Chapter 35 #2
“Right!” Vic beamed. “And while he’s fighting her off, Harry keeps draining like the world’s greatest Kitty Kat employee. Weakening Eclavistra by the moment.”
“A dishonorable plan,” said Kársek. “And doubly foolish because Alabenthos will smite Harald immediately after.”
“Will he though?” Vic stared meaningfully at Kársek. “If Harald’s ploy leads to the defeat of an arch demon? Something unheard of in all these centuries?”
Nessa stirred. “He might just kill Harald for growing too powerful.”
“There is that,” conceded Vic. “But what can you do?”
Sam shook her head slowly. “I can’t agree to just use Alabenthos’ hospitality like that.”
“Agreed,” said Kársek. “I won’t have a part in such a plan. The right of hospitality is sacred.”
“Pah,” said Vic, sitting back. “You all are no fun.”
Harald sighed and stared at his blue-caked fingers. “If we tell him our plan, he might agree or take me prisoner. Or just kill me. With Alabenthos, I can’t tell. If we don’t tell him, then we’ll be courting dishonor, death, and banishment even if our plan succeeds.”
“Exeros could tell us,” said Nessa, gazing past Harald with her heavy-lidded eyes. “If he wanted to.”
Harald turned back to the burning mote.
The burning mote didn’t shift.
“Looks like Exeros has used up what little altruism he had left,” muttered Vic.
They sank into silence once more. Harald frowned down at his knuckles as he rubbed his thumb over them, again and again.
A thought occurred to him. “Have arch demons ever appeared in Flutic?”
His companions glanced at each other, then at Harald.
“I don’t think so?” said Sam.
“If we drained Eclavistra from the surface, might she be unable to appear there?”
“I’m sure she could if her life depended on it,” said Sam.
“Hmm.” Harald continued to ponder an idea that was taking place in his mind. “What if we did so from within the Absolution Chamber inside the cathedral?”
“Nice thought,” said Vic, “but I’m confident Eclavistra could just blast that cathedral apart if she were really mad.”
“Then perhaps there’s a more sacred space,” said Harald. “The Inquisitors have to have created something, right? Because…” Excitement gripped him so that he stood in a sudden excess of energy. “Imagine we find that space, and get the whole church behind us—”
“Harry.” Vic raised his palm like a city guard bidding a child to stop before crossing the street.
“Please. It would take you months to get the church behind you, partially because they’re engaged in a civil war, and partially because they’re bloodthirsty lunatics who’d rather destroy you the moment they found out about your demonic bond. ”
Harald’s shoulders slumped.
“What about Brianna Hammerfell?” Nessa struggled to sit up. “Her entire Class revolves around stopping singular, massively dangerous foes.”
Everybody considered.
“Eclavistra is still too much sand for her wheelbarrow,” said Vic at last.
“Not if we fought by her side.” Nessa pushed a lock of black hair behind one ear. “Kársek has his new Rune, Thurak. It separates fighters from their own powers, right?”
“The Rune of Severance,” said Kársek cautiously. “It severs the bonds between enchantments, tethers, and so forth. I’m not sure what effect it would have on Eclavistra.”
Nessa turned to Vic. “And you have Intimate Dissection. You said it does largely the same thing.”
“Darling, my Intimate Dissection is a Level 7 Active. It’s not meant to be deployed against arch demons.”
Nessa ignored him. “I have Thread of Severance, my Level 6 Active. It severs magical bindings and lasting effects. Sam has Starfire Bastion, which is meant to weaken demonic foes, along with—what else, Sam?”
“Guardian’s Mantle lessens dark enchantments. Light of Censure does exponentially more damage against demons. Especially if I target Eclavistra with Luminous Interdict first.”
“Children, please!” Vic clutched his head.
“We’re not talking about a Level 46 baddie that we’re hoping to sneakily ambush if we can just control our sniggering!
This is fucking Eclavistra we’re dealing with, an arch fucking demon fucking nemesis of the fucking entire dungeon!
Hello? Have we all gone mad? Thread of Severance, Nessa?
Do you honestly, honestly think a bunch of sub-Level 10 Actives will even be noticeable when she shows up to erase half of Flutic in her desire to kill Harald?
And that’s if he can even drain her dry within a single calendar year? !”
They all stared at him.
“What are you hinting at?” asked Kársek dryly. “It sounds like you have your doubts.”
Vic stared at the dwarf and then covered his face as he fell back, laughing weakly. “It really is the end of the world. I’m being earnest, and Kársek is making jokes.”
Harald turned to face the burning mote. “Exeros. I would speak with you.”
Nothing.
Harald didn’t avert his eyes. “Come on. I know you’re listening. Come out. Please.”
Still nothing.
Harald was about to turn away, when finally the mote distended, warped, and enlarged to become the scarred and sullen six-winged child. The Seraph slowly floated down to the ground, where he placed both hands over the head of his walking stick, and gazed dourly at Harald.
“Wait,” said Vic. “Exeros is a street rat? Why didn’t anyone tell me? I like him—”
Exeros turned his glare to Vic, whose jaw snapped shut seemingly of its own accord.
“I have spoken enough already,” said the Seraph. “I am not going to become a font of advice and good cheer.”
“Yet you chose to manifest.” Harald eyed the winged child.
“You know what’s at stake. I don’t mean my own life.
” Harald made a disparaging gesture. “You’ve seen how many demon-kin come and go?
I’m talking about my unique ability to drain Eclavistra.
To destroy her. You were once the High Warden of the Celestial Thrones and Bearer of the Sevenfold Corona.
” Harald hesitated. “Whatever that is. But this war means something to you.”
“Meant,” corrected the Seraph.
“I don’t believe you.” Harald grinned. “If there’s a chance for you to shift the entire direction of the Celestial War, if by just giving me one piece of information, you could bring about the downfall of an arch demon, I know you would.”
Exeros merely raised a pale brow.
“You know the war is lost.” Harald eyed the child carefully. One misstep here could cost him everything. “You clearly tried to do something that failed, and were punished for it. Given how cautious the angels are, I’m wagering it was something they considered brash. Dangerous. Irresponsible.”
Exeros’ black eyes narrowed just a trifle, but Harald felt his gut clench in visceral response.
“Now here you are, playing babysitter to a demon-kin and his little mortal friends. Wasting away eternity while the war is lost. But. By some strange twist of fate—or perhaps the Fallen Angel’s will—you’ve been assigned to a demon-kin who can actually hurt one of your old foes.
So you could do nothing—let me flounder, waste this opportunity, and become just another footnote in the war—or you could intervene, just a little, just enough to shift the Fallen Angel’s entire fate.
” Harald hesitated, but the Seraph’s expression could have been carved from stone.
He’d no idea if he was getting anywhere.
“So this is my wager: that you still care enough about the outcome of the war—about the Fallen Angel, if not the angels themselves—to intervene just enough to help us defeat Eclavistra.”