Chapter 172: Chapter 241 – Final Assembly

After the meeting with the Supervisors, Asterios and the girls returned to their given home to relax a little bit for the rest of the day. The Council had to discuss some other matters related to Odin and the other ARKs, including those connected to the underground valkyrjas and their district. As he had said, they weren’t in a rush and there was just no need to cause more trouble than necessary.

Sidr had given them permission to let Tyr’s Council know about their initial approval and Bryn chose to jump back to her friends there. She wanted to check on how Rota was doing while also delivering the message to the other leaders. An army of such size would need a while to reach Odin so they could depart even immediately and Sidr would have enough time to prepare everything for their arrival.

Asterios sent Umbra to check on Atra too, to see if their scholar ally had anything interesting to say. She let the spooky familiar into her mind and Asterios showed up next to her. Instead of being shocked or surprised, Atra couldn’t contain her amazement and curiosity at the fact that they could talk and interact just as if they were truly together in the same room.

While they chatted, she informed him that Brage’s Council had finally granted their request after about ten days, making Asterios shake his head with a wry smile. She explained that learning about his departure clearly had an influence on it. Nevertheless, she had descended into the vault again to dig through the records in search of anything they could have missed. And to take a peek at the corridor through which they’d made their little break-in, confirming that it looked pretty alright.

She was quite dejected to report that her efforts hadn’t borne any useful fruit but Asterios cheered her up by mentioning how grateful they were for her immense help. He briefly summarized their recent adventure and the general situation before inviting Atra to join their meetings in the upcoming days so that she could discuss the strategy and the floor plans alongside everyone. Through Umbra, of course.

The news about a lost tribe caused her to lose interest in anything else, making Asterios chuckle. The conversation for the remainder of their meeting revolved around things connected to those poor women. It didn’t bother him in the slightest. Talking with Atra reminded him of his many debates with Grea in the past, and that was a pleasant memory.

In the end, Atra naturally agreed to take part in their preparations and they parted for the night. She went to request an audience with the Council to warn them about the incoming dozens of soldiers who would definitely want to take a rest in Brage on their way to Odin. There was still hope that those indecisive and doubtful Councilors would change their stance and also openly support the whole operation.

For the next week, a lot of things happened in a lot of places.

As he’d told Atra, Asterios hosted strategy meetings with her, the girls, and the Supervisors, where they discussed all the knowledge about the Spire and Tyr’s Aegis that had been gathered since the very beginning. The Supervisors chimed in for the parts related to the surface and some simple aspects of the initial floors. Since their ARK hovered almost right above the Spire, they had a lot to say about the remains of the city that had existed around it in the past. If they wanted to defend the area properly, they needed as much confirmed information as they could find.

Whenever they weren’t busy straining their brains over those details, Sidr had Asterios and the girls assist the warriors from Odin in their usual missions. It had actually been Silvia’s idea, meant to give them some more experience fighting those monsters in different environments and situations.

And so they did.

Most of the time, they operated as one big unit, helping the valkyrjas out in scouting, retrieval, escort, survey, and other duties. Even Grea participated, wanting to get a hang of Aura’s fighting style, which was extremely flexible, just as the pink lady’s forms. Aura could even create something similar to what Umbra sometimes did for Asterios, covering her master in a protective layer of her solidified body. She utilized multiple states of her matter, creating an image of Grea as a knight in pure pink armor which emitted soft mist from the openings, and with any weapon that the demon lady imagined in her.

Additionally, to not become too reliant on each other, they departed on some missions separately, forming smaller teams with the valkyrjas, usually counting up to two members from Ast’s companions. Some experience fighting slightly more independently in case they were forced to split at some point was more than welcome and everyone understood that perfectly. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been in such a situation before. Therefore, they trained diligently in every possible pair and group combination.

During breaks, everyone usually visited the rescued valkyrjas or the Council to see how they could take their minds away from other matters by helping the newcomers settle in properly and slowly get accustomed to their new life. It was of no surprise that Bryn was the one to put the most effort into it, alongside Tina and Silvia. Skaginleif was more than just happy for their continuous support and her people were slowly starting to worship them as their saviors.

Just like that, time flew faster than they all thought, and the sentries watching over the airspace around the ARK reported sighting a massive group of winged ladies heading toward the city. Asterios and the girls hastily moved to the edge and observed the arrival of their troops together.

Miria’s mouth hung open during the entire sky parade, and the other girls weren’t that far behind her in terms of the clear awe on their faces. Watching multiple platoons and companies of fully armed valkyrjas flying in perfect formations was something almost impossible to describe with words. Their shining figures covered half of the visible sky, throwing a small shade onto the ARK. If they didn’t know better, they would assume that they were on the verge of total war, with Odin going to be besieged in a matter of minutes.

The arrivals continued for a good few minutes to the accompaniment of thudding caused by countless wings. Before the breathtaking and inspiring parade ended, Asterios headed out with his party, called to the Tower by a messenger of the Council. As they traversed the streets, they drowned in loud, excited cheers coming from the people of Odin who watched the army majestically fly above their heads.

Somehow making their way through the dense crowd, they reached the Tower and went to the highest floor, as usual. A pair of serious sentries in complex, colorful armor that had plenty of gems etched into them guarded the entrance to the meeting chamber. They hit their chests with their fists before opening the gate for Asterios and the others, making Miria bounce in joy at the respect they were being shown.

A surprising sight greeted them inside. Besides the Supervisors, a few additional people were present at the round table. Out of everyone, three of them made Asterios and Bryn smile warmly. Skodul, Krev, and Hilda looked back at their groups, with the usual expressions that matched each of the women.

“It’s nice to see you again.” He stepped closer and exchanged handshakes with the trio. “I assume you aren’t visiting just to check up on us?”

“Who would have time for that?” Hilda huffed to the side, making Krev roll her eyes.

“We’ve been chosen as the Commanders for this army,” Skodul replied.

Bryn raised her brows in surprise. “Really?”

“I was shocked too.” Krev smirked. “It looks like they decided to go all out and actually pick the most experienced leaders for this operation. Those who spent the most time amongst the people instead of the office. I certainly am not one to reject such an opportunity, especially when I was going to join you guys anyway.”

“There’s no way we can fail with our chain of command looking like that.” Bryn chuckled softly, showing a bright smile at all three of them. “Thank you for coming, Hilda. I’m sure you have volunteered for this spot considering that the Council would have wanted to send at least one member to oversee things.”

“Someone had to. I had no choice. All those wimps are better at managing things at home.” The rude valkyrja crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

It looked like Hilda was still going to play hard to approach and disinterested but Asterios and the girls knew perfectly well that she had most likely jumped in on the first occasion to come and watch over Bryn. No matter what Hilda said, actions spoke louder than words, and Bryn understood them perfectly. Asterios could sense his companion’s gratitude towards the grumpy lady through their connection.

“So, how are things looking?” Krev asked, stepping closer to the documents laid down on the round table.

They began a short meeting during which the three Commanders were filled in on the details Asterios and the others had already discussed amongst themselves. Of course, one more person joined the talks, which was Atra, who had traveled alongside the army on their way from Brage. The trio of experienced warriors introduced their thoughts and opinions on various aspects of the plan and began working on the best way to approach the battle that would break out when Tyr’s Aegis was activated.

After the meeting, Sidr took Asterios and the others to the barracks and the prepared district right next to them, where Tyr’s army had already arrived and started stationing. Skodul, Krev, and Hilda then urged them to meet with the soldiers so they could get to know each other a little better as the winged ladies had mostly heard about them from rumors and discussions about the War Games. Not everyone had witnessed their glorious fights.

Grea was more than thrilled to share tales about Asterios with anyone who was interested and they spent a few hours just chatting with the women alongside which they would be fighting soon. Asterios had to keep his unreserved mate in check so that Grea didn’t go into the more unnecessary aspects of their lives, and he had a feeling that she definitely would. The girls enjoyed the conversations they held with the winged ladies, learning many useful tips on how to deal with the Scourge.

After they were done, they decided to begin their part of the operation the next morning and started their final preparations. Asterios returned to Glimmervale for a moment to meet up with Endymion and pick up all the Runic Chips that the old enchanter had completed since his last visit. He stopped by Imadil’s smithy on the way back for some additional maintenance on his gear, switching with the girls when he returned. They were very careful not to step through the gate with too many of them.

During the night, they barely could sleep so they spent most of the time just lying in bed together and revising everything they had learned and discussed in the previous days. Generally, everyone felt quite good about the expedition. The only big unknown was Tyr’s Aegis, which was a crucial part of the entire thing, to be honest.

They were confident in getting to the bottommost floor but finding and activating the Aegis was a different matter. Bryn tried to remind everyone that their main goal was to look for hints about Ast’s past rather than focus on reclaiming the Spire, which was more of a side objective that would make quite some people happy if achieved. 

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He swiftly deflected that argument back at her by pointing out that they could look as much as they wanted after clearing the Spire out of all the monsters and activating the shield to keep the rest of the Scourge out for good. The girls quickly agreed and Bryn had nothing else to say. A gentle smile remained on her dainty lips until the very moment she fell asleep, and perhaps even longer.

Surprisingly, they woke up in a great mood. Every single person felt refreshed and well-rested. Asterios revealed that he had prepared a calming and rejuvenating technique before he dozed off as the last person and it must have had a much more beneficial effect than he had expected. Though, it shouldn’t surprise him that much considering the fact that his draconic energy strengthened many spells and abilities.

They dressed up, made last checks on all their gear, and left the house. All their important friends had already been waiting in the docks, reserved entirely just for their departure. Everyone wished them good luck and offered final bits of advice before Ast’s party jumped off the edge. He took Miria into his arms while all the other ladies traversed the sky by their own means.

Bryn led the group, using the magical compass they had received from the navigator in the docks. It was tuned to point straight to the Descending Spire and they had five minutes of flight before they reached the ruins of the city which had turned into Odin after the Cataclysm. Exactly after those five minutes passed, they cut through the blanket of clouds and came out on the other side.

They had seen glimpses of the lost capital in various paintings and images back in Odin and heard a lot about it from the valkyrjas who had the chance to be deployed on a mission in the ruins, but the sheer size of the now empty and abandoned metropolis caused Miria and Tina to gasp in awe. 

Unlike the ARKs, the surface city wasn’t made up of only golden and silver buildings, or metal structures in general. Depending on the area, the houses and other facilities had been constructed from different materials and minerals. 

On the very edge of the circular city, they could spot some remains of what must have been wood and stone buildings, now ruined completely with Scourge’s toxicity. Slightly closer to the center were houses, storages, warehouses, bars, and inns built from marble and a few other valuable rocks. They looked a little better but were still tainted with the Scourge’s touch. More metal structures began showing up close to the heart of the city, preserved in the best condition out of all the other segments. Still, the expensive metals had clearly lost a lot of their shine over the centuries of being exposed to sun and weather conditions.

To the left of the city, a huge crater was present in the earth, which undoubtedly was where the ARK that had become Odin had been constructed. It was hard to imagine but the valkyrjas from the past must have been incomparable to those in the current age to be able to move entire buildings and parts of the city and join them together into something new in a deep cavern under the ground. Asterios and the girls were able to point out the places where the materials had been taken from. It was a sight as astonishing as it was depressing.

But, the thing right in the very middle of the capital was no less impressive, even though most of it was clearly hiding underneath the surface. A massive, flat metal disc of what in the past must have been gold spanned over an area almost the size of an entire ARK. Twelve towers marked the edges of the impressive dais, all pointing towards a beautiful temple in the very middle, made of what must have been silver. It stood there proudly, awaiting visitors and challengers. Unfortunately, the only pilgrims it saw were the monsters of the Scourge.

“That must be the entrance to the Descending Spire,” Tina mused as they stopped in mid-air. “It doesn’t look like there’s a way to sneak in without being noticed. Most of the temple’s inner areas are visible from the outside through those massive columns.”

“Umbra can go first and then transfer Master inside, no?” Miria tilted her head cutely.

“The temple is definitely full of those fuckers too.” Grea spat to the side. “Any scuffle could potentially alert the entire swarm.”

“We will have to clear up its close vicinity a bit and fight our way in, most likely,” Asterios said. “We can utilize Bryn’s shield to take them on in smaller groups, getting rid of both the monsters inside and those close outside. What do you say?”

“That should work well. I’ll prevent any sounds from escaping the barrier. That will limit the number of monsters that notice our scuffle too.” The Valkyrie nodded and roamed her gaze over the area. “This is going to be hell to defend. Enemies will pour from all around and the battle will be fought on flat ground. There’s not much that our army can use to reinforce their positions.”

“I agree. But, at the same time, if they play it out smartly, they should be able to throw powerful magic at the Scourge without worrying about their teammates,” Silvia commented. “As long as their first line of defense isn’t broken.”

“We will just have to be super fast after we activate the Aegis!” Miria raised her fist into the air.

“It all depends on how long it will need to fully activate,” Grea added. “And if we will need to defend the reactor chamber. If not, we could always come up and lend the army a hand, if nothing fucks with Umbra’s Shadow Movement.”

“We shall cross that bridge when we get there.” Asterios sighed softly. “Let’s first get in without turning this into an endless horde.”

The girls nodded and they flew closer to descend onto the roof of the temple. It was flat and perfect for landing. A few monsters of the Scourge had somehow climbed up onto it and they all picked their targets from above before dropping from the air right onto the gray-skinned humanoids. Every single monster was dealt with at the same moment, as silently as possible.

Bryn unhurriedly prepared her barrier on the metal tiles beneath her feet and activated it. A faint golden shine accompanied the dome that appeared around the temple before it quickly faded away and the spiritual shield became almost fully transparent.

Some monsters obviously noticed the change and started poking its surface or taking inquisitive swings at it, but they didn’t immediately all rush to check on the weird shimmer together so things seemed almost perfect. Thankfully, it wasn’t spiritual energy that the Scourge used to track their targets with whatever senses they had besides hearing. Asterios was starting to believe more and more that they were sensitive to life.

Everyone made their preparations and exchanged glances before they stepped off the roof and plunged toward the ground. Same as earlier, they took down a few monsters by dropping onto them from above. But then, the carnage began.

Asterios didn’t want to risk it by being flashy so he paired up with Umbra and jumped around through the shadows while slicing the enemies with his artifact sword. Miria drew a little bit of her bloodline out and received her favorite sigil from her beloved master, assisting him in dealing with the monsters closest to the edge of the barrier. They worked together while wary of the almost undead army on the other side.

Tina and Silvia dealt with the few rings of opponents between the other duo and the temple. They both shaped deadly scythes with their respective elements and started running around the battlefield in a circle, each of them going in the opposite direction. That way, they cut through not only the enemies on their path but also those chasing after them whenever they passed each other.

While Bryn and Grea watched from above and reported to the others everything they saw, Selene tackled the area closest to the pillars making the entrance to the temple. Most of her enemies ran out of the ancient structure rather than come out of the surroundings. She controlled her strength and made use of her spiritual arts to shred the monsters into pieces so that she didn’t accidentally send any of them flying in a random direction, ruining their efforts to be moderately stealthy.

After Asterios, Miria, Tina, and Silvia got rid of the majority of their opponents, Bryn started making breaches in the barrier, letting the few monsters that had been banging on its surface in. Those were hastily dispatched too, and soon, no more of them remained in the close vicinity of the see-through barrier. Asterios and the girls could still spot quite a lot of the Scourge further away but those monsters weren’t currently their problem as long as they remained unaware of their presence.

They all regrouped with Selene and finished off the few remaining enemies still rushing out of the temple. To not tempt fate, Asterios and Silvia quickly incinerated the bodies after the fox lady piled them up right next to the entrance. Everyone had made sure to strike the vitals but they weren’t going to take any chances.

“Alright. The easiest part is behind us. Ready for the dance with death?” Grea grinned at them as they stood in front of the stairs to the temple.

“Master is amazing at dancing so it will be just as easy!” Miria cheered, making the others chuckle.

“Here goes nothing.” Asterios smirked. “Let’s get in before the other monsters somehow notice our life force. So far, Bryn’s barrier was doing great at hiding it but we shouldn’t tempt fate too much. It’s time to find some more answers.”

 

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