Rezu teleported to the lab, a moment later there was a power surge. He barely had time to flashstep past the door with Gwenyr before the room turned lethal. He set her down gently.

Lilithana appeared behind him. “Report.”

“We were attacked, I don’t know who.”

“Where is Zagreus?”

“A monster...” Gasped Gwenyr.

“What did you see?” Lilithana said.

“Red… flying… column.”

The hall got darker.

Gwenyr fell silent as the remaining color drained from her. A reasonable reaction to seeing the Goddess of Death wreathed in jagged black arcane.

Rezu couldn’t speak. He had just left the Eleventh, weakened and exhausted, to fight Gessil the Undying, alone.

Lilithana ordered, “Fix the teleporter.” Then she disappeared.

He screamed at some golems to treat Gwenyr as he went to work. It took a couple hours to replace the parts. Then it still needed calibrating which would take another ten minutes but a golem could do that and give him a moment. He voxxed Lilithana. “Teleporter rebuilt, waiting for calibration.”

She replied in text. [Some golems are setting beacons for me. I will report soon. Proceed with haste to assist. Give me a summary of the attack before you leave.]

“Damn. That was fast.” He didn’t think Lilithana had assets that close, but he was in no mood to complain about good news.

A couple minutes later he texted his report.

He teleported to an Altar located over a hundred kilometers south of Red Rock Keep. A group of mortals scattered, screaming. Rezu focused and ran a trace of arcane to the farthest visible ridgeline. It took time, but for long distance traveling it was easier on his body to make fewer, but longer, flashsteps.

He tried to ignore his growing worries as he traveled.

When he was almost there he received another text from Lilithana. [Battle over. Gessil dead. Cinder, Second, Eleventh injured, but stable. I will treat the wounded. Deal with the heretics.]

[Me?] There was a hard rule of not letting a mecromancer that was in a battle deal with any heretic mortals. They tended to kill everyone and harm relations with the mortals. But four mecromancers were down. He and Lilithana were the only ones available to deal with it. She should be the one to go. But she was better at medical. Were the injuries that bad?

She replied. [You do it. I would likely damage the fortifications.]

He had to stop to let the threat in that message sink in. He replied. [Confirmed.] He aimed his next flashstep towards Red Rock Keep and continued onward.

‘Injured, but stable,’ can mean a lot of things. All he knew was that the Eleventh and the Second had fought Gessil. In a battle where the entire mission was at risk, he had been taken out of the fight without even seeing the enemy. He seethed with rage and shame.

When he appeared on the next ridgeline and was frozen at the sight. Far out across the plain, scarlet and orange arcane glowed on chunks of the temple ruins like fires against the fading remnants of daylight on the horizon. A small pocket of dark green glowed as well.

He had a trace half way to the temple before he managed to stop himself. He released it then said. “Gessil is dead. The battle is over. Lilithana is treating everyone. I have orders.”

He took some deep breaths. “Don’t damage the fortifications.” He told himself as he returned to his task.

***

Red Rock Keep had borne witness to millennia of conflict. The people that guarded it were hearty and strong. That also meant they were often a bit too self-reliant for their own good. The sudden appointment of a new leader, a hated and feared infernal, had been too much. But they were only mortals. Mortals forget the lessons of the past. This generation needed to be taught them anew.

During the ambush, Rezu had cleared the gatehouse and the walls near the gate. The other soldiers had routed to the second wall. Rezu had sent a signal to disable all the arcane based heavy weaponry. He also left some armored soldier golems to make sure no one got any ideas about counter attacking, or leaving before someone was able to return.

Rezu flashstepped to the top of the gatehouse where they had been ambushed. It was still covered in bodies and blood that had taken on the bluish tones of moonlight.

Rezu, like other felis, had good low light vision from their cat heritage, but he lacked dark vision. A full moon was plenty bright for Rezu.

The construction here was similar to Founder’s Cove, only more substantial. The top of the second wall was empty. He sent out traces and found no one anywhere near the gatehouse. No sign of new wards either. He growled to himself. “Did they find a way to escape?”

He flash stepped to the top of the second gatehouse. There were calls and panicked movement on the third wall at the sight of him.

He smiled and spawned a mecrotech cube that was as high as his waist. Each side had a large amber colored gemstone embedded in it. He had spawned it just off the back of the gatehouse. It activated as it fell, forming into a titan class golem. Landing with a thunderous impact, it stood twenty meters tall and obstructed his view. It had thick legs and long thick arms that almost touched the ground. And unlike most titans, this one had a name, Mouse.

Rezu flashstepped up to Mouse’s shoulder.

Frantic cries went up for the arcane ballista followed by repeated cries of them still not working. Rezu had set up the lockout system. Only a mecromancer could hope get them working again in less than a day.

A cyan trace went out across the open ground and split as it climbed the wall.

A soldier disappeared from behind a crenulation and reappeared where the trace that found him had crossed over the top. But he was now standing sideways on the outer face of the wall. There was a scream then a satisfying crunch.

People rushed to see what happened.

Rezu projected his voice so all could hear, “Defenders of Red Rock Keep, I am the God Rezu Archinius. Your soldiers attacked me today. I declare you all heretics to the arcane star and sentence you to death.”

People scattered as traces scoured the wall of defenders. One after another would be forcefully flashstepped to the top edge of the wall. A growing line of blood and bodies was forming at the bottom. Rezu felt satisfaction at each scream. His debt to Zagreus would be paid in blood.

“STOP THAT!” A tiny voice shouted from below.

Rezu had to lean out to see past the bulk of the golem.

A pair of fierce eyes glared up at him from under a wide hat.

He shouted. “Stay in that spot and I might let you live.”

“I challenge you to a duel.” She shouted.

“A duel? With a god?” He laughed. Anyone that brave might be worth recruiting. Or they might be a common fool.

“I challenge you for the lives of the innocent here. Accept or surrender.”

Rezu wanted a better look at the fool. He flashstepped down to the ground, in front of the girl.

She glared at him with her arms crossed. She really was just a child, in a cute pink dress and stockings. Odd fashion for this region but nobles often got gifts from other kingdoms. She took off her hat to reveal hair made of long thin leaves. Her skin was streaked brown, like tree bark.

A dryad? Yea, there had been a report of a young dryad staying with a lord in the area. “Ok little one. Enough playtime. This is god busi…”

She tapped her toe on the ground and a trace of arcane formed a massive ring of magenta colored arcane around them.

She can’t even control her arcane enough to make a normal sized dueling ring. He laughed to himself. But, I still need to be mindful. Some young prodigies have strange powers that can be dangerous. And the treefolk have always been secretive of what dryads are capable of, past shield and vine magic.

“If I win, I will tell you who betrayed you and you will spare the others.”

“I’m not in a mood to spare people today but I respect your bravery. Yield now and I will let you be the one who tells other mortals of what happened here.”

She smiled and laughed. “I am making an honor challenge. God of Crafting rules. You are allowed to use anything you have made. Your weapons must be in the circle before the start. If you leave the circle you lose.”

“I am the God of Crafting. I know my own rules.”

“Do you accept my terms?”

“Yield.” He said.

“No.” She stuck out her tongue.

He shrugged. “I gave you an out, twice. It would be disrespectful to offer a third. I accept your honor challenge, under my rules.”

“Good.” She nodded. “If you are ready, then bow.”

He bowed low. Foolish child. He hated hurting children but he had no patience for her today. I’ll knock her out of the circle. She will probably make a strong Cho…

“Hi.” She said.

Rezu looked up and she was waving at the twenty meter tall titan behind him. Rezu could hear the deep metallic sounds of the golem’s gears as it waved back.

That was Mouse. He did strange things, like wave at people.

Rezu had a chance to attack while she was distracted, but he hesitated. The circle was so big Mouse must be in it too. “The dual has started. Focus on me. Don’t worry about him. He is not my weapon. I didn’t make him.”

She gave a devious smile that would have made Karimere jealous. “I know you didn’t make him, I did. Isn’t that right Mouse?”

“Yes.” Boomed Mouse. The gear sounds accelerated.

Panic shot through Rezu as a shadow loomed over him, something held his feet. He tried to flashstep but there was a ward blocking him from getting a trace out. The circle! He had watched her make the damned ward.

The dryad giggled.

“I yie…” A metal hand, the size of a transport vehicle, sent Rezu flying. He managed to get enough energy into defense to keep from breaking bones. He went over the wall and was headed down the cliffs, to the sea.