Chapter 698: Magu (2/2)
“You’re coming up with us I assume?” she asked, looking at Bralin.
He nodded and joined her. “Indeed. Your precious tree prepared all the runes already. Nothing I could ever match with my humble skills,” the dwarf said and laughed.
“At least you’re not a tree,” Pierce said as she joined with her war machine.
Ilea chuckled to herself. Even with all her perception, she could barely comprehend a part of the Meadow’s form. The joke wasn’t lost on her and she did it often enough herself, but hearing the words out of Pierce’s mouth just sounded ridiculous.
“You’re part of its cult already,” the Elder said whilst stretching.
“Envious as always,” Verena said, crossing her arms. “Let’s leave them to their work, our banter isn’t helping.”
Iana raised her brows at that and nodded lightly.
The Shades remained with them, helping where they could.
“Call for me if something comes up,” Ilea said to the enchanters as she spread her wings.
“Will do. Enjoy your arena thingy,” Iana said.
“Good luck,” Christopher said with a thumbs up.
Ilea summoned her armaments. “Luck has nothing to do with the destruction we’ll bring,” she said in her booming voice before she made the thing vanish again.
The Fae giggled as the group departed on their journey back to the Pit.
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Bralin didn’t exactly know what he should think of his new companions. Perhaps even friends? Ilea had introduced herself with the name Lilith but her allies had quickly mentioned her apparent real name. Not that she seemed to care about it in the slightest. He had wondered if it meant something but in the end she seemed to act rather impulsive.
The fact that they even managed to get into the Soul Forge was one thing, what impressed him more was the short time it took the enchanters to prepare. And the three mages who took part in the enchantment disabling just casually learned the sequence in a few minutes. Talks to the Fae, and now she wants to move the entire fucking thing to wherever this god like tree being has its lair. What did you get yourself into, Bralin?
He watched the two humans run with their war machines, one stolen and the other made by none other than Goliath himself. Bralin once again bit into the side of his mouth to wake himself up from the delirious fever dream his life had turned into. Nothing happened and all the evidence suggested it was real.
Just roll with the punches. And you’re sure to come out on the other side with a few insane stories. The only issue he saw with that was that even the drunkest fuck wouldn’t believe half of the shit he had seen in the past few days. His eyes opened wide as a few memories came back to him, ridiculous stories told by people under the influence, tales of Dragons, Fae, and Unicorns, of bright shining Elves facing down flying Taleen war machines, and steel clad beings of space tearing through hordes of Shredders with single spells.
He shook his head. Was it all true? With what he had seen in a single day, he could believe it. Am I losing my mind? Did that mind magic creature they mentioned get me? Bralin had tried everything in his power. The only thing he had left was to simply believe the state of affairs. The world is bigger than I thought, he mused with a wide grin.
“Doing okay?” Verena asked, the woman sitting on his armored shoulder.
The space was barely sufficient for her but he didn’t think to dissuade her. “Just… well.”
“God like creatures all around?” the woman said with a smile.
He nodded lightly. “Pretty much. And I’ve seen a lot.”
Verena puffed. “I’ve been an Elder of the Shadow’s Hand for over half a century. She’s ridiculous, but there’s a lot of that out there. Maybe you should travel the realms a little more.”
“Realms. You say that like it’s just a Thursday afternoon walk,” Bralin mused.
“To some it is,” she said. “The Meadow isn’t native. She saved that thing from another realm.”
He glanced at her and kept on walking. “She? Saved the Meadow?”
“Hard to believe, I know. Easier to get back to your own realm than to breach another. And you’ve seen that she can take people with her,” Verena said.
“Finally here,” Ilea said, sitting down on a chunk of stone before the caved in tunnel. Her spell brought them through.
Bralin had gained a resistance a few hours earlier but it didn’t seem to make a difference at all. Not that he tried to resist her spell in the first place. Her casual behavior was disarming. He knew his own power, and he knew he could perhaps survive against either of the two women, but Ilea? How quickly could she kill him if she wanted to? Somehow it was easier to accept the Lich, the Pursuer, and even the Meadow. They were monsters, beings beyond anything a human or dwarf would ever reach. Or so he thought.
He summoned a bottle of Whiskey and took a swig. Bralin closed the bottle and put it away as ashen limbs moved out to gather everyone but Pierce.
Ilea waited for them to confirm that they were ready before she flew up.
The stone walls of the pit flew past, repeated teleports moving them up even faster. They slowed down after a few minutes, coming to a stop somewhere along the climb. “Let’s continue on foot. Bralin you can climb right?” Ilea asked.
He nodded, the stone extending from the wall until he could stand on it. He winced when Ilea landed on his other shoulder, his machine nearly brought off balance by her weight. What is that woman made of? He was wise enough not to ask, instead shifting his balance and quickly moving over to the wall before the stone bridge broke below them.
“Don’t want to reveal yourself?” Pierce asked when she appeared. “Cannons are ready but the celebrations seem to still be ongoing.”
“Directly to the Dome?” Bralin asked. They still had a few hours until Pierce’s fight but he assumed the Forged Dome was rather packed after the Soul Warden attack.
“Sure,” Ilea said.
“Are there any fights going on?” Verena asked.
“Yes,” Pierce said. “I had a look at the schedule.”
Bralin formed a thick stone platform and pushed up, the impromptu elevator moved them along the pit walls at an impressive speed. Nothing close to Pierce’s or Ilea’s flight speed but enough to get them to their destination in a reasonable time. It had taken him years to perfect this climbing method after all. Don’t start comparing yourself to what may or may not be actual gods, he reminded himself. A smile blossomed on his face as he took another swig from his bottle. And now you get to watch one of them demolish the fools fighting in the Dome. “It’ll be glorious,” he murmured to himself.
“Got another bottle?” Verena asked.
He summoned one and handed it to her. “Eighty years old,” he mentioned.
“I’ll get you something in return,” the Elder said.
“Don’t mention it. Just want you to give it the appreciation it deserves,” Bralin said, his platform sliding to a stop when a massive tunnel opened up before them. They were located a few hundred meters down into the pit, the Forged Dome set deep into the stone to make sure the fighting wouldn’t destroy their settlement ten times over. Already they could hear the cheers. Most of the tunnel itself was lit with magical lights, a few war machines on guard duty standing around and watching those walking past.
“So how does this work?” Pierce asked as she stepped off the platform, taking in the broad hallway.
Bralin walked ahead in his war machine, motioning the others to follow. He led the group towards the open gates at the end of the long descending tunnel.
More people landed behind them, shouts resounding as they poured each other more ale from the barrels they had with them.
“No entrance fee?” Ilea asked. There was no booth near the open gates.
“No. Gold is made through bets. Organizers get a percentage of it all. If there was an entrance fee, people would just find a random spot down in the Pit and fight there,” he said. “It’s more... based on mutual understanding,” he added as he entered with two women sitting on his shoulders. He might’ve felt good about that if it weren’t for the fact that one of them weighed what felt like a ton and was a near literal god besides. Verena he didn’t mind. Sadly, she was not a dwarf.