Book 2 Epilogue

  The morning sun shone down on the quadrant with a bright light that Jade found altogether too cheerful for their current circumstances. She and her companions were trekking across the grassy hills towards the closest node, roughly a one-hour hike from the subterranean sanctuary they'd taken refuge in following the battle in the corespace. The landscape was finally starting to smooth out, transitioning from steep hills to gentler, rolling slopes. It was a welcome change to Jade's battered and sore body. Her supernaturally enhanced fortitude had helped her recover more than she'd expected after a night's rest, but it would take more than that before she was back to being in good shape.

  For the third time in as many minutes Jade squinted, trying to focus on a cluster of trees atop a nearby hill. The image was slightly blurry, as if she were looking through a slightly smudged camera lens. Her left eye, the one Malice's claw had raked across, still wasn't back to normal. While she could see fine out of her right one, it was causing a noticable blur in her vision.

  "Is your eye still bothering you?" Naomi asked. The bard was walking alongside Jade and gave her a concerned look.

  "Only a little. I think it's better than it was yesterday. Hard to tell."

  Jade didn't want Naomi to feel responsible for her lack of a full recovery. She could already taste a hint of guilt in her friend's emotions. As the person who healed the team, she seemed to think that anything less than perfect, instantaneous recoveries were a personal failing on her part. On more than one occasion Jade had reminded Naomi that it wasn't her fault that the party suffered injuries, and that she had only held magical healing powers for a couple of months. The extent to which she could already patch them up was nothing short of miraculous, and she wouldn't stand for her friend beating herself up over imaginary shortcomings.

  "There are powerful healers in Illysport." Fenrin reminded them. He was looking much better today, walking unassisted at the front of their small column. Jade didn't need her emotional senses to tell the improvement was only surface deep. "Are you sure you won't come with me and Tara?"

  "Not right away. We need to warn our people on Earth about the demons."

  "Didn't you already tell that director lady about them?" Luis asked. "Will going back to tell her again make a difference?"

  "We know a lot more about what they're trying to do now than we did back then."

  "We definitely need to get the word out to as many people as possible." Tara agreed. The tek'kalla was wearing dark, flowing robes today. It was a stark contrast to the futuristic composite combat armor she normally summoned, but Jade knew the tek'kalla had been struggling to channel magic properly since she had used her own body as a medium for cosmic forces to destroy the Core.

  "You said you could contact your people from the city?" Fenrin asked.

  "There's an embassy. They can get word to the Elorinth conclave."

  "You don't want to go yourself?" Jade asked.

  "If I do, the Expeditionary Taskforce will lock me in a room for a month of debriefings." Tara scowled. "We know the demons aren't done. They're still trying to escape. I'm not sitting this out."

  "Surely there are people better suited to stopping this than us, though." Naomi pointed out. "Maybe our part is done. We did a good job. We found out what was happening and stopped it. Now, people more powerful than us can make sure it stays that way."

  "Do you really think it'll be that simple?" Jade asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not sure the Labyrinth would have given us a quest to find one of their ritual sites on the fourth floor if it were."

  "Since their plan has to do with Earth Cores, maybe Earth wayfarers are needed to stop it." Luis suggested.

  They crested a small rise, giving Jade a good view of the surrounding area. She could see the node in the distance, a crystal orb that sparkled in the morning sunlight. Unlike some others they'd encountered this one was prominently displayed atop a small stone tower, easily visible from a distance. They continued hiking towards it as they conversed.

  "I'm not sure, but I do know one thing." Tara said. The tek'kalla was flexing her injured hand, opening and closing it repeatedly. "If the demons want to use a similar ritual to open a stable dimensional gateway that can persist for more than a few moments, they're going to need a lot more power."

  "More power? That Core seemed pretty powerful to me." Luis said skeptically. "It blew up half the jungle after you poked a hole in it."

  "I don't know much about Labyrinth Cores, that was the first one I'd ever seen. But I did get a good look at the ritual circle." Tara explained, holding up the bundle of notes Jade had taken from Malice. "The energy they were drawing from the Core might be enough to sustain a gateway, but it’s not enough to start the process. Not if they want to do it right. They'd need a massive spike of energy to kickstart the process. Like, an order of magnitude more."

  "Where would they even get something that could provide that level of power?" Fenrin asked. "The Cores are huge. Even if they could find something strong enough, wouldn't it have to be enormous?"

  "That must be what this Earth Artifact is." Naomi said slowly. "Maybe they found something on our world that they can use as a power source."

  "We don't even have any magic, how could they use something we made?" Luis asked.

  "Theoretically, any kind of energy could work." Tara mused, looking thoughtful. She sighed, shaking her head. "But Fenrin's right, I don't know of anything with the energy density required that they could realistically bring inside a corespace."

  A chill feeling gripped Jade and she stopped in place, a horrible realization slowly dawning on her. The others stopped, looking at her with concern.

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  "Everything okay?" Naomi asked, stepping back to her.

  "Tara…" Jade said, her mouth suddenly dry. She swallowed. "They wouldn't need a sustained burst of power, would they?"

  "No, that's what the Core could be used for. Just an initial injection of heightened energy to start the process."

  Something immensely powerful, semi-portable, and unique to Earth. Jade only had limited experiences with the wider cosmic community. Even so, it was clear that most societies in the Universe were more magically than technologically developed. Even Tara's people, who fused magic and technology into their equipment and cities, were not the equal of humans on Earth when it came to purely technological innovations. That, at least, was Jade's understanding.

  "I think I know what they're after…" Jade said softly.

  "What?" Naomi asked, looking worried. "Jade, what is it?"

  She didn't answer right away. Her mind raced through possibilities. How would the demons go about acquiring them? Jade didn't know the details, but they had to be stored in some of the most heavily guarded places on the planet.

  But demons had magic, shapeshifters, and other tricks.

  "We need to get back." Jade said, walking quickly towards the node. "Tara, Fenrin, we'll join you both back in the city as soon as we can. We might not be the only people who can deal with this, but if there's a way we can help stop this, I'm going to find it."

  "I'm with you." Tara said, nodding enthusiastically. "This is the sort of threat I signed up to put a stop to."

  "I'll do whatever I can." Fenrin said, his voice filled with quiet determination. "Mimi sacrificed herself to save us. I'm going to make sure it… that she…"

  He couldn't finish the sentence. Jade could see unshed tears sparkling in his eyes as he turned away, his one remaining hand balling into a fist. Luis moved beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  "We're in this together, chica, yeah?" He said with one of his trademark smiles. "Step one is getting the word out."

  "You didn't say what they were after, Jade." Naomi prompted. "What is it? What did you figure out?"

  Jade took a deep breath, hoping against hope that she was mistaken. She knew she wasn't. It was just a gut feeling, one founded only on Tara's explanations, but it fit too well to be a coincidence. She hesitated for one final moment, then told them.

  The Lady Ira marched across the high causeway that linked the Vault of Souls to the Obsidian Palace, high above the endless fractured planes that made up the majority of the demon home world. The vast mesa that the palace and its accompanying structures stood upon was the only break in the otherwise barren, rusty landscape. A bloated, crimson sun hung low in the sky, bathing the land in sanguine hues and completing the image of a desolate wasteland.

  The demon moved with purpose towards the large double doors of Lord Vastrozun's audience chamber, schooling her aura and expression into a neutral state. She would not embarrass herself by storming into his presence and radiating pointless fury. Such uncontrolled displays of emotion were for the weak, lesser demons. Anger was a powerful tool, but one that had to be carefully controlled.

  Two guards stood before the grand doors before her, hulking creatures in thick, dark armor wielding massive axes. They were a stark contrast to her humanoid proportions and polished silver plate. The lighter armor was a concession to her wings which, unlike the leathery form those of a succubus's took, were feathered with midnight plumes. A single gesture was all it took to issue a command. As one, the guards stepped aside, pulling open the twin stone slabs. They ground shut the moment after she entered, sending an echoing boom that reverberated through the vast chamber.

  Once, the throne room had been a grand place. Now it was a reflection of the decaying landscape beyond the palace walls. Crumbling masonry, cracked walls, and emptied alcoves whispered of a better time. A time when demon-kind had ruled the stars.

  That time will come again.

  It had taken the might of the lost gods to cast them down into this prison. Once they were finally free, no power in the cosmos would be able to stand against them.

  "You are troubled, Lady Ira."

  Lord Vastrozun's voice rumbled through the chamber like an earthquake. He sat upon a simple, utilitarian throne, a massive figure shrouded in twisting shadow. As always, her king's visage struck awe into Ira's heart. She bowed, scolding herself for harboring doubts. Lord Vastrozun's mere presence was enough to sweep them away, leaving her to bask in the welcoming chill of his shadow.

  "A setback, my Lord." Ira reported. Her voice was as sharp as her features, cool and crisp. "Zertrolk and Malice failed to summon the vanguard."

  Lord Vastrozun did not shift, but the shadows in the room seemed to twist in on themselves, growing darker. The effect only lasted a moment. When he spoke, the demon king's voice was calm.

  "What happened?"

  "We don’t have full reports yet, but it appears that a group of wayfarers interrupted the ritual. Malice is dead, as is most of her command."

  "And Zertrolk?"

  "He is already overseeing preparations on the fourth floor, my Lord. Apparently, he wasn't present during the incursion." A failing that the pain demon would answer for, in time. "I apologize. I should never have entrusted the task to such… volatile… subordinates."

  "The fault is not yours, Lady Ira." Lord Vastrozun said softly, sending a shudder of relief through her. Ira held no fear of punishment nor pain. If her king saw fit to discipline her, she would welcome it. It was the knowledge that he was not displeased with her that gave her relief. "So few of our forces have been able to slip free of the divine shackles that bind us here, even after so many centuries. We must work with those we have."

  "As you say, my Lord."

  "We will proceed with the plan. The presence of the vanguard would have provided additional security, but we can acquire the Earth artifacts without them. Our agents are already in place?"

  "They are, my Lord."

  "Good. Send the command. They are to seize them before word of these events can reach the human world. If the ritual was interrupted, it is possible that someone has learned of our intent."

  "I'll see to it at once." Ira promised, bowing again.

  "To think that we would find such power in the hands of a people bereft of all magic." Lord Vastrozun mused. "Even after all this time, the cosmos still finds ways to surprise us, my friend."

  The familiarity of his words sent a shudder of joy down Ira's spine. One such as her was unworthy to be addressed in such a manner, yet he blessed her so.

  "Indeed, my Lord. Perhaps the lack of magic on their world forced them to develop along less traditional societal paths."

  "Perhaps." Ira could only catch glimpses of the king's strong features through his mantle of shadow. He shifted on his throne, leaning forward. "What is it they call these devices?"

  She was prepared for the question. Lord Vastrozun had always been one to indulge in curiosity.

  "The humans call them 'nuclear weapons', my Lord. They operate on technological principles that harness the essence of the forces of matter. Or so I am told. We have confirmed that they possess more than enough power to create sustained dimensional gates, if used with the Labyrinth Cores."

  "Fascinating." Lord Vastrozun settled back on his throne, sounding thoughtful. "A capability to investigate more thoroughly once we are free."

  "Of course, my Lord."

  "Now go, Lady Ira. Send word to our agents, and see to it that Zertrolk understands the importance of his task. The vanguard was not strictly necessary but, without them, we cannot allow anything else to go wrong."

  Ira knelt before her king, folding her dark wings around herself.

  "It shall be as you say, Lord Vastrozun. Soon, we shall be unleashed upon the cosmos as a tide of flame and blood. The lost gods cannot stop us again."

  Though Ira could not see his eyes, she felt Lord Vastrozun's gaze shift from her to the double doors at the end of the throne room, towards the Vault of Souls that lay beyond them.

  "No. No, they cannot."