Eight Gods on a Windowsill

Chapter 66: The First Wave of the Plan



Stamina at ninety-six percent. Stockpiling mana.

I immediately removed all the mortals from the battle, teleporting them just outside of Harvey's space. This was all part of the plan. Baen, Campbell, Abryi, and Rammel continued to press A'grappa. While he was distracted with them, I boosted Kratos and Kerberos with my other abilities to make them faster and stronger than they were before. I knew this was going to cost quite a bit of mana, but it was worth it. I teleported in Nesbeth's group.

Nesbeth brought with him humans that served the Faceless Gods on Earth. He also brought Ashitaka, Rygol, Gaian, and Grey. Once more Rammel erected a barrier around the incoming mortals. I had decided to spread them around so that when my father did so, the barriers he kept up would encircle the Dead Space. I didn't want any attack getting out.

Ashitaka used his ability to phase through things to make hidden attacks through other Fractions and to avoid A'grappa's attacks. Gaian and Grey, like Baen, shifted into a lupine form that pushed their physical limits. It was Rygol's ability that shocked me the most. He rained down lightning, making it hard for A'grappa to dodge being hit.

I continued to push A'grappa myself, still using hit-and-run tactics. None of our attacks were going to do very much. As odd as it sounded, I needed A'grappa to become disoriented, frustrated, and eager to transform again. I knew he was much stronger in that form. So much stronger in fact, that if I caused him to transform too early, we would be wiped out.

Stamina at ninety-two percent. Stockpiling mana. New ability unlocked. Absorbing mana.

I can absorb mana now?

I could hear Lillith stifle a bit of laughter in my head. Did you think you weren't going to grow in strength, absorb many souls, and not gain new abilities over time as your body became used to what you put it through?

Lillith, it's not right to pick on Mara like that. Kaddyr came to my defense.

Kaddyr is right. There was no way that she was going to notice that she would begin to unlock all of our abilities as she grew in power and control. Tiamat explained. Some of our abilities, without the proper control, would have killed her outright.

I didn't have many words for what I was hearing. I had no idea if the other Minor Ones could hear the arguments going on in my head, save Talanys; but, I felt like there was a cacophony of voices.

Just how many abilities do I actually have?

Let's just say, as you are, you are closer to a Great One than any of the Minor Ones. Lillith's mirth couldn't be hidden now. Minor Ones tend to have few abilities. You have abilities of several Minor Ones at once.

I am going to give you an ability right now that may prove very useful in the future. If you use it, it costs quite a bit of mana; but, it will strengthen your allies. I want you to understand this ability is the same one I've used on your mother. Several times. It will reduce your current mana to about half. Well, the way I am about to make you use it, anyway. But, trust me you will thank me later.

New ability unlocked. Soul Impartiality. Now casting your soul to all allies. Fifteen hundred and seven locking signatures.

I watched as my allies' abilities became sharper, stronger, and quicker than before. A'grappa was beginning to struggle. His attacks were also becoming more honed, striking back and pushing down his aggressors. But, the attacks were doing very little damage at all.

"This won't be enough to break me!" He bellowed. "I am A'grappa the Dragon. The strongest of the Great Ones, Herald of the Age of Chaos."

Stamina at fifty-one percent. Stockpiling mana. Absorbing mana. Stamina restored in two hours and twenty-one minutes.

A'grappa flexed his will. All of us, instead of being brought to the knee like when Lillith did so in my body, were pushed back several feet. "All of you shall bow before the might of A'grappa the Dragon." He used the plasma beam that Hagnr used on me before, sweeping it through the vast space, striking all the barriers, and causing the beam to bounce between them.

Everyone hit the ground. Well, everyone but Ashitaka. Being struck by that technique would cause the same damage that Abryi received, protecting his wife. I attempted to use the same technique I had used on Zoldya, wrapping A'grappa in my ash coated in my barrier and using my ability to absorb someone's stamina to counter his plasma beam. I could feel my stamina begin to rise up as I tried to absorb his attack and whatever stamina he emitted. It felt endless. My ash didn't even impede his movements at all.

It was then that Nesbeth acted.

Nesbeth sprouted thorns and vines around A'grappa. He used those vines to limit A'grappa's movements, while my ability limited his range of attack. With renewed hope, the other Fractions jumped to their feet to once more press the attack on A'grappa.

Stamina at eighty-one percent. Stockpiling mana. Absorbing mana. Stamina Thorn in effect.

What? How did my stamina rise so quickly?

You're absorbing mana from the air and from A'grappa. The Stamina Thorn is breaking down his stamina little by little and imparting it to you. Ban'iel's voice echoed in my head.

I am really glad that I have you to ask about these things. Honestly.

Who better to explain to you about yourself than the progenitor of your ability? Ban'iel said with a laugh. Honestly, you should talk to your father more, too. He could really give you a lot of insight into what you are capable of. You are currently using only one percent of the total effect of the ability you could be using.

Really? Only one percent?

Of all the Minor Ones, Rammel's abilities are the most mana costly. He really is the defender amongst us all. Lillith said. He has the capability to protect himself with great strength. The fact that he won't use some of his own abilities while you are around tells me that something in him changed. Perhaps when your mother died, he was worried about what his abilities would do to the surroundings if he used them again. The ability to block and deflect incoming attacks is not the only thing he can do. He can reflect attacks too.

Reflect them?

Yes. Kaddyr chimed in. Rammel's ability to use the barriers he creates ultimately makes whatever attack is used against him useless. He can deflect a physical attack or absorb and reflect a tangible one. Doing so requires that the ability he deflect or reflect be amplified by several hundreds of thousands.

I once watched him destroy an entire world, just reflecting an attack from A'grappa. Gilgahlad remarked. Well, it was more of a moon actually.

A moon?! Okay, he really has some explaining to do.

A'grappa's muffled screams were becoming stronger and stronger within the ash prison I erected for him. The sounds of his struggles were music to my ears. Baen, Gaian, Grey, and Campbell were busy playing catch with A'grappa's body, batting it back and forth between them while Ashitaka and Abryi were striking him with their attacks while he was in motion. Rygol was more focused on forcing concentrated beams of lightning at A'grappa.

Stamina at ninety-four percent.

He's going to break out of that soon enough, Mara. Kaddyr remarked. I can feel his mana growing stronger. He's about to do something. I would pull back everyone behind a barrier or five. Just in case.

Kaddyr is right. Whisper confirmed. It should almost be time to enact phase two of your plan. But, at least, you should pull the mortals out of there for now and set up a second distraction.

I did exactly as they suggested. I teleported all the mortals once more from the space Harvey created and pulled everyone back, using my ash and encasing them in a barrier as strong as I could make it. My father probably realized what I was doing and immediately erected several of his own barriers around mine.

My actions came at not a moment too soon. A'grappa the Dragon burst from his confinement with such force that thorns and ash went flying in all directions, kicking up as much dust and obscuring everyone's vision.

A'grappa burst into a fit of frabjous laughter. "Finally! Finally, after a long awaited measure of eons, a challenge." His mirth was evident in his voice. "I hope that you can continue to issue me a challenge, young Fractions. I crave violence. Despair. Destain. Give me all that you have."

The dust around A'grappa began to settle. As it did, I could see his fangs were bared. His face bore a large unearthly sneer like he was holding back his bloodlust and keeping in termites in his mouth. As the dust settled, I saw the form he took. Despair indeed.


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