Coming War

**************

Earl Garner

With shivering hands, I clutch the top of a dynamite's strap and put the highly explosive material into the pipe I made only an hour prior, the literal ground shaking as I do so. My eyes flicker up to Primrose and Edward as the two of them fight against Myriad, the war of attrition still ongoing.

Even as I light the stick of the bomb with my Ether, something a lil' extra added to the mix inside the pipe, I lament what Primrose got us thrust into. Couldn't she just say no!?

Elizabeth is beside me, hurriedly packing together different materials the Bloodbeast had some of his followers get for me. Each one is rare and, combined with dynamite, makes something far hotter, brighter, and more… well, earthshaking. Though, I save my precious Crimfere for Coltsmithing for later. Then, channeling Ether into my hand, I Marionette the bomb right in front of Primrose a few dozen feet away to stop the onslaught of Myriad's madness as I peek out from a disgusting wall of congealed blood. Then, without seeing the result, I duck under the wall, holding onto the blood as Elizabeth shares my frustration.

Neither of us wanted to be drug into this war of Edward's. The siege of Blackreach, for the first time ever, is internal. Usually, outside forces besieged it, but this time, a war wages between two Angels, Myriad and Edward. They fight for supremacy and the right to rule how they want, one maddening tyranny and the other resolute peace. And from what information Edmund picked up lately. Apparently, another is coming to join the battle, the newly emerged Lennon Hull seeking to kill both the fighters.

And so, zero worries for the new 6th Sigiled Primrose thump alongside my heart, as I half wish she gets hurt by the explosion. But no, of course not. The lady becomes an expansive green mist as the detonation rocks the world again, vibrating my vision and ringing my ears.

Once the ringing abates, I lean up and over the wall to see that the splits that were near the bomb are all gone, with Primrose pushing forward to finish the remaining near her, noxious fumes coming from her hands and elbows as she dances between the splits. On the other end of the ruined street is a battle I have no right joining.

Floods of blood meat surges of flesh, the Ether from Edward creating sanguinity to fight against the mad Angel's Power that allows him nearly infinite duplication. The tumbling of stone and concrete from collapsing buildings tremble the ground just as severely as my explosives, only ten times more often.

Edward says he needs our help as he is still learning his new abilities and can't quite catch up to Myriad's strength, but all that ends up doing is nearly getting us killed. But as I return to behind the wall and reach out for another pipe full of chemicals to use for another bomb, I meet Elizabeth's eyes, and we both laugh, the absurdity of the situation beyond anything we could ever expect.

We always thought things were chaotic because of Wyatt. Turns out, that's blatantly not true. The whole world is in shambles right now. Half the Territories are reeling from the deaths of Kai, Ashley, and Howard Stark. Two Territories lost, the demons taking Sinscreak and the Nahullo capturing Starkbluffs, and another two bereft of a Pillar, even if the second was exposed as a criminal, is awful. War wages within Blackreach, and I can't even fathom what is happening to Wyatt right now, but I'm sure it's way worse.

On the bright side, though, one of Edward's followers, Bert, has taught me how to create Colts between the bloody fights with Myriad. Of course, I still need a Craftsman Sigil to actually do so, but I don't think I'm all that far from advancing with everything that has been happening lately.

I still haven't shown my Proof, but the constant Ether use and practice with manipulation to learn how to make Colts has done wonders for my limit of Ether use. While I've been learning how to make guns, Elizabeth has been learning to use them and Claymores from Edward himself. Despite constantly using Blood and Shiver, the Angel is almost as good with Colts as Johnny and better with Claymores than Sacate.

Just as I finish my next explosive and lean over the wall to throw it, my inner machinations running as always, I stop my throw with Primrose in front of me. Her lungs heave with effort as she points to her right down the street.

"Okay… next up, throw a bomb at Edward, then we're getting a move on! Some news just came in, and we must go right now!"

I wave my hands carefully, perplexed at her new attitude. What changed? She was fighting Myriad, not reading a newspaper. This woman makes me more furious than anything else in this world.

"What the hell do you mean? You've selfishly made us fight for months here, and now all of a sudden, we're leaving? Where did you even hear this news? You've been fighting!"

Primrose snarls, her hand reaching out and yanking my shirt. The woman nearly screams at me with an entire lecture, even through the exhaustion riddling her petite form.

"Myriad told me that Darkstep was spotted donning steel armor by Eli Weiss through his roots and that she was headed southwest. So I shouldn't have to say anymore. And! You've benefited from this, too, boy! Where else could you learn from a master Craftsman! I don't want to hear any bullshit! We were sent to get a Coltsmith, and by the Devil, will I return with one, even if it's your dumbass, boy genius!"

Her scream prompts me to stand tall, my legs shaky from the nonstop explosions. I yell back at her as I light the explosive and ready it toward Edward.

"We could have left two months ago when I got the fucking book and quick rundown from Bert! I don't need my hands held, unlike you and your boyfriend, who you'd rather die for than the man you owe your life!"

I toss the bomb toward Edmund with Marionette as a gust of green gas buffets it and brings it to the man almost two hundred feet away. The Bloodbeast indeed hears my shout, but I don't care. He won't do anything to me. Primrose glares at me, her pupils rotating with gaseous fumes, and right before she does anything, Elizabeth stands and pushes us aside.

"Stop it, you two! What the fuck! Primrose, are we just going to leave out of nowhere? No goodbye?"

Primrose turns and nods to Elizabeth, her face red and sweating from the recent fight. Nowhere visible is that pink scarf she typically wears when comfortable.

"Yes. Edward knew we couldn't stay to help forever. We have our own battles to fight and demons to slay. That one over there is Edward's. I've spoken with Edward, and I'm sure that after we deal with whatever is happening over west, we'll come back here to finish this battle, once and for all, as Myriad is seemingly endless and his true body unknown. Johnny would be quite the counter to the wave of bodies with his Downpour should he come to help."

Her words eke out a smidge of logic into my mind that burrows beyond the irrational rage. Calm down, Earl. Why does she make you so angry? Is it because she wasted two months of your life fighting? No. It's because she did so for her own sake while saying it's not. All I want is an apology. Is that too much to ask?

I open my mouth to speak again, wanting to demand an apology for Elizabeth and me, but a hand clamps my lips shut from Elizabeth. The Lawman sends me daggers through her eyes, telling me to stop. She finally wakes me up from the rage as I put my hand to my head. I need to just let it go. Rolled dice and all that.

"Yeah, okay. Let's just get out of here. I can't wait to see Esther again and those cute foxes. This fucking place is really getting to me."

Elizabeth nods approvingly as she agrees with me.

"Blackreach is entirely unlivable right now, even for us. I don't think any of us has gotten a whole night's sleep in the past month from Myriad's constant attacks. So, Primrose, how do we leave them? The way west is blocked by your ex's fight right now."

The poisonous lady smiles as her hand turns into that green mist as it extends and wraps around Elizabeth and me. Then, a split second later, everything turns green, the familiar sensation of going under her skill. But unlike usual, I can hear the roar of the wind as we move, the skill bolstered by her better use of Ether since she advanced.

I've always been curious about her skill. The ability to turn into gas seems so… mystical and unlike an ordinary Sigil skill, but it is one. It's not a Power or some Dzil, but just any old Sigil skill. However, I've learned over the months with her that it comes at a cost.

Almost all of her skills are based on this gaseous form or some type of poison, leaving her little besides it, at least in diversity. And, unfortunately, it also comes with many, many weaknesses, from water to having to hold her breath and incredible Ether consumption, even if a few of them have recently been removed with her new capability to only turn parts of her to this noxious gas.

I wouldn't say I'm jealous, but—

Oh fuck! What's that feeling? Survivalism, the skill that hints toward danger, burns within my skull of impending danger, a sinking feeling gripping my stomach. I try to yell, to warn Primrose, but within the confines of Smoke, nothing comes out from my lungs, the air immobile and unmoving.

Instead, this sense only deepens, the doom spreading throughout my whole body, almost like I'm about to die. So next, I try to apply Survivalism to Primrose, my Ether entering the smoke, but I'm unsure if it works.

The creeping rumble from within only grows, and I try to move again. C'mon Primrose!

Figure it—

***************************

Light burns into my retina as I feel a warmth on my leg. Dazed and with bleary eyes, I sit up to check my leg. Did I sleep too long? Primrose, I swear if you dumped dog piss on me again…

Instead of the rambling of a barely wake mind, I meet a creeping flame just a half inch from my leg, the fire biting at my flesh. Panicked, I pull my leg back as awareness fills me once more. What the fuck happened?!

My eyes scan the surroundings only to find myself within the rubble of a burning building, the unconscious forms of Elizabeth and Primrose nearby. I scuttle over to the latter as she seems to be burnt all over, and I kneel beside her as I quickly pull out herbs and medicines to treat the wounds.

It's unclear what happened, but the quiet surroundings and severely injured Primrose do not bode well for Elizabeth and me. Plus, I don't really want the lady to die, even if she's a bitch. She can be considerate. Sometimes. Once in a full moon.

As I spread cream from the root of a Miarlam mixed with charcoal, I see the burns rapidly recovering. Again, the instinctual knowledge from Shaman is terrific. It's almost like there is a guiding hand to tell me what to do for an effect. Experimenting all the time also helps, though. I even manage to create a skill to enhance the impact of salves and the like with Bert's help, Soothe.

The skill only serves to bring Primrose quicker to combat readiness, but despite the disappearance of the worst burns, she doesn't wake up. Not seeing any other wounds, I spin her over and gasp as I see the result, a chunk of flesh removed near her spinal cord, the inside cauterized from whatever hit her.

Shit. Shit shit shit. I don't think I can help that one too much. That looks potentially fatal. We need Heath for this. But he's not here. I'm all she has.

I twist around and pull my back beside me, opening the entirety of the sleeves and pulling everything out. My hands grab and combine, my mortar and pestle working like a sewing machine of medicine as I frantically do what I can to help.

First, I apply burn cream, made from Miarlam root and enhanced by Soothe. Next, I use a hemotizer, a concoction of ingredients that helps blood flow and energizes the body to replenish its stores, also enhanced by Soothe. After that, I hastily brew a rejuvenating paste that I feed her slowly. Then, I continue doing another half dozen treatments, my mind running through everything I could do to help her recover.

Finally, I'm forced to stop after just a few minutes, the headache from overusing Soothe, a complicated and intensive skill. And just as I do, I hear a voice from outside the encroaching fire, something I've been pointed ignoring in favor of Primrose.

I can't tell what the person is saying, but it sounds threatening. So, I wrap Primrose's arm around my shoulder and lift her up, sliding her over to Elizabeth, who seems to be in much better shape. I think Primrose's Smoke shielded us from whatever the hell hit us. Then, I bring out a small crystalline solid from my pack and wave it over her nose, the woman's eyes opening almost instantly with a shout I muffle with my hand.

Moving close, I whisper into her ear as she looks around wide-eyed.

"Someone's beyond this rubble, be quiet, okay? Primrose is hurt, so we need to sneak our way out."

Elizabeth nods as she removes my hand from her mouth.

"Okay. Lead the way."

Hearing that she is fine and ready to go, the crystal of Hartshorn is perfect for waking people up or improving mental alertness. Devil knows I've been using it a lot to stay up.

Elizabeth and I creep through the rubble, trying not to make too much noise. But even with our clumsy steps and Primrose, who we're carrying, the roar of the growing flame overshadows even the footsteps to our own ears.

Slowly we make our way through the ruins, and I peek my head out into the demolished street, my heart stopping at the sight of who lie in the nearby intersection of the road.

Four men stand in each cardinal direction on a crossroad, each with weapons drawn as their eyes go back and forth. The southern one closest to us holds a hand onto a sword sheath at his hip, the scabbard curved like a saber.

I instantly recognize him and the man opposite him, even if they weren't here earlier. The two arrivals are both Angels, and the one with a saber is raucous.

"Look what we have here! A four-way duel, boys! Ah, my bad, it looks like I know one of you. How you been, Edward!? You been good!? I bet you never anticipated me to show up like this! What do you say we remove the nasty elements from this here town?"

The man to the right of the swordsman, Edward, sighs as his hands cross and create a dozen daggers of blood in his hands.

"Sure, Lennon. Just like old times."

Lennon Hull, the Bladed Monster who slew Eden Brown of Qune, licks his lips as his hand grips the handle of his blade. An ominous series of words leave his mouth as I try to stay unseen.

"Sounds wonderful. I could go for some bloodshed today, a few more clipped wings to help me fly."

The two men across from Lennon and Edward are Myriad, constantly shifting, twisting, and splitting himself as the other two talk, and Joseph Jerimiah, the Scalding Iron, the Pillar of Onyx Gate, who lives there alongside the Prime. Joseph stands silently, his eyes moving back and forth between all three threats as the salt-and-pepper-haired man draws a fireplace poker from his hip and begins to heat it up. The Pillar is known for his ability to increase the heat of anything he touches to insane amounts, even flesh.

Each of these four takes a few moments of brief pause to prepare for the coming battle. Edward is breathing heavily, attempting to recover some stamina as he pulls more blood from his system into the outside world.

The Pillar and Myriad are heating and splitting up, respectively. I can feel the confidence radiating from the former and the madness from the latter.

Lennon is the oddball, however, as he only does one action before the start of the battle. He merely grips the handle of his blade and slides his right leg back, getting into a stance ready to draw his sword.

I've heard Lennon Hull used to be the strongest Forerunner just a while ago despite his ineptitude with Ether. The man overcame that and a limited skillset purely with perseverance and constant fighting. His whole life has been spent on one battlefield or another, the most decorated trainee of the Bloodhound. The experience within that man's hand alone could drown me.

So, I'm not too surprised with the lack of superfluous movements or motions of Ether, but the fact that the man only holds his blade is surprising compared to the other three's activities. And from what I've seen, I'm pretty sure Joseph was the one to knock us from the sky. The creeping fire is a testament to that.

But as I feel the tension rise, I realize we need to move right now. And we don't have Primrose to get us out of the battle this time. I glance back at Elizabeth briefly as a tight smile pulls on my lips.

"We might be fucked."

Her eyebrows furrow as she has also heard everything, but before she can reply, I hear the distinct sound of a blade leaving its sheath and, consequently, a sonic boom that knocks us both into the cackling embers with a shockwave as the world is shaking before us. A slight glimpse is all I get, and within that frame of sight searing itself into my memory, I see a ten-story concrete building cut in half, grinding as it collapses.

Either the fire behind or the Angelic war in front.

The choice is clear.

As the world convulses from the impacts of steel, blood, and flesh, I take Elizabeth and Primrose and dive into the burning ruins.