Mecanimus
patreon
The Calamitous Bob 232: Plain of the Gods
🕑 Added 2025-02-14 17:39:13 +0000 UTCThe last humans to join the Paramese Alliance had been the Order of the White Orchard, Baran’s best knight order. They had crossed the last intact portal network line in a daring escape. They had claimed neutrality in the civil war. Some people had taken a long time to learn that Nero didn’t do ‘neutrality’. He was more of a ‘with me or against me’ kind of person. Now their glittering armor would join the Baranese battle lines. Viv really liked the knights in glittering armor, especially when they were on her side. Now she was floating above the capital under a layer of dark clouds, waiting for the last comers.
At least she hoped so. After midnight, she was starting to have some concern but eventually she spotted it: a private jet-sized green shape coming towards her. She flew down, and they made a circle, one flying after the other. It was a polite dragon meeting. Viv pushed her mind towards his.
It is good to see you, Cold-Gale-over-Spring-Meadow.
The large dragon was not as sleepy and withdrawn as usual. The way his wings beat was almost forceful.
Outlander.
Mother of the pesky ones.
My one name has perished, killed by treachery.
I will fight.
I will fight!
Well that went well.
Welcome aboard.
I will kill him.
Meadow dove to the ground where a line of fire already waited, next to the cavernous entrance of the Golden Scale Bank and Exchange. Viv was pretty sure she could smell grilled fresh fish on the wind. Arthur really knew her customer.
The waiting resumed, but not for long. A barely smaller black dragon soon arrived. She was a shadow over a shadow, making it hard to spot her, but not heard to hear. She roared when she spotted Viv.
What have you humans done!?
Viv closed her eyes. This was going to be frustrating.
Greetings, She-Who-Rides-The-Storm’s-Darkest-Cloud.
Viv started a flying greeting and after a few moments of hesitation, Stormrider reluctantly returned it.
At least you remember my name, simian creature.
Viv rolled her eyes.
I’m a human, not a goldfish.
Now stop it.
I hate that cheating bastard as much as you do.
A grunt of disbelief emerged from the dragon’s dark throat.
You are weak, and depend on your gods for everything.
Now look what your kind has done! Millennia of wisdom, lost!
“Believe me, I know,” Viv spat. “And I will fight him. Will you?”
Why would I place myself under the order of a lesser.
Viv exposed the anger and fatigue in her soul.
Then why have you come?
Just to complain?
I have a war to wage.
She bared her teeth, wings spreading out in a draconic gesture of challenge.
If you will not face him like I will, then depart.
ENOUGH!
The dragoness broke the dance. She approached Viv, then followed with a narrow turn. Gray mana kept her upright with few beatings of her wings which was, to those who could feel it, an impressive display of power and control. Viv decided the timing was right to extend an olive branch so she would feel that she’d won.
Judgment visited me, using a fate construct to speak to me.
He said he chose this path because it could lead to a better future for all of us.
I will face the Champion of Maranor in battle, for this future he saw.
Join me, She-Who-Rides-The-Storm’s-Darkest-Cloud.
You do not have to obey.
Share your fire with me.
The dragoness did her equivalent of an harrumph, that grumpy old tart. Viv was almost fed up having to juggle skyscraper-sized egos. She only committed to the bit because it was her brand and also because fuck were dragons powerful anyway. Can’t look a gifted adult firebreather in the mouth and so on.
You have a spine; you have honor.
Although you have no wings.
“Not you too,” Viv moaned.
Is that fish I smell?
“Arthur knows how to be a good host.”
Very well.
Do not presume to order me around!
And when you fight, worry not, for I will rain fire upon your enemies!
Then she dove again. Viv watched the black dot land in a terrifying roar that scared the cooks because why not. The night was just starting. Viv sighed.
“What a massive fucking tsundere.”
***
It was time. The Maranorian army didn’t try to bypass the Deadshield Woods via teleportation, a daunting task that would have required control over Kazar. Instead, the army crashed through the forest on a 500 paces front along the old road, the surviving elites at the front led by the champion himself. They cut trees, destroyed traps, and killed countless monsters to end in the pots of the ravenous horde. Almost a hundred thousand strong, the largest formation in Nyil’s history steamrolled the eternal woods like the march of progress itself. The trees were used for the cooking pits or palisades, their roots torn off to dig kilometers of latrines. In the middle of the trip, the lake was detoxified and drunk in its entirety. Nero still had to keep portals open just to keep the army decently watered and fed.
They moved on expecting an attack that never came. After ten days of relentless march, the vanguard of the host arrived in Kazar at dawn. They found it entirely empty. No food, no wealth, no people, only rustic houses spilling over a long-outgrown wall underneath the purple tree. The vanguard gathered under its ancient boughs.
“It used to block the contamination,” Crest said. “Remember?”
“I remember. Burn it down.”
“What?”
“It no longer serves a purpose beyond being a symbol of Harrak. Symbols will burn, the tree, the palace, Efestar’s statue. They will all burn. Do it.”
And so, the tree burnt, purple leaves turning to embers, and the Maranorians moved on. The army deployed itself out of the forest like the wings of some city-sized vulture, their advance unopposed. After a brief hesitation, they traveled towards the capital of Sinur’s Gate forty leagues away.
There was no food to be found on the path. The Harrakans had left nothing behind but freshly seeded crops pushing through the early spring soil, taunting hungry soldiers with the promise of a harvest they might never see. They marched over plains and hills at a fast pace, and around noon, they found the alliance army.
***
Crest beheld Sinur’s Gate for the first time in his life just from a small hill near the road heading north.
Long ago, his expedition had bypassed the cursed city by traveling north instead. They’d been too far to see the way it merged with the mountains, or the lone path leading up on a background of distant clouds. Something about their ominous and unnatural formation bothered him until he remembered most of the Deadlands were still under such a merciless sky, and it did not detract the city’s charm. Now restored, its towers and roofs shone like jewels in the pale winter sun. The contrast between light and darkness illustrated New Harrak’s idiosyncrasies to him.
Tents and fortifications dotted the road up though if it came to that, then the battle was already over. Below that was the famous Plain of the Gods with its many temples including the large statue to Efestar, one that would crumble before the day was done.
And before that was the Alliance army.
“Holy Maranor’s Grace,” he whispered.
***
There were no tents large enough to accommodate the headquarters of the alliance. None had ever been designed with dragons in mind, and now eight stood, wings folded, their serpentine eyes inspecting their surroundings on the rest platform overlooking the valley. Of the hundred of officers attending, only the Harrakans were comfortable in their presence. Some of the distant Baranese dukes kept glancing from them to the merl, yries, and kark representatives. Although the dragons were the kind to take offense at any perceived slight, the peace was maintained by the presence of Arthur. The now large dragoness quietly presided over the assembly with her cold presence. Golden chimes hung from her horns by colorful ribbons. They sang beautifully with every gust of wind. A heavy chain kept her pouch close to her chest. None of the dragons present criticized the choice of human garments. Rather, their attention would sometimes be captured by the shimmering reflection of dancing gold.
Viv was the last to arrive flanked by Sahin and Jararalassi, the strategists looking like they’d not slept properly for their entire lives. She moved straight to the central table and its map.
Her gaze went over the assembled people. They were all here, silent and disciplined although the dragons probably helped with that first part.
This was it.
Fifteen ago, she had been a starving, poisoned witch at the edge of civilization. Now she was ruler of a rising nation, part of a vast alliance formed for the express purpose of making life marginally less shitty. The gathering was a testament to her work. To her love. To the sacrifice of many friends starting with Jor who jumped off Fort Sky wall to save her from the undead, so very long ago, and ending with Judgment. Viv hadn’t stood idle. She had done her very best to leave a positive imprint every day she was here. And this was the result. Warriors, assassins, mages, even administrators represented by the ever sinister presence of Bes. Several nations. Several species. All of them might return to competing for resources soon but that was outside of her control. Defending the dream was what she was here to do, and they were here with her to do it of their own accord. It was enough to give her faith.
“Ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for coming,” she began.
Her casual tone relieved some of the tension. She wasn’t done though.
“You may all have your own reason to fight today, in what looks like a duel between two powerful outlanders. For most of you, the reason to fight isn’t me.”
People exchanged awkward glances.
“And I consider this my greatest success,” she continued, to some attendant’s surprise.
By her side, Sahin nodded knowingly.
“Oleander conquered two continents with an iron fist. His vision turned armies to his banner because it has the merit of being simple, and simple is attractive. To the question: ‘how do we live?’, his answer is: the way I tell you. It is powerful because it is simple, and because to many people, it is enough. I do not blame them. This is a harsh world. Some people are willing to forfeit agency for the sake of protection.
“But it doesn’t work for everyone. We’re here today because we searched and found a way to live that was honorable and good, and different. We’re here because Neriad was right to encourage us to find our own path to goodness. We’re here because a simple answer cannot satisfy the entirety of sapient life, and because no one, not Maranor, not her followers, and certainly not Oleander, can tell us how we should be happy and just. We’re here because our vision is strong enough to oppose his and he cannot tolerate it. So our visions will collide on this field in front of us. And we will crush his.”
There were enough nods that Viv knew her message had gone across. The alliance was of one purpose: to stop Oleander from usurping theirs.
“My role in this battle will be simple: I need to keep Oleander at bay. He’s monstrously strong. Your role is to send his army back home in coffins.”
“Aye.”
“I’ll leave the floor to General Jaratalassi,” Viv concluded.
“Hello everyone, and welcome back to another defensive battle where we hold the high ground.”
Now there were more chuckles.
“You’ve all been drilling so you may have already identified the forces in presence but since this is the largest battle in the history of our races, I’ll go over things again anyway.”
He pointed at the map which showed the Plain of the Gods and the city behind in great detail. The field was separated into large squares, some empty near the front, some covered in elaborate figurines closer to the cliffs.
“This is our battlefield. Due to the sheer size of our armies, each one of you will be responsible for their own sector, leading your own troops. That doesn’t mean that you’re without support, of course. I assume you’re familiar with your vestals by now?”
The bipedal members of the alliance signaled confirmation, but the dragons were obviously confused. Viv had to step forward.
“For our newcomers, vestals are special paths dedicated to the operation of a communicator. That is an enchanted device that allows you to speak and listen over vast distances.”
Why not roar?
“Because there is going to be a lot of roaring, and we want the right person to hear. We’re modifying helmets for you right now. Just give us another hour or so.”
She stepped back. Jaratalassi resumed his explanations.
“You are going to get communicators as well but only to listen. There are several channels we don’t want to clog. Your respective vestals know which ones to use. Now, if you see a threat or something that needs to be removed, or you need help, tell us. You can’t pick how it’s going to be removed. It will be decided at the highest level for the best use of our resources.”
Queen Rosea took a step forward so Jaratalassi stopped.
“Which are?”
Jaratalassi pointed at groups of figurines.
“Two circles of Academy family mages, one circle of World’s End mages, four artillery batteries split alongside the frontline, assassins, golem hit squads, gray mage flights, and of course, dragons if they can be so inclined.”
I do not want to hear your mouth orifices flapping when I fly, human.
I shall take to the skies and rain fire upon our enemies.
Jaratalassi turned to Viv who was obviously the local Draconic negotiation expert.
“You’re going to run out of fire long before you run out of enemies. Look in front of you. If you want to be cunning, there is another way.”
Your way?
Or so you will claim?
“Our humans will recognize the other humans so we can point you towards the ones whose incineration will cause Oleander the most grief. Dragon fire is a potent weapon. It makes no sense to waste it.”
Arthur hissed.
Many humans are not even deserving of the effort to burn them.
I usually just throw a rock.
The black dragoness tilted her head.
You have a lot of practice killing humans.
I accept your logic.
We will fly to where we can be the most aggravating.
“Perfect.”
“For the remainder of the first day we will remain on the defensive,” Jaratalassi said. “Oleander has been unstoppable so far. We end this now. We need to make his troops doubt first before we can safely counter-attack, especially with their number advantage. As for our order of battle, the merl will take the left flank on the high hills and forests.”
Several of the officers nodded, probably having guessed why priests of Saradanal had spent so much time and energy to turn the rocky hills into decent forests over the past month: it was to give the merls their perfect battlefield.
“Then Baran under Queen Rosea and her cavalry. From our scout reports, we expect you to face off against Enoria.”
The sovereign seemed displeased at being on the side, but a glance was exchanged with Viv and she gave a nod of understanding.
“Then the northern cities of Glastia and Zazas on this ridge. Yries, religious orders and mercenaries will cover the road access gap here along the priest village, then Harrak front and dead center. Finally, the Kark will cover the right flank up to the cliffs.”
“VICTORY WILL BE OURS!”
“And please wait before charging this time. Now, everyone has faster troops, your own casters, and elites in case you’re hard pressed, but remember to call what you see. We won’t know everything from up here.”
“Will you be staying there?” the queen asked.
Jaratalassi gave Sahin a glance.
“The two of us and our support staff, yes.”
“Forgive my concerns, general. Are you not concerned about mage flights or assassins?”
A few of the more knowledgeable people exchanged glances. To Viv’s surprise, the first answer came from Stormrider.
Human.
You expect other humans to contest our mastery of the skies?
They are ours.
Obviously.
“Hellow,” a masked, black-clad form said from the side.
Only the Harrakans didn’t jerk this time but that was only because they were immune to jump scares by now. Viv hid a smile. Not like it was beneficial for her to give her fellow sovereigns a reminder that she had hadals in case they got any idea in the distant future. Or anything.
“They are the ones who should be scared of assassins.”
He disappeared. Viv was honestly impressed he would even show himself in front of so many people. She would have to congratulate him later.
“I believe this answers your question,” Jaratalassi said. “I will talk to you via communicator whenever necessary, but otherwise all of you here are seasoned veterans, or advised by seasoned veterans. You know what to do.”
“One last thing,” Viv said before calling the meeting.
The group politely waited for her final speech.
“We obviously all hope that it doesn’t happen, but if I die, don’t panic. We have one last contingency in case it happens. The war will be lost but if you can hold out a little longer, you may sue for peace with acceptable terms.”
Arthur hissed her displeasure.
It will not happen.
“I think so too, but, just in case. Alright that is it. Now for my last compulsory political moment… Look, I’ve been here for fifteen years. This is my world now. No matter how this goes, I couldn’t have hoped to fight for a brighter future in better company. The fact that you’re all here today fills me with immense pride, because it means I must be doing something right. If you look around, you’ll see that Helock and parts of Baran are on the other side even though they’re officially members of the alliance. You will also see that the yries, kark, merl and hadals are here. We’re all going to bleed together today, and there is no higher mark of support so I propose that the alliance be opened to non-human races.”
“There is no need to delay,” Queen Rosea said. “I call for a vote. All in favor?”
The vote was fast and unanimous.
“Then it is decided. The Red Tribe and merl nation will be invited to formally join the alliance in its next meeting. As part of the Harrakan empire, the hadals and the concerned yries tribe are already members.”
“Alright everyone,” Viv finished. “We now join our people. May the light gods protect you.”
***
As soon as the soldiers had gone, Viv approached Arthur, who conveniently turned her large body to hide the view.
“Irao, please,” Viv said.
The hadal dutifully appeared like some specter from the shadows.
“Do you confirm Crest and Oleander’s position?”
“They are committed.”
“Very well.”
She turned to Sahin.
“Tell Solar he can begin.”
***
“The Empress tells you that you may commence at—”
“Finally.”
Solar stood up from his hiding place at the edge of a remote manor in the north of Baran. A casual observer might have noticed the higher number of guards, but even an idiot wouldn’t have failed to see they were far too heavily armed — and too high on the path — to be mere manor sentries. With him was a Sinur’s Gate bishop who had insisted on coming, a mage who would stay behind for the portal, and to his regret, his wife.
He had to admit it though, with her dark wavy hair falling over her thick gambeson, she was… distractingly attractive.
“Make haste, husband. I miss our children,” she demanded.
“Oh you can count on that.”
Solar walked towards the entrance at a brisk pace. Immediately, four guards turned to him. They were third step warriors spear warriors from Helock. He focused, and cut.
The aura lashed out, destroying all of their weapons. To their credit, they drew short swords.
“Your courage is misplaced.”
He moved into them. A jab knocked the first, a kick sent the second against a nearby wall. The third moved to a bell to ring the alarm. Solar let him. Wamiri smashed the fourth in the temple, using the butt of her spear. He would live.
She gave him an indulging smile.
“I only stop killing because you asked so nicely, husband.”
“A good day to you,” the bishop said, looking down the dazed sentries from his incredibly hooked nose. “Neriad be with you.”
The men hesitated. Solar was pretty sure they didn’t speak Harrakan.
“Or,” the bishop said, pulling a sword, “Enttiku will be with you.”
The man wisely surrendered to the universal language of physical threats. Meanwhile, a furious ding turned the manor into a hive of activity. The third guard kept looking at Solar with the sort of disbelief that came with being still alive. Solar considered his options.
Wamiri socked the man in the jaw. He fell like a sack.
“Or that,” Solar admitted.
He cut the manor’s iron gates open, the two others close behind. The guards stood before him in loose formation with a single Baranese man in front of them. He was completely calm, exuding a sense of pure confidence, gauntlet over the handle of an old sword. Solar recognized the blade, and his heart beat faster.
“Get ready to execute the hostages,” the foe said.
“Wamiri,” Solar replied.
She moved forward, spear whirling in the wind.
“I like it when you take charge, husband. I will cut us a path through. Ready, bishop?”
“Right behind you.”
The enemy blade master tsked but Solar’s approach forced his attention back. Solar could tell he was a capable opponent, and the other Baranese returned the favor. In the background, Wamiri engaged, supported by the bishop. They broke through without difficulty.
“I will not insult you by telling you they’re not here,” the man said.
“Good.”
“But it does not matter. None of you will leave. Tell me your name, Harrakan, before you die.”
“You will figure it out,” Solar replied.
The man stood feet apart. He was wearing an elaborate Baranese armor marked with the late king’s sigil while Solar was still in tunic — for now.
“Hmph. I am Blademaster Selyen of Baran, Champion of the King, master of the arena. The dragonslayer reborn. And this…”
He drew the sword.
Pressure spread over the manicured garden. The air tasted of metal. Solar took a deep breath.
“This artifact is the Sword of the Dragonslayer himself, the first blade master to defeat an adult dragon in single combat. It was recovered from the mouth of the dead beast, still attached to its owner’s right arm.”
“Oh, I know. I remember.”
Selyen blinked.
“It was quite painful.”
Doubt and realization cracked the layer of self-importance. It was too late, of course.
Solar raised his right arm, the very same Viv had regrown fifteen years before when he had come to meet her as a very last resort. The Blade of Barran, treasure of the kingdom, flew to its own master’s hand where it fitted perfectly.
“My old friend,” Solar whispered. “Ah, my turn then?”
Solar saluted. Just the pressure of the sword carved a groove across the stone path.
“My name is Eron of Solar. The Dragonslayer.”
Selyen took a few steps back, mouth wide open.
“That is…. impossible.”
“And I do not kill guards or soldiers because they are powerless. You, on the other hand, have power aplenty. And you used it for this.”
Eron was next to him.
Eron struck. He bisected Selyen, the trees behind him, and the manor’s outer walls. The shockwave traveled across the garden like the release of a long held breath. The sword sang in his hands. Finally. After so, so very long.
“You and your upstart master will regret the day you picked your path,” Eron told the dying man. “For today, the gloves come off. For all of us.”
The doors of the manor opened. Wamiri was here, supporting an exhausted but very much alive Archwith of the Thorn alongside the bishop. Gil the Crown Prince of Enoria closed the march with blood on his sword. He dropped it.
“It’s you…. it’s really you. The legend.”
Unfortunately for Eron, the mood was ruined when Wamiri growled, stepped to him, then slapped his ass.
***
Crest stopped behind Oleander in the middle of the field, around half a league away from the Harrakan lines. With him was a collection of over fifty leaders of the kingdom with various degrees of legitimacy. The Hopecrusher was a given, as was General Terilasani who leaded the sparrows and most of the Viziman part of their militaries, and King Sangor of Enoria. A very reluctant participant. ‘King’ Marzak of Baran was also valid although his status was not. Some of the tribe leaders of the Shadowlands were a bit more iffy, but he supposed the volume was the point.
The Paramese Alliance wasn’t reciprocating yet. He could only assume pre-battle banter was a lost tradition. It did give him time to inspect the opposition though, starting with the infantry.
[Harrakan Heavy Infantry (Children of the Scale), second step of a path dedicated to line battle, close quarter combat journeywoman, undead killer, high morale.]
“She’s done it.”
Harrakan arts were thought lost to time but the inspect skill couldn’t lie. The girl had really brought them back from the dead. He’d traveled to the old capital long before and thought the old empire outside of mankind’s grasp. He’d been wrong. And they already had military tradition strong enough to be recognized by the system. He checked other formations, disbelief forcing every subsequent inspection. The Mountain Lords, the Iron Brotherhood. Linebreakers.
[Harrakan Heavy Infantry (Hightree company), close quarter combat expert, good duelist, human killer, undead killer, furious (will fight to the last warrior)]
Well obviously since they’d burnt their fucking tree down. A shiver ran up Crest’s spine.
This was fifteen years of effort? Fifteen years had led to this? How?
What had he done for the past century?
Then he found the heaviest armored ones.
[Harrakan Black Guard (One Hundred). Elite Infantry. Expert close quarter combatant. Full runic set gear. Morale: unbreakable, all sources (flagbearer effect).]
What the fuck. Those guys could stop the vanguard itself. And there were more behind.
[Witchpact Crossbow (Sister of the Eye). Elite sharpshooter. Decent close quarter combatant. Special bolts.]
More came: the Bitter Hearts, the Black Hands.
[Bullwark-class portable shield array.]
He’d heard about those but to see them in the flesh… so they were real. How could they even channel enough mana to function and move without depleting their cores?
[Liberator Flame Tank, mark 2.]
What did that even mean? It was like the outlander had brought her war to this world. It scared Crest, but then he remembered it wouldn’t matter. Crest was too strong now. He would kill her, then her army would crumble. Even those handsome knights he saw at the back would make no difference. He had to hope so because otherwise, this wasn’t going to be the quick battle everyone was hoping for.
Even the Hopecrusher lacked his usual bluster. Everyone could see the unwavering wall of black metal in front of them. It didn’t take an advanced inspection skill to know those strange constructs were machines of death.
“Horses coming,” someone said.
“Is that a fucking spider?” a tribe leader asked.
It was, in fact, a fucking spider upon which the strangest humanoid Crest had ever seen waited. He knew this was a merl from description but, truly, he’d never met one in person. A kark woman on a large pakar arrived next, her thick black hair braided and red face showing nothing but hateful disdain. Crest still couldn’t believe that they were now wearing full plate. Queen Rosea was next, then a few northern city leaders, a couple of mages, very few people compared to the entire retinue Oleander had brought. They stopped at a good distance, in a half cycle relative to the Maranorian pack. They didn’t trust them. Well, Oleander had broken a truce before so he could hardly blame them.
He felt the other outlander arrive in his soul. Suddenly, Oleander’s all-encompassing aura was pushed back, toned down until Crest could almost feel his thoughts were entirely his own again. She landed in a spray of soil but without effort. She definitely had high physical stats to do all of it in a heavy, silverite-engraved armor. Her dragon landed the same way. Her voice carried strangely. It was a skill, for sure.
“We’re long past talks. What are you even doing here?”
The irreverent tone annoyed Oleander. By Crest’s side, the Hopecrusher stiffened. It was like they couldn’t comprehend that an enemy to the death wouldn’t respect him like they believed he ought to be.
“I am here,” Oleander hissed, “to offer you a chance to spare the lives of your people. If you genuinely care about them, then submit yourself to death willingly. Your people will be granted honorable treatment. Even the non-humans you favor will be given a chance to leave in peace with their belongings. This is the best chance you have left. You cannot defeat me.”
But the woman shook her head, eyes filled with anger.
“You bring your sorry ass all the way here like you’re on a winning streak and can’t possibly lose. I know I’m wasting my breath on you but this is for your supporters. There is no destiny here. Fate magic entertains only possibilities, not certainties. You and your pathetic gaggle of idiots are going to learn this soon. This is not a saga; you’re not the main character; and the gods are on the side of logistics.”
“You cannot defeat me,” Oleander insisted, suddenly angry. “I am the Immortal. You can hit me with all of your spells, torch me with dragon fire, you can slice at me. It doesn’t matter. I will not die.”
“Now you’re threatening me with a good time. See you soon, loser.”
“Viviane,” a voice said.
Crest was struck with disbelief. The person who had called was Sangor, the King of Enoria.
He should have been silenced by Oleander’s aura after submitting to him. How could he show initiative? How could he even talk out of turn? His willpower must be insane! Crest almost gasped.
Oleander turned to the king who grit his teeth. He seemed to be at the edge of two opposing auras.
“I am sorry,” he carefully enunciated.
Oleander clicked his tongue. Crest knew what it meant: the old king was going to be replaced, maybe not before the battle, but very soon. Oleander could not tolerate disobedience in any way.
“Though we were apart for too long, our bond is one that cannot be broken,” the empress replied.
Her voice was sad, full of regret. Or at least it looked that way. Crest had never thought those two could be friends. It was a strange thought to be friends with another ruler.
“If you two fools are done? Viviane, I have been more than generous but you need to understand this. You cannot kill me and I cannot fail to kill you. Not when I have this.”
Oleander turned. On his shoulder rested the hilt of a sword, so humble in appearance, ancient, yet unmistakeable when one just looked at it for more than a second.
“Mommy left you a toy. Nice. Go ahead then. Strike me down. Right now.”
Oleander didn’t reply though his hand reached for the handle. The witch didn’t move. A wan smile emerged from under the dragon crown.
“Hesitating? Don’t worry. I’ll make you draw it.”
Then she turned and after a lass, hateful hiss from her beast, she and the others left.
Comments
ItWasIDIO!!
My god the gun Chekhov the room how could we not have known 🙉
Denva
The sword is an artifact. It cannot be destroyed.
KnightRider007
“And I consider this my greatest success,” she continued, to some attendant’s surprise. => “some attendees’ surprise” (‘attendee’ is attending an event as a guest or participant, ‘attendant’ is attending TO something or someone. Ie, a servant, assistant, or caretaker)
Retroburn
Yes, the whole point of my comment was speculating reasons for why the Flying Fortress of Doom couldn't arrive at the start of the battle. The "worst case scenario" here is Viv dying in the opening hours of the battle, before she can deploy the weapon.
AzureMaiden
Pretty sure the sword was Maranor’s from the beginning; Efestar was a rogue/assassin archetype, while Maranor was either a Fighter or Slayer archetype
JLM
Nero has already lost and doesn't even realize it yet. 1. He has already lost a large portion of his elites trying to kill Judgement. Viv has lost no elites, and has the freaking Dragonslayer, pissed off dragons and the Golem mafia family in her corner. 2. His army has been starving for food and water for weeks. Her army spent weeks preparing fortifications, is well fed, and very highly motivated. 3. Nero has no understanding of fate magic, as seen when fighting the lizard fleet and Judgement. Viv took her fifth step in literal fate magic fuckery. 4. Yes, he may be immortal but I'm guessing that class doesn't exactly specify in what "state", and the strengh of his immortality is dependent on his soul, which is kind of fucked after using Slayer. Viv has an entire repertoire of nasty change spells which are banned by the oldest and most powerful goddess.
Elaine
good chappie
SkySeeker
That section with Solar was absolute gold.
Nakusha
also, I think the next time he draws the sword, his soul will break - whatever that means
Roombot
I think he literally can’t, this chapter implied that Nero controls his mind somewhat
Roombot
I assume she will, Nous said she’d ascend next time she pathed up and implied the requirement was to beat Nero
Jamarr
I think that means vandal can no help her destroy the sword by random chance when it touches her. However, vandal could potentially help her destroy it if she was consciously attempting to do so.
Andrew K
While the shield will almost certainly be important somehow before the end of the series, we have a somewhat crowded field of Chekhov's guns hanging around. (At a minimum, we have the shield, the mostly-banned change magic, and the assumption that Solfis is now a huge floating fortress powered by the world most dangerous magic power source.) It's not out of the question that all of those will be critical in this battle against Oleander, but considering there are multiple threads supporting a possible *direct* conflict with one or more divine beings shortly after this, I'm not convinced everything necessarily needs to have a huge role here. Also worth noting that: - The shield could serve an epic role in the fight by just defending Viv well enough to force Oleander to draw Slayer. - The reasons I'm asserting that Slayer could consider Viv an invalid target are inherently tied to the same concepts the shield is a symbolic focus of.
Eddy G
While I would say that most of your points are somewhat valid, the critical factor missing here is the Shield. Viv's shield has been in the story but irrelevant for so long, that bringing it up in the last few chapters makes it more of a Chekhov's Railgun at this point. Judgement in their final moments and final actions, cocked it. Taking it further, Slayer is not just the "Godsword of Slaying Things." It's "*Maranor's* Godsword of Slaying Things." Further, its inception came about in war against humanity's enemies, the Old Gods, and as such carried the hopes and faith of nearly an entire race. Oleander may be able to wield it through sheer strength, but it is not his sword, and not for its True Purpose. Viv's shield has defended a plethora of peoples, races, and even Gods themselves. Her shield carries the hopes and faith of MULTIPLE races. It is her shield being used for its one True Purpose. Slayer was once a mundane sword used by a mortal to slay Gods. All the mundane shield has to do is stop a God's sword.
Eddy G
Sure, but a Giant Flying Fortress of Doom isn't really something you save until *after* the war's been lost, if it could help not lose in the first place, right? If it works well enough as a deterrent, you should just use it as a weapon to avoid "worst-case scenario".
Jennifer Leigh
Nous confirmed he couldn't mess with the causality of Vandal again. Just reread ch224. I guess that means he has fate magic, too.
BgB
Eron/=Nero
BgB
I don't think she will. Both because biological warfare is fairly indiscriminate and would almost certainly impact her own people and because she understands that killing masses of Nero's troops isn't what will win the day. She generally avoids killing without some purpose.
BurnNote
No, Vandal has already destroyed his shield, and that was much less weighty than the godslayer
DAK
No doubt -- many of her allies are the enemy of my enemy type only, and would happily see Viv die during their victory. I was thinking from a System/Class standpoint, as well -- at some point all the things they are doing against humans in order to unify humans has to add up to a negative. How do you keep leveling when the means end up destroying the ends before they can be justified, as it were.
Jennifer Leigh
I don't think anyone has said it yet. They have a floating (death) fortress and are standing under dense cloud cover. No need to wait for Solfis to arrive. Crest even noticed something was freaky with the sky. The deadlands should be far enough back not to affect the city too much.
LegosFreak
I just had a wonderful shower thought. Could Vivian’s vandel trait destroy the slayer sword????
Til Weisheit
I may be misremembering it, but when Vov learned about how the current pantheon came to be it sounded, like Estefar did the actual killing of gods. It would be kind of poetic if he reclaimed his sword (if it actually is) like Solar did. It would be another nice parallel to the past, just like Oleander was called an egg thief last chapter and is now about to loose a nominal ally, because he could not quit his child stealing habits.
Cormac
"It's over, Anakin! I have the high ground!"
Cormac
"It's not like I like you or anything! Baka!"
InLucidReverie
Possible the character is jhst wrong.
InLucidReverie
> Fifteen ago, she had been a starving, poisoned witch Definitely minutes, right? You forgot a word. >exhausted but very much alive Archwith of the Thorn Archwi t ch >General Terilasani who leaded the sparrows Lead the There's quite a lot beyond these, I got bored noting them after a while
Andrew K
Slayer having been Maranor’s sword when she was a mortal is a significant factor in my thinking here. - It seems likely that whatever intent/significance it acquired in the process of becoming an artifact was likely more along the lines of “slaying threats to human civilization” than “slaying Maranor’s enemies” – if so, it would probably retain alignment with that nature despite being in Maranor’s possession for so long. - From there, it’s reasonable to wonder about exactly why it harms Oleander’s soul to wield Slayer. There’s an obvious possible explanation that it has simply grown too strong for a mere mortal to wield, but what if that’s not the real reason, or only part of it? Oleander’s ongoing behavior (like burning Kazar essentially out of spite) sure seems like a thread to human civilization, so if I’m right about Slayer’s focus, it seems plausible that Oleander has been progressively rendering himself less and less worthy of wielding Slayer, causing it to lash out at him when he uses it. - Slayer could have considered Judgement a worthy enough target (especially with the symbolism of Judgement being in a city that he previously destroyed, however good his justification) to nevertheless cooperate with Oleander to some extent to Slay Judgement. However, Viv seems like a far less viable target (especially when she’s depending both a number of allied humans that owe her no real fealty, and a city that would still be a ruin if not for Viv’s actions), which could justify a far stronger rebellious response. Judgement’s phrasing was also interesting last chapter when he said, “Once drawn, it will kill its opponent without fail.” Judgement seems like the sort to choose what he says carefully, so it seems rather telling that he didn’t say “its wielder’s opponent” or something similar, and instead used phrasing that could be consistent with Slayer being able to make its own decision about targets. There’s also Oleander’s hubris (and expected resulting ironic downfall) in calling himself immortal to consider. There certainly are other fitting ironic options here, including imply getting overwhelmed, or a fate worse than death due to Viv’s change-based magic (which would pay off another plot thread, but maybe that needs to be saved for something at the divine level). However, the dramatic irony of getting killed despite near-invulnerability because you brought a weapon you were vulnerable to and then lost control of it would be quite spectacular. . . And of course, we have the precedent this chapter of an artifact sword going to its most worthy master (and as part of a major reveal that almost seems tailored to distract from this point). Was it due to a skill, or was it perhaps that the sword itself made a choice? There's also the question of *exactly* how Judgement was trying to adjust the situation by dying to Slayer. Getting other dragons on Viv's side probably doesn't matter compared to what he could have contributed himself if he lived, and it’s not clear that an extra round of soul damage to Oleander really matters. So perhaps the goal was simply to get Slayer “in play” based on a prediction that Maranor wouldn’t be willing/able to give it to Oleander while he’s in the middle of fighting Viv, but also wouldn’t take it back if it had already been given. It’s unclear that this would matter much if Viv destroying Slayer is the end goal (since if she’s capable of doing so, she could likely do so in a later fight directly with Maranor if need be). On the other hand, it could be crucial if Viv can’t destroy Slayer, and Slayer still finds Maranor herself sufficiently more tolerable than Oleander that it wouldn’t rebel if wielded by Maranor against Viv.
Clarke
Doing a re-read of the series and the first mention of Cresh in book five has Crest as a female… I need to go back to the reintroduction of Crest, but he is a him since that reintro. From the meeting where Sidjin meets Vivian on the boat to Helock. “Crest was a mage of great knowledge who specialized in helpful spells. Her teleportation was actually a skill. I was able to observe the spent circles in several locations, as well as her notes, and divine a way to reproduce the skill using colorless mana. It is… very intensive, to say the least. But…”
Clifton
Standalone I'd agree, but it's pretty clear from the context since he immediately good on to wonder about his century of effort.
Retroburn
Yeaaah, I'm gonna make a wild guess here and say that if you're going to build a Giant Flying Fortress of Doom, and you happen to have a magical nuclear reactor capable of powering anything just lying around... you're probably going to combine the two, right?
Eddy G
I think it's more likely a difference of "resonance"? Slayer was once a mundane sword. Maranor was once mortal. Slayer is at its strongest with Maranor. Oleander might have a Godly sword but Viv has her personal "mundane shield" loaded with faith and belief.
Eddy G
Or the thing in the old capital that must be kept secret.
Clifton
You know, assuming someone new gains the throne, I half expect Neriad. He doesn't want it but he embodies many of the ideals they're fighting for.
tr13ze
Thanks for the chapter 😁
Angus Losier
Yeah, I figure Viv won't pull out the elemental form until after Oleander pulls the sword and tries to kill her, then suffers the backlash. Only then would it be safe for her to step into her power, and use the Harrak super-core to turbocharge a vandalism attempt against the God-ender. Break Oleander, and break the symbol of Maranor's authority and power, all in one fell swoop.
Retroburn
“We obviously all hope that it doesn’t happen, but if I die, don’t panic. We have one last contingency in case it happens. The war will be lost but if you can hold out a little longer, you may sue for peace with acceptable terms.” What they need to "hold on" for, is clearly the arrival of the Flying Fortress of Doom. It sounds a little like it would only be used as a contingency for if Viv dies but that would be idiotic. I am guessing it can only arrive hours into the battle, because it must stay hidden until the enemy is committed. Perhaps they will use a massive teleportation spell that can only start to activate once the battle has started, because every mage on the continent will feel the powerful magic?
Atlas88
Nah, there is a reason judgment fused one of his scales with her shield. I guess it's going to stop the sword and enable her to counter attack at that moment when his souls is weakened.
KnightRider007
“This was fifteen years of effort? Fifteen years had led to this? How?” I would really suggest adding a “merely” or an “only” to emphasise that 15 years is a *short* time, not a long one.
Karel Londin
Next chapter cannot come sonner
Sæþór
Tftc!
iloverugs
I’m not sure Viv will ascend to godhood, but if she does I think “Goddess of Revolution” probably fits best.
Andrew K
I could certainly be wrong, but I feel like a number of details in this chapter and the last are strongly foreshadowing that when Oleander draws Slayer again, it's going to decide that Viv is a more worthy wielder.
phenebeans
> “What a massive fucking tsundere.” I'm dying
Nopret
I'm more interested in what kind of god Viv becomes. Change, cooperation and defying injustice are all things she stands for and jet they don't quite fit. The only thing we know is that it won't be fate. The throne of the "Godking" might just stay empty while she establishes democracy among the light gods. It's less than 10 people they can vote on things.
Ecthe
One at a time seems very inefficient.
Ecthe
I agree, it can't be anyone but Irao. Zero-five isn't furtive enough to just disappear in front of the war council like that.
Nopret
Thanks for the chapter! We get a lot of payoffs for things that were set up in previous arks. The big one is Solar, it isn't quite obvious in hindsight but it makes sense. Enorias betrayal was set up since we heard of them allying with Oleander, it being obvious to the reader but not the characters is well done. Enoria is going to smash into Oleanders unprepared flank supported by the best cavalry humanity has. Add to that dragons, a mixx of mages from all three continents and Harraks army isn't even needed to make this battle really one sided. Solfis and the master coreare missing, including the cradle. Solfis youngest child is in his OG frame so I'm suspecting Solfis is in control of the sky-fortress they built. Abe is probably on there as well. That leaves Viv vs Oleander. Her change spells are still censored and I don't see Entiku allowing Viv to use them in this fight. The sword can kill everything including an immortal like Oleander so he might be carrying his own demise with him. The question is how Viv survives a fight against the sword. Her shield may be able to tank a hit or somebody sacrifices themselves. This could go many ways from Solfis to Sidyin or even somebody like crest.
Nopret
This reveal was really well done. Solar was one of those characters who was obviously hiding something, but I didn't see this coming. The legend explains perfectly why Solar wanted a simple life away from politics. Him going all out and revealing who he is lines up with the entire theme of this ark.
Seijax
Awesome chapter, and it succeeded at escalating my anticipation yet another step. The mirrored, anticipated, reflected, terror that has been brewing and growing at each step of this conflict... For afterall, despite all of this and since the timeskip, we're still missing a Solfis and an Endless Mana Well
AnEvilSponge
Aw, I was pulling for Selyen, the Dragonslayer Reborn to face off against Arthur. His wards shattering as the dragon casts a mighty spell, teleporting objects directly within his sealed armor. "Is that pepper and...cloves?!?"
Red Viking
"...the gods are on the side of logistics." HOLY SHIT! YES!
Tyr
Funny thing is the author teased this early on. „You could be Eron the dragonslayer reborn, and I would still ask you to step aside and let us do our job.” The man chuckled a bit bitterly. Viviane to Solar, Ch 77.
KnightRider007
"Even those handsome knights he saw at the back would make no difference." I like it. subtle confirmation that Crest bats for at *least* both teams (already hinted at with the "activated all sorts of glyphs" line) without blatantly making it his whole character.
KnightRider007
I think it might actually be clearer is you *added* another dash: "private-jet-sized"
KnightRider007
"They'd" is correct, though possibly a little confusing. This is still spoken in 3rd person, despite primarily being Crest's own thoughts - Crest is referred to as "he", not "I", so any collective actions are still "they".
Keifru
From Viv's comment when training with Solar, the 'thing' the Blademaster can do is Super Effective against her elemental form- Oleander is a blademage, and will likely be able to do significant damage to Viviane if he catches her in elemental form with the right cut
Leviathon251
Holey
Robbie Mathieson
Looking forward to everyone's reaction when city sized solfis arrives with modern artillery and the ceiling advantage (being higher than your opponent can reasonably attack)
Matt Cannon
Also dropping all the "he said" "she said". Here's an exchange: "I will fight! Welcome abord." I'm... Pretty sure that was Stormrider for the first line and then Viv. It could have been Viv for both lines, though.
Senko
Also "Archwith of the thorn" should be "Archwitch of the thorn"
Matt Cannon
FML I misread that as referring to Viv, not Solar. Thank you.
Senko
So I wonder if the king worded his oath carefully enough the confirmation his family are safe breaks it. It was forced from him by threat against innocents and we know oaths have failed in that situation before.
Matt Cannon
Well obviously she's the MC. But Emeric still holds it and Viv isn't making a play for the throne. Maranor is. Are we going to get a resolution to Emeric? And HOW does Viv go about getting the throne?
Senko
Long enough, they've been waiting long enough and now are doubtless happily patting themselves on the back at all those who like myself read the words and never made the connection. This is how you do foreshadowing.
Senko
Probably not the title as Nous has stated that's been used up on the shield. However she got that title by cracking something that had withstood all previous magic and is integral to the world continuing. Hitting a moving sword might be hard unless she gets it stuck in herself
Senko
The size of the battle is only important as it will allow him to show the fools on the other side Harracks might.
Senko
Viv?
Craeth
I'm worried that Nero will actually be able to take Solfis out. Maybe Viv will be able to save his core though?
John Anastacio
Ch 213: Solar was at the gate, as promised. He was practicing his forms while Third Spawn happily jumped around him, blue scales narrowly avoiding the stick with every slow swing. Third spawn was by far the most chill and shy member of the lot so no one had any idea why he would bind with someone who had ‘dragonslayer’ among their titles.
Matt Cannon
So I'm kinda thinking this isn't going to quite be the end of the aeries? There is still the threat Entiku alluded to that Viv's spells would accelerate. I'm wondering if thay will be the final push to godhood? Then there's the question of who gets the divine throne?
Matt Cannon
So we got the story of Eron the Dragonslayer while Viv was going through the iron mines for the first time to meet the Yries. We first met Solar missing an arm in the next arc, after Viv retook Kazar. How long has Mecanimus been waiting for this reveal?
Matt Cannon
So Solar = Eron the Dragonslayer. Does Wamiri has a past that I missed?
Guri Linus
It mostly just gets a bit confusing when she switches which mode of speech she uses halfway through the middle of a conversation. Especially when the author is already using a non-standard method of showing communication and the formatting isn’t consistent.
Matt Cannon
More like 20 spouls at a time. My general headcannon is these tanks look like the flamer tanks from WH40K that cover everything in fromt of them in unquenchable fire.
Matt Cannon
When Viv was talking to Shadow, I read that as some lines were in "dragon speech" vs Viv just saying something aloud. Given she's said before that dragon speech takes a lot of effort, this feels realistic to me. There are some wonky bits in the formatting that need to be cleared up but I like using formats yo indicate different modes of speech. I also grew up on the animorphs where thought speech is So maybe I just have practice lol
ikbenbarry
You know scientifically speaking oleander has done a lot of fucking around, so the finding out part is going to be a thing of divine (get it) beauty.
Matt Cannon
This, my friends, qualifies (I think) as foreshadowing. When Viv rescued Gil the first time around, the vonversation was held from her POV so we knew she was using agreed code phrases. This time it was from Crest's POV. From this I conclude that Sangor is about to shove his sword up somewhere Nero would rather it not be shoved.
Matt Cannon
Bishop walks up. "Neriad be with you" he says to the disarmed soliders. *draw sword* "Or Entiku WILL be with you." They surrender. I just about cracked my ribs laughing at that delivery LMAO
Jeanean
Can we please acknowledge that that Bishop can speak Badass in religious?
Matt Cannon
It already is. Nero's hypocrisy is what prompted everyone else to unite with Viv against him. You think Glastia wants to fight ALONGSIDE Viv? No, they are just fighting against Nero.
Jacob
Dam that was epic and Solaris with the "you'll find out" was just perfect
Matt Cannon
Any idea which arc mentioned Solar was a dragonslayer? Every time Viv met with him she said she didn't insoect him because politeness and she knew he was frrakishly powerful. Though that reveal was fantastically well done lol
Dietz
So, The Golem strike squad and Vivian's Secret are both still unknown to Nero's forces. I can't help but feel Solfis' dramatic metal ass is practically purring for his chance to take centerstage in the biggest battle in history.
Moatdog
Nous said he wasted his one interference when she destroyed Oleander’s shield so that part i doubt. And it’s a Godweapon so im pretty sure it wont be destroyed but im down with most of ur theory. Oh and she already said Elemental form against a swordmaster is a big no no, but if he’s weakened she might be able to do something
BelligerentGnu
This story coming to an end is so viciously bittersweet.
Dietz
I've got my fingers crossed that he's somehow found a way to prevent the Unspeakable Horrors in his employ from harming allies even if reflected back, just to flex on the Mara-forces.
Dietz
My guess is the ancient war-spell, "Seven Hundred Thousand Shells" will be enough to functionally keep Crest locked out of the fight on its own, assuming Nero wants to keep his army.
Dietz
Blazes I missed that!
Wolfclaw
Wait an effing second she's going to destroy the sword through her tittle how did I not see that last chapter
David Kanevsky
How much u wanna bet they show the namatti how biological warfare is REALLY done. That deserves a payoff
David Kanevsky
She did spend 15 years assembling a whole knights corp to hunnypot him. The least he could do is acknowledge it. ;)
David Kanevsky
TFTC Edits: Well obviously since WE’d burnt their fucking tree down. A shiver ran up Crest’s spine. It scared Crest, but then he remembered it wouldn’t matter. OLEANDER was too strong now.
Andrew
Thank you!
Daniel Dye
That is not how flame tanks work. Liberating many souls, in job lots.
Garrett Kout
Ooof, gonna be a long couple weeks
Angus Losier
All of the following have already been stated or shown: - It takes a god to oppose the sword. - Viviane is on the cusp of godhood. - Viviane has a gift for vandalism, which she has used on artefacts before (with Nous' help). - Viviane is a black half-elemental, able to take an elemental form, with all that implies. - Half-elementals can protect themselves by separating their cores from their bodies, which doesn't harm them other than some issues with proprioception. - Viviane has forbidden magic related to change that laughs at immortality, only permitted with Entikku's permission. - Viviane has access to the Harrakan super-core, which has insane/indescribable levels of power, definitely comparable to a god's. So, my guess? Viviane engages Oleander, messes with him enough that he realizes he can't beat her without the God-ender, pulls it, strikes her down, crippling his soul in the process. Except, it doesn't kill her, only destroys her body, because she moved her core. Viviane reforms her elemental form from her core using the power of the Harrakan super-core, shows up, uses Oleander's weakened state and the super-core to shatter the sword, then with permission, uses the forbidden magic to transform Oleander into some pitiful, mindless thing rather than kill him. She then channels enough power from the core to rebuild her body from scratch using the power of change. Now to wait and see how close I got. =D
John Anastacio
Oh my now that was a surprise. Solar = Eron? Really didn't see that, though I should have, since I knew Solar was a dragonslayer, and Eron was the Dragonslayer.
Graham Golder
Church of Efestar will give him a second chance
Drakenclaw
Thanks for the chapter. Crest's inspections are a bit off. He got : close quarter combat expert Expert close quarter combatant Should probably be the same format for both units. At least when describing the same thing.
Kazith
I love how she has absolutely no hesitation in belittling him in front of everyone. On a side note, Crest needs to finally grow a pair and join Viv already.
Toni Pampliega
It's Irao. His hellow is characteristic.
Toni Pampliega
Oh Craeth, good catch! I didnt remember it.
Mantarok1205
Jolly good!
DAK
Sure, just pillage and burn directly through every node of human civilization growing in this chaos. Solar is right: "you will regret the day you picked your path". At some point this hypocrisy has got to come back and bite Maranor's followers right in the class.
Toni Pampliega
F awesome chapter. Brilliant. Chills! By the way, who is the Bishop that accompany Solar? I couldn't identify him... Finally! I really hope Bob continues travelling on adventures on the other continents and doesn't ascent inmediatly. The novel is too good! XD
Craeth
Oh man. With all the talk about how people on the sixth step are strategic assets, I totally overlooked that Solar absolutely must have been well known before he lost his arm. Also, Viv reusing the code phrase from the last time she rescued Prince Gil is genius. Sangor knows that his family is safe now.
James Faulkner
Holy shit the Dragonslayer reveal!! No idea how I missed that lol. So excited to see what hellish contraptions the Yries have developed!!
Oskatat
Thanks!
Oskatat
there's a lot of people, me included, wondering how they didn't see that coming
AzureMaiden
IIRC it was the same code/passphrase they used in the City of the Gods to communicate that Gil had been liberated from the Temple of Maranor
Christopher McCoin
This is a side thing, but I love that this reveal means Viv hasn't been training for years with a swordmaster. She has been training with The Swordmaster.
iloverugs
It’s so obvious in retrospect dammit
WarStrider72
And so it begins!!!!
Guri Linus
> Welcome aboard. > I will kill him. Should be in italics > a private jet-sized green shape coming towards her. This isn't wrong, but it reads as: a private (jet sized) green shape This makes it sound like the dragon is private, not the jet. I think removing the dash would make it more readable. > Judgment visited me, using a fate construct to speak to me. > “Not you too,” Viv moaned. You're sort of swapping if you use quotes or not when Viv speaks. It makes things more confusing. I think you might be better off just using normal quotes for Viv, and italics for the dragons. > killed countless monsters to end in the pots of the ravenous horde. Not wrong, but I think it might be clearer if you changed: end in->feed > He disappeared. Viv was honestly impressed he would even show himself in front of so many people. She would have to congratulate him later. It would be nice to know if this is Irao or Zero-five. I have a guess, but I'm not sure. > after a lass, lass->last
Arnon Parenti
She already took both Paragons out of the fight, they can't see anything beside her, if she just keeps walking they already lost, if she turns to fight they lost everything.
Arnon Parenti
Liberating one soul at a time.
Arnon Parenti
Slayer, a sword forged by mortals to kill a God. Oleander's biggest problem is he relies on shitty gear to supplement skills and abilities while Vivianne uses skills and abilities to shatter artifacts, she is the absolute counter to him and he doesn't even understand that.
Caitlin
Dang so wild. I'm hyped! And, like many others, cannot believe I didn't see the Dragonslayer thing. Let's gooo! I do wonder though - Viv is now a demigod. What else could possibly challenge her?
M. Lampi
fifteen ago, she had been a starving. ==> fifteen years ago, she had been a starving
Flemmy
Can't wait to witness the Liberator Flame Tank, mark 2.
AzureMaiden
There times I’m so surprised that I laugh out loud, and there are times my jaw just hits the floor in stunned silence. The Eron reveal somehow managed to accomplish both in sequence, and then I had to reread it just from sheer enjoyment! Also, “Logistics”TM means that you just *know* Viv is gonna drop seven hundred thousand artillery shells on Nero’s army in the space of ten minutes. Which implies she has some way of taking Crest out of the fight
Oskatat
That sounded like some kind of code she exchanged with Sangor. I feel a backstab coming Also: "Crest was too strong now." I'm thinking it should be Oleander Crest is thinking about, not himself "General Terilasani who leaded the sparrows" Who led the sparrows Unless I missed something and he did cover them in lead
MountainFox
Now we get to see Ser Warcrime checking off the bucket list.
SnowReason
Things are getting exciting! I hope none of my favorites kick the bucket.
LenoraeKB
Yesss. One correct. Crest's monologue says that Crest is too powerful to be stopped when I assume it should be Oleander
Maurin
This is so Good
Jackjargon
Holy shit great chapter I am so hyped for this!! Also Wamiri you legendary queen you get it girl!!!! They were very cute and I be loving that reveal!
Quex
The Eron reveal. So good! I know things won't go easy so here's to all the named characters who are about to die for their dreams.
Angela Roberts
"Mommy left you a toy?" OUCH. Loving the pre battle banter! The Storm dragon is a massive pain! (One thing, it feels a bit rushed. Not much, but a bit.)
Isiah Debarros
I completely didn't see that coming
The Bandersnatch
Lesssssss goooooooooo
TheBotler
Typo "The waiting resumed, but not for long. A barely smaller black dragon soon arrived. She was a shadow over a shadow, making it hard to spot her, but not heard to hear. She roared when she spotted Viv." "heard" -> hard, or difficult Fifteen *years* ago, she had been a starving, poisoned witch at the edge of civilization Thank you for the chapter!
Matt Grayson
Solar, you magnificent bastard!
Josiah Henderson
Oleander is such a little bitch boy.
Unwillingmainer
Damn, Solar is the Dragonslayer. With his old sword back. And then Viv let Sangor know Solar freed his family right in front of the bastard. No matter what, it is time for a battle to decide the age. Divine tyranny or Outlander choice? FIGHT!
In-Game_Name
Holy fuck, I should've realized that eron reveal years ago, it's so obvious and so perfect
SDCard
Thanks for the chapter!
WarStrider72
Thanks for the chapter boss!
