Chapter 146, 1/2

Chapter 146, 1/2

After three hours of nothing happening, a few of Eralis’s defenses came down.

Most notably, the Void Song that had spilled up and over the Void Wall, to inundate the world, became something less. It retreated, slowly. In four hours, the Void Song settled back to its normal territory, like a roused beast going back to bed. A few of the various Domains and spells that held over the Alluvial District went away; but that was more likely the result of improperly made or costly spellwork, and less likely because the casters thought the battle was truly over. Some spellwork stayed strong, and even got bigger, or denser, as the night wore on.

By the time morning rolled around, Ezekiel had caught three hours of sleep, which was more than enough for him to stay awake for several days, if needed. Paul and Tiffany each got a few hours of shuteye, here and there. They’d need proper sleep going forward, but from what Ezekiel had seen and heard from his Odins, and from his own mana sense stretched out into the Southern House, the Highlands were not going to full war. Not yet.

Hangzi had pushed back Raidu at the first Battle of Chelation, but while neither side had achieved dominance, neither side had displayed true weakness, either.

Ezekiel was not amused that the name he had given to anti-antirhine therapy was being used as the name of a battle, or that they were calling last night’s battle the ‘first’. A few people had already taken the next step, and were calling this the start of the ‘Chelation Wars’.

The sun rose in the east, brightening the clouded sky and highlighting the various Domains still active across the Alluvial District. Star Song’s Domain, [Star Void Sky], as Ezekiel had heard it called, was still active. It was one of the few that had gotten denser.

Ezekiel recognized, now, that Star Song and Eralis had been in a state of peace, until last night. Sure, the guards in the city had been harsh and thorough with vetting him and his people, but now, they were being absolutely antagonistic. Everyone was being stopped on the streets and papers were being checked. Guards of a different sort, probably actual soldiers, were patrolling the white road that wound around the Alluvial District.

Another hour passed.The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bin.

Ezekiel ate toast and eggs, as he watched the world around them. Hangzi had not yet returned to Southern House. In the course of the night, Yorza had come out of the [Sealed Privacy Ward] three or four times in order to send telepathic missives, while her guards had packed up the place for easy escaping, if needed. They didn’t look too panicked down there, though. Hangzi was probably fine.

As the day matured, and Odin watched from above it all, mothers and their children all around Eralis and the surrounding lands ran quickly from place to place, doing necessary errands. Men and their friends walked in groups from here to there. No one walked alone. Guards stopped everyone, randomly.

And Ezekiel waited for the impending disaster.

A wonderful event interrupted his waiting.

Julia sent him, ‘Hey, dad.’

Breath gusted out of Ezekiel’s lungs as he laughed twice, and relief flooded his mind. He sent back, ‘Hey, Julia. I’m glad to hear your voice.’

‘I’m glad to know you’re okay, too.’ Julia asked, ‘How did it go on your end?’

‘Ah. Things have been rather hectic here. I was worried about this place exploding on me.’ Ezekiel said, ‘I thought I knew what a battle between soldiers looked like. But that... They annihilated each other. I wondered how a place like Eralis could exist with spells like the Red Dot floating around out there. The Void Song was one thing, but I should have seen that the true answer was in their culture. They ritually murder centuries of soldiers instead of the civilians. But if the soldiers had broken, the civilians would be next. Then we’d have a real war. I think. I’ve overheard a lot of small conversations, but no one knows for sure what will happen. Terror Peaks has done some pretty awful shit, but nothing too bad in the last 50 years.’ He needed to change the subject, so he asked, ‘What did you do last night?’

‘... Killed monsters. I asked Sikali if that was going to change, based on the war with Terror Peaks, but she said no. Said I was going to keep killing monsters that threatened civilian populations so that a few more warriors could be freed up to face the oncoming war.’ Julia said, ‘I heard it’s gonna be bad. They think Terror Peak is going to break convention to murder some key defensive figures, and then they’ll sweep in and kill whoever they can. I heard you’re in danger.’

‘I’m always in danger, Julia. It’s different this time, but I’m more than capable of defending myself.’ he added, ‘I got [Treat Wounds] and [Regeneration] yesterday. Gonna make [Greater Treat Wounds] as soon as I get a hot minute. I’m pretty sure the sounds need to be harmonized, and that’s all. How’s your Willpower doing?’

‘I’m up to 70 Willpower. 15 out of the 20 points promised. All’s good on the mind contamination front.’ Julia sent, ‘We’re running through these Quests as fast as I can do them, and once I’m done, I’ll be back at Star Song to get the last 5 points. Maybe only a few days. We’ll have to do this Underworld stuff later, when Eralis is not at the start of a war.’

More relief. ‘How’s Sikali?’

‘She’s pretty fun. And yet— I mean. Honestly? She’s a good person, I think. You wouldn’t like her. But we get shit done. Course it’s probably all an act, but whatever. Our goals align.’ Julia asked, ‘How is Xue?’

Ezekiel heard the unspoken concern in Julia’s voice. He sent, ‘Sikali has every reason to be concerned about her husband, for Intelligence has made him paranoid, but I think I helped him out of most of that. He was pretty damned deep in the paranoia, too. He thought I was out to kill him.’

Julia sighed. ‘Yeah. That’s the impression I got from Sikali. She hasn’t actually said anything, but I could tell. So Intelligence makes you paranoid, eh?’

‘I’m reasonably certain that paranoia is not a direct effect of Intelligence. Paranoia is more like a side effect. It’s like... In knowing that there are forces in this world that will and are trying to kill you, you become paranoid and start seeing shadows everywhere.’ He added, ‘And I gotta say, that it’s been a real mental hurdle to get over the idea that ‘seeing shadows where there are none’ means something very, very different here on Veird.’

Julia chuckled. ‘That’s what I figured, so I’m gonna tell Sikali all of that.’

All this while, people had been blipping onto the grounds outside, near the central pagoda of Star Song, into a prepared space with guards stationed all around it. The people blipping in confirmed their identities, then moved inward, to the central pagoda. Ezekiel recognized Scion Caina Small Scare and others, but it was the appearance of Scion Hangzi Devouring Nightmare that caused him to startle. The guy looked clean and poised, but he was ragged; the trauma of deep healing showed in his sunken cheeks.

It was time to go see what was happening down there.

Ezekiel sent to Julia. ‘I love you. People are talking downstairs. Big talks. I gotta find out what’s going on. Stay safe. I will too. I love you.’

‘I love you, too. Stay strong!’

They both signed off at the same time. He wanted to talk to her for an hour, but that wouldn’t happen; not on a day like today. War was upon Songli, and Ezekiel had to make some difficult decisions.

Ezekiel walked out of the room, with Paul and Tiffany joining him. By the time he reached the ground floor, more people had blipped into the temporary ‘Teleport Square’ that the guards had set up outside, including an unexpected arrival.

Kaffi had appeared.

She was showing her papers to the guards as Ezekiel stepped out of Southern House, but she certainly noticed Ezekiel, standing out in the open, only a hundred meters away. She left the temporary blipping zone, and walked his way.

Ezekiel met her halfway, on a garden path where willow trees cascaded pink flowers and a small spring bubbled out from below the willow’s roots. Kaffi looked exactly the same; an aged demi woman of pale skin and blond hair, with bright red eyes, though Ezekiel doubted very much that that was her original form.

Kaffi spoke without joy, saying, “Scion Ezekiel. We had an appointment half an hour ago.”

He had sent to her that he wasn’t going to make the appointment. She had agreed. And now she was here? Saying this?

Ezekiel went along with it, saying, “Apologies. I didn’t know if it was proper to [Telepathy] you, and there seems to be a war on.” And just to be sure that he was not mistaken, and that this was Kaffi standing in front of him, he sent to Kaffi, ‘Is something wrong?’

His connection went to the person standing right in front of him; this was Kaffi.

‘Many things are wrong, Erick.’ Kaffi said, “We won’t let a little thing like war stop us from fulfilling our obligations, even if that war looks to be larger than most. Let us adjourn to your room, or to the roof, and we shall continue the day’s lesson.”

Ezekiel glanced behind Kaffi, toward the central pagoda. An opaque Solid Ward dominated the entirety of the pagoda’s interior, denying him vision, and the ability to sneak inside and see what was happening. Scions and otherwise had no problems entering, though. Guards stood by the front entrance, where the white wall of the Solid Ward beyond blocked more people going in than the guards could ever hope to actually stop. Hangzi had already vanished past the white wall, without impediment.

Kaffi saw his look. She added, “You won’t be allowed in there, Scion Phoenix.”

Ezekiel turned his attention toward Kaffi, and said, “Maybe not.”

‘They’re talking tactics and expectations.’ Kaffi sent, ‘Hopefully, Terror Peaks adheres to proper rules of combat. This is why I came here: to talk to you about your involvement.’

Ezekiel frowned, then said, “Let us adjourn to Southern House, then.”

- - - -

The sixth floor of Southern House was open to the world, with railings all around and nice, full views of the Alluvial District beyond. An additional defense that was not a true defense, but one of illusion, was a [Sealed Privacy Ward] Erick had put up, that surrounded the entire floor, hiding Erick, Poi, Teressa, Ophiel, and Kaffi, from outward sight.

Kaffi sighed, sadly, as she gazed out across the land. “It’s quite beautiful, but those assholes from Terror Peaks are going to immolate this land as soon as they can. Four hours. Five, maybe. We might be able to talk them out of it, but I doubt that will happen. They’ve lined up many more forces besides their usual ones, including two archmages.”

Erick sat down on a bench, forcing himself to calm as he asked, “Archmages, eh? Has Terror Peaks had them for long?”

“No, but also yes.” Kaffi said, “People have spoken of the ‘evil of Erick Flatt’ long before now. People who think you are pledged to Darkness. But with Raidu’s words and official declaration of war, unexpected allies have appeared for Terror Peaks. Of concern to us are two archmages. There’s the Rain Mage, Shendeng, and Fulmination Spear, Xida. The pair of them are easy to contract when it comes to fighting monsters, and they’ll work with anyone who proves the validity of their need. They’ve worked with Terror Peaks before, but now they’re going a step further. They’re following Terror Peaks into war.”

“Never heard of ‘em!” Erick sighed. “What the fuck.”

“They keep channels open with Scions and Clan Heads, but not the common people. We’re not sure what they look like, exactly, but they don’t show themselves except through their [Familiar]s, and if their interests are stoked. Shendeng shows himself as a traditional lightning wolf, while Xida is a flying spear.”

There had been a lightning wolf in the skies last night. Had that been Shendeng? Likely.

Kaffi continued, “But what matters, here, is if you are going to stay and defend, or if you are going to leave. We can certainly use you either way, but if you choose to remain, then we must talk of purpose and methods and coordination.”

They would use him if he left? How would that work? Not well for Erick, no doubt. But... he had to ask.

“How would you use me if I left?”

“We would publicly denounce you and charge Terror Peaks with the burden of proving your involvement in our Chelation treatments. We would charge them with the burden of proving Wizardry. And since you display no mana coming from yourself, then that main claim would fail. When all they have is the existence of Intelligence in our potion houses, then we will gain some small manner of legitimacy. We would, of course, deny Terror Peaks from investigating themselves, but we are open to allowing Shendeng or Xida to investigate. We are already in talks with those two, in hopes of a peaceful and quick resolution. We theorize that many of Terror Peaks’ backers would drop them when Shendeng and Xida speak on our behalf, but Terror Peaks will still attempt assassinations and lesser war. Attacks on Border Clans, and such. Terrorism. Anything that they can strike at and leave before we can catch them in the act.”

Erick felt a coldness in his heart. “I would go from maybe-ally, to enemy. Just like that?”

“You would always remain what you are, but publicly, we would denounce you to make Terror Peaks easier to kill.” Kaffi said, “Ezekiel Phoenix would still exist, if you wish for him to exist. You can even come to the Highlands as Erick; later. All that matters at the moment is stymieing Terror Peaks’ propaganda campaign and dismantling their war works before they start their attack.” She added, “If you wish to cooperate with our forces to make this plan easier for us, we will accept your help. You would have to leave, though. When you come back, we will likely put up some token resistance to your presence, and then you can publicly win us over.”

It wasn’t a bad idea to just leave...

Erick thought about all of that.

Then he asked, “How do you see a real war going?”

Kaffi said, “Bloody. Best case scenario for Terror Peaks, is for us to lose half a million to three million citizens, depending on many factors which are unable to be calculated. Terror Peaks’ base of operations will be annihilated. Half of our clansmen will die. Several Clans gone from top to bottom.

“But Songli still wins.

“Afterward, the Highlands will expand, for we are stability and safety. For Terror Peaks to attack us with everything they have, and to still come up short, will gain us many other allies. I suspect Songli will expand rather darn fast after this war is over, and Terror Peaks is laid low.”

Erick shook his head. “If they know they’re going to lose, then why do this?”

“Ah.” Kaffi said, “I have misconstrued something. Terror Peaks, the myriad of cities which call themselves part of that Clan, will no longer exist, but the Clan will remain. We have destroyed their cities many times over, but they always rebuild in some other place, because the ones who need to perish to stop this fight always manage to get away.

“It would take ten years, but they will rebuild based on assistance from other clans.

“This problem is thorny, and it has to do with Terror Peaks being one of the major powers to stand against the Highlands, and many of the smaller warlord-led clans out there will give them assistance in order to keep them around as a shield to use against us. But that’s only one of the issues with ending Terror Peaks.” She asked, “Do you know of the tank-born?”

This was rapidly becoming a lot more complicated than Erick liked. As for the tank-born? That had seemed too fantastical, but he had heard too many variations of that sort of talk to discount it entirely.

He asked, “Are they truly grown in vats?”

Kaffi said, “They’re not grown in tanks of slime, like those ancient monsters, though the process is little better. They’re normal kids, but they’re produced by fanatical mothers who want nothing more than to produce more children for their society. They raise every child for war over there, and they Matriculate early, at age 10. Once the first few levels are gained, they assist every single child to level 45 by helping them kill mist stone gluttons. After that, the kids are put into training programs, which they call tanks. Inside those closed systems, the children are raised upon near-death battles with each other, while they are educated about the horrors of the rest of Nelboor, and of the Darkness.

“By the time they’re let out, they’re fanatical, insular, and also some of the best soldiers and monster hunters in the world.” She added, “When we crush Terror Peaks, it is never without great losses on both sides, but the majority of Terror Peaks’ elders and otherwise always escape the final [Strike]. The mothers are a major problem, too, for they are always the first to [Teleport] away, often raising their children in ‘tanks’ all on their own, before rejoining the main clan when the kids are old enough. Right now, if you were to look at the cities of Terror Peaks beyond the Tribulations, the people you see in the cities might only be a quarter of the actual population.

“Terror Peaks is named as plural, because of this cell-raised strategy of their culture. Terror Peaks is a land of a thousand peaks, each raising together to lift the world out of Darkness and into the terror-filled light.

“And when I say that we destroy their ‘cities’, I mean that we destroy several dozen trading centers over a thousand kilometer area.”

That was a lot to take in.

Erick sat still for a moment, thinking. Maybe he needed to send an Ophiel to one of these cities of Terror Peaks to speak to them. Or maybe that would be a bad idea, all around.

Kaffi watched him think.

Erick asked, “And you can’t simply give them the chelation treatment, because then they could unlock the few Elixir’d people who you’ve managed to get?”

Kaffi frowned a little, then said, “That is not what would happen. Terror Peaks does not suffer weakness, so everyone of theirs that we have ever Elixir’d, has probably taken their own life. But then again, they were trying to get Tadashi to make it for them, so this knowledge might be incorrect. Terror Peaks likes to show the world one face, but its people see their land in a different light.

“Even if we cannot confirm, we think none of their people are afflicted, so if we gave them chelation, then they’d use it as leverage against other clan states and bring them under their aegis with the promise of an end to the antirhine affliction. That is what we think that they were trying to do with Tadashi’s capture, but they failed.

“Once under Terror Peaks’ power, those smaller clans would begin their conversion to Terror Peaks ideology. It wouldn’t take long. A year. Three. Star Song’s projections of chelation taking a year or more would certainly give Terror Peaks a large timeframe in which to convert other clans with Elixir’d people. That would be enough. For all their fanaticism, Terror Peaks takes very good care of its people. Usually.

“Aside from when they fight us, or when they go against clans they suspect of dabbling in the Dark, they are a stable and prosperous country. If they weren’t so damned righteous, then the Highlands and Terror Peaks would be ideal neighbors. Even allies. But they are who they have always been, and so we are enemies.”

Even more to take in.

Erick asked, “What does me staying and defending look like?”

Kaffi nodded. Then she moved to a nearby bench and sat down. She said, “Everything continues as it has, and after the war, which we will win, you help us hunt down and eliminate Terror Peaks with your locator spells. We also ask that when the war is happening, that you prevent any atrocities you see around you. We have every confidence that you do not need to be part of a command structure, and if needed, then your guard can fulfill this role.

“As for problems of which you should know: It is only a matter of time before the assassinations begin, and we have agents of Terror Peaks in our homes. You shouldn’t have to worry about other archmages, for we will deal with them if they choose to bring out their [Familiars]. I merely informed you of them to inform you, and for no other reason.”

Erick asked, “Is there a way to get Terror Peaks to truly back down from this war?”

“Likely, no, and we are not going to put much effort toward that path.” Kaffi said, “Our efforts will mostly go to unlinking Terror Peaks from their temporary allies.”

Erick frowned.

“You, however, can feel free to do as you wish.” Kaffi added, “It would be reasonable for Erick Flatt’s Ophiel to show up after he has been called out as a Wizard. If you choose to pursue peace, I warn you to not expect much from Terror Peaks. Many of them are true believers of the light, and they feel certain ways about certain things. If they find a shadow collaborator in their own land, they have a tendency to enact a ‘three-fold ruling’, which is the execution of anyone three steps or less from the shadow collaborator. This fanaticism was why we banished them from the Highlands 300 years ago.” She said, “But the Church of Koyabez is reaching out to them today, anyway. I could direct you to them?”

Erick wanted to stand, and declare ‘Yes! I will talk to them and then go and prevent a war!’ but another, darker part of himself latched on to the ‘three-fold rule’ and the horrors of an enemy state that refused to die, which grew upon the backs of child soldiers, and which spread a doctrine of absolute hate against the enemy. In a normal Veird, if certain things had happened differently, if the Shades had killed Jane, or if they had pushed him into other parts of the world, and if he had met Terror Peaks in other circumstances... He might be their ally, right now.

In a Veird where Last Shadow’s Feast had not happened, and Shades still ruled, Erick might have gone to Terror Peaks, seeking allies against the Darkness. But today? Of all the thoughts circling in Erick’s mind, one stood out above the others: It didn’t matter if the shadelings of Candlepoint weren’t agents of shadow, Terror Peaks would never let those people live.

Terror Peaks would never believe that Erick wasn’t an agent of shadow, no matter what he had done.

As temporary emotions flared and died, and thoughts of a different Reality vanished like mist under harsh sun, cold rationality took hold, and Erick thought. His heart skipped a beat. He blinked. He breathed.

He looked away, and down, then back to Kaffi, and said, “I will pursue both paths to peace; through Koyabez’s church, and through my own actions as Erick. I doubt either will work, but I will try.” He added, “I also won’t promise to Image for anyone; not yet.”

But if Terror Peaks came after him, then...

Then he would make new plans.

“Understandable.” Kaffi said, “A desire for peace is an honorable emotion, but in this new world without Shades, people like Terror Peaks have no place, and they know this. So they will fight to the death, inventing shadows where there are none, and drawing others into their abysses of lies. Do not get drawn in.”

Erick frowned at Kaffi. “I appreciate the warnings, but do not take my appreciation for full acceptance of your words.”

Kaffi straightened. “Your castigation is acknowledged. I apologize for overstepping.” Kaffi bowed in her chair, then raised, and asked, “Shall we go to Koyabez’s temple?”

“I will go there on my own.”

Kaffi stood, and said, “Please be careful, Erick. I believe the Peace Envoy is leaving in an hour, at noon.”

- - - -

Erick did not head for Koyabez’s temple right away. He remained on the sixth floor of Southern House, waiting for Kaffi to leave. It didn’t take her long to get back to the temporary Teleport Square outside of the central pagoda. The meeting of Scions and otherwise was already over. The white Solid Ward inside the space was gone, and so were the people.

Erick turned to his people; to Poi and Teressa. “What do you two want to do?”

Teressa laughed a little, then said, “Whatever you choose is great by me!”

“Your choice is our choice.” Poi said, “But I’d advise us not to go to Terror Peaks, in person. I would have to strenuously counter such an idea if it were to come up.”

Erick asked, “What if the peace team from Koyabez plans on meeting the people from Terror Peaks in a neutral location?”

Teressa glanced to Poi, one of her eyebrows raised.

Poi glanced away from Teressa, back to Erick, saying, “You should not join this expedition. But we can certainly go and ask them for an impartial idea of Terror Peaks. And then we come back here, to a defensible location, surrounded by allies of convenience.”

Teressa eyed Poi, saying, “You could just tell us about Terror Peaks. Was Kaffi lying? She didn’t seem to be lying to me, but I’m no mind mage.”

Erick nodded, agreeing with all of that. He looked to Poi.

Poi sighed, then said, “Terror Peaks is fanatical and their inquisitors are worse. There were no lies in what Kaffi said, or at least there were no lies that she considered lies. It’s hard to read her, but I already asked about Terror Peaks long before she came here to talk, and everything she said matched up... with... what I...” His voice trailed off. He turned toward the west, toward Eralis.

The three of them watched as a fireball a kilometer across rose from a far part of the city, turning from white to red as it lifted into the sky. It was not a large spell, or effect, or whatever. The fireball was now little more than smoke on the horizon. Erick had stood, and found himself at the edge of the railing, at the edge of the [Sealed Privacy Ward], with a hand outside of the space. He questioned the Ophiel still high in the sky.

The target had been a collection of buildings, according to Ophiel; a central cathedral, and a few surrounding structures. The fireball had been large enough to blacken everything, but only the central location was completely gone.

“That was the Church of Koyabez.” Poi stood beside him. A few of his tendrils of thought were wiggling past the edge of the privacy. “Quick estimations have it at 350 dead. More injured.”

With growing rage in his heart, Erick whispered, “Okay.”

He went to help—

He stopped.

He watched as Eralis responded to its own problems.

Guards spilled from booths and stations. Fires were put out. Stone flowed away from ruins, revealing injured people who were then healed by guards who trained for this sort of thing. Erick would have gotten in the way.

Right.

He was currently superfluous. So he did what he could do in a situation like this: He made a spell, in order to prepare for what was to come. He channeled his normal, white mana through [Treat Wounds] in one hand, and [Regeneration] in the other. Ophiels gathered around, helping him to pick apart the spellwork.

The sounds of complicated healing rose to a crescendo. In a strange flow that was similar to how Elder Ari had described it two days ago, Erick heard the ‘lock’ of [Treat Wounds] crumble open when exposed to the ‘key’ of [Regeneration]. A bit of his soul bloomed where yesterday, it had broken. A rift healed over.

A blue box vanished.

Except it was his fight.

They were calling him a Wizard. Did it matter if that was true? No. And besides: he wasn’t a Wizard. The only ones who called him such were gods, and they hardly counted... Right? What did gods know! Nothing! The goddess of Knowledge was dead, after all.

This was his fight because Terror Peaks had made it about him.

And Ezekiel was going to win it.

Ruthlessly and immediately, as Terror Peaks had tried to do—

... No.

He’d give them one chance.

Yes.

One chance.

Erick was, after all, still himself.

- - - -

The cities of Terror Peaks were not hard to find. One major location sat just beyond the South Central Tribulations, while more laid on the horizon. This nearest city was like a castle, expanded out thirty kilometers in diameter, with firebreaks between each major housing block and not a single location looking more important than any place else. The city was a study in wartime preparation. Solid red banners hung from every rooftop, curling in the wind. Doors were shut and barred. Barricades filled every street, while the gates were closed and barred with thick metal.

Every building looked like stone, but the material here was called ‘Flowstone’, according to what Erick had overheard. Erick suspected the structures here were anything but stone. These cities were ‘grown’ like the clan mountains of Eralis, for sure. Terror Peaks did get its start in Songli.

Not a single person was out on the streets, but the buildings were filled with warriors ready to attack. Even the mothers were prepared to fight, though Erick could only tell the mothers apart from other warriors in red because of the toddlers on their hips, or in the room with them, or in carriers on their backs. Everyone was human, though. Fully human. Which was odd. The Highlands had lots of demis, but maybe they were the only nation like that? Perhaps there was some Quiet War shit going on here, but Erick had not heard of such casus belli in any of the proclamations for war.

But also: it wasn’t called the Quiet War for nothing.

All in all, Erick saw several good landing zones in that first city place. A market that was empty of buyers or sellers. Courtyards. Fountain squares.

If Erick didn’t know much about this place, he would have thought them a prosperous, nice society. A bit austere, perhaps, for there were little decorations anywhere. Ah. Wait. There was a nice mosaic of a woman killing a monster on that wall. And the geometric designs of that fountain over there were well done. There wasn’t much wealth on display, though...

Ah. Erick noticed, now.

There was no wealth on display. There was nothing truly beautiful anywhere. This city was built for war, and thus, everyone there expected to die.

He had seen enough. He passed the city over.

Well... Ophiel passed it over. Erick was not there in person. Ophiel wasn’t looking like ‘Odin’, either. He was resplendent in his full form, of three dozen hard-edged wings, three times as many eyes, and glowing as bright as a second sun. He was vaguely surrounded by a [Prismatic Ward], cast onto a bit of wood and held inside his body, just to allow him to Rest, so he’d be at full mana the whole time.

From several kilometers up, Ophiel followed one of the main roads leading out of the first city, lightstepping quickly to hover over a second city that looked the same as the first. A second and third Ophiel joined the first, each of them running their own sets of spellwork.

Erick passed the second city, and then arrived at the third, for this one still had people outside, and it looked nicer. More murals. More fountains. Still no wealth anywhere, though.

... No wealth anywhere.

People walked through markets, taking what they needed from stalls and vendors. No money exchanged hands. No guards stood by, goading anyone into selling anything they didn’t want to sell. The ‘sellers’ were all old men and old women, while the ‘buyers’ were younger.

A young boy took an apple from a vendor’s stall and lost a hand for it. Snick-crack went the boy’s mother’s knife, and the hand fell to the ground. The mother started to reprimand the kid, and such a harsh reprimand likely would have gotten a lot further, but people started to see the three Ophiel hanging in the sky. The kid grabbed his own hand as the mother raced away from the open market, to get under cover. Apples and sausages and more went tumbling to the ground as people rushed out of the market with rapid, yet oddly orderly manners. It was as though they had all trained their whole lives for situations like this.

According to what Erick had heard, they had.

From three kilometers above the city, Erick cast [Cascade Imaging], targeting Scion Raidu.

The map began to populate.

It took a minute.

Down below, the city transformed into wartime readiness. Bars went over doors. Windows got shuttered. No [Ward]s though, strangely enough. Erick tracked the boy who lost his hand for a little while, but then someone cast a [Regeneration] on the boy, or perhaps it was A Child’s Protection activating, and by then, Erick had other concerns.

Four red-armored soldiers had appeared in the center of the city. They ascended toward Ophiel, and the map. One of them was Raidu, according to the blue dot that followed in sync.

Erick had his lead Ophiel shift his sunform into a copy of Erick, himself, as he stood back in his room in the Southern House. As Erick moved, the sunform moved. There were a few feathers and wings left in the skin and clothes of the resulting ‘illusion’, but only because Erick wished it so. He thought it a nice effect, if only to throw the scent off his own, real form, even though they had to know what he truly looked like.

Raidu and his three followers hovered to level with the map, keeping about 50 meters distant. Others blipped into the area, but kept far away. These extra people were mostly red-armored soldiers that were hard to differentiate from each other. A few people wore red robes, leaving their faces exposed, though Erick had no idea who those people were. And then people who were not obviously from Terror Peaks began to appear, though to a casual observer, they might be confused; they wore red armor, but of clearly different styles than Terror Peaks uniform style. At a quick count, Erick spied a good dozen extra groups of people not directly affiliated with Terror Peaks.

The archmage [Familiar]s that Kaffi spoke about, the lightning wolf and the floating spear, appeared after everyone else had already arrived, but they kept more distant than the rest.

As though waiting for the archmages to appear, Raidu began to move. He approached Erick’s image, speaking to the world, “I did not expect the Wizard to show up himself, and I was right! He sends his [Familiar]! Like a weak-willed sycophant of the Darkness!”

Erick ignored the jab and spoke his own mind, asking everyone, “Is there a reason you’ve started this war? Some provable reason? Or have you been deluded by the Darkness into believing that I am an enemy? What you are doing now is what the Darkness has done to this continent since forever. The most recent, active Shade responsible for this was known as Torika, the Shade of Ashes, but she’s dead now. One of the many Shades that I helped to kill at Shadow’s Feast. You’re not ignorant of this fact. You’re not ignorant that the Shades have controlled the people here to war, over and over and over again. So why are you continuing to war? Why are you doing this?”

Raidu instantly answered, “You killed no Shades! You are working with them! The Shade of Opulence works in Holorulo, working for Songli, so that they may swallow all of Nelboor for themselves! The Shade of Assassination leaves threats on pillows across the continent! And now you are here! A Wizard, stripping away the only defense we have against the predations of Songli, to keep that monster from overrunning us all! You’re ridding the Highlands of the only weapon we have to keep them in check!”

Erick would be checking up on all of that. But for now—

“When those in power overstep the bounds of good sense, most of us can only hope that those in power will somehow be held accountable for their actions, and to be excluded from the bloody act of counterbalancing the evil we see. Sometimes, though, we need to get involved. And since you are directly involving me in this war of yours, I am thus involved.” He stared at Raidu, and said, “I don’t want to be involved in this. I don’t want this war. I am asking you to stop, because I cannot let you harm civilians. I am asking you to please stand down. Don’t send any more Extreme Light Bombs through to Eralis. Don’t bomb any more churches. Don’t continue this war. End this now, before it escalates, and before this archmage must stand up to your tyranny.” He said, “Stop killing civilians.”

He spoke his words to Raidu, but he was not the person who needed convincing. Raidu was his own puppet, and convincing him would require Mind Magic. The people watching were the ones that needed convincing; the ones that were able to be convinced.

Raidu exclaimed, “He doesn’t deny it! Do you see?! He is working with Darkness! He is a Wizard, and if you allow him to sway your hearts, the Darkness will win! Already Holorulo tries to sway the Headwater Clans of the Warzhi River with words that are a little too knowledgeable, and with promises of relief from the Elixir! Already Songli is expanding down the Peninsula south of Eralis, killing thousands of innocent Clans! Songstresses have destroyed the scattered Clans north of our homeland of Terror Peaks, and they continue to prevent proper monster farming of the South Central Tribulation Mountains!” Raidu said, “Songli is an Abyss, swallowing all, and making them weak to the Darkness! Everyone knows that Shades openly walk in the streets, and that the Highlands only exist because the Shades allow it! They’ve had their summer homes there for a long time, but now that their destroyed city has become yet another lie of Melemizargo, to delude the rest of the world into believing what he wants you to believe, they’re living in their summer home, permanently!” As though driving a nail in a coffin, Raidu declared, “And let us not forget Candlepoint! A new home for shadows! UNDER THE CONTROL OF ERICK FLATT!”

Back in Eralis, in the Southern House, Erick stared out the window, and hated, just a little bit deeper.

He spoke through his sunform Ophiel, “Stop killing civilians.”

Raidu exclaimed, “We must be vigilant, now more than ever before, because Melemizargo has never been this devious. World Trees grow under darkened waters, while a second option of the Dark God grows on storm-tossed shores, under the auspices of a goddess that has always been closer to shadow than all the rest! Shades have abandoned their city, to make their marks openly upon a world that has been deluded into thinking that most of them are dead! Wizards subvert the natural order, creating Particles and...”

The man ranted. Erick couldn’t listen to it anymore, so he tuned it out. Soon enough, the man hit a lull, expecting a continuation of their ‘conversation’.

Erick merely said, “Stop killing civilians.”

Raidu’s eyebrows twitched, but he kept it under control, and he ranted again.

Ideally, Erick should have shut down the man with a rant of his own. Letting the opposition speak without interruption would only lead to the opposition ‘winning’ the ‘argument’. But he couldn’t control his anger to that degree. He couldn’t muster up the desire to yell over the enemy like that.

And, almost more importantly, he had already said his piece; he didn’t want to be the guy who always had to outsmart the opponent, for there were some opponents that could not be outsmarted, simply because they weren’t playing with a level field. This dude certainly wasn’t.

At the next lull in Raidu’s rant, Erick decided to speak a little more than before.

“I don’t have all the answers you’re looking for, but if you’re looking for war, then come at me, directly. Don’t involve others. That’s rather cowardly.” Erick said, “Strike me down if you wish for war, otherwise kindly go away, and stop killing civilians.”

Raidu said, “And now he threatens when he cannot convince! Such is the surest sign of Evil, because—”

Erick had a fourth Ophiel, in just a normal lightform, lightstep in and expand the other aura he had running: his [Physical Domain]. From one second to the next, in an expert control of aura, Discord held the sky around Raidu, silencing him completely.

Erick felt a perverse rush of pure satisfaction as Raidu ranted for three more seconds, before he realized something was wrong, and then he yelled louder. Erick almost laughed. He really, really, wanted to. But he did not. As Raidu roared in impotence beyond his silencing effect, Erick spoke to the gathered, suddenly-more-wary crowd, “I have merely silenced the man. This is not an act of aggression, but of procedure. I might not know all of you, but I welcome open discourse. I welcome the honest exchange of ideas, with equal time given to both sides, as long as both sides are equal in nature.

“You wouldn’t give a murderer the same time to talk about murdering as you would the headsman about what needed to be done about the murderer, would you? Under such an understanding, I feel I have given a murderer of priests more than ample opportunity to speak of truth, but all he speaks of is zealotry. I cannot, in good conscience, abide by Raidu’s continued zealotry. If Raidu’s zealotry doesn’t get him dead, it will surely result in the deaths of millions. I don’t care what this man does with his own life, but I do care about what he does to other people. I don’t think Raidu cares about anyone else but himself, and his own goals. He’ll send you to your deaths, for sure, just like he sent those hundred soldiers last night to their deaths! And then, when he didn’t win? He broke war protocol!

“He could have told Koyabez to piss off, but he didn’t do that, did he? No. He murdered priests because he needs this war. I’m not sure why he needs this war so much, but he’s doing everything he can to get it. Maybe you should ask yourself why. That’s what I’m doing right now, and all the answers I can think of are not good ones. Whatever the case, he’s certainly not looking out for you. From what I hear, Terror Peaks will start a war, and lose, but they won’t lose their major forces. Nope! You’ll lose yours, instead! Your sons. Your daughters. Your wives and husbands! Like cows to the slaughter, all for the good of Terror Peaks, and only Terror Peaks! That’s for sure.”

It didn’t take Raidu long to understand that no one heard him, no matter how loudly he yelled. But Raidu did not attack the source of his silence. He blipped to the left, which was not fast enough to escape Erick. Discord followed the man like a bubble reappearing.

Erick continued his speech.

Was literally silencing the man the best method to deal with him? No.

Was killing Raidu the best option? ... Maybe. But also, likely not. Especially with the audience looking unsure. Koyabez had spoken of world war. Now that Erick had a good bit of distance from that conversation, and now that he saw the lay of some of the forces arrayed against him, he knew that a world war was inevitable.

The end of Ar’Kendrithyst could only ever mean one thing, and this right here was merely the loudest, first true hint of that eventual world war.

And that meant that Erick was never going to draw first blood. That would make all these fence-sitters flow into the opposition. Striking the first blow would make Raidu’s forces stronger, which was probably what Raidu was hoping for.

... This was, of course, discounting the option where Erick hunted and murdered every single opposition leader who would ever stand against him. He could do that...

He would never do that. He would never let this war get that far.

So what the fuck was Raidu waiting for? Destroy his Ophiel already, and be destroyed in return! Erick might not be willing to put down every murderer on Veird, but one nation? Sure. He could do that.

If they pushed him again.

They had already pushed him pretty fucking far.

Even if he wasn’t personally impacted by any of the deaths he had seen today, he wasn’t ever going to turn his back on obvious injustice.

As silence stretched and Raidu never advanced against Ophiel, it seemed Raidu wasn’t going to strike first either. It seemed like he was waiting for something else to happen. Perhaps an attack on Eralis while Erick was occupied in this ‘conversation’? In that case, the joke was on him. This right here? Keeping Raidu’s dishonest voice silenced? This took barely any effort at all.

Erick raised his voice, flexing his [Physical Domain] into sound to fill the sky, speaking toward the scattered groups of non-Terror Peaks forces that floated all around, and waited on the roofs of the city below, “If anyone has any questions they would like to ask, to ensure that I am not the monster you believe me to be, please approach. I will not attack, and I will attempt to answer your questions to the best of my ability.”

For three long seconds, silence filled the sky. Raidu had stopped trying to escape Erick’s [Physical Domain], and now he just watched, though tendrils of thought betrayed that he was speaking to at least a few people. Others in the scattered audience also spoke to others through telepathic signals. Some whispered to their compatriots, but not many. There were about 325 people in the air, though that number fluctuated as some people left, and others appeared.

“I have a question!” came a bright voice from the lightning wolf; Shendeng, the archmage Rain Mage.

The gathering turned to the [Familiar] as the lightning wolf padded closer to Erick, tiny storm clouds appearing wherever the wolf touched the sky. His archmage wife’s [Spear Familiar] followed closely at the wolf’s side. Though Erick had no idea what the wife’s Class of Fulmination Spear meant, exactly, he had some ideas. Shendeng was the storm, but Xida was the lightning.

The lightning wolf stopped 25 meters from the map, and from Ophiel. With perfect calm, Shendeng asked, “How did you steal my Rain Magic?”

Uh?

Erick startled, and it showed on his projection. “Uh? ... What?”

“I have no problem with some competitive theft among fellow archmages, but I had considered my fortress unknown and impregnable.” Shengdeng said, “Tell me what methods you used and how you discovered where I lived, and I and my Xida will ignore this warthing which we have been drawn into. Consider it a bit of reciprocal courtesy. I will also ignore that you have flaunted my methods to the rabble of the world, which I believe is more than fair; it’s positively magnanimous.” He added, “We only took this war option because from what we heard, you did not seem like a reasonable sort of man. Obviously, this was a lie. So. Tell me now how you stole from me. How did you manage it?”

Erick almost listed every single reason why Shendeng’s claims were completely baseless, from the fact that Erick had never heard of the man before an hour ago, to the fact that Particle Magic did not exist before Erick came along, but he quickly recognized that his conversation was a minefiel— No. Wait. This conversation was not a minefield. This was a single landmine, and Erick had already stepped on it. There was not a single thing he could say to prove his innocence, for Shendeng had already exploded. The [Familiar] gave away none of the turmoil and vitriol of the archmage on the other side, but it was there, for sure.

Well fine.

Fuck ‘em!

— No! No no. No.

Let’s step back a bit.

Erick tried, “Why do you feel that I stole your magic?”

The lightning wolf eyed Erick’s light projection. “You know why.”

So that was a non-starter. Okay.

Erick tried, “[Call Lightning] was the first spell I made. The rest flowed from there. Rain was a byproduct which I expanded upon afterward. All I know is that you’re a Rain Mage, so... I’m not sure what to tell you. Rain was just a happy accident of my own spellwork. I’m sorry. I cannot help you in this.”

Shendeng said, “Just admit it was Goldie, the Shade of Assassination. She got in here and she gave you my spellwork. It’s why she’s still alive and Blessed by you while all the rest are dead. It’s why she’s running around setting notes on pillows, threatening the release of even more secrets unless we cooperate with Melemizargo’s plans for peace and prosperity.”

Erick sighed.

He didn’t know much about any of that. But...

Erick asked, “Is she actually doing that?”

“Yes!” Shendeng said, “And since Songli is working with her, then Songli needs to die!”

“How about this: I will find her and stop whatever she is doing. I found her once, I can probably do it again. Finding people is not hard for me; and that is my own magic, completely.” So even if I did want your fucking magic then I could probably just find you and take it you pompous... Erick didn’t say that. Instead, Erick asked, “Will that be acceptable? No more of your secrets will spill out into the world. Or at least not through Goldie.”

The lightning wolf stared for a long moment. Then, he said, “Not my preferred outcome, but it is more acceptable than working with priest-killers and civilian murderers.” He paused, then let out a sudden laugh, and said, “A pet Shade on a leash!” More seriously, he added, “And they won’t turn on you if you make them slaves. A fitting punishment if I ever heard one.” The wolf retreated, adding, “I demand satisfaction soon, Archmage Flatt! Or else I will work with these priest killers even though it pains me! We cannot have Shades moving in the shadows of Songli. You might not have known they were doing this, but it’s a bad look for you either way.”

Erick had a very, very low opinion of Shendeng, but he kept that opinion to himself. Instead, he said, “I will need time to find her and inform her of my displeasure, and to investigate all of the new information I have received today. How about no one do any war for a month, and we revisit this problem then? We can even get a priest of Koyabez to erect a [Zone of Peace] in the talks, so that no one can cast any harmful spells at each other.”

Many of the gathered people seemed to approve of the idea; it was written on the relaxation of faces, and in the loosening of shoulders, and fists. But just as fast, the other people, the ones from Terror Peaks, went hard. Raidu was still behind a bubble, but the other ones weren’t. They made their opinions known.

“Shades have always walked the streets of Songli! You all know this!” The speaker was a woman who was at Raidu’s side, but far enough away to not be in the same bubble of Discord. Erick didn’t want to trap her when she hadn’t spoken until now. She shouted, “Erick controls the Shades! He admitted as much! He is an agent of Melemizargo!”

Another one, on the other side of the sky, yelled, “Don’t be taken in by the Wizards words! My clansman! Don’t fall for his lies!”

Raidu’s woman yelled, “He has all the New Stats!” She gasped, as though in realization; an act. She was a terrible actor, though. “He has Charisma! The Wizard has Charisma!”

That single word sent a ripple of change through the audience. Many backed away.

“Shield your mind!” a Terror Peaks clansman yelled.

Another yelled, “Kill the Wizard!”

And just like that, as though it was planned, for it likely was... There was a chant. One voice was joined by three, then by ten. Not everyone who chanted wore the style of armor of Terror Peaks, but half did.

“Kill the Wizard! Kill the Wizard! Kill the Wizard!”

Raidu’s woman leveled a spear at Erick’s lightform. The spear turned to flames, then the woman launched herself at Erick.

He was in absolutely no danger. The magic of the spear was minuscule. The woman was barely buffed up. Erick let it happen. He held Ophiel's [Animadversion] back, too, so that the woman didn’t explode herself in her own fake zealotry.

Erick, Raidu, the entire audience, watched the woman attack.

The woman burst into scattered light the instant her spear touched the [Prismatic Ward] that defended Erick’s lightform. It was as though she had exploded away.... Because she had?

Huh?

Red mist, burned flesh, and sliced bones scattered in the air.

She... She killed herself?

Is that... Is that what happened?

“Murderer!” exclaimed a man, right on cue. “Murdering Wizard!”

Erick was still trying to process what he had seen.

His first instinct was that this was some sort of [Teleport] farce. But he had [Soul Sight] running. Through [Soul Sight], he watched as the woman’s soul broke apart and vanished from where she had been. She had not done some odd [Teleport]-like effect. She had truly killed herself.

That had actually happened.

Erick shivered, but he was not so deep in revulsion that he didn’t recognize when a new person [Teleport]ed into the nearby air.

The newcomer was a man in flowing red robes, hovering a hundred meters from Ophiel. Erick recognized him. Everyone did. The chanting stopped, as Patriarch Xangu took the field. He was the man who claimed credit for the attack on Koyabez’s temples.

Xangu’s voice filled the world, “The Wizard has shown his true nature. He is aligned with Shadow and Darkness.” A spear appeared in Xangu’s right hand. It was a thin thing of craggy metal and a single brittle point, but it was also a solid-red brightness upon the manasphere, filled with enough power to drown out everything else in the sky. A second passed, and suddenly, Erick felt fear. He watched, transfixed, as that red brightness turned to white, but not just any white. It was his own color. It was the exact shade of white as his own soul. Xangu declared, “And thus, the sentence is duly passed.”

Xangu didn’t point with the spear, or move the artifact at all. It moved in the manasphere, becoming a Forest-tree-sized weapon of a thousand, thousand points, each curving through the mana without care for the physical, each trained on its target: Erick’s soul.

The singular weapon struck each Ophiel as though it was aimed from every angle.

The spear popped [Prismatic Ward]s. It drank in the light of [Lodestar] and [Greater Lightwalk]. A handful of spear points reflected upon [Animadversion], but the vast majority got through, into the soul of Ophiel—

And then further.

Erick had already retreated from his [Familiar], back into his own body.

The spears followed.