Queen's note: took all day, after a bunch of depression and stress. Then a day on cold meds and this chapter goes from 5 pages to 13 X.x hope this came out good n.n

Garnets

Chapter Ninety Six:

Into the Dawn

Slayer paused looking around the mostly enclosed area. Taking several deep breaths as he felt several wraith gifts flare in a searching way, or to use an energy weapon to help cast light. It was still dark out, if not a bit more here as the sky was starting to turn grey of that in-between predawn and true night.

Three of Vega's drones were going ahead of the group, scanning and casting their blue light around. Showing that this spot so far only had one entrance, the other two had been collapsed or barricaded. The open space was a small reflection of the yard above, but had a fountain in the middle and several artificial stream paths that were damp and growing a native plant, either a grain or rice looking plant. Possibly both as Slayer noticed a few scattered remains of cloth bags as he walked deeper first. Making a low whistle to bait anything out.

Yet there was no fresh scent of demons here, or hell growth. Just traces mostly coming from the death ash and awful clinging to the group. If a demon had hid here it would have been long since drawn up to the fight a level before.

Haco was the first to walk over to the side before stepping to one of the doors. Using his own helmet light as he was shadowed by a scout. Checking the store fronts and backs quickly for any threats. He came back out to see Slayer pushing Asin down beside a couple others that were injured. Already starting to take strained armor off to find where he was bleeding.

Haco noticed the Shadowed were emerging from checking the other former stores of this level. The sound of water had him looking near the entrance as a heavy gate was swung closed. Not locked but it made a visual barrier from the outside. The water was possibly from the storm before, but one of the scouts had found a pipe that they could get water flowing out of it to get the worst of the gore and demonic blood off of every one else that could not just burn the gore off. The water was flowing back outside thankfully, not bringing the awful back inside towards the plants. Haco found himself going over looking down at the mix of black and chalky white on his frame.

Waiting his turn Haco ducked under the rough stream and gave himself a quick scrub of sorts. Running his hands over and around his forearms, sides and mostly around his helmet and neck. Then took it off to rinse his short hair. The water smelled clean, definitely a build up from the last storm. Haco was very tempted to drink some but he had a full flask of clean drinking water in his subspace storage, and another in the suit storage.

Coming over to where Zanin was resting with his back against the fountain wall, Haco pulled one of those flasks out and offered it to his Sentinel brother. "Here."

"Thank you." The warrior said, gingerly taking the flask and started to sip. Zanin looked completely exhausted, but also numbed from his fight with the Marauder. "I think he's wanting to keep going and stay at the same time."

Haco glanced at their King, and smiled a bit as he took the offered flask back to sip too, not letting too much go in his stomach at once. "Oh I would not doubt it, but he's protecting us. Them?"

"Us." Zanin hummed, and snorted at a surprised look from one of the scouts that had been put by him. The woman that had been almost crushed under Slayer himself. "What? The whole shadowed thing is ridiculous. Your Sentinels, Night Sentinels, little sister."

In the semi dark, the scout smiled slowly and hummed as she finished laying down. "That… is a comforting honor my Lord."

"We might be older, but as of now, we are brothers, sister." Haco hummed, and then chuckled, "How are you, after taking the Slayer's back head on?"

"Uncomfortable." The scout admitted she felt better after the healer's care but… getting all but crushed by a god king in armor to match what he was, more so when you had light armor at best was… painful. It was also a pain that lingered.

"His head alone is harder than anyone else. I would say there's no telling with the rest of him, but I've recently been tackled into a gorenest by him, a few days ago. So I understand how you feel." Haco started and then thought about it aloud. Very much remembering getting hit hard enough it felt like being run over by a shuttle.

Annoyance.

All of ten feet away, Slayer sat up, holding his helmet so it's light was aimed to let the healer work on the semi conscious Asin. Glowing green eyes looking over at the little group, unimpressed, but also seemed like a bit of guilt was showing on his face in the semi dark. Slayer looked up as a hand was placed on his shoulder, humming as Mila patted the spot.

"You hit like an orbital bombardment my king, to anything you mean to hit. Or, anyone you land on. There's very little difference between the two." The captain said matter of factly, still missing her own chestplate and her helmet hooked to her aide. Flashing a smile in the dim lights as she heard a strained laugh from the ground before Asin settled into an amused grumble of an agreement.

Slayer rolled his eyes, but smiled a bit at the teasing from those that knew him. It was not so bad, and it was letting the new Sentinels to notably relax around him. They had fought a Corpse Lord together, and had won the fight faster than if it was just himself. Or if just themselves, far faster and with no fatal casualties.

He looked up as there was a shift in the light, dawn was finally starting. Looking around at this hidden place, paying more attention to the plants, reaching out to grasp a fluffy top near him. Slayer stared for a long few moments before he recognized… grain. It really was Argenta grains. Somehow surviving in this spot without corruption, possibly by being so close to a wraith. Or sheer dumb luck?

Slayer looked up and chuffed at Mila, followed by a short, demanding sound. Carefully breaking a stem off and holding it out for her take. So not to disturb the light he still held in his right hand. Only signing once his helmet was pushed aside as the light brightened notably in the area. Important?

The Captain stared before recognizing the plant she held almost belatedly. "Yes my Lord, we found something important. Atlan Vega? They drones you have with us here, can any of them hold things?"

"None of the drones currently accompanying you have cargo containers attached." Vega explained, hearing her through Slayer's helmet and others that were removed. His voice heard mostly because there were helmets taken off and audible in the now quiet.

One of the three drones came over to hover beside the two. It rotated in place, slowing two of its grasping claws that could hold something, and the clamps on the side that would normally hold the containers.

"They might be able to hold a bag, or have something attached to them. May I ask what the plants are that have your attention?"

Mila turned the tuft in her armored hands, checking it in the dawn light if it had lost the seeds inside. But it was not that dry yet. "This, Vega, is a grain. A flour one if I remember right… and older type. Possibly not affected, altered, by the Mykars."

"...I would highly recommend having at least two separate sources carrying whatever seeds you can get, to the safety of the building you have set up inside of."

"Yes. If possible, we should send some whole plants with those returning to the throne room." Mila moved, and with the confidence of knowing him and being trusted in turn, grasped Slayer's shoulder to use his crouched form as a brace. Studying the live planets without having another set of feet that could do damage. The Captain was also still sore from the 'fight' at the gate. With the almost never ending, steady waves of demons before the brief fight with the strange Marauder himself.

"Which way are you wanting to go, my king?" Mila asked as she found a small bag to start putting a few whole seed tops in.

Slayer paused as he was about to pull a chunk of dirt and plants up. Pulling his hands up to sign clearly. Walls. Start breaking the barrier. Draw out Lich, can get her to fight again, get mad and slip. Find Lich. Kill it.

That seemed like a good summary of his ideas. Then the new god added with a grin. Free Bastet, and I get the whole city.

Captain Mila snorted, "Are you wanting to take the whole of Taras Nabad? Upper and Lower cities would take more energy to power the fortress engines that we have."

Have energy. Slayer insisted, having thought about it quite a lot since he was first in Bastet's hidden nest under the vault and throne room. Need to kill lich first.

"Are you going to explain your idea?" The Argenta woman asked with a tilt of her head. Only to roll her eyes at the following shake of her king's head. "How can we help if you're used to holding everything tight, Bi'jay. John."

The new god looked up from where he was crouching still, surprised at the use of both older and new names. Staring at his Sentinel before getting up, still needed to look up to meet Mila's eyes. Then he grinned.

Wraith crystal, angry wraith when B-A-S-T-E-T is free. Slayer started to explain, needing to spell out a few words and Bastet's own name. He should find a sign to make for her that she would not mind. Crystals grow, get her to link them between upper and lower. Whole city. Mine.

"And why are you so set on the whole of Taras Nabad now?" Mila asked, bemused even if she knew the reason.

Slayer bent back down, having a few more bags in hand as he was trying to carefully pull up a few bunches of the plants, wanting to send them back with Asin to the throne room building. As well as those both injured and in need of repairs to their armor. That question still hung in the air and he thought it over once more. Thinking of Lily, finding her in the command room of the Fortress, with the bloody scraps. Heather, Iris and Samen little selves, having trusted the Fortress and him so much they were happily oblivious again to the horror they were pulled out of.

The tiny, just impossibly tiny Rowan and Fern babies that barely fit in his hands.

He wanted his humans to be safe.

He wanted his new argenta to be safe.

Affection-Worry-Want.

The low grumble of primordial slipped out of Slayer before he thought about it. Long enough that it had some looking over, but still clearly an answer to the question asked. He stood up, hunched a bit until Slayer stretched his back.

A long, low whistling came from outside of their hiding spot. It was not distant or semi distant but close.

Slayer lifted his head. Setting down the bags as he got up and walked to the closed but unlocked gates. Starting to plant himself, even without his helmet on. Though his hand brushed it where the helmet had been hooked to his hip above the Last Gift.

The new Sentinels were becoming alert, but it was that one small scout that came walking over to stand beside their King. in the light, without a lot of her armor however light it was, Slayer realized with a pang how young she was. Not as small as Lily but clearly in her late teens, or thereabouts with the differences of Argenta aging. She could not be even thirty. The lean build was almost too thin, from missing too much in her childhood. Her hair was white not naturally like Jade (or even Valen before) and her family. This girl had her hair, and a lot of her exposed skin bleached out from demon blood a long time ago. Some hints that she used to be a darker color.

He was not completely sure, as Slayer's sense of time was skewed now. She seemed the age Asa and Rai were starting their active training to become sentinels.

Golden eyes were tracking outside the light past the gate, listening as a second whistle came. She took a deep breath and answered with her own shitling tone, and listened intently. She looked back up at her King. "It's Lord Malum, I can hear his wraith gift. I can hear several more gifts."

Slayer tilted his head, chuffing a soft sound, and then gave a puzzled humming tone.

"Cyra's wraith gift has always been sensitive to others and the energies around." the healer called, "we trust her. Though look out for any strays."

"I do have trouble sensing Prowlers." The scout, Cyra, admitted looking up at Slayer as she was only really chest high to him. Trying to read the neutral expression slas those glowing green eyes blinked at her. Should she prove herself? How does one prove an odd side to one's wraith gift…?

One large hand lifted, a hand that had broken demons and was covered in some death ash and burned off demon blood. Slayer rested his hand on the scout's head, ruffling Cyra's white hair with a fond sound?

Slayer chuffed at her, tilting his head with a motion for her to come as he opened the gate. Walking to the broken path and extending his own senses. Just starting to get a familiar feeling of someone he knew.

The new god found what he was looking for, a broken section of pale textured stone. It was past the gap that were once was stairs. Glanced to be sure his scout was following before taking two longer strides and on the third launched himself over. There was no hiding the sound of Slayer slamming his hands into the stone. Making his own hand holds as he braces his boots. The not quite man paused, gripping the side of the stone to tilt his head. He chuckled at hearing a scramble, then someone impacted his back. Not hard but Slayer felt an arm loop around his neck, the other half over his right shoulder as Cyra adjusted. New backpack acquired, Slayer finished climbing back up to the higher area the enclosed quartyard arena had been.

Pausing at a rail to let the young sentinel climb up and over before hauling his bulk after. They were outside the gates where Azin had held his ground outside the gates, and Asin inside on this side. It was where Slayer's group had come in as well, and where the new group was coming from the already cleared building. It was also very hard to miss Commander Malum's bulk crossing the bridge, even if he was not flanked by another eight fighters.

Slayer reached out to ruffle Cyra's hair again, realizing she had been right. Also noticing the body language of those coming as exited and wanting to fight. He could see Malum was standing up to his full twelve height, not forced to stoop low to get through side passages and just able to stretch his legs. The new demigod's size, the arctus bai, bear-like fur cloak, and armor style.

He did look like a giant werewolf.

"Did you have some fun, my king?" Commander malum asked, Slayer could see some exposed skin, it looked grey-silver, as the demigod looked into the yard to see the leftover of the fight with the Corpse Lord. Likely some of her own remains petrified.

Good fight. Slayer signed back, hesitating a moment and motioned to the fighters with a head tilt.

Malum looked pointedly at the very tired Cyra, who was missing the broken parts of her armor from when she was landed on. "I remembered what it was like in the campaigns in hell. I brought some Sentinels with me to join you, while injured and those in need to repair armor are sent back. Or both in my scout's case it seems."

The young woman in question rubbed her neck awkwardly, shifting to sit up on some stray ruble from the fight in a crouch. If she still had her helmet she would be looking more wolf like, like that.

The current commander turned back to the Slayer, continuing. "The whole of the throne room is protected by the way. We finished last night and have been working to secure the building between it and this one while you had the Corpse Lord's full attention in the early morning hours."

How? Slayer asked, humming in a mix of new puzzlement and a little impressed. Nodding to Cyra to lead the others to the current hiding spot.

"Through Mother Bastet nest." Malum snorted, "She controls it, and the raw crystals there can be used for more than turning into energy. With the Geo Witch's help, they can be placed into the walls, and make the bases of a shield's anchor points. The Mother Wraith is extending her nest in a way, and it'll block out all portals."

The new god perked up, attention fully on Malum as he came over to hear. Resisting the urge to poke at the bigger Sentinel for now.

The altered Argenta man motioned upwards, "We can watch for Gargoyles and the balls of meat well enough, but I intend to keep what you take and clear so there's no chance of that Dead Lord portaling in anything."

Slayer purred at that, even if that meant they could not get Vega's portals in. Thus his Flower home safe, it did mean she was safer from hopefully any more surprises. Then he paused and grinned as something belatedly clicked in. looking up at Malum, who was here, to join him in fighting.

He was going to see how an old friend could fight now that he changed as well!

Malum was a Wraith Son, a demigod too, but Slayer had never personally seen them fighting outright. Even in the vault, Malum had been restrained by space.

"With the resources and Sentinels I have," Commander Malum was saying, eyeing what he could of the courtyard through the half opened door. Noticing the group originally with the Sayer coming up from another path. All heads accounted for, if in different degrees of recovery. "And Mother Bastet's willingness to directly help with healing. I can keep a rotation of eight to ten sentinels with us every ten hours maybe. Unless an injured needs to be sent back. Atlan Vega says he can help with coordinating that. Another five with wolves caring packs can start re-securing the buildings we take."

Slayer purred at that, definitely approving of the ideas, more so that it also built on his own for getting the whole of the city up and connected later. Fortress engine?

"I have one engineer left alive, he's worked on those great engines once. But it seems it mostly needs to be cleaned and powered." Malum chuckled as he pulled out his own long sword blade with a shimmer from subspace. Triggering it to activate and glow with not the normal sapphire tones but like oxidizing copper. Between metallic shimmer and darker streaks of dark golden lines and emerald. It rested blade down as Malum crossed his hands over the top of the hilt of the energy blade. "Until it is ready, where are we going my King?"

The shorter god was still grinning, and then pointed to the south, up mountain and where the Dreadnought was still petrifying into the city wall itself.

Want.

"The wall or the titan?" Captain Mila asked as she walked over. Flashing a toothy grin as Slayer did a double take. She had a stained but whole chest plate on again. With her helmet in hand she was almost just the same as the day before. Just that her armor was no longer silver in the dawn light but mat gray from the death ash.

Slayer tilted his head, frowning as he stared at his Sentinel, making a questioning humm. Had he not dented in Mila's chest plate with his own… bulk…?

All at once the captain's words from earlier came back and Slayer felt a pain of guild again. That he hit like an orbital bombardment.

"Zanin gave me his chestplate." Mila explained, motioning back to where the man was limping into the light, following the healers as Asin leaned on the shorter warrior. "With that… healing, I'm still fit to run with you a little longer my king."

Slayer reached up and scratched at his head as Malum frowned down at him. Then shrugged. Wall. D-R-E-A-D-N-O-U-G-H-T is dead. Wintherns burned most totems there. Can use old bridges and sewers to get to the one B-A-S-T-E-T pointed out.

"Breaking more of the totems and curses. It will draw the Corpse Lord out." Malum noted, glancing at the courtyard again, then back at hearing a dark chuckle. Slayer was baring his teeth but not fully a smile, letting the exchange of sentinels happen as he put the helmet back on.

Want that. Slayer signed, LICH dead thing can't fight. Wear her out, stretch her power thin so it's easier to kill.

"We'll need to find where her soul is, or the body holding it." Malum considered keeping watch until the injured were in the safe building. "I'm assuming you're just planning to drive her mad enough to come out with it?"

The new god purred in answer. Starting to move through the yard area now that he knew his Sentinels were safe, lingering just a bit to be sure he saw Cyra's small frame walking with Zanin, caring the damaged chest plate from Mila for him.

"There is still one Marauder we need to watch out for, Lord Slayer." The Captain warned as she followed him. Malum shortening his stride only a bit as he looked over the Slayer. "Not the two that Zanin and Asin were holding off, as they died. The one that left mid fight with the Lich."

"One left?" Malum frowned under his helmet. "That's not like them to leave a fight as tempting as to face the Slayer."

"He did not even try to properly fight me," Mila looked at her war king. "And more importantly, he had armor that was reinforced with that green gorgon crystal."

Slayer slowed his pace, turning his head slowly to look at Mila as it really sank in, what she said. A Marauder that was tied to Lily's now demonic mother. His head snapped back to Malum.

"She is in your room in the vault." Malum explained, guessing right what the new god wanted to know. "Even if the building was not repaired, that is shielded enough to hide her, and the only path left to her would be going down the lift to the Mother Wraith. Who will likely not let the child leave her reach."

The Slayer, the beast, the war king flexed his hands and growled. He was not going to let anything come close to his daughter. If you see him, kill him.