4.66 - A Dark Pact

4.66 - A Dark Pact

An ornate cabinet, older than the kingdom itself, soared across a spacious sitting room. It slammed against decorated pillars, falling into a thousand pieces to the ground. Servants and attendants scattered, fleeing First Prince Hanans rage. Under all his finery, he seethed. He drew ragged, growling breaths. Only the soothing words of a black robed figure brought his temper down. Because that temper was legendary among the people of Qavell.

This is good, the robed creature said. All according to plan.

And what plan is that? Hanan asked, spinning to glare into the impenetrable darkness of the figures hood. The king is dead!

Long live the king, the figure said, gesturing to the prince.

Stow your scheming, beast.

It didnt matter what Hanan wanted. Karasan had fallen, foolishly pursuing his damned rival into a realm. From the start, the fool king had done nothing but put his people in danger. Starting with the war in Veosta, and ending with his inaction when the undead arrived. There was no protecting the people outside of the walls. They should have activated the city from the start. But, no. Now it all fell on his lap. The corpse of a kingdom.

The ritual has already begun.

Hanan wheeled, leading with a gauntleted fist that tore through the dark creatures face. He felt nothing as it passed through, then watched as the darkness reformed around his fist.

Damn you.

The pact, the creature said.

Hanan removed his fist from the pool of shadows, turning and shaking his head. He cast his eyes over the frescos on the walls. The history of his people was a haunting reminder of hubris. Qavell now stood on the edge of a new era. Perhaps the newly formed Southland Alliance would have mercy on him. But he knew the creature wouldnt allow it. Perhaps they were strong enough to banish it. Or perhaps he would die. The last option was the one he hoped for the most.

Fine, Hanan said, stomping out of the room. Activate the sigils. Perform the ritual. Youre going to do it anyway.

Qavell wasnt the most defensible city. It was open on all sides, open planes as far as the eye could see. If one were to stand on the ruins of the outer walls, they could see the curve of the planet in the distance. As the city rumbled below, the only sight was the exodus of the undead. Fields of skeletons, rotting corpses given life, and other horrors shambled westward. None inside the city knew where they were going, or why they fled, but they celebrated.

Four hundred years ago, the foundations of the mighty city were laid. Both the [Kingdom Core] and [Town Core] pulsed with power as dark Core Smiths performed their rites. Thousands of souls, destined for their godly realms or the void, were sucked into the stones of the city. The place where the magic of the seeds met with natural earth cracked. That crack quickly became a fissure, then a ravine.

Until the city rose.

Mighty fine weapons you have, Bilgrob said.

After returning to the mortal plane, Theo had thrown his weight around. The administration wasnt happy. Throk most certainly wasnt happy. But as he stood on the towers near the piers, gazing at his new rail guns, he knew it was necessary. His magical senses were still weak, but he could feel it. Something in the distance rumbled the bedrock. Two distinct magical energies flooded through the world like a tide of untamed power.

Indeed they are.

Preparing for war? the Ogre priest asked.

Yeah. Want a demonstration?

The rail guns worked splendidly. Theo had to clear the team of adventurers that was manning the station so he could inspect the weapons. He loaded a plain Drogramathi Iron shell, fed it a mote, then pointed it in a random direction. The adventurers were far more skilled at operating the weapon, but this was simply a demonstration. He set the dial on the side of the gun, then smacked the firing button. The weapon filled the air with a loud cracking sound, sending the slug hurtling through the air. It slammed into a distant island, sending a plume of sand high into the air.

Your prey must be large, Bilgrob said, placing his massive hand on the alchemists shoulder.

Airship-sized, I think. Were working with Gronro-dir to arm them.

And what of that rail system Ive heard so much about?

Throk is working on it. Hes taken an artificing apprentice, so hopefully that goes faster.

The biggest problem with the rail line was the toughness of the carriage compared to its weight. Copper was too brittle, Iron and Drogramathi Iron were too heavy. But Tworgnothi Copper? The old Marshling had determined that it was incredibly strong and light. Similar to aluminum on Earth, but with more impressive structural properties. There was already a prototype outside of his workshop, something that dragged in crowds of people. The metal also provided bonuses for all artifices constructed with it.

Spit doesnt take sides, Bilgrob said, leaning against the walls edge. He heals and provides chaos. Nothing more.

Ive heard about your Ogre magic. Thats what caused the rat infestation.

Rat-like creatures, Bilgrob corrected. Ive heard you dont build weapons of war.

I dont sell weapons of war. I only build them for defensive purposes.nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.

They already cleared out from the gates? Theo asked, leaning in over the table.

Uh he says Yep! Theyre gone. But the ground is corrupted. No one can walk on it without getting sick.

This was within Theos expected outcomes. That much necromantic energy in one spot would lead to some horrific consequences. The land around Qavell would be tainted for years to come.

Were experiencing something similar, the administrator representing Rivers said. A slight corruption of the land.

Does the alchemists potions have an effect? Alise asked.

Minimal, Grot said through his proxy.

Is it possible to bring me samples of the corrupted soil? Theo asked.

En route.

The administration from all towns took the opportunity to hijack the meeting. They shifted to mundane topics, but it was necessary. Theo was left with a feeling of unease and excitement. The undead had been a buffer, but it was good they were moving on. Once Qavell was dealt with, they would have free reign of the lands to the north. So long as Tarantham or Veosta didnt come to claim them. Both Rivers and Gronro offered to support the rail initiative, which brought some much needed cash flow to the project.

Next, they covered the standing trade agreements and general flow of cash. Broken Tusk had not recovered after their access was cut off from the rest of the continent, but it was improving. Drogramathi Iron seemed to be the biggest draw from foreign parties. Theo let the admins go wild. It was easy to target them as problem children of his growing alliance, but they were just doing their job. Without them, the day-to-day problems encountered by citizens would have been a grind.

Trevas, the new leader of Rivers, was doing well. Unlike Alran, he had an altruistic nature. He gave a few reports about his town and how things were improving. But that was part of his agreement with the Southlands Alliance. While they still didnt have formal laws, most agreed that trade guilds were nonsense that did nothing to help the average person. It wasnt as though capitalism was outlawed but trade guilds always fixed prices and made things worse for everyone.

The meeting concluded around dusk on the twenty-second day of the Season of Fire. Theo met with Sarisa, Salire, Rowan, Tresk, and Alex at Xams tavern. Instead of eating in the manor, they all planned to eat at the Marsh Wolf then hit the baths.

Steak? Tresk asked, scooting into the booth. It was awkward to fit everyone inside, but they didnt seem to mind. Yes, please.

Im just happy we got most of the rats, Rowan said, stretching.

Theo withdrew a notebook and created a table listing all the reagents that might help restore the land. Practiced understanding told him that there was a solution already. He just needed to find it.

What was it like? Salire asked, leaning in over the table with dreamy eyes. She stared at Tresk. Sending Fenian through the realms, that is.

Oh, it was easy, Tresk said. Just boop! Tossed him over. Turns out, I cant use it on anyone. All the conditions are hidden from me. Go figure.

Its better that way, Theo mumbled, scribbling a plan out.

You could try not working for five minutes, Tresk said, elbowing the alchemist.

Theo snapped his notebook shut, then smiled. She was right. The undead were leaving. It didnt matter why they were going, just that they were gone. Whats the next holiday in the southlands?

Embers, Sarisa answered with a nod. We make a big fire, write our dreams on a sheet of paper, then burn it.

I always hated Embers, Rowan grumbled. Why start a fire when its already too hot?

I thought most Half-Ogres ran a fire in their house all the time, Theo said, chuckling.

Yeah, but a big one is different! Tresk shouted.

I think we should do a mid-season celebration! Salire bounced in her seat.

Tresk sighed. That would be awesome.

Once the train was built, everyone could travel from both Gronro and Broken Tusk to Rivers in a matter of an hour. Assuming Throk could get the thing running at break-neck speeds safely. I like that idea, Theo said, nodding with approval. We could tie it into the opening of the train system.

Nothing better to show your wealth than a big party, Sarisa laughed.

The sun set over Broken Tusk the way it often did. Her citizens were safe behind her walls bristling with defensive weapons. Night watchmen patrolled the walls, investigating disturbances and responding as needed. None behind the safety of that place knew that the dawn of a new age had fallen over the mortal plane. Fenian had taken the first step to right a broken system. The world he dreamed of was one where destruction wasnt part of the cycle.

Two stars brightened in the sky above the Span. The place that segmented the continent into two pieces, Veosta and Qavell, had been a bastion against the constant attacks from undeath. The defenders there didnt know the meaning of the new stars. One for the new Herald, and the other for the Demon God of Undeath. Unseeable by their eyes were the two new stars that had formed. Ancient gates were unlocked. The monitor system was made more whole.

As the thrones of the Dreamer and the Dreamwalker gained metaphysical materialism, the monitor system shivered with recognition. It was closer to its true form. Two down. Two to go.