Epilogue |
Everybody who’d been in or around Ascender’s Tower stood in audience of the raid group preparing to leave. Each of the three parties stood separately from the others, though there was a larger crowd gathered around Ilrolik’s group. Redd and his siege engineers stood alongside Jzak and the rest of the support group.
“This is where we part ways,” Hiral said to Ilrolik and Nivian, who stood slightly in front of their groups, while Seena stood at his side. “Now that we’ve all completed The Final Sunrise, we’ve gotten the biggest gains we can from here. A few more attribute points couldn’t hurt, but it feels like it’s time.You each know what you have to do.”
“Kill a guardian,” Ilrolik said. “Enter a Black Gate, then travel to some other world where things that kill Progenitors are waiting to do the same to us. All in a day’s work.”
“We don’t know they’re waiting for us,” Seena said. “If everything goes to plan, and we get a little bit lucky, we’ll never even see them. We get through those gates, make sure they’re wide open to spill the poisonous energy through, then we get out. Ideally, freeing or closing the Black Gates at the same time.”
“If we free them,” Seeyela said. “I can convince them to hang around long enough to let us pass back through. I’m sure of it.”
“That half-sponsor thing?” Yanily said.
“Yes,” Seeyela said. “Now that we reached S-Rank, I can almost hear the three Black Gates locked on our world calling to me.”
“With the upgrade to our Raid Interface,” Hiral said. “We’ll be able to community anywhere on Genesis. That’ll help, but you’ll be on your own against the guardians.”
“More like they’ll be on their own against us,” Loan said.
“Killjoy,” Loan joked.
“You’re both kind of right,” Hiral said. “Though, I suspect they won’t really be on their own. There will be only one guardian, but if the Plateau of Four Valleys is to be believed, The Fourth Crusade will have allies. Of a sort. Ilrolik, that’s why we’re sending the Bastion of Tomorrow with you.”
Ilrolik nodded. “I’m not too worried about the bugs, birds, or the Pilgrims, but they could be good experience for the Bastion. Besides, if there are that many, it’ll let us focus entirely on that dragon.”
“Don’t forget you have P3W P3W, Al, and the 4LPH4 W34P0N to help as well,” Hiral said.
“We won’t need them,” Arnak—the Shaper and leader of the Bastion’s defenders—said. “I’ll crush any who think to touch the Bastion. Then I’ll show you all what a real S-Rank is like.”
“Still all that Shaper-confidence,” Wule said with a shake of his head.
“Keep the other staff safe,” Hiral said to Arnak, and the man scoffed like he didn’t need to be told that. Still, after a second, he met Hiral’s eyes and nodded. Pride or not, he’d do his job. “As for you, Nivian,” Hiral said, turning to the Death Knight. “You’ll go back through the Squalian, Undead city, then take the Disc of Passage back to the Horns. From there, well, it’ll be up to you to find the guardian in that zone.”
“With our skybikes and Wule as bait, I don’t see it being an issue,” Nivian said.
His brother nodded along for a second before the words seemed to sink in. “Hey, wait a second…”
“As for us,” Hiral said, looking at Seena. “We’ve got a second date with the Prince of the Swamp. Since we’re the ones who freed him in the first place, it’s only fair we’re the ones who have to deal with him.
“We’ll go with Nivian and his group to the Undead city, then take a different Disc of Passage back to where this all started.”
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“Feels like years ago,” Seeyela said. “But it’s not even close.”
“When we get through the Black Gates,” Hiral said. “Hopefully our Raid Interface will let us stay in touch. If it doesn’t, though, keep the gates open as long as you can. We can’t predict how quickly the Raze—or the Enemy—will react, but we need to keep the poison flowing as long as possible. It’s not worth dying for, though. If you see things going badly, prioritize getting back out.
“If we have to, we’ll come up with a new plan on this side, once we’re all together again. Any questions?”
“Tons,” Wule said. “But none that any of us can answer until we’re knee-deep in it. So, until then, stay safe, everybody.”
“And good luck,” Nivian added.
“Uh… guys,” Hiral said. “I’m still going to take us all to the outside of the Hanging Garden. We can say our goodbyes then…”
“Way to ruin the moment,” Yanily said with an eyeroll. Then his face straightened, and the visage of the mischievous spearman fell behind the rare, more serious one. He looked at each of the raid group’s members—companions included—before he spoke again. “Make sure you all come back.”
Every other head turned to look at the others around them, all likely thinking the same thing. Would this be the last time they’d all be gathered together? None of the faces showed fear, though. Just determination. They would all see this through to the end. One way or another.
***
Loan stood on the flat surface of the mountaintop he’d cleared with barely a swing of his fist, the rest of his party standing around him, Ilrolik in the front. High above them, the Bastion of Tomorrow and its guardians prepared for what was coming.
The beating of a thousand wings pounded from one side. From another came the buzz of ten-thousand insects. One more direction glowed with the purple light of infernal flames. All that would be handled by the Bastion and its forces, because it was the fourth direction Loan and his party were focused on.
The fourth direction, and The Fourth Crusade. Smashing its way out of a mountain like a chick freeing itself from an egg, the white dragon was on a scale far surpassing what they’d seen in the dungeon. It had to be five—no, ten—times bigger, and the power radiating off its scales turned the falling rain to steam a dozen feet before they even met.
Seeing the four, powerful, front claws hauling the massive dragon out of the mountain—wings spreading as they tore themselves free—and the Entropic energy leaking out of its mouth, Loan only had one pressing thought.
“Have fun tanking that,” he said to Ilrolik.
***
“So,” Wule said to his brother. “If we back away slowly and go find the others, do you think we can trade? Maybe for something… smaller?”
“Don’t like what you see?” Nivian said, his otherworldly voice sounding like it was dancing between the falling rain.
“What I see makes the 0M3G4 W34P0N look small,” Wule countered, pointing at the mountain-sized Drocon perched atop an actual mountain. Basically a feathered dragon—with red-and-green feathers in place of scales—and wings like a Roc, huge didn’t do the thing justice. In the air above it, other full-grown Rocs circled, though it was like looking at hummingbirds circling an eagle. “How are we supposed to deal with something like that?”
“SMASH!” Bash answered.
“I think we’re going to need a little more finesse than…”
“Smash,” Bash cut him off. “And smash again.”
“How can we smash it when it’s flying?”
“Smash wings.”
“See?” Nivian said, patting Bash on the head. “We’ve got a plan.”
“I’d hardly call that a plan…” Wule complained, but the others weren’t hearing any of it, and Nivian was already stalking in the direction of their next fight.
Which meant, as usual, Wule had to follow to keep the man out of trouble. Not that he’d have it any other way.
***
“You think it remembers us?” Right asked.
“Do you expect it to thank us for letting it out?” Left countered.
“It would be polite. Who knows, maybe it’s a scholar. Likes tea and talking philosophy.”
“Consider how it’s looking at us right now,” Hiral said, the three massive, draconic heads of the hydra emerging from the mile-wide crater in the ground. Fire licked around the teeth of the one on the right. Lightning sparked from the mouth of the one on the left, while the final one in the middle had a combination of the three. “It’s only thinking about lunch.”
“Funny,” Yanily said. “That’s exactly what I’m thinking about too. Let’s take care of this so I can have a snack.”
“You just want pastries,” Seeyela said, coming up beside the spearman.
“Jzak gave us more than pastries,” Seena said.
Snuff.
“Wallop recommends the meatballs,” Romin said, blunderbuss in hand.
“Why is it always about food with you guys?” Laseen cackled.
“It’s not always about food,” Hiral said, releasing the seal on his power and activating his pseudo-aspect at the same time. With the others around him doing the same thing, the ground shook like an earthquake, and the Prince of the Swamp’s six eyes narrowed dangerously at the party half-a-mile from it.
“We also talk plenty about being OP,” Yanily said.
“Now it’s time to show it,” Hiral added, his blade of unmaking searing itself into existence as the Edicts at his black flowed down his arm and into his hand. On his chest, the Rune of Eclipse took shape, and thunder boomed overhead.
This was where the end began.
***
To be concluded in book 8.