Book 7, Chapter 51 - The Eternal

The world was big and its denizens varied .

Beast Riders were not uncommon in the wastes . Lizards and leopards were just the beginning; rats, snakes, eagles – all relatively common to find . Now, though, it seems ant-riders were added to the list!

A whole army of them! How had they managed to domesticate these insects? 

The ants alone numbered in the tens of thousands, with thousands more bearing riders . The ant soldiers rode insects the size of warhorses and carried weird hooked poles . Their left hands were all covered in gauntlets that tickled Cloudhawk’s sixth sense . He told his companions to be wary .

Ants continued to pour out from the valleys around them . It was impossible to know if there were thousands more just beneath their feet, ready to strike .  

It was all a matter of scale . Even the most insignificant thing could be as deadly as a panther when blown up to monstrous proportions . These ants were covered in chitinous armor stronger than iron and their legs were like steel rods . An awful chittering sound followed them as the pincers around they maw snapped . The ax-like mandibles could bite through armor .

Ants were low-grade insects ordinarily, but these had evolved keen sight and extrasensory perception . They even had rudimentary intelligence, so they were smart enough not funnel in one by one . Instead they surrounded Cloudhawk and waited for the right time to strike .

They were almost ready . Cloudhawk’s pupils contracted and there was a flesh of red within . His mental energy was released, infecting the ants with fear and holding them temporarily at bay .

“We’re not here to fight . Get Belial out here . ” The demon Elder was their target . He didn’t want to waste time squis.h.i.+ng pests . However this welcoming committee was definitely under Belial’s control . A fight seemed inevitable .

Belial had spent the thousand years since the Great War wandering the earth . Centuries were spent sifting through Elysian lands and building his forces . Indeed Cloudhawk and his companions were a rare cla.s.s of fighters, but against a swarm of this size there was still the chance they would be ripped apart . What’s more, the cunning Elder was probably lurking somewhere nearby, waiting to strike .

Cloudhawk wasn’t foolish enough to underestimate Belial . Not Gehenna’s greatest artisan .  

But just as things seemed overwhelming some of the ants parted . They cleared a route to allow one of their leaders to emerge .

This rider bore a long spear and sat upon a particularly imposing giant ant . It was then Cloudhawk noted that the gear these riders wore was peculiar . They were covered from head to toe in gray cloth with their hoods raised . The rider’s face was also veiled so that the only thing Cloudhawk could see were his red eyes .

Strange . How could they tolerate the heat in those robes?

All of the riders were dressed the same; wrapped in gray with concealing masks, gauntlets on their left hands and hooked spears clutched in their right . They reminded him of wizards he read about in old books .

A strange guttural sound emerged from the leaders’ throat, like rough leather rubbing together . Cloudhawk paused… it seemed this ‘wizard’ was speaking, or trying to . Had they lost use of their vocal cords?

To him the sounds this creature made were meaningless . But that wasn’t so outside his experience – some mutants were so deformed that they couldn’t use their throats or mouths and had to adapt . So did that mean these riders were mutants? Was this some sort of tribe?

It was clear there was no way to understand what this rider was trying to communicate . Without another sound the wizard pulled forth a pitch black dagger .

Was he preparing to strike? Cloudhawk was ready, but in a surprise turn the wizard flipped the dagger around and plunged it into his own chest . He forced the dark steel in, centimeter by centimeter until it was buried up to the hilt .  

Coudhawk wasn’t sure how to react . This idiot didn’t have to kill himself because they couldn’t talk!

But there was no sign from the man that he was in pain . There was no reaction at all . It was as though it wasn’t a body the dagger pierced at all, and in fact there was no blood leaking from the wound . Rather a thick black smoke poured forth and began to congeal .

A few moments later the wound closed up . This strange wizard was unharmed, even his robes were intact . Returning the dagger to his waist the rider continued to make rasping noises at Cloudhawk and then… bowed? Like he was entreating something .

“I know what they are . ” Jara spoke up with a hesitant, quavering voice . “They are the Eternal! Creatures that live forever! The legends are true . . . ”

But something was bothering Autumn, making her ill at ease . She held tightly to her flute, ready to unleash the Shepherd G.o.d’s power at a moment’s notice to control the ants . Frost and Abaddon could deal with the riders .

As for Cloudhawk? He needed to conserve his strength! Only his spatial abilities could ensure a safe escape if they needed it . Furthermore, he was the only one who could defeat Belial .

The Eternal’s superhuman regenerative abilities meant this conflict would be much harder than originally thought . It wasn’t even certain if blowing them to pieces could keep them down .  

Slowly, the leader raised his staff . The other riders reacted to this signal… by stepping aside . A long pa.s.sage was formed through the swarm, which took Cloudhawk and the others by surprise . Their intention had been to storm this stronghold, but instead of fighting back these natives offered no resistance . They were letting them pa.s.s . What did it mean? Cloudhawk looked over his shoulder at the others and shrugged . They would deal with things as they occurred .

They followed the pa.s.sage toward a cave .

Kesjir’s cave system dug into solid rock, likely created by the ants themselves with their mighty jaws and powerful acids . Below was a maze-like network that was heavily traversed by the insects . They could jump out from the many exits to attack intruders .

Only this time they didn’t . The ant riders, brandis.h.i.+ng their hooked spears, kept the unbridled insects at bay . A kind of energy was released by the spears that allowed them to control the ants and prevent them from attacking .

They were some sort of relic . It was how these wizard-like natives were able to live and thrive here . Cloudhawk guessed the gauntlets on their left hand were offensive relics, but he also felt a resonance from the body of these beings as well .

He suspected Belial had done something to them, changed these people in some way . It was where their strange power came from . The way the smoke had appeared… it reminded him of Blackfiend the Undying .

Cloudhawk imagined there was much about these wizards that was similar to Blackfiend . Had they been turned into immortal fiends by Belial, like Skycloud’s Seraphs? If that were the case then a thousand of them would be a formidable threat .

Worry was heard in Autumn’s voice . “If we follow them in there are we walking into a trap? Remember, these people belong to the demon . ”

“Don’t worry, I don’t think they’ll pull any tricks . Actually, I think they want to help,” Cloudhawk mused . “I’ve been testing this place’s enchantments . It’s more like a cage, stopping people from coming in but also keeping the Eternal from going out . ”

Autumn understood . These folk were prisoners . And as they all mulled over the implications a scene unfolded before them .

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