The Gamer Chapter 1216 – The Fate of Another Kingdom 2 – Deep Below [Nathalia POV] (Patreon)

Nathalia tapped her heel on the ground repeatedly, suppressing her urge to throw herself at the separating barrier. Before she or Eliana could lose their control, the barrier rapidly moved away from their location. The dragoness pulled her lips back, revealing grit teeth, and growled at the distancing green. Having resolved to help her mate, leaving him to face the Emperor alone irked her deeply. Alas, it had to be done for his plan to work.

The stone underneath her feet quivered. The platform they were on began to descend, just as the curtains of necromantic energy thinned. A shaft as wide as the hollow tower above them extended into the depths of the earth. The six ‘fingers’ of Eternal Iron that had been left behind by the disappearance of the dome extended further down the inside of the shaft. Like single bolts of lighting, they cut through the dull, grey stone, which was otherwise meticulously cut and polished.

Nathalia kept her eyes focused on the world above. Six pathways, six support beams, one pillar, one tower, that was all she could see remain of the dome. The segments, dedicated to the elements, had been pulled away. It would have been easy for her to chase after any one of them. It burned in her claws to try. She crouched. The skeletal frame of her obsidian wings extended from her back.

A large hand landed on her shoulder. “Now, now,” the Horned Rat said, “let’s not do anything hasty.”

“Hrmph.” Nathalia blew fire out of her nostrils. The wings folded against her back and disappeared into the obsidian scales, as if they had never been there. She resumed tapping her heel on the floor. Eliana did much the same. The two women stood there, arms crossed and impatient.

“Ironic that it’s the three of us fighting together, is it not?” the Horned Rat commented, completely relaxed. “After we fought in Rome.”

“That was only half of fucked-up-me,” Eliana answered. “Also, there’s four of us.”

Nathalia looked over her shoulder and, past the Horned Rat’s leg, spotted the waving blonde. Her dress entirely unaffected by the upwards draft of the accelerating elevator, her hair waving according to the whims of another world, Nia stone-facedly moved her arm left to right in a steady rhythm. Her presence did not surprise. “When did you join us?” the dragoness wanted to know.

“I was here before you were,” Nia answered.

The Horned Rat stared at the girl he had, partly, raised. In silence, he reached out and placed a hand on her head. “You have so much more potential than I ever thought, truly, truly,” he complimented her. The pat made the blonde smile.

Around them, the shaft was replaced by a massive cavity. What had been a natural set of caves had been cleared of all but the structurally important walls over time. Those were further supported by a network of rock and metal. Frome one pillar and wall to another, from ceiling and floor, the strands span, like years of accumulated spider webs.

Amidst this sprawling unity of natural dripstone and unnatural formations, halfway down to the bottom of the cave, nestled the largest of the many structures hanging at various elevations. The architecture she knew to be typical of Ironborn from John’s descriptions, grey stone and metal, enveloped a gargantuan sphere of black and green. It was of a glass-like material and shimmered in the poisonous green light it exuded. The six paths of Eternal Iron ended on its surface, attached like a spilled cup of water frozen to a solid surface. A crack cut into the top of it, creating a massive valley.

The platform the four of them were standing on slowed once past the edges of the orb. Like teeth, jagged spikes jutted out of the uneven surface. Beyond the noxious, necromantic energy, the many colours affiliated with the elements danced between the tips, travelling downwards. Wailing souls reflected in the surface.

Hunching over, the Horned Rat twisted his head and body in almost unnatural ways, taking in the entirety of their surroundings like a hyperactive owl. When the platform began to settle, he resumed his regular behaviour.

The bottom of the crack was a twenty-metre-wide corridor. It was carved into the otherwise semi-natural formation, leaving walls at the back and front that enveloped the deepest point of the valley. At each end, a tall furnace stood. One was flickering with prismatic fire, the other with flames of noxious green. It was the second in front of which the large, adorned being waited.

Golden entirely and with tokens of wealth hanging from every possible hook and spike of the armour that was her body, Jevaine quietly had a hand on a resting form lying within the furnace. It looked like the body Arkeidos had greeted them with, albeit with parts of the head, fingers and feet still missing. A tenth body that would have been finished at the turn of the millennium, as Nathalia had been informed to look out for.

“Would thou wish to converse, for a time?” the voice of Jevaine reverberated from the armour. It was incredibly feminine, unfitting for the bulk of her form. “I admit my gratitude, for thou art responsible for mine opportunity to drink from this might. A change from monotony of gold and order.”

“Shut the fuck up and let me kick your shit in, you sparkling twat,” Eliana responded, as the platform came to its final rest.

Nathalia could not have put it more succinctly herself, growling as she stepped forwards. She and the failed goddess took the helm, the Horned Rat and Nia hung back. Both were doing exactly as discussed, analysing the surroundings. ‘Let’s leave the annoying contemplations to them,’ the dragoness thought. Each step carried her closer to the target. Both her and Eliana were getting ready to charge. If they got close enough, there was a chance to pounce before Jevaine could activate her ability.

“Pity that thou art such bores,” Jevaine groaned. “Be that as it may, as the loyalest, most resplendent servant of my Emperor, I shall use the power of the forge of the Iron Domain’s souls. Let all that have been culled in recent days and the body he didst forge from the lives of many years be my power.”

Nearly instantaneous, the unfinished body of Arkeidos collapsed into a spec of pure energy. The surrounding fire of necromantic green was continuously sucked into that impossibly condensed bit of raw value. All of the human faces reflecting in the broken facets of the cracked sphere were pulled at a rapid speed towards the foundry. The shockwave caused by Jevaine’s spell rippled outwards even further, claiming value from the entire structure, becoming visible as a golden wave that travelled up the Eternal Iron above.

“Ehhehehe… AHAHAHAHA!” Jevaine laughed madly when the speck of energy fused with her form. Nathalia was forced one step back by the sudden manifestation of the raw arcane energy.

“To achieve what it takes, I will immolate myself – Bloodburn!” The Babel Phrase was spoken. Eliana darted ahead, Nathalia closely behind her. Tails and wings grew from both of them, scales and bone armour cladding their tall and small forms. Not that either of them were impressive compared to Jevaine’s height.

The barrier between her and aiding her mate turned fully to face them, then met their charge head on. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! hammered the massive feet on the ground. All of the sphere trembled. An inferno of necromantic energy pushed out of every tiny and large gap in her armour, leaving a trail of green behind her. Her eyes were radiant, leaving an even denser aftereffect, almost like pulling a ribbon behind her as she ran.

The three women of immense power, two divine, one temporary, clashed. Although she had been training with Eliana, facing a physically superior person remained an infuriating oddity to Nathalia. As such, when she was grabbed by the head and smashed against the floor, the anger she felt burned hotter than the pain.

The black crystal of the ground was unyielding. Only the obsidian scales on her back broke on impact. Claws extending in a flash of volcanic heat, the redheaded goddess grabbed the arm holding her down. The obsidian tips screamed over the surface, the gold growing hot under her touch. Yet the hand, massive enough to blind her, kept its grip tight. The tingling sensation of gathering arcane energy danced on her forehead.

“Back!”

Then, it was gone, alongside Jevaine’s hand. Nathalia and Eliana jumped to their feet, catching the scattering arcane energy. “Don’t be careless,” the Horned Rat advised amusedly, lowering the index finger that had pointed at Jevaine.

“Thank fuck we have you here, Rattling Obvious!” Eliana shouted back.

Nathalia growled at her fellow haremette. “Keep the insults for our enemies,” she demanded, the two of them thickening their exoskeletons where the previous engagement had broken them or proven insufficient. Up her neck and the sides of her face, the scales crawled, forming a thick layer. Barely any of her skin was visible now, all replaced by shards of obsidian. The gaps between the scales glowed with the same orange incandescent light as the gem embedded above her sternum.

Roaring, the intensity of Jevaine’s voice disrupted the flow of energy around her. A thin veil of noxious green, like the surface of a chemical-tainted lake, drifted constantly from the forge and the surrounding crystal towards her.

“Consistently feeding on the value of the fortress itself,” the Horned Rat hummed in the background. “That seems rather unfair. No way for me to win here. Nia, we’re leaving.”

“Okay.”

Rage unfolding, Jevaine raised her hand and conjured a massive sphere of arcane energy. By appearance and simplicity of the spell, it felt like it belonged in one of those stupid, animated shows the first member of the harem was so fond of. Eliana was about to charge in, but Nathalia realized what was going to happen next. Before the failed goddess could dash ahead, the dragoness grabbed her with her tail and pulled her aside. “The Rat got this, wait for a second,” she hissed.

Eliana growled back, yet let herself be pulled to the side. The two of them stood aside as the mass of raw arcane might was launched across the room.

“That’s adorable.” The voice of the Horned Rat spread with supernatural depth, carving its vibrations into the essence of the world. The furred hands of the humanoid creature gripped at the air before his chest. “Force unskillfully used, force to be relocated!” The improvised incantation was followed by the air getting torn open like parting curtains. All of the raw arcane might was sucked into the portal and then launched back out a moment later.

Taken aback, Jevaine pulled her head up, before being blasted with her own attack. Eliana skipped ahead with a martial art; Nathalia beat her wings of obsidian and flowing magma. The sheer power of the exploding attack sent air whistling by her ears. Purple remains of arcane joined the noxious green in the air, combining into a sickening blend of the two colours that filled the air when she slammed down on the golden Ironborn.

The knee of the goddess scratched over the ornate helmet. Only a tiny scratch mark was carved in, before she came to a halt. Broad-legged, she stood on Jevaine’s shoulders. ‘If she suffers, she can die,’ Nathalia thought, letting the mixture of excitement and annoyance rise within her. ‘How incredible to have something dangerous before me. How incredibly irritating!’ Liquid rock secreted from her right arm. She brought it down, trying to pour it into the armour and deal damage to the core within. The steady emission of green blasted the lava away.

Jevaine retaliated swiftly, but this time Nathalia was ready for the absurdity of her speed. Rapidly, she bounced off the Gold Eater’s shoulders. Although Jevaine leapt after her immediately, Nathalia’s wings were to her advantage. Beating them once, she got out of harm’s way.

A moment of respite allowed her to look at what Eliana was doing. Having dashed past Jevaine, the properly submissive psycho was bashing the foundry itself with various attacks. Decorative elements of the structure blasted off. The core segments of it, carved from the cracked sphere itself, remained intact.

Nathalia landed on one of the protruding spikes and spent a few seconds trying whatever she could to damage it. Fire, rock, and raw violence, nothing even cracked the surface of the black crystal. Whatever this was, it was currently indestructible.

Further experiments had no time. Nathalia leapt, dove between Jevaine and the Horned Rat. She landed in an explosion of rock and lava. Crossing her arms, she weathered the punch. Golden glowing rock exploded from her skin, the black bones inside her crunched, but she held her ground.

From behind, Eliana struck. The impact of her fist rippled through Jevaine’s back, visibly disturbing the purple and green in the air. Yet all the heavily ornate Ironborn did in response was jump back, sending Eliana flying. That created enough space for Nathalia to back off.

Arcane energy rushed outwards. Stubbornly, the dragoness faced it head on. Raw arcane, channelled with nothing in mind besides manifesting undue power, broke on her scales. Unpleasant, yes, but not dangerous. The lips of the dragoness curled into a grin. “You are an unskilled, undeserving grunt,” she mocked. “The shards of your body unfit to touch a hoard.”

Howling, Jevaine ended the futile attack and charged at Nathalia once more. Again, that opened her to an attack by Eliana. The fist of the failed goddess cracked against the back of the Gold Eater. Nathalia rushed forwards, kicked at the left foot of the semi-turned enemy. That displaced the limb enough that the following attack missed Eliana. A flying arm cut towards Nathalia’s head, the attack narrowly missing thanks to Eliana kicking that side.

In tandem, they delivered disruptive attacks. Repeatedly, Jevaine was prevented in her effort to hit either of them. Nathalia hated being unable to take care of this enemy on her own. Even more she hated that she was the weakest in this engagement. Bound to this human form for a lack of space, fighting such a tiny enemy, she could not use the true extent of her cataclysmic power. Single targets had never been her preferred enemies. Entire landscapes were so much easier to devastate.

Her annoyance distracted her for a split second. Long enough, in this fight of the titans, that Jevaine caught her by the arm and whirled her around. Everything was a blur, then she collided with the prismatic furnace at one end of the valley. Shaking her head, she came about just in time to see Eliana land next to her. A fist-shaped crack in her chest was rapidly repaired.

“Get up,” Eliana demanded of the dragoness.

Already half on her feet, Nathalia was tempted to punch Eliana for her insolence. A bigger issue was conjured above Jevaine’s head, another of the oversized arcane spheres. Unlike the steady draft used between this and the first orb, Nathalia did not trust her scales to completely negate this one.

A moment of stillness on the battlefield.

Jevaine’s head reared in every direction, searching for something. “Want a second chance at killing the Rat?” Nathalia asked with a gloating smile. “You will find your ambition faulted by just how scurry my friend is.”

“You deal with us, your power-stealing cunt,” Eliana growled.

Jevaine drew her arm back and launched the sphere towards them. Both of the goddesses leapt straight up. Arcane discharge sent jolts of pain up her legs, before she made it out. High up in the air, the dragoness grabbed Eliana. The semi-magical flight of her kind let her do a full spin in the air, throwing the cussing bundle of hatred towards the common enemy of the harem. Blood red, her aura enveloped her.

Eliana picked up speed far quicker than gravity should have allowed. Like a meteor of bone and blood fire, she slammed into Jevaine. For the first time, the Gold Eater was sent flying down. Indestructible armour and crystal screamed as one scraped over the other, until Jevaine caught herself. Nathalia was already dive-bombing for a second attack.

Their charge was to keep this monster busy.