The Outer Lord

Chapter 6 - Liurnia

Talos sat atop Torrent, the spectral steed trotting along at a steady pace. The Tarnished was in no hurry, wary of anything below the surface of the ankle-deep water that had swallowed the ground. He didn't want Torrent hurting himself should a leg fall into a hole while moving at speed, so he was content to go as slow as necessary. The mist that surrounded them was cold, and just moving through it left both rider and mount quite damp. They passed ruins of what might have been outposts, now shaded by the tall willows the sprouted from the earth. Only the sounds of nature were present around them. Marika was silent. She hadn't spoken since he'd made his desire to speak known. And the guilt was still there, coloured with a feeling of reclusive thoughtfulness. She had ties here, or at least some kind of history, he was certain of it.

It didn't take long for them to encounter the strange denizens of Liurnia. Emaciated figures riding atop undead steeds had pursued them for some distance while Talos fired shots from Evelyn, sending the riders crashing into the water with holes punched clean through them. Soon, the willows and ruins were behind them, leaving them in a wide-open area that provided them with a clear view of their surroundings. As ever, the Academy of Raya Lucaria loomed high above, casting a shadow across everything. Dotted about were domed pavilions, seemingly out of place amongst the overgrowth and ruins. Talos urged Torrent towards them, curious about them. Some were empty, while others contained a single statue of a figure that he couldn't identify. Several times, massive crustaceans erupted from the ground. They were like the giant crabs he was accustomed to, but these ones had longer bodies and huge, yet proportionally sized claws. The giant crayfish were aggressive, charging at Talos and Torrent. A couple of them stopped short and let loose jets of highly pressurised water that Talos was sure would have knocked him from Torrent's back.

With agility not found in common steeds, Torrent evaded the incoming attacks with supernatural grace. Talos dismounted while Torrent was mid-jump and drew his sword. He plunged down fast, his blade angled down and it punched through the tough carapace and into the meat within. The giant crayfish thrashed and writhed, but the Tarnished held on and twisted the blade to shred the flesh before pulling it free. He jumped from the agonised animal, then, without the need of a catalyst of any sort, Talos channelled the ancient sorceries of lands long forgotten. As another of the crayfish advanced, he threw out a hand. Orbs of rippling, abyss-black magical energy shot out blasted the creature's front apart in a shower of white meat and carapace shards. A subtle gesture with his fingers conjured balls of white-blue soulmass, each with crystalline protrusions jutting from them. They hovered in an arc over his head, ready to annihilate any assailant that got too close. They shot out at a crayfish stomping and sloshing towards him from behind. They tore through its carapace like paper, then exploded within and crystals the height of a man lanced out from inside its body, leaving it looking like some kind of macabre sculpture.

Talos sprinted towards the last, and with a finger snap, a nova of magic power blossomed in front of him, taking the shape of a tapering spear point that burned brightly. Crystals also jutted from it, and with a shriek, it soared towards the last of the attacking crayfish and slammed into it with a percussive bang. The front of its body was obliterated, such was the power Talos had imbued the crystal soul spear with, and where there would have been the sight of the creature's innards, it was instead frozen over with soul-charged crystal. All of them lay dead.

In the ages that Talos had journeyed from world to world, he'd had plenty of time and inspiration to improve upon the magics he had learned. He wasn't a natural with sorcery, far from it, but time and experience had allowed him to master the arts to where he could confidently say he was as much a wizard as a warrior. Superlative in both schools of study, he took to developing his spells and combat techniques, both inspired by the countless foes he'd encountered. He fought as the situation demanded, however, and so far had no reason to fight to his fullest. Still, it was nice to see the fruits of his labour sometimes. His spells were more destructive than ever, improved upon in every way from their original forms. Talos didn't even need a catalyst or staff like he once had, having learned to use his own body to channel sorcery of all kinds. This mastery extended to miracles and pyromancy.