Chapter 493: Auri and the Thousand Lanterns I

Chapter 493: Auri and the Thousand Lanterns I

Id been enjoying a carefree day with Auri, playing with the lanterns while privately thankful that wed avoided another siege when the call came from Katerina.

Sixth Legion! To arms! She roared, the blast echoing off our walls. Full assembly! Every last one of you, get out there, now!

Auri and I sprang into action. I used [Rapid Reshelving] to snap my armor and all my gear on, and the rest of the Legion was scrambling to respond to Katerinas call. Auri flew up in the air, gaining height to better dive down.

My first thought was a drill. It wouldnt be the first time, it wouldnt be the last.

There was something in her tone though. A tense note of fear, the call for everyone to get to arms. One way or another, for some reason, wed been caught with our tunics down - but we werent ordered to man the walls of the fortress like we would if we were getting attacked. Calling us the Sixth Legion, not the Ironside Brigade, completely throwing the subterfuge out the window. The only reason Katerina, always in control, would do that is if it no longer mattered. The alarm bells werent ringing.

Something was very, very wrong. I was just starting to think about flashing Radiance around me to see if I was caught in an illusion when my ears clicked, a sure sign that Reed had looped me into a communication.

Dawn, when you get the notification, immediately return. Katerina ordered.

What was going on?

I took flight, catching up to Auri in a moment, and my heart dropped as I took in the scene.

Thousands upon thousands of burning lanterns were being released up into the sky, just like they would at a festival. Auri and I had noticed when we were making a few of our own that they seemed poorly designed. The torch was too close to the upper structure, and the lanterns would catch fire before they would burn out.

As the thousands and thousands of lanterns went up into the sky though, I realized they hadnt been poorly constructed. Theyd been made just right for the purpose - burning the city of Shuixi to the ground. The armies had encircled the city, and the lanterns were drifting with unnatural speed towards the tinder walls of Shuixi.

The combination of Katerinas call to arms, orders, and my own fucking ethics made my decision, what I had to do, abundantly clear. I was not going to let a city of hundreds of thousands of people burn alive in front of me.Gett your favorite novels at no/v/e/lbin(.)com

Quick math suggested that my actions alone wouldnt be enough. Wouldnt be nearly enough. But I wasnt alone. The city had to have thousands of Classers by pure numerical calculation, and half of those could probably do something about the attempted arson.

At the same time, Zhao She and Wang Jian wouldnt be trying this sort of treachery and attack if they didnt have confidence that it would work.

Auri! I shouted, springing into action. She knew what I wanted, and we shot after the lanterns at top speed. I quickly outsped Auri, snatching her in my hand like a burning ball and continuing on at high speed. Katerinas words echoed in my mind, a [Parallel Thought] spun off trying to parse her order.

Immediately return when I got the notification? Which notification? Should I turn my army-kill notifications on and return the first time I got a kill notification?

I almost instantly got in range of the closest wave of lanterns, and a set of [Nova Lances] spun around me in all directions as I twirled, rapidly destroying a chunk of them.

BRPT! Auri shouted, and I flung her towards the city. [Nova Lance] had a longer range than Auris [Inferno Control], and keeping her with me was pointless when she could make it to the city faster, and start her own work.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Legion forming up on the field, Katerinas [Shadow Legion] duplicating the army. We werent going for a small defensive formation - Katerina had the Legion spread out in a line 1-century thick by 24 long. They werent even fully formed when she issued the order to attack, and the Legion plowed into the unprepared side of Wang Jians army.

What the fuck?

I was all against war crimes, and I knew Katerina didnt particularly like participating either, no matter how often wed marched, sieged cities, and otherwise peripherally participated, but stabbing our now-former allies in the back like this in a surprise attack seemed to be a bit much for Katerina.

My respect for her skyrocketed. Seeing a crime beyond the pale for even her, she didnt hem and haw and refuse to act, or pull back and say nothing we could do. No, outnumbered at least 10:1, and possibly more, she was saying this is not alright and doing everything in her power to change it.

My interpretation could be off.

The odds were so dramatically against us I didnt want to think of likely outcomes. Both Wang Jian and Zhao She were lifers, having grown up on warfare. Katerina was snapping at their heels level-wise, and had at least a few decades on them, but Id bet they had a better class quality.

A similar story went for most of the troops. With only a small degree of patriotism coloring my glasses, I believed that Exterreri professionals were just as good as the elite [Honor Guards] each general had.

But they had almost as many [Honor Guards] as we had in the entire Legion, and that was before the tens of thousands of less-elite soldiers in their armies.

In short, we had a great position, the element of surprise, and slightly immodestly, the Eventide Eclipse, but I didnt have to be a scholar of warfare to know we were a little doomed.

It was now or never. I had a few extra cards hidden up my sleeves - literally. The Sixth was still forming up, but I could buy them some time.

I teleported out Queens Ooze card from where Id kept it inside [Loremasters Library], and hesitated, searching for the best spot. I wasnt quite clear on the range of the effect

I spotted a concentration of Han soldiers rallying around one of their 5,000-man commanders, far from the Legions line but close enough to be their first serious challenge. I primed the card and flicked my wrist, sending it spinning through the air.

I went back to scything through the thousands of floating lanterns like wildfire through dry paper, getting serious work done even as the decidedly not deadly card spun through the air, the skill still potent enough to potentially turn the tide of the entire engagement.

The card landed and unleashed hell. Thousands upon thousands of thick, sticky strands as wide as my wrist unraveled from the card the moment it impacted. Each one sprung out in a different direction, and the moment it hit a target, dullahan, ground, or otherwise, the strands stuck to them, they unfurled, each one going in another direct, springing forth like the spiderweb from hell. The further from the center it went, the thinner the strands were, but Queen knew her stuff. Even as thin as a hair, the strands were a gigantic pain in the ass - sometimes literally.

In moments thousands of troops were stuck together, strands grabbing helmets and hands, arms and legs, chests and backs, and tying them all together. The Ooze rapidly hardened, but stayed flexible enough to bend when tested, making it even hard to try to chop and break. It let people move around a little, but not much, and the strands that hit the ground anchored the entire formation.

Good. The entire section of the army was out of the fight, and my only regret was how thin the Han line was. If they were thicker, if they werent trying so hard to encircle Shuixi, I wouldve caught significantly more. As-is, the Legion would have significantly more time to find their feet, get in formation, and fight the Han.

I was about a tenth of the way around the circle when an inky tiger snarled and pounced at me, deadly claws slashing at my head.

I twisted and dodged, Wang Jian himself flying after me with wings made out of paper, dozens upon dozens of talismans trailing after him. Reams of paper were slapping themselves onto his body, forming another layer of armor, while ink wrote out inscriptions, faintly glowing before disappearing as he buffed himself. His mouth started to move, but I ignored him, not caring what he had to say. I doubled back, knowing Id have to cross over a number of paper lanterns that were already burned, but Id get more done than trying to fight Wang Jian.

I did activate my own buffs though, the rarely-used runes on my bones boosting my physical capabilities. I was stronger, faster, and tougher. Not a ton, but every little bit counted.

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The first lanterns, sped along by supernatural Wind, touched down in the city. Most were quickly extinguished, but even from my poor, obfuscated angle, I could see some fires started to catch and spread.

Wang Jians paper snapped into position to the side as a familiar frost arrow went for his head.

Iona! She was here, she was helping!

The arrow punctured through a few layers before stopping, but Ionas best trick with her archery was never her piercing power. Dozens more arrows shot towards Wang Jian from all sorts of strange angles, her [Trick Shot] combined with the rapid fire rate of a shortbow forcing the general to react, spend time and resources combating her.

It wasnt their first clash, and hopefully would be their last.

His talismans rearranged themselves, and a dark beam of disintegration carved through my chest. I ignored it and flew on, my magic healing my body as quickly as it was destroyed. Wang Jian rearranged his talismans, and blinding chains of Brilliance shot out at the speed of light, trying to shackle and control me.

Fuck my low strength. Normally I could just pull against the bindings, playing physical abilities against mana pool, and drain Wang Jian down. I was on a clock.

I had dozens of options, but speed and low mana cost were my prime directives. [Blink] would get me out at the cost of a huge chunk of mana; mana that I needed for the citizens of Shuixi.

I could fight Wang Jian, but Id seen enough of him throughout the years to know he was slippery and well-protected. I couldnt easily [Nova Lance] him like Id done to Meng Ao, he was wearing a helmet of paper, ink writing out more enchantments as I watched.

No, my goal was to save lives, and right now, minimizing the number of lanterns that landed on Shuixi was key.

I tried to keep my bag of wizardry tricks endless. It didnt always work, but dispel was always useful. Wizardry against wizardry, I was confident in my stats, mana, and ability to outlast Wang Jian.

I snapped out a book, knowing Id just revealed I had Spatial magic and confirming a third class, but I knew the [Great General] was no idiot. Ever since Id deflected Meng Aos strike over three years ago, it was clear that I was stronger than I looked, that I was hiding secrets.

I dispelled the chains, shot off towards the still-flying lanterns, and the race was on.

The dragoneye moons were full in the sky, watching our every move.

Interlude - Iona

This fire was wrong.

The fire was bad.

The flames themselves were perfect, but their use no.

My heart cried out at it, and I instinctively knew, from the tip of my beak to the end of my tail, to put the fire out.

That this was one blaze that shouldnt burn.

I put aside my thoughts and feelings for the moment, hitting the city at all the speed 79,658 zippiness could provide. I would think on them more later!

Yes! With Elaine!

She wasnt a bird brain, but she was smart!

She would know why I was sad.

Already the flames were roaring, an all-consuming beast bent on devouring Shuixi. They flared higher when I came in, coming up to greet their lady.

WATER!!! I cursed my most vicious obscenity to myself.

[Domain of Fire] was on!

I flew, and the flames bowed to me. Extinguished to my will.

The city was big. Far too big.

The flames closed in behind me.

Stupid fire! Disobedient fire!

I knew why. Id removed the flames, not the heat or air. The holy fire triangle still existed.

All around me, people burned alive.

They crushed themselves against the barricade, the press of bodies stopping them from being able to remove it.

They threw themselves out of windows. I tried to catch them! I did!

Too many.

They trampled each other rushing to the river.

The water the water the water was go the water was good. Safe! Protecting!

Here, tonight, the water was good. People running to it! Hauling buckets! Throwing it on the fire!

Someone throwing water like a ball!

Go water?

This.

Fire.

Was.

Wrong.

How did I fix it? How did I make it right?

Elaine! Yay!

Elaine was here!

Elaine would make it all better!

Elaine

Elaine couldnt make it all better.

She cried as well.

The water today was good. The tears werent bad.

I wasnt crying.

Nope.

But Elaine Elaine was trying, and couldnt fix it all.

I saw.

I saw with my little eyes.

I knew Elaines skills.

Sometimes sometimes her skill was keeping burning people alive longer.

Sometimes it was good. I could reach them in time, yes! I could get rid of their flames!

Sometimes I turned my beak away. Sometimes I couldnt watch.

Fire sometimes, fire was the bad one.

A cloud zipped across the sky, pitch black and rumbling.

Rain?

It stopped over the city, and the clouds parted, revealing a kun-peng.

Fish? Bird? Bit of both! Size of two whales.

[*ding!* You are in the presence of Guardian Teruo, The Pure]