CH397

His rest was blissfully peaceful, his mind and body both too exhausted to have time for dreams or nightmares as he opened his eyes, still feeling Thera in his arms as the first rays of dawn were beginning to make their way through his window.

I guess I’ve just gotten used to not sleeping very long. He thought with a small yawn as he faced the reality of the day. In a matter of hours, the gates would open and all hell would pour out.

In the smallest bit of personal luck, he at least had the benefit that there would be sunlight in the area he was when it happened, even if there’d only be a couple hours of it left. With invasion points all around the world, there’d be plenty of people having to start their battles in the dark, and even if they all would have to eventually, as what was sure to be a long month rolled on, he didn’t want to have to begin things in such a manner.

Even awake though, he didn’t want to get up to face the day. He wanted to lounge in bed with Thera as if that would put off what the future held, but he suppressed that impulse to do something else as he let her rest, instead closing his eyes again to force his mind to his god’s realm, arriving to find both Myriad and Helori deep in their work when he got there.

Neither god noticed his arrival as images and characters kept popping up in front of them in a flurry before disappearing again, information spreading and being shared out as they all prepared for whatever they could while Ben was content to sit and watch in silence, waiting to be noticed instead of bringing attention to himself as Myriad finally picked up on him as the minutes passed.

“Ben, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be preparing for the day?”

“What’s there for me to prepare? Besides, is it really so surprising I might want to see you?” He asked with a wry smile as the cube seemed momentarily surprised.

“No, of course not. Sorry, I’m glad you came. I can spare a ten-minute break.”

“And so can I,” Helori joined in. “So many hours of constant work, I think we deserve a small break.”

The work of the two gods vanished in a flash, leaving the three of them to each other’s company, though none really knew what to say. They were about to enter the easiest wave, the one that no one doubted they’d overcome, and yet it was undeniable that people would still die in it. Lots of people, maybe ones Ben cared about, maybe even himself depending on how things turned out.

It was Helori who broke the silence, hopping from her usual place atop his god to stomp her foot. “Enough of the doom and gloom. Even if we’ll be busy, Myriad and I will have our eyes on you when we can and this is the most powerful any people have ever been before this so stop thinking about it when nothing’s even happened yet.”

“Just try to be positive,” Myriad agreed. “As nice as it is to see you taking things seriously, you can only do the best you can.”

“Ha, don’t worry, I haven’t gone and given up on life, it’s just hard to keep the mood from setting in,” He told them, before letting himself get a little more serious. “Still, just in case I get hit by a stray spell on the first day and die embarrassingly fast, I should probably say this now.”

“Ben, you don’t-”

“Myriad, thank you for everything,” He said, bowing to his friend and god. “When I thought I might die in the trial I regretted not saying it enough but without you, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Even if I don’t always show it, I want you to know I’m always grateful to have you in my life. And Helori, it’s been fun. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions and brainstorm with me on my projects. You’ve been an excellent teacher and I appreciate it.”

Both gods were quiet, neither of them expecting the sincere display of emotions from him. They were used to the feeling of mortals giving them their love, but what Ben was conveying wasn’t the feelings of someone talking to a higher power, but instead words to what he really saw them as, friends. It was a far rarer feeling for them to receive, and for that all the more touching as he stopped to clear his throat.

“Well anyway, I just wanted to pop up to say that, just to be on the safe side, but I don’t want to distract you so enjoy suffering through your work, I need to get started on the day.”

And like that, before either god could stop to convey their own feelings he vanished from the realm, forcing his mind back into his resting body to get up and begin all he had to.

After preparing the best breakfast he could with the ingredients on hand, both he and Thera walked through the city, trying to reach their destination.

The average citizen was gone now, while in their place the town was filled with adventurers, ready to take on any beast that got too close to the gate-network or the many rest areas people would be staying in, the embassy included. He and Thera were going to be the only ones using it in that time, receiving the keys as the regular staff evacuated and having the entire place to themselves for the month to come, but there were other buildings that would host who they could, as well as a shelter for healers that was close enough to the battlefield for any major cases, yet far enough that they wouldn’t be trapped in the thick of things, both of them seeing all of this as they passed the city’s edge to get their eyes on everything else that had changed.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The biggest one being just how busy each nation’s earth mages must have been, along with any extra help that had finally come through after working to get other cities defended.

A wall had gone up on the side of the city that faced the invasion point, maybe twelve feet high to act as a simple deterrent from any demons set on making their way in. During the first wave, it would only be the non-sapient stage of them in the end after all, the chances of that being enough to put off many of them wasn’t slim.

In a similar vein were the heavily defended areas that each nation had prepared, small fortresses that individuals could retreat to if the need arose as soldiers would be on a constant rotation, with hours of fighting making way for lighter bits of treatment and whatever small rest they could receive through it all as the two of them pushed through the crowd to get where they needed to be, at the weapon of Iberu.