Fate of Mirithia [LitRPG, Isekai]

After all this time, Meera would've learned that no plan went as planned. There was always a wrench thrown in the plans, and this time, that wrench just happened to be the second in command of the Cult. Lainor had told her about him, but she never expected to run into him, even if he was the excuse they had used to gain entry into the Spire.

The man had a stern gaze, as if he were angry at the world. He stood about six feet tall, with salt-and-pepper hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He wore the uniform of the cultists, even at this time of the night. They had thought he would be sleeping at this late hour, but it looked like he had just stepped out of a meeting. A meeting that had not gone well, which was entirely possible.

Lainor and the guard bowed at the waist. "Aetheron will Prevail."

So, Meera followed suit, though she pretended to do so with much difficulty. The man had never seen her, so there was no reason to believe that he would know her by sight. Unless he had somehow seen a picture of her. She glanced at Lainor for some clue whether she should be gearing up for a fight, but his eyes were glued to the Elder.

The Elder gave Lainor a disdainful look. "What do you want at this late hour, Lainor? I don't remember sending for you."

"You did not, Elder," Lainor replied. "But I have come with some grave news."

"Then give it and begone from sight." The tone with which Raevan spoke was enough to know how he felt about the man.

"Elder, this is sister Cauneth. She was in the battle. I found her as I was surveying for survivors."

"Still? Who gave that order?"

"It was Elder Mikton. He had many of us out there, in case any other brothers or sisters survived the onslaught of the Champion's sister."

That last comment gave Meera pause, as the Elder's mood immediately soured. Lainor had never mentioned that they hated her so much, but this also meant that she was feared amongst the weaker members. This was good. She could use this somehow. She just didn't know how.

"Is this going somewhere?" Raevan barked. "Or are you here to just foul my mood with that wretched creature's name?"

"Sister Cauneth is one of the survivors, Elder," Lainor repeated. "I found her stumbling through the forest, and she would have perished if I hadn't found her."

It was clear that Lainor wasn't in the man's good graces, and it was also clear that he was desperately trying to get back in his good graces. But whatever this was, it was good, as it could help them buy some much-needed time.

Raevan gave her a look. "Then why are you bringing her to me, when she clearly needs a healer?"

"Because of the grave tidings she brings," Lainor replied.

Raevan sighed. "Just out with it. I don't have time for whatever nonsense you think is important."

"Elder, you do want to hear this in private," Lainor said, eying the guard. Then leaned in to whisper. "You know, how fast news can travel in a camp of our size."

Raevan looked as though he wanted to smack Lainor, but eventually sighed. "Follow me, and this better be good or I'll string you up with your bootstraps."

"Thank you, Elder. Come, sister." Lainor took her arm and put it over his shoulder, and started to help her up the stairs.

Meera had to resist the urge to whisper in his ear as to what to do, but speaking now would be a grave mistake, as the Elder was only a few steps ahead and would no doubt hear everything. So, they stayed silent as they climbed the steps.

There were many doors that Meera figured led to the different floors. She counted four before Raevan finally opened the fifth, which she figured was the top or near the top anyway. There wasn't much to see in the corresponding hallway. It was a solid ice wall that led to a room, which was no doubt Raevan's office.

It had a table and chair, with many scrolls and loose paper. Off to the side were several bookcases that contained many books and scrolls. The only thing that gave her pause was the weapon racks, which held weapons made of ice and steel.

The hilt and crossguard would be made of steel, while the rest would be made of ice, and some were a mixture of steel and ice. They intrigued her the most and very nearly asked the Elder about it, but they had to stick to the plan, which had gone haywire.

One thing was certain, they would have to kill this Elder to get to the Heirarch. As the door to Raevan's left held the stairs that led to Elrasil's rooms. She didn't know what she would say to the Elder to catch him off guard, but she would have to think of something, because this cultist was strong.

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[Frostweaver – Level 669]

Any prolonged fight with him would undoubtedly draw the attention of anyone downstairs or upstairs.

Raevan stopped at his desk and turned. "Well, we are alone. What are these grave tidings, girl?"

"Elder Raevan," Meera gulped for effect. "I heard the sorceresses speaking of the princess calling for reinforcements from the God King. After the last battle, one thing was clear to them—they needed more bodies to fight our might. So, the princess finally caved and swallowed her pride."

Raevan's expression remained unchanged. "And they just told you that?"

"No, Elder. They thought I was dead. Given my condition, it's understandable why they would think that. They were tossing my body in the pit behind the village, no doubt to burn with the rest of our martyred brothers and sisters. That's when I overheard. I pretended to be dead, and when they left to fetch more people, it was then that I made my escape."

"I see…"

"I hope you can see why we didn't want to say this in front of the guard downstairs," Lainor said. "Sensitive news like this travels like wildfire, especially when we are in such a delicate situation."

Raevan's eyes flicked to him, for a brief moment, before returning to Meera. "Did you hear anything else?"

Meera pretended to remember something, and she didn't know what else she could say that would distract this man, just enough that she could dispatch him.

Finally, she shook her head. "No, that's all, Elder."

"And you?" Raeven turned to Lainor. "Where did you find her?"

"In the Palinkiri woods, a few ways off from my village."

That made the Elder squint his eyes. "Your village?"

"Surely, the Elder must know that it is my village. That was where I grew up, before coming here."

Raevan nodded and walked over to the Lainor and patted him on the shoulder. However, Lainor flinched slightly at the Elder's touch.

"You did good," Raevan said. "And you're right. We can't have this news leaking to our forces. It would break their morale."

"Of course, Elder, we won't say—"

Before Lainor could finish the sentence, the Elder had thrust an ice dagger in Lainor's chest.

He looked down in amazement, with an expression of sheer surprise and horror. Blood leaked out of his chest, staining his white clothes scarlet. He didn't have long.

Raevan leaned in to whisper in his ear. "We know, you made a deal with them. We've been watching you, and you brought us more than just grave tidings. You brought us the grand prize." He turned and gave Meera a vicious smile. "Welcome, Meera."

She didn't know how he knew, and she didn't have the time to figure out how. She jumped forward, pulling out a chakram from under the folds of her uniform. He let go of Lainor, who dropped to the ground, with the dagger still in his chest.

The Elder jumped over the table and narrowly avoided getting slashed in the chest. She hurled the chakram at his feet, but he created an ice shield, and her chakram got wedged in it. Lainor was convulsing on the ground. He wasn't long for this world, and she still needed him to get out of this place.

Fuck!

She quickly bent down, yanked the blade out of him, lifted his head, and poured a Health potion into his mouth. He hungrily gulped it down. His wound was closing, but not fast enough. He was still losing a lot of blood, while the Elder was running for the door, no doubt to make his escape or signal the others who must've been lying in wait.

She threw another Health potion at Lainor. Then she activated her armor's special ability and littered the room with mirror shards. The Elder flinched and stopped for a moment, thinking he had been attacked, but that was all the time she needed.

She heard footsteps behind the door on the stairs. She didn't know how far they were, and in the heat of the moment, couldn't tell how far they were. She just needed to make sure they didn't come in here and create more of a commotion.

She activated Spectral Dominion and called forth two shadow warriors.

If anyone tries to come into the room. Kill them.

With that mental command, she turned to the Elder who was lunging for one of the ice weapons. She teleported to the closest shard and gripped his hand as soon as it landed on the hilt of a sword. She activated Drubis Might and crushed his fingers to mulch.

He screamed, but she clamped a hand on his mouth and punched him in the chest with Quaking Fist. The Elder quivered on the spot for a few seconds before flying into one of the bookcases. The bookcase crashed to the ground, on top of the Elder.

There was no sound for a long time. Then, finally, the bookcase stirred, and Raevan tossed it aside. Blood trickled out of his mouth, and there was a gash on his forehead, but other than that, he didn't look like he had sustained any major damage.

Meera groaned. This was turning into a prolonged fight. Just what she didn't want. The sounds of him crashing into the bookcase alone were loud enough to wake anyone upstairs.

"You think yourselves so clever, but we knew you would try something like this," Raeven said, wiping the blood off his brow. "Not even in my wildest dreams would I have thought that they would send you. You will not be leaving this place alive. Time to fulfil one line of the great prophecy."

He thrust his hand out, and an Ice beam exploded out of his hand. Meera was about to teleport to safety when a beam of red-hot fire crashed into the ice beam, neutralizing it and filling the room with steam.

Then a silhouette of a man appeared. Meera got ready to attack, but it was Lainor.

"You go kill Elrasil and leave him to me." He glanced at the confused Elder. "I have to pay him back for a lot of niceties."

"You sure?"

"The longer you delay, our window of assassinating Elrasil shrinks."

Meera nodded. "Good luck. I'll see you soon."

Meera teleported to the door that led to Elrasil's quarters. She opened the door, jumped inside, and closed it before Raevan could even make a sound of protest. She heard their muffled sounds of talking. She could make out what they were saying, but only because of her Gem of Echoes. She figured that anyone with normal ears wouldn't be able to.

She flew up stairs using her armor, without touching the stairs to avoid making a sound, but when she arrived at the top, she knew she was too late.

"Ah, just who I was waiting for," said Elrasil.