"We are the end of unity. We are the death of reason. We come to kill humanity for its sins.
Fear me, and despair. I have come, and I bring pestilence."
Recorded words from a talking, fully sapient Calamity. The Silent Gods Movement rose after its death.
Excerpt from report one eight four nine eight two nine. Classified on orders of the Vizier REDACTED
***
Elly stretched, leaving a still sleeping Marcus in bed to make her way above deck. She passed several dozen soldiers even in that short of a walk, reminding her—again—that her husband had turned a single ship into a large town. She'd been living here for days and days, and it still caught her off guard.
She passed the guards blocking off the final ascent, and suppressed a shudder when space resumed to normal. Damn but that was powerful magic. The kind that crawled over her skin, weighing down on the layers of reality.
Two Archmages working in tandem would do that, she supposed.
Lamps provided light down below—oil ones, to ensure that the mages remained fresh, and fully enclosed in glass—but above there was little, and only a trickle of sunlight made it this far down. So she fed a strand of Life into her eyes, then nodded to the waiting captain.
He had a stack of notes in hand, as he should. She liked to catch up on army paperwork as soon as possible, and even while quartered as they were, there was always something to manage.
Fights broke out, commanders got sick, generals needed clarification. A thousand little details that ensured the army remained disciplined, well supplied and in fighting shape. The pre-briefing could last half an hour, at times.
But not this morning, it seemed. The captain cleared his throat. "Good morning, ma'am. Three items on the agenda today. General Pator wishes to run more disembarking exercises as soon as we land the ships. A potential problem was discovered late last night by commander Eskna, which could bottleneck soldiers rising from the ninth to eight deck."
"And if we can't disembark quickly our effectiveness will be limited," Elly replied, humming. "Bring it up at the next meeting, and make sure commander Eskna is there. I want to hear it in her own words."
"Ma'am. Second issue, captains Floren and Gedon were discovered engaging in non-sanctioned intercourse approximately eight hours ago. They lead—"
"The third and second company of the fourth cohort, I'm aware. Those rules exist for a reason; No fraternization within the same cohort. They can explain themselves to me later today."
The captain marked it down. "The last issue concerns a lack of sunlight. Irritability levels have increased, and insubordination alongside it. General Pator has already increased the number of rotations serving on deck, but he believes that will not solve the issue."
"Yeah," Elly replied. She looked around, and past the lamps of the ship, there was only a veil of darkness, like perpetual night. She wasn't overly bothered, but it certainly didn't help the common soldier stand at ease. "I can see why he would think that. Speak to the Legions to see if they have some tricks we're unaware of, but we might just have to adapt."
Elly glanced to the right while the captain made more notes, watching Brandon lightly touch down on the deck. He was the only one capable of flight, and as such he made frequent rounds between their six ships.
Between him and Marcus' teleportation, their little fleet wasn't nearly as isolated as it appeared.
"Good morning, Queen Elenoir," the prince greeted. She rather liked that about him. He was a respectful young man. Ugh, young man. I'm spending too much time with Vistus. "Once we have descended deep enough, the Glow of Arven will provide enough ambient light to see. That should help."
Too many damn names. They were glowing trees and other assorted shrubbery, nothing more. But no, Archmage Arven had discovered them, so it needed a name.
Apparently the man had been an Archmage of glass, and had created an artifact with magnifying properties. Most of their knowledge about the deeper parts of the Dungeon came from that time. Like the fact that the Hounds didn't eat said glowing shrubbery. Point being, too many names.
Elly shrugged, idly watching a flock of flying Hounds smash itself against the ship's shielding. The four dozen mages on duty took care of them easily enough, as they had a hundred times before.
The shields weren't all that special, Marcus had said, but Horzo's cores provided a lot of power to them. Enough to turn even the larger flocks into little more than an annoyance.
"I hope so," she finally replied. "Thank you, captain."
The man saluted, leaving them alone. Brandon cleared his throat, a layer of nerves settling over his features. "I was wondering, if you have the time, if you and I could—"
"I'm married."
All blood drained from his face. "Not that. Are you trying to get me killed? Silent Gods, don't even joke about… about that."
"And here I have been working so hard on my crazy wife reputation," Elly mused in response. "Yet even a hint of invoking Marcus' ire and even the Crown Prince of the Empire turns white as a sheet."
The man shook his head. "Poke fun at me all you want, but I know my history. Archmages, for all their power, are human, and humans are at their most irrational when in love. Bad, bad things happen to people who are stupid enough to try to steal their objects of affection."
"I'm an object, am I? How insulting. Now maybe I'm feeling slighted."
"That's not what I—"
Elly waved her hand. "I'm just mocking you. Ruling is all about confidence, Brandon, even when you're feeling uncertain. Especially when you're feeling uncertain. You have got to work on that."
"Easy for you to say," he replied with a sigh. "Not only are you married to one of the most powerful men on the continent, you rival him in power. If you really piss someone off, there's little anyone can do but to smile and take it."
She snorted. "Pretty much, yeah. Until the knives come out to play, of course, and the poison starts flowing. Now what did you actually want to ask?"
"I was wondering if you would be willing to spar later today." Brandon turned to her fully, tapping his blade. "I think I've incorporated that Life energy looping trick you showed me, and I want to test it out."
"I'm sure you have a hundred experts falling over themselves to teach you, kid."
"None of them are you."
Elly rolled her eyes. "Now that might actually be considered flattery. I have to see how long my meetings run, but I can probably make some time."
"I look forward to it," he replied, bowing his head. "I'm honored to be under your instruction again."
"You're a good egg, Brandon. I've decided not to blame you for the sins of your mother."
"Thank you?"
Elly smiled, then paused. There were a lot of smells in the Dungeon, most of them so overpowering as to be useless. Their speed didn't help either, pushing the air around their ship into a rush, further confusing the mess.
But there had been the barest hint of a very particular scent, and she sharpened her senses fully with Life. Brandon took a wary step back, his own meager talent letting him feel what she was doing.
There.
A Calamity. She'd spent pretty much the entire Dungeon Break familiarizing herself with it, ever since she and Marcus killed that first brutish thing while stationed at the Eastfort. Over and over, refining her perception until a common factor had been revealed.
Mages sensed magic, some crudely and some finely, but they only sensed it. She smelled magic, and while all that crawled out of the Dungeon was infused with it, Calamities were something different.
And now she smelled one, its unmistakable stench coming from the east. Which meant somewhat less when their world was a fifty mile tube, but it would be enough.
She grinned. "Fetch Vistus, would you? I'll wake Marcus, and then the three of us are going on a hunting trip."
"I could scout," he offered. Elly shook her head, and while Brandon clearly wanted to protest, he swallowed that after a moment. "Right, testing new tactics. I'll ferry the Archmage."
A good egg indeed.
Elly descended back into expanded space, made her way back to her room, and found Marcus only just getting out of bed. He'd been up late testing some new weave, whatever that meant, so it wasn't strange he just kind of blinked at her.
No more nightmares, at least. Setting aside the fact that those sucked, with an Archmage they usually meant more than just a bad night's sleep. Like sudden and violent outbursts of panicked power.
Still, she was quick, and very attuned to his magic. She would probably know something was wrong before he did.
"I caught myself a scent," she declared. Marcus held up a hand, downing a glass of water. He shook his head, waving at her afterwards. "You, Vistus and I are going to hunt a Calamity."
That seemed to wake him up more than the water. "Tactic testing?"
"Tactic testing."
The plan. She could track Calamities—a first in recorded Imperial history—Marcus offered mobility that was second to none, and Vistus offered the kind of flexibility even mages could rarely boast. And all three of them were very, very lethal.
With how many Calamities they might be encountering, it was important to streamline the process. If this worked, they could find, intercept and eliminate the threat, and with minimal risk. Overwhelming power deployed with a surgeon's precision.
If it worked.
Elly took a small step back when their large closet opened, watching Marcus lazily stick out his arms. Armor attached itself to his frame, slotting into place and fastening tight. She had dressed like a normal person, but she supposed all that practice paid off.
In seconds, he went from 'just waking up' to 'conquering monster', and she didn't bother examining her bias. She did whistle, because controlling herself was boring. Also, Marcus in armor was hot.
Marcus rolled his eyes. "You abandoned me in bed, woman. Don't get all lovesick on me now."
"If I'm sick, you better come over here and put those hands all over my—"
"Yes, yes, thank you," he replied, stretching his neck. "It's too early to deal with your idea of humor."
Damn, that one actually stung a little. Elly smiled proudly. "Nice. Some girls like it when you're mean to them. And by them, I mean—"
"Please don't force me to keep interrupting you," he half pleaded, teleporting an apple to his hand. His spatially expanded bag was secured while he ate, alongside his mace and dagger. "I'm sorry for insulting your idea of humor."
Elly pouted. "Steal all my fun, why don't you. Come on, you can eat on the way."
He shrugged, trailing after her. More of the ship was waking up now, and even on the first deck, officers and soldiers crowded the hallway. All made way so that they could pass, of course, but it was interesting to see them react to Marcus.
He didn't spend much time with the army. Or any at all, to be honest. His mages served there, and that was about the extent of his influence. But he was also the king, and unlike herself, rarely seen. It gave him a… mythical reputation.
An idea more than a person. The Archmage of Unending Reach, as the Empress had dubbed him. An inhuman symbol, distant and with unclear limits. Hells, some believed he didn't have any at all.
So soldiers straightened like raw recruits, officers shot each other unsure glances while saluting, and the lone mage they came across bowed so deep it looked like he was trying to fold himself in half.
Marcus ignored it all. He looked vaguely bored, an expression Vess had drilled into him. Elly knew he was uncomfortable with the close proximity, though he was making great strides in desensitizing himself. Still, it was much better to seem bored rather than nervous.
Bored made it seem like he'd done this—whatever this was at that moment—a hundred times before. Seeming uncomfortable just made him look like a child.
Brandon was touching down with Vistus when they arrived above deck, and somehow, the old man was lounging on the Crown Prince's shoulders. The man should have looked ridiculous, and instead he seemed dignified.
Cheating bastard.
"I heard you found a Calamity," Vistus began, patting Brandon on the shoulder and hopping off. Elly could feel the kid's eyes strain from using Life to augment them, though they didn't seem injured. Good. "Can you tell what kind?"
"Closer to a brute than not, but I'm not sure. We'll find out."
Marcus shrugged. "It sounds pretty calm outside, too. We probably won't get a better chance."
"We probably won't," Vistus agreed. The man turned to the approaching captain. "Find a landing spot for the fleet and let the ships rest. Full camp. The men can use the practice. We'll find you afterwards."
Elly didn't disagree, though the actual chain of command was somewhat fluid. Not for the officers, of course, but between the four of them. Herself, Vistus, Brandon and Freza.
The latter was the general of the third Legion. An old hand at war, and while not tactically or strategically brilliant, had a mind for fortifications unlike any other general in service. Or so she'd been told.
Her own experiences with the woman confirmed it, but aside from keeping her soldiers calm, she hadn't had a chance to do much yet. Now she would have, and Elly would be thoroughly verifying her supposed credentials.
If the general proved in any way incompetent, she'd be pushing for Vistus to take overall control of their five Legions.
"Let's get going," she called. Vistus nodded, summoning Clarissa. Elly didn't like the elemental, what with her burning Marcus' eyes out, but the summon was also going to allow Marcus to actually see this time. Ironic. "There's a ridge over that way. Light it up."
The elemental seemed to ponder that, turning to Vistus. When the man nodded the fire-woman shrugged, holding out a hand. A ball of flame appeared where she pointed, a beacon in the dark.
Marcus teleported them under it, and for the first time in days, her feet touched solid ground.
Hounds immediately turned to charge them, of course. This was still the Dungeon. But it wasn't a Dungeon Break, so the elemental turned the few dozen creatures into smoking corpses. Literally. She just kind of waved her hand, heat poured into the air, and the beasts burst into flame.
Vistus hummed. "Would you believe that this is the deepest I've ever been inside the Dungeon? How… exciting. Clarissa, please kill anything that approaches us, and keep the torch burning brightly, but don't otherwise interfere."
"I have never been a lamp before," the elemental mused. "It sounds interesting. May I ask why we're working with the man who, minutes ago, tried very hard to kill your apprentice?"
"That was more than minutes ago, Clarissa."
"Oh. Days?"
"Months. Months and months."
The woman paused. "Interesting. I have another question. Why is the young Archmage violating reality to avoid walking?"
"I'm lazy," Marcus replied, a dry tilt to his tone. "Any more questions?"
"Yes. Why is seven plus seven fourteen? It does not make sense."
Marcus tilted his head, glancing at his older counterpart. "Is she mocking me?"
"She really isn't," Vistus replied. "I'll answer any of your questions later, Clarissa."
The elemental nodded and settled down, so Elly took the lead. As was her secondary task here; The tracker. Inhaling deeply told her more Hounds and Champions were nearby, but that was unhelpful. So she sorted through the scents, and found the one she was looking for.
The smell was fainter. Less defined even than back on their moving airship. The creature probably wasn't running, most of the things didn't really do that, but the Dungeon was vast, and their fleet small.
Without her, and without her own fortunate timing, they would have walked straight past one another. And even if the Calamity was just going to lurk below the surface, which she doubted, that was a problem. The second fleet didn't carry Archmages, for one. And if the creature didn't pause before getting onto the surface, there would only be the Empress to defend the Empire.
That wouldn't be the end of humanity, but it certainly wasn't going to help. Vistus seemed to have the same general thought, if his frown was anything to go by.
"Up and south," she finally decided. Elly pointed. "There. Clarissa, light."
A second orb of flame appeared, and Marcus teleported them towards the light. More Hounds, more corpses, another moment of tracking, and then another teleport. Over and over.
For all that the Dungeon was a hole, it didn't look like one. The outcroppings they traveled on were covered in dirt, more in some places than others, and the stone platforms were so vast whole cities could sit on them. Few were perfectly flat, but at their sheer size, that hardly mattered.
Of course, that was to her eyes. To everyone else, there was a few dozen feet of limited vision, then nothing. But that was alright. She could hardly teleport them all, nor create matter with her mind. Three parts making a greater whole.
And the elemental, she supposed.
Up, up and then down again. The Calamity was moving, but not that quickly. Instead their own speed was the problem, even while teleporting. Every jump forced her to pick up the scent again, and every time she had to guide Clarissa into lighting the correct spot.
They went into the side of the wall, at the end. An enormous cavern greeted them, one home to a small tribe of Champions. Clarissa burned them before Elly could do more than glance at the mutated creatures. They didn't even have time to scream.
Behind them, however, against and halfway up the back wall, was their prey. A blood red body was digging into the cavern, like the Calamity was trying to make a new passageway. With the sheer strength the creature possessed, it was making good progress.
The thing stopped when the Champions died, turning to them in full. Vaguely animalistic features glared at them, at her, but she couldn't say from which animal. Ten feet tall, and almost as wide, the Calamity was digging with claws the size of her torso, oversized for its frame. The body was hardened blood, bones sticking halfway out between the plates of sanguine armor.
Elly smiled at the creature, and the Calamity dropped from its passageway down to the ground. A tremor went through the stone, and while the creature didn't seem to be wholly a brute, the thing did charge without thought or tactics, eyes locked on her the entire time.
Bad call, little itty bitty horror. I'm just the tracker.
Clarissa lit up the cave, and a beam of water smashed into the charging Calamity like the hammer of a War God.
Bad, bad call.
Afterword
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