Demoness 2 - Chapter 86 - Redoubt (Patreon)

Yolani burst into the workshop, her mind racing as she scanned the room.

Artificers hunched over their projects, tools clinking against metal and the hum of [Power] infusion filling the air.

Somehow, despite the building partially falling apart, it seemed like they had tuned it all out in the process of creating new ammunition for the defenders.

Yolani darted between workbenches, snatching up tools, crystals, and components, stuffing them haphazardly into her pack.

“Hey, what is going on?” an apprentice called out, but Yolani ignored him, focused on her task.

She grabbed a set of precision etching tools, a spool of enchanted wire, and a handful of charged mana shards, shoving them into the pack’s pockets. Her heart pounded as she moved to the next table, rifling through a stack of parchment.

Yolani snatched up her most recent schematics, the ink still fresh on the detailed diagrams of intricate artifice designs.

She rolled the delicate parchment hastily, praying they wouldn’t smudge or tear. With trembling hands, she stuffed the rolls into her pack, the weight reduction enchantment straining against the added bulk.

Questions swirled in her mind as she continued her frantic gathering. What dangers would they face? What supplies would they need to start anew yet again?

Yolani pushed aside the doubts and finished her collection. Her pack simply wouldn’t hold any more, and she had everything she needed to recreate new tools. That was the most critical thing.

With the basic set of tools, she could recreate more advanced tools that would allow her to create any basic artifice machinery or workbench.

She stumbled as the tower shook violently beneath her feet; the tremors sending shockwaves through her body.

Her heart raced, pounding against her ribs as fear gripped her chest. Was the reality torn tower going to fall after all?

“I have to get out of here,” she muttered, glancing around the workshop. The artificers scrambled, some moving toward the exits. Other tried to see if the cargo lift would work. Most of them ignored it.

The elevator was out of commission, and she wouldn’t trust it anyway. They were notorious for getting stuck. She’d fixed more than her share of them, even.

Yolani turned towards the hallway, then a stairwell. The maze-like hallways were disorienting in their complexity. She navigated the twists and turns, her breath coming in quick gasps.

As she reached the floor level with the Celestial Engine, the air shimmered and warped. Rips in reality floated randomly, the edges glowing with an otherworldly light.

People rushed past her, their faces etched with terror as they fled the tower. Panic and chaos mixed with the distant sounds of cannon and machine gun fire.

Staircase after staircase greeted her. It reminded her of her infiltration of the tower with Elania, from what felt like an eternity ago.

When she finally burst into the main lobby on the ground floor, she felt a relief from the building claustrophobia.

The once-grand entrance hall was now a chaotic mess of guards rushing about, their faces etched with determination and fear. She scanned the room, searching for a familiar face amidst the sea of uniforms.

Her eyes landed on Gaston. He nodded sharply toward a group of sergeants, which then dispersed to organize their men into new formations. Gaston turned, his gaze meeting Yolani’s across the room.

He strode towards her, his expression flat and unreadable. “What have you and Elania done now?” he asked, his tone devoid of emotion.

Yolani felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her neck.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Keswick is dead,” she said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. “And Elania... she’s a Demi-god now. She went to kill the enemy’s leaders.”

Gaston stared at her, his eyes boring into hers as if searching for any hint of deception. The seconds stretched on, the silence between them heavy. Finally, he nodded, a slow, deliberate motion.

“I suppose we just need to hold the line and walls long enough for her to finish,” he said, his voice gruff.

Yolani nodded.

Gaston’s expression grew grim. “That could be a problem,” he said, his eyes darting towards the entrance. “Every enemy in the entire city is assaulting as if they are possessed.”

Yolani’s heart sank. Had they somehow found out that Elania was coming for them and decided to make one last push? A small fear that they might attack while she was gone was impossible to dismiss in the back of her mind.

“You might be able to help,” Gaston said, his voice low and urgent. “The primary gate is under heavy pressure. If you could support the guards there to stop their siege equipment...”

Yolani straightened her shoulders. She may not have Elania’s powers, but she had her own skills, her own strengths. A few battering rams wouldn’t be a problem.

“I’ll do what I can,” she said.

Of course, Gaston wasn’t going to let her go without a guard…

He made her wait to the side, and she watched as Gaston organized a platoon of nearly fifty men.

A figure emerged from the group, and Yolani’s heart leaped with recognition. It was Henri, his boyish face breaking into a smile as he approached her. Yolani rushed forward, pulling him into a tight hug.

“I’m glad you’re doing better,” she said.

Henri grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Thanks to Elania and Uncle Gaston, they basically saved my life.”

He pulled back, studying her face with concern. “Are you okay?”

Before Yolani could respond, Gaston’s voice cut through the air. “Henri, you’re to be her bodyguard.”

Henri nodded, turning back to Yolani. “What do you need?”

Yolani shrugged. “Maybe just watch my back and help carry things.”

Henri’s smile softened, and he reached out to squeeze her shoulder. “I’ll always be there to carry your things, Yolani.”

The words were sweet, and Yolani felt a surge of affection for her childhood friend. But as she looked at him, her thoughts drifted to Elania. Worry gnawed at her gut, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

Yolani watched as Gaston addressed the sergeants in charge of the individual squads, his voice stern and commanding.

“Your primary objective is to protect the Master Artificer and ensure the security of the main gate,” he said, his eyes sweeping over the assembled soldiers. “The gate is under heavy assault, and we cannot afford to lose it.”

The sergeants nodded, their faces grim with determination.

As Gaston continued to issue orders, Yolani rummaged through her bag, taking stock of the supplies she had hastily gathered.

Her fingers brushed against the smooth surface of mana shards, their energy thrumming beneath her touch. She counted them silently, relieved to find a substantial number. At least they wouldn’t run out of [Power] anytime soon.

Nestled among the shards were shock crystals. They were good on ammo, too. Elania had shown her a few excellent uses for the things beyond musket ammo, and she had a containment wand that would work just fine for rupturing their stability at a distance.

Gaston turned to her, and she straightened up quickly, patting her things. He nodded, a silent acknowledgment of the task that lay ahead.

“Good hunting,” he said, his voice gruff but sincere.

Yolani returned the nod. She turned to face the assembled squads, ready to lead them into the fray.

Maybe she could just dig a trench in front of the gate.

The rams would have a hard time going over those, wouldn’t they?