Chapter 45

Chapter 45

This is the last area? I asked as I watched the approaching cluster of islands.

Yes, Damien said, standing beside me at the front of our battleship. Around us flew a cluster of small, fast-moving undead animals Damien had created specifically for this fight. The rest of the regions have been subdued and taken back under our control, but this one has proved challenging. Each time weve tried to assault it, we have been pushed back by an overwhelming force.

From what I can see, I think this is the stronghold of a creature brought into your mindscape. Either by a creation of the time magic or something that entered from the Plains of Eternity, Ilore explained.

If I had to choose, I hope its just a simple creation of magic, I said nervously. I dont want to fight something from a place called the Plains of Eternity.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.

That seems logical, Damien made a face. None of us even know what the Plains of Eternity are. I didnt even know they existed.

The Plains of Eternity are a place your weak, mortal minds were never meant to see, an ominous voice echoed around the battleship. Though this mindscape of yours has been quite the fascinating distraction, so Im glad you visited.

Well, I guess that answers that, Ilore said.

Unfortunately I said. So, any chance you can just leave? Or do we have to come down there and kill you?

Ha! The voice let out a disdainful laugh. You want me gone? You will have to force me out. Even if you kill this body, its of no concern to me. Its not like its who I really am. I merely slipped a fragment of my consciousness into your mind as you passed by.

I wonder Damien thoughtfully looked at me. I wonder if this creature is the real reason behind Altor closing off your mind. It would make more sense than what he proclaimed.

I think youre right, Ilore agreed. Time magic exists here, so a mind being damaged by it shouldnt have been enough to cause your mindscape to be walled off.

Thats not reassuring, I said in alarm. A creature powerful enough that the creator didnt want it in his universe seems like something beyond our ability to deal with.

Hordes of etheric creatures were starting to form around the islands as we drew nearer.

I am not entirely certain about that, Damien argued. Inside your own mindscape you wield a lot of power. Even a god should be wary of entering. I think we can handle this. If we couldnt, Im not sure Altor wouldve let you live. Youd be perceived as too much of a threat.

That thought both reassured me and made me sick to my stomach. If the creator of the universe thought we could handle this, then we might be able to. But if we proved him wrong, he could just wipe me out of existence.

Do not worry, mortals, the voice mocked. Ill make your deaths quick.

Youre welcome to try, Ilore shouted back with surprising vehemence.

At the sly gleam in her eyes, I thought I understood. Whatever this creature was, it was a creature of time in some aspect. She was probably excited to see what he could do.

Damien, I think its time you summoned the rest of our friends, I said.

Magic started surrounding Damien. Matching Damiens dark magic, a gray magic surrounded Ilore. I couldnt do anything at this moment, my assistants were far more powerful casters than I. Piles of bodies that wed brought with us stirred to life, and a moment later, the gray magic from Ilore surrounded them and suffused the bodies.

As they were casting, I carefully aimed cannons, firing in a wide dispersion. A wall of energy slammed into the horde of creatures, blasting a hole through them. As if it was signaled, a whaling cry emanated, and the creatures began to swarm toward us. Damiens new undead formed up their ranks as an aerial battle surrounded the battleship.

Streams of projectiles shot out as smaller caliber weapons engaged the hostile flyers. Damien directed his undead to jump down, using a levitation spell we built into the battleship. As we passed over different islands, we released our armies.

The battleship was directed at the central, largest island, and thats when my job began.

I enhanced my own time magic, my blade glowing with an eerie, gray light. The spectral foes fell before me, as slashes rended them in half and blasts of time magic froze them in place. The creatures werent physically strong, but they were fast. When they attacked, at first nothing would happen, but a moment later, horrible lacerations would appear where their claws had passed.

Future, past, its all the same to me, Merck mocked. You three-dimensional beings are so unimaginative.

How do we fight him? Damien asked.

I have an idea, Ilore called out. And if anyone could think of a way to get around it, she could. For now, focus on always having your defense up, regardless if it seems like he is near you or not.

I fell into a purely defensive posture, always trying to position myself in front of Merck to prevent him from getting to Ilore or Damien. Ilores advice mostly worked. Merck would slash at me with one of his wicked claws, I would block both the blow that wouldve landed in that moment and the one that would land in the future. The first time I did this, his hand passed through my staff and still struck me, but it left no damage. When he moved away, the real attack hit and my shaft rang with the impact.

Keeping in mind that he might switch up when the attack landed, I continued to attempt to block all of his blows, regardless if I thought they were delayed or not. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ilore building a powerful spell. Runic circles made of gray magic surrounded her as she wove together time magic.

One glance at Merck, and it was unmistakable that he recognized the magic and the threat it posed to him. He tried to get to her, but between myself and Damien, we always managed to keep ourselves between him and Ilore. I used my limited understanding of time magic to give myself the speed to match Merck, while Damien poured debuffs on him as quickly as he could.

The magic grew around Ilore, and she pointed a hand at Merck. A massive, hollow orb made of runic circles and patterns left her hand. The orb moved slowly at first, but picked up speed as it honed in on Merck. Merck ran from it, yelling something back at us a moment before the orb sped up and caught him.

Merck passed through the surface of the orb, the runic patterns opening to let him through.

What have you don!?! Merck screamed as he was suspended in the middle of the orb by unseen lines of power.

Just wait, I think youll understand. Ilore smiled.

The orb constricted and conformed to Mercks body. He thrashed, trying to escape, but it proved fruitless. As the ruins of the collapsing orb met his skin, they burned patterns into it. Those patterns filled with all sorts of gray light, and Merck collapsed, wheezing for breath.

Ilore dropped to the ground as well, the magic of the spell having drained her completely. But still, she smiled. Do you understand?

I didnt know this universe had magic like this! Merck hissed. How do I undo it? How dare you lowly, three-dimensional creatures do this to me!

What have you done? I asked.

I locked him in time, Ilore explained. His attacks were out of sync with time because he could move through time. Locking him in place fixed that issue, she said in a smug tone shed fully earned.

Deciding not to waste the opportunity, I reformed Mercys blade into a heavy, one-sided ax, and walked toward Merck, raising the blade-staff in one hand. Merck looked up at me, rage in his eyes.

I just simply smiled.

You shouldve left. I brought the blade down on Mercks head, splitting it in half like a watermelon.

With the death of Merck, the remaining spectral creatures dissipated, and the fighting ceased. We wrapped up the remaining region and took control of it. The restoration process began immediately, as buildings and plants practically grew out of the ground.

I guess all thats left is for you to face your cores, Damien said.

Im not sure Im ready for that

I think youre more ready for it than most, Damien said. I stopped you from doing it before because I wanted us to finish securing your mindscape before you delved into something so dangerous.

It will also likely be good for you, Ilore said. Im sure Damien told you doing that will allow me to repair the emotions faster. It should also help you to come to grips with what you are.

I looked back toward the central island and mentally commanded the battleship to change directions and head home. We could fly there much faster, but I wanted time to think and prepare myself for the battle to come.

One thing I knew for sure, is that my current lack of most of my emotions would likely serve me very well in dealing with whatever faced me inside the core.