Thraxor instructed Sybilla to stay next to him as they watched Kalavahn Pass. The Demons would need to travel through the pass to reach the City of Dor-gata, and the tight corridors and labyrinth of corners would give Radikor, Rodring, and Rigo the ability to attack without getting surrounded. Thraxor reached for the side of his armor, where Sybilla could see a belt like Rigo’s belt but it held four vials all filled with red potions, and at the end of the row of vials Thraxor kept a seeing stone in a satchel. Thraxor noticed that Sybilla saw the potions and satchel, as he gestured for Sybilla to remain silent about his use of magical artifacts. Thraxor lifted the seeing stone in the direction of the Kalavahn pass, which gave Sybilla the idea to use the seeing stone she obtained from Radikor to duplicate his observation of the advancing demon horde.
Through the seeing stone Sybilla could see the demons start narrowing from battle formations into thin rows to move through the pass. Then Sybilla realized the demons walked on two legs, they carried staffs and magical artifacts in their hands, and wore clothing that emanated magical energy not so different than her own dress enhanced with magical protections. Sybilla realized these demons looked like humans.
“I thought demons would have horns, hooves, bat wings, and a tear-thumb tail. But those demons look like people?”, Sybilla wondered.
“Demons don’t have any of those. What you see is called the demon horde, because it belongs to the demons. It would be more accurate to call it “The demons’ horde of warlocks”, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous. Demons don’t have physical bodies, they only exist as evil spirits. But don’t ask me to get more specific, I’m no expert on demons, so save any questions about demons for Rodring, when he gets back.”, Thraxor explained.
“But it’s wrong to kill someone just because they are being influenced by an evil spirit, if a Sorcerer is possessed they should have the chance for exorcism.”, Sybilla argued.
“You’ve been an apprentice for a day, so you still have a lot to learn. Anyone can be possessed, but that doesn’t meant mean they made a demon pact. Warlocks make demon pacts, that’s what makes them into warlocks. Exorcism has no effect on Warlocks, because the Warlock wants the demon, and the demons use fear, terror, and promises of power to entice Sorcerers, Wizards, Witches, Druids, Mages, and even normal people without any talents for magic to become Warlocks. And once a warlock makes a pact with a demon, that is unbreakable. They will kill you, and they want you to fear them, because you might become another Warlock.”, Thraxor explained.
“But that’s not fair! Anyone can feel fear, and nobody should be punished just because they want to live.”, Sybilla argued.
“Anyone? That’s right, but why would Demons care about being fair? But that’s also why, how, and the reason the demons have a horde. If they have to kill a thousand people just to scare one to become new Warlock, they will. They want the entire world to just be Warlocks, and they plan to achieve that goal by killing anyone who isn’t a Warlock.”, Thraxor explained.
“So that’s the reason the Alliance built a giant wall around the Scar? To keep the Warlocks contained? Makes prefect sense.”, Sybilla realized.
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the Alliance that, but the only place to find Demons or Warlocks is in the Scar. It’s also where Sorcery is exceptionally powerful. That’s no coincidence. The only other people who can answer that question are the Warlocks and I’m pretty sure they won’t answer your questions unless you make some sort of deal, but I wouldn’t recommend making deals with Warlocks or Demons.”, Thraxor laughed.
“So if the demons and warlocks are evil, why isn’t the Alliance sending armies to wipe them out? And use a counter spell to remove the Scar?”, Sybilla demanded.
“That’s too many questions. But the Scar, even as dangerous as it is, creates a place for us to learn about magic, and allows people like Radikor to become wealthy, and that benefits you and me both for different reasons. The reason the alliance only wants to contain the Scar and not attack to wipe this place out is food doesn’t grow in the Scar, the land is cursed. It’s easy to just send trade and supplies around the scar to avoid it all together, but it’s faster and more profitable to take the risks to travel through the Scar. People who learn to survive in the Scar are wealthy beyond imagination, because there is no life in the Scar, there is no future here. Only two men can father children while in the Scar. One of those two men is the last Holy Knight, the other is Rodring, the Scar’s curse cannot touch them. The rest of us must start families outside of the Scar, because no amount of sex in the Scar will conceive children. The Warlocks are dying, and not just starving, so no war is needed.”, Thraxor explained.
“Is that why you brought those women into the Scar? Actually don’t answer that, I think my guess is the only answer I want to hear. So in the Scar, food doesn’t grow, children can never be born, and Rodring isn’t the Last Holy Knight?”, Sybilla wondered.
“Yes women with certain skills can earn money at the wall cities, but if they can pay for safe passage to the outposts, they can earn much more. As for Holy Knights, I think Rodring is a good guy, but until he takes the oath, he’s not a Holy Knight. The Last Holy Knight is Lord Valkrahm, but I’ve never met the man.”, Thraxor revealed.
Sybilla stopped wondering why the other men in the company weren’t interested in her, and acted as if her only role was to learn magic. Sybilla imagined that if Radikor lost another apprentice because one of his employees made her cry out to a demon and turned into a Warlock, the offender would have to deal with a Warlock and would also lose their job. The men in the company wouldn’t risk that danger if there were other women in the Scar. As much as Sybilla disliked Thraxor’s description of the Scar, everything she saw made it seem true, and if the risk of becoming a Warlock was true for here, it was also true for everyone around her.
“Does Rodring know the Holy Knight?”, Sybilla asked.
“No more questions, for now. Use the seeing stone and watch Radikor, Rodring, and Rigo. The Demon Horde is about to enter the Kalavahn Pass.”, Thraxor instructed.
When Sybilla looked through Thraxor’s seeing stone, she saw that he pointed it at the Demon Horde. Sybill lifted her the seeing stone she obtained from Radikor, she remembered that Rodring didn’t like having spells pointed at him directly, and she used the seeing stone to watch Kalavahn Pass. The Demon horde split up for the first tight turn, and Rodring appeared to the first advancing formation of Warlocks.
“Are you here for blood, Warlocks? If you want to kill someone, here I am. Come and get me!”, Rodring declared to the demon horde.
“Kill the Holy Knight!”, the slave master yelled at the Warlocks.
“How can I hear them?”, Sybilla wondered.
“They are speaking in High-Angelic, a language of magic power. Everyone can understand. But not everyone is able to speak it.”, Thraxor explained.
The moment when the first enemy formation had committed to directing magic attacks against Rodring, Rodring raised his shield, while Radikor and Rigo used the distraction to launch their attack. Rigo threw a pile of bones at the ground in front of the advancing warlocks. Radikor lifted his dagger into the air and summoned a storm of lighting and a swirling cloud of darkness struck the ground after the piles of bones. The Warlocks shut their eyes within the chaotic winds, and the row of warlocks behind them struggled to escape the whirlwind. Some warlocks summoned a magical barrier to encase themselves and escape the assault from the debris carried in the winds. Rodring slammed the flat face of his Holy Sword against the side of his Holy Shield, sending a shockwave against the Warlocks, and each Warlock hit by the Shockwave lost all magic, all their current spells were broken, and all their progress of casting spells failed. Almost half of the affected Warlocks, fell to the ground. Through the seeing stone Sybilla saw the scattered bones, thrown against the Warlocks glow with a build up of opposing magics. The bones seemed as if they were being filled with magic like it was pouring into them, but the physical object was not a living thing, and could only contain less and less magic as they were being filled.
The bones exploded into fragments as the magic contained within cause all the bones to explode one after another. The explosions instantly killed every stunned and unconscious Warlock. The Warlocks who evaded the explosions, but still lost their magic looked for weapons to defend against against Rodring’s Holy Sword. Rodring advanced with ferocious speed, striking the first Warlock with a slash across the Warlock’s neck spraying the Warlock’s blood against the rocks of the Kalavahn Pass. The Warlocks rushed against Rodring desperate to stop him, throwing their own lives away with no magic and no hope of even harming Rodring. The Warlocks waited for Rodring to look at one, and decided to charge at Rodring, but found that no direction offered a chance to surprise Rodring as they ran into the blade of the Holy Sword.
Radikor used their distraction to move closer and drew his cutlass, still enchanted with the sigil of fire. The Burning Blade of the Cutlass sliced through the disabled magical protections cutting down another Warlock with each strike. Radikor flicked his hand across the ground and threw his dagger at a hostile Warlock. The dagger plunged into the Warlock’s leg, but when the Warlock saw the dagger was an enchanted weapon, the Warlock decided to use the dagger against Radikor. When the Warlock pulled the Dagger from his own leg, he raised the dagger but was struck by a bolt of lightning from the sky, and the dagger returned to Radikor’s magic sheath.
Rigo turned his attention to the fallen Warlocks, and commanded their bodies to grab onto and hinder the surviving Warlocks, and each captured Warlock was presented as a living sacrifice to execution from Radikor’s and Rodring’s blades. The warlocks yelled curses at Rodring and Rigo as blades ended the warlocks lives. Rigo called out to Radikor warning him that the next wave of Warlocks would arrive soon, Radikor instructed Rodring and Rigo to retreat. Rigo fled behind the next turn, followed by Radikor, and finally by Rodring.
Rodring stopped at the turn just before the next wave of Warlocks attacked, and knocked his Sword against his shield to send a shockwave, causing yet more Warlocks to lose their magic and explode the cursed corpses left behind by Rigo. Rodring made it though the turn and Radikor instructed Rodring to start the next attack. Rigo summoned the soil beneath the piles of dead Warlocks to obey. As the next wave of Warlocks passed over the cursed ground it swallowed them into the darkness beneath the Earth, and without their magic they had no means to escape such a trap from the cursed ground.
Rodring rushed forwards with enough speed to run over the cursed ground and begin striking down Warlocks, and a few Warlocks that skipped passed Roding, choosing to attack Radikor and Rigo. Rodring stood in front of Rigo and as the first Warlock attempted to strike, his hands sprouted spiked claws. Sybilla imagined this was a Warlock under demonic possession. As the warlock attacked Radikor, Radikor jumped and rolled forward. Radikor landed on the opposite site behind the mutated Warlock, and swung his cutlass upward, through the Warlock’s back. Radikor rolled over the Warlock once more, but as he landed in the original direction of the counter attack, and thrust the dagger through the jaw upwards into the Warlock’s brain. As Radikor spun to free his dagger from the Warlock’s skull, then spun in the reverse direction to swing the Burning Blade of the Cutlass down through the Warlock’s neck. As the Warlock’s head rolled towards the other Warlocks, they mutated into demons. Sybilla imagined if the Warlocks’ magic abilities are prevented, demonic mutation might be their only option to fight.
Radikor called for another retreat as more Warlocks rushed into the Kalavahn Pass. The next wave of Warlocks approached and were gaining on Radikor, Rodring, and Rigo. Radikor cast a wall of flames against the advancing Warlocks. Sybilla watched as rays of light shined from the heavens, through the sky, and scorched the blighted ground beneath of the Warlocks. A storm of fragments of dead Warlocks fell on the living Warlocks. Sybilla could watch the bolts of lightning strike the the Warlocks, and storm of the dead, and the rays of Holy Light as the Warlocks chased Radikor, Rodring, and Rigo through Kalavahn Pass.
“There’s too many Warlocks.”, Sybilla replied.
“That’s correct, but we’re ready for them.”, Thraxor explained.
Thraxor ordered the wagon drivers to reveal their weapons, and a fourth of the wagons were turned into trebuchets and the remaining wagons drivers revealed themselves as archers. Members of the Company presented torches to Sybilla, as Thraxor and Sybilla granted a burning enhancement to whomever needed it. Sybilla took a moment to point her seeing stone towards Kalavahn Pass as Radikor and Rigo emerged, and Rigo leaned on Radikor, as Rigo needed Radikor’s help to walk from an injury still wet with his blood. Rodring followed shortly after, while turning with the Holy Shield to block demonic curses. Rodring stopped as he noticed an opportunity to use his counter-spell against the Warlocks. The spells from the Warlocks halted for a moment, allowing Radikor, Rigo, and Roding to safely move behind the defensive line of the company’s archers and siege engines. Radikor had to drop Rigo next to a wagon, as Rigo began casting a Soul Weave and Rodring prepared a healing prayer on Rigo’s behalf.
Through the seeing stone Sybilla noticed Warlocks emerge from the Kalavahn pass and Thraxor gave the order to fire. The trebuchets launched burning jars, the archers fired flaming arrows, the maw of Kalavahn pass exploded with fire and smoke, as Thraxor and Sybilla continued watching the Pass from a safe distance. The Archers prepared to fire again, followed by the Trebuchets. Sybilla cast the sigil of fire as fast as the company presented their torches to carry the flames across the defensive line. Thraxor ordered the trebuchets to adjust fire at shorter range, than their first barrage, as Thraxor observed a row of Warlocks moving through the smoke. Sybilla looked through her seeing stone and the Warlocks showed no sign nor any intention to slow down, knowing so many humans were nearby, and at least one Apprentice Sorcerer could be lured into a demon pact.
“These Warlocks would throw their lives away, just to kill one city?”, Sybilla wondered.
“Maybe they also realize they’re already dead?”, Thraxor suggested.
Thraxor gave the order to fire again, as Radikor’s company wiped out another wave of Warlocks, but yet another wave of Warlocks emerged from Kalavahn again, and again. Thraxor ordered the Trebuchet’s to adjust their aim to half range, as the Warlocks continued to advance. The Warlocks were now close enough that Sybilla no longer needed the seeing stone to observe, and she wondered where Radikor went. When Sybilla looked towards Rodring he was still healing Rigo, as the Warlocks had managed to not just to attack with Sorcery, but also made healing difficult with a curse. Another explosion of fire obliterated another wave of warlocks, and their blood turned into a red mist. The Company felt fear and futility as another wave of Warlocks appeared from behind the wave they had just killed, and the Warlocks continued to approach.
“Archers, fire at will! Trebuchets set to point-blank range!”, Thraxor ordered.
The flaming arrows and burning jars flew directly to their targets and the shock of the explosion could be felt through the ground. The entire company could now see that the Warlocks who still had their magic were now in the front, as the barrage crashed into a dome of fire that appeared around each Warlock. The Archers shot more arrows, and the Trebuchets launched more burning oil, but nothing could break through the dome of fire, and now the Warlocks were advancing with nothing to stand in their way. Thraxor called for Rodring to counter-spell the Warlocks, but Rodring wasn’t willing to let Rigo die.
“Hold on Rigo. We’re going to survive!”, Rodring reassured Rigo.
“It’s too late for me, I can die knowing I died to save others. The battle needs you. Don’t let the others die in battle, just to save me.”, Rigo pleaded.
“Don’t listen to him, Rodring. Rigo, I’m not looking for a new cook and your master still owes me. Rodring save him. I’ll take care of this.”, Radikor announced.
Radikor approached the defensive line and ordered the company to cease fire. Radikor carried a spell book at his side and then presented a marked page to Thraxor. Sybilla did not recognize the spell book, and Sybilla suspected that the book in Radikor’s hands came from the black chest of magic she was forbidden from learning.
“How much time do you need for the counterspell?”, Thraxor wondered.
“I don’t know, but this is the correct spell.”, Radikor admitted.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Five of the Warlocks stepped forward, and each of them cast the sigil of fire, and then two other sigils that Sybilla didn’t recognize. From each of the spell casting Warlocks, a wall of fire spread to the other four, and a demon was being summoned. Sybilla could feel the demon’s thoughts of hatred and malice. A row or Warlocks stepped forward to cast every defensive magic they had, and another row of Warlocks mutated into their demonic forms. Radikor and Thraxor each handed a spell book to Sybilla instructed her to protect them. Radikor and Thraxor rushed forward as Radikor began to arc his arm in a wide circle and holding the dagger in his other hand. Thraxor held his battle axe ready to strike. A mutated Warlock charged at Thraxor and Thraxor slammed the haft of the axe into the Warlock’s face, halting the charge, and gave Thraxor enough time to strike back. Thraxor swung across the mutated Warlock, chopping the Warlock in half, as Sybilla sensed magic, she determined the axe was empowered with impact magic.
Another mutated Warlock charged at Thraxor and the Warlock roared with an inhuman sound. Thraxor charged at the Warlock and roared. The sound that came from Thraxor sounded like a bear, and Sybilla almost thought she saw Thraxor’s teeth turn into beast fangs. Thraxor and the mutated Warlock clashed. Thraxor struck downward forcing the Warlock to step back, as if the Warlock knew that blocking Thraxor’s attack would result in Thraxor destroying anything in the path of his axe’s strike. Through Sybilla’s magic sense she could see a red glow from the axe and the glow grew stronger with every strike. More Warlocks attacked Thraxor, mutants beared their claws, and the furthest warlocks prepared to cast curses and spells to attack Thraxor. Thraxor swung at the nearest mutant, and the Axe cleaved through the Warlock leaving two charred halves as the Warlock was dissected from shoulder to hip. Thraxor jumped into the sky and crashed down in the center of the Warlocks casting spells against him. As Thraxor landed the impact created a shockwave disrupting the Warlocks’ hostile magics. Thraxor used the advantage of the unprepared Warlocks to cleave another two Warlocks before they could choose their next spell. The other Warlocks saw how Thraxor now was much closer and the Warlocks decided to reveal their mutated forms.
A gigantic ball of fire appeared in the sky above the five casting Warlocks and the ball of fire began to grow. Radikor completed his spell, and a lightening storm appeared in the sky above the battle. Lightening bolts struck Warlock after Warlock, and the storm continuously struck any Warlocks in the center of the storm. Radikor could steer the storm, always hitting the most possible number of Warlocks caught in the maelstrom. Radikor turned the storm towards the the fireball, but the fire-domes had grown in power, since the return of the Warlocks magics. Thraxor swung his axe and each swing cut down another Warlock, Thraxor summoned a tornado to carry him through a wave of Warlocks, and the speed of the wind increase the power of each axe swing. Sybilla suspected that the Warlocks’ strategy was to keep all defenders occupied while their five spell casters focused on the great fireball, but Radikor’s lighting storm was the counter spell, but Sybilla didn’t know why it wasn’t working.
Sybilla cast the finding spell, and the seeing stone showed Sybilla the page in the Spell Book of Black Magic. Sybilla remembered that Radikor suggested that even looking in a Book of Black Magic could turn her into a Warlock, but she hoped that if Both Radikor and Thraxor looked at the page, that she would be unharmed because if she was wrong, she was going to be killed by Warlocks anyways. Sybilla shut her eyes as she opened the book of Black Magic, and when she opened her eyes she saw the instruction for three Warlocks to summon a wave of demonic fire, powerful enough to destroy the City, and the wall within the range, but a single lighting strike at the center of the fireball will break the spell. Sybilla wondered why the Radikor’s lighting storm wasn’t working, and the seeing stone changed direction, pointing at the Spell Book of Red Magic.
Sybilla turned to the page in the Red Spell Book the Seeing Stone showed her and she read that hostile magic quickly loses it’s effectiveness, to the extant that counter-spells need significantly less mana, and concentration to successfully counter a hostile spell. Sybilla remembered what Rodring said about counter spells, and realized what the finding spell was trying to show her. Sybilla learned that Sorcery focuses on using the relationships between Burning, Freezing, and Electrocution to affect nature, and a Sorcerer needs to remember that nature is static, but magic is expensive, burning counters freezing, freezing counters electricity, and electricity counters burning. This was the rules that Radikor was following, but Sybilla wondered why it still wasn’t working.
“Why do Warlocks have five spell casters, when their spell only needs three? Why are the other two Warlocks even there?”, Sybilla wondered.
The seeing stone pointed at the same page again, but not the side of the page that Sybilla was looking at. Sybilla realized the finding spell was pointing at the other spell on the other side of the page. Sybilla read that electricity still needs a path of either liquid or metal to pass through, in order for an electricity based spell to work, and Sybilla remembered how the Warlocks flame domes shielded them from archer’s and trebuchet’s barrage, destroying the attack before it could hit the Warlock. Sybilla realized if the two additional Warlocks each cast a protective fire dome on opposite sides of the fire ball, there’s nothing for the lighting to strike, so Radikor’s lightning is just being steered around the fire domes. Sybilla needed a way to put something inside the fireball for the lightning to hit like a lightning rod. The finding spell led Sybilla to the page of a basic flame shield, and she read that the shield has no effect on magic, but instead weakens the natural object that carried the spell, and the flame shield gains power from anything that can be burned such as wooden weapons and flammable oil. Sybilla needed something that didn’t burn, pass through the Warlock’s fire, and could allow Radikor’s lighting to break the Warlocks’ spell, and the Seeing Stone pointed at something.
Sybilla looked through the seeing stone, but it didn’t show her anything. Sybilla imagined that the finding spell had worn off, but she decided to not cast it again, until after she rested, in case she needed her magic to fight off a Warlock or cast a Soul Weave. Sybilla wondered if an arrowhead might be enough metal to create a pathway for lightning, but as she observed the archers fire at the Warlocks’ flaming domes, the arrow’s shafts and fletchings burned off quickly and the arrowhead would veer off target. Sybilla suspected that not even an archer with magic enhancing his aim, and magic enhancing his arrow could even hope to hit the target at the center of a ball of fire. The seeing stone was still pointing, but still showed Sybilla nothing. Sybilla imagined that if an oil jar were emptied, filled with arrow heads, and launched at the fireball. At least some of the metal arrowheads would fall into the Warlock’s spell, but that plan would take too much time to prepare, and asking the archers to give up their arrows while under attack from the demon horde would be difficult to explain. The Seeing stone pointed once more, and when Sybilla looked through, she understood the seeing stone was pointing at itself, and that’s when Sybilla realized the Seeing Stone was made of minerals, and she knew a magic spell that could send it into the fireball
Sybilla knew she needs to be fast, because once she cast the Force Impact spell on the Seeing Stone it was going to explode, and she only had one seeing stone, so she would only have one attempt. Sybilla walked to the defensive line, carried the spell books, and the seeing stone. The Archers continued to shoot desperately as the Warlocks cast curses and hostile magics upon the Archers. As Archers were hit, they were carried to Rodring to lift the curse and hopefully heal them. As the Warlocks started to win, and more archers fell, the other archers had to adjust their formation to ensure each archer could shoot arrows at the most number of Warlocks. Sybilla moved into the defensive line, and the Archers seemed to ignore the fact that Sybilla was not an Archer as they continued to shoot.
Sybilla began casting the force impact spell holding the Seeing Stone in one hand. Sybilla focused on her target, but made that target into a line that started at the Seeing Stone in her hand and ended at the Warlocks fireball. Sybilla realized the spell as it shot forwards as her first attempt did before, but this time carrying the Seeing Stone. The Spell veered off target once as a the Archers shot a volley of arrows that flew towards Warlocks. The Spell veered again as the Warlocks cast spells back at the archers. The Spell veered a third time through the lightning bolts from Radikor’s lightning storm, and finally veered downwards into the Warlocks’ fireball, when the Seeing Stone exploded.
Radikor’s lightning found every bit of mineral within the shattered fragments of the Seeing Stone, and as Radikor’s counter spell touched the Warlocks' fireball, the flames vanished from the sky, the Warlocks’ fires burned through the last of its fuel, and the Warlocks were struck down by bolts of lightning. Sybilla didn’t know how many more spells she could cast, the only warning she had was that if she exhausted her mana, casting more spells could cost her some or even all of her life force. All Sybilla knew was that the demon horde had to be stopped even if it meant losing her life.
When Sybilla woke up, she found herself lying down in a soft bed, above her she saw wooden planks that formed a solid roof, and around her she saw stone walls. The wall in front of her was lit with many colors, and the wall behind her had stained glass windows with images of creatures that looked like humans with feathered wings, and glowing circles floating above their heads. The creature’s images in the windows told a story of these divine creatures singing songs, healing humans, fighting mutated warlocks, and bowing down to worship a supreme being in the center window.
“Where am I? Am I dead?”, Sybilla wondered.
“Thankfully, no. You are very much alive, and unfortunately I am also alive. Rodeing brought us here, into the house of healing.”, Rigo answered.
Rigo picked up a bell, shook the bell twice, and the bell chimed an entire song, along with the sound from a choir. A wooden door in the corner of the room they were in creaked open, and a human shaped being peaked into the room, and Sybilla saw the creature’s shining wings on their back, and a glowing circle above it’s head. The door closed, and Sybilla turned to Rigo to see if he was concerned with what she saw.
“Those things are real?”, Sybilla said in shock.
“What’s real? Do you mean the Angels? Sybilla, we just fought an army of Demonic Warlocks. Why are you surprised that Angels exist too?”, Rigo demanded.
The wooden door opens completely and an even larger Angel appeared
“Forgive the Sorceress, master Rigo. I’m certain this all new for her. She must return to the Scar, but you still need to rest.”, an Angel commanded while floating above the ground.
“As you command, Achziel.”, Rigo accepted the Angel’s commands.
“How are you feeling?”, Achziel asked Sybilla.
“I think something is wrong. If you are an Angel, I should sense immense magic when I’m around you, but I don’t feel anything, good or bad.”, Sybilla wondered.
“Sorcery does not work here. When you return to the Scar your magical abilities will return. Do you have any other questions?”, Achziel asked.
“Can I leave now?”, Sybilla asked cautiously.
“I have no reason to keep you, but you will need to speak to Zavdiel before you leave. Vaylandra will bring you to him. Please excuse me, I need to see the Death Mage.”, Achziel explained as he waved his hand, causing a curtain to appear to separate the room in half.
Another being entered the room, and it appeared to be a woman with pure white wings, dressed in a pure white robe. She did not have a halo, but instead had a crown made of light that appeared as a band the opened at the front of her forehead, her long hair shined like a vibrant platinum, her skin was smooth and looked softer than snowflakes, her eyes were brighter than sparkling diamonds and were more clear than the sky. Sybilla felt jealously when she considered Vaylandra’s beauty for a moment, but she also realized nobody around her was impressed by beauty anyways. Sybilla began to suspect this place, a house of healing was affecting her mind, if it could also prevent the use of Sorcery.
“I am Vaylandra, please follow me.”, Vaylandra instructed.
Sybilla climbed out of the bed, and realized effort in this place made any task feel like an exhilaration of life. Sybilla realized that moving around made her happy in this place. Sybilla looked at the floor next to her feet and she saw her travel boots, and when she needed to put on her boots, her arms and legs seemed to move on their own, to lace the boots onto her feet. Sybilla thought this was different, because putting on her boots is what she wanted to do, she knew how to do, and she saw that she was doing exactly what she wanted to do, but she didn’t understand why this effort was significantly easier than normal. Sybilla soon realized her boots were laced and balanced before she had even finished thinking about putting on either boot, and she was ready to leave this House of Healing.
“Achziel said I needed to speak to to Zavdiel before I could leave.”, Sybilla asked.
“Correct he has a message you need to deliver to your master.”, Vaylandra explained.
Sybilla, followed Vaylandra to the door, but stopped when Sybilla didn’t recognize the ground outside the healing house that Vaylandra floated over. The ground looked like a thick mist. Sybilla slowly placed her foot onto the ground and wondered if she was going to sink through. Vaylandra turned to observe Sybilla as she explored the mist.
“I thought I was going to return to the Scar, what is this place?”, Sybilla asked.
“This is an Angelic outpost we use to watch the world below.”, Vaylandra explained.
“Below? Do you mean we’re on a cloud?”, Sybilla asked.
“From the outside, it appears as a cloud. It’s actually an Angelic vehicle to conceal us from being watched by the humans below. No offense.”, Vaylandra revealed.
Sybilla looked around and she saw high walls made of the same thick mist. Above she could see daylight, and she imagined that she was indeed in the sky above the world. Sybilla followed Vaylandra to a temple under construction. As they passed through a large wooden door, they entered the hall of the temple, one side of stained glass windows was complete and the other was still being constructed, behind a curtain. The first window told a story of Angels and Demons fighting over the world. The second window showed the Angels winning and saving humans from the Demons. The third window showed an enormous Demon revealing a scroll to the Angels, while laughing at them. The fourth window showed six Holy Knights with swords and armor exactly like Rodring’s. The fifth window showed the Holy Knight entering the Gates to the Underworld to fight the Demons. The Sixth and final visible window show only five Holy Knights returning from the Underworld, carrying a sixth Holy Sword, Shield, and Suit of Armor, but without the Holy Knight the the sword and armor belonged to.
Sybilla and Vaylandra reached the opposite end of the hall, as Vaylandra opened a door, and another Angel was examining records and comparing those reports to the design plans of the temple they were currently in progress of building. The Angel saw Vaylandra and Sybilla, and introduced himself.
“I am Zavdiel, please tell your master…actually just write it down.”, Zavdiel instructed.
Zavdiel shuffled some records, revealed a stack of writing scrolls, handed one to Sybilla, and then removed a feather from his own wing for Sybilla to use as a writing instrument. When Sybilla touched the scroll with the feather’s calamus, she saw that the Feather would score golden lines into the scroll. Zavdiel waited for Sybilla to be ready, and then continued with him message.
“Master Radikor, I am sad to report that the exorcisms have failed. But because you have not provided the plan for the prisoners, the High King has passed judgement. The renegades will be sent to the Great Kingdom, to be eternally imprisoned there. The lost souls will be returned to the Scar along with the newest temple when it’s finally completed, and then moved to a mental asylum, under rule of the Alliance. Did you get that?”, Zavdiel asked.
“Yes. Do you want the feather back?”, Sybilla asked.
“Keep it. I have plenty and I grow more.”, Zavdiel explained.
Sybilla followed Vaylandra outside of the temple and towards what looked like half of a wagon watched by two enormous Angels with Holy Spears, Swords, and Shields.
“What does Zavdiel mean by renegades, prisoners, and lost souls?”, Sybilla asked.
“It is upsetting for me to explain. It will be easier if I just show you. But once you know the limits of Exorcism, you will learn why I find it repulsive.”, Vaylandra suggested.
Vaylandra changed direction towards a structure filled with fine tiles and crafted stones, sorted into in perfect stacks, and ready to use for building. Vaylandra led Sybilla to the end of the structure, where Sybilla discovered a prison had been constructed of thick metal walls. Sybilla followed Vaylandra inside the prison and she saw three jars of clear glass, and within each jar she saw a dark cloud that filled each jar like smoke. Even though she felt no fear, and could not sense magic, she suspected that each jar contained a demon.
“These are the prisoners without bodies, they are harmless, and while the Angels watch them, they will not turn any other humans into Warlocks.”, Vaylandra explained.
Sybilla followed Vaylandra to the other side of the prison, where three humans were held in individual rooms, and their mouths, hands, and feet were bound like trapped animals.
“These are the lost souls. Sadly what they demons did to their minds cannot be undone. When there is a safe place in the Scar they will be sent back, but they must return to the Scar as they are.”, Vaylandra explained.
“Why do they just lie there, and why are their hands and feet tied up?”, Sybilla asked.
“Now they only want one thing. To die. They will never stop trying to drink poison, bite their own tongues off, stab or cut themselves with anything sharp, find a high place to jump from, and even now they refuse to eat. I suggested placing a label of poison on some normal soup, but as you can imagine the Angels do not appreciate deception.”, Vaylandra explained.
“The Angels? Are you not an Angel?”, Sybilla asked.
“I can see why you think that, but I’m just borrowing these wings. Like you, I am a guest here. I’m a Princess of the New Kingdom, I am allowed to visit the future King while he completes his mission on the world below, and becomes worthy to rule the New Kingdom. Do you have any other questions?”, Vaylandra asked.
“Do you mean Rodring? Rodring is going to become a King? Why are you allowed to visit him? What region will be this new Kingdom.”, Sybilla asked.
“I am allowed visits, because I’m also going to be his future Queen. Our Kingdom will be in a new world where nobody get’s hungry, sick, dies, nor pays taxes. Everyone stays young, and healthy.”, Vaylandra revealed.
Vaylandra pointed at one of the stars in the sky.
“That entire planet orbiting that star right there, will be ours.”, Vaylandra revealed.
“And who gets to live there?”, Sybilla asked.
“Whoever is willing to join Trinomion, and passes the Test of the Heart will receive an invitation to the New Kingdom. Nobody else may enter, or that world will become like the one below. The people who love this will world will keep it.”, Vaylandra explained
“I’m guessing that the list of problems not allowed in your new Kingdom, no hunger, no sickness, no death, no taxes, and everyone having eternal youth had be be very specific? You get a lot of debates over how that’s done?”, Sybilla asked.
“Indeed. Even when both and Angels and Demons are present and say it’s all real, we still have to go over all the logistics.”, Vaylandra admitted.
“Is Sorcery allowed?”, Sybilla asked.
“Sorry, there are no Demons there to learn sorcery from.”, Vaylandra revealed.
“Well I have nothing more to ask. Please take me back to the Scar.”, Sybilla asked.
Vaylandra led Sybilla to the mysterious cart half, where the Angles watched with Holy weapons, and instructed Sybilla to climb through the doorway, to shut the door behind her, and while she passes through she must not look back, until after the door is shut.
“If I can’t look back, how do I know if I’m shutting the door? And not the wrong thing, or something that behaves like the door?”, Sybilla wondered.
“Just don’t go through the door backwards. Or else the portal might take you to a different plane of existence.”, Vaylandra explained.
Sybilla opened the wagon’s door, and saw the wagons of Radikor’s company on the other side. Sybilla passed through and realized she was now in the Scar, and the Wagons had stopped to rest. Sybilla looked back to reach for the Wagon’s door and saw Vaylandra waiting for Sybilla to shut the wagon’s door as instructed.
