"Absolutely flawless, if I may so myself."

"Quite so, mi'lord. It was a spectacular display indeed. I wish them great success!"

The demons all shimmer for a while, and are sent on their way. The crystals are all consumed, of course, and I feel extremely fatigued, but that is hardly surprising.

I raise my arms to the crowd of other demons lurking at the threshold, come to see what was going on, and they roar in happiness.

It is ironic, I used the human's own architecture against them. They did, at one point, enjoy constructing these odd monuments with spirits enshrined there. That served as the perfect anchor for the transportation!

It may have killed the spirits, of course. They are now void ones for sure. This is not a practice I enjoy or encourage per se, but needs must.

There is one thing else I must do. Even demons must be guarded from the void along the way. I'm tired, but it is my responsibility to act as their wayfarer, lest they be lost.

I focus on the tunnel I have bored through the etheric plane, blocking out outside influence. The route is somewhat erratic, for sure. I borrowed some actual ley-lines that already existed in places. That was needed to make the costs reasonable. I followed the previous tunnel I made to the south-east, to the dungeon near Hal-Castemour. Re-made and reinforced it. My first attempt there was shoddy, and I was barely able to force power enough through to create the Skull Beast. This time, it had to be much stronger, to carry the physical forms of my people unhindered, and it had to proceed from there to their capital.

I ferry and protect them all the way, batting aside the muttering of the malicious spirits of that side, all the way.

I wonder how that feels to them? Can they feel it at all? I guess perhaps the stronger mages may understand.

Space and terrain has no meaning on that side.

There is, I suppose, terrain of sorts. I have stood there a few times, to speak with my own spirit for advice. There is a sort of dream state one can achieve for that purpose.

This terrain is constantly shifting, though. It is like standing on semi-solid nothingness, void spirits trying to mimic what they once did in their old forms. And failing. Earth made of bones, water made of blood. Sky a choked darkness, barely breathable, a mockery, ridiculing the light.

The first sages leylines endure there, though. Crisscrossing the void like the shining webs of the Deathblood Spider. I do not know just how they were made. Live spirits run along them, like children, and the void ones watch them from afar, in envy and in confusion.

And yet, I have managed to mimic that greatness!

The void spirits are all too glad to be able to do something they could not previously do. I suppose, perhaps, it makes them feel special?

Whatever the case, I didn't need to worry much. The demons are my subordinates, and the void spirits my children.

They mostly ignore the package I am sending through. Such a smooth transition!

I envy them, to a degree. That side is normally a horrifying place to me. Sages, even I, can leygate along the lines, but the incessant moaning and whispering of other spirits is maddening. It feels like they want you to be lost there, to play with them, but at the same time, they clearly despise me the moment I realise I am a Void sage. So, it goes from mindless playfulness to wicked malice in an instant.

Horrifying, like I said.

The passage is fantastic here, though. The void spirits are highly obedient to me, after all.

They arrive, and with reluctance, I let them out the other side.

I cannot help them now, except offering my prayers to Agon to bless them with his might and furious devastation.

At least, the chaos should be worthwhile. Perhaps it will even be a step towards ending the war. We must hope so. Our morale is high, but our economy is buckling. We cannot sustain such a protracted war.

I sigh, and come out of my trance. It is done.

"Mi'lord... is that... normal?" I suddenly hear Raum say.

He is squinting at the square.

There is mild rumble beneath my feet, I realise.

The statue of the great emperor Garm'Labrys, Kerkyon's ancestor, actually rises upwards by a few feet.

Earthquakes are rare in our land. One of its few blessings. Whatever is...

I strain my senses. Yes... beneath the base, where Raum is looking. A sheet of black and purple fluctuating energy, like a doorway into the statues base.

It emits a shockwave of void energy all of a sudden!

I throw up a protective barrier to protect the crowd and myself, absorbing the power into my spirit.

Unfortunately, that is not helpful to Marchosias'Slein, who is gawping and stood next to the phenomenon after making the circles before. He literally turns to dust and explodes in the wind.

At least he is the only casualty. That old snakes’ loss will be mourned, though.

I scan the 'door'. Those strange glowing flowers that produce the crystals as their seeds grow out of cracks in the cobblestone near it, growing psychotically fast and then dying, feeding more of them. I shield my eyes, as the Magic power concentration there is extraordinary, but it soon dissipates into the starved air around us and settles.

I look again and blink. It is now a lovely field of fertile green grass, and glowing flowers, interestingly landmarked by Marchosias' old staff, which has become a slender Loanoak tree. The whole place is teeming with happy but demented Wood spirits, more than I've ever seen in our lands before.

That...

Oh my... the passage... it is permanent?! I have created a full tap into the ether on the other side!?

I grin.

This changes everything!