Chapter 762: Flesh (1/2)

“Dozens have died in an effort to destroy her,” Nes spoke, shaking her head. She balled her fists.

“We can try to stop him,” Ilea suggested.

Nes shook her head. “It would take the Unity, and even then it would not be certain. These are not events that run on the scale of human time, young Azarinth healer. What the Architect has set in motion, is rarely something that can be interrupted.”

“You were looking for yet another key in that vault?” Scipio confirmed. “What else did you find?”

Ilea smiled. “Fancy necklace,” she said and opened up her ash.

“The… Azarinth star…” he murmured. “It was lost…”

“You two know a lot more than you told me last time, hmm?” Ilea said.

“Of course,” Scipio said. “What else?”

“You know I don’t have to tell you that,” Ilea said and went on. “Some Faen heart thing, but I’m keeping that. A sphere, keeping that too, and a splintered spear,” she said, looking up as she counted off her fingers.

“None of those sound familiar,” he said with a thoughtful expression.

“The spear,” Nes said, her voice sounding tired. “May I… may I see it?”

Ilea looked at her and summoned the thing. Nes hadn’t seemed interested, instead she seemed lost.

As soon as the splinters floated in front of Ilea, the Ascended shook lightly, her hand extending ever so slightly. A strange motion, followed by her arms going to her face.

Is she… crying?

“Marva… of course,” Scipio whispered. “Perhaps you can store it once more,” he added, looking at Ilea before he checked on Nes. “This is a lot. We can focus on moving the facility first, take our t-”

“No,” Nes said in a loud voice. She composed herself and touched his arm before she looked at Ilea.

“You can have it, if you like,” Ilea said.

Nes made a strange sound. “Y… you would give it… what would you want in return?”

Ilea shrugged. “Seems like it’s important to you, and I have no clue what to do with it, not like I use spears.”

“It is… the spear of the Black Leaf,” Nes said in a baffled tone, as if to confirm.

Ilea nodded slowly. “Yes. Despite the name, I prefer fists, and sometimes hammers.” She summoned the thing again and used her space manipulation to move it over to the Ascended. “It’s fine. But we shouldn’t dally. I have a feeling the more time we give someone called the Architect, the worse of a time I’ll have fucking with his lair.”

Nes raised her arms towards the broken weapon, carefully receiving it. She looked at it for a few seconds, lost in thought until Scipio cleared his throat. “Yes… of course, apologies,” she said and made the spear vanish. “I… words fails me, Lilith. Let us… move on. I will get back to you,” she said and gave her a light bow.

“Don’t mention it,” Ilea said. “Wait, maybe you two could share some info with me once I need it.”

“Of course,” Scipio said. “If you bring us to Kohr, there is little I will even try to hold back from you. I give you my word.”

“We should probably get somewhere else first, he could find this place otherwise,” Ilea said and spread her wings. “Let’s fly.”

They left the hideout and flew down towards the northern lands, the ancient beings beside Ilea.

Nes broke the silence after a few minutes. “He didn’t know you.”

“Hmm?” Ilea mused as she turned her head to look at the being.

Nes’ form was carried by the winds. “He would not have compared you to her. You are so much more.”

Ilea felt the weight of the words but she had no way to relate them. I have no clue who this Ravana person is. She just gave the Navuun a nod.

“Busy… he said he was busy,” Nes murmured. “He would not waste a chance to dissect someone like you.”

“Don’t want to sound rude, but I do believe he tried,” Ilea said. “I’m not an Ascended but I have a few tricks up my sleeves.”

“I don’t question your ability, Lilith. I have seen the Azarinth at the prime of their power, and I’m sure you’re beyond even that. I merely question the words and actions of the Architect, why he seemed so eager to be rid of you,” she said.

“He was not happy when I refused his offer,” Ilea said with a grin.

“That makes you smile?” Scipio asked from the side.

“Yeah,” Ilea said. “Just something fun about telling ancient assholes to fuck off.” She gave him a meaningful glance.

He looked back. “Fair enough.”

Hmm.

“I believe we are far enough away to make it unlikely that someone will find our facility,” Nes said, flying towards the arcane storms on the ground.

“I agree,” Scipio added.

Ilea landed last. “If he’s there, let me have a go at him alone.”

“I’m both a space and barrier mage, and I have fought Ascended before,” Scipio said.

“This is not about our capabilities, Scipio,” Ilea said, looking into his eyes as white fire started to burn on her ash. “I don’t like to be treated like a research animal.”

Nes touched the man’s shoulder. “We will stay out of it. Call for our help, and we will be there.”

“Sure, let’s see if this even works,” Ilea mused and opened the gate to Kohr. Space shifted just like when she opened a gate to another location in Elos. She flew through and found herself just outside the Ascended facility, chunks of scattered salt rock still indicating her rough exit. Bits and pieces of demons lying nearby.

Nes and Scipio followed behind, the latter now clad in black armor, golden seams flowing through the strange fabric not quite metal, leather, nor cloth. He wore an elaborate helmet modeled after a stag, though the antlers weren’t quite as pronounced as the set Ilea was more familiar with.

“I see you take after your king,” Ilea said.

Nes glanced at the chunks of flesh, averting her eyes a moment later. The gate vanished behind them.

“Let me remember a time long past, for no one else will,” he spoke.

“Elana is literally sending out expeditions to uncover your cities,” Ilea said, seeing him raise his brows at that. “I’ll keep this connection active,” she sent to both, once more eliciting a visible reaction from the duo. Never gets old. She grinned and dived down into the drilled out tunnel, quickly reaching the metal wall she had burned through before. The makeshift entrance was shut, steel present as if it had always been there.

“He shut it again,” she sent to the others. “Stay back while I break in.” A touch revealed several powerful enchantments protecting the facility. Same ones as before, just repaired, she surmised, spreading her flames onto the steel before she started punching, Archon Strike and Tempered Seal flashing up as the enchantments were shredded apart. The vaults in Baralia were nothing against this but Ilea wasn’t quite the same anymore.

Defensive enchantment destruction crew, has arrived. A bright flash of magic flared up when the connections were severed, her domain once more reaching into the facility below. “Hello. I’m back,” she murmured, her burning ash drill creating a shrill sound as she set it against the steel. It didn’t take her long to get through.

Ilea moved past the slightly glowing tunnel and into the still lit facility, orange red light mixing with bright and cold magical lamps.

She poked in her head and looked around. “Might as well.” She charged heat as her ash spread into the hall beyond. When her healing started to struggle against all the energy in her core, she spread it out through her ash and turned away, plugging her ears more as a gesture than due to an actual need before the entire hall exploded in a flash of bright flames and heat.

The walls were on fire, much of it dented, all the lights broken and gone. “I’m good, that’s one hall done,” she mused and started charging heat once more. Let’s check on the imprisoned monsters. Her wings moved, bringing her down into the burning hall.