Pallaswas nothing; she could wait, butAbraxas’ time had come.Ilooked out over the golden fields before me, filled with nothing but the bodies soon to be flayed apart on my power.
Thecity below me was locked tight, every window and shutter closed.Icared not.Everysingle one of them was in my way.
Itwas time to remind them of all the power theirDivineEmperorwielded.
Chapter 66
Abraxas
Morningbroke, andIhad been reborn, again.ToriandJun'smagic was unlike anything else in the world.Theyhad broken the chains that restrained my power, andIfelt asIhad whenIwas young again.Icould hardly contain the flames that had so long been held prisoner.Myskin itched to unleash this power, and the time was finally upon us.
Afterthe ordeal, the twins almost immediately passed out; their bodies and magic were exhausted.IletToriget as many hours of rest as we could spare.Itwas ironic.I’dbeen on this earth for over one thousand years, and in these last few weeks,Ihad no time.
Ipressed my lips to her forehead gently to wake her, and she grumbled with annoyance. “It’stime, my goddess.”
Sherubbed her eyes, swung her legs out of the cot, and leaned her forehead against my shoulder.
“Timeto end this.”
Thecool morningair stirred around me; a whisper of the chaos that was soon to be unleashed.Toriclimbed onto my back, her weight and the grip of her thighs familiar.Herheart was beating wildly, a vibrant pulse that resonated with my own rising bloodlust.
Aroundus, our assembled forces stood ready.Isaw the infantry, their armor catching the first light of dawn, forming a stern sea of iron will.Thecavalry’s horses snorted and stamped, their breaths puffing clouds into the chilly air.Myeyes scanned the horizon, spotting the golden banners ofKoron’swalls fluttering mockingly in the distance.
Outsidethe city gates, theGoldenArmywas a shimmering sea of opposition.Theystood along the ramparts with arrowheads flashing in the early morning light.Betweenus, fields of ambrosia spread, many already trampled.Butwhere one had been pushed down, dozens remained.
Ready?Ihad sent my thoughts to her.
Always, she replied, her resolve sharp as the edge of her blade strapped to her side.Ilet out a deep, growling breath, feeling the surge of my heart, and with a powerful thrust of my wings, we ascended.
Fromthat height, it was easy to imagine the troops below as only pieces on a chessboard.Pawnsto be sacrificed for the ultimate victory.Beforeus, the emperor was the only piece that mattered.
Torilay her hand on the scales of my neck.Hewill be ours, but remember our plan, my love.
Ourplan was simple: strike atKoron’sdefenses from above,cripple their artillery, and in the process, drive the city into a lockdown.
Butthere was one thing we had to do first.Idove, and the flames that were so eager for destruction flew before me.Ididn’t aim at the city, not yet.
Instead, we flew around the fields ofKoron, andIincinerated every last ambrosia flower.Atfirst,Ihad doubts, but as more golden petals rose on the flurries of heat,Icould feel it.Mana, more than flowed through the earth below, being released.Toripulled it out of the earth, blue-green tendrils dancing in the air before me.Sheshaped and wove together an entire world’s worth of power.Shesplit the writhing mass in half and sunk one piece into my chest, where it sat next to my heart.
Forlater.Hersmugness cut through her mental words.
Andthe rest?
Also, for later.Iwatched as she wove it into the earth and under the city, where her machinations were lost to me.
Belowus, the sounds of battle broke out.Swordsand spears flashed in the sunlight as the two great waves of our armies collided.Massesof bodies pressed together in inseparable chaos.
Toripointed towards a cluster of siege weapons nestled against the eastern wall.
“There, those first,” she commanded, her finger steady against the wind.
Withan affirmative snarl,Iadjusted my wings, diving towards our target.Thewind howled in my ears, a fierce symphony that heightened the rush of the descent.Justas the ground loomed close,Ipulled up sharply.Myshadow swept over the panicked soldiers below.Torireleased a blast of dragonfire, a glittering arc that ended in an explosion of flame and destruction.
Cheeringreached my ears, yet the enemywas quick to respond.Arrowsand spears streaked towards us in a desperate attempt to clip my wings.Itwisted in the air, andToriclung tightly as gravity tried to unseat her.
Tori’svoice called out again, “Now!Thegatehouse!”Herdetermination was a beacon.Iaimed my descent, our combined fury unleashed in another fiery onslaught.Thegatehouse became an inferno, its portcullis buckling.Abreach was opened wide for our forces to exploit.
Bothgroups of soldiers moved towards the opening, but that was not whatIfocused on.Thecity's outer ring was home to its forgotten humans and the small folk.Manyfled towards the safety of the inner ring, but asToriandIwatched, the gate was slammed shut before even a dozen souls could pass through.
