The Holy Army filled the valley like a tide of steel and white.
They came at dawn, just as we'd predicted. Rank after rank of soldiers in gleaming armor, their banners snapping in the cold morning wind. The white sunburst of the Church flew above them, bright against the red sky. Priests walked among the ranks, their voices raised in prayer, their hands glowing with holy light.
I watched from the cliffs above the valley, Aurelia beside me. The resonance between us hummed, eager and ready. The shards in my chest pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat.
"There are so many," she whispered.
"More than I thought."
"Can we still do this?"
I looked at her. Her face was pale in the grey light, but her eyes were steady. She was afraid. So was I. But fear had never stopped either of us before.
"We have to," I said.
Below us, the army marched on. The vanguard was already entering the narrowest part of the valley, their formation compressing as the cliffs closed in. I could see the priests moving through the ranks, their holy barriers shimmering faintly in the dawn light.
"Now?" Aurelia asked.
"Not yet. Let them get deeper. Once the main body is committed, they won't be able to retreat quickly."
We waited.
The army flowed into the choke point like water into a funnel. Soldiers packed shoulder to shoulder, their movement slowing as the space narrowed. The siege engines rumbled behind them, massive towers and battering rams that lurched over the uneven ground.
"Now," I said.
We moved as one.
The Harmony Pulse exploded outward from us, a wave of golden light and living shadow that swept down the cliff face and into the valley below. It hit the vanguard like the fist of an angry god. Soldiers were thrown from their feet. Shields shattered. Banners snapped in half.
The priests reacted quickly. I saw them raising their hands, channeling holy power into barriers that flared white against our wave. But they were too slow. The Pulse was already among them, tearing through their defenses like paper.
The front line collapsed.
Hundreds of soldiers fell. Not dead, but broken. Armor crushed, weapons twisted, bodies flung against the rocks like ragdolls. The advance stalled. Panic rippled through the ranks behind them.
"Again," I said.
We didn't wait for the army to recover. The second Pulse came faster, hotter. It rolled down the valley like liquid fire, scattering the reserves and sending the siege engines toppling sideways.
But the effort was taking its toll. I felt my legs tremble. My vision blurred at the edges. Beside me, Aurelia's breath came in ragged gasps.
"The System's warning," she panted. "Overuse..."
"I know. But we can't stop now."
The army was regrouping. The priests had recovered from their shock and were raising new barriers, stronger ones, layered and reinforced. The holy light was blinding now, a wall of white that pushed back against our resonance.
"One more," I said. "One more, and then we fall back."
Aurelia nodded. She reached for my hand, and I took it. The connection flared, raw and painful, as we pulled everything we had left into one final strike.
The third Pulse was the largest yet. It didn't just sweep down the valley. It exploded. A dome of golden light and shadow that expanded outward, devouring everything in its path. The holy barriers shattered. The soldiers screamed. The valley floor itself cracked and buckled, great fissures opening in the earth.
And then it was over.
The light faded. The shadows receded. The valley was a wasteland of broken steel and groaning wounded. The Holy Army was still there, still massive, but its forward elements had been annihilated. The rest had fallen back, regrouping beyond the ridge.
"Now we run," I said.
We turned and fled along the cliff path toward the fortress.
The gates opened as we approached.
Vex was there, his face a mask of shock and awe. "Your Majesty... what in the hells was that?"
"Long story. Are the civilians evacuated?"
"Most of them. Clara found the tunnels. The last group is moving through now."
"And the soldiers?"
"Manning the walls. The army will regroup and come again. They won't fall for the same trick twice."
I nodded, my breath still ragged. My entire body ached. The shards in my chest felt hot and raw, like muscles pushed past their limit.
Aurelia stumbled. I caught her before she fell.
"You're exhausted," I said.
"So are you."
"We need to rest. Just for a few minutes."
Vex led us to a small chamber just inside the gate. It was sparse, just a cot and a table and a basin of water. I helped Aurelia sit down, then collapsed onto the floor beside her.
"The army," she said. "Will they retreat?"
"Not yet. They'll regroup. Their commanders will be furious. They might attack again before noon."
"What then? We can't use the Pulse again. Not without killing ourselves."
I didn't answer. Because I didn't have an answer.
The air shimmered.
SYSTEM ALERT
WARNING: Loop instability increased to 8%.
Current Loop Stability: 8%
Warning: Overuse of Harmony Pulse has destabilized the local timeline. Further use will result in unpredictable consequences.
Quest Updated: Defend Blackfang Pass
Progress: First assault repelled. Holy Army is regrouping.
Time Remaining: Unknown
I read the notification twice.
"The loop is destabilizing," I said. "The Pulse damaged more than the army. It's damaging the timeline itself."
Aurelia closed her eyes. "So we can't use it again."
"Not without risking everything."
"Then we fight the old-fashioned way. Steel and blood and desperate hope."
I looked at her. She was exhausted, her armor dented, her hair falling loose from its tie. But there was steel in her voice. Determination.
"You're incredible," I said quietly.
She opened her eyes and looked at me. "What?"
"Nothing. Just... you're incredible."
A faint smile touched her lips. "You're not so bad yourself, Demon Queen."
The door burst open.
Clara stood in the doorway, her face streaked with dust and sweat. "The tunnels are clear. The last of the civilians are through."
"Good," Vex said. "Then we can focus on the defense."
Clara shook her head. "That's not why I'm here. I found something. In the tunnels. Something important."
She held up a small object. It was a stone tablet, covered in the familiar runes of the First Age.
"The tunnels weren't just escape routes," she said. "They were built around something. A chamber. Deep beneath the mountain. And in that chamber..."
She turned the tablet over.
On the other side, carved in the same ancient script, was a map. And at the center of the map, marked with a symbol I recognized, was a third location.
"The third fragment," I breathed.
Clara nodded. "It's here. Under the mountain. We've been standing on it this whole time."
The ground shook.
Distant at first, then louder. The sound of stone grinding against stone. The walls of the chamber rattled. Dust rained from the ceiling.
"They're attacking again," Vex said. "The siege engines. They're battering the gate."
I forced myself to my feet. My body screamed in protest.
"Clara, show us the way to the chamber. Vex, hold the gate as long as you can."
Vex bowed. "As you command, Your Majesty."
He left, his heavy boots echoing down the corridor.
Clara looked at me. "The chamber is deep. It'll take time to reach it."
"Then we'd better start now."
Aurelia stood beside me. Her hand found mine.
"Together?" she asked.
"Together."
We followed Clara into the mountain's heart.
End of Chapter 24