Page 70 of Amelia Thornheart

Announcement

This is a banger of a chapter at 6.5k words! It's one I've been looking to put on SH/RR for a while now!

If you like it and want more, the

is four chapters ahead!

With a brief sense of vertigo followed by rushing wind, Amelia slammed into the paving stones below, cracking the slabs. Compared to the time in Kenhoro, her level of control was better; she managed to land on two feet this time and not her head.

“W-whoa!” she exclaimed, spinning her arms to reclaim her balance.

A moment later, Serena landed next to her in a flash of black uniform and yellow aura. Her girlfriend bent her knees on impact before fluidly transitioning into walking. Serena made it look as if she’d just stepped off a stair. Amelia had to admit - it looked cool.

Mel came next, flaring her aura into orange before smashing into the ground and rolling to the side. Then came Hinako, cycling her aether to push against the lumina far below to slow her descent. It worked a little, but she still landed heavy with an adrenaline-fueled scream.

Finally, Lunaria came floating down. The massive quantity of aether the woman could control enabled her to descend elegantly. She made contact with the ground with a gentle kiss.

“We need to get to the plateau's edge!” Serena announced. As she spoke, a moonstone smashed into her shoulder, breaking into pieces. Serena didn’t even react; her yellow aura was sufficient to make such strikes meaningless. “Let’s run!” she shouted.

Amelia didn’t wait. She moved with determination, running through the academy grounds and jumping the wall. In the air, she had a moment of weightlessness, once again captivated by the beauty of the moonrain. Falling blue crystals littered her vision, sparkling with their light.

Then she landed and, after a brief stumble, was off running again. Serena was next to her, and together, they were running faster than anyone had ever sprinted in her old world. They would be able to go faster, but the thousands of moonstones littering the floor posed a threat to their feet. One or both of them tripped and fell on more than a few occasions. Several times, Amelia ran into a moonstone as it fell in front of her, slowing her down even more.

From behind, the voices of the others were heard.

“H-how can they run so fast!?”

“Keep going Hinako, don’t trip!”

“Y-yes!”

“Hmm…” Lunaria mumbled as she came up to Amelia’s side, practically gliding. “You can hear it now.”

Through the plinking and thudding of thousands of moonstones, the sounds of the inferno from far below the city reached them. A harsh, continuous roar of the flames, joined by the cracking and popping of burning wood and the tinkering of exploding glass. Just as these sounds became known, they were joined by the city's sirens. The droning alarms were a different tone to the alarm Amelia had triggered before. A specific one for fire, perhaps?

The wind picked up as they crossed the last corner to the boardwalk along the city’s eastern rim. It pushed them from behind as if encouraging them towards the fire. It was not a natural wind but a wind born from the massive amount of superheated air rising with the black smoke.

The group approached the rim, the scale of the fire now causing even Amelia to gawk in awe. Her mind struggled to comprehend the scale of what she was seeing.

Even though they were still several hundred meters above the lowlands, being this close to the city's edge put the fire into a new perspective. The black smoke didn’t look all that threatening from the magic tower, but being in front of it, it came across as an impenetrable wall of darkness stretching as far into the sky as Amelia could see. The smoke was so dense that moonstones falling into it seemed to blink out of existence, their soft glow unable to be seen through the smothering smoke.

To her left, mages with the uniform of a different academy were manifesting large spheres of water over the rim's edge, letting them fall. Civilian firefighters were holding a dozen water hoses, spraying jets of water down below, yet something seemed to have gone wrong with the water pressure, and they were struggling to keep a constant torrent of water flowing. Warriors stood beside them, holding large shields to fend off the falling stones.

“I can’t see a thing,” Serena said, peering over the edge. “The heat! I’ve never felt anything like it!”

Amelia joined her, looking down at the billowing inferno. The heat was causing freak weather patterns, and some of the smoke was twisting into tornados. It looked like an unstoppable catastrophe. How could anyone survive that!? Could she even do anything!?

No! Amelia shook her head. She would push forward and not linger with hopeless thoughts! The Lord Guardian would have protected Kiku and the children; she was sure of his word. The important thing now was to do her best!

“Against this conflagration… with this quantity of water…” Lunaria mumbled, looking at the attempts of dozens of firefighters and mages. “I fear the water would only evaporate before it hit the ground. We need more water…” Lunaria turned to face Amelia. “It’s improper to ask, but given the situation… can you invoke Yemaya?”

Yemaya. The human god of water.

Amelia closed her eyes, trying to form the Word.

Her aether didn’t respond. It wasn’t unexpected. Amelia’s abilities somewhat lined up with the game character she developed, and that character only learned the Words of Divinity so she could roleplay as a human healer! She never knew any other human Words!

“I can’t,” Amelia replied. “What about Taranis? He’s the demon god of storms; would that make a difference?”

Lunaria shook her head. “His storms generate water but will bring lightning to start new fires and winds to spread the existing fire. It’s not efficient enough. I imagine the best way you could help would be to Speak Aseco and ward the warriors who will be evacuating people. You can then heal those they rescue. I fear…” Lunaria peered over the ledge, her expression darkening at the black expanse. “If you go down there, you risk dying from smoke inhalation. You may think you can constantly heal yourself, but one slip of concentration might be the end. It only takes one breath of smoke.”

Amelia swallowed. Sure, her healing was a fantastic addition to the situation, but why wasn’t Lunaria talking about the obvious demonic Word? Amelia hadn’t yet gone through a comprehensive list of Words with Serena. She’d wanted to, of course, but Serena had refused, claiming some Words were military secrets that she should not discuss with a civilian. She also refused on the basis that if Amelia’s list turned out to be more comprehensive than what Serena knew, then it was information Serena could give up if she was ever captured.

Shaking her head, she decided to risk asking about one Word. It was a Second-Word, but it seemed the most capable way to extinguish the fire. It would be a risk, as she’d never Spoken it before, but she was confident after Asclepius she would have better control over herself and not become so… weird.

“What about…” Amelia kept her voice low, “Suijin?”

Suijin. The demonic god of water.

“What?” Lunaria replied, her eyes narrowing. “Even if such a communion was possible against his strength, Suijin hasn’t responded to any embodiments for nearly two centuries now. He no longer has an interest in this realm. We know that much.”

“I see…” Amelia mumbled, dropping the subject. She was about to open her mouth when she sensed a powerful figure fly up from the black smoke. His black wings spread wide before he torpedoed towards the city's edge, landing heavily while coughing. His clothes were once fine; now, they were frayed, burnt, and covered in ash. His skin was patchy in places where he’d been burned.

This man had invoked Narean. Of that, Amelia was sure. His aura was a firm indigo, the telltale colour of the sixth aura level and the highest level achievable before needing to Speak the Second-Word.

“Highlord Yasuda!” shouted a nearby warrior guarding the firefighters. “What news!?”

“It’s little use!” Yasuda yelled, gesturing towards the firehoses and orbs of magically-manifested water. “Save your aether!” He pointed at the nearby homes. “Soak every house between lift one to lift seven! Soak this trackway as well!” He stamped his foot against the wooden floorboards twice. “Spread the word! And tell the men to knock on every house within half a klick of the city's edge! The residents need to be ready to put out fires starting in their own homes! Give out sand buckets to them!” He pointed to the sky. “It’s only getting worse! The fire will lift burning debris all the way here! We cannot let this spread into Asamaywa Proper! Go! Now! Spread the message down the line!”

“Yes, Highlord!” The warrior bowed as a moonstone narrowly missed his face. “You, you, and you! With me! Firefighters, save the water!” The man began diligently carrying out his duties.

Highlord Yasuda turned, stopping when he saw Amelia and everyone else.

“Lord Inoue! Lord Halen! And…” He bowed. “Lord-Prospect Thornheart! Down below, the lowlanders speak prayers in your name! Have you come to offer healing? Hundreds will die without you!” His wings flapped, the motion somehow adding gravitas to his statement.

A surge of emotion welled within Amelia. Sadness. Guilt. Fear. She pushed them down. She might not be able to save everyone, but she could heal those she could!

“Yes!” Amelia said decisively. “I’ll be here for as long as I need! Where should I go!?”

“Into the heart of the inferno!” Yasuda shouted. “Fear not, an earthlord has managed to construct walls to protect an area! A handful of mages and a dozen warriors are trapped there while the fire burns, but their spirits burn stronger!” He clenched a fist. “They are still braving the flames to bring back the almost-dead! They risk their lives at every moment! Your divine intervention is needed! Will you go!?”

She nodded frantically. “I will go!” she exclaimed. “Where are they trapped?” She peered over the edge, seeing nothing but billowing black smoke.

“There!” he pointed down.

Amelia focused her perception and found she could identify the earthlord through the black smoke. Not from sight, but his signature in the aetherfield; the Speaker of Salinas shone. Nearby to him, she could sense the aether signatures of mages and warriors, but no other Speakers.

“I see it!” she yelled.

“I will go with her!” Serena declared. “My Narean will be of use.” She turned to face Mel. “Melanie Mori!” she commanded.

“Yes, Instructor Halen!?” Mel snapped to attention as if her body was reacting reflexively to Serena’s captain mode.

“Come with me! With Amelia’s assistance, you can maintain that orange aura for as long as you need! You’ll help me rescue those from the inferno!”

“Yes!”

Lunaria stepped forward. “Highlord Yasuda. Always a pleasure.” She smiled at the man. “How can this old woman help?”

“Lord Inoue.” Yasuda bowed quickly. “We are constructing earthworks below to the south. We must protect the station and the lifts! Your reserves of magic would be of tremendous help! The rocky terrain under the station is making things difficult!”

“Very well then,” Lunaria’s eyes glinted. “Miss Aikawa, with me! We shall leave immediately!”

“Yes, Head Instructor!” Hinako affirmed.

“Igni,” Lunaria Spoke. The ground under her feet cracked slightly as wings of hellfire formed on her back. Without another word, she picked Hinako up and flew to the south. The Spoken Word prompted the mages nearby to stop wetting the houses and look on in awe. It wasn’t every day they would see a Speaker Speak, and even rarer to see one do so more or less silently. A chorus of murmurs reached Amelia’s ears.

“Did you see that?”

“That was Lord Inoue, wasn’t it?”

“They call her the Aether Addict…”

“Don’t be distracted! Back to work!”

Highlord Yasuda turned back towards Amelia, Serena, and Mel. “I will-” He suddenly coughed, and Amelia realised he’d likely been inhaling smoke for a while now. Without asking, she sent forth a burst of healing magic, then another burst of cleaning magic.

“I…” The demon looked at his clothes. “I thank you, Healer Thornheart! My aura feels strong again! You’ve reinvigorated my hope!” He gave her a firm nod. “I shall give you two space to Speak. I shall see you down there!” He went to flap his wings.

“Wait!” Amelia piped up. “Let me ward you first!”

Despite the capabilities of a warrior's aura, especially one of Yasuda’s level, the man had been struggling after being exposed to such intense heat for so long. Amelia twisted her aether, willing it to form into the familiar shape of Igni’s Barrier. It was only a first-circle spell, but it had strong fire resistance, which, when backed by Amelia’s titanic amounts of aether, would be boosted even further.

She cast the ward on Yasuda and then followed up by protecting Mel as well. For Mel, she also cast the Ward of Thew, enhancing her capabilities across the board. Her friend was only capable of orange aura, and Amelia wanted to minimise the risk she would face in the fire.

She wouldn’t let any of her friends die.

To his credit, Yasuda recovered from his shock quickly. Externally cast and maintained wards were not common; this might have been the first time it happened to him. Nevertheless, he thanked her quickly. “Then, I shall take the warrior Melanie Mori,” he declared. “Lord Halen, Lord-Prospect, follow my aether signature after you’ve Spoken!”

“Yes, Highlord!” Serena and Amelia echoed. Mel tried to say something, but Yasuda wasted no time picking her up and carrying her down into the black smoke.

She wasn’t sure, but Amelia thought she saw a blush on Mel’s cheek.

How scandalous!

“You can Speak silently,” Serena muttered. “I can’t. I’ll jump and Speak mid-air. I have enough power under Narean to guide my fall. I’ll go first.” Serena backed up, and without another word, she launched herself towards the oppressive mass of black smoke and its underlying inferno.

“Narean,” Serena Spoke as she fell. The force of her Word was explosive, pushing away a large section of the smoke and blasting Amelia with enough force to make her step back. If Serena had Spoken up here, she would probably have destroyed a house or two!

Amelia swallowed. She peered over the ledge, glad to see Serena descending slowly towards the destination. Her horns were ignited with hellfire, and a tail made of the same ethereal fire stretched from the base of her spine.

Hmm? What was that? Amelia peered closer. Usually, Serena had only a shadow of black wings, barely visible to the naked eye. Now, it was half-manifested!

Her girlfriend was getting more powerful!

Now, it was just Amelia. She took a deep breath, expelling the aether from her body.

“Aseco,” she Spoke, feeling the exhilarating thrill as power erupted within her body. The divine aether immediately made her feel her capabilities magnify by at least a magnitude. Perhaps even more. Under Aseco, Amelia glowed with golden light, brightening the area for fifty meters. The nearby mages were gawking at her, too surprised to say anything.

Amelia didn’t jump; she simply used her aether to will her body to lift and fly. Her connection with the aetherfield was strong, and she could now push her aether against not only the lumina kilometres below but also the aetherfield itself.

Effectively, she could fly.

And so she did. Amelia tore through the sky, racing down through the darkness towards the signatures of the Speakers below. For a moment, she wondered if she looked like a yellow moonstone falling to the ground.

She took the opportunity of being airborne to stretch her senses. There were numerous Speakers in the distance, around the edges of the inferno, especially towards the train station to the south. One exceptionally bright spot in her perception was easily recognisable as Lunaria.

Unfortunately, most of them seemed to be warriors. While a Speaker warrior was a huge help, it wasn’t like a sword could cut down this inferno. Amelia sent a quick expression of gratitude to her past self for picking a mage in the game. This way, she could have a much greater effect on the world. A positive effect!

Amelia burst through the darkness, flaring her aether to stop herself from crashing into the ground embarrassingly. She landed gently, looking around.

Familiar, she thought.

This was the same square they’d passed through on the way to the orphanage. Yes. There was the guardhouse, now used as a makeshift hospital and space to hide from the moon rain. There was the derelict fountain, now full of water due to the nearby mages keeping it topped up.

She could hear the cries of pain and fear from inside the guardhouse. Not just a few voices but dozens and dozens. There were… even a few bodies in the square, now buried under ash and dust. Had they died from the moonrain as they fled the fire?

Thankfully, there were no children among them.

Amelia mentally slapped herself. Now wasn’t the time to ruminate! Focus on the situation!

The square was enclosed by enormous earthen walls over ten meters high. A demon who looked like his skin was made of rock was maintaining the walls, continuously reinforcing them against the relentless heat outside. The earthlord had also built shelters which a few cowering people were using for protection, their faces painted in exhaustion.

Highlord Yasuda, Serena, and Mel were gathered nearby, watching her in anticipation.

Serena gave her a nod.

It was time to work.

“Getting started!” she declared, spooling up her aether and forming it into her chosen spell. She poured more and more divine aether into it until she was confident it would produce the desired result. She could cast this level of magic silently, but she vocalised it for the sake of those near.

“Fourth circle,” she intoned. “Heavenly Mending!”

Golden and blue ribbons of light exploded from her. There were hundreds and hundreds of them. Ribbons of healing flew out; a dozen went into mages and warriors working in the square. A hundred or so went into the hospital, and the rest flew out, passing through the earthern walls and into the inferno.

It wasn’t long before jubilant cries sounded from the previously injured.

“I… I can see again!”

“My daughter! She’s recovered!”

“Ma… what happened?”

“The exhaustion… it’s gone!”

Amelia wasn’t done yet.

“Fifth circle,” she said, forming another spell and pouring even more aether into it. She wanted the bounds of this spell to be far greater than her invocation of Divine Healing of Aseco earlier that day. She needed this one to cover the entire slums and all those working to protect it. She poured more and more aether into the formation - more than she’d ever committed into a single spell under the First-Word.

“Sphere of Convalescence!” she announced, activating the formation.

A bubble of golden light expanded from her, first encompassing the square, then continuing to pass through the earthlord defences and out into the inferno. Amelia felt it expand further and further, until it reached the target distance of nearly a kilometer in diameter.

Such unbelievable aether cost!

Amelia had never felt stretched for aether before, but now she was painfully aware of the cost of maintaining such a sizeable area-of-effect healing spell. The aether cost was proportional to the volume of the sphere, and the volume of a sphere doubles every time the radius is increased by twenty-six per cent. She’d pushed the spell far further than she’d ever seen anyone do in the game. That volume added up, and maintaining the bubble as it was right now used up more than half of Amelia’s aether.

How much aether was she using right now? More than a hundred normal mages? More than two hundred?

Strangely, using such a large amount of her aether was exhilarating. Amelia felt good. It was as if the aether wanted to be used, and she was being rewarded with dopamine for doing so! Deep down, she could feel the need to use even more. It was a strange desire, but thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as the mania she was in under the influence of Asclepius.

“I’ve cast a field spell!” Amelia announced to the warriors. “It’s a constant healing spell that works on everyone in its radius! It should be enough to stop smoke inhalation from stopping you! This…” She cast Heavenly Mending again; this time, a little over two hundred ribbons flew out. “Is healing magic that automatically targets those who need it! If you follow the ribbons, they will take you to someone injured or who keeps getting injured!

“I can cast Igni’s Barrier on any warriors! It will help greatly against the fire! Come to me!”

The half dozen warriors she’d never seen before accepted her spellwork with looks of appreciation and gratitude. They examined their bodies, which had begun to glow with a magical red light more ethereal than the red hues of red aura.

“You heard her!” Highlord Yasuda barked, shocking the surrounding warriors into action. They ran to the walls, where the reinvigorated earthlord made openings for them. The warriors carried coats and blankets soaked in the fountain water, presumably to cover anyone they found and carry them back.