Paladin 4: Chapter 35 (Patreon)

Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance of another Prime Saint, from Prime Saints to bystanders. Horon was the least startled, and he quickly worked to hide his surprised expression.

“Good of you to join us, Ashe. It’s been a long time since you’ve attended one of these meetings, hasn’t it?” Horon spoke as pleasantly as if they were simply talking about the weather.

Ashe shrugged. “Ten centuries or so. It’s hard to keep track. I see a lot of new faces around the table.”

“Ashe, you’re not a demon?” Kothar’wa stroked his beard as his brows furrowed so deep they nearly split his forehead in two.

“Rumors of my fall and subsequent demise were greatly exaggerated.” Ashe looked out over the gathered seraphim around her. She locked eyes with Synthia. “And I hear someone has been abusing my manor.”

Synthia shifted awkwardly, looking beaten for the first time during the entire meeting.

The other Prime Saints glanced at one another. They looked like each of them felt like they should say something, with Horon acting so normally, and Kothar’wa joining him a moment later, they found it hard to protest.

And so, despite the looks of shock on the faces of every seraph present, Ashe slid into the meeting like she’d always been there.

“Now, as I was saying, Horon’s evidence has merit to it. I know this firsthand, since I’ve been on the lousy end of Kalaziel’s schemes myself. He’s stolen something very precious to me, and I should like to have it returned,” Ashe continued. “So let’s proceed with the investigation.”

Kothar’wa nodded. “Very well, Ashe. It is good to have someone from my generation of Prime Saints back among us. Besides Kalaziel, the others have all since left to tour the lands abroad. We will have to reminisce about old times at some point.”

Ashe returned Kothar’wa’s pleasant smile. “Are you still trying to brew divine wine? I remember you going on a trip of your own to find the grapes.”

“Figured that out centuries ago. If you’d like, I have a few bottles with your name on it.”

“That sounds wonderful--“

Synthia finally recovered from the shock of an unexpected Prime Saint suddenly appearing and sliding into their council like she’d always been there. She jerked a finger in Ashe’s direction and scowled.

“I don’t believe you’re the real Prime Saint of Purity! You’re an imposter!” Synthia shouted.

Ashe crossed her arms. “Ask me any question then, and I will answer honestly. Kothar’wa knows me well enough to determine if I’m who I claim to be.”

Kothar’wa let a smile touch his lips. “What was the name of the family I helped found during my mortal days?”

“An easy question. The Heavengrace royal family of Whiteguard, of course,” Ashe replied.

“Correct.” Kothar’wa turned to Synthia. “Few would know that little fact about me. I’m inclined to believe the real Ashe sits before us.”

“I have met Ashe recently and know this one to be the real one,” Horon added.

Synthia scowled. “I’m not satisfied with a test of knowledge. I desire a test of strength. Let’s see if she’s really a Prime Saint.”

Darren’s nerves needled at him. This was exactly what he’d been afraid of. Ashe couldn’t fight a Prime Saint alone, not in her current form. Inside Melancholy, she could take a hit from one, but if she returned to his sword to fight, everyone would know something was wrong. She needed to look like a perfectly healthy ancient Prime Saint from long ago.

He met her gaze, and she let her eyes flick across his for a brief instant. He sensed her anxious confidence. Ashe knew how important this was just as much as he did. He wondered if he should step in and help somehow, but something in that gaze of Ashe’s told him to wait. He remembered her words.

Trust me, Darren.

And so Darren trusted her.

“Very well then, Synthia. Take however long you need to. Let’s see what the new generation of Prime Saints is capable of,” Ashe wore a confident smile, despite Darren’s worries.

Synthia snorted. “It’s your funeral. Don’t blame me if you die for good this time.”

She pressed her hands together, and Divine Aura swirled in the air, all of it tinged a passionate pink color. She spread her hands, and a bow appeared in her hands made of the same bright color. An arrow formed on the drawstring, swirling with brilliant Divine Aura.

People in the crowd gulped. Though she had the looks of a damsel in need of protection, Synthia was a Prime Saint. Her power eclipsed that of even the strongest Fifth Order seraphim. That one arrow held enough power to slay entire armies or fell ferocious demons capable of trampling an entire city to death. Her hands held back the string, arms shaking with strain despite the superhuman power in her divine limbs. Poised to strike, she looked more alluring than ever.

She let go of the string, and the pink arrow flew forward. While Synthia channeled her power, Ashe leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed as if she couldn’t be bothered to erect any defenses at all against the incredible attack aimed right for her heart.

But the moment Synthia released her arrow, Ashe exploded in a fountain of Divine Aura gushing in all directions. The light the Divine Aura radiated was utterly blinding, and all the seraphim watching with bated breath could see nothing but the flash.

When the light faded, Ashe was still unharmed, sitting in her chair. The arrow continued on behind her and struck a nearby mountain, cracking it in two and sending huge piles of stone tumbling downward. A few of the seraphim watching the Prime Saints flew off in a hurry to mitigate the damage from the landslide. The rest gawked and stared at Ashe, who’d effortlessly deflected Synthia’s arrow.

“Now, as I was saying,” Ashe continued as though nothing had happened. “I vote we investigate Kalaziel for crimes against the heavens. That makes the vote three to two, and we have the majority.”

“I’ll hear no more of this!” Synthia stood from her chair and stormed off, leaving seven Prime Saints remaining. She flapped her wings, disappearing over the mountain’s edge and vanishing in a huff.

Many turned to look, but Horon cleared his throat to get their attention again. “Now that our decision is clear let’s get down to business. We’ll want to freeze all of Kalaziel’s assets at once...”

Horon went on to explain the plan that he, Darren, Gaviel, and Ashe had devised. The rest of the crowd was still shaking their heads in wonder.

Darren smiled to himself. He knew the trick Ashe had used. The Divine Aura she released wasn’t meant to do anything but blind her viewers. Her body really had been destroyed by that arrow. She just reformed it before the light faded, so it looked like she emerged unscathed. It was a neat trick, and it was one few would see through.

Looking at the Prime Saints, Horon wiped his brow in relief, and Kothar’wa was the only one grinning. He knew what Ashe had done, but he wasn’t going to explain it. The rest of the council remained oblivious. Ashe had passed both of Synthia’s tests with flying colors.

Horon, in particular, seemed overjoyed. Meeting the other Prime Saints had gone as well as he could have hoped, and assuming nothing unexpected happened, he’d have everyone else on board to fight Kalaziel at his side. Kalaziel was strong, but against all the other Prime Saints in the Seven Heavens combined, even he wouldn’t stand a chance. Darren grinned to himself. Maybe Horon could convince the others to let him get a few swings in.

But just as he was thinking about how to celebrate, he felt a gnawing deep in his guts. Something wasn’t right.

He sensed the feeling growing stronger, and he realized it wasn’t feeling. It was a presence. One he’d felt before.

Darren wasn’t the only one to sense the last Prime Saint who had yet to appear. On their own, the presence of every Prime Saint was awe-inspiring. But there was a certain depth to Kalaziel that Darren hadn’t noticed until he compared him to his fellows. Just that feeling alone was all it took to know that Kalaziel was a cut above his kin.

“What’s all this I hear about an important meeting without me?” Kalazial asked, though the cold gleam in his eyes that locked right on Horon said everything. He knew exactly what this was.

His golden armor gleamed in the afternoon light, and his mace hung limply along his hip. Synthia stepped out from behind him, concealing a smirk behind her hand. Darren silently groaned. No wonder she’d left in such a hurry. When she realized she couldn’t turn the vote in favor of Kalaziel, she fled to get the man himself. Darren would have been willing to bet that Kalaziel had listened the entire time through that little ruby around Synthia’s neck.

Synthia glared at the three neutral Prime Saints who’d refused to vote before. “I told you you’d regret not listening to me...”

The three of them looked at one another, then to Horon. The Prime Saints were weighing their options. The three of them had hoped to remain neutral by refusing to vote, but now they were being dragged into this dispute, whether they liked it or not.

On one side stood Ashe, Kothar’wa, and Horon.

On the other stood Kalaziel and Synthia.

Synthia was a newer and weaker Prime Saint, but Kalaziel was as old and powerful as they came. Kothar’wa was just as ancient as Kalaziel, but his focus had never been on combat. He might match Synthia, but Horon couldn’t match Kalaziel alone.

Their eyes locked on Ashe. Her power was truly the determining factor. If she could hold her own, then her side would surely win. After her earlier display of power, it looked like the neutral Prime Saints were willing to put their trust in her and were edging toward Horon’s side.

But then Kalaziel struck.

“Brothers and sisters, stand with me,” Horon urged the three neutral Prime Saints. “Show Kalaziel that you will not be intimidated!”

But those three neutral seraphim weren’t the only ones to identify Ashe as the lynchpin in their deadlock. Kalazial saw her as well.

“Well now, isn’t this an unexpected surprise...” Kalaziel’s eyes ran up and down Ashe’s form. He didn’t look at her so much as look through her. That one look told Darren that the trick Ashe had played on Synthia wouldn’t work on Kalaziel. After all, Kalaziel had been the one who killed her and tore out her heart with his own hands. If any knew her true state, it was him.

“Stand down and submit to the will of this council, Kalaziel!” Ashe crossed her arms, putting on a brave face. The three neutral Prime Saints slowly nudged closer to her side.

But a smile split Kalazial’s face, and his hand darted for the mace at his hip.

“How about this!” The mace head exploded into dozens of spinning blades. Most hurled themselves directly at Ashe, though a few spun off for Kothar’wa and Horon to keep them from defending Ashe.

Ashe’s body exploded into Divine Aura. She tried to reconstitute herself, but Kalaziel was on top of her already. From the bag of holding at his waist, he withdrew a copper sphere, this one slightly oblong. It was a twin to the device he’d used to harvest Ashe’s soul the last time he killed her. And now that Darren was seeing it intact again, he realized many of the symbols and patterns along the copper sphere were identical to those on the eggs he’d found. Kalaziel was using these creations to imprison souls of all sorts and use them to his own ends.

“It’s a trick, you fools!” Kalaziel snorted as he stood amongst Ashe’s dispersed Divine Aura. “This Ashe is a fake. She barely has the Divine Aura of the Fifth Order. She must have found a way to reconstitute herself when I killed her demon form.”

“Kalaziel...” one of the three neutral Prime Saints began. “We don’t wish to break the long tradition of peaceful meetings here on the summit. Perhaps we can--“

“Stand over there by Synthia,” Just keep out of my way. I can take care of these two on my own."

Horon drew his sword, and Kothar’wa reached into his bag of holding and withdrew a large hammer. The fight began in an instant, too quick for mortal eyes to follow.

They clashed, Kothar’wa’s hammer meeting Kalaziel’s mace haft. The two matched blows and glares momentarily, but Kalaziel pushed, and golden light swirled all along his body. He shoved, and Kothar’wa topped backward.

That might have been it for Kothar’wa if it wasn’t for Horon drawing his sword behind him. He slashed at Kalaziel twice over, each time going for Kalaiziel’s throat.

But the Prime Saint of valor was no easy foe. Darren knew that firsthand. He slipped aside of each of Horon’s sword strokes. He slipped past Horon’s defenses with his empty hand while the other held his mace and forced Kothar’wa to his knees.

He grabbed Horon’s sword by the hilt and wrestled with Horon for control of his weapon. Despite using one hand against two, Horon had a hard time keeping hold of his weapon.

“Don’t just stand there!” Horon yelled to the three neutral Prime Saints. “Now is your chance!”

But Synthia drew her bow. An arrow appeared on the string in her hand, and she glared at the three neutral Prime Saints.

“Kalaizel, Horon, and Kothar’wa have a dispute, so they should solve it on their own, don’t you agree?” she flashed a smile that was full of teeth and empty of mirth.

The other Prime Saints looked between Kalaziel, Synthia, Horon, and Kothar’wa and shrugged their shoulders helplessly. Now that the odds had turned against Kothar’wa and Horon, they planned to be on the winning side.

The bystanders who’d been watching a meeting not long ago only now that they realized a fight had broken out between the Prime Saints. Darren wasn’t sure who screamed first, but panic set in moments later. Most of the seraphim fled in all directions. The less smart ones just put a little distance between them and the platform to watch from afar.

But Darren had other plans. He’d heard Horon’s call for help, and while his fellow seraphim might not lend a hand, Darren would. Mere moments had passed since the battle began, but he was already armed and charging to join the fray.

Synthia turned her bow on Kothar’wa. As tempting as it was to throw himself against Kalaziel, Synthia was closer, and between the two, he suspected she was more likely to be caught by surprise. He needed to take her out of the picture quickly.

He turned, swinging his sword wide at the back of Synthia’s head.

[Ha, take this!] Ashe laughed from within the sword, still smarting from her verbal battle with Synthia and more than happy to turn it into a physical one.

Darren pulled Melancholy from his Inventory, lashing out with a mighty swing. But Synthia was a Prime Saint with many abilities up her sleeves, and one of them warned her of Darren’s approach.

She turned, loosing her arrow at him instead of Kothar’wa. Darren turned his swing early, bringing Melancholy’s edge up to deflect the shining bolt of energy.

He hoped Melancholy would absorb the power in the arrow, as it did for equivalent attacks of the demonic aspect. But the Divine Aura in that arrow was too great, and much of the power was still released in an explosion of force when it touched Melancholy’s side.

Darren ducked his head just in time for a whirring mess of energy shrapnel to fly, soaring off into the distance. He retaliated before the dust had even cleared.

Synthia was still trying to charge another arrow when he was on top of her. Darren had fought archers before, and their weakness was always the same. Once he got in close, they were in trouble.

But Synthia knew that too. Otherwise she would have never survived to her current realm of power. Just when Darren thought he had her, she vanished from sight and reappeared on the other side of the mountaintop platform.

“You’ve really screwed yourself over now!” Synthia cursed. “Don’t you see what you’re getting into? Be smart and run away like all the other Fifth Orders!”

Darren ignored her taunting. He wasn’t going to run at a time like this.

He closed the distance between him and Synthia in a flash, but by then, she had another arrow ready. He focused on it with Oracle Sight so he would know where it would go and dodged accordingly, but when he did so, the arrow swerved to attack his new position.

Their next few clashes were a game of cat and mouse. Darren hunted Synthia, and she shot arrows at him. Every time he closed the distance, she would pull back again to put more distance between him and her.

Darren would have been content to feel her out a while longer and test his skills against hers, but nearby Horon and Kothar’wa were just barely holding their own. He needed to end his fight with Synthia quickly.

[I’ll help!] Ashe promised.

Darren voiced silent agreement and then prepared to hit Synthia with everything he had. Fists of Peace rose up to bind her in place, but Synthia slipped through them easily before.

This time though, Darren reached into her body and gripped the Divine Aura that she was made of. He pulled on that aura, disrupting Synthia’s control for just a fraction of a second. That was all the time he could buy against a Prime Saint, but it was long enough for Synthia’s eyes to fill with panic.

She resorted to that teleportation ability that was proving so much trouble for Darren, and that’s when he struck. He’d been hoping to save Skill Shattering for Kalaziel’s restoration skill, but he would have to use it here and now.

Synthia tried to dodge, but Darren crushed the ability before it could complete, aided by the fraction of a second of additional time Synthia had to spend casting it.

Then a beam of glowing white light shot out of Melancholy, fired by Ashe. Synthia’s eyes were truly full of terror now, and she doubled over backward to duck out of the way.

But every attack until now had merely been to force her into this position. Darren released Melancholy, letting Ashe guide the sword with bursts of Divine Aura from both ends. His new sword, Inevitability, emerged from his Inventory and appeared in his hand. He swung it, and its tip caught seraph flesh at last.

Synthia wasn’t built for close combat since she was a ranged fighter. Still, she was a Prime Saint, and against any other sword, she would have been able to shrug off the blow. But not against Inevitability, a legendary sword from the Lord of Light’s own armory.

Synthia staggered backward as Darren sliced her stomach open. She fell to her knees, eyes wide and fearful.

“W-what? How?” she gasped. Her eyes were wide and frightened, and her chest heaved. The low cut of her dress put her luscious breasts on display, and she pressed her hands together beneath them to enhance the effect.

Darren hesitated momentarily, but she never lived to hear him reply. Ashe unleashed another burst of white light, this beam even more powerful than before. It surrounded Synthia’s body entirely, and when the light faded, she was nothing more than a cloud of Divine Aura drifting on the breeze.

[Hmf. That’s what you get,] Ashe huffed.

If this were any other time, Darren would have been excited to have bested a Prime Saint at last. While Synthia was newer and weaker than the others, she was still a Prime Saint, and defeating her was a mark of his growing abilities.

But now he had something far more important to take care of, and that something was Kalaziel.

Darren charged him, sword still dripping with golden seraph blood. The other three Prime Saints hadn’t even finished reeling in surprise at the sudden appearance of someone who could kill a Prime Saint. Darren felt several identification skills boring into him. He’d replaced his aura distortion with his cloak because he’d need full control over his Divine Aura to fight like he had, but even the Cloak of the Mysterious Hero couldn’t hold up to so many powerful identification abilities.

“Wait a moment, that’s no seraph!” One of the three neutral Prime Saints said.

“What kind of ally has Horon brought into the Seven Heaven’s most sacred halls?” Another demanded angrily.

Darren dodged the swirling maces drifting around Kalaziel’s back to protect his flank, aiming to strike as deadly a blow as he could manage. He expected Kalaziel to turn to face him, but Kalaziel ignored Darren entirely and focused on Kothar’wa.

The Prime Saint of craftsmen and hard work was on his last legs. Golden blood oozed from his ears, nose, and the corners of his mouth. He wore a scowl on his face as even he and Horon combined failed to take on Kalaziel. The Prime Saint of Valor was proving a far stronger foe than either could have imagined.

Melancholy skewered Kalaziel straight through his back and into his heart. The shining golden armor put up stiff resistance, but Darren threw all of his strength and skill behind the blow. He was shocked he’d actually managed to land the attack, since Kalaziel had to have sensed him coming.

But then he realized why Kalaziel had let the blow land. He’d sensed weakness, and like a shark smelling blood, he tore into Kothar’wa. The Prime Saint of craftsmanship and hard work gasped his last breath as Kalaziel’s mace swept through the air where the top of his head had been moments before. Golden blood and bright white light flew everywhere as a second Prime Saint died in as many minutes.

“No!” Horon yelled as he watched Kothar’wa collapse and die. Darren felt just as much pain in his chest, for he’d already used his Resurrection ability on Gaviel earlier. The Prime Saint who’d taken their side was gone just like that.

The golden light enveloped Kalaziel, concealing him from view completely.

Absolute Analysis: Skill Analysis

Prime Saint Kalaziel has used the legendary skill Divine Restoration. He has been restored to peak fighting capability.

You have been afflicted by Blinding Radiance. You have been afflicted by Smite.

All your physical senses have been disabled. A cloud of lightning will hover over your head, periodically shocking you until it is dispersed.

Kalaziel drove Horon and Darren back with the sheer force of his many powerful abilities. Darren recognized most of them. He’d chosen Skill Shattering specifically to shut down Kalaziel’s Divine Restoration skill, but he’d been forced to waste it dealing with Synthia instead. Now it and so many of his other skills weren’t available when he needed them.

And as though to make matters worse, a familiar voice arrived and pointed his sword at Darren. His armor was still battered and dented from where Darren had bested him before, and there was still lingering evidence of his earlier wounds.

It was Commander Thorn, beaten and bruised but far from dead. And now he was hungry for a rematch against Darren. Only this time, he brought friends.

Behind him, dozens of Fifth Order seraph hovered in the air, all of them armed for battle. The seraphim who’d stayed to watch the fight now realized the gravity of the situation. This wasn’t just a fight between Prime Saints. It was a battle for control of the entirety of the Seven Heavens.

Worse, it was one Darren didn’t think their side could win.


<Note>

Off topic question. Do you guys think I should change Caleb's name in Amazon Apocalypse? Carter, Craig, and Caleb might be one too many male 'C' names.

Maybe Frank or something. That's a relatively common name, and I don't have too many 'F' characters.