Oh, shit.
Noah’s brain spun into overdrive in an instant. He’d already reached for his magic before Og had finished stepping out of the portal. At this point, he was quite confident that he was cursed. There literally could not have been a worse person for him to run into here.
Damn it. I wish I melted that bastard properly. This is really bad.
“Og,” Noah said, if for no reason other than to draw out time. He could run — or he could call for Vivian. But neither of those options would actually get him anything. She wanted to know what the Apostles were after, and he wanted to know what the hell was going on with Garina. “Good to see you again. How’s the throat treating you?”
Even if Vivian popped up and crushed everyone… they would be right back where they started. A few of the Apostles would probably manage to escape. Og would run again. And, sure, Vivian’s tournament would probably be safer. But that did absolutely nothing at all for Noah.
“Oh, perfectly fine, I’d say,” Og drawled. There wasn’t a hint of anger within his voice. The hissing portal sealed shut behind him with one final pop. “I didn’t think you’d be hanging out with the Apostles. How… convenient.”
“Your plan was idiotic,” Kyyle said sharply. “Why would you ever try to have Spider stage an attack so early? It goes against everything we’ve been preparing for. It could have brought Vivian down right on top of all of our heads. If it hadn’t been called off, there’s a good chance that none of us would be here right now.”
Fuck. I don’t think I can bullshit my way out of this one.
“An attack, hm?” Og’s head tilted slightly to the side. Not once did his eyes leave Noah. His lips curled in amusement. “Carried out by Spider, here? How interesting. Tell me more. How exactly did Spider get wrapped up with you? I’d love to hear it.”
“Why don’t you tell us?” Kyyle asked. “Why are the Truthseekers hiring mercenaries and telling them to fling destructive magic around like a fool, drawing the attention of literally everyone that we can’t afford to have looking at us right now?”
“Mercenaries,” Og repeated. His eyebrow arched. Then his smile grew wider. “Ah, yes. Spider. I nearly forgot of our relationship. I’ve just been quite… busy, as of late. Perhaps you could remind me what exactly it was that you were instructed to do? And by whom, of course. I don’t believe the one that gave that order was me.”
Noah’s jaw clenched. Og was fucking with him.
Is there some way I could convince the Apostles that this isn’t actually Og? If I got them to believe he was an imposter — no. That won’t work. He’ll be able to prove its him much too easily. Unless I managed to kill Og in a quick attack that he can’t react to? That might work. But he’s ready for me, now. I don’t think I’m going to be able to get close enough without them realizing what’s going on.
“It wasn’t you?” Kyyle asked. Suspicion entered his voice as his gaze turned back to Noah. “What’s going on, here?”
“You know how Truthseekers are,” Og drawled. “We occasionally get distracted. Overly excited. Spider here… he’s just a typical recruit. One of us. We do quite resemble each other, don’t we?”
“No,” Kyyle said flatly. “You do not.”
“Is that so?” Og’s lips curled even further. “How unfortunate. What do you think, Spider? Are we cut of the same cloth?”
For one of the first times in Noah’s memory, he found himself at a complete loss. Og was just toying with him. Both of them knew exactly where this was going. There was absolutely no way he could talk his way out of this one. Og was just seeing how much he could make Noah dance around before he revealed the truth.
But if he’s stupid enough to give me leeway, then there’s still a chance I can somehow salvage this whole shitshow… or, at the very least, pry a little bit more information out of someone before everything comes crashing down.
“I’d say we’ve been through the same loom at one point or another,” Noah finally said. “But we couldn’t be made of more different materials. You and I are far from the same.”
“Your words wound me,” Og said.
“Maybe we can just get on with this?” Crone asked, shifting in annoyance. “The longer you stick around, the more likely that Vivian figures out what you’re up to. We don’t have the time to spare on useless words. Discipline your man later. Even the Prophet can only do so much here.”
“I have to agree,” Noah said. “We should get this meeting going properly, should we not?”
Og’s eyes narrowed.
Then, to Noah’s surprise, he nodded.
“Quite right. Very well. I will speak with Spider at a later date. Let us begin.”
Huh?
Noah blinked. There was no way Og was actually going to entertain this. It made absolutely no sense at all. The magic he had burning within him at the ready sputtered slightly as confusion nearly snuffed it out, but he didn’t let the power go.
“We’re nearly ready,” Kyyle said. “Once your people get into position, all of us can—”
“Oh!” Og exclaimed. He raised a finger into the air as if realization had suddenly struck him. “I must interject.”
“What now?” Kyyle asked irritably.
“I just felt I had to say…” Og started, drawing his words out as a sly smile pulled across his features.
Then the air before him wavered.
A clawed hand of blood-red chaos warped reality. It carved forward, extending toward Noah’s throat in a flash of magic that was so fast that he barely even had a chance to register its approach.
But Noah hadn’t yet released the magic that he’d already gathered. It bloomed before him in an oily red shield. Og’s claw of chaos slammed into his magic with a rending screech. Ripples warped reality as the two magics clashed. Then, with a hissing sputter, they both faded out.
Og leapt forward with a snarl. Magic coiled at his fingertips as he reached for Noah — only for a discordant note to split through the air. Chaotic power drove into Og’s chest in an oily hammer. His eyes bulged. Then he rocketed backward, sailing across the room to slam into the wall with a loud crack.
The demon dropped to all fours, driving himself back upright with a snarl.
“Something’s taken Og’s place!” Noah exclaimed, drinking more power from deep within his soul. “It’s a doppelgänger! Jump his ass!”
Crone started to rise from his chair, clearly drawing on his own magic. Audren didn’t so much as budge. He didn’t seem to give much of a shit one way or another about how the fight went.
“What in the Damned Plains are you idiots doing??” Kyyle exclaimed. He looked from Noah to Og in bafflement. “Release your magic. Both of you. You’re on the same side! Damned Truthseekers.”
“You damned buffoon,” Og snarled. “Are you actually this dense? That is no Truthseeker. It is Spider! A False Herald who escaped the fall of Arbalest! He is no Truthseeker!”
Crone’s brow furrowed. “But you just said—”
“I was lying, you idiot!” Og hissed. “Merely playing along to try and kill him faster. Do not underestimate this cockroach. He survived the fall of Arbalest. He is playing you!”
“Listen to this guy,” Noah said with a scoff, drawing even more on his magic. He couldn’t just fling haphazard attacks in a panic. That would just make it clear that Og was telling the truth. Whatever he did next would have to end the fight. “He’s terrified. That definitely isn’t Og.”
“Kill him! Now!” Og snarled.
“Why don’t you kill me yourself?” Noah asked with a sneering laugh. “The Og I know wouldn’t be so terrified. He let me pour molten stone down his throat all for the purposes of selling a story. But you’re so terrified that you resort to a sneak attack? One that couldn’t even break through my defenses? The real Og couldn’t possibly be this pathetic.”
“He’s got a point,” Crone said.
“Shut up,” Kyyle said sharply. His eyes narrowed. “Take your mask off, Spider.”
Ah, fuck.
“There’s really no—”
“Your mask,” Kyyle said again, colder this time. “Take it off. I recognize Og’s magic. This is the real one.”
Whelp. This might be screwed. I was really hoping I could get them to at least start beating the shit out of Og before they figured out who I really was.
“Fine. But don’t forget,” Noah said. “You asked for this. I’m horribly disfigured. And cursed. There’s a reason I keep this thing on.”
“We’ll make it,” Kyyle said his suspicion growing even more clear. “Take it off. Now. Unless you have something to hide?”
“Nothing at all.” Noah reached up to his mask and hooked a finger beneath he cloth. He started to pull it up. And, as he did, he let the Line flow through him. He got the feeling that he wasn’t going to be making it out of this room alive. Not if he wanted to make sure Og didn’t make it out either. And if he had to break his not-dying streak to finish the demon off…
Well, Moxie probably wouldn’t mind too much.
Noah vanished.
He reappeared directly before Og, driving his hand forward as Sunder’s power hissed through his veins.
A wall of force slammed into him before his fingers could touch Og. The world blurred as Noah hurtled through the air. The wall met his back with a loud crack and all the air exploded from his lungs. The force of the magical blast yanked his mask the remainder of the way up his head to reveal his face.
Noah dropped to the ground with a snarl, his head spinning slightly. Og stood before him, a cold smile across his features and a rippling wall of chaos swirling before him.
“You!” Kyyle exclaimed, his eyes going wide as saucers.
“Damn it. I hate you, Og. Has anyone ever told you that you’re an insufferable bastard?” Noah said. He grabbed his mask from the ground and stuffed it into a pocket as he drew on his magic again. The new lake of magical energy that had taken form when he’d reached Rank 6 trembled. He drew from it, letting its power flood through his soul. “If you think I’m letting you walk out of here a second time, you’re dead fucking wrong.”
“You,” Kyyle repeated again, his disbelief transforming into fury in an instant. “The little thieving cockroach!”
Crone seemed to have a rather different view of things. His features had paled slightly as he finally registered who Noah was. He took a step back. “Kyyle—”
“Shut up,” Kyyle growled. He thrust a finger at Noah. “I’m going to enjoy killing you. Properly, this time. You little shit. You think you can screw with us?”
“Yes,” Noah said. He cracked his neck. “And quite easily, to be frank. Stay out of my way, Kyyle. I’m not here for you.”
“But we’re here for you,” Kyyle growled. His power exploded outward. Even with Aqua Terra suppressing Noah’s domain, he felt the pressure from the Rank 7 mage slam into him, joining in with Og’s strength and filling the room with hissing magic. Two more domains followed in rapid suit as both Audren and Crone released their strength.
Their combined pressure drove Noah back into the wall, threatening to choke the breath from his lungs.
“Do you really think you can threaten 4 Rank 7 mages at the same time?” Og asked with a sneer. “You’ve gotten stronger since we last met, but it seems you’ve become a greater fool as well.”
Noah’s jaw clenched. Even as powerful as his Rank 6 Rune was, it was nothing in the face of this many powerful mages. He could barely breathe. But they didn’t know about the Beyond. If he sliced their domains open, it would buy him the briefest instant to attack.
It would give him a chance to get to Og and use Sunder…
But it would also reveal his powers to every other one of the Apostles.
Fuck. This isn’t good.
The Apostles weren’t taking risks. Og wasn’t either. None of them had tried to push closer. They were watching him warily, increasing the pressure radiating out from their souls in an attempt to crush him into submission. There was no way he could do anything without playing his cards.
I might be a bit shafted. Would it be better to just kill myself to make sure they can’t get anything out of me?
Noah drew on his magic, letting the power bubble up within himself. He could bullshit his way out of dying with a clone excuse. It would reveal more than he cared to, but it was better than the alternative. And it had been a while since he’d killed himself. He’d earned a get-out-of-jail-free card at this point.
It wasn’t that he liked the idea of finding out what the Beyond would do to him if he died… but there was no other choice.
Noah prepared to release all the magic he’d gathered.
A streak of green sliced through the room.
The world seemed to slow down.
For a brief instant, everything almost felt still. Like Noah was moving through jell-o rather than air.
Then there was a meaty thwack.
Og’s head rocked back. He stumbled, letting out a pained curse, as his hand shot up to the heavy metal dart protruding from the center of his skull like the horn of a unicorn. He looked more surprised and pained than seriously injured, but there was a fair bit of blood trickling from where the dart had embedded.
“Well, aren’t you a thick-skulled mother fucker?” a jovial voice echoed through the room. “You know, I normally play darts with people, not at people. But that the latter might be growing on me.”
A wave of goosebumps rolled down Noah’s spine. He recognized that tone.
Green light sliced through the air at his side. It spun around, as if wiping a smudge in reality away, as a tall man emerged from within the energy with a wide, almost manic grin on his lips.
“Who is this clown?” Kyyle snarled. “And how is it that literally everyone seems to be able to teleport around Aqua Terra entirely unbothered?”
“You’ll have to ask Vivian,” Jalen replied with an eager chuckle. A shimmer of green danced across his knuckles as a dart materialized within his right hand.“I can pass your message on to her whenever she unbans me from her quarters. But I’ve been sitting around waiting for a good time to make my entrance for far too long. You’re going to have to make that time back up to me. So… how about a quick game of darts?”