Published at 16th of February 2024 2:25 pm

Chapter 2.69 Sacrifices Great And Small

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The chaos and servants not attracting the pyramid guards felt like an unusual stroke of luck. Nox hoped it meant they had all given up on their duties and pursued Otis. The chaos outside suggested a lot more was going on than flame slimes attacking myconids. He wondered whether the horn had summoned spirits to the material realm. It was probable that they’d react poorly to the individuals torturing one of their own.

Given some of the explosions that followed Otis’ attack, there was also a chance Kris had laid traps before she snuck into the pyramid. She had shown Nox the brilliance of wards combined with delayed spells. Her magic had excellent potential for sudden heat bursts and explosions, making them brilliant for traps.

Nox held the device the guards had given him to his mouth. The runes told him what the different switches did. “Master senses alien arcane signatures to the west of the heart. It might be a portal. Mathias and all available experts need to check on it and quell the problem as soon as possible.”

Several acknowledgments and a handful of questions came through the device. When Nox failed to think of believable answers, he smashed the device and blocked all entrances with trap foam.

“Where the blight is Caitlin?” Lillin demanded once the insects crumbled into aetheric dust. The monsters failed to live on after their conjurer perished. “Did she really abandon us?”

“I told her to flee with Alexander,” Nox answered, kneeling next to his dead mentor. He winced as his cracked bones ached. Recovery pills would likely make them heal incorrectly, so he put up with the pain for the time being.“It’s not her fault. I doubt she saw what happened to Kris.” He rolled the professor onto her back. Even though the wasp destroyed an eye and a quarter of her skull, she had a crazed, wide smile on her face. She died happy and proud. “It’s not her fault," he reiterated. "She probably thinks we’re wrapping things up right about now.”

“I did as she said,” Joey said. He looked and sounded shocked. “I did as Kris said. She wasn’t supposed to die.” He limped to the corpse and kneeled using Nox’s shoulder for support. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Nox placed a hand on the junior apprentice’s shoulder. Hints of rectangular blue-black lines marked his right temple, neck, and the back of his hand. Nox expected more and guessed the djinn granted his pacted-warlock minor resistances. “You did all you could despite the risk of mana burn. Good job, Joey. I’m sure Kris was proud of all you managed. That final illusion was inspired.”

“It was nobody’s fault. There’s no way Kris could’ve known the insects would persist after their summoner died.” Lillin joined the men. She closed Kris’ eyes before pouring two flasks of stasis fluid on the body and sucking it into a pocket dimension. The concoction would help it survive a few hours inside Lillin’s storage without rotting. “I’ll keep her safe.”

The trio studied Clementine Wagner’s remains. It was a surprise she survived Nox’s final arrow. Third-degree burns covered her abdomen, legs, and lower arms. A normal human being would’ve choked on the smoke, succumbed to shock, or died of cardiac arrest. The ancient mage had the means to stave off death and survive the impossible. Unlike Kris, she received no respect. Nox parted her head from the rest of her body. Then, they stored it in a pocket dimension along with the levitating chair.

“The Woodsons fled, and I should’ve died,” Joey said. “That thing is yours.”

“Are you sure?” Nox asked. “It will probably fetch a ridiculous quantity of gold.”

“I want none of it, alright? I don’t deserve it.” He fell silent, studying the dead servants, equipment, and odd bits littering the room. The pyramid's interior almost looked like a research laboratory. “What do we do now?”

“We finish what we came here to do, of course,” Nox replied.

“Do you know how?” Lillin asked.

Nox had no answer for her.

The dome above the group’s heads drew their attention. Terrastalia was on the move. The titan had made groundfall and was ambling toward the city. Worst of all, killing Clementine Wagner hadn’t ended her spell. The Well of Pestilence continued to pulse in the center of the room.

Crystalize Essence and attempts to damage the spell circles did nothing. No matter how destructive an essence arrow, gravity orbs, or djinn fire conjuration they used, the trio failed to damage, let alone stop, the dead woman's magic. The myconid flesh burned, froze, cracked, reacting appropriately to all arcane stimuli, but more grew to replace it. The sweet smell of cinnamon, cut grass, and fresh berries filled the room for a moment, but putrid scents replaced them as soon as fungus grew to replace the damaged sections.

Nox and Lillin still had a few flasks of flame slime remaining. They emptied all of them. The Well of Pestilence remained undamaged. However, the slime burned the myconid flesh and disappeared into the mass through openings. When the trio damaged it again, the fungus peeled away and didn't regrow. Afterward, only a bald naked goddess remained. She looked malnourished and sickly. The skin hung off her bones, and little muscle or fat remained. It looked like someone had draped bleached hide over a skeleton. Only the face had any life to it.

“Nar says this is Sif,” Joey said as his floating spearhead zipped around the giant woman. “She was once a goddess of fertility and family.” He winced, clutching his head. “She once had hair as gold as wheat. Death, destruction, and disease aren't a part of their domain.”

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“That sort of explains why Terrastalia and the dungeon were docile for so long,” Nox stated. “The record says they spent the last few decades walking the Endless Dunes and Arctic Wastes’ borders. The locals feared them and stayed clear, but new oases appeared after his passing, and the old grew and flourished.

“Blights and Nargle's pox popped up in his trail only a year or so ago. I'll bet that was dear old Clementine’s doing.”

“The Well of Pestilence is tied to Sif,” Lillin commented after laying her hands on the goddess. “As long as she lives, the spell will torture Terrastalia.” The dome showed the city and Ygg slowly approaching. “I think Bi Xi wants to use Ygg's life force to try to heal himself.”

“The city and the tree won't survive this,” Joey whispered.

“What's the problem?” Nox asked. “The solution is simple, isn't it? Consume Sif. Take her place. Free Bi Xi from his torture and convince him to leave. This is your chance to achieve your life's goal, Lillin. Why are you hesitating?”

The mimic-woman looked heartbroken as she met Nox's eyes. “It is, but we aren't ready,” she told him. “Sif was halfway to Archon. I'll probably survive the process, but you won't. The overload of mana through our contract will kill you at best or, at worst, damage your circuits to the point of no magic usage ever again. It's likely you'll also spend the rest of your life in unbearable pain and crippled.”

Nox's heart fell. Until recently, he believed magic was everything to him. It was his answer to all of life's problems, including finances, and the ultimate goal of destroying Sundarshahar. He couldn't imagine a future where he had no magic. Then Nox looked up at the dome again and saw the approaching tree and all that existed under it.

The City of Ygg was where Nox's life changed for the better. He met his first love within its walls and then his seconds. He made friends in the city and finally escaped a lifetime of loneliness. Life in the city showed Nox that there was more to live for besides revenge. He had his business and all the people who worked under him.

A life without magic was possible in the City of Ygg. Alchemy was mostly creativity, research, formulae, and spell weaving. Nox had decent enough finances to afford rechargeable mana gems and more apprentices to do the hard work. It wouldn't be easy, but he could foresee a future without ever casting a spell again.

Terrastalia was not Sundarshahar. He would also have to give up on Kris’ war. However, Nox believed she'd be proud of him for putting everything on the line to eradicate one of humanity's greatest threats. She’d be proud of him for saving the City of Ygg.

“Whatever happens, we'll deal with the consequences, Lillin,” he said, taking his dearest friends’ hands. “Do it. Devour Sif.”

“No.” She frowned, ripping free of her hold. “I'm not going to toy with your life Nox. Sure, it's within the contracts’ parameters, but I don't want to achieve my goals at the cost of you.”

“This is for something greater than me.” Nox took Lillin's hands again. “This is for Aria, our friends, and all that need Ygg to survive. Think of what will happen if the world tree falls. Niddhogg will rise again. All the fallen gods will expand their domains, and humanity won't have a source of power or shield. We don't have a choice. This needs to be done.

“Devour Sif and take her place. Turn Terrastalia into something more than a roaming dungeon. I'm sure the mountain has renewable metals and nests that rapidly produce myconids. This dungeon can become a source of food if we combine it with my fire slime essence. You can provide resources to help fight other dungeons, too. Perhaps I’ll end up incapable of delving ever again, but I can act as your liaison and bring about a new age in dungeon-state relationships. This is too good an opportunity to squander.”

“None of that matters if you're dead, Nox.” Lillin’s voice sounded smaller than it ever had before. For the first time in nineteen years of cohabitation, he saw real tears in his dearest and oldest friend’s eyes. They weren't just bound by the contract. Their connection ran a lot deeper than that. Nox met Lillin when he was six years old, but she met him as a newborn. The mimic-woman had endured all her transformations and developments with him. This was a step she would need to take alone. “If there was a way for you to survive this, I'd jump at the opportunity. But—”

“What if Nar and I share the load?” Joey asked. “Nar claims he can't take all or even half the mana and essence Sif carries, but a third should be possible. Would you be willing if we share the load?”

“I might end up further damaging existing mana circuits, but it should be possible.” Lillin appeared to be speaking to herself more than Nox. “How attached are you to your left arm?”

Nox shrugged. “If I had to give up a limb, I suppose it's the one I’d be most willing to sacrifice.” He glanced at what remained of Ratra’s Bow. “I don’t know if this is fixable. Mage Hand will take care of all my needs if archery is no longer an option.”

“Fine. I’ll try to contain all the damage in one arm if you're sure about this.”

“I am.” Nox pulled Lillin into a hug. “This also is goodbye, isn’t it?”

“You can always visit,” she replied. “Maybe once you’re closer to low-expert, but we’ll still talk. Somehow.”

“Perhaps Terrastalia will show you how to visit me during spirit walks—”

“Don’t let that turn into a habit, alright? I understand it leads to great sex with Aria, but you’ve been overindulging, especially when you’re with her.”

“I know. I know. Communing with Bi Xi is no longer an excuse.” Nox sighed. “I probably need a break from spirit walking anyway.”

“I’m really going to miss you, you know?” Lillin whispered into his ear.

“I know. I’ll miss you, too.”

“Curb that destructive streak, alright? You won’t have me to watch your back anymore.”

“I know this is emotional, but we don’t have a lot of time left.” Joey interrupted the goodbyes, reminding the pair of the urgent situation. “Nar is getting antsy, too.”

Lillin and Nox hugged one last time before stepping away from one another. She unleashed her mimic mouth and devoured Sif’s catatonic top half in three big bites. A rush of power assaulted Nox seconds later. The cloud of mana around his star covered his planets and reached well beyond them. His arms and chest burned so hard the discomfort forced him to his knees.

“You were a good pet, Nox Ratra,” Lillin said, flashing him the saddest smile he had ever seen on her. Then consciousness left Nox, and he was glad for the respite from the pain.

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