Upper Rise was a mess.
Fires were blazing in every direction. The monsters moved like shadows in the darkness scanning every corner. They roamed through the ruins, sniffing the air for the faintest hint of their prey.
Vastarael pressed himself against a crumbling wall as he observed the nearest group of monsters. There were five of them. He clutched his double-bladed glaive tightly. The weapon hummed with a low resonance, as if eager to taste blood.
One of the monsters jerked their head to the side as if sensing something. Its growl deepened but before it could alert the others, Vastarael moved. With a single leap, he closed the distance. The sapphire blade hummed as it connected with the creature's neck, decapitating it in an instant. Black blood sprayed across the ground but Vastarael was already gone as he went back into the shadows. The other monsters turned, sniffing the air. They moved cautiously but they found nothing. Vastarael had already vanished.
He crouched on a ledge above them as he observed their movements. When one of them strayed too far from the group, he struck again. This time, he flipped forward from the ledge. He landed behind the creature, sweeping the weapon low to sever its legs at the knees. The monster howled in agony but Vastarael silenced it with a swift upward strike, driving the blade through its skull.
As the remaining three monsters grew agitated, Vastarael took the opportunity to carve a Rune into the wall beside him using the quill from his mage book. His Essence flowed from his fingers into the air. The Rune pulsed faintly before vanishing.
The Rune of Silence dampened all sound within its radius, muffling even the loudest explosions. Vastarael had learned it from his father and it had become one of his most useful tools, especially when he talked to Phaenora in his room. He moved quickly, etching another Rune onto the ground. This one didn't have any effect but he had another purpose with it.
The monsters were growing frantic now as they searched for the unseen threat. Vastarael used their confusion to his advantage, hiding from debris to debris. Each time he moved, he drew another Rune on walls, on the ground and even on broken pieces of rubble. Each one was a step in his plan.
The Runes and his speed were taking their toll. Vastarael could feel his Essence draining rapidly. His movements slowed down for just a moment as fatigue threatened to overtake him. But then, he felt the familiar pull of his Omniphage Tether. The energy of the fallen monsters glowed faintly, drawn toward him like a magnet. The energy seeped into his body, replenishing his reserves. It wasn't pleasant through.
The energy of these creatures was dark and foul, tainted by whatever abyss they had crawled out of but it was enough to keep him going.
"Not yet. I can't stop now."
He focused on drawing Runes around the spire Adelasta was in. Thanks to Phaenora, he used a holographic map she made using her scan to mark out the places he would draw the runes for his grand plan.
One of the monsters finally caught sight of him while he was almost done.
Vastarael dodged to the side, spinning his glaive to deflect the attack. Sparks flew as the blade met the creature's claws. The other two monsters joined the fray. Vastarael's movements became deadly with each strike of his glaive.
He drove the blade into one of the monsters' chest. The monster shrieked as the weapon tore through its body. Vastarael twisted the glaive free and turned just in time to block an attack from the second creature. The force of the blow sent him skidding backward, carving a trench into the asphalt street. He planted the butt of his glaive into the ground to steady himself.
His body was slowly absorbing the energy from the dead monster. As his body converted it into Essence, it made him feel... slightly disgusted. It felt like he was rejuvenating himself with muddy water and it wasn't a good feeling.
As the monsters regrouped, Vastarael glanced at a crumbling spire nearby. He had noticed earlier that its foundation was unstable and now he had a plan. He darted toward it and began carving another rune into its base.
This one was different, the Rune of Collapse. It was a Conceptual Rune, one that required precise control and a significant amount of Essence. Vastarael's hands moved quickly. The monsters were on him before he could finish. He spun to face them. Finally, the rune was complete. Vastarael slammed his palm against it, activating its power. The spire collapsed in a massive explosion of rubble and dust, knocking the monsters off their feet. Vastarael leapt clear of the debris, landing in a crouch as the spire crashed to the ground behind him.
The street was now a pile of smoking rubble and the monsters were buried beneath it. For the moment, the path was clear.
Vastarael stood as he caught his breath. His body ached. His Essence was nearly drained again but he couldn't stop now. Adelasta was still unconscious and the enemy was still hunting them. He tightened his grip on his glaive and took off again, disappearing into the darkness as the burning city raged around him. This wasn't over.
°°°°°°°
The Minor Deity stood in the smoldering ruins of the grand plaza. His towering figure was wrapped in a cloak of golden fire that pulsed with Divine Energy. His face was obscured by a mask. Hundreds of his monstrous creations encircled him, waiting for commands like statues carved from nightmares.
"Where are they? The boy and his little protectorshould have been here by now?"
He tapped his clawed fingers against the Fountain of Maelisande.
"I gave them the perfect bait. A collapsed city, an inescapable barrier and a trail that only leads here. Yet they do not come. Why? My subordinates told me that one of that this is the only escape route."
The monsters didn't speak.
"This place and an emergency Teleportation Circle that would lead them to the palace. They destroyed the one in there and I did the same with the one here. But he couldn't have—"
One of the monsters, a creature with a serpent-like body shifted uneasily. The Minor Deity's glowing eyes glared at it.
"You feel it too, don't you? My creatures are vanishing one by one. It is too clean, and calculated. He is thinning your numbers, isn't he? Picking you off like pests. Clever boy. He's smarter than he looks. Guess looks aren't the only things he has."
He turned to the mass of monsters around him. The monsters remained silent. He sighed in exaggerated disappointment.
"Of course you don't know. You're mindless things, after all. But no matter. I know exactly what he's doing."
He began to pace again, speaking more to himself now, though his voice carried across the plaza.
"He seeks to draw me out, perhaps even isolate me. A bold tactic for someone so... young. But boldness without foresight is just foolishness. Does he think I can't sense him?"
He raised one hand. A low chuckle escaping his lips when he sensed him.
"Ah, there you are. So close and yet you think you're unseen."
He turned back to the gathered monsters.
"Spread out. Search every shadow, every corner. Flush him out like the rat he is. Do not return until you bring me the boy or his lifeless body."
The creatures roared in unison that shook the very ground. They scattered into the burning ruins as they obeyed the god's command.
"Let's see how far your little plan takes you, Vastarael Richinaria. You cannot outrun me forever."
Little did he know that what he was doing was exactly what Vastarael wanted.