Chapter 646: Speaker (2/2)

“Prepare for anything. Try to disable and capture where you can but don’t hesitate to kill. They are traitors to our gods,” Bryce added, his own sword in hand now. “Lilith, what will you do?” he asked, turning towards her.

Everyone else glanced at the woman. They knew what she was capable of and yet it was they who had to fight this battle. To prove that the Corinth Order wasn’t entirely without honor. Naomi would understand it if Lilith simply ignored their wishes. She had no reason to cooperate, and yet it didn’t look like she was particularly worked up.

She shrugged. “I move with your formation, and take care of enemy spells.”

Bryce nodded lightly, looking up towards the fort before he turned to her again. He seemed to consider before he turned back forward. “Warriors of the Corinth Order. Today we prove our worth. A time for grief will come, but not today,” he said and paused, stepping out into the open with his sword held high. “Charge.”

Naomi rushed forward, spells flaring up within her, strength and speed surging as her steps crashed against the stone. Magic flared up within her weapon, a dull white glow visible as she advanced, wings of magic appearing on her back in case she needed to dodge upwards. To her left and right her brothers and sisters ran, no shouts and screams announcing their charge. There would be no glory today.

Magic lit up on the distant and high walls of the fort, spheres of fire coupled with large chunks of stone rushing out to hit their position.

“Brace!” a few people shouted.

Naomi was ready to dodge when the projectiles stopped in the air, flying back towards the fort instead. What?

She looked around, still running. The other warriors were just as confused. Her eyes fell on Lilith, her black wings moving silently. Was it her? Who else could it be? The kingsguard? Did someone get a spell she didn’t know about?

It didn’t matter, Naomi allowing herself a smile. The gods were with them, one way or another.

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Ilea displaced a few more rounds of spells flying towards the group, her aim on the return fire not particularly good. Practice makes perfect, she thought, watching a few fireballs and stone projectiles impact the still distant walls. She couldn’t see the people atop the defensive structures particularly well, but their red armor stood out enough for her to make them out.

She considered sending a few ashen spears at the defenders, blasting their entire fort to bits with her gathered heat but she stopped herself. The way Bryce had asked her to let them fight, it had been desperate. Hopeful. A chance to redeem himself. Yes, they had tried to kill her, but the Paladin himself had nothing to do with that. She would respect his wishes. As far as they were informed, their group vastly overpowered the defensive side, making the choice for her far easier.

Let’s just help prevent unnecessary deaths here and there, she thought, keeping herself in the middle of the formation.

They reached the Fort less than a minute later, the high leveled humans pushing forward with magically enhanced bodies and wings on their backs.

Paladins carried Inquisitors, all landing on the walls with their weapons and spells at the ready, clashing with the defending side as blasts started to impact the Fort from within. Steel hit steel as people shouted and screamed.

Ilea caught a warrior who had taken a fiery blast against his chest right when he had landed. She healed the confused combatant and threw him back, watching him land with a practiced roll before he slashed into the mage who had gotten him before.

He looked up and saluted her way before he jumped down into the yard below.

Both sides had their own healers, not direct participants in the battle but taking care of the injured. It seemed neither side targeted them. Not intentionally at the very least.

Ilea appeared in front of a young woman clad in a white robe trying to heal an Inquisitor’s severed arm.

The healer looked up and nearly stumbled back when a large boulder impacted Ilea’s back, deflected to the side before it crashed against a set of stone stairs.

She checked the people around her with her dominion, but found it unnecessary. Bryce’s force entirely overwhelmed the defenders in a matter of a few minutes, most of them severely injured and captured, some even laying down their weapons when they saw the Head Paladin charging towards them.

He really was a different beast compared to everyone else present. Moving faster, hitting harder, white lightning spells disabling entire groups of Inquisitors. Bryce didn’t hesitate, giving orders here and there as his paladins dismantled their foes.

Mostly Inquisitors, Ilea noted. Few of them were above level two hundred, and those who were, Bryce took out with quick teleports and flurries of attacks. They knew their own, and who would pose a danger.

Ilea saw a hooded figure appear below them, within the storage halls of the Order’s installation. She transferred herself down and grabbed the man’s hand, stopping his attempt to set something alight with his torch.

“No… you mustn’t!” he shouted.

Ilea looked at the crate next to her and found it covered in dark powder. “Explosives I assume?” she asked.

“Friede, welcome me within your arms…,” the man murmured as magic gathered around him.

They both appeared up in the yard in the next split second, a surge of fire flaring out of the man’s left hand, aimed at where the crates would’ve been a moment earlier.

Instead the flames enveloped Ilea, a flick to his head knocking the man out as his body slapped backwards and against the stone ground.

“Bryce, explosive powder below the yard. Expect the worst,” she said, loud enough that the Paladin would hear her.

He nodded her way. “Gather the prisoners. The ten highest Veterans with me, everyone else retreat to the treeline!”

The warriors followed his orders immediately, gathering up all the survivors and healers before they rushed to jump over the walls.

Bryce moved towards the large double doors leading deeper into the structure, charging at them with his shoulder forward.

A loud impact resounded when the gates exploded inwards, wood splintering and crashing against the stone walls within.

Ilea followed the remaining paladins, staying behind them to make sure they wouldn’t shit their pants at her presence alone.

She felt the attack coming when she passed the threshold, turning her head back.

Oh.

The entire stone yard exploded upwards, fire intermingling with wood and stone as debris and heat shot out.

Ilea displaced their entire group down the hallway and deeper into the structure, deflecting incoming stone bricks and half a stairwell with ash where they appeared.

The paladins stumbled and caught themselves, a few of them unfazed by the experience as they checked the hall for threats.

“Entrance is sealed,” one of them reported.

“No shit,” Ilea said, looking at the ceiling that seemed to hold on to structural integrity with its dear life.

“Move,” Bryce said, the group rushing forward and deeper into the installation.

Ilea remained for a moment, hearing dulled impacts as half the Fort came down onto the mountain side and whatever remained of the structure itself. Wish I could’ve seen that from outside, she thought, wondering if she had just seen black powder in Elos.

A few teleports brought her back behind the Paladins who methodically checked every room.

They soon reached an expansive carved out hall deep in the mountain, what seemed to be the last defensive line of Nathanael’s Inquisitors waiting for them. And perhaps the man himself, standing behind a loose line of twelve warriors.

He wore the white robes of the High Clerics, a short gray beard covering his chin. His blue eyes immediately fell onto Ilea, despite the large armor of the Paladins ahead.

“Just as I preached. The demon has turned our brethren against us,” he said, his voice deep, laced with disappointment. His eye twitched as he turned his attention to the Head Paladin. “Bryce. Has her magic poisoned your mind?”

“You have conspired to murder High Cleric Donnavon, to kill Lilith, and spark a conflict with Ravenhall. To think you would steep so low as to summon demons,” Bryce said, his eyes focused on the man. “Former Speaker. And Inquisitors. Lay down your weapons and be judged before our gods. Or forfeit all that you swore to be,” he said and readied his sword.

“We stand with you, Speaker,” one of the Inquisitors said, the warriors ready for battle.

Ilea noticed the Speaker was looking at her again, the battle erupting as both sides clashed. He remained where he stood, still focused on her.

[Pure Healer – lvl 258]

One of the Inquisitors appeared next to Ilea, his rapier stabbing at her eye.

The attack failed to penetrate, confusion apparent on his face as she grabbed the weapon and threw it to the side, watching him retreat before he suffered a deep wound to his leg by one of the Paladins.

“Truly, a monster like no other,” the Speaker said in a quiet voice. He grabbed the top of his robe and ripped it open to reveal his chest. Carved runes covered his flesh, pieces of steel stuck deep within as magic surged around him. Two inquisitors died, keeping the Paladins away from him, the rest either injured or dead by now.

Nathanael kept his head high, looking at Ilea with tired eyes. “You murdered my daughter. May the gods strike you down.”

Magical power flared up as the Paladins jumped back, the Speaker’s body bulging out as silver plate armor formed on his now two meter high body. Powerful muscles showed below, claws and teeth resembling a wild beast growing out as the creature howled. The Speaker no longer had eyes, all but his extending maw covered in smooth silver, his hands gripping a spear of the same material. The tip of the weapon flared up with radiant energy similar to the lightning Bryce had used beforehand.

[Vengeful Beast of the Corinth – lvl 382] – [Frenzied / Dying]

“Lilith,” Bryce said, appearing in front of her. “This is our battle.”

I murdered his daughter? she thought, watching the Paladins charge at the howling monster.