Ember Dragon
Chapter 603: The Divine Lineage and Mount Celestia
Chapter 603: The Divine Lineage and Mount Celestia
Northern Thrace Kingdom, North Aether Plains.
The land here was flat and vast, with lush vegetation. The broad Logan River flowed down from the northern snowy mountains, bringing abundant water to its riverbanks.
In the past, the North Aether Plains were considered the rear of the Fadlan Empire, where the people lived peacefully and prosperously.
But the good times did not last. After the collapse of the Fadlan Empire, countless Aetherians were forced to leave their homes and join the brutal war in the south, dying on the battlefields near the Holy City.
Meanwhile, the Ember Empire from the far north continued its relentless advance, gradually devouring the territory of the Thrace Kingdom. Unnoticed by many, this place had already become the front line.
And at this critical juncture, Walter Graham was temporarily appointed as the "Duke of North Aether" by His Majesty Wilhelm, given full authority over all matters within the territory.
This decision shocked countless Thracians, even making them doubt their own ears.
After all, just a few years ago, this Duke Walter had led an army in rebellion, openly resisting the rule of the Thrace Kingdom, repelling Thracian troops several times, and even referring to His Majesty Wilhelm as the "Honorless One."
But keen observers could see that the Thrace Kingdom had long since given up on quelling the rebellion of the Divine Lineage Duke entrenched in the north.
This so-called "reward" was merely an addition of some trivial lands to Duke Walter’s existing territory, while also making him the shield against northern invasions for Thrace.
North Aether Plains, Collins City. Large and small ships entered the city along the Logan River, creating a bustling scene.
This city was known as the "Lion City." The residents of the city took the mighty lion as their symbol. Bravery, frankness, and justice had always been the virtues of the people of Collins.
This was also the domain of "Duke of North Aether," Walter Graham. He led the armies of Collins and repelled Thrace’s assaults multiple times from within this city.
At the city gates, there stood several mighty stone lions, overlooking those entering the city like the most loyal of guards.
And at the top of the towering city walls, a particularly striking man stood firmly, his expression solemn, like a marble statue.
He was tall, over two meters high. Even the heavy silver armor could not hide his robust physique.
His face was chiseled like it was carved from stone, exuding a sense of battlefield-hardened resolve. But what was even more striking were the massive wings folded behind his back, making him look like a Celestial descended upon the mortal realm.
He was the newly appointed "Duke of North Aether," the traitor of the Thrace Kingdom, and once a Fadlan Inquisitor Knight—Walter Graham.
At this moment, Walter gazed into the distance. His golden eyes, still shimmering with the light of the Sun God, reflected a deep sense of gravity.
"The Ember Empire..."
He muttered, his voice deep. During the era of the Fadlan Empire, he had shot down Githyanki spelljammers in the Astral Plane, decapitated devils in Avernus, and even single-handedly held back tides of demons in the Abyssal Plains.
Logically, after experiencing all that, Walter Graham should have long become fearless, unafraid of any challenge in the world.
But now, faced with the Ember Empire from the north, he felt a sense of unease, even fear.
This was not just because of the terrifying enemies from the north, but also due to his uncertainty about the future.
——The once-stalwart Fadlan Empire had collapsed, the Sun God who granted them strength had fallen into slumber, and his own power was less than sixty percent of what it once was.
What filled Walter with despair was discovering that the late Emperor’s second son, who now called himself "King of Thrace," Wilhelm, had entirely forsaken Amanata and aligned with forces of darkness.
What would become of Fadlan?
What would become of him?
Walter shook his head with a bitter smile and sighed softly, "If His Majesty Aragon were to rise again and see his son align with evil and fight for power, how would he feel? I never thought the once-glorious Holy Fadlan would become like this."
"Your Grace."
A young Celestial descended gracefully, flapping his wings as he landed on the city tower, kneeling before Walter with his head bowed in respect.
"Speak, Ian. What is the status of those cities?"
"Your Grace, the rebels of Thrace have indeed honored their agreement and withdrawn all their garrisons. Now Millet, Darland, and other cities are in an unguarded state."
Walter sneered, "Heh, that Wilhelm never disappoints me—still as insidious and ruthless as ever. No wonder he pledged himself to Hell."
Ian looked puzzled. "But isn’t it a good thing that they retreated? Now we can consolidate all of North Aether’s resources and fight those rebels."
Walter looked northward at the rolling Caterpa Hills and said in a deep voice, "Do you still not understand? This means that the Ember Empire is about to move south, and those traitors of the Thrace Kingdom want me and the Ember Empire to wear each other down, giving them a chance to catch their breath."
Ian pondered for a moment before his expression turned indignant. He drew his sword and stood up.
"My Lord, why should we defend these devil-aligned traitors? Now that you put it that way, we shouldn’t take over those cities!"
"No, Ian."
Walter shook his head again, his face wearing a bitter smile, but his eyes were filled with resolve.
He turned his head towards Ian. "Can you abandon the citizens of those cities, leaving them to become slaves of the Ember Empire?"
"I..."
Ian hesitated for a long time before finally shaking his head silently.
Walter continued, "This is Wilhelm’s overt scheme. He is betting that we still have a conscience, unlike him and his subordinates who are completely unscrupulous and treat human lives as mere grass."
Ian gritted his teeth. "I never thought His Majesty Aragon would have such a son!"
"Ian, we have no choice but to take over the mess they left behind and resist the Ember Empire’s southward advance, if only for the people of North Aether."
Walter slowly drew his nearly three-meter-long greatsword. His tone was firm, and his golden eyes shone brightly.
"My Lord."
Ian placed his silver sword against Walter’s, his voice choked with emotion. "I will always stand behind you, as your blade."
Following him, several other Celestials appeared, placing their swords against Walter’s greatsword, crossing them together.
The Celestials who had followed Walter to the north were all idealists. They could not bear Thrace’s darkness and yearned to once again embrace the light of Amanata and return to the glory of Holy Fadlan.
But their wishes were destined to remain distant hopes.
When all the high-ranking officers gathered, Walter’s face finally showed the confidence typical of a Fadlan.
"Everyone, immediately lead your respective armies to the cities left by Thrace and quickly set up defenses. The Ember Empire’s assault could come at any moment."
"Ian, you will stay and guard Collins City. You know its defenses best."
The Celestials all took their orders, but Ian looked puzzled and could not help but ask.
"My Lord, what about you?"
"I have watched the battle footage of that Red Emperor, and I have studied the Ember Empire’s weapons closely. With just our own strength, we cannot contend with them."
Walter raised his head, gazing at the sky, his golden pupils reflecting the radiant brilliance of the still-hanging sun.
"Eighty-seven years ago, I followed His Majesty Aragon into Hell, rescuing many Celestial Lineages from the dungeons. A great figure from Mount Celestia promised me a favor that would not violate the alignment."
"Sixty-five years ago, I infiltrated the fortress of the Five-Colored Dragon Queen and released an ancient Gold Dragon that had been imprisoned for hundreds of years. Since then, the Council of Gold Dragons has regarded me as a friend."
"Now, it is time for them to fulfill their promises. Comrades, I shall return with allies from the side of justice."
Walter slowly raised his massive greatsword. Suddenly, a blinding white pillar of light shot into the sky, piercing through the clouds and causing violent tremors in the high atmosphere.
"Boom!"
His voice boomed like heavenly thunder, echoing across the North Aether Plains, stirring the hearts of all who heard it. "Fadlanians will never become the vassals of evil dragons, nor the slaves of devils. We... will never yield!"
Walter flapped his broad wings, soaring into the sky, climbing higher and higher until he and the dazzling light pillar vanished into the clouds, leaving only pure white feathers drifting like snow.
At this moment, whether they were Celestial Lineages or common citizens, everyone raised their heads to watch, their eyes filled with reverence and awe.
"Long live!"
"Fadlanians will never be slaves!"
People shouted excitedly, as if they had returned to that glorious and magnificent era when they were proud citizens of the Holy Fadlan.
The first layer of Mount Celestia is Lunia, also known as the "Silver Heaven." The sky here is always dark, but stars glittering with silver light illuminate the endless coast of the Silver Sea.
Portals to other planes are linked to the edges of that dark, wine-like Silver Sea, where there is a massive bay filled with holy water.
The coastline is dotted with castles and fortresses of various styles, built from bright white stone and inhabited by numerous residents. Many of these are open to sea elves from the Material Plane for trade.
The most magnificent structure on the shore of the Starry Coast is an enormous fortress, with towering marble walls that shimmer as if embedded with stars, earning it the name "Star Fortress."
Within this fortress, countless Trumpet Archons surged in and out for their interplanar missions. It was also the residence of the ruler of the first layer of Heaven.
High above the fortress, a slender and beautiful woman with skin as smooth and white as marble flapped her white wings. The horn in her hand radiated a calming light.
——She was a Trumpet Archon, the messenger of the Celestial realms and deities, as well as the vanguard of the holy armies.
The Trumpet Archon spoke respectfully: "My Lord, that Fadlan Celestial has departed. It is said that he is heading to Mercuria to seek the palace of Bahamut."
"I understand. Continue with your duties," came a neutral, emotionless voice. At the towering battlements overlooking the entire Starry Sea stood a tall figure.
"Walter Graham... I remember him. Eighty-seven years ago, he rescued thirty-four Trumpet Archons from the dungeons of Avernus. As a reward, I gave him a promise."
The tall figure appeared to be three meters in height, with silver skin and dark purple eyes, and it was impossible to discern its gender.
It wore a smooth violet robe adorned with dust-like stardust, shimmering like stars. Huge white-feathered wings rested gracefully on its shoulders.
In its right hand, it held a longsword crackling with electricity, while a bright silver horn hung at its waist. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
——This was Barachiel, the ruler of the Silver Heaven, Lunia, and the "Messenger" who commanded the defenses against planar invasions, leading the Trumpet Archons and protecting the messengers of the Material Plane.
As a member of the Celestial Sevenfold Council, Barachiel was immortal and could be considered quasi-divine.
If killed, it would release a burst of holy energy that branded its killer with an eternal mark, allowing all lawful good outsiders to instantly recognize the murderer of one of the Seven Exemplars.
In Lunia, due to Mount Celestia’s planar acknowledgment, Barachiel’s power rivaled that of a lesser deity.
"Cassius Claudious Norrixius... So it was him." Barachiel softly spoke the name.
As the Messenger of Heaven across various planes, Barachiel had, of course, heard of this name that had risen so famously in recent years, drawing widespread attention.
He was the Emperor of the Ember Empire, a Red Dragon that had risen like a meteor, single-handedly disrupting the balance of the Feanso Continent.
He had defeated Bahamut’s vassals, devoured the Pasha of the Fire Genie Empire, and even killed an Abyssal Lord that had descended upon the Material Plane.
In the eyes of the Celestial Lineages, Cassius was an undeniable threat, but there also seemed to be a possibility for redemption.
Barachiel opened his left hand, and a lifelike image of the Red Dragon appeared in his palm. He examined it carefully. "Greedy, violent, never satisfied.
He established a nation not long ago and now seeks to expand southward, plundering wealth. It seems he still cannot suppress the nature of a Red Dragon."
"In that case, I shall personally teach him... the importance of Law and Order!"
"Boom!"
Barachiel suddenly raised its right hand, brandishing the electric-charged longsword. A deafening thunderclap resounded through the sky, and the radiant lightning lit up the night sky of the Silver Heaven as if it were daylight.
Instantly, all the Celestials near the Starry Sea raised their heads, their expressions solemn as they looked up at the thunder in the sky. The members of the Celestial Sevenfold Council would soon lead a host of Celestials to battle.
They knew that this signified they could be summoned at any moment to join the ranks of war.