Azarinth Healer

Chapter 861: Power

Chapter 861: Power

A four mark dwarf that can talk, just above one thousand but he feels way more dangerous than most of the creatures Ive recently faced. Maybe just because hes sapient? Is he a monster of some kind or is that a title? The Maker.

Yes, I did defeat that golem. Are you the source of the curse down here? Ilea said, hoping for more information. Of course she could tell that the curse emanated from the being before her, or from an item he carried. Perhaps he himself had been taken by the curse.

The dwarf sighed. A dimwit is it? He paused and cocked his head to the side slightly. And here I have to listen to your inane questions. He shook his head. Because you managed to kill enough creatures in the wild. His voice was calm, almost bored. His magic felt palpable, the curse stronger now, and the heat a constant presence.

Pretty rude to a visitor, for no reason too. Who are you? Ilea said.

The dwarf closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, tense for a moment before he seemed to calm once more. He opened his eyes three seconds later.

Power too finds those ignorant and uneducated. He twirled his hammer and squinted slightly. You are no more than a beast, he said and paced a few steps to the left, then back again. I congratulate you on your victory in Paarah, you must be very proud. A smile come and gone in mere instants. I will now remove you from these halls, the Maker spoke as magic exploded from his form.

Flowing silver came into existence, like rivers brought into life. Heat and fire spread out as the dwarf raised his hammer, the background whisper of a curse brought into the forefront of existence itself.

Ilea spread her wings and flew up, ash forming as white flame burst into life. She healed against the curse, her high resistance, fire, and reconstruction keeping back the strange intrusion. Heat flowed into her, the magic more benefit to her than damaging. Burning ash met silver.

Enchantments came to life within the wall and floor, reinforcements only as the doors shut. A taunt perhaps, for her to flee.

One way to remove me, I suppose. Ilea grinned. Perhaps the Druned had truly only sent her to remove the crowned golem, but either way, she had come here in search of a challenge, and maybe this was it.

She saw the dwarf send out five small fiery spheres and conjured ashen spears to meet them. Each was struck. Explosions of fire and heat reverberated through the hall, the spells pushing back against Ileas ash as silver rushed past and through. Embered Heart activated, burning away the approaching liquid metal as her ash reclaimed some of her surroundings. More spheres already came, and this time she transferred them right next to the dwarf.

Ilea didnt miss his brows rising ever so slightly, right before his own fire projectiles impacted the ground around him, fire and heat spreading out before it all coalesced around the hammer he raised up, a whirlwind building around the weapon before it was sent out towards her, burning ashen spears hitting floating silver disks that protected the dwarf.

Ilea charged her space manipulation and sent a wave against the whirlwind, fire lighting everything around them as the storm was pushed aside. Zipping spheres of fire continued flying her way, some directly, some in arcs. She teleported to the other side of the expansive forge as explosions reverberated throughout. Mana sacrificed, she summoned a large burning ashen spear and sent it down towards the stationary form of the dwarf, flying backwards to avoid the liquid silver rushing her way.

Continuous explosions resounded as silver spikes and spheres of fire now filled the air, the former targeted and following her form, the latter sending fire, heat, and shock waves through the hall. She saw her massive spear slowed and broken by the walls of silver, but some of her ash and fire got through. Ilea made it spread out as much as she could, covering the dwarf who summoned another layer of silver around him, shielding himself against the flame and ash.

Ill get you to move, Ilea thought as she felt the intensity of the whispers increase, the curse taking root within her despite all of her defenses. She could tell it affected everything, her resource regeneration mainly, but also her healing, which in turn raised the effects of the curse.

She teleported to avoid an incoming wave of silver, finding spheres of fire exploding right in front of her. She raised her arms and golden barriers, feeling the shock waves and the fire travel over and through her, sending her flying until she hit the wall with a heavy impact.

Her wings moved and kept her flying right when waves of silver splashed against the reinforced metal. Ilea teleported twice before summoning a gate in front of her, the second one right above the dwarf. Split seconds later, a slew of projectiles vanished and impacted his position instead as Ilea kept flying. She didnt register much of an impact but found the silver on her trail slowed for just a moment.

Enough time for her to summon her cannon and aim. One eye closed, Ilea sent the gathered heat back at the dwarf, the focused beam of white flame and energy cutting through the silver shields before it struck his chest armor.

An explosion of heat and white flame surged out as the dwarf took a step back, silver covering his entire form to rid him of the fire. He stood, a slight glow in his stone chest armor where the beam had struck, quickly cooling.

Ilea laughed as she was sent flying by more fire explosions, teleporting in the midst of a tumble before she kept on flying, sending out ashen spears. Much of the ground was covered now in silver, the curse once more intensifying.

Made you move, she said and activated the sphere like golden shield of the Azarinth Star, her teleports on cooldown as a wave of silver reached her, new ash not quite forming fast enough to counter his metal. The shield cracked but got her enough time to defend herself with a wave of space magic. Ilea surmised that getting covered in silver was a bad idea. The curse already lowered her regeneration and her healing.

Might be a risk but lets give it a shot, Ilea thought as she saw the dwarf raise his free arm, the new action interrupting her train of thought.

Purple lightning arced around one of the runed bracers, a three meter long spear of arcane lightning thrumming to life, near as broad as the dwarf himself, sparks moving over his form, some touching the ground. He turned slightly as he aimed, silver eyes towards Ilea, liquid metal still following her flying form.

She watched him throw the spear, the projectile nearly vanishing, it was that fast. Even her precognition had a hard time keeping up, but her perception didnt slow. Ilea was struck right before she could summon her gates again, an explosion of lightning and arcane power shredding through the ground and wall, through her mantle, her skin, muscle, and her organs. It was slowed by her resistance, a large amount absorbed as she grit her teeth, healing against the damage even with her reconstruction weakened by the curse.

Ilea kept flying, teleporting to avoid the flowing silver, smoke rising from her form as glowing lines of purple energy pulsed on her remaining mantle and now exposed skin where the lightning had passed. The wounds recovered and her ash healed as she grinned. Good thing I spent so much time in the storms.

Her ability to take the direct hit and stay in the battle seemed to give the dwarf pause, only his silver moving as Ilea continued to avoid the metal. The longer the fight took, the more resilient she would get, and so far, she hadnt even used her fourth tier.

But the same is true for him.

Finishing her thought from before he had used the arcane lightning, Ilea summoned Silent Memory. Knowing that the crown had brought her here, seeing all the silver, and the description of identify. She at least wanted to know if he would react, and if the hammer would act any different.

Silver threads moved around her arm and the gem glowed with power. With me? she sent to the artifact but received no response.

The dwarf however, stopped the flowing metal for a moment, all of it splashing against the floor. He looked at her and started laughing, the sound reverberating through the hall.

And I had wondered, if anyone would wield it. He grinned wide, his mouth opening before it snapped shut. A Monarch perhaps, or one of the Ancients, he spoke, his words quick and quiet. But a human, blessed by the Fae, equipped with mundane creations like the Azarinth Star. A murmur this time. He raised his own hammer as fire surged in the entire hall. Come then, he spoke, his words this time almost lively.

If that isnt a cue, Ilea thought and threw her hammer at the dwarf. She followed as spheres of fire were cut through by silver threads, the divine weapon sent flying by the resulting explosions as Ilea pushed through, arcane surging through her body right when her burning ash hit silver. She teleported, close now, to the dwarf. Silver enveloped her wings and legs, her fist crashing into a shield of silver. Fire, heat, and arcane energies exploded outwards.

She was there, her other first moving close. Ilea saw flickering purple light, right before her hit connected. All the mana she tried to send into the dwarf, spreading outwards, most of it returning back to her. She watched the framework of the silver as it eroded her ash, finding herself unable to even send channeled destructive healing into the dwarf standing right before her.

He watched, with silver eyes, scoffing before he moved to turn away and towards the anvil, right before she vanished.

Ilea closed the distance as the silver previously covering her collided, she saw the dwarf turn towards her once again. A few layers of her mantle were gone, but her flesh was protected by the arcane energies within her. Fire surged as Embered Heart spread out to push away the shields in front of him, her fist rushing out once more, and again she saw the sliver of void magic cross his form. From the other bracer.

Her fist connected, the strike however entirely physical. A boom resounded, a shock wave rushing out as the dwarf was sent skidding over the burning and silver covered floor. Ilea didnt gloat, she didnt wait. She closed the distance. Her next strike slamming into silver, more of her ash flowing out to set the dwarf alight. Again she got close and this time it was he who vanished. She attached herself to his spell, her fist rushing forward right when they appeared, just as a flash of fire and heat passed over her. She kept going, his eyes wide when the strike connected with his chest.

Again he was sent skidding over the ground. He groaned, a smile now on his face. Very well.

Ilea was already there, feeling the magic coalesce next to him but she kept her eyes on her target, fiery explosions slowing her charge as her approaching hammer was flung aside yet again. She jumped back when she felt his spell manifest.

A silver sphere floated next to him, expanding until it molded into a humanoid shape. His shape. He looked the same, felt the same. The only difference Ilea could see was the power she felt from the armor and hammer of the original. It would not be difficult to tell them apart, and so she attacked, only to hit a tide of silver, far more than he had wielded as of yet.

Double the creation, she thought, sending in burning ash as she tried to get close, the silver eating away at her mana whenever she touched it. Worse however was the whispering curse. She felt it twice, her healing slowing even more, her regeneration lowered to a point where she started to rely on absorption more than Meditation. Every bit she lost touching the silver would be more difficult to get back. She teleported away, the glow of her runes waning as she healed her body, not going down to half of her health, considering the position too dangerous to be in.

The spells coming her way did not stop, forcing her to dodge, summon shields, gates, and to teleport, but now with everything doubled, she could no longer keep up with him.

The dwarf and his copy stood close to one another, the original sometimes throwing spears as they battered down her defenses.

Ilea was forced to use Primordial shift after a few seconds, the increased healing and absorption replenishing her resources in mere moments as the two dwarves covered her burning domain with silver, explosions of fire reverberating with a dull noise that did not quite reach her. Bright fires kept everything at bay. Ilea took in a deep breath, feeling the whispering curse somewhere nearby. Not quite as present but not gone either, its effects still lingering in her body.

Alright. Back into it. She heard a whisper. Closer than before, as if it was right next to her. A shiver went through her as the Shift ended. She teleported away from the cascade of silver crashing onto her from all around. What the fuck was that. There was no time to consider, Ilea back on the defense. She caught her hammer, the silver threads helping as much as they could, golden shields summoned and shattered a split second later.

Silver burned into her mantle, explosions of fire ripping through her, not the heat, but the pressure itself damaging and pushing her aside as she tried to get closer to the two dwarves standing at the center of the hall. It looked as if the ground was a lake of silver by now, waves and spikes moving out to catch her flying form. The heat had picked up too, far enough for her to notice slight damage to her organs.

I have to get rid of that copy.

As much as she wanted to focus on the original, she didnt know how much damage she had dealt with the few hits she got in. His armor looked undamaged, and the dwarf himself didnt seem bothered at all, the two slinging out spells as if they had an infinite amount of mana.

Fuck. Maybe hes absorbing my spells too.

The thought was sobering, Ilea teleporting when a set of spheres exploded next to her, shields shattered and silver threads pushed aside. She appeared to a shower of silver spears, two gates protecting her, but a few well angled projectiles still struck her armor, spreading out more than piercing, fighting against the fires of creation that clung to her skin and mantle.

A small opening showed and Ilea sent out three burning ashen spears filled with heat, this time aimed at the copy. She raised her brows when she saw the thing teleport away, appearing with a fiery explosion of its own when the heat within her spears expanded, the nearby original protecting himself with a few layers of silver.

Fuck it.

Her fourth tier came alive again and she rushed down, transferring to reach the copy and attaching herself when it used its own teleportation. She spread fire and ash, her limbs digging into the silver form as she punched into him. Ilea followed his skidding form, spikes and waves of silver slowing her approach as explosions of fire wracked through her insides. She teleported again as soon as she could, out of the silver and next to the copy. Another punch, this time with intrusion. And it wasnt blocked, her destructive mana flowing into it as she added reversed reconstruction to the mix.

Her mana was burned away, the curse coupled with all the damage she took from the silver and explosions took their toll. And even so, she only got in a few hits. A last teleport before she raised her arm, Embered Heart rushing out with chaotic energy from right next to the copy, her aura activating before it could teleport away. Its spell failed and her fires burned into the silver shields and through the being. Her aura gone again, she teleported up and flew fast to avoid the incoming spells, however she found there was nothing coming for her.

Her hammer flung itself up towards her, Ilea catching it as her runes faded, her body frayed as she healed herself with her third tier. Most of her mana was gone, slowly replenishing with all of the surrounding magic.

The copy, she saw, had dissolved, and the original stared at where the thing had stood.

He looked up to her as wings grew out of his back, made of flesh and partially covered by what looked like white feathers.

A beast you remain, he spoke and nodded, as if to himself, the wings moving once to bring him upwards. Not towards her but above the ground still mostly covered in liquid silver. But. I will acknowledge your ability to fight, and to resist my magic. His voice now did not sound bored nor condescending.

The dwarf let go of his hammer, the tool floating next to him as he spread his arms and closed his eyes.

It is a testimony to your journey. Power surged with the words spoken, the whispers all around turned manifest. Flames flickered and died as true darkness came into the hall.

Ilea saw him with her dominion, in the center of the hall. All noise was gone for a moment as the whispers turned into the sound of ocean waves. Serene. Quiet. Endless.

Sanguerrihn, they called me, his voice echoed through what now felt like an endless void.

The curse lain upon this world. First enchanter of Paarah.

Something changed all around.

She felt cold.

Feel honored and let your heart fill with dread.

The curse did not expand, it simply was. And everything else decayed.

Time slowed as Ileas perception accelerated. She felt the curse seep into her, Primordial Shift activating as the quiet waves resounded still. Her flame flared and waned just as quickly. She felt it, in everything that she was.

And then she felt a presence. Something that was not, and yet it was here.

The primordial shift ended and she teleported out of the forge, summoning a gate to Kohr as she felt her very self decay. Whatever it was, she could not bring it anywhere close to her allies.

Flying through, Ilea severed the link immediately. Her wingless form slapped against the salt stone, blood flowing onto the ground as she felt her very soul burn with pain. She could not see with her eyes for they were gone. Skin was stripped and muscle decayed, her wounds refusing to heal. And so she lay there, and kept herself awake.