Part 3
A few minutes earlier
“Wait, I know those flags.” Vordea said out loud as she noticed the Royal Gilnan Garrison along the path. “The Kingdom of Gilnas.” she stopped and pondered for several minutes.
“I should have just asked Vaust.” she made up her mind and changed course towards the Garrison.
As she drew closer, she could hear the screaming of the mages coming from within as they felt the presence of the Primordial God draw closer, her magical shadow sending abject terror to all mages. Completely unaware of this, Vordea continued to walk up the path to the Garrison, and various defensive runes on the walls began to explode, overwhelmed by her proximity to them. Seeing the gatehouse abandoned, she walked through to the courtyard, where several dozen dead and incapacitated mages lay, stricken down immediately from her walk up the pass earlier. Completely puzzled by this, she went over to one of the still breathing mages and placed her hand on his face.
“Oh.” she thought out loud, realizing she had caused this. “They really are fragile little things. What did Vaust say I had to do, again?” she thought for a moment, then remembered. Kneeling down on the ground, she placed both of her bare hands on the dirt of the courtyard. She exhaled, and ashy smoke emerged from her mouth, as she spread her massive shadow across the entire realm. The fires set on the parapets immediately blew out. The screams faded as she was no longer an overwhelming terror and merely a dread. Spotting the main entrance, she stood up. “Time for a chat.” she said, chuckling slightly. Reaching the door, she pushed it open.
“It can’t be...” one of the mages said as she stood in the doorway, surveying the carnage of dead and passed out mages. “It’s her!”
“Who is that?” The Commander asked. “Who is she?”
The shaking sentry was the first to reply. “Lady Vordea.” he said, his voice almost a whisper. He rose uneasily to his feet, and warily approached her. “Lady Vordea, to what do we owe this great honour?” he dropped to his knees in supplication.
Vordea knelt and whispered something into the sentry’s ear. He nodded his head, and she once more sat on the ground, but this time took off her greaves. Her bare feet touching the stone, she repeated what she did in the courtyard, sending more of her shadow over the realm. The great overbearing pressure from the room seemed to ease, as she refastened her greaves.
“I have not entered the mortal realm in over 25,000 years. I had no idea you were so fragile.” Vordea said with a small smirk on her face.
“My Lady, this was all because of you?” The Commander asked, gesturing at the mages. Vordea shrugged.
“Fragile mages cannot comprehend my full presence, so I had to spread it across the entire realm. I am here in all my power for the first time since the dawn of time. Surely you can feel it?”
The Commander thought for a moment before responding. “Yes my Lady, something has felt wrong since I was first woken up.”
“Now, as delightfully terrified as you all are of me, I am not here for you or because of you. I was in a rush so I need directions. Where is ‘The University’?” she asked, hands on her hips.