War of Drekis

-----The setting sun made the descending airships blaze like orange comets falling into Axia-Prime. A visage of hope, bringing reinforcements and supplies for the coming battle; still, Queen Relissan could feel gloom spreading throughout her city. Towering lights flickered off and shadows stretched down empty streets. Windows fell shut and doors were braced. The citizens embraced silence.
-----She expected that her people knew. The media had already glossed over both rumor and truth as if the second apocalypse were imminent. Most of these airships were arriving in shame and defeat. The remnants of the Xaelon fighting forces had finally retreated, at last ending the longest standstill in Drekis’ war. Through the last week she continued to receive messages of them making progress, pushing through enemy lines and almost making it to the capital. Every time she would pray for their success, though at a loss as to who or what she could possibly pray to. The Drekis army’s tactics grew more deceptive and cunning with every encounter, and each small step forward invited a crushing failure the next day.
-----By now, she fully expected Xaelon to be a lost cause. This was proof. The sun’s bright light reduced the presence of pot holes, shattered armor, and black-scratched burns, but they were there. The airships limped into docking bays across the city.
-----Amanda joined her daughter on the balcony. She braced herself against the rails, stared at the quiet streets and saw the transport vehicles rolling in.
-----“From Araelis,” Aliana said, pointing at the front transport. Her hand fell limp over the railing. “Looks like a gathering of failures from across the face of Khazan.”
-----Amanda smiled up at the sky. “Losing hope?”
-----Her daughter wrapped her hands together; her fingers writhed. “Never. It’s still depressing.”
-----The 478th mecha-nized division flew in overhead. Uberman’s team would to arrive soon.
-----“Axia will be next,” Amanda said. “But I have a feeling that we can’t come up with a major plan here. Not a good one. We all need to relocate to Khazan City.”
-----“And abandon our people here?”
-----“Of course not,” She walked back to the throne room. “We just need to have a meeting, a talk with Elwin personally; we’ll have representatives from all sides in Khazan City: Heroes, Marauders, military, KMP. We can come up with something…better than what we did here.”
-----She sat on the Axia throne for several hours, thinking, fidgeting, crossing and uncrossing her legs. Her expected visitors trailed in, all wounded physically or emotionally. Uberman’s team came first, led by the SLJ leader and Toc Darkone, who strolled in with his hands behind his back. Tim was the last one to enter, seemingly pulled along by Raea. He wore his sword across his back and would not meet her eyes.
-----Vincentzo Maiiverno entered next, accompanied by Woose and Officer Chase. The young wizard spoke of his people in dire need: for shelter and food, for water and medicine. She promised him they would do everything they could, but property was scarce in Axia-Prime, and she wondered if building a shelter was pointless. Axia-Prime could be under siege by the end of the week.
-----“We fought Drekis himself, or a part of him,” Uberman reported. “We couldn’t bring him down.”
-----“But she already knew that,” Toc eyed Tanin. “After all she sent him.”
-----“I don’t like that ungrateful tone,” Tanin said. “If it hadn’t been for her you’d…”
-----Sylvia held her hand up and Sinfonia roared. “Please stop this. Miss Relissan didn’t want you all to come together for us to bicker.”
-----Unsubtle crossed her arms. “Easy for a third party to say; our relationship with the Sentinels and Maniacals is touchy enough already.”
-----“Besides that,” Toc approached the throne, a hand suggestively reaching towards the Queen’s face. “I believe your queen, who was so adamant about our alliance, has been hiding things from us.” His fingers, covered in sheets of frost, stopped short of her forehead. “Haven’t you.”
-----At this Tim looked up, scowling and twitching, but he said nothing.
-----“Don’t point your fingers at her,” Eric stepped from Relissan’s side and stood up to Darkone face to face.
-----“You probably knew it too, right?” Toc held his ground. “Or at least suspected, like the rest of us. We were a team of elites, experienced veterans…leaders. And one petulant rookie. A strange suggestion.” His hand slid around Eric’s face.
-----“Stop aggravating them,” Captain Khazan yelled. He reached for Toc’s shoulder, looking as if he might spin the Marauder leader around and slap the contention out of him, but an unseen force held the Captain back.
-----“I hate agreeing with…him,” Michael uttered, “but Toc has a point. The kid was sent down there with us, cause he’s the one who can do it, he’s the one who can off Drekis. Am I right?”
-----“That is something we should have been told about, your majesty,” Lexington said. He thrust an open hand near Cortelloni’s chest. “Let him go.”
-----Captain Khazan stumbled forward and finished pulling Darkone away from the throne. Toc smiled at the Queen and strolled to the back of the room.
-----Amanda slouched back, her shoulders sliding down the polished gold. “I thought we were ready. But I didn’t think Drekis would anticipate this far ahead.”
-----Tanin crossed his arms and surveyed the wounds across his body. “If Drekis remains split like that, is there anyway for just to beat him?”
-----“Maybe…” the Queen paused. She knew there was a possibility. No one was unbeatable. That wasn’t the problem. “I guess it was too soon. Even then you might have been able to…but you didn’t think you could win.”
-----“Didn’t think?” Uberman said.
-----“Are you trying to tell us we weren’t fighting hard enough?” Shinsuke remained stoic and started at the Queen.
-----“Not you,” Tim’s voice cracked. He stepped forward, pushing Raea to the side. He gripped the handle of his sword. “I didn’t fight hard enough.”
-----Amanda pulled her feet up onto the throne seat and wrapped her arms around her knees. “Tim, if I believed you could do it alone, we would have sent you alone. The rest of Khazan needs to stand by you for a reason.”
-----“What reason is that!?” Tim screamed, tore his hand away from his weapon and lashed at open air. The others stepped away from him. “You won’t tell me.”
-----Vincentzo Maiinverno coughed loudly to break the silence that followed. Woose slapped the young wizard on the back, prompting Maiinverno to raise an eyebrow at his associate. “I’m not sure what’s going on here, but we’re wasting time. We saw Drekis’ army moving from the North West. You need a proper strategy now, or your city will end up like mine.”
-----“We’ve been keeping tabs on their movements as well,” Amanda informed him. She looked up at Eric, who still stood in front of the throne as if wary of the others approaching her. “How long do you think we have?”
-----Melazai shook his head. “Hard to say; they pick up speed and slow down erratically. Our estimates have never been successful—but given what I’ve seen, I can vouch for 3 days before all hell breaks loose in the outer cities.”
-----Amanda nodded. “Listen to me, all of you.” She saw Tim looking up at her intently, still craving answers. For a moment she lost her breath, but choked the remaining words forward, “I want to take you all to Khazan City. Immediately, if at all possible. If we don’t take this alliance to the next step: a global, unified defense force—I believe we’ll only continue to fall back.” Against her better judgment she refrained from apologizing to Tim. She wished to share something with him that would leave him satisfied, but right now she wasn’t the person who could console him.
-----“My people need to rest,” Vincentzo added, “but if we’re going to discuss a way to beat these pompous creatures, then I’m ready any time.”
-----Uberman looked back at the Marauders. “What about you Darkone? It could be beneficial if everyone, including your people, participated in a joint operation.”
-----Toc shrugged, but his back was turned to them. “Why not? I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the old sites again. It’s been too long since I graced the nexus’ grand city.”
-----“While we make preparations to leave, I’ll inform everyone of our initial plan,” Amanda said. “But, Tim, I’d like you to speak with Aliana.”
-----Tim fell back a step. The color in his cheeks faded. “You want me to speak with her.” Aliana stood by Amanda’s side, hands folded over her thighs. She didn’t flinch at her mother’s words, but she closed her eyes and seemed to stand apart from everyone else in the room.
-----Please try to understand, Amanda thought, your power isn’t something that can be explained by words.

-----Sara Foster sat on the roof of the Axia Military Hanger, watching airships slowly ascend, all cloaked in the night sky. Those who would be deciding their future, her future, were all there, looking down at the city. While she stayed here, they were off to Khazan City to make more of their decisions: where she would fight next, where her friends would die next.
-----The worst part was being unable to hate her role. She knew she chose her way of life, and she knew what she did was considered brave, just, right. Or at least she thought so. At some point in time, she collapsed under the realization that sometimes doing what’s right—‘heroic’ things—didn’t make her feel good. A rift always tore a grey divide between the knowledge that the heroes and officials of Khazan were doing there best, and the fact that her people were the ones that often sacrificed the most to uphold what they stood for.
-----As a child she always looked up to the military; the organization she wanted to be a part of, the life she wanted; but Khazan has one drawback: the existence of ‘superheroes.’ Costumed or not, the vigilantes of Khazan were the media-glory-hounds, the ones whom poems and lyrics are spun about. Here on the nexus, the official uniformed men and women of the Khazan army were the unsung heroes.
-----Unfair. Sixteen friends she had known since entering the academy were dead now, all killed in action while protecting people from the latest exploits of the Fallen or some new maniac, and they were never remembered, never recognized.
-----Sara piloted Dragonstar and served her government for the right reasons, but she couldn’t help but feel depressed about this. In fact, she had to be disillusioned, because the system wasn’t good enough.
-----Metallic footfalls resounded behind her. The rest of the 478th Mecha-nized division joined her on the rooftop. The hanger was made of a durable sheet-metal—thin and light, but capable of supporting mecha or flying vehicles. At the edges, the roof slanted down. Guard rails were in place to stop people from falling, but Sara had climbed the unwanted barriers to sit on the slope. She leaned her back against the rails, feeling as if she could slouch a little more and go rolling off the side of the hanger.
-----Captain Kitazawa stopped behind her. He seemed to be watching the airships as well. “There they go. The Queen and every other important person.”
-----“And they had to leave us here,” Paul groaned, smacking the side of his head as if trying to hit himself awake. “What I wouldn’t give to be back in Khazan City right now.”
-----Ceceilia kneeled behind Sara. “We were wondering where you ran off to,” she said, nestling her fingers onto Sara’s shoulders. “The team’s going to look for a tavern or something—place where we can cut loose one more time. In a few more days this place is going to be one more battle.”
-----“I know,” Sara replied. “I prefer to hang out by myself…before the fighting starts again.”
-----Ceceilia sighed. “You’re no fun Lieutenant.”
-----Ratilda leaned against the rails and tugged on Ceceilia’s hair, “you just want her there so you’re not the only hardcore drunk in the place.”
-----“Some people like to relax before going out to the front,” Ceceilia whispered back, “but me, I like to get hammered—just feel like I’m not a soldier, for one night.”
-----Sara tried that strategy before, but whether by constitution or persistence, alcohol did nothing to shut off her memories. She looked back at her comrades; saw Ceceilia and Ratilda with bright smiles on their faces, still joking about booze and parties. Those two weren’t lacking in military experience, but they still held onto a youthful vigilance—something she felt she lost.
-----The attitudes of the 478th were perplexing to her; she’d never met anyone so encouraging as this team. Sometimes Sara hated that about her teammates, and a part of her waited for the day when their joy would sink into depression like so many soldiers before them. But she hated that about herself: the pessimism, the negativity. Behind it all, she knew the only thing she really felt was envy—to reclaim what they still clutched onto.
-----“There’s a chance we might be sent to the front line,” the Captain said. “If that happens, we’ll be on call the day after tomorrow, at least. I know you want to be rested, Sara, but I think it would do you some good to let things out of your system.”
-----“How would that help?” Sara asked.
-----Takuma turned to Kurt. “It’s important to give a soldier a different outlook on life every now and then.” He slapped the corporal on the shoulder. “At least that’s what Arlington here said, so you can blame him.”
-----Katie turned away from the group and waved back at Sara. “We’ll go on ahead. If you change your mind, give us a call.”
-----“Arlington will stay behind,” Takuma said. “You prefer quiet relaxation to partying as well.”
-----“Well…” Kurt looked at the sky, his eyes wide.
-----“Course you do,” the Captain added. “Why don’t you keep my second in command company; if she has a change of heart, you’ll know where to find us.” He smiled and walked away. The others followed, leaving Kurt and Sara on the roof.
-----For a while he stood off to her side, near the rails, always looking in whatever direction she did.
-----“Too scared to sit on the edge?” Sara asked.
-----Kurt seemed to fall back from her words. He arched his back and then straitened, arms in the air as if he’d intended to stretch that way all along. “I’ve been wondering about that, why you decided to sit there. Captain acted like it was natural.”
-----“He’s seen me do this before,” she answered. “I don’t know why I like it; guess I really don’t like the calm—prefer to always feel like it could all be over the next second.”
-----Kurt kneeled down and put his head between the rails. “I don’t think that’s it; doesn’t sound like you at all.”
-----She bent her head back at stared at him, not certain if she was more annoyed or comforted by that statement. Kurt had a stupid looking grin on his face, probably because he was nervous; he always seemed nervous around her. He never seemed to give up, no matter how indifferent she was to him, no matter how many times the others told him.
-----The corporal was the most energetic of the team; but he was the youngest, so that was to be expected. An outward optimist, Kurt had been the one she thought would crack under the pressure of real combat when this war started, but he proved himself a courageous pilot with natural talent. She wanted to ask him how he could live his life this way, why he could still try to have these embarrassing conversations with her. But she never could, only observed and watched him.
-----“You must think I’m pretty pathetic,” Kurt said, hanging his arms over the rails. He looked like a monkey peering out of its cage.
-----“What brought that on?”
-----Arlington shrugged. “I mean you must think I’m too enthusiastic for a soldier.”
-----“You’ve got a good head on your shoulders,” she replied, “but, yes you can be a bit much sometimes.” She tapped her fingers along the roof.
-----“My previous team,” he said, “before I was your guys’ rookie, they were all a bunch of fun loving people at first; by the time I transferred out I barely knew them anymore. That’s the thing that really depressed me.”
-----“It’s common; you’ll get used to it.”
-----“Maybe,” he rubbed his cheek against the cold metal bar, “but that’s not what I want to believe. And I understand why it happens too, I just…think soldiers should have better lives.”
-----“Even when they’re getting shot at?”
-----“Well, when I came to the 478th, everyone here reminded me of my old team from the beginning days, and I wanted to protect that.”
-----“We all want to protect our fellow soldiers…”
-----“No, I’m not talking about natural protocol,” Kurt shook his head. “I mean I wanted to protect their attitude, to make sure they didn’t end up like my old friends. For the most part I thought I was making good progress, except with you.”
-----Sara sat up, bracing her shoes along the slant and leaning in towards her knees. “That sounds like too heavy a burden. You’re crazy, you know that?”
-----“Yeah,” he replied. Kurt swept one leg between the rails and nearly fell out onto the edge. He hung onto the rail with one hand and pulled himself to a sitting position beside her. “There, you see. But I’d rather be crazy than depressed.”
-----His words seemed like nonsense, but it was a refreshing departure from the usual perspective. She thought there was no difference between protecting the life of a soldier and their attitude, but he seemed to disagree. He wanted to protect the soul as well as the body. An idealistic goal, perhaps, but she found herself picturing the smiles and the laughter, the stupid grins and snarky comments. Cecelia, Ratilda, Patrick, everyone. To protect their smiles—that, maybe, was a better goal to reach for.
-----Sara looked up at the moon, shining clearly in the sky. And she smiled.
-----“Well, that’s your prerogative corporal.”

-----The trip to Khazan City was quiet. Everyone sat in their seats, eyes locked ahead or peering through the windows. No one said a thing. Uberman took the time to repair the damage to his suit, though his tools were limited, and as a result the patches covering the exposed circuits were of different make or color. He looked a little less streamlined now, but as long as it functioned practically, he didn’t care.
-----In a few hours the airship landed in the Uptown district airport alongside a few others. Uberman moved out, side by side with Sentinels and Marauders. Convoys of armed soldiers and Mobile Police were at the scene, ready to escort them to their destination.
-----Since Queen Relissan informed Elwin of their arrival, the Vice-President made arrangements for them to meet in the Sentinels headquarters, perhaps the most protected safe-zone in all of Khazan. Within its magically reinforced walls, the combined powers of the nexus could have their meeting in secret, without interruption.
-----Uberman hoped that the Queen would release some information regarding Tim’s powers, which remained a mystery to him. He disliked having to throw so much responsibility on a rookie’s shoulders, even if some archaic system like ‘destiny’ or ‘fate’ wanted that rookie to be the only one he could count on.
-----It appeared as if Tim had learned something; during the trip he had slumped in his chair, head to the side as if he was dead to his surroundings, trapped in thought. He sat next to the Princess and the Queen, but they said nothing to each other, as if nothing more could be said.
-----“This will be your first time behind the wall,” Uberman said to Tim, as they entered the visitors hall of the Sentinel’s building. “Very few people who have been on the team for less than a year get to see this. You should be excited.”
-----“I guess so,” Tim replied. He seemed to look up at the oversized vault-door in awe, but his eyes were half-closed and his voice sounded dry.
-----Elwin met them at the entrance, and with her help, Uberman opened the protected door to the interior sector. Deep within, a few members of the SLJ leadership council guided the Marauders inside. As far as Uberman was concerned, this was the ultimate sign of trust, to let them see this far, be this far. Toc had to realize that; but all the same, the SLJ elite around them kept close to the Marauders, keeping a not so subtle eye on them at all times.
-----In the central meeting room, Elwin pulled out a pair of chairs for the Queen and her daughter, then walked to the head of the table, where she sat side by side with Uberman.
-----“I welcome all of you, to the Sentinels of Liberty and Justice’ control room,” Elwin began. “I wish we could have more time to compose this meeting—a good portion of the Sentinels are off fighting the hordes in different State-Kingdoms, but I understand the need for urgency.”
-----Queen Relissan nodded. “Nonetheless, this may represent the largest collaboration between Khazan’s superpowers.”
-----Uberman, his upper body towering over most of the others at the table, activated a holographic display of the nexus’ main continent. “Let’s go over what’s happened in the last few days. Several days ago, Queen Relissan put together a team, composed of Sentinels, Marauders, Maniacals, and others who were willing to fight against Drekis personally.”
-----The Queen gestured to Telissa and Robert. “Thanks to Seekers, who are familiar with Drekis’ forces, and the Unsubtle, who met with Drekis face to face, we were able to send this team into the main hive and find Drekis himself.”
-----“But we failed,” Uberman added, “and while that happened, it appears that both Araelis and the Fallen Tower have been overrun. Besides that, in Xaelon…”
-----“We’re losing this war,” Toc Darkone interjected. “When you get right down to it, that’s all any of you need to know. Not which country has fallen to whom; we’re losing—and certainly you people, you…upstanding citizens, have the most to lose here.” He waved a finger at all the heroes.
-----“I don’t like him being here.” Supercomrade, who had not been present in Axia when the Marauder alliance was cast, pointed a finger at Darkone. “I’m against this whole thing you’re doing with them. They’ll just cast a cloud of negativity on us all.”
-----“Let’s try not to start a fight in here,” Shinsuke suggested dryly.
-----Toc held up his hands and smiled. “Oh don’t worry. The little man’s words hardly offend me. I’m just trying to make the point that you all seem to be avoiding. The Sentinels lost the battle for Xaelon; the would-be prince lost his precious State-Kingdom, and my men have been cast out of their hideouts, thrown from our deserts. We’ve lost the entire western half of Khazan.”
-----Eric Melazai stood to address the council. “We know that several armies will be entering Axia within the next few days. Once war breaks out there, Axia will be the only thing between Drekis and the East coast. We have to formulate a strategy that involves Axia.”
-----“There is the Great Wall of Carnage,” Cortelloni reminded them. “If you ask me, that’s the best place for you to set up a defense.”
-----“Allowing Axia to fall is unacceptable,” Uberman responded. “As Eric suggests, we need to concentrate on Axia. We can’t afford to make any more failed offensive maneuvers until we can actually stop Drekis’ forces from advancing.”
-----“All of us have had different experiences…different opponents,” Vincentzo said. The young wizard gestured to the Avatar of Light and told of his battles with the reptilian general. He spoke of the general’s two minions, who together rendered his minefield strategy ineffective. “We need to put all of our experience together and come up with an analysis of their…”
-----An explosion roared outside. From within this structure they felt very little, but the unnatural tremors rocked the building. A second tremor; this time glass shattered in the visitor’s hall outside.
-----“What the hell is happening outside?” The Unsubtle asked. “I thought this was supposed to be the safest place on the planet.”
-----“It is,” Raea said. “But that doesn’t stop someone from causing trouble outside.”
-----Captain Khazan jumped out of his seat, pointed to a few Sentinels and said, “You’re with me. We’ll go investigate. Madam Vice-President, you stay here.” They departed quickly.
-----More explosions, followed by screams and yells. Curses were uttered, and all around them it felt as if the world were falling apart while they alone were untouched.
-----Uberman waited, his hands clutched on the table’s surface. The explosions came closer, the tremors became stronger. He wasn’t at one hundred percent output right now, but if Captain Khazan couldn’t contain the situation, he’d have to go out there and confront it. Why now, of all times?
-----“It can’t be Drekis,” Telissa said. “We would have known if an army got within fifty miles of your capital.”
-----“None of my people,” Toc stated. “No Marauder would be foolish enough to disobey my orders.”
-----It could easily be some random villainous plot by no-name criminals. That kind of thing happened on Khazan on a weekly basis; that fact made it possible for heroes and costumed adventurers to legally exist on the nexus. However, any random criminal should have been silenced by now.
-----Several explosions went off just outside the vault-door. The room remained undamaged, but the enemy was clearly attacking the door.
-----“We have to go out there,” Uberman struck the table with his hands, and, in doing so, rocketed himself up from his seat.
-----“The door’s unbreakable.” Cortelloni looked annoyed. “Let them exhaust themselves taking shots at it.”
-----“And let them do as they please outside?” Uberman ran past the others.
-----Tim grabbed his sword and looked at Aliana. “I’m going with him.”
-----The Princess nodded.
-----Raea jumped up behind Tim, flipping a switch on her wrist and forming a powered armor around her body.
-----Uberman opened the vault-door, which slowly wafted to the side. Tim and the other Sentinels joined him as he walked out to meet the attackers face to face. Smoke clouds filled the entire visitor’s hall, and the entire wall at the other end of the room was burned to the ground.
-----“Who the hell would do this?” Tim asked.
-----Toc Darkone sauntered in and ran a hand through a wisp of smoke. “I have a good idea of who…but why, that’s the more important question.”
-----A large figure came flying through the smoke, hurled to the ground before Uberman’s feet. Captain Khazan. He lay on the ground, his hand clutching at a deep burn in his armored skin. The wound looked as if a crevice had been opened up in his body. He groaned, “It’s them.”
-----“Get him inside the interior!” Uberman shouted.
-----“Anyone who would do this,” Supercomrade shook his fist at the smoke as several people lifted the Captain up. “I’ll punch their faces in.”
-----Four shadows appeared beyond the veil of smoke. As the haze lifted up out of the building, the four people casually walked towards them.
-----“So I guess it’s the worst case scenario,” Uberman said. “the Fallen.”
-----Tim held his sword out, but took a step back. “They are…Fallen?”
-----Uberman recognized the hunched figure with the metallic skin, the immovable object—the one called Fail. Another one, a slender, albino-haired woman, spun a sword around in her hands and then thrust it out, pointing at the large vault-door. She said, “That thing’s something else. Even my sword couldn’t get make a mark on it.” She licked her lips. “And there’s very little it can’t cut.”
-----“What do you want?” Uberman said angrily. “I thought you’d be hiding under some rock after your tower fell.”
-----One of the Fallen walked in front of the others. A young man with long black hair. “Don’t give me that tone. The fact is, we were merely taking a walk down your street when a couple of your friends had the gall to attack us. Isn’t that right Deviana?”
-----“Even though we did nothing wrong,” The woman added, sounding like a wounded child.
-----“We were merely defending ourselves,” the man took a step forward.
-----Beams of ice shot at his feet, forming a short spike of frost in front of him. Shinsuke held out his arms, “Not another inch, Fallen.”
-----“See,” the Fallen man said, his voice still calm. “You hero types aren’t any different from us; still so prone to violence.”
-----“You can’t be…” Uberman said, nearly a whisper. “Are you…?”
-----“Dreiden Adonis,” the man replied. “In the flesh, as you say.”
-----“The legend himself,” Raea stuttered.
-----Tim fell back. “He’s a legend?”
-----Toc Darkone’s laughter echoed in the ruins. He clapped a few times and walked off to the side. “This has been an amusing day. First this underwhelming meeting, and now the Four Lord-Tyrants themselves make an appearance.”
-----“The four of us were sent,” Dreiden explained, “to pave the way for the Fallen Council. In some way, I guess you could call us messengers. A banal mission for people of our…status, but whatever the will of the Council—so be it.”
-----Supercomrade moved forward to get a good look at the fourth figure. His face twisted into some shape of surprise and bitter anger. “Tundra! You…you’re one of the Lord-Tyrants!?”
-----Tundra held his hands out, barely recognizable in the suit he wore. “What can I say? There was an opening, and I’ve always been a fan of aggressive expansion.”
-----Uberman pointed a blaster at Adonis. “The Council is coming here? And you…as messengers you do this to our office, to our friends. What kind of people are you!? If you really are the four Lord-Tyrants of legend, then this will be a good time to lock you up once and for all.”
-----“So inhospitable,” Deviana sneered. “And I suppose they’ll try to lock up Devyn and the rest when they get here.”
-----“We’re not much for negotiations,” Tundra said, his arms surrounded by a blue aura. “Devyn and Zalrafel are the talkers. While they take their time getting here, I see no reason why we can’t have a little fun.”
-----“You call this fun?” Tim managed to scream out, but the Tyrants seemed to ignore him.
-----“As I said, this was all in self-defense,” Adonis countered. “We were told not to cause too much of a commotion; however, if you’d like to offer criticism on our methodology, you’re welcome to try…at your own risk.”

-----Eric watched Dreiden Adonis smile. The long-haired Fallen stood at ease, his hands by his side, but his eyes carefully focused on Uberman. He was expecting the SLJ leader to make the first move, and at this rate that was likely.
-----The entire Sentinel visitor’s hall lay in ruin; pieces of the ceiling cracked and fell down every few seconds, and flickers of flame still swept through the corners of scorched walls. He knew that if anyone had done this to the entrance hall of Queen Relissan’s palace, he would have been going for their throat already.
-----Uberman remained composed. His fists were tightening, ready to land a punch on the smug Fallen’s face, but he must have known what the consequences were. A battle with the Four Lord-Tyrants would lead to collateral damage all over Khazan City. Those four were legendary for their brutality, and the Sentinels wouldn’t be able to protect all the citizens walking around in broad daylight.
-----Toc Darkone quietly watched from one corner. His Marauder allies joined him in his apathy. Eric doubted that they’d receive any help from him, even if the Marauders didn’t think too fondly of the Fallen.
-----Deviana, the striking young girl, waved her sword in the air and then centered it on him. She pointed its jagged tip at his throat; she wagged it side to side as if bisecting his neck in her mind. “That one has a pretty head. They’re telling me they want me to cut it off.”
-----“They’re crazy,” Eric muttered, standing alongside Uberman. “What’s your plan?”
-----“I don’t like the situation,” he replied, “but I’m not about to let them walk away from this.”
-----Eric cracked his knuckles. “I might be able to buy you some time. I can keep one of them occupied, removed from the battle completely. That leaves only three—the rest of you can try to clean them up before the fight gets out of hand.”
-----“Looks like they’re considering your offer,” Deviana said to Dreiden. “The voices want them to start something, get things moving. Getting so impatient, they’re telling me they want to move right now.” Her feet slid forward. She almost fell. White hair fell over her face.
-----Slowly, gently, she swung her sword like a pendulum. She stopped, gripped the hilt. “Time’s up.” She sprang to her feet and rushed across the room. Her eyes flared up, filled red with mad hatred. The gold trimmed sword raised.
-----Eric held up his hands. The walls around him disappeared. Metal floors vanished, replaced by fields of green grass. A bright, purple sky adorned with gold clouds appeared above them. At every turn there were treets, bent and crooked like old hands reaching for the sky, but filled with lively greens and yellows.
-----Deviana halted. With her sword in mid-strike, she glanced at the cobblestone road that materialized under her feet. She was no longer in the Sentinel’s headquarters. Instead she found herself in a new location, a sparkling forest she had never seen before.
-----“You like it?” Eric said, taking in a deep breath.
-----The young woman checked behind her, then looked at Eric with no clear emotion. Her sword arm rested.
-----“Your friends aren’t there anymore, are they?” Eric smiled. “That’s right; its just you and me.”
-----“Where did you move us to?” Deviana demanded. Her fingers wormed around the hilt of her sword.
-----“No where.” Eric said. “We’re still in the same place, physically—” he tapped the side of his head—“but in the mind, that’s a whole different realm.”
-----Deviana spat at the ground, then rolled her tongue around. “How cute. An illusion. I love what you’ve done with the sky.”
-----“No mere illusion,” Eric said, holding his hands up towards the golden clouds. “Welcome to my own private fantasia.” With a thought, he created dozens of eyeless faces which sprouted from the ground around the girl. They smiled, toothy and bright, their skin seemingly made of the earth.
-----The faces snapped at her, jaws opening impossibly wide.
-----“Waste of time.” Deviana said as she cut a face apart. “Illusions can’t really harm me.”
-----A mouth bit down on her left arm. Pain crawled up her spine and for a moment her body went numb. Eric could sense it all as it happened, though he did not feel the same experience. She occupied his own personal mental realm, a space which he controlled, and which she was now a part of.
-----“Mind over matter,” Eric told her. “What happens in here will effect you, all the same.” He saw blood pour down her arm. With a flinch he made the mouth bite harder, but the girl beheaded the mound and then quickly slashed across the ground. A bright wave washed over his world, leaving a gash that gleamed blue.
-----“What the hell—” Eric spat out. The faces that weren’t cut by her sword were swallowed into the gash, and the entire world seemed to shake.
-----Without any concern for her arm, Deviana rushed forward. So fast. As if she were floating across the grass, barely visible. But Eric controlled this dimension, and as she approached, the road they stood on extended. He became farther and farther away from her with each passing second. He had to make sure she never reached him with that weird sword.
-----“That won’t stop me,” she declared, and vanished.
-----She was gone. Now it was if she were no longer a part of his realm. Could she escape? No, not possible. He looked around, panicked, checked every direction. Nothing. Then he felt it, felt her lean back into existence. She faded into sight, right next to him. He ducked low. Her weapon swept over him. All the trees behind Eric lifted into the air and then slowly collapsed.
-----The range of that sword, if I’m not careful she’ll… Eric spun around and came up with an uppercut to her ribcage, sending her off her feet. He caught her again in midair, putting all of his superhuman strength into a blow to the face. Not a very noble tactic, but in his mind, any woman crazy enough to side with the Fallen deserved a hard smack to the face just like any man did.
-----Deviana was sent up, but she reared back into a flip. She regained her balance, came down with her sword. He barely dodged. The blade sunk into the green soil. A faint, blue line extended from the tip, crossing into the horizon of his realm. Seconds later, Eric watched an entire section of the ground sunder and fall to blackness.
-----Eric leapt into the air. A giant eagle appeared at his command and he rode its back into the sky. “I’ve got to stay as far away from her as possible.” He waved his arms, putting all of his effort into his next creation.
-----A large, slithering serpent appeared next to the girl. Its pearl-white body towered over her and the trees. A venomous mouth opened to reveal multiple lines of sharp fangs. The wyrm darted in.
-----“Too easy,” Deviana cried, and split the wyrm’s face in two.
-----“Not quite. I made him especially for you.”
-----The two halves regenerated into two separate heads. They attacked from both sides, but the girl gracefully spun around and beheaded them both. From each stalk grew two more heads.
-----“I hope you can keep this up all day,” Eric taunted. “because I can.” The eagle let out a piercing cry as Eric made the ground beneath Deviana turn to mud.
-----She lost her footing, only for a moment, but he needed just one. At his command the four-headed beast dived down. A head swallowed her whole.
-----“Game over.” Eric said. Being eaten alive in here would render her unconscious in the real world. But just as victory seemed certain, the woman flew out of the wyrm, not from its mouth, but out the back of its head. She seemed to become like a shadow, once again disappearing from his senses; then, the shadow would reemerge and take on her shape again.
-----She landed on the grass. The beast came at her again, but as she waved her sword she whispered “disappear,” and a bright crescent tore through the air.
-----“What kind of power…” Eric could hardly finish his thought. He watched a literal hole open up in his mental realm. Pieces of world started to break off like puzzle pieces and fly into the void. The serpent was pulled in and broke apart.
-----She smiled up at him as she raised her sword above her head. “I don’t care if this is some pocket dimension, or mental realm, whatever. My blade cuts through everything, even space itself.”
-----Eric jumped off his mount just as she swung down. Not just the bird, but the entire sky itself appeared to be cut from her motion. The sky shook and broke in half, revealing an eternal darkness between.
-----As he fell back to the ground, Eric concentrated on repairing his world. It felt as if the entire dimension was being cut, and all he could do was hold it together. Deviana came at him again. He devised every kind of obstacle he could think of: metal spikes, saw blades, mine fields; all useless as she rapidly vanished and appeared again.
-----“I have a realm of my own,” Deviana said. “One I can go to anytime I want. Seems your little dream world can’t deny me that privilege.”
-----Her sword thrust just around his ear. He threw a punch, but she ducked low, came up with a strike to the head. Eric spun on his heel to avoid the sword’s path altogether. As he came around he went for an overhead strike on the top of her head, but she thrust an open palm strait up and stopped his blow at the wrist.
-----The girls strength surprised him. Her outstretched arm fell into an elbow jab to his stomach. Her sword came around to finish the job, but she reared back, finding her sword arm trapped by vines and shrubbery that he willed to entangle her.
-----Taking full advantage of the situation, he threw several punches into her face, then smashed his knee into her chest, sending her flying through an entire mountain. On the other side of the mountain he summoned a crater filled with acid, but again her body faded like a shadow and vanished just as the sizzling splash echoed.
-----“Damn it, this is going no where.” Eric said. “How do I stop that disappearing trick?”
-----Deviana reappeared on a branch. Several tendrils rose up from the acid: plants with toothy mouths. They circled around her, but with a silvery flash she cut them all at once and disappeared again. She seemed to phase through the mountain, returning by his side in a heartbeat. She stepped into a thrust, aiming of his heart. He jumped, spun in mid-air, and came around with a kick to the back of her neck.
-----Her spine should have severed then, but right as contact was made she was gone. His foot fell through. Then she was there, kneeling below him. The black sword pierced his gut.
-----“I had a lot of fun, pretty boy,” Deviana said, almost sighing. “But they want me to kill you know. Maybe you’ll hear them too, right before the end.”
-----Eric’s body turned to clay. She pulled the sword out and looked behind her, where she found Eric leaning over, panting and sweating profusely. “So you can even control your location at all times? In that case this little dimension has got to go.” She made several swipes in different directions. All around them the world started to fall apart, divided into sections that drifted, wobbled, and crashed into one another.
-----“Can’t keep the fantasia going…much longer,” Eric grasped his forehead.
-----Deviana looked at the blood on her arm. “You said what happened here would still effect me outside. Does that go for you too?” She jumped and came at him with one last swing. A blue haze descended around him. The world cracked. Darkness swept them both.

-----Just as Eric and Deviana stood still, like living statues, Uberman fired off a concussive blast. Dreiden Adonis stood his ground, bracing his arms against the force and standing firm.
-----A shot of blue aura landed near him, creating a spiky construct of ice separating Uberman from Supercomrade.
-----“I’ll take care of Tundra,” Supercomrade said. His eyes turned red as beams shot from his pupils. Tundra countered with a beam of blue aura, and the two conflicting elements met with a clash of torrid waves and evaporating water.
-----Lexington placed a hand on Uberman’s shoulder. “I’ll back you up against the big guy. Lara, you help Supercomrade.” The rune fighter activated his swift rune and one other.
-----Supercomrade began to fall back as the blue aura overpowered him. “Tundra…the fiend has never had this much power…” The icy rays overtook him and blasted the hero across the room.
-----Tundra flexed his arms as blue mist flowed around him. The new black and deep blue suit fit over his old costume like armor, making him look taller and more muscular. Rising from his shoulders were two constructs that resembled icicles, though they were shaped as demonic blades. “Do you like it? The good Dr. Vizeman made it for me, to give me some more punch seeing as how I’ve found myself as one of the Lord-Tyrants. I rather like it; almost makes up for all the times the little creep has annoyed me.” He fired another blast, but it was intercepted by an identical ray from Shinsuke.
-----“Stand aside,” Tundra yelled. “I have an opportunity to break my fate with my nemesis.”
-----As Lara sent a supersonic ball into Tundra’s chest and knocked him off his feet, Lexington zoomed in under the cover of Uberman’s cannons. Dreiden moved his arms swiftly, blocking every strike Lex attempted. The man’s body felt as hard and cold as steel, but he also showed amazing skill and flexibility. He’d expect nothing less from a man of Adonis’ reputation.
-----At the other side of the room, Vincentzo Maiinverno sent blasts of magical energy hurling at Fail, but each one spun wildly around the Fallen and was sucked up into nothingness, like water down a drain. Fail stood there, rather aloof. He never attacked, only allowed the wizard to exhaust his list of spells against him.
-----Adonis blocked another kick and then quickly swept his feet behind Lex’s own, sending him off balance. As Lex fell back, Adonis made a jab for his face, but Miles let himself fall away from the blow. He caught himself with one hand to the floor. With that one arm he lifted himself, upside down, and kicked up into Adonis’ face. The kick landed right in his enemy’s chin.
-----Dreiden barely registered any pain, instead just twisting his face away from Lex’s foot and continuing his assault.
-----“Tough guy?” Lexington said as he drew upon the power of the blade rune. His left arm prepared for a knife-hand attack. “How about this.” He made a simple overhead slice, fully expecting Dreiden to block, but no ordinary arm could stop his blade rune.
-----Apparently, this was no ordinary arm. Dreiden’s right hand wobbled, transformed into a curved blade and parried Lex’s attack. Pushing away with his feet, Lex jumped back to avoid a counter, but Dreiden’s left arm somehow extended out and smashed into the side of his cheek.
-----“Lex!” Lara shouted as he landed in front of Uberman. Another blast from the SLJ leader hit Adonis in the chest, but the Lord-Tyrant only fell back a few paces.
-----“That guy can do weird things with his body,” Lex pulled himself up and rubbed the side of his face. He could swear that he had jumped out of range, but Dreiden’s body stretched to make up the distance. “He’s strong too. Without the shield rune I might not have a head right now.”
-----Raea pushed a few buttons on her wrist. “I’m activating the security drones.”
-----The walls around the vault-door slid open, revealing four giant silver mechs that smashed their way into the battlefield. Laser cannons and missiles burst towards Fail, but all of them ended up like Maiinverno’s spells.
-----“It doesn’t matter what I throw at him,” the young wizard punched the air. “I need some more unorthodox magic to deal with this.”
-----Dreiden brushed his hair away from his face. “KOMB machines? Please…inorganic constructs are no match for me.” His pupils shook. The mech’s blew apart without warning, a sudden conflagration of blazing metal and circuits. He pointed at Uberman. “In fact, most of your body is inorganic material, isn’t it?”
-----“Stop it!” Lex yelled, thrusting an open palm at the Lord-Tyrant. “If you even think about blowing him up, I’ll hit you with my Soulrune. You may be tough on the outside, but I bet you’re soul is as wicked as they get.”
-----Adonis smiled and gestured for Lex to come forward. “Try it, if you think you can hit me.”
-----Tundra jumped to his feet. “Even a powerful hit like that doesn’t matter to me now.” Blue mist enveloped his body, and a much larger blast flew towards Supercomrade. Shinsuke countered again, but immediately he fell to his knees. Tundra’s force was too strong.
-----Then splinters of ice rained down, and Shinsuke looked up to find Cortelloni standing in front, glaring at the icy Fallen. Ripples flew through the air as ice waves met with his telekinetic power.
-----Shinsuke aimed low, fired a blast that trapped Tundra in a block of ice.
-----“Fool, how is ice going to be of any use against me!” Tundra laughed. The ice began to break apart and was absorbed into his aura.
-----“It’ll give me time to do this!” A voice shouted from above. Supercomrade flew in, his fist surrounded in bright flame. He struck his nemesis with enough force to unleash a shockwave that shattered the icicle on Tundra’s left shoulder.
-----“I’ll pay you back for that, tenfold.” Tundra regained his balance. “Let me show you what this new suit allows me to do in close quarters.”
-----Dreiden and Lex continued to lock eyes, but then Adonis shifted as a new sword landed near his neck. Tanin appeared behind him, holding Chrysillium there as a warning. “Its about time you stopped threatening my friends.” the Avatar of Light said.
-----“You’re Dragoon T.” Dreiden said, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
-----“And I’ve heard of you all too often,” Tanin said. “I’ve always wanted to have a shot at you.”
-----“But you have a different opponent,” another voice boomed from the torn-down wall behind them. A dark figure stood there, carrying a sword cloaked in shadow. Eyes bright white, and a look on his face that mixed smile and scowl.
-----Tanin gritted his teeth. “Kaas.” He lifted Chrysillium away from Dreiden and faced his fated enemy.
-----“All this time, and that’s all you can say to me?” Kaas spat.
-----“Try this for a greeting,” Tanin teleported above Kaas and fell down with a hard blow. The two swords clashed, sending out bolts of light and darkness. Sparks scratched the air as the blades slid.
-----“It’s been far too long, Tanin,” Kaas boomed.
-----“Yeah, well I heard you kept yourself getting occupied with getting your ass kicked.”
-----They parted and threw their blades at each other once more. The clangs nearly threw everyone else off their feet. Kaas swung low, but Tanin teleported up, reappearing on top of Dorchadas Laan. He kneeled down on the dark blade, pointing Chrysillium’s tip at Kaas’ forehead. The Avatar of Darkness smiled.
-----“Enough!” Aliana Relissan’s voice sounded above the chaos, and silver sheets of metal appeared between all the combatants, forcefully separating them. Supercomrade and Tundra, both in mid-strike, smashed their fists into the metal walls.
-----At that moment, when a sudden silence fell over the hall, a blue slash cut through space, and Eric and Deviana began to move again.
-----Eric stumbled back, panting. “I couldn’t, put her down.”
-----“That was quite a trip,” Deviana shook her hair side to side. “Why’d everyone stop?”
-----“Because this farce is over.”
-----Everyone turned their attention to the outside streets. Even those citizens brave enough to watch the fight so far ran from the sight of one of the more recognized villains on the face of the nexus. Devyn Soyokaze, along with Zalrafel and a number of other Fallen, walked into the Sentinels headquarters.
-----“This isn’t what I had in mind,” Devyn said. “Though I suppose its to be expected.”
-----“Devyn Soyokaze,” Toc Darkone said, walking away from the corner. “I didn’t want to get mixed up in this fray, but there’s someone I certainly wouldn’t mind choking the life out of.”
-----“Come now,” the dark dancer smiled. “You of all people must know how important it is that we don’t fight each other. We have bigger enemies to deal with now.”
-----“The Fallen Tower is lost,” Zalrafel added. “We’ve come to Khazan City today to offer a temporary allegiance with the forces of Khazan. A collaborative effort, to rid us of Drekis.”
-----“Your so-called messengers nearly killed a dozen of our members,” Uberman scowled at the Fallen council. “If you wanted to offer assistance, you have a funny way of giving it.”
-----“I’m sure the Lord-Tyrants meant no harm,” Devyn said. “Dreiden, you and the others stand down.”
-----“As you wish.” Dreiden walked away. Deviana and Tundra reluctantly followed him behind the council.
-----“We always intended to come to Khazan City with this offer,” Devyn continued. “Unfortunately, Drekis got to us first. Now the need for this unholy alliance is even greater.”
-----“Everyone stands to lose from Drekis’ war,” Zalrafel stated, “and if we don’t stop his advance, none of our ambitions can come to fruition. Like Darkone’s Marauders, we are willing to put aside our differences, for this short time, to see Drekis destroyed.”
-----“More or less the same words Toc spoke to us back in Axia,” Aliana said.
-----“Yes,” Uberman brushed the dust off his armor, “but I trust the Fallen far less than I do a den of thieves. They’re far more likely to stab us in the back.”
-----“Of course we’ll be out for our own interests,” Kaas said as he sheathed Dorchadas Laan. “This does nothing to change things between us, but if the Fallen Tower couldn’t survive the onslaught, then no where on Khazan is safe. Not while we work alone.”
-----Devyn walked forward. “And now, for something that Chronomancer told me which I found interesting. I know that several of you present here fought with Drekis recently. More to the point, I’ve been told that one of you holds the key to his defeat.”
-----Uberman looked over his shoulder. Tim stood there, still clutching his sword, but not having moved an inch. At Devyn’s words Tim’s upper body seemed to shake, though his legs held him up. The SLJ leader noticed that everyone else was looking at Tim.
-----“He’s the one?” Devyn said. “Not what I expected.”
-----Raea pointed a blaster at the dark dancer. “You’re not going to have anything to do with him!”
-----“Such melodrama!” Another familiar voice echoed over the group. A flash of light filled the room for a second, and when it was gone a well-groomed man stood in the center, between the Fallen and the others. He removed his hat and introduced himself. The Chronomancer.
-----“A timely appearance,” Devyn uttered, “yet perhaps you should have intervened before all of this happened.” He gestured to the ruins.
-----“Some necessary things came out of it, I assure you,” Chronomancer replied. “But didn’t I tell you: you’d need me to get this alliance going.”
-----“You’re serious about this alliance then?” Uberman asked. “What is it you really want?”
-----“We all want to live, of course,” Chronomancer said. “To live, and to fulfill our goals. For that, we need the nexus, and the nexus cannot survive this. This alliance isn’t a light suggestion, I’m afraid. No, no, this is a necessity. Believe me when I say this, Uberman, Princess and Queen of Axia, Elwin D’Larthi, all of you: Khazan will not survive this war unless we fight as one.”

-----Regulous Morikai embraced Axia’s cool air. A refreshing change of pace from the dry, humid atmosphere of the Central Valley and SpellFire Desert; he did not care for humid places. In those places his hair stuck to the side of his head, his sweat dripped over his eyes, and sand sifted into his armor. Everyone else pointed at him, mocked him. Even the deminites, with their toothy grin, hopped past him as he tried to storm through the sandhills, falling more than once.
-----He had never suffered such humiliation. Shadow Wing’s right hand man, Stalker, gave him no end of snarky comments. But soon the fighting would start. Then he’d show him—them all—what he was capable. He’d be no man’s laughing stock.
-----Stalker leapt to the highest point of the hill overlooking Axia’s vast landscape. A bulky, slithering hand pulled out his sword and stabbed it into the earth. He raised his other hand; immediately the deminites behind him halted.
-----“Out of my way,” Regulous carved a path through the deminites with his fists. He would not stand behind like some lowly demon creature, but as he came to the top of the hill Stalker threw a hand in front of his face.
-----“Know your place.” he said, a smile carving across his face. His pointed ears flexed. “You’re just an extra envoy in our army. You hold no rank.”
-----“Don’t treat me like one of your mindless dolls,” Regulous spat back, “I’ll do as I please, and as long as I don’t go against our General’s orders, you have no say in the matter.”
-----“Quite a backbone you’ve got,” Stalker grinned wide, “I hope you can finish the walk down this hill without tumbling.”
-----“That is…!”
-----“But ‘our’ General, as you say, instructed us to wait here.” Stalker continued.
-----A shadow passed over them. Pairs of sharp-tipped wings flapped above them, sending loose grass blades into the air. Shadow Wing dropped in front of them. The ground rumbled and loosened its grip on Stalker’s sword.
-----“My lord.” Regulous kneeled.
-----“Kiss up,” Stalker muttered. He turned to the Drekis General. “We’re in position. We can spear-head straight for the capital if we wish.”
-----“No,” Shadow Wing’s shoulders rolled back as his wings folded in behind his back. “They’re well aware of our movements—you see we’ve been moving East steadily, so their defenses are all over there.” He pointed to the clear path leading into Axia Prime.
-----“Where then?” Stalker asked.
-----Shadow Wing raised a clawed hand and gestured north. “Horror’s messengers told me that the Undead who joined Lord Drekis took Cretalia under control. We’ll attack a little city called Mez’neragese, just north of the capital. Horror takes Volandia. We then meet for a full scale assault on Axia Prime.”
-----“Two armies against one city?” Stalker laughed. “This is no fun; the other Generals got to solo their targets. I think you’re getting shafted boss.”
-----Shadow Wing let out a deep, short laugh. “You might be right…but then again, I’ve never been much for glory. That’s Avalon’s style, but I favor, efficiency. Now then, Regulous…”
-----“Yes, my lord.” He stood, ready to accept any mission. This time he’d prove his worth. Not only Shadow Wing, but Drekis would recognize his talents. Then Stalker could graciously shut his devil-toothed trap.
-----“Listen closely, this is your big chance,” Shadow Wing hissed. “Also north of here, a wide canal lets in water from the ocean, running through the forests up there, and spilling into a large body of water, where a city was built. Alpath, its called. There are docks and shipyards there—a key area that we must claim. Otherwise Axia still has a convenient way to receive supplies or gain naval support. Do you understand?”
-----Regulous nodded. This was even better than he expected. Would he really let him try his hand against an entire city, alone? Shadow Wing was too generous. He liked him more already.
-----“I’ll devote some of my army to you. Take command and siege Alpath. Leave nothing standing. Do this for us, and you’ll have played a key role in Axia’s downfall. I’ll make sure Drekis knows this.”
-----“Excellent!” Regulous replied. “Excuse me, I mean, yes my Lord. I’ll show you the kind of warrior I am; I’ll rend and burn them all to the ground, dry the seas…”
-----“Enough already,” Stalker crossed his arms, “you still have to show results before you can talk like that around us.”
-----“Very well,” Regulous smiled. Victory was certain.
-----The sky’s light yielded to shadow. Massive forms descended, black and bulbous like storm clouds that came alive and crashed to the earth. As they came closer, the form of eyes and spiny legs appeared. Gargantuan monsters.
-----“Those are…” Regulous paused.
-----“Terror beasts.” Shadow Wing finished. “By now I’m certain Drekis has enough to cut off Khazan’s system from the other universes. They’re bringing reinforcements from the Fallen island. I’ve heard the new General performed well there.”
-----The closest terror beast moaned. A hole slowly spewed open in the side of its body, where a large object flew out. Regulous vaguely recognized the shape as that of a mecha, a weapon that the Khazan military used. Drekis’ hives engineered replicas of these machines, but this craft looked like the genuine article, not a bio-mech.
-----Bright flames jetted out of the mecha’s feet. It descended slowly, scorching the grassland below. Shadow Wing held his ground, but Regulous could not gauge his reaction.
-----Engine fires died off with a thud as the mech landed. Both metallic knees bent, smashed into the dirt, and the chest parted, revealing a chamber inside. Abicion, high servant of Relinqiest, sat in the chair, though he no longer resembled the Abicion Regulous knew. His skin, now dark brown and grey, was stretched at every inch, breaking off into ropes and tendrils that flew about the cockpit like a sick web.
-----“You?” Stalker seemed genuinely surprised. “What are you doing here? This is our show.”
-----“Special orders,” Abicion replied. All the pieces of his flesh bobbed around with his words. “Lord Relinqiest is injured and won’t be leading any armies for a while. In the meantime, I’m one of your reinforcements, Lord Shadow Wing.”
-----Regulous rolled his eyes. Of course. Perfect. All he needed was for another minion in a shiny new toy to steal his thunder.
-----“Is that a Khazanian device you’ve stolen?” Shadow Wing asked. “It suits you.”
-----Abicion chuckled. “Oh, I think you’ll agree the Eversor suits the entire army, once you see it in action.”
-----“Very well, I’ll let you accompany me as we begin the attack on Axia, assuming you’re up to the task winning the longest campaign in the war so far.”
-----Regulous rubbed his armored hands together. At least Abicion wouldn’t take his opportunity away.
-----Abicion cocked his head, and the Eversor’s chest began to close. “Up to task? Ha! Believe me when I say, that there is no machine…no squadron of machines, that can take the Eversor on.”

-----Tim sat in one of the private offices of the SLJ headquarters, accompanied by Raea and Elwin D’Larthi. The Vice-President told him that this room once belonged to her, when she was on active duty. Now, though she kept herself busy with political concerns, the room was left alone, virtually unchanged from the way she left it. Apparently it was out of respect, although Elwin herself seemed to imply that her teammates went a little too far with the gesture.
-----Raea sat at his side, nervously watching the legendary heroine fumble through her desk.
-----“None of us appear to have any major information about your father,” Elwin said. “Strange. The Sentinels have some old non-digital documents confirming a name, and an occupation as a freelancer, but nothing else.”
-----“I thought so,” Tim said.
-----“Everything I ever heard about your father, I heard from you,” Raea said, “and those were all stories you said you heard from close friends. I don’t think he was a well known name across Khazan.”
-----“So the family kept its secret close to its chest,” Elwin sat back in her chair. “I was surprised when Toc and the Queen had their heated discussion about you, and even more so when Devyn Soyokaze of all people singles you out.”
-----“I’m sorry,” Tim said. “I didn’t really know anything, until recently.”
-----“Not your fault,” Elwin turned on her computer and began typing, “and I think the Queen had her own reasons. Still, it chills me to think that we had some sort of ‘key’ to Drekis’ downfall right here, in you, and we didn’t know about it until he took over half the world.”
-----“I want to be on the frontlines.” Tim declared. “Like you said, the Queen had her reasons, said it was important for me to discover the purpose of my power. I need as much experience as I can get, fighting them, learning from my battles.”
-----“The SLJ doesn’t usually do that with rookies, but we may have to make an exception.” Elwin replied. “With this new alliance between all four major factions, I have a feeling a lot of unorthodox strategies are going to be used.”
-----“Has everything fallen into place?” Raea asked.
-----Elwin stretched her fingers out. “Despite the rough start, I guess you could say that. The Fallen and the Marauders, fighting side by side with us, and the Khazan government. It’ll be one of the biggest offensives ever launched.”
-----“Listen,” the Vice-President continued, “I have no problem with authorizing Uberman to put you on the front lines, fighting right in Axia in the next few days if possible. But let me warn you: this alliance—don’t think for a second that Toc and Devyn aren’t in it for their own reasons. Your birthright, against your will in some ways, has made you an important chess piece to them. They’ll play you any way they see fit, if it’ll benefit them in the end. Not just them, but anyone who stands to gain something after Drekis is defeated.”
-----“I understand,” Tim said, “and I have no problem accepting that risk.”
-----“I’ll watch over him,” Raea added, patting his lap. “No one will take advantage of his destiny, or whatever they want to call it. Not on my watch.”
-----“I’ll have some of the best the Sentinels have to offer watching my back,” Tim laughed. “I don’t think you need to be so protective, though I’ll enjoy…”
-----A sharp beep interrupted him. A small screen opened up in the corner of Elwin’s computer panel. “Madam Vice-President, you have a call from a GDF cruiser, the…”
-----“Put it through, right now,” Elwin said.
-----The entire monitor flashed an image of a fire-haired woman sitting on the bridge of a starship.
-----“Captain Shire,” Elwin seemed relieved. “I expected a followup from you hours ago. Some of us down here feared the worst.”
-----“The worst is yet to come,” Captain Shire said plainly. “The fleet I’ve been expecting is busy engaging terror beasts all through the nexus perimeter.”
-----“The perimeter…then you mean.”
-----Shire’s head dropped low for a second. “Every portal and mixed-up route that leads into the nexus’ system—countless universes, the fleet keeps trying different ones, but they encounter terror beasts everywhere. They think millions of them were out here, for a long time…waiting for some order to come together.”
-----“They’re cutting us off.” Elwin whispered.
-----“Not just the nexus-space. I haven’t been able to safely approach Khazan for a while now. The bug-eyed things might be cloaked, but we know how to read them. Entire fleets are positioned above Khazan. They’re facing outward, a living barrier around the planet.”
-----Tim remembered what Aliana said, about how Drekis may have already taken hope away from the people. That was his goal; in fact, maybe it was his only real goal. Before Drekis could conquer Khazan, he had to take away their hope, and now he had the people wrapped up in a ball. His hordes scoured the ground, and controlled the skies.
-----But this was not the end. The Fallen, the Marauders—the strongest force ever assembled on Khazan. If they could push the demons back from Axia, stop the advance; then people would believe that this nightmare will pass. Like the Apocalypse before, it would pass, and the next day would be like any other.
-----And when that moment came, when Drekis no longer held the emotions of Khazan’s people in his hand, he’d be able to face him again. Not just a piece, but the full Avatar of Chaos. If he did only one thing in this war, that was it. He will kill Drekis.