Chapter 10-299: Of Angels and Mortals (1/2)

The disguised planetar stepped forward, and took the proffered Sword up solemnly. Old, wise eyes flickered as they reviewed the mnecromonic tally of those who had fallen to this Warlock, including those whose souls were flickering there with his own.

His eyes flashed as he reached through the link to the women, and tallied their Sins. “Your prisoners have much to make up for, Heavenbound,” he stated calmly. “You are giving them this chance to repent, instead of the punishment they deserve?” he asked evenly.

IT IS HELL’S DUTY TO PUNISH, GREAT ELDER, NOT MINE, burned the letters above Master Fred’s shoulder, not speaking with the voices of the women who were probably quailing before what they could now sense of the Angel before them.

“They are aware it may not be enough to save them?” Haru’Ara continued.

THEY ARE. IF THEY CHOOSE TO FIGHT FOR SELFISHNESS OR FOR A HIGHER PURPOSE, THEY ARE STILL FIGHTING, AND I WILL ACCEPT THEIR AID.

“Generous of you. I cannot say that I would extend the same hand.” He respectfully returned Idiot to Master Fred, who accepted it and sheathed it behind them as they rose.

The angel’s eyes had a glimmer of powerful radiance to them as they turned on me, a Light most people simply could not see, and which would have made any of the various Soulborn trapped on this world turn to jelly to behold. “Lady Traveler, after your display today, I must convey the fact that I am incredibly impressed. I do not personally believe I have ever witnessed a mortal wielding so much power, with so little.”

“Truly, Commander?” I arched an eyebrow. “Well, the world I am originally from has others pursuing the same type of path, so be prepared to see more in the future.”

“Sworn to Heaven?” he asked archly.

“Unfortunately, no... or perhaps fortunately. A considerable amount of the power I showed comes from Heavenly affiliation, after all.” There were a LOT of Powered who wanted Power. There were considerably less who wanted the obligations that came with Pact, Divine, or Druidic Power.

Of course, once said people realized that Heaven was the best Quest Dispenser Evah, having obligations to do things for Heaven was a lot less onerous when you were going to do them anyways. Took a while for them to realize that, however.

“Unwilling to commit.” He shook his head grimly. Planetars were generals and warriors, not ambassadors or mediators. Those duties fell to other angels. “While I am glad you came to visit an old fisherman, Lady Traveler, why are you here? There are many of your Allegiance who could have communicated with me in your stead.”

I glanced at his Hat and smiled knowingly. “You cannot hide the fact you have an Aura at Twenty-One from the weave of magic itself, Commander.”

He pursed his lips as he looked at me, revising some of his estimations. There were things pure Caster Level could do that higher Valences could not, and vice versa. While he certainly had an Astral Ward up to defy scrying and enchantment spells, he couldn’t affect how magic itself reacted to him.

Planetars had the Casting power of a Seventeen Cleric, like a Theurgy... but with no ability to Channel or Divine Domains.

But this planetar had a Hat of Difference on, and all that Karma earned by enduring that torture and saving the lives of so many innocents, albeit in horrific fashion, had gone into it, and at my passed-on recommendation through the Angelos, he had taken Cleric Levels.

Naturally enough, real Class Levels stacked with pseudo-Levels. Yeah, he had to pay full price for them, including the Twenty Ceiling-breaker. That he had succeeded just confirmed how awesome of a thing he had done.

He had two Domains now, could take more, and could Channel. As long as he wore that Hat, he was a true Archpriest of the Heavens.

It was only four Levels, but those four Levels meant he could now access the Source Code of magic, bypassing Valences and going in directly to work on the spells.

In other words, he could use the same kind of magic that had been used to make the Shroud, although there was no possible way he could break it, of course.

The angelic general sent his gaze up at the stars, particularly the moon, which was pale and mottled and cratered like our own had been, just in different ways. “You are perceptive, Lady Traveler. I can See things, Sense things that I could not before; I understand more of the Will of the Divine and Creation itself.

“Unfortunately, much of that power has been suppressed under the Shroud. I sense that I could send information out to the Heavenly Host, but I also understand that it is useless. They will forget it even as they receive it. What I can accomplish with such power is, in the end, limited for now.”

“Can you emulate lesser spells, to a higher extent, Commander?” I inquired.

“To what extent, Lady Traveler?” he asked reasonably.

“Miracles, for Stat-raising, to double or triple effect.”

His eyebrows rose thoughtfully. “Interesting. You would have me duplicate the work of the Windgraf?”

“Empowering Good souls to help them fight, yes. Furthermore, I would like to get you back into the field. Have you taken any Artificing Feats?”

He smiled slightly, and held up three fingers. “Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Legendary Crafter; Craft Legendary Arms and Armor.”

I exhaled softly, while far in the distance, Briggs and Sama shouted for joy. “You are aware of the situation in China, Commander?”

“I have been closely advised by the Angelos as to the progress there,” he confirmed.

“Chinese culture is historically biased towards Law, not Good. I would like to really, really change that. You are also a Warlord, and you can raise Stats and thus help them Level, while returning to life the fallen, Buffing those who fight, and healing the wounded.

“You can also directly aid Sama and Briggs in equipping them with suitable Arms, and this would be the perfect way for you to increase the power of your own Weapon through idle Naming Karma. If you can establish a viable Lived-Line network, your ability to reinforce a position or relieve pressure against an attack would make you the perfect safeguard, while not mandating you fight constantly in a conflict that is admittedly below your concern.”

It wasn’t that fighting Cultivators wasn’t worth an angel’s time; it was that fighting weak Cultivators wasn’t worth a planetar’s time. Better to Buff up a lot of mortals and let them do the fighting, get stronger, find their resolve and will, and provide inspiration that would turn them towards Heaven.

He was far from dumb, and in the end, simply nodded. “I can do that.”