Chapter 6 Part 1 of 2 (Patreon)

Chapter 6: Rising Tide

Rekha slashed through the Devourers leg, causing it to stumble, elemental attack falling apart and missing Cayleigh as she hacked through Ravagers, quick brutal actions opening scales and skin, reaping lives from the press of bodies from the elemental tear.

“Now!”

The two backup teams she had held in reserve used their spell scrolls.

Mana spears slammed into the Devourer as Sam used a mana manipulation spell, pulling her and Cayleigh backwards.

They began circulating their mana and elements.

The four other teams were pulled back from the fighting as the mana spears tore into the Devourer, Ravagers in the area of effect didn’t have time to scream.

“Fucking Earth Devourer,” Cayleigh growled under the attacks the creature continued to heal.

“Hit it!” Rekha yelled, releasing a beam of mana, the other groups added their beams in, burning through the devourer, pinned by the attacks.

A rush of Earth and Water elements spread through the mountain cave as the Devourer collapsed and its sworn Ravagers tried to flee the cave, some running back through the tear, or rush the Imperium fighters.

Sam cast a spell of compressed air and fire, it cut through dozens of Ravagers infront of the tear.

The reserve force changed their target and bombarded the tear.

Rekha and Cayleigh stepped forward with the other front-liners, hacking through Ravagers.

The light from the tear disappeared as it snapped shut, splitting several Ravagers in half.

The remaining Ravagers lasted a handful of seconds before the last fell.

Rekha cast a clean spell on herself, clearing the blood, feeling the dense chaotic elements filling the cave, trying to claw their way into her body.

She pulled out an element gathering formation and dungeon core, the elements surged into the dungeon core that purified and cleansed the limited mana, consuming the elements.

Cayleigh cleaned herself of gore as well, raising an axe in salute to the other teams.

Each started checking on their members and checking to make sure the Ravagers were really dead. Unlike other creatures in the ten realms, they didn’t have tombstones.

The devourer’s elemental energies were tearing it apart from the inside, drawn into the cleansing formation.

“Nothing but closing tears for a week,” Sam stretched and rolled his shoulders. “I thought that we would be heading to the ninth as fast as possible.”

“Got to prepare, people to organize, supplies to move, you know the rest of it.”

“Wouldn’t have lost the ninth if not for the Alvans,” A team leader said, walking over to them.

“The hell did you say?” Rekha growled, stepping towards him.

“They came up to the ninth, thought they were all hot shit, then we lost the ninth, they messed up,” The man shrugged.

“The hell do you know, were you there?” Rekha looked him up and down, finding him lacking.

“No but~”

“We were and the Alvans paid blood right beside us, just as we fought here today, they stood shoulder to shoulder, they were the last ones out of Avegaaren. Saved lives.”

The man held up his hands.

“Shit what’s your problem.”

“Bud, you best take a walk,” Cayleigh said.

“What I’m just saying.”

Rekha’s blast hit him in the chest, he hit the ground rolling near his team.

“You keep slighting my junior brothers I’ll duel your ass. Learn the truth before you start spreading your crap.” Rekha turned back to Sam and Cayleigh, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. “The fuck was that?”

“New head, new policy,” Sam grimaced.

“What you mean?”

“He comes into office, he needs a win and he needs a scapegoat. Alva has been rising in position and they did show up in Avegaaren, don’t blame them but mention they were in Avegaaren just right before it fell. Weakens the Alvan permission, makes some people think that it wasn’t the Imperium that lost the ninth but the Alvans.”

“Good for morale,” Cayleigh pumped her fist before rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

“What the hell? So, he’s been slighting the Alvans, the people that came and helped us?”

“Its all Politics Rekha. Weaken the Alvans and the Imperium gets weaker, that’s how they think.”

Rekha’s sound transmission device activated and she listened.

“New orders, we are to head to Cronen tonight and be ready to move in three days.”

“The ninth?” Cayleigh asked.

“Back to the ninth,” Rekha confirmed.

***