Mark of the Fool

Chapter 524: Death Comes to Jaretha

Alex could hardly contain himself.

After nearly two years of wondering, searching, and running into dead endshed found something. Something that could give him some answers was near, yet still just out of reach.

Dread was gnawing at his belly.

Getting the Travellers information in his hands felt a littletoo easy.

It seemed like all he had to do was reach out, smash the glass and claim the object for his own. But how could it be so simple? Would Kaz-Mowanga greater demonreally leave a mere two guards and some tiashivasno matter how elite they wereto protect his prized treasures from theft?

No traps?

No wards?

It made no sense.

Yet, no matter how much he strained his mana senses, he couldnt feel a single bit of mana coming from anywhere.

That might not mean anything, he thought. Maybe there really arent any surprises waiting. If I were Kaz-Mowang, maybe I wouldnt set traps around my trophy room. Why inconvenience myself if I wanted to just come down here and admire the spoils of my conquests any time I felt like it? Bringing guests with me would also be a lot of trouble. Hmm, but to avoid all that, what I would definitely do was trap the ever-living hells out of those trophy cases!

Alex floatedwith Ripp and Kyembetoward the case containing the Travellers possession, his eyes alight. Using the Mark, he studied the case, looking for anything unusual.

His eyes traced the glass and the stone pillar supporting it.

They scanned the floating platform itself.

Power coursed through it, but he sensed no mana except for the flight magic keeping the platform aloft. He found no other magicand no sign of pressure plates, springs, or any other triggers that would set a hidden trap off.

Alex swallowed.

The palace rumbled.

Well, are we good? Ripp asked.

I think so, Alex said, his eyes examining the object.

The symbols carved into its surface matched those in the Travellers book. It felt like it was calling out to him, urging him to reach out and take it.

The hell with it. I gotta try something, he muttered, raising his staff and conjuring a swarm of Wizards Hands.

He let the Hands float forward, each one wrapped around the glass enclosure. As one, they squeezed, tightening their grip, then began floating upward, lifting the case as they went.

Alex heard a slight click.

He felt mana flare.

Spikes sprang from the container, spearing the Wizards Hands, shredding them. They vanished.

Oh shit! I didnt feel that trap!

The spikes slowly retracted as the case rippled like water and the mana faded away.

He swore again. Shit! We dont have time for this!

A devilish trap, Kyembe said. Can you not break the glass?

Maybe? Alex muttered, glancing back at the gaping doorway.

No sign of any demons for now. If the three of them moved fast enough, they should be gone before anyone even knew thered been a robbery, but these delays werent helping.

He glared at the glass container, his mind working. Hold on, Im going to try something.

Alex raised his staff again.

If we want to hit them, its gotta be hard and fast, Guntile whispered, peering around the corner of a hallway. Ahead, Burn-Saw led his master deep into the palace.

Agreed, Ezeraks voice was low. Better we get this over quick.

No wait! Thundar muttered. No, we cant jump em, yet. He nodded toward the demons. If we get into a pitched battle with them in this hallway, someone could come along while were fighting them. And if things go bad, Alex isnt here to summon Celsus and Claygon.

So, what should we do, then? Guntile asked.

Hmmm, Burn-Saws leading them toward Alex, right? Thundar frowned. We let em keep going. When they find Alex, Ripp and Kyembe, theyll be off guard, right? Maybe accusationsll start flying. Lotsa yelling. All the usual shit. While theyre doing all that?

The minotaur wizard cracked his knuckles. We jump em from behind and hit em as hard as we can.

There was a pause.

The element of surprise, I like it, Guntile nodded, pulling out a fistful of stones. Ill hit them with a wall of these thatll rock their teeth out.

My army will attack them from behind. Ezerak said.

And Illwell, Ill jump in there too, Thundar grunted, flinching as another explosion shook Kaz-Mowangs palace. Thats if were alive that long. Come on, Alex, whats the hold up?

Baelin ripped open a hole in reality, blasting Ezaliel with the heat of a star.

Blazing death sprayed through the portal, washing the abyssal knight in the suns wrath. Ezaliel let out a cry, folded the space of his domain, then vanished.

The demon abruptly reappeared behind Baelin.

Uttering another shriek, the abyssal knight shuddered, firing a cascade of beams that arced through air and sped for the archwizard from every direction.

A word of power erected a multilayered shield around Baelin.

Demonic power struck walls of force.

The beams waned, the archwizard spoke again, filling the air with hungry orbs of darkness, each raced for Ezaliel. The demon spunits jewel-like facets shiningshooting innumerable beams at his foe. Where a beam struck an orb, space cleaved.

And explosions rocked the air.

In the distance, more chaos was awakened.

Magun-Obu floated above a burning street, encased in an impenetrable shell of darkness. The fiery salamander-like demon rampaged through the street below, summoning plumes of white hellfire, casting them at the four-armed wizard.

What is wrong, wizard? the knight bellowed. No words for me?

Hellfire struck Magun-Obus wall of darkness, withering as its life and energy was sucked away.

They would be wasted. The mage pointed his staff at the demon.

The jewels in the staffs skull blackened.

And four bolts of darkness streaked out. The abyssal knight of flame weaved away, trying to dodge, but Magun-Obu uttered a single word.

A sound like glass shattering filled the air.

Then the demon froze, held in place by cosmic forces. Black beams struck, withering its skin as though untold diseases joined with the ravages of a thousand years to fall on the creature as one.

It wilted, falling to one knee, but still faring better than its companions.

The tiny abyssal knight soared through the air on swift wings, slashing at Sanii. Metal tore on the wizard of steels form, but those glowing eyes merely watched the little demon in utter stillness.

Is this true? the knights tone was mocking. Can even metal be paralysed by fear

Flight path calculations complete. Sanii said. Proceeding with termination.

With these words, hundreds upon thousands of what appeared to be minute flecks of metal dust poured from ports in Saniis body, capturing the air with floating, glistening particles.

The abyssal knight frowned, glaring at the dust. What is this? It scoffed. Do you think it the proper time to play withconstructs, wizard?

Nano-sized and each one bears a fraction of my mind and power, Sanii said.

Mana shifted in the air.

But each is as capable of wizardry as I am.

The sky erupted in power as thousands and thousands of tiny constructs cast Force Missile in tandem. The abyssal knight growled, tucking its wings around itself, teleporting a hundred feet away

but Saniis constructs were multitude.

And many had already predicted where the knight would go.

The demon cried out, force missiles striking as one, piercing both its physical body and its essence. It fell in a ragged heap, fighting to heal itself, rolling across the battlefield and landing where the towering tree-like abyssal knight battled Cra.

The demon howled, its vines snapping through the air and batting the ancient woman around as though she were an old rag. With every stroke, it imparted toxins and spawned the roots of illnesses within her that were well suited to ending even a titan's life.

And yet, the wizard was unshaken.

Her wet laughter seemed to spread through the realm.

Why will you not die? Or defend yourself? the demon demanded.

I am in no danger, Cra told it. And I have been enjoying our time together. Why would I end it?

Cra! Magun-Obu shouted, conjuring chains of utter void to wrap around his fiery foe. We are to contain them with efficiency! Stop playing the fool, you are only wasting time!

The old woman threw her cabal mate an amused look. The youngso impatient, but sometimes their wisdom exceeds their elders. She looked at the demon. You seek to infest my body, is that correct? To melt or control it? A childish attempt. Even the lowly shoggoth could shake off such nonsense.

Her grin was wide.

Too wide. Something swam beneath her skin. This is how you infest someone.

And her body melted, transforming.

What it became had no name, but it hurt the eye to look upon it. It had eyes. There were tentacles. There were limb structures so old, their names were long forgotten.

And there were mouths.

Many, many mouths.

Cra grew, swelling until her bulk dwarfed that of the abyssal knight.

The demon screamed a challenge, exhaling gases that liquified stone and the flesh of its own demon forces, yet was benignly absorbed by Cras new flesh. The wizards tentacles lashed out, wrapping the demons trunk and limbs. Barbs dug in, injecting something foul into the bark.

And the demons scream of challenge became incomprehensible, so terrible, that it caused even the last of their number to pause.

Of course, the heroic-looking, white-armoured, demon had more than a single reason to pause.

It was aflame.

The creatures body burned, wrapped in flames that blazed as bright as the brightest star, melting its essence, body, and armour. It snarledgrowling at its opponent like a cornered beastrevealing teeth that were either shattered or gone.

Its eyes squinted at a vast column of billowing smoke, rising before it with twin veils of burning light behind. Through the smoke, something approached, shaking the ground with every step.

Anaxadar emerged with fangs bared.

In his true form.

To say that he was simply another dragon would be like calling dragons earthworms. His bulk was titanic, his wingspan broad enough to lend shade to a full block in a vast metropolis. His wings bore membranes like pure sunlight; the dragon wizard was covered in black scales that seemed to throb, moving as a lava flow would, exposing rivulets of power beneath them, pulsing like the crust of a volcano. Anaxadars facial features were pits of pure starfire.

Heat bled from him in waves, turning demons to ash.

You disappoint me, his voice was thunder, flame, and the roar of a forest ablaze. You seemed fit for battle. Arent knights meant to slay wyrmkind? To slay the wayward demigods of the universe? Where is your fire, abyssal one? Where is your light demon?

Enraged, though in agony, the demon surged toward him, its sword blurring.

Anaxadar batted him aside with a single claw.

The abyssal knight crashed to the earth with such force, that where it landed, a trench formed.

My disappointment grows. Anaxadar sighed. You are not even worthy of my breath. The light in his maw flared. But I have a generous nature, so you can experience it nonetheless.

Structures and more wavered around the draconic demigod.

And his breath poured forth.

While Baelin would have channelled a portion of a stars wrath through a portal, Anaxadars breath was that of a stars white-hot core, enhanced by his own spells, it travelled no further than where it touched, leaving no trace of buildings or life in its wake. But, it touched a great deal.

The cone of his breath was broad, carving a boiling trench of metal, stone and chaos that turned sections of the demon citys mighty walls to nothing. When he inhaled, both his demonic opponent and a great slice of Jaretha was gone.

Demons screamed, fleeing for their lives.

But others mustered.

Titanic gate guardsdwarfed by the dragonthundered across the city, ready for the battle of millenia.

And Anaxadar bore his teeth, circling about, putting his bulk between the titans and Kaz-Mowangs palace. He would keep the fight away from Baelins comrades.

# # #

Your list of allies shrinks, Ezaliel. Baelin batted aside another wave of beams.

Never! the abyssal knight growled. The tingle of teleportation magic shimmered around them. I can call upon endless allies, for the hells are endless. What you do now will begin eternal war. You cannot win.

Baelin chuckled. Well, you would be surprised. Heres the problem with eternal wars. They require two sides to both be alive and willing to fight. The ancient wizards eyes blazed. By the time this is over, you will be dead and those most inclined to avenge you will have come here and died by my and my allies hands. The rest? Theyll likely scrabble for your demon lords favour, seeking to usurp each other. You will be too dead to reward their efforts. So, why would they risk themselves?

His nostrils flared. Your eternal war will last minutes.

Do not be so sure, Ezaliel growled.

Why not? I have done this before. Now, come, enough wasting time. I aim to torture you a fair bit before this ends, so let us continue. Lets start by draining that mana of yours.

Baelin arced out beams of light, surrounding Ezaliel in a cloud. The abyssal knight shrieked as his power was siphoned away.

Elsewhere, in another demonic palace, something similar was happening.

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