Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Interlude - What Could've Been

What Could've Been

Nayra was yelling orders, having people man the lower walls. The communication from the city was pure chaos, the garrisons had been hit, the walls werent fully manned. There was nothing that they could do about it now. The enemy was coming. Reyla stayed close to her sister, waiting for her orders. She was in her element, not commanding like the generals of the Empire, no. She was like a a Sect Leader. Send people in small groups, each given a broad mission and left on their own.

The monsters were coming, the people outside of the walls were running back inside. It was a tide of darkness, a cover that was being dragged across the sand. It had to be hundreds of thousands, millions maybe. Too many for them to stop, not when they were caught off-guard, not when the barrier was down.

She saw a dozen airships open fire from above, blazing lines of light hit the areal monsters, and didnt slow the tide at all. Too few, too little firepower.

Nayra yelled, and the walls defenses opened fire. It was as if a wall of light was suddenly falling on the monsters. It was blinding.

And when it was over, the mountains of corpses were gone, toppled and burned. And over the remains, the monsters were still coming. She could see it already, a wave that was going to crash against the walls. They were about to die.

Then, the ground rumbled, the sand beyond the wall flowed like water, rising up in front of the wall. Rising up like a wall, higher and higher above them. She looked up and saw two figures, the Emperor, his armor glowing with lines, and her mother at his side.

/Oath of the Dunes: Beloved of the Sands/

The sand moved with his will and it was terrifying. It looked as if all the sand from the ground had risen, up so high that it covered the sky.

And then she saw the Emperor gesture. The wall of sand moved forward, like a tsunami, a wave that crashed down on the monsters, catching even the flying ones and taking them down from the sky. She saw the sand fall, covering all, as far as the eye could see. Burying the monsters beneath the weight of the dunes. For a moment it settled, and all was quiet.

Then she saw a head break the surface of the sand, a massive maw of a General, roaring with tones that vibrated the sand around it. They were burrowing to the surface.

A sun blossomed in the sky. A painting of red hues. Reyla raised her eyes to the sky and saw a wave of red fire coming down.

Red Dawn

Her mothers Ideal. The fire moved like liquid, splashing over the sand. The heat wave exploded in all directions, hitting the wall and forcing Reyla to turn her face away, feeling her skin burning.

The sound of it was unlike anything she had ever heard before. A crackling of glass and fire, an ocean hitting the shore.

It lasted for a long minute, and then it was over.

Reyla looked back and saw a scarlet plain. The sand turned to melted glass rapidly cooling, cracks filled the scape, and the sound of breaking filled the air.

She lost her breath, seeing that, an army of gone in an instant. Buried beneath scorching sand turned to glass.

Oh no, Reyla heard her sister whisper and frowned. And then she saw it too. More of the monsters coming in the distance. An endless wave.

The sound of breaking glass intensified, and then, the glassed ground straight in front of them buckled, then broke. A General, its skin was smoking, mangled, but it pointed an arm at the wall, a glowing ball of the deepest blue growing in the center of his palm. And thenNayra grabbed her.

She was wrenched up, wings of fire carrying them up just as the General fired. The ball of light smashed into the first wall, its protections not activating. It exploded, continued, smashed through all three walls. And then the shockwave hit them and they were falling down.

Reyla closed her eyes and gripped her sister tightly as they crashed to the ground.

Karya saw the General destroy the Wall. The defenses had been turned off, that Taken or cultists? It didnt matter now.

An army was marching. More attacks against the walls came, breaking more holes in their defense. The city behind them was in flames.

Erakeal we need to

Retreat, he said.

Karya paused. What?

He pulled out a white orb, twisted it and then spoke. To every soul that can hear this, retreat, abandon the city.

Erakael what are you doing? She grabbed his shoulder. He didnt move his eyes from the death that was marching against them, the clouds of monsters flying.

It is no use, he whispered. What can we do, theyve finally come to end it.

Karya opened her mouth, and then closed it. He was right.

Go Karya, lead them to safety. Ill buy you time.

I can do it just as well as you can, she told him. You are the Emperor.

No, no, Erakael shook his head. I am tired. You will do a better job than me anyway.

He closed his eyes and sighed, as explosions shook the city walls beneath them.

I always mess up. If only I had more courage to do what was needed. If I stopped my brother before

Karyas heart stopped in her chest. He couldnt have

You knew, she whispered.

Erakael shrugged. I figured it out, later. It was too late by then. I saw what you had seen, I understood. So much couldve been different. The things that couldve been.

You dont have to do this, Karya told him. We can retreat and fight, survive, as we always had.

A thousand years Karya, I am tired. I was never meant to sit on a throne. This here, is the heart of my power. Here I am the greatest I can ever be. Here, I can hurt them. They can replace their monsters, but they cannot replace their Generals. And look, theyve sent most of them here. And this is where I will bury them.

Karya closed her eyes, then flew to stand in front of him. I am sorry, for all that I had to do.

Goodbye, old friend, Erakael said.

Goodbye, Karya said as she flew away.

Erakeal looked at his enemies, he knew that his death was near. The monsters were coming, some were breaking through the glass, the few generals that survived and some monsters that had been protected by them. Most of the horde had been killed. He saw some enter the city, too few for him to bother with. He needed to stop the main body, the wave that was now marching across the glass.

The fliers were getting close and he beat his wings. A gust of wind, powerful enough to shear bones flew across the sky, hitting the monsters and sending them flying back.

He reached out, his skills and perks, the sand sang to him.

Glorious Army of the Dunes

The glass broke, soldiers of glass forming and rising. From beneath, the sand surged up, into shapes of giants. The air twisted among them, dust and sand forming shapes of drakes and humans, of cthul and skreen, demasi and minotaurs, every race that he ruled over. Worms made out of dirt and rock, and monsters that flew through the sky.

An army of hundreds of thousands, more even.

He looked at his enemy, and sent them on their way.

They hit the ground hard, and Nayra barely felt it. Her armor absorbed all the force of it. They landed on top of collapsed building debris showering all around them. She held her sister close, shielding her with her body. And once the shaking stopped, she stood up, and looked around. The death was her power rose, with every death around her, but she saw no bodies. She realized then that they were beneath her, the building that had collapsed. How many? Hundreds at least. Her stats had skyrocketed to over 15000 for her main one. Almost 500% for every stat. If her family hadnt insisted on her taking Adaptable perk from a dead soldier she wouldve had some issues handling that. Now, she could barely feel it.

Then a voice spoke inside her head, the Emperor.

Retreat, Reyla whispered after he was finished.

Come, Nayra said, leading them down the street. She could hear screams, sense people running. They had already been moving away from the wall, ever since the initial explosions. The two of them were behind them, and they needed to catch up, she could sense monsters coming from behind them. She moved her Qi, used her {Mantle of the Rising Mists} to increase her stats, and prepared her {Scorching Blast}.

They ran down the streets, heading away from the battle and the wall. It was lost, if the Emperor called for a retreat She couldnt imagine how dire things were.

Her Battle Knowledge saved them.

She pushed Reyla away, just as a claw swiped through the air. She evaded, then moved and attacked with |Arc Swipe|. Resav sang through the air, and caught the monster across the shoulder, barely making a scratch. It dashed away, and glared at her. A dome monster, the size of a large lion. Prowling, with violet claws on its front paws. Black leathery skin, and thorns along its back. She recognized it immediately.

It was a General, the smallest type ever reported. She hadnt seen it herself, but they had reports on all the Generals that were encountered. Small, and with less strength, but in some ways far more deadly than the others. They called it the Soulrender. Its claws burned the soul directly with every attack. Only people with the strongest resistances could resist, and still they usually suffered some form of soul damage anyway. A single strike against her flesh, even a scratch, would do too much damage to her soul. It was described as a corrosive effect, that burned the soul directly.

It excelled at getting ahead of the other monsters and killing the Empires generals. Now, it came for her. Three of this type had been seen, and two had been killed. This this could be the last one. She needed to kill it.

All around her was death, some in the range of her perk. Her stats were greater than its were.

Run Reyla, she told her sister, she wouldnt stand a chance against a general.

I cant leave you to fight it alone, Reyla said. A sentiment that mightve warmed her heart once.

Nayra saw Reyla use her perks, everything that she had. Her Soul Sanctuarycreating a field around them that healed and protected souls, Wings of a Phoenix, Dawnspirit Aegisto protect her own soul, other perks that increased her stats. Nayra knew that none of it was going to be enough. She changed into her avatar form and charged the General. The quicker she killed it, the faster they could get to safety.

She unleashed her perks. Battle Trance, Lady of Battle, Dawnspirit Cry, Valkyries Might, Valkyries Swiftness. Then she used herabilities.

[Dawnfire Mirage] into [Dawn Dash], and she was in front of it. [Dawnfire Immolation] had her already fiery form surrounded by golden flames. She swung with her spear, Resav connecting as the General attacked her mirage. Her strength pushed the spear the spear through, piercing the monsters side. It screeched, swiped at her, but her armor absorbed the attack, then reflected and sent a concussive blast back that staggered the general.

It recovered and attacked again, and she took the swipe on her shield. The death around her fueled her Death Empowerment. The power of it filled her, and she knew that there was little that could stand against her now. In moments like these, on the battlefield filled with the dead, there were few that could match her in statsRyun perhaps, though where he gained strength with more opponents, she gained it with the death.

Great Lunge and she scoured the monsters side, then used [Shimmering Burst] again to stab it in the side. It tried to move her, its violet claws trying to pierce through her armor. They were unable, and she was so much stronger than it now. She pushed it to the ground, and twisted her spear, the fire of her abilities and avatar, burned everything around them. A wave of dark energy exploded out of the General, sending her stumbling back. She pushed forward with her shield hand and unleashed her {Scorching Blast}. A wave of mist blasted forward, scorching the monsters side.

It dashed away, as the light shone from somewhere behind her, the light of dawn. Then a large pillar of light fell on top of the General, bathing it in dawnfire. Her sisters perk. The ground cracked, then a pillar of light fell on top of it.

Nayra saw that it did nothing. Her sister, she didnt have enough power to injure it.

The General stood and glared at Reyla. It jumped forward, flashed through space.

No! Nayra blinked. Golden fire exploding out of her as she arrived. The General stabbed its claws forward, Reyla tried to block. Her willpower shimmering around her, perks activating. Not enough. The claw pierced her chest. And then Nayras fire washed over them both, she stabbed the General through the midsection, her wings beat and she picked it up, pushed it away from Reyla and across the street in a second, pinned it against the wall. Her Qi moved as she let her aura out. Death Empowerment made her strong, as strong as High Rankers, the General was almost as strong, just not quite.

She cycled her technique and then let out a charged {Mist of the Scorching End}. Her Qi washed over the General, burning and destroying its body. It tried to escape, but her spear held it in place. Finally it stopped moving, and she turned around, flying back to her sister.

She let her avatar go and knelt next to her. Reyla?

Her sister was pale, dark lines rising from beneath her chest armor, up her neck to disappear beneath her helmet. She pulled it off, and saw it spreading up. It was attacking her soul. Quickly, Nayra pulled out potions to help regenerate the soul and poured them down her sisters throat. The lines slowed, but didnt stop.

She heard monsters approaching, dozens of them charging at her.

Hey, Reyla, do you hear me? Sister? Please, you need to focus, you have skills to help your soul, focus.

Reylas eyes opened, two emeralds staring back at her. Once their eyes had been identical, her face was Nayras face. How much they had changed, both of them.

She put her palm over Reylas cheek. Hey, try, for me?

But she already knew. Reyla was

Her sister smiled at her.

Everything hurt. Through the pain, through the burning agony that was spreading from her chest, she raised her eyes to meet those of her sister. Her golden eyes looked down on her, so beautiful. She envied that Cultivators, that they could have such a visible mark to demonstrate their power.

Her sisters eyes were wild, afraid. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, she could see them through the hole in her helmet. Nayra had killed the monster. She shouldve run, but In the end, she wished that she was like Nayra. She wished that she couldve fought a monster like that and won.

Her sister shone so brightly it almost hurt Reylas eyes.

I I wish that. I wish that I was like you. My sister, so strong. I Her voice cut off, her throat cutting off. Everything hurt. But she wanted her to know. Nayra was everything that Reyla had ever wanted to be. She stumbled, she lost herself and made mistakes. But in the end, all those things were her own.

She tried to smile at her, to tell her somehow that it was alright. That this was not her fault. Some souls shone brightly, and some were snuffed out before it was their time.

I love you, Reyla reached out through their bond, spoke directly in her sisters mind.

Then she felt the last piece of her soul give out, and then there was nothing.

The perk inside her head went silent. The place where she always used to be, since they had been children, the power of their bond, of their perk.

Her sisters body didnt turn to ash, as her Immortality required. It remained, marred with black lines and her eyes staring ahead.

Her sister was dead.

She screamed, and unleashed death as monsters drew near.

Karya flew over the city, killing the monsters as they came in. Searching for people and helping them move and escape. Erakeal was holding the bulk of them, but some still managed to get through.

A monstrous wail caught her attention, and she turned and saw an area of the city near the Wall with a sight that was A black maelstrom was twisting around, a storm of death that was swallowing up the monsters that were coming in, feeding on the death around it. She recognized the perk, Nayras Death Maelstrom. It ripped apart buildings, it destroyed the ground and the air and everything else it touched. It moved, forward, toward the wall, swallowing the monsters that were trying to get away. Thousands of them, dying every moment as the storm of death spun. She flew toward it, saw souls, warriors standing, as if they were a honor guard. And Nayra, sitting on the ground, holding a body in her hands.

Karya landed and knew.

Erekael fought alongside his creations, killing monsters, Generals, everything. He moved into the city, letting them think that they were pushing him back. He made sure that he moved after most of the people had left that part of the city. He couldnt account for everyone, he couldnt save everyone. But their lives were the bait, the Dome Monsters were coming and killing everything in their way, and he let them.

At last, he reached the citadel, the seat of his power. Most of it had been evacuated, but not all. He could feel them moving, their feet hitting the sandstone. He wept for them, but he had no choice.

The enemy Generals had moved into the city, the bulk of the force had followed them. Millions of them. And they had entered their tomb.

He took a deep breath and reached out with his will and perks. Touched the stone that he himself had placed on the foundation of the city.

From Stone to Sand

The stone crumbled, the citadel turned into a giant pillar of sand, the buildings around it followed. He was in the center of it all, no other place to be. As it all crumbled down, drowning the enemy army, he focused on his greatest perk and turned it on all of that sand.

Destroy Essence

Narya flew after her mother, still holding her sister in her arms. They flew over the fleeing people, across the farms that stretched behind the city. They were so far away now that they could barely see it.

A bright light shone from behind and she turned around. A blinding sun rose, a dome of white light that grew until it filled the horizon, rising above the dunes, above the tallest mountain ranges that Narya had ever seen. The sound of it crashed over them, an explosion that shook the world and rattled her bones.

The Heart of the Empire had fallen.