Chapter Forty-Nine

Elite Krewechief Norrit always believed that the truest test of a warrior, and the true sum of their greatness, was when they faced certain death. For the First Elite Defense Krewe, that test had now come.

They had not begun well… seven of his men lost in the initial exchange while they blubbered fearfully, allowing five of those damned Bookahs to waltz right by as their Oni and Titan minions began their killing spree, wiping out the entire Second Elite Defense Krewe, and the seven previously mentioned of his.

That ended now, no matter what demon or god was whispering sweet terror in his ear.

"Phalanx, center on me!" Norrit bellowed as ferociously as he could, which being Asuran, sounded more like a kitten trying to roar. "There will be no more cowering, no more running! We are the best, the greatest, and the stoutest of all Asuran warriors!"

"Let this be our finest and greatest moment!" The proud little warrior declared. "Stalwart defensive phalanx stratagem, initiate!"

Quickly falling into ranks, his men dropped their shields, wedging the tips into the ground below, glaive points ready to jut through the small gaps in the shield wall. From his position in the rear, he drug his broad bladed weapon across the last of the five lines in his phalanx, then slipped through to the front, taking the position of honor at the front center of the formation.

"Not another monster will cross that line while one of us still breathes!"

The next wave of creatures emerged in the distance, the gruesome tentacled maws of the Oni, towering elemental Titans, and the near invisible Seer commanders blending into the darkness of the tunnel. The final battle of the First Elite Defense Krewe was soon to be met.

* * * * *

"Let it be known that this transport rig was meant to be run along the initial rail line, where its speed would then overcome any bumps in the road, to use the phrase." Vekk declared as the assembly pushed the steel framed contraption holding all living things greatest hope towards the tunnel leading to the surface of Ascalon. "This level of very unstable travel could dislodge several important and delicate systems."

"You'll get a chance to give it the once over once we're securely past the blast doors." Coran replied. "At the moment, getting out in one piece is priorty."

"Would have been nice to have Grazz and Pyre pushing." Yue complained. "Us and these Asura just aren't cutting it."

"We'll need two fronts to have a chance of pushing our enemies back long enough to launch the A.T.O.M. bomb." Coran explained, even as doing so was not kind on his lungs due to the strain he was already undergoing. "That means the Charr have to be mobilized and ready."

Meanwhile, Yue toppled over when the rig lurched out of her hand, the result of Devona's lunge. Up until this point the warrior had been quiet, conserving her energy for the labor presented.

"Less chatter. More working." The warrior grumbled. "We'll have time to argue when the work is done."

Yue recovered and retook her position next to Devona, her face now smudged with the red, clay-heavy ground of the Atal Ra cavern. "I hate you." The assassin hissed.

Devona's smile could have lit up the cavern on its own. "I know."

Then the smile abruptly disappeared, and the warrior seemed to freeze. Her sudden lack of push quickly slowed progress, and so noticeably that Coran pulled away, and asked, "Devona, what's…"

He didn't need to finish his question… as the answer materialized from the air, pockets of logic-defying shadows that formed into the four armed floating black devils called Seers. They had clearly focused on Devona, looking to exploit what they thought was a weak link.

The Seers weren't trying to stop the group… merely slow it down long enough for the invading force to catch up.

Coran bit his lower lip, and hoped that the First Elite Defense Krewe could summon their nearly inhuman will to exceed their limits one more time. The hope of all living things depended on it.

"Keep going." Coran ordered, drawing his spear and shield from his back. "I don't think I have to remind you how vital it is that you succeed."

"And where are you going?" Yue demanded, even as she knew exactly.

"I'm not running again." Coran answered grimly as he completely broke away from the still progressing party. "Even if it costs me my life."

There was a moment's hesitation from the remainder of the party… but they all knew their duty, and had all accepted long ago that said duty extended beyond even the concern and bonds of friendship they had formed. The rig jerked forward once more, settling into the fastest yet steadiest rhythm they could manage.

"If we move quickly… maybe we can come back." Cynn huffed, suddenly finding the will and desire to seriously start applying her strength, for whatever it was worth, as well.

"Of course." Mhenlo replied with a fake smile. He knew… Cynn knew… there was no way they'd have time. But it helped them for a while to pretend.

* * * * *

As much as she knew this wasn't real… it didn't help… caught like a fly in a spider web of illusion, agony, and torment.

The infernal monsters had pulled her limbs out in all directions, stripped of her clothing, holding her helpless over the immaterial ground of the otherwise completely black landscape. She felt dagger sharp teeth sink into her flesh, chewing and tearing, her blood seeping out of the wounds in crimson torrents.

As if that weren't enough, the fifth Seer had dug into her neck, slurping and ripping from the major arteries and sensitive tissue. The Seers were eating her alive.

Devona managed to turn her head towards her left arm, aghast at the mauled limb, several places stripped clean to the bone. She screamed again when she felt another deep, and otherwise fatal, bite rip into her throat, dooming her to suffer in silence as it ripped away with a triumphant flourish, blood and scraps of flesh dripping from its horrifying maw.

Delicious food… once we have consumed your soul, your body will provide bountiful nourishment…

The warrior had no idea which Seer had spoken, and in truth, she really didn't care. She wished for death… or insanity… anything to make the pain go away.

The Seer that had ripped out her throat lunged in again, this time towards her chest, only to vanish with a burst of purple flame. The other four stopped, and shared a silent conversation before two others vanished as well while the remaining pair continued their macabre feast.

But that sudden change lit the spark of Devona's will. Something had happened… something they didn't like.

* * * * *

Coran hefted his spear to his shoulder, and cocked his arm back. He could feel the electric crackle of the spear head ticking the hair to his front left. Still at a full sprint, he threw the Sslani crafted weapon with enough accuracy to pierce the closest Seer in the neck.

The unholy creature reared back from the blow, hissing violently despite the spear buried in its neck, the weapon vanishing a second later, and giving Coran the opportunity for the killing blow, that throw crashing with a burst of lightning through its fang filled mouth, bursting out the back of its head with a resounding clap of thunder.

As his target collapsed lifelessly, slowly starting to disintegrate, two of its allies pulled away from the circle they had formed about Devona to address the new threat.

Taking care not to make direct eye contact, Coran hefted his spear once more. "If you want the woman that badly, you have to go through me this time."

* * * * *

Even though their numbers had dwindled by half, Devona found no greater strength to escape the hell she was locked in. Despair again started to set in… hopelessness hooking into her mind when another phantom voice rose from in her ears.

Don't give up, my child.

It wasn't the hissing, inhuman sound of the Seers… she knew this voice, she had heard it as a child, and as a woman in the Hall of Heroes. She couldn't speak, but he seemed to hear her call anyway.

Yes, my baby girl. I'm here. I know you have the strength to fight this. This isn't real, you know that.

Of course she did, but it clearly wasn't that simple.

Your love fights for you right now… but he can't be victorious alone.

Coran… came back? Was he the one who drew the Seers attention?

Indeed. There's something about the line of Doric that lends them to throwing themselves into harm's way. Would have figured he was smart enough to avoid that trait.

The fool… how could he…

You know exactly why. And if you don't want his faith in you lost, I suggest you make these Seers learn painfully the price for messing with the daughter of Mordekai.

But she couldn't… she had tried…

I know you can… you have always been special… I always knew greatness was in your future, a future that I also know isn't over yet. I have seen your own line, my daughter, I have seen the future you help create… the greatest heroes of generations to come will hail you as their ancestor, and your place among the highest of the heroes within the Hall. But you must stand now and break these illusionary chains.

* * * * *

It was a lot harder to kill a Seer when they saw it coming.

Coran's last throw had almost exposed him to a fatal counter, had he not swung his shield to partially block the fireball that had erupted from one of the beast's outstretched hands. Nonetheless, the Seer's partner had struck a hit, nothing but a thin line across Coran's bare right forearm, but enough to inject the virulent toxins that started to sap his strength.

The headmaster ignited the tip of his spear with a finger of flame that momentarily replaced its electric aura, and slapped the metal head against the gash, cauterizing the wound and stunting the flow of poison. Nonetheless, it had done enough to make his limbs feel like they were made of lead… he wasn't even certain if he could throw his spear again.

Not that he needed to… for as the pair moved in for what they presumed to be the kill, the Seer on the left was jerked violently from its position by a blindingly fast ball of forged steel, snapping its lower left arm at an angle that couldn't have even been natural for the shadow creature and pounding a momentary dent into its side before the carapace cracked into a burst of black shards.

It crumpled to its knees as the hammer descended again, this time at the crown of its head, the force of the swing and gravity splitting its cranium almost faster than Coran could blink, the hammer continuing through the obliterated skull and imbedding itself halfway into the torso of the swiftly slain Seer.

Devona then ripped her hammer from the victim's dissolving corpse, and lifted it haughtily into a ready position. The final Seer then whipped about to see its other allies either gone or nearly so… its focus so intent on breaking Coran that it never realized Devona had slipped free of her prison and brought retribution on her captors.

It locked eyes with the warrior, thinking it could at least incapacitate her momentarily to finish off the male, but was astonished when she returned the glare, metaphorically slapping away its mental touch like swatting away an annoying insect.

"Inconceivable." It hissed out loud. That was not supposed to happen… food was not supposed to have that strength…

"You damnable freaks have already gotten into my head twice." Devona snarled. "Now, it's about time I got into yours. And trust me, while my method of doing so might be different… I promise it's going to be just as painful."