The Heart of Alchemy by James Wisher (e book reading free TXT) 📕

“Who would be stupid enough to invade a country ruled by demon cultists?” Corina asked.

“Oh, I doubt it’s an invader,” Jet said. “Most likely the cults are warring amongst themselves. Usually, the nine High Lords keep a relative peace broken by only the occasional murder. But sometimes more serious conflicts break out.”

“How much do you want to bet this has something to do with events in the Celestial Empire?” Otto asked.

Jet shook her head. “Marius’s actions have shifted the balance of power. The other cults will want to weaken Astaroth’s power to restore it. Since Lady White is in charge of the cult’s operation in the empire, she will be forced to bear the consequences.”

The ship was only a hundred yards from the dock now. If they were to turn back, now was the time. Otto chewed his lip as he weighed his options. He had what he came for. Making a run for home was the safe move. But on the other hand, if he rescued Lady White, she would make a powerful ally.

“Orders, Lord Shenk?” Captain Wainwright asked.

“Take us in. Tie up at the farthest-out dock. Hans, prepare the squad. Axel, you’re on security detail. Have your archers use their mithril arrows. Anything approaches the ship that isn’t with me, kill it. No mercy, no hesitation. Clear?”

Axel nodded and started shouting orders.

“What about me?” Corina asked.

“You’ll stay and help Axel.” When she didn’t complain Otto turned to Jet. “You’ll come with me. I need someone to guide me to Lady White’s tower.”

Jet winced. “I’ve never actually been there. We only met once in Port Han and that was via magic. That’s where she inducted me into the cult. We’ve never actually met face to face.”

So much for that brilliant idea. If Lady White was taking the brunt of the assault, they could probably just follow the fighting right to her. That was as good a plan as any. The city didn’t look all that big, so the search shouldn’t take too long.

Otto led Hans and the others he’d selected for the shore party down the ship’s gangplank and up the dock. The explosion of demonic blue flame had come from a position a little to the left of where they docked. He angled that way even as more explosions rocked the city and filled the air with the stink of brimstone.

Sounded like Lady White was putting up a fight. That was good. He’d hate to go to all this trouble only to find her dead.

“Shall I send out scouts, my lord?” Hans asked.

“No. We stick together. The team is small enough as it is. Besides, there’s plenty a scout would miss that I won’t. Just keep your eyes peeled for anything headed our way. And keep your swords out.”

Following his own advice, Otto drew his sword.

The first neighborhood they passed through, assuming that was the right word for the collection of low stone building clustered around a five-story tower, showed signs of recent battle. The most obvious of which was a claw mark five feet up one of the walls. Otto would hate to run into whatever made that.

The main thing lacking in the city was people. They hadn’t seen a single one, not even a body. Surely someone must live here other than demon worshippers.

When Otto posed the question to Jet she said, “There are ordinary people in the country, but only demons, undead, and mortal worshippers live in the city. A regular person with no magical protection would quickly end up a monster’s meal or a husk for a demon spirit.”

“Lord Shenk,” Hans said.

Otto turned to find a beast charging towards them. It was filled with corruption. Whatever the beast used to be, it clearly housed a demon now.

At Otto’s command, a twenty-thread lightning bolt crashed into the beast, blowing a hole in its side and slamming it into one of the stone buildings. Despite the grievous wound, the beast climbed back to its feet.

A second spell blew its head to bits and finally put it down for good.

“Let’s keep moving,” Otto said.

Another two blocks and the roar of flames grew louder. Smoke filled the streets, reminding Otto of his first visit. He summoned a gust of wind that blew the smoke away and revealed a magical battle unlike anything he’d ever seen.

Lady White crouched behind a berm of earth and stone, the warbeast she’d made from the giant cat thing he’d traded her for access to the city beside her. The beast had taken a fair share of damage. One of its legs was gone from the knee down and its skull showed through in places where the flesh had been burned away.

On the opposite side of the street, five figures in crimson robes hurled fire blast after fire blast at her. It was a standoff, but he doubted she could hold out for long outnumbered like that.

“Circle around,” Otto said. “When I distract them, attack hard from behind.”

Hans nodded and led the guys around to the right.

“What should I do?” Jet asked.

“What can you do?”

When she didn’t reply he shrugged and said, “Stay out of the way and keep a lookout. If anything else heads our way, let me know.”

“Okay.”

A few minutes later he spotted Hans sneaking up on the cultists in red.

Otto channeled ether through his sword and lashed out. Thirty threads’ worth of lightning, nearly his maximum output, arced out into the cultists. The attack hammered them one after another.

The first died instantly.

The second fell and went still.

The rest were only stunned.

But that was all Hans needed.

He and his men waded in, hacking and stabbing until nothing was moving.

Lady White stood, looked his way, and smiled.

They met halfway between their positions and before Otto had a chance to so much as offer a greeting, she hugged him. Of all the reactions he’d expected, that wasn’t one of them. Her body held the chill of the grave but also the curves of a