Chapter 53: Chosen, Chapter 52: Thunder Before Lightning

Aidan

The Realms

Fourthday, 1st week of the 8th month, Godless Age 597

Pre-dawn

Outside Ceallach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

The archers galloped forward until they were within range of the approaching swarm of manikins, then turned. As one, they drew back their bows, sighted, and loosed. While the first flight of arrows was still in the air, they let fly another volley, then a third right after the first landed. The majority of the shafts slammed home into their targets, but the undead nature of their enemies meant very few perished. Many of the manikins staggered and fell from the kinetic force of the arrows, however, and vanished under the disorganized ranks behind them.

The archers wheeled and started to zig-zag back up the slope of the hill, firing arrows downslope. A horn sounded, and they split, opening a gap for the thunderous charge of their more heavily-armored comrades. The sounds of hundreds of hooves beating the ground shook the ground as the warriors built up speed. The wedge-shaped formation, led by the imposing figure of Fionn Ironhide, crashed into and through the leading edge of the enemy horde. With mass and momentum against them, the front ranks of manikins disintegrated. The archers regrouped behind the melee fighters and began to circle the undead, firing arrows into the fray.

While their charge was devastating, the Starchasers were outnumbered at least ten-to-one. They formed into a tight circle as the swarm enveloped them, leaving room in the center for the wounded to retreat to. Unfortunately, so great were the numbers arrayed against them that hundreds remained unengaged. Some chased the archers, but the majority continued to stream uphill towards the mages and Aidan's team.

The mages weren't defenseless, though. They were already chanting, the air around them glowing a coruscating rainbow of colors. One by one, their spells went off to destructive effect. A chunk of the hillside tore free then shattered into stony shrapnel. A massive fireball exploded in the center of the approaching manikins, followed immediately by a crystalline detonation of ice that flash-froze a dozen or more enemies. Bolts of lightning struck in rapid succession, arcing from one smoking corpse to the next. It was Ailis and her ritual circle who stole the show, however. Even as the other mages finished their first volley and started on their next, the Councillor's group continued chanting. As the seconds piled into each other and the undead swarm grew ever closer, the golden aura around them grew denser and denser until it seemed tangible. Then, with a soundless explosion, the spell detonated in a brilliant tidal wave. It washed over the oncoming enemies and plunged into the battle below, leaving behind nothing but shimmering dust on the breeze.

Aidan gaped at the results of Ailis's spell; at least a thousand Manikins had just been ... deleted. There was no better word for it. Unfortunately, it was clear that she would not be able to repeat the performance. Even before the magic ran its course, Ailis collapsed to the ground. She was still alive—Aidan could see her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath—but clearly, she needed time to recover before launching another attack of that magnitude.

Aidan shook himself free of his stupor and looked towards the city. Light mist still clung to the streets, but he couldn't see any movement. Redirecting his attention to his squad, he said, "Alright, the battle is joined, and if we want our people to survive the day, we need to get moving. We're aiming for the broad avenue to the east; we'll swing around the battle and run hard for the city."

Seeing no disagreement, Aidan wrapped his arms around Brighid's waist. They set out at a canter, then broke into a gallop once they were clear of the fighting. A few minutes of hard riding later, the centaurs' hoofbeats' sound changed from the soft impact of hoof on soil to the sharp cadence of solid stone. He was back in the Lost City of Ceallach Macht.

He signaled a halt, then slid down off Brighid's back. "Alright. Cai, Llwyd, I want you two up front. Brighid, you take the left flank, and Ysbail, you take the right. Ceirios, Anwn, you're in the center; I'll be rear-guard. Anwn, I'll leave it to you where to use the wolves. I'm not expecting anything to come at us from behind, but there is plenty of cover to launch an ambush from. On that note, the Manikins do not see very well, but they can track by sound and scent, so try to be quiet. Brighid, Ceirios, Ysbail, cast whatever long-term spells you have now."

Aidan fought through his weariness and cast Burning Barrage, Minor Shift to enhance his hearing, and Summon Obsidian Salamander. He had to dismiss Kindle the Hearth-Fire he'd cast on Brighid to manage it; he just didn't have the focus to keep them all up.

When the spell completed, a rift opened in the air, very like the one Riama had appeared through. This one, however, showed a volcanic hellscape. He could see glowing pools of molten rock bubbling in some underground cavern. A moment later, a glossy black lizard the size of a border collie wiggled through the portal. The mists around it immediately began to burn away, causing steam to rise from its skin. It tasted the air with its tongue and looked up at Aidan. "Stay beside me and attack anything which attacks us. Do not cause damage to me, any of the centaurs you see here, the cat, or the wolves." It made no response except to slither into position to Aidan's left.

With his Concentration down a mere 70, Aidan decided to try something. The description of Crown of the Exalted wasn't clear about how it interacted with multi-school magic; he wasn't sure whether Summon Obsidian Salamander would take both the Beast and Fire Magic slots on the Crown. However, the rest of his Class seemed to be encouraging him to use multi-school spells, and he had enough Concentration to cover if things didn't go as he hoped. With that thought, Aidan pushed the magic into the Crown. Instantly, the throbbing in his temples eased, and his Concentration climbed back up to 145.

Meanwhile, Brighid cast a spell that caused the party's weapons to glow dull red for a short time, followed by another that had no visible effect. Ceirios, meanwhile, summoned her golem, then toughened the squad's skin and armor. The golem didn't appear through a portal, like Aidan's salamander. Instead, it assembled itself from the surroundings, piling stone on top of stone until it towered over even Ysbail. The larger woman cast a few spells of her own, although Aidan couldn't see any visible results of the magic.

Preparations completed, the party fell into formation and made their way into the city proper. The mists swirled and coiled around them despite the still air. The magical sun above kept them from growing as dense as they were on Aidan's first visit. The difference was only a matter of degree, however, and soon the visibility dropped to a few yards. It was only due to his heightened hearing that Aidan was able to hear the rasp of paper on stone over the sounds of his companions. He shouted a warning a heartbeat before five Manikins—a bear, two boars, a wolf, and some sort of porcupine-boar—charged out of an alley to the party's left.

Brighid wheeled to face the threat, lopping the head off the vine-covered wolf as it leaped at her. It fell to the ground but was back on its feet again a heartbeat later. Before it could resume its attack, one of Anwn's arrows blasted a four-inch-thick hole clean through it. The bear slammed into Brighid, staggering her briefly before Llwyd arrived and skewered it on his lance. The salamander arched its neck back, then snapped it forward, lobbing a burning ball of goop at one of the boars. The lava splashed all over the Manikin's back and sides, causing vines to smolder and burn. Cai intercepted the other boar, blocking a swing of its tusks with her shield and retaliating with her ax. Aidan directed two Flame Jets at the spined Manikin, immolating it, then steering his fire towards the remaining enemies. He spun to check on the right side of the street, only to see Ysbail finish off the last foe facing her with a casual-looking swipe of her oversized sword. Scattered around her were three more undead beasts: two carved into pieces, one with a pulped head.

"Is anyone wounded?" Aidan asked. They shook their heads; the fight was short, over in seconds, and aside from Brighid, none of them had even taken a hit. Aidan fired off a few seconds of Pulse of Life anyway, just to be sure, then they pressed onward, deeper into the mists. They proceeded down the center of the cobblestone avenue, tense and ready for another ambush. The fog prevented them from seeing more than the vague shapes of ruined buildings as they passed. Aidan strained his ears for every sound, but the city was as silent as a tomb, aside from the sounds of metal armor and hooves striking stone. The warriors kept their cool despite the tension, but Ceirios fidgeted and stuck very close to her hulking golem.

Fionn

Pre-Dawn

Outside Ceallach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

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Fionn spun his war ax in a vicious circle, cutting a swathe through the nearby manikins. He hoped that he hadn't sent the young human on a suicide mission a second time, but the sheer number of enemies the Starchasers were currently fighting made it a slim hope at best. Even in his worst nightmares, he did not expect this many enemies; where had they all come from? Powerful wards sealed the city for more than a decade, how had the Taig managed to amass an army this size? And how was it controlling them all?

His musings were cut short by a series of loud, almost explosive WHUMPs among the legions of manikins pressing towards the centaur Warband. Undead went flying from points all around the encircled centaurs, and at first, he assumed it was the work of the magi above. Then he saw one of them: a three and a half meter tall statue with ridged wings, like a bat, rose from the center of one of the impacts. It swung its fist in a casual backhanded slap, and a manikin crumpled to the ground, its head caved in. A gargoyle! Here? Why? The Sapphire Sky Horde never left their territory or involved themselves with their neighbors, and their lands were on the other side of the Starchaser territory! Something deeper was going on here, and Fionn loathed leading a military campaign without knowing all the details.

Fortunately, it looked like some answers might be headed his way, as the gargoyle had spotted him and was marching through the teeming mass of zombie plant flesh like it were water. Hip-deep water, maybe, but still, the manikins parted before the creature as it punched or threw them aside. They scrabbled and scratched and clawed and bit at the living statue, but to no apparent effect. Fionn readied his ax, just in case, but if the gargoyles had wanted to attack them, at least one would have landed among the centaurs, and besides, his weapon was plain steel. It would hardly be much more effective against a creature made of enchanted stone than the claws and teeth of the manikins.

When it drew close enough to talk over the din of battle, the gargoyle called out to Fionn, "Know that I am called Alektryon, of the Sapphire Sky. Are you the Starchaser known as Fionn Ironhide?"

"I am!" He called back, dispatching another manikin.

"And is there a young, male human among your Warband? His name is not known to us, but we felt his presence."

Maybe not answers, after all, then, but rather more questions. Fionn hesitated a moment before answering, "I know of whom you speak, but he is not present at this battle."

By now, the gargoyle was close enough for Fionn to make out the odd, resonant quality of its voice as it replied, "But he is nearby. The city then. Good, Sarpedon is already headed there. Be not concerned, Fionn Ironhide, we mean no harm to any of the Starchaser tribe or the human. For now, it appears that you are fighting a close battle. Please allow us to assist you in removing this filth from the Realms." So saying, the creature flapped its wings, knocking back several manikins which were attacking it from behind, and leaped into the air. From there, it began to swoop down and through the swarm of undead before rising into the sky once more.

Aidan

Pre-Dawn

Ceallach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

Aidan kept expecting another ambush, but they continued down the avenue for another hundred yards, then another, and another. The yards stretched on, yet still, no attacks came. Rather than settling his nerves, the quiet stillness ratcheted up the tension inside him. The Taig had to be able to sense them, and Aidan didn't believe for a second that it had expended all its forces. The lack of response meant that the hammer would fall harder later on.

Still, though, the ambush didn't come. The squad traveled one mile, then another. Soon, the hill, and at its base, the arched entryway, loomed up out of the mists. As Aidan expected, the two dakhols loomed at either side of the arch, but they were not alone. Lined up between them were dozens of other, smaller shapes. One of them, roughly human-sized, glided forward. The mists swirled and parted around it, revealing it to the party. Brighid let out a strangled sound filled with rage and sorrow when she saw its face.

It took Aidan a moment to process what he saw, but then his stomach churned and his mind shuddered. Standing before him was his own corpse, its arms and legs sewn back onto the torso with dozens of brown vines. Revulsion filled him as he realized that it wasn't walking, but rather slithering forward on a thick, trunk-like vine emerging from its rear.

"So, my little rat returns; what fun!" The mocking, insane voice of the Taig coming from the other Aidan nearly made him throw up. The creeper emerging from its throat to serve as a tongue made matters even worse. "So happy am I! Well done! Six more lovely sacrifices; yes, yes, that suffices."

Aidan didn't, couldn't, wait to hear anything else. He raised his hands, palms out, and shouted words of magic. Silvery-white flames poured from him and he could feel his soul fraying around the edges as he directed a Soulfire Blast towards the twisted creature. He held the spell for a full second before letting it dissipate, sure that his most potent offensive spell would be enough to turn the Aidan Manikin to cinders. Yet, once the blinding flames vanished, he could see that his target remained. Smoking and singed, to be sure, but still intact and cackling. Panicked, he checked his combat log.

Somehow the thing was almost immune to fire instead of being vulnerable to it! The Soulfire Blast did less than 200 damage total, and would have only dealt about 30 if not for the built-in debuff. Even a basic Manikin would have survived that much punishment, and, sure enough, the monstrosity started taunting him again. "Oh, what a joyful day! My little rat wants—"

The Aidan Manikin cut off with a shriek as golden light began to pour out from inside it.

Now that's more like it! Aidan thought to himself with savage glee. The Taig had thought to protect its toy against Fire Magic, but not against Life. The Manikin writhed into the air and golden flames emerged from its form as the Spark of Life consumed it from within. As its back arched, casting flickering shadows beneath and around it, Aidan felt a flash of <rage>. Riama appeared in the Manikin's twisting, dancing shadow, then leaped up and fastened her jaws around the base of its neck.

Emboldened by the success of his attack, Aidan started barking out orders, trying to capitalize on the situation. "Cai, Llwyd, I need you to keep those dakhols distracted until the rest of us can clean up the undead. Ceirios, have your golem help them. Brighid, Ysbail, Anwn, you clear out the little guys then concentrate on one dakhol at a time. I'll provide fire support as I can." Suiting action to words, Aidan unleashed his Burning Barrage into the massed Manikins, tiny embers streaking out from over his head like a miniature Macross Missile Massacre. They exploded in a wave of raging fire, wounding and staggering the vine-covered undead.

The party leaped into action. Llwyd couched his lance, angled his shield to protect his torso, and burst into a gallop aimed at the left dakhol. Meanwhile, Cai charged the one on the right, presenting her tower shield to its studded metal club. Neither of them was optimally suited to fight alone, but they drew their quarries away from the mass of manikins as Brighid and Ysbail layed into them. Anwn launched arrow after arrow at every target that presented itself and directed the wolves to help the others with short, sharp whistles. Ceirios's golem was nowhere near as fast as a centaur, but it lumbered up to the leftmost dakhol in time to grab the monster's club in mid-swing. Llwyd preyed on the creature's temporary confusion to smash its kneecap with his mace.

After launching his Burning Barrage, Aidan turned his attention back to the creature made from his corpse. Somehow, it still clung to unlife despite the golden flames of Spark of Life engulfing it. He raised his hands and cast Flame Jet with both. The damage wasn't as high as he would like, but Soulburn meant that he was at least dealing 60% damage instead of 10%. After a few seconds of roasting, the Manikin dissolved into shimmering ashes that vanished on a non-existent breeze. Riama dropped to the cobblestones and darted toward the nearest shadow.

Zurai

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