God of Discovery [high fantasy, slow build, mlm]

Arc 3 - 44. There is no magic

D'Argen was not sick. He was not crazy. He was not broken. He was not imagining things.

When Zetha's shield rose up to protect Acela from D'Argen staff, the shield bent under the impact. It was made of the same soft gold as Acela's sword and the only thing that kept it from losing shape during battle was Adda-on's mahee, infused in the metal during its creation.

The stone staff D'Argen wielded cancelled that out completely. Zetha's shield flew out of his hand. His sword, however, was not made of gold. He shoved Acela out of the way and slashed at D'Argen. D'Argen easily blocked it with the staff and then spun the stone between his hands, ripping Zetha's sword out of his grip and sending it flying. Having sparred with Vah'mor for millennia, D'Argen knew how to handle such a weapon. He continued the momentum of the spin until the blunt edge of stone smacked Zetha on the side of the head.

He fell and did not move.

Acela knelt over him immediately. D'Argen spun the staff around and then brought it down hard on her back. She collapsed on top of her husband and did not move as well.

Before D'Argen could look for his next target, Vah'mor was once more on him. They moved slower, their steps not as secure, but it was Vah'mor that had urged D'Argen to learn how to fight without his mahee. In the other realm. In the real realm. Not this fake place.

D'Argen blocked and parried each of Vah'mor's hits with an ease that surprised even him. The stone staff was heavier than he was used to, his feet were dragging along the marble, but Vah'mor was weighed down as well. D'Argen swung the staff out wide, forcing Vah'mor a step back. He searched the marble floor and found his sword. When Vah'mor attacked next, D'Argen tried to shift them both around to get closer to his sword.

A step away, and he used the same move Vah'mor had tried to use on him earlier. He stabbed forward with the staff and then let it go. It flew out of his hand right at Vah'mor. They hit it away with their glaive as they stepped back. D'Argen already had a toe under the blade of his sword and he kicked up, flipping it into the air. The stone staff clattered loudly on the marble floor.

When it stopped moving, everything froze. D'Argen had his sword once more. He saw Thar, standing behind Vah'mor with his sword of ice drawn. They were both too far away to stop him.

"You have to stop this." It was Vah'mor's mouth that moved but it was a different voice that came out. One that made him hesitate. It was Lilian. He scanned the crowd for them and saw them glaring at him. Along with the others. They all had their weapons raised. The subtle scents of each of their mahee surrounded him.

No.

They all advanced as one. He had no way of fighting them all. He was able to block a sword from Abbot and dodge out of the way of a hit from Yaling, but it led him right into Asa's staff. If only he had someone on his side that could—

Another sword blocked the incoming attack that D'Argen would not have been able to dodge. The attacker stepped back in shock. Standing in front of them and dressed for war was...

Riss? D'Argen watched the mortal woman grin and then she yelled at the top of her lungs. The crowd around him thickened and then spread out as one as mortals started appearing as if they had always been there. Two or three of them each attacked a Never Born. Their glee was infectious.

And terrifying.

Mortals. Attacking the gods.

The all out brawl that started drowned out all other noises. D'Argen could only stare in shock. This was not what he had thought would—but then again, his thoughts were random enough. He noticed a leather cord like a whip flash above the fighting and a moment later a demon rose into the air. It had a humanoid form from the waist up but its legs were like that of a horse. It kicked through the air as its leathery wings raised it above the others.