Crossover Apotheosis (D&D x Berserk)

[Thegoldenboy2188]

[X] I really should look into how those mass produced apostles were made, and put a stop to it. There have been people going missing at night in Arlan's Way. I think whoever had been creating them? They're still doing it. That needs to stop. I have to think of the people.

 

[Gladiator]

Chapter 10: Judgement

"When magic would fail? Improvise! When you have no weapon? Take one! When you lack a shield? Simply make one out of your enemy! When you are outnumbered? Achieve victory whatever the cost may be!"

- Regill

"What exactly kept you, Hal?" There was something tense about the atmosphere. I was not in a good mood. In fact, I was covered in blood. There were pieces of meat hanging from my clothes. Of course none of it was mine. "I could have used The Sword of Valor earlier."

Normally, a mortal wouldn't have the gall to speak to a gold dragon like this. Halaseliax was someone I knew back when I led The Fifth Crusade, but I sounded as if I was ready to execute him.

He was a friend, but that did not excuse this.

"I seem to be out of the loop. What exactly happened, Arlan?" Hal had taken on the form of a mortal. Not unlike his apprentice Terendelev.

"..." I gave him a look that promised an inordinate amount of pain. "It began with a few disappearances, and a person by the name of Daiba." I frown. "He was a mage of sorts, and he had found a way to create artificial Behelits. It was through the use of apostles. The process involved forcibly impregnating kidnapped women by having them gang raped, and then throwing them into vats fashioned using said apostles. Their children would be corrupted, and then tear themselves out of their mother's womb. They would become daka, and devour their own parents." I rarely encountered something that heinous. The exception would be necromancers who had used family members of crusaders against them. "I had to take care of it."

I would be hard pressed to think of any demon that could match that kind of brutality.

"..." The gold dragon had a measure of difficulty processing that. "Well, I don't believe it was a problem for you then--"

"How about I go into excruciating detail?"

<<X>>
​

The catacombs underneath Arlan's Way held within them a complex maze, and I tracked down the kidnappers by following their footprints. It was not easy. Since for some reason the properties of the maze negated any sort of magic.

I could only rely on what I had on hand, and I did not expect that many demons. Perhaps a dozen if I was unlucky.

That would not be the case.

"Well, if it isn't The Knight Commander?" The decrepit fossil was as powerless as I was, but that didn't pose a problem for him. Since the hallway I was currently in had about four-hundred and sixty-eight of those demons. All of them heavily armed, and with an appetite that could not be sated. "I think you may want to run away. This batch of daka I just made haven't had their fill of fresh meat." Daiba had that pretentious look about him. The kind of smug aura that made me want to break his head open, and use it as a goblet.

Anyone else would have been wise, and made a tactical retreat. Perhaps they would have even led the demons elsewhere where they could have used their magic. I knew this would mean that worm would escape though.

I simply could not tolerate that.

"Who exactly decided that?" I had an unsettling grin. "I will tell you what is about to happen." I crack my knuckles. "I am going to murder all of your pets, and then I am going to remove all of your appendages. Your legs are going to go first, and then your arms. After I am done with them? I will take your ears, and your eyes. Then your nose, and your lips. Then finally I will remove your head." There is an audible creaking noise when I clench my fists. "When my job is done? I will throw your corpse into a ditch, and leave your remains to the vultures."

Daiba shivers. It felt as if someone just walked over his grave. "Just an empty bluff! Destroy him!"

I push through the hallway, and meet my prey. I shove my fist into the head of a demon, and then swing him around. I use his corpse as a flail, and bisect another one of them with it. Then throw the both of them forward. They crash into more of their brothers and sisters, and I torpedo into them. The resulting collision makes them burst into a cloud of red mist. I was soaked in their blood already, and I had only begun.

A daka swings their scimitar, and I catch the blade. Before plucking both of his eyes out. I take his weapon, and stab another daka in the head. After which I break one of his legs, and then I grab his head with both hands. At which point I twist it around. The sickening crack could be heard echoing throughout the maze.

Daiba was beginning to realize that I was serious.

The demons begin to rush towards their target, but due to how crowded the hallway was? I had a ridiculous advantage. It was like they were running directly into a blender. The floor was awash with viscera. Cartilage and bone made a mess of the hallway as I pushed ahead. I jam my fist into the heart of another monster. I claw at another one, and his body falls to pieces. He collapses into a neat pile.

"That wasn't a threat, Daiba! It was a promise!" I shout, and then I take the severed head of one demon and punt it. It flies towards Daiba, and hits the mage on the head. His forehead was bleeding.

"W-What sort of monster are you?"

"I am the monster? How many innocent people died because of this!"

I let loose a Dragon's Roar, and the shock-wave evaporates a dozen more of the abominations. Thankfully, it did not count as magic. I could still use it. A demon thrusts his spear into my face, and I catch it in my teeth. I bite down hard, and the steel breaks. "Is that all you have? I was expecting more!" I take the broken spear, and shove it into the stomach of another demon. Who falls to the ground. He shrieks, but that ends when I stomp on his head. Which bursts open like a ripe melon. I grab another one by his face, and shove his head into a wall. His head gives before it does.

I lift a demon over my head, and force him back down onto another demon. Whose head impales him, and that demon looks at me like I am death. He wasn't exactly wrong. I stab my hand into his head, and tear out his brain. Which I then use as a makeshift projectile to blow a hole through another one of his brothers or sisters. I couldn't tell the difference.

"Shiva! It is Shiva that has come for me!" Daiba was beginning to realize how outmatched he was. He crawls towards the other end of the hallway, and only stops when he hits a wall. When the mage turns around to look at the carnage? I was already almost done.

I grab another one of the daka, and squeeze his head in my hands. His eyes pop out of their sockets, and then his head explodes. A few of them try to run away, but I wouldn't let them escape. I jump towards them, and land on their backs. I leave holes the size of my soles where their hearts used to be. One daka had a crossbow, and chose that moment to shoot.

I move to grab the bolt when it is but centimeters away from my face, and then throw it back at him. It flew quickly enough to ignite, and set many of them ablaze. They screamed, and desperately tried to smother the flames.

In that hallway I must have looked like Asmodeus.

"What did I say, Daiba? What did I say!" I grab this wretched creature. The mage could not escape from my grasp.

"Please! I can't!" Daiba begs. "I can't just die! I have so much--"

In that maze all a person could hear were screams. They would not stop for hours.

Any passerby would notice that just outside the entrance to the catacombs there was a ditch, and in it was a corpse that had been torn to pieces. A decrepit fossil who did not know the value of life.

There would be vultures that feasted in it every day.

<<X>>​

"I see." Halaseliax felt an inexplicable unease. "That is what happened. I am sorry I did not arrive earlier. If I had all of those people would be alive."

"Four-hundred and sixty-eight, Hal. That is how many women had to endure that humiliation before their own children ate them." I had to look tired. "It is not just a mistake. It is a catastrophe, and I share part of the blame." If I hadn't waited? "This cannot happen again!"

"I understand." The gold dragon did not have the courage to say anything else. He knew precisely what was going through my head. "If it is any comfort? The Sword of Valor will make it impossible for that kind of magic to function. There will be no more of these daka."

"I already made sure of that." I shake my head. This would be a weight I would have to carry. "Get out."

There were families I had to meet. I had funerals to arrange.

I had no time for pleasantries.

<<X>>​

After that massacre I had caused? Nosferatu Zodd escaped, and made his way into the desert. I had no doubt he would report back to his master.

Griffith would know about us.

"This is a problem." I had assembled my council. "The Kingdom of Midland will attack." I just didn't know when exactly. "Griffith is busy replenishing his reserves. Which will give us a moment of respite. I doubt he will come himself. He understands the importance of caution, and he will likely use this to test us. When it does happen? It won't be everyone. It will be the monsters that excel at destroying us from within. In other words they will be the rogues. The spies. The assassins. The apostles that will strike when we sleep. They will attack us the moment our guard is down."

"Which is why I recommend that you meet with an expert." Regill had an idea, but I didn't like it. "There is one person who excels in that area, and more so than anyone else." The gnome does not even hesitate. "Our Lady in Shadow... Nocticula."

"I do not want to make another truce with a demon lord." I frown. "However, you are not wrong. Nocticula would be the best choice." I didn't know where I stood. Our truce did not exactly benefit us both, but I knew that Ember had an impact on her. How much of an impact I wasn't sure about. It had been centuries.

"I am against this!" The Hand of the Inheritor would never never ally with a demon lord. He was an angel, and that meant he could not compromise. "The Great Dreamer understands the power of illusion. Desna would be our greatest asset!"

I did know an azata, and had dealings with the goddess in the past. The problem was that Elysium did not understand how to wage war. They were pacifists before they were anything else.

It would mean confronting my past. What had happened to Arueshalae? I might not like what I find. What if she had moved on? Centuries had already passed, and I could not be naive. I did not want to intrude, and make a mess of anything. What if she had a family? Children even?

What we had was a lifetime ago.

"Whatever the choice you make? I will abide by it." Iomedae spoke. The Inheritor was present, and not just whispering secrets into my ear. "I am not fond of Nocticula, but I cannot deny that things have changed. The House of Silken Shadows is not what it used to be. I think you know why."

"Ember..." I wonder just what happened to her. The elf was but a teenager when I saved her but now she would be an adult. The elves were known for their longevity, and a few centuries would be nothing. The Storyteller had to endure thousands of years before his hair even started to gray. "I would like to see her, and I know what happened."

Grandmother Crow. I had no doubt she would try to save the souls of demons, and do so with the assistance of her herald.

It would be hard to believe but if anyone could do it? They could.

A demon lord who would choose the inconceivable.

Redemption.

Just like my Arueshalae.

"I have made my decision..."

[] Nocticula. I would meet her, and with the help of my goddess? I would visit the Midnight Isles. There I would learn what had happened to Ember, and organize a truce. What had become of the demon lord, and her brood of demons?

[] Desna. I would enter Elysium. The place I was once granted access. I would meet my Arueshalae, and unravel whatever life she had built in my absence. I wonder if it is worth it for an illusion. Just a fleeting and inglorious mirage.

 

[Thegoldenboy2188]

[X] Desna. I would enter Elysium. The place I was once granted access. I would meet my Arueshalae, and unravel whatever life she had built in my absence. I wonder if it is worth it for an illusion. Just a fleeting and inglorious mirage.

 

[Gladiator]

This one is going to be a big one. So, I am going to wait for more votes before writing it.

 

[Gladiator]

Chapter 11: Saints & Sinners

“If you’re alone… if it’s just your life, you can use it however you please. Wear yourself out, get cut to ribbons, doesn’t matter. But when there’s two, the blade grows heavy. Fighting like death doesn’t concern you becomes a thing of the past. It’s no longer just you. I threw away my way of life, relied on the strength of others, and somehow pushed on.”

- Guts

"Well, come on! I am waiting for you!" I shuffle left and right, executing an elegant sashay, and gesture towards The Black Swordsman. I don't stop moving. "I don't have all day!" I twirl around his great sword to avoid it, and it hits the ground. The courtyard shakes like there is an earthquake.

"How exactly am I supposed to hit you?" Guts was starting to get annoyed. Whenever he would miss? I would just move that much faster. He attempted to swat at me again, and that's when I disappear. "Wait, where did he go--"

"Dragon Slayer makes for quite the stepping stool." I was on the flat of the blade. When he had swung it? I merely jumped onto it instead of defending against the sloppy attack. That was the problem with people who taught themselves. They relied on brute force to make up for any lack of grace.

"Get off!" Guts swings Dragon Slayer again, but I remain unfazed by the motion. It was as if I had glued the soles of my shoes to it. That's when I stepped onto his face, and used it as a springboard to launch myself into the air. I somersault back to ground, and reach for my rapier. The moment I unsheathe it? The Black Swordsman pounces.

This time? I deign to block it. I adjust my footing to accommodate for the power granted to him by the Berserker Armor, and push the great sword aside. I could not deny it.

This crusader of mine was improving.

"I must admit you have gotten better, but it's nowhere near where you need to be."

I notice a twitch. I knew what that meant. I was reminding him of Griffith, and that was the idea.

When The Falcon of Light was mortal? Guts could simply overwhelm him. That wasn't possible anymore. He couldn't expect a similar outcome. Griffith, as he was currently, had the power of a demon lord. What a near deity could accomplish only began at brute force. It then extended to magic.

"I haven't even relied on any magic. How do you expect to beat Griffith?" I shake my head. He had a long way to go.

"I am not done!" His great sword begins to change. I realize that what happened in the memory? It followed him all the way back, and it was more than I could hope for.

The flames burst forth from the blade, and they burned intensely. An ivory sort of inferno which burned hotter than the surface of the sun. It was not like the fire I had seen the hell hound make use of. This held a purity to it.

Dragon Slayer didn't just devour Grunbeld. He had exonerated him. I wasn't even sure where it had attained this power. It could incorporate any soul into it, and bless them with a holy property.

Grunbeld wasn't just part of it. The great sword had made him more powerful than ever.

Which is why I decided not to underestimate it. I cast Dispel Magic but to my surprise? The flames do not disperse.

"That's different!"

I quickly imbue my rapier with an axiomatic boon. It embodies order itself in that moment, and I swipe at the swathe of flames before they can hit. It doesn't manage to stop all of them but I survive. The rapier has melted, and along with it one of my hands. I ignore the pain, and quickly cast Heal on myself. The hand I lost grows back, and when the next gout of fire approaches?

I cast Dispel Magic, Greater and this time it works. The flames could not endure.

"That is much better!" I was not afraid. Instead I was excited. "I want to see it again!"

"Just don't blame me if you lose another hand!" Guts swings Dragon Slayer, and another inferno is conjured into being. The fire scatters into a pack of wolves, and they leap towards me. They almost seem alive, and bare their fangs; before trying to bite at their prey.

I clap my hands together, and cast Polar Midnight. I make sure to localize it, and prevent any collateral damage. I didn't want to destroy Arlan's Way by accident. The beasts are frozen in midair. When temperatures drop to absolute zero around them.

I had crystalized the whole lot.

"A shame. I happen to like wolves." I tap one of them on the nose, and the creature collapses into a pile of icicles.

Guts looks completely defeated.

"How in the world does somebody do that?" The Black Swordsman almost tears his hair out. "It has got to be cheating!"

"That is what it is going to feel like when you fight a demon lord!" I might as well be one myself. "They are capable of nearly anything! Which means you must never give them chance to do anything! When you see one? Just attack! They cannot be allowed to counterattack! They have to be on the defensive because if an opportunity for offense arises? The fight is over!" I say that but I was just as dangerous. "That is what you must do when you face Griffith. Overwhelm him with a relentless assault, and do not let him have a chance to even speak a word."

"..." Guts frowns. "What if that fails?"

"I will be there!" I smirk. "Just as always to save the damsel in distress!"

Hopefully.

"I am not a damsel!"

Casca couldn't help but laugh. The young woman had been watching. It felt almost like how things were before. When the Band of the Hawk was still alive.

"He reminds you of Griffith... doesn't he?" The Inheritor was standing beside her. "Who you thought Griffith was."

"Why did you have to mention that? I thought you were supposed to be compassionate." Casca would have broken down days ago, if anyone had reminded her of that day. That was no longer the case. They didn't just confront that memory. A connection had been established, and the presence of a goddess now always protected her soul. Whenever it was too much to bear? There would be a power that comforted her. "He is not like Griffith. Arlan Vorlesh does not have an ambition or a dream because he already has what he wants." What if Griffith had chosen them? What if The Falcon of Light chose his family?

"He is everything Griffith could have been. If he had rejected The Godhand." Iomedae agrees. "He is everything I could have been, if I had not become a deity."

"It is kind of narcissistic." Casca looks at her. "What sort of person falls in love with a projection of an idealized version of themselves?" The young woman looks disappointed. "He is Arlan Vorlesh, and that is who you love!"

"..." The goddess had a glare that could banish demon lords. "What exactly makes you think I am in love?"

"Oh, don't give me that look! What would your herald think if you blew a gasket?" The young woman shakes her head. "All of that responsibility that comes with being divine, but you can't even tell him!" That's when the atmosphere changes completely. "I wouldn't be here if not for him. Guts would just be The Black Swordsman, and The Godhand would have destroyed him!"

"What is your point?"

"Arlan Vorlesh is a hero, and he deserves to be happy." Casca bites her lip. "I know it's not my place. What with you being a goddess, but why don't you make him happy the only way a woman can?"

The goddess was blushing. "I beg your pardon?"

"Well, it's not like you haven't done it before!" Casca murmurs. "Wait, have you done it before?"

"..." Iomedae did not have an answer. "O-Of course I have!"

"I get stuck with the only goddess that is a virgin!" Casca had difficulty wrapping her head around it. "Well, I guess it makes sense. It explains why you're a prude!"

"I am not a prude! I am The Inheritor!" The goddess looks like she was about to explode. "I had my duty! That was all I needed! I wasn't just some loose sow who would spread their cheeks for anyone! I was on a mission!"

"That mission is over! The mantle has been inherited!" Casca was getting annoyed because all of the preaching. Having to hear the whole story every day was grating on her nerves. "What is stopping you?"

"Arlan..." Iomedae frowns. "The Knight Commander has someone."

"Who? I don't see her."

"They haven't seen each other for hundreds of years."

Casca nearly trips over herself. "They haven't seen each other for... hundreds... of years?" The young woman couldn't believe this. "That means he is available!"

"I don't know that." The goddess was trying to come up with any excuse. "If anything he still has feelings for her--"

"No!" Casca reaches for her. "No more excuses like that!" The young woman looks her in the eyes. "He has been looking at Farnese! If you don't do something? What is going to happen? Is that he going to take that bird, and pluck her feathers! Farnese is not going to be able to say no! Have you seen him? Arlan Vorlesh is quite the catch, and if you haven't forgotten he is now the ruler of an entire country!"

"That is not something he would do!" Iomedae's thoughts were racing. What if there was some truth to Casca's words?

"The palace has a cellar, and there is nothing but wine in it. They both have been sneaking down there for a drink when nobody has been looking. What do you think will happen if they catch each other one day?" Casca whispers. "Oh, Lord Vorlesh! We can't! It would be improper! Oh, I seem to have forgotten my undergarments! Please! Be gentle, my liege!" The young woman tries her best to sound like Farnese. "The worst part is that you will see and hear everything, and you won't be able to do anything about it! This connection doesn't allow for a lot of privacy! I hate having to have company in my head when I make love to somebody!"

Casca couldn't stop herself. When she had been healed? Guts realized just how much she missed him when the young woman had pounced on him. The problem was that the whole time she was riding him like a bronco? Iomedae did not disappear.

The goddess was there!

Casca was uncomfortable about it to say the least.

"I need some privacy, and it would help if you focus on him!" That would be solution. At least she hoped it would be. "It's either that, or be forced to watch the person you love deflower every pure and chaste maiden except you."

"Casca... you have made your point." The goddess slumps at that. "I apologize for the voyeurism but I can't control how the connection works." It would cause a lot of problems for her too. Iomedae had lost count of how many times she had to see one of her followers copulate like there was no tomorrow. When she was busy doing something else.

It was incredibly distracting.

"A price to pay for getting my sanity back? It was never going to be easy." Casca grumbles. "Just do it already. Go to his bedroom, and wait for him. Wear a dress instead of that armor, and just let it drop the moment he enters. Slowly..." The young woman nods her head. "He will get the message."

"I don't have any dresses..."

Casca had to groan.

"I will let you borrow one of mine."

<<X>>
​

The process of entering Elysium? It could sometimes be as simple as knowing a song. The problem was that Starward Gaze was not working. I had rejected that path, and therefore I could not reach that plane of existence.

I needed to be someplace where the veil between realities was fickle. Where it was fragile enough for it to work. That, or I would need to find a way to weaken it.

I think I knew just the person to ask about it.

"If it isn't the Lich King of Avistan!" I greet The Skull Knight. He looked the same as always, but he had gotten another horse. A replacement for the one he lost. This one seemed to be made out of thorns, and all of them were no doubt poisonous. It was a gift of sorts. One I had seen fit to grant him. I had made use of the incantation for Summon Monster, and retrieved the beast of burden from a distant plane.

"That is not my name." The Skull Knight wasn't annoyed. He was just stating that as a matter of fact. "What is it, champion?"

"Do you happen to know any place where the Astral Plane is exceptionally powerful?"

"Elfhelm, but it is nowhere near Arlan's Way."

I frown at that. "What about ways of weakening the veil between worlds?" There had to be some sort of solution. "That is all I need."

"I may have something." The Skull Knight opened his mouth, and shoved his sword down his throat. When he pulls it out of his stomach? I had to resist the urge to gag. It was disgusting to look at.

"Why does it have eyes? Are those mouths there?" I scrunch my face. "Keep that thing away! It smells!"

"This is the Sword of Actuation!" The Skull Knight sounded like he was almost proud. "I had forged it from numerous Behelits I recovered from apostles that had died. It was meant to condemn The Godhand to the vortex of souls, but now the only use I can see that it has? Is that it can force open holes in the fabric of reality."

"That would probably do the trick." I was pinching my nose. No, that didn't help. I could still smell it. Why did it smell like rotten eggs? "Put it away for now! I will tell you where and when you need to use it."

"What is this about?" The wraith was looking at me with something akin to suspicion. "What have you planned?"

"I just need to meet a goddess. Another goddess. She is not the one you already met. She is a good one if a bit unpredictable." Desna was an eccentric. Just like the rest of my merry band. "Elysium is the home of the azata, and fairies like Ivalera. It is the realm that is home to Desna. The Great Dreamer as my people refer to her."

"Just how many are there?" The Skull Knight couldn't help but be curious. This was something he hadn't encountered in the thousands of years that he lived.

"Realms? Planes of existence? There are as many as there are grains of sand in the desert that surrounds us. The multiverse is vast..." I look towards the cosmos. Whether I used True Seeing or Foresight even I couldn't map the whole thing. "A person could get lost in it. I have heard stories of people who spent eons trying to navigate it." I frown. "There are worlds that are so beautiful? That you would not believe it! Then there are other worlds that would make your layer of the Abyss look pleasant by comparison. I would avoid those."

"I find that hard to believe." The Skull Knight grimaces. Just the idea was enough to give him pause. "That there is a place worse than the Abyss."

"That is something they all say. Then they see it." There is something ominous about my words. "There are monsters that would make The Godhand tremble." Rovagug...

The Rough Beast.

A monster that would unmake the multiverse.

"Just count ourselves lucky that demon lords our only problem." At least I had experience with them. I could deal with that. "I have been meaning to ask."

The more I learned of the history of this place? The more my curiosity grew.

"Do you prefer The Skull Knight or Gaiseric?" I had a feeling, and they were usually there for a reason. "If one were to call you by name?" I grin. "I could also just stick to the Lich King of Avistan. It is the country I hail from, and I would consider it an honor if you carried that namesake."

"..." The wraith wasn't annoyed before but he was now. "That foolish king died a long time ago."

"I see. He died." That was the past. The Skull Knight was who he was now. "Very well, if you want to keep your secrets? You may have them."

It wasn't any of my business.

At least not for now.

<<X>>
​

"I am a hindrance. I know that much." The young woman looks frustrated, and that is precisely why she entered my bedchambers "Serpico is an expert duelist but what do I have? What do I bring to the table, Lord Vorlesh?"

"Well, besides the laundry list of psychological problems? Nothing." I add. "That assessment of yours is without any fault. What are you going to do about it, Farnese?"

"I wanted Schierke to teach me, but she is still apprenticing under Flora." The young woman continues. "Flora is too busy teaching Schierke to teach me." I knew where this was going. "There is no one else who could teach me except for the most powerful witch I know."

"Flattery will get you everywhere!" I nod my head. "It would take years, Farnese. It is not simple. There will be a measure of dedication I will expect from you. If you don't meet my standards? I will end it." I sink into my chair. "It will be difficult. It will be demanding. Do you want that?"

"I do." I could see the conviction, and I could hear it in her voice. "I will do whatever it takes!"

"Then it will start with a journey. When I leave for Elysium? I would have you by my side, and that is where your training will begin in earnest." I jump to my feet, and gaze into those cerulean orbs. "Also, do not forget any of your luggage. It may be for a while."

"I will start packing immediately!"

I had an apprentice.

This was going to be interesting.

<<X>>
​

Who else would it be? I couldn't leave Arlan's Way undefended. Which means The Hand of the Inheritor had to stay, and along with the rest of his angels. Guts would obviously want to come, and Casca would follow. Shierke, because she would be interested in the magic. The fairies would come because it was home.

Serpico wouldn't leave Farnese, or leave me to face this alone.

I might as well bring Isidro while I am at it.

The Skull Knight would stay after he was done helping, and continue his vigil in my capital. Flora would be there with him. They would coordinate with the angels. Regill would remain to keep all of the troops prepared, and properly trained. After he was done reorganizing the city guard.

The gnome had a lot of work to do.

Iomedae would also stay, and do what she could within the constraints of cosmic bureaucracy. Which is to say not a lot but even a bit of healing can help.

When I finally went back to my bedroom to rest? After discussing everything with all the parties involved?

I saw something that no mortal could dream of.

"Arlan..." Iomedae let the transparent nightgown slip from her shoulders. "I have just one more thing to discuss about the proceedings." Her body was left bare, and I bore witness. A goddess in all of her glory. Gesturing for me of all people to come hither, and taste of her.

I realize in that moment that I was not imagining anything at all.

I would not get any rest.

<<X>>
​

There were whispers of course. Rumors about what had happened. Her warmth as I held her. The taste of her lips. The smell of her. Which did not go away. The way she whispered my name. As I taught her what it meant to be mine. The way I would meet her eyes when a crescendo was reached. I held nothing back, and even when she cried? I knew it was out of pleasure, and not pain. In that moment I knew love.

"Well, well, well..." Casca looked just like a cat who had just caught her prey. "I see that you're at ease today! Did anything interesting happen?"

"That was your nightgown." It was a statement of fact, and not a question. "I wonder... did you teach her that trick she did with her tongue?"

"Guts likes it a lot. I thought you would too." Casca smirks. "Well, are we heading for Elysium?"

"Of course we are." I have a crooked grin. "I just need to say my goodbyes..."

"Another romp?"

"Iomedae did not know how enjoyable it could be! Let us just say her appetites have become insatiable because of that."

Casca giggles.

"Just don't keep us waiting, Knight Commander!"

<<X>>
​

The Skull Knight was waiting. The Sword of Actuation held tightly in his grip.

Those who would follow? They were in the courtyard of the palace. Guts, Casca, Serpico, Farnese, Shierke, El Puck, Ivarela, and Isidro.

"Do it!" I command, and the wraith who was once Gaiseric cuts the veil open with his blade. The barrier between worlds was weakened. Now was the time!

I begin to sing. It is the song I remember. That is when a miracle is forged through an act of will. A memory of the past is given form. That moment when I felt hope in the ruins of Kenabres. As I sat in the Church of Desna, and listened to this melody.

The hole in reality which had led to Abyss? It began to change! Thousands of realities flicker about within. As I continue to sing? The plants in the courtyard begin to grow. It was as if life itself was overflowing around us. An excess of it that allowed nature to overtake everything else.

"This music..." Farnese covers her mouth. It was unlike anything she heard before. When she was part of the Holy See? The gregorian chants could not even compare to this! What was this sound? The tears began to fall, and she was not the only one. The hearts of those in the courtyard would resonate to the hymn. "Another miracle?"

How many did I have in store for them?

"Danan..." The Skull Knight remembers her. This song! It was the same one! How did the herald know it?

The door was opened.

Ahead lay the gates of Elysium. The realm of fantasy. A place of freedom.

Of love.

"It has been a while." I touch the rupture. I could see it again. I had cast it aside. When I chose mortality above all else. "Onward, my crusaders!"

They would march into the breach. Those I now called brother and sister.

"Arueshalae..."

<<X>>
​

"Just who the hell are you, Arlan?" Guts fell, and he could not stand. What he saw was impossible. This was nothing like The Eclipse. The aches he felt disappeared. There was no pain. The hell hound lurking in the darkest recesses of his heart was shrieking and screaming. It was frightened of someone or something. "This can't be real!"

"₮Ⱨł₴ ₣ɆɆⱠł₦₲! ł₮ ⱧɄⱤ₮₴! ł₮ Ɇ₳₮₴ ₳₮ ₥Ɇ! ł₮ ł₴ ₩ⱤØ₦₲!" The beast of darkness could not understand it. How could it when all it knew was not it?

As far as The Black Swordsman could see? There was the splendor of life. There were forests fashioned out of unknowable geometries. In them were flora and fauna of every sort. There were creatures he had heard of only in fairy tales.

In the distance he could see dragons. There were sprites hovering over lakes. Fairies who would dance and sing, and frolic in the meadows. Dryads tending to their gardens. Mermaids swimming in rivers.

The Black Swordsman could see mountains whose peaks reached the sky, and beyond that rainbows that seemed to be alive.

There was a drunkard riding atop what looked like both a bear and an owl!

"What is this I see? If isn't The Knight Commander!" Cayden Cailean. The Accidental God. "Are you here for a drink? I have got plenty!" The Lucky Drunk who had passed The Test of the Starstone by chance.

"Absolutely not! The last time I woke up in a carnival, and thought I was a trapeze artist!" The drunkard caused a lot of problems that day. "Where is Desna? I would have an audience!"

"Oh, you know! Here and there!" He takes a swig from another tankard. "I am going to pass out!" He immediately collapsed on the back of the owlbear.

"He was no help." I frown. "How are all of you taking it--"

"It's beautiful!" El Puck was crying. "I never imagined I would see this!"

"It feels like I belong here..." Ivarela could feel her heartbeat. The sound of the music. It would never leave her. What was this place?

Casca was at a loss for words. There was nothing that could describe what she was feeling. Once again, the young woman had seen the impossible. The power of this realm, and this feeling in her chest. The Brand of Sacrifice on her neck felt like it was in pain for a change of pace. "What kind of life did you live before you met us?"

"Oh, it wasn't always like this! I had to deal with a lot of losses before I could grasp hold of a victory of any sort. However, the moment I did? It became much easier, and then the victories became commonplace!" It was a struggle, but at the end of it I had earned a respite. A chance to witness everything that made a life worth living. "It always gets easier, Casca."

"I am going to just head over there, and..." Isidro ogles the mermaids. The brat just noticed that they didn't wear any clothes. "...introduce myself to the locals."

"Their parents will eat you."

"That's a joke, right?" The young boy repeats. "Right?"

"Sure." I shrug. "If you are lucky."

He deflates at that.

"It is like the Astral Plane, but it is so much more!" Shierke was in awe. "I wish Flora had come." Her master would have loved this! "How many times have you been here, Arlan?"

"A few but that doesn't mean we should waste any time." I knew negotiating with Desna would take a fortnight. "I have to be careful about Calistria too." That goddess was as dangerous as Nocticula. "Elysium is home to many gods and goddesses. Do be careful about that, and treat them with respect. Except for Cayden Cailean. He actually likes it when someone has the courage to disrespect him. He would be the drunkard..."

Almost as if on cue the deity began to snore.

"As you say, my liege." Serpico held his slyph blade tightly. There would be no telling what kind of dangers they would face. "Farnese? Stay close."

"Wait for me, Lord Vorlesh!" Farnese chases after her teacher. "Where shall we be setting camp?"

"Just ahead." I turn towards Guts. "Come on, Guts! This is not a vacation!" I grin. "If you trail behind I might have to grab The Belt of Discipline!"

"Y-Yeah..." Guts regains his composure. "Which way, Arlan?" He had no idea, and he was out of his depth.

"Just look for the butterflies!"

[] Our priority should be finding Desna. The easiest way would be tracking her movements by looking for her familiars. Desna expressed herself in the form of butterflies. Ones that almost seemed to glow.

[] Farnese wanted to start learning witchcraft. I could begin to teach her what cantrips I know, and then expand on that. This shouldn't be too much of a distraction. Since I can teach her at the camp.

 

[Thegoldenboy2188]

[X] Farnese wanted to start learning witchcraft. I could begin to teach her what cantrips I know, and then expand on that. This shouldn't be too much of a distraction. Since I can teach her at the camp.

 

[Blasterbot]

[X] Farnese wanted to start learning witchcraft. I could begin to teach her what cantrips I know, and then expand on that. This shouldn't be too much of a distraction. Since I can teach her at the camp.

 

[Gladiator]

Chapter 12: A World of Wonders

"The fate of the mimic crusaders was most astonishing of all. They formed their own knightly order, then changed their mind and decided to become pirates, then settled on being pirate-knight-acrobats. They sailed the seas on a massive ship, quite possibly another mimic -- singing sea shanties, juggling cutlasses, saving beautiful damsels, and on rare occasions, boarding someone they didn't like."

- Areelu Vorlesh

"Aye, captain! It is a pleasure to see you again!" A chest or a trunk that appeared to have a mouth was greeting me at the camp. He was one of my crusaders. When I had still led the Fifth Crusade. I did not refuse anyone. If they willing to erase the scourge of demons from Golarion? They were welcome to join. The only difference was that he now wore what appeared to be an eye-patch, and on his head or what amounted to his head was a tricorn hat. "What brings you to Elysium?"

"I am here to see Desna." I poke at the campfire with a stick. The rest of my party were all looking at the mimic like they had all just gone insane. "What about you, Morgan?"

"T-That chest is talking!" Isidro was rubbing his temples, and making sure the water he collected from a nearby stream wasn't spiked with anything.

"It is the plunder! The booty to be had!" The mimic somehow manages to unsheathe his cutlass. When he had no limbs what to speak of. "The wenches, captain!"

"It seems that you have prospered." I smile. "I am happy for you, Morgan." It was good to see a familiar face. "What about the rest of your comrades?"

"They're back at the dock! The ship needs to be tended to!" The cabin boys were busy cleaning up whatever messes the mimics had left behind. They were not exactly the most organized sort of brigands.

"I was wondering if you might have anything I could use? I don't have much in the way of armor, and I could use a weapon." I was lacking when it came to an arsenal. Outside of my magic I had nothing but my bare hands at my disposal. I didn't want to rely only on them. "I have declared war on the Abyss!"

"Ah, it is another crusade? I will see what I can spare." The mimic bounces up and down, and leaves to meet his crew. "I will be back!"

"A lot of interesting friends you have, Knight Commander." Casca smirks. "This place is just full of surprises!"

"It is hard to believe that this isn't a dream." Guts was doing his exercise routine. "Then I remember that Dragon Slayer can talk, and realize I shouldn't be surprised anymore."

"Just another three-hundred and forty swings, Guts!" The great sword encourages him. "There can be no gain without any pain!"

"Are the mimics tasty?" El Puck was already thinking about it. How many ways could he cook one? "I am kind of hungry."

"No, you will not eat them!" I grimace. The fairy would eat anything these days. "They're allies!"

Serpico look amused by it all, and was tending to tent. He had set it up but he had a feeling it would be a while before they could rest. "I believe you were about to begin the lesson? Farnese has been waiting..."

I turn towards the young woman. The blue blood had taken a seat next to her master.

"It will begin where it always must. The basics..." I grab Ivarela who had been sitting on my shoulder, and place her in the palm of my hand. The fairy looks surprised but doesn't do anything. "Cantrips. They're harmless against most but are useful in many situations."

I tap the fairy on the head, and use Touch of Fatigue. The effect is immediate, and she collapses. The exhaustion hitting her.

"Jerk..." That is when she falls asleep. It doesn't last long because I cast Dispel Magic, and she immediately wakes up. "Don't do that again!"

"Sorry!" I raise a hand. "Just needed to show Farnese." I look at my apprentice. "That was Touch of Fatigue. It doesn't harm anyone but it is useful. It will exhaust someone, and they will usually fall asleep. It is not as powerful as Sleep but it works."

This was not getting into hexes of course. Eternal Slumber could force a creature to rest forever. Forced Reincarnation did as described, and accelerated the cycle of rebirth. Which was effective in incapacitating most.

Dire Prophecy was especially dangerous, and one of my more powerful maledictions. It allowed me to twist the destiny of a target, and ensure that they died. Rather than Power, Word, Kill or Wail of the Banshee? This was not done directly but instead through the manipulation of probability. However, Death Curse did behave like them.

I especially enjoyed Curse of Nonviolence. I inflicted that grand hex on Nurah Dendiwhar. Her whole life all she ever wanted was freedom, and I stole that from her. When she had betrayed my crusaders and had gargoyles raid our camp? When the dead were forced to live again, and devour their comrades? When Irabeth Tirabade had been forced to watch?

I had forced Nurah Dendiwhar into a contract from the Lower Planes, and into the service of a devil. The grand hex was to make sure she could never hurt her infernal master.

They would work her to the bone every day, and death would not come. The price to pay for being a traitor. An eternity of the life she despised most. That of a slave.

I smile at that. I did enjoy karma.

I would teach my apprentice those hexes. I would make sure of it. They would all be invaluable to her. Whenever she was ready to learn them that is...

This would be the moment of truth. I grab one of her hands, and draw the power of the ley lines towards her.

"Alright, that should do it! Ivarela would you mind being the recipient?" I give her an apologetic look. I would have to use her again. "I need someone for her to use the cantrip on."

"At least you're asking this time..." The fairy smiles at my apprentice. "Go ahead, Farnese!"

"Okay!" Farnese does her remember what it looked like, and most importantly of all what it felt like. The magic that she felt when I used the cantrip before. The moment she touched the fairy?

The same exact thing happened. Ivarela collapses after a moment of drowsiness.

"Excellent! It seems that you have talent." That would make this easier. "Pay attention to what I am about to show you..."

I continued to lecture her, and show her my magic. It went on for the rest of the evening, and continued until dusk. The young woman absorbed my knowledge like a sponge. I had even managed to teach her a few things outside of cantrips, and while I couldn't manage to get her to learn any hexes? I did manage to teach her all of the rudimentary magic in my arsenal.

I had to admit I was surprised. It seemed to be coming naturally to her.

"I think that will be all for today. Our next lesson will focus on hexes." The minor ones at least. The more powerful ones would have to wait. "Get some rest, Farnese. A witch needs it."

The young woman didn't look tired. In fact, she looked like she was ready for anything. I could notice that there was confidence when there was none before. That was what power did. I just hope it didn't maker her arrogant. That could backfire horribly. If what she learned outpaced her humility? I would have to humble her myself. It came with the territory.

The moment my apprentice had entered her tent? I do the same. The only problem was a dream. A distant and familiar memory.

One that I had not been expecting.

<<X>>
​

When I wake it is in the cabin.

The one that my muse would dream of every day. It was a simple thing. A life that was mundane. There was nothing spectacular about it. It was all she wanted. A hearth to warm us. A room for us, and a room for whatever children we might have had. A garden in the backyard. It would easy for us to grow our of own food, and there was a river nearby. There would always be water. There was nothing else that she needed, and there was nothing else that I needed.

I take a seat at the table, and I wait. Then when I got bored of that? I tried something that was on a plate. It was a loaf of bread. Judging by how hot it was? Somebody had just baked it. When I bite into it? I smile.

"If you wanted to meet me? There are other ways." I knew who it was. I don't even bother to get out of my chair. Her hand touches my back, and she makes her way to the other end. "Arueshalae..."

It had been hundreds of years for her, but she had not aged. The benefit of being an azata. The demonic features of a succubus did not disappear. A constant reminder of what she used to be. I did notice that her horns were now twisted into something resembling antlers. That, and the fact her hair now fell down all the way to her waist, were the only changes I could notice. Those rubies that were her eyes were the same. The porcelain that was her skin. The brimstone that was her hair. Her crimson wings extending from her back, and her lithe tail which would wag occasionally. As if to wave at me.

"Why don't you begin?" Her voice was the same. I had to resist the urge to grab her, and take her to bed. I wanted to touch her but I had someone else. I couldn't betray them.

"I have started a relationship of sorts with The Lady of Valor." I take another bite of the loaf of bread. "I have committed myself to her."

"I see." There is a note of melancholy. "When I thought you had passed? I was not alone..." The azata touches her belly. "There was a gift. A piece of you. That I cherished dearly."

The moment I hear that my heart breaks. A whirlwind of emotions. There are so many. I could barely understand what they meant. They were overwhelming in their intensity.

What had I lost? What did I miss because I sacrificed myself?

"..." I choke on the words. "I should have been there." A child. I had a child. "What is their name?"

"Calder." The azata looked like she wanted to say something else. "Calder Vorlesh."

I stop at that.

"I imagine that was her idea." I knew that The Architect of the Worldwound wouldn't have let them be. "What kind of grandmother was she?" Areelu Vorlesh, the doting grandparent.

"The type to spoil." The azata decided to answer. "When I left Golarion? I had her help." She closes her eyes. "Why now?" The tears began to fall. "It has been four hundred and sixty-eight years!"

I couldn't even begin to understand. When for me it was only a month ago.

"What was it like?" I was afraid to ask but I had to. "Who else was there?"

"Calder needed someone to be his father, and I couldn't mourn forever. I had to move on, and I did." It was as I feared. "It took me a decade before I could love anyone. The same way I loved you."

"This person... did he make you happy?" I had to know. "What about Calder? What kind of person did he become?" What sort of person could my child be?

"Yes." Arueshalae answers. "He did." The azata breathes in. "Our child became an adventurer. He was convinced that he could see everything the multiverse had to offer. He has been to many realms. As far as I know? He is currently doing battle somewhere in Baldur's Gate. There has been an invasion or an infestation. It is mind flayers..." She frowns. "The githyanki have gotten involved, and it has become complicated."

"Mind flayers? The Illithid?" I couldn't believe it. It seems my child had the same kind of luck. I smirk at that. Almost as if I was proud. "I could help him--"

"No." There was an arctic chill. "He is not a child. He is a grown man." Arueshalae frowns. "He does not need a father anymore, and you can't replace the one he lost."

The one he lost? Then that must mean...

"I understand." Whoever the azata came to love in my absence? He had passed away, and for whatever reason could not return to Elysium. "I will try to be discrete." I would not stay in Elysium. I would leave when the work was done. "I would have you know that this was not my choice. I would have returned if it had been in my control."

"I know you would have." Arueshalae shakes her head. "I know everything there is to know about Arlan Vorlesh." Her voice cracks at that. "Just promise me that you won't come back." It would be too much for her. That same need that I had felt? Arueshalae was feeling it. It would drive her to do something. Anything just to feel it.

"I won't." I wanted to stay but I couldn't. "I just need to find Desna."

"Then you know where to look, Knight Commander. Just follow the butterflies..." I was just her Knight Commander. That was all I was to her anymore.

"Goodbye, Arueshalae."

<<X>>
​

The Black Swordsman couldn't believe what he was seeing.

I was brooding just like him.

"What exactly has got you in a twist?" Guts hefted his great sword, and began chopping firewood.

"It's nothing." I frown. "I am just thinking about where I could be and what I could have if things had been different." I scratch the back of my head.

"It was bound to happen." The shadow makes his appearance. "There is no greater destroyer than time." Where had he been?

"Where were you anyway?" I interrogate the phantasm. "I haven't heard from you in a while!"

"I was looking for something." The shadow looks like he was about to collapse. "I think I found Radiance."

"Where?" I jump to my feet. This was good news! It had been forever since I held that blade in my hands. It had practically become a part of me. "In Elysium?"

"No..." Caelum Vorlesh looked tired. "It is in the Kingdom of Midland."

I take back what I said about this being good news.

<<X>>
​

Iomedae had seen it. The dream.

It had brought her shame but part of her was happy. Arueshalae did not want to reconnect. The azata had moved on, and already lived her life. Only The Inheritor would be able to share a bed with Arlan Vorlesh.

"What is this pain?" The Lady of Valor had gotten what she wanted but the person she loved was miserable. "I will fix it." Whatever it would take? The goddess would mend the heart of her beloved.

When I returned from Elysium? I would know it. Just what the goddess would throw away for my sake. How much she would leave herself vulnerable to me.

Just to see it. That smile of mine.

"Casca..." That young woman had a wealth of experience. "I will ask her."

<<X>>​

"Move aside you landlubbers!" The mimic bounced up and down, and landed in front of the campfire. That's when it barfed, and from it came a bounty of artifacts.

A Robe of Determination which I could wear as a gambeson. It drastically increases the magic resistance of those who wear it, and increased the power of their magic. Which made it more difficult to defend against the magic of the person who wore it.

"Onslaught?" I recognized what it was immediately. This armor carried me through a lot of battles. I had eventually abandoned it in favor of the Mark of the Guardian. "Where exactly did you get this?"

"Where does a pirate get anything? I stole it from the Tower of Estrod!" Morgan didn't even hesitate. What a shameless thief. "They have kept a lot of artifacts from the Fifth Crusade. There are a lot of memories floating about in that museum."

"I wonder is it theft?" I scratch at my chin. "It belonged to me anyway..." As I tried to wrap my head around that idea? I noticed that there was one more thing in the pile.

"Frostbite!" The bastard sword of frigid winter. A blade that froze all that it touched. I held it in my hands, and took a moment to get used to the weight of it. I swung the blade, and a blizzard came forth. All that the magic touched would know cold unlike any other. Only the magic of Polar Midnight could compare.

"This is more than I could have possibly hoped for!" Reliable armor made of mithral, and a blade that I could trust not to break. They would not fail. "What is the cost, Morgan?"

"It's on the house, captain! Just consider it a gift." The mimic had that quirky grin of his. I laugh. "If you want to repay us? Consider joining us on a voyage!"

"One day?" I promise. "I will."

When I could put down these tools. When I could go back home.

When I could rest.

[] It was time to meet Desna! I had tracked her down. I just hoped that the goddess would listen and help us. It was time for a deal. Whether I profited from it or not? Well, I would see.

[] I didn't want to leave. At least not at the moment. I wanted to see what else I could discover. This might mean prying into affairs that are not mine. Calistria had been watching...

 

[Gladiator]

Also fixed some more typos and inconsistencies in several chapters.

Do mention any I might have missed.

 

[Thegoldenboy2188]

[X] It was time to meet Desna! I had tracked her down. I just hoped that the goddess would listen and help us. It was time for a deal. Whether I profited from it or not? Well, I would see.

 

[Brother Nier]

[X] It was time to meet Desna! I had tracked her down. I just hoped that the goddess would listen and help us. It was time for a deal. Whether I profited from it or not? Well, I would see.

 

[Gladiator]

Chapter 13: Heart of Elysium

"They are my crusaders! They are my comrades! I will not abandon them! I will not see them become monsters! I will see them rise above this! I will see them rise above you! I promise!"

- Arlan Vorlesh

"There are so many!" Shierke was in awe. The butterflies had gathered around an island. It was at the heart of Elysium. The only problem was that there was a lake surrounding it. "How are we going to reach it?" The young girl looked around for a boat but there were none.

"There is a solution." I look at Frostbite. I did want to test it some more. I had heard what it was capable of. It had belonged to another crusader of mine. I lift the blade, and then stab it into the ground. Only a few meters from the body of water. That is when ice began to form around the blade, and then slowly crawl down from it. It penetrated the ground, and then continued on. As if it was alive. Then it spread to the lake, and froze every droplet of moisture. When it was done? The whole of it had been reduced to an iceberg. A mountain of permafrost embedded in the earth. "I knew it wasn't just hearsay!"

"I could have done that!" Dragon Slayer thought of it as a competition. The great sword didn't like the fact it had a rival. "I just didn't feel like it!"

"Really?" Guts asks. "I could have used that against Grunbeld." He hadn't seen the great sword do anything other than eat souls, and conjure ethereal infernos.

"I have many secrets!" The great sword didn't exactly sound confident. "The mysteries held within--"

"Where can I get one of those bastard swords?" Casca asks. Completely ignoring the great sword. "I could use a blade."

"A dwarf. They are the best blacksmiths." Joran Vhane had forged Radiance, and that same dwarf would help to restore it. It was a shame that the blade had to be used against him. When he chose Staunton Vhane over everyone and everything else. The curse of love. Who could turn against a brother or a sister? If a dwarf could achieve that feat? There was nothing they couldn't create. At the very least something like Frostbite would be in their reach. "When I find one? I will see what I can do."

It would be easier if Torag had helped but it would not be impossible. There had to be some. I just had to find them. After all, the Berserker Armor was proof. It had been created by a dwarf. They had a presence.

"Serpico? I would have you cover my flank." I turned towards the duelist. "Just because this goddess is known for her compassion? It does not mean things will go smoothly." The Great Dreamer was unpredictable. While her intentions were benevolent? Her methods may not be. "Guts you will guard the rear. Be wary of illusions."

Immortals did not prescribe to the same concepts as mortals. They had a perspective that was otherworldly, and unfathomable for most. They understood each other, but it was only those immortals who were once mortal who understood our ways. My Iomedae who had passed The Trial of the Starstone for example.

What they conceived as "correct" could be completely different from what a mortal conceived as "correct." It was this fact that made them dangerous.

I cast Mind Blank, Communal. I hope that would be enough. The magic would protect my crusaders from anything that would interfere with their minds. The problem was that this was Desna.

A goddess.

At best this would delay the inevitable. The Great Dreamer would break it eventually. If not almost instantly. I could match near deities like demon lords.

This was not a "near" deity. It was a deity.

In a realm that catered to her. Which was another advantage the goddess had here.

When I make my way to the island? It was with a measure of caution. I adjust my gear. Onslaught wouldn't be any help. It protected against things that tangibly existed. It would be useless against illusions or mirages. The only benefit I could expect is swiftness, but how could I outrun it? It was not something that worked like that. The Robe of Determination underneath it that I had used as a gambeson might help but only for a moment.

Whenever I stepped forward? It felt as if the island began to move. As if it was retreating. It wasn't like I was sliding backwards on the iceberg or anything like that.

The closer I got? The more obvious it became.

"There is something wrong..." Shierke had also noticed it. The witch tried to focus, and feel for anything. When the Astral Plane did not call back to her? That is when she became alarmed. "What is--"

"Anyone else feels like they're about to..." Guts was hit by the drowsiness, and even the hell hound felt it. "...fall asleep?"

"N-No?" Isidro had tried to resist it. "I am..." That was when he fell.

"I will stop it!" Farnese tries to cast Dispel Magic but it does not work. "W-What?"

"Guts! Wake up!" Casca caught The Black Swordsman before he could fall. "Arlan! What is going on?"

"Farnese!" Serpico quickly grabs her. The magic had taken her. The young woman was trapped in a dream. "No, this is not--" He tried to shake her but it did nothing, and as if in response to that? The magic took him.

"Come on, Ivarela!" El Puck carried her. The fairy had the same thing happen to her. "Just a little more--" He falls out the air. The magic overwhelms him.

"Ivarela!" Shierke tries to reach them but with every movement the magic wraps around her, and disrupts whatever thoughts she might have had.

"Desna!" I take my blade, and stab myself in the hand. The pain is able to stop the feeling of drowsiness. "I call for parley!"

I receive no answer. That is when I am enveloped by something, and I want to just...

"The journey is over." I hear a voice. "Rest."

Of all people didn't I deserve it?

<<X>>
​

When the haze is lifted? I quickly get back up. Only for my head to hit the ceiling. The bunk bed I was on was only a few feet away from it. The room I was in seemed to be made out of vines. It was the same thing for the bed itself. Everything seemed to be part of the island. I check my hand, and the wound is gone.

"Probably her." I look around the room. "Where is everybody?"

The goddess was a secretive one. If I had to guess the whole purpose of this was to prevent anyone from knowing the location of her den. Elysium had a lot of gods and goddesses, and not all of them liked The Great Dreamer.

I quickly exit the room, and walk down a hallway. Just like everything else it seemed to be made out of plants. There were fairies everywhere.

"I hate to ask but does anyone know where the rest of my party is being kept?" The only response I get is for a few of them to get scared, and fly away. Whereas a few just outright ignore that I said anything. "Great. A bunch of anti-social fairies."

I concentrate, and cast Foresight. That is when I found them. It seems that they were inside of what appeared to be a dining hall? I quickly make my way towards to them, and to my relief I saw that they were alright. Guts was eating what appeared to be the grilled thigh of some wildebeest. Isidro was gorging on an assortment of barbequed ribs. Casca was drinking tea, and eating a piece of cake. Shierke was in the middle of taking a bite out of an apple. Serpico was eating a salad. Farnese was twiddling her thumbs, and looking at a bowl of soup. It seems as if she didn't trust it. Ivarela was flying around the room, and El Puck was eating the heart of an elk.

They table they sat at was a banquet. There was food and drink of every kind. At the head of it? I knew who I was looking at.

Desna.

The form that the goddess had assumed was that of an elf. The difference being that on her back was a pair of butterfly wings. That reminded me of a fairy. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Since what I saw was a giant! The goddess towered over us even when she was sitting down. In many ways she looked like an azata. If they had been birthed by a jotun.

"I pity the fool who would try to conquer that mountain!" The goddess would crush them beneath her massive rump, or they would find themselves squished between her giant breasts. There was no middle-ground. "The honor is mine."

"There have been a few." The goddess is not shy about it. "They did die happily."

What a way to go.

"What brings you to Elysium, Knight Commander?" The goddess had a look that made it clear that she already knew.

"I need protection for my people. I have drawn the attention of a demon lord. He is not the type to rely on any conventional methods. There will be spies. A lot of assassins. I need you to hide Arlan's Way or at the very least make it impossible to reach by any means." I take a seat at the other end of the table. "When it comes to that sort of thing I hear that no one is your equal."

"They do not lie." The goddess grabs a pastry. "Arueshalae always spoke of you fondly." Desna gave me a scrutinizing glance. "If you had never met her? Then her destiny would have been to be a monster."

I had helped Arueshalae discover her dream, and in doing so? There was a metamorphosis. Gone was her curse. The azata could love without having to worry about her kiss condemning anyone to death.

"Why didn't you help her to begin with? Why did you wait for me?" I had to ask. It didn't make sense.

"I did not have an interest in her before I saw that her life would be intertwined with that of a hero." The goddess looks at me. "It was because of you. It was always because of you. I feel love in a way few people do but that succubus had murdered one of my own. I had thought of leaving her to die." I expected someone like Ember. Instead the goddess was shrewd, and even just a bit vindictive. "Her prayers were not ones I wanted to hear." Her smile hid contempt. "I had no choice but to help her because without her? Who could have possibly been your muse?"

The goddess had an investment. Arueshalae was just a part of that.

"Where does this interest come from?" I had an idea. The goddess was not the person I expected. "Why help?"

"I despise demons of every sort. I am like you in that regard." The goddess reaches for Ivarela, and brushes her hair aside. "I had been looking into it since the day that witch betrayed Golarion, and helped to fashion The Worldwound. It did bring me a considerable amount of pleasure to know that her child would be her undoing." What she said next I did not expect. "I know of The Godhand, and I have been watching them."

"Then I should expect assistance?" How did she know? That plane had been removed from the perception of gods and goddesses alike. "They must be punished."

"It is more than just that. I have an informant. An agent of mine. That has disguised himself as an apostle." The goddess leans forward. A wry grin was plastered on her face. "He is one of my azata."

I freeze at that.

"Who is he exactly?"

"He goes by the name of--"

<<X>>​

"Irvine!" Sonia had reminded him of his daughter. The young girl held an innocence about her. "Where are we going?" How exactly the psychic had been drawn into this conflict he would never understand.

"I am on a mission. Griffith has ordered me to take care of something." That was a lie. He was tracking down Rakshas. "The problem is in Arlan's Way. I hope a desert is of no discomfort." Rickert had been followed. He was in danger.

"Oh, is it about that Knight Commander? Arlan Vorlesh?" The psychic perks up. "I heard that he is terrifying! That he eats children!" Instead of sounding scared? The young girl sounded excited.

"An exaggeration." The ranger felt annoyed. The Godhand had already began spreading propaganda. "There have been a lot of stories, but they're just frivolous rumors."

"What about the one where he ravished a thousand nuns, and that he is actually a dragon!" Her eyes practically sparkle. As if these tales of horror just made her more interested in who precisely I was. "I hear that he can even flay someone just by looking at them!"

"That is definitely a lie! He might be able to flay someone like that but everything else is hearsay!" The apostle, or so he referred to himself as, was beginning to feel a migraine. "Sonia, don't just believe everything you hear. There are only a few people who can be trusted these days." The Great Dreamer had asked of him a favor.

Irvine had a lot of work to do.

<<X>>
​

"I was worried about any infiltration, and instead I learn that the latest iteration of the Band of the Hawk has been compromised!" It felt amazing to not be the one on the receiving end of traitorous curs for once. I had enough of that for a lifetime. "Just imagine! Griffith has allowed a double agent into his ranks!" I begin to cackle like a crone. In that moment it became clear that I was enjoying this a bit too much. "I'm going to exploit this maliciously."

The goddess had led all of us outside of her abode. The island seemed to come alive, and plants would move out of our way. At the center of the island? There appeared to be an archway. A portal of sorts.

A way back home.

"This bracelet." Desna wraps it around my wrist. "It will serve as a catalyst." It looked like it was made out of the same vines as her den. "When you return break it immediately. The magic will be released, and I promise that no one will discover Arlan's Way. The only exception will be for those whose intentions are pure."

The bracelet looked harmless but I could feel the magic bristling within it.

"Is there anything else I should know?" I had a feeling that I didn't know everything. That gut instinct had been correct but when I figured it out? It was too late.

"No." The goddess looked like she wanted to say something. "There is nothing else."

When the portal had opened, and our party had left Elysium?

The Great Dreamer was alone. Except for someone else. Who had just deigned to make their presence known. It was the Accidental God.

Cayden Cailean was uncharacteristically sober.

"Why didn't you tell him?" The god looked disappointed in her. "He deserves to know."

"That the only thing keeping him alive is The Heart of Darkness, and that it was what brought him back from the Abyss?" The goddess looked conflicted. "The Idea of Evil embodies the worst of any mortal. It would be natural for it to be the architect of this. After all, self-destruction is part of what it is."

"Iomedae won't like this." The god looked like he wanted to choke the goddess for her omission. "Prepare for her retribution."

"That is why I haven't told her." The Great Dreamer clenches her hands. They become balled fists. "It would change nothing for Arlan Vorlesh. He would destroy it. After all, when have you known him to spare a monster?"

"Never." The Lucky Drunk grabs a tankard. He needed a drink. "Hesitation is not part of his character when it comes to demon lords. Least of all a demon lord that hurt any of his crusaders. That would be a death sentence."

"Thus it is pointless to say anything."

"Sure." He grumbles. "Whatever you want to tell yourself."

At the conclusion of any tale? The ending is always the same.

All roads would lead to death.

[] The Great Dreamer has veiled Arlan's Way with a glamor, and now no one who means to do harm will be allowed to trespass. I decide to see if I could somehow meet that azata who had managed to hide themselves even in the presence of a demon lord. They would be useful, and I did need an informant or possibly even an assassin. A spy was always useful.

[] The Great Dreamer has veiled Arlan's Way with a glamor, and now no one who means to do harm will be allowed to trespass. I decide to address the problem of armaments or rather the lack thereof for my crusaders. The Skull Knight must surely know of a dwarf. The Berserker Armor was made by one, and if they were still alive? They could tend to the forge.

[] The Great Dreamer has veiled Arlan's Way with a glamor, and now no one who means to do harm will be allowed to trespass. Guts had incredible potential. That should be capitalized on. Regill could help him become a Hellknight, that would allow him to handle far more difficult tasks, and perhaps prepare him for the moment he will meet Griffith.

[] The Great Dreamer has veiled Arlan's Way with a glamor, and now no one who means to do harm will be allowed to trespass. Iomedae wished to speak about Casca, and help her become a paladin. It would ensure that the young woman would be prepared for whatever conflicts lied ahead. It would give her an opportunity to have revenge.

 

[Thegoldenboy2188]

[X] The Great Dreamer has veiled Arlan's Way with a glamor, and now no one who means to do harm will be allowed to trespass. I decide to address the problem of armaments or rather the lack thereof for my crusaders. The Skull Knight must surely know of a dwarf. The Berserker Armor was made by one, and if they were still alive? They could tend to the forge.

 

[Brother Nier]

[X] The Great Dreamer has veiled Arlan's Way with a glamor, and now no one who means to do harm will be allowed to trespass. I decide to address the problem of armaments or rather the lack thereof for my crusaders. The Skull Knight must surely know of a dwarf. The Berserker Armor was made by one, and if they were still alive? They could tend to the forge.

 

[Gladiator]

Chapter 14: Light in the Darkness

"Do you suppose someone like you could ever find peace? I have seen you, Arlan. You enjoy this for whatever reason. I know what it is like to indulge in that sensation of euphoria. Hedonist that I am. This is your raison d'être. The battlefield is your home but what are you without it? What are you running away from?"

- Daeran

I gingerly caress the bracelet on my wrist.

I stood at the center of Arlan's Way, and a marble statue had been erected. It was carved in the likeness of Iomedae, and in her hands was The Light of Valor. The blade serving as a ward against the corruption of the Abyss, and protecting the souls of my people from the influence of The Godhand. They could even enter the dreams of anyone, and whisper lies that would serve their cause. That was how they operated. They did not just rewrite destiny. Through their capacity for deception? The people would be consumed by their own faults.

The Holy See was a pawn in their game. They were the most afflicted by these falsehoods. This to the extent that they had been convinced that these demon lords were their saviors. The problem was that it was a popular religion, and most of the people residing in this plane respected it.

The moment the gold dragon had deigned to grant us this boon? The people knew what it was like to dream of things that held an otherworldly allure. Of planes where anything they dreamed of could become manifest. The few who had once followed the Holy See in Arlan's Way now became beholden to gods and goddesses beyond this realm.

The Inheritor in particular.

Of course The Hand did not allow himself a respite. Despite all of this? The angel had four of his best guarding it at all times. One for every corner. The people would visit to pray, and not always to Iomedae.

The angels themselves were adored by the people. They would gawk at their pristine wings, and their glowing halos. A curiosity that for once did not mean any harm. Who would inspire awe in them.

The problem was that all of this only protected their souls. Their bodies were vulnerable.

The capital had to be protected from any invasion. Whether it was physical or metaphysical. Which is why I needed the help of another goddess. It was why I needed the Great Dreamer.

"I welcome the blessing of Elysium." I whisper, and that is when I break the bracelet.

The moment I do? The capital is filled to the brim. The desert around us becoming an oasis. A lavish fountain of life. There was a forest that grew around the citadel. All the flora and fauna hailing from Elysium. There were vines that wrapped around every building, and from them flowers would bloom. Fairies would break free of their cocoons, and hover around the citizens. They were unfamiliar faces, and they wished to see more. Centaurs and satyrs hidden in the brush. Dryads expanding their gardens, and planting seeds wherever they could. There were several bodies of water that began to pool from the ground, and they became rivers in the oasis. The mermaids swimming to the surface, and surveying their surroundings. Under the scorching sun of the desert there was a beacon of hope.

Then the havoc dragons began to appear. They surround the capital, and hover around it. As if to guard it from anything that would strike from the sky. That is when I see her.

It had been a while but I could not mistake the beast for anyone else. The creature began to make her way towards the one who had summoned her.

"Aivu..." When last I saw her? The dragon was but a babe. An infant thrust into a conflict. That child had grown into a creature of myth. There were scars on her hide that I did not recognize. How many battlefields had my havoc dragon seen since my departure? "What did I miss?" The same violet scales. Her sapphire eyes which I could see had wisdom. When before they were naive. Her mighty wings which reminded me of a dragonfly.

"A lifetime. Several by your standards." The beast seemed bemused. "As always I answer the call of my father." Aivu leaned down to meet my face.

I had raised her since she was a whelp. Until I had to part ways with her. When I turned away from the promise of Elysium, and instead embraced my mortality.

"I had to go." I murmur, and I brush my hand over her wounds. There were gouges on her back where someone or something had tried to take a chunk of meat from her. A scar over one her right eye. An x-shaped scar on her chest where I imagine her heart was almost plucked. However, despite all of those blemishes or rather because of them? Aivu looked more intimidating. This was a veteran. This was no child. "I couldn't watch my mother die."

"I know." The dragon leans into my touch. A grateful look on her face. "It is what you are, Arlan." Her fangs become visible as the dragon seems to almost smile at me. "Never apologize for it."

It was my nature.

"I won't, Aivu." The wounds could not be completely healed. Whoever had inflicted them? They were powerful in a way I could scarcely imagine. The most I could do was provide her with some relief from the pain. The blemishes would stay. "Who did all of this?"

"A god I had made an enemy of. Decades ago." The havoc dragon lays on the ground to rest, and the earth shakes. "It is of no concern anymore. That battle is over." The angels seem to be nervous.

I nod my head.

"I suspect that this is at the request of the goddess--"

"No, it was not her. It was my decision."

I smile at that.

"That is good to hear, Aivu." It almost felt like the Fifth Crusade. I had Regill in my service, and Aivu was here. Iomedae in my heart, and The Hand at my behest.

The Godhand had best prepare for what lay ahead.

I would show them no quarter.

<<X>>​

The Skull Knight looked like he had seen a ghost.

"That song..." He sounded as if he had a question. "I heard it before."

"Starward Gaze?" I scratch the back of my head. I had intended on approaching him, but instead he came to the throne room by himself. The wraith desired an audience. "Who exactly was it?"

"An elf by the name of Danan, and..." He stops at that. "...I would ask that you meet."

"Is this the Elfheim you spoke of? On the island of Skellig?"

"The same."

I get up from my throne, and look toward the angels. The royal guard that stood watch. I wave at them, and they immediately begin to leave. I had a feeling this would require some discretion.

"What do you know of dwarfs, Gaiseric?" I drop the formalities. "Who made the Berserker Armor exactly?"

"..." I could feel it in The Skull Knight. The annoyance of being referred to as that person again. "Hanarr also resides in Elfheim, and he was the one who crafted it. He is a dwarf."

"A drunkard like the rest of the lot?"

"Of course."

There was no dwarf that could say no to a tankard of ale or mead.

"Then our interests are aligned but I cannot leave Arlan's Way. I have just returned." I circled around The Skull Knight, and when I spoke there was an authority in my voice. "If you want me to speak with this Danan? Bring her to my lovely city. Bring the dwarf too. They must both visit the capital. This is no request. I expect it to happen. If it does not then I will not speak to this elf. Do I make myself clear?"

It was a command.

"That will be difficult to accomplish. They rarely leave their island." The Skull Knight was trying to haggle but I wouldn't have it.

"I am sure that you are familiar with the concept of negotiation. It was not only conquest that you excelled at." I tilt my head, and the wraith could swear that the rubies that were my eyes flickered crimson. "Do it, or don't come back."

"Very well, Lord Vorlesh." The Skull Knight emphasized the title. As if to recognize who I was. "I will see if I can convince them."

"Excellent!" I take a seat, and sink into the illustrious throne. "I will be waiting..."

When the wraith leaves? I could feel her presence.

"There are many secrets hidden in that conqueror." The Lady of Valor is by my side. "Are you certain he can be trusted?"

"He saved my crusaders when they fell victim to The Eclipse. That is reason enough to believe in him." I turn towards her, and grab her hand. The goddess takes a seat on my lap, and eases into my embrace. "I did miss this..." There was something lecherous about my gaze. Which was due to the fact that my paramour was not wearing anything save for some less than modest lingerie.

It was a good thing that I had dismissed all the angels earlier.

Iomedae grabbed my face, and I felt her lips. This kiss would only be the beginning.

"I love you, Arlan."

<<X>>​

"Serpico." I had to ask. "Who exactly is Farnese to you?"

"My master at one point in my life. I was her servant." He gives me a pointed look. As if to tell say that I should drop this subject immediately. "That is all there is to it."

"No, there is more to it. The way she sometimes--"

"It is none of your business, my liege." He frowns at that. "It is a problem I would leave buried."

"There are many nobles who take in their bastards, and raise them in secret." I continue despite his protests. "I would have you confirm whether my theory is correct." I look at him, and examine his features again. "Is Farnese your sister?"

"Yes." He answers a bit too quickly. "That is all you need to know."

"Does Farnese know that you are her brother--"

"I said it is none of your business!" Whatever the problem was it brought him enough discomfort to raise his voice against his lord. "It is the past!"

"Farnese needs to know because her feelings for you have not changed. My apprentice has done an impressive job of hiding them but they are persistent. As feelings of love are known to be. The only way to stop this is if the truth is laid bare." I try to be gentle. This was a delicate issue, and it had to be dealt with through finesse. "This is what I think. When you were both children? You found comfort in each other but this was before your father revealed the truth. Once that happened you ended it in disgust. Understandably so, but you still loved her just in a different way than she did. You look at her, and see a sister. Farnese looks at you, and sees a man. That is the problem. That is why my apprentice needs to hear the truth."

"It is not that simple, Arlan!" Serpico stops bothering with the honorifics. "There more to it than just that! When Farnese was part of the Holy See she burned many people at the stake! Innocent people! One of those people--" He stops at that. "Just forget about it. Everything is fine as it is."

"Who was it, Serpico? Another brother or sister?" I frown at that. "Your mother?"

The young man freezes at that. It was subtle but I noticed it.

"It was your mother." I nod my head. "You saw it happen, and did nothing because you didn't want to lose that relationship. What connection you had with your father, and your sister."

"Shut up! Please just shut up!" Serpico was in tears. "I don't want to remember that! I want to forget!"

This plane had been beset by madness. No doubt because of the rule of these demon lords. Then again, perhaps it was the nature of mortals to go through this kind of agony. They hurt themselves the most.

"How could anyone forget that, Serpico?" I grab him as he begins to lose his footing, and trip over himself. "That is something no one should ever forget." I realize in that moment why he allowed this ruse to continue.

"If Farnese knows everything? Then she will know that it was your mother that she burned alive." This was... complicated. I thought my family had problems. This was something else entirely.

"When it happened she asked me to prove that it wasn't my mother! I threw the first torch, Arlan!" He manages to pull himself back up, and onto his feet. "I killed my mother because I didn't want to lose the only family I had left! By the time it happened her mind was gone! She was a mad woman! When she looked at me she didn't even recognize that her son was the one who left her to die!"

"No, Serpico. They would have burned you with her." I shake my head. "There was nothing you could have done. I am amazed you even forgave her."

"Farnese isn't who she used to be." Serpico continues. "It began ever since The Black Swordsman met her. Then there was Elaine. It was the lot of them! They changed the way she looked at the world! Whatever belief she had in the Holy See? It is gone forever." He looks at me. "Don't spurn her for what the church molded her into."

"I won't. I promise." This meant a lot to him. I couldn't betray that. "Farnese is my apprentice. Whatever she was before? I will not judge her for it. I will see her bury it."

"What will you tell her exactly?"

"The truth."

That her brother loved her but not in the way that she loved him.

<<X>>
​

It had been weeks since I had heard from the wraith, but he had returned.

The Skull Knight had brought company. A woman who I imagine is Danan, and a dwarf who must be Hanarr.

"I had the utmost confidence, Gaiseric." I begin, but the dwarf looked uncomfortable when I used that name. "Are you an azata?" I turn my attention towards the young woman. Who wore apparel that reminded me of Shierke. It was the same robes, and pointed hat. Then there was her staff which hummed with a tune I had heard before.

"It has been a while since anyone used that terminology but I am." The elf does not even bother to open her eyes. In spite of that? I could feel as if someone was gazing directly at my soul. I had no doubt in that moment. "Arlan Vorlesh... there are many who speak of you in reverence throughout the planes. They say that you're a hero." She frowns. "Then there are others who say you're a bloodthirsty warmonger."

"They both speak truly." I smirk. "How do you like the capital?"

"It is as I suspected. Desna has blessed it." She grips her staff. "I have a request, Lord Vorlesh. That Elfhelm would be allowed to trade with Arlan's Way. There are many resources that have taken root from our home, and it has been thousands of years since the opportunity has presented itself."

"I imagine that has been difficult." How long had The Godhand barred entrance to this plane, and left them stranded? It must have been an eternity. "I will certainly allow this exchange to happen. If I can have access to the services of your dwarfs. The forge has grown cold, and my crusaders need an arsenal that is worthy of them."

"I can fix that!" Hanarr speaks. "I am one who built the Berserker Armor--"

"The craftsmanship was excellent, but I will be the one working on any enchantments." I interrupt him immediately. I couldn't have a repeat of that mess. "I want to make sure my crusaders do not die in the throes of insanity."

"It wasn't that bad!"

"Gaiseric? It was the Berserker Armor that reduced you to this miserable state, yes?"

The Skull Knight coughs at that. "That would be the case."

"Hanarr, you are forbidden from using enchantments on anything you create unless I approve of them." I lean forward and look down at the dwarf. "Understood?" It could be sworn that my glare bored a hole through his head that day.

"U-Understood, Lord Vorlesh!" He involuntarily stutters when he sees the menacing glow of magic around my throne. "I will bring them to your attention!"

"There will be no drinking either." I continue. "If I catch you drunk at the forge? I will have you lashed until you are sober again."

"Oh, come on! A dwarf without drink is not a dwarf at all!"

"I will hear no complaints! If you want to drink? It must be far away from the forge. I know what kind of work you do when you're drunk. I don't like it at all." I would not have my crusaders become a horde of raving animals. They were not beasts. They were soldiers first and foremost.

"Alright, lad! I will only drink when I am not working!" The dwarf looked like he was offended but I did not care. I do not encourage that kind of behavior in my crusade. "Anything else?"

"Just one more thing." I reach for Frostbite, and throw it at the dwarf. "I would like a replica of this bastard sword. No enchantments. I will add them myself. Just report to me when it is done." Casca did not have an affinity for that kind of magic. A holy boon would be perfect for the aspiring servant of Iomedae, and perhaps with the addition of an axiomatic boon. I could manage it.

"Aye." The dwarf catches it. "Oh, now that is something!" He looks impressed by the bastard sword. "Who made this weapon?" He turns it over. "I have never seen anything like it..." His hand brushes over a section of the blade near the guard that had runes engraved into it.

"It was a gift from a friend, but I doubt they would know." Whoever had created the blade had been lost to time. Just as it was the case with many of these artifacts. "They stole it from another plane. The one I hail from."

"Another plane?" Hanarr grumbles. "So, we weren't the only ones stuck in this hellhole?"

"Not anymore. I found myself trapped here almost two months ago."

"Almost two months ago he says but he is already royalty!" Hanarr didn't know whether to be annoyed or impressed. They were here for over a thousand years, and only a few people even heard of them. "What sort of fool just does that whenever they feel like it?"

"I do." I smile. "I have demon lords to execute, and absolutely no time to waste!"

"There it is again! Just saying crazy things like that, as if it is just an everyday occurrence!" The dwarf looked like he was happy about that. His disappointment from being denied drink suddenly disappearing. "I will be at your forge!"

I had a blacksmith.

[] I had to discuss something with Farnese. The truth I had learned must reach her. Then I could continue her apprenticeship. There couldn't be any distractions.

[] Guts should meet with Hanarr. The dwarf could no doubt improve his Berserker Armor, and I could truly begin his training as a Hellknight. Regill could even help.

 

[Gladiator]

Also fixed some more typos in a couple of the latest chapters.

 

[Thegoldenboy2188]

[X] I had to discuss something with Farnese. The truth I had learned must reach her. Then I could continue her apprenticeship. There couldn't be any distractions.

 

[Brother Nier]

[X] I had to discuss something with Farnese. The truth I had learned must reach her. Then I could continue her apprenticeship. There couldn't be any distractions.

 

[Gladiator]

Chapter 15: The Everlight

"The truth is I left the righteous path. I was drawn to depravity and violence. When I’m with my friends we mix it up, and we drink, we fight and curse… I love it.”

- Pike Trickfoot

"There is a reason why you haven't been able to progress." I was sitting in front of my apprentice. Farnese of Vandimion was once the leader of the Holy Iron Chain Knights. A branch of the Holy See that oversaw their military. It was a farce. A group of incompetent buffoons, and more often than not psychotic murderers. Anyone they even suspected of witchcraft? They burned to death, and threw into a pyre. None of their victims were guilty of any crime. Only perceived heresy against their religion. "Which means that I will have to try something else."

One of their victims included the mother of Serpico. A captain leading one of my regiments, and a dutiful crusader who swore fealty to my cause. The brother of my apprentice.

A pair of siblings who had found themselves cursed by the machinations of fate.

"The ley lines are not fond of you." They were only willing to grant her a meager fraction of power. They had a volition of their own. A measure of cognizance.

They knew what the young woman had done. The crime was etched into the Astral Plane. Which means that she needed a patron of sorts. It didn't necessarily need to be a deity but it was usually the best bet.

Grandmother Crow could do it but I had no way of contacting her. Which left The Lady of Valor. Who did not like my apprentice whatsoever. That meant I had to look for another one.

"How flexible are you when it comes to the divine?" I reach into my bag of holding, and grab some parchment. "I know you don't exactly trust theology anymore."

"If you're asking whether I believe in anything? No." The witch tries to look away. There was something that she was hiding. That, or it was just guilt. How many innocent people died because of her? "I am done believing in lies."

"The Holy See is wrong but that doesn't mean there is nothing." I fold my arms over my chest, and close my eyes. "I thought that would be obvious by now. Considering all the magic you have seen."

"It doesn't matter what they call themselves." The young woman clenches her hands into fists. "I am done using it as an excuse to indulge in my deviance." That is what it was.

It was never about faith. It was about the pleasure she derived from it. The burning of heretics. It was macabre to say the least.

"It is not about finding another excuse. This will be about facing what you have done. It cannot be ignored, and if you want redemption it must begin in a baptism." I wasn't exactly religious myself. I had only followed The Godclaw out of admiration. It was respect but never reverence, and in the case of my lover I had committed debauchery of every sort. I was the only servant of The Inheritor who could debase her on a whim.

Though my lady always enjoyed it.

That was the most peculiar thing about those who had power. They almost always relinquished it behind closed doors, and allowed indignity to befall them. It was the allure of the forbidden. A goddess prostrating herself before a mortal as if she was but a courtesan.

In that moment it was I that was worshiped.

"A deity does not always demand everything of their followers. There are even those that respect individualism. I have seen the most uncouth of trailblazers be granted their favor. In spite of their disbelief, and in some cases because of it. It does not matter whether you believe in them. It matters whether they believe in you. If you follow their respective edicts? A heretic you may be. A blasphemer you may be. The grace of a divine is determined by character. Never by reverence alone." There were gods and goddesses that adhered to their tenets. Those rules defined them. Only the most despicable of deities demanded worship above anything else.

However, even Asmodeus was not that much of an egomaniac. His favor was earned by deeds, and by merit most importantly of all. Efficiency is what he respected. Ruthless pragmatism, and of course cunning. It is why Regill could even leave the Lower Planes. There were loopholes in their contract. A myriad of them that the Lord of Darkness could have exploited in any way.

He chose not to. Rare is it that a devil doesn't try to worm his way around the phrasing of a deal on a piece of parchment. That was the respect that Regill commanded in hell.

"That is not what I am used to, Lord Vorlesh. In my experience only the depth of faith is valued, and everything else is ignored." Her face scrunches in frustration. As if trying to wrap her head around the idea that a deity did not care for worship.

Mozgus had shown her the worst of it.

"Then prepare yourself for this experience." I take a quill, and begin to write. "This scroll I am making will grant entrance to any foreign deity. The exception being any malevolent ones. I have to thank The Sword of Valor for that. It will leave yourself open to the Great Beyond. It is risky which is why I will follow. A few of them may be a bit zealous." Abadar would simply want justice. What I was looking for was redemption in the name of my protege.

"I do not understand. Do you mean to say we will enter the Astral Plane?" Farnese had been paying attention to Shierke. While the young girl didn't have time to teach her? There was room for a chat between her lessons under Flora.

"No, I mean to enter your soul. Whereas you will look inside yourself. It is in that place that those lurking in the Great Beyond can hear the ruminations of your heart. Whatever they may be." It was the only way I could get her to confront the truth, and in one fell swoop help her ascend.

If things went according to plan that is. They almost never do.

When my protege heard that? I could see the worry on her face. I had asked her to bare everything. The most foul things inside of her I would see. The ugliest parts of herself she kept hidden.

"I am not sure I am ready." The witch fidgeted in place. There was a tremor. A sign of fear. That quickly became shame.

"People rarely are when it comes to confronting themselves." I frown at that. "It must be done. If you want to become a witch."

"..." The young woman closes her eyes, and takes a moment to decide. "Very well. Do it, Lord Vorlesh."

I nod my head, and begin to read. The scroll would be the gateway.

Had I known what awaited us?

I would have brought an army.

<<X>>​

"It is an astonishing amount of nothing." The realm between was a hollow void that continued on forever. It did not change even when I used my magic to expand my purview beyond a mortal lens.

It was a form of purgatory where a person could commune with any manner of being throughout the planes.

Farnese had grown uncomfortable. Before her was an endless expanse. There was a horizon but it went on towards the edge of this universe. This was a sight that could drive a person into madness.

"W-What is this place, Arlan?" Her eyes darted around. Searching for anything recognizable.

"A place between planes." I take a seat on the ground. "It will take a while before you are noticed by someone." I grab a piece bread from my bag of holding, and throw an orange at Farnese. The young woman catches it.

"No point in an empty stomach. Eat." I take a bite of the loaf of bread. It was freshly baked, and had been seasoned with sea salt. At the end of the day there was nothing I preferred to snack on but that. There was something about bread after it had just been baked that always satisfied any craving I had.

The young woman peeled the orange, and started to eat a slice of it. "Is this something witches do often?"

"A lot of them do but I usually don't." I rip the bread in half. "The ley lines were always enough for me." That, and I didn't want to be beholden to anyone but myself.

It began with a spark. The ignition of power. Then through that it coalesced into being. A light in the darkness of this primordial void. A sun. It grew until every corner of this realm reflected the brilliance of it.

It was not my Iomedae. Which meant it had to be...

"Sarenrae." The Dawnflower. The Healing Light. "It is a pleasure."

The Everlight.

"Arlan Vorlesh... I have heard that my beloved has taken an interest in you again." The Great Dreamer had many lovers but of those who resided in the Great Beyond? Only a few deities knew of her affection. Sarenrae included. "It is unusual for her to forgive someone who denied her once."

"I am no azata, Lady Sarenrae. I am a mortal." I turn towards my apprentice. "I have someone who seeks redemption."

"No." The answer was immediate. "It is not redemption they seek." The sun flickered for a moment, and from it came an avatar. An extension of the goddess. It had looked like Farnese. If she was an elemental forged out of flames. "It is the fire."

I blink, and I quickly realize that I made a mistake.

Sarenrae only granted redemption to those who desired it. The goddess did not give people what they actually needed. She only ever gave them what they wanted.

Whether they knew it or not themselves.

"Farnese..." I couldn't hide the concern in my voice. "Run."

I drew on the ley lines in the Great Beyond, and immediately used Conduit Surge. The experience I had in Elysium taught me not to underestimate a deity. I would have to force all of my magic past what it could normally do.

Before the facet of the goddess could engulf my apprentice in cleansing flames? I cast Polar Midnight, and smother the flames. This time the magic worked. Not only that but unlike before where it had only reached absolute zero?

This time it went below that temperature. Instead of ceasing all movement?

It unmade all that it touched.

This was only enough to disperse the inferno. The goddess remained unfazed by it.

"What are you waiting for? I told you to run!" The young woman looks petrified. "Unless you want to be burned alive!" I had a promise to keep.

"If you stand in my way? I will consign you to oblivion." The avatar took a step forward, but I stood my ground. "The Inheritor does not need to lose her consort. I will tend to this."

This was the goddess who cast Rovagug into the Pit of Gormuz. I would be insane to face even an aspect of her. This avatar held but a fraction of her power. However, it was far beyond that of a demon lord.

However, an avatar was just that. A wisp of divinity.

"If you so much as lay a hand on one of my crusaders? I will kill you!" There was no hesitation. It wasn't a threat. It was a promise. I had meant it, and the goddess could feel that.

"That is not a lie?" The goddess is taken aback. Instead of being afraid? I would challenge one of the most powerful deities in the multiverse. "It will mean death."

"I do not care! I have died before!" I approach her without hesitation, and cast the spell known as Transformation. It would prevent me from using any other magic while it was active but it would be worth it. Through the power of Conduit Surge it soars beyond anything it should be capable of.

The moment I move the realm fractures around my body. This swiftness had reached the realm of the divine. I blow past any barriers in my way, and collide against the avatar. The moment I strike her in the face? The goddess is unprepared for it. My fist digging into her face, and the elemental disperses into a flock of phoenixes. They quickly reform, and when they do? The goddess reaches for whatever amounted to her face.

"A miracle." Genuine curiosity. There was a feeling. A sensation of pain that was unfamiliar to her. It had been thousands of years since anyone had hurt her. "Iomedae had spoken truly."

I was an anomaly.

The avatar of the goddess began to move again but I was already prepared. My foot collides with her head the moment she reappears, and she disperses again. This time she reforms more quickly, and I plunge my hand into her chest. I flinch as I feel her heart. This fire had to be hotter than anything in this universe. It bypassed any immunities. Whether they were physical or metaphysical.

"I am disappointed already!" I free my hand, and at worst it looked like I had a second degree burn. Another bonus of this enchantment was that it was like Mage Armor only much more powerful. Which I amplified even further with Conduit Surge. All of my physical attributes skyrocketed, and my martial prowess became empyrean.

The price was excessive but the payback was always worth it.

I ball my hand into a fist, and punch at the seams holding this dimension together. There is a crack in the fabric of reality, and my blow forces it open. A black hole is conjured forth where I had struck, and it begins to devour everything around it. Including the elemental that would dare threaten one of my crusaders.

I am quick to protect my apprentice, and move her out of the way before it could draw her in. In an instant I had to have traveled a thousand light-years on foot. The black hole does not persist when a supernova breaches the quantum singularity. A gamma ray burst is unleashed. The resulting explosion almost reaching us despite that distance I covered.

"It is dangerous for a mortal to be this powerful." Sarenrae did not relent. Her quarry would not escape her. "I can see why you were able to fell a demon lord."

"Not just a demon lord! Two of the worst!" I pat my apprentice on the back. Farnese was busy getting her bearings back after that tumultuous trip. Normally, people don't experience what it is like to move faster than light. It was only due to the fact that it broke the laws of physics that she even survived. "I told you before! If you touch her? I will kill you! That is a promise!"

That is when the magic of Transformation fades away. I grit my teeth, and resort to the grand hex known as Death Interrupted. I transfer my soul into my bag of holding the moment I am disintegrated by a fireball. In that same instance I cast Life Giver. The body that was completely destroyed regenerates from nothing. I couldn't exactly bring myself back from the dead if my soul was gone, and every one of these attacks could obliterate it.

"That persistence is endearing but please get out of my way before--" I don't give her a chance to do anything else by quickly grabbing her from behind, and that is when I cast Stormbolts. Once again I amplify it with Conduit Surge, and the resulting burst of electricity caused her to scream in anguish. Silencing her. "This is not a game, Arlan Vorlesh! If you test my patience--"

I curse her with Retribution just before another supernova happens. It doesn't have a chance to complete itself. The moment I begin to vaporize? The avatar cries out, and cancels it. Whatever harm she did to me when I was in direct contact with her was immediately reflected back to her. "Why won't you just give up? What are you exactly?"

"I am The Knight Commander of the Sixth Crusade, and I will not stand by while one of my crusaders is about to die!" I hold onto her, and ignore the pain. As long as I held her? Then Retribution would activate. The downside to this hex was that it only worked in close proximity. "Cease this, or I will be forced to kill you!"

That is when the goddess transforms into another flock of phoenixes, and reforms elsewhere near Farnese.

"It will be quick!" The goddess moves to grab her by the throat but I am already between them. Her hand pierces through my chest. The pain was unimaginable but I chose to ignore it. "I swear you are one of the most frustrating mortals I have ever--" I cast Ice Tomb, and entrap her in a block of permafrost. It only delays her for a few seconds but that gives me enough time to cast Heal, and seal the wound in my chest.

Before the avatar could escape the prison? I gather as much negative energy as possible, and then amplify it. I combine Conduit Surge, and Banshee Blast. The resulting discharge of power collides against the goddess before she can break free of it. The elemental is hurled backwards, and hits the ground with a resounding crash. The moment I knew she was far away enough? I cast Rift of Ruin which tears open a portal to the Abyss. As tentacles drag the avatar away from this plane.

It only banishes her for about twenty seconds but that was all I needed. When the goddess returns covered in the viscera of demons? I inflict the hex known as Dire Prophecy on her avatar. While I couldn't control the destiny of the goddess? The same did not speak true for her avatars. The moment the elemental tries to cast any magic? It backfires, and she is disintegrated by the rebound. I could feel it. I was almost there. I just had to capitalize on this.

In that weakened state? I cast Curse of Nonviolence on her avatar.

I had done it.

"Is this the doing of Areelu Vorlesh? Her experiment created this." The goddess muses to herself. Anything she tried wouldn't work anymore. The hex halting her the moment she tried to hurt my apprentice. The same spoke true for myself. "Release me, Knight Commander! I will spare your protege but the truth must be known..." The goddess looks towards the young woman. Who was still trembling.

"Serpico is your brother, and it was his mother you forced him to burn that day. It was no heretic." The Dawnflower is without any mercy. "That is why he could never love you. How could he knowing that secret?"

"W-What?" Farnese collapses when she hears that. "T-That is not true! He said--"

"It is because he wanted to protect you!" I try to defuse the situation. "He is a bastard. A result of your father being an irresponsible dolt." I quickly grab her, and look her in the eyes. "He loves you but in the way a brother does."

"In the way a brother does?" The young woman felt nauseous. The things that they had done. That is when my apprentice loses her composure. "It has to be a lie!" Her horror had become disbelief. There had to be a way to rationalize it. This had to be a dream! "Arlan, you don't understand I--"

"I know." In their naivety they had done the unspeakable. How could they have known? "What could you have done differently? When you knew not the truth?"

Her face contorts in pain, and she chokes back sobs. When that realization led to another. "I took everything from him." Not only had she despoiled her own brother? The young woman made him into a murderer. It was a case of patricide no less! "I took his innocence! I took his mother!"

"Farnese..." The avatar began to speak. "In a way you already knew, and that is why you wanted to be cast into the flames. It would be fitting. The punishment you always deserved."

I frown at that. "Whatever the reason it doesn't matter." I gently grab my apprentice by her shoulders, and I force her to face me. "Farnese of Vandimion... you are one of my crusaders, and that will not change. I will not let death be an escape. This is something you must face, and I will have you overcome this."

"No, no, no, no!" The young woman shakes her head. "Just let me die! The goddess wants my life anyway!" Beside herself? The witch began to cry. "I am a monster--"

In that purgatory a rough crack is heard. It echoed, and filled the realm with noise. I had struck the young woman. If I could not reason with her? Then a beating was in order.

"..." Farnese grabs the cheek that I had slapped. "How can I live after this? After everything I have done? I deserve to be punished! I deserve to die! Why do you even care?"

"It would make your brother miserable, and he would miss you dearly. As I said before he cares about his sister." I frown at that. "I care about my apprentice too. I hardly knew you before but now I am invested! As your Knight Commander? I command you to live! Redeem yourself, Farnese. There are people waiting for you back home."

"..." The goddess was quiet. As if something had begun to change. "Is redemption what you truly desire?"

"I..." Her hands reach around, and grab me tightly. "I do."

"It will be difficult." The avatar approaches her from behind. "It will be painful."

"I know." The young woman releases her hold, and turns to face the goddess. The witch wipes away her tears. "I want every bit of it. I deserve it all."

"Give me your hands." The goddess reaches out, and waits for her. "I will become your guide."

"What will you do?" Farnese shows no fear. Her voice laced with resignation but in that there was a solemn determination.

The witch would redeem herself. This power would be used to heal.

"I will grant you my mark, and they will become as brimstone. They will hurt everyday, and be a reminder. It will be torture, and it is the price for this compact. You must understand what you made your victims feel before they died." The goddess gently grabs her hands, and they begin to burn brilliantly. "In return, I will see to it that your potential does not go to waste."

The young woman cries out in agony but does not fall. Her face scrunched in concentration. In that moment I am reminded of another stigmatized witch. Ember had the same burden. However, in her case she did not deserve it.

Her hands are charred down to the bone. They function despite that. The blackened hands twitching, and cracks forming in them. Where blood would pour from blisters.

I rush to her side, and begin to wrap her hands in bandages. Any kind of magic would be completely useless. A curse this powerful would be permanent.

"How does it feel to be blessed by a goddess?" I am gentle as I apply some aloe. "It is rare for a witch."

"It is the most excruciating pain I have ever felt!" The young woman did not look angry. In fact, for some reason there was joy on her porcelain face. I had never seen her this happy before. "Thank you, Lord Vorlesh."

I felt pride in my heart.

[] I felt I was ready. It was time to begin the war in earnest, and I had a target in mind. Slan was probably the weakest of The Godhand, and she would fall before any of the rest. I had to find a way to reach her in the Abyss.

[] However, while I was ready? I could not say the same for Guts. Perhaps I could convince Regill to take care of his training? Whilst I dealt with some other problems in Arlan's Way. I wonder if Irvine had contacted us...

 

[Gladiator]

Arlan Vorlesh right now: