Paladin 4: Chapter 52 (Patreon)

The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the land on its ascend. The mountain air was crisp and cool, and morning dew slickened the staircase’s steps.

But Darren’s forces marched up it all the same. They scaled the steep and foreboding mountain that rose into the sky like a silent sentinel. The Order of the Rod’s remaining forces lay on the other side of this stairway to the heavens, but it didn’t matter. With all his comrades at his back, they would break through their lines and claim this pathway for themselves.

The paladins, priestesses, and clerics led the way. Darren, his companions, and all the fourth order warriors would fly in and break through using a Dimensional Rift hoping they could catch whatever forces were guarding the other end of the portal by surprise.

With the sound of a hundred thousand pounding footsteps, there was no way they were going to appear undetected. The sound was almost deafening, and the people of Whiteguard could track their ascent from half a kingdom away. And if the average peasant of Whiteguard could do it, whatever heavenly powers Kalaziel had left to the Order of the Rod could too.

“The view from here is breathtaking,” Thalia said as Darren carried her. She had wings, but she hadn’t mastered using them. Out of all his companions, she was the least practiced fighter, so she was present to aid in logistics and boost morale, and to keep Cassandra out of any direct combat. Darren didn’t want her in the thick of things when she had a baby on the way.

Darren had to agree with Thalia’s words. This lone mountain provided a brilliant line of sight in all directions. Whiteguard’s brilliant rolling hills and carefully managed verdant forests stretched out as far as the eye could see.

The long climb was exhausting. The third orders could handle the trip without stopping, but holy adepts and the few normal soldiers they had with them would have to make their way up over weeks rather. By then, the stronger fighters in the army would have already taken a forward base.

The third orders reached the summit by midafternoon and draped themselves in heavy cloaks to shake off the thin, cold air at the summit. Darren directed most of the fourth-order warriors to head in first, with Sasha in the lead.

He used his Dimensional Rift skill to cleave a tear in the sky. The moment he confirmed the path he’d cut open led to the heavens, Cassandra, Morgana, Thalia, and Ashe all followed him in.

As he suspected, the mountaintop was located inside a building in the heavens. He never would have found it from the outside since, from beyond, it looked like a regular warehouse. In fact, Darren was pretty sure he recognized their surroundings.

They were in the warehouse district of Calabor. He’d probably flown over this very building several times.

Under ordinary circumstances, his sudden appearance would have been quickly caught. But right now, everyone inside the warehouse was focused on the mountain peak and the ascent of the mortal warriors from below. Darren could see Sasha issuing one last set of orders before charging forward. Callum was next to her, just as ready for battle as she was.

They hadn’t been able to see the seraphim and Order of the Rod members waiting on the other side, so the portal must have been one way only. Now that Darren was in the heavens, though, he could see them clearly.

Some were human men and women, all wearing armor and weapons anointed with symbols of the Order of the Rod. Most were third order paladins, with a few archpaladins sprinkled among them.

More common were the seraphim in armor, and a few of these were fifth order. Though to Darren’s surprise, they all wore Order of the Rod armor as well, and they stood shoulder to shoulder with the others like they were the same. Perhaps Kalaziel’s promise to turn his followers into seraphim had been real after all, and in doing so, he’d bolstered some of them to the fifth order.

Both seraphim and humans gripped their weapons, and more than a few were eyeing Sasha as the toughest nut to crack. Darren wasn’t about to let his companions be ambushed, which was exactly what he was here for. The Order of the Rod wouldn’t be able to catch his people by surprise if he caught them by surprise first.

Moving quickly, Darren drew Melancholy and Inevitability. He charged, and Morgana trailed behind him like a shadow. Cassandra and Thalia kept to the rear, and the two priestesses were using every shielding and buffing skill they had on Darren on Morgana.

Morgana licked her lips in anticipation as her entire body shimmered with shielding energy, and she moved even faster than before. Her form flickered, and she plunged a dagger through the gap in a paladin’s armor and dragged him toward Darren before any of his friends even noticed.

Darren pulled the man into his Realmvault, curious at just how many warriors of the Order of the Rod he and Morgana could take out before someone raised the alarm.

Morgana was fast as a viper and just as silent. A dozen fourth order archpaladins vanished before they could so much as draw their swords. Darren held back until someone finally turned and got a lucky glimpse of Morgana.

“Hey, what’s that!” the man shouted, eyes wide as he peered into the darkness. Morgana had vanished the moment she’d been spotted and reappeared an instant later by Darren’s side.

“We’re under attack! They’re already through!” Another paladin said as he drew his sword. The others followed suit.

“Your turn, big guy,” Morgana said.

The Order of the Rod charged at Darren, and they were cut down. They swung their swords and used their skills, but to him, they all looked so terribly... slow.

Each step they took made it appear they were walking through syrup. Their movements were slow and clumsy, and the Divine Aura that flowed through their bodies and magical attacks stood out so vividly that he could read each skill as it was activated. And just as easily, he could wipe them away.

He did so, and every ability winked out as though he’d used Skill Shattering. In fact, he’d borrowed the trick from that skill, but here he was, using it manually. It wouldn’t work against someone near Darren’s own level of power and control, but against these people? Wiping out their skills was child’s play.

They stumbled, and a few of them fell outright as the movement abilities they’d been using winked out. A few more foolish souls continued to charge Darren anyway, though.

He turned, ducking between two swords. He waved Inevitability and severed the blades of both paladins at the base, leaving them holding nothing but their hilts. Darren did the same for the others as they rose to their feet, kicking them aside when they reached for his ankles.

He’d come here expecting a fight, but defeating these low-leveled warriors was so easy he would have felt bad actually killing them. It was like fighting children.

“Woah, Darren!” Cassandra clapped from the back of the room. “You moved so fast!”

Thalia nodded in agreement. “I could hardly follow you.”

“Reaching the Sixth Order did many things,” Darren replied.

Sasha and her subordinates arrived shortly thereafter, all of them charging in, ready for a fight. They seemed almost disappointed to discover that Darren had already taken out all their enemies ahead of time.

“These four surrendered, Darren. What do we do with them?” Sasha asked.

Darren hadn’t really expected to take prisoners, but he wasn’t about to execute those who’d given up. He remembered his new skill, Redemption. Perhaps some of these members of the Order of the Rod could be redeemed. He’d send those weak enough to be placed under guard by regular humans down to Whiteguard. The archpaladins would have to remain in the heavens where his people could keep an eye on them.

“So, this is what the heavens look like.” Thalia peeked her head outside the window Darren was looking out of as he oriented himself in Calabor.

“It’s not so strange once you’ve spent some time here.”

“Oh?” Thalia asked. “Here, I thought you and Asuriel had been living in the wilderness.”

Darren chuckled. “The apartment we rented is right over there.”

“Apartment!” Cassandra popped her head up around the corner. “You mean to say the two of you had a secret romantic getaway, and you didn’t invite me?”

She placed a hand over her heart, face aghast.

Darren patted her on the head. “You’re invited now. I’ll show you the place, but first, we have to take the city.”

***

Darren had originally planned to establish a base of operations in the heavens. That the mountain led to the middle of a city just meant that doing so would be a little harder. Thankfully, he knew Calabor well, and the Protectors knew him too.

He went to the Protector’s headquarters alone at first. As he suspected, Captain Gaviel hadn’t returned from their fateful mission on the Fifth Layer. He was still with Horon. That left Darren as the highest-ranking member of the Protectors in the city.

“Sir, you’ve returned!” Natashiel said. The large-breasted seraph had been among the first to fall into line when Darren was given the position of second in command under Captain Gaviel. Behind her, Darren saw a few other faces he recognized, including Kilean. The last time Darren had seen Kilean, he’d been a feral madman poisoned with all the souls Kalaizel’s forces had gathered from Whiteguard. But now he looked healthy and whole.

He ran his hand along the back of his neck sheepishly. “I heard you saved me, Sir Darren. I guess I really owe you one.”

Darren waved him off. “I did my duty. But there is something important I must tell you. Gather the Protectors.”

“Does it have anything to do with why Captain Gaviel went missing? Or why the Protectors have been disbanded?” Natashiel asked.

Darren frowned. “Disbanded?”

“You haven’t heard?” Kilean asked. “I was just gathering the last of my things. Apparently, the council of Prime Saints declared Horon a traitor, and the Protectors were to yield their arms and disperse. I honestly can’t believe it.”

“Me neither,” Natashiel said, a voice full of sadness. “Most of the others had already packed their things and left to look for new jobs. I’m going to miss this place. The adventures were fun while they lasted.”

Darren scoffed. “They’re not over yet. Call back everyone who left. I want them back here. Important things have happened in the Heavens.”

Darren had to tell them about Kalaziel’s recent takeover of the Prime Saints and how he and Horon had tried to stop it. The Protectors needed to know that they were all that stood between the Heavens and utter domination by Kalaziel.

Natashiel and Kilean exchanged glances, mixing shock and determination. Eventually, Natashiel was the one to answer him.

“Yes, Sir Darren,” she said, her voice strong and resolute. “We’ll bring everyone back here right away!”

Over the next few hours, word spread among the former Protectors. Few had actually left the city, and most were still in a state of shock and disbelief. They’d been waiting to hear it was all a mistake, and when their former comrades contacted them and told them just that, they came scurrying back.

They gathered in the courtyard, eagerly awaiting Darren’s explanation.

“Is that the second in command? When did he return? Where is the captain?” A voice from the crowd asked.

Darren raised his hands to speak, and when he did, all went silent.

“Kalaziel has taken over the council of the Prime Saints. His ambition knows no bounds, and he has laid claim to the Heavenly Throne. He disbanded the Protectors because Horon dared to challenge him when Kalaziel claimed rulership over all the heavens.”

“What? Impossible! Kalaziel is trying to take over? What’s going on?” Kilean grimaced and pounded his fist into his open palm. “What about the Lord of Light?”

Darren grimaced. He’d been expecting that question, so he wasn’t unprepared for it.

“The Lord of Light went missing years ago to reach beyond the Seventh Order. Most assume he is dead, and some evidence points to a betrayal from Kalaziel.” Darren’s mind went to the fragment of a dead sovereign that Kalaziel had used in one of his last attacks against him when they fought in Salsroth.

There were gasps all throughout the crowd of protectors.

“If the Lord of Light is gone, then all is lost!” Natashiel cried out. “The heavens are doomed to fall to our enemies! What if the demos rise up again? There will be no one with the power to confront the Lady of Darkness!”

“The demons are in no position to rise up,” Darren answered. “I have seen to that. I killed most of the demons there. And I have spoken to the Lady of Darkness as well. She will not attack the heavens.”

Laura was far too lazy to leave her cabin, let alone wage another war against the Heavens. Darren kept that part to himself though.

“You attacked the Seven Hells?” Kilean blinked in surprise.

“I did, with some help. You will meet them soon. I have returned to Calabor to fight against Kalaziel, and the humans of the Sacred Seas have come with me. Who will join me?”

A quiet murmur ran through the crowd.

“Humans?” Kilean sounded skeptical. “What use will humans be?”

“More than you know, Kilean,” Darren replied.

Kilean crossed his arms. “So let me get this straight. You want us and a bunch of humans to fight against Kalaziel and stop him from taking over the Heavens?”

“Captain Gaviel is fighting as well. He is with Prime Saint Horon.”

Moods in the crowd lightened at that news. Though many respected Darren, they truly revered Horon.

Kilean shrugged and uncrossed his arms. “Alright. I guess I owe my life to you anyway, Darren. Count me in.”

“And me as well!” Natashiel jumped up on the stage and grabbed Darren’s arm.

“And me! I will fight with Sir Darren, Captain Gaviel, and Prime Saint Horon!”

More voices of approval joined in, and soon the entire crowd was cheering in support.

Darren turned his thoughts to Cassandra, who was using her Mental Link with him still.

[Things went well, come on out.]

***

Bringing together the Protectors and his own forces from the Sacred Seas carried with it a bit of a culture shock. The humans were awestruck at the sight of real seraphim in the flesh, and the seraphim were used to thinking of mortals like helpless children.

But many of the mortals carried with them exceptional power, enough to shock Kilean when Sasha knocked him on his rear.

“Damn. I never thought a mortal woman could punch so hard...” Kilean said as he dusted himself off and hung in embarrassment.

“That same punch has killed many demons,” Sasha replied. That seemed to brighten Kilean’s embarrassed expression a bit.

Thalia and Cassandra met with Natashiel, and the three women got along very well. They were soon exchanging knowledge, and Natashiel was giving Thalia a few tips on being a good priestess. Similar scenes were playing out throughout the upper echelons of Darren’s forces.

Integrating the Protectors of Calabor into his forces had doubled the number of fourth and fifth order warriors ready to heed his call, and they spread throughout the city.

The seraphim were fairly well-behaved since any other city would have turned to lawless chaos by now. But the Protectors still had to restore order now that they no longer acknowledged the order to disband.

But much to their surprise, another voice had already arrived in the city, promising to do the same thing. The moment Darren heard the reports, he went to check for himself.

“People of Calabor! Fear not! Your Protectors have abandoned you, but the Order of the Rod has arrived to bring order and stability to your fair city!”

The speaker was a stern man with a salt-and-pepper beard. He wore a smirk on his face and had two pairs of shiny golden wings on his back, marking him as someone at the Fifth Order.

“The Order of the Rod, aren’t you a mortal organization?” A townswoman asked skeptically.

“Once upon a time, we were the organization under the leadership of Kalaziel himself! But those days are behind us now. Through his grace and might, the Order of the Rod has long since carried our name and banner into the heavens. For years, our most powerful members would spend their moments before death preserving their souls as best they could to prepare for this day. The day when Kalaziel would call us to action! That time is now. The Order of the Rod is ready to keep order in the Heavens, just as the Protectors once did. Only instead of heeding the words of the foul traitor Prime Saint Horon, we follow the wise and benevolent guidance of Prime Saint Kalaziel!”

There was skeptical and scattered applause, at least until the man himself started clapping and glared harshly at all those not doing so. This probably would have continued a while longer, but Darren could watch no more. It was time for him to make his entrance.

He jumped off the top of the building he was crouched atop of and landed on the platform next to the representative of the Order of the Rod. His sudden appearance made the man jump back in startled surprise.

“Prime Saint Horon was not a traitor. This man spreads Kalaziel’s lies,” Darren said.

“Looks like we have a dissident! A former member of the Protectors, by the looks of him,” the representative of the Order of the Rod smirked. “Let’s make an example out of him.”

Darren felt a smile growing on his face. This was even better than planned.