The Eldritch Realms Pt. 02

"Alright, both of you, let's go home."

As soon as we went home, a messenger came to us, ordering me to report to the Tower of Mist. I hurried with the messenger. I ascended the Tower quickly before entering Lord Autumn's room. He was accompanied by Caitlyn, Andrea, and Seira. A communication orb laid nicely on the table. "Lord Autumn. You are looking for me, I suppose?"

"Call me Karl," he said. "And yes. I've heard of your escapades in Minaria. Well done. Now I'm going to discuss about your further training. Anna!"

A blonde woman Karl called Anna came. "Yes, Master," she answered.

"Have you looked for a suitable teacher?"

"Unfortunately, Master, the lust magic users of our own realm are either too specialized, too weak, or simply unwilling to teach," she said. "But I've secured Ivala's agreement."

Karl sighed. "Isn't Ivala that one foul-mouthed succubus in the meeting?" I wondered.

"Yes. I'd prefer not asking her, since I don't like being in another's debt, but she's indubitably very competent. The best lust magic user in all the worlds, I dare say. She was my teacher," Karl said. "She'll be teaching you lust magic. After that, we'll see if you're strong enough to study eldritch magic."

"That my cue?"

A black haired succubus teleported in. "Hello there, I'm Ivala," she said, shaking my hand. "I used to be a war hero, a top-tier lust magic user, and a respected councillors. Apparently my job now involves teaching young adults how to fuck properly."

"Er, how to use lust magic properly, I presume?" I asked awkwardly.

"Synonyms," she replied carelessly. "But hey, if your abilities... and your cock... can rival your predecessor over here, who has depreciated himself to some dude behind a desk trying to figure out economics and shit, this ought to be interesting."

"... let's hope we didn't make a mistake by calling her, Master," Caitlyn muttered.

"For all her faults, Ivala is very powerful. I studied under her in the past," Karl said. "So-"

The communication orb glowed red. Lady Magna's projection appeared. "Karl! There's an emergency!"

"What is it?" Karl asked, standing from his seat.

"There is a massive attack from the south! A storm of black clouds, fireballs, and windstorms!" she said. "It's heading towards the whole continent. I've alarmed the nobles in my region and Anise. I'll begin a warding using my spatial magic to take out as many as possible that are targeting Phantasma."

"How much time do we have?" Karl growled.

"Fifteen minutes, more or less. I'm beginning the warding now. I leave the rest to you!"

"Caitlyn, defend Tar Cavel. Andrea, contact Kanako and have her order the Phantoms to protect whatever is near them, overriding their current orders and prioritizing farmlands and population centres. Seira, warn every single mage guild and religious organization that can be contacted. Anna, alert the embassies of other countries! "

He meddled with the orb, summoning many a nobles. Their projections, or at least projections of their heads, appeared. "Everyone, listen. There is no time for pleasantries. A massive spell assault is attacking us and will arrive in a quarter of an hour. Command your mages, send the word to the lesser nobles, activate the barriers of your cities!"

"Lord Autumn, are you abs-"

"Absolutely sure. High Lady Magna has peered using her spying orb, and I believe we all know better than to doubt her magical abilities. We speak again when the crisis is averted."

I communciated psychically to Cassy. "Cassy, we have an emergency here."

"Master?" she replied. "What is it?"

"In fifteen minutes, there's a likelihood that our home will be under spell attacks. Have Eliza be on the watch and prepare for the possibility that we have to evacuate."

"Yes, Master!"

I was rushed to Tar Cavel as I cut my communications with Cassy. A few minutes later, a flurry of black fireballs approached from a far distance. The city's magical shielding was up. I joined Caitlyn on the tallest tower around. "Caitlyn?" I asked. "Only the two of us?"

"All the local mages are reinforcing the barrier, while the Phantoms have been sent to other possible targets," she said. "Focus. We have to take down as many as possible so that the city's defences are not worn down."

The attack approached like a storm from hell: many tens of ginormous, black fireballs descended upon the city. "Shit!" I cursed. I gathered as much power as possible on my both hands. "Heah!"

My palms expelled massive beams of mana, but even they could only take down two or three of the fireballs and I had expended most of my mana. "Not bad, Robin," Caitlyn said. "Leave the rest to me."

She conjured many great bolts of shadow, which she hurled upwards. She weaved her shadows so quickly I could barely watch her hands move as she sent bolt after bolt at the approaching attack. In the end only six or seven breached through Caitlyn's counterattack, and they were held off and neutralized by the barrier.

"Holy shit," I mumbled.

Caitlyn was out of breath, but the vampire soon composed herself. "Huft... that was harder than expected," she muttered. "Okay, let's get back to the Tower of Mist."

Caitlyn and I returned. Cassy sent me a short psychic message via our connection, confirming that our home was safe. We were called into a small meeting attended by Karl, Ivala, Andrea, Kanako, Seira, and Anna in the former's office.

"I have maintained communication with the nobility. No major cities, farmlands, or key industry areas were hit, so our economy should stay more or less intact. A few towns and villages were impacted, but aid from neighboring towns should arrive soon. Anna, Seira, report," Karl began.

"The mage guilds and religious organizations mostly defended their own neighboring areas well, with a number of the most established mage guilds helping the local nobility repel the attacks. The religious organizations also helped maintain order, with the exception of the Church, which remains as stubborn as ever," Seira reported.

"Our warnings were heeded mostly in the Baroque States and some parts of Acacia, mostly those under heavy influence from the Steward. They endured relatively well, but the southern parts of Acacia were badly devastated. Most other minor nations endured, if only because little harm came to them in the first place."

"Maluscia?" Karl asked.

"That is the strangest. Maluscia was utterly unprepared, but at the last moment powerful barriers were erected, protecting major cities," Kanako reported.

"Right, fuckers, take a look at what I found," Ivala interrupted, putting a piece of black crystal on the table. "I think we all know what a clusterfuck we're facing."

The black crystal was radiating eldritch energy. "So it was Eris," Caitlyn concluded.

"I'll still teach Robin. As a half-demon, he may as well be one of the few potent weapons against Eris," Ivala said. No longer was her face childish and no longer did she curse excessively. "But we must all act. Last time Morgana, Eris' lackey, moved, we all suffered terribly. We cannot allow that to happen again. I will gather my resources in the demon realm."

Our meeting was cut short by loud thunder outside, followed by powerful winds. We all went outside, nervous that it was yet another assault. "Harken!"

Instead, from the brewing storm emerged a ghastly woman. "Harken, peoples of the world. I am Gaia, Goddess of the Forests, Patron of the Elves. Alas, I came here with a warning," the figure said. "A new evil terrorizes us. Its deathly claws began to probe for weakness. Its name is Eris, Eris the Evershadow. She is a terrible deity, an abomination hell-bent on reshaping the world. Peoples of the world, I implore, nay, I command you to set aside your petty disputes and unite, for if Eris prevails there shall be no future for us all. I return now to the forests of the north where I dwell!"

The storm subsided. For a moment none of us could speak anything out of astonishment. "What the hell?" Ivala broke the silence. "Who is she?"

"No idea, but I presume it's safe to assume she's the one raising Maluscia's defences," Karl said.

"For whatever it's worth, I can confirm she has at least dabbled in the Eldritch Realm," Ivala added. "Anyway, I'm off. Let's make sure we can fight Eris when the time comes." She disappeared.

"... this changes nothing for now," Karl admitted bitterly.

"Robin, you will still study lust magic under Ivala. Caitlyn, form an elite Imperial Guard to improve our military strength. Andrea, begin increasing the royal army to five, no, seven thousand men. Expand our militia training programmes and make sure our airship fleet is always ready to fight. Anna, Seira, continue diplomacy, especially with Acacia and the Baroque States. Kanako, begin investigating Gaia in the Eldritch Realm and continue rooting out Eris' cultists," he said.

I look at the cloudy sky. My hand trembles a bit, but I clenched my fist. There wouldn't be second chances, there wouldn't be any guarantee that I would be coming out in one piece.

The war began.