Chương 133: 132 - Abyssal Fissure

The abyssal fissure split the earth in two. Jenna was looking at it perched upon a cloud she'd turned solid with a formation.

"It's been a while," she whispered.

"Still as ominous as ever." Purples and reds flashed deep in the fissure. Magma and magic were fighting for supremacy over the gaping precipice that split the region in two. It was long enough to cover a mountain range and wide enough that you couldn't see the other side when standing on one edge. It was among the rare places Jenna wanted to seal but couldn't.

"Better get to it." She let her formation decay, and her body fell through the cloud, plummeting toward the fissure. When she got close to the ground, she cast a spell to slow her fall and hovered inside the fissure. The inside was warm, courtesy of the river of lava flowing at the bottom. It took fifteen minutes of nonstop descent for the river to come into view. Then, as she got closer and the details resolved, she spotted the two armies. Each occupied one side of the river.

On the left bank, humans, the Paladins. They wore heavy enchanted plate armor, swords buckled at their belts. Various units patrolled the length of the river, making sure no fiend would cross. Not that said fiends were interested in crossing. Jenna turned her attention to them. Valudipan's spawns. The ones on the banks were all lesser fiends. Small four-legged blue beasts with crystals growing straight off their backs, they had a strong innate control over mana.

Gathered in clusters of five to ten individuals, they were lazily resting next to the lava, taking in the warmth. Everyone on Laika, down to the most isolated village of the Kushtar, knew about the battle of ages that was supposedly taking place here. Jenna smiled as she followed the river. Since she knew exactly where to go, it didn't take long for her to arrive at the Paladins' headquarters. The citadel, as humanity had come to call it, was almost a city.

If not for the inherent difficulty involved in reaching the depths of the fissure and the hostile environment, it might be one of the greatest on Laika. Still, as it stood, it was a fortress and the main gathering place for the followers of Yshtar, the god of war. Jenna strolled in, confident that nobody would notice her. She passed the great walls of the citadel, then entered the centermost building, climbed up a flight of stairs, and pushed the door to Jade's office open.

"You could knock." Jade was sitting at her desk, working through a pile of parchments. Paper didn't take to the heat of the fissure.

"I could," Jenna said, walking behind the Vanguard. She put her hands on the woman's shoulders and started massaging them.

"But you knew I was there, so what's the point?" Jade shook her off.

"That's rarely good news."

"Oh my. You hurt me." Jade put her pen down and looked at her.

"What is it?"

"Let's pay Lucas a visit first," Jenna said with a smile.

"I don't want to repeat myself."

"That can't be good." Jenna snorted.

"Always so negative. Let's go." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Jade dragged her feet, but she followed Jenna to the door. They exited the citadel without any Paladin noticing them. Then they walked to the river, crossed it, avoiding the many groups of fiends, and reached their destination. Opposite the citadel, a golden palace grew out of the fissure's wall.

They evaded the detection of greater fiends, giant horned humanoids with blue skin and shining eyes, as they approached the walls. The gate was two slabs of gold-veined stone, standing open. Jenna walked through anyway, checking neither side.

"He knows we're here," Jade said.

"The gate wouldn't be open otherwise."

"Obviously." Inside, the corridor walls were carved with reliefs of battles that had happened long before the current commanders of both armies had arrived at the fissure. They reached a set of doors at the end of the hall. Jenna pushed them open without knocking. The throne room had no throne. Instead, a long table sat off-center, covered in maps weighted down with chunks of raw crystal, the same kind that grew off the backs of the lesser fiends outside.

A man stood over it, sleeves rolled to the elbow, a stylus tucked behind one ear. He looked up before the doors had finished swinging.

"Jenna." He came around the table. Sun-browned, broad through the shoulders, a scar splitting one eyebrow. His face opened when he saw Jade behind her.

"You could have knocked."

"Stop stealing her lines."

"Never." He crossed to Jade first, took her hand, pressed a kiss to her knuckles that made her roll her eyes but not pull away.

"You look tired." Jade threw a glance at Jenna.

"She's here."

"I guess that's true." Lucas sighed as he followed her gaze.

"Why did you come to the fissure, Jenna?"

"Do I need a reason to visit the great apostle of Valudipan and his fated enemy?" Jenna smiled. Lucas' expression was stone cold.

"Yes. You never visit without bringing troubles."

"Mean," Jenna said.

"But fair. Though this time, trouble also happens to be an opportunity. I'm sure you've heard of Alexandra's arrival."

"We did," Jade said, standing next to Lucas.

"But it's been so long since our summoning that our memories of her have faded. We remember her. Yet not really." Jenna clicked her tongue.

"Rude. But we're all in the same boat, except Raymond, I guess." She paused.

"Anyway, her summoning is clearly different from ours. We from the Millennia guild were each assigned to a god." She pointed at Lucas.

"And you guys from Legion were assigned to a demon. Do you see where I'm going with that?"

"Not Alexandra…" Lucas whispered as he paced along the table.

"You think a new divinity has ascended?" Jade asked, before immediately correcting herself.

"No, that's impossible. We would have noticed."

"The impact of a divinity on the world would be too significant for us not to notice," Lucas agreed.

"What are you getting at, Jenna?" Jenna's smile widened.

"Me? Nothing in particular."

"Be serious," Jade said.

"Fine. Fine. I just think we should allow her to develop. See what happens. Maybe she'll shake things up and break the status quo." Lucas frowned.

"And? We were not planning to act against her."

"I know," Jenna said.

"But Raymond and Lila had already started putting their claws around her. I had to act. Send her to the Gray Basin. Out of all of us heroes and apostles, you two are the most reasonable, so I came to you."

"The Gray Basin?" Lucas asked, his frown deepening.

"That's going to be an issue." Jenna grimaced. Then, she threw her head back and stared at the ceiling.

"Hit me with it."

"Well…" Lucas started.

"I've heard from Ines that the Watchers had plans for this place."

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Those decay worshipers do nothing for eons, and just when I need them to keep going, they finally decide to act?" Lucas scratched the back of his head.

"Ugh, well, supposedly, it's been in the works for centuries. The basin didn't come out of nowhere, you know." Jade put a hand on Jenna's back.

"Look, it's the Watchers. They're not exactly the worst demonic cult. Alexandra might even leave the basin before they act." Jenna closed her eyes.

"There you go. You just jinxed it."

"I'll try to contact Ines," Lucas said.

"But I doubt she'll be motivated to act."

"She never is," Jenna said.

"And the basin is off-limits for us."

"I'll send a unit of Paladins in training," Jade said.

"That's the best I can do." Jenna rubbed her eyebrows.

"I guess I'll have to send trainees too. Let's just hope it's not too late."