Pantheon Online

308  Eye Of The Storm (Part 3)

Exile hovered in the sky as he surveyed the battlefield below. 'This is a war, and every move matters.' He grumbled as he watched the NPCs fight with a passion and fear that made them seem like real people. Yet, Exile knew better. They weren't real. They were just AI that had been programmed to act human. But that didn't stop him from feeling the weight of their lives. Or deaths.

His eyes shifted over the fog-choked ruins below, his mind racing through options. Exile knew his power, vast but still growing, wasn't something he could unleash carelessly. Not anymore.

His gaze scanned the Skardians, who were on the brink of collapse. Their lines had shattered by the elves' coordinated assault. Skalr's valiant stand had bought them some time, but the elves were pressing every advantage.

'Bloody typical,' Colt thought with a scowl as he attuned himself to the latest prayers. 'What do they expect me to do? Turn them into heroes overnight?' He cracked his neck, lightning flickering across his form as his Authority responded to his growing agitation.

He hovered lower, the fog uncaring about his presence. At that moment, his thoughts turned to runes. Oh, he understood a lot of the basics by now. But the scope of what his power could truly encompass eluded him. As far as he was concerned, he could only use the broad Authority of Runes crudely. That was likely to be the case for a long time to come. Exile couldn't help but become agitated at his slow progress.

'Right, focus. What's the play?' He mumbled as his gaze locked onto Skalr, still holding his ground against the elves. Skalr was wounded but fighting on. 'That old bastard's doing a decent job of holding them off. But he'll fall soon. That's when the elves will sweep through like a bloody storm.'

That was the crux of it. Skalr was the eye of the storm, the calm centre holding the Skardian defence together. If Exile could help him hold that line a little longer. If he could just keep Skalr alive. The balance of the war could tip in Skardia's favour further down the line.

'Time to get to work,' he thought, summoning the power of his lightning. His fingertips tingled as blue arcs of energy danced between them, but instead of unleashing it, he used it to create a rune mid-air.

The rune flared to life as a low hum that reverberated through the air. 'This should buy them some time.' It wasn't much. Just a small manipulation of the storm rumbling overhead. Lightning arced through the fog, not to strike the elves directly, but to create flashes that blinded and disoriented the advancing forces. It was like turning a strobe light on in a dark room. Chaos and confusion ripped through the elven ranks at the advent of Exile's latest miracle.

'That'll slow them down,' Exile thought with a smile. 'Not bad if I say so myself.'

The elves hesitated, their coordination faltered as the lightning storm distracted them. Thalion glanced up at the sky, suspicion flickering across his features. Exile knew that look. Thalion was thinking of a way to counter the interference of a God. But there was a problem with that. The elf hadn't yet grasped which authorities he could command, and that was to Exile's advantage.

Exile descended further until he was barely above the heads of the warriors fighting below. He had already decided that his role in this battle would be to become the unseen hand turning the tide. After all, this was what the writers of Rebel Energy had come up with as part of their plans.

He would leave the heroics to mortals like Skalr. That was their role in this game. It would take time for him to fully adjust to this new mindset. 'I can only hope it will be worthwhile in the long run...' Exile sighed.

'Now, don't get yourself killed before I can work some real miracles.' Exile thought as he turned his gaze to Skalr.

From his vantage point, he watched as Skalr struggled to regain an advantage against the elf. He was battered and on the verge of breaking. Exile clenched his jaw. Skalr had fought bravely, but the man was injured. It was clear that Exile had either overestimated Skalr's power or grossly underestimated the skill of the elf.

'Damn it,' Exile muttered to himself. 'Why do I feel more like a babysitter than a God?' Focusing his power once more, Exile cast a Miracle Rune of Renewal. It didn't have overexaggerated effects but it was definitely effective in that situation. As the miracle went to work, Skalr discovered that the edge had been shaved off his exhaustion. He could think more clearly now, and his wounds didn't ache as much. Of course, Skalr wasn't blind to Exile's intervention. Being his hero made it possible for him to sense the divine energy coursing throughout his body.

Skalr grinned as the miracle's effects injected some much-needed vitality, providing him with a second wind. He raised his sword high, rallying the morale of the remaining Skardians around him.

Exile's lip twitched upward. 'Good lad.'

Exile watched as a cheer rippled through the exhausted Skardians. It was clear for all to see that their passion for battle had been reignited by Skalr's small gesture. Exile nodded as he floated higher, content to watch Skalr's next move. 'I need to give them room to grow on their own.'

Down below, Skalr's resolve hardened as he eyed Thalion for any weaknesses. With a grin, he adjusted his grip on his sword and scanned the battlefield, his mind whirring with a plan. 'It might just work.' He mused.

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Down below, Skalr's resolve hardened as he eyed Thalion for any weaknesses. With a grin, he adjusted his grip on his sword and scanned the battlefield, his mind whirring with a plan. 'It might just work.' He mused.

The elven forces were still driving forward, eager to put an end to the Skardian resistance. Thalion's green cloak whipped about as he barked orders at his fellow kin while his face twisted into a grim, focused scowl.

Skalr had seen that look on enemies before. Thalion was here to finish them, and he wouldn't give up on his prey easily.

'If we can lure them into the west corridor… then double back…' he thought, eyeing the crumbling remains of the fortress wall to his right. It was a plausible path to escape the fort. But it had to look convincing.

Thalion couldn't suspect anything, or they'd be picked off before they could make it past the first corner. Signalling to his closest warriors, Skalr motioned towards the corridor. Luckily, they seemed to catch his drift as they quickly shuffled into formation. Skalr crossed his sword over his front in an aggressive stance, making it look like he was ready for a final stand. But his true intent was something much more cunning.

'A bit of theatrics never hurt anyone,' he chuckled to himself. His lips twitched in a smirk as he called out in a booming voice, "For Skardia! Stand your ground! Take as many of them with you as you can!"

The Skardians fell into line, looking worse for wear and gripping their weapons like lifelines. Skalr caught Thalion's eye across the short distance, and the elf flashed a victorious smirk. Thalion believed he had them pinned. There was no reason to think any differently.

'Perfect. This wouldn't be possible if you elves weren't so arrogant. Thanks for that.' Skalr thought, subtly signalling the Skardians to begin their slow withdrawal into the crumbling corridor. From a distance, it looked as though they were trying to fortify themselves to resist the final attack.

Thalion roared his orders, sending his brethren forward, right into Skalr's trap.

'Come on,' Skalr muttered, gripping his blade as he and his men fell back at a measured pace. Eager to keep up the illusion they were carefully crafting. Elven arrows flew over their heads, striking the stone walls and their shields. But the Skardians never faltered and they slowly took cover thanks to the corridor as they filtered into it. Behind them, Thalion's forces poured in, eager to corner them.

With a grin, Skalr and his warriors reached the end of the hallway. Where a hidden doorway waited, obscured by shadows and rubble. He knew this fortress better than most, having fought within its walls during his youth. But that's a story for another time.

"Right," he said, his voice low. "Into the passage... quickly, and block it from the other side. Maybe we can slip out of here before they realise we're gone.' n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The Skardians ducked into the narrow doorway and quickly went to work blocking it with rubble. Moments later, their footsteps echoed as they rushed down the winding tunnel leading to the fort's outer wall. Skalr waited until the last man slipped through before he joined in the escape.

'I doubt that elf has realised his mistake yet.' Skalr felt a wicked sense of satisfaction as he drew a small dagger from his belt before tossing it into one of the corridors they passed as a final misdirection.

'Happy hunting, elf,' he whispered, disappearing into the passage and leaving Thalion with nothing to find but shadows.

Exile watched from above, a faint sense of pride swelling within him. Skalr had done it. Against all odds, he had slipped through the elves' grasp.

But this was only the beginning. Exile knew the elves wouldn't let them escape so easily. Thalion would regroup, and his forces would be on Skalr's trail by dawn. Exile had given them a chance, but now it was up to them to make the most of it.

And with that, Exile withdrew. His presence faded from the fort as he returned to the sky, and turned his attention to the East. Towards Bjorn and Allyce escaping with Ania.