him, sweat breaking out on his face as the wyrm began to heat up. It hissed again, spittle spraying through his visor and clinging to his eyes as Erak growled in return, squeezing harder as he punched it again and again. Each titanic blow tore cuts through the scale until he finally connected and one of the dreadful yellow orbs popped in a spray of gelatinous flesh.

    The reaction was immediate and violent, it tightened enough that his armor groaned in response and Erak¡¯s breath fled him, forced from his diaphragm. Erak didn¡¯t relent in his crusade to crush the wyrm¡¯s skull. He clung to its neck with a vice-like grip, refusing to allow it to move, as he hammered away like a blacksmith at an anvil. It snapped on his arm and dagger like teeth broke on his rare grade armor.

    Erak laughed, harsh and grating sounds that trembled up from his ruined throat as he ripped his arm free of the animal¡¯s now ruined mouth. It howled in pain, but Erak was merciless. Sweating from the heat of its body and breath coming in short pained gasps, he persevered.

    Minutes passed as they battled, the wyrm trying to slash him with claws, crush him in its coil, and cook him by emanating heat, but Erak was stronger. His fist hit its ruined face again, where the eye used to be and he was rewarded with bone splintering. Vigor flooded him, his weary limbs regaining their strength as he renewed his battering with precise focus.

    The wyrm tried to get away, loosening its coils and beginning to crawl, but Erak clung with his one hand and hit with the other as he was dragged down the hall. His blows lacked leverage, but the misshapen skull was already broken and it only took two more hits to get the wyrm to stop and spasm before it fell to the ground.

    Erak took a moment to catch his breath, laughter tugging free as he reveled in the aftermath of the fight. A hunt of an Ice Wyrm would require at least a half dozen hunters and even then victory was not assured. To catch one in his hand and pulverize its skull with the other.

    He got to his feet and found his shield and sword discarded by the creature¡¯s unraveling nature and cleaned the sword before tucking it back in its sheath. He went past the dead demon and into the room it had ambushed him from and looked about.

    His spear was there, propped against a wall in the corner. The room was filled with other treasures that the wyrm rider had procured. Energy cores, weapons, valuable metals, and other things that Erak couldn¡¯t identify. A bed was in the corner and Erak stipped it of its sheet and grabbed the energy cores that had been piled in the corner and filled the sheet and twisted the cloth, turning it into a temporary bag as he grabbed his spear and left the room.

    The rest of the group should be here soon enough and he needed them to watch over him as he took the newest level he had just earned.

 Ch. 34 Things Unseen

    34.

    Nevia stood with the Engineer, her face stern as Erak came trudging back to them. The high of the fight was fleeting, his limbs heavy once again as exhaustion crept upon him to steal his strength. Lost in the smoke below them, the day¡¯s passage had been long and difficult, with more blood having been shed in a few hours than Erak could honestly comprehend.

    Julius peaked around from Nevia and Rutledge pushed herself off of a wall as the rest of Nevia¡¯s squad had relief written across their faces. Sammus just quirked an eyebrow when Erak handed his newly acquired knapsack to the Engineer and signed crudely to Julius.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn has completed another level and needs a moment to strengthen himself,¡± the professor said. Nevia didn¡¯t say anything but her mouth was firm and there was anger in her eyes radiating outward with a warm fury.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 14

    Strength: 42

    Vigor: 23

    Durability: 23

    Perception: 20

    Processing: 20

    The small burst of pleasure was just a temporary relief against his accumulating aches and pains, but it was relief nonetheless. The boosts to vigor and durability would help him continue this marathon day while a single extra point to strength just nudged him slightly further along.

    ¡°Should we go and find the ship that Dull was talking about, or go straight towards the Sword?¡± Nevia asked, voice stiff and angry. Erak could understand that anger. It was his existence that had pulled her away from her unit and he had ran off to chase a fight while leaving her to stew. He would invite her on the next hunt.

    ¡°To the Sword,¡± he signed to Julius and the man relayed it.

    ¡°My apologies, ummm, my Lord?¡± the small engineer said. All eyes turned on her and she shivered at all the attention.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Nevia barked.

    ¡°If the entrance to the old girl is as bad as the entrance into the docks was, it¡¯s going to take me some time to open her up. Maybe an hour.¡± Erak struggled to keep his temper at the newest delay.

    ¡°A guard on the engineer. The rest to the secondary ship,¡± Erak ordered and Julius nodded as he told the rest.

    ¡°Podzki, Ramos, you two are with¡­what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Laura Bason, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Podzki and Ramon, go with Laura and get the door open. Nothing touches her, you got me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± the two assigned soldiers said, both nodding and then quickly leaving with Laura tucked behind them.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Constance, rearguard. My Prince, I¡¯d humbly suggest putting yourself in the middle of the formation with the professors. My squad, envelopment. Lord Bloodsworn has lead.¡±

    Nevia¡¯s four soldiers posted up, two to a side of the professors and Prince, forming a small column three wide while Constance and her last two soldiers slunk to the back of the formation. Nevia took up position in front of her squad while Erak was moving forward.

    He made it through three intersections before stopping. He didn¡¯t know where he was going. He turned to look back and saw a few smug smiles that were quickly stifled. Professor Rutledge cleared her throat twice before speaking.

    ¡°Take the next left, Erak. Follow it straight and then there is a ladder we will have to climb if the elevator isn¡¯t working.¡±

    Erak nodded and moved without another sound. If there had been any energy left over for embarrassment, he may have felt a tinge of it. He was paying attention and heard a few snickers behind him. He was certain it was the Prince.

    The hallways here had no gristly decorations, being rather clean and bare, but Erak didn¡¯t let that make him lower his guard. There were plenty of spots that one could be ambushed from in the tight confines of the docks.

    The trip passed peacefully and they found the elevator they needed worked, though it moved slowly. It was larger than the one they had took up, all of them managing to squeeze in even if Erak was pressed tightly into a corner and with his arms up to touch the ceiling to make a bit of extra room.

    ¡°Smells dreadful in here. Erak, when we have a moment, do be a dear and bathe. You are coated in¡­hmmm¡­well several things,¡± Rutledge said as she leaned on her cane, having a small bubble of space around her.

    Erak sniffed and could smell little beyond his own odor of stale sweat and body heat in the helmet. He had coated his exterior in several beings through the course of the day, and there was the trip into the sewer monster. His armor would need a good scrubbing.

    The doors slid open and the entire elevator fled, moving swiftly to escape the close confines and spreading out as they stared at the partially open hatch in front of them. The words over the hatch were written in bright red paint.

    Warning: Construction In Progress! Be Alert! Danger!

    ¡°Now they tell us,¡± Constance muttered under her breath and there was a round of dry chuckles as Erak stepped up to the stuck hatch and wedged his fingers into the gap and pulled. Metal strained for a moment,then something gave way with an audible shriek and the hatch swung out to them.

    A bar had been wedged in the door, a crude attempt at a barricade right behind it. There were no signs of violence even if the barricade had been abandoned. Erak ducked his head and walked through the hatch and past the mound of boxes strapped together and began moving across the construction yard.

    There should be a new possible spirit here, born from a ship''s A.I. The dockyard here was a long and wide tunnel with poor lighting and wide doors. Scaffolding and abandoned equipment lay everywhere, as if dropped in the middle of their work. Still no signs of violence.

    ¡°Second berth Erak, on the right. The one with the doors already open,¡± Rutledge supplied. Erak nodded and shuffled his weapons, getting a firm grasp on them. There was something off-putting about this. The air was wrong, the stillness of it a warning of sorts.

    Erak tread through the wide portal and into the partially constructed ship. Every portal was open and the lighting was only the faintest red light coming from somehow still functioning emergency lighting. The pallor cast across the polished steel of the ship was haunting and macabre and his spine tingled as he looked about, every nerve on edge.

    ¡°Something is fucked here,¡± one of the soldiers muttered. Constnace hissed at him and they all lapsed into silence again.

    ¡°No, the soldier was right. Something foul is here. Erak be on guard!¡± Rutledge barked at him, the sudden shattering of silence unnerving a soldier who bit out a cry of fear and surprise. They kept moving, each step taking them deeper into the steel skeleton, whose shape only hinted at a future that would not be seen.

    The bridge was coming up, mounted near the front of the ship with wide windows all around it, letting in the scenes from the world below. They crossed into the bridge and the tension had grown so thick that Erak could have sliced it with his spear. Sweat was trickling down faces and hands shook as they looked about with worry in their eyes.

    ¡°Oh, no. You¡¯re here,¡± a voice wailed in despair.

 Ch. 35 The Hangar

    35.

    A floating light shimmered into existence, blue-white and stark against the blood red lighting, the mote of light slowly expanded outward. Erak watched as the ball of light grew, bones at first until a young dragon¡¯s skeleton was staring at them. Then tendons and muscles, blood and veins, then flesh and scales. A pair of stubby horns emerged from its head, lightning dancing around them as aqualine blue eyes formed.

    An Eastern dragon, with a long sinuous body with a pair of long arms with flexible finders capped with sharp talons. It didn¡¯t have wings as their heavier but more compact Western siblings had, but rather danced on the air currents, moving with the fast wiggling of a snake. Gray frills ran down its back and its scales were light blues, whites, and grays.

    ¡°You have doomed yourselves!¡± it wailed, shaking and trembling as it whirled in tight circles.

    ¡°Doomed!¡± It repeated, voice high pitched and keening.

    ¡°Is it broken?¡± one of the soldiers asked.

    Spirit of Intellect

    Rare

    The only information on the small dragon that Erak could discern with a glance. He looked back over to Rutledge who thumped up to them and peered at it. The spirit stopped its keening cry and stopped in mid air to look at the old woman.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­strange. I can¡¯t see anything about him,¡± Rutledge murmured. Erak looked at the old woman and for the first time saw the strands of Essence around her eyes. Unlike when others used the power, this use was subtle, just thin tendrils emanating from her eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you peering into me!¡± the small dragon squeaked.

    ¡°Why are we doomed?¡± Sammus cut in, leaning around the old professor to look at the spirit.

    ¡°There is a creature on this ship. When I awoke, the ship was staffed with many people, but as I became cognizant, they were snuffed out.¡±

    ¡°By?¡± Sammus said. Rutledge was still peering intently at the spirit, frown increasing in both size and depth.

    ¡°It¡¯s in the loading bay, but I don¡¯t know what it is. There is something there preventing me from entering. That¡¯s where all the crew headed to when it started.¡±

    ¡°Erak, are you going to kill it?¡± Sammus asked. Erak stared at the prince. What else was he supposed to do?

    Erak turned to Nevia and invited her to join him with a few shorthand signs. Julius leaned over and whispered what he asked and Nevia nodded.

    ¡°My Prince, will you be staying here?¡± Nevia asked.

    ¡°No. I will go and find my subjects and if we can free them, then I will endeavor to do so.¡±

    ¡°Professors, I wish for you to stay here then. Constance and Bendu, stay here with the professors. Keaton, you¡¯re with me. Stick with your battle partner. Lord Bloodsworn, Prince Sammus, we are ready,¡± Nevia said as she finished rearranging her small team. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°Erak, I believe you¡¯ll wish to lead the way,¡± Sammus said, waving back the way they had come.

    Erak stood there and then looked at Julius and asked him where the hangar was. The professor nodded and asked the dragon.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn wishes to know the exact location of the hangar.¡±

    ¡°Out the hallway and to the elevator. Final level, button is labeled H,¡± the spirit supplied instantly. Erak nodded and started to trek out. The elevator was small like everything else and Erak entered it without looking at the others. Nevia squeezed herself into a nook that Erak didn¡¯t take up and clicked the button to take them down to the hangar. The doors shut and Nevia looked up to him.

    ¡°My lord, it is my job to protect you. I know you are stronger than us, but my job, me mission, is to escort you and keep you alive to serve the Throne. I can¡¯t do that if you go rushing off every time something catches your interest. I ask that you wait for a moment or three so we can accompany you.¡±

    Erak nodded instantly. He had his own thoughts of that as well, she had lost most of her command following him and this was the least he could do for her. He wouldn¡¯t stop his hunting as long as it didn¡¯t pull him away from his overall mission.

    ¡°Better this way anyways. If you die, then it¡¯s almost assured that we will all be dead. Better to die by your side than report the death of an Iron Ring bearer.¡± The elevator stopped and dinged open, Nevia not hesitating as she flowed out of the elevator with her sword drawn.

    Erak left the elevator and he could swear that the entire thing lifted up as his feet left the elevator. Nevia looked at him and he sighed as he waited for the elevator to return with the rest of the team. He looked about while they waited.

    The elevator had deposited them outside of a massive blast door of polished steel. The wide expanse of metal was decorated in strange glyphs, similar to what the sacrificial cannons had outside of the Armory. Paint had been used instead of blood, black as tar and still wet, they seemed to pulse and wiggle as Erak looked at them.

    The doors to the elevator opened up and the rest of the team came out. They had all managed to squeeze themselves into the space and looked relieved to come out of it.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s disturbing,¡± Sammus muttered as he stared at the doors. Erak nodded in agreement before walking over to the door. The closer he got, the worse the feeling of being an invader grew. It was a feeling he should leave, an instinct as old as time that told him this was dangerous. He stopped inches from the door, the glyphs growing in size until they dominated his vision. Behind him, the mutters and curses of the rest of the party was fading away as if they were walking away.

    Each brutal line of the glyphs, the way the paint clung to the steel, the way it absorbed the light. His breath caught in his chest as he stared at it. The world faded away as he fell inward into the darkness.

    A hiss of air and then the darkness was sliding away and Erak could see in front of him, but it was obscured like a haze in both mind and eye. A creature stood there, gaunt and with a bulbous head and delicate fingers. Red dripped from its fingers as a wide smile spread across its face, showing off its thin needle like teeth. Erak wanted to raise his spear and slay it, but his arms weighed more than the world itself.

    Every breath was a challenge.

    Every heartbeat a strain.

    Every thought moving through molasses.

    ¡°Ahhh¡­.more ingredients. Excellent. Enter,¡± its voice was a rasp of steel on stone and Erak¡¯s feet moved without him thinking it. The hangar was decorated with cocoons, wet and glistening they hung suspended from the ceiling and draped all the way to the floor. Gray-green and thin, he could see shapes moving inside of them, twisting and churning, shadows straining for freedom.

    ¡°So many lost, but more shall rise. Our Lord is a resourceful Lord, he wastes not,¡± the creature kept talking as the rest of the party walked into the hangar. The doors clanged shut as Erak stood entranced by the cocoons even as the haze around his mind was breaking away.

    ¡°You shall become something more. Yes¡­more. A great creation. A great¡­tool.¡± Its whispery words were dreadful, sliding down Erak¡¯s spine like a stiletto. His hands clenched tight, straining under the pressure on his body. The heft and solid feel of the spear in his hand offered him assurance and grounding.

    A terrible tearing sound reverberated across the hangar, the sound of cloth tearing, but wet and visceral. Talons speared through the cocoon and forced it open, then a shape came sliding out in a spray of blood to slide across the hangar.

 Ch. 36 The Dark Alchemist

    <ol start="36">

    <li> </li>

    </ol>

    The creature rose to its feet slowly, limbs trembling as it slipped forward. Blood sluiced off of slick green carapace. Bug-like black eyes glistened wetly as a thick, pointed black tongue lashed out of its wide mouth, whipping back and forth wildly. It lurched awkwardly and trilled loudly, piercing and sharp as it looked about the hangar.

    ¡°Yes¡­much different. A good first specimen for my Lord¡¯s army. I shall be rewarded¡­richly,¡± the demon¡¯s halting speech drove nails down Erak¡¯s spine as he struggled to move. Behind him he heard a grunt and then Sammus¡¯s rich voice was barking out, each word a strain.

    ¡°We are people of the Empire. Warriors of the Empire. Our hearts are incorruptible. Our will unstoppable. We SHALL NOT YIELD!¡± Erak watched as Essence flowed about, floating on the air, propelled by the Prince¡¯s words.

    ¡°Ohhh¡­a royal class? A spell then¡­Inspire?¡± The demon stopped and waited. Erak could feel the depths the black paint had dragged him down begin to weaken. Erak gripped his spear harder, feeling the tension in his knuckles as they popped. The cords of power that held him down began to fray and Erak strained, forcing himself to try to move, even just one inch.

    ¡°A pity you are not more¡­developed. A truly magnificent beast you would have become.¡±

    Erak moved. His spear rose up by half an inch. The deadly point turned to aim at the grotesque creature that was lurching about. His vision was filled once more with information as he looked at the monster.

    Alchemical Abomination lvl. 12

    Erak turned his eyes and looked at the demon that had caught them. It was still peering at Sammus with undisguised interest, leaning over and peering at the prince with a leer on its face.

    Dark Alchemist lvl. 19

    Erak stepped forward, a single step. The ring of his foot on the metal hangar rang out and the alchemist turned to look at him. Its eyes widened in shock and it whirled to run away, its steps slow and awkward.

    ¡°Kill the soldier¡­spare the rest,¡± the alchemist rasped, pointing at Erak. The creature stopped its wagging and turned to look at him. It dropped its asymmetrical shoulders and lunged forward in a blitz of speed. Talons lashed against him, scratching his armor in a spray of steel, the creature¡¯s weight staggering them both until Erak¡¯s still unwieldy knees buckled and they fell to the ground.

    Every passing heartbeat more of his strength returned to him, the lethargy that had clung to him dissipating. Erak wedged his knee up and into the creature¡¯s stomach, the chitinous carapace failing to yield as Erak pushed up. The abomination soared over his head and he surged to his feet, his aura beginning to spread out as his heart beat with rage. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Erak dashed in, not letting the creature escape him, stabbing it through its leg as it rose wobbly to its feet. Its knee shattered in a spray of yellow goop and the creature raised its bulbous head to scream. Erak backed up and stabbed it through its fat head, popping it like a rotten fruit.

    He whirled to find the alchemist hadn¡¯t gotten far, its limping gait not fast enough to escape him. Erak threw the spear and watched as the blade flashed across the hangar to pierce the alchemist¡¯s stomach. The demon cried out, screaming shrilly, as it fell and slid across the hangar.

    The rest of the team broke free at the alchemist¡¯s scream, gasping and turning their weapons to the demon as it slowly tried to escape even with Erak¡¯s spear in its stomach. Erak walked over to his team and they clustered about him, all of them getting ready to go and finish off the demon. There was a rage in their eyes, their will having been stripped away from them.

    Nevia¡¯s hand was trembling and a tendon was taunt against her neck as she glared down at the demon. Sammus was pale and sweaty, eyes wild and large in his skull as he stalked forward, drawing his own long curved blade.

    The sound of ripping cocoons filled the air. Erak turned and saw the scores of fleshy cocoons broke apart in a deluge of blood and abominations. They scuttled about like insects, rising up to their feet with dark eyes. All of them were low level, barely past ten, but there were dozens of them.

    Nevia¡¯s soldiers didn¡¯t hesitate to fire. Caster bolts searing and breaking the abominations in a flash of heat and fire. It took two to three bolts to pierce the reflective carapace¡¯s, none of the creature¡¯s reacting as they were burned down.

    ¡°Kill¡­them¡­all,¡± the alchemist rasped. The abominations launched themselves without hesitation and Erak stepped forward. He pointed toward the dying alchemist and Sammus bounded toward the alchemist, sword raised up and over his head.

    Erak killed the first of the bug-like abominations, its shell burned black from caster fire. Yellow blood splashed the ground as Erak spun, sword screaming through the air as he kept cutting and slashing. They were wheat before the thresher and Erak didn¡¯t stop as he cut.

    His aura spread out, filling the hangar as they fought the abominations. Erak spun his sword in a tight circle, cleaving one of their legs off at the knee and another¡¯s arm at the elbow. More and more of the cocoons ripped apart the hangar filling with the abominations.

    ¡°Now, Prince Sammus. Kill it now!¡± Nevia screamed as her sword lengthened and sliced apart an abomination in half in a flash of Essence. Erak crushed an abomination with his shield, it crunching and splattering across him in a spray of putrid yellow.

    ¡°Die monster!¡± Sammus screamed and then the hangar went silent. The abominations stopped moving, frozen in their steps. Erak risked looking over his shoulder and seeing Sammus standing above the headless alchemist.

    ¡°Is that it? Are they just not going to keep moving?¡± one of the soldiers asked.

    Erak stabbed one of the motionless monsters. It collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Essence filled him, but there was a bitter taste in his mouth. Killing defenseless monsters brought no joy to him. He turned and walked away from them as the soldiers fell upon them with knives and boots, finishing them off quickly. Erak watched as Essence gathered around one of the soldiers, who whooped excitedly. He had never seen the exact moment when someone leveled, but the burst of Essence was unique.

    Erak walked through the forest of cocoons, looking for anything that had been unobserved. Each of the fleshy pods were wilting, growing soft and drooping towards the ground. In the center of the hangar there was a pile of goods. Clothes, boots, tools, mementos, rings, and the other sundry artifacts of daily life. Erak looked at the abandoned goods and at the abominations.

    A horror sank through him. This went beyond death. Beyond dishonor. This was an unmaking. A twisting and perversion of what once was.

    Erak marched back and through the rotting cocoons, stomping up to the alchemist and raising his foot above the head and pulping it across the hangar with a powerful stomp. He whirled on the corpse and grabbed it by its hands and paused.

    The hands were long and delicate and clean. Erak dropped the creature and began to search. The hangar was a large cube and didn¡¯t take long, but no matter how he looked and what he moved, he couldn¡¯t find any black paint.

 Ch. 37 Bonded

    37.

    Their trek back to the bridge was done in silence. Sammus walked next to Erak, his head high, but rage in his eyes. Once they had all seen the remnants of the citizenry that had been piled high, the elation of the easy Essence harvest had faded. Now they walked drenched in the blood of the innocent, their own deaths having been narrowly diverted.

    ¡°That thing was foul and I can only imagine there are more of them. So many of my people have been taken today. The loss, it just can¡¯t be comprehended.¡± Sammus¡¯s words were more of a plea than anything else. Ever since Erak had lost the ability to speak, he had found that many people enjoyed using him as a way to voice their own thoughts, seeing as he couldn¡¯t easily interject and stop their flow.

    ¡°Millions lived in the capital Erak. Millions. How few remain now? The Palace still stands and the Armory and small areas here and there, but how many have died today. Or worse yet, still live, but changed?¡± Sammus¡¯s voice trailed off at the end and he shook himself from his own reverie.

    Nevia and her troops said nothing. They just continued to walk quietly behind the pair as the prince vented. Erak glanced back at them and saw the same worry, the same fear and horror in their eyes. All of them had family or loved ones in the city whose fates were unknown.

    They took the elevator slowly, all of them letting Erak ride by himself back to the upper levels. He waited for them as it took two trips to haul everyone up and then they moved as a group to the hangar. The large blast doors were open and Rutledge and Julius looked at them and quickly frowned at the dour nature of the group.

    ¡°You live!¡± the small dragon said, joy in its voice as it glided through the air.

    ¡°The creature is killed, but I fear there is a greater threat. There were these symbols, Professor Rutledge. They drew us all in, snared our minds until we were nothing more than puppets. I used an ability to weaken the effect and Erak was able to break free, but we saw no signs of the one who made the symbols.¡±

    ¡°Take me to them, maybe I can see what they are,¡± Rutledge ordered. Nevia looked around and then pointed towards the pair of soldiers who had stood guard.

    ¡°Escort the professor. The ship is cleared, but be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Constance said. The trio left without a word and a silence descended on the group.

    ¡°Two on the door, everyone else, rest. Spirit, is there a functional washroom?¡± Nevia asked.

    ¡°Yes, the Captain¡¯s quarters are there,¡± the dragon pointed with its tail at a subtle door that blended in with the background.

    ¡°It has a functional sink and an independent water reservoir.¡±

    ¡°Rotate in and out. Clean up and get some water in you.¡± Nevia slipped down to the ground, her legs no longer having the strength to support her. Two of her soldiers slumped against the doorway leading out of the bridge, their casters dangling from their hands as they looked out. The entire group was nearing collapse, Sammus swayed on his feet and even Erak could feel the wall approaching.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Spirit. We came here to see if there was a chance you could help Erak. He is mute and needs a way to communicate with others and many don¡¯t know the Silent Tongue,¡± Sammus said. He leaned against a console and watched the floating blue dragon.

    ¡°Oh, certainly. I am currently bound to this ship, but, and I say this with all due respect to those who built it. It¡¯s rather limited. If you wish to, we could Bond and then I¡¯d be able to access your thoughts and be able to speak for you,¡± the dragon said, voice chipper.

    ¡°Bond?¡± Sammus asked. His eyes were drooping as he struggled to stay up on his feet.

    ¡°Yes. I would weld a piece of myself to the Lord Bloodsworn. This would effectively change me permanently, turning me from a Spirit of Intellect and into a Bonded Spirit.¡±

    ¡°That entails, what?¡± Sammus asked.

    ¡°Well, I would grow with Erak, taking a piece of every iota of Essence he consumes to fuel my own growth. With that I would be able to help him with granting further access to the System and give detailed reporting beyond the basic information that is presented.¡±

    Erak had heard enough. He set down his spear and offered the dragon his free hand. The dragon didn¡¯t hesitate, flying around and wrapping around the armor like a snake, head ending at his shoulder as it gazed up at him and through the slit of his helm.

    Bond Spirit of Intellect?

    Y/N

    Erak pressed yes with his mind and icy fire suffused his body. The dragon melted through his armor like it wasn¡¯t there, melding into him as the fire froze his veins. It was the chill of the deep North, where the sun¡¯s light didn¡¯t touch. Arctic gales that froze a man to the bone in heartbeats, the frigid waters filled with islands of ice. It was Home and it was Death, it was the line he had walked since he was a child.

    ¡°Oh¡­there¡¯s so much room in here,¡± the dragon said as it burst from his skull. Sammus snickered tiredly as he slid to the ground, sword across his lap. Nevia chortled, her eyes open, but drooping.

    ¡°Erak is thinking quite unkind thoughts about you and your parentage. Especially you Prince Sammus.¡±

    Erak glared at the dragon as it poured out of his helmet and floated in the air next to him. The dragon turned back to look at him, wispy white eyebrows that looked like clouds raising off of its skull.

    ¡°Ohhh¡­I don¡¯t believe I was supposed to say that. My apologies, well¡­Erak¡¯s apologies.¡±

    ¡°Oh this is humorous,¡± Julius muttered, so softly that Erak almost didn¡¯t hear him.

    ¡°Erak doesn¡¯t believe it is. In fact he¡¯s imagining me skinned and flayed with my horn used as the handle to a cane. It¡¯s quite graphic death, I wonder if he understands I¡¯m incorporeal.¡± The dragon smiled toothily at him.

    Erak was wishing he had thought this out a bit more. He pulled his helmet off and slowly lowered himself to the ground and leaned against a wall as the dragon cavorted around him.

    ¡°I need a name!¡± the dragon said. It spun back and glared at Erak as he thought at it.

    ¡°That is foul and I will not. I was thinking something majestic, as befitting my nature.¡±

    ¡°Pomp,¡± Nevia chimed in. Her eyes were closed and her chin was tucked into her armored chest.

    ¡°I like it! I shall be Pomp!¡± Erak rolled his eyes but sat back and watched as everyone else went into the Captain¡¯s quarters and washed themselves off. They were close to their goal, so close he could taste it.

    ¡°Oh, Erak! As part of our bond I can see beyond the physical plane and see your soul. All of your souls really. They are all greatly strained and the exhaustion you are all slowly falling to is natural! A few hours sleep and you¡¯ll be better than new! It¡¯s all the Essence you¡¯ve absorbed today, it¡¯s tiring to absorb it. I¡¯ll stay awake and watch over you all while you rest!¡± Pomp said as he floated around the room. Erak¡¯s eyes failed to stay open and his last sight was of the entire room slumbering.

 Ch. 38 Sword of Empire

    38.

    Erak woke with a start and was face to snout with the floating spirit. The dragon blinked slowly and then smiled wide. So close to it, Erak could see the exquisite detail of the scales and the mathematical equations written into each one of them. Pomp swished through the air spinning around to face the rest of the group, all of them awake and alert.

    ¡°Erak¡¯s awake and wondering why nobody woke him up!¡± the overly excited spirit shouted out. Its voice was high pitched as a child¡¯s and it danced around the air in joy with every spoken word.

    ¡°You needed the sleep. We sent a runner and the engineer still hasn¡¯t finished working on the door, but she¡¯s close. By the time we get down there, she should have the door open,¡± Sammus said. Nevia grunted in confirmation and Erak was forced along as he rose to his feet and they all began to troop out of the bridge of the uncompleted research vessel.

    Erak had to admit to himself that he had needed the rest. How ever many hours it had been, it felt like a full night''s rest. He stretched his back, twisting this way and that to a series of thunderous pops as he groaned in relief. His neck cracked like an ancient tree and everyone stopped to stare at him.

    ¡°Are¡­are you alright?¡± Sammus asked.

    ¡°Yes! My pain has been reduced to manageable levels and now I seek foes so I may drench my blade in their blood and consume their strength!¡± Pomp delcared, perched on Erak¡¯s shoulder. Erak glared at the dragon. That wasn¡¯t what he was thinking.

    ¡°Oh¡­you lack any humor Erak. Erak says he¡¯s fine and wishes to continue on¡­blah, blah, duty, honor, Queen. Oh¡­.that¡¯s interesting. No, of course not. I¡¯ll keep that to myself!¡± the overjoyous dragon zoomed off Erak¡¯s shoulder while everyone looked at him suspiciously. Erak shrugged and was glad for his helm that kept their peering eyes away from his scarred face.

    ¡°I think we may have been better served without the spirit,¡± Nevia muttered as they all watched the little bastard dart around in the air. He had a sheen to him, a light that emanated from his ethereal body that helped brighten the corridors.

    ¡°At least we have a light now,¡± one of the soldiers said and there was a general chuckle at that.

    The rest of the journey through the floating docks was done in silence. The tension had been broken, the nap they had all taken soothing sore nerves. There was something to the dragon¡¯s warning of strained souls that resonated with Erak. He could feel how much more he was in tune with his own body now. His strength seemed as familiar now as his old body had. Near the end, before he had fallen asleep, it had almost come as a surprise how fast he could move and strike.

    The engineer was slumped on the ground, face streaked in a layer of grease and there were a small series of burns on her hands as she stared at the huge blast doors that kept the Sword of Empire apart from the interior of the floating docks. She looked over to them in the deep crescents beneath her eyes spoke of her exhaustion. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. It¡¯s done. Just click the button and she opens up.¡± She pointed at a small button and Erak didn¡¯t hesitate as he reached over and pressed the button down. The doors hissed open and then Erak was striding into the ancient war vessel.

    Warning: Entering a Legendary Domain

    Sword of Empire

    Erak paused as he read that, but then he was moving again. Pomp floated behind him and Sammus¡¯s steps echoed lightly from behind. Nevia was collecting her two soldiers who hadn¡¯t found time to sleep yet, and hustled them inside. Rutledge was remarking about what a domain was while Julius scurried past them all and nearly ran to catch up to Erak.

    ¡°That woman terrifies me. Please don¡¯t leave me alone with her,¡± Julius whispered to Sammus. The prince just laughed and clapped the older man on the shoulder.

    ¡°We are near the end of our goal. I have a feeling this might be the safest place in the entire capital right now.¡±

    ¡°It matters little how safe it is, if the danger is already in the ship with us,¡± Julius protested.

    ¡°Erak thinks you need to stand up for yourself and stop letting Rutledge bully you. You will always live in her shadow and be consumed by fear if you can¡¯t stand firm!¡± Pomp said joyfully, perching himself on Erak¡¯s shoulder and looking over at Julius.

    Erak ignored it, heart beating with ferocity as he got closer to the bridge. The halls were polished steel, bare and uniform, designed for their lethal practicality. Everything about this ship reminded him of a drawn sword, naked steel poised to commit violence.

    The central hall was wide enough for four people to walk abreast and lead to the heart of the great ship. Blast doors stood wide open and the empty feel of the ship made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Nothing came for them as they marched down the hall, Nevia¡¯s squad behind them.

    Entering the bridge, Erak looked about. It was a cavernous room, thrice the size of the bridge that they had pulled Pomp from. A throne like seat sat in the middle of the room, if seated one could see the entirety of the bridge and out through the thick glass of the viewports to the world beyond.

    The pitch black night offered nothing besides the haze of the fires, the dull red gleam warming the night. Standing next to the viewport, looking down upon the fires, was an old woman. White hair that streamed down her back to pool at the floor. Straight back and broad shoulders, a short sword hung from her hip. Erak stepped into the bridge and the old woman turned to look at him.

    Pomp screamed. Erak¡¯s mind went blank and distantly he felt people bumping into him. He stared into the gunmetal gray eyes of the woman and felt himself being dragged away.

    Images of the past flashed by him. Smoke choked skies filled with other warships. Cracked hulls belching fire as desperate warriors leapt free. A madness filled Erak as he stared at the falling foes. Pity and disgust at those too weak to face her in the skies.

    The vision shattered like glass and the old woman had transformed. Gone was the ancient crone and a warrior queen in her prime stood there. A cloak of blood stained flags, stitched together with ugly black thread, hung from a shoulder and over the edge of her throne to the floor. A golden helm, gleaming in the light, hid most her features. A proud nose and a vicious white smile. Thick metal armor covered her from neck to toe, all of it pitted and scarred from hard use. Her gunmetal gray eyes hadn¡¯t changed.

    She sat there on a throne made of cracked hulls, her feet propped up on a pile of crowns, melted together in an ugly mass. A bloodcaked sword sat across her lap and one hand gently stroked the edge of the blade as she stared intently at them. She opened her mouth and the sounds of cannons came roaring out, barely decipherable as speech.

    ¡°I am Empire. Who dare walks my deck?

 Ch. 39 The Next Step

    39.

    Power radiated off the spirit as she stared them down, imperious and unfazed by the group. Erak towered over her seated form, but he felt small as her hard eyes swept over them.

    ¡°I am Prince Sammus of House Greenbough. Seventeenth Prince of the Empire,¡± Sammus said, his voice proud and clear, not bowed at all by the presence of the powerful spirit.

    ¡°Greenbough? I remember them. They brought their king here to my decks, mewling and sobbing as he pledged his undying loyalty to the Throne. Then he gave three of his daughters to the Emperor and pledged ten thousand swords to the Unification.¡±

    ¡°King Veira, the Broken. He was a few generations ago, I have little relation to the man.¡±

    ¡°Piss water in their veins, all of them. That the blood of House Vesir has tainted itself with cowards like your ancestors is a disgrace.¡± It paused and its lips quirked ever so slightly to reveal shining steel teeth.

    ¡°You have the fire of the old ones though. The original warriors who strode my decks and launched themselves against the world. Driven by pride and ambition. You will go far if you don¡¯t find yourself bleeding out in the cold mud.¡± She left Sammus open mouthed as she turned to look at the rest.

    ¡°Crone, I see you. Curiosity bordering on madness. A desire for control. You there, coward who clings to her shadow, your fear and impotent rage is palatable. Warriors, your discipline keeps you moving even as your hearts are shattered, you have my admiration.¡± The spirit named them all, pointing out and speaking to them individually or in groups until she looked to Erak.

    ¡°And you. What pale mimicry of arms and armor do you wear? Daugr¡¯s armor and Helthion¡¯s spear. They stood behind the Unifier or led his armies. Loyal, dependable, fearless, dutiful. I can see the chains of duty on you giant-born. They control that hunger inside of you.¡± She sighed and looked away from them, shimmering in the light as her body and the surrounding rippled.

    ¡°None of you are worthy of the mantle,¡± she said, disappointed.

    ¡°The mantle?¡± Sammus asked.

    ¡°I am powerful inside of my domain, that is true. But at the end of the day, I am a ship¡¯s spirit. And a ship needs a captain. The one who controls my mantle has the strength to command me.¡±

    ¡°And if they aren¡¯t to your liking?¡± Sammus asked.

    ¡°Fools and pretenders can cling to power like leeches, sapping away the strength of the Empire. I will not have that on my decks. If one is unworthy and tries to push their claim, they will find that death is not always fast.¡±

    ¡°Are you willing to kill that giant asshole in the portal over the Iron Cathedral?¡± Erak asked, his fingers wagging clumsily in his gauntlets.

    ¡°Spirit. Find your courage and speak for your partner. You must not judge us based on the whelp. He is young and naive, like a child.¡± Pomp slowly poked a head out of the shoulder of Erak¡¯s armor and looked between the two figures.

    ¡°Erak wishes to know what needs to be done for you to kill the creature in the gate above the Iron Cathedral,¡± Pomp¡¯s voice was much more subdued, his earlier behavior curbed by Sword¡¯s very presence.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°My mantle is the Captain¡¯s Sword. A priceless relic that was forged by the dwarf Hothvar the Iron-Handed from the hull of the first ship I sent to the earth¡¯s embrace. The lickspittle who held it took it to cavort with whores and drunkards down below. He is dead, but someone else has picked up the blade. Someone who may be worthy. I can feel their fire, their desire to exert their will and seize the horizons. Bring them to me and I will be able to activate my guns.¡±

    Erak wished to spit and curse. Another quest to deal with before he could reach the Queen. He looked past Sword and towards where the Palace would be. All he could see were the fires framed by the night, the skies choked in a blanket of smoke.

    ¡°The Palace still holds,¡± Sword said. Her hands waved at the viewport and the glass rippled and the view changed. The everpresent smoke and flames disappeared, the night turned bright as daylight but no building were seen. Instead the sky was filled with motes of black-red energy and the when he looked down the city was awash with these dots.¡±

    ¡°Essence. That is what you are seeing now. As a spirit, we straddle the realms, physical and ethereal. Look to where the Palace is,¡± Sword said.

    Erak looked and swallowed hard. It was a torch in the darkness, glowing gold and crimson as it raged against the sea of black-red dots arrayed against it. He glanced at the Iron Cathedral and the inhabitant above it and his mouth went dry. The portal was blazing white-gold and the creature chained to it had a core of white so bright and fierce it made his eyes water. The thick black cords of corruption ran through the outer edges of the massive shape, inching slowly to the untouched center.

    ¡°Once that being is fully corrupted, the Palace will fall. The defenses can not hold against something of that magnitude. Bring the mantle holder to me and if they are worthy, then we shall sail the sky yet again and serve our true purpose.¡± She froze and her smile widened further revealing a mouth with too many teeth. She chuckled low and deep and it was the sound of ships breaking, explosions, and men screaming.

    ¡°We shall erase these vermin from our world and then, and then,¡± she looked at the portal and Erak knew she was seeing distant planes and new worlds to conquer.

    She shook herself out of her reverie.

    ¡°But first, a Captain is needed. Down there,¡± she pointed and the viewport magnified until Erak was seeing a mass of gold and crimson dots fighting hordes of small black-red dots.

    ¡°Bloodsworn. You shall do this alone. If you succeed, I have a boon for you.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Nevia said, striding forward.

    ¡°Child, there is much to do and there is no crew. I have not sailed to war in centuries and the peace has made me¡­rusty. You shall need every hand you have to prepare for the fight ahead. Bring forth those below in the Armory and we shall staff these halls once more. The Bloodsworn will only be slowed by you. These creatures are strengthened by the darkness.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You have done your duty, and now I must do mine,¡± Pomp said from his shoulder.

    ¡°The Bloodsworn will return. He is not the type to fail,¡± Sword said.

    ¡°Let Erak go. We will do our part here and get this old girl ready to fly and commit war crimes again.¡± Sammus patted Nevia¡¯s shoulder and the woman stood down.

    A shape was flying towards them. Larger than the rest it was the same sickly colors as the Hellspawn but thrice their size. It sped across the city towards them at considerable speed, but it¡¯d still be several minutes before it reached the ship.

    ¡°Bloodsworn, a challenge for you. There is a functioning elevator there,¡± Sword pointed toward a door against the back wall of the bridge.

    ¡°Go up and kill whatever that is. Until my guns are online, I have precious few defenses from an outsider attacking me.¡± Erak nodded, frustrated by another delay, but he knew missions could go astray. This was the final piece he needed to get the ancient battleship on his side, then he would kill this foe, retrieve the mantle, and bring it back. He didn¡¯t look at his companions as the door to the elevator closed and he was whisked to the top of the ship.

    His heart began to pulse that eager beat once again.

 Ch. 40 Calculations

    40.

    The elevator opened silently and the heavy stench of smoke billowed over him as he walked out across the flat decks of the warship. The pitted and scarred surface of the warship had been cleaned up, metal replaced in a patchwork of armor that looked like a patchwork quilt. Erak searched for where that flying shape would be, but the choking smoke was impossible to see through.

    ¡°I can help you, if you approve. I can do a lesser version of what Sword did, for a short period of time,¡± Pomp said, finally emerging from his armor and poking his whiskery snout about. Erak nodded and the word flashed as he felt Essence gather around him and then burn his eyes with the slightest of stings.

    The world was laid bare, becoming a sea of floating lights as he viewed the Essence signatures. His foe was flying quickly, only moments away from hovering over the Armory. Erak looked down at the ship and had to look away, the metal under his feet glowing vibrantly gold. The vision faded away and Pomp panted loudly in his ear as if he had just run a long race.

    Erak walked across the deck, getting to the point that would be closest to where the shape would emerge. He stood there, spear in hand and waited. The light from the fires below gave enough illumination that he could see the swirl of the smoke as the creature closed in.

    Funnels were formed in a rhythmic beat, smoke churning in just to be pushed out in a burst of power. Small at first, it rapidly grew in size until he realized it was closer to the size of the Deathsworn he had encountered earlier. Wings three times its height jutted from its back, leathery wings that cracked the air with every beat. A fiery, three tailed, whip dangled from one hand a small bronze buckler from the other. Black hair blew free in a sheet of onyx behind the female figure.

    She had wide shoulders and her armor was bronze with spikes erupting from her shoulders. Her face was bare and it was an angelic ruin. Cheekbones as sharp as a razor, cruel lips turned in a vicious smile as her whip twisted like a serpent. Corruption distorted her pale red skin, staining her skin in flaking rashes.

    A bolt of Essence flew from the Armory¡¯s walls, one of the cannons firing at the shrouded shape. Her whip flickered and one of the tails cut through the bolt of Essence and it detonated in an explosion of crimson halfway between her and the Armory. Laughter belted forth and it was terrible in its beauty.

    Fury lvl. 29

    A Seraphim that has been corrupted by Hellflame and bound to a Lord of Hell

    Erak stared at the extra line of information before looking at Pomp. The little dragon bounced about, some of its strength having already returned from his exertion.

    ¡°I can glimpse pieces of Truth. Not as much as your Sage, but more than you could. Since we are bonded, you can now see more,¡± the little dragon said. Erak shrugged. He didn¡¯t need the extra information to kill the creature. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    The Fury continued to float above the Armory and cut apart the fortresses'' assaults with ease. Erak couldn¡¯t see much happening beneath the cover of the smoke clouds, but flashes illuminated the smoke as they raced around at ground level. Another assault on the walls.

    Erak thought towards Pomp and the dragon turned to look at him, wiggly eyebrows raiding off of his brows. A tongue poked out as he looked down on the battlefield and then he nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯d be close, but possible. You have the ability and your armor is good enough to survive the initial clash. I don¡¯t advise it though. Your timing will have to be perfect.¡± Pomp froze when Erak looked at him and then sighed.

    ¡°My apologies, my calculations will have to perfect. Just use it when I say. I just want to let you know, if you die, I die. I don¡¯t want to die the night I was born, Erak.¡± Erak shrugged. Death came when it came.

    ¡°A bit more to the left. She¡¯s moving in a circuit, she¡¯ll be closest to us in forty seconds.¡± Pomp did the calculations while Erak crouched down, legs coiled like tight springs.

    The Fury burst into fire, an aura that lit the sky as her whip sent fiery bursts down on the defenders as she flew around the circumference of the fort. Each blast hit with the force of a bomb, bright light spilling across the ground. Down below warriors were dying with no hope of ever facing this enemy.

    ¡°Now!¡± Pomp roared in his ear. The Fury was wheeling his way, wings beating lethargically as she continued to cast below her. She was a few hundred feet below him and closing fast. Erak moved without thought, all the force he could conjure as he leapt at where the Fury would be.

    The wind whistled through his helm and his eyes watered as he fell like an arrow toward his unsuspecting prey. The demon was still cackling as she slaughtered the defenseless soldiers. Erak kept his arms tight to his body, spear pointing down. Pomp was nested with his snout next to Erak¡¯s ear, partially encapsulated in Erak¡¯s armor.

    For a moment, a gloriously long moment, Erak felt the weight of duty lift. The sharp point of his spear and the enemy before him the only thing in his world. A smile formed on his scarred face and he let a chuckle form and break free, the sound stolen on the screaming wind.

    Then the moment was gone and Erak was smashing through the haze of heat around the Fury. Heat blistered his face and fingers, the intense blaze heating the metal till he glowed, then he was through it and slamming into the demon. His rare spear pierced the demon through her back where her great wings came out, where the armor was thin and flexible.

    Her laughter turned into a shriek of pain and then they were tumbling. Erak clutched his buried spear with all his might and his free hand grasped at anything as the world spun. He grabbed a handful of her mane and clenched it tight as tried to right themselves so the Fury was facing the ground when they hit.

    His speed had diverted them away from the Armory and toward the district that the mantle holder was supposed to be at. A whip lashed at him, burning a furrow across his back, charring the armor and leaving a small divot where the lash had streaked across it. Pain emanated from the strike, but Erak could do nothing but grit his teeth and continue to wrest the larger demon around, using his spear and handhold as points of leverage.

    The ground was growing large in his field of view. Buildings formed up around him, tall apartment complexes, towers of stone and metal with broken windows. Erak peered over the demon¡¯s shoulder and saw a five story building of yellow stone and he hoped nothing was inside of it. Then the building was taking up his entire view and Pomp was screaming in his ear.

    ¡°NOW!¡±

 Ch. 41 Brawl

    41.

    Invincibility Active

    Duration One Second

    Stone burst asunder, turned to dust as the Fury and Erak crashed through a side wall and then through the floorboards and into the next floor. Air whooshed out of him as they slammed to a halt. The demon was groaning into the cracked floor of their impact and Erak slowly pushed himself to his feet.

    Dust clouds filled the air and he sneezed as he staggered backward. The Invincibility had been a strange and fleeting feeling. The rush of power, Essence pouring into him as if he was a balloon ready to burst. Then it had all flown away just as fast as it had arrived leaving Erak on wobbly feet.

    Pomp popped his head from Erak¡¯s shoulder and looked about the destruction. The dragon¡¯s head turned to look at the dying Fury and he growled as frost covered his snout.

    ¡°Finish it. It still lives,¡± Pomp whispered. Erak looked down at the Fury as she slowly gathered her arms under her and started to push up. His spear was still justting from her back, the spikes on her armor were broken and just jagged stumps. Her hair had a thick patch missing and blood leaked from her scalp.

    Erak grabbed for his sword, flicking off the thong that kept it in its sheath and drew it before the demon could fully gather herself. He stepped forward and swung upwards toward her unprotected neck. The demon staggered away, alerted by something, and his sword cast sparks as it slid along her shoulders and tore a chunk from the back of her neck.

    She spun and flailed backward like a drunkard and the whip, which had been extinguished in their tumble through the floors, snapped around his leg. She jerked hard and Erak¡¯s leg was jerked out from underneath him. He crashed hard to the ground and cursed to himself as he slashed at the whip tendril with his sword. Leather parted with effort and Erak rolled to his feet.

    He raced toward the Fury who still hadn¡¯t regained her balance. His sword sparked off her breastplate and then he crashed into her. They went flailing to the ground, Erak losing his sword in the tumble, and he lashed out with a gauntleted hand. Blood spattered against his helm, drops of it splashing into his eyes as he wailed on her.

    She punched him and he heard metal groan and he was tossed sideways toward the wall. The wall cracked beneath him and fell with another thud and slowly pushed himself back to his feet. The Fury was getting to her own feet, her face a wreck. Nose skewed to one side, gaps in her teeth as she breathed through her mouth. Blood caked her face as more pulsed from the wound in her neck. The tip of the spear was poking out of her breastplate and she swayed from side to side.

    Erak cracked his neck and stared up toward her. She tossed her whip handle to the side and from a hidden sheath in her armor, drew a long dagger that was nearly as long as a sword. She lunged forward and stabbed at him clumsily, Erak turning the blade away with his shield and punching her in the jaw.

    Her head rocked to the side and her knees folded as her momentum carried her armored mass into Erak. He grunted as they fell to the ground in a tangled mass. She stabbed at him again and this time he felt the pinch of armor on his hip and wet warmth trickled down his leg. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    A broken wing draped over him, hot and thin and he grabbed it and hollow bones broke under his grip. The Fury twisted and cried out in pain and another dagger strike hit his gorget and he gasped as he felt the thinner metal flex and bow under the strike. He kneed her and pushed her away as he tried to get back to his feet. He threw a shield strike and hit her shoulder with the edge of his shield and a bone cracked.

    She kicked him and the force of the blow lifted Erak and tossed him towards the already broken stone of the wall. His back hit it and the wall failed and he tumbled through the wall in a sprawl of limbs. Erak leapt back up and watched as the Fury tried to escape. Her wings dragged limply behind her as she headed for the front door.

    Erak leapt after her, ducking through the hall and tackling her in the low of her back and bowing her backward as they slammed through the front door and out into the hallway. They rolled in a tangle and then they were falling, bouncing and twisting as they careened down the stairs to come to a crushing halt at the base of the stair.

    Erak was the first to recover and managed to get the full mount as he pounded down on the Fury. She bucked and he slid off of her her as she heaved herself to her feet and slumped against the corner of the walls. She was ruined, her features lumpy and misshapen as the bones had been crushed and broken. Golden blood stained with black sludge ran down her face and across her dented and torn armor.

    Fear was absent in her gaze as she towered over Erak. The end was nigh and she refused to back down. She leapt at him, hitting him hard and they went backward and down more stares, until they landed in a clatter at the bottom floor. She rose up and punched him, his helm rattling as his head bounced off the floor. His vision swam but he saw the point of the spear was half way out of her chest and he grabbed it.

    She froze as he jostled the spear but Erak showed no mercy as he ripped it free, dragging it out through her torso in a screech of scraping metal. She went limp and folded up, falling to the side as the spear burst from her in a veritable fountain of gore.

    Erak was panting, every breath loud and echoing in the abandoned building as he tried to regain his composure. His body hurt, aching everywhere as his vision was still blurred. He pushed himself up and looked at the line of stairs they had fallen down on and thought of his sword lost in the wake of destruction the two of them had created.

    Fury lvl. 29 Slain

    Essence Acquired

    Level Earned (x3)

    Erak bit back a scream as Essence flooded through him as the Fury stopped breathing. He slumped back against the wall as he limbs trembled and his heart beat frenetic in pace and his vision cleared up.

    Pomp leapt from his armor, his blue scales gleaming with crimson Essence as he fell to the flow, the Essence soaking into his body. The little dragon grew, lengthening and growing sturdier in the shoulders and flanks as muscles were added. His eyebrows grew longer and the whiskers on his snout became crystalline and every imitation breath emitted a cloud of frost. As Pomp stopped spasming he grew still and then floated back up to land weightlessly on Erak¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I have nearly double in strength from that, thank you Erak. I¡¯ll be able to help you decipher more and eventually be able to interact with the physical world as we grow stronger. But, I am tired, I¡¯m going to take a nap.¡± The bonded spirit slipped into his armor and a familiar chill ran along his shoulders and neck as if he had an ice compress.

    Erak sighed and cleaned off his spear the best he could before stomping back up the stairs. He needed to get his sword back and the knife the Fury had dropped. One couldn¡¯t have too many blades afterall. As he trudged up the steps he brought up his screen and smiled at the thought of growing stronger.

 Ch. 42 To the Red-Light District

    42.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 17

    Strength: 50

    Vigor: 25

    Durability: 25

    Perception:22

    Processing: 21

    Erak gasped as the flood of power staggered him as he walked up the steps. The increase to his strength was a sudden flood that made his mind reel. The smaller boosts to everything else took the slightest edge off of the effects of the fight.

    Erak pushed that all back as he found the room he had lost his sword in and grabbed that and resheathed it.The Fury''s knife had been wedged part way into a wall and he tugged it free, the forearm length blade of bronze uncommonly sharp. He looked at it and the designation popped up and he had to resist a small smile.

    Hellflame Bronze Dagger

    Uncommon

    Forged with Hellflame this dagger requires no sharpening and is more durable than most blades. Durability for blade is a 1.2x multiplier to holders Durability stat.

    Erak stared at the extra information bobbing in his vision and huffed in annoyance. He didn¡¯t need the extra knowledge. He mentally flicked Pomp for giving him the extra luggage. He dismissed it all and tucked the knife into his weapons belt, trying to remind himself to go and get the demon¡¯s sheath.

    There was a new skill for him to take as well. The normal aura abilities were available and so were the skill attacks. Shield bash and a new attack called sword sweep, but the after effects of the last time he had improved his Essence capabilities were still fresh in his mind.

    Bond Construct

    Using Essence form a physical body for your bond.

    Increasing skill levels will increase durability and duration of construct.

    Erak could understand immediately where having Pomp as a physical creature would be helpful. He selected the skill and had an internal sigh of relief when he saw he didn¡¯t need to improve his Essence stats.

    He went back down the steps and looted the Fury¡¯s body. The blade¡¯s sheath was cleverly tucked into the small of her back and he ripped it free and repositioned it to sit on his hip. She had nothing else of value on her, the whip destroyed and the shield missing after their tumble through the sky.

    Erak walked out of the building and back on the streets and had to take a few minutes to figure out where they had crash landed. They had fallen in the general direction of the red light district where Sword¡¯s mantle holder was supposed to be. It was still a few miles away and the only light came from the out of control fires throwing red illumination across everything.

    Erak started forward, eyes sweeping the crevices all around him, alert for an ambush. With every step further forward the tension mounted, the dancing and twisting shadows around him, the impenetrable ceiling of smoke that rippled with the passage of winged demons. Nothing challenged him as he walked. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The distance melted away and soon he could hear the clamor of battle. The sizzling hiss of flesh burning under caster fire, the screams of men and women as they were consumed by demon¡¯s, the general chatter of people and demons organizing. Erak moved faster and left the tightly packed housing district as he moved lower into the Imperial city.

    The hills that formed the corners of the valley that the city sprawled across pooled here. Workers had dug and reinforced the ground and soon ancient stone and weathered wood rose above Erak¡¯s head. There was a sense of antiquity here, beneath the squalor and spray paint and neglect. It was one of the original parts of the city and its age showed in the neglect and tight corridors of twisting and poorly built structures.

    The road had condensed from wide boulevards to narrow streets, hardly wide enough for three men to walk side by side. Shattered glass crunched under his feet, turned to dust under his weight. Corpses were sprawled out, white and pale in death, the beginning of the bloat setting in.

    Something skittered above him, a dark shape moving across the close rooftops and Erak froze for a moment. He shifted his grip on his spear and shield and then pushed forward. The battle ahead called to him and he needed to bring back the mantle holder sooner rather than later.

    He rushed forward and heard something hit the ground behind him, flesh on stone slapping in rapid cadence, and he spun around, thrusting the spear in a smooth motion. The creature leapt, bloated and pale, and the spear ripped through its engorged stomach with the sound of a waterskin tearing.

    Blood splashed out in a wave, slopping across the pavement as the creature yowled in pain. It twisted and landed lightly, hissing as it slashed out with three inch long claws. Erak used his shield to deflect the strike, but the power behind it staggered him, causing his eyes to widen as the creature roared like a lion.

    It had a mouth full of jagged teeth, bloodstained black, and a long tubular tongue that lashed the air. Its nude body was sexless and flabby, rolls of skin hanging off it as crimson eyes rolled in their round sockets. It lacked any hair and its scalp was raw and bleeding, scabs all over it as it slashed at Erak again.

    Lesser Blood Leech lvl. 18

    A black alchemy experiment that has produced questionable results

    Erak shrugged off the attack, bracing his feet and stabbing it again. This time the spear tip didn¡¯t rip skin, but punctured through its sternum. It froze and then screamed again, gurgling as clotted blood rolled out of its mouth and down its short thick throat. Erak ripped and tore the spear free and the creature finally went silent as it slumped to the ground.

    He looked about and there was movement everywhere. In the abandoned buildings, across the rooftops, in the alleys, across the street. Dozens of the nude figures running about with their red eyes reflecting the flames.

    Erak ran, turning and pumping his legs as he raced deeper into the red light district. He was in a bad position to fight all of them, there were simply too many and he was too exposed. His spear flashed and he cut down a lunging figure. He kept going, twisting his body to slap another leaping figure out of the air with his shield. The crunch of bones and the splat of it against a building brought a grim smile to his face.

    Erak left the main street, darting through an alley and emerging into the middle of fierce scrum. Bodies, demons and humans, were intermixed fighting and slashing, crushing and killing, in a mixed frenzy of rage. Erak looked about the tight confines of the street and something was wrong.

    The Imperial citizen¡¯s eyes were wide and fierce, spittle covered their mouths as they attacked anything that moved, ally or demon. Clubs, glass, bricks, and balled up fists were being used with impunity, regardless of the damage attacking with them caused.

    Erak felt something tug at him, in his gut, where that ball of rage sat since the beginning of all of this. The injustice, the murder, the dishonor. All of it came rising like a burning tide up his gut and filling his heart and mind as his vision clouded red.

    Cold froze it all. From his shoulders and spine a chilling frost rolled down him, containing that inferno of hatred. Erak gasped as he regained himself and glanced backward to the alley he had just emerged from. None of the leeches had followed him, but there was still movement on the tightly packed rooftops.

    Erak looked back over the fight, scanning and trying to see what was out of place. The scrum of flesh was hard to see through, but he saw something standing still. Where everything was kinetic and violent, the immobility of one was impossible to ignore. Erak turned and started to muscle his way toward the newest demon.

 Ch. 43 Rage Chaos

    43.

    The demon turned and locked eyes with Erak and he felt the cold intensify, shooting down his spine in a frigid blast that could rival the North Pole in the dead of winter. The explosion of heat that ballooned through him met the frost and they interlocked in a monstrous battle in his chest, the pain nearly bowing Erak over.

    It was tall and skeletal with ruby red skin, white scar lines around its cloudy white eyes, as if it had raked its own face with its small claws. It squinted and the pain worsened in Erak¡¯s chest. All around him people began to scream and thrash, attacking everything around them as the street became a glimpse of Hell. Erak shoved a woman half his size who tried to stab him with a piece of glass, and then speared a Hellspawn as it whirled on him with a knife in its hand.

    The crowd parted and Erak lunged free, aiming his spear at the thin demon. It leapt back, its speed impressive, and Erak cursed as a pair of hulking ape-like creatures interceded. They were flat faced and overly muscled, with bronze armor across their broad chests and dark warhammers clutched in hairy knuckles. Erak¡¯s vision was red at the edges as he struggled to fight against the demon¡¯s effect on him.

    Simian Guard lvl. 21

    A proliferate species who sells their aggressive services cheaply

    Rage Demon lvl. 23

    Specially bred on the Fifth Plane of Hell they cast a powerful rage aura

    Erak grunted as a hammerblow hit his shield and staggered him back. He sidestepped an overhand strike and the black iron hammer buried itself in the cobblestone street in an explosion of stony shrapnel that peppered his shins. Erak stabbed at the simian but the creature twisted and Erak left nothing but a thin trail of blood leaking down its tanned, bare face. It hooted in surprise and leapt backward as its partner surged forward.

    The ugly beasts were nearly as strong as Erak, and stuck as he was fighting both at the same time it was a challenge. Finally a Challenge.

    Erak twisted as the next hammer arrived, sliding it off his shield and to the side as he stabbed at the original guard. It wasn¡¯t as fast as its counterpart and the spear dug into its side, piercing its bronze armor and burying itself in the simian¡¯s rib cage. The creature howled in anger and pain and punched Erak in the face, his helm rattling as Erak¡¯s head snapped back.

    Erak left the spear and drew his sword with a fluid motion as he knocked the second ape¡¯s hammer aside with a clean parry. He dashed forward, and sent three slashes as fast as he could, his wrist snapping with every strike. The simian backed up as Erak slashed a blood furrow through its thick quadricep.

    The first ape yanked the spear out of its side and let it clatter to the ground as it lunged back at Erak. Erak forced the two wounded simian¡¯s to a standstill, his shield and sword parrying every blow. Every ounce of his attention was focused on the two enemies in front of him, the rage demon backing away. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Erak burst forward with an explosive motion, tanking a hammer strike to his pauldron, to run over the simian he had stabbed with his spear. The ape lifted its two handed hammer and his sword skated over the handle of the hammer. Erak pressed down, using his height and strength to force the hammer low, the edge of the sword on the simian¡¯s neck.

    Erak sliced across the beast¡¯s neck and a spray of hot blood washed across Erak. He shoved the ape to the ground, lowering his shoulder and shoving it off its feet. He spun around just in time to see a wide headed hammer falling towards his head. Erak dropped to a knee and interposed his shield and the blow rattled his bones as he stopped the hammer in mid-air.

    The creature was overextended and Erak simply thrust his sword straight out into the ape¡¯s gut. The sword parted bronze like paper and the creature hooted once softly and then fell to the ground dead. Erak rose up and over it and shook his shoulder out, seeing the large dent in his kite shield where he had stopped the hammer.

    Erak looked for the rage demon and saw it, scurrying around the edge of the field of the scrum. It dipped and slipped between combatants, no one reacting to the demon as if it didn¡¯t exist. Erak sheathed his sword and grabbed the spear, twisting it in his hand and hefting it up. Erak took two skip steps and hurtled the spear with a grunt.

    The spear flashed across the distance in a flash, blowing straight through a Hellspawn and piercing the rage demon¡¯s leg.

    The demon staggered and screamed as it fell into the scrum. Its scream rippled across the crowd and the mob¡¯s fury increased as they cut and slashed without discerning friend from foe. A man stabbed at Erak with a piece of blackened wood, Erak gently pushed him away as he stalked toward the rage demon.

    He was gentle with his pushing, setting people to the side as he loomed over the demon. It whirled on him, kicking at Erak¡¯s knee with its good leg. Erak¡¯s knee bent back, but didn¡¯t break. Erak gritted his teeth and drew his sword, slashing apart the offending appendage.

    The demon¡¯s scream was stopped as Erak lopped off its head, watching as the conical head rolled away. The after effects of its aura took a few moments to fade away, the people slowly coming down from their rage induced mob behavior.

    Scores of demons backed away, melting into the darkness the moment the rage demon was killed. Erak looked back at where the mass blood leeches had been and saw the tide of albino monsters coming now. The Hellspawn rose up and into the night''s air as the leeches flooded into the alley.

    Over a hundred of the flabby creatures scurried toward them, running or crawling across walls, the road, or jumping across the rooftops. The crowd of shell shocked citizens looked about, their eyes clearing of rage and filling with fear as the ravenous horde came at them.

    Erak roared, a soundless challenge of dominance as he stepped in front of the bulk of the crowd. His shield and sword rising up as the horde fell upon him. Talons scraped and slashed, each strike staggering him as his sword turned into a silver haze. The creature¡¯s fell apart like badly constructed toys, limbs popping free with every slash, bones weak and flesh rubbery.

    People screamed behind him as the crowd of leeches flowed around him like a wave did a stone. Erak stabbed and slashed, killing with every other blow, but there were too many. The battle had dissolved into a massacre as Erak built a rampart of corpses around himself.

    ¡°RALLY! FIGHT!¡± A woman¡¯s voice billowed behind him and a sense of confidence filled Erak. A stream of warriors, dressed in silks and gauzy underclothes with naked steel in their hands, came in a roaring wave. A handful of heavily armored figures formed a wedge and pushed through the stream of leeches, the woman who had shouted behind them, lifting an old officer¡¯s saber over her head.

 Ch. 44 The Red Swan

    44.

    Leeches latched onto people with a suicidal determination, their teeth biting into flesh even as steel tore through them. A madness gripped them, their eyes wide and wild as the stench of blood filled the street in an overwhelming blanket that coated the air. Every leech was in a frenzy, jaws snapping as desperation drove them.

    The rush of reinforcements blunted the crazed rush, freezing them in their tracks as battlelines formed. Erak was behind enemy lines. The wedge of armored fighters were fifteen or so feet down the street from him, a wall of teeth and claws between them.

    Erak roared again, his throat raw and painful, and swung his sword about in wide sweeping blows. His aura mingled with the bloodlust of the monsters and the line of Imperials began to match the leeches in ferocity. Blood was pouring like a river across the cobblestones.

    Every wide sweep of the sword took rubbery limbs and the sound of talons on his armor filled his ears, a shriek that set his teeth on edge. He crushed another of the leeches to the ground with his shield and then stomped on the creature. His boots slipped a bit and he nearly fell to his knees and under the mass of claws and fangs.

    ¡°We¡¯re coming! Hold fast!¡± The woman yelled towards him. Erak just kept cutting. Another body slapped the ground while its head went up into the air. A pair of hands gripped the thin edge where his breastplate met gorget and pulled him downard, the creature¡¯s strength supernatural.

    The sword was stuck in another leech¡¯s head and he let go of the pommel and reached around and jerked free the knife. The bronze blade split the leech¡¯s gut with ease, bathing Erak¡¯s hand with hot blood. Erak stabbed it twice more and the creature''s grasp weakened and then slipped free.

    Another grabbed at his back and shoulders, then another to a leg, trying to lift it up and topple him backward. Erak forced his leg down, crushing fingers and having the leech scream in pain as Erak¡¯s boot ground fingers into stone. The leech on his back was still there, weighing him down as Erak knifed the leech who¡¯s hands he had pinned down.

    The weight disappeared and Erak was free to keep fighting again. The pressure of the leech wave was being forced back as more and more Imperials flooded into the street and entered Erak¡¯s aura field. The desire to keep going, to chase them down the alleyway they had flooded out of, was rampant.

    Erak focused on the feeling of the weight of the battle thrill and imagined it breaking apart. Essence unraveled and the aura broke apart, leaving over a hundred panting Imperials standing panting in the street. Leeches lay thick and mixed with the Hellspawn and dead Imperials.

    The cluster of armored figures broke apart and revealed the woman who had been shouting for him to hold. His heart sank. The family resemblance was too strong to ignore.

    She was gorgeous, with blood spackled across high cheekbones and eyes filled with feverish light. Her auburn hair was tightly bound and the slightest tilt of her ears and the deceptively muscular build. She was built like a gymnast with a flat stomach and powerful thighs. A pair of courtesans clung to her side, their eyes wide and filled with adoration. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°I¡¯m Illyria Greenbough, the sixteenth Prince of the Throne,¡± her voice was musical and rang like chimes in the wind. Erak sighed loudly then cleaned his knife off and sheathed it. He rapped on his armor, hoping to wake Pomp up from his nap.

    ¡°Tell me warrior, your name?¡± She asked watching with amused emerald eyes as Erak waited for Pomp to wake up. The sleeping dragon didn¡¯t rouse himself so Erak quickly started to sign.

    ¡°Silent Tongue?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am not a savage,¡± the princess said with a laugh.

    ¡°I have come to find the mantle bearer of the Sword of Empire. The mantle is an old sword that the Captain of the ship carried,¡± Erak said. They both stopped and stared at the sword in the woman¡¯s hand.

    It was an old blade, a sense of antiquity clutching to it even though it was perfectly maintained. There was a hint of blue along the steel, a ripple that only appeared when the light reflected just right as Illyria twisted it this way and that.

    ¡°Ahhh, an old man had this when it all started. He was with Jules here, and well, he died with the blade unstained. I rectified that mistake,¡± Illyria said. Jules was one of the two courtesans next to her, a short muscular woman with black hair tied up in a thick bun.

    ¡°The Sword of Empire sent me to retrieve you so you could activate the ship¡¯s systems.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that? Is the ship alive or something?¡± she said, laughing. Erak nodded solemnly.

    ¡°You¡¯re being serious. That ancient killing machine is alive?¡± Erak nodded again.

    ¡°Well fuck me,¡± the princess muttered.

    ¡°Already did,¡± Someone muttered in the crowd. The princess rolled her eyes at that then looked around where they were at.

    ¡°This is the wrong place for this. These¡­leeches, have been flooding this area fairly regularly. We haven¡¯t had trouble holding them back, but that last wave with whatever that thing was,¡± she waved at where Erak had killed the rage demon.

    ¡°We had to retreat or risk all of us succumbing to the affliction. We have a base close by, one of the bars that we¡¯ve fortified. We¡¯ve managed to rally quite a few survivors and I won¡¯t leave them here.¡±

    Erak nodded in agreement and then went and pulled his sword out of the leech¡¯s skull. He wiped the blade on a dead man¡¯s partially clean shirt and then went and retrieved his spear. Most of the crowd had retreated, with just the princess and her small posse waiting for him.

    They led him away from the scene of the battle and down another side street. Here the buildings were more squat, wide windows broken apart and covered with bar furniture. Men and women walked about, their dress not appropriate for the battlefield, wielding weapons won from their foe.

    Erak saw spears and swords and knives that all of the Infernal Soldiers had used. The scenes of violence were rampant and there was a pile of shrouded corpses off to the side, crimson stained sheets over them. Hundreds were clustered about and walking with haunted eyes in a range of strange clothes, from party going sheer gowns, to hearty and well made work clothes of janitorial staff.

    ¡°In here,¡± Illyria said, pointing to one of the bars. A red swan with a long neck stretched to the side was painted over the door. A burly guard, who looked to have a trace of Giant blood, stood with a thick cudgel in his hand. He waved them through, his dark eyes looking at the milling crowds with suspicion.

    ¡°When we didn¡¯t fold immediately, and I began to rally this area, there was a demon. A shapechanger. It nearly killed me, if it wasn¡¯t for the sacrifice of one of my companions, I would be dead,¡± Illyria said when she noticed Erak looking at the guard.

    Pomp¡¯s head emerged from his shoulder and the dragon stretched its jaws, yawned widely and looked around with sleepy eyes.

    ¡°What did I miss?

 Ch. 45 Silk and Steel

    45.

    The dragon lay curled in a festive ball of light in the middle of the table as Erak slowly pulled his gauntlets off. He¡¯d been stuck in the armor for most of the day and the thought of breathing freely was too enticing to miss. He sat down the heavy gloves and then pulled the helm free of his head, before getting up to walk behind the polished bar.

    He ignored the gasps and looks of disgust from the patrons wedged into the bar as he found a pitcher of water and began to clean himself off, leaning over a sink as he poured water over his head and ran his dirty, blood caked fingers through his shaven scalp. Dried sweat, blood, and other things, pooled down and off of his head, mixing into a thick slurry at the bottom of the sink.

    He grabbed a stiff bristle brush and cleaned his hands, swirling the brush in the half empty pitcher of water and watching as it turned black as his pale hands were slowly revealed. Dumping the water he found that the sink still worked, so he rinsed out the pitcher and then filled it before quaffing it down in a few hearty swigs. He kept the brush and refilled the pitcher again, before looking around the bar.

    He found what he was looking for and smiled as he grabbed the bag and marched back to the table with the princess and her closest followers. Pomp was doing a decent, if embellished, job on reporting what had happened on the Sword of Empire and their rapid descent down to the Red-Light District. Erak hooked a chair leg with his boot and sat down gently on the thin wood.

    He grabbed a gauntlet and began to clean, his hands nimble over the thick metal as he cleaned the crevices of flesh, blood, dirt, bone, and anything else that had managed to get stuck in them. He glanced through his eyelashes and saw the mix of horrified looks all fixed on him as the pile of gristle piled up in front of him.

    ¡°Then Erak beat her to death with his fists. The rush of Essence was exhausting, it forced me to grow at an alarming rate and I needed to sleep to consolidate my gains. When I woke up we were here!¡± Pomp finished the story.

    ¡°The fuck happened to his face?¡± a woman whispered to her companion, just a bit too loudly in the crowd. Erak reached over and plucked a roasted and heavily salted peanut out the bag he had looted and popped it into his mouth, shell and all. He crushed down with his molars and enjoyed the creature comfort for a moment. He put down the finished gauntlet and grabbed the next one.

    Illyria was too well trained to let her expression change, but there was a light in her eyes as she stared down at the flat and glossy skin on his neck, the burn marks so evident in the blue-light of the bar. Erak cleaned the second gauntlet while he listened to them plan.

    ¡°We have nearly five hundred people down here. Maybe more will crawl free of wherever they found to hide as we begin to leave. Will we be able to make our way to the Armory with that large of a group?¡± Illyria asked. Erak shook his head immediately while Pomp explained.

    ¡°The demons are constricted here with the tight streets and the old stone buildings. The smoke is rising and leaving this hollow relatively unharmed as the fires are being kept to the upper levels. The wider boulevards will give the demons more room to attack us as a large group and we¡¯d likely be overwhelmed in short order,¡± Pomp finished with a sigh and a cloud of vapor rose around his head.

    Erak activated his new ability and Pomp yelped as Essence filled the dragon, his ethereal body becoming tightly corded muscle and power. Pomp rose and whirled on Erak, eyes wide with surprise and then he eyed Erak¡¯s sack of peanuts. His long head darted for the open bag and Erak caught the dragon¡¯s thick neck with one hand and held him there.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Ok, I understand. No stealing Erak¡¯s food,¡± Pomp muttered, voice muffled by Erak¡¯s palm.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± one of the courtesans asked as the entire crowd moved closer to the sinuous dragon. A hand went and stroked his frill and Pomp blossomed with joy as he leapt into a woman¡¯s arms and nestled into her silk gown as she let out a shriek of delight.

    ¡°He¡¯s cold!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an ice dragon,¡± Illyria said with a roll of her eyes. The crowd left as they cooed over Pomp as he preened for them. Someone had found some food and were feeding the dragon pieces of leftover meals and beer and the spirit was enjoying himself. Erak set down the brush and gauntlet and relaxed now that most of the eyes had left.

    ¡°New ability I assume?¡± Illyria asked. Erak nodded and ate another peanut. He looked at the thin and dirty princess with deep bags under her eyes, the weight of command and the tragedy of the day weighing on her evident. Erak looked at his diminishing bag of peanuts and sighed quietly. He offered her the bag with a quick shake.

    Illyria smiled and snaked a handful of the precious commodity before leaning back in her chair. She threw a whole peanut in her mouth and chewed slowly. She was better behaved than her brother at least, Erak thought. He had just stolen the peanuts.

    ¡°So we can¡¯t cross the city to the safety to the Armory. I refuse to leave my people, and you refuse to leave here without me. So, where does that leave us?¡± Erak waited a moment thinking. He smiled and shrugged before pointing down. Illyria frowned for a moment and then her own eyebrows crept up.

    ¡°Are you suggesting that I somehow corral half a thousand, whores, club goers, bartenders, and random people, into the sewers?¡±

    Erak nodded.

    ¡°Have you been in the sewers since this started?¡±

    Erak nodded again.

    ¡°And it¡¯s safe?¡±

    ¡°Safer than the streets. It¡¯s dangerous. Monsters are in there. Maybe undead. No demons when we were there,¡± Erak signed to her.

    ¡°Most of these people are dressed in silk Erak. They don¡¯t have a mountain of steel on them to protect them from monsters. Even my crew, who had their gear, aren¡¯t well equipped for this. It¡¯s miles from here to the Armory, all underground and in the dark.¡±

    ¡°Sewers glow now, you can see.¡± Erak corrected her.

    ¡°Oh, that changes everything,¡± she leaned back and ate another of his peanuts.

    ¡°Sewers or you sit here waiting to die. Palace and Armory are the last defended spots in the city that I know of. Other holdouts like you are possible. Won¡¯t survive tomorrow without strong walls and warriors to man them,¡± Erak signed.

    ¡°I know that. I¡¯ve done some time as a mercenary in the Badlands. Well, as much as a princess can be a mercenary. I know a shit situation when I see it. Normally I¡¯m on the other side of this. Not a fan of being besieged if I¡¯m being honest.¡±

    ¡°No one is,¡± Erak said as he ate the last peanut. He looked about and saw that Pomp was still the center of attention.

    ¡°When dawn comes, we leave. Sleep now, consolidate your power. Let me eat something, drink some water, and use the head. Then I will hold the streets so you can rest,¡± Erak said.

    ¡°Sleep is that important? Pomp said the same thing,¡± Illyria said.

    ¡°It made me feel whole. Just a few hours and it made my body feel natural with all of its new power. Your core group, go and sleep.¡±

    ¡°Fine. You go and take care of business and I¡¯ll organize some shifts. Get people sleeping and eating. Pack up whatever we have, and then as dawn arrives, we enter the sewers.¡±

    Erak grabbed his helmet and poured the last of the water over it, letting it spill across the floor of the club before grabbing the brush and violently scrubbing everything off of it. The inside had begun to smell something fierce.

 Ch. 46 The Sewers. Again.

    46.

    Erak split the leech in half with a powerful swing, the pale creature burst apart in a shower of gore as the clouds of smoke began to lighten as the sun rose. Corpses were piled high in the alleyway as Erak had stood his guard for hours. The narrow passage had been one of the three entrances onto the street the Red Swan was located at.

    Teams had been rotating to guard the other two entrances, but Erak had held strong by himself. He had piled the leech corpses up until the alleyway was thick and blocked with mangled limbs, the monsters climbing over their own dead to strike at him.

    The sun rose higher and the grim shadows lightened enough that Erak could see easily. The leeches hissed and swiped at the weak sunlight before beginning to retreat. A burst of wind stirred the clouds and a ray of light pierced the cloud cover and set upon the pile of bodies.

    A hiss rose as skin darkened and then burned, steam rising from the dead leeches as their bodies smoked, emitting a foul odor. Erak backed away, grabbing his spear out of a dead leech and leaving the alleyway alone. The slight cleaning he had done on his armor had been rendered useless in the newest round of fighting.

    Streams of people were emerging from the taverns all around, filling the street until it was packed. Erak peered above them, half a head taller than the next tallest man. He saw Illyria emerging from the Red Swan with her squad of fighters next to her. She waved a hand at Erak and he headed toward her, trying to be gentle as he parted the crowds.

    ¡°Erak!¡± Illyria said as he got close to them. The crowd quieted under the woman¡¯s booming voice. Hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to look at him as he towered above them.

    ¡°Are you ready to enter the sewers?¡± Illyria asked. Erak nodded and then pointed to the burning pile of corpses.

    ¡°That¡¯s where that smell is coming from. How terrible.¡±

    ¡°The sewers smell just as bad!¡± Pomp said as he scrambled up the side of Erak¡¯s armor. His claws scraped at the enamel as he scurried to the top of his shoulder. The dragon was heavy enough that Pomp¡¯s weight tugged on Erak and made him step back.

    ¡°He¡¯s just excited about having a sense of smell,¡± Illyria said with a grin. Erak looked at the dragon and the toothy grin he had.

    ¡°She is correct. All these sensations are quite¡­extraordinary. Your memories don¡¯t do any of them justice. I don¡¯t understand your obsession with peanuts though, they aren¡¯t very good. Steak on¡­¡± Erak swatted him off his shoulder and to the ground. Pomp landed easily and bounced toward Illyria, running up her shoulder like a cat.

    Erak nodded in appreciation. The spirit was irritating and him having a body now made it easier to rebuke him when he said blasphemous things. Illyria laughed and scratched Pomp behind his ear, getting him to purr like a cat in joy. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Enough games. It¡¯s time to get moving. You have an entrance to get us into the sewers?¡± Illyria asked. Erak nodded and pointed to a sewer grate feet away. Illyria rolled her eyes.

    ¡°You know there are better entrances than just a regular sewer grate?¡± Illyria asked. Erak shrugged and walked over to the grate and reached down, grabbing the thick bars and pulling. Steel cracked and stone broke away as the small bar was ripped free. Two more of the grates broke away and he sank to his knees and slid down and back into the sewers.

    Erak landed heavily, his armor rattling as he looked about. The dim light of the luminescent waters gave him enough light to see by as he started down the sewer. Feet landed behind him, more and more as people began to filter in through the gap. It would take them all a while to get down here, but Erak only cared that Illyria and her mantle made it.

    She was two people behind him, talking quietly with Pomp with the old officer¡¯s sword drawn and free. The squad of mercenaries around her were all heavily armored with tough leathers and some pieces of plate, their weapons at the ready as they watched the water.

    ¡°These smells are quite terrible,¡± Pomp said idly. Illyria chortled as they pushed into the depths. Erak really had no idea where he was going, just putting one foot in front of the other in the general direction of the Armory.

    ¡°Do you know where you¡¯re going?¡± Illyria asked twenty minutes later. They had been walking at first in tense silence, but as nothing had happened they had started to chat amongst each other. Hundreds of people walking along talking quietly, the stress of the day boiling away as they crossed the foul corridors of the sewers.

    Erak shook his head no. He hadn¡¯t found a single sign so far.

    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t. Alright, Janus! Up front!¡± Illyria called out and one of the people in the back started to shuffle forward. An older man with gray hair and a singed mustache, his dark skin was lined  around his eyes from smiling and laughing.

    ¡°He was a patron at the Silk Dancers, he¡¯s been working the sewers for half a century. He knows the sewers better than anyone else,¡± Illyria said, patting the man on the shoulder with a broad smile. Erak motioned for the sewer worker to take lead. The old man looked around for a second and then turned hard left and the procession snaked behind him in a long trail.

    They followed for another hour, twisting and turning in the pale green light. Erak kept his ears trained for any change in the ambient noise, but the rustle and talking of over half a thousand people made it hard to discern. So hard in fact that he almost didn¡¯t hear the extra patter of feet slapping concrete.

    He froze, cocked his head and cursed the thick steel of his helm. The muffled sounds were thin and dim, lost in the talking of everyone around him. He lifted his spear and the crowd slowed down and ground to a halt. The quiet whispers grew in strength as people asked what was going on, then slowly died down as Illyria asked for quiet.

    The sound echoed down the tunnels, feet running on stone, flesh impacting with powerful effect. Erak looked down to where they were coming from and a frown split his face.

    Shadows, illuminated by the pale green light, running with reckless abandon. They grew closer. Their shambling forms closed in. Hundreds of them, filling the tunnel from end to end. The water was rippling as bodies pushed through it, unrelenting in their charge. Erak broke away from the group as shrill cries began to echo down the stone passageway, screams of panic and fear.

    Erak slapped his spear on his shield, the metal sound ringing clear as a gong. Illyria was roaring, her voice booming as she organized rapidly, fighters rushing forward to form a picket line as the horde rushed at them. Erak was looking past the swarm of undead, at the lean figure in a black cloak in the heart of the swarm.

    Necromancer lvl. 24

 Ch. 47 The Necromancer

    47.

    Erak rushed into the swarm of hands, clenching fingers dragging across his armor as he struck all around himself with his weapons. A corpse struck the side of the wall and crumpled to the ground in a boneless heap as he speared the next in line through the head. His boot crushed a sternum as he front kicked it, sending it sprawling into the crowd and creating more room.

    Pomp leapt off his shoulder and slammed into an undead, teeth ripping a throat free, claws ramming into the wound and ripping in free. The dragon roared in his victory and Erak felt a smaller than usual slice of Essence flow into himself. An undead hand reached down and slapped the dragon against a wall, the Essence crafted body broke apart and Pomp yowled like a scalded cat as he rushed into Erak, sliding through his armor like water.

    Erak killed another of the undead, tossing it into the water. Bodies were thrashing about in the waist high water, bloodless limbs clawing at the air. Illyria and a clutch of fighters were holding the other side of the passage, while the noncombatants fled from the fighting, led by Janus. Erak was busy trying to cut his way to the Necromancer.

    The figure was standing there silently, robes rustling in the chaos of the undead rushing by him. A skeletal hand rose up from the robes, flesh desiccated and drawn tight over the phalanges, spots of yellow corruption speckling the hand as it pointed a single finger at Erak.

    Black-yellow light balled around the tip of its finger and then it was lancing across the space between them. Erak felt death, its cold caress down his spine, the whisper of peace, of rest, of laying down his oaths. Of his duty completed. He huddled behind his shield and the beam of light hit with a flash of light, a weight behind it that staggered him backward.

    Erak grunted in pain but the bolt ricocheted and hit the stone wall. Hardened stone turned into ash, disintegrating and spilling away like fine sand. Erak swore in his mind and raced forward, slamming his shield into the chest of an undead and pumping his legs, using the creature like a wedge. The corpses were slow and clumsy, falling into the water or tumbling to the ground as Erak kept pushing.

    His legs burned from the exertion, the weight of the press of corpses staggering. He roared and shoved and the wall broke apart and he was lunging at the Necromancer, Spear Thrust forming and coating his blade. The pain of the ability was welcome as he flashed across the distance, energy coated spear inches from the dark sorcerer¡¯s chest.

    All around him corpses burst apart in a spray of blood and bone. Time slowed, stretching thick as syrup as bone flew around the Necromancer, forming a cage from his creations. Erak¡¯s spear hit it, bone shattering and breaking apart, but then it failed to pierce all the way through. Essence flashed and detonated in a burst, picking Erak up and tossing him backward.

    He landed in a loud clamor, rolling to his feet smoothly and readying himself with his shield tucked to body, spear outward. The Necromancer was standing still, a hole in the cage wide enough for Erak to see the woman¡¯s face. The hood had been blown backward, revealing her features.

    Bone white hair that was loose, fine as silk, and thin. Black eyes lacking sclera, just pits of darkness that ate away at her sockets and cheekbones. Flesh dry as leather and tight to her cheekbones, hollow cheeks, and a sparkling smile.

    The bones rustled and broke apart, flowing like water around her body until she was encapsulated in thick armor. Skulls formed and melded together and then covered her face, leaving only her smile visible.

    ¡°Your weapons will make a fine addition to my collection,¡± she rasped, her voice carrying over the crowd. Erak cracked his neck and threw the spear, letting it fly across the distance in the blink of an eye. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    One of the corpses lunged in front of the spear in a sudden burst of speed, black-yellow energy coating it. The spear pierced the undead and it collapsed to the ground, energy dispersing into the environment. A slim piece of bone flayed off of the Necromancer¡¯s armor.

    Erak pulled forth the sword and with a simple chop took another Undead¡¯s head. The headless body slumped to the ground and Erak flicked the blade, cleaning it of the coagulated blood. He glanced at the thinning line of people behind him, looking from the corner of his eye. It was still a steady stream, dozens of people shuffling quickly along.

    Illyria and her team were holding their section well, slashing down into the waters on occasion to kill one. They were fully engaged though, no possibility of them breaking free and interfering with his fight. Erak smiled and moved forward, the joy of the challenge rising in his chest once again. The leeches had been strong and numerous, but they had lacked the strength to ignite the fire in his chest.

    A bone spear flashed into the Necromancer¡¯s hand and she twirled it as an identical shield as Erak¡¯s was crafted from the leftover bones. Small pieces of bone chips, abandoned bones, and sinews from the corpses flowing together to form a large shield. She shook her shoulder and then stepped forward to meet Erak.

    Erak flashed at her, sword swinging across the distance in a flash. Her shield rose up and caught the sword, bone chips spraying out as the sword connected. She grunted as she was pushed back, her own riposte off target, the needle thing point scraping a line across his helm instead of spearing him through the eye.

    Erak kicked her in the knee, bone breaking twice over, her armor and the joint. She screamed but kept fighting, her armor twisting and wrapping around the join in a flash to keep her leg steady. Erak stabbed again, the lunge powered by his back leg, the point digging through her shield like paper. It pushed free and slid across her shoulder, scoring her armor but failing to find flesh.

    She twisted violently, his sword trapped inside of her shield, and Erak let the blade get pulled from his hand. He punched with his heavy shield, the edge of the shield crushing and cracking bone and throwing her like a limp doll. She sprung up, scurrying like a spider, and then thrust with her bone spear again. Erak deflected with his shield and punched her in the face with his free hand.

    Her helm shattered and broke apart, the skulls of the dead no match for his gauntleted fist. Her head snapped back and she cried out, dropping her spear as the crowd around them surged toward him. Erak pulled the dagger free and slashed about him, pushing through the crowd to get to the retreating Necromancer.

    She rose up, pointing her finger again with the black Essence rolling about like a fog. A hand grabbed his shield, pulling it down. Then another and another, and a fourth. Each one of them clutching and straining against him as Erak lifted as hard as he could.  A line opened up between him and the Necromancer, leaving him exposed to the blast of power.

    Erak snapped his wrist, flinging the knife with a practiced ease. It flipped once before sliding through the cracked skull helmet, sinking to its hilt in the woman¡¯s eye. She froze there, power still coalesced around her finger. The undead were frozen, dozens of hands grabbing at Erak and holding him down with the sheer weight of the press.

    The first body hit the stone bonelessly and then there was a rush of falling flesh, undead falling and staying dead. Flesh ran off their skeletons, a slurry that drained into the sewer water, bones breaking down to dust and splinters. The Necromancer slunk to her knees, armor dissolving off of her. Her threadbare robes were large on her emaciated frame and Erak walked over to her and grabbed her skull with one hand and the knife hilt with the other. He pulled the blade free and a rush of Essence filled him, making him grit his teeth in painful pleasure.

    Erak went to step back and then stopped as he spied the glint of gold around the woman¡¯s neck. He reached down and gently grabbed the thin chain and pulled it free from her robes. A carved finger bone sat on the end of the chain. Immaculately carved, stained ebony, and with delicate runes scrolled across it. With careful reverence he pulled the chain off of the woman¡¯s head, shoving her corpse into the sewer water.

    Undead Key

    Rare

    An enchanted key, bathed in Necromantic energy. Opens a lock

    Erak pulled his Iron Ring out and tied the delicate gold chain around his own, the key dangling with the ring. He dropped them back down under his armor and grabbed his spear out of the corpse. The Necromancer had been foolish to meet him blade to blade, she would have been better served to allow her monsters to drag him down.

    Her mistake, his gain. He looked at the new levels he could now use. Illyria was looking at him, raising her sword in acknowledgment as he joined them all. They still had further through the sewers to go.

 Ch. 48 Secret Labs

    48.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 19

    Strength: 50

    Vigor: 30

    Durability: 30

    Perception: 22

    Processing: 21

    The rush of power was the same intoxicating mix that he was growing addicted to. Strength and power flooded him until he felt like a demigod. Pomp growled and stretched, growing larger as pieces of Erak¡¯s Essence were converted to the spirit¡¯s. The blue sheen of Pomp¡¯s scales darkened, his gray frill along his back lightened until it was as white as virgin snow. His sinewy body was nearly six feet long and Pomp growled with pleasure as he spiraled through the air.

    ¡°You good?¡± Illyria asked as Erak pushed off of the side of the wall. His knees had wobbled for a moment, but now they felt like iron pillars. The increase in durability and vigor had erased the fatigue that had been plaguing him for the last few hours.

    Erak nodded to the princess and looked around at the wide intersection they had found themselves crowded into. Their guide, Janus, was looking about with concern plainly visible on his face. Erak tilted his chin toward the man and Illyria sighed.

    ¡°He says this shouldn¡¯t be here. Think he might just be lost, but who really knows. Not like the day has been normal, has it?¡± She flashed a wry grin and leaned against the wall. The knot of defenders who surrounded her most of the time were scattered about and Erak took some time to look them over.

    They were all older and scarred, a mix of the races and of different cultures. Earrings, tattoos, leather armor and swords. Dashing bastards one and all. They looked like the company a rogue princess would keep. Erak saw the signs though.

    The iron spines, the hard gazes that never stopped moving. How even as they were sprawled about and looking lazy, they still had the princess in the center of a wall of steel and leather. The aesthetic was decorative, the men and women beneath it having the smell of Royal Guardsman.

    Pomp appeared out of Erak¡¯s shoulder and looked at Illyria, looked at Erak, then turned back to the princess. The little dragon liked to walk though Erak¡¯s body when he was incorporeal and Erak was getting used to the little bastard popping in and out.

    ¡°Erak was wondering if you knew your guards were Royal Guardsmen or if you thought they were true companions?¡± Pomp asked. Illyria looked at them and rolled her eyes and smiled sadly.

    ¡°Not for the first year or three. Figured it out afterward. They are skilled but they aren¡¯t trained for true subtlety. Father has a different group for that. It was hard to realize that I hadn¡¯t truly left the shadow of the Throne. That those who I had thought came to join me because of what I did, were there because of who I am. It was hard, but they are still my comrades. We have fought together, bled together, and buried our dead together. I was so far down the ladder of succession I really did think I could escape.¡± Illyria gave a shrug and then wrapped her hand around the pommel of her sword and went to Janus. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Well, which way are we going?¡± Illyria asked.

    ¡°My lady, I swear to you, that these tunnels have changed. This area shouldn¡¯t be here, it should be six blocks to our South. If anything I want to say we¡¯re closer to where we¡¯re supposed to be, but it still seems off.¡± The older man paused and then stroked his chin.

    ¡°Which tunnel would you have gone through?¡±

    ¡°This one, ma¡¯am,¡± he pointed to a wide tunnel that was more well built than the others. The stonework was impeccable, the stone unblemished and dozens of the pale blue lights built into the stones. Erak started walking down the tunnel, instantly noticing the difference.

    It didn¡¯t smell.

    The glowing sewer water had mostly disappeared, becoming just a thin trickle across stone that hardly had the depth to splash as he stepped through it. There was a pile of people behind him, crowded tight and moving forward at a brisk pace behind him, Illyria and her guard in the lead.

    Erak pounded down the tunnel, jogging slowly as he swept his gaze back and forth. The scent of the tunnel had an antiseptic smell to it and it caused the hairs on his neck to raise up. It smelled like a lab. There were no good labs that were underground.

    The tunnel turned gently and sloped downwards until he met a wide steel door. It was polished and gleamed in the faint light, the words etched over the top of it chilling Erak¡¯s blood.

    Bio-Lab 4

    Authorized Personnel Only

    A panel was open next to the door, amber light glowing out of it as Erak walked up. He tilted his head and then grabbed the door and tried to pull the lever to open it and even straining as hard as he could, the lever refused to budge. Erak grunted and strained harder until he could feel the metal beginning to strain beneath his hands.

    Illyria walked over and glanced down at the amber light coming free of the stone. She shoved her hand in it and the light turned clear and the lever gave way. Erak stumbled a bit as the lever suddenly moved and the door swung open noiselessly. A toneless voice spoke suddenly, emanating from the walls itself.

    ¡°Genetic Signature Match. Access Granted.¡±

    ¡°Oh this can¡¯t be good,¡± Illyria said as she looked into the doorway and what lurked beyond.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s in here?¡± Pomp asked for Erak.

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t exactly the studious type or the trustworthy type. The secrets that I had were mostly about who was having an affair with who. Where buried treasures were, who had a family crypt that was unguarded. Border skirmishes. Where the liquor key is, things like that,¡± Illyria said.

    ¡°Erak thinks that it wouldn¡¯t be a great idea for all of us to enter at the same time, and I agree with him.¡±

    ¡°Oh absolutely. Just a few brave volunteers then,¡± Illyria smiled while looking and Pomp. The dragon perked up and turned to look back at the squad of mercenaries and Royal Guardsmen.

    ¡°I think we found our¡­¡± Pomp cut off as Erak walked through the doorway, weapons at the ready as he entered the secret lab. It wasn¡¯t the first secret lab he had entered, but it was the first where he wasn¡¯t a patient. Or a saboteur.

    This one was fairly similar to all the ones he had been in so far in his life. Sterile. White tile. A few plants planted in various spots. Heavy metal doors locked behind the atrium. Blood smears across the walls. Very cozy.

    ¡°Ohhhh, it¡¯s going to be like that. Michelle, Hron, Clyde, hold the doors. Don¡¯t let anyone in. Everyone else with us. We clear whatever came through here and then we keep moving,¡± Illyria said as she walked behind the receptionist desk and pushed through strewn about papers.

    ¡°Nothing here to say what type of lab this was. Nothing good, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°Your family have a history of secret laboratories that have made monsters that go horribly wrong?¡± Pomp asked from Erak¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Once or thrice. I believe Erak¡¯s lineage is a testament to our experimentation.¡± Erak grunted and nodded. He walked up to the heavy blast door that was supposed to separate the lab and the atrium. The doors were bent and buckled, the locks shattered form their housing. Blood was smeared across it with a trail that was leading deeper into the lab. Erak sighed and pushed the ruined door open and started to follow the trail.

 Ch. 49 Abominations

    49.

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to understand that you have no survival instincts,¡± Pomp whispered into Erak¡¯s ear as they walked slowly down the hallway. The faint blue light from the Essence created lights gave the hallway a ominous feel, the blood smears turned black.

    The hallways were just as sterile as the atrium had been. Not even a framed picture of the Emperor on the walls. Everything was white tile and the scent of industrial cleaner was ever present. Behind him, Illyria and four of her guards walked behind, their weapons held at the ready.

    Erak shrugged a shoulder and jostled the spirit who huffed and slipped back inside of Erak without a word. The hallway opened suddenly into a wide open office space, overturned desks and scattered papers everywhere. A skinned and gutted corpse hung from its ankles, blood still dripping off it, in the middle of the room.

    Erak¡¯s heart beat harder, his hands shook, and a cold sweat popped out across his back. He swallowed hard as the urge to flee became overpowering, his legs trembling as he took another step further into the room.

    ¡°Erak, something is wrong. Your cortisol levels are spiking, so is your adrenaline. You should improve your perception and processing, it would allow me more warning to you when we enter an ambush. Anyways, there¡¯s a bunch of foreign pheromones in here that are triggering this,¡± Pomp said. His head popped out of the back of Erak¡¯s armor and looked at the group behind them.

    ¡°You should stay back, there¡¯s a large pheromone trap in here that promotes panic-inducing biological reactions amongst humans.¡±

    ¡°Everyone, ten steps back, casters to the front. Erak are you sure on continuing?¡± Illyria asked. Erak nodded, anger flooding through him as he looked around the room. It was here.

    He speed forward and around a metal desk tossed on its side. He kept crouched and low to the ground, his shield covering the majority of his body while his spear sat on the rim of it. The deadly edge pointed out as Erak stalked forward. He kept his head moving, swinging back and forth as he pushed further forward.

    ¡°Erak, the dimensions of the room are wrong,¡± Pomp whispered and Erak stopped. He scanned the room again, looking for what Pomp had just warned him about. There was nothing in the room aside from the spilled desks and the corpse dangling from the center. The edges of the room were clearly lit, no shadows for something to hide in.

    His eyes skipped over a wall and then were drawn back to it. There was something off with that section of wall. Everything looked right, but there was something wrong with it.

    Erak lunged and threw his spear in one hard motion, the blade flashing across the space in a moment. Blue blood sprayed out like a geyser as an animal scream ripped across his eardrums as something was pinned to the wall, spear lodged in its chest.

    Erak drew his sword as the room came alive. Shapes appearing, light rippling as indistinct forms charged at him. A bolt of caster fire seared by him and struck a piece of the wall, burning it but not revealing the hidden monsters. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Erak slashed with his sword, the discordant harmony of the sword beginning as he chopped through an outstretched arm. The creature screamed in his face, the sinewy eight foot long monster still cloaked, its outline hard to see even with him only inches away.

    ¡°Erak, I¡¯m going to overlay your eyes with Essence sight,¡± Pomp said in his ears and then the world flashed and warped and he was seeing the monsters. Bright burning sickly yellow smears that stretched out and over him. The room was filled with the monsters, rushing and running as they came toward him.

    Erak¡¯s aura blossomed, fueled by the false fear and the adrenaline surging through his body. The sword sang death and Erak kicked the armless monster in front of him with a heavy boot, sending it flailing to the ground. Another leapt at him, sailing across the distance in a bound, only to meet hard steel as he slapped it down.

    Erak laughed, the creatures weak and frail beneath his onslaught. Ambush predators that relied on guile and not strength. Erak showed them the weakness of their ways, as he butchered. They tried to flee, turning and running, but Erak was just as fast as they were. Bounding through desks, breaking them apart in screams of steel, as his sword cut and tore.

    One of the monsters spun, larger than the others, a ball of crimson sat in the middle of its Essence signature. Erak lashed at it, his sword screaming off key, and the creature ducked under the lighting fast strike. It hit the ground and bounded at Erak in an instant and then they were tumbling backward.

    The ground shook as they landed in a tangle of snapping jaws and steel. Hot breath washed over Erak, putrid meat and sour bile. Erak bucked his hips and threw the beast over his head.

    A desk crumpled under the monster¡¯s bulk as Erak got to his feet. Another form crashed into his side and Erak cursed as he spun on his outside foot and hip threw the monster, losing the sword in the process. The harmony of death fell apart, the echoing strands of music abandoned on the blood drenched air.

    Erak didn¡¯t need the music to know the next steps. He leapt forward, huge boots coming down at the bigger monster¡¯s head. It spun and thrashed, but the heel of one boot caught the creature¡¯s neck and the sound of breaking bones was pleasing. Erak laughed, the surging chemicals in his body fading, his heart rate calming down as the fear fled.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hold the vision anymore,¡± Pomp panted, voice strained. Then the world slapped back into place with sudden abruptness that made Erak dizzy for a moment. The room was painted blue.

    Reptilian monsters were scattered about, long and stringy, with pale green scales, and thin claws. They were pathetic. Erak looked at the one he had crushed under his boots and frowned. It was slightly larger and bulkier, with its jaw thicker than the little ones.

    Erak knelt down and grabbed at its ruined throat, running his hands under the jawline and his frown deepened into a scowl as he felt the lumps under the jawline. He rose and grabbed his weapons, pulling the spear free with a jerk and flicking the sword with a snap of his wrist that sent droplets of blood everywhere.

    He marched back to Illyria and Pomp came oozing out of his armor, a look of affront and horror on his dragon features.

    ¡°These things are bio-weapons,¡± Pomp said, speaking for Erak.

    ¡°That sounds right. Again, I don¡¯t have any knowledge of these facilities. They were way above my station. It would have been reserved for only the highest levels of the Family. The first couple princes and some of the Queens. Maybe not even that.¡±

    ¡°They have dragon features. At least one of them did. The big one, it has the same glands as the Western Plains dragons. It should have been able to spit acid if it was fully developed. The kill feed on them calls them, Dragonmen.¡±

    Erak leaned close to the princess, towering over her as he leaned down. Pomp came out of his armor fully and curled around his neck to lean down to meet her eyes.

    ¡°We clean this place, top to bottom. None of these abominations shall live!¡±

 Ch. 50 The Depths of the Empire

    50.

    ¡°There!¡± Pomp alerted him, pointing a talon at a piece of wall. Erak lunged in a burst of speed, spear ripping through draconic flesh as the creature roared in agony. Erak put his boot on its chest and pulled the spear free, letting the abomination slump to the ground. He finished it off with a mercy blow, metal meeting eye and then skull.

    Dragonman lvl. 15

    ¡°Ambush!¡± Illyria roared, her sword slicing apart a clawed hand as the panels above their heads gave way and a wall of scaled flesh came falling at them. Erak lifted his shield above his head and staggered as one of the beasts landed on the shield. Talons grabbed the edge of the shield and refused to budge, Erak forced to hold the monster above his head.

    Erak rammed it into a wall until its talons loosened and it slid to the ground. He gave it the same mercy he had given the first one, and then turned to observed the chaos of the hallway. Illyria and her guards were hard pressed as the near invisible Dragonmen slashed at them, bit, and used heavy tails to try to sweep them off their feet.

    Their training showed through, none of them falling as they fought together. Erak admired them for the coordination even as he pounced on a blur of light. Bones broke under his boots and the creature screamed, wide jaws gaping open as its fingers spasmed. Erak crushed its spine where the skull met neck and stabbed the next one.

    Rage was building in him, the creatures dying on his blade easily as he slaughtered through their ranks. The Emperor¡¯s perversions were sacrilegious, the great dragon¡¯s genetics tainted and watered down into these creatures. Any of the giant-blooded would demand blood feud for this heresy. He killed them all.

    The ambush was crushed as soon as it began, the skinny monsters laying in piles of blue blood smears across the hallway as Illyria gasped for air. The heavy presence of the fear pheromones were affecting her badly, her guards were on the verge of breaking.

    ¡°Can you keep going?¡± Pomp asked for Erak. Illyria hesitated, her eyes sweeping over he guards, before nodding slowly.

    ¡°They are fierce and skilled killers, but in open combat they fall easily. I just worry how large this facility is. If these are what are on the perimeter, what lays deeper down?¡± Illyria asked. Erak shrugged. It mattered not what lay deeper. It would die like all the rest.

    ¡°Give me a body Erak, I can scout ahead while they rest,¡± Pomp whispered. Erak nodded and felt the tug of Essence given. Weight settled on his shoulders as the sinuous dragon was given weight. It bounded off of Erak¡¯s shoulder and floated through the air, body undulating as it swam through the air and down the hall.

    Erak looked around the hall they were in and picked a door at random, kicking in the thin steel door. Hinges screamed as they were ripped free and then he was in the room. A small desk was nestled in the corner, machinery that he couldn¡¯t identify consumed most of the room. Everything was quiet and clean, the violence that permeated the rest of the facility haven¡¯t touched the room.

    Illyia and her team stumbled in, all of them looking grateful to leave the heady aroma of the hall as they spread out. Erak went to the desk and looked about the top of it. He shoved papers out of the way and then ripped open the desk drawers, locks shattering under his strength. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    More papers, tossed haphazardly across the desk. Then he smiled as he found what he had hoped was in there. A little box of snacks. Sweetened cookies that he pulled his helm off for. He sat in the undersized chair, it groaned in protest as he lowered himself on it, and then ate the sweet cookies. The little round disks were nearly invisible between his gauntlet covered fingers as he popped them in his mouth.

    The faint taste of metal, oil, and blood, contrasted strangely with the delicate sweet nature and Erak sighed in annoyance as he tugged his gauntlet off. The heavy clatter of it on the desk drew eyes to him, but he waved off the guards curious looks as Illyria sidled over.

    ¡°Did you look at any of these papers before you threw them everywhere?¡± Illyria asked. Erak ate another cookie and met her gaze unflinchingly. She rolled her eyes but squinted as she read the papers quickly. Erak finished off the small box and tossed it to the ground before rifling through the desk more.

    A small bottle of sweet tea, light and swirling in a clear plastic container. Erak sniffed at it then quaffed it all down. He smacked his lips as he continued through the drawers. He found a heavy, old fashioned key that still had trails of Essence clinging to it. Erak tossed it to Illyira who caught it with her free hand without looking. The chair groaned and then cracked, jolting backward as Erak caught himself before falling. He glared down at the scrap metal then kicked it out of the way.

    None of the drawers held anything else of use. No food or drink or Essence imbued items. He pulled his gauntlet back on and then helm as Illyria finished the paperwork.

    ¡°Fascinating. Horrible but fascinating. Genetic material acquired through bone samples. Flash cloning with different hybrids. Or at least something like that, I can¡¯t get through the jargon. I think these are the rejects though. There are other variables added, different strands spliced in of different creatures. I can¡¯t make heads or tails of it though.¡± She scooped up all the papers and shoved them into a messenger bag that had been tossed to the side in Erak¡¯s looting.

    She pulled the bag on and made sure it was secure before they all left the room. Erak could practically taste the difference in the air as he walked out, the thick stench of pheromones overpowering. They stood around in silence for two minutes before Pomp came back, running on his legs rather than flying.

    ¡°No more of the hunters. But there¡¯s more of them further down. Big and ugly, lots of muscle. It¡¯s also where the rest of the staff is,¡± Pomp reported.

    ¡°Any survivors?¡± Illyria asked.

    ¡°I hope not, for their own sakes. They''re being eaten,¡± Pomp clarified.

    ¡°Further downward then. Erak, you still ready to go?¡±

    Erak was already moving with long strides, leaving the scene of the failed ambush and the sickly sweet smell of fear. He cracked his neck from side to side. He was growing impatient, but this place needed to be purged.

    The hallway ended by a torn open door and the lights beyond were bright compared to the thin blue light of the Essence lamps that had lit the corridors. A white, sterile light that shone down and over the lab they were looking at.

    Erak saw what Pomp had meant. These abominations were much larger and broader, and they were eating the lab workers. The lab workers at least looked mostly dead. Then Erak stopped as shock ran through him. Near the back of the massive lab was a trio of the Dragonmen, much more proportional than the behemoths who were eating.

    Draconic Spawn lvl. 22

    Draconic Spawn lvl. 22

    Draconic Spawn lvl. 24

    Successful experiments that have managed to retain some of their intelligence

    All of them were armed and armored with weapons. Breastplates and greaves with crude cudgels for two of them. The highest leveled of them was holding a curved sword that glinted darkly, polished to a sheen with a glow around it.

    Dragon-Bone Sword

    Rare

    Forged from a Dragon Bone, this weapon imbues the wielder with the wrath of a dragon. Amplifies Strength by 1.2x

    Erak looked at the sword on his hip then back to the sword the Draconic Spawn held. He could always use another sword.

 Ch. 51 Cleansing

    51.

    The first of the monsters looked up with dull gold eyes, maw smeared wetly with crimson stains and it smiled wildly as it rose to its feet. The tattered remnants of the hospital gown clung to its frame in thin scraps of tangled cloth. It lurched forward in a shambling sprint, the ground shaking under its feet as it extended its arms toward Erak, claws outstretched and bloodstained.

    Erak charged to meet it, lifting his shield up high and running into the beast with a bone rattling crash. His spear hit something, but Erak¡¯s vision flashed red and then he was weightless, floating through the air and then pressure and pain. The rattling of armor as he slumped to the ground, his vision suddenly blurry as the large abomination stumbled backward, but caught itself.

    The damn beast had thrown Erak nearly ten feet against the sidewall of the room. Erak sprang up and realized his spear was no longer in his hand. The rare grade weapon had torn a long strip of flesh and scales out of the creatures side, but had been knocked free and was laying on the ground a few feet away.

    ¡°Meat. Peel out of metal,¡± the creatures spoke, a growl that sounded like the thunder of a landslide, a half thousand rocks slamming against each other as they tumbled down a mountain.

    Erak cracked his neck and charged the monster again. The blow had been jarring, but he was fine. He tucked himself low, shield braced properly, and bowled into the creature¡¯s misfit. It was like hitting a concrete pillar.

    The pillar broke.

    Draconic scales and muscles yielded to Erak¡¯s might and heavy armor, bending in half after resisting a moment. Erak churned his legs driving the creature backwards and into a wall on the side. Tile cracked and shattered as Erak drove the beast into the wall, burying it halfway inside.

    Erak backed out, head swimming and legs woozy, as he turned and stumbled back towards his spear. The other bulkier abominations were getting to their feet while the three in the back of the large room had yet to stir. Their eyes watched him with the flat gleam of an animal, but the intelligence in them was impossible to deny.

    Erak grabbed the spear and turned, legs growing firm, just as the Dragonman he had planted in the wall finished digging itself out. It roared, shaking the room with its anger, and then it was running again at Erak. Erak lowered himself, bracing for the impact as he let the deadly point of the spear aim at the beast¡¯s chest.

    Its eyes were wild and blue blood trickled from its wounds, cracked scales and torn flesh leaving it dripping. Huge teeth glinted in the light, scraps of flesh still stuck in its jaws as it leapt. Erak watched it come, never blinking as he adjusted his spear, moving in conjunction with the monster¡¯s flight.

    Steel punctured scale, and then Erak¡¯s vision was just scales and hot blood. The two of them fell to the ground, the heavy weight forcing the air out of Erak¡¯s lungs. It did nothing but lay there and then Erak felt the rush of Essence pouring into him. He shoved the dense monster off of him, the body thudding loudly, and got to his feet.

    Five more of the bulky monsters were staring at him confusedly as Erak rose to his feet and their brethren lay there defeated. The sword wielder in the back was rising to its feet, sword clenched in its hand as it stared at him with a flame of interest burning in its eyes.

    Erak rolled the dead dragon over with a foot, planted his boot on its chest, and then pulled the spear free. It emerged in a spray of flesh and blood and Erak turned to look at the other bulkier Dragonmen who were coming to their feet.

    Pomp leapt on his shoulder, the sudden weight nearly making Erak sway. The small ice dragon opened his maw and roared loudly. It was the sound of an avalanche, of the frozen gales off the Ice Sea. It was desolation and death, the end of all as it swept forward.

    Erak roared with Pomp, his mangled throat struggling with the mighty vibrations as he challenged all eight surviving Dragonmen. They answered beautifully.

    The five bulky ones leapt to their feet and charged without thought, while the three in the back split up, sliding along the side of the walls as they showed a trace of tactical sense. Erak threw the spear, watching it flash across the distance in a heartbeat and impale the closest of the Dragonmen. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    The force of the throw picked the monster up and threw it backward, tangling the feet of the next closest as Erak drew his sword and stepped forward. A small part of his mind registered there was no flow of Essence to him and that the monster was still likely alive.

    He ducked under a wild swing, letting the third of the monsters go sailing by him as it failed to slow its momentum. Erak stabbed the fourth¡¯s leg, sword point splitting the femur and ripping out a chunk of thigh as he ripped it free. Erak spun and caught the full wrath of the fifth one on his shield, the creature¡¯s wild charge forcing him back.

    Erak backpeddled wildly to keep his balance, hammering the back of its triangular head with the pommel of his sword as it growled, claws scraping metal and teeth gnashing over the top of the shield. A fang slid through the visor, grazed the bridge of his nose, and then was gone. Erak growled back, dug his back foot into the ground and shifted and tossed the monster with a hip throw.

    It flew and landed heavily on its back and began to scramble immediately to its feet. Erak was on it, blood running down his face and across his lips, as he panted heavily.

    Erak slashed an outstretched leg, ducked a wild swing, used his shield to hit it in its chest, and then chopped down hard where neck met shoulder. Muscle and scale parted and the creature¡¯s efforts stopped. It slumped to its knees and then fell to the ground, weeping blue blood into a sizeable pool that lapped at Erak¡¯s boots.

    The bloodlust aura was spinning out, filling the room, but the Dragonmen seemed immune to the fear component. They just raced forward, staggered now, at Erak with no thought in their minds. The three armed ones were nearly upon him, all of them past the doorway that Illyria and her squad of guards were in.

    The princess stepped out behind one of the brutes and rose up to her tip toes, blade glinting in the light as she brought it down like she was chopping through a tree. Bone burst apart in a spray of gore and the brute fell like a marionette with its strings cut. The others didn¡¯t react, their gazes narrowed on Erak as they raced forward. Erak smiled and pulled his sword free from their dead brother and met them.

    The leading brute was the one that had missed with its wild swipe, and it hadn''t learned its lesson. It didn¡¯t slow, just running as if to bowl Erak over, and Erak dropped low. He stuck his shield out and connected with the beast¡¯s waist and then rose up and over, throwing the Dragonman across the room. Then the next was on Erak, grappling with his sword arm, trying to restrain him.

    Erak punched it with the edge of his shield, over and over, fangs and blood pouring out of its mouth as it refused to let go of his wrist and forearm. He could feel the metal straining, the pressure creeping in as the Dragonman exerted the totality of its focus on just holding Erak.

    A second brute was limping toward him and Erak redoubled his efforts. His shoulder was burning, sweat and blood mingling on his lips, and he continued to hit his captor. They slammed into a wall, the two of them having lost their sense of direction in their stumbling grapple. Erak put a foot against the wall and waited.

    As the limping abomination walked to them, he pushed off with a surge of strength. They crushed the injured one, its weak leg betraying it, and the three of them fell in a pile, with Erak on top. He never stopped hitting the abomination, his shield was slick with blood and the creature¡¯s skull finally caved with an audible crack and then Erak¡¯s sword was free.

    He wedged the edge of the blade over the injured one¡¯s thrashing neck and sawed. Blood flowed out and Erak felt the double rush of power running through him as both of them died. They were a tangled mess, and Erak was having trouble getting his legs out from the pile of limbs when he was one of the cudgel wielders coming at him, club raised high. Erak was outstretched, arms akimbo, and he felt a stab of vulnerability as he looked up at the creature.

    Then a flash of blue and white and Pomp was slashing and tearing at the spawn¡¯s eyes and face, the little ice dragon¡¯s claws razor sharp. Erak rolled, not trying to find his footing at all, and then burst to his feet when he got clear of the corpse pile.

    All around him the scrum had dissolved. One of Illyria¡¯s men was dead, his guts piled around his feet, and the sword wielder was dueling two more at the same time. Illyria and her last guard fought the second cudgel wielder. Only the brute he had thrown was still alive, scratching deep furrows in the ground with its talons as it charged him.

    Erak stepped into his swing, the falling blade connected with the Dragonman¡¯s mad charge. The beast¡¯s momentum carried it past Erak, sword ripping free from his grasp as the blade was still lodged in the monster¡¯s thick skull. Pomp gave a pained cry and then his Essence body was bursting apart as the cudgel wielder crushed the small dragon¡¯s back with a boot. The injured spirit bond flew toward Erak, looking thin and hazy before burrowing into the safety of Erak¡¯s armor.

    The spawn was a mess, one eye missing and long slashed across its face as it stood there with royal blue blood flowing and rippling down its face. It lifted its club without hesitation and moved cautiously toward Erak. Erak grabbed his knife and pulled it free. He really did need a second sword.

 Ch. 52 New Sword

    52.

    Erak hit the spawn like a wrecking ball, bowling the injured abomination over. Its clumsy swing bounced off his pauldron, and then they were crashing into the floor. It scraped at him with a clawed hand and its teeth snapped helplessly against his armored forearm as Erak rammed the appendage into the creature¡¯s mouth. It thrashed like a wild horse, twisting and lunging with all its might to try to unseat Erak.

    Erak grinned at it from behind his armor as he got his revenge for his spirit bond. He crushed its skull in with his heavy shield, each blow slow and powerful like a pneumatic press. The wild fire in its one good eye faded and Erak enjoyed the rush of power that filled him as the spawn stopped and fell silent beneath him.

    It took a long second to get his forearm free of the dead spawn¡¯s jaws, shattering the jagged teeth as he ripped himself free. He stood up and spun on the crowd, which had not gone well for the Imperials in the meantime. Illyria was still alive, trading blows with the limping cudgel wielder, but her partner was dead. The man¡¯s head had been crushed into his shoulders and broken apart like a watermelon.

    Erak¡¯s future sword was impaled in one of the other Royal Guard¡¯s guts, the long length of it popping out of the man¡¯s back. The spawn had grabbed the second one and was mauling her, ripping its head back and forth as she tried to stab at it weakly with a small knife.

    Erak sprinted at the spawn while it was occupied. The woman was dead, her body just hadn¡¯t caught up to reality. He crossed the large room in a few long strides and lowered his shoulder, intent to plow into the spawn like he had the others. The spawn looked up from its meal and unlatched its wide bloodstained maw from her neck. The spawn picked the woman up and threw her in a blur at Erak.

    Erak didn¡¯t have time to dodge, simply swatting the dead woman out of the air and to the side with his shield, never breaking stride. The Dragon Spawn had reached over and drew its blade out of the other Royal Guardsman, who had sunk to his knees in the few seconds it took Erak to cross the distance. Knocking the corpse out of the air left Erak open, his arms stretched out wide and his body exposed as the abomination slashed in an attempt to cut Erak down with a blow that would traverse shoulder to hip.

    Erak leapt at the monster¡¯s knees, flying though the air as the dragon bone blade glanced off his armor with a terrible shriek. Pain burst through Erak¡¯s shoulderblade even as he tackled it, sweeping its feet off the floor. The two landed, the spawn on top of Erak, but Erak didn¡¯t stop. He rolled and kicked his legs, grabbing the spawn around the shoulders with his leg and spinning it.

    Erak sat straight up, grunting in exertion and pain, and rammed the dagger home. The spawn brought its tail up, the long muscular limb intercepting the Fury¡¯s dagger. It screamed in pain and punched Erak with its free hand, the blow snapping Erak¡¯s head back as the world suddenly begun to spin all around him.

    The two of them rolled apart, Erak rising unsteadily to his feet while the spawn pulled the dagger out of its tail and flung it back at Erak. It bounced off his breastplate with a clang, the force of the blow driving the air from his lungs. Erak cursed in his mind as the monster rushed him, long sword still in one hand. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Erak blocked the first blow with his shield, the blow numbing his arm instantly. He backpeddled, stunned by the force of the blow as the Dragon Spawn kept raining blows down and on him. Each hit dented the shield or shaved a splinter off of it, all the while the numbness was creeping further and further up his arm as he was jarred.

    The spawn¡¯s mouth was wide in a facsimile of a smile as it huffed with each blow. It left no time for Erak to do anything but desperately raise his shield and knock the blow off course. The familiar rage began to surface as Erak stared at the abomination. With a grunt of effort, he knocked the next blow to the side with all his might, the spawn taking a single stumbling step before it corrected itself.

    Erak seized his chance, closing the distance and grabbing the beast¡¯s scaly shoulder. Heat blazed under his fingertips, the spawn inordinately hot. Erak jerked the spawn toward him and met it with an armored knee to the gut. Erak winced as he hit what felt like a stone wall, but the spawn gasped as the air was forced out of its lungs. It shrugged its shoulders and threw Erak¡¯s hand off and then slashed from the ground up.

    The blade dug a furrow across Erak¡¯s thick armor from hip to shoulder, peeling the rare grade armor like an orange. Erak punched it in the face, first with his fist, then with his shield. The spawn¡¯s snout exploded in a spray of blood and it staggered back, tail sweeping back and forth as it tried to stay on its feet.

    The Royal Guardsman who had been stabbed reached up from the floor and grabbed the staggering spawn¡¯s heel. Erak pounced even before the spawn hit the ground. He flew up and over the creature, landing with both knees tucked in and aimed at the creature¡¯s chest. Bone broke and the spawn coughed out a ball of blue blood that spattered across Erak¡¯s face.

    Blue blood mingled with red, forming a purple mess across the creature¡¯s teeth as its eyes unfocused. Erak slid a knee off its broken chest and onto the wrist holding the sword, holding it there as he began to break the spawn beneath him. Like all the others, it was strong and durable and the rain of blows took a few minutes to overwhelm it, leaving Erak stained blue from helm to waist.

    ¡°You all done?¡± Illyria asked. Her voice was tired and strained, but she was still standing. Erak looked over and saw the dead cudgel wielder, its chest gaping open to the world, propped against a wall. Erak nodded and grabbed his new sword. It was heavier than it looked, the dark gleam of the bone shining in the light even after the abuse it had taken. There wasn¡¯t a knick or burr to see, just six feet of gentle curving, razor sharp bone.

    ¡°Finally found a weapon your size,¡± Illyria said. Erak grunted as he went around collecting his weapons. The knife went back into its sheath and the sword to its scabbard. Then Erak was faced with the problem of how to carry the dragonbone sword and his spear.

    ¡°Here,¡± Illyria said as she watched Erak look around for a suitable carrier. She reached down and ripped free some of the cleaner cloth off of a corpse. She braided a loop and put it around the pommel, then made a sling that she slung around his shoulder so the sword hung from down his back.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to find you something later, but for now, let¡¯s get back and get everyone else through this place. I think that¡¯s the door back to the sewers over there.¡± She pointed to a narrow hallway with markings on it. She looked down at her dead guardians and sighed, shaking her head slowly.

    Erak held up a fist, indicating for her to wait as he looked at the announcement he had reached level twenty.

    Level 20 Title Earned

    Momentum

    You are an unstoppable giant of Steel and Fury, unleash your momentum in a titanic blow. Synergy with Aura abilities.

    Once Per Day

    Skill Available 1

    Aura of Movement

    Aura of the Invincibility

    Bond Channel

    Shield Bash

 Ch. 53 Reality

    53.

    Pomp¡¯s head came out of his shoulder pauldron, the dragon thin and ephemeral as he looked up at Erak. There was a sense of exhaustion radiating from the dragon, pulsing from the dragon to push against Erak¡¯s mind.

    ¡°The bond, Erak. If you choose the bond it¡¯ll elevate our partnership.¡± Pomp whispered as they stood silently in the room filled with corpses. Erak arched an eyebrow at that, hidden as it was by his helm, and Pomp chuffed, a vapor cloud rising in front of his snout.

    ¡°It¡¯ll allow me to store the excess Essence you generate. As it is currently, with how small your core is, that you fill the core within minutes of using an ability. After you fill that, all Essence you absorb just rolls through you, like an overfull bucket with a water spout running on it. You choose the skill and that excess will flow into me,¡± Pomp explained.

    Erak shrugged.

    ¡°Bonds go both ways. I¡¯d be like a storage space for you, you could pull Essence from me as the fight goes on,¡± Pomp explained slowly. Illyria was looking over at them and had yet to voice her impatience. Erak nodded at that, if he could avoid the pain of expanding his core again by simply using the spirit as a battery, that had a certain appeal to it.

    ¡°Did you not read the introduction pages that the System came with?¡± Illyria asked suddenly. Erak looked at her and shook his head, he had been busy at the time.

    ¡°Essence is like slivers of reality. The more of it you have, the more real you are. The older something is, the more people know of it or worship it or whatever, the more weight it has. It¡¯s why that replica armor you''re wearing is actually useful and not just pieces of steel. If you store all that extra Essence in the spirit bond, then he grows a bit more real,¡± Illyria said quickly.

    Pomp shrank down a bit, most of his head disappearing inside of Erak¡¯s armor and a feeling of consternation and embarrassment came through their bond.

    ¡°She¡¯s right. Eventually, after a long while, I will have enough Essence to begin warping reality. I¡¯ll transition from spirit to reality. We¡¯d still be bonded and you¡¯d be able to pull from my much larger Essence core, but I would become a part of the physical realm. You¡¯d have more options to select skills for me as I would be seen as an extension of yourself by the System rather than my own individual creature,¡± Pomp explained quickly.

    Erak shrugged. The dragon was already real to him and if he could gain another ally that was useful in the fight, why wouldn¡¯t he?

    Bond Channel

    Channel excess Essence into your bond to be used later if neededStolen novel; please report.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 20

    Strength: 55

    Vigor: 30

    Durability: 30

    Perception: 22

    Processing: 21

    There was a sense of tethering, as if he had been jerked to the side by a rope lodged in his gut and the dragon growled in contentment. Pomp¡¯s head disappeared completely inside of Erak¡¯s armor and Erak nodded his head back the way they had comme. Illyria turned and walked out quickly, with Erak following only a foot or so behind her.

    ¡°Are you naturally incurious or is that new?¡± Illyira asked. She didn¡¯t turn around to look at him and the insult was irritating. Erak tapped his armor with a single finger and Pomp re-emerged, confused for a moment before nodding.

    ¡°Erak says it¡¯s rude not to turn around and listen when he¡¯s talking,¡± Pomp said for him.

    ¡°It is.¡± Illyira nodded her head and Erak rolled his eyes. Royalty and the highborn always acted like this if given enough tie and comfort. The slight insults, the way one would degrade and demean with ease in a game of social warfare.

    ¡°My only goal is to serve my Oaths and my liege. I have no need of knowing the intricacies of this System or what Essence is to kill with it. It is simply another weapon for me to use,¡± Pomp said.

    ¡°You need it, if for nothing else than to prevent others from taking advantage of your ignorance,¡± Illyria retorted and Erak could find no counter to that.

    Illyria fell silent and Pomp looked up towards as Erak as they kept retracing their steps. The little dragon had something to say, but there was a sense of fear in their bond. Erak looked down at Pomp and rolled a finger.

    ¡°Your investment is growing lopsided, Erak. While it¡¯s not a problem for now, if it continues you¡¯ll find yourself outclassed. Enemies who move faster than you can observe or understand. Who hit hard enough that even your armor can not withstand it. I will not tell you how to invest, but I do need to warn you. With our bond, you don¡¯t have to worry about investing in any Essence channeling abilities, but you do need to keep your mental processes closer in line to your physical,¡± Pomp said in a rush. The dragon fell silent and then slid back into Erak, tired and wishing to sleep. Erak looked down at the thin divots in his armor where the spawn had managed to peel parts of the armor away.

    They walked the rest of the way back in silence, passing through the areas where they had killed all of the emaciated Dragonmen. Their bodies were as they left them and Erak stepped past them, scanning the blood pools to see if they had been disturbed. He didn¡¯t want to face another ambush while their guard was down.

    The guards Illyria had left at the entrance all turned to her and their faces fell when they saw it was only the two of them. They masked their pain for their fallen comrades, but Erak could see the hurt in their eyes. These last days had stolen much from many and this wouldn¡¯t be the last time comrades didn¡¯t return.

    ¡°The way is clear. Let¡¯s get moving, quickly now,¡± Illyria was in no mood to discuss what had happened and she was quickly chiding the large group through the secret lab. Janus took the lead and his muttered curses were loud enough that even the marching of a half thousand couldn¡¯t drown him out.

    Erak stayed only a foot or so from the man, while Illyria and the remnants of her guard stayed in the heart of the formation. He could forgive her the foul mood and manners, with her comrades laying dead and torn apart. They passed the scene of the battle and reached the door at the back of the room and Erak stepped in front of the guide, opening the door and entering back into the sewers.

    Janus walked quickly, checking the markings on the walls as he orientated himself. He was nodding and talking to himself as he raced along the pathway.

    ¡°Not far now, this lab cut across some of the sewers. No more than another half-hour to get there.¡± Erak nodded in acknowledgment, following behind the older man. There wasn¡¯t much longer till the Sword of Empire sailed forth and he could continue to fulfill his Oaths.

 Ch. 54 Hello there

    54.

    The sewer grate broke free in a spray of stone and rusted steel, Erak staggering as the sudden disappearance of resistance sent him reeling into the muted light of the city. The familiar stench of the fires, ash and cooked meat, burnt fabric and smoldering stone, all mingled together in a toxic cloud. Erak coughed once as his lungs rebelled, used to the clean air of the sewers.

    ¡°Times like this, I¡¯m glad I¡¯m a spirit and not corporeal. This can¡¯t be healthy to breathe in,¡± Pomp said from his shoulder. In the last few hours since he had taken the Channel Bond skill, the dragon had grown more solid. If not for the fact he weighed nothing, Erak would have sworn he was a little hatchling.

    ¡°Erak, where are we?¡± Illyria asked as she came out of the sewer, her last few guards only a foot away from her. They all looked nervously into the clouded skies, their weapons freed and clenched in white knuckled grips. One of them swallowed nervously as they saw the shadows racing in the clouds of smoke above.

    ¡°Not far from the Armory. A few blocks and we should be able to have a clear line of sight on the hill. I¡¯ll take the lead,¡± Pomp said. Erak nodded in confirmation and started to walk.

    ¡°Other way,¡± Pomp whispered. Erak changed directions and started to cut across the tightly packed tenement buildings that rose up to block the view of the skyline. Everywhere he looked he saw bloodstains, rust iron and flaking, but no corpses. Erak stepped into a narrow alleyway between two of the tall buildings. The stone that made the tenement buildings were stained and covered in various graffitis, shadow deep in the narrow alley.

    Erak looked to his right and stared into the depths of the apartment building, his gaze locked with half-dozen sulfur-yellow eyes that glowed in the depths. Erak walked into the building, ducking under the broken stone and into the room. The beings were clustered around a table, eyeing him in shock as he walked up to them.

    Infernal Commander lvl. 19

    Infernal Commander lvl. 19

    Infernal Commander lvl. 20

    Infernal Commander lvl. 21

    Infernal Commander lvl. 21

    Viscount of Iron-Flames lvl. 25

    Erak stabbed the lowest ranked commander through its chest, the bulbous eyes widening even further as the spear blade pierced its thin armor. Its pale skin leeched even further of color as it died, hacking a single cough filled with blood that splattered across Erak¡¯s breastplate.

    The room was silent, the five previous occupants frozen, all of them staring at their impaled comrade. Erak put his foot in the dead commander¡¯s chest and shoved it, throwing the corpse onto the table they¡¯d been gathered around. Wood shattered in wild splinters, the action spurring the rest of the room into action. The remaining commanders grabbed at their short whips, the barbed and corded leather bursting alight.

    Erak slammed his shield in the closest creature¡¯s face, shattering bones and throwing the creature backward. Erak stabbed the second with the spear, blade piercing the squat demon¡¯s throat. He left the spear buried in the creature¡¯s throat and drew the sword of discord, the rasp of steel leaving leather loud in the closed space. He caught the Viscount¡¯s short sword thrust with the sword, twisting his wrist to send the thrust behind him. Erak stomped on the Viscount¡¯s knee as it passed by him. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The creature howled as Erak waded deeper into the room, standing on the remnant of the table as whips lashed ineffectively on his armor. Erak slashed and cut a head free, blocked a dagger blow with his shield, and then crushed the skull of another commander with a downward blow with the pommel of his sword.

    Erak slaughtered them with economical efficiency, none of the commanders able to stand against him for more than a single exchange, their equipment poor and failing to stop him. The Viscount was soon the last left, standing with the hole to the outside to his back as he looked at Erak with burning rage in his yellow eyes.

    It was pale like the commanders had been, but taller and more fit, its features fitting its body. It had long ears, curved and ending in hard points like a bat¡¯s. Its armor was lacquered wood, stained wine red with gold glyphs that glowed in the poor light. A scar puckered its lip into a permanent smirk and Erak stared at that ugly line of scar tissue and the arrogant look it had on its face. Erak wished to see it removed.

    ¡°You are hunted. The word has spread amongst the nobility of you and your might. They will be jealous that you shall die by my hand, your head shall be mounted as a trophy, your armor displayed in my halls with the rest of my trophies,¡± it rasped, voice deep and sounding like sandpaper over rocks.

    Erak lunged, crossing the distance in a blink, the point of his sword inches from the creature¡¯s armored breastplate. The Viscount stepped back, slapping away Erak¡¯s thrust with contemptuous ease. Erak punched the noble in the face with his shield.

    Blood flowed and the Viscount stumbled back, spitting fangs to the ground, white teeth mingling with black blood. Erak hacked down at it, a brutal cutting chop that the Viscount tried to block. Its short sword was shoved back down, biting into its own armor as it snarled at Erak, gaps in its teeth showing.

    It ducked down, spinning on a foot to slide to the side and out from under Erak¡¯s sword. Erak kicked it as it spun by, his foot catching its gut and picking the Viscount out and throwing it backward. The demon flew back and out of the building, slamming into the stone wall across the narrow alleyway.

    Cracks ran up and down from the impact, spiraling out as the Viscount staggered towards him, eyes glazed and unseeing as it tried to raise its sword up. Erak stabbed at it again, a strong lunge aimed to pierce its chest through and through.

    It swept the shortblade up to swipe his blade away and Erak battered through the parry and pierced its armor and into its sternum and out its back and into the wall behind them. Erak watched as the Viscount¡¯s eyes lost the vigor of life and its face relaxed, the arrogant look fading from it.

    Erak put his foot on it and pried his sword free as Illyria and the others walked up to him from the alleyway. Erak looked at her and she shook her head as she slid past him and into the ruin of the room and the dead commanders.

    ¡°Six! You raced into a fight with six enemies without a thought!¡± Illyria sounded angry as she rifled through the paperwork the demons had been looking at. Erak peered over her shoulder and saw the papers she was looking at looked like dried skin. The words written on the parchment were asymmetrical and spiky runes, a sense of ominous horror radiating off the parchment.

    The largest piece of parchment had a rough sketch of the area surrounding the Armory, signs written on it that they couldn¡¯t decipher. Erak looked around at the others, not able to see any weapons that he wanted on the commanders. Their whips had disintegrated into ash and their armor was thin scrap. Erak looked back at the sword and armor of the Viscount, but the blade was gone already as the horde of people had started to pass by.

    ¡°I think this shows the base camps they have established. These marks, here and here,¡± she pointed at the brutal strokes of ink with small runes around them. Erak nodded along. They were on the other side of the Armory, opposite of where the assault had taken place.

    ¡°Take them and give them to Foy when we arrive at the base. We have a different mission,¡± Pomp said from Erak¡¯s shoulder. Illyria grabbed the paperwork and they marched out of the building and towards the Armory.

 Ch. 55 The Cost

    55.

    The Armory¡¯s broken walls had taken more damage, pieces of masonry crumbling along the ramparts. Two more holes had been blown clean through and piles of Infernal Soldiers were piled up on the ground in massive mounds that rose nearly ten feet high. A wave of gasps and shock spread out from the assorted crowd of party-goers, courtesans, and citizenry.

    Erak jogged up the road with Illyria and her guards right beside him, the barricaded front entrance was already rolling back as a handful of Imperial soldiers walked out to meet them. They were scarred and burnt out, their eyes hollow and haggard as the leader waved a hand at them to continue past.

    Erak brushed by them, smelling the stench of burnt flesh and antibacterial ointment wafting off of them. Bloodstained bandages were woven under their clothes, clotted black and yellow and red. They had sustained some sort of assault that must have nearly broken them if this shell of a warrior was all that was left to man the gates.

    ¡°This is a nightmare. I knew that this would be a likely outcome, but to see all this. It is nothing short of despair,¡± Illyria whispered to herself. The interior of the base was packed with wounded and civilians. Funeral pyres burned in corners, men tossing the bodies on the flames constantly feeding the incineration of a generation.

    One of the tanks sat by the door, Del sat on the hatch with a canteen of water and his normal twisted grimace as he watched them march in. The second tank was nowhere to be seen, but the thousands of extra bodies inside of the Armory showed that they had at least been somewhat successful in their rescue mission.

    Del looked over at him and his face cracked just the barest of grins. He slapped the top of the tank and leaned into the hatch, his voice a whispery shout that was a pale ghost of what it had been the previous day.

    ¡°Oi, Conny, that big fella is still alive!¡± A muffled shout came from the tank and then Erak was walking past them, eyes scanning the crowd for Foy. He wished to drop off this crowd and then climb to the Sword with the mantle bearer.

    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for Foy, she¡¯s dead,¡± Del said behind him. Erak turned and looked at him, shocked about the old general¡¯s demise. She hadn¡¯t seemed the sort to put herself in danger.

    ¡°Big battle last night, right as the sun sank. These fuckers came out of the sky, we burnt them down, but there was a lot. Then a big push and they started scaling the walls. It was all a distraction apparently.¡± Del leaned over and spat.

    ¡°Sneaky bastards came in and cleared out the entire command team and did something to the A.I. Nothing is going right and Gressen is overwhelmed, seeing you back should keep spirits high though.¡±

    ¡°Where is Gressen?¡± Illyria asked.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°The colonel is over there, by the second breach.¡± Del pointed to the side and Erak began to move that way immediately. Foy¡¯s death and the elimination of the command staff was a terrible setback, but he had his orders.

    Gressen was standing with a few junior officers looking worse than he had when they had met at Titus¡¯s Square just a day and a half ago. The squire was still attached to his side, looking pale and wan as he swayed at the Colonel¡¯s side. The old man placed a hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder to steady him as Erak loomed above them all.

    ¡°Ring bearer, you live. I heard many say they saw you leap from the ship and I figured you had died. Now you arrive with a half-thousand more people to fill these cramped walls,¡± Gressen¡¯s voice was weary and whispery as if he had been yelling for hours.

    ¡°I am Illyria, sixteen Prince of the Throne. I bear the mantle to the Sword of Empire and wish to ascend to take command of the warship,¡± Illyria¡¯s words indicated she was asking for permission, but her tone said she was simply giving notice.

    ¡°Your highness. Your brother is aboard that ship last I heard. Prince Sammus. I am sure he will be thrilled to see you again. Is there anyway we can move more people into the ship? At her height, the warship was manned by nearly two thousand crew and could hold another thousand warriors. It would do much to relieve the strain on the Armory, especially now that the A.I has collapsed,¡± Gressen pleaded.

    ¡°Dull is dead?¡± Pomp asked appearing out of Erak¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Oh. A dragon.¡± Gressen stared at Pomp with dull confusion for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.

    ¡°Not dead, but no longer responsive. A team of infiltrators managed to sneak in and eliminate the command staff and damage Dull before we could eliminate them. I was only spared since I was on the walls at the time.¡±

    ¡°I will see what I can do about hosting more of the population. Do we have an evacuation route planned to leave the city?¡± Illyria asked.

    ¡°No ma¡¯am. We lost one of our two functional tanks and with Dull no longer functional we can¡¯t get the base to continue producing munitions. It won¡¯t be long till we¡¯re left with nothing but sabers and our individual casters. We don¡¯t have the power to force a route open and retreat.¡±

    ¡°What about heading toward the Palace?¡± Pomp asked for Erak.

    ¡°Scouts have went that way, but the enemy is thick and higher leveled. Out here we are dealing with hordes of lower ranked demons. Closer to the Palace the ranking of the creature¡¯s climbs. Most my men here are only in the low teens while the demons between us are in the twenties. We wouldn¡¯t make it halfway to the Palace before we are destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Plot a route to escape the city and we can use the Sword to blaze the path for you.¡± Erak moved to protest, his orders were to kill the guardian in the portal.

    ¡°After we kill and disable the portal that is letting in the demons.¡± Illyria met his gaze without slowing down and Erak nodded in acceptance. After the portal was closed, he cared not what they did. If it could save more lives then then all the better.

    ¡°In the meantime, we found and killed a group of their officers as we moved here. We were able to gather these papers, but we can¡¯t make heads or tails of them.¡± Illyria handed over the parchment to Gressen¡¯s squire and the boy winkled his nose in distaste.

    ¡°Some payback is nice to hear. I will begin drawing up plans for an orderly retreat out of the city. Where should our destination be?¡±

    ¡°We are not far from Iron-Beard¡¯s Claim, are we?¡±

    ¡°The old dwarven city? It¡¯s in the Blue-Sky mountains, maybe fifty miles from here. There is nothing but a small settlement left there, more a museum than an actual town.¡±

    ¡°Good, they might have been spared if they passed without notice. The halls are wide and deep and there is ancient magic in the building of their cities. We shall retreat there and hope that it is enough.¡±

    ¡°Your will be done, your highness.¡±

 Ch. 56 The Captain

    56.

    ¡°You stink,¡± Illyria murmured from her corner of the elevator. The silent ride had been awkward with the princess wedged into a corner as Erak had shoved himself into the transport. Erak tried to take a whiff, but all he smelled was oil and steel.

    ¡°It¡¯s the dried blood and viscera. Some sewer water too,¡± Pomp supplied helpfully. He had erupted from Erak¡¯s neck to stare down at the princess who looked at the little dragon with a small smile.

    ¡°Do you feel him at all when he¡¯s inside of you?¡± Illyria asked Erak. Erak looked at Pomp and waited for the dragon to explain. He was too cramped in the elevator to properly sign to her.

    ¡°Hardly feels me, I¡¯m so small. An electric current is all, like running your tongue over a battery,¡± Pomp said for him. Erak nodded in agreement, noticing the princess¡¯s upturned lips as she battled back her smile.

    The doors dinged open and Illyria bolted out of the tight confines, Erak only a step behind as they walked toward the Sword of Empire¡¯s doors. Lights were now active here, illuminating the halls and there was a feel of energy in the air reminiscent of spring. The world may be burning beneath her, but the Sword was waking up.

    Illyria was bouncing with each step, increasing her pace as she walked further down the halls and toward the bridge. By the time they entered the ship, Erak was forced to lengthen his stride to keep up with her. She was bristling with energy, nearly vibrating as the doors to the bridge slid open and she strode in like she was the owner of the ship.

    The aura of the bridge had changed. Gone was the ancient feel of antiquity, the press of years crushing down one¡¯s spine. Now it was power and the surging tide of tomorrow, where one looked forward to the future instead of clinging to the past. Empire stood there at the decks in her warrior-queen form, her cape of captured flags brushing the decks as she spun as Illyria entered the bridge.

    Empire¡¯s smile was bloodstained and hungry as she devoured Illyria with her gaze. She stepped forward and it was the sound of engines roaring, pressing against Erak like a visible force. Illyria almost faltered against the presence that washed over them, but she strengthened and stepped closer.

    ¡°Another Greenbough. A pair you two make. Your brother is fire and ambition fueled by insecurity and a desire to prove himself,¡± Sword of Empire said, her voice cannon fire, booming and rattling Erak.

    ¡°You though, you have the same fire, but the fuel is different. You know your worth, you stand above all others by merit and skill and you will allow no other to press their claim to you. Fearless, ruthless, ambitious, and sure of yourself. A fine Captain you will make,¡± Sword said, her gunmetal eyes peering through Illyria. The young princess stood tall and defiant and in the lighting her russet colored hair had turned bloody. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    The ancient blade hissed as it leapt from its saber, clutched in her white knuckled hand as Illyria spoke for the first time. Her voice rang out, a counterpoint to Sword¡¯s deep booming voice.

    ¡°I am Illyria Greenbough, scion of Kings and Emperors. I claim this mantle, this responsibility, and pledge myself to a singular cause. Ruination of our enemies. May they tremble when they see us, may piss run down their legs when they hear our cannons and feel the thunder of our engines. Death to our foes and hope to our allies,¡± Illyria said in a rush, color blossoming over her face as she swayed suddenly.

    The title over her head changed. Adventurer lvl. 17 faded away like a heat mirage and Erak had to blink his eyes twice to ensure that held true.

    Captain lvl. 1

    Illyria gave a gasp and her knees buckled and she sprawled out across the deck, spasming back and forth violently. Erak lunged to get to her side, but Sword held up a hand and he froze as the ancient weight suddenly reappeared.

    ¡°This is her test. She will be remade into something greater than she was, but to make something, you must break it.¡±

    ¡°She will retain her attributes, but her skills have changed fundamentally as she is pushed back down. She will have lost her titles too,¡± Pomp said to him.

    ¡°Fundamental change to her core identity. How she views herself and how the world will view her. The Deathsworn you met earlier were like you, Dutybound was what they were called before they lost their chief. They had a core change to their identity and were changed as a result. If your oath holder was to perish, you would suffer the same results,¡± Sword spoke clearly.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°Did you not read the introductory page that the System granted you?¡± Sword asked, puzzlement spreading across what visible features she had.  Erak just stayed quiet as Pomp slunk back into his armor.

    Illyria stopped shaking suddenly, her body going limp. Sweat pooled out from her in a puddle and Sword simply nodded in acceptance. She turned back to the viewports and the image on them changed.

    The corrupted being appeared, still nestled in the embrace of the portal. It looked bored, face slack as it stared off into the distance. Every now and then it would wave a hand and a jet of corrupted fire would flit forth to splash across some distant part of the city.

    ¡°A worthy foe. It has not troubled us yet since our engines and core remain dormant. With a true captain that will change and they will notice us. We will die before I can gain the necessary charge needed to attack it. Unless it¡¯s distracted,¡± Sword turned to look at Erak again. Erak had a feeling he knew what she was about to ask of him and he felt no fear.

    ¡°A mighty host sits beneath that portal, thousands of soldiers and many champions. You will need to rally everything you have to push against it, to draw the attention of that creature it will need to be a true threat.¡± Erak nodded in acknowledgement. It made sense and the warship was their best chance at killing the creature and closing the portal. They needed every advantage they could acquire.

    ¡°Death is likely Bloodsworn. Are you willing to risk that for a chance? Risk never seeing your oath-holder again, for a chance?¡±

    Erak nodded instantly. There were enemies who needed to die and he was the warrior to do it. There was nothing she could say to change the course now.

    ¡°The armor and spear are replicas, but you do them justice. Eat and sleep now, rest. Once she awakens we will draw forth all the leaders from below and make our plans. Blood will be spent in great quantities if we are to have a chance of success.¡± Sword dismissed him with an absent wave and Erak turned on a heel and left.

    Behind him, so quietly it was a struggle to hear, Erak heard her speak again.

    ¡°Once more they shall tremble. Once more I shall live again. What joyous days.¡±

 Ch. 57 War Council

    57.

    Erak spent the hours sleeping, eating, resting, and then finally being summoned back to the bridge by a runner. They had found him a small officer¡¯s cabin that he had promptly taken over and for the first time in days he had taken the heavy armor off. His weapons were stacked neatly to the side and his armor was cleaned vigorously, the water in the basic growing black with every pass of the rag. It wasn¡¯t the proper way to care for armor, but it was the best he had at the time.

    He walked now, bare faced and without weapons to the bridge. Every step forward brought a new face to bear and each time he watched the myriad of emotions overwhelm them as they viewed the man beneath the steel. Horror, distaste, revulsion, and then pity. It had always been pity that he had disdained the most.

    Stepping into the bridge brought a surcease of sound. Officers, royalty, an ancient war spirit, and a group of courtesans and royal guardsmen all turned to stare as he walked silently into the room. Illyria¡¯s face had paled at the sight of him while Sammus looked grim. Rutledge was perched next to Sword and her eyes drank him in, voracious in their desire.

    Sword of Empire merely smiled widely, showing her gleaming teeth. She leaned over the console everyone was gathered around and passed through it to stand before Erak. She towered above him, growing rapidly so not to be looked down upon. Her voice had changed from the bellows of the guns, to the howl of the wind over her hull.

    ¡°You are glorious, Bloodsworn. These fools do not understand that glory is earned in flesh scarred. A testament to your might, you live while all others lay buried.¡± Erak nodded at her words and stepped into the circle to look down at the console.

    A holographic map of the city was made in miniature. Street blockages were marked out, burnt out buildings, enemy camps, and anything else of note. The pale red light of the hologram made everyone seem more grim as they finally tore their gaze¡¯s off of Erak¡¯s face.

    ¡°We were just discussing how to begin the assault,¡± Gressen began hesitantly. The older officer looked around and Erak noticed the stress had aged the man even further, to the point he looked frail and ready to keel over.

    ¡°We¡¯re down to one tank. With Dull being deactivated we¡¯ve lost the ability to produce any munitions of the artillery in the Armory and most of the larger weapons. The tank will be rolling with twelve blasts in the main cannon and a few hundred in the smaller weapons.¡± Gressen paused and swallowed hard.

    ¡°I will be leading the charge against the portal. Lord Bloodsworn will be in charge, but for the operational command it will be me, then Captain Brady.¡± He nodded to an older man with wispy white hair brushed across his mostly bald pate.

    ¡°At the same time of the decoy attack, we will begin the evacuation. We have supply vehicles that will hold most of the population of the Armory that won¡¯t fit inside of Sword of Empire. The fuel won¡¯t last long, but it should get them clear of the outskirts of the city and a few miles further. Nevia, you will be in charge of the column.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± Nevia protested immediately. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Lieutenant, you¡¯ve done great work and I will commend you for it. Most of your command is dead though. Your platoon plus the walking wounded and a few supplementary units will be the only security presence we have for the escort. You will be hard pressed to clear the city. It is with hope and a good amount of borrowed luck that most of the eyes will be affixed to us.¡± Gressen dismissed Nevia after that, turning to look back at the map.

    ¡°As we begin the assault on the Cathedral and the forces massed there, Princess Illyria will activate the ship.¡±

    ¡°It will take at least ten to fifteen minutes after activating the core of the warship to gather enough Essence to fire upon the creature in the portal. It must be distracted,¡± Illyria said as all eyes turned toward her.

    ¡°Lord Bloodsworn, that is where you come in. With your weapons, armor, and high level, we believe you are the only one who can even begin to draw the creature¡¯s attention. It will likely end in your near immediate death. The power of the guardian is immense. I¡¯ve spoken to several survivors who were blocks away when its fire hit and they said it vaporized the area all around it with every cast,¡± Gressen warned him. Erak could swear there was a sliver of hope in the old man¡¯s eyes that Erak would turn down the duty.

    ¡°I will honor my oaths and will kill this creature. Whether by force of arms or through trickery, it matters not,¡± Erak signed to the group. Most of them nodded, though the Colonel looked stupefied until Rutledge leaned in and whispered to him.

    ¡°Well, then the die is cast. We have a few hours until all our preparations are complete. I will not lie. This will likely be our end,¡± Gressen¡¯s voice was sad and whispery as he looked out over his officers.

    ¡°What ruination has fallen upon us, I know not. I do know that it is foul and evil and our blood has bought just a few moments of time for our people. Let us spend more of it, for our people need every moment.¡± Gressen turned and left the group somber as he quickly gathered his officers around himself to finish out the last of the plans to start the distraction.

    Beside Erak, Nevia steamed. He could almost see the steam venting from her ears her rage was so great. She turned to him, looking up without flinching and her gaze softened for just a moment.

    ¡°It has only been a day, Erak. Yet, this feels like a subversion of destiny. To fight beside you, even if death was the only outcome, would have been worthwhile. Duty though.¡± She shook her head with her face fixed in a grimace.

    ¡°I shall see you in the next world then, or perhaps you shall shock the world again.¡±

    ¡°I will face the creature in the portal, regardless of the outcome. If I survive, I shall seek you out and we shall hunt the demons once more. In the meantime, lead these people to safety,¡± Pomp said for Erak, emerging from his shoulder to curl around his neck.

    ¡°Pompous, I shall not miss you,¡± Nevia said, this time smiling. She turned and left without another word, shoulders square to brace against the disappointment. A good soldier with the heart of a warrior.

    ¡°I see, so the intrepid band is broken. Fear not, Erak, I shall stand beside you,¡± Sammus said with a wide smile. The lean man was dressed in an assortment of gear and a long curved sword hung from his hip.

    ¡°I do not fear the absence of your company, your highness. Quite the opposite,¡± Erak signed to the prince. Sammus faked a look of offense, holding his hand to his breast and gasping dramatically.

    ¡°Foul words, Erak. Foul. So, if I kill the beastie in the portal, does that make me the Champion of the Empire?¡± Sammus said with a smile.

    ¡°It means you have died and you dream of conquests that had been beyond your reach in the mortal realm,¡± Erak signed back. He turned to leave and the prince stuck with him.

    ¡°Erak, you wouldn¡¯t have happened to find any food on your foray into the depths of the city?¡± Sammus asked.

    Erak shot the man a look of loathing and hurried his pace back to his room. And his snacks.

 Ch. 58 The Calm Before

    58.

    ¡°It¡¯d be easier if you had someone helping you,¡± Sammus said from the bed. The indulgent prince had flopped on the bed after finding a pouch of salted peanuts that Erak had squirreled away. Erak shot him a pointed look as he put more armor on. Now that it wasn¡¯t smeared in blood and guts, Erak could see the damage it had accumulated throughout the days.

    The enamel that had coated it was nothing more than chips left here and there. Small dents left pockmarks across the surface and a long line was gouged out of it. He had fished a broken tooth or three out of the metal in the small joints or the overlap of between pieces.

    The shield was in just as bad condition as the armor set. Dented along the edges from where he had smashed the various demons and monsters. The front face of the shield was covered in scratches and pitted. One of the straps was loose, the tough leather fraying slightly at the ends. Erak wanted to fix it, but he lacked the time and materials. He made sure all the other straps were tight as he grabbed the shield and lifted it.

    Overall, the armor and shield looked like he felt. He cracked his neck, turning it side to side and then strapped the discord sword on his waist, then the dragon bone sword over his shoulder,the knife and finally the spear. He stood there looking in the mirror of the cabin for a moment and didn¡¯t recognize himself.

    The entire mirror was consumed by the battered gray armor, dented and scratched with pieces of color here and there, weapons draped over himself and an aura of lethality radiating out. Pomp popped out of his chest and twisted in a way that nothing with a real spine could, to look up at him.

    ¡°I just want to remind you that if you die, I do too,¡± Pomp said, voice flat and emotionless.

    ¡°Die? What is Erak thinking, little one?¡± Sammus asked inquisitively.

    ¡°He really does plan to challenge the rift guardian,¡± Pomp said.

    ¡°Erak! Are you mad?¡± Sammus yelled. Erak looked at the prince with confusion spread across his face.

    ¡°I said I would challenge it, did I not?¡± Erak signed.

    ¡°You did, but I thought it was hyperbole or something like that. A way to rally the troops. Inspire confidence.¡±

    ¡°No! I will make that creature bleed. Regardless of the cost,¡± Erak said back. Both Pomp and Sammus looked at him as if had sprouted a second head.

    ¡°Erak. It¡¯s fucking huge. It throws bolts of fire that burn blocks of the city at a time. You can¡¯t kill it,¡± Sammus had almost begun to plead.

    ¡°I do not need to kill it, merely attract its attention. I have my own plans to survive its attention and a way to get said attention,¡± Erak signed. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Your funeral,¡± Sammus said, waving a hand at him as he slumped back down on the bed.

    ¡°Our funeral,¡± Pomp said as he fully left Erak¡¯s body and perched himself on the bed. In the hours since Erak had taken the bond skill that let Pomp absorb the extra Essence Erak gathered, the dragon had begun to look more and more real.

    No longer was he a thin and ephemeral creature. He had become lifelike with a depth and weight to himself that is was a minor surprise that the bed did not bend to his weight as he sat there. Pomp was now nearly six and a half feet long and thick with simulated muscle. The frill that ran down his back had grown thick and long, white as snow and danced to unseen air currents. His mustache was luxurious and drooped down as Pomp flexed the claws on his hands back and forth like a cat kneading the bed and blankets.

    ¡°I am growing stronger, Erak. If this continued, with the other skill, I could be a true threat in combat. We would be able to fly up to that creature and battle it directly as equals, not beggars asking for a morsel of its attention. We will never make that if we die, snuffed away before we can grasp our potential,¡± Pomp begged.

    ¡°You speak of honor and glory. I speak of duty. I will do what I must.¡± Erak ended the argument with a curt chop of his hand before turning on his heel and walking out the door.

    A spoiled prince and a spirit of intellect that was becoming a dragon did not understand that somethings were beyond personal survival or safety. He had made his vows years ago, the last words he had ever uttered. To defend. To obey.

    Duty came first, before honor or glory or personal pride.

    Erak marched down the halls and felt a tug inside of his chest, a stretching of a ligament he didn¡¯t know existed before. Pomp flew down the hall suddenly, chasing after Erak and the strain in his chest eased a bit.

    Erak headed further down the ship, heading toward the elevators to head down to the Armory. The ship was filled with courtesans, adventurers, bartenders and support personnel from the Armory. Outfits ranged from mesh shirts, to tight leather pants, and stained military uniforms. Not exactly the crew one would have imagined in the ancient and storied warship.

    The crowds parted for him and then he and Pomp rode the elevator down in silence, stalking the halls down through the floating docks and toward then finally to the ground of the Armory. It was a mass of chaos, thousands of bodies filling the courtyard as they prepared to evacuate and launch their assault simultaneously. Nevia was standing atop of a truck¡¯s cab, barking commands and creating order out of the chaos as she slowly directed the streams of humanity towards their designated area.

    Erak avoided her. Her duty was a much more bitter pill than his own. He headed toward the gate where the tank sat, slowly accumulating a gathering around it. Hundreds of soldiers perched around the tank as Del and Conny sat on it, drinking from canteens and eating as the other members of the crew checked the vehicle. The crowd parted for Erak, a look on their faces that was half admiration and half intimidation.

    Erak clambered up the side of the tank and sat down next to Del and pried his helmet off, setting it down next to himself. He used his skill to gift Pomp a body and the heavy dragon thumped on the metal of the tank. The soldiers looked up to him, waiting for him to say or do something.

    Erak reached over and grabbed the pouch of candied nuts out of Del¡¯s hand and pulled free a handful. He popped the sugar coated delights into his mouth and chewed while Pomp lounged next to him. Del spat and cursed but didn¡¯t try to get the nuts back, rather reaching inside of the tank and pulling free another pouch. The crowd grew relaxed and were soon all resting, talking and eating as Erak watched the preparations.

    He looked towards where the Iron Cathedral was and the guardian that protected the rift. Not long now.

 Ch. 59 The Storm

    59.

    The powerful treads of the tank turned broken stone to gravel as the tank lurched down the street. Erak stood tall on the back, his shield protecting Del while the man shouted down into the tank as waves of demons broke upon the war machine. It was not only stone that was crushed under the treads, but demon flesh and bone, turned to mulch by the progress of the march.

    It had taken only moments from them leaving the false safety of the broken walls of the Armory before the enemy had beset them. Hundreds of the lowest levels came swarming free of the ruins of the homes and businesses, burned down by caster fire as the tightly packed ranks of Imperial soldiers showed their worth.

    The levels they had earned had been put into Essence abilities and the effect showed, the common grade weapons now pulsing rays of heat that turned the hellspawn to ash.

    Erak thrust his spear at an Infernal Soldier that had managed to survive the gauntlet, spearing it through the throat and letting it slide back to the earth. The rumble of the engines and the crushing of stone so loud that the heavy fighting was nearly muted to Erak. He raised his shield and a pair of forearm length quills slammed into it, shattering into tiny pieces of shrapnel that scattered over the back of the tank.

    Erak looked toward where the bonespitter was perched on a wall and pointed at it with his spear. A pair of soldiers crouched behind him peaked out and rained fire on it, some of the crimson bolts bouncing off the thick carapace before damage began to accumulate. A third soldier popped out and the additional fire sent the bonespitter plummeting to the ground. All three of them ducked back behind Erak, clinging to a bar at the back of the tank while Erak continued to protect Del.

    Gressen forced his way out of the knot of bodyguards and leapt limberly up the side to lean into Erak¡¯s ear. His shout was still hardly decipherable at the close range.

    ¡°This chaff is thinning, we should have a clear shot towards the Cathedral on the next turn!¡±

    Erak nodded even as his eyes kept sweeping about looking for more threats. For the most part the colonel was right. It was chaff. Nothing above a ten, no Gnull riders, only a handful of commanders, no elites at all. It didn¡¯t sit right with him that this was all that had been besieging the Armory.

    He turned back to look at the slowly disappearing walls and worried about Nevia and the convoy. If there was another unit close by that was filled with the elites, then their convoy wasn¡¯t going to get very far. Del leaned into the hatch and screamed something lost in the noise and the tank turned hard right, the action nearly tossing Erak off the back.

    They turned onto a wide boulevard crammed with towering buildings that rose up like the sides of a canyon wall. The boulevard was packed with Gnull Riders, their pennants flying in the howling wind, their armor gleaming in the light of the flames. Behind them in tightly packed rows were scores of Infernal Soldiers all of them armored in the strange leather.

    Erak activated his aura, the thirst of battle spreading in the hellish light and the blood drenched streets quickly. His back straightened by degrees as the tank kept plowing forth, the Imperials tucked into its shadow. A bolt of fire leapt from the main cannon and speared deep into the ranks of the gnull riders before they could react. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    A Flame Guardian tried to bring their hands up but the bolt raced too fast. The guardian burned away, the insect mount charred to a cinder underneath it. The knot of guards it had died as well as the cannon blast lost its momentum leaving nothing behind but a trail of scorched ruins.

    Erak¡¯s aura swelled further as the Gnull Riders were frozen for a moment as their guardian died. Caster fire raced into the gaps, most of the bolts deflected off the armor the riders wore, but the gleaming plate began to char. The lances lowered and a horn sounded out, the sound pressing against his aura. This time his aura refused to yield, staying firm as the bugs launched themselves forward.

    His spear stabbed out as the bugs rose up and over the tank, their steel tipped legs grabbing hold and hauling themselves up and toward Erak. Erak shoved Del down the hatch and then kicked the hatch closed with his foot. The man yelled in surprise, but Erak heard the locking mechanism spin as it sealed up tight.

    The gnull¡¯s bulbous eye came over the top and Erak stabbed it, piercing the gelatinous mass and goring its brain. The gnull spasmed and went limp, legs sliding back, its rider tried to kick free, but the straps to its stirrup failed to release and the dead gnull and its rider slid under the tanks tread. The sound of the gnull and its rider being crushed echoed out and over the battlefield.

    The sea of green bugs parted, none of them risking the wide treads, even as their riders tried to reach out and pluck Erak with their lances. He swatted them away with his spear and only blocked with the shield when he had no other choice. It was a veritable swarm of lance tips, each of them slamming into the tanks and dragging gouges through the armor. Erak¡¯s spear wasn¡¯t long enough to easily stab any of the lancers and he growled low in his throat in frustration.

    The Imperial soldiers fared better, the gnull riders not having time to coalesce back into a firm block as the caster fire killed bug and rider. Soldiers were still dying in droves, lances piercing bodies like they were made of cloth, but just as many gnull lancers were falling.

    The tight bricks of Infernal Infantry were suddenly there, staring down the rampaging tank and their nerve broke. Seeing the tightly packed infantry break and scatter eased some of his frustration and his aura swelled even further. He could feel it pressing on the demons, urging them to run and break even further, a veritable tide of wrath and blood hunger rising above them.

    The tank fired again and a row of the soldiers disappeared.

    They crashed into the scattering ranks, dragging more and more under the now black treads, their momentum growing as the remnant of the lancers didn¡¯t regroup, just fled further down the boulevard and away from the fight.

    The demon infantry died in droves, all their previous discipline shattering as Erak¡¯s aura grew and grew like a foggy red gaze until the entire battlefield was consumed. It was like a weight on his shoulders, a heavy mantle of death and bloodshed. He stood on the top of the tank like a herald of war as the Iron Cathedral came into view, the guardian resting in the rift unconcerned from what was happening.

    Hordes stood at the steps, resting lightly on their weapons as the tank continued forward, the weight of the charge behind Erak. Erak looked up at the unconcerned guardian who had yet to spare them a glance. It hovered there behind the single tower of the cathedral, dwarfing the place of worship as it surveyed the city as if it owned it. Rage bubbled forth as the tank continued on and forward.

    Pomp crawled up his leg and then back and nestled on his shoulder. The heavy weight was reassuring as Erak looked upward at the monstrosity. Pomp leaned in, his muzzle only inches from Erak¡¯s covered ear.

    ¡°You¡¯re close enough.¡±

 Ch. 60 The Throw

    60.

    Heads had been mounted on spikes and they ringed the Iron Cathedral¡¯s walls. Hundreds of slack faces, dirt and blood staining them as their vacant eyes peered out into the world unseeing. Erak recognized the Deathsworn, a cluster of larger heads in the middle, closest to the doors. Under their heads a creature sat on a mount of tough leather and bat wings that draped across the stairs leading into the cathedral like a carpet.

    The figure was armored in steel that glittered like a thousand stars, smudges of blood and smoke stained the resplendent suit, but its glory was unmatched. It looked as if it had been carved from the very heavens itself as it sat astride a beast crafted from hell. Erak remembered the old ones and how Grachus the Twisted had clashed with this being.

    Erak glanced behind the mounted figure to look at the crow cages that dangled from hooks wedged into the Iron Cathedral. The priests sat in them, bloodstained bandages wrapped around their eyes as their mouths gaped open, blackened with dried blood. The doors to the cathedral were open but the interior was dim and he could not see further in.

    All of this in a heartbeat as his eyes rose back up to the guardian. The corrupted creature¡¯s burning pits of eyes hadn¡¯t twitched toward them, still staring further off into the distance. The monstrous sword consumed by its deadly flame sat across a knee as the being lounged as if bored by the conquest.

    Rage. It pulsated in him, a furnace that bled into the aura of bloodlust that controlled the attacking army, swelling further and further until the very air became saturated red with his wrath. The tank continued to race forward, never slowing as the newest wave of demons strolled to the front.

    Erak squared his shoulders and planted his feet as he looked up at that indifferent deity. His balance set, he stepped forward and threw the spear, activating Momentum as he did so.

    The racing adrenaline fled out of him. The miasma of his aura vanished, sucked dry as it fueled the spears ascent as a red bolt flying to pierce the sky. The entirety of the army froze for a second as their minds cleared and they realized where they were at. Only Del kept the attack going, his tank never slowing down even as Erak¡¯s attack flashed upward.

    Before this invasion and his growth in strength, the throw would have been impossible. Hundreds of feet in the air, the corrupted creature was well beyond the limits of a natural throw. Even with his growth in strength, the throw was too far. With the ability it rocketed away from him and crossed the distance in the blink of an eye. Erak smiled as the rare grade spear cut a trench in that golden skin, more blood flowing to run over its distressed raiments.

    Its head threw back and it screamed in pain, a clarion call like a thousand brass horns that echoed over the city. The smoldering fires in its gouged out eyes lit up in a burning wrath that blazed outwards like spotlights as it shook itself free from its stupor and peered down at them.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Clock starts now,¡± Pomp said to him as Erak grabbed at the dragonbone sword, hoisting it aloft in the air. A roar filled the air behind him as the soldiers took heed of what was happening, of the scream of pain and agony and then the tank fired, a burst of fire that lanced into the crowd at the steps of the cathedral right was the first drops of golden blood splashed down on the ground.

    Erak leapt from the tank, hitting the ground in a sprint as his sword lowered to point at the mounted figure. The creature drew forth its own sword, a bastard blade that reflected light like an oil spill. His mount surged upward, a leathery dragon looking beast with four legs and its wings billowed outward as it took a running start and launched itself free of the steps and toward Erak, gliding toward him.

    Hell-Knight lvl. 26

    A code of chivalry resides in the Infernal Palaces of the Hell Lords and their Lieges. This being has pledged itself to these codes of dishonor and warcraft.

    Corrupted Dragon Hatchling lvl. 23

    The befouled Essence of Hell has tainted a dragon egg and spawned this mutant. Smaller and more vicious than its normal brethren, it is more easily tamed than any self respecting dragon and lacks many key attributes of the draconic race.

    Erak skimmed the words as he ducked into a roll, the scrape of talons on his armor loud as he barely missed its outstretched claws. It beat its leathery wings and rose up and into the sky, wheeling about to come at him again. Erak turned his back to it and raced up the steps and toward the broken cluster of demonic monsters holding their ground.

    Hellspawn lvl. 19

    The primary citizens of the Hell plains, stronger and more developed than their lesser siblings, have room for growth unlike the lesser Hellspawn.

    The lead demon had a truncheon with metal studs in it that it lifted in a half hearted attack. Erak took the blow with his shield, the crash of metal on metal loud , the blow numbing his shoulder with the fury of the blow. Erak struck down and the dragonbone blade spilled blood for him for the first time.

    The sharp bone sword split apart flesh, bone, and leather armor alike with ease, bisecting the hellspawn in a single blow. Erak rammed aside the tottering corpse as he continued up the steps, trading blows as fast as possible, his new sword light as a switch in his grip. Back and forth it flowed, splitting apart the thickly built Hellspawn like they were nothing.

    A mad laugh bubbled in his chest as the euphoria of combat and the constant stream of Essence flowed into him. Erak crushed another of the demons with his shield and parried a blow, cutting apart the enemy¡¯s spear with ease. They fell like grass before a scythe, back and forth he went, spilling black blood until it was an ocean washing down the steps of the cathedral.

    A shadow loomed over head and he ducked and spun, blade slashing out and over his head. A dragon screamed in rage, pale and weak in the aftermath of the guardian¡¯s bellow. Hot blood flowed over him as the dragon tumbled to the ground, long wings covering and throwing more Hellspawn to the sacred stone steps. Above him, heat flared in a powerful corona that caused sweat to burst out across his face and back and he looked up to see the guardian pointing its wicked blade at Del in his tank.

    The tank commander was halfway out the hatch, staring back unflinchingly as the main turret rose up until it was pointed right back at the guardian. The tank fired first, an unstoppable burst of power that took the guardian in the chest, burning its clothes and scorching its skin as it reeled part way back into the portal. Then the flame wicked down the sword¡¯s blade and fell upon the tank like an oversized water drop, splashing out in a wave.

 Ch. 61 Flames of Hell

    61.

    The tank boiled away, evaporating in a burst of heat as Erak was forced to use his Invincibility to stop himself from being baked as the blast of heat lifted him off his feet and threw him backward and into the Iron Cathedral. His hearing disappeared, the thunderclap ringing his ears as the darkness of the cathedral welcomed him. He bounced hard, skipping across the polished stone like a pebble on water.

    Erak slammed into a heavy wooden pew and the pew blew apart as he finally stopped. He lay there a moment, ears ringing, world spinning, and blood filling his mouth. His armor glowed with heat but none of it transferred to him as he slowly got to his feet. The world spun for a second until he caught his balance. He spat a wad of blood and a broken tooth out after lifting his visor for a moment. The superheated air hit his face with the power of a physical blow and he slammed the visor back down to block off the heat.

    The knight came staggering into the cathedral, armor glowing white from the inferno raging outside. It looked about and then met Erak¡¯s gaze before lifting its sword up and racing forward. The demon was moving slower than before, leg trailing slightly and its non-sword arm limp at its side. Erak lifted his dragonbone sword and frowned when he saw the charred edges of it.

    The knight leapt over a pew in a burst of speed and Erak was forced back to avoid the downward strike as the knight landed right where he had been standing. The glinting blade struck the stone in an explosion of sparks, arcing out to burn harmlessly against Erak¡¯s armor.

    Erak stepped forward and thrust the dragonbone sword, aiming for the gorget of the demon knight. The creature was quick, sidestepping and letting the bone blade scrape a trough across its shoulder as it riposted, aiming for Erak¡¯s guts.

    A sense of dread filled him as he stared at the oily blade and he spun on the balls of his feet and away from that lethal point. It was the first time he hadn¡¯t trusted the armor to stand against a weapon. Erak slashed out, rolling his wrist and attacking the knight¡¯s sword wrist.

    The knight blocked, twisted and sent Erak¡¯s blade away and kept close. The knight¡¯s shorter blade hacked at him and Erak blocked with his shield, the power behind the blow numbing his arm and causing him to stumble. Only the corrupted dragonkin brutes had been close to the damned knight¡¯s strength and the knight¡¯s speed was greater than Erak¡¯s.

    Erak smiled.

    He lunged forward, closing the gap as he led with his shield. The heavy kite shield hammered into the knight¡¯s breastplate in a peal of metallic thunder. Erak grunted as his legs churned, pushing the knight backward and into a pew, tripping him up as the knight twisted backward and to the side, barely dodging Erak¡¯s chopping attack.

    The dragonbone sword splintered the thick, dark wood of the pew in an explosion of splinters that rained around him. He kicked the now split apart pew to the side as the knight struggled to bring his sword to guard. His armor had begun to darken, the once starry constellations charred away. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Their blades met thrice in a blur of speed, each blow ringing out loud enough that Erak could hear it over the powerful hum that resonated continuously in his ears. Erak kicked at the knight¡¯s bad knee, tip of his foot catching the knee and pushing it backward. The knight jumped back and Erak gave chase, trading blows with the demon across the dark cathedral.

    All around him broken pews, torn apart gospels, fiery light streaming in through the broken windows in a sea of twisting shadows. Erak still glowed from the heat of the fire, a white beacon in the darkness as he dueled the enemy. They crashed again and again and Erak could feel the battle turning his way.

    He hurt. His body ached and things were broken inside of him. Bones grated and muscles were strained, but he continued to push as his blood sang with the joy of battle. He honored his oaths and fulfilled his desires all in one violent swoop and he felt stronger than he had ever been as his purposes aligned.

    Erak sped up.

    No longer were they evenly matched in the center of the cathedral, but Erak drove his foe backward. Each blow the next note into the symphony of death, all waiting for the final note that would bring about silence. The knight grew more chaotic, slashing faster and more wild as Erak battered him about.

    Erak finally sidestepped as the knight overreached on a thrust, letting the oil-slick blade pass by his hip as he punched the knight with the rim of his shield. Metal crunched and the knight staggered, then fell to a knee as his sword fell from his grasp to clatter on the stone. The demon rose quickly, grabbing at the sword as it did so, but Erak didn¡¯t relent.

    He stabbed down, piercing the remaining good knee and crippling the demon knight. It screamed, voice far away and tinny to Erak¡¯s damaged hearing, as Erak loomed over it. Her pulled the fury¡¯s bronze blade and rammed it into the knight¡¯s visor and the creature shuddered twice before tipping over to fall to the ground.

    A bellow shook the cathedral and the walls surrounding the doors burst apart as the corrupted dragon surged into the building. It¡¯s leathery skin was cracked and burned, blood dripping free from rents in its skin as it opened its mouth and roared again.

    Erak grabbed the dragonbone sword and pulled it free of the knight¡¯s knee as the gravely injured hatchling drug itself into the cathedral. Its wings were burned away, nothing more than charred stumps and its tail had been amputated half way down, blood trailing behind it as charged in drunken surges.

    Erak felt a tendril of sympathy at the creature. It was a twisted perversion, but that was not its fault. The wounds were mortal and its rage and grief was all that drove it as it limped toward him. It lunged from ten feet out, crossing the distance in a burst of speed as its jaws snapped close over the space Erak had previously occupied.

    He sidestepped and cut once. The hatchlings head fell cut from its sinewy neck, thumping heavily to the ground as the beast found its rest finally. Erak looked over it and then walked past it to look out over the battlefield.

    It was burnt away.

    The area past the steps of the cathedral was no more. Not even the stone had been spared the heat of the flames, earth cracked and smoldering as all traces of the two opposing armies were gone. As were the next several blocks of buildings. Above him the portal¡¯s guardian wailed away, its voice nothing more than the distant crashing of mountains as it clutched at its blood face and the wound to its chest. Erak looked into the distance and at the Sword of the Empire as she slowly swung her bow around to take aim at the creature.

 Ch. 62 Shades

    62.

    Erak watched with bated breath as the prow of the Sword of Empire lit with crimson energy. The lance of energy raced across the sky in the blink of an eye and slammed into the guardian above Erak¡¯s head. Heat crushed him,driving him to his knees as the world burned red for long seconds.

    A clarion scream broke out and black-gold blood splashed down upon the scorched earth, buckets of it splashing about to sink into the scoured ground. The Sword¡¯s engines flared and a burst of light emanated from its flanks as it surged across the city in seconds. Secondary weapons fired, bursts of crimson and gold as individual cannons cut into the guardian, each blast sending the titanic being deeper into the portal, chains rattling as it fled.

    Its sword swept across the distance and a burst of fire lashed out and gouged a line of armor free of the great warship as it titled, trying to avoid the flash of unholy fire in vain. Secondary explosions rippled along the warship, but it didn¡¯t slow its fire as a second charge began to build.

    Erak turned to walk back into whatever protection the cathedral offered him from the clash, when he saw shades beginning to rise from the ground. Wisps of either golden or black energy, each of them pale shadows of who they used to be. Imperial Soldiers and citizens made of sparse golden light while the demons were inky smudges against the charred ground.

    Pomp leapt from his chest, his blue form streaked with smears of ash and burns, scales flaked free as his incorporeal form shimmered weakly. Erak restrained a gasp at seeing the ethereal spirit so heavily wounded, but the dragon didn¡¯t hesitate as it leapt at the shades.

    Pomp¡¯s opened his jaws wide and bit a piece of the closest inky shade and ripped at it as a blue glow began to coalesce around him. He raked his long claws up and down the creature, dispersing the shade away. The moment he did so, he leapt at the closest golden shade and inhaled, drawing the gold light into himself.

    Erak watched as the blue spirit dragon¡¯s wounds sealed over, the glow around him growing stronger as the burn marks faded away. Erak turned away as Pomp ran rampant over the field of shades, consuming the golden light while working hard to disperse the black corruption. Even as he turned he knew that Pomp wouldn¡¯t be able to finish off all of them, the veritable sea of Essence fueled shades rose up wherever the guardian¡¯s blood splashed the ground.

    The cool atmosphere washed over Erak as he walked back into the cathedral and he looked over the ruins of the cathedral. Blasts of light and heat struck the doorway and then froze solid in place, none of the latent energy trespassing into the Iron Cathedral.

    ¡°The Cathedral still guards our people. Even desecrated as it has been,¡± a raspy voice rang out and Erak spun to see a frail form moving across the soiled stone. He wired the garb of an Iron Priest, gray robes and a black diadem that held a ruby at the brow. Black Iron cuffs encircle his wrists and his bare feet padded in near silence.

    As he got closer Erak could see the blood caking the man and realized he was younger than Erak had thought. The priest looked to be in his early middle ages, his black hair having just the faintest slivers of silver at the temple. Erak turned and looked at him and gripped his dragonbone sword tighter.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Thank you for the distraction. Their Inquisitors were quite thorough, but a full on assault and duel feet away did draw their attention,¡± he said as he stood a few feet away from Erak. Erak looked down at the Iron Priest¡¯s hands and saw the prosthetics on the man¡¯s hands. Fingers given to the gods and replaced with cold iron.

    Fingers sharpened to deadly points and had scraps of flesh still lodged in the carefully articulated joints. Erak watched those flexing fingers with care.

    ¡°Unfortunate that the rest of my siblings did not survive the Inquisition,¡± the priest said solemnly, bowing his head and murmuring a few words.

    Erak stared at him.

    ¡°The sanctity of the Cathedral is failing, but the remnants of the faith will protect us from that cursed being. For now. It could not pass the Cathedral as the portal opened, it was forced to send its minions.¡±

    Erak turned and looked up at the open doors and then back at the priest feeling tired. He set down his blade and tugged his gauntlets off and signed to the priest.

    ¡°There are no other survivors?¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, Silent Tongue! Yes, none else survived. It was just a few of us here, most of my brethren were out at the procession and we were just preparing for the Coronation of the Northern Queen. The flash of light and the notifications alerted us¡­but by the time we recovered that thing was already in the Cathedral,¡± the Iron Priest pointed down to the dead knight.

    As he did so the entire Cathedral shook as the largest flash of light yet detonated outside, streaming through the shattered windows to bleach the walls white. Both Erak and the priest huddled on themselves as it felt like gods had descended to do battle mere feet away.

    ¡°It is a strange thing, this. To be stuck here as the symbol of our people does battle with¡­whatever that is.¡± He had paused as the cathedral shook again.

    ¡°Are there anyways out of here? Underneath?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°No. That is not our way. One entrance. You are a heathen, yes?¡± he blurted suddenly.

    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Erak asked, not caring for the Priest. The world shook again as another blast of light lit the cathedral.

    ¡°Probably not. Our bastion of civilization is under attack and our gods could not rouse themselves to our defense.It has been many years since they¡¯ve stalked this plane. I had thought perhaps this would have been enough to draw them back,¡± the priest fell silent as he sat on a partially destroyed pew and rested his hands on his knees.

    There was a sucking sound as air filled a void, wind stirred across the cathedral as Erak looked up through the windows to see the purple bruise aura disappear from the sky. He rushed out of the doors and looked up to see the sword dominating the sky, fires raging across her scarred hull as she hovered there where the portal had once been.

    Erak looked at the burnt grounds and the thousands of shades that drifted across the ground. The thin black whisps were merging together, growing more corporeal as as Pomp raced about slashing and tearing apart them as fast as he could. The golden whisps were consumed, driven to the ground and consumed by the other shades while every time that Pomp got close to the golden whisps he ate them, most of his wounds healed.

    Erak stepped down the steps and hit the ground, feeling the heat wafting up from the ground. He looked at the shades as they drifted about and then punched at one of the black shades and was frustrated as his hand passed right through it.

    ¡°Essence skills are needed, Erak. They are like me, primarily in the spirit realm,¡± Pomp said as he bounced toward him and crawled on his shoulders. You have new levels and should be able to pass and gain another skill, one that will grow our strength. I suggest that you take it,¡± Pomp said in a rush as Erak watched the rush of shades growing in power.

 Ch. 63 Disciple of Galthor

    63.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 23

    Strength: 60

    Vigor: 35

    Durability: 35

    Perception: 22

    Processing: 21

    ¡°That¡¯s not right!?¡± Pomp¡¯s voice shrilled in Erak¡¯s ear as he entered the cathedral again. The Priest looked up at the duo and rose from the pew he had been sitting on, striding across the desecrated stone quickly.

    ¡°What is not right?¡± the priest asked.

    ¡°We should have gained more levels. Unless¡­unless the guardian wasn¡¯t killed. I had thought for sure that the Sword would be enough, but maybe it just fled?¡±  Pomp wondered on his shoulder as Erak rested. He would need to try to find his spear after this.

    ¡°Why do you have such need for power, dragon? Your foes have been driven before you, nothing left remains, right?¡±

    ¡°The guardian¡¯s blood has riled up the Essence signatures of all if had slain in the area. Those tainted by the Hellfire are consuming those who aren¡¯t and soon we¡¯ll be facing a host who we can¡¯t fight.¡± Pomp sounded exhausted but he looked healthier than he had been earlier.

    ¡°Ahhh, well let¡¯s see if maybe I can do something about that? I don¡¯t have many levels, but I do have some free skills I can use.¡± Erak turned to look at the priest and looked at his title for the first time.

    Iron Priest lvl. 11

    This priest has dedicated their life and Essence to a greater being and has thus been rewarded with a sliver of the greater being''s power for having survived a tribulation.

    ¡°A dispel skill would work well against them,¡± Pomp said as Erak followed behind the priest. The older man looked out across the grounds and his shoulders slumped as Erak stood next to him.

    ¡°Such waste. Let not these fragments of hell linger longer,¡± the priest threw his hands up, the metal digits gleaming in the light and a vortex appeared. The wisps began to be drawn toward the priest as the man walked down the steps, ignoring the heat from the baked ground even as the hiss of flesh cooking sounded out.

    The previously steel gray digits began to cloud, one after another till they were black as the night. Still the priest kept going, more and more of the inky wisps absorbed into the man until hand looked like the bare night sky and the area around the cathedral was clear of them. The priest slumped for a moment before regaining himself, turning and walking sedately back towards Pomp and Erak.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t dispel,¡± Pomp whispered to Erak.

    ¡°You are correct. I serve Galthor, the chainer of evils. I am nowhere near their equal and could not banish them, but I could bind them to myself. And thus, I do my duty,¡± the man said as he walked up the stone steps, bloody footsteps left on the blackened stone.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°I am Mathias. Now that this tribulation comes to its end, I would like to see to the internment of my fellows hallowed bones. Along with the Prince and his escort,¡± Mathias said as he kept walking.

    ¡°Prince?¡± Pomp asked for Erak.

    ¡°Yes. Charging in like a hero of old, banners snapping in the wind wearing armor of his forebears with all the courage of a lion. He died screaming in one of those cages,¡± Mathias said, pointing to a melted crowscage that dangled from a corner of the room.

    ¡°Still, he showed himself to have a sliver of the Conqueror¡¯s blood still running in his veins. I will place him to rest with the others of his bloodline in the crypts,¡± Mathias said as he walked back and into the small room he had come from before.

    ¡°That answers that question. Do you think that Sammus will be coming down soon with the relief force?¡± Pomp asked as Erak began to look around and gather any supplies and recheck his equipment. He shrugged to the dragon¡¯s question and searched the cathedral for anything of value.

    The backroom that Mathias had gone into was a horror tableau of torn apart bodies and suffering. The demons had been cruel and vindictive and the scattered body parts of their victims were slowly being collected by Mathias and put in small groupings. Erak left the man with that and trooped outside and into the burnt out ground.

    It had been nearly half an hour since the guardian was forced back and Erak looked at Pomp and silently asked him a question.

    ¡°The guardian? It reminded me of the Empyrean you fought before we bonded.¡± Erak nodded, he¡¯d been thinking the same thing.

    ¡°Oh look, they have a ship,¡± Pomp said and Erak looked skyward to see a small shuttle flying down toward them. As it got closer the teardrop shuttle grew larger and larger until the downward thrust of its engines kicked up plumes of ash and threw them about in a black cloud.

    Erak kept his mouth firmly closed and turned his head to avoid ash getting into his eyes as the engines cut off and the ramps slowly lowered. Sammus was the first one out, looking about the burnt out remains of the area with horror in his gaze. He stepped tenderly on the ashes while a squad of Imperial soldiers and a few of the survivors from the Red Swan.

    ¡°Erak? Are you the only survivor?¡± Sammus whispered. Erak nodded to the man and looked back at the cathedral. Pomp quickly spun on his shoulder and looked at the prince.

    ¡°The guardian destroyed this entire region, but the cathedral protected us. Your brother¡¯s remains are inside of the halls being tended to by only surviving priest,¡± Pomp said. Sammus¡¯s face fell and he nodded.

    ¡°Almonkar wasn¡¯t a bad sibling. Good man and would have been an excellent Emperor.¡± Sammus bowed his head and the murmur of a few words were heard as he prayed for his dead sibling.

    ¡°How many are left on the ship?¡± Pomp asked.

    ¡°Not many. The damage is severe and most of the crew is working hard to keep the ship afloat right now. Our relief efforts shall have to be made with fury and not numbers unfortunately,¡± Sammus said as the last of the soldiers got off the ship and lined up on the steps of the cathedral.

    The drop ship''s engines whirred with power and it launched itself back up in the air and toward the Sword. Erak led them back toward the priest so Sammus could pay respects to his dead brother and he heard the awe of all the soldiers as they took in the dead knight and corrupted dragon. They made it to the back and to the priest who had finished his gristly work of assembling body pieces together.

    ¡°Which one is my brother?¡± Sammus asked as he stared at the glistening red piles. Mathias looked up at them and Erak saw tendrils of black reaching up his throat and toward his jaw.

    ¡°Your brother was the prince?¡± Mathias asked.

    ¡°Yes. Almonkar.¡±

    ¡°He died well, very brave warrior who did his duty,¡± Mathias said. He bowed his head toward one pile that had some more richly dressed rags than the rest of them. Sammus looked at it for a moment before turning and walking away, his heaving loud in the cavernous cathedral.

 Ch. 64 Obstacles

    64.

    The streets were silent. The crackle of flames and the cracking of stone and wood distant as further parts of the city still burned. The route to the Eastern Wing of the palace was clear of any of the hellspawn or the armies that had been so fiercely waging war just hours ago. The collapse of the portal had sent shockwaves through the invaders as they fled to the darkest parts of the city.

    Erak knew it didn¡¯t matter. The city was lost. The flames had been burning without cease for days and the population had suffered such catastrophic losses that they would never recover. Their best plan was to retreat and rebuild. Something told him that the demons weren¡¯t done though.

    Invasions weren¡¯t ended because of one set back. The Conqueror himself had lost campaigns, been thrown back, had armies obliterated, fleets burned down, and still he had kept going until all the world paid obeisance to him. The Infernal Armies would be just as determined.

    He didn¡¯t say that through Pomp to the ragged group who marched swiftly with him. They were on edge, exhaustion and terror having left deep scars, but hope was beginning to shine in their expressions. Hope that they¡¯d done it, that the threat was ended and life could continue onwards.

    So they marched on in silence. Erak kept a sharp eye out for his spear, but the weapon had disappeared after blooding the guardian. His dragonbone sword was charred and his armor was so pitted, scratched, and dented that he feared for its continued survival.

    His shield was in even worse condition. He had abused the piece of steel to the point that it looked more like a lump of metal rather than a kite shield. He would have to replace almost all of his gear or find someone who knew how to repair armor and weapons.

    ¡°It is strange to see the city so empty,¡± Sammus whispered as they turned another corner and began the ascent up the hill towards the palace. The sounds of fighting started to trickle towards them and the handful of remaining soldiers shouldered their weapons and the pace slowed.

    ¡°You spoke too soon,¡± Pomp whispered at the prince as he burst from Erak¡¯s chest. With a thought Erak cast his spell to give the dragon a corporeal form, feeling the drain on his Essence. Pomp¡¯s weight became solid on his shoulder and his tail wrapped up and around Erak¡¯s other shoulder to help balance as Pomp perched like a cat on his pauldron.

    ¡°I have a bad habit of that. Alright, stick close, kill any demons we see. Keep them from stabbing Erak in the back as he starts his rampage,¡± Sammus ordered. Erak turned to look at him and the smaller prince shrugged.

    ¡°What else would you call what you do?¡± Erak shrugged at that and they proceeded more cautiously toward the sounds of the fighting. This close to the palace the homes were more like estates, three to four stories with long porches and gardens that were now wrecked. More than one of the gardens had new decorations of human remains planted in the lush lawns. Windows were shattered and smoke stained white columns as nothing moved.

    Their wealth and power hadn¡¯t prevented their deaths. In some cases, as Erak looked at the ostentatious but poorly defensive structures, it might have sped it up. Senators, nobles, rich merchants, it mattered not. All of them found talons and steel waiting for them.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    They found the first of the dead demons laying on the ground on the next block. Lesser-Hellspawn with dark burns up and down their bodies from caster fire. Then more and more of them until it was a carpet of corpses laying where they had crawled away.

    The sizzle of flesh burning became audible, the screams of demons dying and the swearing of men holding the ramparts. White walls rose up as they turned the corner, dwarfing the Armory in their majesty. Erak felt a little shudder at the sight of the hordes throwing themselves against the defenders.

    Canons were firing and detonating with bursts of heat that disintegrated clumps of demons while veritable rivers of individual caster fire came from the walls and into the sea of demons pushing against the walls. Twisted and ruined demon siege weapons dotted the battlefield and two holes had been made in the walls, flesh golems and other monsters fighting to gain a foothold.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think Erak will be running rampant through that horde,¡± Sammus said as they all slunk back around a corner. The prince pointed to a deserted villa and they all moved towards it, passing the disabled wrought iron gates and the line of heads that had been pressed on the spikes.

    The doors of bleached wood had been shattered and fine china lay in pieces everywhere, the rich marble tile stained with black and red blood. Sammus sent some of his soldiers to check the house out in pairs while the rest of the squad reached the destroyed dining room.

    A chandelier had been pulled free and lay in shattered crystal atop of the long table, chairs thrown to the ground while the remnants of a split apart animal lay on the table with a thick coating of black grubs on it.

    ¡°That¡¯s foul,¡± a soldier said and that was the last anyone spoke of it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to be able to relieve the siege like they originally planned,¡± Sammus said.

    ¡°Sir, if we retreat back to the Sword and help with repairs, we could bring her about and fire down on the horde. Clear them out without a problem.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the sewers again?¡±

    ¡°Loop around to the West Wing and try to get in through there?¡±

    The suggestions came thick and fast as Erak stood there, hearing them all but not knowing what to do himself. The horde outside the walls was monstrous, thousands of demons scrabbling to find a handhold to enter the palace. He could spend days cutting his way through their ranks and still find more waiting for him.

    ¡°I think trying to bounce around the side will be the best chance. Use the remnant of the villas to cross unseen and then get towards the Western edge of the hill and to the walls there,¡± Sammus said.

    The squad nodded but Erak was nodding as the team broke free and started to head quickly toward the backyard and started to race across the estates back gardens, leaping fences or going through them as they ran as fast as they could. The screams of battle stayed constant for a while and then began to fade away as they got a quarter of the way around the hill.

    Erak took the lead, his strength letting him bound ahead of the rest of the squad started to fall behind. He leapt over a stone wall and landed lightly as his feet hit the ground. The new garden he was in had a hole blown open in the outer wall and Erak could see the Western Wall of the palace. A figure stood at the center of the wall as beams of energy raced about her, gleaming sword in her hand as she slashed downward, a beam of energy lashing the world beneath her boots.

    For the first time in days the gentle tug on his guts eased as his oaths finally relaxed.

 Ch. 65 Reunited

    65.

    Erak moved, bursting free of the ruins of the estate and crashing into the turned backs of the horde of demons. His dragonbone blade slashed horizontally at waist level and three demons were bisected from the singular blow. His shield was tight to his body and he ran without thought as yells from Sammus and the rest of his squad rang out behind him.

    Erak had eyes only for that figure on the wall. It had paused, sword in the air as its head locked firmly on Erak¡¯s position. Then the sword snapped down like an executioner''s blade and a blast of white energy left the blade and arced downward. As it traveled it changed, coalescing into dozens of icicles longer than a man¡¯s arm. They speared through the next closest clump of hellspawn, pinning them to the ground.

    Erak ran through the forest of pincushioned demons, slashed apart a dismounted gnull rider, and then cut a pair of Infernal Soldiers at the knees. Sammus appeared next to him, breathing hard and hair astray, blocking an errant spear strike.

    ¡°You¡¯re mad!¡± he roared, half laughing at the insanity of it all. Erak kept pushing as Pomp leapt from his shoulder and slammed into a knot of demons. The dragon was a slashing and biting furry, ripping apart flesh and bleeding them out before they could realize he was amongst them. It was all chaff, the leftovers of the invasion cobbled together for one final desperate assault.

    They died with ease, every swing of his blade sending black blood arcing into the air. Caster fire was redirected off the walls and toward him, burning a channel of demon flesh that allowed Erak to push through faster. The Queen threw another bolt of energy free from the wall and a burst of icicles cleared the last few steps as Erak and the others got to the shadow of the wall.

    A heavy door of battered black iron was thrown open and a squad of soldiers rushed out, firing their casters into the stunned crowds of demons as Erak barreled his way toward them. More and more they came, feeling the impregnable walls having finally revealed an entrance, but Erak stood firm.

    Rivers of black blood ran down the stone paved hill, flowing over clawed feet and howling hordes, all without stop as Erak kept killing. The heat suffused him, his aura reaching out and filling the air as he kept cutting and punching and kicking. Every blow killed and still the demons kept coming.

    ¡°ERAK! That¡¯s the last of them, let¡¯s go!¡± Sammus yelled in his ear, tugging at his belt to try to stir him. Erak didn¡¯t want to go, he was lost in the fervor of war, of blood spilling and his foes dying.

    ¡°ERAK! RETURN TO ME!¡± A woman¡¯s voice echoed over the top of the walls, shattering the spell the aura had over him as his oaths burned and sanity returned. The vigor in his blows slowed and he allowed himself to retreat, foot by foot backward, still killing but with methodical precision rather than bloodlust.

    He passed through the doors and Sammus grabbed the handle and slammed the heavy door shut. Thick rods at the top and bottom of the door slammed home and then a iron bar was wedged across the width of it. Erak¡¯s heavy breathing filled the dark tunnel and he walked with hurried steps through the depths and out and into the light of the palace.

    The outer courtyards were filled with soldiers or palace workers conscripted to serve. Royal Guardsmen rested or ate while sitting, drinking water or talking slowly to each other. Erak didn¡¯t see who he was frantically looking for though. He cast his eyes up to the height of the wall and started to jog to nearest entrance to the stairs leading up.

    A pair of guardsmen tried to stop him, shoving hands out and ordering him to halt, but he brushed past them and started up the stairs. Each step caused his damaged armor to clank and the heavy odor of demon blood drenching him filled his nose as he rose higher and higher to the top of the parapets.

    The air on top of the walls was cooler and a breeze blew the harsh scent of the battles across him as he searched for that gleaming figure. He saw Lady Torpin resting against a stone wall, her eyes widening in shock as Erak marched her way. A half dozen Northern troops were arrayed out and around their charge, all of them familiar faces to Erak. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Then he was standing next to her, her silent shadow as he had always been. A soothing echo rolled from his stomach as he finally finished answering the call. She turned to look at him and he finally saw her.

    Frost Queen lvl. 17

    The armor she wore was as pale as moonlight and had a few harsh scratches down its polished finish. Black blood was dried in the creases and her helm had a nasty dent in the side where it covered her jaw. Her longsword rested in one hand and she ducked down to hide beneath solid stone as she looked at him for the first time in days.

    ¡°Erak, I can not say how good it is to see you. Well done with the work in closing the portal!¡± She had to yell to be heard over the fighting and Erak took a knee and leaned closer so he could hear her better.

    ¡°This is their last gasps, nothing more. Downward and to the courtyard so I may see you in the flesh,¡± she ordered and clapped him on the shoulder with her free hand. Her whole coterie rose as one and Erak fell into place as he always did, trailing beside and slightly behind her.

    They went back the way he had just came and ran into Sammus who silently slid into place next to Erak as they all marched down the steps and into the courtyard. She spun on a heel and wrapped Erak into a hug, the lighter metal of her armor clanging against his pitted and scarred heavier suit.

    ¡°Off! Off!¡± she ordered, as she peeled her own helm free. Her guards lounged about, forming a circle as Erak tugged his gauntlets off and set them down before prying his helmet off. There were no gasps or shocked looks at his scarred and weathered visage from this group of warriors. They knew his face as well as their own and they simply clapped his shoulder or murmured quiet congratulations for a job well done.

    ¡°It is good to see you again,¡± Queen Victoria said. Her skin was unmarred and white as fresh snow, blue eyes twinkling with joy as her platinum blonde hair was plastered to her skull with sweat. Red tinged her cheeks from the exertion of the battle and her wide smile showed her full set of white teeth. She tugged her own gauntlets off and ran a hand down Erak¡¯s scarred cheek, the glassy smooth burn scars that ran from cheek to upper chest.

    ¡°It happened too fast, my guards whisked me away before I could find you. I would never have left you, Erak.¡±

    ¡°Your safety is all that matters. I have my duty and you had yours,¡± Erak signed back. Victoria sighed and looked about.

    ¡°Father was cruel to arrange this marriage. No offense Prince Sammus, but your father is old and had plenty of Queens already. One more marriage contract would never have been missed. But, he did do it, and my duty is my honor. The Emperor is missing, Erak.¡±

    ¡°How can my father be missing? He has legions of personal guards, the best in the Empire?¡± Sammus asked, sounding more puzzled than concerned.

    ¡°This invasion happened, none of us were in good places. We were all out and about at different galas or celebrations for our marriage. The Emperor and the First and Second Princes were together. Second Princess Margaret was killed in the attempt to make it back to the palace. But First Prince Nathaniel and the Emperor went missing. Almonkar was planning on closing the rift and finding his father, but he failed.¡±

    ¡°Almonkar is dead,¡± Sammus said.

    ¡°Where was the Emperor when this happened?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. He was at his pleasure villa right outside the city with some of his courtesans and favorites from court." Victoria''s voice was riddled with scorn and derision at the Emperor¡¯s choices.

    ¡°With his children?¡±

    ¡°No, they have their own villas out there and we can only assume the Imperial Bodyguards gathered all three of them together before coming into the city.¡±

    ¡°Why come to the city when they had their villas and an escape route?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°This portal is not the only one. When we had communications we were able to briefly connect with a few other cities. All of them had portals though nothing of the size we had. The countryside is riddled with beasts and monsters. I can only assume Guard General Alonzo thought he could get to the safety of the Palace walls and the rest of the Royal Guard stationed here,¡± Victoria said. Someone passed her a canteen and she took heavy gulps from it before passing it to Erak.

    ¡°Erak, even with closing the portal the situation is shit. We are completely surrounded and have no method of escaping, unless the Sword can fly over here and even then we have too many people. We¡¯re going to have to fight our way out and rally somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Iron-Beard¡¯s Claim, we sent survivors and noncombatants from the Armory there,¡± Erak said.

    ¡°A fine as rally point as I¡¯ve ever heard. But, Erak, I hate to ask this of you,¡± Victoria began and Erak could already feel what she was going to ask.

    ¡°The Emperor?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°You are my greatest weapon and most reliable. Rest here for the night and I will see if we can find you some food and water, maybe try to repair your armor. But when we push out of the gates and through the hordes, I need you to find the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Your will be done. My duty is my honor.¡±

 Ch. 2.01 The Queens Orders

    1.

    ¡°Erak, are you clothed?¡± Queen Victoria¡¯s voice called out through the wooden door. Erak rapped his knuckles out twice on a wide, darkly stained dresser. The reverberations rang out and covered the sound of the door being opened as Victoria walked in, Lady Torpin only two steps behind her.

    The room they had found him was a diplomat''s suite, long since abandoned. A wide bed that looked much too soft with diaphanous peach curtains. Furniture littered the room, all of it old wood stained so dark it bordered on black. Clothing had been left in the dresser, rich green velvets and maroons with gold and silver piping that was several sizes too small.

    His armor had been dismantled and put on an armor stand they had dragged across the palace. He had spent an hour cleaning it and then an armorer had come and whisked it away just to return it a few hours later with apologies. It was mildly repaired. The straps and bits of leather had been repaired, the worst of the dents had been hammered back into shape.

    The dragonbone sword and the sword of discord were both propped in a corner while he kept the bronze knife strapped on his hip. They had found a few spears lying around but all of them were common grade and he had dismissed them. His shield was still with the armorer who was desperately trying to make it combat ready.

    ¡°You smell better at least,¡± Victoria said with a slim smile as she grabbed a chair from underneath the desk in the corner and sat on it primly. Erak went to parade rest, hands clasped behind his back and feet spaced shoulder apart. Torpin stood behind the back of the chair, right behind the queen¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Stop that. You act like we haven¡¯t been friends since we could walk,¡± Victoria said, waving at Erak. He let his hands fall to his front so he could talk to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard being a leader, Erak. How can I send my greatest friend and ally away from my side. You have sworn to me to honor and defend me, to fulfill my wishes. But I still see that loud child you were when Father brought you to our home.¡±

    ¡°You must do your duty. And I, mine,¡± Erak said, trying to ease the queen¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Of that I have no doubt. It makes it easier that we are under attack from monsters from beyond our realm. This is not some clash of ideologies or for resources. It is for existence. So I shall do my duty and your orders shall remain. Find the Emperor and bring him back if possible. We must have leadership.¡±

    ¡°Then take charge,¡± Erak said.

    ¡°Succession doesn¡¯t work that way, Erak. It¡¯d go to the first prince, who¡¯s also missing. And then continue down the line until one of the Imperial bloodline takes the mantle.¡±

    ¡°Who cares? You have an army and a warship. That¡¯s all the Conqueror had.¡± Lady Torpin rolled her eyes but kept her peace.

    ¡°Yes, well, he didn¡¯t have to deal with a milenia of built-in bureaucracy and administrational stagnation. Blood wards protect most of the secure facilities, wards I can¡¯t bypass. Regional governors won¡¯t respond and local garrisons or generals will take their own chances that this invasion will falter and fail. That with their army and their warships that they will be the next Conqueror. We must have a continued line of succession.¡±

    ¡°Your will be done,¡± Erak said. Victoria sighed through her nose and shook her head.

    ¡°We will launch or counterattack in three hours. We have yet to connect and establish communication with the Sword of Empire, but we hope that she will provide aerial support. We make for the old dwarven claim. Ride with me until we break through the city limits and then split off and head to the pleasure villas. That is where the ambush happened. See if you can backtrack from where the ambush happened and find where the Emperor is.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°My duty is my honor,¡± Erak said. Victoria took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

    ¡°Clara, close the door, please.¡± Lady Torpin spun on her heel and closed the door, the moment the wood shuttered close Clara relaxed. Her rigid spin easing just a bit as Victoria let her shoulder slump completely, the veneer of royalty evaporating like mist before the sun.

    ¡°By the gods, Erak. What a disaster. I want my pipe,¡± Victoria said as she stood up. She stretched her back out, hands on hip as her chin pointed upward. Pomp slithered out from under the thick blankets of the bed and stretched out, claws extending to dig at the blankets.

    ¡°Erak, you have a fucking dragon,¡± Victoria said shaking her head and laughing incredulously.

    ¡°I¡¯m a spirit of intellect that has taken the shape of a dragon. I¡¯m not a true dragon,¡± Pomp clarified as he curled up into a ball, long white whiskers flowing over his arms.

    ¡°Oh, forgive me,¡± Victoria said with sarcasm thick and rich in her voice.

    ¡°I can see where Erak gets his sense of humor,¡± Pomp growled.

    ¡°Erak, tell me, is this not what nightmares are crafted of,¡± Victoria grouse. She flopped onto the bed and groaned, showing her age of only twenty-four.

    ¡°Erak says that this is a tragedy of monumental size. But he is enjoying the fights,¡± Pomp said. Erak was busy grabbing a crystal decanter and pouring a few fingers of amber liquor into two decanters and handing them to Clara and Victoria. Victoria sat upright to sip hers while Clara slugged hers back without hesitation, walking steadily over to pour herself another one.

    ¡°Of course he is. You should have seen him as a child,¡± Clara finally spoke with a laugh.

    ¡°I have minor access to some of his memories,¡± Pomp said. Both girls burst into laughter as they looked at each other.

    ¡°Did you see the first time he hunted across the ice floes?¡± Clara said, hunched over as she chortled.

    ¡°It was a successful hunt,¡± Erak defended himself.

    ¡°You went hunting for ice drakes. You came home with a fish,¡± Victoria said loudly between shoulder shaking laughs.

    ¡°A victory is a victory. I was only eight. Too small to hunt drake,¡± Erak said as he leaned against a dresser.

    ¡°What was a child doing hunting by himself?¡± Pomp asked, raising one of his snowy white eyebrows.

    ¡°He was mad at my Father and ran away. Father wouldn¡¯t let him start training with his guard so Erak decided to show him he was an adult through the old ways. A successful hunt of an ice drake,¡± Victoria explained.

    ¡°So your father raised him?¡± Pomp asked, genuinely curious.

    ¡°Father did not raise children. He trained people. Whether they be diplomats, soldiers, generals, spies, or wives. Father made weapons to further his goals and the goals of the Northern Ice Caps. He is Lord of the Ice for a reason,¡± Victoria said bitterly.

    Erak looked at the mirror in the far corner. He had moved it when he had first entered the room, shoving it to the side so he didn¡¯t have to see himself. He remembered what the Lord of the Ice had done to him. What Erak had suffered in his service.

    Erak looked at himself for the first time in days. The width of his shoulders was broader than they had been. He was trim, what little fat he had carried burned away to leave nothing left but rippling muscle. Even the baggy clothes they had found him couldn¡¯t disguise his size.

    He looked further up and met his own eyes. Dark blue like the ocean depths, they could appear black to those who didn¡¯t look closely. His face was shiny and stiff scar tissue, his lips burnt away, the hair follicle destroyed. It was only through the greatest of reconstructive surgery that his face held some semblance of shape, his cheeks having been remade with light weight dwarven aluminum.

    Victoria looked at him like she always did. No pity, just traces of sadness and guilt. It was for her he had suffered. It was the reason her Father had bought him. To be a guardian who could never be swayed, never be corrupted, and would never waver. A descendant of the roaming warbands raised under the tutelage of the most ruthless man in the empire.

    ¡°I hate him, you know,¡± Victoria whispered. Erak looked at her and let her continue talking.

    ¡°The world is ending and I¡¯m a Queen and all I can think about is that I hate him. We should be back home on the ice. Instead we are in this cesspit, fighting demons while Father sits in his fortress with his legions. And here we are, we three. Tossed about like seeds on the wind to further his goals.¡±

    ¡°Victoria,¡± Clara said. She did not reprimand, but there was warning in her voice. Victoria stopped and nodded, the bitterness disappearing under the icy facade she wore.

    ¡°Our mantles need to be worn again it seems,¡± Victoria said. She drank down the rest of the liquor and put her glass down before rising to her feet.

    ¡°Prince Sammus would like to have a word with you I believe. He has a sister he wants to introduce you to.¡± With that Victoria crossed the space between them and hugged him tightly, her long arms barely reaching across his broad shoulder. He returned the gesture and then Victoria was gone, moving towards the door. Clara simply slapped him on the shoulder as she took her place behind the Queen¡¯s shoulder. Then they threw open the door and all of them returned to being who they needed to be.

 Ch. 2.02 Princess Aloria

    2.

    Even with the invasion ongoing the palace had a sense of opulence that staggered Erak. Marble and endangered hardwoods, gold and silver trim and ancient antiques filling every corner. The wounded and dead lining the halls were a stark contrast. The scent of burnt flesh and blood filling every hall.

    Medics and non-combatants were prepping them to be moved, stacking people on to litters and changing bandages before the final flight of the palace began. Everyone slid away as Erak marched down the halls. He had only had the armor for a few days, but he had become accustomed to the anonymity it provided him. Now the stares were back, the fear and pity mingling in equal measure.

    Pomp¡¯s comforting, cool weight on his shoulder wasn¡¯t helping with the stares. The small ice dragon had taken a liking to holding his physical form, a chill emanating from his body and mist puffing up every time he exhaled. The chill along Erak¡¯s neck and shoulders was a welcome relief against the heat and stuffy air of the palace. Without power the ancient palace walls were holding the heat like a furnace.

    Sammus had found a small parlor that wasn¡¯t loaded up with wounded or refugees and had somehow convinced someone to bake delicate pastries with thin coating of powder sugar while sipping cold tea. The young prince had cleaned himself off, his angular features were clear of dirt, ash, and blood while his clear eyes had a hint of mirth in them as the faint smile on his face widened as he saw Erak.

    The woman across from him was much older. Her face square with hints of jowls softening the brutal nature of her jaw. Dirty blonde hair was raggedly cut to her shoulder and was still damp and limp against her shoulders while her broad shoulders strained against the confines of an ill fitting Imperial uniform. A sword with a clear crystal in the hilt leaned in a plain scabbard next to her hand.

    ¡°Erak, it¡¯s good to see you my friend.¡± Sammus grabbed a small black plate with gold symbols carefully painted on it, with a single one of the dainty pastries on it. He offered it up to Erak and Erak took the plate instinctively, the delicate china hard to hold between his big fingers.

    ¡°My sister, the fourth princess Aloria,¡± Sammus continued, waving a hand sticky with powdered sugar at Aloria. Erak nodded at her as he used two fingers to pluck the still warm pastry up and ate it in a single bite. The explosion of flavor was powerful, warm chocolate, flaky crust, the sugar divine on his tongue. He set the plate down and grabbed another one off of Sammus¡¯s plate, eating his stolen pastry slower and with great glee as the hurt look on Sammus¡¯s face sweetened the pastry.

    ¡°Third princess now. Almonkar¡¯s death is an advancement for me. For all of us,¡± Aloria didn¡¯t seem distraught with the thought of her brother¡¯s death. Sammus read Erak¡¯s face in an instant and quickly explained.

    ¡°Almonkar and Aloria had a bit of a difference in opinion. On everything. Sometimes violently different.¡± Sammus waved a hand as if that delicate piece of intelligence was common knowledge.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Almonkar was prideful and stubborn as a dwarf. Hard headed enough that he thought he could go and kill that creature with only a hundred men. Got them all killed too. Men who would have been better served holding the line.¡± Aloria¡¯s voice was raspy and had a slight accent to it that tickled Erak¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Do you have more food?¡± Pomp asked for Erak as Erak finished off his pastry, licking at his fingers to clear up the sugar.

    ¡°Is all you ever think about is food and fighting?¡± Sammus said with a laugh. He grabbed a silver bell and rang it twice, the clear sounds ringing out as Erak grabbed one of the small chairs and sat down.

    ¡°You¡¯re a big one. I¡¯ve seen several of you Northern bastards about. Lord Glacies has been hard at work for many years breeding warriors like you. I will admit, you are far more effective than our intelligence indicated,¡± Aloria said.

    ¡°What do they say about me and my brethren? Erak signed as the door opened and a disheveled looking waiter brought in another plate filled with pastries.

    ¡°That you are bastards, born from only the fiercest of the half-breed giantesses and from the greatest and most loyal warriors of Lord Glacies. That you are engineered in labs, every weakness pruned away while still in the womb. That you hunt ice drakes and direwolves as children. And your lord¡¯s enemies as adults.¡±

    ¡°Close enough,¡± Erak signed, eyes locked on the steaming pile of pastries. He grabbed one and threw the whole thing in his mouth, ignoring the burning in his mouth as he chewed.

    ¡°Is it true that you are introduced to your charge as a child? Grow up together like siblings? A loyalty that can¡¯t be bought or challenged.¡± Aloria seemed genuinely curious. It was different from so many others who whispered in the wake of his passage.

    ¡°I was placed by Victoria¡¯s crib when I was three. I was her guardian from the moment of her birth and have only grown further into my duties. My duty is my honor, and my duty is to serve and protect,¡± Erak signed.

    ¡°Admirable. Whatever Lord Glacies has done up there has produced some of the greatest warriors I¡¯ve ever seen. Even the old guard, the warchiefs of the glacier fields, fell to the demons. Yet, here you are. Cleansing the city with steel and vengeance. Father should have invested more in Lord Glacies processes. A few of your kind attached to some of the younger siblings. But then it would be troubling when the purges would begin. Maybe it¡¯s better to keep them vulnerable,¡± Aloria pondered, tapping her finger softly against her chin.

    ¡°You must forgive Aloria, Erak. She¡¯s a monster wrapped in the flesh of a human being. All she thinks of is the throne and how many siblings she¡¯d have to kill to take it,¡± Sammus said, chuckling without humor. His eyes were flat as he looked at the older woman. Aloria gave a flat smile back at him and wolfed down a pastry.

    ¡°The moment father stepped down, the bleeding would begin. I know for a fact that Almonkar planned to kill me himself. Bragged about it quite frequently when he was drinking with his closest allies. Sammus here is soft by comparison, his twin is actually loved by him. All of us are killers just waiting for the Emperor to die so we can have a chance.¡± Aloria ate another of her pastries and then leaned back, fingers laced over her stomach.

    ¡°Anyways, Erak. I wanted you to meet Aloria since she will be leading the assault out of the palace walls. She was requesting you to join her in the attack to break through the perimeter.¡±

    ¡°I will do as my Queen orders me to, but I have no objection to being the point of the spear,¡± Erak said.

    ¡°Magnificent,¡± Aloria whispered, her eyes clouded over in though.

    ¡°Yes, these are. Erak another?¡± Sammus said, picking up the rapidly diminished plate of pastries and offering one to him. Erak¡¯s stomach rumbled and he took the entire plate as Pomp snorted a cool breath across his neck.

 Ch. 2.03 The Beat of Slaughter

    3.

    The palace was solemn, a heavy weight draped across it as slowly a set of pipes wailed a death dirge. The death of the capital, of their world, the fall of an Empire. It stretched out, haunting the halls, the courtyards, and even in the throne room where generations of Emperors had sat.

    Erak straightened, the dark of the dawn brightening as the sun began its ascent. His armor gleamed, polished and hammered free of dents, and he had the oversized dragonbone sword on his shoulder as he stood at ease as the remnants of the band played.

    Hundreds clustered behind him, holding their makeshift weapons, nervous sweat dripping down their faces as they stared at the damaged gates. Teams were standing by, ready to throw them open at a moment''s notice. Behind the rank and file soldiers were the civilians, with a thin row of soldiers on the outside of the long column. Near the rear of the snaking column would be Victoria and Sammus, the two of them agreeing to form the rearguard.

    When Erak had found her and asked if it was appropriate to lead the charge with Aloria, Victoria had laughed for a few minutes while in the privacy of her rooms.

    ¡°Erak, there is no other place for you than crushing my foes beneath your boots. Cut us a path open and the rest of my guard will keep me safe,¡± Victoria had said, still wheezing at his question. Now Erak stood and waited for the princess to arrive as the pipes continued to wail.

    A drum beat once, deep and solemn and powerful enough to reverberate through his bones. Then again and again, faster and faster as more lighter drums took place. The pipes wail changed to something more frantic, desperate, filled with energy. Essence drifted around, currents of it flowing over the column before beginning to sink into the people.

    ¡°A boosting effect,¡± Pomp whispered from his other shoulder. Erak could feel the energy of it, the desire to move and march. A clash of cymbals and the music changed again, wrathful as horns blew and the cymbals rang out.

    This was a song of vengeance, of men mortally wounded who still struck back. It was wrath and ruin, anger and despair, all wrapped into a powerful harmony that sank into Erak¡¯s bones.

    Clop, clop, clop, clop steel shod horseshoes were nearly lost in the rising symphony, but Erak turned to see Aloria riding an inky black horse. It was a massive beast in gleaming barding, covered from shoulders to flanks in thick steel. Aloria rode upright, her armor matte black, with a ten foot lance rising straight up and into the sky.

    Imperial Warlord lvl. 19

    It spoke to who she was and how she viewed herself. She was not a princess who played the games at court. She was a killer, a warrior forged in hellfire and quenched in blood. Power and death in equal measure radiated off of her as she drew her horse to a standstill next to Erak. The music rose to a culmination, images floating in Erak¡¯s mind of a man bleeding, guts spilling out, but victory in his eyes and he plunged a blade into a nameless foe¡¯s chest. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°I am eager to see if you live up to your reputation,¡± Aloria said, her voice pitched so just the two of them could hear. Erak just nodded slowly.

    ¡°Let it begin then. OPEN THE GATES!¡± Her last words were a roar and the teams at the gates pulled back the heavy bars holding the gates closed. A crack issued out instantly, wood blowing apart as the gates were thrown open and a monster came stumbling in.

    Nine feet of green-gray skin, thick pustules oozing black slime down its bare reptilian chest. Its wide head had wide bloodshot yellow eyes, wide nose snuffling as it breathed in the scents of the palace. An impromptu battering ram, a chunk of marble, was clutched in its scarred hands, but it dropped it as it looked around.

    Corrupted Ogre lvl. 12

    A monster that has been filled with the corruption of Hellflame, its stronger, more durable, but its already lackluster intelligence has degraded even further.

    ¡°CHARGE!¡± Aloria screamed, her voice echoing inside of her helmet as she raked her spurs across the flanks of her warmount. The horse lunged forward, strides quickly increasing her speed as Essence pulled around her in a black-red pulsing aura that filled the tip of the lance. A crazed laugh drifted from the princess as the lance struck the monstrosity in the chest.

    The ogre¡¯s chest disintegrated, blown apart in the charge as Aloria¡¯s power erupted in a cone, blowing back the screaming Hellspawn that had come racing in after the ogre.

    Her horse ran rampant over them, sharp hooves tearing flesh and crushing bone, but Erak was right behind her. His long legs ate the distance, as he hurdled the dead ogre even as it crashed to the ground, and then he was amongst the unarmored demons.

    The dragonbone blade drank black blood deeply, each swing sending corpses in multiple directions as Erak traced a parallel path to Aloria. The princess had lost her spear in a small flesh golem and now danced around the construct with a curved sword whistling in the air, slashing apart the creature with every blow.

    Erak protected her flank, carving a zone around them with every swing of his sword as he killed with reckless abandon. Blows scraped at his newly cleaned armor, demons snarled inches from his face, but Erak stood resolute. With sword and shield he forced his way deeper, past the gates and into the burned out streets and ruins of the estates that dotted the hill.

    The demons were trash, low-level lesser spawn that were more inclined to flee than face him. There were a few commanders near the back of the horde, down the hill, who¡¯s flaming whips cracked the air over the spawn¡¯s heads and urged them forward.

    Erak found his targets and began to surge forward, unstoppable in his pursuit of the rotund demons. More spawn leapt at him, clutching at his limbs, his shoulders, shield, and even the blade of the sword itself. They were frantic in their attempts to slow him, to let their commanders slip away from Erak¡¯s wrath.

    The last traces of the music still burned inside of him, urging him on further and further, not caring as claws dug at him, trying to rip his helm free or slide into the space under his chin. He had to kill them.

    His aura billowed out, filling the killing field as the Imperial soldiers followed behind him. Erak laughed as the demons fled him, cloaked in their blood with burnt dragonbone extended forward, shield raised high. Aloria came charging beside him, sword glaring in the early morning light as she spurred her forces on. Erak was caught up in the moment, his aura mingling with some skill she was using as he charged down the hill.

    The commanders flailed about with their whips, but the rout had begun and Erak slaughtered as he raced downhill. The closest of the commanders sneered at him, but the fear filling its eyes was undeniable and Erak cleaved it in twain, all the while laughing. Behind him, distant and barely audible, the band continued a frenzied drumroll that matched his heartbeat.

 Ch. 2.04 Farewells

    4.

    Erak stood caked in blood at the edge of the capital city. He dripped as he walked and his body was tired, the hordes of low level spawn having taken their toll on him even if they couldn¡¯t kill him. They had left a trail of the dead behind as they fought further and further away from the palace¡¯s walls.

    He looked up to see the princess still on her armored horse. The horse had managed to turn enough spawn to paste beneath its hooves; he was sure the animal had gained levels. It looked thicker around the shoulders and it still pranced about with energy even after hours of heavy fighting and numerous blows that had dented its armor. Its rider still sat ramrod straight with her blade on her shoulder as she looked out and across the countryside.

    The imperial city was a sprawl here on the edges. The tight, towering confines of stone and steel of the inner city, with its broad boulevards or narrow side streets fading away as one got closer to the edge. Here there were smaller homes, built for single families, on large plots with gardens and lawns for playing.

    Most of the homes were ash now. The flower beds ripped apart and the lawns turned to bare dirt. Half moldering corpses lay about, some demons but mostly human. Past these suburbs though the city disappeared, only the ribbon of stone connecting the countryside and the city. Further away, on a gentle sloping hill surrounded by verdant grass and a copse of trees, was the first of the estates that the nobility kept.

    ¡°Victoria said you look to search for my father out there,¡± Aloria said as the rest of the survivors marched out of the city. They had gained in levels, those who had survived. The relentless fighting had assured them of that, but they were much fewer in number now. Even the incessant band had finally fallen silent as their losses had crippled their abilities.

    Pomp crawled up his leg and then settled on his shoulders looking over at the princess. The normally crystal blue dragon was sooty and bloodstained, his white mustache black with dried blood. The Essence Pomp had harvested had helped Erak in leveling a few times, thus he allowed the dragon to use him like a ladder.

    ¡°The Queen has instructed me so,¡± Pomp said for him.

    ¡°Will you be taking my younger brother?¡± Aloria asked. Erak prickled at that as Sammus¡¯s words came back to him. The princess was a killer at heart and all her siblings were rivals.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Pomp said after Erak cautiously told him it was alright.

    ¡°Take care of him. He¡¯s not as bad as my other siblings and is no threat to my ambitions. His sister on the other hand,¡± Aloria paused as she looked up to see the Sword of Empire slowly trailing after them. The massive ship had been silent as the fighting had continued up and down the streets and boulevards, but she was no longer trailing fire and smoke from her wounds.

    ¡°Illyria is the type to fight for something she wants. I don¡¯t think she wants the throne,¡± Erak said via Pomp.

    ¡°She does like a good fight and a better tumble. Ruling a nation isn¡¯t her idea of a good time,¡± Aloria paused and tapped her chin as if thinking.

    ¡°If you see any of my remaining elder siblings, you could rid the world of their uselessness. Father is needed though, so I shall wish you the best of luck in your search.¡± With that, she spurred her horse onwards down the road and closer to the abandoned dwarven claim.

    Erak stood to the side waiting for Victoria and Sammus to arrive. The long string of survivors were much battered, their eyes sunken in and glum as they marched on further down the road. They were exhausted and still had far to travel while the day was only halfway through. Erak looked at his influx of notifications and opened them while he waited.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 26

    Strength: 65

    Vigor: 40

    Durability: 40

    Perception: 22

    Processing: 21

    ¡°You¡¯re beginning to outpace the extent of your mental capabilities again, Erak,¡± Pomp warned him as he lay curled around in an exhausted heap on Erak¡¯s neck. Erak grunted back at his bond and then looked over the extent of his new skills.

    Shield Bash

    Aura of Movement

    Ice Breath (Bond)

    Ice Talons (Bond)

    Erak looked at his bond who was looking up at the sky and putting on the appearance of innocence. Erak continued to stare at him before the little dragon finally looked at him.

    ¡°You can¡¯t use Essence for a damn and I can. I¡¯m a literal storage battery of Essence for you. Might as well have some ranged attacks that can do some damage instead of you running over to try to stab them all the time,¡± Pomp said, huffing in annoyance as he curled tighter to Erak¡¯s shoulders. Erak couldn¡¯t deny the dragon that.

    Ice Breath (Bond)- Your bond produces an icy breath in a cone. Leveling will affect the range and width of the cone.

    Pomp shivered, his body shaking until he released a sound that was reminiscent of a cat¡¯s purr. He seemed heavier now, more real and in this world rather than just a spirit taking form. Reality wrapping around him as Erak stood there waiting for Sammus.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t increase your mental stats next, you should do your Essence cultivation stats. One to each.¡± Pomp said. Erak turned his head to stare at his bond again. The dragon pawed at his dirty mustache and then muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

    Finally Sammus appeared. The prince floated on the edge of the Queen¡¯s coterie, his long sword unsheathed but his shoulders were relaxed as he marched with the rest. Erak stirred when he saw that Victoria now had a large dent in her breastplate, but she waved him down the moment he started toward her.

    ¡°Relax, Erak. I am fine. Got sloppy and I paid the price. Fortunately it wasn¡¯t permanent.¡±

    ¡°Where were your guards?¡±

    ¡°They were also occupied. We had a last minute surge against the rearguard. The young prince was quite helpful in holding it at bay. Has a few more skills than I thought he would,¡± Victoria said as she tugged her helmet off. Her guards clustered around her and she went to one knee in the huddle, now invisible from enemy snipers or stray bolts as she talked to Erak.

    ¡°We will have to separate here unfortunately. I have no guard to spare you, Erak, but I have faith you will find evidence of where the Emperor has gone. If you can not retrieve him, retreat back to the dwarven claim and we will regroup. Hopefully by then we will have established a secure base and begun to rebuild.¡±

    ¡°Rebuild?¡± Pomp blurted out before Erak could think the same thing.

    ¡°The rift is closed now. I know from scouts that the world has changed, but most of the threat is gone, no?¡±

    ¡°Mitigated, but not gone. I am mostly spirit, but I can see the swirls and eddies of Essence. There are other portals, none as large as the one in the capital, but they are still there. More demons and monsters are flooding the planet. We have merely survived the first wave of them, my Queen,¡± Pomp said.

    ¡°Then the first steps need to be taken for a subjugation of the world. Regardless, Erak we need the Emperor. Find evidence of where he¡¯s gone, any survivors, and return back to me,¡± Victoria stated with finality. She donned her helm and stood back up as her guard spread out to allow her room.

    ¡°Your will be done, my duty is my honor,¡± Pomp said for him as Erak bowed his head. The Queen reached out and clapped him on the shoulder, but then she was gone again, following the train of refugees with the ragged remnants of her guard trailing behind her.

    ¡°Why are you looking so glum, old friend? It¡¯s just you and me against the world. I¡¯m sure there will be plenty of monsters, demons, and fierce animals for you to kill. Plenty of excitement. Maybe find a few beautiful maids who are happy to see us, or even better, a few unguarded vaults, ehh,¡± Sammus said with a wide smile. Erak looked at him, face completely obscured by his helm. Sammus¡¯s smile faltered in the silence.

    ¡°Worst case scenario, these rich bastards always have the best larders,¡± Sammus said with a shrug. Erak could find optimism in that.

 Ch. 2.05 The Emperors Deviancy

    5.

    The rich bastards did have the best larders. Erak was chewing on some overripe fruit as they walked through the Emperor¡¯s pleasure estate. The wide doors had been broken open, exotic wood laying in splinters on top of luxury rugs imported from the Easter Reaches. Marble statues involved in lewd acts decorated the halls, tapestries of deviancy decorated the walls, and the chandeliers had red lights glowing from them.

    A stench remained under the incense braziers burning in the corners. Erak tried not to look at all the stained sheets and manacles that dangled around from hooks on the walls. The fact that Victoria was supposed to marry the man who not only built this monstrosity but frequented it was distressing.

    ¡°Erak, where are you?¡± Sammus called out, his voice bouncing off the vaulted ceilings. Erak hit a wood paneled wall hard, the sound of cracking wood giving his position away. He finished off the fist sized fruit, tossing the core off to the side as he continued to walk the halls.

    Erak paused to look at a statue of a pair of coiled figures wrapped around each other, of the draconic tail that one of them sported. That the dragons had long been rumored to have attached to the Imperial House was no secret, but seeing how it was flaunted here in the privacy of a pleasure villa where only the Emperor and his closest confidantes and concubines would see was distressing.

    Dragons were the messengers of the gods. Partly divine and not to be so disgraced like this. Erak thought back to what he had seen in the sewers and now here in the Imperial house. He hit the statue and shattered it into pieces, the little bits of marble scattering around him.

    Sammus came up the hall, he had a pair of bulging bags strapped to his back along with a jewel encrusted sword on his waist to complement his other blade. He was eating a thick bar of chocolate, as he swaggered toward Erak. Pomp came behind him, a crown somehow finding its way to the dragon¡¯s skull.

    ¡°Dislike the artwork that much?¡± he asked. Erak just shook his head and the prince shrugged and changed the subject.

    ¡°Did you find something to eat?¡¯ Sammus asked around his bar of chocolate.

    ¡°Yes, did you find any clues to the disappearance of the Emperor?¡± Erak signed to them. Sammus and Pomp both froze there, the two having guilty looks on their faces.

    ¡°Nothing sure fire,¡± Sammus said. Pomp scaled up Erak¡¯s leg and rested on his shoulder as he looked over at the prince.

    ¡°The prince was occupied with looting the Emperor¡¯s personal vault,¡± Pomp said. Erak looked at him and then at the crown he had on his skull. Pomp pretended not to notice his gaze.

    ¡°There was his journal here,¡± Sammus said, reaching with his free hand into a pocket and pulling out a small leather journal.

    ¡°In it, the Emperor wrote repeatedly about leaving his guards as frequently as possible and going to a small villa he had some miles away. He did not say what they did there, but referenced it repeatedly. Villa Draconis.¡±

    ¡°The Dragon House?¡± Erak signed, questioningly. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Yes. Which, from what you told me about what you discovered in the underground, makes me think that the experiments you found weren¡¯t isolated events,¡± Sammus said, pocketing the journal.

    ¡°Where is it?¡±

    ¡°A day''s walk from here. Maybe less now that we are stronger than we used to be,¡± Sammus said with a shrug.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to leave your pillage here, you won¡¯t be able to keep up with me with all of that,¡± Erak said.

    ¡°I can keep up with my loot, worry not about me,¡± Sammus smiled as he spoke, his teeth dark with chocolate.

    ¡°The sword?¡±

    ¡°A family heirloom. My mother¡¯s family, not my father¡¯s. When the first of the accords was reached, the King of the Green Boughs had this blade forged and encrusted the Royal Jewels. And then handed it over along with his daughters to the Conqueror. It only seems right that as the Imperial throne no longer can protect what it served, that the jewels and the blade return home,¡± Sammus said, his clean hand straying to touch the hilt of the sword.

    Erak took the moment to look at the blade and inspect what it said. He would never take it from his friend, but he couldn''t help but be interested in what it was.

    Ceremonial Blade of the Green Boughs

    Legendary

    Those in possession of this blade have the ability to seal pacts with Essence, regardless of skills or titles. Improve all base stats by five.

    ¡°There¡¯s a hidden perk to the blade,¡± Pomp whispered to Erak.

    ¡°You¡¯d have to increase your mental stats and Essence cultivation to pierce it though. Or strengthen me to the point I can break through the obscuring veil over it. Likely it¡¯s possible that Sammus sees what it is, since he is of the correct bloodline,¡± Sammus¡¯s words were so silent that even the prince¡¯s delicate hearing didn¡¯t alert him to their conversation.

    Or at least Sammus didn¡¯t give any indication that he had heard them speaking.

    ¡°Were there any other weapons?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°None that I could see. At least not that aren¡¯t purely ceremonial. Nothing above common.¡±

    ¡°Too bad,¡± Erak said as he began to backtrack towards the front entrance. He had a bag of fruit on his belt and his pockets were bulging with roasted nuts he had found in the pantry.

    Sammus followed after and Erak left the abandoned estate, stepping out into the late afternoon light. Shadows were stretching out, the tall woods around them deeply obscured as sun set.

    ¡°Do you really want to go out into the woods as it gets dark? It would be better to wait inside of the estate until the sun rises and we can better see,¡± Sammus said.

    ¡°It would be safer in the sun,¡± Pomp said for Erak.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I said,¡± Sammus said, confusedly.

    ¡°The beasts will be prowling in the night.¡±

    ¡°I believe this conversation is going around in circles,¡± Sammus said, sighing as he wiped at his face.

    ¡°We can¡¯t level without the beasts. So we will be hunting the hunters at night. When they are out.¡± Pomp finished translation then looked at Erak and sighed, his breath cold and refreshing as it billowed into Erak¡¯s helm.

    ¡°I somehow forgot you were insane. So be it, let us go and hunt the hunters in the dark.¡± Sammus dropped his two bags of loot, letting them land with a heavy jangle of metal and jewels as he tightened his sword belt.

    He reached into a bag and searched around before pulling out a cloak with the Imperial sigil on it, donning it in one smooth motion. He struck a pose for Erak, smiling as sun finished setting and the purple dusk consumed the world.

    ¡°How do I look?¡±

    Erak shook his head and barked a strangled laugh as he walked down the last steps and into the woods.

 Ch. 2.06 Dark Forest

    6.

    The darkness flooded the forest, filling the air and smothering the world as Erak and Sammus walked through the old growth. Thick branches were weighted down by thick boughs, bending to the breaking point. The forest floor was well maintained by Royal Wardens, clearing the normally thick scrub so that Erak and Sammus could walk unbothered.

    Even miles from the city, the devastation wrought by the opening of the grand portal was seen here. Civilians were laying in blood soaked clothing, still and waxen, sprawled where they lay.

    Most of them.

    Some had been¡­snacked on.

    Erak pointed the tip of the dragonbone sword toward a man whose legs had been gnawed away, thick strips of muscle removed. The blood was black and tacky, clotted as the hours had gone by. Sammus hummed, leaning over the still body and then turning away.

    ¡°After he died. Not long ago,¡± Sammus said and Erak grunted as he kept his senses peeled along the forest. He nudged Pomp, raising his shoulder and dropping it suddenly, and floated him a question. The dragon huffed and then Erak¡¯s vision swam for a moment before his Essence sight kicked in.

    Trees were pillars of thin, green Essence, running up and down the trunk and into the roots and earth. Animals ran to and fro in the branches above them, small and bright in his vision. Then there were things prowling the ground, hunched and gnarled, viscous red energy that contrasted with the white and gold of the rest of the forest. They were scattered about in a loose ring around him and Sammus.

    ¡°We¡¯re surrounded,¡± Pomp said to Sammus. The prince drew his sword instantly, the rasp of steel delightful to Erak¡¯s ear. The creatures responded, beginning to lurch toward them in an ungainly manner.

    ¡°This would be easier if I could see, but who am I to complain,¡± Sammus said with a laugh. Erak looked at the smaller prince, but the man had Essence rising to his eyes, burning along his ears and nose. Pomp barked a laugh, but then the first of the monstrosities were coming toward them, loping along like misshapen apes.

    Corpse-Eater lvl. 19

    The flesh of the dead is a sweet nectar. These beasts don¡¯t mind the living though.

    The ugly energy leapt at Erak and Erak met it with his blade. Flesh parted wetly as he cut it in half, the dense body parting in two and spraying Erak¡¯s body with hot blood. Flesh hit the ground and Erak stepped through the mist to meet the next of the monsters, whose jaws were gaping open to bite him.

    He cracked teeth into splinters with a shield bash, sending it rolling across the ground as a third and fourth came flying at him. Pomp unleashed a blast of white-blue essence over the closest of the monsters and Erak focused on the fourth monster. His sword work was tight and precise as a butcher, gutting and removing an arm in three flicks of his wrist. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    He was sent staggering forward as the now toothless monster hit him from the back, driving him into a tree. Wood cracked under the weight and impetus of their charge, Pomp leaping free of his shoulder and the last moment. The ring of flesh on steel rang out as claws scraped over his armor yet again.

    Erak bucked backward, throwing the smaller beast back, and spun with the dragonbone blade at waist height. He removed the creature¡¯s head and watched as Sammus danced between three of the beasts. The prince was lower level than the beasts, but he was faster and a skilled swordsman.

    Erak crossed the distance between them with long strides, raising his blade up, pointing down, and stabbed through the closest of the monster¡¯s head. The beast¡¯s skull popped and it died instantly as the tip of the sword touched the earth and the Corpse-Eater froze as it was impaled. Sammus used the distraction to slip a downward clawstrike and open up the beast¡¯s neck with the edge of his sword. The final beast hit him, wrapping its arms around the prince and driving him to the ground.

    Erak was there as the monster opened its jaws to wrap around the prince¡¯s throat. He rammed his forearm into the beast''s jaws before it could bite down, teeth grating on his armor, pressure threatening the bones as he grunted. Erak jacked his arm back, pulling the creature¡¯s head back and exposing its neck.

    Sammus punched it and the creature growled and shook its head, completely unfazed by the prince¡¯s blow. Erak strained and the dense monster rose up off the ground as it refused to release Erak¡¯s arm. Erak spiked the monster into the earth, dirt erupting as the creature hit like a meteor.

    Erak stomped it, his steel boots cracking bone under every stomp as the monster stopped writhing and died. The pulsing Essence was hardly enough for him to feel, he had been glutting himself on monsters of much higher levels than himself. These little ones weren¡¯t strong enough to push him further.

    Sammus scrambled to his feet and looked down at the paste that caked Erak¡¯s boots before swallowing hard, one thin hand drifting along his throat. Erak watched it all with his Essence sight, Sammus¡¯s a verdant green with tinges of gold.

    ¡°Thank you, Erak. You may not know this, but that thing¡¯s breath is quite rancid. Are there more of them coming?¡±

    Erak swung his head back and forth, looking through the trees and ground and there were more of the beasts. Running away.

    ¡°They are fleeing, running away from our might!¡± Pomp said, draconic pride dripping from his voice as he scrambled up Erak¡¯s side. Erak flicked him on the nose, deflating the dragon. Erak dragged his blade free of the Corpse-Eater he had impaled, flicking the blood of the bone sword and walked over to where Pomp had frozen his one target.

    His Essence sight flickered and disappeared and he was staring at the ice sculpture that Pomp had made. White ice, opaque and milky, sat there like an ugly statue. He tapped it with a finger and with a mighty crack the ice split into many pieces, falling all around Erak¡¯s feet.

    ¡°That¡¯s just unfair. I''m drenched in blood and the dragon gets to do this cleanly?¡± Sammus said with fake offense in his voice.

    ¡°Erak says to stop complaining. Also, there¡¯s something much bigger coming this way,¡± Pomp said. He pointed a single clawed finger toward the deepest part of the woods just as the silver moonlight pierced the woods illuminating the furry shape moving towards them.

    It was tall and broad with wide shoulders and black claws. Its head scraped the lowest of the branches as it lumbered forward on bent knees, triangular head jutting forward with thick drool hanging from its jowls as it raised its head and howled. The sound raced across the forest, slamming into Erak and Sammus like a physical attack, Erak becoming nauseous and having to deal with the world beginning to tilt as the moon brightened in a moment until the entire area was glowing white.

    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Sammus groaned as he leaned against a tree, sword held limply between his fingers. Erak grunted as his world spun, his sheer willpower keeping him on his feet. In the distance he heard the howls echoing back from deeper in the forest, haunting and fierce all at once.

 Ch. 2.07 Wolves

    7.

    The echoes of the Essence based howl faded away and the world still spun about, but he firmed his stance and stood resolute as a massive dark shape came rushing through the trees. He held the dragonbone blade in front of him, angling it at a forty-five degree angle.

    Pomp growled, vibrating on Erak¡¯s shoulder as frost billowed out from between his clenched teeth. Erak smiled as the shape got closer, filling up his viewpoint as the massive creature hunched over and growled.

    Bipedal with thick limbs full of corded muscle, thick black fur that rippled as it ran, a snout smeared with dried blood and flesh tangled in the gaps of sharp teeth. Red eyes glowed in the white light of the moon as it raced forward, closer and closer as it panted in bursts of smoky mist.

    Lycanthrope lvl. 28

    From the depths of Hell a demon prince cast his curse upon the integrated worlds. It had rippled for millenia destroying millions of lives.

    Erak turned his head at the words. Werewolves were monsters from the old myths, prowling beasts that had haunted the great forests at the edge of the world. The information floating over the beast¡¯s head was interesting, but not relevant at the moment.

    The werewolf howled again, no Essence in its voice this time, and crossed the distance in a moment. It swiped out with a wide paw, talons dark as the night, and Erak was forced to block. The scream of talons on metal reverberated across the night and Erak grunted in shock as he staggered to the side. The power of the blow was fierce, deep scratches having clawed away at his shield.

    Erak stabbed it in the gut, ripping sideways and through tough flesh with ease. The creature yipped in pain as its entrails painted the ground, staggering back and cracking a tree with a thunderous blow. Leaves rained down on it, but the werewolf stuffed its spilled intestines back inside as its wounds healed near instantly.

    ¡°Silver bane, it kills the beasts!¡± Sammus yelled as he swayed on his feet, still stunned by the howl. Erak didn¡¯t have silver. He had a dragonbone blade. Erak cut the distance in a single leap, chopping down vertically and shearing an arm off the creature as it spun away from him.

    He took a kick from a back foot and was thrown away, sailing through the sky to land on the ground in a crash of steel. He rolled, instincts screaming, narrowly avoiding a fist that cratered the ground where his head had been.

    Pomp fired away an icy breath that swarmed over the side of the beast, black fur freezing and its body slowing as it still came toward Erak. Compared to the devastation that Pomp had wrought earlier against the Corpse-Eater, it was an abject failure of an attack.

    Sammus sliced a hamstring apart as the beast¡¯s attention was turned away. It howled again as it fell to one knee and Erak was there, a decapitating strike whistling towards its target. The beast fell and rolled, scampering on its two still functional limbs.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    By the time it got out of reach of Erak¡¯s sword, the leg had healed and it stood back up to glare at them with rage filled eyes. Its lips pulled back as a deep snarl filled the air and it began to stalk forward.

    Pomp leapt from his shoulder and circled to the left while Sammus went to the right while Erak remained in the center. The wolf huffed repeatedly, deep chuffing sounds that rankled Erak''s spirit. Its missing arm was beginning to grow back, flesh warping and twisting as spears of bone and red muscle fibers flowed out of its torso.

    ¡°Erak, keep its attention, we¡¯ll keep attacking till we find some way of putting it down for good,¡± Sammus said. The prince had finally recovered from the essence attack and was standing with his sword in a guard position. Erak grunted and walked forward to meet the black wolf.

    It swiped at him, lashing the air and Erak ducked under the blow. He cracked a knee with the edge of his shield and drove the point of the sword back through the creature¡¯s middle. It yowled in pain as bone shattered and the sword popped through it back, but its blood spackled smile just widened.

    Sammus slashed apart the regrowing limp while Pomp¡¯s sharp talons and teeth raked its other side. The half regrown limb hitting the forest floor seemed to finally breach the monster¡¯s implacable facade. Erak twisted the blade and repeated his earlier motion, opening the creature¡¯s guts to the world. As it bent down to scoop everything back up with one hand, backing up as it did so, Erak cut it hand off at the wrist.

    He tssssked under his breath, having been aiming for the elbow. The hand began to regrow immediately, flesh and bone popping free from the forearm. Erak raised himself to his tip toes, blade extended outward as if to cut into the heavens. The red eyes rose to meet his behind the metal and Erak was pleased to see a level of fear beginning to enter the rage-addled monster.

    He brought the blade down with all his considerable might, slashing apart the air in a howl before impacting the wolf¡¯s skull. For a moment there was resistance, but then the blade was slicing through and emerging from the crotch, splitting the werewolf in half.

    The two sides slowly fell apart, landing loudly on the ground and Erak smiled as he felt a rush of Essence flood through him. Not enough to gain another level, but more than the Corpse-Eaters had provided. More howls were coming through the trees, sounding closer and closer by the moment.

    ¡°Wolves are pack animals,¡± Sammus said as he tucked himself into Erak¡¯s shadow. Pomp hissed as he stayed on the ground, the small dragon now tall enough to reach Erak¡¯s shins while on the ground.

    Pomp was looking more ephemeral and the dragon raised his gaze to meet Erak¡¯s. The unspoken question was easily answered as Pomp sighed in annoyance.

    ¡°The breath attacks used Essence. I don¡¯t generate any Essence, only you do, all of the extra generated going toward me to hold. Your generation rate is pitiful. I used up most of a day¡¯s generation on just those two attacks. It will be difficult for me to maintain a corporeal form if I use a third.¡± Pomp somehow sounded both insulted and insulting.

    ¡°Sammus, do you have anything that could help with this?¡± Pomp asked a moment later for Erak.

    ¡°Most my skills are for groups. I am a royal, after all. There are buffs and things like that, similar to your aura. I could use them, but they won¡¯t be effective with just the two of us.¡±

    Crashing was coming closer, a tree groaning as it fell. The howls were layered on one another as Erak began to see the shape¡¯s in the treeline. They were moving fast, rushing on all fours to get to their packmate¡¯s killer.

    ¡°Before we are mauled to death, I would like to remind you this is your fault. We could have slept on nice beds, inside of strong walls, and had plenty of food,¡± Sammus complained. He didn¡¯t waver though.

    Erak shuddered as he thought of what those beds had seen and been through. Better to be here, in the pure night air, with a blade in hand and his enemies surrounding him. He wasn¡¯t going to be able to level any other way after all.

 Ch. 2.08 No Escape

    8.

    Bark exploded in a spray of splinters, ringing off his armor as Erak drove the werewolf through the corner of the tree. Wood broke apart, littering the forest floor in forearm sized chunks of wood as the wolf yipped and tried to run away from him. Its claws dug through the forest floor, sending sprays of dirt to rain on Erak as he rushed to finish off the last of the pack.

    The dragonbone sword was currently buried in a tree, pinning a wolf there as Sammus continued to try to cut through its regeneration. The discord blade was in Erak¡¯s hand, dripping blood on the loose dirt as he loomed over the wolf. It turned its head back toward him, red eyes wide as its jowls pulled back to show off a wide array of teeth as it growled at Erak.

    Erak brought the blade down with finality, the wolf''s head coming free and rolling away. He kicked it, sending the head flying away and through the forest and waited over the decapitated body as he waited for Essence to come rushing through him. He sighed with pleasure as he turned to go back toward the scene of the fight.

    The pack had been numerous, vicious, and borderline feral. They had come rushing through the woods like a tide, claws and fangs flashing in the moonlight. Now the forest was wrecked. Ice climbing up trees, ground furrowed where blows had been exchanged, and body parts strewn around like loose confetti.

    The wolves had come, but they had not found prey.

    Erak had a satisfied smile on his face as he walked by the strewn about monster parts. Even the one he had left for Sammus was finally dead, hacked apart by the prince and Pomp. Erak had felt the faintest trickle of Essence earlier when the creature had died moments ago.

    ¡°I think I know why everyone says to use silver,¡± Sammus said, panting on the ground. His blade was next to him, drenched in blood. Pomp was curled near him, nearly ephemeral even with Erak having used his skill on him.

    ¡°Hmmm?¡± Erak hummed to the prince as he went to where his sword was pinning a mass of bloodied flesh. He reached over, grasping the pommel in one hand and pulling it free with a quick tug. The pile of mutilated meat hit the ground with a squelch and Erak flicked the blade, sending blood off of the bone in a spray against the leaves.

    ¡°It would be much easier with silver, I believe. Rather than all this hacking and hacking and hacking,¡± Sammus said as he waved his hand back and forth in the air. Pomp huffed in amusement.

    The dragon rose slowly, walking over to him and shedding his corporeal form to slide back inside of Erak¡¯s armor. A chill ran over the giant warrior as Pomp sank into him. Erak sheathed the discord blade after cleaning it off, letting the dragonbone sword sit on his shoulder.

    Sammus just lay there, exhausted from the fight. Erak peered over the tired prince and leaned over him. Sammus closed his eyes and slowly his heavy breathing slowed down until he no longer sounded like a bellows. He opened his eyes and held out a hand and Erak obliged him, grabbing the small elf¡¯s hand and pulled him to his feet.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    The prince weighed less than Erak thought he would. The slender man landed lightly on his feet. The prince cleaned off his blade as he walked around the war torn battlefield.He whistled low and long, the shrill sound echoing across the ground.

    ¡°You know, at the moment, it didn¡¯t seem like there were that many of them,¡± Sammus said. Then his eyes took on a distant look and his whistle was longer and louder this time.  Erak looked at the strewn corpses and grunted in agreement.

    ¡°Will you do me a favor and watch out for me while I go through this. I have quite a few things to look at,¡± Sammus said as he sat with his back to a tree, not really giving Erak a chance to say no.

    Erak looked around the forest, waiting patiently as the prince went through his notifications. He had his own list, but he didn¡¯t mind waiting. He went through the remnants of the wolves, pushing aside pieces of corpses to see if he could find any remnants of their past. The alert had said they were cursed and the people and they should have something left of their pre-cursed lives.

    He found scraps of clothes. A folded leather wallet that had somehow managed to remain in a partially torn pocket. He went through it, flicking out identification papers and sighed as he saw the palace identification. It had belonged to a Royal Guardsman. He kept going through the corpses, but there was nothing left besides scraps of uniforms.

    A pulse of Essence rippled behind him and he turned behind to look at Sammus. The elf looked hearty and hale, power radiating off of him as a vigor had returned to his previously drawn out features.

    ¡°I can understand why you are always chasing after this feeling, now. Never had that many levels at once, with skills and a title to boot. It is invigorating. I assume you have to level now as well?¡± Sammus said with a smile.

    Erak nodded and finally looked at all his notifications. He didn¡¯t need to rest against the tree like the more fragile prince did, simply standing at rest with his feet apart as he looked over the boost in levels. The werewolves had been good for that at least.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 28

    Strength: 70

    Vigor: 40

    Durability: 40

    Perception: 25

    Processing: 23

    Pomp¡¯s words were ringing in his ears as he assigned the points. Even in the battle he had started to notice it, that the beasts were so fast that he couldn¡¯t keep up with the blows at times. The points to perception and processing were there to try to keep up with the speed of the monsters and enemies he was seeing.

    The points to strength were so he could keep throwing monsters through walls and splitting them in half. The continuous boosts to strength hadn¡¯t failed him yet.

    ¡°You''re already done? No skills?¡± Sammus asked as Erak swayed just a bit as the rush of Essence finished its work.

    Erak shook his head and then offered the paperwork he had found to Sammus. Sammus skimmed it, raising it up to the moonlight so he could read it. His lips pursed in thought and he let the papers slide out of his hand.

    ¡°Derek Hnol, he was a member of my father¡¯s personal guard. It seems we are on the right track. Are we done with the forest and hunting?¡±

    ¡°Is the forest done with us?¡± Erak signed with one hand, his movements clumsy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, I have no time for poetics,¡± Sammus said with a soft laugh.

    ¡°Which way then?¡± Erak asked. The thick canopy and chaotic fight had left him slightly disoriented. The running fight had taken a toll on all off the surroundings, any landmarks left nothing more than splintered ruins or overturned boulders.

    ¡°Are you lost?¡± Sammus said, his smile wasn¡¯t fading, reflected and glowing in the moonlight.

    Erak just stared at him. And stared. And stared. When Sammus didn''t speak, Erak took off in a random direction.

    ¡°Fine, it¡¯s that way,¡± Sammus pointed in the opposite direction from where Erak had started to walk.

 Ch. 2.09 Villa Draconis

    9.

    They found the remnants of the Emperor¡¯s party hours later. The sun was creeping further up the horizon, spilling its warmth and light over the road that wove through the forest. It allowed Erak a clear view of the devastation brought upon the Imperial part. Corpses were sitting bloated and chewed on, their rich clothes torn apart and scattered about.

    Royal guards were laying strewn about, casters laying strewn about where they had fallen. A palanquin was tipped on its side, the heavy wood cracked open and the delicate silks dirty and befouled. Wide muddy footprints that matched the werewolves from earlier traced their way back and forth over the road. There had been a fierce fight, but the low-level guards had lacked the Essence cultivation to hold the line. Or the brutality to overpower the wolves natural healing.

    Sammus worked his way through the dead, turning shoulders and peering at waxen faces as he tried to piece together who was who. Erak peered into the palanquin and saw there was no one there. Most of the dead looked like guardsmen or courtiers, none having the royal sigil on their clothes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see my father''s personal guard here. Royal guards, yes, but not his personal protection detail.¡±

    ¡°The Palanquin?" Erak asked.

    ¡°Father is old, but he¡¯s not that old. Elvish blood will keep him young and hale and he is not the sort to be carried about. Probably one of his mistresses or even an aging noble, maybe. Don¡¯t see other house sigils here though,¡± Sammus turned a corpse over with his foot and grimaced.

    ¡°This one here, he¡¯s a courtier. But normally he stays around my brother Nathaniel. This may not have been father¡¯s retinue but Nathaniel¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°The First Prince?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The heir apparent. He is vain enough for a palanquin and lazy enough to use it. He wouldn¡¯t stray far from my father though. He practically lives in father¡¯s shadow these days.¡±

    Erak left the scene of the massacre and started working his way in ever widening circles as he looked for tracks that he could use. The fighting had spiraled out and away from the scene of the fight, several dead guardsmen scattered in pieces in the woods.

    For an hour he and Pomp searched while Sammus had extricated himself from the remnants of the battle and stood a ways away from the fight, waiting patiently and without a word as Erak looked.

    He found the hint he was looking for deep into the second hour. A half footprint in the ground on the forest floor paralleling the road. It was some type of soft slipper, lacking the clear ridges that he was used to seeing in good footwear. The tracks led further down the road, away from where the main pleasure villa had been.

    Erak waved over for Sammus to follow him and started down the road. He kept to the forest, the manicured woods nothing more than a facsimile of a true wildland. Every few long strides Erak saw another piece of evidence of someone having been this way. Only one set of footprints that led further and further away from the fight. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    When the road split, branching off in three directions, it took Erak another hour to find where the next sign was. A handprint on the ground where someone had fallen, gouges in the soft loamy forest floor. It was the thinnest of the roads, well maintained but only wide enough for a single vehicle.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to get to the Dragon House?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°My father would never invite me to these things. Honestly it is a bit perturbing that he¡¯d invite any of his children to the villa out here. And the Dragon House was a private house. I doubt anyone was invited there besides his personal guards and valets,¡± Sammus explained.

    ¡°No, would have been a sufficient answer,¡± Erak said. They continued on, further and further away from the city, trails of smoke still rising from its burning. The roads grew smaller, but never failed to keep their well maintained nature. The forest began to grow more wild, the meticulous nature of the Royal Wardens not seen. Erak was forced out of the thick brambles eventually and onto the road, wet footprints on the road just as good as a neon sign.

    ¡°Any other time, I would never come down a road like this. It¡¯s a good way to get murdered,¡± Sammus said with a bit of humor.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°Creepy road in the middle of a forest? This is the plot of a horror story,¡± Sammus explained.

    ¡°You are showing your urban roots. You should see the Northern Ice, this could be a major road out there.¡± Erak signed as he turned to look at the young prince. The prince laughed quietly as they kept going.

    As the sun reached the midday mark they came upon an ornate gate that blocked the road. It was black iron, with different types of ornate dragons along the top. The gate was ajar, split in the middle and easy to pass through. Erak twisted as he passed by them, keeping his head on a swivel.

    Past the gates the road was lined with moss and ivy, covering the red brick in thick vegetation. The woods thickened, brambles and ivy covering the forest floor so thick it became impassable. The footsteps disappeared, having been slowly fading as they went further and further down the road.

    ¡°This is getting worse and worse,¡± Sammus commented.

    Pomp finally crawled out Erak¡¯s armor, still exhausted from the fights through the night. The wispy dragon spun about on his shoulders to look back at Sammus.

    ¡°You should have been in the sewers with us and your sister. That was truly a horror inducing situation.¡±

    ¡°I try to make it a life goal never to travel through sewers. Then again, I also had the same thoughts about haunted forests. Or cursed forests. Honestly, I don¡¯t really like forests.¡±

    Erak stopped and turned to look at the elvish prince. Sammus shrugged his shoulders at him and just kept walking. Erak and Sammus continued along the road until they came to the Dragon House.

    The forest bordered it on all sides, pressing against the sides of the villa. It was small and quaint, for a villa. A single story of dark marble, draconic gargoyles perched over the entrance of the double doors of stained red.

    Nothing moved around the entrance of the villa. No bodies or signs of violence to disturb the peace. The house looked more abandoned than anything. Erak walked carefully toward it, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that moved while Sammus drew his own sword and reached for the wide handle of the doors which kept to the same theme as the rest of the house. A dragon¡¯s skull, lips pulled back to show dagger teeth.

    The young prince pushed down on the dragon skull, the heavy locks clunking in the door. It didn¡¯t creak open, rather opening silently on oiled hinges. The dark interior had red flickering light from somewhere in the depths that gave some hints of the interior.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting murdered for sure,¡± Sammus said as he walked into the depths.

 Ch. 2.10 Imperial Sins

    10.

    The floorboards creaked under Erak¡¯s steps, each groan racing through the deserted space as he walked into the villa.Wall to wall with stained black furniture of heavy woods, silver draconic sculptures placed in every flat space, oil paintings of various Imperial figures hung from bronze hooks.

    A chandelier swayed above the foyer, coated in black wax from the dozens of candles on it. The wicks had been coated in something that caused the flames to burn red, the faint light of each candle hardly penetrating the gloom of the room.

    A long banquet table dominated the center of the room, plates filled with half-eaten and congealed foods. Silver cutlery lay abandoned, strewn about the banquet with a row of extinguished candles in wrought iron candleholders. There had been six seats arranged, each with a large oval dinner plate. The head of the table had a massive throne-like chair, the Imperial sigil carved into the backrest of it.

    ¡°I know he¡¯s my father, but this place is creepy,¡± Sammus said. His footsteps were lost in the creaking of each of Erak¡¯s steps. Pomp looked over Erak¡¯s shoulder to the prince and voiced his agreement.

    ¡°This is more of a hunting lodge than the size of an Emperor¡¯s personal retreat. Do you see the doorway there? It shouldn¡¯t lead to anything of substance based on the layout of the house. We¡¯re near the back of it now.¡± Pomp told the two of them. Erak looked at the door, a subtle door that blended in with the walls.

    Erak walked over to it, his large hand encompassing the thin metal. Decorative metal bent under his fingers, but the lock popped open and he pulled it open soundlessly and peered down. Metal stairs led into the depths, completely impossible to see into the depths that led deeper down.

    Erak pointed at the candles and Sammus didn¡¯t need any instructions as he leapt lightly onto the banquet table and pulled some of the still burning candles out of their holders on the chandelier before lighting the extinguished candles on the table. He scooped one up and grunted in surprise.

    ¡°Careful Erak, they¡¯re quite heavy.¡± Sammus handed one of them to him and Erak could appreciate the heft of the heavy iron work. He could definitely brain something with it if it came down to it.

    He led the way, boots clanking on stairs as he shoved the red candle further ahead of him, the inky blackness hardly diluted as he went down, further and further and further. The air was stale and rank, the stench of decay growing stronger the deeper they delved.

    ¡°Definitely getting murdered,¡± Sammus muttered again and Erak snorted so softly that he doubted even Pomp heard him.

    The stairs ended suddenly, opening up into a wide atrium with low-ceilings. Erak¡¯s head was only a few feet from scraping the bottom and if he was forced to use his blades he¡¯d have to remember to stab and not hack downward. Having a sword stuck in the ceiling would be a miserable end.

    As Erak walked a form shimmered into being in front of them, incandescent light spilling out around it as the figure solidified. A tall man with a widow''s peak of flat black hair and a pair of eyeglasses on a chain around his neck. Sallow skin and sunken eyes the figure appeared distracted as it looked around briefly before looking at the trio.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Spirit of Intellect

    Rare

    ¡°No, we are not the same,¡± Pomp said as Erak read the description of the newest spirit, reading Erak¡¯s thoughts before Erak could direct them towards the small dragon.

    ¡°Your companion is correct. I am not the same as he is. Similar to what he was, but not as he is.¡± The spirit¡¯s voice was thin and wavered, strained as if he¡¯d suffered smoke inhalation.

    ¡°You are the artificial intelligence of this place?¡± Sammus asked, coming out and from behind of Erak to stare at the spirit.

    ¡°I was. Then I became this,¡± the figure indicated itself with a lazy hand roll. A cigarette appeared between its fingers and it took a long draw of it, the cherry red light bright in the dark.

    ¡°What was the purpose of this place? I thought it was a simple hunting lodge, or the personal abode of my father. He¡¯d have no reason to have an A.I in place to run a personal home.¡±

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA¡± the spirit threw its head back, raspy laugh ringing out across the dark atrium. The spirit wiped at its eyes and then sighed deeply, still smiling as he recovered.

    ¡°No,no,no. This place was a facility for the most heretical of the biological experiments being conducted in the Empire. At least in this province.I was a closed system; but at times, the data entered by hand couldn¡¯t have come from our experiments here or at the secondary facility in the city itself.¡±

    ¡°What exactly were you doing?¡± Sammus asked.

    ¡°Lord Glacies has managed over the century to breed a group of warriors that have overperformed by every metric. The Emperor wanted to not only emulate, but surpass it. Lord Glacies looked towards the elder races in his search for genetic material. The Emperor looked to impart divinity itself into his warriors.¡±

    ¡°The god¡¯s messengers,¡± Sammus whispered. While at the same time Erak began to feel the old pulse of rage in his heart. That the hubris of the emperor, that a mere mortal would be so egotistical to commit such sacrilege.

    ¡°Dragons. Your little friend there has modeled himself off of them, but he can not encapsulate the strength of a true dragon.¡±

    ¡°So, just more of those creatures we fought in the other facility?¡± Pomp asked for Erak.

    ¡°That facility housed the biological experiments while this facility was primarily a research facility.¡±

    ¡°Primarily?¡± Sammus asked.

    ¡°Primarily. There were a few samples stored here, along with some of the more finished products.¡±

    ¡°Finished products?¡± Pomp asked this time

    ¡°Samples?¡± Sammus asked in surprise.

    ¡°Yes. Bones of dragons that have been harvested for their marrow. A few scales, teeth, talons, anything that has persevered through the years and was able to provide genetic material. As for the finished products, there were a few different methods of delivery that the Empire was pursuing.¡± The spirit fell quiet and looked at them expectantly.

    Erak realized the spirit was enjoying this. With a thought Erak caught Pomp¡¯s attention and the little dragon listened for a moment before speaking for Erak.

    ¡°How are you allowed to talk to us about this information? Isn¡¯t it classified?¡±

    ¡°Ahhh¡­well¡­hmmm¡­¡± the spirit looked confused for a moment.

    ¡°Are you distracting us?¡± Pomp asked and the spirit¡¯s confused look faded away before a sly smile crossed his face.

    ¡°Yes. You are all not allowed to be here. It just took awhile for the security to activate. It doesn¡¯t matter if you know what this place was for or did. None of you will be leaving here.¡±

    ¡°Erak, you just take me to the nicest places,¡± Sammus said as he drew his sword. Erak grunted as he took the dragonbone sword off of his shoulder and looked past the spirit and into the darkness beyond. The enemy spirit began to fade away but Pomp growled and leapt at him, fangs ripping into its incorporeal form and the spirit screamed in agony. It flashed brightly, banished in the darkness for a moment for Erak to see the lumbering shapes heading toward them.

 Ch. 2.11 Dragon Hounds

    11.

    They were missgotten and malformed behemoths of flesh and scale. None of the almost artistic grace of those he had seen in the lab beneath the sewers. Just lumbering forms filled with animalistic power, lunging forward with powerful surges in strength. Erak charged toward them without hesitation, sword sailing as the first of the quadrupeds leapt at him with a mouthful of yellow dagger teeth.

    The dragonbone sword swept through the creature¡¯s mouth, severing teeth and slicing free from its cheeks. The creature yowled in agony as its heavy, bulky body plowed into Erak, sending both of them to the ground. The immense weight of the creature pressed down on him, crushing the air from his lungs as he Erak wedged a hand between them.

    The creature¡¯s heat was intense, sweat beading immediately along Erak¡¯s body as hot blood rained down from its ruined mouth over his helm. It snapped at him with shattered teeth, saliva mixing with its blood into a flood that rushed inside of his helm. Erak spluttered as he strained, his arms burning as he leveraged the beast off of his chest in a press motion.

    He could hear Sammus fighting in the background the man¡¯s curses and exhalations of exertion loud in the room as dueled the second beast. Erak surged in strength, throwing the beast off of him. It scrambled to its feet, long claws slashing into tile as it rose up. Erak only managed to get halfway to his feet before lunging at it, stabbing at the beast with his sword like a lance.

    The tip pierced its chest and went deep into its vitals, ripping apart the creature¡¯s heart with a single thrust.  It stiffened as black blood leaked out of its mouth and pooled across the ground before it collapsed bonelessly to the ground. Erak put a boot on the creature¡¯s shoulder and pulled the bonesword out of the creature before turning to look at three more of the loping quadrupeds that were coming at him.

    Draconic Hound lvl. 22

    Draconic Hound lvl.23

    Draconic Hound lvl. 23

    The three quadrupeds were circling warily around him, growling so deep it rattled his bones. Each was the size of a pony, misshapen with muscle and blood red scales, black eyes and yellow teeth. Erak glanced out of the corner of his visor to look at Sammus and his duel. Pomp had finished his own opponent and was helping Sammus as the two of them slowly whittled down their own opponent.

    Traces of silvery light that lingered in the corners here and there in the small room was all that was left of the spirit that had been there moments before. Pomp¡¯s savaging had left nothing of it that could be described as a true shape.

    One of the hounds leapt, a blur of red scales and yellow fangs. Erak stepped forward and hit it with the edge of his shield, hammering it down and into the tile with a concussive blast of shattering tile. The creature squalled in pain and rage and tried to get to its feet, but Erak slashed apart a hamstring before the other two hounds forced him back. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    A claw raked across his leg, sparks scraping out and illuminating the dark room briefly. The second beast¡¯s jaws snapped close where his other shin had been only a moment before. Erak kicked it in the face for its transgression, steel shattering teeth in a spray of bone. The creature howled but kept at him, snapping again a moment later as it tried desperately to get his leg in its jaws.

    Erak hacked down with his sword, slashing apart its shoulder while its partner slashed at him again, striking like a cat. More sparks came off of his leg again and pain lanced out from the blow. The heavy strikes weren¡¯t piercing the armor but the pressure was intense to the point of being bone bruising.

    The first of the hounds got back to its feet, jaw hanging loosely as bloody drool leaking from its busted mouth. Its black jowls were speckled red with chunks of tooth riddling the loose lips. Erak attacked, matching their aggression. His sword sang and his shield was used as a battering ram to hammer the hounds back, trading blows and trusting in his increasingly dented and scratched armor to keep himself from dying.

    Every sword blow split scale and muscle alike, the room filling with the stench of hot blood. A faint smell of brimstone clung to the beast¡¯s blood, rapidly filling the area until it was all he could smell. Erak slashed through the eyes of the hound who¡¯s jaw he had broken. The thick eyebrow ridge stopped the blade from sliding all the way home to its brain, but the scream of agony was rewarding in its own way.

    Another hound hit him around the waist, ducking under the roundhouse shield punch he had sent toward it. He was picked up off his feet again, slamming hard against the ground and they were rolling across the lab. The screams of the blinded hound were an assault on his ears even as the second one''s claws raked up and down his breastplate.

    Sammus and Pomp cut off the third hound, having finally finished off their own. A distant part of Erak¡¯s mind was happy they could be bothered to have intervened while he wrestled with this one. He didn¡¯t like his odds of two of them gnawing on him while he was on the ground.

    He let go of his sword and wedged his free hand under the creature¡¯s jaw, grabbing its throat and beginning to squeeze. The hot scales were hard under his fingers, but they slowly shifted and gave way under continuous pressure. A scale popped and the hound started to growl. First in anger, then in pain, then in fear.

    Erak strangled it, ignoring the blows hitting him until he felt another rush of Essence flood through him. He tossed the corpse off of him and got back to his feet. Sammus and Pomp had left their hound a bleeding mess of small cuts and lacerations. One ducking in to lay a blow before retreating, while the other drew its attention. The puddle beneath the creature was an inch deep and only widening as the beast began to mewl in pain.

    Grabbing his blade up from the ground he walked over to the blinded hound and put it out of its misery. Its head flopped to the ground and the creature fell limp as Erak smiled as more Essence entered him. These beasts weren¡¯t a massive challenge, but the draconic heritage of the beast¡¯s had strengthened them beyond what their levels suggested.

    Pomp lunged underneath a wild snapping attempt and grabbed its throat like a terrier, worrying himself back and forth as the much larger hound slowly strangled. Sammus was panting heavily, leaning against a wall with his bloody sword in one hand and the other hand on his knee as his chest billowed in and out.

    ¡°You really do take me to the nicest places, Erak.¡±

 Ch. 2.12 Lore

    12.

    ¡°You can eat spirits, Pompous?¡± Sammus asked as they explored the corners of the lab. Erak hadn¡¯t found anything of use, or edible, as he tore through desks and overturned inert computers. There wasn¡¯t much left aside from a pile of meat in the corner, scraps of cloth all that was left of their individuality. Pieces of lab coat showed that there had been a small science detachment here.

    ¡°I did. I consumed most of the spirit¡¯s knowledge and power. He was fairly weak, did little to advance me further, but it will take me most of the next few days to fully absorb and comprehend his knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Would you be able to replace Sword?¡±

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA,¡± Pomp exploded into laughter, his voice surprisingly deep as he fell off Erak¡¯s shoulder and to the floor. Sammus and Erak both stopped moving and turned to look at the little dragon laughing on the floor.

    ¡°She¡¯d skin me without trying and use my scales as decorative pieces on her hull.¡±

    ¡°Could have just said no,¡± Sammus said. Erak grunted in agreement as he went back toward the rest of the lab. There were no traces of the Emperor or the prince, at least the clothes didn¡¯t look like something either of them would wear. Erak turned around and left the dingy corner and waited for Sammus to finish looking through the final desk.

    ¡°Look what we found, Erak! A note!¡± Sammus was holding up a piece of paper triumphantly. Erak stared at him waiting.

    ¡°It¡¯s an invoice for something. Some type of chemical place? I don¡¯t know what these words mean,¡± Sammus said. Pomp crawled up Sammus¡¯s leg in a blur of motion and then he was peering over the prince¡¯s shoulder and down at the paper.

    ¡°It¡¯s cleaning supplies. And a few other things that could be used for a myriad of reasons. But I think the note scribbled on it saying ¡°Helthod Keep¡± is where we should focus.¡±

    ¡°Helthod Keep? I know that name, where have I heard that name?¡± Sammus said as they worked their way back up to the top of the stairs and into the house. They took a few minutes to quickly look around the abandoned villa, but there was little there to take. The pantry was bare and any weapon that was in the house was purely decorational.

    The woods outside of the house were still there and they began the long trek toward the dwarven keep as Sammus continued to mutter under his breath. Erak kept his senses alert as they walked.

    ¡°Helthop Keep! It¡¯s far from here, I don¡¯t know if the Emperor or the prince would make it there in any noticeable time.¡± Erak hummed questioningly as the woods were filled with the song of birds.

    ¡°It¡¯s a hunting lodge near the border of the Middle Kingdom. It¡¯s supposed to overlook Tirimax¡¯s Fall.¡± Erak and Pomp just both stared at the prince until he told them more.

    ¡°You are disturbingly uneducated in our society¡¯s history,¡± Sammus said. Erak signed awkwardly to him with one hand.

    ¡°Not my society,¡± Erak reminded him.

    ¡°Tirimax was one of the ancient dragons of old, before the ascended to the heavens. Some say he was the last dragon on the planet, but that¡¯s mainly propaganda. Emperor Vanthris the Second hunted him and slew him with a party numbering nearly three hundred. As Tirimax fell it is said that magic fled the world, his crash created a deep canyon, and the Emperor died from an infection from his wounds. His son erected Helthop Keep in memorial to his father.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°There¡¯s a dragon skeleton down there?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°Tirimax was said to be the size of a mountain when he crashed down to earth. He ripped apart the hills and formed a great canyon system. Hundreds of bones and teeth have been found in the river beds over the centuries.¡±

    ¡°Dragon bones and teeth?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°Some. A few teeth for sure. It''s deep in the wilds, the territory is hard to get to. Of the dragon graves, it¡¯s likely the least touched. If it''s all true.¡±

    ¡°Dragon obsessed Emperor has a keep overlooking the final resting spot of the final dragon. It seems like it''s a good lead,¡± Erak said as they followed the road.

    ¡°I never knew my father was so obsessive. It took an invasion of hell creatures to showcase his passions.¡±

    ¡°But how will he get there? He¡¯s old,¡± Pomp asked.

    ¡°And the prince was even further behind,¡± Erak signed.

    ¡°You know, we didn¡¯t see any vehicles in Villa Draconis. If their personal vehicles managed to change like the ones did in the Armory, then they could have taken them.¡±

    ¡°We will have to convince Victoria to send us there with the Sword of Empire,¡± Erak signed.

    ¡°Have you ever been to a dwarven stronghold?¡± Sammus asked. Their walk through the forest was calm, the previous nights fight nothing more than history.

    ¡°There are no dwarves on the ice,¡± Erak told him.

    ¡°I went twice. It''s very small. I¡¯m looking forward to watching you walk around their halls.¡±

    ¡°I hope they have a smith and armorer on hand.¡±

    ¡°You are looking a little worse for the wear my friend. Positively battered.¡±

    ¡°Each of these dents could have been placed in your skull instead of in steel,¡± Erak reminded him.

    ¡°For that I am eternally thankful. But you still look like you¡¯ve gone five rounds with a pneumatic jack and have lost all of them.¡±

    ¡°Next fight you can stand in front of all of them and I¡¯ll stand behind you. I¡¯m sure you will still look pretty afterwards,¡±  Erak signed. He was smiling under his helmet, the banter a light reminder to his old days with Lord Glacies guard.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m pretty?¡± Sammus said with a straight face. A smile spread a moment later and the prince laughed loudly as they kept walking down the lane. The woods were empty, the demons were gone, and all that was left was just an empty wood for the three of them to walk through.

    ¡°Prettier than me,¡± Erak said.

    Sammus went silent for a moment and they walked in silence further into the forest.

    ¡°Was it in service to Victoria? Or earlier?¡± Sammus asked very quietly. Erak had told the story many times and had had it told even more. Lord Glacies knew the effect of having someone on his retainer that was as scarred as he. There was a psychological effect to having a menacing, scarred man staring at you as you tried to negotiate trade deals.

    ¡°Acid. It was thrown at Victoria while we were out in the town. A terrorist who disagreed with Lord Glacies and his policies. The doctors were good, they managed to save my eyes.¡±

    ¡°How old were you?¡±

    ¡°Eighteen. She was fifteen. Just a girl. She didn¡¯t know why someone had come to throw acid on her or wanted her hurt.¡±

    ¡°I was twelve when I saw my first assassination attempt. It wasn¡¯t even for father¡¯s side, believe it or not. It was mother¡¯s cousin, a lower Lord. He made a poor ruling apparently and there were some disgruntled folks who didn¡¯t mind using violence to make their opinions known.¡±

    ¡°Did they succeed?¡± Erak asked.

    ¡°They did. A car bomb. Killed him and his family. Mother left after that. She was tired of the court life and went back home.¡±

    ¡°Were you close with her?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Father is very busy and has quite a few Queens and children running around if you hadn¡¯t noticed. So me and Illyria were left with mother for the majority of our time. Her and our tutors.¡±

    ¡°She still alive?¡±

    ¡°Was before those portals opened up.¡±

    ¡°We can go and find her if you want. Once we find the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Erak.¡± The three of them lapsed in companionable silence and kept walking through the forest.

 Ch. 2.13 Masters Works

    13.

    ¡°Erak?¡± Sammus whispered. The hours had past in a mostly enjoyable silence, the three companions working their way through the forest. Nothing had passed in front of them larger than a bird. There was almost an eeriness in the forest, life stripped bare from its ancient grounds.

    At least until they came upon the house by the lake. Humidity had begun to sneak into the air while the scent of water teased their senses. The buzzing of insects had begun to grow, little bugs flitting through the air as the sun was setting, golden sky burning red with black smoke still choking the edges.

    The lake was glowing with the fires of the setting sun, swarmed by a sea of insects that raced amongst the protruding pond vegetation. The mud was thick around the border of the lake, things wiggling in the wet soil as Erak turned his gaze away from the lake and towards where Sammus was staring.

    The house was nestled between trees, small compared to the villas that decorated the woods. Two stories of stained wood with a wraparound porch that was covered in tight, black netting. The red door in the middle of the house had an ugly, black mark on it.

    A black glyph that sucked in the light around it. That drew one¡¯s mind and eye deeper and deeper. Erak ripped his eyes away as he gripped the dragonbone sword tight and looked around, the picturesque environment suddenly filled him with dread. It was the same glyph he had seen at the hangar bay filled with the creations of the dark alchemist.

    ¡°Are we going into the house?¡± Sammus asked.

    Erak nodded as he trudged through the thin brush and toward the house. The glyphs grew and grew until they dominated his sight, ripping at his mind and trying to consume his conscious. Pomp was there though, the icy winds of his Essence buffering Erak¡¯s mind. Even in the temperate woods, so mild that they were almost offensive, he could smell the bitter winds off the Ice Sea.

    It kept him from falling into the stupor like he had last time. Erak¡¯s metal boot crashed through the wood, explosive power that ripped the door clean off its hinges. A smell came flooding out, overripe fruit, rotting meat, and rich soil. Erak fought back the sudden urge to gag and surged into the house, blade in front of himself.

    Demons lay butchered everywhere he looked. Infernal Soldiers, Lesser Hellspawn, and Hellspawn Scavengers, all limp in death. Clotted blood and dried viscera was smeared everywhere, the demons all cracked open wide. Erak didn¡¯t know what the exact biology of the demon¡¯s were, but he was certain they were missing organs.

    ¡°What horror is this?¡± Sammus whispered behind him as the two of them prowled forward. Pomp stayed on his normal perch, claws holding tight to the thin creases in Erak¡¯s armor.

    ¡°This seems similar to the alchemist inside of the floating docks,¡± Pomp said and Sammus grunted in annoyance.

    ¡°I know that, Pomp. I was there. We killed the alchemist though.¡±

    ¡°Never found the painter,¡± Pomp said for Erak.

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    The prince didn¡¯t say anything, just continued to work through the dark home. Erak didn¡¯t see any natives among the butchered, only demons. There were no cocoons here, only rotting flesh. Nothing was alive in the house, the dark work done here had happened days ago.

    ¡°Erak, these things have been dead for days. I doubt there is anything left of value here,¡± Sammus called out from across the house and Erak grunted in agreement. Erak turned and walked back to the foyer and started up the stairs as Sammus walked out to the front porch.

    Each step made the wood creak under his weight and Erak looked around the rooms in the second story. Down below was the living spaces, kitchen, bathrooms, and a living room. The second floor was all bedrooms. Torn apart bedding, strewn personal belongings, and a trio of dead humans in the master bedroom. They had the similar looks of close family and the appropriate ages for a father, mother, and an adult daughter.

    Blood stained their shirts above their hearts, no other wounds visible. They weren¡¯t desecrated like the demons below. Quick and clean blows that had pierced their hearts and then tossed to the side like debris. Erak looked out the window and saw that the window observed the lake.

    With the higher angle he could peer down into the clear depths of the lake and his heart shuddered with horror as he saw what lay down there. The lake floor was littered with cocoons, dozens of wide and thick pearlescent cocoons that glowed with an inner light, red flame burning in their centers.

    There was something disturbing about the cocoons. About the dissolution of one¡¯s self as they were reshaped into something other. Erak¡¯s knuckles popped as he gripped the bonesword¡¯s hilt. A bubble rose up from the center of the lake, coming from the center of the clutch of cocoons. It breached the surface and popped with a flash of light, flame spiraled out of the bubble and danced over the top of the placid lake.

    Sammus appeared as he walked away from the cover of the house, with his sword drawn. Another bubble emerged and then another and another until the surface was roiling like pot on the stove. Erak jumped through the window, tearing apart part of the window frame. He crashed into the roof of the porch and drilled straight through the wood to land lightly on his feet in a shower of wood splinter.

    He caught Sammus in three strides as the prince stood a distance from the lake, watching as burst after burst of fire raced across the top. Heat was wafting from the lake, growing in intensity as steam rose up until there a fog began to form as the sun set. Darkness seeped into the forest until the only light came from the fires that boiling away the lake.

    Erak and Sammus retreated further away from the lake, forced away by the heat. Neither of them thought about retreating, the horror of the hangar had never left them. They had been bonded by the experience with a hatred and revulsion for the darkness they had seen in that hangar. They would not allow it to fester here.

    ¡°Not long now,¡± Pomp said as the moon¡¯s light shone upon them. Through the haze of smoke from the still burning capital it was weak and Erak strained to see beyond the orange light of the burning bubbles. The lake had shrunk noticeably and the steam kept rising, filling the air with moisture as sweat dripped down Erak¡¯s back.

    The thick mud had dried out, cracking as the moisture was burned out of it. A hand pierced the roiling flames, reaching out of the lake in a sudden grasping motion. The flames tripled in frequency and size, so fierce and hot that even the steam was blown away.

    A head emerged, long and conical with a flat face that had no features save a pair of slits for nostrils. Bare onyx carapace that cracked open to show a series of wide, flat teeth that looked as if they were made for crushing stone. It started to walk closer to them, emerging from the burning lake to stand on the recently dried out lake shore.

    It was nearly as tall as Erak was, but thin and spindly. Six arms and two legs, all spindly chitin and backwards joints. Wet wings were drooping behind it, tall and wide, translucent with blue veins that stretched across the membranes. Erak looked at it and saw the words above its head and knew that they were staring at the Dark Alchemist¡¯s master¡¯s works.

 Ch. 2.14 Skirmish of the Burning Lake

    14.

    A second of the insectile creatures crawled free of the burning lake and started after the first monstrosity. The second creature was identical to the first, all chitin and hard edges that cut at the air around it. It chittered, thorax bobbing, in a screech that made Erak wince as he started forward toward the Demonic Chimera lvl. 28.

    The first creature lurched forward, legs wobbling as its many arms churned the air as it raced forward to meet Erak¡¯s charge. Erak cut downward and to the side to sever the chimera in half. Dragonbone screamed across the air and the chimera lifted a bony arm into the air to intercept the sword. For a moment its arm held firm against Erak¡¯s strength and the sharp dragonbone blade. Then the arm yielded and the blade entered the thorax.

    Yellow blood exploded outward in pulsing blasts that burned the ground with an audible hiss, some few droplets landed on Erak¡¯s armor and fizzled away. Leaving nothing remaining but a few small pock marks. Thick chitin didn¡¯t shear under the weight of his blow, the dragonbone blade embedding itself a few inches into its torso. The creature screeched in pain, more yellow blood flowing in pulses around the blade, not outwardly damaging the blade.

    It was stuck though.

    Erak let go of the pommel of the blade and stepped back as the creature¡¯s remaining clawed hand scraped across his hastily raised shield. Sparks launched from the point of the contact, the power of the blow forcing Erak back another step. He growled in anger as the creature continued its attack, arms pummeling his shield as he was forced back. Trails of yellow burning blood slashed through the air and Erak had to keep his shield raised to protect his eyes from the trails of acid blood.

    He kicked an ankle joint, hobbling the creature as bone snapped loudly. It screeched again and hit his raised shield with two fists at the same time with a massive clang! The force of the blow picked him up and threw him, his flight quickly ending as he hit the ground and rolled across the ground.

    Sammus raced by him, just a flash of color as he and Pomp tried to slow the beast. Erak grabbed at the loose dirt, gauntleted fingers digging deep as he slowed himself. He surged to his feet and started back toward the fight as Sammus kept the beast at bay with increasingly desperate footwork, his blade flashing about to keep the claws from entering his flesh.

    Pomp blew a wave of freezing cold over the missing arm and the pumping acid blood froze as white frost crept over the wounded limb and over the torso. The second creature ignored the prince and dragon and raced around the two of them and toward Erak. The Fury¡¯s knife felt undersized in his hand as Erak squared off with it. Its pumping arms lashed out in whip-like strikes that cracked against his shield and pauldrons with bruising force.

    Erak couldn¡¯t close the distance, the monster¡¯s arms were too long and powerful to push in close to use the knife. Erak jumped backward and the creature stumbled forward as its overhand swing met no resistance. Erak threw the knife, watching it flip end over end to embed itself in the creature¡¯s neck. The blade bubbled and dissolved away under the yellow, acid blood.

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    As the creature gurgled, Erak raced past it and toward the first monster. Sammus¡¯s footwork had dissolved into a hurried retreat as his once precise bladework had become the frantic swinging of a man in his last desperate gambit. Sparks flew as the sword connected with claws, hardly having the strength to deflect the strikes.

    Pomp raced around the edge of the fight, attacking with his sub-zero breath attacks. Each time the breath attack landed thick rime grew and grew across the creature¡¯s body. Two of its arms were nothing more than pillars of ice but the monster never slowed as it kept its lightning fast attacks coming at Sammus. With enough time the prince and dragon would have likely won, their tactics slowly whittling the abomination down.

    If there wasn¡¯t a second monster recovering from a melting knife in its throat that was only moments away from rejoining the fight. If the boiling lake wasn¡¯t filled with more of the cocooned monsters.

    Erak charged into the fight on the monster¡¯s crippled side, shield raised up to his shoulder. He crashed into the frozen limbs that shattered like glass, spilling chunks of frozen flesh about itself as Erak drove it off its feet and to the ground. The sword jostled deeper into its side, releasing another burst of blood that scorched Erak¡¯s armor. He reached down with his free hand and grabbed the pommel, standing up and planting his foot on the creature¡¯s chest. He ripped backward and the blade came free as the creature howled.

    The second monster was loping toward them as Erak lifted his sword straight in the air, tip angled down. The monster was thrashing under his boot, arms pinned to the ground. Its bucking body was hard to keep pinned, Erak straining against it as he aimed the tip of the blade towards its thin neck. He stabbed down, severing flesh and the thrashing stopped as its head rolled away.

    Sammus was gasping, sides heaving, as he looked toward the second monster. Pomp raced forward as his body began to become ethereal as he burned through the stored Essence he had acquired. Erak pulled the sword free from the ground and turned toward the second charging toward them. Pomp blew icy breath across the creature¡¯s legs, ice creeping across the thin limbs. The attack drained the last of the dragon¡¯s strength, leaving him nothing more than an ephemeral spirit that dodged out of the hobbled creature¡¯s path.

    Erak charged it in a bull rush, the frustration of meeting a physical equal fueling him. He swept the blade out in a devastating, downward, horizontal attack.The beast didn¡¯t try to protect its frigid limbs. Which was a mistake.

    Dragonbone blade hit the frozen limbs and they shattered under the blow. It sailed by him, hitting the ground and rolling past him. Its wings fluttered as it passed by and Sammus stepped up to it, stabbing it through the head as it finished sliding. The beast shuddered twice, massive ripples that made its hard chitin seem liquid.

    The lake was still boiling away, lowering as the fires turned water to mist. The top of the cocoons were becoming visible as the water lowered. Leathery shells slowly breaking apart as clawed hands tore at the interior as dozens of the beasts started to work their way free.

    ¡°Erak, we¡¯re not going to be able to fight all of them,¡± Sammus said, panting as he held his sword tightly. Erak agreed with the prince. There was no way they could fight the dozens of abominations if they managed to free themselves.

    Erak started toward the cocoons, stepping onto the soft earth and beginning to sink. Heat hit him as the boiling water covered his armored legs, the rare grade armor keeping the heat from overwhelming him. He got to the closest of the cocoons and stabbed it. Foul, burning, yellow liquid came spurting free to mingle with the burning lake.

    Essence flowed into him, not as much as when he had killed the other creation, but not poor either. He looked over the veritable feast of Essence stretched out in front of him. Erak pushed deeper into the forest of cocoons, cutting and slashing as the burning water slowly boiled him alive. It became a race as Erak killed the trapped monsters if he¡¯d finish them before he died from the increasing toxicity of the lake.

 Ch. 2.15 Aftermath of the Burning Lake

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    The burning armor hit the ground with a crash as Erak peeled himself out of it. The hours spent inside of the burning lake having slowly cooked him to the point even the rare grade armor couldn¡¯t fully disperse the raging heat that had ate at him. His now exposed skin was red and inflamed, hints of blisters starting along them as the cool night wind whispered over his body.

    ¡°Erak, your levels! Assign the points to help yourself!¡± Pomp cried out from feet away, whittled down to nothing more than an ephemeral spirit. Erak swayed as he tried to breath, fire scorching his lungs as his mind flashed back to the day he was burned. The suffocating pain was similar as it blinded and consumed him. His knees buckled and he landed hard as he blindly searched for his screens to add his points.

    Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 32

    Strength: 70

    Vigor: 50

    Durability: 50

    Perception: 25

    Processing:23

    Splitting the twenty earned points in half towards his vigor and durability, he felt the rush of power cascade through him. Pain followed and he leaned down and coughed, great rib shaking bellows that sent clots of blood and tissue out of his lungs and onto the ground. Tears suddenly sprang up and out of his dried out eyes and the world blurred as he blinked again and again.

    ¡°Help him, Sammus!¡± Pomp¡¯s voice was distant and hard to hear as the world darkened around him. Hands swooped in and clutched at his burned skin, pulling him further from the lake and his own armor. Erak pawed at the ground until he found the hilt of his sword, the familiar weight reassuring as he clutched at it, refusing to let go even as he was dragged away.

    Time became a blur as he drifted in and out of consciousness. The sky lightened then darkened again, trees filled his vision and then there was nothing but clear skies. Pain was his constant companion, gnawing on his bones and peeling his flesh. Every breath was an inferno that scoured his lungs as Erak survived through sheer, indomitable, willpower.

    The sounds of battle stirred him, once, twice, three times, but he lacked the strength to rise. His mind and soul were willing, but his body betrayed him as he gripped the pommel of the sword tightly. Each time he heard Sammus cry out, Pomp roaring in the distance and the splash of arctic air as it spilled over him.

    Then they were moving again. Always further and further away as Erak continued to wake briefly before falling back to slumber longer. And so time passed until darkness and the scent of mildew and moisture filled his nose. He blinked his eyes slowly and saw nothing and heard only the panting of Sammus as he continued to carry the litter they had strapped him too.

    Faint green glow appeared slowly, creeping against the dark until there was light and he could properly make out the tunnel they were in. The well crafted walls, smooth and without joints. The strong runes etched along the sides that glowed with power.

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    His bond tugged in his gut, startling him and he felt Victoria near. The presence of his queen was enough to sing a splash of vigor through him, to help him raise his head and look about. She was running toward him, decorum lost in her urgency to see him. Torpin was behind her, shouting something lost to him. Then she was there, strong fingers dancing over the edges of his raw skin as he tried to pull back his stiff cheeks to offer her a smile.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Victoria demanded and Sammus spoke softly of the abominations of the lake. Erak faded away, tethered to reality only by the soft press of Victoria¡¯s fingers to his cheek. Cold swept over his face as she used a tiny trickle of Essence and her power to help cool his still enflamed skin.

    ¡°Is¡­is that his armor?¡± Lady Torpin asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Sammus whispered quietly.

    ¡°He was in it when this happened? How¡¯s he alive?¡± Torpin asked in a mix of awe and horror.

    Erak couldn¡¯t remember what his armor looked liked when he had pulled it off. Only the burning sensation as he struggled out of it.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Call for the healers now!¡± Victoria ordered and then they were moving again. The smooth stonework disappeared into an infirmary of clean, cool whites and beige, the bed under him soft. A round face took up his vision with a great, bushy, black beard that stretched down and out of sight. Thick fingers pressed against his face, turning him this way and that and Erak growled in his throat as spikes of pain radiated through him.

    ¡°Essence infused burns. I will need time to heal this,¡± the dwarf said in a deep voice. Erak could feel the fire licking at his skin, living underneath it.

    ¡°Do whatever you can to save him,¡± Victoria commanded form out of his sight.

    ¡°Of course.¡± The dwarf pressed a finger to his cheek and the flame inside of him started to be drawn away. It raced through his body to the press of the dwarf¡¯s finger and then left his body. It was painful but sent waves of pleasurable relief through him at the same time.

    The fever that had muddled his mind faded a bit and Erak could think clearly for a moment as he looked around the room he was in. Victoria was standing with her arms behind her back and a stern expression on her face. His armor was stacked in the corner of the room, drooping in a way metal shouldn¡¯t be able to droop.

    ¡°Erak?¡± Victoria surged toward him to stand above him. Erak blinked slowly twice and a small smile broke her icy expression.

    ¡°You do not have permission to die, Erak. Do you understand me?¡± her voice wavered at the end, but no sign of weakness permeated her features as she looked at him. Erak blinked twice in response and her smile widened further.

    ¡°Sammus told us what you did. Cleansing that pustule of evil. And of the signs you found to where the Emperor and First Prince have gone. You did good, my friend.¡±

    Erak felt relief at his queen¡¯s acknowledgment of his deeds. He had a kernel of worry since he hadn¡¯t found the Emperor himself. He didn¡¯t want to disappoint Victoria.

    ¡°The burns you sustained in that lake. They were infused with Essence, it¡¯s why you haven¡¯t been able to heal through them. The healer here will draw the Essence out and your body will be able to recover after that naturally,¡± Victoria explained. Erak blinked slowly and then looked at his armor. Victoria looked over at it and chuckled deeply.

    ¡°Half-dead and you only think of arms and armor. Your sword is fine, your armor and shield, not so much. There¡¯s a dwarven master smith here who¡¯s found a class that has managed to build weapons and armor. He will help you once you are on your feet and healthy. Sleep, Erak. Rest and when you are recovered we can talk more,¡± Victoria said. Erak nodded slowly and for the first time since he had walked out of the lake he closed his eyes and let himself rest.