10/XX/16

Chapter LVII

in which a Sentinel and Archon duel a Legionnaire

The Heart Eater

Finding that Remy hasn't had any trouble since his exorcism, the Foxes determine that their efforts thus far in exorcising Calvin should suffice. They leave Calvin at a way-point where he can be picked up by Zojak and he promises to pass along word of what they've seen to his pillars representatives. Then, the Silver Foxes continue onward to the Bay of Felspar, where Asoth is waiting for them.

During a quick stop at Calarco, the Silver Foxes run into Schylar again. He is there, they believe, as an agent of the Heretic to help them procure ingredients that Glad needs for an invincibility potion. After a rather poorly handled negotiation, he agrees to procure Adamant Crystals for the Foxes in exchange for half of the resulting potion and the heart of Asoth. They continue on to the Felspar encampment where they plan to leverage one of the Westerner POWs to harvest a still beating Shul'Garoth heart. When they attempt to get permission from Cadence, however, she provides them an alternate means. The Silver Foxes go to the location she gives them and a man with a half burned faced hands them a leather box containing the still beating heart of a Westerner scout. When Glad glimpses the heart owners last moments with his necromantic powers, he discovers that their mysterious go-between was able to deal an almost instantaneous death to his opponent with a wave of his hand. Imbri catches up with the gang mid-flight to deliver another of the ingredients, a Virtaugh jaw. And Schylar rendezvous with the group near Asoth's camp with his piece of the puzzle.

The Silver Foxes blink to the Pit so that Chracio can mix the ingredients in some secrecy. While there, Chracio acts in unusually intimidating manner towards Schylar, revealing that their suspicious associate is actually the Sentinel of Khalmer.

The Legionnaire

Glad leads the way to Asoth's tent with his usual braggadocio, blasting lightning and setting off dragon roars. When they arrive, the Foxes are surprised to find that the Westerners didn't actually believe they'd return. Asoth comes out of his tent and his army clears way for an arena. Haas arms herself. Glad downs potions and wine. And then the dance begins.

Predictably, Glad rushes his opponent. Asoth reacts too quickly for Glad to cleave his glaive in two, but he is able to shave down one of the blades with Chracio's Claw. Haas attacks him from behind with her trident, drawing the first blood of the match. Glad attempts to disarm Asoth with his kinetic energy but isn't able to overpower Asoth's grip on the glaive. He's unprepared for Glad's next tactic, who haphazardly tosses a fragmentation bomb improvised out of poison coated nails and explosive kinetic bombs.

Haas attempts a shape changed attack but is revoked and soon finds herself trapped in Asoth's grip. He tries to crush her skull and twist her neck. While Asoth is distracted by this diversion, Glad hits him in the balls with a cheap and concealed lightning attack. Haas escapes Asoth's grasp and sidesteps into the spirit realm where she works on snapping off one of his horns. In the waking world, Glad rushes in for some close combat. Asoth finds that he's unable to slice though Glad's skin and is taken by surprise when Saret's sword almost sneaks past his defensive position with the point of Glad's sword just barely drawing blood at the root of his nose. Asoth tries to twist Glad's wrist in an attempt to disarm him only to find that he can't properly twist or break it. Reflexively letting go of his sword when this happens, Glad gloats that he doesn't need hands to hold a weapon and kinetically headshots the Legionnaire with his kinetic magic. Asoth is taken aback by the pain and blindly rips the embedded sword from his head. He tries to heal the damage but Glad blocks the attempt with his necromantic abilities.

At this point, Glad has taken no damage and is clearly having the time of his life. He tries to sneakily jab a hidden obsidian blade into Asoth's jaw, but fails. In return, Asoth works some spine-tingling scrying magic on Glad that Glad is unable to stop. And when Asoth gets a grip on Glad, the Sentinel realizes too late that his invincibility potion is no longer in effective. Asoth claims a minor victory as he palm attacks Glad's face, knocking this one opponent out. Unfortunately for Asoth, Haas succeeds in breaking off one of his horns in the spirit realm at the same time.

The Devoted Ones

With Glad unconscious and under his knee, Asoth turns his attention to the spirit realm. He intends on facing Haas but finds himself woefully unprepared for the fight. She rips off his remaining horn more easily than she did the first, which cuts off his access to quasith. This leaves Asoth in a rage. He's just been embarrassed in front of his legion, who murmur to themselves as they spectate, and his dragon has intoned his disappointment in his subordinate's lack of devotion. Aosth returns to the waking world and plans on revenging himself on Haas by slitting the throat of her ally. Haas is able to save Glad from that grim fate though and wrestles the Shul'Garoth while Glad remains passed out nearby. Asoth is able to persevere through what should be lethal damage and manages to severely wound Haas in their back and forth.

Glad eventually wakes up and adds to the onslaught with lightning and revocation attacks. After the revocation, especially, Asoth begins taking the massive amounts of damage he should have been taking since Haas and he began brawling. He realizes quickly that he's about to be overpowered and summons an occult presence, which gets picked up on by Red and Glad and prompts more seeming disapproval from the legion. Haas knocks the Asoth out and Glad is about to celebrate when he feels a stab in his neck and begins seizing and then passes out once more. Haas sidesteps to find a small wraith creature attacking her friend. She rips it from him and pulverizes the little wraith before returning to the waking world.

One of Asoth's lieutenants enters the ring to assess the damage. Though knocked out, Asoth is still alive and not quite damaged enough to succumb to his wombs. It's clear, however, that Glad and Haas have one the duel. While Red wakes Glad, Haas verifies that Asoth's last move is considered dishonorable. She asks input from the lieutenant on whether or not it would be kinder to kill her opponent or allow him to live with the shame of having lost. The lieutenant doesn't offer an opinion one way or another. Glad is less merciful when he wakes. He decapitates Asoth with Chracio's claw. He claims the head for himself, gives a horn to Haas, carves the heart out for Schyler, and later tosses the remaining horn in the pit as a trophy. The legion keep their promise and release their prisoners. They don't plan on just leaving the continent. They plan on returning home.

This victory is somewhat complicated by Red's proselytizing. He reveals his half-Westerner heritage and lets slip, during his preaching, that there are many Westerners hiding on the continent and living peaceful existences. He directs any who would desert the legion to the pillar of the First. Fearing what damage this reveal will do to their friends in hiding, Haas entreats him to stop. Glad, still bloody and wounded, has to remove Red by force, flying him back to the ship.

In the aftermath of the fight, Haas shares the news with Felspar command while Glad comforts and propagandizes the rescued villagers. The Foxes fly to Vormyll to collect their payment and reward before dropping the rescues off at the First. Glad drafts his third piece of Vormyll propaganda.

Missive From the Formerly Occupied Bay of Felspar

We came from distant lands to repel the barbaric invaders that landed on your shores.

We fought on the front lines to free your occupied lands at great risk.

We slew the crazed Legionnaire Asoth and sent his legion back to the West.

We fought when others refused the call.

Where were Vormyll's proud warriors while Felspar bled?

-The Silver Foxes