Chapter 22

The smell of blood was overpowering as Wil entered Mara’s home in Aachen. He had teleported to the street outside, the wards on the home preventing him from appearing directly into the interior of the building. The spell had used all the mana he had regained from resting at the estate, leaving him nearly defenseless.

Drawing his sword, he dashed forward through the open door. It was hanging off the hinges, evidence of forced entry. Inside, more evidence of conflict stood out. Holes burned through walls from magic attacks, shattered and destroyed furniture and household items littered the ground.

Splashes of blood covered several walls, and pools of dark red blood congealed on the hardwood flooring, with streaks where bodies had been dragged through it.

There were no bodies here, they had all been removed before his arrival. From the devastation and bloody remnants, he expected to see the remains of the attackers, but found nothing. They had taken their causalities with them.

Room after he room he searched, following the flow of battle that the evidence directed him. It wasn’t until he reached upstairs that he found her.

Mara had fallen in the hallway, protecting Serena’s bedroom. Her body remained, slouched against the wall. Wounds covered her torso and arms, her face still carrying the look of determination she had in life. Her sword was shattered beside her, the hilt still in her hand.

Approaching her, he found her body lifeless and cooling. It had likely only been less than an hour since she died. Worse, they had left a gaping injury in her chest, a hallow wound where her heart had been.

Choking back his emotions, Wil closed her sightless eyes, saying a silent prayer for his friend. He couldn’t help but recall the time they had spent together barely a week ago, the feel of her lips on his cheek when she kissed him goodbye.

Standing, he carefully stepped over her body, reaching Serena’s room. Inside, more signs of struggle remained, but nothing of the young Tiefling.

They had taken her.

Rage overwhelmed the feeling of loss and despair, the thoughts of what they had done, what they could do, drove his vision red. Quickly it faded, replaced with a feeling of dread. He remembered what Erik had told him, how the Tieflings were hunted for their blood, their connection to the demon realms.

“Goddess forefend, they wouldn’t…” Wil whispered, collapsing onto his knees. Tabitha had told him they would all die, that it was too late to change.

Wil forced himself to his feet, gingerly picking up Mara’s body. He needed to get back to Brookmoor, to alert Markus of what happened. They needed to find Serena quickly, before they could harm her, or use her in one of their rituals.

Moving quickly, Wil left the house. He needed transport back to Brookmoor, which meant he needed to contact the local Imperial Legion branch in Aachen. Standing in the street, under the cover of darkness, Wil’s mind whirled as he tried to make a plan.

He was interrupted by the sound of marching boots. The town guard had arrived, drawn by the sounds of combat and the massive surge of mana his teleportation had drawn. There would be questions, and he would be taken into custody, but he had no choice now, he was too drained to escape.

Drawing himself up, he waited in the street, with the black moon overhead.

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“Markus!” Wil’s voice ripped through the quiet estate, followed by the ringing sound of his boots echoing on the marble flooring. Accompanying him was the jingle of armor, the whisper of robes as they brushed across the ground.

He had convinced the legion to send him home, escorted by an entire squad of their soldiers. Warriors and mages, they sent half a dozen with him. Cradled in his arms was the lifeless body of Mara. His only hope of bringing her back was Kathryn. He had witnessed her resurrection magic himself in Aachen.

The Legion had already sent word to the Emperor, informing him of the Cultist threat. The group Wil had fought in the Capital was only one of several, and they were now in possession of a Tiefling, capable of opening a portal to the Demon Realms, threatening the entire safety of the Illyrian Empire.

“MARKUS!” Wil shouted again, and this time his brother appeared, rushing down from the upstairs rooms, Kathryn following closely behind him. If Markus was surprised by the sight of his brother in the company of the Legion, holding a dead body, he didn’t show it.

“Kathryn!” Markus said, gesturing to the woman in Wil’s arms. His wife was already moving, gently lifting Mara down to the ground, her divine magic wrapped around her in soft blue light.

“They have Serena. Gods Damn it all, Markus! They killed Mara and took her!” Wil said, half frantic now that he was with his brother.

“Calm down. It’s going to be alright. We’ll find her Wil, I swear on Secundus we’ll do everything we can to bring her home.” Markus said, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder while he watched his wife work. Her chanting filled the room, quelling the rage and terror Wil felt. It soothed his soul, the cadence of the words as Kathryn beseeched the goddess to return Mara to life.

All too soon, however, the chanting stopped. Wil knew something was wrong as soon as he saw his sister-in- law’s despairing face.

“She’s gone, Wil. There’s nothing I can do.” Kathryn whispered, placing a hand on Mara’s forehead.

“What do you mean? I saw you bring a Lich back to life! Mara’s only been dead for an hour!” Wil shouted, his blood running cold as the high-ranking Cleric shook her head.

“They did more than kill the body, they forced the soul to move on. Whatever ritual they used when they removed her heart, severed the link between body and spirit. I can’t bring her back, Wil, because there’s nothing to call upon. She’s firmly in the embrace of the Goddess now. May she rest in peace until the day she is born again, under ‘Her’ blue light.” Kathryn explained, slowly standing.

Wil stumbled backwards, Kathryn’s words overwhelming his mind.

“It’s my fault. Gods Damn it all, I’m to blame for all of this. I should never have returned. I should have stayed in the Wilds, where Serena would be safe. Then Mara would still be…” Wil whispered, tears running down his cheeks.

“You’re not to blame for any of this, Wil. We’ll find every one of these cultists and bring them to justice.” Markus reassured him.

“We need to find them first. Where’s Tabitha? I’ll get an answer out of her!” Wil growled, drawing his sword.

“She’s with the Imperial Guard, along with father and Margaret. Between them, the Legion, and the Church of the Twins, they’ll pull something from them. We just need to be patient.”

“Every moment we waste here, they could be draining Serena as we speak! Kathryn, is there anything you could do?” Wil asked, turning to his sister-in-law.

“I’m sorry, Wil. Something is blocking my Augury, and every attempt to communicate with Secundus has been blocked. Markus is right, patience is required of us now.” Kathryn responded.

They were interrupted by a rumbling sound. The ground began to shake slightly, as if a vibration was running through the building. The pictures on the walls skewed and the chandelier overhead rattled. Confused, Wil looked at Markus for an answer.

“Earthquake? I don’t remember them occurring in the south.” Wil asked.

“They don’t, but I could be wrong. Greaves may-” Markus was interrupted by Garman’s lumbering hulk pushing past the legion soldiers. He looked pale faced and panicked. He barely spared the deceased Mara a glance, before gesturing outside.

“Outside, now! The gods have damned us all.” He shouted, pulling Wil and Markus towards the exit.

Outdoors, standing in the dark courtyard, Wil and the others were stunned into silence. The black moon, filling the sky overhead, was cracking open, like an egg that was hatching. Lines of white light ran through the black void.

Tar began to seep through the cracks, dripping liquid that hung from the orb, preparing to drop on the earth below.

“Secundus preserve and protect us. We’re too late.” Wil whispered, staring at the approaching end of the world.