Apostles of Doom

Talarius choked on his ale, nearly spitting it out. The what?

The saint and archon I worked with in Astlan, Ruiden said. They were investigating the mana stealing and your abduction.

Talarius was left speechless, or rather thoughtless. There had been a saint and an archon investigating his abduction? That was… was… unbelievable. He could not possibly believe he was so important as to warrant an archon and saint investigating him.

Who were you working with? Talarius asked. On second thought, the mana theft would not have gone unnoticed; it was completely unprecedented. It was probably that which concerned them the most.

The principal investigator was one Saint Hilda of Rivenrock, Ruiden said.

The one who specializes in Unlife? Talarius asked.

Not that she mentioned, but I really know nothing of Tierhallon and its inhabitants, Ruiden said.

Who was the archon? the knight asked, lifting his mug to finally take another drink.

He called himself Beragamos Antidellas, Ruiden said.

Talarius almost spit out his ale. Beragamos Antidellas! The Right Hand of Tiernon? He felt as if he were about to fall off his stool.

I did not hear his title. Older fellow, short white hair, Ruiden added.

Talarius gasped, placing his forearms on the bar and resting his head in his hands. Could this day get any more surreal?

Citadel Command Center: Early Fifth Period

Teragdor had to keep a hand on the large map table that he had front row access to. Could this day get any more surreal? he wondered.He was standing next to Rasmeth on one side and Grob Darkness Slayer on the other. They were watching as the ten most senior avatars of the Five Siblings on Nysegard calmly debated the battlefield they were all at the center of.

Even the huge, battle-hardened orc high commander next to him seemed to share his awe. They were in the presence of divine beings who were strategizing on how to obliterate the Forces Of Darkness. He noted that further back in the room, several people were even on their knees.

To say that the denizens of the Citadel had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the Five Siblings would have to be one of the biggest understatements that Teragdor could even conceive of. He had thought he’d been inured to divinity with his prior experiences, but this was overwhelming.

“Never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned this — no one in Nysegard could have!” Leighton whispered. The priest of Krinna was standing just behind and between Teragdor and Rasmeth. “And to have this close of a view? I owe you a debt that I can never repay.” Leighton shook his head.

Rasmeth twisted his head to look at Leighton, and whispered back, “Do not think we do not feel the same awe. This is beyond anything in our wildest imaginations.”

“Elden?” Ashena Brightfeather, Prophetess of Krinna, asked the vicar warden. “You report that at midday the Sky Wardens spotted forest fires behind the Armies of the Night?”

“Indeed, Prophetess — about half a league behind their encampment,” Elden replied. “We have noted this in every direction that we have sent the Wardens to look. Unfortunately, we dare not get too close, or we risk counter-attack from their forces.”

“Why would they hem themselves in with forest fires?” Seliana, Attendant Archon for Hendel, asked.

“Unless they are not planning to keep the fires going,” Fassbindr, Prophet of Torean, answered. “This sounds more like they are creating a fire line; they are clearing forest for some reason.”

“Indeed,” Melona Treman, Krinna’s archon agreed. She looked down at the board. “This map is to scale?”

“It is.” Grob said from beside Teragdor.

“Very well; we shall use the Eye of Krinna.” Melona extend her right arm over the closest part of the map to her, where they thought the fire line should be. She raised her other hand palm up, drawing their attention to the air above the table, and began chanting softly.

The air above them became distorted and within moments, everyone in the room was looking at an aerial view of the region. They could easily see part of the massive army surrounding the Citadel; in particular, enormous white tarps that were covering the Atun-sensitive members of the army during the day.