War of Drekis

Chapter 9:


The Power That Is Yet To Be





-----The sounds were becoming deafening; louder and louder as the city shook with more violence. The explosions continued, one after the other while screams and cries mixed with the flight of bullets and the flashes of magic to create a single, unified sound of battle.
-----Tim found it hard to keep focus as the next wave of shots hit the cities Mid-Gate. The wall proved to be as sturdy as Uberman had hoped, with it’s chiseled surface blemished by newly formed craters while the foundation itself remained strong. Those who stood on top of the massive wall that separated the northern half of New Xaelis from the southern half grabbed hold of the edges to stay afoot while Mid-Gate suffered another barrage.
-----“How much more can this old wall take?” Tim wondered. He found himself repeating much of his words, each time shouting louder and louder to convey his messages above the sounds of chaos.
-----Raea covered her ears and looked down upon the ground below. Shots were being fired from the top of the Mid-Gate and were diving into a sea of targets. There were enough Deminites and other monstrosities approaching the wall that missing one would be an insurmountable task, and for a time it seemed that it actually worked to the defense forces advantage. Wave after wave of creatures came forward, but were swept away by concentrated fire. Above the wall, the airships formed a tight wall formation, bearing their sides to the enemy and firing upon the Deminite Gunners who were assaulting the Mid-Gate from afar.
-----Mecha of all kinds filled the spaces inbetween the airships, guaranteeing that the Bio-Ships and Ptera-Deminites could not get beyond the Mid-Gate. The wall was taking continuous damage to it’s once polished surface, but the monument proved worthy of it’s original purpose. Only a wall built to withstand assaults from a group as powerful as the Fallen could one day stand up to such a show of force. From what Raea could see, the wall was serving it’s purpose. The defense forces were no longer taking staggering losses, and the lack of attrition seemed to be hurting the Drekis legions performance.
-----Reassured of their survival, Raea turned to Tim and gave him an uplifting thumbs-up. “Despite all the shaking, it looks like the Mid-Gate is holding it’s own against them. Things seem to be going well.”
-----“Well, I guess things aren’t as bad as I thought they were.” Tim replied.
-----“You do not need to worry,” the weather-mage said as a round of explosions hit the ground next to the Mid-Gate, sending debris high enough to rain down upon the defenders at the top. The woman waved her hand up and cleared most of the debris with a gust of wind, “This is a turning point. It’s possible that if we keep this up, his forces may dwindle. I am relieved that things have turned out this way. I mean, they could be much worse. At least you, Timothy, are alive.”
-----Raea gave the woman a puzzled look and scratched her head. “Ok, why don’t you tell me who you are? We’re thankful for your help and everything, but why are you being so mysterious?”
-----“I apologize for my elusive behavior,” the woman responded. “My name is Tiara, and for now, I will simply say that I was asked to come guarantee the survival of this man.”
-----Tim saw her point in his direction and nearly fell back in surprise. He looked back to see if he could follow the point of her finger to another intended target, but it was clear that her gaze was fixed on him. “Me? What’s so special about me? Why would someone ask you to come insure my protection? Can’t you see how many people are risking their lives here!? Guarantee my surviva…this is absurd! Look, I appreciate your help, but I don’t think it’s fair to get special protection from you, not when there are so many others out there that deserve that more than I do.”
-----“And more importantly,” Raea intruded. “Who asked you to do this?”
-----“Your modesty is not a concern here,” Tiara said. “And I understand your argument Tim, in fact I am not entirely aware of your significance, nor do I have any idea why you of all people should be the one that I am protect. I only know that this was asked of me, and I made the choice to comply. As to your other question, I do not have time to discuss my direct superiors, but I was told that the mission was originally given out by Lady Relissan of Axia. My mission will be completed here once you have been brought before her, and only then can I continue on my path.”
-----“Relissan!?” Raea shouted. “You mean Queen Relissa…”
-----A mighty shout overcame their speech. “Incoming!!!”
-----All heads turned and subsequently dove to the floor as a blast roared overhead. Raea and Tim both shuddered as the energy passed just over their heads and arched over the MidGate, quickly diving into the nearest sky-scraper. The building let out a cry as it’s middle was torn out in a ravaging show of smoke and fire.
-----As the remainder of the building collapsed and fell to ruin, Tim looked down upon the Drekis legions with disdain. Suddenly the questions he had for the weather-mage were all too irrelevant. Anger, fear, desperation, and courage all comprised his heart at once, and for a time he did not care for the words that Tiara spoke.
-----Raea could see the look in his eyes, and it was one she had rarely seen on one as innocent and carefree as Tim. It was as if his entire being had become devoted to the atmosphere of combat, a mentality rarely shown, and even less oft desired by even the most experienced of warriors. But his look sent a chill down her spine, for it was one that seemed directed by vengeance, and she feared that this new mentality would be too dangerous for someone so inexperienced.
-----She offered her soft voice to his ear, the understanding words of a friend, and of something more, in hopes of calming his spirit, but the crash of battle had at once become far too loud for any talk to transpire. The red strands of her hair lifted directly towards the sky as dozens of mechs flew overhead, the boom of their fierce engines deafening all peaceful nuances.
-----The mechs assumed a diamond formation and scurried in retaliation towards the enemy gunners. Bombs fell from the legs of each mech as they flew over their enemies, and soon the city grounds came apart as pockets of explosion flashed one after the other. The Drekis monsters screamed in agony as blackened flesh and torn ligaments landed upon the burning remains of cars and rooftops, but none that survived the bombardments showed any sign of concern.
-----This, above all else, truly agitated Tim, for not only did his enemies commit such atrocities to the homes and lives of innocent people, but they did so without even a shred of respect for their own. Any other war had always been fought between two sides who had each thought themselves to be in the right, and the line between good and evil, though preached of often, was often blurred beyond reasoning. But here, the creatures seemed to be unaware of their purpose. What in God’s name could these vile people see in their actions as righteous? No, it was almost as if they knew that they were doing bad, and they enjoyed it.
-----“How could such evil exist?” Tim said to himself amidst the chaos. “How could such heartless bastards exist? They should all be killed! Every last one of them!”
-----He raised his sword as if to step off the edge of the giant wall and come crashing down upon the masses that now scratched at it’s base. Raea’s faint plead, he did not hear, but the feeling of her arms cross his chest expelled both breath and hate. She pulled him back with every muscle, but a part of Tim continued, a part of him still desired to have his blade cut through those demons!
-----Tiara grabbed him by the shoulders as well, and together the two women forced him to hold his ground. Tim’s shouts of disapproval were the only things that most of the soldiers could actually hear above the firing of gun and cannon.
-----Uberman saw the young man’s distress, and quickly took action to see that the new recruit did not suffer from insanity so early in his career. “Tim, look at me! Calm down! Don’t let your emotions control all of your actions!”
-----“I keep telling myself that,” Tim responded. His eyes were still fixed on the incoming minions. Ptera-Deminite came in under the protection of the Bio-fighters that drew the attention of the guarding Khazanian mechs. Bolts of lightning spewed forth from their beaks, some of which chipped their way through the MidGate’s exterior while others splashed off of the conjured force fields of mages and spirituists. “But how can I do that!? Look at what they’ve done…this…this hell on Khazan! How many people have they already killed!?”
-----“Everyone here is going through exactly what you’re going through!” Uberman yelled. “Don’t forget that! And don’t put any expectations on yourself! You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone, certainly not me, is that understood!?”
-----Tim tried to look away from the battle, but the Ptera-Deminites swooped in closer, their cries of terror alerting the rangers who had taken up position at the front of the MidGate’s ceiling. Scout ordered them to fire, and in seconds their guns turned their attention from the streets below to the skies above. Between bolts and bows, the flying devils were torn and pierced, doomed to disappear in the smoke below, but some tilted and darted to the sides, avoiding the gunfire long enough to release a final shot. Several of the Khazanian mages were too slow to act, as their weakened fields thwarted only a small portion of the electric blasts. The mages fell to the ground as the bolts came through their bodies, leaving gaping holes in their chests, and the lightning violently split off in many directions, at once taking hold of many soldiers. Some had their very lives burned away, while others stirred in agony and fell from the great heights of the wall, and other’s still dropped to the floor in convulsions as the magical energy raced through their systems.
-----Scout ordered for his men to give attention to the injured, and with endearing compassion the heroes of Khazan gathered around those who laid in pools of blood and comforted them. Healers and doctors surrounded the wounded and treated them while more soldiers stepped up to the edge of the MidGate ceiling to fill in for their fallen comrades. But the attention to the wounded allowed their numbers to dwindle, and with no sympathy the Drekis legions advanced. The wall shook as hit after hit slowly degraded the MidGate’s structure.
-----Two Deminite Crawler’s pushed their way through the rubble and unleashed more Deminite Soldiers into combat. The chaotic demons conjured more and more flames, until there was enough of the burning element for them to shape ominous shapes of dragons and phoenix’s that smashed themselves into the wall at their master’s discretion. The Crawlers brought their plasma cannons to bear at the top of the wall, where many of the Khazan defenders were positioned to fire upon them from above. The plasma was released against the same target, striking simultaneously and carving chunks of the once mighty wall off of the top.
-----Part’s of MidGate’s ceiling was broken and tossed into the air by the impact, and all soldiers who stood their ground on that land were thrown into the air as well. A random, bloodied helmet fell down to Tim’s feet, but it’s owner fell to the Drekis monsters below.
-----“No! No! No more! I can’t watch any of this anymore! Let me go! Let me go right now!” Tim shouted. “If I can get down there, I can get them away from the wall…and…and then…no one has to die!”
-----“Tim, will you listen to yourself,” Raea pleaded. “You’re losing yourself in everything that’s going on.”
-----“No, I have to!”
-----Uberman abruptly stepped in front of Tim as soon as he had escaped from Raea’s grasp. With a slight gesture the back of his hand hit Tim in the stomach, and in the next moment the silver-haired warrior fell to the ground, silent, but relaxed.
-----“I really regret having to do that,” Uberman said. “I am not a man of violence Tim, you understand, but I’d feel worse knowing that I let you jump to your death.”
-----The SLJ leader looked up at Tiara with curiosity, but then smiled. “Tiara, was it? I overheard some of your conversation. Not much, but enough to understand it I suppose. In a way I’m relieved that you are here for him. What happened to Tim just now is quite understandable. He’s young, and not used to this kind of horror. The realist inside of me told me that if he wanted to be an SLJ, I should not shelter him from the realities of combat, but at the same time I can see that he has had more than enough for one day.’
-----‘I didn’t hurt him at all, so do not worry. He won’t even be out like this for very much longer. So listen, I want you to take him away from here. Raea, I want you to go with this woman, and help ensure that Tim keeps calm when he wakes up. Go north, and you will be joined soon by our own contingents here.”
-----Scout moved next to Uberman, his face darkened by the smoke that had engulfed most of the MidGate’s roof by now. “Sir, if you have any orders as leader of the Sentinels I suggest you make them now! Otherwise, as commanding officer of this force, I will have to order our men to pull back once again.”
-----“Yes, I realize that,” Uberman replied. “The MidGate will now hold much longer. But it has served us well, so far.”
-----“You told us you wanted us to go north,” Tiara said. “May I ask why?”
-----Uberman looked north, where he could see the faint imagery of snow that covered the distant mountains. “We will head into the magic lands of the Frozen Wastes. We will make for the WinterScar Fortress. Go in that direction, and we will be behind you soon enough.”
-----Raea nodded and grimaced as she lifted Tim up in her arms. Tiara helped take hold of him and with a circle of wind waving beneath their feet, the two took off with Tim in hand.
-----“Are you sure you should have done that to him,” Scout inquired.
-----“It’s for his own good. It was his choice to participate in this war, and I couldn’t stop him from that,” Uberman said. “But I’d hate to see such a promising hero die before he can truly flourish. I wish him the best now, for we have some things left to here before we join them on the path towards WinterScar.”

---2---
Aigonis’ First Strike

-----Aigonis Zekruel swooped down from the peaks of the Astra Canyon and dug his spear into the ground, splitting the earth apart as he passed by. He swiftly came and went between the formation that Vincentzo and the others had set up, forcing them to lunge in different directions as house-sized chunks of land came apart and were swept away in the gust of the demons passing.
-----Vincentzo covered his face with his arms, but it did little to stop the winds from pulling him towards the white lizard man, who had made a brief pause in his flight to rest upon the ground. The creature kneeled, and his grin shown brightly with gleaming teeth and gums drenched in dried blood.
-----The young wizard struggled against the force that guided him towards the monster, but soon he would be within striking distance. Dragging his feet into the ground, Maiinverno pulled together wisps of fire into his hand. Many of the magical flames flew away, also falling to the sweeping winds, but Maiinverno was not one to let himself be overcome by the elements, and with endearing concentration the wizard grew a fireball and let it fly towards the Drekis General.
-----The flames maintained their spherical shape even as the winds helped propel the ball towards the demonic reptilian. Aigonis let out an amused grunt and batted the fireball away with the StarBlade spear, then raised the shaft up high to bring down upon the wizard.
-----Just then, the winds at last ceased, and Centzo wasted no time in immediately darting away as the spear came down and cracked the earth. Khazan itself seemed to shudder, and the canyon walls shook and cried with tears of rock that fell down around them.
-----“How fortunate for you,” Aigonis said. “I suppose fortune does favor the bold. But then again, fate and fortune have no place in our presence.”
-----As the dust cleared, Centzo looked upon his enemy and noticed that the creatures eyes remained closed. Maiinverno darted to the sides, circling around Aigonis while being sure to make as few sounds as possible, but the draconian head followed his exact movements.
-----“What game are you playing here, Aigonis, was it? Do you think that I am not worth your sight?” Maiinverno questioned.
-----“Why does it matter,” Aigonis replied. “Perhaps I’m blind. And perhaps I’m better off not having to see your hideous face.”
-----“Hideous!” Vincentzo yelled in response. “You dare call me hideous with a face like tha…”
-----Aigonis’ head tilted slightly as something new developed. His attention was no longer focused on Maiinverno, and this, to say the least, irked the young wizard, for there was nothing more annoying to him than someone who dared to undermine his presence, let alone completely disregard it.
-----The Drekis general suddenly took to the air, though Maiinverno saw little more than a blur and the after images of his scaled wings flapping wildly through the air. Tanin was there as well, appearing out of nowhere with his blade already in mid-swing. But his intended target had already become airborne, and Chrysillium passed under Aigonis’ feet as the Drekis general took to the skies.
-----“Damn,” Tanin said as he jumped back to follow the movements of his enemy. He could sense me teleport behind him? And his eyes remain closed! So then…
-----Aigonis landed once again, standing erect with his wings neatly folding behind his back. His head focused on the Avatar of Light, but as Maiinverno made subtle movements, it became obvious that the general was all to aware of both of them.
-----“Trying to be sneaky eh?” Aigonis said. “You’re the Avatar of Light, aren’t you. How interesting, you then should be one of the most powerful beings here, isn’t that right.”
-----Tanin smiled and held Chrysillium out in front. “I don’t know, why don’t you come over here and we’ll test that theory out.”
-----Aigonis extended his right arm out, his spear in hand. “There is no need for me to come to you.” The spear began to vibrate slightly, and soon it’s very image began to blur. The shape, and even size of the object changed, morphing little by little into something new. This time it became a curved weapon, larger and wider than the spear it had been before, and soon it’s shape was apparent.
-----“A giant boomerang!?” Vincentzo said. But a closer examination showed that the weapon’s edges gleamed as only a finely sharpened blade could. The weapon seemed plausible enough, though Maiinverno had never come across a construct such as this in his lifetime. “So that is what you meant by the StarBlade? A weapon that can take on the characteristics of any other weapon?”
-----Aigonis said nothing and took to action. His eyes still closed, he swung his arm and let the bladed boomerang fly. It spun through the air at such speeds that at once it appeared as a disk with edges of steel. Tanin teleported a few feet to the left as the spinning blade flew by, slicing its way through the ground before lifting once more into the air and smashing into the sides of the Canyon. But the Canyon proved to be weaker than the StarBlade, which continued through the rock solid walls as if it met no resistance at all, and disappeared beyond the path of the Canyon pass.
-----“Interesting little trick,” Tanin noted.
-----A fourth battle cry emerged, as POWAAA-MAN burst out of the rubble behind Aigonis and came crashing down with his foot extended.
-----Tanin’s eyes widened. “No! Woose, don’t, he…”
-----Aigonis spun around and grabbed Woose’s ankle and dug a pair of shining claws into his flesh. He held the martial artist upside down and looked down upon him as if he were a child. “So, this one was in hiding? Or so you sought, little man. I can trace every last one of you by smell alone, and you are certainly no exception.”
-----“Shut up!” Woose yelled as he pulled his body up and smacked the general in the chin with his head. Aigonis scowled in annoyance and threw Woose towards Centzo and Tanin. He rolled across the rocky land, but quickly thrust one hand into the ground and threw himself onto his feet.
-----“That was a stupid stunt to pull Woose!” Centzo said, coming up behind him.
-----“What did you expect me to do!?” Woose asked. “I thought our best chance would be when he no longer had his weapon. I say we all attack him at once!”
-----“Wait!” Tanin shouted. “Incoming!”
-----The two looked back to see the spinning blade coming back fast, possibly faster than when it had first been released.
-----Woose dived into Centzo, pushing both of them outside of the blades trajectory. The boomerang came back towards its master, but as it approached, its speed slowed down, and once more its shape was contorted and stretched out. By the time it gently fell back into Aigonis’ hands it had become a scythe, but its uncanny arched blade was much longer than any normal scythe they had ever seen.
-----Centzo pushed woose off of him and stood up, brushing the dust off of his cape with both hands. “You fool, I could have avoided it on my own, you didn’t have to knock me to the ground.”
-----“Oh, you’re welcome Centzo, I’m sure you would have done the same for me,” Woose replied mockingly.
-----“Would the two of you stop bickering,” Tanin said. “Listen, this guy hasn’t opened his eyes once the entire battle. At first I thought he was just well trained in following his senses of smell and sound. But I think it may go deeper than that. I think he can sense movements in the air, enough to where he can follow teleportation.”
-----“Then what do you suggest we do?” Centzo said. “We’re running out of time, and I’m running out of patience.”
-----“Cover me!” Tanin responded. “Just cover me with some magic from afar, leave the rest to me!” Without even waiting for the wizard’s reply, the Avatar of Light lifted his body ever so slightly above the ground and dashed towards the general at full speed.
---3---
Meeting in Morisato City

-----The reflection of waving trees disappeared as the tinted window lowered and Michael stuck his head out to look upon the changing scenery. The hovercar transport broke free from the residential streets and entered the downtown district of Morisato City.
-----Michael lowered his sun glasses to look upon the city with his own eyes. The clear, ocean air was refreshing, though a bit overrated in Michael’s opinion. Even the city itself was overrated as far as he was concerned. “The view that brings a tear to your eye.” Not quite, Michael thought, though the city was undoubtedly beautiful. The number of trees found in the residential section of the city did not decrease in the downtown area, and it was hard to imagine how so much nature and technology could learn to coexist in relatively small areas. Most of the city, even in downtown, were made of rectangular buildings no more than two to five stories tall, with the only skyscrapers and larger constructs being found in the very center of the city.
-----The entire city shined in the afternoon sun, not because of its own bright lights, but because of the mineral stone that the many buildings were made up of. They glistened as if every one them were made of crystal, while the taller buildings were outlined in dark, highly reflective glass.
-----Having been partially constructed over hills, the streets of Morisato City’s downtown would often rise and fall, and as Cortelloni’s transport taxi came over one such hill, he could clearly see the port city of Raisa which lied north of Morisato City.
-----The hovercar stopped along the side of the street, and Michael beheld one of the premier outposts of the Maniacal heroes. Not once did the ex-marauder ever think that he would ever stand in front of such an establishment, though he had been much more curious in regards to the Maniacal heroes when compared to the SLJ. The Maniacal Heroes were a group equally hated by criminals, but found little respect among other heroes. Their ways were considered just, but their actions were, to say the least, unconventional, and often came close to crossing the line between true heroism as Khazan knew it and simple vigilantism.
-----Cortelloni threw some cash onto the passenger seat and got out of the hovercar with a groan. This seemed like such chore to him, and even though he was coming here to simply meet with the others, having to walk through the gates of this building didn’t sit well with him. But he had a responsibility thrown upon him that he didn’t quite like, and it didn’t matter if he liked it or not. This was something that he had to do, simply because it meant surviving in the end.
-----The complex seemed clean enough despite rumors and reputations, and though this was not the central base, which was of course located in Khazan City, it stood out quite well against the other buildings in Morisato City. As he walked down the street, he noticed many posters and wall scrolls decorating the sides of the outpost, many of which showcased some rather odd things, perhaps meant to be comical, though Cortelloni was hardly the one to find many trivial things amusing. One particular poster he noticed was partially ripped off, the only remaining text brandishing the phrase “They’re COMING again!!!” The final poster next to the opening hosted the mission statement of the Maniacal heroes, and in small text below that were many names, presumably the active members stationed in this city.
-----Cortelloni was about to push through the glass doors of the complex, but noticed a familiar girl leaning against the wall with her arms folded. Even more familiar were the three small creatures hovering around her.
-----Shirai seemed to be oblivious to things around her, perhaps because she was trying to rest her mind from the tediousness of watching over the ever helpful but bothersome Sikigami.
-----Once the young girl caught sight of Cortelloni, she nervously approached him and began to pick up speed when the Sikigami followed. She came to an abrupt halt in front of him and shrieked a little at the ferret that suddenly jumped onto her shoulder, then let out a sigh and bowed her head down. “Welcome to the Cretalia Maniacal Heroes base Mr. Cortelloni.”
-----“What’s wrong kid?” Michael inquired. “You look a little shaken up.”
-----“What? Me?” Shirai said, putting her hand behind her head and letting out an uneasy laugh. “Oh, I’m always like that. Kinda. Sorta.”
-----“Were you waiting outside the complex for me?” Michael asked. “Why would you do that.”
-----Shirai folded he hands in front of her and nervously kicked the green blob at her feet a few inches away. “Well, Mr. Shinsuke wasn’t sure if you would actually come here, and even if you did, he figured you wouldn’t want to come into the building. I think he wanted me to get him once you came.”
-----Shirai turned to enter the building and waved her hands tirelessly at the bat sikigami that flew in front of her. “Oh, wait, I think I can see him coming already,” she exclaimed.
-----Yagami calmly opened the glass doors and came outside, a look of surprise actually adorning his face upon seeing Cortelloni. “So, I guess you decided to come to Cretalia after all.”
-----“Doubting that I would?” Michael said. “Well yes, I’m here, I am a man of my word. Well, sometimes, when I see fit. You know there are some of us who do these kinds of things even though we don’t like to.”
-----“I suppose so,” Yagami said. “As long as your negativity is directed at our mutual enemies, though, I think things will be fine. Isn’t that right Natsumi?”
-----“um…oh…uh-huh,” Shirai nodded. “Yeah, everything will work out.”
-----Two new figures emerged from the doorways, who at first appeared to be regular members of the Maniacal Heroes leaving the complex, but the duo stopped behind Yagami and looked at Cortelloni sharply. One with a smile, and one with a stern, but complacent look.
-----“What’s with the circus duo?” Michael asked, noting that the two certainly didn’t look live the average Khazanian hero. Maniacal Heroes had been known to be unconventional in many ways, even in their appearance, and perhaps these two lived up to that long standing rumor.
-----One of them, the more serious of the two, was a man with short, somewhat spiky black hair and scruffy looks. He wore a leather jacket over a simple white shirt and jeans, but his clothes looked tarnished, and the jacket’s sleeves had been ripped off. The man appeared to be a common street punk, though there was no slouch in his demeanor and his red eyes displayed a keenness not often found among that particular breed. His hair was ruff, un-styled, and perhaps even partially held up by the blue bandana he wore across his forehead.
-----The other one, who was much more pleasing to behold, was a woman no more than nineteen or twenty years old. Her colors were all vibrant, from the deep purple of her hair and eyes, to the bright pink of her shirt, and bright red lipstick she wore. Even her Caucasian skin seemed to gleam alongside the city buildings. She wore a short, white skirt and a never-ending smile. She seemed to be the overly happy type, and though nice, carried an aura of eccentricity around her. The latter characteristic was at least amplified by the fact that she carried a tennis racket over her shoulder.
-----“Circus duo huh? That’s a new one,” the man replied. “The name’s Lexington Miles, just call me Lex. The lovely lady here is Lara Corners.”
-----Lara waved her hand and let out a joyful “Hi!”
-----“Oh, are those you’re professional names?” Michael grinned. “I was expecting something wacky and out of this world from the Maniacal Heroes. You know, like say, Punk Man or Tennis-Whacker.”
-----“Oh, you think you’re a funny one don’t you,” Lex said sarcastically. “Yeah, Yagami, you were right about this one. He’s just downright hilarious.”
-----“I do try occasionally,” Michael retorted. “Consider it a first time thing…you know, I don’t hang out with Maniacal types too often, though the past is a different matter.”
-----“I assure you Mr. Cortelloni,” Lara broke in, “the oddity for which we Maniacal Heroes are known for varies between each member.”
-----“In any case,” Yagami said, “I suggest we get going now that the pleasant formalities have been dispensed. Lara and Lex have been kind enough to let us use their private Jet, so travel shouldn’t be a concern for us.”
-----“What, do we already have something to go on?” Cortelloni asked.
-----“Only word that a Drekis army was seen heading towards here,” Yagami responded. “Though apparently their route is through the Spellfire desert and then through the Wizard Woodlands. That will slow them down some. In the mean time we’ve been asked to assist Captain Khazan in a new development.”
-----“A new development?” Shirai said. “I didn’t know about any new development?”
-----“I was just informed inside,” Yagami explained. “Seems something a little disturbing has happened at Raisa near the ports.”
-----Michael shook his head at Yagami’s report. “That’s impossible, Raisa’s right at the top of Cretalia, how could they attack from there if they’re going through the trouble of traversing a desert and a forest?”
-----“It’s a rather mysterious incident,” Yagami said. “Captain Khazan wants us to help him investigate it. Are you still willing to come along then?”
-----Cortelloni shrugged. “I’ve come this far, might as well. I guess if Miss Lara keeps me company it won’t be so bad.”
-----Lara kept up her smile in front of Cortelloni’s comment. “Ah, now don’t make me use this Mr. Cortelloni,” she said, patting her tennis racket.

---4---
Xaelon’s Final Hour

-----Zegrin descended slowly upon the ash that covered the streets of New Xaelis and arched his mighty back up, allowing his mounted master to look upon the battlefield. Ahead there were countless Deminite Soldiers pouring into the MidGate wall that the Khazanians had fell back to. Though it was a sign of desperation that the defense forces were forced to pull out of the valley of Walshin, this new tactic had become surprisingly effective. Jon looked back and saw thousands more behind him, ready and willing to take the place of any that fell. Victory would be in his hands soon, but his losses were far greater than he had anticipated.
-----“Hmmm…I wonder if Horror can truly take on Cretalia on his own?” Jon remarked. “Once this State-Kingdom fell I had hoped to immediately set for Cretalia, but if this continues, my forces may be too divided to do such.”
-----A red-skinned Reptillion Commander approached the winged beast and bowed down before the mounted Drekis general. “Lord Avalon, sir, the enemies gate is stronger than we anticipated. The enemy mech’s are proving to be quite a nuisance as well. As we speak they continuously rip into our front lines while we try to take down the wall. What are your orders?”
-----Avalon frowned down upon the minion. “Hmmph, such a chaotic force, that you nor any other minion among these legions could not think for yourself to overcome this obstacle! But if you must tirelessly depend on my instruction, then so be it. The city is engulfed in flame! The Deminite Soldiers are to use their abilities to hurl the fire into the wall. Have them bring it down under the cover of the Ptera-Deminites. The frontline should go to our Devonox beasts, and I want Hunter-Killers focusing all firepower on those Khazan soldiers on the roof of the Mid-Gate. Have the Crawlers and Gunners pull back immediately, I want the Crawlers to siege the Gate with plasma shots, while the Gunners should target the air ships above.”
-----“Yes my lord, it shall be done at once!” The creature bellowed. The Reptillion ran back into the fray with great ferocity, releasing screams and hisses that conveyed the new orders of their general.
-----Jon looked up at the top of the Mid-Gate, where many soldiers were lined up and shooting down into his legions. Among them he caught site of their leader, Uberman. Avalon couldn’t help but snicker at the SLJ leader’s misfortune. “Soon now, we will face each other in Khazan City itself. And when that happens, there will be no running for anyone. Both you and that Avatar of Light. When that battle comes, none shall leave alive save for the sole victor.”
-----“You are quick to act as always my General,” a woman’s voice announced.
-----Jon did not turn his head, but in the corner of his eyes saw the woman walk up to the side of his pet, eager to watch the battle unfold. The striking brunette took pleasure in seeing the charred remains of the city, and her figure was loosely covered in ribbons and strands of cloth that danced around her as if equally excited.
-----“So, you decided to come as well,” Jon said. “Tell me Kalia, have the Kaosu-Shintaku been organized?”
-----“No my lord, I have come of my own will,” she replied. “As your Advocate of course.”
-----“Good. I could make use of your talent’s in the coming battle. Once the Mid-Gate falls, I foresee a retreat outside of the city while they wait for more reinforcements. The tide of war is in our favor, but I fear that if they do meet with reinforcements, the tide could be turned. I must have the hive workers I brought with me begin their work.”
-----“You plan to have New Xaelis become a fortress for us?” Kalia asked.
-----“A fortress…yes…but more importantly a hive. Why should I let my wife have all the fun in Thenesiea, after all.”
-----“A good idea, my General, but what will you do about those air forces up there? Those mechs are something else aren’t they. Quite the technological achievement, and they no doubt have more of those and other vehicles waiting behind the MidGate as well.”
-----“Yes, undoubtedly,” Jon smiled, “but we can leave them to a few friends I’m expecting.”
-----“I see,” Kalia smiled. “You’re always so prepared. But you do not need to worry about reinforcements Avalon. I bring news of Shadow Wing’s forces! His people are moving east, following the trail that Aigonis’ armies have left! They will obliterate any obstacles they encounter along the way.”
-----“So, Shadow Wing has been dispatched then,” Jon said calmly. Zegrin began to snort anxiously as the explosions around the city increased, and Avalon placed his hand on top of the creatures head and in an instant he was at ease. “So then the pieces are set. All of the Generals armies are active.”

---5---
New Creations

-----Relinqiest walked through the smoothed halls that had been carved through the Endless Caves and took watch over all of the hives that outlined the many chambers. Every minute, the walls came alive with fluctuating bulges and cries of a new birth. The bulges broke, and from the slime and dark liquid came all of the minions of the Drekis horde, born into the world as an adult and ready to give it’s life in the very next instant.
-----The dark wizard herded all new born creations through the halls, having each of them readied and equipped for battle.
-----“No matter how many of our armies we lose in this war,” Relinqiest said, “there will always be more. If only the people of Khazan could see what I see every hour. Then, they would truly fall into despair!”
-----A phantom sorcerer suddenly emerged from the floor and immediately spoke, “My lord Relinqiest, I thought that you should know that we have completed our experiment.”
-----“Experiment?” Relinqiest said with a puzzled look. “Ah yes, the MARS mechs that we captured from Xaelon. How have they come along?”
-----“I think that Drekis himself would be quite pleased with the result. We have a new creation, or rather, a particular evolution on one of our old creations. We have already sent them into battle to test their effectiveness.”
-----“Excellent work, you have wasted no time,” Relinqiest exclaimed. “Where have you sent them to?”
-----“To Xaelon my lord,” the sorcerer said. “They will be of assistance to lord Avalon’s army there.”

---6---
Weakened Wall

-----Telissa Ravan ducked below the guard rails on the roof of the MidGate as blaster fire flew overhead. Some soldiers next to her were not so fortunate, and fell to the ground coughing up blood as the return fire continued to take it’s toll upon the Khazan army.
-----“Damn them, they’re not making it easy anymore,” Telissa said. She darted to a new position and rose above the guard rail quickly, not taking any moment to discern between the different minions that were her targets. Her disruptor rifle flared, and once she was certain that at least half a dozen heads had fallen to her trigger she dived down again to avoid the blasters.
-----“The wall has taken too much damage now!” Scout yelled. “It’s become far too easy for the enemy to hit us now!”
-----“It’s the Hunter-Killers,” Telissa explained. “They have weapons…they’re the ones providing the blaster fire.”
-----“Can you tell us where they are?” Scout asked. “Maybe we could buy some more time.”
-----Plasma shots suddenly darted above, flying over the MidGate this time and striking several of the airships. One after the other, the blasts came, creating one crater after another in the ship’s hull. As sturdy and strong as the airships of the Khazan army were, the concentrated fire became too much, and before long a few were blown off course and crashed down into the northern section of the city.
-----One airship suffered numerous impacts to it’s main engines, and without warning suddenly plunged downward and crashed it’s midsection upon the MidGate. Hundreds of soldiers cried out as the massive vehicle landed upon them, and an entire section of the weakened MidGate began to collapse.
-----Uberman turned to look upon the devastation as he organized several of the troops to board aerial transports and make for the WinterScar fortress as he had instructed earlier. The airships hull cracked and broke as the ship was split in half by its own weight, with one side falling into the Drekis legions below while another fell upon the northern district.
-----The MidGate still stood, but the giant gash left by the impact had separated the far eastern side of the roof from the rest, and there were still many soldiers left on that side. Uberman quickly urged the young Maria Halesinger on board a small transport with some soldiers and assured her that she would be taken care of. Once the ship took off, Uberman approached the guard rails once more and fired his concussion blasters into the crowd of Deminite Soldiers.
-----“How much longer do you think we can hold out?” Uberman asked, turning to Scout, who was exchanging his empty crossbow for a new weapon.
-----“Not long, that’s all I can say.” Scout replied. “If we’re going to get out of here alive, we’re going to need the ground forces behind the wall cover us while we fall back. As it is, I don’t know if we’ll all get down before the wall collapses.”
-----Uberman nodded. “Very well, have your men retreat. We’ll make for the WinterScar fortress and await reinforcements. I’m sure they’ll follow us there.”
-----“I hate to interrupt you planning!” Telissa shouted as she fired a few more rounds into the crowd. She pointed towards the opening of the city where the enemy had first entered, and noted the black constructs that were rising. “No doubt about it. That’s darkstone. Their going to turn this place into a hive!”
-----“You can’t be serious!” Uberman said. “How could they begin construction of something like that now!”
-----“He must have brought hive workers with him,” Telissa groaned. “They can alter inanimate matter at the molecular and atomic level. It won’t take them very long to transform a ruin into a new hive.”
-----“If they continue to produce more creatures right here, on the surface,” Scout exclaimed, “Then our reinforcements might not even be enough!”
-----Another airship exploded in the skies as enemy bio-fighters soared overhead, pursued constantly by mechs and Khazan drone fighters.
-----“We can’t hold out here even against what they have currently,” Uberman responded. “It’s best that we go to WinterScar, at least we have a better chance at defending ourselves at an actual military base then here in the city. I’ve already arranged for civilians to be sent to Cretalia, so with any luck we won’t have to worry about protecting anyone else once we get there.”
-----Scout nodded and then looked back at his men. “Very well. Attention! All units, fall back, board any small aerial transports and get down to the ground. From there, board any vehicles and make way for WinterScar! Let’s move, NOW!! V-Team, I want aerial transports brought over to the eastern side of the wall! Do not leave those men behind!”
-----The soldiers quickly began to enter any available transports that came around, with only a few Sentinels of Liberty and Justice staying on the MidGate to cover their escape.
-----“I really tire of having to do this,” Uberman said. “Running away, I mean. Being constantly pushed back by them does not sit well with my conscience.”
-----“We can only do what we can do,” Telissa said, firing into the crowd as fireballs smashed into the wall. “I’ve been through this mess many times before, and I suppose all we can do is pack up and hope we do better next time.”
-----“You should consider boarding the transports now Telissa,” Uberman said. “Don’t try to pull a stunt like Tim tried.”
-----“I’ll leave when this wall actually starts to collapse,” Telissa replied. “Until then, I’ll make sure they feel some attrition for what they’ve done today!”
-----A new blast struck the wall, and from where it came, Uberman could not tell, but the force now shook the wall as if it were no longer connected to the ground. Pieces of the wall fell apart, while the base of the wall cracked against the continuous shoulder rams of the Devonox monsters below. Another blast hit, identical to the last, and the section on which Uberman and Telissa stood was thrown into the air. Pieces of the roof broke apart, and Telissa screamed as she found herself being carried up into the clouds by sheer force.
-----Uberman’s jets flared, and the hero maneuvered around the flying debris to grab hold of the bounty hunter.
-----“I suppose now is a good time then,” Uberman said solemnly. Still facing the advancing enemy, Uberman flew back, taking Telissa with him as they descended towards the streets of New Xaelis’ northern district.
-----As they moved, more pieces of the MidGate began to fall. Craters and cracks widened, and soon blasts began to pierce through the wall and crash into undamaged skyscrapers.
-----The minions of Drekis eagerly awaited the ultimate fall of the MidGate, and even those will less patience already climbed up and pushed their way through holes and crevices to reach the other side.
-----“What a dark day for Khazan,” Uberman said. “But I swear, by my last breath if I must, that I will not let this darkness last!”

---7---
Blazing Light

-----Tanin thrust Chrysillium into the air as Aigonis retreated to the skies. Sparks fell down from the Drekis general as the tip of the Avatar’s blade just barely scratched the surface of Aigonis’ skin.
-----“Armored eh?” Tanin said to himself. His feet left the ground, and like a rocket Tanin flew upwards, steadily closing the distance between him and his enemy.
-----Aigonis abruptly stopped and greeted Tanin’s challenge with a downward swing of his scythe. Tanin brought his advance to a halt as well, stopping just short of the scythe’s tip.
-----The force of the swing left the Drekis general open and unguarded while he struggled to swing the scythe back around, but as Tanin neared to take advantage of the situation, he caught sight of a peculiar aura emanating from the demonic lizard. The aura was a gas!
-----Without warning the mist shot out until it had become a nigh-invisible cloud around Aigonis’ body. Tanin coughed as he felt the material enter his lungs and burn his skin.
-----Teleporting outside of the danger, Tanin looked upon his hands, slightly wrinkled as if he had been in the water too long. “A poison. A very corrosive poison! A man less endowed in power than myself would have been burned away in seconds in that stuff.”
-----Aigonis laughed as he matched Tanin’s altitude and stared at the Avatar with a look of relief. “Good, good. So the title of Avatar of Light is not just for show after all! Most of my enemies would have perished when exposed to that Miasma, but you will be much more interesting. My StarBlade will be the one to taste your blood this day!”
-----“We’ll see about that,” Tanin laughed. “You’re better than the average power monger, I’ll give you that, but nothing too impressive so far! I hope that little poison aura thing isn’t the only trick you have, because if it is I’d start running away right about…now!”
-----Tanin launched himself into a frontal assault, preparing to bring his sword down upon the head of the lizard man with all of his might. Aigonis held his position in the air and mocked the hero’s efforts while raising his scythe to counter his advance.
-----“A rather reckless move, I expected better from you…!” Aigonis screamed as he took the initiative and swung his weapon first. He could almost smell the blood of his victim as the curved blade found it’s target, but the scythe passed through his body - thin air dispersed against the force of his swing as Tanin’s body, still animated in the rage of battle, suddenly disappeared from sight.
-----Aigonis reared his head in shock and quickly moved to the side as Tanin’s sword nearly sliced through his back.
-----“And I expected better from you,” Tanin said confidently. “Had a hard time following that one, didn’t you!” He flew forward, never giving the general a single second to recuperate from his mistake. With one strike after another, Chrysillium met the StarBlade as Aigonis’ parried with his scythe. The beast assuredly had more than sheer might, for even the sluggishness of his oversized weapon did not stop him from reacting quickly with it.
-----Tanin raised his sword above his head and put all of his strength into one downward swing. Aigonis seemed taken aback by the attack, but nonetheless managed to hold the attack back with the top of the Scythe blade. A sound wave broke off when the two blades met, causing parts of the Canyon below to break apart.
-----Vincentzo held his arms out to balance himself as the canyon floor shook from the battle up above.
-----Woose looked up at the two warriors, still locked in close quarters combat, and could see the power emanating from both. “Wow, it doesn’t look like Tanin needs out assistance in this one.”
-----“Perhaps not,” Centzo said. “But whether he can handle himself or not, I’m not standing idly by. Vincentzo Maiinverno is not an onlooker!” Bolts of lightning streaked across his body and made their way to his right hand, which glowed and sparked furiously. Maiinverno turned his palm towards the sky, and at once the energy that had gathered in his hand rose up and crashed together into a sparkling ball of electricity. The wild, uncanny sphere looked as if it’s crackling bolts might fly loose in every direction at any moment, but through sheer magic, the electricity held together into one blinding form.
-----“Maybe you should wait until they separate,” Woose suggested. “He seems to be doing fine right now, and Aigonis isn’t using that poison aura of his.”
-----“Are you blind!” Centzo uttered. “Almost the entire time that they’ve locked blades that lizard’s been pouring more and more of that toxic fume around him.”
-----“What!” Woose said. He squinted up at the two warriors in the air, and finally saw the hazy miasma swirling around them, but it was still so faint that only the passing of the wind allowed him to see it.
-----In the air, Tanin pushed forward with his blade, but Aigonis held his ground as power continued to break off from their weapons. “So,” Tanin said, “It seems that your StarBlades molecular powers allow it to stand up to the Chrysilliums blade.”
-----Aigonis laughed at the Avatar’s efforts. “Did you really think I’d fall so easily. Foolish Khazanian, how long do you think you can last like this? You may be more resilient to the poison than others, but even you can’t just stand here and absorb it all without repercussions.”
-----“You shouldn’t underestimate your opponents,” Tanin advised. “Oh, and you should always watch your back!”
-----Maiinverno’s blast struck the back of the reptilian, sending waves of electricity coursing across the pearl-white scales that covered the general’s body. Aigonis yelled out in pain but quickly recovered and lifted himself higher up into the air.
-----Tanin followed him meticulously, never letting more than few meters distance come between him and Aigonis. “You’re not getting away now!”
-----Annoyed, Aigonis swung the Scythe in an attempt to force the advancing hero to back off, but instead the Avatar continued forth and met the Scythe head on with his own strike. The side of Chrysillium’s blade struck the scythe and forced it away from Tanin’s path. With Aigonis’ arms having been forced to the side alongside the scythe, Tanin moved in unchallenged a made a horizontal cut across his enemy’s torso.
-----Aigonis moved back, but did not escape the edge of the Avatar’s blade which sliced open a small portion of his stomach. Black liquid poured out from the broken scales as the reptilian humanoid flew back. He motioned a claw to his open wound and weakly held the pulsing cut, though with great vigor he maintained his stance levitating in the air.
-----“Ooh, too bad you back up. If you didn’t move I might have cut you in half,” Tanin smirked. “That running away idea sounds pretty good right now doesn’t it?”
-----Aigonis’ eyes opened, and revealed a blood-red glow with deep green iris’s staring back at the Avatar. The aura of poison surrounding his body grew, but not only in size, but in power as well.
-----A new aura, far more frightening than the miasma, appeared around his body. His entire body appeared to burn, as if his rage had caused all the blood coursing through his veins to ignite with vengeful passion, but the general remained calm, and soon seemed to show little indication of his wound, though it still remained and continued to bleed.
-----“That power!?” Tanin said. “What…what is that. It feels so, uneasy, chaotic, destructive. It’s similar to something I’ve felt before, yet different. And it feels faint, yet powerful at the same time? Alright lizard face, what are you up to now?”
-----Aigonis grinned with a look of lustful hunger in his eyes. His sharp fangs were grinding against one another, and Tanin could even swear that the maniacal creature was making his own mouth bleed. “You sense it, don’t you!”
-----“Yeah, so what, is this another one of your little tricks?” Tanin asked, raising Chrysillium up into an aggressive stance.
-----“Certainly you must recognize it, Avatar of Light!” Aigonis cried. “The aura that emanates from my body, the power that flows through my veins. Yes, it is the energy of my master you feel, distant, but present nonetheless.”
-----“You can’t mean,” Tanin said, looking upon the general in shock, “then my original hunch was right. I did sense a familiarity to the auras that I’ve felt from Kaas and other Avatars.”
-----Aigonis lunged his head forward and bared his fangs, causing Tanin to move Chrysillium in front of his face in defense. The lizard’s advance stopped as soon as he looked upon his reflection in the Khazanian’s blade, at which point the demon seemed to relish in bearing witness to his bloodied mouth. “Yes, the aura of Drekis’ power. Chaos, pure chaos energy. Though I am separate from him, the power of Drekis flows through me, almost like a small piece of him existing inside of me. Such is true for all of the Drekis generals, for you see, on our own we are still formidable warriors, but by being connected directly to our master’s power, we are far more powerful than any mere mortals! We are blessed with eternal youth and life, and share our master’s existence outside of time and fate!”
-----“That’s all well and good,” Tanin laughed, “But I’m not your ordinary ’mere mortal.’ Thanks for the monologue though, it’s nice to know that when you’re gone a little piece of this Drekis fellow will go along with you.”
-----“Not quite,” Aigonis replied. The scythes blade began to curl up into a ball, and soon it liquefied and changed shape while the energy of Drekis flared around it. The StarBlade morphed and became a massive sword, a claymore with an axe-blade extending outwards from the tip of the blade. “You see, even if I die by your hand, the power I have borrowed from Drekis will return to him, and that power can be given to another!”
-----Maiinverno batted away small rocks as they fell from the Canyon peaks above, all of which deterred him from keeping track of the two fighters above. Both Tanin and the Drekis general had increased their altitude, and now he could hear nothing of the conversation going on between the two. Annoyed, Maiinverno began to pace around the canyon to see if there were any ways to get to higher ground, but the pass remained quite bland and repetitive, with nothing more than a straight dirt road running through.
-----“I can’t stand this,” Vincentzo complained. “Woose, can you hear what they are saying up there.”
-----“I’m afraid not,” Woose responded, cupping his ears with his hands in an ill attempt to perceive their sounds. “They’re too far up there now. You could shoot some more bolts up there, couldn’t you.”
-----Centzo sneered at the suggestion. “Well of course I could, but at this distance, that over-sensed nose of his would detect my attack and he’d move out of the way for sure! I need to get closer, at a distance where I know I can make a direct hit!”
-----Woose scratched his head in frustration as he watched Aigonis and Tanin start moving again. They were much faster this time, and Aigonis’ wound had little visible effect on his movements. Tanin disappeared and reappeared several times in a row, leaving a trail of after images that baffled the martial artist, but Aigonis swiftly dodged each swing of the Chrysilium. “Well,” he said. “You wouldn’t happen to be able to conjure a flight spell could you.”
-----“You’re not being very helpful Woose,” Centzo commented. “If I could do that I’d have done it long ago. Now let’s think.”
-----Innumerable clangs filled the sky as the battle above continued, this time escalating into a series of blade-locks, parries, and deflections.
-----“I’ve got it!” Vincentzo announced.
-----“What, what is it?” Woose asked eagerly.
-----“It’s not the most artistic way,” Maiinverno began, “but I suppose there isn’t any time to argue about style. Listen, Woose, I want you to use all of your strength to throw me up towards the Canyon peaks.”
-----Woose appeared dumbfounded by the wizard’s idea and raised his eyebrow in question of his cohort’s sanity. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, Centzo, I really do, but as strong as I am, I’m not the type who could through you all the way to the top of the Astra Canyon.”
-----“You won’t have to,” Centzo explained. “You just need to get me within a good viewing distance of the top, I can do the rest with a teleportation spell!”
-----“A teleportation spell?” Woose said.
-----“Yes, Tanin isn’t the only one with a few disappearing acts up his sleeve,” Vincentzo said confidently. “Quickly now, lest this battle end before I can participate more.”
-----After strangely coming to the conclusion that he should trust in Maiinverno’s plan, Woose kneeled down and placed both of his hands out, one over the other, for Vincentzo to stand on.
-----The wizard briskly lifted one foot into Woose’s hands, and as soon as his other foot left the ground, Woose shot him up with all the power in his arms and legs together. Maiinverno watched as the Canyon peak grew closer, and once he felt the power of his ascendance weakening, he concentrated on a single location and uttered the commands of dematerialization. In a flash of light Maiinverno was standing in the very same location that he had imagined, at the top of the Astra Canyon.
-----Wasting no time, Maiinverno looked up and saw the streaks of energy moving through the sky, much closer than they were a second ago. Though they moved with great speed, Maiinverno was now able to see the two figures moving and striking at one another, and could also discern the dark, menacing aura being left behind by Aigonis from Tanin’s more gentle, empowering aura.
-----The wizard extended both hands out as wide as he could and asked for the power of his people to aid him in the destruction of his enemies. Two massive flares appeared over each hand, glistening like the birth of two new starts in the cosmos. Both hands were raised, and the two energy flares both came together over the caster’s head to accumulate into a much larger ball of light.
-----The ground below him began to shake from the mere presence of such magical energy; the Canyon peaks would not stand up to this pressure for very long. But the two were still moving quite rapidly, and though he could manage to identify the two fighters, his attack had no guarantee of hitting the general.
-----“Bah, this is no good,” Maiinverno said. “The canyon peaks might collapse before I get my chance!”
-----Then, as if Maiinverno’s own inner prayers were answered, the two paused from their battle to observe one another. Both breathed heavily from the mortal combat, but within seconds regained their breath and with a deep sigh strengthened their stances. Both remained in mid-air and seemed as vigilant as ever, but Maiinverno noticed that each had suffered a few injuries. Tanin had a few cuts across his face, but Aigonis seemed to have suffered more from the combat, as there was a new crevice in his armored skin across his shoulder, and the back of his left wing shed blood as it waved through the air.
-----“You’re better than I expected, Tanin,” Aigonis said. “Worthy of being called an Avatar! But your efforts are useless. You can’t defy my entire army by yourself, and the rest of Khazan is steadily loosing it’s morale.”
-----Tanin disregarded Aigonis Zekruel’s comment and instead kept his focus on his enemies stance. At any moment, the creature could strike quickly without hesitation, but the lizard seemed reluctant to continue, either because of the injuries he had suffered or because his efforts had not been effective against the hero.
-----Still, the general’s ability to follow the Avatar’s teleportation was unnerving. What is with this guy? Tanin thought to himself. Before he had a hard time following me when I was really serious, but now he doesn’t seem to have a problem at all. What’s changed. His eyes! His eyes are open now, but how could that be it? His sense of smell and hearing gifted him with sight well beyond a normal person’s eyesight. What could he possibly gain through his eyes?
-----Despite the concentration that Tanin held, he couldn’t help but notice the steadfast release of crackling energy below. With a quick glance, Tanin saw the massive flare blast rising towards the Drekis general.
-----“Vincentzo!” Tanin said as he recognized the wizard’s magic. “But wait…” Tanin turned his head to see if the creature had made it’s move, but Aigonis was already gone.
-----Tanin spun around in the air to see if his target would approach from any direction, but his sense of danger told him nothing. Realizing that he was not Aigonis’ intended target this time, Tanin looked down at the approaching magic blast and saw the Drekis general diving straight towards it.
-----“Centzo! Watch out!” Tanin shouted.
-----Aigonis pointed the claymore at the approaching magi-storm and at once the StarBlade grew in size and flattened into a wide, diamond shaped shield. The blast hit, and thunderous sounds rained down upon the Canyon while the energy splashed off of the shield and spread out across the clouds above.
-----“It can be used for defense too!?” a shocked Maiinverno said. Even as his energy dissipated, the creature was already a few feet from him.
-----“So fast!” Woose exclaimed. “Centzo, get out of there!”
-----Aigonis raised the StarBlade up as the shield shrunk and contorted itself into a pole-axe. With one clean strike he carved a section of the Canyon peak apart. Vincentzo barely avoided the descent of Zekruel’s blade and staggered back as parts of the canyon’s top began to crumble and fall into the pass below.
-----Maiinverno conjured a fireball in each hand and threw one at the vicious general’s head with little effect. As the winged reptile came at him once again, Maiinverno changed his target and threw his last fireball into the gaping wound across the beast’s shoulder.
-----Parts of armored scales flew off as the magical flames buried themselves into his wound. Aigonis cried out in pain, but quickly recovered and shoved the pole-axe blade first into the Canyon top. Poisonous vapors swirled around the pole and followed it down to the ground, where the miasma seeped into the very soil and rock itself and extended out towards the wizard.
-----Maiinverno leaped back again, but found himself at the edge of the peak while the rest of the canyon’s roof began to corrode against the poison. Determined to take down his foe, the wizard extended his hands out and prepared himself to repeat the spectacle he had performed against Aigonis’ deminite army just moments ago in the pass.
-----But the agile creature made his move first, flying in and thrusting the pole-axe out at the wizard’s neck.
-----The sound of steel cutting through flesh that Aigonis was anticipating was instead replaced with a sharp clang of metal, and in that very instant it seemed that Tanin had once again teleported into the action.
-----“You meddlesome cretin!” Aigonis muttered.
-----“The name calling should be my routine,” Tanin countered. “Or have you merely fallen back on that since you can’t win this fight!?”
-----“Silence! I need no more commentary from you!” Aigonis yelled, raising his pole-axe into the air. The pole suddenly grew in length as he brought it down, but Tanin held Chrysillium out horizontally and caught his enemies weapon on the edge of his sword.
-----The Drekis general sneered as his weapon liquefied and became like a whip, quickly wrapping it’s way around Chrysillium before solidifying. Aigonis flew higher into the air and forced Tanin towards him with a fierce pull. With one more violent tug the general sent Tanin hurling down towards the ground below.
-----The Avatar collided into the Canyon wall and skidded down before rolling out and catching himself in mid-air before meeting with the floor.
-----Vincentzo approached what was left of the Canyon’s peak and peered down to look upon the status of his comrade, but Aigonis struck quickly, giving the heroes no time to care for anyone’s well being except for their own. The whip he had formed flattened out into a ribbon-like material that danced around the general as he waved it through the air. With a quick motion of his hand, the ribbon twirled and spun it’s way down towards the Canyon peaks, where it’s razor edges sliced through the rocks and forced Maiinverno to plunge towards the bottom.
-----The wizard felt the wind hit his face like a fist as he fell rapidly, but his fall came to an abrupt halt as a hand grasped his cape.
-----Tanin slowly approached the ground and released Maiinverno on the Canyon pass. “Wow, that was a neat trick,” he said, gently rubbing the back of his head with one hand while still grasping Chrysillium with the other. “He’s a little unpredictable. That’s what’s dangerous about that guy!”
-----Vincentzo pulled himself off and found himself tediously dusting off his clothes once again. “Hmph, have him give me a second, and then I’ll show him unpredictable,” the wizard claimed.
-----“This guy’s a bit odd,” Tanin said. “I couldn’t put my finger on it at first, but now I think I understand. It’s his eyes. His sense of smell and hearing allowed him to attain great senses, but I think his eyes can perceive faster than his body can actually move.”
-----“What!?” Maiinverno asked. “I could hardly see you two up there, and you’re telling me that he can see faster than he can move!?”
-----“It would explain his ability to follow my movements in battle so clearly,” Tanin laughed. “But I guess he’ll need more than that to best me! I wouldn’t advise using many more spells though. He’d be able to see you conjuring the magics and attack you before you could get it off.”
-----Aigonis stared down angrily at the trio and then looked upon his injuries. “Hmmm…very well, I shall leave you your precious State-Kingdom for another night, at least. But be warned, Khazanians, that my army still looms over Eastern Xaelon in the city of Rugudelon. You can fight against us all you like, but this is something that you cannot avoid.” The reptile pointed his finger at Tanin, and then motioned toward Maiinverno as he spoke, “As for you, Avatar, consider this to be a momentary break in our battle, for it has not yet concluded! And for you, would-be ruler of this land, know that the Araelis you seek to protect so badly will be a wasteland in the wake of my armies advance!”
-----“Why finish it later when we can finish it now!” Tanin replied. He prepared to leave the ground once more, but phantom sorcerers appeared one by one in a circle around Zekruel. Aigonis quietly laughed as the phantoms chanted in some unholy language. Seconds later, the entire group faded from view, and their presence was no more.
-----“Where did they go?” Woose said. “Where did they move to.”
-----“I don’t know,” Vincentzo responded. “It was a form of magic, probably a teleportation spell like my own, though performed on a much higher scale. Who knows where he sent himself to.”
-----Tanin sheathed the Chrysillium and wore a dejected look across his face. “I was hoping to finish this here and now, for Araelis at least. I guess I’ll have to wait until we come across him again, but I fear that won’t be until a full scale assault against the cities of Araelis.”
-----Maiinverno smiled brightly. “Relax, Tanin, for today we showed him our power and our courage, and he knows now what he can expect to see as resistance when he dares to enter my lands! The important thing, though, for tonight is that we have a victory! Let us go back to the survivors back at West Matriarch City and tell them that no more blood will be spilled on Araelis soil this night!”

---8---
Ice Dragon

-----Tim let out a soft groan as he opened his eyes for what felt like the first time in days. For a moment he believed that he was intoxicated, and perhaps in bed after a hard night out in Khazan City, but as his vision began to clear, he realized that the sky he looked upon was moving. Or rather, he was being moved. Tim stirred groggily, aiming to turn and see who was carrying him away. A sudden jolt of fear overcame him as he remembered the battle…the screams of death and terror!
-----With unexpected ferocity he lashed his limbs out, attempting to break free, but within seconds he was dropped unapologetically to the ground and given an easy but firm slap to the back of his head.
-----“Tim, what are you doing!?” Raea demanded. “Here I am carrying you all this way, and when you finally wake up you nearly through me to the ground.!”
-----Tim looked back at the young redhead, the one he had known ever since he was a child. She was the one who was carrying him? Certainly not outside of his capabilities, considering the combined strength of her armor and herself, but for what purpose.
-----“Raea…” Tim managed to utter as he looked around and saw nothing of the wreckage and carnage that he remembered. “Where are we? Where is Uberman…the others? The battle at New Xaelis, what happened!?”
-----A large explosion in the distance grasped his attention, in the ruins of what used to be a glorious city. New Xaelis was miles away, yet even from this vantage he could still clearly see the buildings collapsing with each new quake and shock. The sounds of battle were alive within him once again, so clear and real…as if he was still there. It was odd, though, that just for a moment, he had felt so disconnected to the battle when he had clearly become so absorbed into the combat earlier.
-----Tim turned his hips and looked for the sheath of his sword. It was still present, and the blade itself was once again resting in it. Relieved that the sword was still in his possession, the young man leaped up off the ground and stretched his arms out. It truly did feel as if he had been asleep for days.
-----“Calm down,” Raea said, “we took you away from New Xaelis because it was too much for you. I don’t know what got into you back there, but you could have killed yourself pulling a stunt like that!”
-----“Stunt?” Tim muttered. “I don’t…I mean, I barely remember what happened at all. Just bits and pieces.”
-----“Don’t you make a joke out of this!” Raea cried.
-----Tim stepped back in shock as Raea stared angrily at him. Her eyes maintained their vigor and fury, despite the few tears that fell off of her cheeks.
-----“I thought I was going to lose you back there,” Raea said solemnly. “Everything was going to be ok…we were going to board the transports and get out of there…we were going to survive like we had promised. At then, all of sudden you started raving like a madman, and for a second it really seemed like you were about to leap right off of the Mid-Gate!”
-----“Leap off!” Tim replied with wide eyes. He sighed and looked down at his own hands as some of it came back to him like a dream recollected. “Yes, I suppose I did try to do that, didn’t I.”
-----Tiara walked beside Raea and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You too, should try to calm down. Tim is still alive right now, and for that you should be happy.”
-----“I know that!” Raea said. She swerved her head to the side, and the last of her tears were flung from her face. “But Tim, I want you to promise me you won’t do something like that again! You hear me! This was your first large scale battle, you shouldn’t try to be all Gung-ho out there!”
-----“I know,” Tim replied. “I’m not quite sure what came over me, it was like I lost control…of everything. Maybe the stress of the combat just got to my head or something. I remember trying to dive into the enemy ranks, and then Uberman…yes, Uberman was the one who knocked me out.” He looked at his hands once again and this time watched closely as he clenched them into fists and moved his fingers wildly, as if to confirm that he still was in control of his body.
-----“Uberman saved your life,” Tiara said. “You’d do well to thank him later. If you had gone off unrestrained like that, chances are you’d be dead right now. You should learn to control your emotions, so that they do not control you.”
-----“I’m truly sorry,” Tim said as he bowed his head to seek forgiveness. “But where is Uberman? And why are we out here in the first place?”
-----“It was Uberman’s orders,” Raea answered. “We were to evacuate the city and head North-West to the Frozen Wastes where we will rendezvous with more allies at WinterScar fortress.”
-----“An evacuation?” Tim said. “But why are we out here by ourse…”
-----“The others will follow,” Tiara interrupted. She pointed to the skies above the burning city in the distance. Hundreds of small specs could be seen circling around the Mid-Gate, while others dropped to the ground and then rose to circle the Mid-Gate once again. “Those are the transports. Small ones, but they will do. Uberman had us make a hasty retreat due to your little problem, but by all means I would expect him to meet up with us before we even reach WinterScar.”
-----Tim shivered as he finally realized that the wind was extremely cold. “WinterScar huh? Figures…I’m surprised I didn’t realize how cold it was earlier.”
-----“It’s about to get a lot colder,” Tiara informed him. “But I’m very accustomed to the Frozen Wastes, so do not worry. With any luck, once we are free of this Drekis army’s threat we can make for Axia, but we should hurry. We have only trekked twelve miles, and we must not dally if we hope to reach WinterScar in time.”
-----Tim began to walk alongside the duo, but found his strength to be severely weakened after the ordeal in New Xaelis. With each step he felt as if a little bit of his life was leaving his body, and for the first time he realized that the battle had been too much for him to take. Somehow, by will or instinct, he had pushed himself beyond his actual limits, staring down death in the heat of battle when it should have consumed him earlier. But now that he was relaxed, the tension was usurping his strength; the power in his legs was collapsing under his weight.
-----The thought that he should collapse once more, this time not because of an enemy attack, but out of sheer exhaustion, sickened him to the very core of his being. With great defiance of his own capabilities, the young man drove out his blade and dug it into the ground. With a painful moan he began to move himself along, using the sword as a crutch.
-----Raea looked back at him worriedly, and he could tell that his reliance on the sword to balance his weight was scaring her. He gave her a smile and a quick thumbs up to indicate that he was still alright, but no matter how much he tried, he continued to fall behind.
-----“We won‘t make it at this rate,” Raea said. “I think Tim will need medical attention…he can‘t continue on like this.
-----“I’m fine Raea,” Tim assured her, “I just need rest, that’s all.”
-----Tiara sighed, knowing that helping Tim was the right thing to do, but that it would cost them precious time. “We could carry him like we did before, but we would still be going too slow.”
-----“It doesn’t matter how quickly we get there,” Raea responded. “What does it matter if we get there quickly only to have Tim die of exhaustion.”
-----Tiara frowned at Raea’s implication. “Please, do not think me inconsiderate of Tim’s well being. I am sorry if I may seem a little demanding in the area of time to you. That is just a part of my own nature, I prefer to move as quickly as possible, but I understand that the situation we are in may not allow that.’
-----‘Therefore, I think our only option is to wait for the transport vehicles to pass us up and board one when it comes around. That would be an unfortunate though, I mean we did put forth the effort to come this far. If we were going to ultimately ride in a transport, we would have been better off staying in the city and waiting for the actual evacuation of the main defense forces.”
-----“The city was too overwhelmed,” Raea said, coming to Tim’s aid and lending him a shoulder to lean on, “the evacuation couldn’t begin for some time, and Tim was in no condition to stay there. It was Uberman’s orders that we make for WinterScar ahead of time, but they are low enough on transports as it is. I wouldn’t expect a full retreat for a while now, simply because they’re going to be under fire all the way out. You see, I think Uberman knew that retreating wasn’t going to be easy. I just hope that they all make it through.”
-----Tim disliked being a burden to them, and realized that he may have been a burden to everyone back at the Mid-Gate. “So, that was why Uberman wanted us to leave early. He didn’t want me to be in the midst of the battle while they were falling back,” Tim said. “I’m sorry for putting all of this on your shoulders, heh, literally for you Raea. I wish I could do something to help you guys right now, but the only thing I think I can do right now is recuperate. I suppose things would be a lot easier if one of us had a vehicle of some sort. I mean, you two can fly, but not too easily with me on your backs. I don’t think walking all the way to the Frozen Wastes is a good idea, and even if Raea and I do manage to keep up with you on the way to WinterScar, we’ll probably be chased down by Drekis creatures long before we reach help.”
-----Tiara stopped in her tracks and pondered Timothy’s words. She looked back at the burning city as if analyzing it’s destruction, then fixed her eyes on their destination…the frozen wastes. “Well, perhaps. Perhaps I have something that will suit us even better than a vehicle.”
-----Tim and Raea both looked at each other confoundedly, but neither could discern what the weather-mage meant.
-----The wind steadily picked up, and Tiara raised her head and smiled enchantingly as she met the cool breeze. A hand gracefully extended towards the sky, her palm facing the clouds above.
-----Her actions were a mystery to Raea and Tim, but the two looked up to the sky before any questions were uttered, and saw the clouds beginning to slowly swirl around. The large, white puffs darkened as they danced around, seemingly centered around the position of Tiara’s hand.
-----Tim shivered as the breeze picked up. “My God, it’s getting even colder!”
-----“You should prepare yourself,” Tiara said, still enchanting the sky with her actions. “What you feel now is nothing compared to the Frozen Wastes. Believe me, I’ve been there many times.”
-----The sky continued to become darker, until at last the clouds were as black as those of a stormy night. A light snow came forth, dazzling them with it’s gentle beauty, but amidst the white rain, a large figure descended from the hemisphere.
-----Raea’s jaw fell open as she perceived the creature come down from the heavens. A mighty dragon, both ominous and serene, that flew through the skies with unparalleled grace. It’s body was unlike that of any wyrm that Raea had ever laid eyes upon, crystalline and highly reflective.
-----Tim was also shocked at the creature’s appearance, but while the massive dragon did appear menacing, there was a gentleness about it as well. It’s aura was calm and cool like a river stream, identical to the aura he sensed from Tiara! “It’s body, it’s made from ice!” Tim exclaimed.
-----“You’re right,” Raea said. “It’s beautiful! But, what is it. Where did…Tiara did you call upon that dragon just now?”
-----The dragon’s serpentine figure spiraled downward as it came close to the ground and stopped a few meters above the surface. It slowly approached them, taking care not to frighten them with it’s advance, and then abruptly bowed it’s grand head down before them.
-----Tiara smiled at the creature and walked towards it with no fear or apprehension. She gently placed a hand on the icy skin that covered even the Dragon’s snout and rubbed it affectionately. “Yes, I summoned him. This, my friends, is Neva.”
-----“Neva?” Raea said. “Neva, Neva, that sounds…doesn’t that, mean…snow?” She looked at Tim for answers, but the young man shrugged and continued to look at the dragon in awe. It was at least seventy feet long, and it was not only covered in ice, but constructed from it…every last inch of it’s being.
-----“Yes, it does in fact mean snow,” Tiara replied.
-----“So then, this dragon is your pet?” Raea asked.
-----“Pet? Not quite,” Tiara explained, “You see Neva here is actually an extension of myself. A reflection of my spirit in a way.”
-----“An extension of yourself,” Tim said in disbelief, “Are you saying that this dragon is…you?”
-----Tiara laughed. “It is a little confusing, but the truth is that Neva is an extension of my psyche. We have our own bodies, and in many ways you could say that we have our own mind to govern our actions, but we are deeply connected in spirit. For you see, we both share the same life force. We are one in soul.”
-----Tim settled upon her explanation and recalled their original dilemma, “So then, you expect this to be the answer to our vehicle problem?” he wondered.
-----“Certainly,” Tiara responded eagerly, “Neva here can carry us there easily, and is no more hindered in the Frozen Wastes than I. Although, I must admit, the thought had rarely crossed my mind to have Neva perform this kind of task, but it isn’t outside of his capabilities.”
-----“Can I actually ride that thing without getting frozen?” Tim asked nervously.
-----“Do not fear Neva,” Tiara said, “I will make sure nothing happens to you when you are simply riding on his back.”
-----Raea’s eyes burned with newfound hope. “This could be the answer! Tim, I could use the heat functions on this suit of mine to keep us warm while we ride towards the Frozen Wastes. That won’t be a problem for Neva here, will it?”
-----Tiara thought for a second, but shook her head and smiled. “No, I doubt a warmth system would be of any discomfort for Neva here. It would take more that simple heat to melt away his ice body.”
-----Tim walked up to the giant serpent and placed his hand against it’s head which still rested on the ground. It felt cold against the palm of his hand, but nothing that he couldn’t bear. “Well, if it will get me off my feet for an hour, then I’m all for it,” he said.
-----Tiara and Raea quickly helped the young warrior mount the dragon and then flew atop Neva’s neck. The ice dragon brought it’s head back into the air as the ice around his neck began to change shape. Small grooves formed within his skin, and shafts of ice extended from his body for them to grab hold of.
-----“Well this is convenient,” Raea commented as she firmly set herself atop the dragon’s neck. With a flip of switch she activated her suit’s heater while Tim wrapped his arms around her waste to partake in the warmth.
-----Tiara stood at the base of his neck and patted Neva on the forehead. “Ok, were all set. Let’s get going Neva. To the Frozen Wastes!” She pointed in the direction of the WinterScar fortress, and with no hesitation the ice dragon sprang into the air. Neva’s soft roar filled the sky as it soared across the valley, leaving the sounds of battle far behind.

---9---
Fall Back

-----The last of the small air transports dispensed their load of weary soldiers into the armored ground transports and were quickly abandoned to avoid the increasing number of Ptera-Deminites and Bio-Fighters that were blanketing the skies of Khazan.
-----The Mid-Gate had fallen, and the waves of Drekis minions were pouring over it like water from a broken dam. The Deminite Soldiers snickered and howled while they manipulated the flames that had engulfed the southern half of New Xaelis. The fires spread about and took on wild shapes…flying, walking, and drifting; infecting the northern half of the city like a virus.
-----At the edge of the advancing flames, soldiers scurried through the empty streets, using the last vestiges of strength to catch up with the armored ground transports and board them as quickly as possible.
-----Others adorned the tops of these carriers, digging their hands into crevices to hang on while they still fired their guns back at the enemy.
-----The flames, as if alive, seemed to spread out and create a pathway for the Drekis minions, who advanced under the cover of the flying fires. Deminite wolves came in first, a green glow in their eyes, and at once the soldiers began to lose their courage. Fear was induced upon them, even if it was against their will, and those that continued to fight, fought sporadically.
-----Amongst this nervous tension, the Deminite Soldiers and Reptillions moved in and launched more flames into the receding ranks of Khazanian soldiers. Hunter-Killers dropped their cloaks for only a moment to bear their massive guns at their targets, relentlessly sniping at anyone who dared fire back at them.
-----The Devonox’s came last, free of any opposition, and made a decisive dash for the military transports.
-----The soldiers inside frantically opened small doors or moved their guns to small holes in the transport’s outer armors, but the Devonox’s shrugged off the bullets and beams, their eagerness to crush the vehicles insatiable.
-----The transports passed the most dense parts of the city streets, coming to vast, open roads where lines of mobile tanks awaited them. The transports pressed on, while the tanks took their positions behind them. There were thunderous booms, followed by the digging and grinding of the treads as the tanks moved backwards, following the retreating transports that they intended to protect.
-----Devonox’s shuddered and screamed with each impact, and as the massive shells smashed into their skulls they let out a final gurgle before their colossal bodies plummeted to the ground.
-----Other vehicles soon joined the tanks; smaller, faster vehicles who bore mounted machine guns and repeating particle turrets came next to them and fired into the horde of Deminites and Reptillions.
-----Uberman stood on the top of the leading transport and kept a close eye on his enemies. He had hoped that it would not come to this: a retreat while the enemy follows close behind. In the distance he could see the remains of New Xaelis’ southern half becoming black and cloudy…it was beginning to change. It was clear to the SLJ leader now that the Drekis legions had intended to use New Xaelis for their own ambitions, and not outright destroy it as they had the original city of Xaelis. It was no doubt intended to be a breeding ground for more of their kind, for Uberman knew of no other necessity for their hordes.
-----Uberman dropped down into the crowded chambers of the transport and nudged his way past the survivors to the driver’s chamber. He threw the door open angrily, startling his crew. “It looks like the defensive perimeter is working, but I don’t know for how long! I may have to go back out…”
-----“We’ll be out of the city in just a few minutes,” the driver informed him. “You shouldn’t have to worry about it now. The perimeter will hold, trust me.”
-----“The mecha divisions are still up there as well Sir,” the passenger added. “Once we’re out of the city, hopefully they’ll stop following us.”
-----Uberman shook his head. “I’m not going to assume that. As far as I’m concerned, they don’t want us to get away this time. They want us dead…they’ll follow us to the ends of Khazan if they have to! Have you heard anything about reinforcements?”
-----“No,” the passenger said with a look of disdain. “We got confirmation that a fleet of airships was heading over here from Khazan city over and hour ago. They should have been here by now, or at least close, but we lost contact…haven’t heard a thing since.”
-----Uberman struck the opened door with his fist and closed his eyes in frustration. To lose contact with allies who have state-of-the-art communications technology could mean nothing but trouble, and already he was beginning to fear for the worst on their behalf. “That is unfortunate,” he said, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. “I was counting on them showing up just outside of the city so that we could turn the tide of this battle.”
-----Dejected, but not without hope, the hero left the driver’s chamber and moved his way through the large number of people who cramped into the various chambers of the transport. He sought out a single person, but found himself maneuvering through a veritable maze of people to locate him.
-----At last he found Scout, attending to the wounds of an injured Khazan Ranger. “Scout!” Uberman shouted. “I need to talk with you.”
-----The veteran soldier stood and put his back to the wall. His services had been almost non-stop for days now, and his strength was waning in favor of exhaustion.
-----But Uberman saw more than tiredness and stress in his eyes. “Scout…where is the rest of your team?”
-----Scout broke open the top of a canteen and let it’s cover fall to the floor without care. “The Connelly brothers…were sent to the defensive perimeter in their Cougar,” he took a long drink from the canteen and let the water spill off of his mouth as he withdrew, “Corporal Jennay didn’t make it.”
-----“I am sorry,” Uberman said. He had heard the story of their near death experience in one of the Xaelon villages. It was troubling to think that they should survive such an ordeal just to be put through an even worse one.
-----“What did you need to talk with me about?” Scout asked anxiously.
-----“Oh, yes, it is about our reinforcements,” Uberman said gravely. “I do not think we can expect to get any. Not anytime soon at least.”
-----“You think they’ve been ambushed midway?”
-----Uberman nodded.
-----“Well then, as I recall we were hoping that reinforcements would help push the enemy back. What do we do now?”
-----Uberman took a deep breath. “I need you to help me contact WinterScar.”
-----“WinterScar? The military fortress in the Frozen Wastes?”
-----“Yes, that is our current destination now. A fallback plan if you will. I was hoping that somewhere between here and there our backup would arrive, but even if that is not the case, we can hold out longer using the shelter and weaponry of that fortress is we make it there.”
-----“Sounds good enough to me,” Scout replied. “What do you need me for then?
-----“I can see now that we’re going to have trouble making it there in one piece. Scout, the defensive perimeter isn’t going to hold much longer, and neither will the mech’s and airships in the sky!’
-----‘I know the communications system for the WinterScar fortress is encrypted, but you know the password, don’t you? I mean, you can contact them, get to them meet us halfway!”
-----Scout looked down at the ground, then shook his head and took another long drink from the canteen.
-----“What?” Uberman asked.
-----“WinterScar doesn’t have anyone there,” Scout murmured.
-----“What do you mean?”
-----“I mean there’s nobody there!” Scout said louder.
-----The information came as a shock to the SLJ leader. As he was not a part of the actual Khazan military, and his knowledge of their various outposts and bases were limited, but he had assumed that at least some soldiers would be stationed at the fortress. “Why is there no one there?”
-----“You have to understand,” Scout explained, “the WinterScar fortress was first built during the Age of Conflict. It was meant to be a watch post where they could keep an eye on the advances of the forces from Denes’Takai. But there hasn’t been an invasion from that continent in eight centuries, so naturally the government doesn’t see it as necessary.’
-----‘But that doesn’t mean it’s useless. It was revamped about eighty years ago, if I recall correctly, and was given a crew of Artificially Intelligent life. Androids, in other words. As I understand it, the AI were responsible for up keeping the base, and upgrading it’s technology and software from time to time. But there isn’t anyone there who will respond to our calls.”
-----“The Robots, though,” Uberman said excitedly, “can they fight? They were built by the military, they should have some sort of combat system.”
-----Scout thought for a second and then sighed heavily. “They were programmed to upkeep weapons and defense technologies, and they can be retrofitted for combat situations…”
-----“But…”
-----"But, they aren’t programmed to recognized commands over the long distance communications system. You’d have to issue the command from one of the central processing computers in the fortress itself. We could do that when we get there, but it would take time for them to be combat ready.”
-----“How many of them would there be?” Uberman asked.
-----Scout shrugged. “I’ve never actually been to WinterScar. Four Thousand, Five Thousand maybe, but of varying size and power.”
-----“That’s good enough for me,” Uberman said, “I’m not sure if that will turn the tide, but our survival rate may have just gone up. Maybe…maybe we could…wait!”
-----“What is it?” Scout inquired.
-----“I sent Timothy away. Tim Shinestar, the new SLJ I recruited. He lost control of himself during the battle in the city, and I had Raea and the Weather-Mage take him away…I told them to go to WinterScar.”
-----“I recall that event,” Scout said exhaustingly, “But none of them had a communication device with them.”
-----“I know,” Uberman said, “But perhaps they’ll do it anyway, as long as they get there ahead of us!”
-----The SLJ leader was renewed with confidence. His decision to have the Weather-Mage and Raea escort Tim to WinterScar was one that he had made out of concern for Tim’s wellbeing, but now it could be the decisive factor between life and death. The chance was slim, but all he needed was for that chance to exist. Now Uberman knew that the situation was not hopeless.
-----With intense vigor he opened the main hatch to the transport and prepared to rejoin the battle. Where he was, there was little conflict, but he could see the back of the group being rained upon by continuous attacks.
-----He was about to lift off when a voice called out to him. It was faint, and for a second he questioned whether or not he had really heard it at all. Then he heard it again, and he was certain that it was from inside the transport that he was ready to leave.
-----A young woman reached through the crowds of people, desperately asking if things would be alright.
-----Uberman looked into her tear-filled eyes and recognized her as the woman he had saved earlier. The silver-haired girl who’s family had been slain in the city. She was struggling still to push her way through the crowds as they angrily pushed back in defiance.
-----“Easy now, Easy,” Uberman said, holding his hand out to signal her to stop forcing her way through the crowded people. “Maria…was it…Maria Halesinger, yes I remember you. You have nothing to fear miss, just sit back at relax. You’re in no danger now, trust me. We’re heading for a fortress now, and we’ll be safe there.”
-----“Are you sure,” Maria replied uncertainly.
-----“Yes, and if we’re lucky, we’ll receive reinforcements before we get there.” Uberman assured her. “Now go back and relax. Let us take care of this.”
-----Uberman flew away from the Transport without looking back. The hatch closed tightly behind him. He knew that his words probably couldn’t completely ease her pain, but it was all that he could give her now. For now, until the day that he could see the Drekis Legions destroyed.

---10---
The Chase

-----The Sun became red and began to descend; night was engulfing the land of Khazan, and the day would not last long. In the time that he had watched the battle unfold, mounted atop his draconic pet, Jon had lost track of time. He did not know if the battle had taken mere hours or days, though he knew that progress had been made either way. Both the battle of Walshin and the battle of New Xaelis would prove victories, but future victories on this planet would mean the eradication of the heroes who stood before his master’s legions.
-----And there was more than that as well. Jon himself had found himself with little to do in the closing moments of the battle. Here he still sat, watching the battle from the back of Zegrin, who was still perched in the same spot that he was an hour ago. He did not feel fulfilled by this battle, not yet at any rate. The destruction of Uberman and his forces, here and now, was beginning to become more a necessity for his own reasons more so than his master’s. Few things in this universe bothered him more than unfinished business.
-----Around him the scenery was changing, the Deminite drone workers were transforming the ruined city into a land of darkstone. But the battle was fading away from him, still in view, but getting farther way with each passing second. Uberman’s forces were retreating, but they were hoping to regroup, and his vast armies were moving with them…hunting them down relentlessly.
-----Jon instructed Zegrin to lower his mighty body down to the ground, and with a quick flip he fled from the mount and was on his own two feet.
-----Karia was quick to be by his side, and her comments were filled with nothing but exalted praise for his command of the battle. But such was here place, at least while not in combat. She was his Advocate, and every Drekis General had one. Two in fact, an Advocate and a Disciple, the two greatest followers that a General had under his command. Under normal circumstances, Karia would follow only Avalon in his missions, but there were some times where all of the Advocates and Disciples of the Drekis Generals would be called upon to form a tightly knit group, the Kaosu-Shintaku.
-----Such was not the case now, and Jon was glad to know that he could depend on two strong people to come to his aid. Though it was peculiar for her to show up without his Disciple in hand, he had grown accustomed to her eccentric behavior, the likes of which he could attribute to an all too apparent fixation in him.
-----She always presented herself in such a sensual manner, from the look in her eyes, to the way she stood, she exerted such a voluptuous appearance. She was beautiful, indeed, and her seemingly youthful figure was barely clothed, covered mostly by the hundreds of ribbons and bands that curled around her body like a snake. But for all her charm, her sultry appearance gave off a dark, sinful impression, like a succubus trying to attract her next victim. Truthfully, this was actually a part of Kalia’s charms, and it was also one of her greatest weapons. Though when it came with toying with the emotions of men, she still held no candle to his wife, Veronica Daemon, who wasn’t called the Temptress Witch for no reason.
-----“You must be proud as well, my lord,” Kalia said giddily, stroking her fingers through the long brown curls of hair that came down over her face, “This is truly another magnificent victory for you.”
-----“I do not need you to remind me of what I have accomplished,” Jon replied coldly, “And this is not a victory yet. Not until I receive word that their forces here have been crushed.”
-----“I can see why you want to crush them as soon as possible,” Kalia said, motioning herself closer to him and slowly pressing herself tightly against his side, “I’ve already told you Shadow Wing will take care of the reinforcements, you don’t have to worry about them regrouping, not now anyway.”
-----“I have not forgotten.” Jon said. He did not meet her gaze, even as she rested her chin upon his right shoulder and stroked his cape. The horizon…the battlefield, was still the subject of his focus. “Still, I would have actually liked to see what the Khazan military had to offer. I may have welcomed the challenge of dealing with their reinforcements had they arrived.”
-----Kalia laughed, “You always love to do things the hard way don’t you my lord.”
-----Jon closed his eyes and gently raised his right arm to free himself of her embrace. He nudged her away slightly and took several steps forward, approaching a steep edge where once a large stone stairway had existed. From there he looked upon the work that the Deminite drones were doing, and became confident that they no longer needed his personal observation.
-----He mounted Zegrin once again, and looked down on Kalia with an emotionless expression. “You only need to worry about your duties Kalia,” he said. “How I proceed is still at my own discretion.”
-----The dancing of the ribbons around her body slowed as she appeared dejected. “I see, so you intend to follow them then. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, you’ve always loved the hunt. But do you know where they are trying to go, or what they are planning to do when they get there?”
-----Heavy footsteps were suddenly heard, and a roar followed by the sordid yelps of Deminite drones who scurried out of the way. A large lion made his way through the transforming ruins, his large paws impacting the charred earth and leaving it’s mark. It’s eyes glowed with a supernatural tint, and it’s body was far larger than any other lion, though it appeared a normal lion in form nonetheless.
-----Jon smiled and motioned Zegrin to approach the beast. “I may not have that information now,” he exclaimed, “but that is why I have dispatched some…intelligence. Yes, I think that is what they refer to it as on this planet. So Gellan, tell me…”
-----The lion stared at Jon, meeting his eyes while purring softly. They locked eyes in an unbreakable stare for several seconds, and then Jon turned his own mighty beast around and his smile became more clear and more foreboding. “So then, they head North West because they wish to reach the WinterScar Fortress. A military base in the Frozen Wastes. An interesting strategy. They know that their reinforcements have been lost, though they apparently have some hope of receiving just that on their approach towards the fortress.”
-----“So, you’re using her then,” Kalia said, “Such a tricky method, but effective. Though she must be mistaken, I have heard nothing of other sources of reinforcements. I know for a fact that Shadow Wing has intercepted the military forces that were on their way here, and your wife has the only State-Kingdom west of us under her control.”
-----“Though not an Advocate or a Disciple,” Jon said, “She has always proven capable.”
-----He looked down at the lion and could see that the animal had great faith in the accuracy of the information. His connection with his master was a strong one, and his very experiences likely mirrored that of her own. “Yes, she has never failed us, isn’t that right Gellan? So if they can receive reinforcements, our path is clear. They must die before the moon rises.”

---11---
WinterScar in Sight

-----The winds picked up, and the temperature steadily dropped as Neva crossed over into the Frozen Wastes. The transition was short and unnatural, as the enchanted ice land virtually neighbored the otherwise sunny fields and forests of Xaelon.
-----Tim tightened his grip around Raea’s waste and motioned his cheeks against the back of her suit, trying to absorb all of the heat it was producing. Raea gripped his hand in response and told him to hang on.
-----Tiara looked into the distance and saw the winds were becoming a fierce blizzard ahead, but with a few gestures she quickly parted the winds and carved a path through the sky for Neva to fly through. “How’s everything back there?” she asked as she turned to look upon Raea and Tim.
-----“It’s a bit of a bumpy ride,” Tim laughed, “But I’ll manage.” Raea just smiled and gave a quick thumbs up.
-----“I’m sorry if it’s a little uncomfortable,” Tiara chuckled, “Neva really wasn’t meant for this purpose, but it was our fastest option. By the way, how much farther is this WinterScar fortress.”
-----“Not very far from here,” Raea informed. “You should be able to make it out in a few miles!”
-----“Well, that’s a relief!” Tim shouted. “Even with your heat system on it feels like I’m going to freeze over here.”
-----“You’re fortunate I’m here right now,” Tiara exclaimed, “I’m manipulating certain aspects of the weather here. It would be a lot colder here without my subtle machinations.”
-----“So what do you intend to do when we get there?” Tiara asked. “We’ll get there long before they do, do you want us to simply wait there for them to come. Seems like a waste to me, I’d be much happier escorting your two to Axia right now.”
-----“I understand you’re on a mission or something,” Raea said, “but I can’t abandon them back there. I am a member of the SLJ after all, and I intend to give them some back up!”
-----“But WinterScar is abandoned, there aren’t any soldiers stationed there,” Tiara explained, “And Uberman was expecting reinforcements from elsewhere.”
-----“No soldiers!” Tim yelled in shock. “That’s insane.”
-----Raea gave Tiara an odd look. “I’m surprised you know that. I only know about it because I served some time in the military. There aren’t any soldiers, but there are combat machines there. Well, machines that have to be retrofitted for combat anyway. If we can get them up and running, we can supply Uberman with reinforcements. I can‘t count on an airship fleet to help them turn the tide of battle, but maybe if we bring in the Androids as well, their combined might could give us the edge.”
-----“So that’s your plan,” Tiara said. She gave a faint wink and a thumbs up, mocking the response Raea had given her earlier, “Ok then, but after this is all over, you guys have to come with me to Axia, how’s that sound.”
-----“If we get through this thing alive,” Raea smiled, “I’m willing to go anywhere as long as a little R&R is involved.”
-----“I’m talking about Tim actually,” Tiara specified, “but I’m taking you along since you two are, you know, so close.”
-----“Sure thing!” Tim yelled back. He placed his chin on Raea’s left shoulder and looked into her eyes. “I’m glad you’re going with me, I don’t want to be going to another State-Kingdom with some lady I barely know.”
-----“Hmph,” Raea snorted while holding her head up high and smiling, “As if I’d let you go anywhere where it’s just you and a young woman.’
-----‘By the way,’ she said, turning her attention to Tiara, ‘You only told us that your orders were to bring you before Queen Relissan of Axia, but you never really told us about yourself. Are you a servant of Relissans, or just some messenger of Axia?”
-----“I am neither,” Tiara replied, “My title is beyond most people’s comprehension, though my Master’s have made a name for themselves amongst the mortals of Khazan with their, how should I say, more colorful antics. The Powers that Be, I believe that’s what we all ambiguously refer to them as.”
-----“An apprentice of the Powers?” Tim muttered. “I had heard stories about people who actually worked for them, but I just thought they were a bunch of nonsense. Then again, I thought at least half of the stuff about the powers was a bunch of nonsense as well.”
-----“A few texts at the Khazan Arena seem to document the accounts of individuals from other dimensions and realities who had their forms augmented by the Powers and were placed on our world for a limited amount of time,” Raea detailed, “Though no real proof has ever been found of this. Some of the ‘higher beings’ who live on Khazan say that they know of the Powers that Be, but I’ve never met someone who claimed to be an actual apprentice of them.”
-----Tiara scratched her head and laughed, although Raea and Tim did not see why she found the discussion humorous. “Well, that’s complicated. You see everything you’ve heard about the Powers that Be existing is true, but then again, anything more detailed than that is probably false. You see even I don’t know much about my Masters, or even their true purpose.’
-----‘there was a time though, in an age that you two, and myself in fact, are too young to remember, when the Powers that Be were very well known of on Khazan, and a good percentage of the planet was populated by apprentices like me. But alas, I don’t have the luxury of growing up in that time. Things were a lot simpler back then, but times change drastically. There are only so many of us now, and we don’t even know what we’re supposed to do until we receive some sort of sign. I myself have just been bouncing from here to there, experiencing life on Khazan, but I got this assignment here from a fellow apprentice, so you see it’s kind of important to me.”
-----“This is all starting to sound too big for me,” Tim said. “Being in the presence of the actual Avatar of Light was enough for me, but this…”
-----“Oh there is apparently something special about you, Mr. Shinestar,” Tiara said. “After all, my objectives were all solely focused on you. I‘ve only told you about who I really am simply because you‘d find out eventually, if the Queen really does have some sort of connection to my Masters.”
-----“It’s not that I’m not thrilled that my Timothy has been called upon by such a high authority,” Raea interrupted, “but if an apprentice of the Powers that Be asked you to call upon him, why are you taking him to see the Queen of Axia?”
-----“I do not have that information yet,” Tiara answered, “and I very much wish I did. In all likelihood my greater questions will remain unanswered after this, but oh well, I’m used to that now. My guess is the Queen must have a larger connection with the Powers that I realized. Who knows, maybe she’s an apprentice herself. I’m not aware of every apprentice across the planet.”
-----A deep blue figure appeared in the distance, obscured by the flowing winds of the winter wasteland. The image was unclear, even as Neva moved closer and closer, but nevertheless it stood out amongst the ordinary plains and hills of snow.
-----“That, I believe, is WinterScar,” Tiara announced proudly.
-----Raea looked ahead and saw the rounded shapes and domes that stood erect above the snow covered valley. She saw the shadows of the many buildings and constructs, the frame of the fences marking the territory, and the towers with mounted weaponry spinning about.
-----Bright lights became visible across the outer wall, and soon symbols of the Khazanian military could be recognized even from a distance.
-----“That’s it!” Raea shouted. “We made it. We made it to WinterScar Fortress!”

---12---
When Demons of the Sky Become Devils

-----The battle for New Xaelis had left the city, and transports still hurried northwest across the grasslands towards the Frozen Wastes. Behind them, Tanks and other vehicles fired at their pursuers, a nearly endless wave of Drekis minions.
-----But as fierce as the battle on the surface was, the true battles were fought above. The large airships moved in tandem with the Tanks below, casting their shadows upon the retreating forces while bearing weapons on aerial targets.
-----Ptera-Deminites and Bio-Fighters descended to attack the retreating Khazanian soldiers, but mechs and Defense-Point Starfighters soared by and put a stop to their plans.
-----It was in the air that explosions came about with such force that in that moment, Xaelon became a cloudless land. Fighters zoomed by, left, right, up, down, and from above and below. Missiles and lasers met their targets, and mecha circled around and unloaded all ammunition upon any targets around them.
-----Captain Kitazawa grimaced as he felt a blast impact against his shields. The power of the Gemini’s defenses were beginning to fail, but the battle was so chaotic that he could not find the enemy who had struck him. He picked up the intensity of his movements, darting back and forth in the air as shots passed him by from enemies all around.
-----He turned and fired his beam cannons into some Ptera-Deminites, but was alerted by the flashing lights in his cockpit of approaching missiles. He faced the missiles head on and intercepted them with a spray of bullets from his mini-rail gun, and this time caught sight of the enemy who had fired upon him.
-----The Bio-Fighter quickly tried to move out of sight, but Takuma managed to lock onto to the craft and launched a missile. As it neared closer and closer, he gritted his teeth and let out a prayer each second: Hit it, Hit it, Hit it, Hit it!
-----The missile connected, a bulb of fire which engulfed the Bio-Fighter and blew it in half. But one half still stirred, and even while aflame began to repair itself and take flight.
-----“No you don’t!” Takuma shouted. With a killing instinct he thrust out the Particle Beam rifle of the Gemini and fired, again and again and again until he perceived nothing of the living craft. “That one was for Dezzman!”
-----The loss of Dezzman still bothered him, though he suddenly realized that it had occurred only hours before, during the battle in the open fields of Walshin, but to him it felt as if he was fighting on behalf of someone who had died a long time ago, and he was certain that the other members of the 478th felt the same.
-----A momentary lapse in the chaos gave him a chance to look upon the ground forces. Their defensive perimeter behind the transports was fading, and more and more soldiers were emerging from the transports to lend extra firepower.
-----Kitazawa took a deep breath and activated his communications channel to all mechs in the vicinity. “Listen up, this is Captain Kitazawa of the 478th Mecha-nized forces, I’m taking command of the 345th, 278th, and 543rd groups! I want all survivors on me, Now!”
-----The forces quickly amassed behind him, and his own team soon rejoined him as well.
-----“What are your orders, Sir?!” Lieutenant Foster asked.
-----“Lieutenant, is all of our team here?” Kitazawa said.
-----“Sir, Yes Sir,” Foster replied.
-----“Good. I don’t want to lose another one of you. Not one. Understood!”
-----“Yes Sir!”
-----“Alright, 345th, stay with my team, 278th, cover the airship Cerillion, 543rd, your going to give fighter coverage to the defensive perimeter down there. As for all of you lucky enough to be with me, we’re going to dive down there and strafe through as many God Damned bastards as we can, got that!”
-----“Yes Sir!”
-----The Gemini descended with over twenty mechs in tow, weapons ready to kill any enemies in sight. The moved just over the Drekis legions on the ground, a completely unexpected attack that tore through the advancing frontline of their forces. Particle beams rained down as they moved deeper and deeper through, passing over the heads of Devonox beasts and cutting them through with Particle Swords and Lances in passing.
-----All mechs returned the air accounted for, picking off aerial targets as they went along.
-----“That one worked pretty good,” Kitazawa said, “But you can expect them to be ready for us next time! One more time, this time we’ll approach from the right, then we’ll return and make a pincer movement against the center of their advancing force!”
-----“Wait, sir, I’m getting something on sensors,” Corporal Arlington interrupted.
-----“What is it Corporal?” Takuma asked.
-----“I’m not certain. Everyone switch your radar and sensor equipment to bio-scans. I’m getting faint readings that are similar to the Bio-Fighters we’re fighting now, but different.”
-----Takuma switched his sensor mode and was horrified at what he saw. “My God, whatever they are, I’ve got over five hundred approaching us at Mach 3 right now!”
-----“Five hundred new targets confirmed,” Sgt. Major Graham reported.
-----“No target data,” Lt. Angelhart said, “Just like Arlington said, it’s similar to the Bio-Fighters, but different somehow, it doesn’t quite link up with the data in our computers.”
-----“We can get a visual,” Sgt. Cole informed. “My God, where did they all come from?”
-----Captain Kitazawa groaned angrily as he saw a cloud of enemies approaching. They looked exactly like Bio-Fighters to him, which was a relief, but no matter what the enemy was, having five hundred more to deal with was a problem.
-----“Alright, cancel the attack, all groups, focus on these new targets, don’t let them hit the airships!” Takuma yelled.
-----Arcane blasts spewed forth from the Bio-fighters, splashing against the shields of the mechanical defenders. The mechs took evasive maneuvers as dozens of Bio-Fighters passed them by. They fired every conceivable weapon upon them, but all were met with shields of their own.
-----“This is going to be tough,” Sgt. Atatsuya exclaimed. “They’ve got fresh shields and everything.”
-----“I don’t want to hear that Sgt.!” Kitazawa shouted as he fired his particle beam rifle into an enemy. The Bio-Fighter turned to face him, but Takuma launched every weapon in his arsenal upon it. In seconds it was bathed in light, searing in explosions that burned away it’s protective barriers. A beam finally pierced through, forming a gaping hole in the craft’s organic body. “Now I’ll finish you!”
-----He fired one more shot, but the Bio-Fighter abruptly lifted up and repaired itself. Kitazawa was prepared to follow the devilish creature’s movements and blast it once more, but then he found himself looking upon something that he did not expect.
-----It disgusted him and shocked him at the same time, sending a paralyzing feeling down his spine that prevented him from pressing the trigger on his beam rifle as he watched the craft change and contort. The Bio-Fighter was changing, morphing in mid-air while black liquid oozed around the shiny exterior. A head, a torso, two arms, and two legs. His eyes could not believe what he was seeing. He was no longer looking upon a Bio-Fighter. Not anymore, for right before his eyes it had become the image of a mech. It had the same organic skin, the same pulse of black liquid, but the form now resembled the MARS combat mechs used by the Mobile Police, only further adorned with spines and void of any visible mechanical parts.
-----“Dear God,” Kitazawa managed to mutter, “What the Devil are these things!”
-----The enemy mech, no, the enemy creature raised it’s head and looked at the Gemini. Takuma could swear that he felt the creature grinning at him and narrowing it’s eyes like a predator preparing to pounce.
-----The abomination only served to raise Takuma’s anger, and with profane shouts he raised his gun to fire upon the menace.
-----The creature darted out of the way, it’s maneuverability incomprehensible! He tried to follow, but found himself watching a fading trail of blurred images. He spun the Gemini around and found his enemy, it’s gaze fixed on him while it’s arm extended out in the direction of his mech.
-----Kitazawa instinctively pulled his mech back and fired at the target, but the Bio-Mech still moved too fast, and suddenly a star hot beam flew from it’s palm.
-----And everywhere across the cloudless skies of the city, the new Bio-Fighters transformed.

---13---
The Threat from the North

-----“Wow, they’ve got everything on this jet of theirs,” Michael said as he found his way to a small refrigerator in the back of the passenger area, “high living.” Without asking he pulled open the refrigerator door and began inspecting the various drinks for alcoholic content.
-----“This one looks good,” he exclaimed, taking a small bottle of violet liquid from the cooler and shutting the door briskly. He stared at the top of the bottle, and with his own mind lifted the cork from the opening. Cortelloni took a small sip first, then paused to analyze it. “Yes, yes this will do.”
-----He walked down the small hall and rejoined the others, who were sitting in leather seats while patiently awaiting to arrive at their destination. The Private Jet of the Maniacal Heroes duo Lexington Miles and Lara Corners was small but comfortable, and filled with many luxury items. Drinks, internet computers, wireless phones, televisions, the works. Lex and Lara were wholeheartedly silent during the trip, sitting up there in their pilot’s room.
-----Michael sat down next to Shirai Natsumi, and the young girl nearly jumped out of her seat as the ex-marauder took a massive gulp from the bottle. He saw how uncomfortable she was, likely due to the name he had made for himself. “Hey kid, you want some,” he laughed, holding the bottle out towards her and shaking it around. The purple liquid inside shook from one side to the other and bubbled furiously with his movements.
-----Shirai’s face became paralyzed with nervous expression, but she managed to utter a weak, “uh, no thank you,” while her teeth chattered.
-----“Hey, it’s just a joke,” Cortelloni revealed, “You people take me too seriously some times.” He took another quick drink. “Am I not entitled to just a little jovial behavior here, I mean you guys have sat her stone faced for the past twenty minutes. Even I find that damn boring.”
-----“Nobody forced you to come,” Yagami said, who sat across from them with his arms folded and his eyes closed, as he had been the entire ride.
-----“Hey, don’t you start that crap with me again,” Cortelloni said, pointing at the SLJ hero, “You already know why I’m here, I know why I’m here, if I want to complain about a few things here and there, I’m going to complain about them. And you might as well tell that to your buddy Lex up there, so maybe he won’t be such a hard-ass all day.”
-----Shirai nervously crept over her seat and quickly took to the hallway. The Sikigami bounced their way over the seat in tandem and followed their young master out of the passenger area and into the hangar.
-----Cortelloni looked back at the closing door to the hangar room, “What’s with the kid anyway, she acts like she’s seen the Devil or something. Jesus, and you expect her to be of any use down there?”
-----“Shirai has always been a nervous person, ever since she received the Sikigami that follow her,” Yagami explained.
-----“I mean more than usual,” Michael said, “The girl’s a freakshow now.”
-----“Maybe it’s because you gave her a bad impression when you beat her,” Yagami said.
-----Michael spit out his drink and stared at Yagami angrily, “Hey, I may be a lot of things, but I don’t abuse children. So if you’re going to start blabbing false accusations against me, you better be prepared to…”
-----“I’m talking about in the FPL,” Yagami interrupted.
-----“What?”
-----“The FPL, Fantasy Powers League, the Khazan World Championship Tournament,” Yagami explained. “You fought her in that tournament, it wasn’t too long ago either. You didn’t beat her too bad, but you sure didn’t show any mercy against a scared ten year old.”
-----Michael thought back to his days in the FPL, but could barely remember the individual people he fought. “I don’t know, I don’t remember everyone I faced in the tournament. But all fighters are treated equal in the Arena, she should have known that.”
-----“It wasn’t exactly her choice to participate,” Yagami said. “Shirai grew up in a small town, far away from the other State-Kingdoms and Khazan City. All of things in recent years involving the Fallen, or the Marauders…none of it ever really effected anyone there. She lived the quiet life, something few of us out here can ever do. Then one day she accidentally invoked a spell at a Shinto Shrine in her village. Apparently it was that spell that conjured those three creatures she has with her, and it meant that she was the chosen one of her village.’
-----‘Of course, this all meant that she would have to leave the town, explore the world and fulfill her destiny with her newfound powers. But she’s still just a young girl, and she never wished for any of this. I’ve been told that the experience has been frightening for her most of the time, and that’s she’s nothing like she used to be earlier.”
-----“Well, sometimes our childhood’s such,” Cortelloni responded unsympathetically. “But it could have been worse. Ah, she’s what, eleven now? She’ll get over it. And she has no reason to be afraid of me, I’ve left that lifestyle behind now.”
-----“This was still after you had dropped that ‘RageMaster’ surname,” Yagami reminded him.
-----“So,” Michael said, “It’s been a year since then. People change in a year still. A name is just a cover. I don’t do anything for anyone else anymore, and I don’t do anything that attracts attention to my name anymore either! I’m all about living in the shadows now, for myself and no one else. I never hurt anyone, and no one ever hurt’s me, that’s the way it has to be from now on.”
-----“Is that really how you intend to live your whole life?” Yagami asked. “Seems painfully boring and lonely to me.”
-----“You’re one to talk,” Cortelloni responded, finishing off his bottle, “At least I still have control of all my emotions and senses.”
-----Yagami opened his eyes and glared at Cortelloni. He found the ex-Marauder aggravating, though as he was forced to spend more and more time with him, he became less angry with the man and more annoyed, as if he was a rude guest who had long outlived his welcome.
-----The Jet suddenly began to descend, and out of the passenger windows they could see the bright lights of Raisa, the port city of Cretalia. Buildings and complexes were filled with rushing people, are preparing to leave a hard days work and go home for the approaching night. The streets were crowded, and the sidewalks were alive with the steps of young people flaunting their youth in bathing suits as they strolled down towards the beach.
-----Lex guided the aircraft just over the highest buildings and slowed down to a halt over the northern port. “We’ve reached our destination,” he informed. “Everyone hold tight, I’m gonna set us down on that beach over there.”
-----Lara looked at the docks as the aircraft slowly spun around towards the beach and gently lowered itself down. Even from up high, she could see the wreckage…an entire warehouse laid to waste, wooden docks splintered apart, and blood stained across the entire scene.
-----“Who could have done something like this?” Lara asked.
-----Lex surveyed the scene as the Jet landed on the beach with a soft thud, the engines died down and the power went out with a crackle. “I’m not sure. It’s horrible, but it seems too small to be the work of those Drekis guys. They wouldn’t have stopped with the docks, right? They would have attacked the whole city of Raisa if it had been them.”
-----Wasting no time, the duo alerted Cortelloni and Yagami of their arrival and fetched Shirai from the hangar bay. The ramp to the Jet opened with a hiss as the group touched solid ground. They made their way across the beach and climbed atop the wooden docks where once had stood a popular seaside shopping area. But the Warf was gone now, it’s many decorated buildings which had housed countless souvenir items were burned down. Some parts of the Warf had even collapsed, leaving large holes where entire shops may have plummeted either onto the beach or into the Ocean.
-----There were dead bodies scattered everywhere amongst the wreckage, including law enforcement. Whoever had committed this crime, they were too powerful be stopped by conventional weaponry.
-----Various officers of the law were permeating the area, here and there searching for evidence, while others engaged in the painful task of loading corpses onto medical vans. Some attempted to clear Yagami and the others away from the area, but were quick to let them pass upon learning that they were affiliated with the hero groups of Khazan.
-----They asked for reports of the incident, but all that had been determined thus far was that the attack had come in the early hours of the morning when the sun had not yet risen, and that only those youths who sought to party on the beach throughout the night were present during the massacre. The attack had been swift, the entire Warf probably falling in minutes, while the enemy remained elusive and snuck back to whence it had came before any that had heard the carnage could come.
-----The group found Captain Khazan, the one who had first asked them to assist him in the investigation of the incident, grimly looking over what was perhaps the most gruesome sight across the entire Warf. Twelve bodies, horribly mutilated, placed in a large circle. Their blood had been spread out and used like paint, forming a red circle that connected their bodies, while several designs filled the space in between.
-----“Captain Khazan!” Yagami shouted as they approached, “We came as fast as we could. This is a gruesome scene indeed…I had not imagined such when you told me about this over the communicator.”
-----Captain Khazan nodded. “Yes, I am glad that you have all come. We’re all downright baffled by the whole incident. At first we thought that it may have been the Drekis Empire, which was considered a given since they are our current enemy now, and have been responsible for massacres like this already.”
-----“But this is unlike the Drekis Empire,” Lexington observed. “They left the rest of the city intact. This attack was a warning…a premonition of something larger to come.”
-----“That’s true,” Captain Khazan agreed. “And our evidence points to the attack coming from the Sea as well. The more we investigate it, the harder it becomes to figure out what the hell happened here.”
-----Shirai nervously backed away from the corpses and began to look squeamish, but Yagami placed a hand on her head and told her to be strong. He approached the corpses and bent down to examine one closely. None had any burn marks or holes across their body, but he saw many cuts and crevices marked within their skin and bones.
-----“These wounds were made with sword and spear,” Yagami exclaimed, “Not a trace of energy weapons, or even artillery. A few wounds here were made with some sort of claws, and these puncture wounds on the neck here would suggest fangs.”
-----Shirai’s body was shaking as she pointed to a few bodies off in the distance, “Some have arrows sticking out of their body,” she squealed.
-----“We recognized all of the weapons used from the wounds they left,” Captain Khazan said, “But it doesn’t quite fit the MO of most of the villains we know of. Whoever did this, it was a group of people, a large group, but definitely not the Fallen or the Marauders, and apparently not the Drekis legions either.”
-----Lara pulled an arrow from a corpse and examined the blood-stained weapon closely. “These are no ordinary arrows,” she said. “These weapons are enchanted. I sense a black magic in them, no doubt every weapon used against these victims was the same way.”
-----“Magic weapons eh?” Yagami shrugged. “Yes, that’s not uncommon on this planet, but we certainly don’t know of any large groups that use black magic weapons like this.” He looked back at Michael Cortelloni, who was looking upon the carnage elsewhere. “Hey, Cortelloni! Are you familiar with any groups in the Underworld that use Black Magic weapons!?”
-----Cortelloni hurried over to join the others and looked at the arrow that Lara held out, then shook his head, “There isn’t a single group in the underworld these days that hasn’t at least upgraded to black market particle weaponry. I know of a few cults that I heard about back when I was involved in the criminal underworld that practiced magic but nothing like this. In fact the only people I know of who use this king of…but that’s impossible…”
-----“What is it?” Lara asked. “If you know something you must tell us!”
-----Cortelloni pushed through them and looked upon the circle of bodies and the symbols of blood drawn between them. He recognized a Pentagram, but inside of it were various triangles, each with a circle drawn inside, and on the inside of the circle were letters of blood forming a sentence in a foreign tongue. “These people were killed in a ritual fashion.”
-----“I could guess that much from the elaborate setup,” Yagami replied. “Do you know anything about it?”
-----“These people, they were taken alive while all the others were killed. And after they were done, they placed these people, alive, in a circle, and killed them one by one at random, then created this design,” Michael explained.
-----“How do you know this?” Captain Khazan inquired.
-----“There was a criminal mastermind in the underworld, led this group called the Khazan Slashers. He did a modern take on this using conventional weaponry. I read up on this stuff…he copied it, and the very same symbols of blood here from the rituals committed by the Empire of Saramach.”
-----“The Empire of what?” Yagami asked.
-----“Saramach,” Cortelloni repeated. “An undead empire, entirely forged of unholy magics and the will of devils. They belong to the Northern Continent, Denes’Takai.”
-----“The Continent of Darkness!” Lex shouted, “Are you serious about this Cortelloni, because if this is some kind of sick joke…”
-----“I’m not joking!” Cortelloni snapped. “I only know what I’ve read, but I couldn’t forget that symbol or that ritual. I’m certain of it!”
-----Yagami stood up and held his hands out to calm them down, “Wait, Wait, slow down! What does all of this mean?”
-----Lex shook his head in frustration and took the enchanted arrow from Lara. “It means, if Cortelloni over here is correct, that there could be another invasion from the North Continent!” He furiously broke the arrow over his knee, but found that the arrow had an uncanny resistance to his force.
-----“That’s all we really need, two armies to deal with!” he continued as he threw the broken arrow away.
-----“I barely know anything about these…Saramach,” Captain Khazan said. “You say an invasion, from another Empire? Why do I know so little about this.”
-----Cortelloni sighed. “What anyone in this day in age knows about them comes from texts.”
-----“That’s right,” Lex added. “There hasn’t been an invasion, or any aggressive action for that matter, from Denes’Takai in well over eight hundred years.”
-----“The First Age of Conflict,” Lara exclaimed.
-----Captain Khazan clenched his fist and looked towards the clouds as if searching for answers in the vast starry sky. He stared at Cortelloni with a look of understanding, for he trusted the ex-marauders analysis, as reluctant as he may have been to accept the truth. “Very well, I must tell the SLJ council of this immediately. Our Defense forces are to be divided, one half will remain to counter the Drekis legions that will emerge from the Forest, the other half will come to Raisa. Cortelloni, I trust in your words, for I do not doubt that you have come across texts of the Continent of Darkness before. Therefore, we have no choice…we must be cautious, and expect that the Saramach Empire will invade.”


End
Next:

War of Drekis
Chapter 10:
A Hero’s Resolve