First Light of a New Age

Chapter 138: Demon Princes and Princesses

Word Count: 18,510

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Second Civilization Zone, Dominion of Sylva’Anor, Gloria City, Citadel, High Council Barracks.

2nd Year of God, Monday, 4th Week, Month of Adam.

The diplomatic meeting ended several minutes ago, and plans were already in motion to reconvene later that evening.

Woods stood alone on the balcony and took a brief moment to breathe. His eyes wandered over the distant city skyline to see the towers and rooftops still glinting under the sun, until something changed.

He squinted and noticed storm clouds were gathering unnaturally fast over the city. Even someone like Woods, who had no training in magic, could feel the wrongness in the air and felt this wasn't just some weather, it was something else entirely.

Flashes of blinding lightning lit up through the clouds. The sky above the city churned violently, and within moments, daylight was swallowed as a dark oppressive gloom settled over everything.

Woods stepped back, startled, as a strange reddish glow began to pour from the heavens. It twisted downward like a slow-moving curtain of blood and encircled the entire city in a massive dome of red light.

“What the hell…” he breathed, just as the glow washed over the estate. He winced and raised his arm instinctively to shield himself.

The light seemed to slam into an invisible barrier, then stopped as the estate's magical defenses held.

A few seconds passed. Carefully, Woods opened one eye and scanned his surroundings. Everything within the estate remained untouched, calm, and intact.

“What the hell was that?” he muttered as he took several cautious steps forward. Beyond the barrier, the red glow shimmered like heat on pavement, casting an eerie pall over the city.

Behind him, footsteps approached rapidly and Riley, and several other soldiers joined him on the balcony with pale faces and unease.

“What is this?” Riley demanded sharply.

“I’ve got no damn clue!” Woods replied as he gestured toward the sky. “Some heavy mojo bullshit just slammed into the city!”

Everyone stood silently for a moment, watching the phenomenon.

“I think the estate’s warding is holding it back,” Riley said. “Whatever that thing is, it’s not getting through.”

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves echoed through the courtyard. Everyone turned to see several cavalry units charging in from the main gate. They weren’t local guards, they were reinforcements, and they were headed straight for the High Council Grove barracks.

Down below, elven sentries stood frozen, unsure whether to raise their weapons or just stare. The confusion was visible even from the balcony.

“That doesn’t look good,” Riley muttered. “Something’s going down. Time to gear up.”

One of the other officers, a squad leader, nodded. “On it. I’ll try to contact High Command.”

Riley didn’t hesitate as he turned toward his squad with urgency in his voice. “Priority One! Full combat loads!”

The marines immediately snapped into action and soldiers resting inside scrambled to their feet at the sound of the alarm.

“P-One! P-One!”

Boots hit the floor and uniforms were thrown on in a rush. Within minutes, the hallways echoed with the sound of soldiers grabbing weapons, strapping on armor, and sprinting out to the rally points.