Transcendence?

Just4info:

I am a little busy at the moment, because I have to do the work of other people... lazy bastards.

So if my updates are a little irregular at the moment it just means that I have literally no time for my hobby.

*headdesk*

***Norfolk, Sarn-Valley, Southern Col***

***Celestial***

It was already late at night when my weapon started to act. I am standing beside Den while watching the road on which the enemy is climbing up the mountain.

Fires are lighting it and from time to time big explosions catch my eyes. We can hear cries of terror as the whole enemy army seems to be engaged in a fight for life and death.

“They are so noisy. I don't want to imagine how loud it is down there.” I shake my head as another big explosion lights the road in the distance.

“I originally anticipated that they would arrive in the evening. What the hell was that green poison?” Den looks at me with a doubtful expression.

“A woman has her secrets! Wait until morning. I will go to sleep for now.” So I turn and walk back to my tent where Sera is sleeping.

***

I yawn and open my eyes. It's early in the morning and there is already light outside. Probably I should check on my experiment.

After taking a look at the sleeping Sera, I head out. Later she will meet up with my parents, so I instruct the guards in front of my tent to escort her there. I didn't bother to change into my sleeping clothes last night, because it was highly likely that we would be attacked.

I find Den still standing at his observation spot. He has a nice view on the pass-road, so I join him and take a look at the battlefield at the foot of the mountain.

There are craters from high class magic all over the place. The area is blackened from fire and the advancing row of enemies is pent-up. Two big green blobs are obstructing their path.

“They already killed three blobs, but these things are though bastards. What the hell did you create!?” Den looks at me accusingly.

“~Slimes.~”

“Those are no slimes! They are at least thirty metres high and growing as they eat people!” Den points down at the two blobs, which are hunting the foot soldiers of our enemies. Rows of mages are casting attack magic on them.

“Working as intended. They have high magical resistance and are almost immune to physical attacks. On top they don't know anything else but eating. So they can't be influenced by mind magic. It's the perfect weapon against Mislow! ~Hahahaha!~” I fold my arms in front of my chest and wait for praise.

“They eat people!” Den shouts at me.

I tilt my head. “Well, that's what they are intended to do? Once there isn't enough food in their reach, they will die. Their metabolism is very fast. So I guess the other three weren't really defeated, but didn't catch enough soldiers to eat. And why are you suddenly having moral issues with that? You werewolves tend to take a bite from assassins too.”

Den shakes his head. “This is this and that is that! We can't do anything about our urges, but you let something like this loose!” He stabs his finger down at the two blobs.

“It's better than poisoning the whole area. I don't want to do permanent damage to the environment. My solution is actually the most ecological one!” I smile at Den who seems to give up.

“Whatever, you and your husband are both monsters. At least you bought us a lot of time … and reduced the enemy army.” He sighs.

“Any idea how much damage we inflicted on them?” I look down as one of my blobs suddenly stops moving and starts to whither away. “Ah... I guess they found out that running away does the trick.”

“It's impossible to say. They were marching in a long column on the road. It could be anything from a few hundred to a few thousand.” Den says.

“I could make a few more blobs. But I guess they would be seen too early during the day. The ones I threw at them yesterday had the cover of the dark to grow larger. They are very weak while they are still small.” I look at Den.

He nods enthusiastically. “There is no need for more of those things. I am sure that we will manage to hold them off until the air fleet arrives.”

I shrug and turn my back on the remaining blob to take a look after Sera.

***

Five hours passed and the enemy is finally in range of our guns. Of course we could have shot at them earlier. But we have no explosive shells and shooting our precious ammunition without maximum effect is stupid according to Den.

The pass-road is winding itself up the rocky mountain until it finally arrives at our plateau. We decided to start shooting at them when they reach a part of the road which is about five hundred metres under us. It's a good visible spot, so it's perfect to decide when to start shooting.

I am just a silent watcher because I leave the management of our army to Den. But the effect of our railguns is devastating. The advancing column of enemy soldiers literally disappeared in a cloud of dust and splinters as our guns took their first shot.

“They will bring some magicians forward to cast barriers. Otherwise it will be just target practice for us.” Den takes a look at the situation by using an orb.

“Are you sure that we have enough ammunition for all of them? Somehow I doubt it.” I point at the big military camp which is growing at the foot of our mountain. There are so many enemies, they are using almost all available space.

“I hope that the air fleet will arrive before we run out of ammunition. My people are trying to contact them, but they seem to be out of range of our devices. The communication equipment covers just a distance of one or two days on a horse.” Den grimaces at the inconvenience.

I watch in silence while the advancing troops are bombarded by our railguns. After half an hour they finally get assistance by a few mages. Barriers are starting to deflect our projectiles.

But their advance halts several times, as a few mages crumble under the onslaught of projectiles. It took them an hour to bring a group of magicians forward, which could finally create a barrier to withstand our attacks.

Magical warfare changes the art of war completely. Everything adds up to who has the strongest barrier. Normal soldiers who advance without the protection of a mage are dead meat. For the moment we are pressuring them, so they can't counter-attack with offensive magic of their own.

But this situation can't keep on forever. I am sure that they are currently chasing their mages to the front lines. Once they have gathered enough people to erect satisfying barriers, they will start to cast fireballs and other spells at us.

Fireballs are the standard offensive spell among magic practitioners. But there are other possibilities, like mind magic. Something which can be countered only by my parents. I think that I could fend off a spell on myself, but I couldn't do anything to help anyone else.

“I think it's time for us to blow up the first part of the road. It will slow their advance and it will be hard for the mages to keep up their barriers once they have to climb over rocks, instead of leisurely walking on a road.” Den mutters to himself.

I smile at him. “I will leave that decision to you. I will go and take a look at how my parents are doing with their protection spell in the meantime.”

Den nods and I turn to search for my parents. Probably they are in their tent.

*BOOOM*

An explosion shakes the ground and I take a look back. A huge fountain of debris erupted at our targeted spot. Den gave the command to blow one of the mana bombs, which made a sizeable piece of the road hard to pass. I don't pay it any heed and stroll forward.

Arriving at the tent of my parents, I take a look inside and find them kneeling on the ground while working on a huge magical protection circle. “You are hard at work as I see.”

“We may be able to ward us against mind magic, but there is no chance to stop them forever.” Idala whines while scribbling another set of runes with paint on the stony ground.

“Like your mother said, the situation looks dire! We should start to think about retreat.” Arduin is sitting in the centre of the circle to handle the area protection spell.

“How long do you think you can keep going? And where is Sera? Shouldn't she be here?” I look around.

“She left with her two bodyguards to get something. We are a little occupied at the moment, so we couldn't stop her!” My mother has a few tears in her face while saying so. “Who in his right mind takes a child to a battlefield!”

“~It's okay.~ I am back already.” I turn and see Sera with two guards. Both guards are carrying big glass crystals and some other junk. I think Ascathon uses them to supply his devices?

What is she thinking? Running off alone through the camp? Even if she had the guards with her! “What are you thinking to run off like that? Your body is too weak in case something happens!” I rebuke her.

“~Helping.~ Okay! You place four mana cores around the circle and connect them with the cables. And you help me to adjust the fifth one.” She starts to give orders to the guards.

“What's that going to become?” I arch an eyebrow at Sera and the guards.

Sera looks up while instructing the guard to cut open some wires around the fifth core and connecting cables to it. “~Just a little power boost for grandpa.~”

“I already tried to use those things! It's impossible to handle such a complicated spell and draw mana at the same time!” My father snaps.

“... That cable there and it's done. That's why I am adjusting them a little. For easy use. Good work. Now place it beside grandpa and be careful not to damage the circle.” She toddles after the guard, who follows her orders and leaves the circle afterwards.

She pulls a set of needles from her pocket and attaches them to the five cables, which were freshly attached to the mana core.

“Sera? Why do you know so much about Ascathon's machines.” I grind my teeth. This is bugging me a little! My daughter is becoming similar to her father! That's a no go!

“~One year of sitting on his lap, three hours a day and watching him doing his work.~ I would be brain-dead if I hadn't learned at least some things.” She steps in front of Arduin who has a worried expression.

“What do you intend to do with those needles!?” His voice became a little shrill.

*Ziizzzllee*

Sera tests two needles by holding them closer together and a blue arc of energy starts to dance between them. The tent is a little dim and the blue light creates an undesirable expression on my daughters face.

“I am just combining daddy's technology with mom's medical knowledge about pressure points. Be brave! This will hurt. ~Just a little …~” And in the next second, she stabs a needle into each leg of my kneeling father.

“OW! Why so deep!?” He winces in pain, but he can't move because he has to keep the magic going.

Three more needles follow. Each close to the central nerves of the body. Then Sera faces the core and turns the power higher. “~How is it?~”

Arduin forces a smile on his face. “Better, but I feel like a pincushion!”

Sera raises her hands. “~Muahaha. It's cool to have a mad scientist and a witch as parents!~”

… I have to do something about this child! …

.