B5 Chapter 41

Stepping out of one of the Grand Hall’s large-scale Portals a few minutes later, we were greeted by a wave of earthen ether. Even the ether smelled strongly like soil as it pressed down on the body.

For a little while, it almost felt like gravity at our destination was higher than elsewhere for everyone but Aureus, who embraced the dense ether streams flowing through the valley.

Our destination, apparently halfway across Razarn’s massive globe, was just that. Gaia’s Valley, a region relatively small for the enormous amount of ether flowing through it. The valley, if one could even call it that, was void of trees and shrubbery. Only the most tenacious plant life survived, surrounded by nothing other than dirt and stone platforms rising seemingly out of nowhere. I caught note of a few extensive pillars that rose from the ground like towers from ancient tales. Runic enchantments made from the experience of several races had been engraved on the pillars, though most belonged to the runes the Caldera liked to use.

That would make sense considering we were close to the grey-skinned Caldera’s tribe. Or one of their tribes.

Looking around while Glacia’s Knight and the other commanders focused on organizing the group, I couldn’t help but feel reminded of the Elemental Spires. Sure, the region’s ether density and attunement were nothing like the Elemental Spires, but the massive earthen walls surrounding the valley reminded me of the Fire Caldera’s former home. Somewhat, somehow.

Aureus, seated on my shoulder, glanced to the right and let out a growl. His excitement made way for uncontrollable anger, and he leaped from my shoulder. Energy rippled out of his shrunken-down body in waves that caused many heads to turn. One moment, he was a thirty-centimeter-long lizard, and in the next minute, he expanded. The power that was previously sealed inside the Earthen Spirit, allowing him to shrink his massive physical body to the size he had as a young Mutant Soilback.

He grew to a length surpassing one meter within seconds, but that was only the start. Shortly, he was three meters long, five, then finally ten meters. Yet, he still didn’t stop growing until he towered above everything. His shoulders rose to a height of no less than six meters, while his length was closer to twenty-five meters, with long, extensive wings shimmering as they basked in the earthen ether.

The Caldera among the Temple’s members stared at the Earthheart in awe. Most went as far as to face away from Glacia’s Knight to kneel down once more, raw, unfiltered devotion flashing through their eyes.

“This is not the time to show off or cause distractions. Focus on the mission if you wish to survive.” Glacia’s Knight stepped forward, first glaring at me before staring intensely at Aureus. The Earthheart ignored the Spirit Guard Temple head’s presence and kept staring to the right, teeth bared. A low, guttural growl rumbled across the valley, which Glacia’s Knight did not consider an offense. Fortunately, he did not misinterpret Aureus’ growl.

How did that guy receive Glacia’s Blessing in the first place? What a nuisance.

Sapsie grumbled, not even trying to hide her annoyance.

Kill?

Nox asked the young World Tree, though I couldn’t tell if the Ferronox Mantis was serious. He didn’t sound certain at all.

“If anything, he’ll kill us. He’s stronger than the Ruler of Fire. A lot stronger.” Fighting someone on par with Raffael Torch would have been much more acceptable at this point in time. I would still get beaten black and blue, but I wouldn’t be as helpless.

As for fighting Glacia’s Knight, that was a hard no. Not only did he never antagonize me, we had a lot more important things to take care of.

That said, the groups split up. Several human Blessed summoned avian Soulkins to ride on and bring several Knights along. Aureus was more than willing to carry most of the Proto Knights and Spirit Knights to the battlefield, yet only Zegrath and a few Fire Caldera under her command accepted the offer.

Daniel rode on his Thunderstorm Roc, which, while massive, looked small and frail in comparison to Aureus.

We ascended shortly after and shot forward. Aureus, impatient and no longer willing to hold back, erupted in power. He lowered his weight as well as the weight pressing down on him and channeled spirit power through his wings. Fortunately, we didn’t have to join a formation in the air, so we flew ahead alongside the Thunderstorm Roc and a Monarch-ranked Swan Soulkin of some sort.

Flying east, where Aureus had been staring the whole time, we crossed the massive wall isolating Gaia’s Valley swiftly, revealing dozens of similar valleys down below. They were spread out neatly, but the ether density was nowhere near as high as Gaia’s Valley. Channeling ether into my eyes, the scenery beneath us became much clearer. There was a mine in a valley near Gaia’s Valley. Then there was a massive lake that looked too pristine to be true.

Love this novel? Read it on NovelPhoenix to ensure the author gets credit.

Studying the landscape made me wonder if there was any sentient life in this place. Sure, a few beasts glided through the sky and traveled through the valleys, but other than the mine and a small settlement, there didn’t appear to be much of a presence. No terraforming had been performed, which would be unthinkable back in the Bastions.

If humans had control of the valleys, they would have turned them into dozens of housing districts, creating a massive Bastion with every valley turning into a district on its own. That didn’t happen, which was probably for the best.

Do I want to do something about the Bastions? I wondered. Now that I was thinking about the Bastions for the first time in a long time, I realized that I hadn’t bothered with them.

I hadn’t even thought about Fabienne or Sophie. That struck hard. Not that I didn’t care about my friends, but life had been so busy that everything else faded into the background. And now… now I didn’t even know if they were still alive.

You can always return to the Bastions to take a look. Maybe end the war after we end the war with the Spawns and Devourer.

Aureus offered, even if it was clear that his focus was elsewhere. He was nowhere near the Bastions and likely would never return to them. The Earthen Spirit had no connection to the Bastions, and neither had I. Except for a few people, I could bring to Dracos if I really wanted to.

Just get stronger and return to the Bastions. Kidnap Bert and his wife. Then get to Fabienne and Sophie and kidnap them as well!

Sapsie chimed in happily enough, but her idea was not exactly helpful. Kidnapping anyone wouldn’t help me, let alone them.

Focus!

Aureus’s shout snapped me back to attention.

Down below, the Caldera settlement spread out across one of the smaller valleys. Dozens of huts, probably closer to 150, all made of the sustenance of Razarn, namely stone, soil, and minerals, jutted out of the ground like mushrooms. They were unblemished and overflowing with ether, their structures strong enough to last for centuries. To my dismay, Lifesight told a different tale than the strong and durable huts. It told a story of loss and death, as no more than a few dozen masses of life resided in the huts.

Three-fourths of the huts were empty. Worse even, Lifesight didn’t pick up any old remnants of life either, meaning that the huts had been empty for a few days now, possibly longer.

The Mountain Caldera were dying out. And beyond their settlement lay the battlefield. Aureus sensed the murky presences stirring in the distance even before Lifesight picked them up, and he accelerated once more.

In the distance, a field of death unfurled. We hadn’t found many signs of life in the valleys we’d passed, but the absence of ether and the disappearance of the little life every valley carried was notable nonetheless. So were the murky colors left behind and the lifeless hue drained across the earthen walls. The vibrant, full earthy colors faded to a dull grey.

Aureus must have sensed the death of the very element his existence represented. The earthen walls separating the valleys crumbled slowly beyond the Caldera tribe’s home, and it wasn’t long before the culprits appeared as well.

Skulking through the battlefield of nothingness were the Spawns. But they did not resemble the Spawns we were used to. Their appearances were as grotesque as ever, yet they were smaller humanoid creatures. They–…

“They devoured the Mountain Caldera!!” Zegrath shouted in fury.

That they did. The Spawns vaguely resembled the Mountain Caldera. After fighting them, they devoured the Caldera only to further modify their appearance. Multiple arms adorned their features, as well as several pairs of eyes belonging to various beasts, but that was only the beginning. The Mountain Caldera’s forms were further disfigured through the addition of several beast traits growing from their bodies.

Flying above the first of the valleys conquered by the Spawns filled the air with anger. The Caldera and Aureus were furious and showed that. Zegrath leaped from Aureus’ back, the gravity weighing on her insignificant enough to descend unharmed to the ground. Yet, instead, she dove down head-first, flames erupting underfoot to accelerate her fall.

Navigating in the air for the first time, relying on the Gravity Aspect and Volca’s fire, should have been a challenge, but Zegrath flowed through the air like she was born and raised for that purpose. Her body turned up in ferocious flames and she transformed into a falling star that crashed into one of the Caldera-like Spawns without any mercy.

The Fire Caldera stared at their captain in a mixture of awe and respect, and it didn’t take them long before they too followed her down into the valley. But while Zegrath dove down like she was born to use Volca’s fire to soar through the sky, the others were not nearly as proficient. Still, they survived, as they tumbled to the ground.

“Fusion?” I asked through the gust splashing in my face.

Not yet.

Aureus called out as he unleashed the spirit power accumulated in his heart.

The valley below started to shake. The dead earth crumbled and fell apart, revealing the far more vibrant soil underneath. The Earthen Spirit reached out to the deeper layers of Razarn and moved them. He shifted the earth, the first layers of stone, and willed the few materials durable enough to endure the power of nothingness.

Black spikes tore out of the ground and into a group of unsuspecting Spawns. They noticed the rumbles but charged Zegrath with all their might, only to run straight into massive spikes that tore them off their feet and high into the air. Spirit power enveloped the spikes, aiding their growth while also giving them the force needed to truly harm the Spawns.

Even better, the spirit power was only visible to Aureus and me as we watched a dozen Spawns get lifted into the air, their chests impaled. They writhed mid-air and tried to regain freedom, but the other Knights were already on the move, their spirit-imbued blades carving through the nastiest creatures Razarn had seen up until now.