Breaking the Rules Pt. 23

Breaking the Rules takes place in an RPG universe, and is the sequel to Bending the Rules. To understand the characters and how the world works, please start from Part 1 of either series. Not based on any particular gaming franchise or storyline, but there have been guest appearances.

It's finally here - the grand finale of Breaking the Rules! I hope you will all indulge me in a longer release, I did not want to divide up any smaller than this even if there's a lot to take in. More to follow in the afterword.

*****

"And you're sure we can't just bring her in through the front door?" Nuru said. "She's strong now. Scary strong."

"Listen, I know you haven't been to a lot of temples, but let me tell you something," Ace said. "There are a lot of wards there. Big ones, the strongest that exist are at temples, by most accounts, and the demon protections are the most powerfully crafted of them all. Faction headquarters are usually considered temples, as are the homes of archons, and demons intruding are a total sacrilege. You remember how upset people got about what you did at the temple in Home Town. So no, not even a berzerker archdemon could walk in that front door without an army; it's going to be hard enough to do from inside, and that's why she wanted Dayo to act as a diversion."

"They are not making an exception for her," Dayo said. "That was made abundantly clear to me during my training; the demon alarm is an all-hands event, no excuses. They don't care what we do outside of Chosen territory, but if any of us get caught on the premises with even a lesser demon, we're all gonna be in big trouble."

"So, middle of the night it is," Furaha said cheerfully.

"Valkyries are up the latest, usually wrapping up by 3 AM, and I've got a plan for dealing with Chibale. He never truly sleeps, if he's a reaver," Dayo said. "I just need a crap-ton of Fire Hand scrolls."

"You've got it," the thief replied. "What are you thinking?"

"Undead have one weakness we can exploit. I'm going to tell him to die in a fire, and make it compulsory," the valkyrie said.

Ace shook his head. "We'll have to keep him from running away. He's strong, he won't go down immediately. You need something he can't shake off."

"So, a power I don't use often is Scroll Infusion. Specters can take on buffs from scrolls I send them through when I summon them, just like if they used the scroll themselves, except there's a lower stack penalty in volume. It's expensive for temporary effect is why I don't usually bother, but if we get enough of them together, they can all do fire damage and grapple-attack until he hits Full Immolation status. We also need a trap to hold him so he can't reach water to save himself."

"I can arrange that, should be a simple modification of a standard ghoul repellant ward since he'd technically dead." Furaha said. "Damn. Closure at last."

"Win or lose, this one's going in the history books," Dayo said. "I know where I can get a bunch of high-level souls to make it stick, but we only get one shot at this."

"And you've got that ring taken care of?" Furaha said.

Nuru patted his spellbook. "I think I'll be able to get in without being limited to the frequency-pinned path."

"What can I do?" Ace said.

Nuru flipped the spellbook past the last scrolls he'd integrated before closing off the connection with his demon, and tore out the rest. "Why, you're going to make sure nobody in Chosen HQ gets up in the night when the alarm goes off."

"Make sure you start with Onyekachi," Dayo said.

Ace took the stack of Sleep Paralysis scrolls, and grinned.

*****

"So where's the altar go when Onyekachi turns in, if he doesn't just leave it there?" Nuru said, jogging alongside Dayo well past midnight, and they came up on the Faction HQ entrance.

"The vault, in what used to be the inner sanctum, but no one else is allowed in there without Onyekachi anymore. Except Chibale."

"And you think we can just walk in there and use it?"

"We can with a challenge coin."

"A what?"

Dayo pulled out her faction recognition amulet. "Challenge coin, rune coin, whatever. Mine won't get you into the inner chambers, but... well, leave that to me.!Tona Asirin Da Ka Zaba Dayo!" the valkyrie intoned, and the purple symbols appeared on its face. "That will get you and Ace past the basic wards for a few minutes, into the ceremonial storage area. I'm going to be... busy for a little bit, collecting those high-level souls. I'll come find you as soon as I can after I find Chibale and lure him outside. Good luck!"

So saying, the valkyrie took off down the corridor. With no time to waste, Nuru went down the hallways exactly as Dayo had described them. He reached a great door with a curious sort of lock in it, into which the amulet fit exactly, and the door unlocked with a loud series of clunks and metallic scrapes. He pushed the door open and looked around. There were a great many knicknacks, but the only thing standing out as untouched by clutter was the table with a velvet tablecloth, and the vault door which had no visible lock. Nuru walked over and pulled at the tablecloth. It came away easily, but covered a flat table with nothing obvious showing underneath the thin fabric - no engraving, no summoning sigil, nothing. He frowned, started looking around at the ceremonial objects cluttering the floor and shelves. He tore the tablecloth off impatiently. Out of the corner of his eye he spied something and turned back. He looked at the tabletop which was discolored in a particular shape. As a carpenter's son, he was sensitive to these details, even in the dim torchlight.

(Someone's not very good at matching wood grains.)

He probed the edges of the shape with his fingers, and found a notch he could pry against. The discolored shape pulled up and away, revealing another socket for an amulet. He put Dayo's amulet in it, but nothing happened.

"Damn, they were right," he muttered.

The sound of rapid footsteps caught his attention. Dayo popped in through the door, threw something at him, and dashed back away.

"I hope you know what to do with that! Guards are coming- I'll try to hold them off, but I'm running low on souls! Sorry about the smell!"

"Gods above and below!" Nuru said, gagging and holding the amulet as far away as he could. "Roasted undead is the worst."

He put it in the socket in the table, and the skeleton chasing its own head appeared. A rune lit up on the floor, and the vault door began to slowly draw upwards. He pulled out the Summoning Circle and a Full Summon scroll. The door slammed fully open, and Onyekachi stalked in, taller than Nuru remembered, with his own amulet dangling from a chain and with a glowing purple skull projecting out of it that strained as if trying to burst out and slay them both. He loomed over Nuru.

"Goddamn creaky bones... Gotcha, little thief! Wait. Nuru? Are you... lost?" Onyekachi said, squinting at him in confusion. "How... did you get in here? Weren't you cursed?"

There was commotion in the hall and Dayo came flying in through the door and crashed into a pile of the things that didn't break. Nuru cringed to watch it.

"You OK? What happ-" Nuru started to say.

Factioners crowded around the doorway, armed for a fight: the guards who were awake at night, from the faces Nuru remembered.

"Exalted old one, she's drained the Elders. Every last one of them."

"None other may enter! Bar the front gate! So, this is how you repay my generosity after all these years," Onyekachi said. "Dayo, I am so very disappointed. It wasn't enough to be equal to the men, oh no, even after your little word games of being neither man nor woman. You had to go and get *greedy*."

Dayo struggled to their feet, and the archon grabbed the valkyrie by the throat, to flail helplessly in the air, gasping for breath.

"Our prize collection, I gave you access to in order to learn the lessons of the past, to learn what proper behavior should be. And you break it, collecting all the souls together like a common parade of beasts to go questing with, to spend their priceless lives like so many arrows in your quiver. Everything the faction has worked so hard to achieve, the knowledge we have acquired - ruined!"

Onyekachi slammed Dayo up against the wall, dislodging books and more detritus to the floor.

"H-hurry... Nuru!" they gasped out. "Don't... worry about... me!"

Onyekachi looked over, seeing the rising vault door for the first time.

"Yeah, uh, no offense but there's something I have to do. It's kind of important," Nuru said, grimacing.

"What's this... you have turned my faction pet against me? And now you would take our most prized possession, the altar of Tumelo himself! CHIBALE!" Onyekachi howled. "YOU ARE SUMMONED WITH THE HIGHEST PRIORITY!"

He gestured, and a spectral parrot went flying out directly through the wall echoing the words.

Onyekachi dropped Dayo, who fell to the floor in a heap, coughing and wheezing. He turned to Nuru and stepped forward, in one pace reaching out and pincering at Nuru with his thumb and fingers as if to put a hole in Nuru with his fingernails. Nuru ducked and dodged, making full use of his evasion skills, holding carefully onto his shirt with his carefully-practiced misdirection firmly in mind.

"Come on, what's that you've got there?" Onyekachi said.

"You... all this time, I was just a pet to you!?" Dayo wailed.

"Did you ever think you would ever truly be equal?" Onyekachi hissed, not turning to face the valkyrie. "Of course you were a pet! We took bets on how long it would take you to break, and take one of us as your husband. No escape for you!"

Onyekachi lunged forward, fists smashing into the wall between Nuru and the door. He swept to the side, closing the door with a thunderous BOOM, right in the faces of the other Chosen. Onyekachi pressed Nuru to the wall, ignoring Dayo's attempts to batter him with their staff. Nuru fought a losing battle to hold onto his amulet.

"I'll deal with you in a moment, you traitorous bitch. But you, two-faced little bard... your time ends now."

Onyekachi smashed the amulet against the floor under his heel and stood back to watch, clearly expecting Nuru to be torn to pieces or something similarly dramatic. Nuru fell to the floor hearing Sanaa scream with passionate rage in his head, as she had apparently been doing for some time.

/Saha anu nyabut harta banda na, mugia anjeunna leungit tina pipikiran sareng ingetan! Janten wanoja atanapi anu nyabut harta Sanaa, mugia cacing, kanker, sareng ulat nembus panangan, sirah, suku, ogé anggota badan... sareng sumsumna... wait... that feeling... Nuru!?/

(Sorry, is this a bad time?)

/Go put maggots in your pee hold, traitor! See if I ever trust a human again!/

(I have an offer for you, limited time only: a choice. I will summon you here to the heart of Chosen HQ, where Tumelo's inner sanctum is linked, as you asked. Or, do nothing, and watch me die a horrible death for your pleasure. Think fast, because that's the default option.)

"Hmph. Are you pinned to this new frequency now? How boring." Onyekachi reared up, preparing to drive Nuru into the floor under his full body weight, started to charge forward, and hobbled to a sudden stop.

"You are not worthy to touch him," Dayo cried, scythe firmly planted in the archon's calf, pulling back with every ounce of strength. "Neither you nor your precious puppetmaster. He's dead."

"Just now figuring that out?" Onyekachi said, rolling his eyes, grunting with the first sign of pain.

"No, I've just proven what _you_ are. Lich! You claim the world for the living, but yourself cheat death to rule it all! You were the one that revived Chibale! You are the reason Tumelo has weakened, unable to recruit new members at a steady pace, by flaunting the Rules themselves!"

"Oh, yes. To what purpose would Tumelo let us die, to leave the faction bereft of the greatest leaders in history? Immortality is what we grant - yes, why not to our highest officers as well? I am so close, little girl. Rule One requires a twelfth immortal at all times. When the moons align, I will make the sacred ritual and absorb Tumelo himself into my soul. *I* will be that true immortal! The Chosen will be reborn into a glorious undead army, which can be revived endlessly without Resurrection!"

/All right. I accept your deal./

'!Jiki Kirawo Sanaa Most-Exalted-Sex-Goddess Devika-three-lessthan-exclaim-i-exclaim-i-exclaim!' he whispered, reading off the invocation.

Onyekachi gave a mighty backhand with an unnaturally long arm, and Dayo went flying with crushing force at the wall, too late using Shadow Walk to escape the blow, but soon enough to avoid directly splitting their skull on the rock wall and instead sailed from the far side of the room, then used Shadow Walk once more as they tumbled hard, then slowed before falling heavily into the debris on the floor, and struggled to their knees, but did not rise. Nuru watched as a dark fire sputtered on the Summoning Circle and then died.

/Shit! I can sense something blocking it, something close! Break everything!/

Nuru started shoving things off of shelves, kicking small tables over, cluttered with expensive knicknacks.

"Pah. Your weapon privileges are revoked," Onyekachi said, waving his hand.

The scythe vanished in a puff of smoke. Dayo's eyes went wide.

"I- I didn't know you could do that. I thought only Tumelo..."

"Of course you didn't. You think I tell you anything of real consequence?"

Onyekachi turned back to Nuru. "There now, it's been such an adventure, but you are beaten. Surrender, join us, and I will let you quest to repay the favor of leaving you alive. Your oath of silence will be most severe, of course, as will the cost of lifting your new curse."

Pulling up a spellbook from their inventory, the valkyrie chanted something softly, putting their Soul Crystal Lantern against the cover. A purple shape shot out, tearing through the book, scattering a flock of pages. The ghostly purple form of Chibale resolved with a confused look on his face.

"!Manufa Makiya Cikin Mutuwa!" Dayo chanted, pointing at Onyekachi.

Chibale turned, clearly fighting but unable to entirely resist the command. Onyekachi howled with laughter. "You would summon him now? Against ME!? Have you forgotten who I am?" He extended a hand, and a chest flopped open, revealing a dully-glowing purple crystal housed inside. The spectre was drawn swiftly into it. "Chibale will be wearing a new face next time you see him, but I'll be sure to let him come see you in prison, and show you how to properly serve the Chosen. We'll have to nip and tuck your ass to make you just right, shorten the spine a little, but-"

"Remind me again. Those capture c-crystals are pocket universes, yes?" Dayo stammered through bloody lips.

"In essence, yes."

"Then let's see what happens when a spirit infused with a scroll of Frequency Pinning will do to it. And all the protective enchantments you're using it to power."

Onyekachi stared at the tatters of a spellbook Dayo had dropped. The crystal began to rattle alarmingly in the mounting hardware.

"You... you couldn't. That's a curse."

"Which, if you remember, is a kind of enchantment," Nuru said, holding up his hand. "The curse is layered and the ring is still inescapably stuck to me, but the frequency pinning part could be diluted and transferred to scrolls. That pendant you broke - that was just how I was suppressing my demon pact, not how I got in."

"No... no! My power source, my-" Onyekachi said.

The crystal tore free, bounced up and shattered violently, throwing shards through the room. Dayo was behind Onyekachi and took none of the force; Nuru scooped up the Summoning Circle, ducked down behind the remains of the table and-

*****

"Hey! Hey, wake up!" Dayo smacked him across the face until he held a hand up. "You're at critical HP! Take a potion!"

/And then summon me, I demand you honor your offer!/

Onyekachi slumped against a wall, bleeding ichor, but mostly remained immobilized by shock. Nuru popped a health potion to stop the wounds from bleeding too badly, and pulled out the Summoning Circle.

(This better work. I've only got two Summon scrolls left.)

/Look around you! There's nothing intact left to block it. Do it!/

"!Jiki Kirawo Sanaa Most-Exalted-Sex-Goddess-Devika-three-lessthan-exclaim-i-exclaim-i-exclaim!" Nuru read quietly, unsure of his voice breaking if he spoke any louder.

The circle glowed, and a red light turned into the form of Sanaa, the succubus in the flesh. Somewhere off in the distance, a quick series of five thumps rumbled through the floors and walls. The succubus tilted her head, listening. Five thumps sounded again, and continued repeating.

"Ah, there goes the alarm. I hope you've got the reinforcements distracted," she said.

"Got it covered," Nuru nodded.

Onyekachi blinked, shook his head. "Pah, such foolishness. I've killed many of your kind in my day. Looks like I get to make this real tidy - I won't have to chase a single one of you down. You're not even helping me decide which of you to kill first. But I think I will save the succubus for last; I can enjoy the fruits of her flesh greatly before the end," Onyekachi said. "I can listen to the demon alarm stop with her heart, then merge her soul with that waitress wench you're sleeping with, and merge you all in that perfect succubus body and let the whole Faction use you-"

"I claim the challenge," Sanaa yelled. "!Kuring Nyungkeun Ritus Jalan Suci! None may interfere - that is the First Rule. There must always be twelve true immortals."

A bright light shone in front of the succubus, and the Limit Beaker vial hung in the air. The bottom bulb was frosted and engraved with runes, but towards the neck the crystal became clearer and Nuru could see some object inside.

"Ridiculous, everybody knows succubi aren't allowed to own factions. I've decided, wretch, you die first," Onyekachi said, snatching the vial away and raising it high to crush Dayo with. His hand froze. A large ghostly figure appeared around him, holding his arm.

"I am the Guardian," it said quietly, but with a piercing quality. "It is my duty to see the mantle passed on at the appointed time. Tumelo has lost his reins. A challenger has arisen. Stand aside."

"Oh, I forgot about you. But you have no power here-" Onyekachi started.

"FOOL. I WAS CREATED BY HE THAT CREATED THE GODS THEMSELVES. NO SIMPLE NECROMANCY CAN DESTROY MY POWER, TUMELO ALONE WAS ABLE TO SUPPRESS IT AND HE HAS DECLINED. YOU STAND IN THE WAY OF THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT, YOUR LIFE IS IN MY HANDS."

The Guardian punched an open hand straight into Onyekachi's chest, and flexed. Onyekachi's eyes went wide, and he crumpled to to the floor.

"My phylactery!" he cried. "You mustn't!"

The Guardian slowly became more and more solid. "On the contrary- in fact, it is my highest purpose to enforce the First Rule. Lie still, your part is done here." He held an ornate box in his hands, and placed one hand on top and the other on bottom to cover it protectively, but safely out of Onyekachi's reach.

"Recapture this monster, Dayo. All will be forgiven," Onyekachi pleaded. "Your crystal can hold him, just long enough!"

"While what you offer is necessary for me to even consider it, I find the reward insufficient," Dayo sneered.

"What else can I give you? EXP bonus on every quest, from my own personal store! Anything! Strike him down, retrieve my phylactery! I'll pay any price! Promote you to Blackguard! His form is weak still, your Soul Crystal-"

"Pass."

"But surely there must be someth-"

"YOU CALLED ME A BITCH TO MY FACE!" the battered valkyrie screamed. "A PET! I'll have nothing to do with you that doesn't involve your final death!"