Bonded Summoner

Book 5 - Interlude 1 - Krillisk - Shadows Looming

Off the East Coast of the main continent, a hurricane raged. Waves crashed against the rocks, cries, and hisses of pain echoing in off the cliffs of the isolated island.

The taint had been reduced within the Naga’s bodies, causing them to fight against their captors. But they had arrived. Their pitiful minds were nothing before the might of the Swarm, their bindings too strong for them to achieve freedom.

The King Naga was a real challenge, even for Krillisk once the taint was removed. However, the odd daughter’s song allowed the Swarm to sooth its mind just enough to placate it and take control once more.

The water levels were rising, and the world was changing. Tartarus had lost its second city before Krillisk and his people could arrive, but now their pieces were ready. The betrayers had gathered, and Tartarus’ Champions were ready to oppose the Alliance.

Tens of thousands of undead marched, their bodies forming together. Undead flesh was knit, bones splitting and combining. A massive ship was being forged, a bone galleon of epic proportions.

Water was being pooled in a giant crater, the naga’s mastery of water used to finish their preparations. Being forced to use the undead, Krillisk couldn’t help but feel was a significant failure. With the curse gone, the levels of life in the air were constantly rising.

It wouldn’t be too long before the undead would be unable to move without the aid of blight, bringing their forward progress to a halt. Soon, Tartarus would be forced to play a defensive war. Thus, they moved to finish things in one move.

Krillisk’s mind touched a new presence entering the vicinity, the magnitude of its mind shocking him.

“What are you doing here?”

The Apophis Champion Nevara was a severe Dark Elf woman, and her tone speaking to the newcomer matched. When Krillisk’s compound eyes met the powerful Enforcer, he couldn’t help but wonder the same thing. His mandibles and wings quivered.

The figure stood over four meters tall, its face a sleek obsidian mask. Its body was built for war, its hardened stone-like flesh filled with scripts. The man did not wear armor; his body was better than armor. The towering figure had four arms, and held two large polearms.

The creature was an Enforcer, a monster forged by Tartarus for the explicit purpose of slaying Champions. Its Cost was more than one, and it had surely paid a substantial Price for it to be present. This was not even including the countless lives sacrificed and consumed to create and empower the Tier 3 being.

Its power was brought down to the first Tier, but aspects of its strength, skills, and essence persisted, despite the limitations; the powerful mind being a prime example of this.

Krillisk was connected to the Swarm, the powerful connection persisting–though limited. Loviatar demanded this world brought to an end, along with the valkyrie slain.

Knowing Hestia’s Champion must be dealt with first, Krillisk would go along with the spirit of the demand rather than the letter of it, should the opportunity arise.

The Enforcer responded to the Apophis Champion, his thick voice echoing in the chasm, “This world is more important than originally believed. It will be able to join the next War Trial.”josei

The Swarm in Krillisk’s mind buzzed, the many locusts and his brethren buzzing across the land of Highlands. Many of his people resided on the West Coast, but he traveled with the Champion party. Through the swarm’s connection, he could communicate with them all.

Krillisk voiced the Swarm’s argument. “It’s just a Tier 1 world. Surely, it does not matter enough to send one such as you?”

The Enforcer’s faceless mask gazed at Krillisk. “The world was merely cursed to where it is now. The curse of the Balor, the Death God was just removed. After a short period, it shall recover. It is not just at the second Tier, but in the stages of the long conflict…”

The Swarm raged at the ineptitude of the Betrayer Celts and Dreadbeast. The idea that they accepted the stipulations of this Contest from the Framework meant they were confident that they would win. Instead, they failed every step of the way.

Even the Dark Elf Apophis Champion blanched. “That changes things. Still, we were expecting the Loviatar, Balor, and Eternal Night Champions”

The Enforcer replied, “The Scorpion Rider and the Parasite shall arrive shortly, there are now two more prospective Champions on the Alliance’s side. We have left out Balor, for his previous failures to eliminate Cernunnos do not allow him such privilege.”

The Swarm buzzed in Krillisk’s mind. The Parasite would control the strange Highlands creatures to do their bidding, while the Scorpion Rider would be like an impenetrable fortress. Combined with the Enforcer, this seemed almost too easy.

The Enforcer turned to Krillisk. “What of the West Coast? Has that toad still been unable to secure enough sacrifices for the portal?”

Krillisk grimaced as he unfurled the map on the rock between them. Like the Alliance’s Conquest Table, it showed in detail the current status of the war.

He confirmed nothing had changed–if anything, things were worse for Tartarus. Despite having thousands of betrayers on their side, the forces on the West coast were just too slippery.

The reptile beastkin had mounts, but somehow the Alliance had enough blimps and flyers to make hitting them a challenge.

Even with his people playing interference with their hypnotic buzzing, the four forces moved around the battlefield with stunning precision and mobility. Krillisk was sure the undead, the betrayers and his people would whittle away the enemy in a final confrontation, but the Alliance stayed on the move, impossible to pin down thanks to the terrain.

Krillisk shook his head. “The enemy fights smartly. Even when we close the net on them, they manage to cut away. We can’t force a confrontation, even attacking their weakness–the refugees. They are strong on their own!”

Nevara scoffed. “The betrayers have proven weak aside from their mounts. The Death God’s failure has left them weak and useless. Their taint hardly grows, leaving many stuck at the zeroeth Tier. A thousand bugs are worthless, just fodder for the enemy’s growth.”

Krillisk and the Swarm bristled. The Apophis Champion spoke with contempt when she mentioned bugs, slighting both his people and his Goddess. His knees bent, preparing to leap. She smiled darkly as a snake within her armor hissed, her bow and blades at the ready.

“You bitch–”

The Enforcer interrupted, slamming a large axe between them. The rocky ground shattered and a wave of dark energy rippled out, sending a shockwave with the swing. In the distance, more rock shattered, the face of the mountain being cleaved by his swing.

Both Krillisk and Nevara were aghast. The Enforcer’s casual attack would have required significant effort for either of them to come out unscathed.

“Enough. The Naga are strong, and the undead are empowered by this rising deathly energy. In the West, we will force a confrontation here.” He pointed to the map, which remained unshaken despite his attack. “All efforts will be to make them fight here.”

Krillisk looked, and understood. If the stupid toad was aided by the Swarm, a final fight could occur there. It was clear the Alliance’s goal was to take the refugees away toward their headquarters. If they abandoned their defense, they could force them to fight.

Nevara asked, “What of the East? The Champion’s party?”

“They have no choice. They must attack the Greater Rift. We will be ready for this.” The Enforcer addressed Krillisk, pointing at the map. “Prepare the Naga. We shall crush everything in one fell swoop.”

Krillisk and the Swarm buzzed, sending their messages. The stupid toad native would lead the betrayers to accomplish their bidding. The loss of Cronus was unfortunate, crippling their recruitment drive of the reptiles.

The Alliance might think they had evened the scales, but they had only delayed the inevitable. Tartarus had gathered their Naga slaves and made their sacrifices, and they would soon be ready for their own offensive.

The beastkin’s cities would be swept under the unstoppable tide, unable to do anything about the Tier 2 being they had captured.

Even a Champion couldn’t defeat an enemy nearly an entire Tier above them, and they certainly couldn’t do it while facing betrayers, enemy Champions, and spawns from a Greater Rift.

That was if they could even handle being attacked by a mentalist. All minds were like brittle glass at this Tier, the Swarm would crush his simple mind under their might. The Champion Party’s death would lead to a loss in morale, and the cities will fall one after the other before they could respawn.

Loviatar would have her revenge, and the Swarm would consume all life on Highlands. The meal would be delicious, and Krillisk could hardly wait.