Chapter 206 - Heroes of Sheercliff

The echo of Starick’s warning left a chill in Hump. He’d had enough of war, yet today’s battle was far from over. The crackle of flames still filled the House of Stone as the Tree of Damnation burned. The light glimmered in the fading mist of Starick’s spell, until nothing of the three practitioners remained. They were gone, just as Anthony and his warlocks were gone, yet the damage they wrought remained. In their wake, they left a city ravaged by monsters and magic. Distantly, Hump could make out the cries and screams of its citizens, filling the air with a symphony of despair.

You’re alive though, Hump told himself. He looked over his party members. Bud was bleeding beneath his armour, his gambeson stained brown around his right shoulder. Celaine stood with a limp, Dylan was burned down his left arm, and Emilia had a deep purple bruise forming up her neck and on the side of her face. They’d been bashed around, but they were all still whole. Hump supposed that was the best he could have asked for.

He looked across the hall to Countess Daston, Sir Roderick, and the host of Chosen and adventurers that had arrived. Silence hung over them like a cloud.

Sir Roderick rushed forward, armoured feet hammering the ground. He swiped a hand through the fading mist and let out a furious shout.

“Gods show me mercy! The nerve of that cursed wizard. We’ll have him locked up for this, Justine, whoever he is.”

“He is gone,” Countess Daston said from the arms of her knight. “We will dwell on him later, but for now we have a city to attend to. The day is won, now we must sweep the city free of all that plague it, warlocks and monsters alike.”

It didn’t feel won. Hump felt like he was a half-step from dead, and he considered that a good result. He watched Roderick as he took a deep breath, seeming to collect himself. He felt a change in the man. The fury faded from his face, and something else took its place as he turned back to his army. The light of Lady Light shone from him, a halo that illuminated all around them despite the darkening evening. In that light, Hump felt just a little of the tiredness leave him.

“You heard the countess!” he raised his sceptre overhead, the metal end gleaming brightly. “The warlocks have fled, defeated and banished back to wherever they came from. Now we must slay the monsters that still ravage our city, and then victory shall truly be ours.”

A victorious cheer swelled from the crowd. One blew a war horn, and then more joined the noise, the sound booming through the hall. Across the city, more trumpeting could be heard from the Upper City, and then the Lower, until Hump could hear it from all across Sheercliff. Despite his exhaustion, Hump felt a shiver run through him at that sound. While victory had come at a price, it was almost over. They’d saved Sheercliff.

Sir Roderick shouted over the excited crowd, forming men and women into squads and issuing orders. He called upon the Chosen of Vesta, along with any others possessing the power of long-distance communication, Natalie amongst them. They would provide orders to the rest of the city and help to organise their counterattack. Hump watched as the crowd of defenders reformed quickly before moving out across the ruined temple district, a mass of Chosen and practitioners that would hunt down and monsters and warlocks that remained stranded, now without the aid of dungeon essence or their leadership.

“I almost want to join them, don’t you?” Bud said wistfully.

Hump raised an eyebrow as he looked at his friend, trying to resist the urge to call him an idiot. “We’ve done the hard part. Let them pick up some of the slack.”

“Don’t be stupid, Bud,” Celaine snapped.

Hump snorted. He could always count on Celaine to be blunt. He leant against the wall of the small room, catching his breath.

As the crowd parted, he spotted Vivienne hurrying over to them. Her robes were torn and a long line of blood ran down one leg, but she caught Dylan in a hug and let out a deep sigh. It lasted only a moment before she pushed him back and glared at him angrily.

“What in the name of the gods are you all doing here?” she snapped. She glanced at Eliana on the ground behind them. “Gods mercy, Eliana. Are you alright?”

She tried to step toward her, but before she could Dylan held her back.

“What’s going on?” Vivienne asked.

“Before you go over there you should know that she’d used mind magic to enthral Abraxus,” Hump said. “We can speak more on this privately, but the brief is that she was the one to assassinate the imprisoned warlocks, and that she was after this.” Hump tapped his spellbook. “She knows how my master died.”

Vivenne’s eyes widened. “Tell me everything.” She looked at Hump for the first time, and concern suddenly filled her eyes. “You look awful. What happened to you?”

Hump nodded toward the now approaching Countess Daston, carried over by her knight. “It will have to wait, Vivi, but I’m fine.”

Around twenty people remained with her in the House of Stone, including Vivienne, Sir Roderick, Marcela, and Len amongst them. The others were a mix of fighters, nobles, and priests, a few of which Hump recognised from previous council meetings.

Sir Roderick frowned as he recognised them. “You are Robert of Blackthorne, are you not? What are you doing here? I ordered you to protect Marcela.”

Bud’s mouth fell open. “I—”

“He was here on my instruction,” Marcela said. “It was I that disobeyed your order and forced them to come with me.”

Anger came over Roderick once again. “Then why are they here?”

“I suspect I can answer that,” Countess Daston said. “The Three Eyes arrived after the Tree of Damnation was set aflame.” Hump noticed the countess’ eyes settle on him. “Someone had to burn it down.”

Vivienne turned to him. “Hump, what did you do?” she murmured.

“I burned it down,” Hump said. “I burned all of it.”

Roderick followed her eyes and then frowned. “The wizard? Impossible! That was phoenix fire, Justine. I heard the cry of its power myself—such power could not have come from that boy.”

“Yet it did,” Countess Daston said. “There was a feather in our treasury.”

“I gave it to him,” Marcela said, smiling broadly. “Still, I can’t believe you actually succeeded.”

“How?” Vivienne asked. “There were trees all over the city.”

“They were all connected,” Hump said. “Anthony—the warlock behind all of this—was using them to create a giant formation to sacrifice the souls of Sheercliff and summon that thing from beyond the rift. Starick called him Baelkor.”

One of the nearby priests gasped—an old man with a long flowing beard.

“You’ve heard of him?” Roderick asked.

“The first servant of Uvdar,” the man said. “These days, we know him as Uvdar’s Shadow.”

“It couldn’t be,” another said. “Uvdar’s Shadow is said to be dead.”

“You’ll need to take that up with Starick,” Hump said. “He was short on the details.”

They burst into more questions, but Countess Daston quickly brought them to a halt.

“This can wait,” she said. “Focus on the present, and then we can figure out what all this means later. We must see to the wounded, and give Wizard Humphrey and his party a chance to rest. They are, after all, the heroes of Sheercliff.”

“We could not do this alone,” Bud said, looking around. “Corvin and his party were the reason we made it this far.”

“Where is Corvin?” Marcela asked.

“I left him to guard Abraxus,” Emilia said.

A bad feeling came over Hump. “You did what?”

“What’s wrong?” Bud asked.

Hump was already walking, stumbling to the end of the room.

Vivienne caught him. “Slow down, Hump. You need rest. What’s wrong?”

“Abraxus may have been enthralled, but I think he killed all of Corvin’s party.”

“Shit,” Celaine said.

“Where is he?” Roderick asked.

“Emilia?” Bud pressed.

Emilia was pale, a hand held over her mouth. She blinked, then pointed. “I left him in that meeting room.”

Roderick took a couple of his men with him and crossed the distance. A few moments later, the helped a limping Corvin from the room. The Knight of Ordana was battered and bloodied, but he was alive.

“Inquisitor Abraxus?” Countess Daston asked.

Roderick looked at her and shook his head.

“Gods, I was such an idiot,” Emilia said. “I shouldn’t have left him.”

“It’s not your fault,” Bud said. “You were trying to help us.”

She clenched her jaw furiously and said nothing more.

Corvin looked at them with sad, hollow eyes. The sorrow in them brought Hump back to the reality of the situation. They’d won the battle, but there were no winners in war. Sheercliff was devastated, and while buildings could be repaired, there was no bringing back the dead. His eyes went to the broken body of Patrick over by the doors toward the custodian hall.

“Where’s the rest of his party?” Marcela asked. “Quickly!”

“I’ll show you,” Dylan said.

“Adira, go with them,” Countess Daston said. A woman beside her nodded—a cleric or priestess of some kind. The three of them rushed off to the hall on the right.

Roderick and his men brought Corvin over to them. They released him, and he sat on the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Corvin, why?” Bud asked.

“He killed them,” Corvin said.

“He was enthralled!”

Corvin shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. He still did it. They died at his hands.”

“Inquisitor Abraxus was enthralled?” Roderick asked.

“We were ambushed by Inquisitor Abraxus and Eliana,” Hump said. “Eliana had used mind magic to enthral Abraxus, and Corvin’s party worked to stall him while the rest of us went ahead for the tree.” Hump gestured toward the room behind him. “Eliana is in there.”

She glared at Hump, and he held her gaze. A part of him wished he’d killed her while he had the chance, fearing what answers she might give. Would she speak of his spellbook? Would this Order of the Silver Circle she'd mentioned somehow get word of him and seek him out? Perhaps they had already. He didn’t think so, however. If he was correct, she’d come after him alone, which meant that at least for now his secret was safe.

“Arrest her,” Roderick said, and two of his Chosen rushed into the room. They pulled her from the ground where she’d been lying quietly.

“He’s lying,” she screamed. “He’s a warlock! They’re traitors.”

“Inquisitor Abraxus accused Hump of the same thing,” Countess Daston said. “He was already cleared.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know how, but he tricked the test. Test him again or use a full ritual. I promise you he’s lying.”

“Enough of this,” Countess Daston said. “Roderick, I am fine to attend matters here. See to the rest of the city.”

Sir Roderick gave her a guilty look, his eyes hovering on her unmoving legs. “You should rest, my lady.”

She shook her head. “I may not be able to walk, but I am healed. I can handle the situation here. The city needs a leader.”

He hesitated a moment, then nodded. “I shall do what I can.”

He ordered his own party, and another dozen or so of the nearby Chosen to go with him.

“What do we do now?” Hump asked.

“For now, you should rest,” Countess Daston said. “You have done more than enough for the city today. I knew you had a role to play, Wizard Humphrey, but never did I dream it was so large. I’m pleased to see it was for our side.”

Hump smiled weakly. “Please tell me that’s the end of it. I’m not sure I could handle another warlock invasion.”

Countess Daston gave him a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I do not know what the future will bring for you, but at least for today, you are finished.”

The doors to the right burst open and Marcela stood within them. “Kesha is alive!” she shouted. “She’s going to live.”

Hump took in a deep breath, elated that one of Corvin’s party had survived. He glanced at the Knight of Ordana, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

“Come on, brother,” Bud said. “Let’s go see her.”

Hump looked to Countess Daston.

“Go,” she said. “We shall speak more when you have recovered. If you need lodgings, go to my estate.”

“Thank you,” Hump said.

She shook her head. “There is no need for thanks. Not from you. The city will never forget the debt it owes you this day.”