Demoness 2 - Chapter 53 - Armory (Patreon)

Elania woke up feeling drained, the events of the previous day still weighing heavily on her mind.

She dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to help her focus.

The reflection in the mirror told her what she had already noticed: she looked like shit, felt like shit. It wasn’t exactly the same as an ill-planned hangover, but it was close enough.

Yolani wasn’t around, so she was alone. Moving back to the bed to sit, she decided to experiment with her [Status] and [System]interface.

[Status: Elania Reyes]

[Level 121 Lesser Demon (Ascendant)]

[Karma: 12243]

[Power: 1659/1688]

[Perks: (Soul Siphon - Visible) (Summoned from Another World!) (Regeneration) (Demonic Transformation)]

[Class: Artificer Shop Assistant]

[Skill Slots: 4]

[Slotted Skills: Improvised Combat (Rank S+), Enhanced Mana Sensing (Rank C), Mana Manipulation (Rank S+), Demonic Aura (Rank A) (Deactivated)]

[Affinities: (Demonic), (Mana), (Darkwalker)]

[Magical: Artifice (Rank D), Elemental Affinity (Rank E), Presence Concealment (Rank D)]

[Physical: Stealth (Rank S+), Martial Bladesmanship (Rank C), Body Conditioning (Rank D), Mobility (Rank C), Darkvision (Rank B) (Activated), Throwing (Rank S+), Tracking (Rank S+), Archer (Rank E)]

[Mundane: Identify (Rank B), Universal Speech (Rank S), Reading (Rank A), Writing (Rank B), Crisis Management (Rank S+), Navigation (Rank D), Negotiation (Rank B), Intimidation (Rank D), Bribery (Rank C), Basic Handcrafting (Rank D)]

Well, it didn’t look like much had changed at all, despite all the carnage she had committed. That wasn’t normal. It was annoying her. She didn’t understand why it wasn’t working like it had before. It wasn’t just her [Ascendant] status because things had been fine after receiving it.

The adventure into Ranolf’s Kennels and recovering the Hornar Antlers…

Things had started to go awry when she’d started chopping people in the Conclave Fortress, as best as she could remember.

The interface seemed more stable than before. Her [Divinity] essence was much lower than before… so maybe that had something to do with it? Did the [System] not like working for beings with high [Divinity] or something?

A frown appeared on Elania’s face. When she was transformed into a Darkwalker, the interface didn’t work at all.

Maybe the two weren’t really related? It didn’t show up when in Darkwalker form because it wasn’t… they weren’t normally sapient like a human?

Then for her seraph form and high [Divinity] it sort of went fuzzy?

She knew the [System]had been made by the gods, at least that’s what she’d been told. Maybe since the [Divinity] was from two different sources they interfered with each other?

Elania shook her head. She was grasping at straws.

She flicked open her [Soul Management] page to examine her essence composition.

[Soul Management]

[Darkwalker Essence: 39%, Human Essence: 40%, Divine Essence: 21%]

Well, that was in line with what she remembered before passing out. She’d almost expected to be transformed back into a human because of the sudden shift, but that hadn’t happened.

A spark of intention brought her wings back into existence, the ethereal appendages materializing behind her. Elania reached back and grasped one, pulling it forward to scrutinize it.

The once-lustrous feathers seemed dimmer; their divine glow significantly diminished. She supposed that made sense—less [Divinity], less divine-looking wings.

She wondered if they’d turn black if she didn’t have any [Divinity] left at all, or if she would revert to her human form.

Elania sighed and let go of her wing, then stood up. Soul-searching and introspection could be put on hold long enough for her to get properly dressed. She walked over to the dresser and noticed a new set of clothes had been laid out for her.

Yolani must have brought them in while she was asleep.

The outfit comprised a pair of well-fitted trousers, a comfortable tunic, and a set of sturdy leather armor.

Several belts and loops adorned the ensemble, providing ample space for holding various tools and supplies. A pack sat nearby, ready to be filled with necessities for their upcoming mission.

It wasn’t as big as she was used to, but it was narrow in the middle and the main back hung low. Perfect for fitting someone with wings…

That was a nice thought, but since she could make her wings ethereal at will, maybe not strictly necessary. The appendages were definitely metaphysical about how they worked.

As Elania donned the new attire, she noticed a handwritten note tucked beneath the pack.

She recognized Yolani’s elegant script immediately. “I’m in the workshop. Come get the rest of your stuff before going out.”

Elania’s first thought on opening the door to the adjoining workshop was that someone had installed great soundproofing. Maybe magical soundproofing?

A dozen artificers were hard at work, tinkering with an array of firearms and cannons. The air buzzed with the sounds of metal on metal and the occasional hiss of steam.

In the corner, Yolani hunched over a workbench, her attention focused on a pair of bracers. Elania approached her, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“Hey,” she said, announcing her presence.

Yolani looked up from her work, her green eyes sparkling with warmth as they met Elania’s. “Hey, you look better,” she replied, setting down her tools. “I see you found the new outfit I left for you. It suits you well.”

Elania returned Yolani’s smile, grateful for her friend’s thoughtfulness. “Thanks for the new gear. It fits perfectly.”

Yolani’s expression grew more serious. “We got word that the fighting has turned tense in the Noble district. The Lightbringers are trying to push out into the other districts, but they’ve been contained so far.”

She held up the bracers for Elania to inspect.

Half a dozen mana shards gleamed on the inside of each bracer, a thin layer of cloth covering them. “These will allow optimal access to the shards for you, while protecting your skin from abrasion.”

Elania took the bracers, turning them over in her hands. “Thank you, Yolani. These are perfect.”

She slipped the first one on, the weight of the mana shards a reassuring presence against the insides of her forearms. “The mana shards are pretty high quality.”

Yolani nodded. “Keswick had two dozen full shards brought to us, plus a ton of empty shock crystals. We have plenty of work to do already.”

Elania ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the bracers, feeling the power thrumming within the shards. It was much better than the ad hoc bracelet she had fashioned and blown up in Elder Winx’s face.

Elania’s gaze drifted to the box of shock crystals sitting on the workbench. She furrowed her brow. “Who’s going to refill these? It takes a lot of [Power] to charge them up.”

Yolani gave her a look. “Who do you think? We don’t have any other demons in the tower, and manually extracting and transferring from the mana shards would be pretty… wasteful.”

Elania groaned. “There are so many.”

She picked up one of the empty shock crystals, turning it over in her hand. The clear, faceted surface caught the light, reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors across her palm.

“There are a lot. It will take a couple of hours,” Yolani agreed. “Still, this just represents the ones shot by the snipers on the tower…”

“There’s no way the two of us can maintain the ammo supply of the entire Guard,” Elania muttered. “How are we going to deal with that?”

Yolani shook her head. “We’re the only team in the tower for this, anyway. The cannons can operate on full mana shards, but there is only so much [Power] available. The Guard Fortress has its own teams for ammo, but they’re probably much more strained that we will be.”

“They have their own demons for transfers?” Elania asked, surprised.

“The acquisition was after Ranolf’s shop went out, but yes. They have a few in-house artificers. It was one of the things I suggested to Bannon. Still, they were having to outsource work to us and anyone they could find, anyway,” Yolani replied.

Well, complaining was only wasting time.

“We should get to work,” Elania said, her tone resolute. She set the crystal back in the box and rolled up her sleeves, ready to begin the process of charging the shock crystals.

Yolani nodded in agreement, her own determination mirroring Elania’s. She grabbed a handful of mana crystals and placed them on the workbench, arranging them in a neat row. “I’ll prepare the mana shards while you focus on channeling your [Power] into the crystals. When you get low, you can drain one of the mana shards.”

The process wasn’t particularly draining, just… routine. It was something they had done a thousand times together already. The familiarity led to them working in tandem, Yolani handling the task of opening the crystals for transfer while Elania maneuvered the [Power]into place.

Hours passed as promised, and the pile of empty shock crystals began to dwindle as the corresponding pile of ready-to-use musket ammo grew.

When they were almost done, a messenger entered and headed straight for Elania.

Elania felt self-conscious as the man bowed to her. “Magister Keswick sends word that Magister Astolf has requested reinforcements to hold the Lightbringers back at the Noble District causeway. If the honored demoness would care to assist, she should prepare.”

Well, that was a bit to take in. Honored Demoness? Was that her title now?

Elania and Yolani exchanged a look.

“I’m going,” Elania declared, her eyes hardening with determination as she set down the last charged crystal.

Yolani nodded. “We should have finished your new rifle first. I haven’t even started on it.”

“That’s fine. What about that promise about an armory? Is there a magic destiny sword or something hidden away in there for me?” Elania asked.

Yolani blinked. “A what?”

“I’m joking. Sort of. A sword and a knife to replace my Vorpal one would be nice.” Elania stood up and let out a tense breath.

“Let’s go look,” Yolani said.

The messenger led them through the Magistry halls, but the armory wasn’t that far. He left them to pick through what they wanted and report to Keswick.

It didn’t take long to find a seemingly durable sword that had an enhanced sword. The choices for daggers were much more limited, but she found a serviceable standard steel one that fit easily on her belt loop.

Both would be excellent additions to her seraph light-based powers. Fighting the Elders had proven that using those all the time would never be something to rely on.

The nearest exit point of the tower wasn’t actually the ground floor when you had wings, so they found one of the exterior doors that led to a lookout platform. The guard manning the station was a bit surprised at their arrival but gave them space.

Elania looked back at her friend. “I’ll be back.”

Yolani nodded, her expression a mix of concern and support.

“Be careful out there,” she said, her green eyes searching Elania’s face. “I’ll be here, working on more ammo and weapons. I’ll have your rifle rebuilt when you get back.”

Elania placed her hand over Yolani’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I will. Keep the workshop running smoothly. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Elania stepped up onto the parapet of the lookout platform, her gaze fixed on the distant city cavern walls. She took a deep breath, feeling the cool air fill her lungs, and let her divine essence surge with a brief pulse of [Power].

Her wings materialized with only a little additional effort. The guard behind her gasped loud enough to be heard while Yolani called out for her to be careful.

Be careful. Elania nodded. She would do her best.

With a powerful beat, she launched herself into the air, the wind rushing past her face as she soared higher and higher. When she was high enough to touch one of the now permanently stuck on light stones, she stopped to hover.

The city sprawled out below her, a maze of winding streets and towering buildings. Chasms separated the districts, bridges made little paths between them, and waterfalls tumbled down into the abyssal lakes below.

Smoke was everywhere, and she was sure if the city’s filtration system wasn’t working to purge and purify the air, they’d all be suffocating already.

Elania angled her wings, banking towards the Noble district.

As she drew closer, the sounds of battle reached her ears. The clashing of steel and the cries of the wounded mingled with the distant roar of explosions. Small pockets of fighting in the disjointed no-man’s-land of the districts themselves.

The Noble district looked particularly aflame.

Smoke billowed from every terraced level of the district, obscuring the once-pristine facades of the noble houses.

The main elevator, a massive structure that connected the city to the surface, was a hive of activity as enemy troops poured down into the streets below.

Elania considered flying higher to scout out the situation, but a glint of metal caught her eye.

The gate she had been asked to defend needed support. Part of its wall had crumbled, and some of the wooden braces were smoldering. It looked like it had already been assaulted multiple times.

Elania folded her wings and dove towards the gate, the wind whipping through her hair as she plummeted towards the fray.