Chapter 68: A Glimpse Through The Veil
The air around the throne of Nurrak the Severed Crown shimmered with blistering heat. Magma bubbled lazily between veins of blackened rock as scorched bones jutted from the walls like ornamental tusks. The chamber throbbed with heatwaves, each gust radiating from pits of flame embedded deep into the obsidian floor. The Archdemon of Wrath sat atop a grotesque throne carved from fused skeletons and molten stone, his massive form half shrouded in rising steam. Twin horns curled from his scalp like obsidian blades, eyes glowing like magma vents, fixed in a restless glare, seething with fury and centuries of bloodlust.
Then Corvin appeared.
The air around the demon lord shimmered then split.
A ripple of Aether parted the fabric of space, silent as a blade drawn in the dark, and Corvin Blackmoor stepped out of the veil. His cloak dissolved like shadow smoke behind him, revealing the tall, broad shouldered form of a war worn elf. His silvery hair was pulled back tightly, and his cold steel gray eyes met the Archdemon’s with not even a flicker of fear.
"An elf," Nurrak snarled. His voice was a furnace, each word cracking the air like a splitting faultline. "You come here... to my throne... alone?"
Corvin tilted his head, smiling slightly. "Alone? That’s generous. You were never truly alone, Nurrak. Not since I arrived in your domain."
Nurrak rose from his throne with a growl that rolled across the chamber like a collapsing mountain. Magma sloughed from his armored hide, veins of fire coursing across his skin. "You..."
"Yes," Corvin interrupted, taking another step forward. "It was me who destroyed your legions at Tharn Karog. Me who tore down your Dreadlords and drained your Dark Sovereigns until nothing remained but soot and screams. I saw your Demon Lords beg for mercy as their power became mine. You ruled this land like a king before my arrival Demon but now, you rule over ash. You’re the last."
Nurrak’s bellow shook the foundations of his fortress. The throne cracked behind him. "I WILL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB, ELF!"
The Archdemon lunged.
The chamber exploded into chaos.
Twin geysers of lava erupted from beneath Corvin’s feet as Nurrak slammed the earth with both fists. The elf launched himself skyward using gravity magic, spinning mid air like a silver comet. He conjured a swirling aegis of jagged earth and searing fire that blocked the lava mid eruption, redirecting it outward with explosive force.