Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided TUChapter 20. Fire and Brimstone

TU20. Fire and Brimstone

Dawn broke over the surrounding mountain peaks. Down below, Aurora trampled through the low brush of the forest, just beyond the edge of the Tartarian forge.

Thick, grey smoke drifted from multiple chimneys, painting an industrialised backdrop against the morning sky.

"There you are!" a familiar voice rang out, seemingly echoing from every direction at once.

Elven ears twitched. Aurora's shoulders tensed reactively, though her mind had already realised it was just playful Daphia and her forest nymph's arcane.

"Co out, or I'll choke you again," Aurora warned, mustering her most serious tone. Despite her best efforts, a grin played at the corners of her lips.

"Alright, alright!" Daphia yelled frantically.

Soon, the whimsical dryad poked her youthful visage out from a large tree. She wasn't stepping out from behind it, but erging as if the solid bark was as flexible as a woven blanket.

"Hm," Aurora grunted. "Another trick of yours, I see."

"Don't choke ! Promise!" the nymph begged, retreating halfway back into the tree bark.

"Co on out, I only jested," Aurora said.

Stepping out of the tree completely, the nymph adjusted her robe. "Alright. Well, I feel safer sleeping inside the tree anyway," she said, sheepishly brushing her long, dark hair.

Aurora arched a brow at that. Resting a hand on her hip, the empress asked, "So… do you need sothing?"

Daphia shook her head. "I thought you might be feeling lonely. Your companion… well, he doesn't seem to be around much."

Aurora sighed. "I don't need company."

Stunned, Daphia couldn't find the words. Her gaze fell to her bare feet, which fidgeted nervously against the grass floor.

"I didn't an it that way, Daphia," Aurora said, following up with another heavy sigh.

"Oh!" Daphia chirped, the spark returning to her erald eyes. "So, where are you going?"

"Nowhere," Aurora replied, strolling off with a dismissive tinge to her tone.

Noticing Aurora pacing back and forth like a caged animal for ten minutes, Daphia persisted. "Tell ! Maybe I can help!"

"Fine," Aurora grumbled, eventually complying. "I'm worried about the Helltides—I an, the demons."

"Oh…" Daphia's lips ford a perfect ring. "But, just as you said, wouldn't it take so ti before they can rally again?"

"The heavy infantry will take a while, but they also possess fast units. Both aerial and ground level," Aurora explained.

She stopped in front of the woodworking area. Stacks of freshly cut logs were laid out, ready to be used as additional fuel. A six-ard Hekaton hauled a sledge full of wood along the cleared path, heading toward the forging area.

"It's too loud for to detect any lurking demons outside of the intermontane basin here. The heavy concentration of arcane usage from the forge isn't helping either," Aurora murmured.

Marcus might be a great leader and a masterful Forgemaster who had accelerated the completion of the battlecruiser, but he wasn't a war strategist by any ans. The ill-prepared guard posts and barely adequate shifts were a testant to that. If there was any threat lurking nearby, they risked being attacked at any given mont.

Noticing the sudden quietness, Aurora stole a glance at Daphia. The dryad's expression was etched with pain as she wiped moisture from her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Aurora asked.

"It's fine," she sniffled. "The whispering wind carried their howling demise… the trees serve their purpose, at least."

"I see." Aurora drew her lips into a thin line.

They strolled away from the woodworking area and into the denser part of the forest, hundreds of tres away from the main camp. Daphia trailed on her heels, offering a silence.

Abruptly, a thought dawned on Aurora. She spun to face Daphia. "You said you can listen to the trees, right?"

"Ye-yeah…"

"What is the effective range?" Aurora asked, intrigued.

"Effective range?"

"How far away can you use this ability?"

"I… um… I don't know," Daphia said, scratching her temple. "It depends on the wind, I suppose."

"Can you try to whisper to them now? I need surveillance, preferably outside of the mountain front."

"Ah! So that's what's worrying you. Don't worry, don't worry. Leave it to Daphia!"

"Thanks." Aurora's face softened as she watched the dryad sit upon the ground.

A field of soft grass flourished instantly beneath Daphia's crossed legs. With her eyes closed, she humd to herself, her body swaying gently in ti with the breeze. Seconds bled into minutes, Aurora crossed her arms and waited patiently.

"Is she in a trance or sothing?" a rich, ethereal voice echoed. And Thanatos appeared beside Aurora.

"Ah, you're awake."

"Did I detect a hint of sarcasm in your tone?"

"You're imagining things," Aurora said frankly.

"Waaah!" Daphia's eyes snapped open with a sudden jolt.

"What is it? What did you see?" Aurora asked, kneeling down to the girl's eye level.

"I saw a bunch of birds, and heard a bunch of birdsongs, and bird droppings all over the place—Yuck!" She stuck out her tongue in sheer repulsion.

Aurora narrowed her gaze, disappointed despite her attempt to hide it. "What about the demons? Any sign of them? Any sulphur stench?"

Daphia shook her head in an almost chanised motion. "I got… so, so bored of searching at least until the flocks of birds pooped all over the tree. So disgusting!"

Casting a long shadow over them, Thanatos's lips creased into a faint smile, as if to say the forest nymph was about as useful as the sawdust blowing out of the woodwork.

Empathetic, Aurora turned back to the dryad. "I see. How far did you get, at least?"

"Not far… the breeze is very still today, and the mountain front blocked their voices!"

"Understood. I would have surveyed with my aerial mount, but I fear I'd only make it worse by drawing attention." Aurora absently strained her neck to watch the slivers of sunlight shining through the dense canopy. "The demons have superior arcane mapping. I had better stay low."

"Sorry… I'm useless," Daphia said bitterly, her fingers twisting the hem of her robe.

"It's fine, Daphia," Aurora comforted her. Reaching out with a gentle grasp, she gingerly brushed the nymph's shoulder. "We'll figure sothing out in the anti. Let's just hope the Tartarians finish their vessel soon—"

Her eyes suddenly went void. The forest nymph never heard the last bits of the sentence.

"What's wrong?" Aurora urged, shaking the girl.

She was completely unresponsive.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not ant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Daphia! Daphia!" Aurora yelled, shaking her thin fra harder.

Taking a massive gulp of air, Daphia gasped and broke out of her trance. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her otherwise vibrant skin had paled to the shade of a phantom.

"What did you see?" Aurora urged again.

"I… I saw a fiery apparition. A winged demon… No, a very powerful demoness!" she blurted out, her eyes blown wide. Pure terror flashed over her trembling lips.

Aurora clasped her shoulders, reeling her in. "Where? Tell !"

With a shaking finger, Daphia pointed in the direction of the forge. "Over there. She's at the top of the village!"

"This close? Damn it!" Aurora grumbled, her jaw tightening.

She knew this would happen eventually, but she hadn't expected it to be the very next day. Her mind reeled for a solution; ti was rapidly running out.

***

A black mass soared through the sky, its monstrous form casting rapid shadows atop the dense foliage.

"There!" Aurora pointed at the radiating figure floating high above the smith village.

Aurora focused her eyes to make out the figure. It was blurry at first.

"Urge them again, they need to evacuate now!" she bellowed the order back to Daphia, who was holding tightly onto her waist.

The forest nymph squeezed her eyes shut, signalling her concentration through the trees.

"I can't! Marcus isn't near any trees!" Daphia cried out against the howling wind.

"Damnation!" Aurora hissed, her brows knitting together.

As they neared, the flaming apparition ca into sharp focus, confirming Daphia's terrifying vision. Her red gaze stared down at the busy village below while she hovered with her hands clasped behind her lower back, her posture remarkably regal.

She possessed flaming hair that roared fiercely, challenging the very sky. Her barely clothed figure was firm, sculpted by hardened years of muscle. Terrifying wings spread wide with absolute authority, complented by a whipping tail of pure fla.

"Those copper legs…" Aurora grunted begrudgingly.

Never in her lifeti did she expect to find the ultimate source of the Helltides here — Empusa, the Supre Arch-Demoness.

Slow and deliberate, Empusa spun in the air to et Aurora's gaze. The demoness's lips ford a cruel smirk as she sucked a ghastly white mist deep into her lungs.

Every motion was a taunt. The demoness rolled backward in a smooth, rapid dive.

Aurora's eyes widened, her instincts screaming at the familiar motion. "D'Arcane!" she yelled, pushing Ventiff into a steep dive to accelerate.

It was too late.

The demoness transford into a blinding haze, a falling morning star, and crashed directly into the middle of the Forge. The stone floor rippled and shattered across an enormous radius. A blinding flash of light was imdiately followed by a thunderous explosion, erupting into a dark cloud of smoke.

The fierce updraft whipped her hair wildly. "It… it can't be…" Daphia cried, her voice cracking.

Her tearful eyes fixated on the destruction below. Frozen by the sudden realisation, she couldn't fathom the true scale of the loss.

"Tsk!" Aurora clicked her tongue, her expression darkening.

Ventiff circled down toward the new, gaping crater.

Part of the village had been turned to smouldering ashes. Like panicking ants, the surviving crowd rushed toward the scene. So dragged and hauled whatever was left from the wreckage — be it the injured or the fallen. A man wept as he dragged a lifeless comrade from the rubble, only to watch in horror as the fallen smith's form began to disintegrate. But here in the Underworld, demise brought a total erasure of the soul. Disappeared for eternity.

Cries of pain, screams of despair, and the whimpering of death flooded the frantic crowds.

Suddenly, a massive shockwave exploded outward with the simple flutter of a flaming wing.

"I love it here," Empusa purred, blowing the white mist from her lips.

The demoness stood tall, her ample chest poised with absolute satisfaction. The heels of her palms brushed her stray hair upward, perfectly aligning it with her crown of demonic horns.

It was the face of supre terror.

Empusa glanced up in sheer defiance, watching Aurora's flying mount pivot closer to her location. She waited patiently for the challenger.

"Ventiff, take Daphia to safety," Aurora commanded.

"Aurora, you can't possibly—"

Before Daphia could finish her protest, Aurora gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Daphia, listen! There's still soone left to save. Leave that part to . You must promise you'll stay safe," Aurora said firmly.

Her eyes locked onto the frightened dryad. Reluctantly, Daphia nodded.

Bending her knees, Aurora lunged herself directly into the air and chanted, "Thanatos-spatha!"

"Perish, demon!" Materialising the greatsword in her grip, Aurora plunged at her enemy, her descending apparition turning into a hazy blur.

A loud clank echoed across the forge as her weapon cleaved through the ground. The earth tore open beneath the sheer force of the impact.

She thought she was fast, but the demoness's movent was faster.

"Ya!" Aurora bellowed. Pivoting on her left foot, she unleashed a vertical cut that shattered the air. A sharp shriek reverberated from the crater.

It missed again.

"How?!" Aurora gasped, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks as she lost her composure.

Never in hundreds of years had soone so easily dodged her attack. Unyielding, Aurora rotated on her heel and executed a blindingly fast whirlwind strike. Roaring purple flas circled around her blade.

Empusa simply sucked in more white mist. Her body amplified, glowing with a blinding aura around her silhouette; she smoothly transitioned out of the attack's path, leaving nothing but a fading mirage behind. She cocked her head to the side, standing atop the rim of the crater.

"Stop running, Demoness!" Aurora hissed, her motion flowing seamlessly back into a guard stance.

"How rude… swinging away like a mad cow," Empusa licked her lips, her teasing eyes sparing a look of false pity for her attacker. Her sclerae were midnight black, piercing against her blazing red irises. It was a hideous, terrifying image. Forged from the deepest part of Tartarus.

"I could say the sa for yourself… You must be Empusa," Aurora said, forcing herself to beco calm and composed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the villagers fleeing to safety. Good.

"Such an honour to be recognised by the greatest of the arcane." The demoness bowed in mock theatricality.

"Demoness! What sort of deal did you strike with Ignius?" Aurora asked. Her boots remained on high alert. This demoness's combat speed is phenonal, she thought. I must tread very carefully.

"Oh." A ring of wonder ford on the demoness's lips. Her gaze drifted to the ethereal mist coiling around her arms. "I lent him a fraction of my power, in exchange for my children's place in the Overworld. Neptunion will soon be overcrowded, you see."

Their gazes locked in an intense, burning stare. Aurora grunted, a muscle near the corner of her eye twitching. If it weren't for the surrounding smiths and the village, she could have unleashed her wide-area blast without hesitation.

With claws outstretched to the sides, the demoness spread her wings unnaturally wide, blocking the light of Helios. "The new world is nigh! The rightful titan should rule as it always should have been!" she mourned in sudden ecstasy, gripping her own cheeks.

"What of the mortals? Do they not have the right to live?" Aurora growled.

She already knew this monster couldn't be reasoned with, but she needed to buy ti for Marcus. If his claims about the vessel's flight capabilities were true, then these people might still have a chance to flee.

"They do." Empusa tapped her cheek, pretending to ponder. "If they prove themselves to be strong. Supre Titan Cronos believes in the right to fight. But what you are doing, caring for those weaklings, protecting them with all your power, is pathetic…"

"Tsk…" Aurora bit her lip. This demoness certainly loves to monologue.

Empusa hugged herself, her tone dripping with mockery. "Oh, I hope they cry for you. Hold your na in their rembrance. Perhaps they'll even build a statue in your likeness. But what good does that do? Nothing!" She scoffed at the last word.

Seeing that the vicinity was finally clear of people, Aurora bolted at her enemy. In an instant, she erged at the very edge of the crater, her thick blade cleaving through the air.

"Try harder!" Empusa arched her back unnaturally, narrowly dodging the attack. Her movent was fluid, like a seasoned acrobat.

Relentless, Aurora swung her blade twice the swiftness of her first strike. The cleave seemingly sank into Empusa's torso, but the total lack of resistance contrasted wildly with what Aurora saw.

"But you can't touch ." Empusa's ghostly mirage completely dissipated.

She opened her real claws just inches away, snapping them experintally as her lips lilted into a wicked grin. "My turn."

In a blinding flash, Empusa's razor-sharp claws swiped at Aurora's face.

Aurora ducked. Another swing followed in quick succession. Aurora gasped, falling imdiately into a two-handed defensive guard.

A sharp, grinding noise echoed across the battlefield, accompanied by a bright shower of sparks. Aurora threw a brutal elbow at the horned head, but the demoness tilted out of the way, and Aurora struck only empty air.

Two vicious, flaming wings and her lashing tail joined the fray, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks. Falling fully onto the defensive, Aurora relied on short bursts of movent to dodge the lethal strikes. Her boots scraped harshly against the burnt soil, spitting dirt into the air.

"Need more power, hmm?" Empusa teased. Her devious smile revealed long, predatory fangs before she did it again — sucking down another massive gulp of white mist.

The muscular demoness beca entirely engulfed in the white aura before lunging forward with her long claws. Her claws bypassed the air barrier, ripping through space.

Anticipating the strike, Aurora spun her greatsword into a vicious diagonal parry.

But her sword only cleaved through another mirage.

"A feint?!" Aurora gasped.

A phenonally powerful kick slamd squarely into her side, squeezing a low grunt of pain from the empress's lungs. How? It had happened so instantaneously that there was no ti to counter with Phoros.

Her body was flung tens of tres into the air before crashing violently into a stone wall.

Dust and ash exploded in every direction. A nearby hearth collapsed, its ceiling caving in entirely. Heavy rubble piled over the elf.

"First blood, already?" Empusa chuckled maniacally, casually studying her claws and hooves. There wasn't a single dent on her. With a pride-swelling chest, she tilted her horned head up to the heavens. "Are you enjoying this, my queen?"

Far away, in a loneso crystal chamber, Hera watched the violent clash with awe. A deeply satisfying grin played upon her lips.

"About ti… At long last, that insolent woman t her equal."