[Severed Divinity] 100. Return to the Depths

There were multiple reasons why Isen wanted to bring everyone to the defunct Lift of Legacy as soon as possible.

The first, and most obvious, was the Aranite forces in pursuit. They still didn’t know the name of Devon Aran’s second, but she’d proven to be more than anyone in their group could handle. Isen didn’t know what would happen in the depths, but if the Compass of Legacy was able to restore Lumina in some capacity, they’d stand a chance.

The second reason was the escalating tension between Allezin and Emerai. The drayavin was insistent that Allezin hand over the remaining prototypes immediately, but the warrior refused, insisting that he’d hand them over when they reached a safe area. Of course, that was unlikely anytime soon.

And thirdly… Isen could feel it. Ros. He felt the connection, the tie between their blood, awakened by the Dray Anarch. Ros was close, probably still in the Compass of Legacy. Isen didn’t know what it meant for Ros to remain inside the Compass for so long, but at least it was still alive. If Isen and his allies could get Ros out of the Compass, they’d have another powerful tier three on their side.

Still, Isen was full of trepidation. He trusted his steps to lead him where he needed to go—especially since the direction coincided with Ros’s—but the sixth sense was out of control again, opportunity and danger warring for his attention. He lacked the ability to tease out distinctions.

He’d already resolved to focus on training the ability up, but he didn’t know how, aside from forcing himself into perilous situations and learning through experience.

“Are we almost there?” Welco asked from atop a steed of shadow. The conjured mount moved effortlessly over the rough terrain.

“Almost,” Isen assured him.

“And when we arrive…” Welco trailed off. “You’ve been tight-lipped about where we’re going. On the flight over, you said it’s underground and crawling with monsters. I find it hard to believe it’s the best place to take refuge or make a final stand.”

“It’s our best chance at restoring Mira,” Isen answered, still using Lumina’s alternative name while Emerai remained close. “Both Mira and I share a connection to an ancient structure beneath the surface. And it’s through that connection that…” He paused. Why was he even hesitating at this point? What was one more inexplicable action added onto the pile? Still, the words came out as little more than a whisper. “I resurrected her.”

Welco stared at him dumbly. Then, he began to laugh. “You… you resurrected her?” He spoke the words straight into Isen’s ear via shadow puppet.

Isen joined in, the laugh bitter. “You should know I’m good at being in the right place at the right time.” He glanced behind. Allezin and Emerai were still focused on one another, while the other tier twos in the forward guard—including Jorin and Kelsina—were too far back to hear him over the chaos of thousands of bodies in motion.

Just then, Isen spotted it—the tattered flag with a skull and crossbones strung across the tip of the Lift of Legacy. It jutted up from the earth like a godly spear. The passage down was as he remembered it: narrow, permitting at most three people down at a time. And they’d fall straight down, too, into the bat monster infested cavern.

The group fanned out around the entrance to the depths, thousands of mages and cultivators filling the sun-dappled glade, dusk painting everything in golden hues. Welco dismissed his shadowy mount, landing next to Isen. Allezin and Emerai ceased their arguments and approached, while Yura Corasin launched themselves up on a burst of fire and controlled their descent near the front, landing with a flutter of cloth. Lumina’s ember burned within their mouth, glowing subtly behind their cheeks, while the queen’s stolen body was tied to Yura’s back.

Isen turned to the tier threes. “Can you sense the space below us?”

The shadow mage’s expression was hard. “It’s absolutely filled with monsters, Isen. Flying ones.”

“None are tier three,” Isen asserted. “We need to clear the room so we can proceed safely. It’s a long drop.”

Yura Corasin fixed him with a serious glare. “This isn’t a refuge.”

“It’s where we need to go. Where she needs to go,” Isen said, nodding to Mira.

“We have thousands of people,” Yura said. “Some of them untiered. Evacuating them into the yawning monster hole sounds like something from a fever dream.”

“Mira needs to go below,” Isen insisted.

“Isen...” Welco said, his voice hesitant. “Yura is right. This isn’t going to work.”

His words felt like a stab. Isen had promised to bring everyone to refuge. He’d led them north, away from Eldrassin. The depths could be a refuge, if they cleared out the monsters and led the others down.

“If we all descend, what happens when the Aranites pursue us into the dark?”

In Isen’s head, he’d thought that he could just lead them out of the radiant lake, away from the Compass of Legacy. He was the only one who could navigate the confounding zone—at least, it didn’t seem that tier threes like Ros could.

But that whole strategy required Isen to lead them away. Which they wouldn’t have time for, since Isen also needed to bring Lumina into the Compass.

It would have been a real refuge if the Aranites hadn’t followed us, he thought bitterly. And for them to track us so doggedly, perhaps they have someone with a navigation ability, and could indeed pursue us past the Compass.

Welco must have taken Isen’s silence for an answer. “We should split up. Yura must descend with Mira, and I know Allezin won’t leave her side, either. That leaves me with the clans.”

Yura narrowed their eyes. “You’re to defend the two clans, alone, so close to the Anarchate, and with Aranites at our heels?”

“If you’re concerned, then be quick and join me after you’ve finished your business below.”

“An undertaking I still fail to understand,” Yura said with cold venom. “How can I assume I won’t be needed indefinitely?”

“You won’t be,” Isen interrupted. “You just need to bring her where she needs to go. Then you can leave.”

Yura’s nostrils flared. “I do not trust you.”

“If you have an alternative worth pursuing, tell us,” Welco butted in.

The fire mage’s eyes squeezed shut, their body tense. “I hate everything about this.”

“Then it’s settled. Which way should we go?” Welco asked.

Isen felt a lump in his throat. He barely knew where he should go, let alone a larger group. In other circumstances with less at stake, and where the survival of the group tied concretely into Isen’s own benefit and wellbeing, he might feel more comfortable pointing in a direction.

“I’m not sure,” Isen said weakly. “You’re the best scout here—trust your own judgment.”

Welco tipped his head. There was no judgment in his eyes, but Isen couldn’t dispel the feeling of failure and inadequacy

“I’ll keep a puppet with you,” Welco said. “Good luck.” Then, he stepped back the way they’d come, conjuring up a titanic puppet to address the assembled mass. As he launched into an explanation, Yura stepped toward the hole leading to darkness. With an imperious air, they formed a tight flame between their hands. The fire crackled like kindling, then shot off in a blinding streak of energy. The resulting explosion rocked the ground, soil and dust cascading over the lift’s entrance.

That was the signal that set the others into motion. Emerai and Allezin dove over the edge. Shadows suddenly flared next to Isen, forming a puppet. “Let’s go.”

Isen jumped over the edge, the shadow puppet attaching itself to his body. To his surprise, it formed a sort of parachute, slowing his fall as he reentered the depths for the first time in over a month.

At the vast chamber’s center, he saw the Lift of Legacy, the towering metal spire filled with slow-moving violet light, like frozen lightning. Enraged monsters circled around it in a never-ending spiral, like moths drawn to a flame.

Several spikes of shadow jutted out from it, spearing them—another gift from Welco, who must have attacked them from the surface, unhindered by the line of sight constraints that restricted the others.

Allezin tore into beasts with acrobatic movements, stabbing and slashing with his spear. He was somehow able to use his cultivation to jump on air, though mostly he seemed to prefer jumping off the bats, since a solid kick was enough to kill them on its own.

Emerai eviscerated the monsters with a vicious bloodlust, her talons and claws rending flesh as she weaved through them. She had the strength to rapidly close, open, and tilt her wings, granting her unparalleled airborne grace. Her aura filled the space with bloody jubilation.

Isen considered joining the attack with his bow and arrows as he floated down. He was feeling better after a few hours flying on Emerai’s back, his meridians no longer complaining when he cycled. He should be able to use techniques. Still, he held back, conserving his strength. Joining in now wouldn’t help them dispatch the monsters any faster.

Another blast of fire fell into the depths from the surface, followed by Yura dropping down, fire cushioning their descent as they reached the floor. They conjured a large ball of flame like a miniature sun, bathing the room in a warm glow and revealing the full extent of their slaughter. Hundreds of bat monsters already littered the ground, their gray blood pooling like mercury.

Isen directed his descent toward Yura, landing next to them. “We continue down,” Isen said, pointing at the lift. “Around the edges.”

They ran over to the base of the chamber where the Lift of Legacy disappeared into the ground. A narrow gap surrounded it. Just then, Allezin and Emerai dropped down. Everyone was assembled.

“Why not drop down the main shaft?” Welco asked.

Isen grimaced. “The violet light down the center is dangerous. You can’t let anyone touch it.”

Emerai appeared interested by the revelation and promptly extended a wing before Isen could give a sterner warning. Sure enough, she recoiled when the wing passed through the light. “How… unsettling.”

“Isen,” Allezin snapped, spearing up his weapon to fend off a bat monster who lacked an ounce of self-preservation. “Is there anything else we should know?”

He considered for a moment, nothing coming to mind. But then it occurred to him that some gaps he’d maneuvered himself into might be too small for the adults.

“Just how hard is your spear, Allezin?”

“… Hard?”

Isen nodded. “Break the passage where it’s too narrow. Can’t the head spin? You can drill it into the rock.”

Allezin was silent for a moment. Isen wished he could see the expression behind the man’s mask.

“I’ll try it.”

With that, they descended into the gap around the Lift of Legacy, the tier threes’ auras bared to discourage monsters from approaching. It worked—nothing attacked them as they went.

Much of the passage was wide enough for them to pass, but there were several narrow sections where Allezin withdrew his spear and cut at the rock. The stone was exceptionally hard and resisted his efforts, taking painfully long to cut through. It made Isen appreciate the utility of a skill like shadow step. If all the adults had it, they’d be able to bypass the narrow parts.

“Isen, how you ever planned to get thousands of elves down here is a mystery,” Welco murmured.

It was definitely possible, Isen was sure of it, but it would take more time than they had to widen the walls and direct everyone down.

Welco’s puppet raised its voice. “I should probably mention… It’s worse than we thought. It’s not just the Aranites pursuing us.”

“What?” Allezin spat.

“It’s the tier fours—they’re nearly here.”