Beyond?

It's going a little slow at the moment, but I haven't that much time. So three to four chapters a week will be normal for a while.

“If you wander through the middle of the southern nations, you come across the Klimt Salt Forest. It is a fascinating wonder of nature. At the coast is a gigantic flat plateau, just at the right height for the water to flood it during high tide.

When tide retreats, some of the water is naturally caught in the flat basin of the plateau. The unusually strong sun and high temperatures in that region cause the water to evaporate very quickly during the rest of the day.

The salt from the oceanic water forms huge salt crystals, which grow to the height of a person in the centre of the basin. When the ocean returns the crystals are washed away and form anew the next day.

A traveller can watch the cycle of growth and destruction of the Klimt Salt Forest each day anew.”

-Travelogue I

***Free City States of Nict, Tri***

***Azir***

“... and if you don't comply, then our only option is to cleanse your population of anyone who opposes the Master! So what is your answer?” The dark magician ends his long and annoying speech, watching our city's wall expectantly.

Valda gestures for the attention of a close by soldier who is manning the wall together with us. He is carrying one of the new rifles. It's a scoped model which should be just right for the job.

She points at the dark magician on the platform and slides her finger across her throat.

The soldier nods and aims his rifle, stabilizing it on the parapet. A moment later he shoots and a small hole appears in the dark magician's forehead.

The figure just stands there for a long moment, then he tilts over and falls flat on his back like a felled tree. A long moment of silence follows until the huge opposing force starts moving.

At first they advance only at a slow pace, but then they pick up speed and start running.

“I think we should use the drones.” Karsen suggests, readying himself.

“Deployed.” Louise was silent for the entire time while we were watching our opponents. She was coordinating our forces with her drones, because she didn't want to give the control over her project to anyone else. Since she became involved with my research team, she got emotionally attached to our work and the bigger version of the drones was developed almost entirely under her supervision.

Seven big planes fly over our heads and unload their freight. The new devices were planned as troop transports, but in face of this new threat we reconfigured them into bombers.

Their accuracy is horrible since the workers are essentially only shoving explosives out of the transporter's freight hatch.

The huge explosions between the attackers prove that this limitation isn't a big problem. The area, which is covered by our enemies, is too huge to miss.

Orbs of energy start rising from different locations where magicians decided to cast artillery spells to attack our bombers. I waste no time and order our satellites to strike at those places.

Most artillery class spells need several trained magicians to cast them. All of them have to work together, which is a matter of experience and training. Our opponent can't have too many of those, so a strike which takes out a group of magicians is worth a projectile.

For several long seconds nothing happens as the satellites aim at the specified targets and send their payload on its way.

Spikes out of metal and with ceramic plating to protect them from re-entry into the atmosphere are released.

To the normal eye the attack doesn't look like a projectile based attack. The spikes are heating in the atmosphere and start releasing a bright light, which results in blinding the onlooker. Trails of light appear in my vision and the specified locations explode as the spikes deliver their kinetic energy upon contact with the ground.

But all that doesn't seem to be enough, as the wave of attackers simply rolls forward. Our defenders are casting spells into the approaching mass, but it's like throwing stones into a pond. I snort and start gathering my mana for a spell.

The assisting magical circuits of my armour make it even easier to shape the mana, so I can concentrate on gathering as much force as possible.

In the meantime our enemies reached the city wall and started futile attempts at climbing it. They have some siege weapons like ladders and ropes with them, but nothing big enough to yield immediate results. Everything which was bigger than a carriage got destroyed by us while they were on their way to Tri.

Our soldiers redirect their fire and aim it at the people who are trying to climb the wall, rather than the countless approaching targets.

Our improvised bombers also return for a second run, though one machine is missing this time. An artillery spell got completed before our satellites managed to stop the casters.

Since our design wasn't intended to take any damage, the bomber was transformed into a huge fireball when the loaded explosives ignited.

Finally I finish the spell and infuse the curse into the enhancing magical circuits inside Tri's city wall. The runes along our wall start glowing and emit a cold, blue light. The people who are trying to climb the wall start crying like mad. In blind fury they attack each other and their approaching comrades. I grin and nod satisfied.

“What did you do? This is madness!” Stella gasps in shock, looking at the carnage which our enemies are bringing to their own ranks.

“I cursed the wall with a spell that plays with your perception of friend and foe. If our enemies are using mind magic, then we should be allowed to cheat too. Everyone who touches the runes on the wall sees foes in friends and friends in foes.” I explain.

“It's more like they are fighting their worst nightmares.” Karsen says with a dry voice.

That might be true. “I didn't say what their foes look like.”

Finally I notice a group of figures in dark robes far behind the enemy lines. They are clearly holding back, watching the fight. I point at them. “I'll pay those guys a visit. They look like the enemy commanders.” Before anyone is able to object I teleport.

***Free City States of Nict, Tri***

***Stella***

“What? Wait!” But Azir is already gone and a huge explosion lights the area at which he pointed. I stare in shock as the entire area lights up with the magical energy of several different spells. “He did it again! He simply ran off and left me behind!”

“Stella, careful! They are climbing the walls!” Karsen returns my attention to the fight in front of me. The head of an enemy soldier appears from the other side of the parapet. He is raising a small axe and I hit him in the face without holding back.

His head snaps backwards and he falls down the wall. I cast several arcane missiles and hurl them down the wall, destroying the ladder which the attacker was using.

Our enemies brought some improvised ladders with them. Now they are frantically trying to deploy them in order to climb the wall. Our magicians are focusing their spells to destroy the ladders.

I place both hands on the wall and infuse my mana into it. The parapet on my section of the wall changes its shape according to my will and forms several spikes, making it almost impossible to climb the wall without impaling yourself.

I gasp for air and take my hand from the parapet. It changed about three hundred metres to my left and right. Even though I didn't really transform the matter and just rearranged it into a new shape it was tiring.

Suddenly the attackers fall into disarray. Some try to flee away from the city walls, others simply stand around dumbfounded, not comprehending what's going on. Others keep fighting.

Karsen throws a fireball at a group of attackers who are still trying to bring a ladder into position. “I don't know how, but it looks like Azir did something!”

Before we get to feel happy about the turn of events, several explosions bloom behind us and I am almost thrown over the parapet by the shockwave. My body is lifted up and over the wall. It was a lucky turn of events that I decided to create the spikes as I get my hands on one of them.

Clinging to the spike with all my might I pull myself back up and get a first look at the city. What greets me is destruction. Several huge dust clouds are rising up into the sky and I count nine huge craters in the city. Most of them are concentrated in the city centre. “What happened?”

Louise gets to her feet and pulls me over the parapet, Karsen is on the ground and out cold. “It looks like they smuggled some capable magicians into the city.”

“We have to get to the Gate!” Valda doesn't wait for us and jumps down the wall. I follow her and take one of the streets which lead me directly to the city's centre.

.