Icarus Awakens

Daniel stood at the back of the group next to Khiat as they walked onto the stonework of the Eye of the Spires. Surprisingly, there’d been a hole in the Shroud directly around where the landing connected to the central platform. No one there was sure if that section was normally excluded from the siege ward, but neither did they have the chance to turn away if it was a trap. Ahead, there were only a few people. Two by the large fountain in the center, where an absence of littered sand from the storm made it clear a separate Shroud was protecting it. Three stood between it and Wings of Craft.

Of the five, Identify Creature worked on three of them.

Claret Sosa - (Human)

-

Bennar Hammerson - (Human)

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Aucrest Seliri - (Avianoid, Unconscious)

Aucrest was behind the shield with who they presumed to be Casia. As for the fifth? That’s the battle form of Rasalia, Lograve sent telepathically. They were far enough that normal people shouldn’t be able to hear quiet conversation, but they weren’t taking chances. Gods. They must have taken her out earlier.

This is all they have left? Evalyn had her accordion out, still the same one she’d carried in the Thormundz. She wasn’t playing anything though. No one was doing anything that might provoke a fight. Neither were the three outside the barrier moving closer, they were waiting as well. I’m assuming those two have powerful items, but if that’s Rasalia’s zombie it shouldn’t be as dangerous as she was.

Hmm. Metal feathers. That will be hard to get through. Tak seemed hesitant, Gadriel only adding more concern.

We should be prudent in remembering Rasalia was a more talented Hero than I. Even if her other powers are beyond her, the Iron Ravager’s body will be difficult to return to its rest in that state.

Daniel was just staring at Claret. Be careful with her. One of her rings can suppress magic. I don’t know how far it goes, but probably not farther than a normal room. He gritted his teeth, remembering what she had tried to do. Daniel wasn’t scared. No, he was feeding that part of Hunter inside of him. Are we killing them?

I think you spent too much time in Hunter earlier.

Lograve, focus. Evalyn took a few deep breaths. They’re doing something inside that fountain. I can’t tell what but that barrier is part of it. Should we be concerned about invisible enemies?

There are no scents, Hunter commented. I see no movements in the sand on the ground. Could be flying.

That’s the Council. Khiat’s hand shook as the other clenched her bow. They’re working with the enemy!

Don’t take out your anger until after we engage, Khiat. If you can land a Pinning Shot on Rasalia go for it, the others will probably have protective items. Evalyn tapped the side of her instrument with her fingers. Go with our standard formation. Gadriel joins the front, Lograve in the middle. Stop about 30 meters out if they just let us walk up, maybe you can get something out of them Lograve. We know there’s at least one item with them that can unleash a powerful ranged attack and I don’t want us getting caught in that magic suppression field. Daniel nodded at that, again focused on Claret. She had been all too eager to try and make a slave out of him. He very rarely felt murderous intent towards anyone, but the fact that she was here standing in their way gave him no guilt at all for indulging in those dark thoughts.

Even with those items, we have better attributes, Evalyn continued. We’re faster than the old woman at least. Keep to range. If it works like normal suppression then powers triggered outside of it that target her should work if they’re not entirely magical. Tak, I want you and Hunter to focus Rasalia. Everyone else, if we get a chance to talk, be ready to surprise volley Claret out the gate.

With that, she started walking forward. The winged boots weren’t on, despite the advantage flight would give. They were too new to trust in this battle. Tak, Hunter, and Gadriel walked faster to advance upfront. Following the formation they’d practiced, Khare stuck to the middle, Khiat to the far back, and Daniel somewhat between them. Finally, Lograve joined the loose cluster in the center with Evalyn.

The three outside of the barrier let them approach. Only Rasalia was completely still, held back from fighting by whatever was controlling her body. Claret was checking the rings covering her withered fingers while Bennar, looking the most normal out of all of them, simply gazed off into the distance while they approached. Daniel had a strange sense of resignation from the way he was carrying himself. Casia ignored all of this, staring up intently at the fountain her husband was propped against. He was still alive, given his aura, though he appeared unconscious.

“I don’t believe we have met,” Bennar said as Gadriel stopped. Those in the back spread out but didn’t get closer than he was. “Claret has had a face to face with one of you, as I am aware. And I recognize the Arcanist. Interesting that you have made it here, and with so few. I thought Farthest Run would make it here first after they breached the Sun Spire, or any of the spire guard for that matter. It’s just you?” The man did not at all talk like he was expecting a fight. Or, maybe it was that he wasn’t afraid of one.

This sounds like a trap, Daniel thought to the others.

Or he’s too arrogant. Lograve, you’re up.

Prompted by Evalyn, the Arcanist raised his voice. “We’d hoped Farthest Run would find you while we handled this. If we’d known we were picking up their slack we would have extended an invitation. First, I must ask, how can you stand on that side with a desiccated old corpse, and Rasalia’s body, and not re-evaluate the decisions that led you here?”

Claret flared at that. “Silence! You are one to talk, impudent mage, with a beast on yours as well as a weed!” She gave Khare a greater look of disgust than Hunter and continued, “Mistakes, all of them. Things we will be rid of in the new order.”

Killing, Khare’s mental voice rang out.

Yes, Daniel agreed, before Evalyn admonished all of them to not provoke until the last moment.

Bennar seemed to want to delay a fight as well. “Claret, mind yourself. As for the rest of you, we are approaching a conflict I see no way to avoid. Regrettable, but we are committed or, at least, I am. I’ve been working with Casia since the start, while Claret was forced to join or suffer the results of her actions without any protection.”

“Snake.” Claret briefly committed friendly fire before turning his attention back to Lograve.

“In defense of myself, I will simply say this. I want to live forever. I knew from childhood I’d never rise to great heights in levels.” He shook his head sadly. “It is not just that I had to refuse a class to maintain my position. There isn’t one for someone like me. The paths to power are set by the gods and focused in limited directions. Moral and historical reasons aside, when this is over we will preside over the new order and make the Octyrrum into a better, greater world than the gods ever could.”

It’s arrogance and insanity, Evalyn concluded. Good for us. Get ready to hit them on my mark.

“Not that I don’t disagree,” Lograve said, “But what makes you think you can win? You’re outnumbered and out-experienced, assuming that zombie is similar to the others.”

Bennar frowned at the odd word while Claret ignored it entirely. “Upstarts! Our legacy will more than match whatever feeble power you possess. I stand upon centuries of history dominated by the Sosa line. If you think-”

Now. Evalyn started playing Song of Valor in that moment, prioritizing group enhancement over the self-empowering investiture power, while everyone else attacked. Lograve was fastest as he just needed to manipulate his ice, followed by Gadriel’s sword, Daniel’s gauntlet bows, and Khare being a volley by themself. Called Shot was activated to provide its ambiguous damage bonus after Daniel had fired, which ideally would be overkill against an old woman with no levels.

Claret just cackled as each and every attempt to harm her bounced off an invisible barrier a few centimeters from her skin. Lograve’s attack didn’t even do anything, the ice slipping from his control about five meters out from the woman. Likewise, the Scatter Shot Daniel had attempted to pull off was nullified. Though he had initiated the ability outside her sphere, and didn’t need to actively channel mana on that ability, her suppression prevented it from activating on target.

It was made clear this wasn’t the Shroud, as multiple gems inset in rings began growing brighter. Her eyes opened wide as Khiat’s arrow came at her. This wasn’t one of the ones Daniel had made, it was one of the few ancestral arrows she still carried. Despite not being enchanted or affected by any power, they bore through most targets and had never chipped. Claret didn’t know this, but it was still a projectile that was almost as large as she was moving faster than all the others.

The shield of the former Council member proved an exception to the general rule of things Khiat shot as it deflected the arrow, though it had folded in slightly before managing the feat. Claret had to take a half step back as some of the force had been passed onto her, but only to a very minor degree. Otherwise, she was unharmed.

Tak and Hunter’s Mirror Strike was the last to land. They had targeted Rasalia, who now looked like a cross between a fighter jet and a bird with wings coming out of her back rather than merging with her arms. The four blurred lines came together on the still unmoving metal zombie, sparks flying when the attack made contact.

Both had chosen to remain in the positions they’d started in once the attack ended, an option they’d gained when the attack upgraded. The blood coming from both of their forelimbs was a testament to how that had been a very bad idea. Tough, was all Hunter said.

It’s a level 5 all-purpose combat form, Lograve noted. That this conversion process preserves changes to the body likely means it is permanent, or else it would have already worn off.

I don’t like how that went. Daniel, could you open a hole in that center area? Evalyn asked, tensed as everyone was for what they expected to come next. We could try stealing Aucrest to see if that does anything.

Before Daniel could answer, Claret made her move. Pointing a finger, she activated the ring of lancing an Artificer-Tyrant had once made towards the Artificer of today before he could reload his bows. Abandoning the small cranks, he used Dodge Roll. Moments after he left the space, a beam of energy half a meter in diameter scorched the air. It impacted the Shroud around the Sun Spire, managing to break through at the cost of most of its intensity.

Fuck! Daniel breathed rapidly for a few moments before he collected himself. No. One of us needs to jump over to the other to open the Shroud. We can’t abandon our bodies, even for a second.

…

While the rest focused on other threats, Gadriel moved to occupy Bennar. The Lord continued to prove he was not the same type of person as Claret as he moved to answer the challenge. Rather than fire a beam, he summoned a spectral sword and shield with markings unlike any he had seen before. “The regalia of Armafus,” Bennar commented as if answering Gadriel’s internal question, looking at his equipment introspectively. “I always found it interesting that my family kept these. His mark never truly left us. Hero, I think we are well suited for each other.”

Gadriel didn’t immediately jump at the invitation, but did eye the man with less hostility than Claret or Rasalia. “Sir, this is not the time for a duel.”

“I am not asking for one.” Gadriel nodded in understanding, throwing his sword at Bennar while closing the distance. The Lord knocked away the sword with his shield, it not meeting any apparent barrier on the way. At other times Gadriel could have retrieved his weapon from his surroundings and continued fighting despite that seeming implausible, though now he chose to allow one of his hidden powers to show its full might. Gadriel’s sword, knocked away from the Hero, disappeared in midair and rematerialized in the Hero’s hand.

Gadriel also began channeling Momentous Strikes, which counted the attacks he made by throwing his sword toward the building combo. Whether the attack did any damage or not didn’t matter, only that it hit something. He was slightly thrown off by a jolt of electricity from Claret, though the energy attack was far weaker than the initial one. That ring may have been made by Arpan, whose own work couldn’t compete with the legacy of Armafus. It still hurt, but Gadriel’s high endurance and own natural willpower easily took the blow.

That wasn’t to say Bennar was the only one receiving outside assistance. Evalyn redirected Khare’s knives and bows towards the Lord, seeing no obvious barrier or impenetrable steel skin to block them. Faced with the new threat a barrier still failed to appear, but Bennar managed to dodge a series of staggered attacks while fending off Gadriel’s thrown sword. It wasn’t until the Hero had reached the Lord to recreate his duel with Heldren when he figured it out.

“Your suit,” he grunted, as Bennar ducked one of his swings and completely reset Momentous Strikes, putting it on cooldown. As a talented level 3 Hero who had managed to advance all six of his attributes following the battle against the Lightning Dragon, Gadriel could move faster than normal people could follow when he really tried. Bennar wasn’t dodging him, his clothing was. The Lord was just pulled along with them out of the way. The sleeve of his left arm also aided in blocking, although it did nothing to help him swing his sword unless it was to parry.

“Yes. It is my favorite of my legacy.” Bennar’s sword connected with Gadriel’s shield, cutting through both the weaker enchantment and the top third as the Hero saved the arm holding it. “Not the strongest of it though. These are paired items, each level 6.” He swung his sword again, forcing Gadriel to step back. In the pause, he continued with an almost weary tone. “If you win, take them. And this ring.” He indicated one that seemed made of sandstone with hanging from his neck, uneven edges making an odd overall shape. It was far larger than it should be to fit on human fingers. “Give it back to the duskers. They’ll know what it is.”

The Hero mentally prepared himself to face a truly difficult opponent, but didn’t engage immediately. A doubt was beginning to eat at him. “Why tell me this?”

“Because I think you’ll find your way onto our side by the time you can use them. If not, then at least it is only fitting you take them. Spoils of victory.”

Gadriel tossed down his broken shield, keeping the hand free. “Just, I suppose. You owe me at least that.” He then charged back into the fight.

…

I think Gadriel has Bennar handled for now, Evalyn observed as she continued her command duties. Not needing to vocalize along with her song to distribute the effects effectively allowed her to focus on it, as playing her familiar music was second nature. This did weaken the buff slightly, but it was a net gain in group strength given everyone else could focus on what they were doing. With Rasalia chasing Tak and Hunter we’re free to engage Claret. Khare, target her again. I don’t know if we can hit Bennar unless we’re all trying. A mark appeared and flashed red on the Lady courtesy of Daniel, just in case Khare didn’t fully understand the order.

Rasalia will grow smarter, Hunter warned. The ringcat had experience with prolonged fights against this kind of undead, the only one in the group in fact. In most other cases the zombies had died too quickly and hadn’t been ‘trained’ beforehand. I- The ringcat disappeared from reality for a second as he used Flash Jaunt, the move necessary to avoid the ring of lancing. It had taken less than a minute to recharge. Nevermind. Kill that one first.

That is a potent shield. Lograve had switched it up, forming shields of ice to give people cover from Claret’s attacks. The magic unleashed by her rings went straight through, but it could at least conceal his allies. Most of her other items appear to fire more typical magical attacks. It’s a shame we can’t just wait for her to die of old age.

It’s even blocking my arrows and Daniel’s explosions! Khiat looked ready to snap her bow in half in frustration. Anger was better than fear in this case, but neither would help in the long run. Nothing I’m doing is working!

Evalyn stepped in. Khiat, keep calm. If we can’t break the shield, we get around it. Hunter, I want to try something. Give us a tune. The ringcat obligingly roared, infusing the sound with mana to create a fear effect. Claret’s face twinged for a second before she laughed.

“You don’t seem to understand, young fools. You can’t touch me!” She pointed her ring of lancing a third time towards Khiat. “Burn, weed!” There was little warning of the attack other than a bright red flash on Claret’s hand, which forced everyone to keep track of the Lady at all times or else be taken by surprise. Evalyn shouted a warning for good measure, but that did little. Compared to the other two targeted so far, Khare did not have any mobility or evasion powers. Worse, their kind was naturally weak to fire which the ring of lancing was elementally attuned to. Khare was directly in the crosshairs of the ring when it fired.

Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw the beam intercept his friend. His would-be scream of anguish died when he saw what had happened. Khare had shifted their form to create a gap within themselves to allow the beam to pass through. The vines closest to where the blast had gone through were still singed from the cast off heat, but the parts of him that would have been annihilated from direct contact were spared. Better yet Khare wasn’t set on fire, which would have been very hard to save the gestalt from. That just left Daniel mentally asking, How?, since he knew that was where earth gestalt kept the knots of vines intrinsic to their being.

Khare replied somewhat simply. Topology. A quick look at the expanded part of what Identify Creature showed what they meant, viewable only because Khare willingly shared the information.

Khare – (Gestalt: Earth, Martialist - 2)

Active Features:

...

• Improved Topology

...

That’s a power? That’s a weird power. Daniel looked back to where Claret was also expressing shock and surprise and attempted a Snap Shot at her face. The shield flared up as normal, but the old woman flinched away from the shot as it brought her back into the present. Bennar was at least trusting in his defensive artifacts, but Claret would have died in moments without hers. Awesome power. I’ll have to look it up later.

Khare, retreat if you’re too injured. Evalyn fired off a Songbolt as she changed to Lightfoot Song. It was a lower level effect but prioritized speed over the other’s diverse if shallow enhancement. Claret’s ring of lancing was by far the most immediate threat. Still, everyone involved couldn’t shake the feeling that Bennar was holding back by dueling with Gadriel, who was most suited to directly fight him. Lograve, Daniel, any ideas on Claret?

Daniel looked at the old woman and had several thoughts flash through his head. Plasma pistol? Poison gas? Or- no, it absorbs shock energy. Sumo wrestling? That last one was garbage but he had to ask. What if we tried to roll her over the edge of the Eye?

That shield likely isn’t tangible, Lograve cut off the doomed plan at the knees. Pushing on it would just get you in range of those rings and the power suppression. They’re more effective up close, no doubt.

And they go through her shield no problem. One-way force fields are bullshit.

That’s legendary enchanting for you. Maybe you should complain less and work on making us some of- Lograve’s jibe was cut off as he was selected as the next target for the ring of lancing. Claret had to be using it just as it recharged. Daniel again feared for one of his friend’s lives. Lograve hadn’t shown any potent dodging abilities thus far and the Scatter Teleport he’d heard about requiring charging up. It turned out all the Arcanist needed was good old Aquakinesis, as he created a track of ice as he dove to escape the beam. That and the shield he was keeping between him did enough. It did cost him some of his material to evaporation, limiting his overall potential with that feature. Now, if we are talking absurd, it is the frequency of that ring. Where is all that mana coming from?

She has to have another item providing it, Daniel realized. Legacy-grade or whatever. I mean, look at all those rings.

You have an idea? Evalyn asked, having followed the conversation while playing her instrument, keeping track of her own position in the battle, and watching for any unexpected changes to call out. Something she probably wouldn’t have been able to do before, but a month of leading the team had improved her multi-tasking dramatically.

If I’m right, the strain on that power-generating one goes from high to low once the ring of lancing’s charged, then right back to high whenever she fires it. Daniel was mostly guessing here, not at all having the level of magical knowledge to back up his claims despite being an Artificer himself. No, this was all based on the assumption that Claret’s mana-generating item, which she frankly had to have to power the ring of lancing, had the equivalent of a fuse box. Create a lot of demand all at once and you could trip a fuse. It could handle the sudden drain from the fire ray ring clearly, but what if- We should all-out attack her during, or just after she uses the ring of lancing. It may give us an opening.

Worth a shot, Evalyn acknowledged. She’s giving us plenty of opportunities. Khiat, do you have any ancestral arrows left?

Two. The archer had gotten herself relatively under control as the battle progressed, falling into rhythm with the rest of the team. She had had a month of experience too. As a subordinate and not a leader, true, but the time spent with them had helped bring her back from the brink and forged relationships that had the potential for bonds down the road. Do you want me to use both?

Yes. We hit her with our best shots next round. Tak and Hunter, you too. I’m willing to risk leaving Rasalia unattended for a moment if it takes her out. Evalyn fired another Songbolt at Bennar, her only real target, as she switched back to Valor Song. If this doesn’t work, be ready to run. We’re potentially exposing whoever she targets. If it does work, don’t let Bennar get to her body or we’re just giving him those rings.

Wings of Craft waited out the next minute. Gadriel continued to hold his own against Bennar, though he had to focus everything on defense. Tak and Hunter did the same with Rasalia, but the former Commander was growing faster and smarter by the second. Claret’s shield made her truly uncontested and required the majority of the group’s attention, meaning they couldn’t break either stalemate. Evalyn, overseeing the battle, knew they only had a couple of chances before they’d be forced to retreat.

…

The time came when Claret’s ring flashed bright red. Bolts, arrows, and a rock Lograve had found flew out while Khiat used her ability and the two ancestral arrows in her hand merged. Then she heard Evalyn’s voice in her head. Khiat, she’s targeting you! There wasn’t time for more as the ring prepared to fire.

She could get away, she knew she could. One of Khiat’s five awakened powers was Mobility, an active ability that allowed her to burn mana to increase her speed and the flexibility of her joints. She didn’t do that. She couldn’t. Her home was under attack by the very people meant to lead them, the ones meant to follow the will of the gods. They had lied to her, to everyone in Aughal for so long. They were just as bad as the Tyrant. Yes, she was still angry, but she was controlling it. And she wasn’t going to let them get away with what they’d done.

Khiat activated Hunter’s Eye as she knocked the combined arrow, improving her aim and adding a slight amount of additional damage. She didn’t need to think to aim. Her target was unmoving on a flat plane less than 50 meters from her. The dusker had practiced hitting the thin necks of sesels from across the dunes. Even Daniel with Snap Shot would have needed a second or two to position correctly. Khiat didn’t need or have that time.

Her Hunter’s Eye-empowered Double Shot flew out, and the moment the arrow cleared her bow she bent forward while locking together her shell. Something burned across her back, scorching the flesh where it was exposed, but the ring of lancing had missed yet again. It had to be said that Claret had the worst aim of anyone here. If she tried to lead her target or time her use of the ring for an opportune moment, this would have gone far worse for Wings of Craft. She had even aimed at Khiat’s center of mass. The normally tall dusker had managed to avoid the majority of the attack by shrinking down and huddling the ground, reducing her to a fourth of her full height.

Khiat’s attack made a bigger impact. It was the second to last to land, still hitting within a few seconds of the others. The massed volley did noticeably weaken the invisible barrier, the doubled arrow bowing far further in than her initial shot. To her great relief the arrow didn’t break, for if the shaft split she’d lose one of the arrowheads. They only split apart again if the entire arrow survived, making this ability very risky for her treasured ammunition.

Just before the arrow was thrown away by the shield, there was a burst of light and a cry of pain. While the ring providing Claret’s shield functioned perfectly, it and others actively used mana to produce greater effects than a passively enchanted item could provide. The drawback became clear as the strain on the mana ring grew too high. A dozen rings scattered to the floor as one of their brethren exploded, taking that finger and one of its neighbors with it. Claret snatched up each one and started jamming them back on, her fingers already regrowing while a ring on the other hand glowed green.

Go for the kill! Evalyn’s voice came through just before Tak and Hunter activated Mirror Strike. Their twinned versions appeared on the other side, far enough away from any of the three enemies that Khiat guessed that’s where they’d choose to appear afterward. Rasalia still chased them, and returning to that spot would just let the zombie catch up.

She held her breath as the four converged. The two phantoms vanished upon impacting the power suppression, and while Tak and Hunter lost the benefits of the power, they didn’t lose their momentum. Tak got centimeters from her, the shield shrinking each time without an active mana source to reinforce it, but didn’t find purchase. Then Hunter’s canines bit in, broke through, and tore her head off. Credit to her rings, one tried to heal the damage in the few seconds it took her heart to stop. Got her.

Thanks Hunter. Khiat could tell through the voice Daniel was relieved, even if it was kind of hard to tell on his soft face. Khare also expressed gratitude, though Evalyn was quick to reorient them.

Gadriel, we’re going after Rasalia next. Can you hold Bennar off?

The Hero didn’t answer for a few seconds. I feel something is wrong. Bennar did not react as one would expect from losing an ally. He appears almost welcoming of death. In the distance, the Hero looked to Rasalia before sheathing his concerns. Put her to rest.

We will, Evalyn promised.