Chapter 34: Fortunes Reversal

Chapter 34: Fortunes Reversal

Landar

The acolytes screamed as they were pulled from the back room, providing me cover as I climbed through the now shattered window. The balcony walkway was just overhead, so I used my hatchet to hook onto the metal railing that ran across it. The metal noise it made was drowned out by the comotion.

As I pulled myself over the railing, the screaming stopped, replaced by soft exhausted sobbing. I laid myself flat on the ground, and peaked over the edge down at where the Blue Priesthood was conducting its ritual.

A young man, and woman were both splayed on the ground, heaving deep slow breaths and struggling to keep their eyes open. High Priest Damian stood over the duo, a sickly green ball held in his hand pulsing with the two acolytes stolen mana.

Not yet enough. Send these back, and bring more. If we hope to reach the capital district and send for reinforcements, well need to fully fund the spell. No scrimping on mana! The knight from earlier nodded, and dragged both exhausted acolytes back to the study room that was being used as their holding cell. A few moments later, more screaming, fighting, and arguing came from the room. As the doors swung open, I saw inside several people I recognized. Including a face that made my blood run cold.

Roland was gagged, tied with ropes, and had clearly been attacked. Blood covered half his face, and one of his eyes was nearly swollen shut. If Roland was there, then my sister was probably somewhere close.

The ruckus the new makeshift mana batteries caused, provided me another opportunity.

I got to my feet and crouched, then walked slowly, keeping my movements smooth to not cause any noise that would attract the attention of the extremely powerful men and women below. People who wouldnt think twice about blasting me to small meaty bits.

I have to make my way around to that room, and find a way in, I thought as I moved. I had to navigate around debris from the fighting, as well as large mounds of books that had been left behind as the librarians fled in the fighting.

My foot snagged on a set of books, sending them tumbling to the ground.

What was that? Damian demanded. I threw myself into a small study alcove and prayed I hadnt been seen. Cerin, send your familiar to patrol the upper level. Now.

Whoever Cerin was, their familiar cackled madly as it took off into the air. It circled in the open atrium in the middle of the library, and I caught a small glimpse of it. It had leathery wings, a long tail, and the smell when it passed me was thick with rotten eggs. It landed on the wall with the alcove I was hiding in, and I could smell it sniffing the air even over the humm of the spell at the center of the library.

The sniffing came closer, and closer to the alcove and my heart started racing. I couldnt allow myself to get found here. I had to think of something. I tried to push myself further into the study alcove, only to find a pedestal with a rather large book sitting open on it. It almost toppled over but I grabbed it just in time to steady it.

I smell something, something fresh. The voice creaked and cracked, like the cracking of a flame. Its claws scraped against stone, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stick up. Youre hiding, little human. I can smell you, youre here somewhere.

Its red eyes snapped over the ledge of the top of the alcove, and looked directly at me. I was in the dark, and mostly obscured by the podium I was now hiding behind. But it still felt like he could see me, and those eyes burned into my soul.

The stones under my feet hummed, the air itself tingled with power, and my hair all over my body felt like it was standing on end. Shit!

I threw myself down to the stone, as lightning crackled around the library, sparking fires, and spreading chaos. The mad cackle of Damian and a few of his underlings reverberated behind the chaos of their spell activating, and the world exploding into raw energy.

The imp in my hand cackled and bit my wrist hard, blood pooled around its fangs. Damn flying rat! I reached down, and tore its broken wing off, before raising my ax and severing its head from its shoulders. The fangs still clung to the wrist of the arm holding what was left of his torso, and I had to pry them out before I could wrap the wound.

Belbara! You little ass, you let yourself get killed?! The imps master shouted. Someones up there!

It doesnt matter! Damian shouted, laughing madly. Were connected! The Blue Order Militant will be coming through any moment!

Crap, so the guy wasnt just sending for help. He was opening some kind of port. Gotta get Tabitha and Roland out of here, now!

I pulled myself to the ledge and realized there was no way for me to do that. My wrist was a bloody wreck. All I could do was fall to the floor, and that wouldnt do anything but get me, and probably them, killed.

Okay, pull back. Get reinforcements, and return. I started moving towards a set of stairs I had passed along the upper deck, when the main doors to the library shattered open. The Lord Collector stood in the ruined doorway, his son Ezekial and half a dozen other knights that radiated power in their pristine armor, supported by two clerics who looked meaner than half starved cats in sacks, strode in.

They unleashed magical attacks that made the blue wizards refocus their efforts on simply not getting killed. Even Damian had to refocus on the new threat.

I stood, and ran keeping as much pressure on my wrist as possible. Blood flowed from it, but not nearly as bad as before. My vision was starting to blur slightly, one of the first indications of blood loss. I had to get somewhere safe, and put a tourniquet on, or I was going to die.

As I reached the stairs, the clanking of heavy metal boots on hard stone floors echoed off the stone library walls like the sound of thunder. Dozens of men appeared inside the circle, armor glowing blue, magical staffs and wands in hand held like swords at their ready.

They engaged the knights, and swiftly overwhelmed the first few. The Lord Collector and his group had to retreat or get overwhelmed as a handful more came through in a second wave. Among their number was a man in bright blue armor that was missing an eye. In its place, a bright yellow ball of pure magical energy rested.

High Priest Damian. We received your call for assistance. I am Militant Commander Tavis. Is it true that the Arch-Duke has rebelled against the throne, and seeks to succeed from the kingdom?

I didnt hear Damians reply as I threw myself down the staircase, and found myself in a small auxiliary library much like the room I had first met Damian and Sigvald those months ago. I stopped, and ripped another large chunk off my shirt, and began bandaging the wrist wound.

It seemed the fighting had only just started in earnest now. And whatever pretense of this being an intra-institutional conflict between the local chapters of the priesthoods was gone.

Things were about to get worse in this city. And I had to get everyone I could out of harm's way.