The pressure and the constant sense of being watched at the edge of his awareness slowly dissipated, but it soon became clear to Leon that the darkness magic polluting the air wasnât dissipating by any appreciable amount. Combined with the lingering sense of futility that the red eye had left him with, he just about collapsed in exhaustion right there in the center of Yu Nok Tor.
Tiraeses followed suit, seeming as affected by lingering thoughts of the red eye as Leon. The armored newcomer, on the other hand, was well enough to still be in the mood to speak.
âShiiiiit,â she murmured. âIâd almost given all knowledge of how much it kinda sucks to break one of these things to old MulitanâŠâ
âMulitan, Lord of Memory,â Tiraeses corrected, his exhaustion clearly not enough to make him forget the proper way to address his gods.
âWhatever you say, old man,â the newcomer said. Tiraeses just grunted and didnât otherwise respond.
After a moment of silence, during which Leon just sat there trying to clear his head, he asked the newcomer in a slow, deliberate cadence so that his azurian was intelligible, âSo, whatâs your name?â
The newcomer turned to him, her enormous suit of armor turning quite lightly and swiftly for its size. âMariâKha,â she replied.
âWell met. Iâm Leon Raime, from the plane of Aeterna. Heâs Tiraeses.â
âTiraeses,â Mari asked incredulously. âYou look like the Red-eyed Bitch is hovering over your shoulder, but your name is Tiraeses? Are you a child?â
Tiraeses grew more and more embarrassed with every word, and Leon didnât need to wonder whyâit was easy for him to forget since after more than a week, heâd internalized the word as referring to the old monk. But the word âtiraesesâ essentially meant ânobodyâ. Given the way that Mari responded, though, he wondered if he was missing some other cultural reference to the name.
âWise are the young, who respect their elders,â Tiraeses growled.
âDonât quote the Mandian Canticles at me, nellian.â
âIâm not old enough to be a nellian,â Tiraeses argued. âAnd I hope you remember disparaging me for my age when youâre older. Iâm not that much past middle age, kid, and the Red-Eyed One will come for you swifter than youâll ever hope for.â
âIn this gods-forsaken land, of course she will,â Mari muttered.
Eager to shift the topic away from what had started the argumentâthough Leon noted for the first time since Tiraeses had introduced himself to at some point ask the monk for his real nameâLeon said, âMariâKha, youâve destroyed these foci before?â
âI have,â Mari answered. âA bunch, actually. There was a big push out of the Blue Sky to try and stop this planar degradation, and me and my father were called up to help.â
âThe Kingdom of the Blue Sky yet exists?â Tiraeses excitedly asked.
Mariâs armor folded its arms and though Leon couldnât see the woman herself, he could practically see her trying to avoid eye contact.
âIn⊠in a way,â she hesitantly and quietly confirmed. âMost of the Mandian Lands are fucked. Like, gone.â The armor unfolded its arms and gestured to the ruins of Yu Nok Tor all around them. âLooks kinda like this city.â
âAnd King ArdâKhil?â Tiraeses pressed.
Mari hesitated even longer to answer, and when she did, her tone was halting and apologetic. âArdâKhil was taken by the Red-Eyed One more than twenty years ago. His brother, ArdâKhun has run the Kingdom since. Or⊠until last month, anywayâŠâ
Tiraeses paled when Mari reported the death of the King and sat down in shock. Mari didnât add anything more, so the silence dragged on for several seconds until Leon decided to break it.
âWhy donât you tell us more?â he asked. âIâm obviously from Aeterna, not Arkhnavi, and my friend here has been living further west for some time, so neither of us are in the know about the current situation in the Mandian Lands. I donât suppose you could fill us in?â
Mariâs armor shifted, but after a moment, she replied, âSure, Iâll tell ya what I know. But⊠this is actually a little uncomfortable, so let meâŠâ
The armor kneeled with more grace than its thirty-foot frame seemed to allow, and then the armorâs chest plating opened like the petals of a flower, revealing the armorâs interior. Leon found himself looking at Mari herself, sitting in a seat with wide armrests covered in a dense web of runic control enchantments. Mari hardly waited until the armor finished opening before unstrapping herself from the seat and leaping down, showing Leon that the back of the chair had a large black crystal set right about where the base of Mariâs skull would rest when piloting the huge suit of armor.
Mari herself was a bit on the short side, and had a paler skin tone than Tiraeses, giving her a more peach-colored skin than the monkâs orange. She was lithe and fit, and dressed in an almost skintight all-black one-piece suit, while around her neck was a silver neckpiece that had a black crystal on the back that would touch the crystal in her armor when she sat in it. Most surprising to Leon, though, was her apparent ageâhe doubted she was older than twentyâand her sixth-tier aura.
âYou⊠are a lot younger than I expected,â Leon said.
âDidja think I was a granny?â Mari asked with a smile and a wink. âI may be a young bitch, but the Ulta suit I built is more powerful than three Ultian pilots thrice my age!â
âYou built this⊠âUltaâ suit?â Leon asked, nodding at the armor.
Mari grinned. âSure did, Lele.â Her grin faded slightly, though, and she added, âMy dad⊠he, uh⊠well, I mean, itâs based on his designs. He was the best Azurian Ulta smith this side of⊠anywhere, I should think. I learned all I know from him.â
âYour father sounds like an amazing man,â Leon said appreciatively, noting her hesitation to speak of him, and his absence even though she told him not long ago that she and her father had participated in the Kingdom of the Blue Skyâs recent push.
âBy Mandious, Lord of All in Heaven,â Tiraeses interjected, âtell me of the Kingdom. Tell me of the Blue Sky.â
Mari sighed, her eyes bouncing from the monk to Leon and back again several times. Finally, she launched right in. âShitâs been going to shit for a long time,â she explained.
âSeventy years,â Tiraeses murmured.
âLonger than that, but not that much,â she corrected. âThe Blue Sky have been trying to stem the tide, but they did it alone. The Red Sky was like, ânahâ, whenever the Blue Sky was like, âwe should ally.â And those idiots in the Silver Hall were like, âewww, why would we do something that would actually help people, so gross!â So when all the shit went down, the Blue Sky was like, on its own. And we stayed on our own for like, forever. Cities were lost, borders were thrown back, all that. Much ruin and desolation.â
âYou speak of it so casually,â Tiraeses quietly complained.
Mari smiled bitterly at him. âDonât take it to mean I donât care, old man.â
âPlease,â Leon interposed before they could start an argument, âcontinue.â
Mari glared at Tiraeses before doing as Leon requested. âWhen all the darkness and stuff was able to get past the Blue Skyâs borders and reach the Red Sky, those dumb bitches finally realized that they were fucked unless they made the alliance the Blue Sky had been asking for. They still dragged their feet, like, ânoooo, weâd rather all die than do the right thiiiiiing!!!â But finally, finally, they got their heads out of their asses and allied. Their Princess married ArdâNara, ArdâKhilâs son, and ArdâKhunâs heir. There was a biiig party celebrating the union of the Two Skies, and then we went to war.â
She paused and grimaced for just a moment, but Leon noticed.
âWe⊠got our asses handed to us, really. I think this was⊠five years ago? We lost most of our Ultian pilots in that last push. My father had retired years ago after designing a bunch of Ultas for the army, but he decided to build more back home. My Ulta suitâand hisâwas the result of this work. When the call came that some new people arrived and a new offensive was being planned, he and I were conscripted. We didnât want to go, but the officer was like, âitâs a matter of life and death for the Two Skies, youâre coming with us or weâll put you to death for desertion.â Dick.â
âThese ânew people,ââ Leon said, âwere they from other planes?â
âYeah!â Mari exclaimed. âUuh, I think it was two tenth-tier mages? They came all swaggering in and looking to get to Tell Kirin, and I can get why the Two Skies thought that they had a better chance with them on our side.â
âDo you know which ones?â Leon asked.
âUmmm, no? I only saw them once, they werenât asking to meet me. Kinda stuck-up bitches, really.â
Leon nodded and called upon what little light magic he knewâwhich was still more than the earth magic he knewâto project the profiles of the ten mages sent ahead of him that Ambrose had shown him.
âCan you point them out?â
Mari stared at the profiles, and when she wrinkled her nose like sheâd caught a whiff of something rotten, he knew sheâd recognized at least one.
âThis one,â she said, pointing to the profile of a middle-aged woman with bright orange hair, dark blue skin, and scars on her face. The profile gave her a neutral expression, but Mari said, âIâd recognize that bitch anywhere. Walked around like she pissed old Mandyâs holy oils.â
Tiraeses strangled off a cry of complaint.
âThis one, too,â she said, pointing to the portrait of a handsome dark-skinned man with short black hair. âHe wasnât publicly dicky to anyone, at least.â
Leon nodded. âQueen Larkoina, from Discaria, and First Man of the People Alle Kon Harae, from Neustaria.â
âMakes sense she was a fuckinâ Queen,â Mari grumbled. âSo, yeah, they came down, and the Two Skies were like, âwe can finally do something! By the Motherâs great swinginâ tits!ââ
âMust you blaspheme with every breath?!â Tiraeses complained.
âYes,â she replied with a challenging smile. Without waiting for him to respond, she continued. âWe formed the last army we could, pooling all of our resources. All who could be conscripted, were, and then we were off! We⊠well, we took a buncha cities, butâŠâ She paused and her voice hitched before she kept going. âWe⊠lost a buncha people, too⊠ArdâKhun among them. My dad⊠tooâŠâ
Leon sighed in commiseration, and as she choked back some tears. He walked over and laid his hand on her shoulder as she visibly shuddered with effort to control herself. After a few seconds, she managed to calm herself down.
âSorryâŠâ she murmured.
âNo need to be,â Leon responded. âI understand well the pain of losing oneâs father.â
She gave him a sympathetic look before taking a few more seconds to steady herself.
âThis⊠this war made progress, but we still got shafted in the end. We lost too many retaking cities, destroying their crystal thingies in the center, and then moving on. The Blue Sky was never made whole, and the effort failed. Around Tell CeâTir, we were met by the largest dark army Iâd ever seen. Monsters stretched as far as the eye could see. We were surrounded and crushed. I barely got away thanks to my Ulta⊠thanks to the engine my dad designed.â
Leon glanced at the suit again, a slight smile on his face. He desperately wanted to study it, but he sensed that this was the wrong moment to ask.
âWhat can you tell me about these foci?â he asked as he gestured at the place where the purple crystal was once.
âNot much,â she answered. âThat red ball was new. Iâve helped to break them before, and theyâve always kinda made me sick when they shattered, but this one was kinda intenseâŠâ
Leon cocked an eyebrow. The eye showed itself for⊠him? Or was there something special about this particular focus?
âHow did you come this far west?â Tiraeses inquired a little interrogatively.
Mari scowled at him for a moment before answering, âThe ways back home were blocked. I ran westward. Had to stop a few times to charge my batteries, but the monsters⊠the monsters chose to go northeast instead of follow meâŠâ
âTo the remnants of the Kingdom of the Blue Sky,â Tiraeses whispered. âMay the brothers of war, Valiant Ashatar and Strong Ashagon be with them.â
âInvoke the gods all you want, old man, it wonât change anything,â Mari bitterly spat.
Tiraeses glared at her, but again, Leon headed off a potential conflict before it could arise.
âLet people take comfort in whatever they wish in times of great need,â he said. âFor now, I need to get to Tell Kirin. MariâKha, will you accompany me to the Mandian Lands?â
Mari stared at him like he was crazy, but to his relief, didnât immediately turn him down. âI⊠thatâs a real ask there, Lele. Youâre cute, but are you cute enough to follow into the devilâs den?â She gave him a quick scan, her eyes rolling all over his body. âHmm. HmmmmmâŠ.â
âYouâre going to let the fate of Arkhnavi depend on someoneâs looks?â Tiraeses asked in disbelief.
âYes,â she nonchalantly replied, her eyes never leaving Leon. He wasnât sure whether her reply was serious or just intended to get under Tiraesesâ skin. After spending a good few seconds evaluating Leon, she said, âMy dad was eager to see this through. For his sake, Iâll join you. I didnât much like the idea of running away to die in some forgotten corner of the plane all that endearing, anyway. Iâd rather face the Red-Eyed Bitch herself than have the bitch run me down.â
âCurb your blasphemy,â Tiraeses growled.
âNo,â she replied, though this time Leon was sure she wasnât being too serious.
âGreat,â Leon said with a wide smile. âIâll certainly be encouraged to have someone else join us.â
âWe invite the godsâ wrath with one as impious as her joining us,â Tiraeses argued.
âWe have less than nine months before this plane is destroyed,â Leon retorted.
âHuh? What the fuck?!â Mari responded.
âWe need all the help we can get,â Leon finished.free novelkiss.com
Tiraeses scowled deeply, causing so many wrinkles to appear on his face that he started to appear as old as Mari claimed he was in her teasing.
âIâm sure we donât need her,â the monk stated. âThe Red-Eyed One will stalk our path because of this.â
âHey!â Mari shouted. âNo that bitch wonât, and what the fuck is this about Arkhnavi being destroyed?!â
Leon jumped in before Tiraeses could get too heated, cutting the monk off as he was taking a deep breathâreadying himself to launch into a legendary castigation, Leon was sure.
âArkhnavi is part of a planar cluster called the Divine GraveyardâŠâ Leon explained, quickly filling Mari in on the most important pieces of information, such as the Grave Wardens, who was sent, why they were sent, and the costs of failing in their task.
âSo,â Mari said, looking like she was reeling from all that Leon shared, âif we fail, then all these other âGrave Wardensâ will destroy Arkhnavi? Because we have devilsâPrimal Devilsâburied beneath the ground here?â
âYes,â Leon confirmed.
Mari stared at him for a long moment, then simply said, âFuck.â A look of existential dread began to slowly spread across her face.
âItâs important that we reach Tell Kirin,â Leon said. âMy method for getting off this plane was⊠ineffective at its only job. The only way I can think of that we might be able to escape would be by reaching Qo Weylekhâs palace at the center of Tell Kirin. There might be some way to get off Arkhnavi there, and Iâll be able to report to my Grave Warden whatâs been happening here. Heâd probably be able to fix it all with a wave of his hand. And, lest we forget, any other mages sent by the other Grave Wardens will be heading that way, too.â
Leon paused a moment and gave Mari a significant look.
âLarkoina and Alle Kon Harae. Did they survive that final battle?â
Mari frowned. âI didnât see âem fall, but if they survived itâs because the bitches ran away or were captured. The⊠the âdevilsâ won the battle that day.â
Leon nodded. âWeâll assume theyâre gone. That means there are still eight other mages from the other planes unaccounted for. If weâre lucky, we might run into them at some point. Our chances of reaching Tell Kirin will be greater together.â
âWe had two and an entire army,â Mari riposted.
âAnd you escaped,â Leon pointed out. âThree people can move a lot faster and more nimbly than an army. Weâre also not trying to take and hold territory. That means we can skip centers of Devilish power wherever we can.â He paused and gave Tiraeses a look. âWeâre going to have to update our path. No swinging around to check up on the Kingdom of the Blue Sky. From here, weâre heading as straight for Tell Kirin as we can.â
Tiraeses looked like he wanted to argue, but after a few seconds with his mouth hanging open, he simply closed it and nodded.
âThank you,â Leon said. He glanced at his two comrades. âWe may not be the best companions for each other, but weâre all we have. Letâs not let any petty rivalries or potential dislike for one another get in the way of our mission. The mages from the other planes may all be dead, and we know the Kingdom of the Blue Sky failed to solve this. All of Arkhnavi may be depending on us. The entire plane may be resting upon our shoulders. So letâs try and keep the peace between us.â
He fixed Mari in his golden gaze. âTry to refrain from blasphemy. Please. You may have problems with the gods of Arkhnavi, but they mean a lot to Tiraeses. There are other ways to express frustration.âfr(e)ewebn(o)vel
Mari took a deep breath while glaring at Tiraeses. She then gave him a thin-lipped smile and turned back to Leon. âFine. Fine. I can hold my tongue if some thin-skinned people canât handle me.â
âThatâs all I ask,â Leon said. He then glanced at Tiraeses. He didnât say anything to the monk, but he was hoping he wouldnât have to.
âIf she does not take the godsâ names in vain,â Tiraeses said, âif she keeps a lid on her blasphemy, then I can tolerate her, Mother Above grant me strength.â
Mari snorted derisively but didnât say anything.
âGreat,â Leon exclaimed. âNow, MariâKha, since you have the most experience dealing with all of this, I hope youâre willing to give us more information on what we might be facingâŠâ
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