Wild Era 2, Ch 36: Herald of the Sovereign

The duel was set at the main arena in Highmist, one that was normally overseen by the city lord’s palace. 

It was a vast location capable of holding a hundred thousand spectators or more. When it wasn’t holding duels, it offered various other events of interest to the city, with everything from gladiators to tragic plays.

When Kelin and Sandren arrived, a massive crowd had already gathered. Food vendors had formed lines of stalls near the entrance and along the nearby streets and thousands of people were mingling in front of them.

“Coffee?” Kelin suggested as he glanced at one of the stalls. He changed their direction to head for it.

“How can you think about coffee at a time like this?” Sandren said, sounding exasperated. 

“I like coffee,” he replied with a grin. “There’s still a bit of time before the Herald arrives. It’s enough.”

The crowd whispered as they recognized him and Sandren, and then they parted like an ocean, giving him unimpeded access to the vendors.

He waved at them in thanks and a few minutes later he had a cup of coffee in one hand and a scone in the other. Sandren had the same.

“I hadn’t had breakfast anyway,” he said as he winked at her.

“You are a ridiculous old...young archmage,” Sandren muttered as she held her coffee. Despite her words, she was smiling. “Were you always like this?”

“After a few thousand years, you find your own forms of entertainment,” Kelin agreed. “Let’s head in.”

He was treating the duel with all the seriousness it deserved, but that didn’t mean he needed to be stressed out by it. 

Part of stopping for coffee was just to help Sandren relax, since she liked getting food in the town. He glanced over as she took a drink of her coffee. 

It seemed to be working.

“Your students and your three friends should be together in some seats I arranged for them,” she said as they headed inside. “I thought about keeping them away, but it didn’t seem fair when everyone else was here, so you’d better not die in front of them.”

“They have enough motivation already,” Kelin agreed. “There’s no need to add more.”

For Yao and Naomi, seeing their teacher die in front of them would be horrifying, especially since he was their foundation in the guild.

He’d given them enough advantages that they would survive, but he wasn’t going to let it happen.

Sandren knew her way around the arena and once they were inside, she quickly led the way to the central dais, where the duels were announced.

There was a crowd there already, all dressed in formal clothing or wearing uniforms of the guild. 

A quick glance told him that the guild’s commander on Lareth, the Platinum-ranker, was here, along with all of the Gold-rankers.

Hugo Whitestar was off to one side, wearing ostentatious yellow and red clothing, and Kelin noted his appearance for the future.

There was also a large group of nobles, with quite a few at the Third Evolution. Those could only be the City Lords of Celadon and foreign dignitaries with a similar status.

Highmist had become the central meeting point for all of them.

It had nothing to do with the duel. At most, that would have had some nobles and maybe Highmist’s city lord, if he’d cared to come.

Kelin would have bet against it, since he doubted Verasun had that much pull.

This was all because of the Herald.

As they reached the group, the conversation he overheard confirmed it. Barely anyone was talking about Verasun or the duel. All of their attention was on what it meant to have a Level 600 Herald visiting.

It was mostly self-absorbed, like Whitestar wondering if the Herald would spend some time giving pointers at the guild before he left again.

The divisions between people here were clear.

All twelve city lords of Celadon were present, standing in a group of their own, while dignitaries from Sarathia, Baralis, and other kingdoms mingled nearby.

The guild’s council was standing on their own at the center, holding the prime location, which probably made the City Lord of Highmist upset, but since it was a Herald coming, who was roughly part of the Stars Alliance, they had become the de facto master of ceremonies to welcome him.

Kelin looked around to find Verasun. The man wasn’t at the front of the group, but he had no trouble finding him thanks to the mark on his soul. He was standing at the front of a group of nobles, off to one side of the city lords.

Baron Verasun, whose proper name was Silas Crest. His title was just in more common use.

He was a lean and stylish man of middle age with white wings at the sides of his dark hair. There was an intelligent and dangerous air about him, as well as a faint crackle of subdued lightning mana.

His clothing was heavily embroidered with defensive runes and he radiated the signature of artifacts.

Kelin only gave him a single assessing glance, which was all he needed to see everything that was there, and then he turned his attention elsewhere.

“You are Kelin of Highmist?” A voice interrupted the crowd as Kelin and Sandren arrived. It carried a bit of mana that made it travel easily through the air.

It was a woman’s voice and slightly brusque, but not unkind.

Kelin followed the thread of mana back to the speaker and nodded at her. It was the Platinum-ranked commander of the guild who’d spoken.

“I am,” he agreed, feeling amused. “This is bigger than expected.”

“You don’t seem to do things by halves,” she agreed. Her words were blunt as she gave him an assessing look.

She was a stern-looking older woman with a bun of grey hair pulled back behind her head. Both her stance and her clothing had a faint military style, but it was nothing too overt. 

As the head of the guild, she could have worn a real uniform like some of the Gold-rankers, but it seemed like she’d chosen to come in more casual clothes, perhaps as a way of supporting the locals.

At the Fourth Evolution, a current of spatial energy subtly warped the space around her, but she had a good control over it and it was almost imperceptible. Only Kelin’s high affinity for the element made it visible to him.

More important was the weight of mana in her gaze. Many people would have flinched under that look or confessed immediately, but Kelin had no difficulty smiling back at her.

His response was calm and clear.

“Some things had to be done,” he agreed. “Both that and this.” 

He knew she was talking about the assassins’ guild and how he had stirred the guild into action against them. She was the one who had come to Highmist and destroyed their headquarters as a statement.

A flicker of amusement crossed her features, and she gave him a nod.

“The Herald should be here any moment,” she said as she pointed to a place next to her. “As the one who called him, you should stand here to greet him first.”

Kelin nodded in agreement as he stepped up beside her. 

Sandren tried to pull away and go to a less conspicuous spot, but he held her hand as he brought her along.

“My name is Yaslen,” the guild commander told him, and then she nodded at Sandren. “We’ve met before, Captain Sandren. You are welcome to be here. Have either of you ever met a Herald?”

“Not in this life,” Kelin replied, smiling slightly.

“I haven’t,” Sandren said at almost the same time.

“I’ve only met one once,” Yaslen said as she looked upward. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I’ll give you the same advice I got once. When in doubt, just praise the Sovereign. It seems to calm them down.”

Kelin held back a chuckle.

That might work sometimes, but if they were in a fighting mood, which was most of the time, it would only encourage them to greater heights.

At that moment, he became aware of Verasun looking at him across the crowd, but the man didn’t say anything. It was just a pair of cold blue eyes and an attempt to analyze him.

Kelin returned the gaze, his expression unchanging. As he did, he analyzed his opponent. 

There was a thin veil over the man’s information, but it wasn’t enough to block his sight.

Silas Crest. Human. Storm Aspirant-Artifact Sentinel. Level 254.

Local Title: Baron of Highmist, Verasun Estate.

For the first time, Kelin saw the man’s classes and level. He also saw the flare of displeasure at the analysis and a trace of killing intent that leaked out of the baron’s control, although the man’s expression didn’t change.

Confidence radiated from the baron. It was a cold and authoritative type, as if he saw everything except himself as lesser and only valued others for what they could do for him.

Despite that, Verasun didn’t say anything, perhaps aware that shouting over the crowd would only make him look foolish. Nor did he try to send a more subtle message with mana.

Kelin’s expression didn’t change as he looked away. He wasn’t interested in playing games before the duel.

The man’s classes were about what he’d expected, with a Storm Mage variant for his primary. The subclass of Artifact Sentinel was interesting. If his estimate was correct, it was a class intended to help Verasun locate and understand artifacts, and probably the source of his influence over the trade in dungeon goods. 

It was also likely that it gave him some ability to interfere with the operation of an artifact and to interrupt flows of mana, as a form of self-defense against them.

But that was still within Kelin’s ability to deal with.

A number of details had already been taken care of through the guild, including informing Verasun that he had challenged a Knight of the Path and would not be getting everything he wanted out of the duel.

He’d even been given a chance to withdraw his challenge, but he’d refused. 

The event had become larger than he’d intended, but he had too much at stake to let it go.

A few minutes passed in idle conversation as people waited and then a notification from the Path arrived in Kelin’s mind, the same one that many others in the area also received.

The Herald is arriving.

A hush fell over the crowd as they turned their eyes upward. 

While direct teleportation across the galaxy was possible, it was done with a series of powerful gates that the Sovereign had created. 

The closest one was some distance away from Lareth. To reach the world, the Herald had to fly for a while.

A speck of silver light appeared in the sky, bright even against the daylight, and it swiftly grew larger.

And then larger.

A massive pillar of silver flame descended on the center of the dueling platform, in an area that had been deliberately left open.

All around it, a thunderous boom roared out across the area. It was accompanied by a wave of pressure that nearly flattened some of the weaker members nearby and made clothing flare outward.

A ring of silver flame expanded around the center of the pillar and then the figure who was standing there was slowly revealed, like a deity born from the mist.

People looked upward, their eyes widening, and then they kept looking up.

And up.

The Herald stood thirty feet tall and his lower serpentine half coiled under him in a loop, making it clear that he could stretch even higher. Silver scales touched with just a touch of emerald covered his tail, gleaming like a river of metal.

Some scales of the same color covered his shoulders and upper body, but his torso was patterned with smaller pale silver scales, which looked almost like skin.

He resembled a human from the waist up and he had a powerful and lean build, except that he had four muscular arms instead of two.

His head was humanoid, but angular with sharp cheekbones, and he had brilliant green and silver eyes. His skull was marked by a silver pattern that resembled a crown, except that it was only partially complete. The silver scales that made it up glowed brilliantly with a unique bloodline energy.

This was a Silver Naga.

Their race was originally called the Emerald Nagas, but when they chose to serve the Sovereign, he’d blessed them with his blood. The colors of their scales had changed to silver to match.

To them, it was their greatest honor, the heart of their life’s purpose, and the reason they would never betray him. 

There were millions of Silver Nagas at the core of the Sovereign’s army, but in order to be a Herald, they had to be at least Level 600.

At the Sixth Evolution, a being’s Truth warped reality around them, changing it to fit their will. Every Sixth Evolution warrior was worth a legion on their own.

The one who had come was far over that.

The power of a Seventh Evolution Immortal Form radiated from the Herald, making time and space stand still. Even the silver flames of his arrival had frozen in place.

The only one who could move was Kelin, which he noticed as the Herald turned to look at him.

Time had been divided by the Herald’s power and only the two of them were aware of what was happening. 

It was an effect that only powerful Sixth or Seventh Evolution beings could achieve, and there was no chance that anyone would overhear them.

“Kelin Wildfire,” the naga hissed with delight. His voice was powerful and echoing, but only Kelin heard it, as well as the tone of friendliness it held. “It has been a long time.” 

There was a good reason for it. 

They’d fought side by side in the past.

“Sleset,” Kelin said with disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

At the same time, he analyzed his old ally, knowing that he wouldn’t mind, so that he could take in the changes of time, not that there were many over barely 400 years.

Sleset Henke. Silver Naga. Level 720. Immortal Fang of the Silver Lord-Lord General of the Silver Army.

Primary Titles: First Among Heralds, Honor Fang of the Sovereign, Lord of Battle, Commander of the Silver Army.

He’d gained a few levels, but he was still the same commander as ever.

This wasn’t any Herald, but the Sovereign’s right hand, the greatest warrior of his race, and the most loyal servant in the galaxy.

He had followed the Sovereign since time immemorial, before the Wild Era began, and was the one who had led the rest of his people to join the Silver Army.

For him to be here was no coincidence. It was outright impossible.

As the Sovereign’s commander, he had many other things to do and there was no way he would have been sent for a simple duel.

Sleset hissed in amusement as he saw the shock on Kelin’s face.

“I know what you are thinking, Wildfire,” he said, grinning. “The Sovereign commanded a Herald to come, but I chose to take the place of others, who fought for the chance.

“We all know who you are. You have long honored the Sovereign as a mighty warrior and slain thousands in his name. We rejoice to hear that you have been reborn. The Sovereign’s decree echoes in our ears to keep an eye out for you and to not interfere with your new Path.

“You know my people, Wildfire. Our enthusiasm runs deep. The others were too eager to come once they heard your name. I had to push them back into their nests and tie their tails to a stake to make them stay. I did not want them to reveal your name to your enemies.”

Sleset glanced over at Verasun and scoffed, his tail flicking as he dismissed him.

“That one does not count, but the others might be too eager and would kill him for his offense, accidentally of course, like forgetting to save him from drowning at the bottom of an ocean. They think it is beneath you to deal with him.”

Sleset chuckled as he spoke.

“They would not disobey the Silver Lord, but this enemy does not register in their eyes. It is just a small one, like a grass beetle.”

Sleset hissed again in amusement, pausing as he grinned. His words were half teasing, but almost certainly true.

“It is good to see you again, old friend,” Kelin said with a laugh of his own. “I didn’t think you would be the one to come, but I am glad to see you. You honor me, though perhaps too much for my current status.”

Since no one was listening, he didn’t have to hide anything.

He’d fought many times beside Sleset over the years and of all the Silver Nagas, he knew him the best, but he hadn’t imagined that he would come here.

He had always been close to the Sovereign. The fact that he was here now meant the Sovereign had agreed to it, or even encouraged it.

Sleset dismissed the words with a flick of his tail, shaking his head.

“It is right for me to come,” he replied. “My people have always respected you. I wished to be one of the first to greet your rebirth.”

He looked closely at Kelin, studying the flows of his mana and existence that only a Seventh Evolution Immortal could see, and then he grinned, slightly baring his fangs that were hidden behind his lips. 

“You will rise again as a legend, a great follower of the Silver Lord, and once more protect our nest from those who would destroy it. To be the first of my people to see you in this life is my honor.”

Then Sleset turned his head to look at Verasun, flicking his tail again.

“A hundred and twenty two levels above you. Normally, I would not think your enemies have much chance against you, but I suppose that is an honorable choice. It should be a reasonable duel for your current level. If not, then perhaps you should give him a handicap, so that he does not die too quickly.”

He turned his attention back to Kelin.

“I brought us into this sliver of immortal time to speak, but I am eager to see you fight again and do not wish to wait. We can speak again after you crush him and use his blood to paint your scales.”

With that, Sleset let out a hiss of anticipation. 

Suddenly time snapped back into focus and everyone began to move again.