Chapter 156: Setting the Stage

I landed with a resounding flap of my wings, on my other hand I was channelling a spell to press all the surrounding sand into the ground. My wings were so large and powerful, I’ve noticed that with a single downstroke great gusts of wind will swirl. So without that spell I would easily just end up creating a mini dust cloud when I landed.

“Hello friend.” I heard Cecilia say warmly and I turned to see her smiling up at me.

“It was an interesting show, that battle. I think I have the vampires pegged.” I said with a wicked grin showing off my teeth. My teeth were curved and covered with serrations, each of them as long as a sabre blade. I designed them rather precisely for rending flesh and tearing through armour. But their wicked curve designs also had the added benefit of being absolutely terrifying.

I looked around and I saw all the Zariman soldiers staring at me in terror, a few of them have actually taken a step back when I landed.

“You assume you had it recorded?” Cecilia asked and I grinned as I held out my hand. A projection appeared in my hand showing the battle from an aerial view.

“Excellent, I will have Montis review it later.” Cecilia said with a nod.

“Way ahead of you, I sent it to him already. Not sure if he got a chance to look at it before bed.” I replied and Cecilia sighed at those words.

“Knowing him he probably reviewed the footage with his staff for the whole night.” Cecilia replied.

“Should I not have done that?” I asked and Cecilia just shrugged.

“It’s not ideal but as a soldier one sleepless night shouldn’t be much of an issue. I’ll make sure they at least take a nap when they are able.” Cecilia replied.

“Great, now then. You wanted to speak to me?” I asked as I turned to face Count Uxtual who although looking afraid, stood his ground.

“Hmm…” I said as I leaned down and I watched as he held his gaze as he watched my head approach him.

I could see his heart hammering in his heart, he reeked of adrenaline and fear. But yet he was suppressing the fight or flight response within him. I could see the steel in his eyes but yet he didn’t have the placid calm that Montis possessed. But then again Montis was a rare breed of human, he could keep his cool in the most insane of situations. He even calmly walked up to me while fully expecting to die when we first met.

Crazy ass lunatic, but then again you kind of need to be crazy to run a military as effective as he does. Schedules, schedules and more schedules. Excessive planning with books worth of countermeasures in his head when his best laid plans inevitably go tits up.

“So what is it?” I asked and I saw his nose wrinkle slightly at the smell of my breath. Well my mouth reeked of blood, it’s not like I brush my teeth and every time I modify anything inside my mouth it causes wounds that bleed.

“Why did you wait? You could have stepped in at the start, preserved the lives and protected us as per our agreement. We signed away our sovereignty for your protection, so why did you let the dead crash against our walls?” Count Uxtual asked. Well, that was a predictable question, even if it was horribly naive.

“Did you really think I would do all the fighting for you? Do you know what I am? I am an ancient and what is the rule of the ancient world?” I asked with a chuckle.

“The strong rule.” Count Uxtual replied, his voice steady but his heart still pounded in his chest.

“No…” I said with a smile that showed off more of my teeth.

“The strong take. Right now all of you are weak and if it wasn’t for her I would have let all of you die.” I replied and I saw Count Uxtual eyes flicker with uncertainty as I referenced Mahaila. I was sure that Heaven was watching. So I said it this way to make it seem like I was referencing Cecilia. Judging by the look on his face I think he caught on.

“She sees something in you, something I don’t see I must admit.” I said as my voice turned to a low growl. I was honestly disappointed by the Zarimans, I caught the Volerians by surprise with foes they had no experience fighting so them getting slaughtered was pretty expected. Right after that fight the Elysians started to come up with counter measures to deal with my hive even though we were on the same side.

That was certainly a good sign, it shows they were not blind sheep. They had the wit and the determination to survive no matter what. Of course I had to break their foolish ambitions but at least it showed their tenacity.

So I really didn’t want to hear this mewling fool asking why I didn’t just step in and save their sorry pathetic asses.

“You are complaining about losing some little shits who couldn’t deal with the most basic troops of the vampires? I eat phoenixes for breakfast, why do you think I will care if you lose a few useless troops.” I asked as I snarled and this time Count Uxtual took a step back.

“You want to be saved? Prove there is anything even worth saving.” I snarled and Count Uxtual visibly gulped in response.

“Come now friend you are scaring him.” Cecilia said, interjecting at the perfect time. Count Uxtual turned to look at her. I saw his eyes and felt a thrill of fear when he realised Cecilia was just as much of a monster as me. The cold look in her eyes was mixed with amusement. 

“Take a good look, she is a woman born out of time. She would have done very well in the ancient world.” I said with a laugh and Count Uxtual visibly gulped in response.

“So that is your answer, we didn’t get this strong because we pitied the mewling weaklings. Your beautiful golden empire didn’t get to where it was either. I wonder how much you know about the old Zarima.” I said and Count Uxtual gave me a look of confusion.

“Really? Warrior monks, that fancy scouring you did to your imperial family, a house of war? Did you truly think ancient Zarima was a forgiving place?” I asked with a smirk.

“Your goddess knew that, do you? If you don’t have the stomach for that I will have someone take your place.” I said and Count Uxtual bit his lip, his gaze conflicted.

“You won’t win anything with half measures, you have gotten far too comfortable in the walled garden the angels put you in. That changes today, fight for you lives or die.” I snarled and Count Uxtual mutely nodded.

“Good.” I said as I suddenly backed off. Count Uxtual looked up at me in surprise, confused at my sudden retreat.

“Any other questions?” I asked and I saw Count Uxtual mutely shake his head in response. Not a word leaving his lips.

“Good to hear.” I replied with a chuckle.

Right as I said that I started getting an alert through the Hive network. It seems the vampires are on the move. Not that surprising they chose to attack in the night, humans don’t see that well in the dark afterall.

They won’t be able to teleport in here thanks to the magic barrier which means it will be a battle on the open field. The imperial army is a larger threat than the fortress so they will have to focus on the army. The vampires will probably attempt to bog down the fortress with waves of fodder while focusing their strength on the army. 

There are over a million undead and other constructs to deal with so they can attack in waves wearing down the army. I plan to let the dead crash against the Imperial army first so they can help clear the chaff. The last thing I wanted was to bog my heavy hitters down clearing trash units just for them to get sniped out. Most probably the Vampires are thinking along the same lines, so this will be a multi act fight. An introduction started by the weaker troops and finished by the heavy hitters.

I started getting a transmission feed through the hive mind and I saw that something was happening with the lead Vampire Ziggurat. I believe that was Rosa Maledicta’s Ziggurat. I wonder what surprise that mad scientist has up her sleeve. 

As I watched the feed I saw the massive runes etched into the ziggurat's structure begin to glow with an intense, pulsating light green light. Each pulse reminds me of the heart beat of some kind of creature.

The Ziggurat seemed to be powering up. I could see the ether radiating from it in pulsing waves. Green lightning danced and leapt from the apex of the ziggurat, illuminating the surroundings with an eerie glow. Each eerie green lance of necromantic power lighting up the surrounding night sky. 

The pulse seems to grow stronger with each pulse. With each passing moment, the ziggurat's power continues to surge, the green glow pulsing like an accelerating heartbeat. Then the structure shifted, the green energies surge through the ancient stone, causing it to ripple and shift, no doubt responding to the command of its dark mistress. Why this was happening soon became clear. The top of the ziggurat seemingly opens up and from it appears a massive gem-like object, emitting an eerie green luminescence.

The gem crackles and hums with raw energy, arcs of green lightning dancing and weaving around its edges. Each discharge lights up the night sky, casting a glow across the sands. Each bolt cast ominous shadows across the undead army, showing glimpses of the dark mass of the dead that needed no light to function.

I saw the power growing within the gem and I started to realise this wasn’t just some fancy show, that gem was a weapon. Its green glow intensifies with a surge of power, then for a moment it goes dark. A heartbeat later and with a resounding pulse, it emits a focused beam of energy targeting the fortress. The beam shot out with what sounded like a scream as it tore through the sky. I instantly casted a defensive barrier around Cecilia and shot up into the sky. 

I hovered above the fortress but still within the barrier. I stared down the beam as it slammed into the barrier. I could hear sounds of panic from the soldier below, the mages maintaining the barrier running around in panic as they tried to keep the barrier running with the new batch of ether crystals. I could sense the control crystals were straining under the force of the beam. The barrier for its part wasn’t doing that well either. The beam was crackling and tearing into the barrier, letting out this wailing scream as it drove into the wall of magic. It kind of reminded me of a combination of nails on a chalkboard with the sound of straining metal. 

Fissures and fractures appear along the barrier’s ethereal surface, spreading like a spider's web as the beam persists. With each passing moment, the fortress's magical defence weakens further. The green beam's assault eats away at the barrier, stripping it of its protective strength. Arcs of energy leap and dance along the cracks, sizzling with destructive intent. The cracks widen into fissures, and with a burst, the barrier shatters and I sensed the magical rebound of energy.

At that moment I sensed all the control crystals exploding like a line of fire crackers. The crystals rupture, releasing a cascade of blue crackling energy. Shards of crystalline fragments burst forth from the chambers along the wall, hurtling through the air like shrapnel. The shards collide with walls, structures and men alike. 

The razor-sharp hyper charged fragments tear through armour and flesh alike. Blood mingles with the glimmering shards as they tear through bodies, the ether charged shards igniting what it doesn’t outright vaporise. Bodies go flying in pieces with said pieces bursting into blue flame. The vaporised blood hangs in the air as a crackling blue fog that rapidly dissipates into the surrounding air.

As the shards collide with the structures in the fortress they unleash devastating bursts of energy, creating a smattering of explosive impacts. Thunderous booms reverberate through the fortress, shaking its foundations and crumbling whatever wall it hits. 

In the meantime I catch the beam in my hand as it hurtles towards the fortress. I could use the fortress after this battle and I don’t like ruining good real estate. The green energy slammed into my palm and I began absorbing energy. There was nothing special about this beam, it was just an upsized version of your typical necromantic beam attack. No finesse at all honestly, powerful attacks usually attached curses or other effects to it. 

The whole idea of it was just to put enough ether into an attack but honestly trying to win in a contest of ether absorption with a Firstborn was like trying to set the sea on fire. 

Very futile…

I pulled the power into my body and I flare my wings. My wings ignited with ethereal green fire as my body stored the ether I had just absorbed. Then I channelled the ether and opened my maw. I shot a beam of white energy that crackled with green lightning right at Rosa’s Ziggurat. I returned what she gave to me with interest and I watched as the beam slammed into her magic barrier. The barrier simply caved under the force of the beam. Unlike her beam mine was more precise in construction. You couldn’t really tell because it was white but the beam was actually spinning on itself like a drill increasing its penetrating power. It was also infused with additional effects that improved [Resistance Penetration]. The beam struck the black stone and punched right through and I saw this burst of green fire erupt from the hole. The green runes on the structure flickered for a moment but flared up again as if some emergency redundancy kicked in within the structure. 

Huh not bad, not bad at all.

I looked down and saw Cecilia had already teleported back to the army while the Zariman’s tried their best to put out the fires that the explosions caused. I shifted my gaze to the Imperial army and saw them ready to meet the slowly approaching mass of undead.

The Imperial Army has been explicitly designed by General Montis to take advantage of every strength offered by the different races and factions while at the same time covering their weaknesses.

In the centre front of the formation were a line of heavily armoured dwarves. Clad in suits of heavy plate armour, each dwarf bears a shield, emblazoned with the symbols of their proud clans. These shields were raised forming a barrier of enchanted mithril at the front of the formation. Each shield was adorned with intricate runes, these shields are the first line of defence against the impending onslaught. Rising above the shields were long pikes, their gleaming points extending skyward with lethal intent. Held by the dwarven warriors, the pikes were supposed to reach over the raised shields, ready to receive the dead with multiple rows of mithril points. Dwarves were always defensive in their military doctrine since they spent most of their guarding their precious mountain. They were masters in static warfare and General Montis planned to use them to break the tide of the dead upon them like waves against a rock.

Behind the dwarves were two lines of Rifleman equipped with the latest Spell Rifles. The humans adjust their aim, ensuring a clear line of sight over the dwarves. This took advantage of the dwarves' short stature allowing allies to fire over their heads to thin the herd or focus down priority targets.

On the flanks of the Dwarves were two formations of Wardens. They were supposed to cover the flanks of the static Dwarves. In their hands, they wield two-handed weapons, their blades gleaming with a menacing magical hue. These weapons, crafted in the age of Ancient Elysia, were a cut above the other weapons in the army. Though they didn’t have shields their armour was also of ancient design meaning that it was more than enough to deal with most blows.

Further to the side of the Wardens were the regular soldiers of the Empire. Though lacking the stature and equipment of the Wardens they were still experienced soldiers and veterans of past wars. They were equipped with mithril arms and armour courtesy of Dwarven and Elysian smiths. All of it was enchanted by Dwarven and Istland enchanters to give them an edge against the undead. They all were holding shields and swords to keep them versatile. 

Beyond the regular soldiers were the Istland Knight Enchanters. They were holding their signature double sided glaives that were bristling with enchantments. These weapons doubled as staves as well as melee weapons. They wore a blend of sleek armour and flowing robes, adorned with the emblem of Istland academy but they wore the red and white colours of the Empire.

Behind the front line were lines of ranged troops. They were all using longbows but Montis had elected not to field that many archers. The arrows effectiveness would be limited against enemies with no vitals. In fact, some of the ranged troops were actually Rifleman and they were positioned in a semicircle formation. This was not a formation for bombaring enemy ground troops, it was an anti-air formation designed to create overlapping arcs of fire if vampiric flyers approached.

The real ranged firepower were actually the mages, they were a collection of war mages from Elysia and Voleria. Mages could use fire magic and those were very effective against the dead. The war mages as per protocol stool in ritual circles surrounded by the reserve troops for their own protection. They could bring up barriers or bombard the enemy as needed.

But far back in the distance, a hundred of metres away from the main formation was a collection of dwarven artillery ready to rain their explosive bolts right on top of the packed mass of undead. 

They were guarded by Dwarven Rangers and Living Armour Cavalry. The rangers were wearing lightweight yet durable leather armour that allows for unrestricted movement. They wore flowing grey cloaks with the hoods pulled over their heads. They were equipped with small mithril shields and one handed axes. They also had enchanted crossbows slung over their backs.

The Living Armoured Cavalry patrolled the perimeter on their mounts making sure no threats approached the precious and expensive artillery pieces. If these were silenced the combat effectiveness of the army would diminish significantly.

These two units were chosen because they were the most adaptable and flexible of the available units. Anything that got this far behind the line was most likely going to be far from a conventional foe. They were also supported by a group of mages for defensive barriers as well as two companies of riflemen for anti air defence.

Overall Montis did a good job and I feel this army would do quite well against most of the Vampiric army. They will still struggle against the more powerful vampiric constructs but they might be able to squeak a win if they are prepared to lose half the army. But of course I’m not prepared to lose half the army so that’s where my hive comes in.

So the coming battle will certainly be interesting. This will be a very fruitful battle, a lot of people are getting tested all at once. I’m testing Montis’s command abilites, the new spell rifles, Nafas’s command abilites against a reasonably powerful opponent, the Vampires themselves and last but definately not least…

Malegaros.

Let’s see how his special operations brood performs…