Chapter 49 - Promise and Preparation (Patreon)

Fumi cried through the night, and Echo kept her close to his chest. Petting her hair, whispering sweet nothings, and assuring her that it would be okay.

But deep down, Echo knew she would need a long, long time to recover. She had lost so much. More than he could ever imagine losing. Not just a family, but a lifetime of work and achievement.

He provided her with the only comfort he could. The comfort of his love.

“I’ll be with you forever. I’ll always find a way to come back to you.”

That sentiment reached Fumi in her time of darkness, and she latched on to the one good thing in her life.

Rickard crashed through the gateway of the Soju stronghold.

The battle below was still raging – the paladins of Lux having persisted in their fight, the Sunburst Lantern providing them the means to easily slaughter these creatures, as they could not use any Abilities or Affinities.

The only power that functioned inside of that holy illumination was that of the Gods themselves, and pure prowess, unaugmented.

They were winning. Having only lost one of their number in the initial assault.

KILL.

Rickard’s new form was an unholy abomination, a facsimile of the angelic holiness that was destined to serve Lux for eternity. A pair of shredded, bat-like wings extended from his back, accompanied by a wicked, spiked and scaled tail. Rather than a single pair of arms, he had five – each brandishing enormous maces and blades.

Surprisingly, for a monster, the rest of him looked relatively humanoid. But his head was where the largest change was – an enormous pair of spiked horns that grew sideways from where his eyes were. Blinded by his own rage, the Mimic Cube had given him a new form of sight.

Rickard saw those holy warriors, carving down monsters.

And the orders of Tiberius rang in his ears.

“Bring it to me.”

He flew down to the battlefield, raking his weaponry across two paladins who barely deflected the blows. But his intent was not to kill them. Instead, he went for their artifact.

The Sunburst Lantern.

Using his weapons to confound the paladin holding the artifact, he whipped his tail around – slicing off the hand and escaping with the prize. He brought the lantern to his hand, dropping one of his blades, and turned the small knob until the lantern shuttered.

And the horde finally descended in its full power.

The paladins didn’t stand a chance.

Rickard returned to the wall, alighting next to Tiberius, and handing him the lantern.

“Good boy,” the mage said. He raised his hand as he saw the souls escaping. “I can’t have that.” He raised the Aether Shard in his hand, his sickly, brown Quintessence pooling into the divine instrument. “Shred those souls.”

The golden and yellow flickers that were headed to Last Light Temple vanished.

Echo woke up to find Fumi staring at him. He brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her face. She was still an emotional wreck, the sadness of the night before still etched into her visage.

But Fumi dragged herself upright and dragged Echo up.

“…We should clean up.” She had reverted to her more reserved self, just like when Echo first found her.

He nodded and they went to a small side chamber in the Xulatar Overlord’s estate. Their allies were still outside in the servants’ quarters, and they had an audience in a few hours.

The two took the opportunity to wash the grime and blood of the past few days from themselves, and Echo had to take several moments to comfort Fumi as she would break down crying.

Rose was allowed to join them in the chambers, and she sat quietly in the corner, contemplating or calculating – Echo couldn’t tell. Her face was an unreadable mask as she stared at a wall.

There was a knock at the door. Echo popped his head out of the room and saw a Spriten servant with flaming blue hair.

“Erm. The Overlord has offered to take audience in your room.”

“Yeah. Give us…ten minutes to get presentable.” He shut the door and went back to inform Fumi.

The two dressed and took their positions on the cushions. Fumi several meters in front of Echo – as tradition dictated that servants be far behind their masters. And here in her homeland, Echo was less than a person. Rose was instructed to stand in the corner behind Fumi, and the Lich Queen complied.

Overlord Ragged Eclipse entered wearing a long robe. He bowed deeply as Fumi returned the gesture – Echo quickly following her lead. Then, he took the seat opposite them.

“Maven. I hope you have recovered somewhat.”

Echo could tell she was on the verge of breaking down again, but she kept her composure and – with effort – reinvigorated her demeanor. “You are generous, Overlord, for coming to our quarters for this meeting.”

The Overlord waved his hand, “It’s just us in here. And your servants.”

Echo bit his tongue as Fumi continued, “What can you tell me of the death of my Clan?”

The Overlord summarized. Several weeks prior, the Soju Clan had gone without contact. Not even emissaries were being sent out. Then, about three days ago, monsters flooded over The Eternal Battlefield and into the Xulatar Forest. The Overlord sent out messengers, and the Clans began to hunt those monsters. Those warriors vanished.

“That is why we stayed in our stronghold and barred the Gateway. The Xulatar have always been the first line of defense for the Krekyo Dominion, and we don’t want to give The Empire” – he spit as he said the name – “an excuse to come back.”

Fumi nodded slowly. Echo felt helpless, sitting there as decorum required, and being unable to be next to her and support her directly.

“…If we had been here sooner…” Fumi began to cry once more. “…If…I hadn’t…If we-”

Echo stood up and went to her side, and she dropped all inhibitions and buried her face into him.

The Overlord was stunned. “How dare you?” He began to stand.

But froze in place.

Echo looked him in the eyes. A low, guttural growl escaped him as his silver Quintessence poured off him. The aura filled the whole room, and crimson sparks leapt around like fireworks. His muscles tightened and his form seemed to grow as he activated Gori Rage, trading his Quintessence for stat boosts.

It was not just a display borne out of anger. It was a display of passion. The animalistic desire to protect one’s mate from all possible harm. Instinct, pure and simple.

The Overlord sat – stunned – as Echo let the power fade.

The trio sat there. Silence the only sound, save for Fumi’s sobbing.

Fumi calmed after some time and glanced up. The Overlord was staring straight ahead – eyes locked with Echo.

The Overlord spoke, “Your bed-servant…is something else.”

Fumi nodded, “…my soul mate.”

The Overlord very slowly nodded, “Our shamans speak of such a bond.” He tipped his head to Echo – a massive sign of respect for one of such as station to even so much as dip their chin towards a servant.

Echo glared at the man. “We will take our leave.”

The Overlord’s mouth went slack for a moment. He was going to say something but thought better of it. “Very well. I wish you luck in your endeavors.”

Fumi stood up and bowed deeply from her waist, reverting to her serious mode as best she could, still sniffling and holding back the rush of emotions. “I am Soju. Yet, my Clan is no more. And I do not wish to begin the path of bloodshed that would be required to rebuild it.” She gripped Echo’s hand. “I have a new path. But I love my people. I gave my life, time and time again for the Krekyo Dominion.”

She pulled out her blade and held it by the cutting edge, handle towards the Overlord. “I, Fumi Medrana, formerly of the Clan Soju, pledge the service of myself and my servants to the Xulatar. I will bring glory to your Great Clan, but in exchange, when you become War Chief, you will remain my steadfast ally.”

The Overlord’s eyes lit up with surprise. He immediately gripped the handle of the blade and pulled it back rapidly, cutting Fumi’s hand in the process. He brought it to his own palm and cut himself – the blood mixing and running down to drip on the soft cushions.

“It is done. Fumi Medrana Xulatar, Maven of the Blade. I swear upon the blood of our people that I will be your steadfast ally.” He returned the blade to Fumi, and she sheathed it. “Do you wish to obtain the marks?”

Fumi nodded and nudged Echo, “Us two will receive the marks.”

Echo raised an eyebrow quizzically, and Fumi explained that they would be tattooed with the symbol of the Xulatar Clan.

“Erm…Fumi? I can’t get tattoos. My skin will just fix itself.”

Fumi nodded and described Echo’s Eternal Youth to the Overlord, who stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Well, we can emblazon your cloak with the symbol, instead.”

As the Overlord left to retrieve the proper tools to administer the mark Echo grabbed Fumi and turned her to face him.

“Why’d you swear yourself to their Clan?”

Her face was stern, filled with resolve. “The more allies we have, the less likely we will be attacked. Those were your words.” She wiped the last tears from her eyes. She gestured to the doorway the Overlord had just departed from. “He is strong. He will make a great War Chief. I will win that position for him. And we will be safe in the Krekyo Dominion as long as he holds that position. I will win it for him again and again.”

“What ramifications does this have for us?”

“I must respond to a call to Sanctioned War. Other than that?” She let her voice trail off and reverted once more, “…A Gori or Ogo without a Clan…is not Gori or Ogo.”

Echo held her hands and stared into those gorgeous, green eyes. “If that’s what you want.”

She faintly smiled as she wiped the tears away, “…We can live here, forever…without worrying about Lux’s clerics.”

Echo assumed the implication being that unlike in The Holy Empire, the various religious sects did not have free reign within the borders.

He smiled, “We have more traveling to do. We want to see the world, right?”

She shook her head, “…I must go to the Soju stronghold…I need to see this through…after though...I want to see it all. With you.” Her face went stern, warrior-mode once more. “Only one person could have made monsters of my former Clan.”

Tiberius.

Rose finally spoke up, “Well then, if we are going to fight Tiberius, we better be prepared. I propose we stay here a few days and stockpile Quintessence in our Brightsteel. We will need that power if we go to face him.”

The Overlord returned with an Ogo woman who he introduced as his first wife. Fumi laid down at their instruction, and on her right shoulder the prepared to ink a tattoo of a tree. When asked the color she looked at Echo. “Silver.”

The following days passed in a blur of preparation. The trio completed many preparations. All of them stockpiled any remaining Quintessence at the end of the day into their Brightsteel rings.

Echo set about making Rose a new magic item. Using Fumi’s air Affinity, he created a choker for their mage ally that would grant her the ability to fly.

Using his protection Affinity, he created greaves for each of them: two apiece. One that created a persistent barrier that could absorb a few physical hits, and the other would do the same against spells or Abilities. They matched as the Damascus pattern of the Adamantine was the same, the only indication they were different were the colors that flared from them when worn and still active.

Last, he pulled out Umbra’s Divine Metal. Rose had explained to him the origin of each Divine Metal, and their properties.

Tempeststeel was light weight (their weapons). Titansteel was extremely strong (his shield). Brightsteel stored Quintessence (their rings and in their armored clothes). Shiversteel enabled the gradual slowing of time in a localized area. And Red Steel amplified the user’s stats based on their emotional state.

The two latter he did not have.

Blightsteel was the rarest of all Divine Metals, only coming from the Shadow Isle in Moonsorrow Bay. Its property was pernicious – it would absorb Abilities directed at the wielder. Or, if used for a weapon, deactivate them on impact.

The perfect tool to beat a regenerator like Tiberius.

Using transmutation, he made a dagger for himself from the material, and a wakizashi for Fumi. And he molded more to the inward-facing seams of his and Fumi’s armor, to prevent their foe from paralyzing them.

Rose insisted she did not need it. “My Magic Resistance is high enough that Abilities Tiberius may use won’t work on me.”

The last items he crafted were simple – Adamantine housing for the Aether Shards with a leather cord. He did not want to risk them being lost or stolen, so he thought of the hardest place one could remove such an item from – the inner thigh. He equipped one of them under his armor, and gave the other to Fumi.

Fumi used the time to get acquainted with her new Clan. They welcomed her with open arms, and the sorrow at the loss of her old Clan began to fade. The hurt was there, an ache that only vanished completely when she was with Echo. She knew that the pain would stay with her for the rest of her existence…but for now she pushed that aside. More pressing matters were at hand.

Many days were spent practicing sword forms and practice bouts with Gori warriors who had heard of the Maven’s fighting method but had never seen it themselves. The practitioners were rare, and here they had the opportunity to spar with the inventor of the style.

Fumi felt the sorrow melt away, little by little, as she grew reconnected to her kin.

But every night, she would engage with Echo, sating their Evolution Instinct with their raw passion. And that brought her the most comfort of all.

Rose, unlike Echo and Fumi, was not actively up and doing anything. She instead sat in a corner, running through every possible combat scenario they would face. The Soju Stronghold was a mountain fortress that Fumi rebuilt centuries gone by. She spoke with several Gori and Ogo who had traveled to visit the Clan they were on good terms with, and she mapped a layout based on their reports.

Tiberius, if he was thinking like a tactician, would have pulled all of his forces back to the enormous walls, and rely on the siege weaponry. But Rose knew that he wanted Echo and Fumi to fight his monsters and eat them. He would not be so reserved with his forces. He would throw them at the two.

For what purpose, she could only wonder. She knew that Echo and Fumi could handle the monsters. Their new Abilities and magic items were assurance enough for her to believe that. The problem was Tiberius himself.

He had the artifact of a God. One that, she surmised, allowed him to completely control, manipulate, and alter monsters. If he was not kept busy, he could theoretically take control over her allies.

Rose concluded that she would have to fight him. Personally. Prime Human turned undead versus the Maker of Monster’s wayward disciple. A proper mage duel. She had to keep his attention fully fixed on her, fully focused on her as a threat. Because if she did not, and he brought the cube to bear, all would be lost.

Tiberius waited – impatiently – as the days went by. The Sun and Inferno passing overhead again and again.

“Tsk. Enough of this. If they won’t come to me, then we’ll just go to them.”

He raised the Mimic Cube and summoned forth every monster under his command. The humanoid Ogo and Gori having merged with the pieces of the land itself. The former paladins of Lux, captured, and turned into facsimiles of their angelic leader, Rickard.

Tiberius brought them all together, and they marched South – to the Eternal Battlefield.

A fitting place for this bout.

Before following them, he collapsed his lair. He held the Mimic Cube aloft and grinned.

I can’t let them get you.

Raising his hand, he cast a spell upon the Mimic Cube, Aether Shard, and turned-off Sunburst Lantern.

“Travel to where I have seen, Teleportation.”

The items vanished – sent across the breadth of Heimfold in an instant.

He then turned, sprouting wings, and joined his host as they began their journey.

All a part of the plan.

His monsters would feed.

And I will ascend.

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