I could hear Granite rampaging up above on the wall as I put the finishing touches on the rune recharging. I didn’t envy his targets in the slightest. However, things were not looking good. While the toughness and tenacity of the beast-kin were allowing them to stay in the fight, the sheer number of opponents was becoming an obvious factor.

Sarirrva flew off a while back too and was, from the sound of it, making her presence felt in a most devastating way. From what little I could see from my position, she seemed intent on keeping the mages focused on her, rather than risking anything in a reckless assault against mages whose capabilities were an unknown.

“MOOR, BIT HELP HERE!” I looked around and saw the source of the outburst. The wall opposite of where Granite was, was in terrible shape. Even with Ursus fighting like a madman and his size and strength were causing grievous damage to the attackers, he was nowhere near as devastating a force as a company of trained Duergar warriors.

I raised my hand and sent out a [Chain Lightning] at the attackers. It was always nice to see the bolt of magical lightning snake its way past my allies to strike at their attackers. The sound of the spell, however, and the resulting flash of light was less pleasant. I could see several beast-kin winced from it, but it beat the alternative.

However, it was just a momentary reprieve. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for the dead attackers to be replaced. No matter which way you looked at it, we were in trouble. Without something major happening, they would soon force us off the walls. Should I try another Arcana? Hmm, no. Not here at any rate, an Arcana backfire inside the fort would be the nail in the coffin for us.

However, I couldn’t just use small-scale spells here. As I considered the spells in my vast repertoire, I saw Amber and Ozweld hurry out with a batch of new potions. Hmm, Astra?… That was not a spell I knew how to cast, but I knew the effect. Too bad I didn’t have a similar spell. Hmm well, there was one spell I could use, but it would be risky. However, doing nothing would mean the end of us.

“Ursus I have an idea, however if it goes poorly it might make things worse!” He didn’t look at me, he was too busy fighting. “Well, whatever it is you’re thinking of doing do it fast. Even if it goes poorly, it can’t make the situation much worse than it already is!” Well, he wasn’t wrong.

I began casting, if this worked, there would be quite commotion, and if it didn’t, well… better not think of that. As I tuned out the din of the battle, I could feel the air around me hum with power. I directed the magic to the river, and into the water. The result was immediate as the river surged and swelled. The amount of water increasing exponentially as the [Flood] spell went into effect.

The water flew over the banks of the river and onto dry land, while pulling the nearest invaders into the now rapidly increasing rapids. This would likely cause some minor damage to Caelyn further downriver. But that was something that the city could handle.

Besides, even if it did, I didn’t have the luxury of choice right now. The water rose rapidly and began spilling over outside the walls, while also surging into the camp itself. It didn’t take long before the camp began flooding too, and outside the wall a small moat was forming. “Ursus, how’s the influx of new foes?!” It took a moment for me to get an answer. “It’s slowing, whatever you’re doing is working.”

I nodded and began forcing the water back out from the camp with another spell. “Good, once I have finished damage control I’ll make it even more unpleasant for them.” Using [water ward] it was an easy task to force the water back into the flooding river. They would last awhile too, but I would have to renew them, eventually. However, with what I was planning it was something I couldn’t afford to not take the time to do.

As I spotted a somewhat free space near Ursus, I got up on the wall, so I could see what I was doing. “Keep them at bay for about a few moments, and I’ll slow them even more.” The beast-kin near me didn’t look my way, but began fighting harder as they heard me cast. It wasn’t because the assailants could kill me, but losing concentration on the spell could have undesired consequences. Their increased vigor pushed them back off the wall just as I finished the spell. It was with no small amount of satisfaction that I directed a bolt of lightning into the newly created moat.

Pearl said that casting lightning into water could have disastrous consequences for any allies and as I watched my lightning bolt spread from assailant to assailant, I became quite convinced she was right. The sight was sickening and the stench even more so. However, I did not feel pity for them as I prepared a second bolt.

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I was getting a clearer picture of the memories I was reconstructing. However, I did not feel too great about what I was seeing. This could be an even bigger issue than what I initially thought. How many people? A handful, a dozen, a score? I didn’t have enough information. However, that was a minor thing compared to what else was going on. I would love to just toss away my progress to go deal with it now. But, I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave until I unraveled these memories and removed the last vestige of the Void forever.

Still, my suspicions were correct, whether that was a good or bad thing… I couldn’t say. A saying that was becoming all too common these days. The Void being involved was one thing, but, the 2nd issue. Well, I would cross that bridge later. For now, I would figure out the last few remaining memories. It shouldn’t take more than a few more hours at most.

Hmm, if the report I got via Indella was right that would put my arrival about on par with that of Minos. I would have hoped Minos would arrive sooner, but then it was several days on foot from Ondul to the festival grounds. Besides, the battle area should flood right about now, which would buy precious time for the Beast-kin. Damn I was getting distracted. I renewed my focus on the memories. I didn’t have time to spare on musings right now.

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I hated to admit it, but this Void Magic hurt way more than I let on. At least it was only pain and not much in the way of damage. However, how much longer would they be able to cast? These vermin were nothing like Mordred, they didn’t have a new inexhaustible supply of mana to fuel their casts. All I needed to do was to wait for when their spells stopped flowing, and I could guarantee their demise.

Until then, all I needed to do was to fry any other defenders nearby, while keeping the mages’ attention on me to ease up things for Keari and Mordred. Another bolt of purple energy struck me, sending waves of pain throughout my body. Argh, those damn spells were so annoying. I couldn’t risk going closer until they were low on mana, though.

I didn’t know what sort of magic was used on the soldiers below, but they were empty inside. And I refused to get close to anything capable of taking a person and just turning them into a hollowed-out shell. Not willingly at any rate. The idea of having my identity stripped and become a puppet to whoever or whatever led this army was not an idea I relished at all.

However, no such spell was flung my way from up here, which suggested I was out of range. And while I was genuine in my wish to court someone as powerful as Mordred, our relationship wasn’t solidified yet. I would help him out. But I wouldn’t risk my life for him, not yet.

As I banked around for another pass, another spell hit me straight in the right wing, causing it to cramp up for a moment. Nothing major, but it made my turn more awkward, and the waves of pain was even stronger than before. However, it took everything just to not plummet to the ground. Alright, that’s it. Those wretched mages were dead.

I banked around and went into a dive towards the mages, and let loose my breath attack. Just as it impacted, I could see the terrified expressions on their faces. They weren’t the ones who made this army? Well then, even better. The flames washed over them, leaving behind nothing but charred corpses as I pulled up. As I did, something impacted with my back.

A moment later the worst pain I ever experienced burned through my head. I somehow kept myself airborne, but I could not see where I was going as I fought to remain conscious. I would not lose to whatever that was. Another small thud on my back and the pain vanished. I turned my head and got a beat on what was going on. Mordred was sitting on top of a hooded figure, his hands locked around its neck. Was I seeing things?

The hooded figure blasted Mordred with a spell, causing a huge wound in his side. Mordred ignored it and kept squeezing. As I watched, his wound closed. Gone, just as fast as it arrived. With my pain gone and Mordred dealing with my assailant, I dove once more. These wretched worms would pay for this humiliation. I wasn’t some damsel in distress, I didn’t need to be rescued.

The very thought made my inner fire flare up in anger as I let out another blast of fire. Rage always made the flame breath more destructive, and this time was no different. Where my fire before left the corpses burning and the armor red-hot. It now left only ashes and slag behind. A wonderful sight, indeed. “That’s this asshole dealt with, are you OK?” Mordred’s voice was barely audible over the wind. I glanced back. “I’m fine.” Mordred nodded. “Let’s get closer to camp we need to slow their advance, or it’ll be overrun.”

I hesitated. “Sure, however before that… about that Arcana she showed us.” Mordred blinked. “Are you serious, you want to discuss this now? You said you wanted to think about it.” I looked back once more. “Not discuss it, use it, if you will have me.” Seeing Mordred baffled like that was strangely endearing. Then, he closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath. “Fine then, I… I guess that’s agreeable. Just give me a few seconds to get ready. However, you know the stipulation, right?”

I scoffed. “I am serious Mordred. You are the perfect mate, and I would be happy to spend eternity with you. Besides that immortality would shore up the last weakness in my magic immunity. The so-called price of being your mate for it to work isn’t even a price, given your power, it's a bonus. The immortality I mean.” I could see a bunch of emotions wash over Mordred’s face. A drastic change from his usual stoic expression.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Damn you Pearl, I can’t believe I’m about to do this…” he sat down and began chanting, I could feel the power flowing through the spell, it was insane. It was disrupting the natural order of things just by being spoken. The other Arcanas gave a similar feeling, but not on this level. Just what did that young godling make? Before I could finish the answer Mordred finished his incantation and the world dissolved into pure white.

I could sense Mordred on my back still. “Mordred what did you do?” In the back of my head was this strange tingling sensation, Confusion? Insecurity? I could feel Mordred stand up on my back, pacing back and forth. He was… annoyed? “I’m not sure either. All I know is that Pearl said it would let me share my immortality with a willing target, but only one.”

Then he stopped. “Wait…” Did he realize something? Mordred sat down again and laughed. “You sneaky lil brat. Yes, I found something out. That Arcana bonded our very souls together. We now have the same type of bond that Pearl has with Indella.” He was amused. I could feel it. “And I can feel what you feel, and our thoughts are touching if we want it too. It’s apparently a bit of a learning process to learn how to not broadcast our every thought and emotion to one-another.”

Now that Mordred mentioned it, I could feel the connection there. “But how does this allow you to share your immortality?” The knowledge of that answer just popped into my head. Our Skills were shared, our abilities too, to a certain extent. I was immortal, while Mordred gained my own draconic powers. Did that mean Mordred could take the form of a dragon now? That was a very interesting thought indeed.

I was knocked back to my senses by a sudden impact. I was on the ground, having plummeted from the air. The pain was there, but only for a moment as my wounds healed almost as fast as they arrived. So, this was how immortality was like when you got injured. Not bad. I looked around, enemies all the way to the flooded camp. No need to hold back then. This was going to be fun… for me. For these mindless pawns? Doubtful.