Gunmage
Chapter 55: Ashes of the fallen

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Ashes of the fallen

"Sheesh, you need to calm down, madame."

"Madame?"

Renshaw ignored the quip and continued.

"Heieg isn’t the only country with technological advancements. We have new mortars yet to see any action. Frankly, these are still prototypes, but they are a lot more accurate."

As if to prove his point, the sky above lit up in a cascade of fiery arcs.

"The minute is up."

The projectiles whistled through the air before slamming into the cathedral in rapid succession.

The resulting effect was catastrophic.

’There has to be tens, maybe even hundreds of those things’

Lugh barely registered his own thoughts. He almost held his breath as the bombs rained down on the grand structure, rupturing stained glass, splintering support beams, and reducing the once-majestic cathedral to a smoldering ruin.

Some shells crashed through the arched windows, detonating inside with concussive force. The air itself trembled with the sheer power of the blasts, shockwaves rolling outward like a divine reckoning.

Smoke and dust billowed into the night, thick and choking. The scent of burning wood and cordite clung to everything.

By the time the bombardment ceased, the cathedral stood blackened and broken, its outer walls fractured and crumbling.

The roof had caved in, exposing the skeletal remains of wooden rafters like ribs jutting from a carcass. The entire structure groaned under its own weight, barely holding itself together.

No one spoke.

The euphoria of their overwhelming firepower faded as they stared at the aftermath. It was a ruin, a deathtrap.

For a moment, the thought of storming inside seemed far less appealing.

"We have to move while our magical friends are still shaken from the attack. Come on, let’s go."

Without hesitation, Renshaw took off, slipping through the rubble-strewn entrance. Lugh and Lyra exchanged a glance before following, their steps hesitant.

Vaelith and Xhi trailed behind, though the priestess wore a deep frown as she stepped over the broken threshold.

The interior was eerily silent.

They spread out in formation, moving with practiced efficiency, never straying too far from one another.

The cathedral’s interior was an inferno of smoldering debris. Bricks and charred wooden beams had collapsed in heaps, making every step treacherous.

Dust particles swirled in the air, illuminated by the dim, flickering glow of dying embers. The heat was oppressive.

Lugh clenched his jaw. He only had one puppet left. Xhi, ever more prepared, had eight. His puppet took point, creeping forward like a wary predator, while Xhi sent hers into the more unstable sections of the ruins.

The ground floor yielded nothing.

As they ascended the staircase, boots crunching over debris, a gnawing unease settled in Lugh’s gut. Where were they?

He swallowed, gripping his rifle tighter. This would be his first real engagement with enemy mages, mages that weren’t Lyra.

"I found something"

Xhi called.

They converged at her position, stepping over collapsed stone and scorched pews. Before them lay the corpse of an elf.

Her once-fair face was blackened with soot, and her golden hair was tangled with dust and blood.

Renshaw took a cautious step forward.

"Is she—"

"Don’t approach"

Lugh interrupted, raising a hand.

His puppet moved ahead, its movements careful, prodding for traps.

Nothing.

It seemed the elf was truly dead.

Lugh exhaled sharply before pulling his sidearm and firing.

The bullet punched through flesh. No reaction.

He fired again. Still nothing.

It was only when he holstered his gun that Renshaw noticed something beneath his boot.

He stepped back, bending down to retrieve it.

It was a hand. A severed, clawed hand.

Everyone stiffened.

They exchanged uneasy glances before Lyra broke the silence.

"Why don’t we search this area a bit more?"

No one protested.

They soon uncovered the incomplete remains of a beastkin, a torso with a single arm and leg still attached. Her lifeless face was frozen in an expression of fury.

Lugh’s eyes narrowed.

"I recognize her."

How could he forget? This was the same beastkin who had raked the face of his puppet, Riley Osniel.

"It seems the bombardment did the job"

Renshaw murmured.

"She must’ve been exposed to direct fire, probably thrown through a window or crushed under a collapsing section. I’ve seen corpses like this before."

"So... we won?"

Lyra asked, scratching the back of her head.

"Well, that was anticlimactic."

"It’s too soon to be sure"

Renshaw cautioned.

"Stay on guard. We still have one floor left unchecked."

They advanced to the final level.

It was here they found the most grotesque sight yet.

A body, if it could even be called that, lay sprawled across the scorched floor, unrecognizable.

Flesh was torn, bones twisted, limbs barely attached. It looked as though this unfortunate soul had tried to withstand the mortars head-on.

Lugh’s stomach churned. He turned away, almost throwing up.

"What an idiot"

Xhi said with quiet amusement.

Something caught Lugh’s eye. Amidst the carnage, an unnatural glimmer shone through the distorted lens of the mawglass.

His gaze followed it to the corpse’s hand.

A ring.

It was plain silver, worn and tarnished, devoid of gemstones or elaborate engravings. Yet Lugh knew better. He reached for it, only to find the fingers twisted into unnatural angles, locking it in place.

With a sigh, he unsheathed his enchanted dagger and, with a quick stroke, severed the digits.

The others watched in silence.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Grave robbing,"

Lugh answered simply, pocketing the ring.

"You guys should try it too. I’m almost certain this person was the source of that pressure we felt earlier."

His nonchalance earned him a few odd looks, but no one protested.

"Found something!"

Lyra called.

They regrouped. In her hands was a small, leather-bound book, the edges singed. She flipped it open, eyes narrowing at the indecipherable script.

"What is this?"

Vaelith studied it, brows furrowing. "

A journal? Or perhaps a grimoire."

All eyes turned to her.

"A record of sorts"

She clarified.

"Encrypted. It could contain spells or magical knowledge."

"Can you decrypt it?"

Lyra asked.

Vaelith hesitated before nodding.

"Given enough time, yes. Probably."

"Then I’ll give this to you."

Vaelith blinked, stunned, before hesitantly taking the book.

"I won’t forget this favor."

Lyra frowned.

"Favor? Who said I was doing you a favor?"

Vaelith hesitated.

"You—"

"I just want you to decrypt it for me, that’s all."

There was a beat of silence. Vaelith’s composure slipped, then returned.

"And why would I do that?"

Lyra smirked.

"I’ll pay you."

Vaelith scoffed.

"I have enough money, thank you." She shoved the book back.

Lyra grinned.

"I never said I was gonna pay you in money."

Vaelith stared.

"Then what?"

"Teach me whatever spell you learn from the book."

Another pause. Then—

"...Alright."

The book was hers once more.

Lugh had long since tuned out their exchange, still studying the ring when—

A sound.

A loud, echoing creak.

His head snapped up.

"Do you guys hear that?"