Chapter 685: Demons of the Ancient World (1/2)
Chapter 685 Demons of the Ancient World
The Shadow beings looked at each other. “He was banished,” one of them said in a deep whisper.
Why is it always a whisper, Ilea wondered.
“Truly. She is touched by the Spirits of Old,” the other one said.
[Shadow Mage – lvl 283] – [Shade]
The other one was a few levels lower but otherwise the same. Both were mostly manifestations of shadows loosely gathered up within a set of armor somehow held together by their mist like forms. Two glowering dark eyes hovered between the slits of their helmets.
“Well, if the thing is dead, I’ll be returnin to the Pit as well. Come on Brand, let’s see what useless brat has taken over our smithy,” one of the remaining dwarves said. “Thanks Lilith, and Elders. Do come round if we manage to rebuild some of our reputation. I’ll give you a five percent discount.”
“S’pose that’s a way to travel through time,” Brand said, a steel covered hand touching the damaged chin of his ancient war machine.
“Five percent for saving someone’s life,” Pierce said and laughed.
“Not like we would’ve noticed if ya hadn’t,” the first dwarf answered with a smile. “Garlan Kornwatt’s the name.”
“He’s got us there,” Ilea said with a smile.
The two shades kept their distance. Based on their movements they were likely communicating with each other.
Verena crossed her arms and summoned an armchair, a meal appearing in her hands as well before she started eating in silence.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Pierce said, looking at the Elder. “I mean I know how much annoying people you had to deal with before this ash monster took over the Hand, but how do you stay so calm? The audacity of these fucks, acting like we didn’t just save their sorry asses.”
Verena looked over, her face entirely serious. “It’s good fuel for the next fight.” She switched her attention to the two Shades still floating ahead. “Anything in particular that you’re waiting for?”
“We wish to ask the ash touched a question,” one of them said after a moment of deliberation.
“You don’t need to be that formal,” Ilea said.
“Very well. Our apologies, being of the fabric. Is it merely an assumption that you came here in search of the Soul Forge?” it asked.
Ilea raised her brows. “No. I have no clue what you’re on about. What’s the soul forge?”
They glanced at each other. “She does not know.”
“She does not.”
“Has she unleashed the Wardens?”
“It is a possibility. The location is likely.”
“A creature of the mind, to calm those that rest below.”
“It was killed.”
“The path is free, but she does not desire what lies within.”
They both looked back at her. “Being of ash. There is a legend in these lands, telling of Khan Joggoth. A ruler of dwarves, a maker, and a master of essence itself,” one of them said.
“His armies lay defeated. Forgotten and destroyed. Though few remain, the danger they pose is great. Within the Soul Forge they rest. Waiting to return, and to rule where once they were defeated,” the other one added.
“A battle was expected, once, long past,” the first one said.
“And yet it never came. Defeated they were thought, but now we know. Subdued they were instead.”
“This guy and his forge are below the shining caves?” Ilea asked.
“The findings suggest such, yes. We may guide you, on the path we once sought, and teach of what we had learned,” one said.
Ilea turned her head to look down the tunnel and towards the Shining Caves. Something’s coming. She stood up and summoned her armaments. The others reacted to her but didn’t seem to understand what was going on.
“The ground is vibrating,” Ilea informed them.
“It has begun,” one of the shades said.
“We shall retreat, to the settlement above,” the second one added.
“Find us when the battle is over. May we all survive the wrath of the Soul Wardens,” the first one said before they bowed in sync, the shade like beings floating away with their dark metal armor.
“Soul Wardens. I think Bralin mentioned them as well. Some kind of legendary war machines,” Ilea said when she spotted the thing in the distance. It was even larger than her armored form.
The being looked entirely made of steel, full plate not even coming close to how armored it was. No eyes showed on its helmet. It ran with practiced motion, a massive near two meter double edged sword in its right hand, the blade lightly glowing with a pale magical quality. Installed on both its arms were extensions that looked to have barrel like openings in the front. Its steps started to boom through the tunnel as it approached, its two and a half meter form nearly as broad as it was tall.
I’m heavier, Ilea thought with a slight grin, already increasing her weight as she charged heat within her. Ash spread out nearby.
The Elders made some distance, floating back with their magic at the ready.
Ilea raised her hand when the being entered her domain. Her Space Manipulation gripped its framework but she found herself unable to stop it entirely. Her hand quivered as it pushed against her, both through a form of magic and by simply stepping on the ground.
Each of its steps seemed a struggle now, but it pushed onward regardless.
Ilea could hear a few more of them coming from the caves. She watched the magic flow around its form and raised her brows. The entirety of the war machine was covered in a thin layer of soul magic, its sword glowing with energies of both the death and soul variety. She watched it raised its arm when a projectile of green energy was shot out, displaced back to the sender by her Fabric Tear.
[Soul Warden – lvl 608]
She let go of her manipulation, unable to do more than slow it down. Burning ash flowed out and into the tunnel, filling its entirety with white flames. She heard a strange whistling sound. Interesting.
The being had raised its right arm, a shield of death and soul magic flickering within the flames. Its magic was continuously damaged but more fuel came from within the war machine. Most of its form was covered now by the fires of creation and still it pushed on.
Ilea watched as it pushed through the flames, its sword coming at her in a slashing strike from above. She didn’t try to dodge the fast strike, unable to match the speed of the Soul Warden.
The blade cut deep, biting into living steel with the help of magic.
Not just that, Ilea thought, having watched the blade bite into her armored neck. It was stopped but had managed a comparable depth to the claws of the Devourers. Perhaps even more. Ash limbs flowed out of her back, Embered Heart releasing in a chaotic beam from point blank range and into the Soul Warden’s head.
The tunnel lit up with magic, the near white flames brushing away what had remained of its shield and shimmering magic layers. The steel below was burned through. A deep indentation of glowing steel revealed itself where the beam had hit the being, heated metal dripping down its chest. The beam hadn’t penetrated through the war machine, nor was any of the tunnel damaged beyond what the fires of creation had already done.
Two more of the beings now entered her domain.
Ilea gripped the framework of the war machine’s blade with her right arm, pulling it out of her healing steel neck as she activated her healing to check its anatomy. Quite obviously there was none. Only steel. Steel and magic. Neither could she discern a core or enchantments similar to how the Taleen Guardians operated. Its insides weren’t hollow and the soul magic she had felt still remained, though subdued and pushed back by the white flames spreading over its massive form.
It’s regenerating too, she noted, spreading more of her flame to prevent that. Her space manipulation became less effective when the blade came out of her steel form, the being pushing back with its massive metal arm.
“My spells don’t seem to do anything,” Pierce said from the side, her lightning flashing out into the flame lit tunnel, crashing against the running war machines with magic shields extended.
“Go help the survivors escape to the Pit. I’ll join you there once I’m done. Collapse the tunnel after yourselves,” Ilea said with her telepathy, feeling more tremors coming her way from below.
The Elders didn’t hesitate and vanished.