The carriage ride into the Kingdom or Tragon was a boring affair that laster for around two hours, the estimate by Satanya being accurate as we traveled over the dry, sparse mountains that separated the Empire from the forr Human Kingdoms, though they now belonged to the Empire and expanded its domain even more.
Which... was a mindbogglingly large acquisition on the Empire's part, adding yet another 1,000 so odd miles of land to its already massive amount of land, which when I tried to think of in the size of my previous world... was absolutely massive.
Especially since this was all habitable land able to sustain life, whereas sothing on this scale - as a landmass with little water besides the occasional lakes and rivers - was usually made up of uninhabitable land due to either extre heat or cold, and that realization was sothing that was always startling whenever I made it.
This world - Gaia - was seemingly unfathomably massive, since this... this all was on just a singular continent.
A continent that contained more landmass than the supercontinent that was ford at the beginning of my old world's 'life' and surrounded by even more ocean; this Empire was already massive, but then you add on the other countries and lands that surround the core of this continent - the Labyrinthian - and you begin to wonder just how massive this planet is.
Sothing that should be impossible was made possible thanks to it being a world of magic and under the direct influence of Gods and Goddesses; gravity wasn't abysmal, the world had a normal day night cycle...
Everything felt surreal when studied from afar and with the knowledge of another world in my mind, and it was sothing that I just had to accept.
Taking my mind off of the matters at hand and instead thinking of the world itself helped pass the ti, our silent carriage ride only ever broken up by the occasional murmur of Jahi as she gestured for one of us to entertain her, giving us a treat after breakfast.
By the ti we reached the first stop of our journey, the sun was still climbing towards its zenith, the fiery golden orb bathing the world in gentle rays of light, few clouds dotting the blue expanse above that signified a normal, calm day.
Feeling the carriage stop, we got up and out of the cabin and stretched ourselves out, our eyes already focusing on the city waiting for us down the hill even as we loosened our bodies, preparing for anything that might be ahead.
Satanya and Ammit approached with their retainers behind them, the Demons all dressed in proper gear as they looked down at the city of Huran with us, scanning its quiet, empty streets from afar.
Each of the Demons wore enchanted armor of so kind, whilst their blades almost humd with power as they rested on their hips, each of them carrying so form of lee weapon; for Ammit, her staff was her lee weapon, the giant circular head tangled with spikes that glead in the light alongside the massive mana crystal embedded into the center of the disc.
"So, Miss Jahi, this was where you and your Legion encountered a Fiendish Cult of so kind, correct? I believe the report was of an undead belonging to the Nua Fiends?"
Keeping her tone curt and respectable, the Demoness looked at Jahi before looking back down at the city, inspecting it and trying to understand what had happened to this gateway city of Tragon.
"Yes, it was a singular person who was worshiping Nua'Morte, an Arch Fiend. They were a... Necrotic Lord who was also a 'catalyst'. Summoned a gigantic undead construct from that pit there, where the mansion of the City Lord used to reside. This entire city though... it had been shrouded in an odd energy. Sothing I think belonged to the creatures instead of the Fiends."
Satanya frowned at that, while Ammit tilted her head curiously and asked "Creatures? Oh, you an those things that created the Gates? Interesting... What sort of 'odd' energy was it?"
Leone was the one to answer, the Vampire frowning as well as she explained "It was sothing that perated everything in this city. Each grain of dirt, each brick, each corpse... Everything that was here was perated by its energy, and whilst we can't confirm it was the sa as the creatures, that is a good guess... though it could have been the Fiend's energy as well. Either way, it was pervasive, nauseating, and... wrong. Just... wrong. For myself, it was like staring at sothing that embodied 'anathema'; sothing so vehently against myself that it tried to ntally damage just by sensing it. Many of the mages in the Legion also felt the sa. Which is why..."
Turning to look at Ammit, Nakith, and Setem, the Vampire let out a sigh as she said "Be careful. I can't imagine what it would do to you Ciriesa's; it got stronger the more attuned one was with their mana, and since I was probably the most attuned mber of the Crusade - besides Kalia and a few of the other mages who were at my level. If we almost went insane from feeling it..."
She trailed off, the ssage clear to the three Ciriesa's, though I couldn't help but frown as I wondered just how bad it had to have been for Leone to shudder slightly as she stared out over the city - what was left of it, anyways.
What had they experienced when I was taken from them?
I... knew so of it, but there had been parts that had been glossed over or given rudintary summaries, and most of their 'encounters' had been swiftly summarized.
Pursing my lips, I took a deep breath and nodded as Jahi said "Well... let's get going then. See if anyone moved back to the city during our absence. Personally, I think this place should be slated for cleansing. Tear it all down and try to just... forget about it. Seems far too entrenched with Fiendish energies and terrible happenings to warrant rebuilding."
"I... would have to agree. The last thing we would want is to build atop a Fiend's prison of so kind. For now though, let's check it out. See the lasting effects from that Crusade and make sure this land is still viable for... sothing. Anything."
Satanya pulled out a notebook and began to walk down towards the empty streets, her pen scratching at the paper as she wrote down her thoughts while we followed behind her, the quiet of the plains around us unnerving after everything we had just talked about.
User Comments
0 comments from readers