The Ethersmith [Runesmithing Progression Fantasy]

The war camp and the landscape around it bustled with demons. Easily hundreds of them performing different tasks. There were tents and large canopies. A dining hall, storage units, even a quick infirmary, though currently empty of patients. The area was like a sprawling bivouac, many times the size of Vivi's home street within the Lowmoor district.

A battalion of archers and spearmen, and a few swordsmen with runeswords, stood by the front lines. Along with them was Anthony Ailman and his gang, excluding Lortel, as well as most of the Luminary's Lights, all loaded with Vivi's runeswords.

Anthony and his gang were still mostly strangers to Vivi. All of them were technically a part of the Runes And Rain company, present when needed, and they'd follow Vivi's requests if she made any, but she hadn't really talked with them, or gotten to know them. Anthony had saved her, and Vivi respected him a lot, but ultimately, they weren't friends.

Behind the battalion stood a row of ballistas. The ballistas looked like oversized crossbows planted to the ground. There were six of them, each one as tall as two demons and wide enough that only a giant could have lifted them. Their operators had platforms for taking aim. Javelin-like missiles were laid on racks with two demons, maxed out with ether, assigned to each ballista for re-arming.

Then there was their target.

A vast mountainscape awaited a mile or so in the distance. Vivi had no questions about which mountain was about to be hit by a storm. The hazardous mountain jutted out from the desert, already looking like a monster before anything had even been reanimated.

Hundreds upon hundreds of ether sticks lay collapsed atop its surface like corpses left to bake under the facets' scorch. Bones, inanimate objects, hosts that Vivi would have considered surge hazards even on their own, coated the mountain like sprinkles on a cake. Cracks ran across its surface, as if the whole mountain had shattered. Deeper holes were drilled here and there, and each hole was packed with more bones and ether sticks.

"We're slightly understaffed," Lucas said. He walked toward the front lines as he spoke. "Hopefully your runeswords will make the difference."

"This is understaffed?" Vivi asked, astonished. There were hundreds of demons around her. Every single demon, even cooks and infantrymen, seemed to be maxed out. Vivi couldn't imagine how much this operation had cost to set up.

"The goal is to clear the surge without casualties," Lucas said. "And preferably without losing equipment. Many more storms are going to break in the area, and the first storms are typically the least concentrated."

"You mean, this is the easiest storm we'll have to defeat?" Vivi asked.

"This one built up inside a mountain," Lucas said. "That alone makes this one of the most dangerous surges Shivenar has seen in centuries. In a way, we're lucky that the first storm is the one to hit the worst location. This one is the least concentrated with ether."

The view ahead certainly didn't look lucky. "A hundred million ether will hit that," Vivi said.

"Yep," Lucas said. "Could be less, or it could be more, depending on how close the estimate was. And it's our job to deal with the monsters."

His way with words was sarcastic and unserious, as always, but there were no hints of amusement in his tone or face.

Unsurprisingly, Lucius's tail moved back and forth. He had that focused look in his eyes. The primal type, filled with anticipation. Vivi sent him a quick frown.

Lucius cleared his throat and showed himself. "A storm worth a hundred million will grant us at least ten million collectible wisps."

"Yes," Lucas said. "The ether we earn today will be our budget for defeating the next storm. We will likely have to purchase ammunition, skills, perhaps even mercenaries, from Ingfried to assist us."

"Vivi and I can collect what we kill, right?" Lucius asked.

Lucas glowered at him. "You two," he said sternly, "will stay back and watch."

"What?" Lucius exclaimed. "We ran all the way here, and we can't even fight?"

A voice spoke from behind. "Ah, what brilliance," Coshi said. "We should risk the best runesmith in the city to fight the most violent surge in decades. Lucius, why haven't I recruited you as our strategist?"

Lucius frowned.

Coshi grinned. She spoke to Lucas. "The storm is scheduled to break within the hour. It's too dangerous to seek closer estimates. Be prepared for battle."

Vivi's spirit continued pouting. "This asshole can fight, but not us?"

Vivi sighed. "Lucius, we're months short of reaching the first elevation. We don't have a single rare skill. We—"

The words were cut short as a new presence came active in Vivi's sixth sense. Lucius's head perked up, concerned. Then he flew to Vivi's core in a panic, hiding as deep as he possibly could.

The overwhelming aura of an Exalted Knight approached from above. Iszul, the fourth knight, flew in the air using some sort of skill. His eyes landed on Coshi, and he dropped to the ground.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

He didn't merely fall; he crashed against the ground with a thump that made Vivi's hair flare. She held a hand over her face to block the sand particles, channeling ether to her dress to prevent dirt from sticking.

Iszul didn't pay Vivi any attention. His scowl was directed at Coshi. Specifically, Coshi's two sheaths, where two hilt poked out. Blossom and her newest shockwave sword, Darkness Slasher.

"This runesmith," Iszul said. "Vivian Runeblessed. You seem to have employed her."

"No," Coshi said obliviously. "I do believe the Lost Raindrop takes commissions from everyone."

"She has declined a commission worth twenty million ether in favor of you, dear Luminary," Iszul said.

Coshi shrugged. "I must have charmed her rather nicely. I do consider myself a charismatic young lady. Don't you think so Elizabeth?"

"Ah, um, yes!" Vivi said. "You are magnificent, Coshi, Lady of Insight!"

The fumble of words was embarrassing enough that Iszul directed a confused frown her way. Though, he didn't seem to see through the disguise. He turned back to Coshi. "You are understaffed. I expect you to request my assistance. I will agree, so long as I have the right to collect what I kill."

"You are free to defend the front lines," Coshi said, words emphasised with a firm stare. "The main assault, however, will be led by the Lights and I. Your assistance is not required. In fact, I forbid you from stealing our kills."

Iszul stayed stoic. "Very well. How many fallen soldiers should I count to before I am allowed to assist you?"

"One," Coshi said. "If a single one of my men falls, I will accept your assistance."

Iszul snorted. "You are amusing today. Has the size of this storm distorted your judgement? An army of less than five hundred men cannot defeat a storm worth a hundred million ether."

"Really?" Coshi asked with an exaggeratedly surprised expression. "We better get some girls in here as well, then."

By now, Iszul was visibly annoyed.

"We'll handle this storm," Coshi said. "You just sit there and watch, sir knight, and feel free to inquire for a sword at the Lost Raindrop after we're done." Coshi turned her head and called, "What's the forecast?"

"Within thirty minutes!" another called.

Coshi grinned. Then she turned to the mountains, walked to the front lines, and took a comfortable seat on the platform beneath one of the ballistas. Iszul frowned, following her. Vivi was left behind with Lucas.

They waited for ten or so minutes, while final checkups were performed on equipment. The engineers and artillerists loaded their weapons with javelins. Vivi spotted strength and crush runes on the tips of their javelins, though they were outside-carved and bearing only a single rune. Archers and spearmen lined the front rows, each arrow strengthened by runes.

Demons were still moving about when the ground began shaking.

It started as a barely noticeable tremble. Then a rumble came from underneath. Vivi sensed ether moving underneath her feet, flowing rapidly toward the direction of the mountains, as if the storm was sucking in all the ambient ether around it. With the moving ether, the ground beneath lost its security. A full quake began, making it difficult to stand.

By the time the quake calmed down, the air above the mountains had changed color as a mist of wisps oozed out from the mountain. A dark shade of grey-ish red.

Whirling wisps arose from the cracks in the mountain, rising all the way to the facets, coating the air in a fog of ether. The first ether sticks rose to their feet, moving sluggishly about the mountain.

A deafening blast came from the mountain. Chunks of the mountain exploded to the air, knocking monsters to the air. A chunk crashed against the facets above before slamming back down. Ether erupted from every hole in the mountain, shooting into the air. Slowly, the storm formed into a whirlwind.

Millions upon millions of ether flowed out. In under ten seconds, the whirlwind grew from a calm spiral to a raging tornado, enveloping the entire mountain in a violent storm. The sizzle was deafening, celestial, as if each school of wisps within the storm was a sword being sharpened.

Every ether stick, every host within, the fallen chunks of the mountain, were all enshrouded by the tornado of utter destruction. The mountain cracked further as more chunks were eaten into the whirl of the tornado.

The active wisps then settled in the environment. The violence of the tornado slowed as the reanimating monsters took in its ether. The hundreds of host bones and ether sticks did their job. There was so much to reanimate underneath that the tornado didn't have time to move from its starting point.

Tens of millions worth of monsters stood atop the destroyed mountain, their ravenous eyes pointing toward the terrified line of archers.

"It is time, then," Lucas said, unsheathing his blade and joining the front lines. "Study the fight, Vivi, and may the light be with us."