Chapter 12 #3
Gasping, reeling, he fell back, his hand numb.
Desperate, he summoned the Well of Starless Dominion, cursing himself for not doing so sooner, and felt the reassuring might of the void flood into him, tentacles of shadow boiling forth to reach for Brianna, the Starless Deep blossoming in his chest to connect him to the very essence of the abyss.
The tentacles that were a composite of Abyssal Grasp and Shadow Dominion snaked around Brianna, who watched them come, bemused.
But when they abruptly tightened and coiled about her, Harald felt a flicker of something—her essence, dimly sensed as if at a remove, and his own will reaching to consume it, to drink deep of her power.
Brianna’s eyes actually widened in surprise.
The Starless Deep reached for her. That dark void in his core sought to drown her in its chill embrace.
But the tentacles failed to maintain their grip. Something about her dark iron armor rebuffed their grasp, and she stepped through them, unencumbered.
Starless Dominion Bestows +1
Emboldened, strengthened, he leaped away, counting on the Form of the Black Throne to aid him in his shadowy escape, to reposition. But even as he darted aside, she was there—and this time explosively.
A wave of force detonated as she surged up alongside him, lifting him off the ground as it buckled and cratered beneath her, and sending him flying backward to crash down onto one knee, the Scourge now little more than a prop to keep him from falling.
But he leaped up, snarling, and he lunged fast and low to get to her side, try to flank and bring the Scourge up and around—only for her to reach out and snag him with one clawed gauntlet.
Her grip was absolute. It closed about his shadow-armored arm and lifted him clear off the ground. Harald could sense how easily she could shatter his arm, could force him to drop the Scourge—but instead, she released him, point made, and stepped back, her huge sword rising once more.
Backing away, Harald swung the Scourge at her, buying time, and unleashed an arc of sizzling demonic energy. She batted it away with her sword.
He opened the Starless Deep to her, allowing the very abyss to drain her energy, but could find no traction.
Starless Dominion Bestows +2
But even as he felt more power enter his frame, the sheer gulf between them made him straighten, accept what he’d merely known before.
The distance between Level 14 and Level 9 was too vast. It felt like fighting Brauxis, if not even more intimidating.
Every tool at his disposal, every power, every attack, was neutralized either by her armor, her unseen Abilities, or her overwhelming power.
And he knew.
He knew that she hadn’t even exerted herself. That he hadn’t even seen a tenth of what she could do.
It beggared the mind.
Harald dismissed the Scourge and allowed his Thrones to go quiet. He felt shaken, mostly from the power of her blows, his arm throbbing, but there was no pain. There was never any pain.
He bowed his head. “You are more formidable than I imagined. I’m genuinely awed.”
Brianna’s sword dimmed and she slung it over her shoulder, where it adhered to her back without the need of a strap. “And you!”
Was that enthusiasm in her voice? Harald dared glance up.
“You are something, Harald Darrowdelve. I actually registered your powers. Could sense them playing upon the edges of my mind. A prickling that I hadn’t even anticipated.
If this is you at Level 9, then I can’t wait to duel you when you’re my level. ”
“I…” Her praise felt completely out of line with his performance. “Thank you. I still don’t feel as if I’ve completely grasped how to manage my new consolidated powers, but… honestly, I don’t understand. Why don’t you just go kill these Handmaidens by yourself? Surely you can?”
Brianna had her hands on her hips and loomed above him like a gleaming monolith in the night.
“I probably could, yes. But my entire power suite is ill-suited to fighting twenty such foes.” Her tone turned thoughtful.
“I’m a Dragonslayer Knight. I’m at my best when fighting a single, overwhelming threat.
Against twenty minor demons? I lack efficiency against numbers.
I would have to fight with my Crucible shelved, my Final Pronouncement unusable, my Siegebreaker Cadence unable to compound properly against any one foe, and Wyrm’s Advent wasted on chasing gnats while the others swarm against me. ”
Brianna sighed. “Could I do it? Yes. Would it be pretty? No. I would essentially be using my blade, Wyrmfall, as a mop, and defeating them through sheer stat superiority, defensive layering, and brute force.”
“But you could beat them?”
“Twenty Level 10 or so demons?” She nodded reluctantly. “Most likely. But I can’t guess how badly they would hurt me in the process, and my fear then would be for Anna, who’d be left without protection. Eadwolf—he’s watching, by the way—is a prodigious warrior, but even he needs to sleep.”
“But—at the Shuddering. I saw you destroy hundreds of Terror Birds.”
Brianna’s smile was pitying. “Terror Birds are—what—only Level 21 monsters? They weren’t blocking my attacks.
They weren’t even trying to parry. They had no resistance to Wyrmfall’s Tremor Edge.
When I swung my sword at full power into open air against such weak creatures, Tremor Edge had nothing to diminish it.
The force that would normally bleed through a powerful foe’s guard instead radiated out completely unfiltered.
I was able to use it as a blunt area weapon.
I was swinging a Legendary Artifact at my not insignificant Strength and letting the force sweep across the whole plaza.
But beyond that—Siegebreaker Cadence compounded each blow I unleashed against the environment rather than a single target, and because I was striking the same open space repeatedly, the Cadence had nothing to degrade it.
Just shockwave after shockwave that liquefied the birds. ”
Her smile was impish. “I was using techniques meant to fell dragons against oversized chickens, and it only required… what? Twenty percent of what I’m capable of?
But Level 10 demons are another matter entirely.
They won’t succumb to my Apex Mandate in the same way, won’t run at me in a massed group.
They’ll surround me, synergize their attacks and powers, and prevent me from either bringing my strongest, dragon-killing powers to bear or just laying down enough generalized carnage to wipe them out like I did the Terror Birds. ”
“Oh,” said Harald, feeling at once overwhelmed and way, way out of his depth.
“But you.” She reached out to lightly cuff his shoulder, almost sending him stumbling.
“You did very well. And in time, from what I could sense of your Abilities, you would be far better matched against a mass of foes than I ever would. But this isn’t that time.
We need allies to make this battle one-sided, to ensure a clean execution of our foes, and prevent any of our friends from being killed. ”
“Hence the dwarves and the grand tour of the Houses,” said Harald.
“Exactly. Now. I’m hungry. Want to come raid the pantry with me? Pantry raids are the best raids.”
“In a bit.” Harald felt too shaken up to continue. “I’ll be right there.”
“Very well.” She flashed him another smile and strode toward the house.
Harald stood still, hands on his hips, and gazed up at the moon.
The angels wept.
Would he ever achieve such power?
Such power that even now, at Level 9, he couldn’t begin to understand how powerful Brianna was?
One day.
One day he would.
He felt that old, dark fire rekindle in his soul.
He wouldn’t stop until he was as fearsome as Brianna Hammerfell, wouldn’t stop until he’d outstripped her.
One day he would be her equal, and the day after that, her superior.
Not because he disprized her—far from it, he didn’t think there was anyone right now that he was so awed and impressed by—but because to beat Brianna in a duel would be the highest testament of martial prowess that he could imagine.
And Harald wanted nothing so much as to reach the very pinnacle of power.