Rebirth of the Nephilim-Chapter 634: A Hard Place

Jadis was exhausted.

She had only just gotten back from the Verdant Sea and Clan Nox with Kerr and Alex, and already she was being asked to fly to the front lines to defend Volto from a demonic assault. Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to wrap her loved ones in hugs, crawl into bed, and sleep for at least a day, maybe two. But such a luxury wasn’t possible. She had come to Volto to bring an end to the demonic invasion. She couldn’t accomplish that goal from her bed. She had work to do.

As everyone scrambled to get ready, Jadis had briefly wondered if Wilhelm ever had thoughts of ignoring a call for aid. Did the Hero sometimes dream of rolling over and going back to sleep? Did he ever resent those who asked for his help, when the hours grew long and the days short?

If he did, Jadis couldn’t tell. Wilhelm’s reaction to the news had been instant and without hesitation. He had grabbed his helmet and ran to the door. Perhaps that unwavering will to help was why Valtar had chosen the man to be a Hero. His acts and deeds certainly fit the archetype.

Since everyone had already been gathered together, it didn’t take long for them all to board the Leviathan. Jadis briefly considered flying ahead, but decided against the idea since the last time she had met with the impenetrable shells on the battlefield, she had done a poor job fighting them on her own. She knew the key to beating them, but the Demons could have come up with new tricks since the first shell. She didn’t want to make the mistake of underestimating her enemy. Better for everyone to arrive together and counter the assault with full force. Everyone, including the Hero’s party and Tegwyn’s team were soon heading south through the dark skies of nighttime Volto. The only person Jadis wanted with them who wasn’t present was Noll, but that was because the man was already ahead of them.

Noll and the whole of the Clan Nox mercenaries had moved out of Thracina and headed south the day before. As part of the preparations for war, they were testing out a defensive camp formation that would be used once they pushed into Demon controlled territory. Since Noll was the most experienced person among them who had spent ample time in Demon-infested lands, he was working with the mercenaries on how to properly account for a variety of tricks that the enemy might use against them to slip through their defenses. They had also been working in conjunction with the Voltonian military, along with a few early enchantment prototypes that Sabina and Tiernan had knocked together for protective purposes. Jadis wasn’t sure yet if the tests had gone well, but she supposed she could ask Noll when they picked him up along the way.

The thought of Noll and the Clan Nox mercenaries reminded Jadis that she had several letters to deliver to the group from their home clan. The message of their Clan Head’s passing was the most important news, but Kerr was going to handle telling her three siblings about that detail. Jadis had a bundle of letters from family members to deliver to the group, which she hoped would bring the mercs some good news and comfort in a difficult time.

When the Leviathan did pass over the temporary camp that the mercenaries had set up far south of the city, the glowing signs of magic at work gave her some hope that Sabina and Tiernan’s enchantments were going to be of use out in the field. Jumping out of the airship, Jadis flew down and dropped off the letters with Kerr’s brother, Vadim, while picking up Noll in a quick interaction. That was one of the wonderful things about working with veteran professional mercenaries. They didn’t waste time asking questions; they understood urgency and went with the flow. Jadis left Vadim and the others with orders to start heading to the previously discussed point where the army was gathering and then took Noll up to the Leviathan.

“What do I need to know?” Noll growled as he stepped into the cabin of the Leviathan ahead of Dys.

“Three of those Demon shells are attacking the line,” Dys said as she followed behind the old wolf. “Surrounded by a force of approximately five thousand Demons. Mostly mire hounds. No Greater Demons or Matriarchs spotted.”

“They’re hitting one of the weaker areas,” Wilhelm called out from where he, Lucia, Aila, Severina, and Tegwyn had gathered around an open map. “Military couriers brought the news, so the information is hours out of date, but the shells were spotted heading here, towards a village called Nonia. The army has a barracks and fortifications there, but it’s a vulnerable spot in the defensive line.”

Jadis remembered seeing the place when she and Wilhelm had first toured the lines. What had once been a decently sized village set on the edge of a forest had been transformed into a blighted deathscape. The trees of the forest had been rotted by the demonic plague, and the remnants of countless battles had littered the land with blood, bodies, and festering sickness. There were no natural defenses around the village: no rocky outcroppings, no hills, no cover beyond the destroyed forest. Even the small river that flowed from northeast to southwest past the village was too narrow and too shallow to offer any resistance to an oncoming enemy force. Everything defensive around Nonia had to be built up by the army with shovels and magic.

“There are one thousand men stationed in the village itself,” Lucia pointed to the map. “And another thousand stationed at the relief station ten miles back from the line. They have already been called in to help defend the village, no doubt.”

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“So few,” Noll frowned as he stared at the map. “There should be more.”

“The line is stretched thin,” Severina grimly responded to the old wolf’s complaint. “Especially with how many soldiers are being routed to the rally point for the counter-invasion.”

“The lack of manpower and the Demons aren’t the only problems we’ll have to contend with,” Aila broke in as she traced a finger along the map, outlining the area around Nonia village. “The land here is low and the forest abutting the village to the east is completely rotted out. The miasma is extremely thick, barely breathable. That’s why they have a relief station ten miles away, on top of a hill, where the air is cleaner. Anyone in Nonia is going to be taking constant poison damage and will be suffering from other weakening effects.”

Turning away from the map to look at where Eir, Jocelyn, and Cora were sitting together, Aila motioned towards them as well as Alex and Amarantha, who were further back in the cabin.

“We’re going to need to set up a defended aid station for the soldiers, and for ourselves, first priority.”

“There is already a station for healers in the barracks,” Lucia said. “We can take control of the location once we arrive.”

“I’ll handle getting them where they need to be,” Dys spoke up. “In fact, I’ll handle deploying everyone from the Leviathan who can’t fly. I’ll make sure we all get where we need to go.”

“Good,” Wilhelm nodded. “I was going to ride Taube down there, but I think it will be better if I get my feet on the ground right away. I’ll rely on you, Jadis.”

“Who is going to be attacking these ‘shells’ you’ve been talking about, and who is going to focus on defenses?” Tegwyn asked a heartbeat later.

“Well, we don’t know if the Demons have anything new in store for us,” Dys frowned in concentration as she looked at the map. “But how about—”

The rest of the flight was spent in discussion as they plotted out plans, backup plans, and a multitude of contingencies. Jadis knew from frequent and hard-won experience that no battleplan survived contact with the enemy, but she felt as though what they had come up with was more than solid. So long as the enemy didn’t surprise them with another Demon Prince out of nowhere, she was confident that they would be able to handle anything that awaited them on the line.

And with that thought, Jadis began knocking on every piece of wood in sight, fervently hoping she hadn’t just jinxed them all.

“Why are you striking your knuckles against that table like that?” Amarantha asked Syd with a puzzled expression on her feline face.

“Just an old superstition,” Syd smiled at the Lares. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Hm. Well, from what I can tell, superstitions often have some basis in truth, even if the tradition has drifted a long ways from the original purpose. Anyway, drink your medicine. This dose size should keep the worst of the miasma’s effects from hurting you for the next few hours.”

“Ah, no, I don’t need that,” Syd waved the offered vial of bluish-purple liquid away. “You already gave my Jay self some. Any magic that affects one of me, affects all of me. You can save that for someone else.”

“Hm. That’s convenient,” Amarantha mused. “And inconvenient, if you get hit with something nasty.”

“You have no idea,” Syd laughed. “It’s saved me and screwed me many times. Eldritch magic is weird.”

“Very true! There are so many things that it does with both illusions and with flesh. Since your multi-body skill is Eldritch based, I wonder if—”

“All hands on deck!” Ludger’s shout caught everyone’s attention. “Nonia is coming into view! Get ready for deployment!”

“Discussion for later,” Syd said as she stood from her seat and moved towards the cabin door. “Ready to go?”

“About as ready as I can be,” Amarantha said as she rode her stone cauldron behind her. “Just remember to bring me back the glass vials if you can, everyone! I reuse those! Talking to you Halvor!”

“Jeg hørte deg første gang!”

“Then stop breaking my potion bottles!”

The three of Jadis stepped out onto the balcony of the Leviathan, getting her first good look at the ongoing battle for Nonia. The airship was flying in from the north-northwest, and a mild breeze was at their backs. The clouds overhead obscured the bare sliver of a moon that only just illuminated the night sky, so visibility was about as poor as it could be. For a moment, all Jadis could see was a gray expanse of toxic fog below them. Then, she spotted the lights of the village.

A huge bonfire had been lit in the center of Nonia, lighting up the village and driving away the miasma. The long shadows of men rushing to and from the walls could scarcely be seen, and smaller fires and torches outlined where the soldiers held the line. An earthen works berm had been made, extending from both the north and south sides of the village, and Jadis could see the torches that lined the defenses. She could also see by the light of those flickering torches that a great knot of battle had formed along the southern berm, just outside of the range of any archers that might be manning the village walls.

“Tegwyn, Nevan, Orla, Terrance, Humbert, and Villum! You’re up first!” Jay called out. “Get ready to drop!”

“I do not like calling this a drop,” Terrance muttered under his breath as he and Villum went to Syd and let her pick them up. “The connotations of that word do not mix well with this height.”

“Nothing to fret over, Terrance!” the younger elf laughed as he tightened his grip on his spear. “No different from a leap into any other battle! We’re just starting a little higher up, is all!”

“Remember!” Wilhelm called out as his own party readied themselves for deployment. “Secure the village for the healers, then the line! We tackle the shells only after we have shorn up the army’s defenses!”

“Speaking of, where are those three damn shell things we’re supposed to be fighting?” Kerr asked as she peered over the railing. “I can’t see a fucking thing though this soup.”

Before anyone could respond, a trio of round shapes lit up the miasma to the south of the village. The crackle of purple electricity arced between the triangular formation for a few seconds before a blast of lightning launched outward, striking the berm. An explosion of dirt and rubble was launched into the air at the point of impact, and fires spread around the area moments later.

“Never mind,” Kerr said mildly. “I found them.”