Demoness 2 - Chapter 82 - Three Way Chaos (Patreon)

Elania gasped as she plummeted into the essence realm, the looming shadow of the Celestial Engine engulfing her. The clink of chains haunted her as she moved, the restraints following her even into the mind space. They didn’t hinder her, though.

A desperate thought flashed through her mind - if she expelled all her [Divinity], perhaps the magical restraints Keswick had bound her with would weaken.

When the Conclave elders had attempted to chain her before, lower [Divinity] seemed to diminish the effectiveness of their bonds.

Time moved slower in the essence realm, but Elania knew she had only a fleeting window to purge the [Divinity] from her body.

She wrenched open her connection to the engine as wide as it would go. The [Divinity] began to pour out of her, the engine gulping it down.

A gust of wind at her back made Elania whirl around.

Hovering before her was Eziel in his fully armored seraph form. His massive wings unfurled, the golden sword she had once wielded gripped in his hand. Golden orbs replaced his eyes as he stared at her, unblinking.

Slowly, deliberately, Eziel raised the sword, pointing it directly at Elania.

His voice resonated through the essence realm, echoing with an otherworldly power. “Elania, Daughter of Earth, how are you to be judged?”

Elania’s heart raced, her mind reeling as she faced the seraph. The [Divinity] continued to drain from her body, but she barely noticed, her attention fixed solely on Eziel.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Eziel’s gaze bore into her, unwavering. The golden sword glinted in the ethereal light of the essence realm, its point never wavering.

“Speak, child of earth,” he commanded, his voice thundering through the void. “Your actions have brought you before the judgment of the divine. What say you in your defense?”

Elania’s hand shot out, gripping the edge of the blade. She drew the blade to her forehead, the cold metal biting into her skin as she hissed at the seraph.

“Judge all you want,” she shouted, her voice raw with defiance. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect what matters most to me.”

Blood trickled down her face, mingling with the beads of sweat that had formed.

Crimson droplets fell and then dissolved into the essence-laden air as they descended.

For a moment, the only sound was the thrumming of the Celestial Engine and Elania’s labored breathing.

Then, slowly, the sword drooped in Eziel’s hand, forcing her to release it.

“I am dis-incorporated anyway,” Eziel said, his voice tinged with a weary resignation. “I no longer have the concept or power to judge anyone, least of all you.”

Elania’s brow furrowed, confusion etched across her features.

“The Celestial Engine is nearing its limits, stressed by the siege and Keswick’s modifications. Soon, it will detonate, destroying the cavern and everyone in it,” Eziel intoned.

Shock rippled through Elania’s body, her eyes widening in disbelief.

The implications of Eziel’s words crashed over her like a tidal wave, threatening to sweep her away. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“It is imperative that the Lightbringers not gain the Celestial Engine,” Eziel said, his voice urgent. “But its fate is already sealed. Yet another pillar of creation will fall, and the world will crack with change, drawing closer to the abyss once more.”

Elania’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. “Maybe we should have just let Relain have the stupid engine then,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Eziel shook his head, his expression grave. “Relain wished to corrupt the Celestial Engine into an Infernal Engine, which would have been even worse.”

Elania yanked at the chains binding her, the metal clanking against her skin. “Keswick has me chained, and I need help.”

Eziel’s gaze drifted to the pulsing heart of the engine. “The Engine needs help as well.”

Elania’s brows knitted together. “But you said it was doomed.”

Eziel nodded solemnly. “It is, but you have channeled so much of yourself into it that you are connected to it on a fundamental level. You have become a possible bearer.” He paused, his eyes locking with hers. “I will help you if you will accept.”

Elania’s mind raced, a thousand questions bubbling up inside her.

But the urgency of the situation pressed down on her like a physical weight.

She could feel time slipping away, the mist shuddering around them. “Will it save me and Yolani? Will it free me from Keswick?”

Eziel inclined his head. “It will.”

Elania pushed away her hesitation. “I accept.”

As the words left her lips, the essence realm trembled violently. Elania felt a tug at her core, a force pulling her back towards reality.

When the swirling stopped, Keswick was there. The Magister’s hand wrapped around the chains before yanking.

Elania grunted as Keswick dragged her across the floor, the chains biting into her skin.

She struggled to stand, but Keswick jerked the chains forward again, throwing her off balance. The crushing sensation was worse than anything the monks had done to her, as if her very being was being compressed.

The room rocked, and Keswick screeched, “What have you done?”

Elania’s eyes widened as the control instruments cracked, screens flickering before going dark.

The crystal at the heart of the interface shattered, golden metal crumbling to dust. A sinking feeling settled in her gut - something was very wrong.

Keswick yanked on the chains again, screaming incoherently. Elania gritted her teeth, trying to regain her footing, but the Magister’s strength was overwhelming.

A shout echoed through the chamber, drawing their attention.

Yolani stood on the small elevator platform as it neared its landing spot. A large metal gauntlet encased her arm. She leveled it at Keswick, and darts of blue light shot out.

The Magister released the chains and raised her staff, a wall of stone exploding out of the floor to block the projectiles.

“Elania!” Yolani shouted.

Elania’s heart raced as she struggled against the chains, the room continuing to tremble around them.

She could feel the Celestial Engine’s power fluctuating, the very foundations of Neftasu shaking.

Keswick’s eyes blazed with fury. “You dare attack me, girl?” she snarled, her voice dripping with venom.

Yolani jumped from the elevator, using her gauntlet to grab a piece of machinery. The metal pipe tore as it acted as a brake for her rapid descent. She turned the momentum horizontal just before hitting the ground, landing without harm.

Yolani stood her ground, the gauntlet glowing with energy. “Let her go, Keswick!”

Elania’s mind reeled as she tried to process the situation. Yolani’s sudden appearance, the Celestial Engine’s instability, and Keswick’s unhinged behavior all swirled together in a dizzying maelstrom of confusion and fear.

She knew she had to act fast, but the chains still held her tight.

She thrashed against the chains as Yolani and Keswick locked into a fierce battle.

Stone exploded from random locations and launched itself at Yolani, but a blue shield formed around the artificer as she held her gauntlet above her head. A wand flashed out of a bag, and a lance of fire lashed out.

Keswick countered with a wave of her hand, part of her stone shield stretching out to snuff it out.

The ground shook beneath their feet as the Celestial Engine groaned.

Golden splinters shed themselves from the machinery as Yolani switched wands, the needles rushing inwards.

Stone peeled off Keswick’s panel of stone, turning into round balls that flashed out accurately enough to strike down the incoming projectiles. The magister reached out to touch the stone and a ballista bolt shed from it.

It lashed forward with a sudden, unconstrained kinetic force.

Yolani braced; the blue shield disappearing as she wound up for a punch. At the last second, she countered. Metal struck stone. Two gouts of flame exploded from Yolani’s gauntlet at an angle.

The stone projectile shattered in place.

Elania’s heart pounded in her chest as she finally got back on her knees. Her wrists were bleeding from the effort of trying to pry the shackles off of them.

Keswick laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed through the chamber. “Foolish girl,” she sneered, her eyes glinting with malice. “You are no match for a Magister’s power.”

A spear of stone erupted from the round underneath Yolani, and she barely spun fast enough to avoid being impaled. The second one slashed her cheek before she placed her gauntlet facing downward. A third, fourth, and fifth spear stone slammed into a blue shield.

It sent her into the air.

Elania screamed. Pain seared through her body, but she barely noticed, her attention fixed solely on Yolani.

The other girl landed with a thump and failed roll. She got back on her feet, but her movements were sluggish, her breathing labored as her unarmored arm held her side.

Keswick grinned, a cruel, twisted expression appearing on her lips. “Is your punishment not to your liking? Children should know better than to coerce their elders.”

The chamber cracked. The casing of the Celestial Engine breached.

A ray of light burst through the cracked artifice, bathing Elania in its radiance.

Time seemed to slow, the world around her fading away until all she could see was Yolani, her eyes wide with fear as another of Keswick’s spears hurtled toward her.

Elania’s heart stopped, her breath caught in her throat. It was too easy to see the spell’s trajectory, to see the way it would reach Yolani before she could use her gauntlet, impaling her and pinning her broken body to the wall.

Elania wanted to scream her rejection, but time finally came to a crystalline halt. She was frozen, but her mind raced in panic.

The golden ray of light stilled and acted like a stage light.

A small golden scarab floated down gently in the air, its gemstone laden wings flittering with a quiet buzz.

It came to a hover right in front of her face.