Accursed Wars of Immortalis

Chapter 5: Damnation and Salvation

The hellish ocean of flames had become far less hostile with time. The pain had eased as the bodies of those newly arrived became accustomed to the outflow of mana, the loss of their precious vital energy, but the pain never ceased altogether. Since Flann's arrival, more had come. Cursed humans were brought to the shore by smaller underdeveloped Maledicti, and larger ones took charge of planting them in the shallow portion of the Sea. Flann guessed that the cursed ones must have been brought from elsewhere in the Realm of Chaos, as no gateways opened nearby.

Many had come in such manner as the Chaos Outbreak raged in the realm of the living. Caron was glad to note that the number of new victims decreased every time; he believed that it meant the creatures of chaos were losing in their war against humanity.

A blinding light pierced the thick air, originating from far out in the Sea of Flames, or so it seemed. The light grew brighter, and Flann could now discern shapes moving amidst the ash-filled air. The shapes defined as they walked the very surface of the Sea, becoming a group of knights, priests and priestesses. Upon their chests was the emblem of the Legionnaires.

"Light! The Legion!" cried the High Priest Caron, "Behold! Our saviors have come! 'Tis our day of deliverance!"

Clamouring rose from the sufferers as the mass of knights and priests reached the shore. The priests, scepter in hand, concentrated their mana to harden the Sea's Surface before the feet of those ahead touched the molten rock. Flann felt the magic at work, and noticed that behind them stretched a entire bridge made in that fashion. The knights stood proud, assessing their surroundings. The leader, a knight wearing an ornate full helm, pointed at several individuals in the lava. One was Caron.

The knights, having received their orders, marched forth at a steady pace. The priests extended the stone further to allow the knights to reach their targets. Those who reached the designated cursed beings extended a lunerum-gauntleted hand enveloped in a glowing aura. The cursed humans reached out of the lava, grasping the outstretched hands. Upon contact, the cursed bodies of the cursed began to glow with the same aura. All were awed when those touched rose, freed of the binding spell and dripping sluggish drops of molten rock. Caron was heaved out of the Sea and directed to the leader, who stood further on the bridge, surrounded by the priests.

Once the designated people were freed, the knights did the same for those who happened to be nearby, freeing as many as possible. Flann was lifted out of the Sea and her body was liberated from the mana syphon and the pain. She felt exhilarated, as if the world had weighed upon her and had been lifted. She was followed closely by Walgen. Together, they marched and gathered with the rest of the freed sufferers and were directed across the bridge. They were urged to run across, as the bridge would not hold forever. 

At the end of the bridge was another forest of ashbone trees, but this one was scattered with chunks of bone, perhaps pieces torn from the stone crabs, and other bones once belonging to Maledicti. Another group of knights waited there, and once the leader and the priests arrived with more escapees, the group entered the forest. They kept a fast pace for a good while, which the knights assured was close to an hour, until they reached the foot of an abrupt cliff. Looking up, Flann could see a ramp carved into the face of the cliff. The path zig-zagged its way to the top. The group was guided up the rugged ramp. Not all had followed, it seemed; a quarter of the knights were still below.

At the top, the group emerged from a dark hole in arid plains swept by violent winds. Thunder roared, distant and near. The wind buffeted Flann, cooling the surface of her skin, which darkened and hardened. Walgen took her in his arms and shielded her the best he could. She held onto him.

The leader spoke loudly to compete against the raging winds: "We must depart this instant. The Maledicti have found us; they are coming."

He and led the way, increasing his pace to a jog. Despite their plate armour and the raging winds, the knights maintained the pace until the group was intercepted. Stormborn appeared on the horizon and sped across the plains, almost as fast as the wind.

The leader mustered his mana, such an incredible amount that Flann's skin tingled, a sensation so powerful that the brutal wind could not mask it. The land shifted, and a wall of stone, a foot thick and more than a Maledicti high, rose around them and blocked the oncoming assailants. The stormborn crashed into the wall, which cracked and crumbled upon impact. Bits of stone flew; lighter ones were swept by the wind. The knights charged and forced the storms-beings back, creating a path between the attackers. The escapees were pushed through by the priests. While the knights remained behind to fight, the rest of the group reached a gateway – a sinister looking frame of ashbone encircling a deep, red, fiery glow. The portal was held stable by a few priests and priestesses, who were using all of their magical might to maintain the connection to the realm of the living. The escapees were pushed into the portal. Freedom at last, thought Flann.

The other end of the gateway stood in grassy plains, fragrant with the scent of summer flowers. The sun was as blinding to the escapees. The priests pushed the stumbling crowd far from the gateway towards another group of priests, who gathered their mana and lifted the curse from the victim's bodies, one by one, by restoring the natural order of their bodies' elements through the sacred Ritual of Light.

Each priest and priestess drew power from a vial of the Maiden's blood and solemnly chanted:

        May the blood of the Maiden cleanse this vessel,

        for nothing is purer than what is bled out of love.

        Bask in the light, for you are now as pure as she.

Flesh and bone were restored. Warmth returned to Flann's bones and her skin cooled. She once more lived.

A few knights tumbled and stumbled through the gateway, followed by the priests who had kept the gate stable from within and the horrific scream of many angry demons. The portal darkened and shut after their passage, leaving nothing but the ashbone frame. Silence reigned, until nearby birds deemed it safe to risk a few shrill notes. They continued uttering these notes in a beautiful sequence as the legionnaires and those free and naked gathered and marched towards the nearest settlement, which was in sight a few hundred meters away. At the city's gate waited a war-band three hundred strong, armed to the teeth. Flann and Walgen were provided clothing and food. Caron took them to the local church of Light and Caron held his promise to train Flann in the ways of the Legion.

Fin

***If you enjoyed reading this, please show some support, and leave a comment or private message me some feedback. Better yet, if you didn't quite enjoy this as much as you could have, tell me why. ***