Book 7, Chapter 80 - On The Eve of War

Luciasha and her people arrived at their destination without issue . A sprawling, bustling city stretched out before them . Southern Capital’s population was several million strong by now, easily holding the t.i.tle of greatest city in the wastelands .

People were still pouring in from all directions, like streams toward the ocean . And – like the ocean – the city happily accepted everyone . The travelers were welcomed like old friends .

Inside the capital, it was like leaving the wastelands behind . The gritty soil had been transformed, becoming moist and black . Luciasha could even see small streams that stretched out from the center of the city . They sparkled in the light of the sun, bringing nourishment to every part of this place . Vibrant patches of green were everywhere she looked .

Giant mushrooms sprang up at even intervals, which provided food and energy for the different districts they pa.s.sed through . There were towers  that hummed with power which offered defense or deterrent, like loyal soldiers standing silent vigil .

An enormous defensive s.h.i.+eld enveloped the whole place, with three internal layers and three external layers . Not far from the borders was a towering mountain of crystal like something out of a fairy tale . It s.h.i.+mmered in an odd, ethereal way .

Luciasha had heard that the entire crystal mountain had been moved here by Cloudhawk . Since she wasn’t here she dismissed them as tall tales, for who had the sort of power to accomplish a feat like that?

The city was rich in resources, enough to support the city and its people for thousands of years . With such surplus the city’s defenses were kept strong to dissuade invaders .

The immigrants from Crescent Moon shuffled onto an airs.h.i.+p bound for the center of the city, Greenland .

Luciasha had never been an Elysian land, but she imagined they had to be just like this . Here in the Southern Capital, demonhunters were empowered to twice their ordinary strength . With the help of Psionic Towers that swelled to five or ten times . With such abilities they could do whatever they liked .

Hundreds of Seraphs worked ceaselessly . With surprising speed they built structures and repaired damage . How had this place been built with astonis.h.i.+ng speed? Because they weren’t building  the city so much as summoning it . Structures rose from the sand and soil as rough architectural cutouts before being polished as needed . With the complicated steps of ordinary building eliminated, everything was done much faster .

Mental energy was the primary resource powering it all . With enough mental energy, everything was possible .

A large group had gathered in the heart of Greenland . Thousands, mostly Elysians and mostly women and children . They were neatly arrayed in groups and slowly made their way toward a central tower .

Luciasha looked at it closely . The tower was made from some kind of black metal she wasn’t familiar with . It was enveloped in light, like it was burning something . But despite the huge plumes of fire she felt no heat .  

This was the Psionic Tower built by Belial . A furnace that burned Source as its fuel .

At the tower’s base a group fed Source into a small port . Huge amounts of mental energy were released that quickly spread all across the city . Cloudhawk had succeeded in using this power to reinforce the phase stone and open a gate .

The gate was stable and Cloudhawk didn’t need to remain here to keep it open . Although the amount of energy required to keep it open was staggering, the Psionic Tower was up to the task . So long as Source was continuously fed into the furnace, and until Cloudhawk chose to close it, the gate would stay open . This was how the exodus would be accomplished .

“Cloudhawk did all this? Amazing . . . ”

Luciasha muttered the words to herself with a conflicted heart . She was both proud of his accomplishments and worried for him, for she knew there was no going back from the path he walked .

What sort of future would he meet? 

Revenant’s voice cut into her thoughts . “Are you going to see him?”

After a moment’s pause Luciasha shook her head . “No . He doesn’t need any distractions . Besides, we’re from different worlds now . It’s enough for me to know he’s ok . ”

Sometimes meeting old friends brought nothing but trouble . Looking up was hard, just as hard as looking down, and Cloudhawk was at the top of a mountain she would never climb . If there was no reason to trouble him then why should she? Luciasha also knew Cloudhawk, and he would be happy just knowing she was somewhere safe .

“Let’s get ready to cross the gate . ”

The line toward the gate moved quickly . In less than forty minutes the portal loomed before her . It swirled like a vortex, four meters across . Three people could pa.s.s through abreast . What waited for them on the other side? Judging by the looks on the faces around her, Luciasha was not alone in wondering .

But the choice had been made . A terrible war was on the horizon and there was nowhere left to hide . This was the last, best option . Escape to a place where the war couldn’t touch them .

Luciasha turned her head and looked out over the city they’d crossed through . She didn’t know if she would ever have an opportunity to see it again . It was possible her next steps would bring her away from this world forever . She thought about the last twenty years of her life, of everything that had happened . And before her… a question mark .

What would her new life be like? What would the future hold? Luciasha took one final look at the child in her arms and stepped forward . She vanished . Revenant was one step behind .

The ma.s.s evacuation was only beginning . Denizens of all the Elysians lands and non-combatants from all across the wastes were streaming into the city . Although the process was quick, the sheer scale of people they were trying to move was mind-boggling . Families of soldiers fighting in the war had priority, and others would follow afterward .

Cloudhawk sat within his fortress with the towering form of Legion by his side . Together they watched the ceaseless stream of humans pa.s.sing through the gate . Every pa.s.sing minute was more people, escaping destruction .

“Everything appears to be going well,” Legion noted .

Cloudhawk wasn’t happy with the rate of progress . “It’s too slow . We should open up several more portals to make sure everyone gets through . We don’t need these women and children here when the fighting starts . Only soldiers . ”

Legion did not express an opinion . For a moment he tilted his head, distracted, and said, “The Cloud G.o.d calls me . He’s learned something . ”

Cloudhawk and Legion both went to seek out the former Supreme . “What is it?”

The Cloud G.o.d’s ‘voice’ boomed in his mind . “Sumeru’s vanguard will arrive soon . ”

Cloudhawk’s face darkened . “This fast? What’s going on?”

The Cloud G.o.d answered by linking his consciousness to Cloudhawk’s . Images flooded his mind and he saw it clear . A colossal force stretching out across s.p.a.ce, rapidly approaching . His enemy seemed to have felt a change in the earth . They knew Cloudhawk was preparing to fight back . To answer this several dozen divine s.h.i.+ps were dispatched from the main force . They were enveloped in staggering power and streaked toward earth at tremendous speed .

Judging by what he saw, they would arrive soon . Cloudhawk turned to Legion . “Prepare for war . ”

The battle between man, G.o.d and demon was about to begin .

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