Chapter 28 - Descent

How could something like this exist in this era? 

It had been centuries since the Lich King was defeated by the Heroes and brought about the end of the Ruination.

Every weapon of the Lich King was lost back then. Destroyed or gone from sight in the catacombs where no living creature could survive, without oxygen.

The Dwarves had managed to arrive there, after centuries of digging and accidentally breaking through the wall of a minor crypt, but, an item like a Soul Gem was no minor thing.

It could hold a Soul. 

The Lich King had twelve Soul Gem's scattered across the lands, that held pieces of his soul, which the Heroes had to find and destroy in order to turn it into a Mortal being, so that they could fight it at all.

The method of it's creation, was never found, according to the books, and if that Soul Gem were authentic, then that would mean someone had a found a way to effectively remove themselves from the natural cycle.

If a soul couldn't enter paradise under the Goddess, then it would wander as a ghost for eternity, until it ascended, or so the legends went. 

The Lich had used that, and inhabited a body, using the secrets of death it had learned in that ghostly state, to take over the world.

If it were a real Soul Gem, it wouldn't be in Raul's hands either.

It had to be imperfect.

A tool and not the genuine thing. 

The reason for the War against Dumbar was due to the long standing conflict it had with the nations around it, Karlan, Aelius, Parnum, Dobridian, for their acts of stealing hunting grounds, kidnappings, and overall evil acts.

The Mage Towers of Dumbar were known to commit human experimentation, and put political adversaries in camps, alongside generations of their families.

Anyone who disagreed with them, were turned into slaves and used like expendable materials for their research.

It was for that reason, that the nations united, and struck them down, or so it goes. 

But what research had they been doing with all of those people? What…

…Argo internally put a stop to his spiraling thoughts. 

There were hundreds of Undead Monsters around him, Mundane in life, they were sturdy and strong, but not overwhelmingly so.

But, with such a number, if Raul chose to do so, or the Rebels ordered it, it would be a simple matter to rise up out of the Giant Roads and wipe out Avancia.

Lunston could destroy the whole horde by himself, however, not without first obliterating everyone else in the process.

In an open field, they would be helpless, but in a city, where he couldn't fully display his power, it would be a slaughter.

His mind shifted to the roaming packs outside, wandering the mountains. Were there other remnants of the Ruination there? 

Was this even a remnant? 

It was a Monster, that came from a Gate. Which meant that there could be innumerable creatures like these lurking in the darkest pits of the world even now, gathering more strength.

But, how could no one know? Who wouldn't report this to the Merchant's Guild? Many didn't make it across the mountains, but it was impossible to say no one had.

Yet, there weren't even rumors. 

He had a terrible feeling in his chest. 

Something was wildly wrong. He noted it, to have it investigated using the Blue Lotus, if he managed to make it back home in one piece.

Too much wasn't adding up.

Or well, it was adding up to something, he couldn't believe haphazardly. Or ignore carelessly, for that matter.

"Raul! Your right on time. Master has arrived. He is waiting at the Gate." Karl shouted and waved his hand at them from afar by the exit of the pits.

Dozens of mages were stood there, and each squad of mages had a dozen soldiers around them.

How had they smuggled so much armor, so many weapons, and enough rations in, people aside, so deep into the Giant Roads to begin with?

There had to be a rat within Avancia, that was allowing them all in. But it had to be nearly impossible with two masters looking after the stronghold.

Which meant… Argo shook that thought away too.

If there was someone with enough influence to let this many people and supplies in without being found out, it would be someone at the very top of the system in the Hold.

Awick was automatically out. He couldn't explain it, but, he couldn't muster the ability to be suspicious of him at all. It felt like a crime.

Lunston was also out. Not like Awick, but because Lunston was so vehemently against opening up to the world, and also, because of the genuine disgust he had shown.

Which left too many people to count, since he didn't even know them all, or much of anything about Avancia's systems of governance. 

All he knew, was that he wanted to leave this place behind as soon as possible.

He looked around.

It had taken hours to get all of the Monster's together, and under the Soul Gem's control. With them all here, and the Dumbaran soldiers mixed with mages in between, it felt like they were going to war.

…Even with only this amount, and a Master of magic, like Murphy, Awick shouldn't be able to fight against them and win, unless, he was truly a monstrous warrior.

The thought of being on the opposite end of Awick's serrated club, was, less than enjoyable. 

Yet, that thought was soon shaken from his mind entirely, as the man of the hour arrived. Or to say, they had arrived to him.

Karl, Red and Raul, were all there, and he was too, since he was apart of the entourage for their Mage Squad.

Raul walked forward, and bowed his head, raising the Soul Gem.

Argo knew better than to look at the Master Mage head on. 

Within Dumbaran etiquette, someone of lower status, could not look directly at someone of higher status, unless they were first approached or spoken to, similar to how servants couldn't watch or listen to their masters eat in Karlan.

"...Well done." It was a withered voice, or perhaps, one that made a person feel like they were withering.

He didn't recognize it.

His eyes were glued to the floor. 

He knew if he looked up, that he would see the girl. See Master Murphy. And see a great deal of other things, that might be useful.

But he couldn't raise his eyes, even though he wanted to. Not unless he was willing to risk his life on a glance.

The less Master Murphy suspected, the better.

"Our long standing goal will soon acquire a great boon. The Hero is cornered in the last room. You know your roles." 

He felt the tethering of magic, extend out from Murphy and into the air like tendrils twisting together. His head hurt, just trying to sense them. 

Spells were being built and cast at a speed that was beyond his own understandings. He could catch perhaps one out of every six symbols that would be quickly woven together and then cast.

He could hear gears in the walls turning.

They had brought all of the monsters out to the main area of the Giant Roads, the Main Road, from which if one walked backwards, would arrive back at the massive gate into Avancia. 

Before them, was an enormous gate, similar to the one at the mountains entrance. 

It's carvings were simple. 

A woman stood, wearing gauntlets and a blindfold, she faced the east, where tides of creatures swarmed over the hills like a flood going into a valley.

It felt utterly unstoppable.

But she was completely immovable. 

It felt like a ferocious battle. Had this first area, been under the jurisdiction of that daughter?

Or… was the area they were entering, filled with monsters that she was trying to keep from coming up.

With Murphy focused on casting spells and weaving giant formations together, Argo and the other soldiers were allowed to look up.

Argo instantly spotted the girl. She was trapped in a cage, in the fetal position. She held the dagger he had given her tightly in her hand, and was looking dead ahead. 

When he looked at her, she turned her head almost immediately.

They caught eachother's eyes. Red noticed the movement instantly. While the other Mages, including Karl and Raul, were busy trying to glean something from Murphy's high level magic, she had been watching.

She now believed him completely.

Knowing that if she watched something other than the magic for too long, that someone would notice, she looked back up, as the greater spell was being formed.

Runes were sent up into a massive circle of magic, creating a formation that was growing into a blinding ball of light. Normally, it would take over a dozen highly specialized mages to cast something like that… she was sucked in to it's creation.

The girl stared at him.

He stared at her from under his helmet.

He moved his lips, forming some words. 

The girl turned her head back forward, and Argo smiled slightly.

Smart girl.

He wiped any expression other than awe and admiration from his face and eyes.

The gate was opening.

It was time to get to work.