Eostia: Harem Quest

by EostianScribe

The Gods have given mortals the power of The Gamer as a pass time. A hobby. A means to compete and relax. One goddess, however, sees it as a means of salvation; starting with one world. As such, she rolls the dice... (Harem, Citrus and Eventual Dark Content Warning)

90. Act III-Ch XVII: Rise

[ - Author's Note - ]

Well now, Happy New Years everyone! And yes, I am surprised I had this ready for New Year's Day; it's New Year's Eve as I finish this off. I did hurry a little, but truth is I started this chapter before I posted the last one. I guess the head start helped out.

So, what do we have for the first chapter of 2024? ... ... Well, saying anything would ruin the cliffhanger ending, wouldn't it?

So on that note, let's just get into it, eh?

[ - Act III - Chapter XVII: Rise - ]

Within the temple of the gods three of the divine were watching the lumbering Abomination through the all seeing well as it started to expose itself from the tree line, all of them with wide frowns. "Good us..." Carlongera let off in horror, blinking at it. "That's their big weapon?"

"It's another thing that only crops up on a few worlds; less then a hundred... But I forgot this was one of them..." Benterra let off as he crossed his arms. "Dear lord, I was mortal and I forgot how creative they can be..."

"So... Those other times..." Carl began as Anncastel turned to look at him. "What happened? How did it end up?"

"In about half the Dread Field worked differently and it deployed correctly, although under different pilots." Benterra answered for her looking back to him as well. "Of the other half, half of that it falls and even if it doesn't it still ends with the pilot dying to something. Even if it wins, in the few times it happens, the Black Dogs end up accounting for it down the line. The other half of that half it deploys much like here..."

"With the result often being destruction in absolute." Ann filled in with a frown. "What and where it destroys varies but it will always be a sizable mass of land before it falls with the Black Dogs either hurrying to conquer or nations like Balanar and Nyaru rushing in to claim land. In one case a united Dominious conquers it all but sparks a war on every one of it's borders..."

"There's even one where Shamhaza pilots it..." Ben added with a shudder. "It... does not end well..."

"There are times, however, that the Eostians defeat it..." Ann let as as she watched Olga begin her assault on it through the well. "Only to be too weak for what follows... Rarely can they resist with the other forces around them, but the Black Dogs still strike..."

"We put our man in a bad position, huh..?" Benterra said with a sigh.

All three would carry on the vigil; unable to do anything else... even as it's foot threatened to end their champion...

[-]

To you whom so holds the banner high so you may lead men in war and battle; this warning I offer to you and to yours.
The fight against the enemy standing there before you is easier then the task of leading those following there behind you.
The threat of the dread darkness looming there above you is lesser then the need to grant support to those there beside you.
And the thought of what happens in a defeat there in battle is nothing compared to what follows a victory there in afterwards.
So to you who holds the banner high I advise you this; treasure wisdom and foresight as much as power and courage.

~Joanna of the White Cloth

[-]

I was drawing on my mana as I was pulling Olga away from the Abomination so I was ready to cast; Dual Casting twin Earth Walls to catch the foot before it crushed us... Only this time the 'torso toes' were positioned to wrap around the half dome to further trap us, even if we were just out of the hands reach. I grit my teeth and used an Arcane Shield to further bolster my barrier and keep the toes out but it was cracking and cracking quicklyas Olga grabbed my pouch and dug into it; yanking out a mana potion. It occurred to me later that she was watching as I double checked my equipment so she knew where it was; regardless she downed it and even before it took full effect casted her own spell to support mine.

Both of which cracked.

I didn't know how much this thing weighed beyond thousands of tons more then likely and was ready to be crushed... before our barriers took on a golden hue! "I have you!"

Looking out I could see Celestine casting her own shield spell with Aeris, Prim, Kaguya, Claudia and Klaus quickly adding their own shields to further guard us. The ground shuddered as the thing over us shifted as if trying to add more weight down to us.

Makoto, Alicia, Lulu and Maia all rushed in but a limb one could call an arm of the Abomination reached down to attack them, slamming it into the ground. They dodged but Maia was grabbed and needed to stab at the arm grabbing her to make it let go before hopping back...

Fuck! We're trapped! I...

What could I do!?

[-]

Auryon Reid had always admired knights. No one was sure how she ended up in the orphanage in Smolborough but she did, but one run by a former member of the Order of the First Light who told her tale after tale of brave knights who would help the common folk. She couldn't afford to become a knight, of course, so she became the closest thing she could; an Adventurer. Her initial weapon of choice was a lumber jack's axe head that was discarded; she found a wooden stick to use as a shaft for it and while not perfect it would serve her well.

She lucked out on a goblin job; using stealth and traps she was able to slay the lot for the coin but also took what they had; a better, combat axe, pieces of steel armor and more coin among it. From there she was able to take harder, better paying jobs and teamed with others; acting often as the lead scout. One of those jobs led her to acting as support for the Smol Regulars which led her to joining them. A task the Smol Regulars would later have a mission with the Dawn Templars Helm Division with her as a scout; leading the Templars to test her further afterwards and bring her to their numbers; allowing her to become a knight proper.

Eventually Claudia would transfer her to the Shield Division and allow her to become a bodyguard for the High Queen herself; her enhanced senses trusted to help guard her. The one downside was dealing with nobility that found the idea of a Catalan in a group as prominent as the Dawn Templars to be a blasphemy or insult to all Elite Orders. Even so the help she was allowed to give the people made the job worthwhile...

Then Commander Keen Dux died to the Dark Queen's legendary spell...

Commander Keen had been someone they looked up to, a mother to guide, an elder sister that supported and a woman one could admire... and in an instant Olga Discordia erased her and, because of her position there would be no revenge save what she could enjoy by her defeat to James Noxdecus...

And now here she was (To the dismay of many nobles... and herself) the commander of Shield Division; promoted to Lieutenant and expected to no longer follow and obey but lead and command.

Now she was the mother, she was the elder sister and she was the woman who others would seek to admire... it was a new pressure she had never known before... and now she was viewing a situation as a Hero of Eostia and the Dark Queen that was once her enemy threatened to be crushed as the Shields tried to either hold it back or dislodge it... and unable to do so. She grit her teeth, spinning her battleaxe in her grip once before slamming it's butt to the ground as the spell stone spike at the top of it glowed brightly before becoming coated in Impact Force; a spell that would increase the concussive and sheering force of a weapon by several times... but even then... "Jessi! Donna! I need your strength!" She called out to her fellow Templars as she held her axe up as began a charge to her massive target. Both knew magic of their own and both channeled their mana to her weapon; further empowering the Impact Force spell her spell stone set upon it.

Her axe shuddered and shook as she ran forwards, another... fist of the thing slammed down forcing Maia to dodge once more as the Catalan leapt up and over the... torso claws to it's forearm and ran up it as it responded; the dark elf riding it looking to her and snarling in rage as it's other limb reached for her. Before it could grab her she used a Heroic Leap to rush at the pilot of the monstrosity, adding Adrenaline Rush, Demolisher Rush and Power Surge all at the same time; all three Combat Arts that bolstered the user's strength greatly alone... and it was not recommended that one stack them due to the strain, but she would only have one shot at it, slamming her axe into the elf's chest...

The flashing purple over the target blocked her attack as the magical energies exploded forwards in clear, magical might, the barrier blocking her attack from causing harm as the dark elf snarled and shrieked... as Auryon rocketed backwards as she felt the strain of her stacked arts, yet still flipping to right herself... and seeing the monster take a half step back and off the crumbling shields and barriers under it's foot as she rocketed back to land on her feet. She grit her teeth; she hadn't caused it real harm...

But she had saved those it sought to crush as James and Olga moved to end their spells and rush away... she could take comfort in that fact... But she needed to do more... She looked about and then a thought came to her... "Jessi! Donna! To me!" She said before rushing towards something...

Both followed without question.

[-]

I would learn that Auryon slammed an attack into Bronka with a massive, bolstered attack that did no damage but knocked the Abomination back enough I could end my spell, pick up Olga bridal style and pop a Heroic Leap to get distance and running a bit more to get more distance before stopping and skidding to a stop before setting her down. "You okay?"

"I am fine..." She replied as she turned back to look; the other shields, Gavrilla, Rubin (Who I hadn't seen; she was further down in the line) and Vult falling back to us as the Abomination shrieked. "I caused it no harm..."

"No; you caused some damage..." You could see a hole, a crater really, in one of it's arms even if the color was back to, well, normal as it quivered. It was healing, if slowly, however. "We need to find that Stasia woman, fall back to interrogate her and come back with a plan."

"I cannot agree..." Olga hissed back as the rest joined us... yet the Abomination didn't follow. "We must hold it here."

"Much as I'd like to say we can do that..." Lulu let off as looked back at it. "We'd be dummies to think we can do that..."

"Olga's spell is no joke... if it can survive that..." Maia let off as she bit her lip.

"Not that I disagree with fallin' back..." Vult let off as he frowned deeply. "But it's not going to let us be if-what the hell!?"

The last exclamation came as the heads on the thing's legs spewed a dark, noxious gas out and around it onto the ground... and onto the fallen bodies around it; previously risen, dark elves, humans and what fallen Aberrant of the Black Dogs fell...

All that weren't too damaged started to get back up... and the rest started to come out of the forest. "...I think it was trying to preserve it's forces and regenerate them..." Cladia let off as I shared a look with Klaus.

"If I were to proffer a theory based on what we know..." Klaus began. "It seems she is enduring a form of feral madness that is focused on destroying everything before her but she still holds her former training and tactical acumen; enough to form basic, adaptive tactics."

"So she can think of a lower, tactical level but ain't sure about what she's doing or why?" Maia asked as he nodded. "Wonderful..."

A 'thoom' sounded as it started to walk forwards, now surrounded by an undead escort as we moved to form a loose line, unsure of what we would do...

Before it was bombarded by a Scatter Bolt from above and the side. It howled out as I looked over... and saw three Dawn Templars in a Cloud Rider; one driving and two using spells as two more sets of Scatter Bolt slammed into it as a roar followed... and the Abomination turned to give chase, lifting a hand up and drawing a Fireball together over it's head and throwing it.

One of the Templars would fire their own Fireball, setting it off before it, making it explode in Broka's face with a big and blast... and even so it merely flinched before marching on with it's escort following. "Huh?" I let off in confusion.

"Musta pissed it off!" Vult let off with a grin as Celestine's voxlux pinged... and once she pulled it out to answer we saw Auryon Reid there.

"Lieutenant! What are you doing?" Celestine asked as the Catalan looked over her shoulder and then back to the voxlux.

"Apologies, Your Highness... But we're going to try and hold it's attention and lead it away." She said as she gave a grim look to us. "I think we can give the refugees some space and buy you time; however little it is..." The High Queen shut her eyes for a moment before opening them and speaking.

"Very well... Do not die on us... We've lost enough people this war."

"I've no plans on it... Auyron, out." The call ended as Celestine looked over to us for a moment before speaking.

"Rubin, Gavrilla; bring this 'Stasia' with you. We're retreating to Mooncast to organize the army and ready a counter attack on the Abomination. Will bring what civilians we can afford to." The High Queen let off, looking to the two dark elves first who nodded as other Dawn Templars moved to join us. "Vult; pull your people back and form a defensive line by the river between here and the City. If more zombies arrive halt them. If the Abomination appears then retreat."

"Got it." Vult replied as she looked to the Templars.

"Stay with the Garanians and offer what protection and help you can."

"My Queen." One let off as Olga looked to Gavrilla.

"Bring the rest of the Matrons with us as well. Olesia in particular has much to answer for..." She said darkly as the general nodded.

"Let us go to Mooncast... I had hoped the last of the battles of the war were behind us..." Celestine began. "But it seems one more exists before us..."

[-]

It wasn't a very talkative flight back to Mooncast City; given the situation that wasn't a surprise given the three Cloud Riders were full of dozing, sleeping and tired dark elves. What talking there was could be split into two parts; Olga berating the matrons, some guy named Tikhiy and her general for being idiots (With a focus on this 'Olesia') and Celestine and Claudia chiding me for my recklessness... followed by Kaguya and Prim doing the same but with a soft glare from the former and a teary-eyed look from the second.

Yes, the Kaguya/Prim chiding was worse...

The moment we landed and drove to the Palace we marched into the meeting room. Celestine had briefed those of the Council left behind via voxlux before we arrived and they were gathered by the time we were there; among those in the meeting was my father, Arnold, Channer, Ryan Stoneshard, Gaston-I mean Baston, Jamaica and a handful of others. Once we arrived I turned to face the five-nine, beanpole of a woman was carried in by Rubin by the back of her coat who looked terrified. I walked up to her and opted to start the conversation in this meeting by addressing her. "Stasia, right?" I let off as she managed to muster up a glare past her glasses to me.

"What's it to you, human?"

(-)

Name: Stasia Highcraft
Title: Operator of Napreryvnyy Laboratory
Class: Wizard
Level: 14
Alignment: Hostile
Reputation: 61
Status: Healthy, Scared, Shook

Romance Rating: 76
Corruption Rating: 57

Known Traits
[?]
[Modern Major Magician] You're not a magical combatant but in it's study and use of Enchanting, Alchemy and Healing you are amazing! When using magic outside of combat you act as if you are twenty levels higher and both Mag & Mnc is increased by forty.
[?]

A former, laborborne street urchin adopted by an eccentric into the Lowborne House of Highcraft she applied herself to learning and mastery of all magical crafts that she could and was a part of several projects including the one that made Belyy Klyk the Blood Bear. When given the chance she presented a project idea to the Matrons of Garan for a massively powerful beast that others would call the Abomination, thinking it would both showcase her genius and bring glory to Garan!

(-)

"We're going to have a chat." I told her, stepping closer and looking her in the eyes. "You are going to tell me everything about that Abomination you made."

"And why would I tell a lowly, stupid human that?" She hissed out.

"Because you could talk to me-" I said, reaching up and grabbing her face; fingers on one cheek, thumb on the other as I turned her head to where I knew Olga was. "-or you can talk to her." Her eyes went wide, almost to a level that I was thinking of small dinner plates as she started to shiver in fear.

(Baston would fill me in later; he said that Olga gave her a look that was 'blazing hot rage and chilled frosted fury' in one gaze. Did you know she was unhappy? Olga was unhappy. I directed her and Stasia to be on different Cloud Riders because I was worried she'd toss her overboard... and get more furious as the Rider's shield caught her.)

She looked back at me and gave me a wide, false but scared smile. "How can I help you, human!?" She let off as I took her from Rubin, turned, pushed her into a seat and loomed over her.

"Well for starters... why the fuck did you turn people into that!?" I screamed out as she yelped and pushed herself and the seat back; tilting the chair backwards and avoided falling over by hitting the table behind her.

"M-m-mana!" She let off as I blinked; she took the moment to right her seat and sit correctly. "A-as you should k-know, if your human education is decent enough is that bodies don't lose their mana systems until they decompose... and in fact can be used as a store for mana if they're properly preserved... W-when I was helping make Belyy Klyk my mentor showcased it with dead rats, using them as mana batteries..."

"I'm aware of that; but why do this?" I let off. "Ignoring the ethics of the situation you clearly don't care about they'll still lose their charge overtime and won't take more in because, well, dead."

"Stone to flesh transfers!" She said proudly as she puffed up her chest. "I had a truly massive spell stone that I could take chunks off and implant within it, binding them all together in one, large spell matrix and allow the pilot to pull from the stones which, in turned, pulled from the Rebenok Giganta's stores!" I blinked at that before glaring at her.

To put this simply; yes you could transfer a person's mana to a spell stone and vice versa but it was like... not quite adapting AC current to DC current for electrical power... More like transferring heat to electricity and back... To do so you needed a way to convert the mana of a person into something a stone could use which meant cleansing it of their mana harmonics and slight differences in charge or the stone's harmonics and it's differences in charge. To do this is, honestly, very, very difficult...

"On top of that it's extremely formidable in physical combat! I bound human leg bones together and infused it with mythril and wrapped them in a white mythril mesh for a skeleton!" Note; everyone was glaring at her. I think Ryan had some admiration, but even he seemed disturbed.

For the record while it was usually white in color silvered mythril was different from white mythril; white mythril was eight parts mythril, two iron, one calcium. It was thrice as strong as normal mythril but was useless for a lot of applications as any thickness wider then a wire was highly brittle. Useful if you wanted to make wires or cables but even a basic chain would be easy to break; even chain mail wasn't practical unless you made the links that thin; at which case it was too thin to rivet so it was near useless even thin.

"On top of that I removed all the human blood and transfused in troll's blood for heightened regeneration speed, alongside all of the regeneration spells enchanted in to the stones."

"... Horrific as it is, she is an able enchanter; not many could add in a regeneration spell easily, let alone with troll's blood in the mix." Ryan mused openly.

"Ha!" She let off at the praise. "On top of that I made sure to have it draw in as much mana as I could over the last three years..." Stasia let off, chest puffed for a moment before she frowned. "...But I still don't know what went wrong..."

"Well, how does it work?" My father asked, adjusting his glasses. "Does this Bronka use it like a large spell stone? Or command it via the stones?"

"No, that's not fast enough; there would be too much delay in reaction time doing that.." She said shaking her head for a moment. "Instead we used a direct connection; connecting her mana system to it's." She said as I blinked at her... and I felt it all coming together in my mind as to what went wrong as she kept talking. "Once connected she can use it like her own body and with matching reflexes-" I saw Channer piece it together just after I did. "-and can cast with it's full power as easily as she could-"

"You fucking idiot!" I barked out in her face as she flinched. "That thing was stuffed full of the Dread Field's poisoned mana for three damn years! You had to have had an inkling that's how the thing worked!"

"Of course I do, stupid human." She huffed, crossing her arms with a smirk. "But elves have a superior mana system that filters out poisoned mana." She said with a shit eating 'I'm better then you' grin.

"Which means jack shit when you directly connect her to several human mana systems and bypass those filters completely!" I barked out as her smirk vanished and she blinked at me.

"...huh..?" She let off.

"It's like having a pool of fresh water to drink from..." Channer began to explain as he looked to her. "But you think you need more water to drink so you open a channel to another source of water, only to find out that it's salt water that you let flood in." Stasia blinked a few moments more as she looked up in thought... and you could see the last bit of smugness, her only defense against the room's anger, turn to dust as she realized her mistake as she looked to us with good, proper horror as she started to comprehend where she went wrong.

"To overlook such a thing..." Arnold let off with a frown. "A woman of your supposed genius should have accounted for that." He said as she slumped in her seat as his son sighed and looked to me.

"You're our best expert on mana poisoning..." Channer began as I let my mind race to find an answer. "What effects is this Bronka suffering?"

"I have no idea." I replied with a sigh. "There's no studies on how the elven mana system responds to it. If I had to guess she's slammed to Stage Seven or Eight poisoning but while that would be disabling or lethal to humans the system of an elf might be better able to resist it's detrimental effects. Hell there might not be any physical effects and only mental ones."

Stasia's face fell more as Olga looked over to me with her own frown. "What is your best assumption then?"

"Well... In humans the Dread Field would cause intense, negative emotions with a focus on fear and, well, dread but most will be more agitated within." I began. "Other negative emotions are there, of course, anger, guilt, worry, envy and so on but fear is the strongest..."

"Revenge..." Stasia let off, looking down as she spoke softly. "... She... she kept using that word..."

"Maybe it's anger that her focus then?" Channer suggested as I nodded. "Different effects but similar."

"That sounds about right, given what we know..." Ryan let off as I nodded.

"Bronka considers me her worst enemy." I began as I looked over to Celestine and Olga. "She hates me over anyone and anything else... and given the choice she'd chase a Cloud Rider with people attacking for no damage her over me..."

"Blinded with rage, or unable to even see who she is fighting?" Celestine said with a sigh. "It can be hard to tell..."

"But I needs ask this now." Rubin asked as she moved to stand next to me as she glared to Stasia. "Our Queen's most powerful spell failed to cause significant damage. Why?"

"Ahhh..." Stasia jumped a bit before adjusting her glasses and sighed for a moment. "W-well, are you aware of the spell 'Elemental Embodiment'?" She asked as I blinked and looked to Rubin who shrugged.

"I am." Olga said, looking to us. "It's a rare spell because it's useless to most. As you should know all beings have a mana system that leans towards one of the eight elements to some degree. This spell allows for one to bolster both their offensive power with and resistances to an element they lean towards without suffering lesser resistances to others. The issue is the boosts are so minute as to not be worth the trouble in all but a bare few."

"W-well, normally..." Stasia said, withering as Olga turned her gaze back to her. "B-but when you can spread the effect over one, massive creature while repeating the spell for each body making it up..." She let it hang as I realized what that meant...

"So... it's nearly impervious to any elemental magic..." Claudia let off with a deep frown. "That explains why the Annihilation Stream failed... It's a credit to Olga's might that she damaged it as much as she had..."

To put this into perspective that thing was likely reducing the damage it was taking by anywhere from eighty to ninety percent... and close to ninety nine percent wasn't impossible! Normally something like Flame Guard wouldn't work but if the Abomination reduced both fire and darkness damage at the same time...

Fuck...

"So... we'll need to rely on physical force..." Lulu let off with a frown.

"Ignoring it's shield for a moment-" Prim began as she looked to the halfling. "-if it's regenerative potential is as high as I assume it is we might not be able to; even if we bring every cannon in Steel Lock to bear the firepower might not be enough..."

"So..." Arnold von Blitzhaus said with a frown. "If we cannot fight it... can we outlast it?" Everyone turned to look at him as he spoke. "If we can use the Cloud Riders to distract it we can direct it away from populations. It will be, what, two or three days before she dies of thirst?" He let off as I frowned in thought. "We can hold out that long, yes?"

"Elves can last for five days without water, but I see your point." Celestine replied as she nodded. "It's not ideal but-"

"The Giganta is connected to her and even her bloodstream; if with a filter to keep the troll's blood out." Stasia said as she shook her head. "She'll last at least a month without food or water."

Shit.

"Ach, and we have to consider something else." Jamaica chimed in. "She might be reduced to basic thoughts and instincts but sating food and thirst is a part of that; chances are once the needs arrive she'll seek water and food... and when it comes to food..."

She left it unsaid... no one wanted to think of it.

A thought started to nag at me as I frowned in thought as Baston crossed his arms and huffed. "So we can not use weapons to cause lasting harm... nor use magic... no simply wait... We may need extreme measures to deal with it... but damned if I knew what... No one plans like Baston, but I've no idea where to start..."

"No, magical force can work, if we can bypass the shield..." I mused as everyone looked to me as I cupped my chin. "It is possible."

"Didn't you hear me!?" Stasia let off as she looked up to me in shock. "It almost fully resists every element!"

"Exactly." I said as I held up a finger as she blinked in shock as I gave a light smile. "It resists every element... Therefore-"

My father snapped his fingers and grinned as he caught my meaning. "We must employ non-elemental magics!"

"So... Arcane then?" Channer said with a frown. "That's a start... but... does anyone have a large enough scale spell to deal enough damage before it can regenerate?" He asked as Celestine sighed.

"I, for one, do not." Even my father shook his head after the High Queen spoke. Ryan Stoneshard, proud spellcaster that he was, also shook his head. Every mage in the room stopped to consider it; there were very few 'big' Arcane spells when compared to elemental ones, even within a single element.

Let me put this into perspective; my strongest offensive spell was Cluster Flare and it could be called a... for sake of an understandable description, an A Tier spell. Meanwhile Olga's Annihilation Stream would be considered an S Tier spell, maybe even S-Plus given it's hybrid nature.

Most Arcane spells would reach up to C, maybe B Tier; any A Tier Arcane spells were rarer then elemental ones. Why? Because Elemental spells often did the same but a little more. Take, for example, Arcane Blast; a sphere of arcane energy that exploded with a blast wave. Simple and basic...

But I had Fireball which did the same thing but burned and set things on fire, Arctic Orb which offered little concussive force but iced things up and froze what it hits. There was another ice spell I knew of called Arctic Burst which could freeze but bore the same concussive force as a Fireball while throwing in ice shrapnel, Ball Lightning that bore physical but electrical force as well while another I was aware of, Shadow Shatter, was a darkness spell but it also exploded into dark, destructive lightning like Havoc Rend did.

Okay, you might say, but why not master Arcane Blast on top of all of them? After all maybe you had a situation that didn't call for something to be burned, frozen or electrocuted as well.

The answer was simple; for many combat mages you wanted to master a selection of spells to cover various situations and opponents but you didn't want to have too large of a selection of unmastered spells, you wanted to master spells to make them more powerful and efficient; it was better to have one, single mastered spell then three unmastered spell that filled likewise niches. As such your time was best spent on not learning redundant spells, and time is a very limited resource. Why learn something like Arcane Blast when you knew Fireball and Arctic Orb? Hell, look at me; I had Fireball, the shield eating Dark Flare and the friendly fire Holy Flare. Sure, I learned Arcane Blast because my father offered to teach it... and that's it. I wouldn't have chased the spell on my own accord and i wasn't in a rush to master it.

There were what one could call S Tier Arcane attack spells but no one really worried about learning them. Why learn how to fire a powerful stream of arcane energy that just blasted things when you could also set them on fire, bring a thunder storm, pierce things with a field of icicles or rend the earth asunder to break and fold it around targets?

On the, for lack of a better term, D to C Tier arcane spells you learned them because they were useful, simple, direct and flexible in use; see Magic Missile and Scatter Bolt which were two of my go-to spells. And then you have spells like Illusion, Scatter Burst and Shine Burst which were useful and had purposes that normal, elemental spells couldn't fill as easily.

"Can we pound it with smaller spells then?" Arnold asked, looking to my father. "If we can teach Dark Flare to as many as we can then we can drop it's shield. Death by a thousand cuts?"

"It would be difficult to do so..." Merlin admitted to his rival. "We'd need to out damage it's regenerative properties... We could, possibly, starve it if we cause enough damage over time and made it's regeneration consume it's energy but gods above know how long that will take."

"Do we not have a stronger attack?" Alicia huffed as she crossed her arms. "There must be something..."

"... I have one thing that would work." I admitted after a moment as I looked up and looked at Celestine. "No, I'm sure it would work." She blinked before she realized what I meant; my father didn't even have any pause to understanding, I could see it.

"I see. I know what you plan." She said sternly as I turned my whole body to face her. "Are you sure of this? Beyond the dangers you know what this means, yes?"

"Fully." I said without a hint of hesitation; the other shields caught on and shared looks. "But if you have nothing better then it's what's needed."

"Very well then." She said with a sigh and a nod.

"You plan to just handle this by yourself, do you?" Channer let off, a hint of bitterness in his voice as he looked to me... and I scoffed.

"Of course not..." I replied as I shook my head. "That would be too much for anyone in this room. To start with I'll need the help of the Shields to just get in close enough." I said before looking to the Queen of Garan. "Furthermore I'll need your help, Olga. I need it's shield down before I can get a clean shot. You're the best bet I have at it. What do you say; feeling up to taking another shot at it?"

"Did I not tell you? It's destruction is my responsibility." She said as she tapped her staff to the floor twice. "If you think you can destroy the Abomination I will, with gladness, open the way for you."

"You'll not be alone." Celestine said as she nodded. "We will assemble the army and march. We will be fighting not just the Abomination but it's corpse golem escort; we will need men and arms for that. The Eostian Forces shall engage them and grant you your opening."

"You will not be alone in this." Gavrilla Dreadblade let off as she moved forward; she was silent for most of it (As were the other Garanians in the room, with the one boasting a whip seeming terrified). "I will return to our forces and reassemble what we have for combat. We are weakened, I will admit, but we must fight too. If nothing else I ordered it's deployment; I have a responsibility to fight it."

"We'll deploy what supplies we can to refresh your forces but there will be little time to act." Celestine said with a nod. "I want to march out in the morning. I can contact Auryon and direct her to lure the Abomination towards us. We may have a limited selection of battlefields."

"The river maybe the best one." Claudia supplied as she moved to the scry device on the table; those from Garan who hadn't seen it before gawked as it lit up and I thought Stasia's eyes were going to pop out of her skull. Claudia showcased the region she meant and pointed. "Here. The river widens out and the water is slow but not deep. It can slow the escort and, possibly, lure the Abomination to outpace them if we cannot, otherwise, separate it's escort assuming it doesn't hold itself back and charges it's forces. Our biggest issue will be how to avoid our people from changing from that gas."

"Wait..." Gavrilla let of as we looked to her. "Everything that encountered it's gas changed instantly but only some of the humans did... most resisted it and was even to throw off the effects. Those who still changed often needed a longer time under the gas to turn..."

"Wait..." Stasia let off as she blinked. "T-that should be impossible! I added the gas specifically so the pilot could turn the dead humans against them! It's vaporized mana! It solidifies the mana inside of the lungs while penetrating the mana system; even an elf's can't withstand it!" What!? How did she make mana turn into a gas that could solidify itself inside a body!? Vaporizing or solidifying mana is hard under normal conditions! "We tested it on humans! It should work!" She was glared at but I was thinking a mile a minute on what it could be but it was Channer who snapped his fingers and got to an idea first.

"The filter stones!" He let off as the room turned to look at him. "They were made to prevent the Dread Field from affecting a person by filtering out any harmful, poisoned mana. More then likely it's offering some protection to those still carrying them!"

"It's possible some have misplaced or lost their stones or even left them at camp once the Dread Field came down." Arnold suggested as he crossed his arms in thought. "But I think any who erred on the side of caution kept them handy... and in turn had a chance to be spared." Stasia gawked before her head hung; likely due to feeling she had another failure on her lap.

"We will ensure everyone has their stone or a new one before we depart. In addition all elves will be given one, in addition to equipping the Garanian force." Celestine listed off quickly. "More over we must watch each other's back for this; the stones may buy us time but we still need to separate victims from the gas quickly."

"How much gas can it produce on it's own?" Olga asked, looking to a flinching Stasia who whimpered.

"Only enough for one, large burst or repeated, smaller bursts." The Operator explained. "It takes a day or so for it to restock the gas."

"I'll call Vult up quickly, I'll let him know to sideline anyone without a stone." Claudia let off as she looked to the High Queen. "That should increase his chances of survival." Then she turned to me with a smile. "Who would have guessed your little stones would save our people once more?" She said as I shrugged.

"Well it's just luck, this time." I replied. I made a mental note that if the spells were made stronger on stronger stones it might even make it near impossible to turn but I based them on the challenge at hand, not an unknown challenge to come... I'd just be thankful it gave people a fighting chance as opposed to be upset it didn't fully guard them. "Regardless; the main issue is going to be getting to it, won't it?"

"The Cloud Riders would be one means, but they're not durable enough to take a hard impact." Merlin began with a frown. "More over they're built to haul loads; they might be fast but they're not agile." He wasn't wrong; I designed it to be fast but also to fly mostly level as to be impossible to rock anyone off of it. It was, to put it simply, a bus as opposed to a race car or fighter jet.

"I'll ride White Peach." I said as he gave me a look of shock. "She's been nothing but wonderful since I rode her up here and as reliable as they come. She'll get me there, no questions asked."

"That beast of yours in the armor?" Olga said as she looked to me. "Given we shall be working together I will ride with you; if she can hold two. Heh... To be defeated by a man only to fight alongside him... What a strange era this is..." She said smiling ruefully. "Together we can do what cannot be done by one alone."

"Very well then..." Claudia let off. "Let us go over the order of battle and how we'll tackle this problem..."

[-]

I had the rest of the day to prepare; starting with making sure Peach's armor bore a stronger filter effect along with my own armor. We'd be charging the Abomination and, as such, I had to protect myself as best as able. I also made a stronger stone for Olga and the Shields; we'd be the ones that would be the closest to it; or at least that was the plan with Olga. I also took the time to go to White Peach and give her a wash and brushing; she was more affectionate then usual as I did so as well. Likely she sensed my mood and tried to offer some comfort.

Sky Eyes were now watching the Abomination from under it's mists as, at Celestine's request, supplies were flowing into Napreryvnyy City for some relief via Cloud Riders. There were survivors and they were starting to organize into a basic structure to stay alive and while they weren't happy to see Eostians they weren't in the mood to turn down help.

Stasia was grilled further for more details and while horrifying I was forced to admit she was a genius, although with 'mad' as a modifier. It wasn't just a mythril reinforced skeleton helping support it; it bore a triangular, scaffolding like structure to maximize strength and minimize weight. All of the organs were spread out inside of it's body with many protected by the scaffolding; it breathed and with hundreds of lungs, if not a thousand or more... The mouths moving was, in fact, it breathing...

Moreover every eye was usable; the pilot could see from any pair of eyes and it had a near perfect three hundred and sixty degrees of vision. More over it wasn't just full of troll's blood, it bore bones and organs of those Aberrant to produce it's own blood supply like a normal body would. It was already fully healed from Olga's attack because of it's regenerative power.

The spells stone that she carved up had the stones set into a pattern and protected inside of it's body to pull and push mana about as needed. It was, honestly, amazing how intelligent Stasia was; according to Celestine even the United Elven Kingdoms had almost no one who could easily do stone to flesh mana transfers or the reverse and none to the level Stasia could and Eostia was still only experimenting with it. However she also showcased exactly why in Dungeons and Dragons intelligence and wisdom are different scores; where you can have a three in one and an eighteen in the other. She was highly intelligent, but to quote a guy who reluctantly dealt with dinosaurs; 'You spent so much time wondering if you could, you never stopped to think if you should'.

And now we had a giant monster piloted by a mana poisoned berserker with an army of undead at her beck and call because Stasia rolled a three on wisdom and was so excited on what she could do she didn't stop to think about what could go wrong as she did it.

Wonderful.

Everyone had been busy until the evening when things started to finally calm down and I found myself at the balcony after a late dinner, sitting on the railing with my legs over the air and the ground below and looking up to now visible stars. I had a single glass of whiskey sitting next to me; given what was coming it was all I'd allow myself as I tried to relax. I had, for better and worse, put the burden of defeating this thing on my own two shoulders and I was worried about it. I had done what I can; assured everyone that came up to me that, yes, I was up to the task... even if I wasn't so sure...

There was another thing I was thinking about as I sipped my drink; I was thinking about Bronka.

We didn't have... well, a relationship of any sort; we were enemies who met on the field of battle over and over. In those fights I had maimed her twice; something that, given an elf's ability to cleanly heal, must have been worse for her. I had also defeated her in each encounter in at least some way or slain one of her allies which would drive her further and further into a spiral of desperation; a desperation that made her the brains of that... thing that made her go wild and crazy...

I had to wonder... if I hadn't killed her sister back then, back at the Lumber Mill... would she still be doing this? Would someone else be in her place? Would she be able to better resist the poisoning or be in a position to sense what was wrong and stop before things went out of control?

I couldn't blame myself for this; there was no way anyone would know what could happen... that they had such a thing there... but still... I couldn't help but wonder... and as I wondered it was then that I heard the sounds of boots behind me and walking over. "You really know how to get into the thick of it, eh?" Moving to sit next to me and turning to swing her legs in the same direction as my own was my sister, Miria.

"Well I don't know anyone else who can." I said as I sighed. After all Edda was in Widowtrail, minding things there. "A pure, Arcane Dragon's Breath is, gods willing, the best bet we have."

That really was the only thing we had; if I were to go back to tiering magic spells then Dragon's Breath was an S Rank; S-Minus at worst if not properly trained and the strongest Arcane spell we had access to. Of course there was one, big problem; while not a close range attack it wasn't something you can use from sniping range... and it was best used in close to deliver as much of the full effect as possible. Knowing this I can summarize it all simply...

Failure was an option...

"Come on, you have this." She said patting my shoulder with a smile to me as I couldn't give one back. "You've always got this!"

"Yeah, well 'this' is a giant, walking graveyard shaped into a massive bodysuit." I replied with a sigh, moving to sip my drink softly. She snorted and looked like she was about to reply before looking over her shoulder and once I noticed I took a look as well; seeing Celestine walk over.

"Forgive my interruption." She said as she moved to us and to my other side, setting her hands to the banister. "I wished to check up on you; glad am I you have family to do the same." She said with a nod before her smile faded slightly. "But I must ask if you are set on your course; you know that once you reveal what you are things shall change."

That was another thing to note; dragonborne and dragoneborne heroes were (Aside from with the Church who was already aware) were always popular in Eostia... and I was aware that defeating Olga, among other things, granted me a lot of popularity... and jealousy... Once this came out both would be exasperated... I sighed but looked back at her.

"Well the alternative is letting a crazy woman on a corpse golem titan run around and smash everything to pieces." I replied as I took another sip before speaking. "I can't allow that; not if I can do something about it."

"As noble as I've come to expect from you..." She said softly. "And you are the only one to be able to do this... but remember... You shall not ride alone... We will all ride with you. Do not be afraid to rely on us." She said as Miria gripped my shoulder and gave it a shake as she gave me a smile as I smiled back.

"I know... If you and everyone else hadn't pitched in I'd have been flattened." I said turning to smile back at Celestine. "And I will be needing everyone to reach it-"

"Indeed, but it's not what I mean." She said, as I blinked as she cut me off. "A lot of your work is done alone, as is many Enchanters, but there should be no fear to let those in your trust to do what is needed in your stead... As your fame increases what you can do, directly, decreases in a near one to one motion. You will come to depend on others to not just carry out tasks but fight in your name and stead lest the commoners or others distract you with admiration."

I... hadn't thought of that. Sure, I have done that before, mostly with Riri, but she was right... I prefer to handle things myself but if I was stopped all the time by admirers or spotted each time I was up to something... I would need to rely more on Riri after this... and likely Makoto, Aeris and the rest... As someone who liked doing my own errands that... would get annoying.

"That'll be frustrating..." I admitted as I sighed. "But that's the price I pay." I let off before finishing off my glass. I was about to set it down but Miria snatched the glass from me and smiled at me.

"Starting now." She chirped as she giggled and swung her legs about before leaving, taking the glass away. I sighed and moved to swing one leg then the other over the railing before standing up next to Celestine who giggled at me.

"Trust me; I well know the frustration... But while we've yet to deal with the Abomination we still must see what is beyond it." She began to explain, moving a hand to her chest. "Too many see only the challenge directly before them and not the ones that lay beyond them; doubly so with such an imposing challenge before them."

"That's not untrue..." I replied, a bit softer then usual. "But to get to the challenges that lay beyond we must deal with the one before us."

"That is also not untrue... But both must be considered." She replied as I nodded in response. "We must not over extend or over expose dealing with the problem before us... as powerful as that challenge is."

"I mean... yeah, you can't argue with it, but..." I said with a sigh. "What happens if we don't bring enough to bear to the current fight?"

"That is the tricky balance, isn't it?" She replied as she moved to look outside to the stars, leaning back onto the banister. "Nothing is written in stone and nothing is sure... You can only make your best guesses and let your wisdom guide you."

"I'll need a lot of that soon..." I said as I moved to join her, leaning on the banister as well. Nothing more was said as we just watched the stars; unsure of what the next day would bring...

[-]

Come the morning we would march off towards the site of the battle; Auyron reported in and the Abomination was following them... but it then it decided not to and detoured to demolish a small village, devouring every bit of food in it's massive jaws; cattle, grain and even elves. The Templars tried to save who they could but with only three of them and a flying, bus sized wagon it was impossible; they were just able to give as many people as they could a ride some distance away before going back and making it follow them once more once dinner was done.

Indeed; it seemed like Bronka wasn't so far gone to avoid her ride's, or her own, basic needs. That was troubling...

The Eostian Army would arrive first followed shortly by the Black Dogs and the Garanian Army. Seeing Olga alive and well perked the dark elves up and she rallied them around her and began to speak of what she had learned in her time in Mooncast and promised to be a better queen for them; sadly I missed the speech. I was told it was a grand one and brought some people to tears.

As for the matrons she made it clear that the High Houses fucked up and Olesia fucked up harder then the rest (While not downplaying that she bore her own failures and responsibilities). She named Tikhiy as Patriarch of his House (A rank she created then and there as equal to a Matron and something unexpected in a matriarchal society) and permitted a younger matron, Tsarina, to remain in command of her House while not touching House Drakepyre for the moment. Houses Reclusia and Nightsong were both reduced to lowborne houses with an open threat to absolve them fully if what she discovered of them was disappointing... Safe to say they had motivation to fight like hell.

The forces of Mungale and the First Lyran Guard were rallied behind me as House Noxdecus marched in the lead of them. Eostia had sixty thousand troops marching while Garan threw in twenty thousand. The Black Dogs only added three thousand to the number but they were spread out across the GOR so that wasn't a fault of theirs. Another seven odd thousand Church Forces was coming along as well as well as, interestingly enough, Effimia Herz, the news reporter of the Adventurer's Guild who had their own drones watching the Abomination; meaning everyone in Eostia new about this thing... More over they'd see how it would play out...

(As a side note while this situation was seen as yet another dark elf monstrosity and blame was set squarely on them, and not unfairly. Celestine opted to do an interview with Herz to explain more details to the public; Stasia was publicly blamed and I'd say she was scapegoated if, ya know, it wasn't her fault. Olga was also brought out in a likewise manner to explain her side, her orders to destroy it well before deployment and shifted the blame towards the matrons as well. On top of all that images of a destroyed, Garanian city was also tossed in for everyone to see; Celestine was more or less painting an image of elven hubris backfiring, the common people of that land suffering for it and a promise to halt the Abomination before it reached our borders. All of that thankfully prevented too many additional sales of torches and pitchforks and would make their old enemy look sympathetic, doubly so the laborborne/commoner class who would be the worst hit by this. Celestine and Olga both agreed it was for the best to make a future peace easier to swallow for the Eostian side.)

We would make camp riverside with men doing what they did to calm nerves before battle; drinking, gambling, playing games of chance or such as well as sparring and bantering and what not. What was unusual was that Olga made it a point to set up the Garanian camp next to ours and would hang around myself or Celestine. She wanted to ensure the two forces were willing to work together and, it seemed, showcasing she could get along with others was one way to do that.

Cue a mixture of confused peoples from two formerly opposing sides watching the Dark Queen of the Jagged Crown, Olga Discordia, have a friendly and relaxed conversation over a game of Battle Fleet with the Heir of Mungale with too many damned nicknames, James Noxdecus. She seemed to enjoy the game even and, on a whim, I offered Myrddin my spot and, while nervous, he played with the queen and, after a moment, began conversation with her.

Changes had to begin at the top, after all.

Eventually Celestine and Olga would go to the Garanian Camp and I found myself with a new Battle Fleet opponent. "G-Four." I let off.

"Blast it! You have sunken my last ship once more!" Rubin let off as she banged her fist to the log between us before crossing her arms with a huff. "What are you doing to this game!?"

"Nothing... Honestly, you should have won at least once by now by statistical chance..." Yes, I was facing Rubin Drakepyre in a a series of Battle Fleet games... I wasn't her first opponent, just the current one... but she hadn't won a single match... and I don't know why.

And no, I didn't tamper with the game; if I had it would to help her win a match. I restarted the board and moved to place my ships. "So... Matron now..?" I said to start a new conversation.

"It is not a title I wished for..." She admitted softly as she moved to do the same. "I do not wish to be playing politics or directing the flow of wealth. I am a warrior; I wish to find challenges to my skills."

"I guess I can understand; I prefer to do magical enchantments and make things." I replied simply. "Politics and economics are necessary however; for your people's sake if nothing else." Once the ships were placed the game would give her the first move; A-Five.

"Hmm... It is strange... To speak with a former foe over a game." By contrast I choose F-Five as she spoke. "I am... not sure what to make of it..."

"I don't think many do; not really..." I replied as she hit B-Five; it seems she wanted to split the board down the line... with one of my brigs before her line it at E-Five. "But that's politics... Things change and either you adapt with it... or get run over by it." I fired back on G-Four... and landed a hit... Already?

Rubin frowned but fired back at C-Five to stick to her plan. "I can agree... even if I find it... distasteful... But where else am I to test my might?" I hit G-Five and nailed her ship once more. as she grunted in annoyances. She hit D-Five; one away from hitting my brig.

"Ummm, an Arena?" I let off as I fired on G-Six. Nothing sank so I didn't hit her sloop or a brig... She gave me a look for a moment. "...What?"

"What is this arena you speak of? Isn't that only for sparring?" She said before firing on E-Five; finally hitting something and grinning a bit.

"There's arena where gladiators fight before audiences for sport." I told her as I shrugged and, seeing Flannery Pugnator, pointed to her. "I know she fights in them often enough." Rubin looked over as I fired on G-Seven and sank... a brig? That confused me for a moment as I blinked and realized she placed two ships right next to each other. Once she looked back she fired on F-Five.

"She seems strong... Is there more like her?" She asked as she struck the mid section of my brig.

"Of all sorts. Tournaments, exhibitions and more are held at the arenas." I replied as I fired on G-Three; sinking her sloop as well. She had a flash of annoyance until I spoke once more. "There's no killing allowed but otherwise any sort of style and means of battle is allowed." She fired on G-Five and that was the end of my brig. "There are people who enter slaves in states with slavery but there are plenty who become gladiators either for extra coin of a full profession. Some nobility enter tournaments to test themselves." I said before firing on E-Four... and hit something!

How bunched up were her ships?

"Do you enter these tournaments?" She asked me as I shook my head as she fired on H-Five; seemingly aiming to still cut the board in half. I fired on E-Three and struck once more.

"No; I was spending most of my time studying magic and enchanting." I replied as she fired on an empty I-Five. "I trained in the blade and combat tactics, of course, but I opted to gain experience by joining the Adventurer's Guild." I fired on E-Two. Struck once more but nothing sank; wasn't the other brig. She would fire on J-Five and hit nothing but slice the board in two.

I took a shot on E-One; nothing. "Adventurer's Guild?"

"It's a means for people, commoner, merchant, noble and other, to post jobs to men and women who will freelance for extra coin." I replied to her as she fired on E-One. Interesting... I fired on E-Five and sank a frigate as she huffed. She opened on E-Two as she mused in thought.

"Perhaps that's what we can use. A means of freelancing." Rubin said as she crossed her arms, awaiting my next strike on the board. I fired on D-Three as she kept thinking. "A means to allow the laborborne to build themselves up... discover themselves." She said, firing on E-Three right after.

"Don't get me wrong; it's not a safe job." I said, firing on C-Two and striking a ship. "Fighting goblins is the bread and butter and it's not all you face; angry wildlife, slimes of all stripes, bandits and more. Not that all the jobs require combat."

"Hooo?" She fired on E-Four to no effect. I fired on D-Two to the same.

"It can be a way to post for odd jobs as well." She fired on E-Six and hit nothing. "A means to find good craftsmen, extra hands for a bumper crop on farms or for lumber mills to hire more axe men for wood when demand is high." I fired on B-Two and hit the ship once more. She fired on E-Seven. Nothing.

"Hmmm... Once more I can see use in such a thing..." She mused as I nodded and fired on A-Two; eliminating her brig. She fired on E-Eight as she contemplated things. I fired on H-One to no effect; that said she only had her galleon left which was five spaces long so I just had to start searching it by making unstruck spaces less then five long. It wasn't anywhere in the one or two columns down to G then because the spaces were too short. And then she fired on E-Nine... of course...

"You can invite the guild into Garan but it might be better to make your own; although maybe asking them for guidance." I said as I fired on I-Two. "If nothing else working with them would be useful in that case." I said as she hit E-Ten with a hum.

"You say you worked for them? Would you be able to assist with such a thing?" She asked as I hit J-Three. That meant columns one and two were fully clear of ships as was most of three; the end could be in H-Three or I-Three but that's it. She fired on G-One and nailed the end of my frigate as her lips twitched in a smirk, finding my second ship.

"I've worked with them and met their current leader, if briefly." After sometime I fired on H-Six, hitting nothing. But with H-One accounted for and only a five space ship left I didn't need to worry about H-Two to H-Five. She fired on G-Two as I kept speaking. "I have a working relationship with them so I ought to be able to help out, but it'll be your onus to seal any deals." I said, firing on I-Seven; that cleared I-Three to I-Six. She fired on H-One, nailing my frigate once more and finding it's alignment.

"That would be useful..." She admitted as I fired on J-Eight and made an impact. She sighed and shook her head, reaching down and ending the game; conceding defeat once more. "...If we survive."

"I've no plans to die." I said with a smile, chuckling a bit. "Do you?"

"...I am Matron... I will lead my people and it will not be to a grave." She said as I smiled and reached over with a hand.

"It won't be instant, but let's bury old hatreds then." I said as she looked back and gave a more rueful smile and took my hand for a hard shake.

It was a start.

[-]

Tsarina Goldtomb found a spot on the edge of the two camps to practice her katas; while passed down from mother to daughter the Devil's Fang was an odd weapon; akin to a sword save the long handle, akin to a lance save the bladed end, akin to a spear save the size of the head. Indeed; her primary weapon before using it was a similar, mythril weapon she used until her mother passed on the year previous; Black Sickness catching up to her in her final days...

She wish she had known...

She practiced to control her nerves; not just because of the beast they would face but her part in allowing it to come to life. She was the most junior Matron there when they learned of it, her gender the only thing placing her over the matron-stand-in turned patriarch, but she still had a part in agreeing to deploy the thing... and as such a part to play in it's defeat, no matter how small.

It would be... a strange battle to fight alongside the Eostians but she wasn't that excited about war beyond her duty to begin with... and after losing the city she imagined many wanted the war to end...

"That's quite the weapon." She jumped a bit as a voice cut through the air. Turning to where it came from she saw a short, human woman at five three; seven inches shorter then herself with short, cropped brown hair, a mostly flat chest, yellow eyes and in one of those Mana Armor suits showcasing ripped abs.

They were hard not to look at. "It's an heirloom." The curvy, elven girl told the more slender human woman who whistled softly in response as the huge weapon was shouldered.

"Must be older then the kingdom then." She said as she walked over before pulling her axe off her back; black shaft and golden head and letting her see it. "I commissioned mine. My parents didn't have a weapon I felt suited me." She said before moving it back to her back as Tsarina lifted and then inverted her weapon, setting it's point to the ground.

"...Why come to me for small talk?" The young matron asked as the human shrugged.

"I mean you seem strong. And cute." She said with a wide smile. "Ahh; I'm Gunda, by the way; Gunda Guldblad.

"Ahhh... Cute?" The dark elf let off as the human stepped in and, boldly, set a hand to the small of her back and pressed, guiding her to walk as she Gunda began to walk with her and guide her, shouldering her weapon once more to carry it.

"We're all playing nice so I wanted to get to know someone..." The human said with a... strangely smooth smile. "Perhaps even a little... intimately..."

"Wh-wh-what do you mean by 'intimately'?" The dark elf asked to a... strange smile that made her blush.

"Oh, allow me to show you..." She was told, unaware their destination was a tent.

A private tent.

[-]

Gavrilla frowned at all of the fraternization between forces going on before her. Worse she could not voice an objection to it as it was her own queen that engaged in and encouraged it. Perhaps, sometime ago, she could have been able to ask her queen's reasons for this but she was well aware that her mistakes would result in her head parting ways with her neck if she were to do so now.

That was still a risk as it sat. Much as she hated to admit it they needed the Eostians to undo her mistake...

Instead she stood and watched over things with her arms crossed. The Garanians were too depressed and worn to argue or fight their counterparts and the Eostians seem to be at least willing to tolerate them with some even reaching out to them... She couldn't understand why, either...

(It would be explained to her, eventually, that the laborborne's unwillingness to rebel against Eostian forces and seeing their homes set ablaze by their nobility elicited sympathy from the invading armies and was extended to them now in their weakest moment. She would find it insulting but was, once more, not in a position to voice her discontent.)

She would hear footsteps come closer and clenched her arms together tighter as she saw that Levantine walking to her from the side; a steaming mug of something in each hand. "You seem discontent." Claudia let off as she moved to extend a mug to her.

"There is much to be discontent over." The dark elf replied, keeping her arms crossed. "Do not act like we are friends, Levantine. At most we are merely not enemies at the moment."

"Maybe." Claudia said, still holding the mug out even as she sipped her own. "But there is no reason to be hostile now. If nothing else we will be allies in the coming battle; it will be good to look out for one another." The dark elf gave a gruff grunt but took the offered mug finally looking at the liquid inside. "It's hot so be careful drinking it."

"What is it?" Gavrilla asked looking at the soft, brown liquid.

"Hot chocolate. Chocolate is a bit of a luxury, so we don't offer it to the troops often." The Dawn Templar's commander let off with a sigh. "Given what we are up against we can use the morale boost..."

Gavrilla frowned; chocolate was forbidden in Garan... But she had seen Olga drinking from a likewise mug; refusing seemed to be a poor option and she would sip at her drink. It was sweeter then she'd prefer but could see the appeal... and addiction. "Hmmm... I fear what I have allowed to roam... Does your human hero truly have what it takes to bring it low?"

"He hasn't let us down yet." Claudia mused as she moved to look to where Gavrilla's gaze went; following Olga's form as she spoke with her troops. "And he risked his life to protect Olga; you can't doubt his bravery." Gavrilla huffed at that but didn't retort; she bore a strong point. Without him her queen would have been crushed; and by her own folly no less. "If nothing else Olga trusts him." That made the general frown deeper.

"I do not see why she would befriend he would could best her..." She said sipping her drink before frowning. "I thought no human could best her..."

By contrast Claudia knew the truth of why James was able to best Olga and the secret of the Dark Queen's poisoning but couldn't speak of it... but could speak some of the fight. "He bested her Annihilation Stream by using ice magic and cold to protect himself; he prepared for the possibility well in advance in the chance he fought her." Gavrilla frowned deeper at that as Claudia spoke on. "He's punched over his weight several times in the past... We have to trust he can do it at least once more." The general frowned once more wishing to debate the fact... but she was there when he slew the Blood Bear...

His accolades were notable... regrettable as it was to admit. "Let us hope, then, your trust is not misplaced..." She let off with a sigh...

[-]

Breakfast was hardy come the next morning and the collected forces ate up in preparation of the battle ahead. Indeed as the forces collected on one side of the river some distance from the water we could see the Abomination marching towards us from the distance. It caused more then a little unease as battle lines were formed. I mounted White Peach and (After having Olga give the steed a peach, as in the fruit) the Dark Queen of Garan climbed on behind me. Even through the armor I could feel her hand on my shoulder, squeezing tight as she held her staff in the other hand. I had the Dragon's Claw drawn and at the ready in my right hand as I considered the reports.

In escort of the Abomination was now some forty odd thousand zombies; a lot of them carrying a mix of arms but the majority were unarmed. It occurred to me that the unarmed undead were likely civilians that were caught up in the unholy mess the Abomination had made. That just added to the horrors. I took a calming breath as I looked upwards; facing off against the Abomination was my second anxiety today. My first..?

Giving a speech...

Between my previous feats and that I opted to take on the Abomination head-on through (Mostly) unknown means Celestine opted to have me make a speech to the collected armies. I had neither expected nor wanted that dropped onto my shoulders but here we are and here it is.

"You are nervous." Olga let off as I sighed.

"Honestly, I have reasons to be." I replied with a shrug as I looked back at her. "I think this is more nerve racking then picking a fight with you."

"That I second to such a monstrosity is not an insult." She quipped softly as I sighed a I bit and rolled my shoulder softly.

"To be honest... If this fails we're going to have more trouble on our hands then we can handle." I said as I sighed, the Abomination moving closer and closer as White Peach shuddered under me as it lumbered closer; as it did it's zombie army moved around it to no longer surround it fully but form a loose line before it, clearly readying for battle itself. I patted my steed's neck to try and relax her a little.

Soon I saw Celestine turn, give me a look and a nod as I sighed. Here we go... I pulled out my voxlux and held it before me and connected it to a booster set up before the army. Soon my projection shot up as I mentally braced for the pre-battle speech.

Go me... Still, two lifetimes of experience made sure I was well positioned for public speaking... that didn't mean I liked it and didn't want to rise above a humble baron...

Despite being engaged to the sole daughter of a Grand Duke... and that I wanted to slap the High Queen's bottom cheeks. Yes, I admit it...

Once my image was up and over the army I began to speak. "Collected forces hailing from Eostia and Garan. I am James Noxdecus, Heir and Champion of Mungale. I have been called quite a few things since this incursion started; from hero to genius and more by my fellow Eostians as well as villain to scoundrel and more by the Garanians I fought. In truth, I am a person of doing my best with what means I have; much as many of you regardless of the station of birth. But I know what I can do and have done... And I know I can bring this Abomination low..."

"But I cannot do it alone..." I said as I carried on. "I need the help of you and yours to bring it down... There will be those who don't go home after this battle, and that number will be too many... Too many have died in this war already so I beseech you all help me make this the last battle of the war... Let old enemies join hands as allies and bring this monster down and, when it is gone, let us keep hands joined and make friends where once was foes... So! Join me! Join me everyone in destroying this Abomination! And from it's fall let a new age be forged!" I punctuated the last words with raising my saber up and... I thankfully got a loud cheer from the armies; to my relief too.

The cheer was met by a bellowing roar from across the field as the Abomination stomped forwards as Eostians in the front of the lines started to bang their weapons to their shields. The Garanians would follow suit, as if they were attempting to hype each other up and support each other with the noise and a matching beat...

My vision flashed white, but unlike other times when it's happened this time the view flew past the front line of our soldiers with the banging of shields before slowing and pausing on Claudia; slamming her blade to her bracer in time with the others. "Come on everyone! Victory awaits us past this beast! Let us go and claim it!" She let off as the view zoomed over, this time to the Garanian forces; dark elves and some Aberrant banging weapons and shields to one another before slowing down once more to pause on someone, in this case with Rubin in the lead (With Gavrilla by her side, interestingly) as she formed a tower shield and an axe in her hands with her mana and banged them together in time with the Eostian lines.

"Are you ready to regain your pride, my fellow Garanians!? There it lies before you! The monster that shattered it! We will bring it low and rebuild what we lost!" Once more the view shifted down the line before it flashed and I was going down the lines of the Black Dogs; the scoundrels, human and Aberrant alike, smirking and grinning as they banged weapons and shields, if to a beat that didn't match the Eostians and Garanians.

Finally the view settled on Vult who had his massive sword shouldered as he grinned wide. "Come on you scumbags! Do you wanna live forever!?" He let off to a massive cheer of his men as the view moved back down and flashed before it went down... the Church Forces...

Honestly, I forgot they were here... I sorta wish they weren't.

Even so we had something I didn't expect; the Archbishop at the front holding his staff out and forwards. "Let the faithful march forth and bring victory in the goddess' name!" He bellowed out as the Church Forces... banged their spears to the ground out of tune to the Eostian/Garanian beat, nor matching the Black Dogs...

Finally it pulled back, showcasing the lines of our side in full before spinning about... and showcased the zombies in their lines and Abomination before zooming down and zipping past the various corpse golems, slowing down now and then to showcase a few, snarling ones, before zooming to the bizarre legs of the Abomination before spiraling up it's frame, slowing on a few soundless, moaning heads before zooming along and up until it reached Bronka's face as she looked forwards, her face twisted into a demonic grimace with her spell stone eye alight as she hissed out loud before the view panned back and the main mouth roared in something between wordless and something that sounded like a word as it raised it arms up before stomping a step forwards and dropping the arms to waist level to roar even louder.

The title and name came up but... oddly it was... different then usual... It was shifting from green to red and back and... shifting and shuddering now and then in a font that looked like stringy bits was coming off it, looking like scratches almost...

FLESH CRAFTED HORROR
THE ABOMINATION

The view pulled back further to showcase it's whole, zombie army as it leaned forwards and bellowed harder for a long moment before my view returned to normal. The zombie would then suffer first as arrows rained down onto them from our archers...

It had begun...

[-]

Channer was not unaware that James was reluctant to play hero but that still didn't change how upset he was that he was being thrust forth into the limelight with the expectation to save the day once more... and James was convinced he could...

What Arcane spell he boasted that had a chance do destroy the thing he didn't know but James wasn't known to brag or make baseless boasts. If he said he could there was a solid chance he could and would. He was still upset at being in his shadow; how swiftly he beat the Dread Field still baffled him, that he could beat two matrons was frustrating and him defeating Olga Discordia and make her submit seemed to be an exclamation mark on it... with the Abomination a possible second...

He was forced to admit that his father was right; after this war ended he would need to focus more on his own self improvement. The rivalry between Houses Noxdecus and Blitzhaus meant another conflict would arise between them someday; when it came he needed to be ready to show why Blitzhaus had earned both the Right to Rule and the Right to Dominate.

For now his job was to help open the way to the Abomination for his friend and rival, starting with casting Icicle Flechette; to the outside he would, from the end of his staff, blast off a frosted spike of ice that arched through the air but once it began to come down he triggered it; it would explode and send smaller spikes of ice through the air that spread out to the opposing force. He couldn't make out the effect clearly with other spells and missiles flying to the target but rather then guess he fired another one.

One thing he noticed quickly as the zombies reached the river was there were few missiles that were fired back; that some were was a shock still, even having heard of it, but worse was a Fireball spell sent to them. One of their shield orbs would catch it but the explosion was weak for such a spell; instead a gas was released and he quickly guessed what it was. He'd be the first to react with a Vortex Tunnel; hitting the gas directly and pulling the cloud away before it could fall onto the men.

Other Gasballs, as he'd call them, followed and his and other's wind spells would shove them away. He was aware they could resist turning by the gas but there was no reason to take chances...

But still... he still wondered, what was James' plan... It wasn't like he was a dragonborne, so a Dragon's Breath wasn't the answer... what could it be..?

[-]

Lucilius the Sixth did not want to be on the front lines of the battle... but he was also not unaware how things could look if he and his forces weren't there. The being before them and it's army was truly unholy and whatever he could say of Celestine and her failures as the Goddess Reborn in bringing the deserved Theocracy to rise he would say this; she was taking action to deal with the beast to the point of taking the field herself which was good and proper...

...save that she give the task of slaying it to a dragonborne...

Lucilius was not a fool. He knew the details, having good and pious lords willing to speak to him and his ensured it... He knew well what the Noxdecus heir's plan was but he feared what would come after; removing him was difficult as it stood with the eyes of Celestine and her Shields upon him; by war's end all of Eostia would have their eyes on him making his elimination in the name of the Theocracy all the harder...

'Oh great goddess, why must your own avatars make the spreading of your great word all the harder?' He wondered to himself as he pointed his staff forwards before lifting it up and slamming the butt of it to the ground as he casted; the soldiers around him glowing bright for a long moment as his magic empowered. "Go forth, faithful army, and bring back victory!" He barked out as his men cheered and rushed forwards before giving each of the LaLunerouge Sisters a look; the three nodding and marching out to the front of the lines with the men.

"Good father, are ye sure ya should be 'ere on da field o'battle?" The Archbishop heard as his bodyguard, Harrison Hamilton, whispered into his ear. "Da Noxdecus lad may t'ink he can bring it down but da safe bet is he's spittin' in da wind."

"I don't disagree with you, Harrison." Lucilius hissed as he maintained his empowerment spell. "But if we were to decline this battle, victory or not, it will reflect poorly on the faithful... Moreover if they fail and we have an opening we can use to claim our own victory."

"Let's 'ope they go down together now, eh?" His bodyguard replied before flicking a hand out and pulling out an axe with a narrow head before throwing it hard and off into the battle; letting it cut an on coming Fireball in half, the weapon spinning before arcing down and impacting the undead caster. "An unholy bastard fightin' unholy bastards... fittin' it is..."

[-]

"Take this you undead dummies!" Lulu let off as she leapt at her first target with a grin as the lines came to clash once the zombies had forded the river; her titanium axe cleaving through and undead orc before spinning and slashing through a spray of gas aimed at her... that turned to a clear color as it came to contact with the magic negating properties of her titanium axe. She had hoped such an effect would happen but wasn't fully ready for it. When she came across a dark elf risen she thrust her axe for a shallow cut; hoping the titanium would undo the magic upon it and, perhaps, free the elf... only for the dark elf to collapse, seemingly dead. The moment she could afford the time she checked for a pulse and found none.

Damn.

It was back to the attack as she felt her grin falter a bit; she had hoped negating the magic on the zombies might save one or two but that wasn't to be. Rather then hold back she decided to go all out, swinging her weapon in a wide arc to slash four goblins in half, turning with her axe and swinging with an overhead strike, cleaving an undead ogre in two. The idea that these people, even the Aberrant, were turned into these... monstrosities sickened her in a way she couldn't describe. She was, among other things, a blacksmith; forger of weapons, armor, tools and more. To build was something she loved over all else, to craft and make something that would last longer then the hands holding it, to bring beauty in form and function to those in need of it.

To a warrior she made the tools of combat and guards against the same, for mages she could smith staves and wands to ply their trade, for merchants wagons to carry their wares, to lords arts and sculptures to admire... She crafted with metal and, as needed, wood and leather. But this Abomination... crafted from flesh and magic it wasn't just unnatural it was... it was disgusting! Perverted! Horrible!

To make a weapon was one thing, but to build a thing from the flesh and bones of people by mashing them together, binding them in such a manner and having it unleash such a gas to turn others... This wasn't like using a cow's hide or other leather from other beasts to make armor, clothes or tools with; at least the entire animal was expected to be used for food and materials and not made into a living horror.

She wasn't offended by it on a mere moral level, it offended her as a master of crafts!

If worse came to worse she was also well aware she might be the Plan B if James failed; her titanium axe with it's mana negating properties coupled with Gregory's new axe loaded with mana draining holy/lightning abilities would follow along with the progenitor of those abilities, Merlin Noxdecus. That was... not a thought she enjoyed... at all...

It was still something she was ready to do, however, if worse came to worse...

[-]

As a swirling axe coated in literal holy lighting cleaved a line past the undead Saxon Noxdecus kept focus on what was before her; a new golden mythril spear in hand (She was sure it was a combat trophy from her son and would pry the details out later... needless to say that her son might have been hurt... frustrated her... and more then somewhat...) and found repeated uses of Rapid Strikes were highly effective in dealing with the targets before her. They weren't overly strong nor durable, they weren't overly skilled (Although more so then one would expect) and weren't overly fast. The repeated strikes and stabs, placed correctly, dealt with them in a quick manner. There was just two problems.

One; the undead revived their own with that damnable gas of theirs. That meant unless you could push the line back far enough they would just get back up; it seemed only decapitation or significant torso damage would prevent that.

Two; even if you could push the lines back the bodies were piling up thicker then normal because the bodies kept coming and as such dropped one to one another; both making them hard to pass and making them easier to revive.

Gregory's new axe sang in the air as it was thrown; having named it the Golden Thunder Axe. It was more silver in hue then gold, but both it's edges and the lightning coating it were gold. More importantly, in that moment, his axe was proving to be the single most effective weapon so far. The weapon, spinning across the air, hacked and slashed parts off the zombies which reduced their effectiveness and even took some heads off before recalling it to his hand with the lightning weakening the mana controlling them, in some case absorbing enough mana to drop them. Fireballs seemed to push the zombies more then dismember and broken limbs either seemed to heal or were ignored... It was hard to tell... Either way she understood the foe before her...

Until she didn't...

Rather then puke their gas onto piles of bodies one ogre knelt down and leaned back so it's mouth was straight up, opening it's mouth wide as several risen, mostly undead dark elves, breathed gas into it's open mouth to her confusion. She wasn't sure what they were doing but was still dealing with more shambling foes as they did it... And then the ogre rose, seemed to swallow before it's body swelled in size in both height and girth; nearly like a balloon before it's muscles filled in before roaring out. "What would my son say in a position like this? Oh yeah... Fuck me..."

"Ma'am." One of the Lyrans near her let off as he slammed a spear into a zombie, Pierce Chest, said to her. "Everyone says that at a time like this."

As the ogre lumbered towards her she grit her teeth; it had swollen up to over ten feet in height and was carrying a toll's arm by the wrist and severed at the elbow as a club. He held it up as she reached back to pull her shield off to grip it; one shaped like the Noxdecus House emblem save the unicorn's horn was not part of the artwork and was a spell stone and colored gold and enchanted by her own son.

She grit her teeth a bit; leaving either of her children to play their own roles in the battle (Doubly so James who seemed to find the strongest foes to pick fights with! Seriously, why he did he always have to find the strongest thing on the opposite side of the field and run straight to it!? Did he think this was some story where he was the main character!?) that didn't change how much she worried for them; she lost her mother to an incursion, nearly lost her full sister to another, nearly lost her half sister when Sora tried to save her in another, her husband nearly a dozen times in several incursions and more friends then she cared to count... If someone from their House was going to die it would be her because she didn't want to bear that kind of pain... She was well aware that she was lucky to have only lost her mother to the war and that compared to the pain of other houses and peoples losses it paled but that changed nothing for her heart.

And as it lumbered towards her she cried out and swung her spear in an arc as a wave of pressure came from it with a Combat Art, knocking the zombies away from her with little damage to them; all save the one stepped on by the giant zombie ogre. For some reason the peons stepped aside as the giant monster stepped forth and towards her as she spun her spear once before bringing her shield up as she glared towards it.

It howled out, gases spilling from it's mouth as it charged; rather then merely let it she opted to charge back in turn, shield raised and hopping over a pile of fallen corpse golems as she watched it, gritting her teeth as she rushed forth. She readied a combat art and as it swung it's odd club she thrust her spear out while keeping her shield up by her head; slamming her spear into the arm-club with her Combat Art, Blade Burst, triggering and expanding a layer of bladed mana out from the spear head; severing it. The cut arm banged off her shield and fell behind her as the monster attempted to strike her with a follow through, back strike with a missing weapon now before she slammed her spear into it's gut and swung it to side as she hopped back as it's guts spilled out... and it kept coming and swung a fist into her. She was caught off guard by the action; gutting the zombies had worked until now (And it had stepped on it's own guts as it stepped in to attack), but she was still able to block the hit with her shield, bracing herself for the impact with another Combat Art-

-and found herself slammed to her back, skidding across the ground and through the pile of corpses she had jumped over earlier and skidded another fifteen feet before coming to a stop. She grit her teeth and tried to push up only to find the monster rushing to her faster then she expected. Shield raised she blocked a harsh stomp as she used a strength bolstering art and followed it with the Physical Burst spell her son placed in the spear she now held before he gave it to her as she tried to force the thing off of her... and wasn't able to as she struggled for a long moment until it howled and seemed to falter; unknown at the time to her Pierce had slammed a blade into it's thigh and cut a muscle, weakening it enough that she could push up and knock it back a step and finally rise to her feet.

It would howl and bring both hands down, slamming at her she blocked once more with her shield but angled it to shove them to the side before she stepped in and hit it's knee with her spear, pressing through it's leg and using another Blade Burst, severing the limb before she hopped away. The Lyrans, she noted, closed the hole in the line behind it as it stumbled forwards, landing on it's hands before she lifted her spear up and swung it downwards, a third Blade Burst used to sever it's head off; the body, severed limb and head shivered hard before deflating in a long stream of gas from the neck hole, herself and everyone stepping from it. "Stay back until the air clears!" She called out; seeing some men hold their breaths before backing up.

She sighed, pausing to catch her breath and recover before moving back to the line.

Maybe she wasn't at her family's side in that moment... but she could help them by doing her part...

[-]

As much as I wanted to just charge in I was forced to wait and just cast the odd spell, mostly Scatter Bolts, as Olga did the same from behind me. We both had to conserve our mana (Doubly so Olga) as I waited for the signal. I patted White Peach to keep her calm as I kept an eye on things; the Abomination itself stomped forwards at times but it was outpaced by the zombies. It was flinging spells at us when it approached forcing Celestine, Kaguya and Prim to counter with their own but it preferred to swat at or cast at the Cloud Rider which kept it still as it zipped about, dodging as best as it could as it held the behemoth's attention; Auryon mostly managed it by showing the Cloud Rider's back to it and as the spell was thrown bank and speed up. That meant it was well away from it's army which was one of the plans; it was all about getting us past the zombie army and getting a straight shot at it...

What I feared was once we did it would take note and it would turn on us and, thus, make reaching it all the harder without the distraction. It didn't seem to care for us one way or the other; it just cared on what was attacking it, the closest threat, biggest threat or the nearest thing not dead. The moment it saw us as a threat was when our troubles started. We were waiting on Celestine now...

And then Prim used a powerful ice spell which arced over the lines onto river; freezing us a path over it's water as I grinned. "Now!" The High Queen let off as I quickly guided White Peach into a charge towards the line; namely a part of it that led to the ice bridge. Our people parted as Celestine casted a powerful shield spell that formed before the line of zombies and expanded at a walking speed pace, pushing the zombies aside (And ours, but they moved away on their own as it expanded); they moved around it to carry on the attack but before we reached it the shield was dropped... and we had a path, crossing over the ice bridge in moments as the line of soldiers closed the hole behind us.

(I gave credit to Prim later; she didn't just form the bridge but she made the ice form in a rough enough pattern on it's surface that White Peach wouldn't slip on it. Good on her.)

"Let's go!" I let off as we charged forwards at the Abomination; only needing to behead a straggling zombie with my saber. We simply charged at it as I inverted my weapon's grip... and it turned to face us the moment we were thirty yards from the river as it howled. It ignored the Cloud Rider with the Dawn Templar trio on board attacking it as it lifted a foot up and we felt the mana it pulled to cast with before it slammed it's foot down, sending a cascade of exploding earth towards us. Peach moved before I could direct her, turning out of the attack's path as it lift a hand up as lightning crackled in the arms of it's clawed, torso hand. Olga reacted next, thrusting her staff forth and firing an earth spell; dark orange ball of mana shooting off towards the ground, slamming into the earth between us and it before it shuddered just before it spiked upwards in a rough, pointed pillar. A massive lightning spell came from the Abomination and stuck the mana pillar, shattering it apart but letting it take the blast in our place.

It howled out, lifting it's odd, clawed hand up and smashed it down as a wave of ice spikes fired at us. I opted to use a Blast Zone spell; firing a lance of blazing mana at the wave. Upon impact it exploded and sent the blast wave into the ice where, upon impact, it shattered it apart and ending the spell; even though a path of ice spikes remained. We kept closing the distance as I grit my teeth before it lifted it's foot once more and slammed it down; this time sending a shock wave in all directions along the ground and much faster then I'd expect. Once more White Peach came through for us, leaping over it and while we were buffered by the wave she landed well, unharmed and kept charging.

A Fireball exploded on the side of Bronka's head from a Templar in the Cloud Rider but she ignored it, screamed at us and followed by charging us now at a jog. I clicked my tongue. "Get ready!" I called out as I got ready to call forth the dragon's mana in my eyes before-

-White Peach turned hard to the side before the Abomination leapt faster then I thought it could and dodged a grasping limb as it dived at us! Holy Shit! It got to a knee quickly and lifted an arm to grab us as Olga charged for her attack but transitioning to a shield to deflect a swipe; the shield cracked on the strike and only holding it a moment as Peach got us away before it broke through. "We need more space! Or a distraction!" Olga called back as I grit my teeth, nodded and readied a Dual Cast.

"You'll have it in a sec! Peach, look after her!"

"What?" Olga barked off... as I used Levitation to fly off the saddle and to the side. I ended it to land on the ground with a roll to my feet so I could use Heroic Leap to get the height I needed; rocketing straight up and reaching a level higher then the thing. I used the Levitate in my armor as I fired off two spells at it; both Shine Bursts. I fired one to go before the thing and one behind it as I grinned and made a show of covering my face with my arm.

"Watch your eyes!" I called down to Olga... and then the two spells went off; splintering into shards that spread out before they exploded in a series of bright, shining, multi colored lights. The Abomination screamed out and hobbled backwards, swinging it's arms about wildly; Bronka's face twisted in rage as she shook her head about, mimicking her ride. I could feel Olga's mana collect under me as I let my armor keep me aloft as I shifted to start drawing on my eyes' dragon's mana as I shut my eyes to focus. As I did, hidden under my eyelids my eyes would come alight with a pure, silver light as I waited and drew as much as I could...

I couldn't afford to hold back at all here. I had one shot at this and if I failed...

Olga and one good girl wasn't going to help us in that case... Olga would be recovering from her spell and so would I... we'd be dead. Very, very dead...

"Let us together do what I cannot alone! To make this monster... begone!" Olga barked out as I finally opened my eyes, seeing her aim her staff to it as Peach turned to give her a solid angle of attack, letting my eyes shine bright in the air above the target as Olga's Annihilation Stream slammed into the Abomination in a wide arc this time; coating it's upper body as my lips parted and pulled back, silver, arcane flames filling my mouth and spilling from my teeth as I waited, quickly rewarded with the Abomination's shield breaking. Once ready, once I drew on all the mana I dared I would finally lean back before pushing my head forwards and expelling my flames off in a tight and controlled arc; aiming for the spot under Bronka in an effort to separate her from the thing to both disable it and if possible save her from herself...

[-]

The sight of Olga's legendary attack bringing down the Abomination's shields caught the attention of nearly everyone in the battle. The moment the Abomination had been blinded something had happened to all of the zombies; as if something had stunned them. Some would assume blinding the Abomination itself had the side effect of blinding them through it's connection and command.

That meant everyone was watching as James Noxdecus, in his position over the Abomination had his eyes come alight with power. To the rank and file of the armies, those from the commoner class and the least educated, they weren't sure what he was doing but expected it would be big.

Those who had a sufficient education in history, magic or the military did know what this signaled and paused in awe. The Channel Six drone of the Adventurer's Guild's news network was positioned at just the right angle to catch his eyes as he aimed down to the Abomination. Among the gathered there were several responses...

Arnold von Blitzhaus grit his teeth; he knew House Noxdecus was on the rise already but this would be an exclamation mark upon it and, worse, drive his youngest son's jealousy further. He would need to speak with him as soon as he was able but the fact of the matter stood as such; the bastard would cement his legacy here and now.

For Vult, watching on he just grinned at the thought of what the Noxdecus Heir was. He had reasons to be interested in the man already and that he bore the power of the dragons was an icing on the cake as he planned for a post-war future.

For the Archbishop of the Una Vertias Church, Lucilius the Sixth, he couldn't help it; his face twisted into a hard sneer as he glared knowing well that quietly 'disposing' of the bastard would be all the harder with the fame he gained from the war and this would make it all the worse. Once more one of dragon borne would be venerated; one the Prophecy of Harson Albertson stated would end the line of the Archbishops...

For Celestine all she could see was the hope she foresaw; the savior her visions pointed to doing what he could to end a threat to the realm... and not the one they needed to be ready for, one still on the horizon...

For one Merlin Noxdecus, however, it was a moment to crack a small smile. He was well aware what his son was the first time his eyes opened as a babe and the brilliance of the dragon's gaze met his own. It was both something to rejoice over... and fear. Dragonborne heroes were the center of many things through history and when they appeared the trend was that greatness and dragonborne trended to go hand in hand as such long lives granted more time to gain experience and skills; both on and off the battlefield. More over once one even gained basic control of one's Dragon's Breath it was a powerful weapon that could be employed against anything and slay most inexperienced targets.

But there were dangers as well; rumors of the church's dislike abounded and proof did likewise but it wasn't the most dangerous thing to such a person... Hubris, arrogance and pride could kill a man as well as anything and when one held a great power these things were a larger threat. Raising his son with kindness, wisdom and humility wasn't just aimed to make him a good man and suitable ruler; it was aimed to curb the worst possibilities. Ensuring he would learn of the dragonborne and that he could recognize himself as one without speaking a word and, later on, seeing him secretly practice the Dragon's Breath without alerting him he knew he had done what he set out to do.

Any good father wanted their children to surpass them, doubly so the one who followed closest in their footsteps.

As the silver flames rushed from his son's mouth towards the Abomination as he smiled wider.

He was about to be surpassed.

He couldn't be prouder.

[-]

Impact.

As Olga's attack finished my blazing, silver attack hit head-on as both Bronka and the Abomination howled as the sounds of flesh searing filled the air. You could tell I was right; pure, arcane damage was doing what Olga's spell couldn't! That wasn't to say it wasn't resisting me; it brought it's arms up to block but the Dragon's Breath burned through it all, leaving only a mythril structure acting as a skeleton in place but the poles were too thin to block my flames. I held it for almost twenty seconds which doesn't sound like very long but when expelling so much mana and straining my eyes with the sheer amount I pulled forth it felt like an hour...

And in a moment the Abomination stopped howling as everything under Bronka was burned away; her body would fall backwards off the monster of human fused flesh as it fell forwards. Olga, despite her condition, was quicker then Bronka's decent, casting a wind spell and softening her fall to a still rough but manageable impact. ... Not that I could fully see it...

My vision was like peering through a windshield on a rainy day; I could make things out well enough but it was still blurry and hard to make out the details. It would be temporary, thankfully, and a result of overdrawing the amount of mana I had for the attack. Regardless I floated down and, rather ungracefully landed on my feet before sheathing my weapon as Olga dismounted off White Peach and moved to Bronka as I walked forwards to join her, stumbling a moment as my vision cleared up a tad. I would walk closer and closer before kneeling by Bronka's legs and to the side.

Even with my vision as it was I could tell I hadn't spared her fully; her legs from the knees down were gone and likely obliterated by my attack. Her hands were still in... torsos (And seemingly her right arm was reattached... if a different skin hue, for some reason...) that acted as controls it seemed, but had let go and nearly had them pulled out. Some of the Abomination's flesh was around her hips, but could be pulled off easily. She panted hard and deep and I could see her head move before looking to me and then Olga; she had recognition in her pained face. "Bronka. Can you hear me?" I asked softly.

"...I... what have I..?" She let off as her panting calmed before coughing, shivering hard. She looked to Olga as she whimpered. "...f-forgive me... ...my queen... ...I wi-wished to... ...be the hero... ...we needed..."

"I understand." Olga said, kneeling close to her head and reaching down to pet Bronka's hair. "It was foolish, but I understand your desire." She said before setting her staff down and moved to cradle the fallen dark elf's body, holding it close and propping her head up, cradling her head in one arm. "But you are not the only fool among us. You are forgiven." Bronka's face was pained, likely physical, but also likely due to damage to her mana system from her connection to the thing being severed or severe mana poisoning or both; it was hard to tell. Bronka's head turned to me and... as opposed to anger like she often had when we faced each other it was... I dunno... a calm resignation?

"...why..? why could I... ...I never beat you...?" She asked as she winced before coughing once more. "...I came at you... ...with all I... ...had... ...why..?"

"...I don't know you so well to say for sure your motives but they have always been seated in anger and rage." I said softly and calmly. "Even when we first fought, even before your sister fell you were rage, anger and little else. You hated me for what I was and seemed just angry in general. You fought for nothing more then hate. My goal when we first fought was to protect the people you and yours came to attack. My goal in this war was to end it so me and mine could be safe. You fought to destroy. I fought to protect."

"...I... ...I just... ...I miss her..."

"For what it's worth, I may not be sorry for killing her in the heat of battle but I am sorry that the need arose." I said softly as she looked to me. "I wasn't in a position to easily spare foes, let alone one as strong as her. That is a pain I'd rather not inflict on all but a few. Even you."

"...I... ...I can't forg-" She coughed deeply once more as she looked at me. "-I can't... ...forgive you... ...but I do... ...understand... ...I... ...I can feel... ...myself slipping... ...feel so... ...cold... ...do me... ...one favor..."

"Yes?" I asked as she gulped.

"...I buried her there... ...at the mill..." She said panting before wincing once more. "...I wish to... ...be buried by her... ...to be... ...set by her grave..."

"I see no reason to deny that." I told her softly. The only issue would be to find the place but I recalled the rough location.

"...thank you..." She said, finally giving a weak, pained smiled before looking up. "...look..." She let off as I blinked then looked up and... from above us I could see a few white flecks falling down. It was the first snowfall of the season... now of all times... "...s-snow... ...we always... ...played in the snow..." Bronka let off, pulling a hand free of the body part it was in as she weakly reached up. "...we... ...loved the snow... ...so... ...pure... ...like her..." She managed a wider smiled as on the tip of her finger she caught one, single flake; it melted almost as soon as it landed on her digit...

...and her arm fell to the ground after as she passed on, eyes shutting as her head fell to the side...

(An autopsy after the fact would show that she died of a collapse of her mana system. The working theory was the sudden, uncontrolled separation of her from the Abomination caused severe damage to her system; damage she could have survived and even, with a strong chance, recovered from... but she was suffering from such a high level of mana poisoning, near total poisoning, that her body couldn't manage it. That she didn't die instantly was a credit. As for how she regained mind in her last moments I wasn't sure but I think her damaged system was, for lack of a better term, bleeding mana and taking in enough, clean mana as her systems tried to keep going to shock her system a little. I could be wrong; I only had guesses. )

Olga shut her eyes and said something under her breath, a prayer I think, before picking her staff up and setting it to her back where it magically attached. She would pull Bronka fully free of the bits of the Abomination and picked up her body, holding it to her as she stood, cradling her like a child.

"Brave Bronka... Oh, Brave Bronka..." Olga said softly to the dead body as she looked down to her sadly. "We are a broken people... How I wish I could see the cracks before now, see the damage suffered in Garan caused by our own hands. Perhaps then whatever had caused your anger and pain would have been cured or mitigated... Perhaps your sister would be able to mend wounds deeper then flesh... ...I will do all I can so no more like you come; no more controlled by such rage." She said before looking to me as more and more snow started to fall down around us, a light frosting of the cold, frozen water coming down. "...Our task is done... But I have a question; she was an enemy of yours, not of nations but a personal sort. Why attempt to spare her, even at risk of the possible failure?"

I walked over to her and as my vision started to recover a bit more I moved a hand to Bronka's hair, stroking it back before sighing.

"...I suppose by all rights I shouldn't have... but... Seeing what she became... Having guessed why she choose it... Knowing much of it stemmed from me slaying her sister..." I said as did my best to control my own emotions and not let tears shed as snowflakes hit us and the ground; cold enough to snow but not cold enough to let them survive the fall yet. "...I suppose I felt I owed her a chance... To give her a chance to change and, if nothing else, save her from that madness. Maybe I shouldn't have bothered; she died anyway..." I said sadly as I shook my head.

"No." Olga said firmly with a shake of her own head, looking to me as I looked back to her, our eyes meeting. "Yes, she died... But she died not as a monster, not as the Abomination... You allowed her to die as herself... Find a measure of peace in those last moments... some comfort as she joins her sister in the hereafter." I looked down and to the side as I sighed... and then was gently bumped, my hands moving to pet White Peach's face before I recognized she was there before looking back to her and finally nodding. I knew what Olga said was true, fully true... but a part of me refused the logic, correct as it was...

"You're right... But it will still feel like a failure for awhile." I replied as Olga started to walk, back the way we came; I would move to follow after a moment as White Peach moved to stay at my side, joined by a light snowfall as we did.

"...You would still show such compassion and mercy to one so bitter an enemy... I cannot tell if it is foolish or admirable..." She spoke softly.

"Can't it be both?" I asked as she gave a small, tiny smile followed by a brief chuckle.

"Perhaps it is... Perhaps it is..." She said as we looked to the river and beyond it. Once the Abomination failed it's connection to it's minions ended as well; they would topple over and expel gases from their mouths that turned clear after a moment. The bodies would shift to their normal skin tones but none would rise once more.

(I would turn out to be wrong; a wolfman in the rear of the undead lines would recover. Why we're not sure; likely a combination of wolfman traits and that he suffered no real damage being further in the back lines. Sadly he was the only one...)

It was a bit of a walk but soon we were by the river; Prim's ice was broken by then but Celestine casted a flat shield over the water to act as a golden hued bridge for us to walk over as my hand moved to grip Peach's reins. The army had pulled back a bit, partially to reorganize and see who needed healing and who was okay, in part to wait and see what had become of us. I stopped at the other end of the river as Olga walked towards her people; Rubin stepping forwards and looking to Bronka's body before moving to take her; something Olga allowed. The Dark Queen spoke to her; I was too far away to hear but Rubin nodded sadly as I sighed and looked to the Eostian part of the army...

Everyone was looking to me... Yeah... I knew what the risks were... and I don't mean just death to Abomination... Finally I felt the need to say something, holding my free hand up. "It's over! We've won! The war is over truly!" I called out, hoping that would be enough to pull thoughts away from-

-annnnnd Gregory stepped forth and hefted his axe to the air. "ALL HAIL! THE DRAGONBORNE!"

"ALL HAIL!ALL HAIL!" The people around us cried out, soon echoing throughout the army before cheering people rushed to me.

Well, shit...

[Defeated List]

The Abomination=20000 XP x 1.5 Mercy Bonus=30000XP
+20% Rising Star of Eostia Bonus
Gain 36000XP Total

Level Up!

You are now Level 37!

+1 to Str, Dex, Acc & Mnc!
+1 to End!
+1 to Rap!
+2 RSP & SSP!
+5 to UTP!

Achievement Unlocked: Fall of the Walking Graveyard
Defeat the Abomination

Achievement Unlocked: Behold, the Dragonborne
Be exposed to the realm at large as a Dragonborne

Title Unlocked: Dragonborne Hero
You are known to the realm as a Hero of Dragon Borne!
+5 Damage to all Dragon's Breath attacks. +2 to All Damage & Resistances
+1 Free Sub Class Trait (You do not need to equip this Title to gain this bonus)

[ - Author's Note - ]

Well, there we have it. A treaty will need to be signed, but the war is over, James' status as a Dragonborne is known by nearly everyone now, some people are reaching out across the lines and Celestine takes the chance to give some good advice.

On why Bronka went mad I think only two people got it. Everyone seemed to think it would be left over memories, emotions or what not but no; it was always going to be mana poisoning. I wanted a reason that could be worked out based on the logic of the world as it sits; maybe I just didn't foreshadow it enough.

On the James/Rubin Battle Fleet game; I even made a grid as I 'played' it for them. It was a different way of doing things.

As a side note for Gunda; when I made her at the start I had this idea of having her seduce Miria for a bit of fun in the main story... and never found a good spot for it. Maybe I'll something in Questlines at some point. That said she got to make a comeback and seduce Tsarina, even if the... results are off screen.

Anyway; we are on the last bit of Act Three and what's left is going to be a combination of aftermath, making peace, a celebration and then, finally we can get it wrapped up.

And no where near as long as Act Two! Thankfully!

Until next time people... and have a Happy 2024!

~Eostian Scribe