Chapter 29: Vol.1 Part. 29

The breath became faster and faster beneath the smoke that blanketed the streets like a sin flood. She pulled Jannet behind her like a sack. The harbor is not yet in sight. Few people stayed on the roads among the rubble. Scattered statues of people, turned to stone by the glare, stood frozen in time. Their looks of horror and terror were captured for eternity. Cracks and fractures ran across the cold grey skin. Smoke came from the houses and walls, its runes beginning to burn like an inferno from hell under the blazing white light. People with dull eyes rarely sat on the streets.

The main street had degenerated into a battlefield. The smoke burned in her nose and brought tears to her eyes. Debris blocked them, and a layer of gray paint covered everything. Even the stone itself was unscattered from the light. Desperate screams that came from hell shook bone and marrow. Between streets and gaps in houses, she spotted lines of soldiers. Monsters sprang into the ranks of the spearmen and spellcasters. Knights, mages, and commoners were drawn into the Devastating Stream. Mindless puppets controlled by the beholder ominously hang in the sky as Armageddon. Saliva dripped onto the earth from the decayed teeth, spoiling everything that came in contact with it.

To her left, she spied shadows rippling through the area. They fought through the ranks. Black waves crashed into the wolves and orcs, driving them back. The night sky was lit up. Fire and lightning cut aisles on the right side. White light crystallized in the night sky and overshadowed everything.

Her eyes widened as the monsters changed direction as if on cue. The shadows that engulfed monsters like a whirlpool vanished under the fourth moon.

Luna lost sight of the battle. Her purple eyes stared at the house's wall. A few moments later, they reached an intersection. Orders were shouted, but the wind, as stormy as the sea, blew everything away.

Jannet gasped. She was dragged behind Luna and could barely keep up with the grueling pace. Her face was flushed, and she gasped for air like a fish. She wouldn't be able to keep up the pace much longer. The air crackled for the second time. A whirring drowned out all the screams. The pressure in the sky rose and began to constrict the trachea. The night vibrated. Her hair stood on end.

"Down!" she screamed from the bottom of her throat. She slowed and threw herself on the floor with Jannet. They lay in the dirt, covered by a wall, debris pressing against their clothes. Jannet screamed. The whirring reached its peak, drowning out any sound.

Like a comet, the light hit the earth, which began to scream in pain. The headlight turned into teeth sweeping from left to right. Streets, houses, and people were turned into grey stone. Cold and spoiled, everything stood frozen. Runes turn crimson before erupting under stress. Jannet crouched on the floor. Hands above the head. Ash and sweat clung to her skin, which was pale as a ghost.

"We must go on," Luna yelled under the dying suras. The deadly light had finally left the road, leaving only the heat of the runes that threatened to burn hair and skin. She pulled Jannet to her feet. They ran towards the harbor in the shadows of the house walls.

As expected, the port was crowded with crowds of people. The palace on the east side still shone like a jewel in the night sky. But it was to be expected that this would soon fall victim to the monster's attack. Chaos was the only thing present in the harbor. People ran around in panic and squeezed other people's backs. Should one fall, one would end up under the soles of the people drenched in the mud until the cold embraced the body.

Suddenly a bell rang as soft as the sea, drowning out the screams and groans of the battlefield. Golden, maybe even divine light, embraced the Cathedral. The beholder's wicked presence and pressure evaporated. The nightmare hovering in the sky shifted its attention to the Cathedral. It slowly turned. The veins in his eyes nearly burst in his growing hatred.

She hadn't expected Athylia to have another ace. Golden runes were written in the sky. A wave of protection and security flowed over her body. "What the?" Luna forgot to close her mouth. She didn't even notice how her steps slowed down. A person, small but visible to her eyes, stood at the foot of the Cathedral. He had a white beard and wore white clothing decorated with gold seal lilies.

"What's going on?" Jannet asked in a high voice, wiping the sweat and dirt off her face.

"I... don't know," replied Luna.

A heavy book sat on his left arm. An aura of power emanated from it. It was like a beacon, towering over any presence in the area. It didn't shake the bones but strengthened faith and security. It reminded her of the jewels in the gate itself. It felt familiar to her.

"Athylia's last secret weapon, I suppose," Luna said as she saw Sighsten and Kanah standing like the bishop in front of the Cathedral gates. In front of them flowed an endless stairway into the city. The runes flew into the sky and steadily increased in size.

"You monsters who crawled out of hell!" thundered a voice that would speak like a god's judgment on the invaders. A deafening scream from the monster shook the city as it faced the servant of God.

"In the name of the Almighty Gods, who gave life to this world, you a monstrosity that distorts this world with its destruction. You will be cleansed today by the holy light that created this world. The gods will receive your soul and embrace it like all their children. He raised his arm. "In the name of the Holy Beings who populate heaven, I command..."

Suddenly figures waiting in the shadows of the Cathedral jumped out of nowhere onto the ground. Their black cloaks fluttered in the calm wind, light enveloping their dark cloak as they threw fireballs from the sky.

She spotted Sighsten already sprinting off. Hands glowing red, he erected a barrier. The fireballs created a shock wave on impact, knocking both of them off their feet. Kanah responded with fireballs, which she shot into the sky before creating a stone roof over the people.

The hoods flapped in the heat and revealed demon masks in different colors. The White Mask clasped its hands together in a finger sign. A large amount of smoke crashed onto the ground. Shadows in great quantities streamed over the Black Mask's garments and struck the cloud like a lance of hail.

Jannet shook her body, breaking free from the comforting voice.

"We have to move on," Luna urged. She kept a close eye on the situation in the church. The white mist enveloped the Cathedral and flowed down the mountain and the stairs like water. A blast shook the area. The bishop was on his knees; the fog gone. The Red Mask had the book in its hands. Sighsten and Kanah were nowhere in sight. With the book in their hands, they slid down the stairs.

A triumphant cry from heaven made all the buildings tremble. The news spread like a shock wave. The last stab in the heart of Athylias people. Men and women collapsed on the harbor, sobbing. Luna tried to get on a ship, but nothing moved anymore. Jannet staggered after her, but they couldn't make their way through the shocked crowd.

The hand she was pulled, soaked from the effort of her hard breathing. Unexpectedly, her hand slipped from her fingers. She turned around. Jannet stood among the crowds, possibly horrified. She wasn't sure.

"Jane, we have to go. What are you waiting for?" She just stood there. View aimed at the inferno in the center of the city. "Jannet?" she inquired, taken aback by the sight.

"Will the city fall?" she asked suddenly. She recognized a hint of concern in her voice.

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"As things stand," she replied. "...probably." It was unfortunate, but the world would move on.

"Can't we do anything about it?"

"What?"

"I know I'm weak, but I've come to love the city over the past few days. Do you think we... you can do anything?"

"Did you forget that monsters overrun the city currently!" Luna exclaimed

"I know, but can't you do something? Kanah admired your spells, although she never saw them herself. If you can shoot the beholder out of the sky, please do." She grabbed Luna's sleeve.

"I would have done something long ago if I was able." Jannet let go of the sleeve. "But even my most powerful spells can't harm such a monstrosity. We would need a projectile of sufficient strength to penetrate the aura. However, I don't own something powerful enough, and I don't know where we could get something right now."

Luna grabbed Jannet again and dragged her to the ship. But the material slipped from her hands. She turned around. How could it be that she was so stubborn in such a situation?

"How about using a crystal as a missile?" Her eyes shimmered.

"Crystal?" She wasn't sure what Jannet was getting at.

"The gems of the gods that were set in the gate. The explosion should have thrown the shrapnel everywhere, shouldn't it? Could you use something like that for an arrow?" She froze. It should work. But would they even find one among the ruins of the houses?

Luna was confused that Jannet wanted to help suddenly.

"You know what you'd have to get yourself into?" she asked.

However, she didn't make a face in the slightest. "Would it be possible or not?" she asked slightly louder.

Luna hesitated, "Yes, it would be possible. However, I cannot estimate how great the destruction will be on its impact. But why do you want to help this town anyway? You risk your life for people you don't even know?"

"A feeling." Luna tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "If we don't do anything now, this city will fall. The catastrophe will take root unhindered in this world and spread like a virus. It won't just stick to this city. Something encouraged me and whispered, If we flee now, we will flee next time too. I won't be able to see my children again."

She already had tears in her eyes. Luna looked at the mountain. The Cathedral still shone long after the book had left the halls. For a moment, the lights flickered brighter than before. She looked back at Jannet, who was trying to put on a brave face. She could have sworn her eyes flickered with the same light. Wasn't hope lost yet?

"Please," the tears have long since been wiped from her face. "If there's anything you can do..." Luna held a finger to her lips and said, "I like it better than fleeing across the water." She didn't realize it, but her eyes held the red image of hell for a short moment. "But don't you back down! It's all or nothing now." She moved her gaze to Cathedral and pulled Janet from the crowd."We'll go to the Cathedral first; there are probably important people there. We need a distraction to get to the gate; we can't do it without help."

Jannet nodded energetically. Hopefully, she was prepared. She was also worried about the shadows. They pushed back Sighsten and Kanah and got to the bishop. It was a targeted attack. After all, there would be nothing that would still matter to them.

The underlying city was engulfed in flames. In the shadow of the Broken Wall, the city was lit only by the moon around a fire. Luckily, the beholder has stopped firing for now. She couldn't say why, but she smiled. Even a dragon could not spit fire indefinitely.

They reached the Cathedral without much incident. The knights were somehow able to hold back the monsters. However, that would not be the case forever. The stairs rose into the sky, steep as a mountain, and they jumped from step to step. Jannet was already panting again.

Fortunately, the end was in sight. She smelled iron upon reaching the top.

Several people stood in a circle; Luna didn't recognize any of them; she only saw the coats with her hands covering her face. Heads deep. A cold wind blew gently across the forecourt. Kanah squatted in the center. An old man lay on her knees. His eyes were closed, and his hands were on his body. Her face was chalk white and lifted the red rims of her eyes. You'd think he was asleep; he lay peacefully on her lap, but his chest didn't rise, and no sound came from him.

Everything smelled burned. Sighsten sat several meters away on a cold stone. His face in his hands. The runes on his body glowed a deep dark blue. His normally straight back is arched like an old witch's.

No one turned as they approached. Luna also had a sudden pain in her heart and instinctively reached there. Her eyes were wide, surprised at the feeling she'd rarely felt before.