Chapter 530 - The War (Patreon)

Abby Summers, the High Inquisitor of the glorious Radiant Host, stood on the battlefield, her features twisted into an expression of disgust.  More than a thousand soldiers, each one loyal to the Imperium, all dead, and there was no sign of the monsters responsible for the resounding defeat. 

But she knew who’d killed them.  Or rather what.

Those bestial lizard-men had plagued the Radiant Host ever since they’d entered the territory that had once belonged to Lord Adontis and his Knights.  Individually, they weren’t any stronger than her own soldiers.  In fact, many of them were quite a bit weaker.  However, when they fought together, they could bring far more force to bear than their numbers indicated.  Their teamwork was exquisite, and their smattering of skills worked seamlessly to create an effect that was more than the sum of its parts. 

If they hadn’t been monsters, Abby might have admired them.  And even with their savage nature and the lack of sapience, they would be a worthwhile addition to the Radiant Host.  Once they were conquered and cowed, then fitted with slave collars to ensure everyone else’s safety, at least.  It wasn’t unheard of.  They’d done the same with the so-called beastkin – monsters that had learned to mimic humanity – and they would do so again. 

As was their right as the superior race. 

Thinking in those terms had once turned Abby’s stomach, but that was when she was still mired in old thought processes.  Back on Earth, she never would have given racial superiority any credence.  However, in the Eternal Realm, things were different.  Humanity was obviously the ideal.  Everyone else was only capable of base mimicry. 

She had seen it with her own eyes, the way those other so-called races lived in dirty hovels and engaged in bestial practices.  They were little better than the wild monsters that plagued the wilderness.  Their only saving grace was that the other races had enough intelligence that, with the proper controls in place, they could prove useful. 

The Imperium had made copious use of the subjugated races, employing them as footsoldiers and shock troops.  Cannon fodder by another name, Abby knew. And though they died by the score with every battle, they served their purpose in delivering glory upon the Radiant Host.  That was worth a million deaths. 

Regardless, they army of lizard-creatures – which were called kobolds – had proven to be a dangerous enemy.  However, the new battlefield was something she had never seen before.  Normally, the creatures’ movements weren’t difficult to track.  They traveled in huge packs, and as such, they weren’t adept at utilizing guerrilla tactics.  So, finding nothing but her own dead was more than a little troubling.

Even more of an issue was the fact that the battlefield had not seen a true battle.  Certainly, it was clear that her people had put up some resistance.  The ground had been turned, and there was evidence that they’d employed their skills.  However, those signs didn’t add up to what she would have expected from a thousand-strong force.

It was clear that they’d been caught by surprise.  Most had been killed within the orderly tents, slaughtered in their bedrolls.  Many of those tents still stood, undamaged and in neat rows. 

“What happened here?” she asked her second-in-command.

Stiff-backed, Eran answered, “We don’t know, Inquisitor.  There were no survivors.”

“That is disappointing,” Abby replied, fingering the grip of her sword.  She rarely used the thing, instead relying on her bow in most battles.  Yet, she found the presence of the weapon reassuring, and on the few occasions where she’d been forced to use it, she had found great pleasure in hacking her enemies to pieces.  It was such a visceral feeling, and one that she did not take for granted.  “Collect the tents.  Gather the remaining supplies.  And return it to the main force.”

“Yes, Inquisitor.”

With that, Eran strode off, her demeanor filled with glorious purpose.  The woman was a true believer, and in a way that Abby could not rival.  Few could.  For her part, Abby knew that the Shar Maelaine was no true goddess.  She was just a powerful being who’d chosen to use that strength to manipulate and empower the Radiant Host for her own ends.  Abby wasn’t certain what the end goal was, and what’s more, she knew it didn’t matter.  Not yet.  But one day, she would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Sun Goddess.  Perhaps she would even take her place.

It was a worthy goal.

And yet, it was a long way off.  So far, in fact, that she wouldn’t give it more than a second of thought.  Instead, she focused on what really mattered.  If she didn’t win this war – as she had against the rest of the Radiant Hosts’ nearest enemies – she would go no further than her current level.

That would not do.

Because Abby had felt what it meant to be weak, to be dependent on others.  And she would not allow herself to return to that state.  She had vowed to cultivate strength, and in that pursuit, she would do whatever it required.

And right now, that meant winning a war against an army of kobolds that had suddenly developed the ability to attack without warning.  To that end, she began her investigation by inspecting a few of the bodies.  A cadre of advisors and other sycophants followed, but none of them were capable of independent thought.  Instead, they simply parroted whatever she said or gave opinions they knew she’d agree with.  It was disgusting, and if she had any choice in the matter, she would have refused their company.

Yet, she couldn’t do that because the High Commander of the entire Radiant Host and the default ruler of the Imperium had insisted they come along.  They were all spies by another name, but Abby was beholden to Ignatius, and in a way that provided both comfort and consternation.  She hated the man, but he was also subject to her gratitude. 

Hypocritical?  Maybe.  But Abby couldn’t force herself to feel any differently.  So, she’d resolved to simply accept it and, with awareness, minimize its effect on her actions.  So far, she’d been mostly successful, but that didn’t mean it would always remain the case. 

Regardless, her inspection soon led her to the corpse of the force’s captain.  Abby couldn’t remember his name, but she did recall his features.  Like most of the rest of the Radiant Host, he’d been a handsome, well-built man that could had the bearing of a hero.  He wasn’t one, though.  Indeed, he’d reached the peak of his capabilities, meaning that he would have never progressed any further.

Of course, that fate was assured, considering that he’d perished alongside the rest of his underlings. 

He didn’t look so handsome anymore, with severe burns all over his body.  The metal of his armor had been melted by intense heat, and, perhaps more importantly, a stench Abby recognized hung all around him.

“I need to see Serpentus.”

One of the sycophants rushed off to fetch the incubus while Abby continued to inspect the nearby bodies.  Most were badly burned, and that same smell lingered on nearly every corpse she beheld.

“Is it strange that I am more attracted to you now, surrounded by charred corpses, than I have ever been before?” came a silky voice.  “On second thought, I take that back.  You are especially beautiful when you’re covered in blood.”

Abby stood from where she’d been kneeling beside one of the bodies.  Like all the others, it had been burned beyond recognition.  She turned to face the demon she’d asked to see.  Serpentus was, in a word, gorgeous, and in a way that promised everything Abby had ever wanted from a lover.  Of course, that was the point.  He was an incubus, after all, and his stock and trade was lust. 

“Did one of yours do this?” she asked, ignoring all the feelings he caused.

“Straight to the point, I see.  I like that, too.  Assertive women are quite magnetic, if I say so myself.”

“Answer the question, demon,” Abby said.  She hated the incubus, and not just because of the way he made her feel.  It went much deeper than that, including the demon’s very nature.  She had seen him revel in levels of carnage that would make a veteran of a thousand battles blanch.

He offered an affected sigh before saying, “My minions are under my strict control.”

“That does not answer the question.  I want a yes or no.”

He rolled his eyes, making Abby’s heart race.  “No.  They are not responsible. And before you ask, neither am I,” Serpentus answered in as straightforward way as she could have hoped to hear.  “But it is intriguing.  Did you run afoul of some archdemon, perhaps?  I know you have been to Hell.  Did you offend someone important while you were there?  Do tell.”

“No.  Do you have any other suggestions as to what happened here?” she asked.

He tapped his chin and bit his lip, lost in thought.  Abby did her best not to let it distract her.  She didn’t even like pretty men like Serpentus, so even if he hadn’t been a demon, she wouldn’t have acted on her attraction.  Yet, there was something magnetic about him that drew her attention in all the worst ways.  She had grown accustomed to ignoring it, but she could no more stop it from happening than she could divert a river.

“It might have been a rogue demon,” Serpentus suggested.  “They wander into Heaven from time to time.”

“How likely is that as an explanation?”

“Not very.”

“Any other possibilities?”

“Not that I can think of,” Serpentus answered.  “If it was just a few kills, I would have guessed that someone had cultivated a demonic attunement.  It is not completely unheard-of, even if it is exceedingly rare.”

Abby’s breath caught in her chest.  She knew someone just like that.  Zeke was half-demon, after all, and even back in the Mortal Realm, he’d been capable of withstanding the full power of Hell’s demonic corruption.  That was a testament to both his power and his attunement. 

However, it only took Abby a moment to realize that there was no way Zeke could have perpetrated the attack.  Assuming that he’d continued to grow more powerful at the same rate of progression he’d displayed on the Radiant Isles, he would have been powerful enough to slaughter her army.  Yet, if he’d done so, there wouldn’t have been as much left.  He would have destroyed everything. 

No - Zeke couldn’t have been responsible, but that didn’t mean someone else with similar circumstances hadn’t done so. 

“It is curious, though.”

“What is?”

“Normally, demons who can sneak about don’t make such copious use of hellfire,” Serpentus answered.  “And the opposite is true, too.  Hellfire is not a subtle tool, so it doesn’t play well with stealth tactics.  Surprising.”

“You have no other explanations?”

Serpentus shook his head.  “I do not,” he admitted.  “But I would love the opportunity to track the culprit.  My minions will sweep across the land, burning everything they see.”

Abby cut him off before he could get going.  “Your minions, as you’ve suddenly started referring to them, have been soundly defeated in the past four engagements,” she reminded him.  “Unless they can improve on their woefully disappointing performance, we are going to have to rethink how they are deployed.  I’m certain you understand.”

“I’ve told you a thousand times that being here weakens them.  If you’d only let me create a Hell Font, we could bring our full power to bear,” Serpentus said.

“No.”

“But –”

“I said no.  Drop it.”

He sighed petulantly, then adopted an affected pout.  “Very well,” he said, bowing sullenly.  “Then my soldiers shall continue to underperform.  I’m certain you understand.”

With that, he turned on his heel and marched away.  Or sauntered, really.  Swaggered was probably a better term.  When Abby realized that she was staring, she jerked her eyes away. 

She had actually considered allowing him to create his Hell Font, but the process would have required a hundred sacrifices.  All female, of course, and as beautiful as they could find.  Abby wasn’t sure if those last two requirements were Serpentus’ additions or if they were necessary, but their existence made her skin crawl.  More, she’d refused his request, regardless of how much it would have helped her situation.

When Serpentus was gone, she returned her attention to the corpses, but she found no answers.  Only questions. 

And memories.  Where was Zeke now?  Was he happy?  Had he moved on to find another woman?  Abby didn’t want to care.  She’d forced herself to push those feelings away and focus on her pursuit of power.  Yet, she still loved him, and in the back of her mind, she hoped that they would one day reunite.  In time, her little mistake would be forgotten, and they would live happily ever after.

As equals.

But first, she needed to find whatever force had murdered her people, then defeat the kobolds, and finally, push herself to the peak of the realm.  Sighing, she got to work.