Across Eternity Bk. 07 Ch. 10

Temple Grounds

"Lupin is alive?!" Berholm exclaimed.

Noah, in his ethereal form, was standing in the Colbrand throne room, addressing Tarnas and members of the court.

"Indeed. He's being held captive by the Profane, and we're on our way to rescue him."

"They must want to use him to take the Wassengel for themselves," said Tarnas.

"That's my thinking as well. However, once we get him back, Tarnas, you can abdicate the throne to him and help lead Uther's armies against Handent."

"Excellent. I've been aching to return to the field."

"Fighting Scyler had a heavy toll, though, didn't it?"

"More so than you can imagine. To use the full power of Light's Emissary is a painful and exhausting process, and it only gets worse with age. What I've gained, in terms of experience and control, I've also lost in terms of stamina and endurance. I've already warned Seraph about using that form, but I doubt he can even activate it yet."

"Seraph's training is going well, though I had hoped he'd be improving faster. He has the strength and power, but his thinking is too limited in how to utilize them effectively. He still fights like it's a duel at the academy, just without the insufferable ego. I'm trying to get him to think big, to explore the true potential of his powers."

"He'll get there in time. He needs to be pushed harder, not by you, but by his enemies. Nothing breeds innovation like desperation."

"How are things looking in Duravound?" Berholm asked.

"They're preparing for war quickly and diligently. We've been training them on Profane tactics and improving their weaponry. Speaking of which, how is it going here?"

"Frankly, we're in no position to be waging a war," Tarnas said dryly, his voice layered with the stress of his new job. "We are conscripting soldiers and hiring every mercenary we can find, as well as recruiting laborers and craftsmen from across the country, but it will be quite a while before our military and work force are replenished. We simply don't have enough soldiers, nor the men needed to arm, supply, and feed them. And that's just our local issues. The country is threatening to rip itself apart. All of the nobles who died during Galvin's rampage and the Profane battle left behind power vacuums in their respective territories. Now all of the families are arguing over succession while trying to prevent bloody uprisings. What madman would answer a call to arms by the kingdom now?"

"There is good news," said Berholm. "Since you refilled our treasury with diamonds, funding the reconstruction and war effort has been no issue at all. As for rebuilding Colbrand, we've been applying your designs for improving our sanitation, infrastructure, and so on," said Berholm. "Thanks to everything you've taught us, Colbrand will eventually be the most advanced city in the world."

Noah walked over to the windows and looked out over Colbrand. At the moment, it was just a tiny fledgling village, nestled in the vast ocean of rubble like a newborn phoenix lying in the ashes of its previous form. However, it was steadily growing, and buildings were being designed and constructed with new methods and materials, making them resistant to flames, earthquakes, and other disasters, both natural and manufactured.

The roads were sturdier with proper drainage and an intricate sewer system below, both delivering fresh water and removing waste to be magically treated. They were also working on developing a magical power grid system that would eventually encompass the city, with the development of corresponding technology soon to take a massive leap forward. The advancements that Noah had first implemented in Welindar were just the rough draft, with Colbrand set to leave Duravound in the dust and rival the lost cities of the Enochians.

"Elyot, what of your work?"

Standing nearby, Elyot adjusted his glasses. "My assistants and I are making great strides in developing our anti-Profane arsenal. The bones we harvested from Scyler's army will be turned into weapons modeled after those spider legs you showed us. However, those fiends are far weaker specimens than she probably was, and rather than genuine venom, our ink is made with the parasite venom, so though we can produce a great deal of weapons, they won't be as powerful as your blades. I've recently completed a prototype that shows promise"

"Let me see what you've come up with."

Elyot signaled to a soldier, who left and came back with a wooden box. Held away from the sunlight shining in through the windows, Elyot opened it to reveal a tomahawk made from the scapula bone of a fiend's shoulder blade. It had a magic circle inscribed with black ink.

"We have plenty of materials to work with, minus all the fiends that were completely annihilated by His Majesty," said Elyot. "We can create maces out of femurs and skulls, spear blades out of ribs and forearm bones, and swords lined with fangs and claws. We have no live specimens to test it on, but with the formula you created, we expect these weapons to negate the healing abilities of other fiends and wound them like they were just regular monsters. We've also been imbuing regular steel weapons with the holy element, but again, unless wielded by genuine paladins, the added effect is minimal."

"Nice work. Even a small difference is a difference. If these weapons save lives and kill Profane by any measure, then they're worth the effort."

"Still, I can't help but find these weapons unpleasant," said Tarnas. "I feel like we're corrupting ourselves by creating armaments of such... dangerous materials."

"Using the strengths of your enemies against them is one of the oldest concepts in war. Just make sure that the magic circles are covered in some kind of lacquer or sealant so that no one is exposed to the venom in the ink."

"Fortunately, your alchemical weapons are much easier to produce, thanks to your duplication formula."

The weapons Elyot mentioned were based on science rather than mysticism. Precise machining and methods of fabrication were still a long way off, so it wasn't like they could arm soldiers with machine guns, even with alchemy. Still, they were able to produce ample chemical agents, such as the allergens and poisons that Noah had been experimenting with since Handent. There were also acid-based weapons and incendiaries like napalm and white phosphorus. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, subatomic alchemy remained an unreachable peak, so even if Noah were to get his hands on some uranium or plutonium, he couldn't enrich them or use them to make atomic bombs.

With all this preparation, perhaps the Profane could be vanquished after all. This would not be like the last war, where the united races faced the demon horde with nothing but swords and magic. This time, the defenders had the knowledge of over a hundred other worlds at their disposal. Although it would have been better if they had access to heavy machinery like tanks, planes, or even spacecraft, the anti-Profane alliance would be fighting with the best weaponry available. There was no telling how many monsters they had cultivated in Handent, but they would be bested. Once again, Noah thought of Seraph calling him the War Chief of the whole movement.

Noah concluded his business in Colbrand and then moved on to Sylphtoria, where he found Elisandra reading in bed. From the swelling of her belly, it was clear little Rain was itching to get out and meet the world.

"Noah," Elisandra said dreamily.

"Are you sure there's just one baby in there? I swear, it looks like you're ready to deliver triplets," he teased as he lay down beside her.

"Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me. I certainly feel like there's a trio of little troublemakers wrestling there. And forget my belly, my breasts have grown so big I feel like they're going to fall off."

"That boy is going to be very well fed."

Elisandra giggled and blew him a kiss. Since they couldn't touch, such gestures were all they had.

"Liasai told me you fully awakened your magic. Congratulations."

"Thank you. I was worried that its nature might worry you. Though you and your subjects insist on naming me king, would anyone truly listen to the King of Lies?"

"False, a power I have never heard of. Still, I know why you have it. You've had to hide your true self for so long, using deception to survive and blend in among people who couldn't hope to truly understand and appreciate you. If anything, it is a tragic power, born of the loneliness you've had to endure. But when I look into your eyes, hear your voice, and feel your love, I sense the truth within you."

Noah sighed, relieved to hear her say that.

"Things are going well in Colbrand and Duravound, and, what's more, we've found out that Prince Lupin's still alive. He's being held captive by the Profane, and if we can rescue him and get him back to Uther, it will change the war."

"If anyone can save him, it's you."

The two continued to lie in bed, talking about everything going on in Sylphtoria, Vandheim, and everywhere else. They'd discuss the war and how preparations were progressing, then take a break from such dreary topics to exchange thoughts and stories.

"A long time ago, I took my wife and son on vacation, and we went to this mountain to hike. It was right at the perfect time of year, late spring, when the wilderness and weather were at their most beautiful. You would have loved it. It was absolutely gorgeous. My son, Thomas, was around eight or nine, I can't remember, but just happy and curious about everything. He was especially curious when we stumbled upon two bears humping."

Elisandra choked back a laugh.

"Yes, he was very confused and curious, and didn't quite believe his mother's explanation that they were just wrestling. Anyway, we carefully and quietly pulled away, but I had the feeling the bears were far too busy with what they were doing to care about us. The strange thing was that it wasn't mating season for these particular bears. Anyway, we keep hiking, and we keep finding squirrels, deer, and all other animals all humping away. It's like an orgy. My wife keeps covering Tom's eyes, but it seems like wherever we look, animals are in full-blown coitus.

Then we start finding other hikers doing the same thing. Men and women, men and men, women and women, just fucking like crazy in the dirt. It's as if everyone and everything is possessed, and there is just no way to adequately explain this to Tom, but boy, my wife sure tried. We realized something was amiss and quickly left the mountain, only to later find out that a chemical spill had occurred in the local reservoir and rivers. It was some kind of toxin that caused hypersexuality, along with hair loss and kidney failure.

My wife had insisted that we only drink these juice blends she made herself from the vegetables in her garden, so we were all fine, but months later, there were all these pictures of bald men and women, and all the women were pregnant. As for the animals, well, it wasn't so funny in their case, but my son would tell the story of that trip to everyone he could find for the rest of his life."

Elisandra laughed herself silly, nearly giving herself hiccups. Noah smiled and looked at her belly. "Laughing is one of the best things you can do for Rain right now."

"I'm just surprised you didn't join in on all the fun, toxin or no."

"Were I a single man at the time, I would have."

"Now I'm going to imagine having to explain things like sex to Rain when he grows up. That will not be pleasant."

"I've done it so many times before; just leave it to me. There are few subjects in life that I haven't had to thoroughly explain to a child at some point." Noah then grunted in annoyance. "I'm getting the prod. It seems like every time I come here, something happens back in Vandheim that absolutely requires my attention. Can anyone else be trusted to handle it? No, it has to be me, every single time."

"That's because everyone has come to trust and rely on you. Go, do what you have to. I'll be here."

Noah returned to his real body and opened his eyes. "What?" he sighed.

"You're going to want to see this," said Alexis.

Noah sat up in his saddle and looked ahead, seeing vast clouds of smoke rising up in the distance. "A forest fire?"

"Apparently not. A whole crowd of people rushed past us, saying they're being chased by monsters, burning down forests and villages as they travel south. It sounds like the Profane are making their move."

"It's always one thing or another. All right, let's go."

They picked up the pace, heading towards the smoke. As they traveled, more and more dwarves fled past them. It was a mob of refugees trying to escape the marauding Profane, and as Alexis said, they seemed to be fleeing from numerous villages and communities. It seemed like the entire northern horizon was burning, like a wall of flames stretching from one end of Vandheim to the other. Cynatas and Roc went ahead, with Cynatas using her powers to extinguish the inferno and purify the air, and Roc scouting the enemy forces. They soon returned with puzzled expressions.

"What's going on?" Noah asked.

"It's strange. There aren't nearly as many fiends as I expected. I counted maybe a dozen, but they were pretty far scattered and just seemed focused on lighting stuff on fire. This isn't like some kind of marching army or raiding pack," said Roc.

"To move like this in broad daylight, they must be lower-level fiends. Why is such a small force trying to cause such a ruckus?" Noah pondered.

"It could be that they're just the harbingers. Maybe all these flames are meant to generate a cloud cover to block out the sun for stronger Profane," Valia suggested.

"Possibly. Either way, we just have to take the good with the bad. Fewer fiends means they'll be easier to mop up. Let's get to work."

The group raced ahead and split up to take on the Profane. Cynatas had extinguished the flames, so they were riding among charred trees, with their mounts leaving tracks in the ashes. As per Roc's findings, they uncovered several fiends, but they were spread out and isolated. They carried torches, which they used to light every tree they came across. Though they were superior in all physical aspects to regular beastmen, these fiends still paled in comparison to those who could only move at night. For Cynatas, this was her first time seeing the hulking monstrosities, and her aloof demeanor was replaced with wide eyes of fear and disgust.

Alexis chased three down, striking them down with exploding arrows. Seraph dispatched another two with his hammer, but the ease of their deaths left him more concerned than relieved. Valia also had no trouble dispatching a handful of the peons, experiencing more trouble with simply tracking them down, rather than actually fighting them. Cynatas continued flying overhead, putting out the fires, while Roc killed the fiends that had started them, but it was taking them farther and farther away from the group.

Noah and Shannon closed in on one fiend, looking to have been initially born with a wolf totem beast. He carried a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, and snarled in warning and fury at Noah's arrival.

"I must say, that parasite you're using is certainly of better quality than the ones I encountered in Handent this time last year. You'd better appreciate how much less disfigured you are compared to your predecessors in Welindar. They walked so that you could run," said Noah. "Why don't you go ahead and tell me what you guys are doing out here? I can ask nicely, or I can make you talk." The fiend, refusing to answer, charged towards Noah instead. "So be it. False World."

As Noah cast the spell, he flashed the fiend with the Rune of False in his eyes. At that moment, the charred forest around them was replaced with an icy tundra. Shannon was amazed by the sight, looking around in all directions. She could not feel the wind or the cold, but she could smell the ice and snow. The fiend, however, was feeling everything. Although he wasn't actually being subjected to a drop in temperature, he felt like all of the heat in his body was being sapped away, experiencing a level of cold he never thought possible. He dropped to his knees, trying to stay warm, but every breath was agony.

"Welcome to the East Antarctic Plateau, where temperatures drop to lower than -100ºF. I know that number probably doesn't mean anything to you, but on many Earths, this was the coldest place in existence. Only the heartiest of organisms can endure such temperatures, and not for long. You may be a wolf-based fiend, but even you would quickly freeze to death there, like I did. This is the kind of cold that sucks out your soul."

As Noah spoke, frigid winds blasted the fiend, inflicting greater pain than he ever thought possible. He was caught between desperately wanting to escape the cold and wishing he'd just hurry up and die, but despite the agony, he was suffering no physical damage. If anything, his temperature was rising because of the stress. Noah strolled over with a bottle of truth serum and poured it into his throat, then lessened the intensity of the illusion so that he could speak.

"Now, tell me what you and your friends are doing here."

The serum went to work, dragging the fiend's secrets up through his throat, but before they could be uttered, the monster began to convulse. His muscles twisted and mutated, spikes of bone burst from inside his chest, and his flesh blistered and molted, with death claiming him after a few moments.

"My Lord?" Shannon asked.

"Damn, I was hoping this case would be different. These parasites kill their hosts whenever they start spilling secrets. Elutrin stopped working on them over the winter, and now even truth serum is obsolete. It doesn't seem like we'll be getting answers from these guys."

With the firebugs taken care of, the group continued on, searching for the main force, while Roc and Cynatas continued dealing with the fiends farther to the east and west. Noah and the others stuck close to each other, knowing that a small army of fiends could be hiding around every corner and bend in the road, ready to advance using the smoke as a cover. However, they found no such force. There were some more scattered Profane performing a secondary sweep on their way south, but no invasion force. It made no sense, and the group eventually arrived at a dwarf village that had been burned to the ground. Noah examined the area, searching for clues.

"I'm seeing some blood and body parts, but they're all around dropped weapons and pieces of armor," said Valia. "It seems like only the warriors and those who tried to resist were killed, but even then, there should be more casualties."

Noah studied the tracks in the ashes. "All these prints are disorganized and moving south. If they were taking prisoners to turn, they'd be bound in chains and moving single-file, either north to the west. What are they trying to accomplish here?"

Roc landed nearby. "Noah."

"What did you find?"

"The wall of fire just keeps going, stretching almost to the Paleon Channel It's like they're trying to burn down the entire country. I also think I've found the bulk of their forces. They're besieging a dwarven martial artist temple to the east. There must be around a hundred of them, maybe two."

"A hundred?" Noah muttered.

Compared to the army the Profane unleashed on Colbrand, an army of a hundred fiends was nothing. Were the Profane ranks so heavily reduced in that battle, or were they just devoting a small force to this endeavor? True, one fiend, even a lower-ranked one, was equal to around half a dozen human soldiers, but surely, with the vast population of Handent available to cultivate their armies, the Profane would be able to devote more troops to taking over Vandheim.