As Claduio explained to Matthew what was happening, Eric’s phone also rang.Soon, everyone else’s phones started to ring.
Red gates started to open all over the city. Some very small, others as big as a building, but most were medium gates. Each of them were pouring imps and other lesser demons from them causing mayhem all over the city.
Claudio was certain it was the work of the Cult of Paimon and was trying to convince Matthew to go to the Tower of Ryvylin headquarters and help protect the Harp of Dagda.
Eric’s guild wanted him to come and help them secure some gates.
The others had relatives and friends calling them wanting to know if they were safe.
Marcus understood what was going on and curled into a ball over the couch.
Tylith also picked up some of the conversations and tried to hide her anxiety. Michael noticed her demeanor and hugged her.
Katia, Ffyr and Matil were playing a video game on the TV and were oblivious of what was happening.
Faralynn took a deep breath.
"What do we do?" She asked.
The room was filled with powerful adventurers that could not simply hide during an event of crisis. But there were also civilians who were dear to them and needed to be protected.
"I need to go. But I need someone to stay and watch Katia." Eric said, grabbing his keys.
Matthew communicated telepathically to Ffyr what was going on, who explained it to Matil in a whisper so that Katia wouldn’t listen.
"I’ll stay with her." Martha said.
"I’m sorry Martha. But I need someone who can protect her. And you too, by the way." Eric smiled at her.
"I can take her to my home." Matil offered, pulling Eric by his shirt to call his attention.
"Your home?" Eric questioned.
"Matil is not just a nixie, Eric." Matthew explained. "She’s a lesser god. Her come is a cozy pocket dimension, Katia will be the safest there."
"And so will the others." Faralynn added.
"Martha, Robert , Marcus and Luis should go with Matil." Vanessa quickly picked up their intentions. "What are you going to do, Matt?"
"Claudio called. He said he’s certain that Paimon’s cult is behind this. Their main target should be the Tower." Matthew explained. "Ffyr and I should be there to help defend the Harp."
"Take Kazan with you." Faralynn said and the elven warrior nodded. "He’s the most powerful man in the country right now."
"The army is on the move already. A soldier friend of mine just messaged me. He asked me to join them." János said.
"I’ll go with you, dear." Katalin declared.
"Me too, dad." Helen offered.
"We should all help. Me, Faynn, Mia, Tina and Erin." Faralynn said.
"Allow me to help you too, my lady." Karynn asked and Faralynn allowed with a nod.
"And you Eric?" János asked.
"I’ll get my guild together, work in the suburbs helping people." Eric said.
"Lumi and I will go with you." Paula said.
"Me too." Vanessa said.
Michael looked at Tylith who was small in his arms, unsure of what he should do.
"Can I go with Matil too?" Tylith’s voice was weak.
"Sure!" Matil smiled.
"Then you can go with Paula and the others." Tylith said to Michael.
"Alright." He agreed.
"Me too." Sarah said. "Let me go with Eric."
"If she’s going, I’m going with her." Sebastian said.
"Sebas?" Marcus looked at his brother with his eyes filled with water.
"Don’t worry Marc. I’ll be with a whole guild. And we’ll be away from the heart of battle. You and dad will be safe with Matil. She’s very nice." Sebastian comforted his brother.
Marcus held on to his brother not wanting to let him go.
"Marcus." Matthew touched the boy’s shoulder. "Vanessa and Eric are powerful adventurers. They’ll keep your brother safe. If it was dangerous, I wouldn’t let my sister go either."
Marcus looked at Matthew and slowly let go of his brother.
They gently moved Katia to Matil’s pocket plane. All the nixie needed to access her home was some sort of lake or pond. The Táltos pool was enough for that.
Katia smiled when they urged her to jump in the pool fully clothed and did so with a laugh. The other soon followed, joining Matil in her pocket dimension.
Sebastian had his weapons and gym clothes in his inventory. Sarah had the Kopesh she got from Matthew with her, and would get some gear from Vanessa. Eric drove them to his house where they armed themselves before joining his guild in a suburb nearby.
Paula and Michael drove directly to the guild.
Tina and Erin had their things with them in their Inventory, but Faralynn and Mia didn’t. János gave them the location the army was positioning while Helen was getting herself ready in her room.
"Meet us there." He said.
Faralynn took the others to her house where they got ready and left to meet the army.
Kazan entered Matthew’s car.
"You need to pass somewhere to get your weapons?" Matthew asked.
"No. I’m sure that the Tower you spoke of will have something they can lend me." Kazan said while buckling the seat belt. "I’ve been stripped of any good equipment after the war."
"I see. I’m sure Claudio will be happy to lend you something." Matthew hoped while driving to the Tower of Ryvylin.
The city was in chaos. The demonic hordes weren’t yet causing mayhem, but the people of the city were already rushing to safe points or boarding their homes.
"It’s odd." Ffyr noted. "Last time they just powered into the city like ants on sugar. But, this time, I can’t see any of them."
"They’re likely organizing their numbers." Kazan pondered.
"Last time the Howling Spear just opened a gate and let the imps roam free. I wonder what the Cult is doing?" Matthew questioned.
"If they have Impiomancers, they might have some control over the demons." Kazan said. "I bet they are amassing their forces somewhere."
Matthew took a deep breath. He clenched his fist around the steering wheel and drove fast to his destination.
The Tower of Ryvylin, a huge skyscraper on the north part of town, was already ready to protect itself.
They could see armed men perching through the windows. Adventurers were gathered in the hall. Barricades and iron fencing were being installed in front of the main entrances. Catherine and her husband, Kleb, were in the hall coordinating the adventurers.
"Matthew!" He heard a familiar voice call to him.
"Cathbad!" Matthew recognized the Cait Sith. "You’re here as well."
"Well, we’re going to protect Uaithne, of course I’d be here!" The cat warrior said.
"Good. Can you find some weaponry for my friend here? He’s the best swordsman in the country." Matthew asked.
Cathbad looked at Kazan and nodded, urging the elf to follow him inside the tower.
"Matty!" Catherine greeted him. "Wasn’t sure if you’d come. Since Claudio was the one calling you." She joked.
"I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the Harp." Matthew smiled at her.
"But I"m glad you came. We need someone with your power here. Most of our staff are researchers who can’t actually fight much. The ones who can, are too cowardly to do so." She complained, clearly referring to Claudio. "Even the leader has run away."
"Ryvylin?" Matthew asked.
"Thiago motherfucking Ryvylin." Catherine nodded.
"Did he ever get the Sage class?" Matthew asked. "I remember he was stuck on level 38 before I went to hell."
"Not yet. He did get to level 40. But he’s yet to become a sage." Catherine shook her head. "If they didn’t pay well, I’d get the hell out of this guild."
"And how are the things in the city? I didn’t see any demons on my way here." Matthew asked.
"The demons are taking control of the areas around the gates, but aren’t going much farther than that. The cops said they’re concentrating on Obongo Park. The army is already encircling them. We might not even see any action today." Catherina was hopeful.
But Matthew knew better. If this was Samil’s doing, he’d sure be smarter than waiting for the army to take position. He seemed to be the kind of conniving person who acts more on the shadows than waging war like this.
"Ffyr. Keep your eyes open." Matthew warned her.
Kazan came back wearing a simple breastplate that was a size bigger for him and a sword.
"Will this do?" Matthew questioned him.
"I’ll make it do." Kazan smiled.
At this moment an explosion came from outside. Matthew and Kazan rushed outside to see what was going on and there they saw a single Balor using its laser beam from his eye to blow the cars on the street.
It held a flaming sword in one hand and a trident in the other. It wore just a metal tasset and a metal breastplate of its naked body.
"Was that your car?" Kazan asked, chuckling.
"It was..."