Chapter 97: Interlude – Unkown/Markion

Location Airus - Unknown 

Rage coursed through his veins as he stared down at the bowed heads of the two elves before him. These idiotic fools had almost cost him his hold over Airus, and turned one of this worlds gods against him. How did they ever think something so stupid would work? To scheme against a high priestess, in a world where the gods were real? Even if it was only in a virtual sense. 

“Do you have any idea of the damage you have caused? Months of planning, in the gutter, because you thought trying to usurp a god’s high priestess was a good idea.” 

“But daddy I…” Bianca started, but he cut her off with a glare. 

“Idiot girl, I don’t care for your reasoning! I left you in charge of operations here in Airus, and now you’ve destroyed everything your brother has built! Ivan is struggling to do damage control with the city chancellors, and people are flooding out of the city in waves!” He shouted, before turning to point a finger towards the second elf. “And you, nephew, have caused the most damage of all. If you’d reeled in your ego, and garnered the high priestess’s good will, we would have been able to coerce her to our side, or found means to remove her after you'd gained a position of power within the temple!” 

Turning away from the table, he paced across the room as he tried to find some way to turn this mess around in his favor. 

This new high priestess was not something he could overlook, she either needed to be brought to their side, or removed if his goals were to be achieved. He needed someone inside that temple, and clearly his nephew in his current avatar  would not be able to enter after what had occurred. Perhaps one of those his nephew had gathered to his side would be able to achieve what was needed. Either that, or it was time for the boy to create a new identity, and discard the now worthless form of Ge Hong. Yes, perhaps that would be best. 

 

 

Location Snake Canyon - Markion 

“Fucking Brotherhood scum,” Markion snarled. 

After a week of travel, they’d finally reached the canyons where the seven headed sand hydra was said to be located, only to find the Primordial Brotherhood camped out near its den. Fortunately, it appeared the other guild hadn’t been successful in bringing down the hydra. 

“The activity at the central tent has stopped, so it looks like the dead have finished reviving.” Corvus muttered, peering through a brass telescope to observe the enemy camp in the canyon below. “Chronos looks to be wounded, which means he’ll have a hard time escaping our trap.” 

“What’s the bet the hydra’s now got a few extra heads?” Markion grumbled, shuffling away from the edge, so he could stand without being seen by those below. Though, with it being almost midnight, he doubted they would have seen him, even if they’d been looking directly up at where they were.

“One with odds not in our favor I’d say.” The lion Bakeneko sighed, moving to join him. 

“This plan of yours better work,” He commented, brushing the sand off his fur. 

“If it fails, we can always just go with Kadia’s preferred method and blow it up.” Corvus teased. “I figured a swim was better than days digging our gains out of the rubble.” 

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Laughing, Markion nodded his head in agreement. His sister was becoming rather well known in the guild for her proclivity towards explosives, and fire. 

“Have you heard from her recently?” He asked, looking over at his friend with interest. 

“Yesterday morning,” Corvus murmured, and Markion narrowed his eyes as he noticed the smile curling over the lion bakeneko’s lips as he spoke. “She called to yell at me for giving Gregory, and Sigrid the prayer for direct disciples without asking her first.” 

Markion snickered, knowing full well how pissed his sister would have been at being blindsided with extra disciples. “You didn’t tell her you were recruiting the two first?” 

“Didn’t want to give her a chance to say no.” Corvus said with a grin. “They know not to bother her, and already have training as earth mages. Learning transmutation is purely to augment their abilities as earth mages.”

Markion shook his head in amusement as he moved to grab the heavy stone slab Corvus, and the two new transmuters had carved with one of their fancy circles. This was the last of twenty six stones which needed to be positioned around the top of the canyon where the brotherhood camped. Holding the stone upright, he held it steady as Corvus fused the earth around the stone's base so it would stand on its own without support. 

With the last stone put into position, Markion cupped his hands around his mouth, letting out a realistic sounding raptor cry to signal the two earth mages who were in place on opposite ends of the canyon. Upon hearing the signal, Gregory, and Sigrid had orders to erect a wall that would block off the canyon on either side. 

Excitement and anticipation sent Markion’s heart beating rapidly, as he waited for the signal that each mage had completed their first task. An answering cry sounded from the south end of the canyon, and was followed by a second from the north, each signaling the successful rising off the walls. 

Corvus’s transmutation amulet shone brightly in the darkness, as he pressed the three foot tall stone slab carved with the create water array. Water flowed out of the stone in a rush, and he watched as Corvus moved quickly away towards the next stone. Light flashed from the opposite side of the canyon, signaling that Gregory and Sigrid were also working their way along the line of stones, activating the water arrays as they went. 

Turning away from the edge of the canyon, Markion moved to the bush where they’d left the Brotherhood scouts tied up under a bush. 

“Time to rejoin your companions,” he chortled, lifting two of the wide eyed men up by the ropes which bound them, and tossing them over the edge down into the canyon below. The next three followed, and as he threw the last one, shouts could be heard from the brotherhood camp below. 

“It’s too bad Kads isn’t here,” Markion sighed, dipping a hand into the cool water, which was still gushing out of the stone. “We could have gone underwater treasure hunting together.”

Arms crossed over his chest, he watched as members of his guild appeared to stand around the top of the canyon, many holding bows ready to pick off the Brotherhood guild members who might try to climb up the sides to escape the rising water. He doubted many of the Brotherhood would drown, and didn't see the point in flooding the canyon beyond amusing themselves watching the other guild flail about, but he supposed it was a good test of the transmutation circles ability to produce large scale effects. 

If they could flood this canyon, then using the transmutation circles to fill the rooms they were constructing their ships in would be a simple task. They’d need to make sure their boats could float before trying to sail them out to sea, and testing the water array out here was better than accidentally flooding their entire compound. 

There was also the added chance of drowning the hydra in its den without worrying over having to battle it, thanks to Corvus sealing the entrance to its cave, with only a few gaps to allow the water to flow through. Though, It did mean there was a chance they’d not be able to absorb the mana from its death, but it was preferable to losing their own lives trying to kill it.