War of Drekis:

-----Tanin swung Chrysillium overhead, cutting off a downward swipe from Aigonis’ halberd. The Avatar of Light allowed the weight of his opponent’s weapon to push him back, and in doing so he conveniently stepped away from Grymhet’s incoming fist.
-----The Drekis General would not fall for such a trick; as Tanin fell back he took to the air, his white wings shooting out like a parachute. Grymhet passed between them, and then immediately he dashed away; when he moved Tanin caught sight of Shuradou, who had used her fellow lord minion as a veil.
-----She flew forward and became a streak of hazy lines; to the normal eye she was nothing more than a blur, but Tanin could see the heat of her body, and the currents of air that were brushing off of her skin. Their swords clashed; her blade was three times the size of Chrysillium in width, but when Tanin parried her blows it seemed as if the strength that it had shown before had vanished and Tanin was not pushed back.
-----A distracting odor still crawled out of the blade, but when held against Chrysillium it was greatly diminished. Tanin thrust one leg forward and pulled all of the strength from his hips into his arms. With one swing he overpowered Shuradou and knocked her back.
-----Shuradou lost her footing, but before she fell her body just barely lifted off of the ground and she began to fly out of harm’s reach. Her eyes bore down on Tanin; her pupils shook. The constant smile that Tanin wore only made her anger and frustration grow. She raised her sword and invoked the magic of destruction; an ethereal scent emanated from the blade, and although the smell was strong Shuradou was certain that Tanin’s senses would not be as keen as that of the young wizard.
-----Though Tanin’s knowledge of magic was not as great as Vincentzo’s, he had twice witnessed the power of her sword, and already he recognized the stances that she took—the indications that she was about to release her strongest attack.
-----By the time she lifted her sword above her head she noticed that Dragoon T was strangely unmoving, and the outline of his figure was degrading into distorted lines. Soon it became transparent, and Tanin’s bright smile faded away.
-----“Behind you!” A voice hissed. The warning called her into action; Shuradou turned her head and saw Tanin behind her, his sword drawn high. Unable to completely spin around, Shuradou bent her sword behind her neck and shielded her body from the Avatar’s overhead slash. A flash of light burst out from the meeting of the blades. The last minute parry had saved her life, but her stance was poor this time and the way she held the blade was awkward; Shuradou was sent to the ground, rolling helplessly into the distance while her sword slid across the dirt in a different direction.
-----Now she was vulnerable, but Tanin had other foes to contest with, and he recognized the voice that had slithered down from above. Aigonis Zekruel was rapidly approaching, having almost completed a nose-dive onto the Avatar; he held the Starblade, now in the form of a scythe, which trailed behind him.
-----Just as he came five feet from the ground he stopped, and a gust spewed out from beneath his feet and cracked the land. He brought the scythe around with a heavy swing; Tanin bent his knees and arched his body backwards, allowing the scythe to pass horizontally over his head. A few strands of hair left his head and flickered before his eyes.
-----Aigonis followed through, raising the Scythe up and bringing the tip of the cutting edge down on Tanin while he was still arched back; but by the time the killing stroke could fall Tanin was gone, and only his after image was spliced. Zekruel could feel the air behind him go through a change, like a solid substance was abruptly appearing, blasting the air away from it to make space for its emergence; he could sense where Tanin was teleporting.
-----An explosion sounded somewhere nearby, and in the instant of that resounding boom Aigonis had swung his scythe around, bringing the curved blade to strike behind him without actually turning his body. Tanin was well aware of Aigonis’ ability to track his movements, and so he appeared with his sword held to the side, blocking the scythe at its tip.
-----For a moment the two opponents floated there: Aigonis with his scythe pressing against Chrysillium, and Tanin drifting along, smirking as if he was enjoying the battle.
-----The back of Aigonis’ long jaws opened up, and it was like he was smiling, although the jagged teeth were so large and beastly that he looked like a blood-lusted bear. Then his eyes opened, revealing a lime-green hue that glowed even in daylight, and around his pupils there were golden marks shaped like crosshairs.
-----“Good,” Tanin said, “You’re getting serious.”
-----Then the two of them took off, speeding into the air until their bodies became masked with light and disappeared from the sight of normal humans. Strong winds picked up, heavy gusts spiraled around the city. Five booms and then a pair of sparks sliced through the wind, and all that could be heard was a series of chimes and clangs.
-----High in the air the deminites perceived two streaks of light flickering between the clouds like lightning. One of them was a golden white brilliance, and it was followed by a darker spectacle that was more like the light of a torch, and it was a dark shade of red. Together they flashed towards one direction and then to another, switching roles as one gave chase and the other moved away.
-----The streaks would meet, cross each other violently and then fly on, only to meet again, harder this time and knocking each other off course. Each collision brought about a terrifying shockwave that split the land below, and the city of Arael shook until many of the buildings which the deminites had set aflame began to crumble.
-----A stalemate was forged; the streaks crashed upon the ground and their forms became visible. Now the fields of Arael were completely cracked, and numerous craters that were scattered about had rendered the once flat land into an uneven valley of crags, spires, and fissures.
-----Aigonis stood atop a short spire of grey rock, his talons gripped around the jagged tip. From his body came a toxic aura, a miasma that littered his presence. Tanin kneeled down beneath several outstretched crags, and there his armor began to sizzle from the exposure. He could feel the contaminated air fly down his lungs; but he was the Avatar of Light, and though a lesser hero may have died from standing within that toxic film he was for the most part unaffected.
-----“That didn’t work last time, and it won’t work this time Aigonis.”
-----“Even you can’t withstand this sea of pain forever. You’re strong, but not invincible, and my power flows from Drekis. Either I slay you with my Starblade, or you lose your life to attrition.”
-----Most of Tanin’s opponents were overcome with frustration and grief when they witnessed their own powers fail to move Tanin in some way. To see him standing there, with that same smile and good humor regardless of his situation—it was infuriating, and often it promoted his adversaries to become reckless.
-----For Aigonis, Tanin’s demeanor had a different effect; the Drekis general was tireless in his diligence; as a matter of fact he was enthralled with the ongoing battle. The more skilled the opponent, the more rewarding the experience was. The golden crosshairs spun around his irises.
-----“I could do this all day if I wanted…but I don’t want to keep Vincentzo waiting. How about you call it quits—you know you’ll never be able to beat me,” Tanin said.
-----“You have good reason to be sure of yourself, but look at what you’re fighting for.” He pointed to the burning city, but Tanin refused to turn his head. “You know it yourself, do you not? Your battle is a lost cause here; you can’t win this fight if there’s nothing left for you to win when it is over. You have failed.”
-----“Who do you take me for!? Of course I know what you have done; I know that I failed to do what I originally promised. But even an Avatar can only do so much in this world, and me…I just try to do what I think is right. You destroyed Arael, and that was Maiinverno’s city as well as a city that was home to thousands of people who never lifted a finger against you. I at least owe it to them to bring down the murderer of their homeland.”
-----“I’m flattered. I never would have guessed that the Avatar of Light would believe in an eye for an eye.”
-----“This is about justice, not vengeance.”
-----A voice called out from behind Tanin: “And you know the line between them?”
-----Grymhet was there, having propelled himself over the ground through some great leap. He made no sounds as he pierced the air, but his last minute comment alerted Tanin to the attack. The lord minion’s fist burst through the chest of an after-image, and as he fell through the false image he was kicked in the back of the head by the real Avatar.
-----Tanin flipped in the air as Grymhet was propelled forward, tripped, fell. His face was buried in the ground. Tanin could barely help himself from laughing at the sight. “Maybe I don’t know where the line is drawn, and perhaps I don’t need to; or didn’t you hear? I do what I think is right, in my heart.”
-----Two large hands pushed off of the ground. Grymhet stood and shook his head to the side. “The heart is a strong guide. But not flawless…no…” he turned around casually, slowly. “…sometimes feelings just aren’t right.” He ran towards Tanin, his feet leaping across the splintered fields so quickly that they barely seemed to touch the ground; but his steps were clear and loud, for the ground shook apart even more where his heavy weight passed.
-----For all of the weight that Grymhet possessed he was no doubt fast; he was not as fast as Aigonis, and so Tanin tracked his movements, anticipating his punches and shifting his head side to side to avoid a rain of blows.
-----Grymhet pressed forward, launching his attacks as if to simply keep Tanin on the defensive. Tanin spun past a punch and swung his sword around with him; the very tip of Chrysillium edged itself down the brute’s back. It slid off as if the skin were metal, but it left a dark smudge. Another punch came, and this time Tanin swerved to the side and lashed out. Each strike was made at some distance, just enough for Chrysillium to reach its target. In this way he avoided the brunt of the force that was released by the lord minion’s punches, but as a result his attacks lost their effectiveness as well.
-----Vincentzo and Woose’s combined efforts had strengthened the foundation of Grymhet’s armored form; the tip of Chrysillium would not cut through such a shield.
-----Then Grymhet stepped forward with his left foot, and it was the first punch he launched using that leg. His left arm stretched out, then recoiled suddenly and was replaced by a sharp jab with the right.
-----Tanin ducked, prepared to jump away, realized his chance, and instead moved forward. It was barely enough; the fist flew by his check—sent his hair up into the wind. Small cuts ran across his face and the lobe of his ear split. Even though the fist had not connected, the speed and movement of Grymhet’s hands could craft their own destruction. Tanin knew this, and it was a gamble on his part to take the hit, for he knew that it would give him the chance he needed.
-----Now he was crouched down, arms reach from Grymhet, whose flying fist was still following through past Tanin’s head. Both of the Avatar’s hands clenched Chrysillium’s hilt, and as the two warriors passed by he swung the sword almost like a baseball bat. The blade ran through Grymhet’s torso, breaking it apart with one swing. Bits of fire spewed as Grymhet’s cracked torso broke like a shattered iceberg. His body parts were like pieces of rock that fell to the earth with a trail of lifeless dust. His hip was split and Chrysillium had gone through; but there was no gap, for under all that Grymhet had lost was new skin, orange in color and slowly growing red.
-----Despite all that had been cast away from his body, Grymhet had lost nothing, though in the aftermath of the clash he toppled over and his head was burrowed into the ground. His body may not have been cut, but the strength behind Tanin’s attack still brought him down.
-----Tanin saw something out of the corner of his eye, something like unfolding steel that whistled as it stretched out. He looked up and there was a metal chain, glistening in the sun; at its head was grooved club.
-----Seconds later Tanin teleported away; the club smashed the ground and the chain whipped up and down before something, or someone, seemed to pull at it and straiten it. Tanin appeared in mid-air right next to the chain; he followed the metal links up above to Aigonis Zekruel, who was holding the chain with both of his scaled claws.
-----“This is a dangerous toy you have.” Tanin took a swipe at the nearby chain, and it was knocked away. A bright flash channeled through the shackle, however it did not break.
-----Aigonis tugged on his end; the chain pulled back and reared itself as if it were a snake coming back for a second strike. Tanin peered down at the end of the chain, and when it emerged from the ground the head was no longer a spiked club; instead it was a triangular spear blade, wide like an arrowhead at its base and thin as a needle at its point.
-----When the chain snapped back the spear came around and whipped through Tanin’s left leg. The edge of the Avatar’s armor splintered.
-----“Hey, you’re moving up in the world. You actually nicked my greaves.”
-----The chain spun around and looped once, then twice. At the third lap the chain tightened until Tanin was wrapped from shoulder to toe in the shackle.
-----“So much for Dragoon T.” Aigonis hissed. He held up one claw and shook the chain. The Starblade transformed, remaining as a chain but becoming adorned in razors on all sides of the links. He pulled on the chain hard. The wrapping that had caught the Avatar came undone, spinning around in the opposite direction until he was released. At the same time the razors were spinning, cutting, slicing through him.
-----It was an unsatisfactory feeling to Aigonis—a sign that Tanin had escaped once more. He witnessed the man get sliced into the pieces, but he did not truly feel the blades sink into the victims flesh. It was nothing more than an after-image that he had hacked.
-----As soon as he realized this he sensed a teleportation, this time directly in front of him. Tanin emerged in mid-strike. Aigonis was ready, stretching his chain out in front with both hands. Chrysillium hit the chain, slid down with a screech, and was repelled. An unending vibration ran through the chain until Aigonis gripped it at one end and its shape contorted. The metal began to fold up into itself, becoming thick as it melted down to a flat shape.
-----The Starblade became a sword of equal size to that of Shuradou’s, though Tanin expected it to be far more formidable regardless of whether or not it used death magic. Dragoon T took the initiative, diving forward and clashing blades with the pallid reptile. Another shockwave was released, but this time they staid close and pushed against one another. The area where the blades pressed together was smothered with white and red lights; the conflicting radiance grew as the two forces tried to swallow each other, but they reached a stalemate again; neither blade would break.
-----“Still think it will be so easy to bring me down, hero?” Aigonis said.
-----Instead of answering, Tanin lifted himself higher and then pushed his way towards the ground; Aigonis was in his path, and their blades were still meeting, so that when Tanin descended he pushed Aigonis down with him. Aigonis tried to throw Tanin away, but Chrysillium was bearing down on the Starblade, and the Avatar’s weight and the full power of his flight would not let him escape the fall.
-----Together they plummeted like dead birds until they had reached the height of an ancient redwood, and then Tanin put all of his strength into one forward slash, knocking the Starblade aside and cutting into Aigonis’ shoulder with one motion. The hit sent Aigonis spinning into the ground; Tanin halted, still levitating. Chrysillium’s edge was burning, but the blade did not become dull or degraded.
-----Tanin slowly drifted down onto his feet, watching the crevice that Aigonis’ body had formed when it had landed. He knew that at any moment now that slithering creature could fly out, but a few seconds passed and the Drekis general was no where to be seen.
-----“C’mon, I don’t have all day,” Tanin said, resting Chrysillium over his shoulder. “I know the wound isn’t that bad, if you think…”
-----Shuradou slid into place at Tanin’s right flank. Degrading odors clung to her sword as she reared it and began to swing. There was just enough time for Tanin to swing his hips and draw Chrysillium in front. Shuradou completed her swipe and an ocean of darkness overcame the Avatar; but where Chrysillium was there surfaced a bright light, and none of the darkness would approach it. Shadows wavered and grew around the radiance, bypassing it and pouring out across the land. The ground beneath Tanin’s feet still blew apart, but he levitated and was not bothered by the mounds of rock that were hurled skyward.
-----“Enough!” Tanin yelled. His body could feel a strange pressure, and the presence of some uncanny hand grasping for his throat, but he still commanded his arms and the sword that the dark would not touch. A blaze flowed out from a vertical slash; at first Tanin himself could not see the effect of his attack, but suddenly there appeared a giant tear in the darkness, and he saw Shuradou as if looking at her through a parted sea.
-----“That can’t…” Shuradou gasped, but Tanin was already in front of her, bringing his sword down upon hers.
-----“Spare me the stock dialogue.” Tanin said. Shuradou’s sword held off Chrysillium for five breaths before a large crack ran down the length of the blade. Her grip loosened as a powerful burst of light washed her away; she was quickly disarmed and lost track of where her sword fell, for her body felt paralyzed and numb. Even crashing into the ground gave her no pain. Control of her limbs was gone, and when her tumbling ceased she was stuck on the ground, unsure of what had happened to her.
-----“One down then, but not the one I want!” He looked at the crevice where Aigonis had landed, and there was a figure there, but it was not Zekruel’s.
-----“Grymhet, right? You really should consider quitting while you’re ahead pal. I don’t want to have to take another chunk out of you if I don’t have to.”
-----“I’m grateful to you,” Grymhet responded. “Now I know the full force of your sword; the most formidable weapon I have ever seen, other than Lord Zekruel’s Starblade of course. But now even your light sword is nothing more than a trinket.” His entire body was red now, and though two layers of skin had been broken off his arms and legs were larger, broader than they had been before.
-----Tanin’s head twisted back; a fist had flung out from the left. So, he’s even faster now, he thought. Tanin allowed his body to turn, but he did not fall; instead he spun on his feet and came full circle, swinging Chrysillium as he completed his spin.
-----As expected, Grymhet was there, already preparing to launch a second strike. Chrysillium hit him in the chest and bounced off. Not even a scratch was left behind—his armored skin remained smooth.
-----“That can’t hurt me now. And now I’m even faster than you are.”
-----“You’re fast, I give you that. As fast as I am, I don’t know…maybe, but can you do…” He vanished, leaving behind an afterimage. Then he appeared not too far from his original spot, and there he vanished again, leaving a second afterimage. A third image appeared, then a fourth, fifth, sixth, until seven images of Tanin were in front of the lord minion.
-----Grymhet’s eyes shot back from one image to the next. His attention turned to his surroundings, anticipating an attack from the sides, behind, or above.
-----“…This!” Tanin came head on. The afterimages faded away, and Tanin’s blade struck a dumbfounded Grymhet on his right shoulder, just at the base of his neck. There the blade was repelled by the armor, but Tanin continued to follow through with his strike. An aura of light circled around the blade, continuously hacking away at the armored shell like a chainsaw. Sparks flew out, and Grymhet laughed as he watched the spectacle.
-----“Amusing.” The lord minion reached out with his left hand and grabbed the Avatar by the throat.
-----Tanin pressed harder, the light intensified. Screeching, scratching—horrible sounds of metal chipping away at metal. He pressed harder. The aura brightened. Grymhet’s grasp tightened. Two cracks appeared; Grymhet’s shoulder splintered and the blade slid in. Air burst into Tanin’s lungs; he was released, and as he fell he pulled his sword from the wound. Mounds of Grymhet’s skin came off with the sword as the warrior stumbled back.
-----“What is this?” Grymhet asked, passing a hand over the cleft. “Nothing has ever breached my skin…twice.” He took two steps away from Tanin, and then a shadow flew over him; Aigonis landed in front of him, his Starblade in the form of a hammer with a horned skull for its rear face.
-----“My lord…I could not…”
-----“Get back Grymhet. He doesn’t even want to fight you anymore.”
-----“And you people think I’m persistent,” Tanin said, eyeing the wound that he had given the general. There was a thin green line running down the reptile’s shoulder, but the scar had been filled in with new scales, and even the mark was slowly disappearing. “Regeneration? Should have guessed. Well, since a little scratch won’t do anything to you, I’ll show you something really special.” Then Tanin’s form faded off to the left, but he also faded off to the right; two images of Tanin that took separate paths.
-----More images of the Avatar appeared, blinking in and out of existence around Aigonis, surrounding him and mocking him with their collective smiles. A dozen Tanin’s circled him, but their movements were ghostly and unnatural. At times one would disappear and two others would emerge in another spot, and soon there were so many of the images that they appeared to be spinning.
-----Aigonis’ eyes knew better, he could see that these were pale copies, all afterimages designed to trick him just like the others; but here Tanin was using an ungodly speed in combination, leaving the afterimages behind so quickly that Aigonis could not find the real Tanin among them. Also his sense of the air failed him, and it seemed to him that Tanin was rapidly teleporting, causing a series of riotous blasts in the air; it felt as if the Avatar could be any one of these images—so Aigonis raised his Starblade and began to slice through them.
-----There were sounds like water being spliced and a chill breeze shooting up towards the sky; each afterimage that was cut died off with these sounds, and they disturbed Aigonis even more. Just as he cut through one another would appear, and it became apparent that unless the real Tanin was slain this army of illusions would continue to assault him.
-----“Where are you!?” Aigonis hissed. The Starblade transformed into a double-bladed halberd, and with a quick spin Aigonis slew seven afterimages. He did not know it, but he came dangerously close to severing the real Tanin’s jaw.
-----A few more afterimages appeared around the general; fifteen in all were circling him, raising their weapons and nearing, floating closer. He had to attack now before the imagination of Aigonis Zekruel permitted him to will the Starblade into something that Tanin could not deter.
-----Aigonis’ shoulders sunk down and his head sneaked from side to side, watching the images carefully. He was weary of their motions, and his senses were vastly overloaded. Now the dancing images had become a wall that he could not see through, and they were close enough to breath into his ears. A scaled arm flew out at some of the images, but Tanin was still faster, moving behind the general and cutting his back open. The blood had barely flown from the wound by the time Tanin appeared again in front of Aigonis and ran the tip of Chrysillium through the reptile’s chest.
-----And all of this happened immediately, as if all of the images of Tanin had indeed been real and had made use of their swords. Each strike Tanin made, though consecutive, appeared to strike simultaneously, and the path of Chrysillium could not be seen, though the waves of its cutting motions were clearly visible.
-----The images converged, a light grew out from Aigonis, and there was a deafening sound like the fall of some high tower. Then came a wail, a chorus of apparitions that sang in despair and anger, and there was discord and confusion in the cry. The grounds shook with Tanin’s last hit, and with that passed the last of the great damages that would be done to the fields of Arael, so that now the craters delved deep enough to encompass the largest mansions of the city. Dust clouds raised across the battleground, but where Aigonis had been standing it was cloudless. Smiling images were gone, but Tanin—the real Tanin—was there, heaving in bundles of air while barely holding onto his shining sword.
-----Aigonis was above him, dead looking and falling down to the earth without word. His body crashed, and it was marked everywhere with bubbling scars that festered with a green liquid; a foul aura shot out of his broken scales, and though it smelled dead there was something in that aura that reeked of life, or at least of some will behind it.
-----The cuts were countless, and his arms were hanging on by threads, but even these wounds came to pass. As he laid there, seemingly dead or unconscious, the gashes shrank down and new scales began to spread out from the old ones.
-----Aigonis had survived the greatest of Tanin’s attacks, the Aura Strike, and if there was one thing more impressive than avoiding the Aura Strike, it would be suffering its full blow and living to tell the tale.
-----“Even after the Aura Strike?” Tanin wondered. “You’re tougher than I thought; whatever you lack in strength you make up for in longevity, and I suppose that is the true gift your master has given you through your link with Chaos.” He took in several deep breaths, slowly regaining a strong hold on his sword.
-----When he turned to the grounded general he was confronted with Grymhet, the lord minion whose armored skin was endless. Even now there was a smile breaking across the brutes face. His armor was still cracked and splintered, his neck still vulnerable—but beneath it all was another layer of armor, shining through the current shell with a gleam of gold.
-----“How many of your bodies am I going to have to chip away?” Tanin asked, shaking his head. Shuradou also landed in front of him, standing side by side with Grymhet. Her sword was retrieved; its blade was still marred, though all of its power was still there.
-----At last Aigonis spoke, “You’re running out of options,” the voice gurgled weakly, but as he continued on the words gained strength. He was still lying on the ground, wings sprawled out; the cuts had been healed, but the damage to his spirit was a heavy burden; regeneration or no, Tanin was certain that he had dealt a heavy blow to the general. He would be a weaker opponent now, but Grymhet and Shuradou realized this, and they were more resolute, seeking to protect their master.
-----Tanin was somewhat moved by their actions, for in the past he had witnessed many masters and servants of evil destroy one another at the first sign of weakness, but here there was an unspoken loyalty, and even Aigonis himself openly relied on his two Lord Minions to carry out his will when he could not do it himself.
-----These foes at least understood teamwork, and this was both a sign of hope and of terror, for they were not evil in the traditional sense, and instead they were perhaps a coalition of good or natural qualities that had been warped, led astray by something that took friendship and fealty and turned it into something perverse. To Tanin this meant that his foes were not fully shrouded in darkness—and he should have expected this from the forces of Chaos—but it was also a sign that his enemies did not share the same kinds of weaknesses that many of the other villains who had walked across the boundless lands of Khazan possessed. For the first time since the war began, Tanin realized that his foes would not falter before the light as darkness often did, and even if they did not have the power that his archrival Kaas wielded, they could certainly match his resolution and tenacity.
-----With this thought Tanin vanished, leaving no afterimage behind, and in the distance his voice echoed, saying, “I leave Arael to you now, for you have conquered it as you planned; but I do not give it to you willingly, and I know that Vincentzo has already decreed that he will see this city revenged, and I pledge to help his new vow be fulfilled. It was a lot of fun while it lasted, and I could fight you even more here today, but I realize now that this battleground has become pointless…so I will fight you again on a day that is right, when there is again something for me to defend, to keep out of your reach.”
-----His voice was gone; he was no where.
-----“He ran away?” Shuradou said.
-----“No,” Grymhet replied. “He was a foe that was beyond us, at least at the moment, but I take it he has a duty to the people that flee to the East and to the south.”
-----“Indeed,” Aigonis hissed as he lifted himself up. He was bent over, using the Starblade as a Cain. “It is no mystery where he flew off to. He is heading for the young wizard. How generous he is to offer me this city, but does he think me a fool? Arael was already mine before our duel started; he knew he could not protect it…but he thinks that he can protect the fleeing survivors, and so we shall crush that hope as well. You two will go; use all the power that you have left, and take with you the dark swarms of bio-fighters and a legion of our victorious minions. Overtake them all, and when you fight the Avatar spare nothing, attack him with every bio-fighter at once if necessary.”

-----A soft array of lights fell on the center of the metal room, illuminating the containment area where Maria Halesinger sat. Outside of this area she could see nothing, for the room was both dark and empty. Apparently her captors deemed her to be too dangerous to put in any holding cells that neighbored other incarcerated criminals. Her jail was a chamber of solitude.
-----She sat motionless near the center of the cell, slumped over slightly with her arms crossed and her feathered wings dragging over the cold floor. From there she traced the lines of the neon green circle that surrounded her, the line that designated the barrier field. Every once and a while a bright pulse would flow through the line, and her eyes would follow its revolution until it disappeared; it was the only thing that she had done for the last five hours. She didn’t even bother to think. Thinking was a dangerous thing in this place.
-----A hiss sounded—the opening of a door. The lights intensified slightly, just outside of the green line she spotted a slender man in a white coat standing there. He was shrouded in shadow, but still visible to her keen eyes while he stood so close to the shield. A wave of platinum hair fell over his face, stopping just short of his glowing azure eyes.
-----“You again?” Maria lowered her shoulders, bent her knees in. “What do you want? Leave me alone.”
-----“I can’t do that,” the man replied. “I’m not satisfied with what you’ve given me yet.”
-----“You won’t get anything else.”
-----“Have you thought about your situation Ms. Halesinger? Few people aspire to spend the rest of their lives in a Sentinels holding cell. If you were a little more…cooperative, we might be able to arrange something.”
-----“How naïve do you think I am? As if the SLJ would let me go just for supplying you with some information.”
-----“You’d certainly make my job easier. I don’t want to have to brain dive again if I don’t have to. But then again, if you continue to be this stubborn…”
-----“You can torture me if you want.”
-----The man put his hands in his coat pockets. “I don’t know what your people do with prisoners, but in the SLJ we like to think of ourselves as being above torture. After all, you’ve seen for yourself that we have other methods of extracting information without having to resort to such extremes; although I have to admit you’ve been unusually…difficult.”
-----Maria’s head sank between her folded arms. “I’m not saying anything! Do your brain dive if you want.”
-----“You know when they brought you here I was absolutely thrilled about the opportunity to know more about our elusive enemy. Sad to say…I’m quite disappointed to discover that you know very little about the master that you’ve apparently pledged your undying loyalty to. Now that’s what I call unconditional…”
-----“You don’t understand anything!” Maria shouted.
-----The man smiled. “I did get a few names out of that pretty little head of yours.” He began to walk around the perimeter of the shield, staring at her out of the corners of his eyes. “Like Gellen, for instance. Who is Gellen, Ms. Halesinger? Is he another like you? A friend? Is he close to Drekis?”
-----Maria stared at the floor.
-----“Or how about…Skye.”
-----Her wings shifted across the floor and her hands tightened around her chest.
-----“That name burst out with quite a lot of voracity in your mind. Do you know what that means? Well, in my experience…means that that name is something precious to you, or more likely that a certain someone associated with the name is precious to you. You have some kind of lover Ms. Halesinger?”
-----“This is all pointless.” Her voice was strained and hoarse.
-----“Maria what I want to know about is the structure of your organization, your Empire, or whatever it is you call it. Clearly you’re not a general. All the same you’re not like one of those lurching things you call deminites now are you? Certainly not. So just what are you then? Where do you fit in? Are there others like you?”
-----The man walked completed a full lap around the circle when the door opened. A second figure, slightly shorter than the man, entered the prison chamber. The questioner immediately drew his hands from his coat and saluted the woman.
-----“I wasn’t expecting a visit from you Mrs. Vice President.”
-----“Pay it no mind Shinon,” Elwin said. “I came to see if we’ve made any progress with my would-be assassin.”
-----A large, bulky man soon followed in after Elwin. Maria recognized this man as Supercomrade, one of the heroes who had fought to protect the Vice-President from her.
-----“What I’ve managed to get out of her, sad to say, will be of little use to you.” Shinon reported.
-----Supercomrade approached the barrier and gave Maria a hard look. “You’re one of our best telepaths Shinon. It surprises me that a little girl like her would give you a hard time.”
-----Shinon laughed. “Well, from what little I have been able to garner, I’d say she’s definitely not a little girl. Thousands of years of history is spinning around inside that woman’s head.”
-----“Nothing about Drekis then?” Elwin asked.
-----“Surprisingly it appears that she barely knows Drekis at all. I’ve questioned her about a few names that I did get during my brain dive, but…”
-----“But?”
-----“Well, her mind isn’t completely shielded, but it is under some sort of protection. Telepathic will alone won’t break though it. Furthermore she’s quite the diligent fellow; barely had a straight thought since she’s been in here. She hasn’t had any immediate thoughts about the Drekis Empire, so I haven’t been able to extract anything from that source either. Sorry.”
-----“So what do we do with her?” Supercomrade broke in. “Do we just leave her in this cell? That seems like a waste; maybe you should try one of your concentrated braid dives comrade.”
-----“Wouldn’t that be akin to torture?” Elwin said, placing her hands on her hips as she approached the barrier.
-----“Yes it would certainly be more painful than a normal brain dive,” Shinon admitted, “although I assure you nothing fatal in the least.”
-----“It could be worth it Lady D’Larthi,” Supercomrade whispered. “This woman tried to assassinate you in the open; we should do everything we can to find out what the enemy is planning—for your safety as well as for the rest of us.”
-----“I’d rather not attempt a concentrated dive,” Shinon shrugged. “During the dive I detected a link between her mind and another. It’s likely that her original role was that of a spy, feeding information from her location directly to another individual. A concentrated dive might expose me directly to this other person and anyone else around that person. Besides, I’m not entirely convinced that the assassination attempt was an order from Drekis.”
-----“But you said you couldn’t get past her mental defenses,” Supercomrade reminded him. “What is this based on?”
-----“Experience, what else,” Shinon ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve dived into thousands of brains my friend; at least enough times to make a diagnosis on what certain thought patterns mean. I may not have extracted much, but her thoughts on the assassination attempt reek of free choice.”
-----“You’re saying it was her idea to begin with?” Elwin asked.
-----Shinon nodded. “Our little captive over there has also given me proof that the enemy isn’t comprised of blood thirsty destroyers like some of us had assumed. Their organization is rife with people with their own free will, their own moral judgments. Though I…wasn’t able to get her to tell me how many of these people exist or how high they rank in their Empire.”
-----“But that does mean that they have reasons for their actions.” Elwin said. “They’re rational beings—maybe even people that we can reason with.”
-----A short chuckle sounded within the cell. Maria lifted her head just enough so that she could look into Elwin’s eyes. “You won’t be able to reason with Drekis. He’s far beyond reasoning now. Just how rational do you expect an Avatar of Chaos to be?”
-----“If I’m not mistaken,” Elwin replied, “you sound a little disappointed about that.”
-----Maria looked away. “None of this matters. While I sit here the war will still go on. I’ll let its outcome decide my fate.”
-----Elwin stared at her for a few moments, then turned towards the door. “Let’s leave her be for now.”
-----“Very well,” Supercomrade said. He and Shinon followed the Vice-President out of the chamber.
-----“It’s true what you said,” Shinon stated when they cleared the room, “the girl is full of conflicted emotions. Yet she is resolute, a strong soul. You may never get what you want from her. She’ll sit here in that cell, either till the end of time or until Drekis brings this building down.”
-----“Well I have to see that the latter never comes to pass.” Elwin exclaimed. “As we speak I’m scheduled to have another conference with the GDF Captain regarding the recent engagement in orbit.”
-----“The Star of Khazan was almost attacked,” Supercomrade summarized. “And the Dollarcorp fleet may have taken heavy casualties. All from an enemy that was completely unseen until the attacks began.”
-----“Khazan isn’t safe anymore,” Elwin continued. “Not above, not below. I won’t stand for the nexus to be a place of terror. Drastic measures may have to be taken.”
-----“Your husband isn’t thinking of doing that again is he?” Shinon groaned.
-----“That all depends on the nature of the news we receive from Uberman’s team.”

-----Regulous Morikai side-stepped through the rubble and ruin of Rugudelon, slowly advancing towards the mass of collected towers and building walls. Although he had often heard of Shadow Wing being a humorless man, he found it rather amusing that the elusive general had chosen to build his fortress from the leftover wreckage of the city instead of constructing a dark tower as Avalon had done in New Xaelis. Then again, Rugudelon was only a stepping stone in Shadow Wing’s march towards Axia; this heap of debris was only a temporary base at best.
-----Shadow Wing had not been the one to bring Rugudelon down. Everywhere Regulous looked there were the footprints and claw marks that marked the path of Aigonis Zekruel’s army. They had long passed into Arael, leaving the conquered Xaelon city at the mercy of any straggler who came across it.
-----Now Shadow Wing’s forces surrounded the area, and a large delegation awaited Regulous outside of the base. They forged a perfectly sized path for him to walk through; deminites and reptillons stood side by side in a line while ptera-deminites sprang from perch to perch above.
-----The entrance was a collection of pillars that leaned against one another, forming a triangular doorway. Inside the base were four small towers with burning fires at their peak, and just ahead of these structures was a mass of stones set about to create a stairway. At the top was a modest chair, perhaps a recliner that had been pillaged from the remains of the city; there Shadow Wing sat, leaning over to his left, wings drooped over the arm rests, his head resting on his fist.
-----Regulous stepped between the pillars and kneeled at the base of the steps. “I am Regulous Morikai. As ordered, I have arrived to be of service to you.”
-----“I know who you are.” The general said plainly. “Spare me the formalities, Regulous.”
-----“Of course.” Regulous bowed his head and awaited his assignment. Shadow Wing was a stern man; his reputation for treating his servants with utter disdain had become a fervent rumor in the chaos empire; but Regulous was expecting a rigorous experience. Where he had failed to meet the high expectations of Avalon, Regulous was certain that by proving his strength in spite of Shadow Wing’s cruelty, he could quickly ascend the ranks of his favor. Unfortunately, he knew nothing of Shadow Wing’s disciple and advocate, the two minions who filled the position that he had so long desired. Kalia and Korruptus were no longer his competitors; now he would deal with new impediments.
-----Shadow Wing was tall and slender, much like Regulous himself, but he had the eternal chisel of youth in his face, and his skin was smooth and glossy, for it was akin to armor from head to toe. Most of his body was a dark violet, but as it extended out into his limbs his armor darkened, almost to the point of being pitch black. His armored skin even extended above his pale, off-white face, covering his hair from sight as if he wore a constant helm. Enormous wings fell from his shoulders, covered with armor plating on their backside and layered with a long talon blade that extended from the end of each wing. It was well known that Shadow Wing was not the strongest of the generals; in fact, it was possible that he was the weakest of their kind; still, none could doubt that he was the cruelest, most heartless of Drekis’ servants, and that allowed for a lethal nature that made him deadly all the same.
----- “So Regulous, I see that Avalon decided to dump you into my care.” Shadow Wing smiled. “Apparently you were not of much use to him in Xaelon. So it makes me wonder—just how much use will you be to me in the coming days?”
-----Regulous slowly drilled his right fist into the dirt. “With all due respect my lord, given the circumstances in Xael…”
-----“I don’t want excuses or explanations of what happened here. This State-Kingdom does not concern me! It is Avalon’s territory now. My task is a more difficult one, a more…enjoyable task.”
-----“Axia.” Regulous finished.
-----“Indeed. And what kind of service can you offer my army in Axia?”
-----Regulous stood and drew his sword. Streams of orange from the flames caressed the metal. “I give you my sword, and my word of loyalty to you. I can fight, and kill any enemies that stand before our army. Of this I cannot, of course, offer you any proof, save to prove myself in battle.”
-----“Is that so?” Shadow Wing said. “I’m not quite convinced of that.” His finger snapped, and at once two more figures appeared out of the dark, standing on the first few steps so that they could look down at Morikai.
-----The man on the left was a muscular, broad shouldered creature with sharp teeth, jagged eyes, and pointed ears. He had a wide, hardened skull and his skin was a deep red. Black armor with spikes running down the sides of the limbs adorned his body, and across his back laid a sheathed broadsword.
-----To the right was an older gentleman, bent over at the hips with a wooden cane that was holding his feeble body up. His face was shielded by wrinkles and a grey beard that dropped down to his chest. On his left shoulder sat a little creature that swerved its head and blinked its eyes as it looked at Morikai. It strangely resembled a dragon, but was no bigger than a house cat.
-----“I’m sure you’ve guessed already,” Shadow Wing started. “The man to your left is my Disciple, Stalker. The one to your right is my Advocate, Ecar Solstice.”
-----“Pleased to meet you,” Regulous uttered.
-----“Yes, charmed I’m sure. The pleasure is all ours.” Stalker replied. He traversed the remaining steps in one leap and stood before Morikai. Ecar stood behind, leaning on his cane.
-----“What do you want from me?” Regulous said, glaring at Stalker and then turning his attention to Shadow Wing.
-----“You’re some kind of swordsman then?” Stalker questioned, tilting his head.
-----“That some kind of rhetorical question?”
-----Stalker laughed. “Good, good. You’ve got a calm head on your shoulders. Now we’ll see if your reflexes are as good as your wit old man.” With one hand he drew his sword—a rather ordinary broad sword, but any blade was a deadly weapon when held by a true master of the art.
-----Regulous brushed a hand under his chin. “You criticize my looks when your companion over there barely stands?”
-----“Ecar’s talents don’t require much physical prowess.” Stalker said. He took several steps forward and Regulous took several back. Soon the two of them were standing in the middle of the four pillars.
-----“So this was your intention all along,” Regulous said to Shadow Wing. “Very well, I will prove my skill here and now if I must.”
-----“Every moment you spend in our master’s presence you will have to prove yourself!” Stalker unleashed a quick, basic overhead strike. Regulous parried the blow, but the force carried through and nearly knocked him off of his feet. Just as he regained his balance Stalker was coming at him from the right. Morikai shifted his feet appropriately, bringing his sword up at he turned. Most opponents would expect him to block the second strike, but Morikai had every intention of going on the offensive. If he could defeat Shadow Wing’s disciple, then maybe…
-----Stalker’s feet skid through the dirt; Regulous’ gleaming sword fell on his target, but Stalker had vanished. The blade hit the ground and an explosion rocked the fortress. Loose pieces of debris rattled and fell from the roof. A large crater now occupied the space where Regulous’ sword had fallen, but he had never felt the weapon make contact with flesh or armor.
-----“Slow.” A voice whispered behind him.
-----Regulous spun around, waving his sword with both arms and swinging it in the direction of the voice. He was greeted with nothing on the other side, and his sword passed through thin air. A soft thud sounded behind him.
----- Stalker was there, a devilish grin breaking across his face. Confidence was flashing across his eyes, inspiring a sudden dread in Regulous’ soul. You cannot win! That terrifying statement passed straight from his glare to Morikai’s mind.
-----“Stop toying with me!” Regulous demanded. He swung around, using both hips and legs to accelerate his turn; but Stalker was already in position, ready to release the killing stroke.
-----There was a shrill clang and a burst of sparks. The fires atop the pillars blew out. Regulous fell to the ground. His armor was nicked at the shoulder; his sword lay twenty feet away, its tip pointed into the ground. At the last moment he had brought his sword about and blocked the attack, but just enough to spare his life for the moment.
-----“An impressive move,” Stalker admitted. “But you lost your sword. That’s no different than defeat.” He moved his sword behind his back again and calmly walked away. As he approached the make-shift throne Shadow Wing stood and openly clapped. The pillars were once again lit.
-----“A good performance. About what I would expect from someone of your—caliber.” Shadow Wing said.
-----Regulous sat up and eyed the general, but just as he caught sight of him he was gone. Then again he appeared, only this time he was directly in front of Morikai, close enough to reach out and touch him. Morikai could barely believe what he had just seen; or rather, what he had not seen. Regulous possessed highly advanced senses—sight, hearing, and smell that could even track an opponent moving at supersonic speeds. Stalker had simply been too fast for him, but at the very least he had been able to track his movements. With Shadow Wing he had seen nothing, sensed nothing. Even teleportation left behind a certain change in the air currents, but this—this was something otherworldly. Something he had never experienced before.
-----“Rumors circulate through the Empire that you aspire to be amongst the greatest of our legions.” Shadow Wing said, staring straight into Regulous' eyes. “A great aspiration indeed. Although, it takes more than determination and an impressionable service record to become a disciple for a general.”
-----Regulous could hear Stalker snickering in the distance.
-----“You witnessed first hand the kind of power a disciple wields.” Shadow Wing continued. “I will take your pledge of loyalty, and use your sword as a weapon on the frontlines against Axia. But if you desire to take your place by my side, you must first become at least as strong as those two.”
-----Frustration swelled up inside of Regulous, but as he looked into Shadow Wings eyes his fury was quelled, replaced with caution. Like all generals of the Drekis Empire, Shadow Wing’s eyes reflected a kind of stern power that inspired loyalty both out of fear and respect.
-----“I understand.” Morikai sheathed his sword and bowed once more. “My sword is yours.”
-----“Excellent.” By the time Morikai looked up Shadow Wing was sitting in the recliner. “Take this opportunity to rest from your long journey here. Tonight we break for the Arael city called Rogue, which has already taken heavy casualties from Zekruel’s armies. From there we pass into Axia. Our first target is Alpath.

-----Aliana weaved her fingers around one another as she sat in the chair next to her mother’s throne, watching the main doors with tireless eyes. Her foot lightly tapped the floor.
-----“I know this is frustrating for you.” Amanda said. She was cross-legged on her throne, impassively gazing at the elaborate paintings that decorated the throne room ceiling. “All the power that you possess, and you’re back here playing the game of politics.”
-----Aliana pinched her mouth several times and then shook her head. Her hair was dirty, unwashed, and had become a darker blue. “Waiting is the worst of all. I may be the princess, but Axia can still function without me. If you stayed on the throne, and I was to go…”
-----“You know that wouldn’t work.”
-----“I can’t kill him, but I could help Tim.”
-----“Not with the way things turned out.” Amanda sunk into her throne, her shoulders barely holding her body up. “So blind…I should have prepared for this. Hundreds of years planning for this day, and it turns out I need more time. I feel insulted.”
-----“Did you know that Drekis could do this?”
-----Amanda rested her hands behind her head and looked at a particular image in the lower left corner of the roof. “I suppose I knew that it wasn’t outside of his ability. Maybe it was just bad timing.”
-----“So now I have to put my faith in that lady from Evangeles.” Aliana said.
-----“We can still play a part in this,” Amanda consoled. “You can still feel it can’t you?”
-----Aliana looked at her mother out of the corner of her eyes.
-----“You can feel the battle…his battle,” Amanda elaborated. “It’s almost like you can picture it so clearly in your head. You can even see him—him and all the absurd power that surrounds him.”
-----Aliana nodded. Her eyes became wet as she held her head down, but she refused to cry.
-----“It’s painful isn’t it? I’m so sorry Aliana.”
-----The doors burst open as Eric Melazai strolled in. Two guards hurriedly shut the door behind him. “I came as ordered,” he said casually. His footsteps echoed throughout the chamber while he approached the throne.
-----“What news do we have from Khazan City?” Amanda asked.
-----Eric looked off to the side. “Nothing good, as has been the case in the last few days. ‘Guess there’s been some kind of fire fight up in space, the GDF are involved and everything. It’s a mess. And the Fallen Island has been approaching Khazan City for a while now, but now they’ve confirmed from recent satellite images and scans that a major battle is going on there.”
-----“Drekis is there.” Aliana added. “That’s why we’ve been backed into such a corner now.”
-----“Listen Eric, we don’t have much time,” Amanda said. “I need you to send a message, or better yet, a messenger who can serve as backup. They need to meet with the mecha-nized force that helped Uberman’s team infiltrate the caves. Tell them to standby for instructions for a rescue mission.”
-----“A rescue operation?” Eric coughed up the response. “We’d have to send most of Axia’s own military to succeed with that. And we can’t spare much; we’re expecting full scale battle to start in Northern Axia in the next few days. I can’t imagine one mecha-nized division successfully taking that base, and there’s no way we can send the mechs through the tight spaces of the endless caves.”
-----“This is going to involve some rather complicated teamwork,” The queen explained. “Just send the messenger and have them standby for further instructions. After that I just need one more thing. Please bring Maya here.”
-----“Maya? What do you need her for?”
-----“Just do it!” Amanda snapped back.
-----Eric stiffened. “Yes my Queen…right away.” He rushed out of the throne room; the door closed with a boom when he left.
-----“Poor guy…he’s just as frustrated as the rest of us right now,” Amanda said.
-----“Will this really work?” Aliana wondered. “Can we really save them?”
-----“I know your connection with him is painful, but it can also be out saving grace. You can feel his life; you know that he’s still alive. If we combine your connection with Maya’s skills, and if we have the Avatar of Light on our side, then we just might—have a chance.”

-----Ravished, blood-dried carcasses steadily rose to their feet, a pale gleam shooting out of their eyes. They walked on their feet like the living, but their skin was colorless, rotting, dead. Those who had once called themselves Fallen now surrounded Attragon, salivating as they stared at Dreiden like starving hyenas.
-----The land around them was charred black and thick with ash. Pockets of flame still burned brightly at every few paces, sending heaps of smoke across the battlefield. By now Attragon and Dreiden Adonis were alone, save for the unsavory undead that the Drekis general had summoned. Most of the barriers protecting the Fallen Tower had fallen, and the battles had appropriately moved closer to the obsidian structure. The audience that had watched these two combatants had grown weary of the endless struggle, and so both Fallen and deminite alike had departed for the war zone.
-----Dreiden himself was tired of the battle. So far the war mongering general had displayed nothing that could be a credible threat to him, and he was not very impressed with this latest showing of necromancy. Conversely, everything he had done to Attragon had failed to permanently slay the armored beast. In the back of his mind, he began to fear that Attragon was truly immortal.
-----Still his face was unchanging, his stance unwavering. Attragon, standing there with a burning axe of fire in each hand, seemed pleased by his opponent’s resolve.
-----“This will be a fitting conclusion,” Attragon’s voice boomed and was followed by short laughter. “My spirits have possessed the dead bodies of your Fallen comrades, and so they now have at their command all of the powers they once used against my people. In life they were mortally afraid of you, the great Fallen legend. But my spirits do not know fear, only hatred and disdain for the living. Those who were too afraid to lift a finger against you will be your undoing.”
-----A smile broke across Dreiden’s face. As if startled into action by that remark, the possessed Fallen charged and leapt forward. A trio of their lot jumped high about the others, landing a few feet away from Dreiden, brandishing claw, sword, and spear.
-----“You think weakling Fallen who died in battle against your demons are a threat to me?” Dreiden stepped away from the first sword swipe and lashed out with a knife hand, cutting the corpse’s throat open. Blood and wisps of light spilled out from the gash as the animated body staggered, spat out a high-pitched shriek, and then collapsed inwards while a ghostly visage crawled out and dissipated.
-----“It is not my concern if these people feared me,” Adonis continued. The spear-wielder slid behind him and thrust out his weapon. Dreiden twisted his hips and brought his hand around, smashing the blade with a backhand that snapped the weapon-head off. Dreiden’s hand flowed into its next move, grasping the neck of the disarmed foe before he could react. “If they were ever afraid of me…then it was for good reason!” He threw the gaggling body into the path of the clawed-one’s attack. The claws ripped through the torso of the body and were stuck, leaving the third opponent defenseless as Dreiden pulled up a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. The clawed-one’s face flattened; blood spouted from the top of his head and a faded light shot out of his ears like steam.
-----As soon as the two of them fell silent, a group of twelve more animated corpses surrounded him. This time they assaulted him from energy beams and fire balls, ice blasts and disintegration rays. The full might of the collective fallen was used against him, but Adonis weaved and dodged away from these attacks; those that hit him were brushed away and did little more than chip away at his clothing. In seconds he closed the distance, moving straight into his nearest opponents and cutting their bellies open with a single swipe.
-----Three of the creatures fell dead, and six more jumped in from behind, hoping to catch him off guard; but every last one of them was far too slow. They launched their attacks simultaneously, but still Adonis flexed and bent himself away from their fists, moved in and out of their gunfire and projectiles. Two seconds later he had spun around, coming full circle to gaze at Attragon. His left arm was held out, fingers extended, blood dripping from his nails. The collective heads of the six bodies fell off, and their bodies soon followed.
-----There were still three more bridging the gap between him and Attragon. They raised their weapons: a machine gun, a rune staff, and spears formed from diamond. Having seen what Adonis could do in melee combat, the three kept their distance and attacked. Bullets spilled into Adonis’ chest, knocking him back slightly, but the projectiles failed to penetrate his skin. They bounced off, leaving little more than bruises and a grimace that soon developed into a soul splintering scowl. Next the rune staff fired a green blast of energy; it was a magic spell, designed to burn away the flesh of its target with even a leakage of the beam. Yet somehow the beam failed to affect Dreiden; it struck his chest, pushing him back until he suddenly began to walk forward, defying the might of the spell. A hole burned through his clothing, and it was clear that an area of his skin was turning bright red; however, nothing came of it by the time the spell fizzled out.
-----Diamond spears were raised into the air and dropped down at the command of their maker. Adonis waved his hand; a pulse sounded in the air and the diamonds shattered. The explosion sent crystal shards in every direction. As the rain of diamonds came down upon them, Dreiden pointed his left arm at the remaining corpses and transformed his fingers into blades. Each digit extended rapidly, shooting out like arrows and piercing the three possessed Fallen. The fingers pulled out as quickly as they had jetted forward, leaving the Fallen dead where they stood.
----->“It would have been easier if you had just let them kill you,” Attragon groaned. The fires in his hand intensified, and just as Dreiden’s fingers were returning to normal he reeled back and then fell forward with a thrust of his right arm. He released his axe, casting it out as a fire ball that spun around wildly.
-----It was too late to dodge the attack; Adonis braced himself and punched at the fireball head on. Streaks of flame broke off of his fist and flew behind him.
-----“A bold move,” Attragon commented. “But foolish.”
-----Dreiden’s sleeve burnt away, and lines of blood abruptly burst out of his arm.
-----“You appear to be losing your touch.” Attragon said, forming another axe in his right hand. He raised his arms as if to launch another blast, but Dreiden glared at his opponent, and in the next instant Attragon’s right arm blew apart. The explosion knocked Attragon to the side. “Damn you!”
-----Dreiden saw the Drekis general motion with his left arm. He was going to release a quick attack. Adonis’ eyes flared up; his focus bent down on his enemies left arm. A tumultuous explosion splintered the armor around Attragon’s limb, and so he was disarmed both figuratively and literally. Adonis roared loudly, put all of his attention onto a single spot. It was the kind of raw, emotional outrage that he had yet to display in this fight. An entire region of Attragon’s stomach and chest exploded, bursting out from within and sending the warrior flying backwards. He fell onto his back, armless and with a gaping hole in his cuirass. There he lay motionless for a while; the smoke of the battlefield slowly began to cover his body.
-----Adonis stood and cradled his arm for a few moments. He was already aware that the battle wasn’t over. If he could finish Attragon off just like that, then he would have done so a long time ago.
-----As expected, a shrill, echoing laugh steamed out of the armored body. The hole in his chest filled in with new plates of armor, and as he sat up his arms began to reform.
-----Dreiden wiped the blood from his arm away. “This is going no where.”
-----“Indeed,” Attragon agreed. He stood and dusted his armor off as if he had merely tripped. “We are running in circles aren’t we? But I am constantly feeding on your bloodlust and your vigor. I’m getting stronger every minute, while exhaustion and accumulated wounds are taking your strength away.”
-----“I’ve killed fifty Sentinels in a single day!” Adonis boasted. “You’ve barely seen what I’m capable of.”
-----“Good! Then I expect to become even stronger! But even I am getting tired of this lingering standstill. Let’s try something a little different, increase the odds a little.” The ground shook as white wisps circled around Attragon’s body, separating into individual strands of ghostly energy. The strands grew out and took humanoid form, creating the same phantom soldiers that Attragon had summoned before.
-----“This is something different?” Adonis spat out. “Your accursed spirits again?”
-----“Go!” Attragon shouted, and the spirits took off, flailing into the air almost at random before burying themselves into the corpse of a Fallen. Soon there were more animated corpses standing around the Drekis general, at least twenty in all.
-----“More old tricks.”
-----“No, not quite.” Attragon snickered. A flashing red light surrounded his armor; it seemed to flow upwards from his body, rising into the air and piercing the clouds. Then the blazing light was repeated in the eyes of living dead. The bodies of the Fallen began to glow and bolts of red lightning cracked across their shoulders. “I can intensify the hatred and power of my spirits. And if they happen to be possessing a body—it increases the powers of that body as well!”
-----Menacing growls came from the berserk corpses. Their muscles bulged and convulsed until they were twice the size that they were before. Foam fell off of their lower lip; a soft light shot out of their pupils, so that Dreiden could actually see their hatred centering on him.
-----With their feet shifting a few inches forward at a time, the empowered corpses crept towards Dreiden; their eyes illuminated every inch of Dreiden’s body, quickly tracing any movements that he made.
-----“Your servants certainly show a lot of caution for things that aren’t supposed to have fear.” Adonis commented.
-----The corpses sneered, then spread themselves out into a blockade that shielded Attragon from Dreiden’s view. As if psychically linked they all lashed out in unison. Unique ranged attacks engulfed Adonis; blasts of every shape and size, of every element and form, crashed around him.
-----Attragon clasped his hands behind his back and watched the display go on for thirty seconds. Then he held one fist up in the air and yelled, “Enough!” The enraged phantoms ceased; they now stood idly, dragging their arms below their waste and moaning quietly.
-----Circles of smoke rose up from the blast center, slowly fading away into a deep brown and then a pale grey. Soon it disappeared altogether, and the image of Adonis appeared, shirtless, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Somehow, Attragon wasn’t surprised.
-----Adonis uncrossed his arms. Blood was flowing down from his left shoulder, and there were fresh scars and gouges all over his body.
-----“Again!” Attragon ordered. “Don’t stop until you’re sure he’s dead!”
-----Another shower of beams and projectiles struck the ground where Dreiden stood, but Adonis sprinted out of the rising smoke, running full speed with his arms trailing behind him. An orange tint lit up the edges of his irises.
-----The phantom warriors encircled and huddled around him, but they could barely keep pace with the Fallen legend. Just when they had thought that they had cut him off, Dreiden lunged into the air and landed in the middle of the group. There he began to wildly spin and dodge; his arms flashed out, launching several strikes in a single second. Both hands casually flowed from one target to the next, and his feet too would catch opponents with an unexpected kick.
-----Arms, legs, and every imaginable body part went flying from the corpses. Their light faded, their hatred disappeared. A small group tried to flank Adonis, but with a wave of his hand they exploded. At the same time Dreiden held his hand out towards the enemies on his opposite flank. They stopped in their tracks, helplessly grasped at their throats as they were lifted up, and then they exploded in mid-air.
-----The only remaining phantoms were now standing in front of him, and they were slowly backing away. Even those without fear dreaded the opportunity to fight with Dreiden Adonis. He glared in their direction, and like all of the others they burst apart.
-----Then, from out of the smoke that was left in their wake, Attragon lunged forward, a heavy axe of fire raised above his head. Adonis barely saw the approach; he jumped away, avoiding the axe itself, but when the weapon of flames hit the ground it loosed a massive fire blast. Adonis was caught up in the flames; his face was scorched and his body felt a sharp impact that carried through all the way to his spine.
-----When he opened his eyes again he could see a faint trail of images, each one a fading picture of the Drekis general. On instinct alone he deduced the angle of attack and ducked down to avoid a swing from the side. Attragon continued his savage assault, swiping over and over with great speed.
-----Attragon’s supposed ability to feed off of his opponent’s strength and grow more powerful was no lie. Already now he was much faster, and Dreiden was having trouble finding the time to launch a counterattack. Now he was on the defensive, dodging and ducking aside while his enemy pressed forward.
-----There were no other options left to him; all that was left was a desperate strike. He watched and waited for the right moment, and then he seized it! The Drekis general lifted both hands above his head, preparing for a double slice with his axes. Only a split second would determine success or defeat. At the first sign of this opening Dreiden whipped his right arm out and extended it, so that like a snake it wreathed and slithered forward. His hardened fist smashed deep into Attragon’s chest plate, and instead of pulling his arm back in, he allowed the rest of his body to be pulled towards the fist…towards Attragon.
-----The Drekis General acted quickly, but before his axes could complete their fall, the rapidly closing Adonis waved his other arm and detonated both of Attragon’s limbs. In the next instant they were face to face; Dreiden buried his other arm in the warrior’s chest, and together with both arms he widened the gap until he could fit his head and shoulders in. There his bladed fingers cut into the discolored flesh that was behind the plating. He dug into his enemy’s gut, burrowed almost half of his own body into it, and with one island-shaking scream, unleashed an explosion deep within.

-----Arael’s transport carriers trudged across the rocky valleys that marked the border of Araelis and Zel’Mier. The last of the survivors of the battle for Maiinverno’s capital sat clumped together inside, their weapons hanging over their shoulders. Mud, sweat, and blood stained their faces, and few of them bothered to hold their heads up; those that did were forced to look out the windows and see the burning lands that they were forced to leave behind.
-----Many of the survivors were soldiers, people who had come from all corners of Khazan to try and make a difference; but there were still many others, civilians and fighters alike, who had called Arael their home. Now it was all gone.
-----Maiinverno could sense the depression in the air, and it made him sick to his stomach. Still, there was somehow a sense of relief as they made some distance from the battlefield. Was it wrong to feel that way after everything these people had worked so hard to accomplish had been smashed aside? Vincentzo leaned over the railing that outlined the roof of his transport; he could see the last few patches of trees that established Arael’s territory.
-----Woose quickly ascended the ladder that led to the transport roof and joined Maiinverno there. He rested one hand on the railing while shielding his eyes from the sun with the other. Gazing into the distance, he softly asked, “Are you alright?”
-----“Of course I’m alright. I’m alive aren’t I?” Mainverno mumbled.
-----“The Falcon River is in sight. We’re heading into Zel’Mier a little bit; water is shallower further south; the vehicles should be able to cross it there. Then we can go north to Axia Prime…if that’s still the plan.”
-----“It’s all we can do right now. Safety of my people is top priority. Besides, I need a base of operations. If I’m going to take Arael back, I’m going to need a place to regroup, make some plans—something.”
-----Woose looked back at Arael, but all he could see was the rising smoke and the tips of a few tall buildings. “Tanin’s still out there isn’t he?”
-----“I did think he’d be back by now. I wonder what’s taking him so lon…”
-----“Sorry to keep you waiting!” A voice shouted.
-----Maiinverno turned his head and fell back as Tanin appeared right next to him. His hands slipped off of the railing as he tumbled back; he barely stopped his head from hitting the cold metal roof. “Tanin!? What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”
-----“What? I thought you were worried about me just now. Just thought I’d peak in to let you know that I’m alright, that’s all.” Tanin smiled and put his hands behind his head as he leaned against the railing.
-----“How long were you here?” Woose asked.
-----“Oh, I just caught up with you guys. ‘Gotta say, you’ve made good progress.”
-----Maiinverno stood up and began to pull at the wrinkles in his clothing.
-----Tanin laughed and pointed at the wizard. “You never change Centzo, still nitpicking your appearance when you just came out of a battle; you barely have any clothes left on your shoulders.”
-----“This is no joking matter!” Vincentzo yelled. “So, I take it that your appearance here means you’ve avenged me…taken down that white serpent peasant.”
-----Tanin crossed his arms and thought for a while. “Well, he certainly isn’t going anywhere for a while. But sorry, he’s not down permanently.”
-----“You couldn’t kill him?” Woose said. “And after all that work the three of us did.”
-----“I hit him with my Aura Strike, and he wasn’t looking too good after that, but he’s worse than a cockroach. His two lackeys are still looking for a fight too.”
-----“So then why did you leave?” Vincentzo pointed one of his fingers into Tanin’s shoulder. “If you had him wounded you should have stepped on him while he was down. That’s how you kill a cockroach!”
-----“Sorry to disappoint you,” Tanin smirked. “But by the time all of this happened I noticed that Arael was more or less occupied. The next logical step would be for their forces to go after the survivors and prevent them from escaping. I thought it would be best to keep any eye on you and your people, if that’s alright with you.”
-----Vincentzo’s arms dropped and his eye lids sank; a look of combined approval and frustration washed over him. “Well then, I suppose we all did the best we could.”
-----“Aigonis managed to take Arael,” Tanin said, “but you’re still alive Centzo, and that means your people still have hope. I know you’re not planning to just let them have your city. You intend to take it back don’t you?”
-----“Of course I do. I’ll not have them turn my glorious new homeland into a travesty like New Xaelis. I’ll get them back, even If the military doesn’t support me—even if it’s by myself.”
-----“You already know that won’t be the case,” Woose reminded him. “I already told you I’d help get it back too.”
-----“Count me in on that promise too.” Tanin exclaimed. “I don’t like what happened here today, and I won’t be satisfied until I see Arael purged of those demons.”
-----Maiinverno covered his mouth, but a short chuckle broke through. “I suppose at least three of us will be there then.”
-----A clamor of worried voices split the air. The three of them scouted the other transports, and on every single rooftop there were soldiers pointing to the western sky.
-----“Speaking of demons.” Woose said as he followed their worried gazes. Where the smoke of Arael’s ruin rose in the distance, a winding swarm of bio-fighters emerged and snaked its way across the sky, closing in on the fleeing transports. Below them, and not too far behind, came a wave of deminites and other lesser minions. They were glowing read and yelling with fury, no doubt empowered by the unnatural energy of the hive guards. Their speed was daunting, and at the head of this legion were two figures that Vincentzo and Tanin recognized.
-----“Shuradou and Grymhet.” Tanin said with a frown. “Never would have imagined those two would be looking to start a fight after what I did to them.”
-----“You were able to beat them back right?” Woose asked. “So, this shouldn’t be a problem then…right?”
-----Tanin shrugged. “I may be the Avatar of Light, but I’m still just one man. I could take the two of them, sure, but the whole army? They’ll probably focus their entire attack on me; then what are you going to do—your people probably aren’t in any condition to fight right now.”
-----“Damn those insolent devils!” Vincentzo shook his fists in their direction. The army was steadily approaching, and the bio-fighters were moving in even faster. “Taking my city isn’t enough is it!?”
-----“They’ll be here within three minutes,” Tanin surmised. “They’ll arrive by air first. The land group will follow a few minutes later.”
-----“So then what do you suggest?” Vincentzo groaned.
-----The Avatar of Light unsheathed his sword. “Escape isn’t an option anymore. We have to fight…do whatever we can to protect the people on board these transports.”
-----“Wait!” Woose shouted, pointing in another direction. “There’s something else coming from the North!”
-----The young wizard and the Avatar turned their heads to see a lone creature in the sky; it was a bird of some kind, although extremely large and glowing brightly. On its back was a young woman who held a light of her own in her palm.
-----“More of those Drekis cretins!” Maiinverno said.
-----“No!” Tanin threw out his hand as if to stop the wizard from issuing a firing command. “That one’s coming in alone, that’s now how the Drekis Empire usually works.” His farseeing eyes could now see that the bird was a heron, and the maiden on its back wore the emblems of Evangeles. “If I’m not mistaken, she’s one of the Faithful.”
-----“Faithful?” Vincentzo stuttered. “You mean those zealous yahoos from Evangeles?”
-----The heron swept in closer to the swarm of bio-fighters, and the woman lifted her hand above her head so that all could see the golden sphere of light that was blazing in her palm. Soon its light grew brighter, and a yellow shade was cast across the valley so that everything was illuminated. It seemed even brighter than the day, so that all of the onlookers on the tops of the transports had to close their eyes for a moment.
-----Then the young woman cast her hand out towards the swarm, and the light spread into dazzling rays that washed over the bio-fighters. Incomprehensible screeches pierced the air as the light seemed to burn their flesh. Still the light pressed on, not as a beam of destruction or a laser, but a gentle ray of light, not unlike those of the sun—but here the light seeped past their armor and their hardened bodies; it delved deep within, striking at the core of their being.
-----The light was no threat to their lives, but the pain of its radiance was intolerable, and so the bio-fighters, having lost all sense of reason in the endless bath of discomfort, took off in all directions, not caring where their flight took them as long as it was away from her.
-----Her light did not end, and it grew only brighter, pushing the enemy away. The heron swooped down over the ground forces, and from there the lady of Evangeles cast the light down upon them. Her other hand gently raised up, and around her fingers formed streams of water that hung in mid-air.
-----“She’s a hydrokinetic,” Tanin exclaimed. He and Maiinverno were among the few that could keep their eyes open in the brightness.
-----By now the water had grown and become a large bubble of liquid suspended above her. With some quick direction from her soft voice, the heron darted to the right and turned so that she could wave her hand; the bubble burst open, and from it came a tidal force that defied the size of its source. The bubble continued to spray jets of the water out, as if the girl had summoned an infinite reservoir that was flooding the land.
-----The golden rays fell on the deminites, and then came the colossal tide, sweeping in and crashing on the Drekis legions without warning. The water did little to harm them, and even less to impede them, for although it swallowed the entirety of their army it did not rise much higher than their wastes.
-----However, the great light that was still shining hit the surface of the water, and from there it was reflected back; and it somehow seemed as if the light reflecting off of the waves was even brighter.
-----Grymhet and Shuradou doubled over in pain. The light engulfed them from all sides, and they felt as if their bodies would break apart from the inside. As was the case with the bio-fighters, the deminites quickly fled, doing everything they could to escape the downpour and the radiance. Grymhet and Shuradou shouted curses into the sky, but even they were blinded by the luminosity, and they could do nothing but follow their minions back to Arael.
-----The transports covered another full mile before the lady allowed her light to dim, and when it fell away it merely shrank back down into her fist and slowly disappeared. She pointed towards the transports, and there her heron dived down.
-----“Zealous yahoos is it?” Tanin said. “Well Maiinverno, it just might be the case that you owe that yahoo your life.”
-----“I could have taken them.” Maiinverno retorted. “But that…was certainly an easier solution.”
-----The heron landed softly on Maiinverno’s transport. Groups of soldiers quickly took the roofs of their own transports in order to catch a glimpse of the radiant bird and its rider. The pink-haired lady stepped down from her ride and bowed to Vincentzo, then turned eagerly to the Avatar of Light.
-----“You are Tanin, correct?”
-----“Yeah, and you are?”
-----“My name is Sylvia Moonshael, from Evangeles. I have come on behalf of the Queen of Axia.”
-----“From Relissan herself?” Tanin said. “Well, in any case, we owe you a thank you for your efforts back there.”
-----“Indeed,” Maiinverno added, “I thank you for helping my people. It is a pity we did not have that kind of power with us during the battle.”
-----Sylvia smiled and pressed her hands against her chest. “To cast such a radiance is a burden on my very being. I would not be able to do such a thing again today…but our enemies do not know that. I cannot kill our enemies with it either, only drive them away temporarily.”
-----“You said you came on behalf of the Queen….looking for me?” Tanin asked.
-----She nodded emphatically. “We have little time. The Queen asks for your assistance in aiding the party that was sent into Drekis’ lair.”
-----“In Drekis’ lair!” Vincentzo nearly choked.
-----“The Marauders are cooperating with the Sentinels and the Maniacal Heroes. As we speak they are deep in the Endless Caves, fighting with Drekis himself. But my lady has informed me of a dire situation; apparently they cannot win, and they cannot afford to lose either.”
-----“I want to help,” Tanin explained, “But what would you have me do. It could take us ages to find them if they’re in the endless caves.”
-----“I haven’t been given that information myself, but the Queen assured me that she has a method of transporting you there. All I have to do is bring you to the Queen.”
-----“But we’re miles away from Axia Prime.” Vincentzo stated.
-----“That’s where we’re heading anyway,” Woose added, “Though it will be a while I assume.
-----“My friend Sinfonia here can travel much faster than any transport; even airships can’t keep up with him. If you come with me we can reach the capital in no time at all.”
-----“That sounds like a plan to me,” Tanin said, turning towards Vincentzo. “Although I’m hesitant to just leave these folks behind.”
-----“If we’ve taken the battle directly to Drekis,” Vincentzo replied, “then its more important for you to be there than here.”
-----“You’re sure?”
-----“Yes I’m sure! We’re safe here Tanin, and I’m responsible for my people. You know you can’t let those brave souls die in those caves if you can do anything about it.”
-----Tanin smiled. “You know, I think I may have misjudged you Maiinverno.”
-----“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
-----A small troop of horses appeared in the distance, running down a hill towards the transport carriers. Each horse carried a man whose face was covered by a cloak and hood.
-----“Those are my friends, also from Evangeles,” Sylvia explained. “Their horses also have an unearthly speed enchanted in them. If you’d like, we can take the young wizard and your other friend here with us to Axia Prime.”
-----“You expect someone of my status to ride back seat on a steed?” Vincentzo asked with a snort.
-----“Just an offer.” Sylvia said as she jumped onto Sinfonia’s back.
-----“Thanks, but no thanks.” Vincentzo replied. “My place is here with my people.”
-----“I’ll stay too,” Woose said. “Tanin, you go.”
-----“It is decided then,” Sylvia said. “I will leave my friends here with your convoy. They cannot produce a light as large as mine, but they may afford you some extra protection should you need it. We shall await you in Axia Prime.”
-----Tanin sheathed his sword and teleported onto Sinfonia’s back. He sat behind Sylvia, who directed the heron to lift off of the transport and take to the air.
-----“You said that they couldn’t afford to lose,” Tanin whispered into her ear as they took off. “Just who went down into the caves?”
-----“Uberman led the team I believe. And someone named Toc Darkone from the Marauders was there. She seemed particularly concerned about a young man named Tim.”
-----“Tim? The one who just joined the Sentinels? He’s down there fighting Drekis!?”

-----Some of the deepest, darkest rooms in the Fallen Tower were not found in the labyrinths, but at the highest points in the structure. In these remote rooms, which were not only hundreds of feet up in the air but also located in pocket dimensions of their own, Alexander Shadowcast and Seryko Rheomyr left behind all the sounds of the battle that was going on outside.
-----Every few minutes the tower would shake, but it was little more than slight vibration. The ground that the tower was built into was beginning to tremble, and it was sending light shakes throughout all of the dimensions and chambers within the tower.
-----“This battle is reaching its climax,” Seryko said. He marched down a dark hallway with a casual demeanor. “The barriers are beginning to fail. Only one or two left at this point.”
-----“If you’re certain of that, then that means your legions are pushing the Fallen back. Why go through all of this bothersome sneaking then?” Shadowcast questioned. The shadowy Fallen stayed close behind, never letting Seryko leave his sight. He still intended to help Rheomyr with his plan, but at the same time he was cautious. He had no reason to show his back to someone that he had just recently made an alliance with, let alone someone who had turned out to be a traitor to the Fallen in the first place.
-----“If we allowed this battle to continue on, either side could win,” Seryko explained. “But that could take ages. Both sides have too many forces at their disposal. It’s time we did something to speed things along. Less casualties that way after all.”
-----Shadowcast glared at Seryko’s back, which was shielded by a long mane of silver-blue hair. “Where are you going? I know that your plan is supposed to be some sort of secret, but I’d appreciate at least knowing where you’re leading me!”
-----The spy had led him into one of the oldest sectors in the tower—one of the original areas designed by Quietus during his initial reign. While other locations within the tower featured metal walls and the machinations of weird science, this area resembled an ancient medieval castle made out of darkened stone.
-----“Impatient are we? No matter, we’ve arrived at our destination.” Rheomyr stopped at the end of the hall; at its end was a small antechamber and a large black door. Spread across the center of the door were yellow lines that together formed a triangle, and in the center of it was an image of an open eye.
-----“This room…” Alexander whispered as he stared up at the tip of the door, which was at least twenty feet above the floor. “You mean…”
-----“Ah, recognize it do you?” Rheomyr turned his head and smiled at the Fallen enthusiastically. “Good. Then you’ll be able to help me after all.” With one bold leap he came upon the door and thrust it open with both hands. It opened with no resistance or squeak; a loud boom traveled through the darkness of the room before them when the doors hit the opposite wall.
-----Together they walked inside, and when their feet touched the floor bright lights automatically activated everywhere. The room was lit from overhead, while just in front of them lay a grand machine, covered in bright green and red lights that flickered on and off. It was ten feet wide at its base and stretched up into the darkness, approaching a roof that they could not see. Pulses of energy constantly flew up from the base and twisted around the rising pillar.
-----Seryko laughed as he approached the console. “The greatest weapon in the Fallen’s arsenal. Perhaps one of the most dangerous weapons on all of Khazan. A magnificent and unholy union of science and magic.” He stroked the surface of the machine with two fingers and remarked at the dust. “Regrettably it hasn’t been used in some time.”
-----“We never have a reason to use it.” Shadowcast said, coming up behind Seryko. “Its range makes it purely a defensive weapon. Attacks like the one going on right now don’t happen often. People are always afraid to challenge the Fallen on their own island.”
-----“Yes, quite remarkable indeed. It’s a wonder the council didn’t approve of its use from the very beginning of this conflict.”
-----“They likely believed that they could handle it without the use of the pyramid. I’m sure they’re thinking of it as a last resort. What exactly do you plan to do with the super weapon Rheomyr?”
-----“Fire it of course! It would be a waste if it wasn’t used. All of that power and destructive capability, and few people among the ranks of the Fallen even know that we have it right here in the pyramid at the tip of this tower.”
-----“For someone that serves Drekis, I would think you would prefer to shut the weapon down so that it could not be turned against your own forces.”
-----“A typical strategy for a spy.” Seryko mused. He looked over the control consoles and the view-screens and toyed with a few buttons. “But uninspiring. Unimaginative. In any case, that’s not what I was ordered to do.” At last his clawed hands found the button he was looking for; with one push the view-screens lit up—dozens of television-sized screens that circled around the machine, showing both a birds-eye and isometric view of the land outside the tower. As expected, the deminites and the Fallen army were still clashing outside.
-----“You seem to know what you’re doing,” Alexander said. “But just what the hell do you need me here for.”
-----“To give me access to the weapons firing controls,” Seryko explained. He turned around and gestured for Shadowcast to approach the machine. “Unfortunately I was never trusted with access to the weapon since I’ve only been with the Fallen for so many years. You on the other hand…”
-----“I haven’t exactly been on the councils respect list.”
-----“Maybe not. But you were here when it all began, and Quietus, at the very least, had some amount of faith in you. Enough to make you one of the proud few who can activate the weapon for use.”
-----“So that’s what you’ve needed me for all along.”
-----“Try not to look so disappointed Shadowcast. I was never lying when I told you that your raw power could be of great use to Drekis. The offer I made to you then still stands. Help me complete my mission, and I’ll help you escape this contrived existence in the Fallen labyrinths and take you somewhere where your power will be of better use—where you’ll find even greater power at your disposal.”
-----Shadowcast didn’t think long about the offer. He had already made up his mind, but there was still one issue left. “You want me to hand firing control of the pyramid weapon to you. That’s fine. I’m through with the Fallen as far as I’m concerned, and I wish to meet this Drekis of yours face to face…but before I handle the weapon I want to know where you’re going to fire it.”
-----“Fair enough. Care to guess?”
-----“You could use the weapon to destroy just about anything on the island. You could strafe through the Fallen’s elite for instance, or decimate their robot and mutant armies—or you could target the council members, try to eliminate their strongest links.”
-----Seryko laughed as he looked at one of the central view-screens. “Those are all very good ideas, but I’m afraid none of them are correct.” He pointed a finger at the figure on the view-screen, a dark, shifting form with a draconic head. “My target is that area right there. We’re going to fire at Drekis.”
-----Alexander was speechless for what seemed like five minutes. “You…you’re going to use the super weapon on Drekis? But, I thought…”
-----The temperature of the room suddenly dropped, and a chilling blue mist slowly filled the chamber until it became a thick screen of fog. Thin layers of ice extended across the floor. Seryko’s eyes bore down on the entranceway. Alexander turned to find the source of the cold, and there at the opened doors was Tundra.
-----“Tundra…” Seryko said with a sneer. Fangs began to appear within the ranks of his front teeth. “I would have thought you’d be on the battlefield.”
-----“I was—until I heard that a select few people were missing in action.” Tundra. As he entered the chamber the blue mist began to spiral around him. A large portion of the freezing air gathered around his fists until it became a deep blue. “So I decided to find out, just exactly what Seryko Rheomyr thinks is more important than defending our Tower from our enemies. And what do I find? Not only you, but the infamous Alexander Shadowcast…traitors!”
-----“Don’t get in our way Tundra!” Seryko warned. “Things are already set into motion that a little man like you can’t prevent.”
-----“You and those smug remarks of yours,” Tundra hissed. “And you, Shadowcast, with all of your damn apathy. You two…you’ll regret betraying our order; I’ll show you both what a true Fallen does to traitors!”