B4 Chapter 516: Tyrannomachia, pt. 2
Kaius could feel the tug of fate pulling him towards that scorched mark of black that lay in the no man's land outside of the city walls. It could have been the gods’ will, or simply an urge born by his need to cut down the vile creature who had challenged him.
It mattered little, he would face it soon, one way or another.
He stared over the wall, leaning on the edge of the siege tower as the rest of the city's elites gathered. All of them were there. An emergency meeting, to decide how they would respond to the Tyrant’s threat. He wasn’t sure why.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kaius saw Arc walk onto the peak of the tower. The carapaced brawler was the last they’d needed. Without words, they gathered to watch the distant army. It was far reduced from its earlier numbers, but it was still a black horde that stretched across the horizon.
More than enough to overwhelm the city. Deadacre was too small, and its defenders too weary and depleted.
One of the spire mages broke the silence. Cantor, Ianmus’s old teacher.
“We cannot seriously be considering acquiescing to the demands of some warlord monstrosity, can we?”
Nearby, a frown of bitter distaste spread across Ro’s face. “We have no choice. If we do not, we all die.”
“You can’t be serious! There’s no guarantee that a monster like that will abide by its words. Look at the last week — it is a thing of abject cruelty! We have ten Silvers and three Golds, the thing would stand no chance with our full forces committed to the assault.”
Kaius sighed, turning around to face the crowd. He understood the mage’s sentiment, he really did. None of them were happy about abiding by the terms of such a creature, but there were too many unknowns — the risks were too great. Send six, or gamble with the lives of them all.
It was simple to him. Besides, six was enough. No matter how strong it might be, or the strange powers of its Essence, his team would slaughter the creature. They’d fought for moments like this. More than anyone else, they’d forged themselves in certain death. What was one more so-called impossible fight?
But he couldn’t say that. The mages might know they were strong — they’d seen them in the last week — but they hadn’t truly digested it. Such a statement of confidence would be seen as bluster and hubris, and that wasn’t exactly a helpful impression to make.
“It’d see us coming,” Kaius said instead.
Cantor scowled. “Then we send six, and prepare a ranged barrage to slay it before it can command its beasts!”
Kaius frowned, shaking his head. He didn’t get it — they had no idea how the Tyrant’s commands worked. What if it had the ability to command its beasts ahead of time? To make them pounce if anything intruded on the duel?
“Kaius is right, I fear,” a croaking voice said.
Dross, he hadn’t seen the man the entire battle — he’d been holed up in the northern siege tower, supporting the defence. He looked like shit, all sunken features and sallow skin.
The ranger frowned, the slightest of shakes banished with a clenched fist. “You haven’t felt it — it’s foul influence. It binds you like wretched chains of adamant. We know too little about what it can do.”
Rieker nodded firmly. “The risk to the city is too high — we send six.”
In the crowd of mages, a short woman in green robes sighed. Madrigal, the life mage. She looked tired, her eyes so bruised it looked like she’d been fighting on the wall. Kaius wasn’t even sure if she had slept — she’d been treating the wounded throughout the siege.
Madrigal suddenly looked straight at him and his team, a worried look on her face.
“And what of you, the youngest amongst us by far? If we acquiesce, we throw you to the wolves. Are you not worried? Bitter, at being the only ones named? You are strong for your age, but at low Silver, you will be taking on a considerable risk.
Kaius blinked — she was scared for them. Genuinely, truly concerned that they were putting on a brave facade in the name of some noble sacrifice. He prayed that Ellyntir would bless the woman with good fortune, for she had a soul too warm for the world’s cruelties. Of all of those gathered, she had seen the least of their capabilities.
A wide smile spread across his mouth, before he started to laugh. He couldn’t help it — the idea of dreading the coming fight was just so…absurd.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
The life mage frowned at his laugh, seeming to take offence at his disregard of her concern. The other mages seemed taken aback too, their brows furrowed at his outburst. That said, he did catch the slightest of knowing smiles on Rieker’s face. The guildmaster, at least, knew of some of his history.
Quieting down, Kaius wasn’t quite able to suppress his smile as he shook his head.
“Apologies, Madrigal, I meant no disrespect.” he said, resting his hand on the pomel of his blade. “I am no stranger to death.”
The barely leashed fire within him surged, just a bit.
“I killed Silver as an Iron, Madrigal — alone. An Onyx hit squad. With a second tier dream toxin coursing through my veins; with Ianmus unconscious; with Porkchop busy killing another of their number. We are not something you have seen before — we are killers, supported by Classes, Aspects and Honours beyond what you could imagine. That thing needs to be put down, and that’s all there is to it.” he said, quiet but utterly firm in his conviction.
Porkchop let out a huff of agreement. “Kaius is right. This could be the toughest fight we have ever fought, and it would change nothing. As a team, we have grown strong on impossible victories. The Tyrant’s demands mean nothing, for we would have insisted on being the ones to fight it, even if it was limited to any four of us.”
“Agreed,” Ianmus said plainly, as Kenva nodded beside him.
Madrigal gave them an uncertain look, but eventually nodded. “Then I will pray that your certainty isn’t one borne of furor and vengeance.”
Ro let out a sigh as she turned away from the group to stare at the distant army. “As much as it burns me to admit, I know it isn’t. I’ve seen them move, they’d give most Gold teams a run for their money. Regardless, we’re wasting time. We have a bare half hour for our chosen six to meet the Tyrant on the fields. We need to pick who else is going, though it will obviously be between Rieker, Arc’Theros and I — to send anything less that Gold would be cocksure and stupid. I will, of course, volunteer.”
“Ro, no,” Rieker hissed. “That is a fool’s move, and you know it. An open duel against an unknown opponent with wide reaching elemental attacks and unknown sensory capabilities — with the sort of speed and reaction we just saw? That is just about your worst matchup possible. I know more than anyone that you hate to sit on the sidelines, but this is the wrong move.”
Ro’s jaw clenched. “There would be six of us, and between those two brutes, and either you or Arc, there would be more than enough meat in its face for me to strike unseen.”
Kaius blinked, unsure if he should take offence.
“Well, she’s not wrong,” Porkchop said to him with a private chuckle.
Rieker sighed, looking upwards like he was praying to the gods.
“Ro… There’s a lot of ifs there — Arc and I are safer bets.”
“This one agrees,” Arc said briskly, nodding in agreement. “This…creature possesses an unknown suppression ability. While this one believes it to be reasonable to assume it is tied in some way to essence and Authority, it would still be most wise for the most durable of us who lack that capability to join the battle. Even if our defences do not work against it, they will help us survive if we are incapacitated.”
It was hard to find fault with the man's reasoning, but that was unsurprising. Arc’theros was practically a legend on the Frontier: he’d been fighting for nearly a century. No doubt, Ro had almost as much experience, for she was also a Gold, but Kaius suspected that her wish to join was fueled by sentimentality more than anything else.
Kaius watched the administrator closely. She was hesitating, but he didn’t doubt for a second she would see reason. It would have been strange for Ro not to want to join, but she’d never let sentimentality get in the way of what had to be done before.
“Fine, but I want to hear your plan,” Ro said after a moment, before she gave Dros a heavy look. “Is there anything more you can add before they face this creature?”
Dross just winced “It cuts me to me very soul, but I was long gone before Bron and the others fought the bastard. I only felt its suppression, and saw a few flashes of fiery light.”
“We have a few ideas,” Kaius said, drawing everyone's attention.
“Porkchop and I will try and soak up its attention at first, while Rieker and Arc can defend our back line.”
The top of the siege tower went dead silent. He sighed. “I’ve already mentioned this, but the Tyrant’s suppression sounds exactly like hostile Authority. The four of us are both more resistant to its effects, and have first hand experience combating it within the Crucible. Until we know just how it will affect the two of you, it would be foolish to commit to a frontal assault.”
After a moment, Arc crossed his arms, his thick, plate-like carapace clicking slightly as he did. “This one sees there is great wisdom in your words, but this one must admit that having one so junior stand in his place feels…foreign.”
Rieker laughed, and leaned over to clap a hand on Arc’s shoulder. “You get used to it.”
A moment later, the guildmaster was back to business. “We have to assume the creature is phenomenally strong to be willing to face the six of us — how do we take it down.”
“From the little I have seen, it is swift and agile. In our experience, that means crippling it, or at least pinning it down long enough that Kaius, Ianmus, and Kenva can hammer it with decisive blows.”
One of the Stone mages, Madra, scoffed. “What, ye the only one lacking in overwhelming destructive power?”
“I prefer being really, really hard to kill.” Porkchop replied, baring his fangs.
“Fair enough,” Madra said after a moment's pause.
Their conversation moved on, a plan slowly shaping on how best to put the Tyrant where it belonged — in the ground.