Forged Legacy

Chapter 158 - Tension

“Cash? Where do you think you’re going?” Celeste, the statuesque angel captain, asked. At 8 feet tall and covered head to toe in gleaming silver armor covered with golden inscriptions, she was an imposing figure. They’d nearly made it out of the gate when she rushed up behind them, snagging the back of Cash’s robe so he couldn’t walk away.

“We’re going out to test a new weapon,” Harvey responded.

She shot a dismissive look down at Harvey before locking eyes with the angel beside him. “We don’t have time for any crackpot ideas, human. Our war isn’t some game, and I won’t let you put a good angel at risk. Cash, take them home.”

Harvey ripped off his helmet, revealing his golden eyes. It was a lot less noticeable since his hair had all burned off a few days earlier, but it should be enough to make his point. “I already won mine, and the System sent me to help since you all seem so god damn incompetent.”

Before he could finish, her hand whipped across his cheek. It hurt, especially with his helmet carried at his side. His skin burned with pain, and he worked his jaw back and forth to make sure she hadn’t broken anything.

“Whoa! I’m sorry about him, Captain. He’s just nervous about giving the demons a chance to build up their army,” Cash stammered.

“We’re all on edge. That’s no excuse to speak to an officer like that,” she reprimanded.

“Touch me again,” Harvey seethed.

“Let’s all just settle down here,” Steve interrupted, pulling his son back and away from the woman. “All we’re trying to do is even the odds a little bit.”

“The three of you can go, but Cash stays. I’ve already lost too many trying to turn you Earthlings into soldiers. If you want to go get yourselves killed, then so be it,” she spat.

Harvey turned to the angel standing stiff as a board beside him. “Didn’t you say she’s one of the good ones?”

“You insulted her,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

“And? She’s just as dismissive about the humans as that Silas guy was. We’re trying to help!”

“We don’t need your help! You are here to learn. Leave the fighting to us, and you can serve your purpose in the Lord’s plan once you return to Earth,” Celeste dismissed.

“And what purpose is that?” Harvey asked.

“Be a faithful servant. Spread our Father’s love. Listen,” she paused. “And obey.”

Harvey shook his head with amusement. “Cash, if you want to stay behind, that’s fine. I’m going to kill some demons.”

Indecision plagued his face, but his body remained utterly frozen. “Harvey, I…”

“I get it!” he interrupted. “She’s your boss. You gotta do what she says. She’s not mine.” Slipping his helmet back on, he walked through the gate. Tyler followed close behind, and it only took a few seconds for their father to jog after them.

“What was that about?” Steve asked.

Harvey didn’t respond. Looking back, he saw the angel Captain point Cash toward a medical tent. He clearly wasn’t happy, but reluctantly chose to follow orders anyway.

“Hmph,” Harvey grunted, walking slightly faster without realizing. Tyler and Steve struggled to keep pace, both looking shocked. Harvey picked up the pace again, doing his best to avoid their gaze.

“Ok, stop,” Steve finally snapped, grabbing his shoulder and spinning Harvey towards him. “What’s going on?”

“Those angels don’t give a damn about us,” Harvey seethed.

“They’re fighting to bring us home,” Steve retorted.

“They’re fighting to take our home! They might look a little different, but I’m starting to feel like they’re just like the Necrolords. Another multiversal faction trying to add another planet to their roster. The Ossari wanted to unite us all in undeath, and the angels want to unite us all in faith.”

“I know you’ve got some complicated feelings about religion, but even you have to agree faith is a better option,” Steve replied.

“Is it? The Ossari called the humans they turned their children. The angels want more faithful who will listen and obey,” Harvey replied, taking on a mocking tone for the last part.

“Where is this coming from? Even if you question their motives, just look at how much they’ve done for us. Our family has a home. We have food on our table. They’re teaching us the ways of the multiverse!”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Look at how much ranchers do for cows! They have a home. They have food stuffed in their face. All because they serve a purpose,” Harvey refuted. “Every angel I’ve met besides Cash would sacrifice a thousand of us if it meant one less angel died.”

“Then why don’t they make us fight. Huh? Why not take the millions of faithful and send us charging towards the demons? Why did that Diana woman heal our souls if they don’t care about our lives?”

Harvey hated that he might have a point regarding the first part, so like any angry and intelligent person, he focused on the latter. “She didn’t heal you until I put a gun to her head! You weren’t worth the effort until I made ignoring you a problem.”

“Son, I…” Steve began.

“GUYS! Can we just drop it? Please? Dad, I love you, but I think we both know you can be a little blind when it comes to this stuff. Harvey, no matter what you think about the angels, you’re just making things worse. Talking about it isn’t going to change anything, so can we get back to killing demons?”

“You know what,” a flurry of angry words dangled right at the tip of his tongue. If it were anyone other than an angel, they’d listen. It felt like his head was going to explode, but right as he was about to unleash a tirade on his brother, he gulped the words back down. Instead of continuing his rant, he let out a long sigh, relaxed his shoulders, and nodded.

“You’re right. Dad, I’m sorry. Just know that I’m acting this way because I care about you guys. No matter what happens, I’m going to do everything I can to get us out of here.”

“So am I,” Steve smiled, pulling both of his sons into a quick hug. “I’m proud my sons have grown up to be such good men.”

Nobody said anything as they approached the wall of pigs. A few brimfiends flapped above the city, acting as scouts watching for any surprise advances coming from Heaven, but none ventured far from the wall. Harvey was sure they’d been noticed already, but clearly the demonic creatures didn’t see their little group as a threat.

That was about to change.

He’d scanned the rubble along the way, looking for any chunks that were around the same size and shape as his Shattersmite Core. With all the hellpowder and inscribed metal, conjuring more with Echo Forge was going to be a pain, so he’d avoid using them to figure out the range unless he had to. Finding a relatively flat and clear section of unbroken asphalt, he pulled out the catapult.

“Hopefully, this is close enough. If not, I think we still have a little wiggle room before we’d be in range of their fireballs. Dad, be ready to shield us. Tyler, I’m counting on you to take out any stragglers headed our way,” Harvey instructed.

“Got it,” Steve said.

“No worries,” Tyler replied, adjusting his grip on his new silver bat.

Click. Click. Click.

The iron began to groan as the ropes stretched between the base pulled tighter and tighter. He planned to take this first shot without adding any reinforcement arrays to the base, but even at ¾ strength, it sounded like he’d need them. Luckily, he knew the rune patterns well after inscribing them on both his armor and his gun.

The bottle of polychromatic ink on his arm lit up as he channeled essence into his newest skill, and with some gentle guidance of his aura, runes began appearing directly on the metal. Instinctively, he knew he’d be able to use the skill the same way he used Modular Array, able to affect any of his creations as long as they were within range of his aura.

Rune by rune, the ominous creaking began to fade. He made sure to put extra attention on the crossbar, since losing that piece to a collision with the throwing arm would make the entire apparatus completely useless. The same couldn’t be said for the throwing arm itself, since a little extra flexibility would help him squeeze out a bit more distance.

“Stand clear!” he called, giving them a moment to prepare before pulling the release.

Whoosh!

Shards of drywall rained down as the chunk of house tumbled through the air. Significantly heavier than the foam ball they’d used for the first test, the chunk flew twice as far. It exploded in a puff of dust 100 feet short of his target, but the catapult still had more to give.

“Reloading!” Harvey announced, ratcheting the catapult down as far as it could go. This time, he shot a chunk of concrete that had once been part of a sidewalk. It landed 30 feet short, and he could see the closest pig wake from its slumber. Gravity had done its work on the swine, helping them sink so deep that their tiny legs could never dig them out. Harvey could hear the deep, rumbling squeals from here, but none of the brimfiends or goats had responded yet.

“Do we need to get closer?” Tyler asked.

Harvey inspected the catapult, looking for any cracks forming in the metal. So far, so good.

“I’ve got one more thing to try.”

This time, Harvey inscribed a small flame burst array on the bottom of the scoop. Rockets weren’t really a thing the last time catapults were widely used, so he wondered if this would be the first time anybody tried this. Modular array still worked on his Adaptive Inscriptions, allowing him to suppress the activation while he channeled some of his own essence into the array.

“Fire in the hole!” He smiled, pulling the release and activating his array at the same time. The scoop shot forward faster than ever, sending the piece of concrete sailing right over the wall.

You have slain Level 24 - Brimfiend. Essence Gained. 2087 Merit Earned.

“Direct hit!” Harvey cheered.

“Serious?” Tyler asked.

“That killed one!”

“Then what are you waiting for? Send the core!” Steve pressed.

Harvey conjured a replica infused with the Architect of the Veils' End using Echo Forge, choosing to save the original Shattersmite core as a last resort in case he ran out of essence. The heavy steel ball clanked into the catapult, all its arrays deactivated until he knew it was headed in the right direction. With his aura distance at a few hundred feet, he could afford to wait until the thing was in the sky before activating the impact detonators.

Despite the violence and death he was about to unleash, he couldn’t help but grin as he ratcheted the catapult down.

I’ll make sure there aren’t any demons left when you show up tomorrow, Celeste. You’ll see.

[She’s not in here with me at the moment, but I can take a message.]

I can’t even monologue inside my own head?

The heat of the flame burst array licked his shoulder as the catapult whipped forward. The frame lurched beneath him as all the pent-up tension was released in a single, mighty whip. His eyes tracked the sphere as it whistled through the dawn, reached its apex, and began its descent into dusk.

“Please work, please work, please work,” Harvey whispered, releasing his hold on the dozen arrays waiting to unleash the fire and fury contained within. Golden scripts flared to life, shining bright against the eternal night sky.