164. Bum Rush (Patreon)

Heart Chamber: 15% | +16%

Forge: -5%

Spell Garden: 0%

Dome of Life: -18%

Ritual Room: -2%

Dreamayorium: -1%

Loom: -3%

In the seven days since Lukas awakened from his ascension, the fortress had grown by leaps and bounds. The energy production had continued to ramp up, getting a big bump once all the Spell Garden’s panes were installed. They had completed the base changes to the Dome of Life and core room. Lukas hoped the addition of Spirit Glass would significantly reduce the room’s energy drain. 

Mira’s recovery was well underway. It seemed the more she worked, the faster her body adapted to the changes. Her magic channels seemed in top form. By Merlin's estimates, she’d return to normal in another seven days, and possibly end up more powerful than ever before. Fortification magic, her specialization, focused on the creation of defensive structures. Creation of Spirit Glass had hastened its growth. Mira lacked the means to track its progress, but claimed that she could feel its growth and that the ascension threshold to tier four was near. 

The new rooms and structures didn't have any magic attached to them yet. Oberon had started using the Dreamatorium already, but more for privacy than its function. The structures gradually drained mana from the core but didn't give anything back. Lukas hoped to change things soon. The Spellweavers were almost done with their work in the Dome of Life. Dividing their attention between the spellwork and keeping the core fed was slowing them down. The Loom would continue to be a passive drain until Weaver entered the fortress. Lukas intended to leave its arcane work to him. He and the clones already had too much on their plates.

Building and furnishing the fortress wasn't enough. The time to exit it for supplies and contact their allies had come. He worried that valuable contacts would think him and Mira deceased. Unfortunately, things weren't as easy as popping out of the fortress and sneaking off to meet with people. They had entered through their former home’s entrance, and until Lukas or the other clones reopened the door from elsewhere, the location wouldn't change. 

Even though the property was empty and ready for evacuation, it was unlikely the enemy would leave it unguarded or unwatched. Lukas and the clones’ greatest asset was stealth and their pursuer had the perfect means of tracking them. Lukas hoped that they didn't have access to Escape Portal and it was a different group that attacked Oberon in Tortuga. But he now knew that they probably had the means to look or get past Dreamfire. However, they had spent quite a while targeting the Dreamfire copy, leaving Lukas to wonder if the tier-two ability did a better job of masking the clone's presence.

Perhaps Dreamfire or any sort of potent dragonfire interferes with whatever signal they're tracking.

Shard of Thunderstorms awakened Lukas’s Heart Pillar. The draconic energy came from the essence he used for the ascension to tier two. The journal allowed him to look back at the upgrades he had taken and avoided.

Stormdragon’s Eye

Your control over storm energy and all the fire you can produce will improve significantly. They may not burn in your chest like in a dragon’s, but they’re a part of you all the same.

Arcane projection is significantly improved when utilizing flames.

Unlike Oberon, Lukas and the Spellweavers didn’t have true dragonfire. As a result, he didn’t have anything to mask the journal’s presence or Lady Silverspine’s connection to it. Shard of the Illusory Dragon was the first such shard that Lukas had encountered. It had artificially created an entity akin to Penelope or Mira, the dragonblooded. He wondered if Ephram had gained something similar from the Void Engine. The man was a skilled spell scriptor and ritualist. It was possible he had found a way to implant black dragonfire in Mira through means beyond the Pillars of Self.

There was much about Fracture’s magic that was still a mystery to Lukas. Whenever he started to get comfortable thinking he had figured it out, like with the Pillars of Self, something new would appear to surprise him. Research suggested beasts were the only source of shards. Now, they knew that powerful Elder Wyrmkin could also produce them, leaving him to wonder whether all arcanically gifted and powerful entities who didn’t rely on shards were capable of producing them.

None of the Jotun warchiefs had produced shards when they died during Morph’s attack, leaving Lukas to question his hypothesis. He wondered if they weren’t strong enough or the Jotun were far too alien for Fracture’s magic to turn their power into shards.

Now, Lukas had questions regarding what else could provide shards. He had instructed Morph to send one of his minions to check the ruins of the Elder Wyrmkin camp. It was possible the collapse had birthed shards as it buried fighters on both sides. The cult’s attack had now made it impossible. Their priorities had changed.

“Bum rush or one at a time?” Oberon asked, standing alongside Ace and a Stalker.

“Bum rush,” Lukas said. Mira and Merlin flanked him, spells at the ready in case anyone tried to infiltrate the Shadowsteel Fortress once the door opened. He also had a Spellweaver standing by to assist, but his purpose was more to keep the fortress’s energy levels stable. “You two go out first.” Lukas pointed at the pair of Stalkers. “The Illusory Copy can go with you.” All three stood draped in Shade’s Mantle. “Ace. Bowie. I want the pair of you to follow. Use different exits. Scatter.”

“What about me, boss?” Oberon asked. “I thought you wanted me out there, too?”

“You’re going to go out last,” Lukas instructed. “If and when the cultists attack, the Stalkers and your copy will act as an obstacle so you can escape. Beyond that, does everyone remember their individual assignments?” All the clones nodded. “And priorities. If push comes to shove, what do we do first?”

“Food,” answered Ace.

“Water,” Oberon added.

“Wine.” Bowie’s answer earned him an elbow from a Stalker. “I swear I meant Weaver.”

After much testing, Lukas and the clones had discovered that they could easily Shadow Step in and out of the Confluence. However, it cost far more than using the spell for its intended purpose. It cost significantly less to create the Soul Door, as Mira had titled it, and it was vital they conserve magic to the best of their ability. Best of all, more than one person could use the Soul Door.

Since Lukas had the most magic and intended to remain in the fortress, he created the exit. Shadowsteel rose from the floor as parallel posts before curving to form the arched top. Metal filled the frame, only dissolving after the first Stalker touched it. Once he was through, all without Shade’s Mantle created one, except Oberon. He had already used Dreamfire to change his appearance. Now, he added more to the mix to create a veil of invisibility. 

“One last thing,” Lukas said before the first of the clones went through. “Keep long-distance communication to a minimum. I wouldn’t be surprised if using the journal gives off a powerful enough signal for them to follow.”

“Are you sure you don’t want Nibbler?” Mira asked. “I feel horrible for not helping.”

Lukas shook his head. “We don’t know what’s out there or how your or Merlin’s familiar will behave with the source in my soul space and them outside. If the cults’ soul magic is in any way potent, Nibbler and Morgana could turn into conduits for their attacks.”

“Fine.” Mira sighed, raising a transparent barrier with silver edges between everyone that was staying in the fortress and its exit. “Just in case something tries to get in. This will keep their attacks out and let ours through.”

_______________________

The basement was empty. It was clear someone had been through it, tossing and turning the empty boxes and everything El-Prime and the clones had left behind. When no one attacked them, the Stalkers gave the signal. Oberon’s Illusory copy, Bowie and Ace followed.

The lead Stalker gestured for them to wait and went up the stairs first, not only scanning for intruders but also traps. He found a ward on the landing. It was just short of undetectable. Even though he didn’t benefit from the active effects of Spellweaver, he had little trouble detecting the threads of magic. The tier-three ascension had significantly improved the passive effects. He carefully unraveled the knots, being careful not to destroy the ward. 

It took a couple of minutes, but he changed the function so Lukas and the clones wouldn’t trigger the alarm and alert the cult. Instead, the Stalker ensured it would start ringing if an outsider crossed its boundary. Everyone followed once he moved on.

They split on the ground floor, scanning all doors and windows for more wards. Bowie checked on the second floor. All wards they encountered received treatment. They disabled the trigger or changed the necessary stimuli. 

Only Oberon hung back, not contributing. His priority was survival, and it was widely expected that most of the clones would fail their missions. He had the best chances of succeeding, and increasing his chances was a priority.

“They wrecked the bedroom and study,” Bowie whispered. 

“Lots of footprints and damage in the kitchen,” Ace reported. He held up a folded piece of paper. “The landlord has sent a warning of evacuation. He will be reclaiming the property in a month.”

“The idiot probably thinks El-Prime and Mira are dead.” Oberon’s copy peeked out of the window. “I wouldn’t blame him. Almost all of our neighbors suffered significant damage. Culver’s and the tailor have burned down. In comparison, we are reasonably unharmed. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’ve lost all goodwill.”

The lead Stalker stepped forward. “You and I are going out of the front and side, respectively,” he said, pointing at the other Stalker. “Ace. Since you checked the kitchen, you go out through it.”

“I’m assuming you want me out through the second floor?” Bowie asked.

The clone nodded before turning to Oberon’s copy. The combination of Shadow Veil and the invisibility spells was far too potent. He failed to spot or detect the original. “Follow our lead. Don’t get flashy. Stay smart.”

“I’m not the one you need to warn about being flashy,” the copy replied. He nodded at Bowie and Ace. “I do enjoy the shenanigans, but I’ve proven my love for subtlety. You lot go out. Draw attention and fire. I’ll slip out when it's safe. Remember to dispel yourself if you see the soul guy or he gets close. Let’s not be heroes.”

The lead Stalker exited through the front entrance, moving slowly. He scanned the surroundings. The usual faces that filled the neighborhood were gone. Snow had collected on the two burned-down buildings. The rest had been roughly patched against the elements. More guards than usual dotted the streets leading away from the building. The clone spotted Kingdom military present among the usual city guard.

The Stalker set his bearing toward Weaver’s Inn and took to the roofs. Alter Mass reduced his weight to the minimum while a lightning spell enhanced his speed, allowing him to move twice as fast as his base speed. The structures in the Spell Garden allowed him to tap into the magic with minimal cost or mental stress. It felt as if the script already existed within him. He only needed to channel energy through it to gain the benefits.

Unlike Mira’s familiar and Xander’s regeneration, the Shadowsteel Fortress didn’t come with immediate benefits. They had a pocket universe to escape into, hide in, and use as home. Outside of that, the Confluence didn’t do much. Instead, the structures Merlin and El-Prime designed made all the difference. The benefits of the Spell Garden were already apparent. Most Stalkers avoided spells outside of Shadow Veil, relying on Alter Metal Mass for their speed. The stress of running multiple spells interfered with their jobs, and suppressing or erasing their presence was the priority.

The Spell Garden had a lot more to offer. Merlin and El-Prime had filled it with spell structures consisting of magic with the shadow or storm attunements that almost all clones could access. They also had a few structures dedicated to Life and Reinforcement magic, but only Morph, Merlin, and El-Prime benefited from those.

Using the Spell Garden’s structures didn’t demand a tonne of concentration. However, it required embracing a new sensation that the Stalker wasn’t yet used to. It would require practise and training, but between several clones working on the same project, he hoped it wouldn’t take them long.

The Stalker was in mid-air, leaping between rooftops, when a sharp pain burst from his left heel. He instinctively hardened the shadows around the wound, bracing the ankle and foot with Shadowsteel. Yet he failed to maintain his balance on landing and stumbled onto his hands and knees. It took him a moment to get back up as he frantically scanned his surroundings.

It was Lady Silverspine’s agent. He moved with sudden bursts of speed, blurring just as he leaped from one building to another. It was so quick that the Stalker doubted unenhanced eyes would be able to detect it.

When the clone finally found the strength to move again, he attempted channeling more magic into the lightning spell and enhancing his speed, but failed. Blinding pain pulsed from his foot, and the threads of magic he was pulling through his body unraveled. Yet, he leaped, spinning in the air and launching Shadowsteel projectiles at the pursuer.

Lady Silverspine’s agent returned fire, shooting finger guns at the Stalker. The tips of his index fingers exploded, shooting bone. One struck the clone’s shoulder. The other just about missed his hip bone. It wasn’t just the pain of the piercing that plagued the Stalker. He lost all command of the arcane threads and felt nothing but the power of his shard abilities remain. Alter Metal Mass kicked in, increasing his weight and durability as he fell to the street below, giving him the hardiness to survive. Shadowsteel armor hardened around him. When more fingertip projectiles came, they pinged off him, leaving large dents.

It was then that the Stalker felt a lingering presence. The memory was fuzzy, but he recognized it. El-Prime hadn’t been subject to a witch’s curse or magic, but he had caught a glimpse of it in Iskander. It wasn’t quite soul magic but more akin to a hex. 

“I just want to talk,” Lady Silverspine’s agent called, landing on the opposite end of the street. He walked toward the Stalker, hands raised. Occasional bursts allowed him to cover several steps in the blink of an eye. “Tell him to meet me and have a sit-down. We’ll have some tea and discuss—”

Once the Stalker knew for sure his enemy was using some sort of hex or curse ability, he dispelled himself. The last thing he wanted was for soul magic to enter the mix.