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The Greater Apotheosis of Ainz Ooal Gown

Book : Skelkor War

Chapter 5: Cracking Bellakh

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News had reached Taana a couple days after their arrival in Wandering Stones that in addition to Dearr, Arangyn had been successfully liberated as well. Reports that were delivered by reinforcements from the Dearr front that used Lakyus's 6th Division as a nucleus to form a new army. One which Drau had tasked Taana to use to secure their rear. With the rest of their forces pushing northwest and northeast in a bid to encircle the Skelkor capital of Marangor, that left the Shadar-kai and her army with two possible targets: Bellakh and Mratanga.

"I recommend we hit Bellakh first." Lakyus argued as their army's senior commanders gathered in the command tent they'd set up just outside Wandering Stones to discuss their next move. "Our base camp in the passes has Mratanga cut off, so we can leave it be for now. Bellakh though is in the perfect position for the enemy to use as a base to cut off our supply lines between Arangyn and Daerr."

"Is that a major problem?" Taana asked with a raised eyebrow. "Most of our supplies are delivered directly from Felmid via Gate."

"I think Lakyus misspoke, Lady Taana," Arche said, briefly shooting the other Momon a smirk for some reason. "Rather than supply lines, I think she meant line of advance. Lord Gauldoth's army is currently at Arangyn and wherever he goes, it'll be vulnerable to attack from Bellakh. He can't move his whole army, at least not swiftly, by Gate."

"That makes more sense." Taana said with a nod. "Plus if we just leave Bellakh alone they can just attack Arangyn and Daerr once we've moved on."

"Exactly, my Lady." Arche said with a grin and Lakyus rolled her eyes.

"So we've decided, my Lady? We're attacking Bellakh?"

"Yes, Lakyus." Taana said with a decisive nod. "Go ready the men to move out."

"With pleasure." The green eyed Momon declared as she left to do just that, barking orders at her subordinates even as she walked.


"Arche," Lady Taana said to catch her attention as the Momon Wizard was busy watching Lakyus march off with all the grace of the harridan that she was.

"Yes, Lady Taana?" She asked her superior curiously.

"What's your history with Lakyus?"

"So you've noticed?" Arche said with an embarrassed blush. The two of them hadn't exactly been hiding it but she and Lakyus hadn't been shouting it from the rooftops either, so being called out was still a little disconcerting.

"It's obvious. You two exchange familiar looks all the time." Lady Taana said with a shrug. "So tell me what's going on between you two. Are you lovers?"

"W-What!? No." Arche said, waving her hands in fervent denial.

While it was not unheard of for Momons to engage in sexual relations, their human forms were anatomically fully functional after all. They did so rarely and formed lasting romantic relationships even more so. Being undead didn't exactly give one much of a libido or a need for romance. All that mattered to Momons were being of service to the Bone Father.

"Then what exactly? Friends? I know you two can't be siblings, since all you Momons are born directly from the soil of Felmid and the Bone Father's will."

"It is true that we spontaneously spawn and crawl out of the ground on Felmid, my Lady, but we do occasionally form fraternal or sororal relationships with each other."

"So is that it? Is Lakyus your sister?"

"Not quite?" Arche said with an unsure shrug. "I am close to her, but not as much as you are with your fellow Chosen, my Lady. At best, I think, we would be considered close friends."

"Oh?" Lady Taana said, a curious gleam in her eyes.

Smiling at the Shadar-kai's friendly curiosity, Arche readily shared her history with the other woman.

"We were spawned at roughly the same time and in the same area. That made us what I suppose could be called childhood friends? Though we didn't actually grow up."

"I'm not so sure about that." Lady Taana said with a shake of her head. "You Momons might spawn as mentally equivalent to adults with a full set of job classes and all that but you can still grow can't you?"

"We can." Arche agreed. "When you put it that way, I suppose you are correct."

"So your byplay with Lakyus is playful competitiveness with your childhood friend?"

"Pretty much." Arche said with a shrug. She'd honestly not thought too deeply about the matter and the characterization mostly fit, so she saw no reason to dispute it.

"Is there a root for this competitiveness?"

Arche pondered this question for a moment before nodding. "It probably boils down to our differing approaches to combat. I'm more focused on scouting and attacking from range, hence why all my minions are either Specters for scouting or various ranged capable undead. Lakyus on the other hand-"

"Favours a blunt approach." Lady Taana said with a nod. "Hence all the armored vehicles she has under her command."

"Exactly. We Momons are spawned to be the commanders of the Bone Father's legions, thus our command style and favored tactics come to define as individuals."

"And you and Lakyus are pretty much opposites there."

"Yes, hence our rivalry."

Arche hadn't ever called it that before but it was appropriate.

This talk has been more enlightening to me about my own self and my relationship with Lakyus then any other I've ever had. Arche realized, prompting her to look at Lady Taana with awe.

"What's with that look?"

"Thank you, my Lady." Arche said, offering the Supreme One's Chosen a grateful bow. "Thank you for your guidance."

Lady Taana blinked in confusion for a moment before shrugging and seemingly just pushed the matter aside. Arche was relieved for that, she was loathe to explain herself further. The thought that a three hundred year old undead needed the help of a teenage Shadar-kai to make sense of her own feelings was mortifyingly embarrassing, even if said younger woman was one of her god's Chosen.

"Want to go grab some tea?" Lady Taana said with a welcoming grin. "Olothon gave me some that are pretty good."

"I'd love to, my Lady."


Bellakh was a city built into the mountains themselves with buildings carved into their very rocks like caves. With the sturdy mountains as a defense, it needed no walls as its inhabitants could simply flee into the peaks themselves should a threat arise. As they had done at the sight of Taana's approaching army, abandoning the terraces of farmland that surrounded their city in the process. With the city sealed tight against invaders, its would be liberators found themselves forced to besiege the fortress city.

"Arche, what do the scouts say?" Taana asked as they gathered to discuss the situation they found themselves facing inside the dining room of the luxurious manor house amidst the farming terraces that they'd seized for their command post. It was Dragon sized of course, which meant there was plenty of room.

"My Specters have mapped out the immediate area of the Underdark and we're sure that there are no passages leading into the city." Arche reported dutifully. "Though there does appear to be mining activity from inside so they might be trying to change that. I've posted sentries throughout the region though, so we'll know if they succeed."

Taana nodded and turned to Lakyus. "Do we know how long they can withstand our siege?"

"Months at minimum." The Momon responded with a frown. "A year if they start rationing immediately. The prisoners we took confirm what we already knew. Bellakh might not be the most fertile place in Skelkor but it has a relatively small population and with all this farmland surrounding us, managed to be a net exporter of food. That means they have a well stocked granary."

"We can't wait months to starve them out." Taana noted as she struggled to come up with a way out of the quagmire she'd found herself in.

"We could just blast them out." Lakyus suggested, not for the first time. "We have enough bunker busting equipment to take the whole city down."

"And kill all the slaves we were trying to liberate." Arche helpfully reminded her childhood friend on Taana's behalf. "Or did you forget that the last dozen times Lady Taana told you no?"

I'm going to have to thank Arche for taking that one. Taana thought with a wry grin. I was getting tired of repeating myself.

"We might not have to." Taana said as Arche and Lakyus glared at each other, regaining the two Momons' attention. "Has Kroradrassh recovered? Anyway we can tempt him into another sortie where we can finish him off?"

Kroradrassh was the Ancient White Dragon that was the governor of Bellakh. He'd foolishly flown out with his Dragonic subordinates to attempt to destroy them in the field when their army had been advancing towards Bellakh and been almost torn to shreds by their Sigurds before he led his handful of survivors back to the safety of the fortress city.

"My Specters haven't been able to get a visual confirmation, he's upped security around his lair, but from what we've managed to overhear he's mostly healed."

"So if we goad him properly he'll come out to the slaughter?" Lakyus asked Arche hopefully.

"I don't think so." Arche said with a shake of her head. "He's quite the feral beast even for a White but even feral beasts like him are intelligent enough to know that flying out would be suicide for him after the mauling we gave him last time."

"Wiping out two thirds of his Dragonic underlings and almost mortally wounding him can do that." Taana noted wryly. "But that does put us in quite a predicament now. We can't storm the city?"

"With the way it's built? It'll be a bloodbath even if we win, which is not a given. Not in a fortress like this." Lakyus confirmed with a grim frown.

"Then our only hope to break this siege is luring Kroradrassh out so we can kill him and hope that doing so will entice the remaining Dragons to surrender."

"Yeah, but how are we going to lure him out? Because from where I'm sitting we have no ideas."

Lakyus' right there. Taana admitted. I'm loathe to have to do this, but I think it's time we called in some help.

"Maybe not, but I know someone who might."

"Who do you have in mind, my Lady?" Arche asked curiously.

"Honestly? We'll see who's available."


"This is the city that has been giving you trouble?" Gauldoth said as he looked out at Bellakh from the balcony of Taana's appropriated command center. "I can see why."

The moment the necromancer had received Taana's Message requesting assistance, he'd handed command of his army over to Kelart temporarily and used Gate to travel to his little sister's location.

"Yes, it's basically one gigantic fortress." Taana told him with a sigh. "Any suggestions on how to crack it open?"

"You lack the casters to do an assault by Gate?"

"I don't have that many casters." Taana told him. "My troops are mainly mechanized infantry and armored units."

I can fix that. Gauldoth as she worked out the details of moving his army to join with hers. It will take a day, maybe two, but it can be done.

"I'll reinforce you then."

"But don't you have your own city to take? You're on your way to Mratanga, right?"

"It can wait." Gaul said with a shrug. "A day or two delay won't matter. Especially if you repay the favor and add your army to mine for the assault on Mratanga."

"A day or two delay? Are you moving your whole army by Gate!?" Taana gasped as she did the math.

"Not entirely. But I have the casters for it so why waste time marching when I can just Gate within striking distance and go from there."

"That's just-" Taana said, overcome by surprise. "That's just scary."

"Why thank you," the armored necromancer said with a teasing, exaggerated bow.

Taana rolled her eyes and laughed.

She calmed quickly though. "You've got a deal. Bring your army and help me crack Bellakh and I'll help you smash Mratanga."

"Happy to do business with you, sister."


Lord Gauldoth's army had started pouring in into their camp by Gate the next morning and the two hosts rapidly began preparing for the plan that the two Chosen of the Supreme One had come up with to end the siege of Bellakh. As part of these efforts Arche found herself accompanying Kelart as her fellow Momon inspected the spells that hid Lord Gauldoth's little surprise for the fortress city's defenders

"So Arche, are you and Lady Taana sleeping together?" Kelart asked Arche suddenly as the two of them were finishing their task.

"W-What are you saying!?" Arche said in a mortified squeak, her face blushing a brilliant red.

"You aren't?" The older Momon said, sounding almost disappointed. "With all the talk among your men about how close you two were, I was sure-"

"It's not like that!" Arche insisted, shooting a glare at the priestess. "We are close. Lady Taana is the best friend I've never had. But we are not lovers, damnit! We're both solidly heterosexual!"

"Aren't you a virgin?" Kelart asked, tilting her head in confusion.

If Arche was a Human like she appeared the question might have been insulting or at least incredibly embarrassing but she was a Momon and with their libidos bordering on the non-existent it was a legitimate question. One never knew after all and it was considered polite to make sure when discussing each other's sex life so as to avoid saying something that might be untoward.

"No, I am not actually." Arche said calming herself at the normal question. "I've slept with Roberdyck once."

Just mentioning him brought to mind her fellow Momon. A priest with the handsome Human guise of a well groomed blonde haired, blue eyed gentleman. They weren't exactly lovers by Human standards, having only had sex the once, but they were in pretty regular contact via Message even now while Arche was on campaign and he was still on Felmid thus by the standards of their kind they were at least courting.

"Roberdyck? He's one of my fellow priests isn't he? I think I met him once." Kelart said with a thoughtful look on her face. "He's pretty well muscled. Good choice."

"Thank you." Arche said with a smile.

"Still, I think you'd have been better off with Lady Taana."

"Kelart!" Arche cried indignantly, even as the other Momon smirked like the cat which caught the canary.


Laykus stood fearlessly on the top of her command Hippo armored personnel carrier as she led her troops across the no man's land between Bellakh's outer defenses and the siegeworks that her men had built. Hundreds of Scorpion tanks and Hippos braved the fire of innumerable catapults, trebuchets, ballistae, spells and the occasional Dragon breath weapon under the covering suppressive fire of friendly Jericho missile artillery and Panzerhaubitze self-propelled howitzers.

It was a brutal bloodbath on both sides. Whilst the enemy enjoyed favorable fields of vision and fortified positions, every attempt to fire on their part was met almost immediately by a retaliatory artillery bombardment that easily shattered whatever defense they were hiding behind and more often than not killing whoever had opened fire be they slave or Dragon. At the same time, enough defenders were brave or perhaps desperate enough that their fire kept coming, knocking out one armored vehicles after another even as they advanced relentlessly.

And to think that this is just a distraction. Laykus thought as she swung her Evil Sword, Kilineiram, to unleash her Dark Blade Mega Impact skill and release a wave of negative energy that disintegrated a large boulder headed towards her Hippo.

She'd just finished with that when a chorus of terrible roars erupted from behind her position and she turned to see their origin for herself.

And so begins the second phase. Lakyus thought as dozens of massive Dragonic figures rose from the heart of their camp as the invisibility spells keeping them hidden fell away and they flew towards Bellakh.

"What travesty is this!?" A furious voice boomed from the top of the central mountain that made up Bellakh. "Zombies? Of my fellow Dragons? I will not allow this to stand."

At this bold declaration, a massive rock slab was tossed off the mountain top and a gargantuan white scaled figure flew out towards their camp.

Even as Lakyus joined another Dark Blade Mega Impact to the dozens of other attacks being used to distingerate the rock slab before it crushed any of her men, she could not help but smirk.

Just as planned.


"Mass Greater Cause Wounds." Kelart cast from the balcony of their army's command centre and watched with satisfaction as some of the damage done to the Zombie of Isrendra and the other Zombie Dragons they'd brought with them from Arangyn by Kroradrassh was repaired. It was only a drop in the bucket, Kroradrassh was dealing great amounts of damage to his undead former comrades with his freezing breath weapon as well as his teeth and claws, but Kelart wasn't alone.

"Ray of Negative Energy."

"Greater Cause Wounds."

All around her were hundreds of Necromancers, Wizards and Priests of the Supreme One were pooling their magic together to keep their Zombie Dragons from falling to pieces as they sought Kroradrassh's death.

"He's surprisingly sturdy." Lord Gauldoth said, looking at the sight of dozens of Zombie Dragons ganging up on the Ancient White Dragon and yet still being unable to deal him a swift death.

Though to be fair, the task was made more difficult when seeing their lord in plight, many of Bellakh's remaining Dragons had flown up to assist him forcing them to redirect some of their Zombie Dragons to contend with them instead.

"Arche, any more of the Dragons still hiding inside?" Lady Taana asked her adjutant.

"A few but they are cowering so badly I doubt we'll be able to lure them out." The blonde Wizard said with a frown.

"Guess, we'll just have to deal with them later." The Shadar-kai said with a shrug. "Hey, Gaul, want to see something cool that Lord Ainz gifted me?"

"What is it?" Lord Gauldoth asked tersely, turning away from the fighting to glance at his fellow Chosen.

"This," The teenager said unslinging a longbow made of bone and sparked with electricity off her back.

That was a gift from the Bone Father? Kelart thought as she looked at it curiously.

"I call it the Zwing and it packs a big punch."

"How so?"

"Watch. Call Lightning Storm!"

Instead of calling down fifteen bolts of lightning to strike her foe like was the standard manifestation of the spell, at Lady Taana's invocation the bolts did shoot down from the sky but instead of hitting the enemy they struck her or more precisely her bow where they were channeled into a single writhing arrow of pulsing lightning.

One that she loosed and proceeded to fly through the air like a bolt from the Supreme One himself that struck Kroradrassh in the back of his mouth whilst he was attempting to unleash his breath weapon. He, of course, never got the chance as the lightning arrow exploded upon contact with his flesh and let free the fury of a storm right inside his vulnerable mouth. Worse yet for him, he was unfortunate enough to have one of the discharged bolts blast right through his head and exit from the top of his skull thus frying his brain in the process.

It was such an impressive sight that Kelart couldn't help but gape at it for a moment. Lady Taana, weakest of the Chosen, had just killed an Ancient White Dragon with one spell!

Truly the Bone Father was wise to add her to his Chosen. Kelart thought even as she muttered an earnest prayer of praise to her god.

"Create Low Tier Undead." Lord Gauldoth cast as Kelart finished her prayer and the corpse of Kroradrassh that had just crashed to the ground rose once more now joining the other Zombie Dragons in service to the faithful of the Supreme One.

"Shouldn't you have waited till we finished the others and then raise them all at once?" Lady Taana asked as she finished putting away her divine bow.

"This will have more of an effect on their morale." Lord Gauldoth countered. "And that's what we need to break here."

"True." Lady Taana conceded, before turning to Arche. "Are our Specters in position?"

"Yes, my Lady." The girl said dutifully. "Shall I give the order."

"Yes." Lord Gauldoth and Lady Taana said at the same time, causing them to both laugh.

Arche smiled even as she began relaying their order while Kelart used her newly cooled down Mass Greater Cause Wounds to repair their Zombie Dragons.

Around them, in the camp that surrounded the command center, dozens of Gate portals opened and their troops both undead and living alike poured through and into strategic locations throughout Bellakh.

With their leader dead and risen as a Zombie to fight against them, with enemies within their city and thousands more blasting their way inside through fortified door by fortified door, Kelart was not surprised that the fortress city's remaining leadership surrendered shortly after.

They would have been fools not to.


Done!

Hoped you guys liked the chapter.

So my version of Bellakh looks like a Dwarven hold. The implications for such should be obvious. We are talking about Skelkor, the evil empire of Dragon slavers here after all.

Well making that observation clear to those who might have missed them is all I wanted to say today. So till next time vīḍkōlu!