Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

---Sigma---

Bright light flashed across the night sky, traveling so far it could even be seen in the center of Sigma which was protected by a luminous hemisphere of light.

"Sir Vlad, there is someone that wants to speak with you." a staff member announced her presence.

Sir Vlad was currently turned towards a big front of windows, watching the lights in the distant skies. He turned towards the door when he heard the staff's notice.

"Is it about the fight?" the pale man asked, looking at them with a cold gaze.

"N-No, Sir. It is a guest a messenger from the outside who arrived in the wards this morning."

"The outside? From the other districts? Bring the messenger in, quickly." he said surprised.

The messenger stepped aside and Cade could finally step forward. The moment she stepped forward, she could smell that the other was not a human, but she was unsure what creature he was. Vlad on the other hand seemed to have noticed her hints of hesitation.

With a smile, he exposed his canines and gave her a short look at his vampire fangs.

"Do not worry. I am not hiding the fact that I am a Vampire. I am Vlad Pierce, the contemporary leader of Sigma's Resistance.

Seeing that the staff member didn't react either, it seemed like what Vlad said was true. It also explained what she had heard about him on the way. It had taken a while to more or less calm down the girl she saved and it was kind enough to show her the way and vouch for her to enter "the Wards" as the locals called it.

According to the girl, it was a safety parameter that Vlad pierce managed to set up in a time of emergency, that saved most of Sigma's people.

The reason was quite obvious to Cade. While they waded through masses of people on the streets within the wards, the outside was a ghost city crawling with unknown horrors. Even she had her skin constantly crawling for reasons she couldn't fathom at all.

They had used the illusion spells of her Rakshasa class to get past the manifestations of body horror they came across on the way. She had seen things, that made the hairy wolf-beasts look cute. There were moments when she wanted to go back...

However, the inside of the luminous barrier set up by mysterious magic signs and effigies was safe. Cade had not forgotten her mission, it was to get in contact with Sigma and find out what happened.

Now that she was already stuck here, she decided to fulfill her mission, so that in case she managed to return, it wouldn't be empty-handed. She even had the slight hope that the people of Sigma might help her get out.

After all, they seemed to be in a tight spot, literally. Helping her get back, could also lead to her bringing back help. Her strength and background brought her in front of the local leader.

"I'm Cade Albright from Gamma. I came as a scout in service of Princess Leana of Chrona, the Empire's Ambassador in Delta." she pattered a well-practiced line to introduce herself.

Just this alone held a lot of information, but it was so common to her, that she was surprised by Vlad's confused look.

"That was...a lot. I believe we have a lot to talk about and I would love to take my time for it. But as you see, we have a situation out there. I doubt we can sit down and have a talk, without anyone interrupting us within the next 20 minutes." he said.

His finger pointed to the sky that was slowly calming down. Cade nodded. She had noticed the strange phenomena the moment she entered the room.

"Then how about we use this time efficiently. If you could give me a short summary or explanation of what happened in Sigma, I would be very thankful." the Rakshasi said with a sweet smile, oozing with seductive charisma.

"No need for tricks, I don't see a problem in that, If you give me a summary of what happened on Urth," he said amicably and offered her a seat.

Against his original estimation, it took 30 minutes for a messenger to arrive and ask him to join a meeting. At this time, Cade told him the overall situation of Delta, Y-City, and Beta. Vlad on the other hand told her what happened in Sigma.

The story began quite similar to her own. At first, Sigma managed to cope with the sudden appearance of monsters, portals, mana, and magic. Early on they still tried to send messengers to Omega and the other districts, but nobody ever came back. They finally gave up on contacting others and managing themselves.

That was until several weeks ago, many seals appeared all over the city and massive monoliths emerged from them. The atmosphere of Sigma changed as if life was being sucked out of the people and fear was injected instead.

The things called themselves Towers of Trial and started spewing high-ranking monsters into the metropolis. Vlad did not go into the details of his skills or origin but managed to set up this safety parameter where the people evacuated to.

This was as far as they got before someone interrupted their talk.

"Sir Vlad, we have news from our insider about...." he glanced at Cade. "Well, they have news. The other leaders wish to consult with you about our next steps," he said, making sure to not reveal any important information.

"Please excuse his cautiousness. I will have to leave, would you like to stay here? I will have a room prepared for you." the vampire said with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, sure, it's okay."

Cade didn't mind, since she had gotten a rough understanding of the situation. Although she was sure Vlad was still hiding something, the prospect of getting some sleep in a real bed was too enticing.

"Thank you, Ms. Albright I will go to the meeting. Please lead our guest to one of the guest rooms," he told the man before taking his leave. She looked after him for a moment, before the officer spoke to her.

"Please follow me," he asked and led the way. The building they were in was originally the central police station of Sigma. To improve the effectiveness of the police, it was situated in a strategic location that allowed for quick employment of officers. It had also barracks for staff and cells.

It naturally became the headquarters for the survivors of Sigma. The hallways were bustling with people and everyone seemed to have a task. It made Cade reminisce about the past when she was ta leading role in organizing.

Not everything was bad. She still had her family in the beginning, But the nostalgia didn't stay for long, as the memories also brought up old wounds. That was right, she still had unfinished business.

So much had happened and kept getting in her way, but now most of her problems were settled. The residents of Gamma. The people that had betrayed her, what if they were still alive. Maybe it was time, when she got out of gamma she would-

"Here, this is the best free room we have." the guide interrupted her thoughts.

She shelved her thoughts for later and took a look. It was a tiny, spartan room. It had barely enough space for the slim bed and the small table with a chair that was placed inside.

"Since you are a guest, you are free to roam the station, but please don't cause a commotion. I will take my leave then." he excused himself and hurried away. He probably was going to take part in that important meeting, too.

With a sigh she let herself fall on the bet. It was hard but softer than the ground. It was almost painful when sore muscles finally relaxed. The room was quiet but didn't stay so for long. From the hallways outside Cade could hear the clear voices of children.

"Nadine, why do we have to stay here?" a snotty boy voice asked.

"And where are Mom and Dad?" a whiny girl complained sadly.

"You do know that your Mr. Pierce is very busy right now and your mother is also trying to help. They want us to stay here because it is safe." s mature voice explained to the children. She heard a door open and close. A moment later...

"Big sister, are you new here?" the bright girl's voice suddenly asked brimming with curiosity.

Cade had not closed her door and the nosy girl had stuck her head inside. She lazy lifted her arm a little to greet the little girl.

"Hi. Yes, I'm new. I just arrived here." she tried to sound friendly with mixed success. Cade actually liked children, but how long had it been that she had the chance to interact with someone in a friendly, unguarded manner...

"What is that armor? It looks cool!" the girl exclaimed unafraid as she entered the room and ogled the Polyarkanate armor he rakshasa was still wearing.

"It's something I bought in Ypsilon. It is a material called Polyarkanate. They invented it there" Cade explained with a weak smile.

"Poly-what?" the boy joined the conversation. Hearing that Cade came from outside of Sigma, the children showed no mercy and peppered her with questions.

Although she was tired, she didn't mind talking to them. Telling them of her journey was its own kind of enjoyment. Telling a pair of excited children a story was a rare piece of normalcy in her otherwise chaotic life and she intended to savor it.