Rai came down from the sky, exploding the camp fire as a giant bolt of lightning. He emerged from the smoke. "I am Rai Denki, and you will surrender to-" He stopped seeing, Sarah and those chosen to scout, gazing at him wide-eyed and terrified. They wore their leather training armour still, carrying their weapons by hand. His face changed from confusion, to embarrassment to anger in the matter of seconds. "What the hell are you all doing out here!?" He yelled marching towards them. They broke off their huddle, quickly scurrying into a line and bowed. Rai stood before them, hands on his hips, impatiently waiting for their response. "Well?" He asked,
Sarah stepped forward. "We were sick of the Forsaken Knight and Jacara being ahead of us. I mean, the other grand knights, haven't even noticed we were gone." She said clenching her fists. "Wrong, we didn't care you were gone." Rai said counting them. "There's only eight of you. Who isn't here?" He asked. "Grand Knight Lyn and Fervias, didn't choose a squire for the scouting party." Rolant said. "They said no one under their training was strong enough to go outside." Rai nodded to their chagrin. "Well, I guess I will need witnesses, when I repel their forces alone." He said walking away. The others looked at him dumbfounded. "Repel their forces?" Gavinus asked, leaning his ear towards Rai. "Yes, the Forsaken Knight killed an Elven Commander, on the outskirts of the Citadel."
The others snarled and clenched their fists. Again Yamada had bested them, and in spectacular fashion. "Their forces will not be far behind. If you are all here for the same glory." He said turning back to them with a grin. "Help me, kill their forces and we'll show those cunts. That we are strong as they are." The others cheered, raising their fist up. "I'll follow you to the end." Vicar said, pressing his fist to his chest. Rai gave him a proud nod. In an instant, Vicar's torso was eviscerated by a large ballista bolt. His body flew across the field, in spray of guts and blood.
Before the others could even comprehend the carnage before them, they were completely surrounded. An Elven commander emerged from the tree line, tossing his war bow aside. He drew out giant maul made of Mythril. "Keep the women alive, kill the men, and leave this prideful boy to me." He ordered, with a deep visceral voice. Rai leapt high into the air, opening a gate to lightning magic, that cast a shadow above them all. A torrent of lightning bolts shot out. They cracked the earth apart, each one let out a deafening boom. The horde of Elven warriors, were instantly reduced into smouldering piles of burnt flesh.
However none of them moved at all. They each embraced death with a grin across their faces. The others watched on horrified as they were cut down without even making a whimper. As more lightning bolts shot out, the sense of victory did not fill them, only dread. The Elven commander stood stoically in place, the bolts of lightning never struck him, as if afraid to incur his wrath. The gate disappeared and Rai plummeted down, breathing heavily with sweat beads running down his temple. He had decimated all but a few Elven warriors, enough for the remaining squires and mages, to fight off. "Give up!" Rai declared, standing tall. "Your army is decimated." The Elven commander responded by breaking into a guffaw, with his soldiers remaining silent.
"One use of magic, and you can barely stand." He said dropping is maul down. "What exactly is your group? This little merry band of misfits." Rai scowled at the commander. "I am Rai Denki, Grand Mage of the Citadel." He boasted, puffing out his chest. The Elven commander cocked his head to the side. "Boy, I have fought a Grand Mage before, and you are no Grand Mage." The squires and mages took a step back. "Oh yeah, am I meant to be afraid? I have the same rank!" Rai shouted back. The commander sighed. "Are all the children in the north, this petulant and stupid?" Rai snarled, opening another gate.
"Which mage did you fight?" Rolant asked, his warhammer visibly shaking. Rai snapped back angrily at Rolant. "Ah, there's a boy with the sense, to gather information before fighting." He praised, giving him a small bow. "I am Thanatos Argul. I fought the Grand Mage Urkse." He said removing his helmet. Thanatos's charming face was covered in spots of black ink. "He truly was a menacing and powerful man." He smirked at them. "I offer you all a proposition. The men will become our front line, and your women will breed us new soldiers." Rai opened the gate, shooting a bolt of lightning at Thanatos. The others watched on in shock and despair, as Thanatos swatted away the lightning bolt. He sighed and dropped his head. "Well, I suppose it would be worthless, to have such weaklings in my army anyway."
He hoisted the maul over his shoulder, giving it a spin. The faces of the maul caught Rolant's attention. On one side was the gate to light magic, and on the other was the gate to fire magic. Rolant threw his weapons aside, and held his hands in the air. "I surrender." He said, quickly marching towards Thanatos. The others all glared at him, as he knelt in front of Thanatos. He trembled as he bowed. Rolant ignored the others, he had seen that Encara could open more than one gate, and he was a mage. If this Commander could do the same, he knew he would stand no chance. "Ahhh, a smart young boy." Thanatos said, looking down at him.
Rolant looked up with a smile. Thanatos, rested his sleek adamantine gauntlet onto his head. Rolant screamed as Thanatos dug his gauntlets into his skull. He desperately flailed trying to break Thanatos's grip, feeling his bones creak, and blood gush out, as he was lifted into the air. "However, my army does not require intelligence, it requires loyalty. Something you clearly do not have." He growled. With a simple clutch, he shattered Rolant's skull into pieces. His body fell to the ground with a spattering of blood and chunks of bone. He shook the blood and bits of brain off, with disdain. Gavinus charged in scream, raising his deirdium poleaxe. "WAIT!" Sarah shouted.
He leapt high into the air, bringing it down with all his might. Thanatos smirked, and cocked his head to side, exposing his throat. Gavinus landed screaming as he tried to follow through the swing. Thanatos let out a sinister snicker. Gavinus gazed up horrified, staring at his poleaxe hovering just above Thanatos's skin. His weapon had not even touched its target. Thanatos drove his fist through Gavinus's stomach, ripping out his entrails. Gavinus stumbled back gasping for air, desperately trying to stop his guts from spilling out. Thanatos clasped the shaft of the poleaxe, raising it into the air. He dropped the weapon onto Gavinus's head. Thanatos watched in disgust and contempt, as it split him in half.
"You weren't even using strength to wield it. You were just making it lighter. How pathetic." He scoffed, marching towards the others. Sarah raised her spear trembling, the other mages had not even taken a fighting stance, nor opened the gate. She looked around as the Elven warriors, watched on like statues. If he was this strong why bring an army? Why let it be decimated by Rai's magic?
"Open your gates!" Rai ordered, opening his. The other mages begun to open their gates. Thanatos stopped his advance, opening his arms, inviting them to attack him. He was shot into the air by a stone pillar, made by Marion. Helena and Rachel created an overlapping gate, the wind and fire merged, and launched a giant fireball at him. Rai sent him plummeting back down with a bolt of lightning. Thanatos split the earth apart, creating a large dust cloud. Peter created several black long swords, hurling them into the crater. They watched the dust cloud settle and Thanatos emerge unscathed. A wave of fear drowned them, immobilizing all of them in place, except for Sarah.
He let out a sigh, cracking his neck. "If this what the Citadel, now passes as a Grand Mage. I feel like-" He stopped seeing Sarah, drop her weapon and take off running. The Elven warriors readied themselves. Thanatos waved them off, and they parted ways to let her through. "Looks like the knights at least have some decent instincts." He said with a smile. Rai held his hands up, increasing the size of the gate. Thanatos tossed his maul into Rai. The weapon caved his chest in with a sickening wet crunch. "Enough of that." He groaned. Thanatos locked eyes with the mages, seeing the streams of urine running down their legs. He rolled his eyes and shooed them away. "Go, run back home." They let out a small gasp, shocked at what they heard.
"I SAID GO!" He bellowed. They ran for their lives, following after Sarah. An Elven captain ran up to Thanatos. "Are you sure we should let them go?" He asked. "I take no joy in killing children and weaklings." He said walking over to his maul. The sound of Rai gurgling and drowning in his own blood. Thanatos knelt down beside Rai. "Colour me impressed, that you're still alive." Rai desperately clung onto life, reaching his arm out to grab Thanatos. "Why...are...you..." He gurgled out. "For the glory of Kal'Nar." Thanatos said aloud, letting his army cheer out the same creed. He ripped the maul out of his chest, and held high into the air.
"Get into position, I am going to test the weapon." He ordered. They cheered and quickly ran into the woods. He waited for an hour to pass, before drawing a large war horn, made from the same material of Draken fang. Thanatos stuffed his helmet with cloths, and took a deep breath. He blew into the horn, his face turning red. The horn let out a shrieking, shrill roar. Thanatos quickly ran into the tree line, pulling out the cloths in his helm. The burnt and charred corpses convulsed and started to twitch to life. He took a gulp, watching with awe and apprehension. Every corpse shot up, their bones stretched and fused. Burnt flesh had scales mutate over them.
A single thought crossed Thanatos's mind. How could such a weapon like this exist? And who hid it away on Yamata? The area became a den of Wyrms, Lindworms and Amphitheres. They thrashed and roared attacking each other. Thanatos watched as they tore each other apart, destroying the land. He let out a chuckle. "Brother, if only you could bear witness, to the fruits of your labour."