Three days had passed since the first assault. At the crack of dawn, Soel and Gwyneth had been given a task by General Aerith. A mob of angry farmers encircled Soel. They cussed their fears at her. She slumped in her chair. Their words fell on deaf ears. Gwyneth stood in the corner of the room. She was stationed here, by Aerith to make sure, Soel did not lash out. Soel's uninterested, miserable expression filled with contempt, made it impossible for Gwyneth to not smile. Soel shot her a glance, one filled with anger and malice. It only made Gwyneth struggle to not burst out laughing. She scrunched her face. One burly farmer, snapped his fingers at Soel. He was rewarded with her glower, and Gwyneth wincing, sucking air audibly through her teeth. This was one of the three things, that no one should ever do to Soel. Gwyneth had witnessed the aftermath of each one, over twenty years ago. "Are you even listening to us!?" The man bellowed. His sun kissed skin, and rugged hands, were the sign of a man too prideful to be blessed.
"Yes, it's why I feel miserable. Now go away, your requests are all denied." She said, shooing them away with her hand. "Well we're not going to work then!" The man shouted. His fellow compatriots all chanted in agreement. A vein bulged on Soel's forehead, and she clenched jaw and fist. Gwyneth winced again. Another of Soel's trigger had been set off. False threats and challenges, did nothing but boil her blood, and tease her anticipation. Gwyneth loosened her muscles, ready to pounce, if Soel lashed out. Soel closed her eyes, taking a deep breath through her nose. She squashed her frustration and anger, mustering out her most genuine smile. "What would it take? For you all to start working again?" She asked, clasping her hands together.
The man made his request, to Gwyneth's dismay and horror. The man had uttered the words that always sent Soel into raging tirade. "Build us a fourth ring!" He demanded. Soel pursed her lips to a line and stood up. With her lips glued together, nostrils flaring, blood boiling and bulging crazed eyes. "Are you sure there's nothing else you want?" She asked shaking her head. Gesturing to the man, and the farmers to back down. "We don't feel safe, with only one ring protecting us. So build us the fourth wall already!" The man declared, looking back to his followers, for approval. "Soel, let's take a deep breath and-." Gwyneth said cautiously approaching her. "You want a fourth ring do you?" Soel asked, resting her palms onto the table. Gwyneth shrunk back, pursing her lips to a line. It was too late to stop her.
"Follow me outside, and I'll show you a fourth ring." She said, her smile failed to hide the boiling anger inside. "I'll show you a fourth ring." She angrily muttered under her breath. "It will be the biggest ring, you'll ever see." She said through clenched teeth. The mob hesitantly followed Soel outside, to the base of the Third ring. "Is it safe to be outside?" A man asked. Soel and Gwyneth gave the man a look of disdain. Cin's rampage had left the ground scorched, and the forest reduced the ash. Any army that would attempt to assault the Citadel, would have to march out in the open. With the open field and the bright moon light, even an assault at night wouldn't succeed. The only way to attack, would be underground, and the caverns had several Earth mages patrolling it.
To everyone's surprise and their delight. Soel removed stripped herself bare, tossing her clothes to Gwyneth. With a primal roar, she entered into her draken state. She created an archway for them to go outside, and sauntered out in her drake form. "Here's your damn fourth ring!" She snarled. A large stone ring shot out from the ground. The fourth ring gave nearly ten kilometres of space between the third and fourth ring, and was the same height, as the third. The farmers cheered, as Soel reverted back to her human state. Gwyneth tossed her clothes back. "That wasn't so hard was it?" The man said snidely, giving her a smug smile.
"Give it a second." Gwyneth said. A small breeze swept pass, and a giant fissure raced across the fourth ring. The mob stood speechless as the goliath wall came crumbling down in seconds. "If I could have built a fourth ring, I would have done it thirty years ago." Soel said fixing her clothes. "Said it a million times. There's not enough arcane energy in the area to support the weight of another ring. A ring big enough to make you all feel safe." She said grabbing the man's shoulder. "Now why don't you and your shitty little gang, go back inside and do, your fucking jobs!" She shouted. "We won't keep going to fields, if at any moment we could die!" They chanted back. "WELL, WHY DON'T I PRAY TO THE GREAT RYUJIN TO HEAR OUR PRAYERS!?" Soel shouted, with veins bulging and spit flying.
She fell to her knees, opening her arms to the sky. Her overdramatic prayers made Gwyneth smile from ear to ear. "OH GREAT ONE, ANSWER MY PRAYERS. BUILD US A FOURTH RING!" A booming and monstrous roar echoed out. Everyone ducked down, scanning the area for the Draken. The ground shook violently, their vision blurred. In an instant the Fourth ring emerged from the ground. The wall was resplendent and immaculate, the stone brimming with arcane energy. The outside covered in spikes, that were perfect for defending against Wyrms. Spiked pillars shot out from the top, which would stop swooping Drakens. Everyone was frozen with bulging eyes. Gwyneth leaned into Soel, and whispered through the corner of her mouth. "Did you do that?" She shook her head in response, without saying a word. The ground in front of them opened up, and Skora leapt out. She was ragged and heaving, with sweat beads dripping down her face. She wore nothing but a cloak to cover herself. She bowed and then smiled at Soel and Gwyneth. "I don't suppose, I could trouble you Grand Ones, for some supplies?"
Skora was taken to the Keep, and forced into the council room. She was given new clothes to wear. Even with the glares and scowls from the Grand Knights and mages. She swung her legs like a child full of energy, scanning around the room for anything interesting. Encara appeared with a flash a light, and took his seat. "Ahhh, the great-" "Shut up." Encara growled. His aggressive demeanour caught everyone off guard. Skora pouted at him. "I want to know, why a Child of Vasha just helped us." He said, opening both gates, of blessing and curse magic. "The cult?" Yssac asked. "We refer to ourselves as an organization." Skora corrected, pursing her lips to a line. She was branded by both a blessing and curse gate. Skora cocked an eyebrow at Encara, giving him a disappointed headshake. "Come on now. I thought you would all be honour bound, to treat me better. I did just build you an entire wall."
"Tell me, what I want to hear. And I won't turn you into an immortal." Encara growled. Skora threw her hands up into the air. She let out a low sarcastic yelp. "You are a great father, leader and, a fair man." Skora smirked at Encara. He snarled back at her, increasing the size of the brands. "Oooooh, nooooo!" She said sarcastically, cupping her cheeks. "Encara, stop it. She's not afraid." Gwyneth said, raising her hand. "You're clearly powerful. Fighting you would lead to catastrophic losses. So what can we do, to repay you?" She asked with a warm smile. Skora cocked her head to the side, puckering her lips at Gwyneth. "You're kinder than the stories let on. I expected the Butcher, to be much more ruthless and cold hearted."
Skora then gave a smug smirk. "Then again, once you have Yamada between your legs-" In an instant, Gwyneth leapt across the table, drawing her long sword and held it against Skora's throat. "How do you know him!?" She ordered. "Come now. You just saw me, create an entire wall of earth, that not even your precious Grand Mage could do." Soel scowled at the comment. "What makes you think, I'm scar-ARGH!" Skora screamed out, feeling the edge nick her throat. "How do you know Yamada!?" Gwyneth growled. "Like I said, he was between my legs. What's the northern saying for it? He put his Wyrm into my cave?" She said with a smug smile. Gwyneth struck her across the face with a swift left hook. "Stop lying." Skora spat out a blob of blood. "You expect me to believe you?" Skora grabbed Gywneth by the collar, pulling her in close. She quickly whispered into her ear.
Gwyneth stepped away, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "She's telling the truth." Gwyneth said, her voice filled with disappointment. She reluctantly sheathed her sword. "Why would Yamada sleep with you?" Gwyneth asked. "I offered him a boon, if he slept with me. He said yes, and here we are." "Are you telling us, the reason you created an entire wall. Was because Yamada fucked you really well?" Axilas scoffed. "If I had a year with him, I'd probably end this war for you." Skora said crossing her legs. "So one night, and you go out of your way to build us this wall?" Lyn asked. Skora nodded. "Gwyneth, that boy of yours is a miracle worker." Aerith said, with everyone nodding along.
"What do you want with him?" Encara asked. "Who isn't interested in the first Forsaken Knight, to appear in eight thousand years?" Gwyneth stood back up. Skora threw her hands up. "Yamada Ken, has piqued the interest of my organization." "He'll never join you." Gwyneth said defiantly. Skora let out a sinister cackle. "You've already put him on our path. You trained that boy to fulfil his vengeance pact. I've simply given him the avenues to becoming stronger. And he'll come to us, when he's ready." Gwyneth scowled at her. "What did you do?" She growled. "He's a young growing boy...man. He needs to eat." Skora replied with a sly smirk. Encara leapt over the table, lifting Skora by the collar. "HOW MANY HAS HE HAD!?" He shouted. Skora was disinterested and unfazed by Encara's anger. "So far, he hasn't had any. But he is going to Silver City. You of all people know what they keep in their little dungeon."
Encara's eyes went wide with shock. He dropped her, readying himself to teleport away. "There's no point, in trying to send them a message. I carried them to the fork, and without Urkse. You'll never a get a message to them in time." Skora fixed her collar, smiled at Gwyneth. "Yamada, will devour his first draken heart, when he arrives at the Silver City." Gwyneth's heart sank, her dismay streaked across her face. "It's always delightful to watch the, helplessness and despair fill someone's eyes." Skora said with a smug voice. She drank in the horror with sadistic glee. "Are you thinking, he won't fall? He's too pure? Yamada the best of us all?" Her smile faded and she gave Gwyneth a scowl. "Don't fool yourself. It only took him a month to fall to your debauchery. In a few days, the Silver City will be destroyed by a rampaging Forsaken one."
Everyone in the room stood up taking a fighting stance, the Mages opened their gates and the Knights drew their weapons. Skora blew a tired raspberry. "Save your strength. You have a war to fight." A large war horn blew in the distance, catching all of everyone's attention. "I believe that would be the Tuskdran army, knocking at your new ring." "Stay away from Yamada!" Gwyneth ordered, lunging at Skora. She performed a deft and powerful thrust. To her shock and disbelief. Skora's jaw unhinged, expanding in an instant, and baring her fangs. She bit down devouring the long sword. Silence, shock and dread filled the room, drowned out by the sound of metal snapping. A surge of arcane energy enveloped. Skora swallowed the Deiridium and licked her lips seductively at Gwyneth. "Thank you for the meal, I best be on my way." Her jaw set itself, with her fangs disappearing.
The earth gate appeared beneath her, and Gwyneth stumbled back. "Do stay alive Butcher." She said, locking eyes with Encara. "Nothing destroys a good man, quite like the death of a loved one." Her smirk made Encara snarl at her. She disappeared through the ground, and the room was left in stunned silence. "Come on, we don't have time for this. The mountain idiots are here." Aerith said. Her command snapped them into focus. The ten of them marched out. From the height of the Keep, could see the Tuskdran army filling the horizon. They collectively sucked on their teeth. "Come on, we might as well keep the wall safe." Soel said begrudgingly. As much as she detested Skora, the creation of the Fourth ring. Soel couldn't deny the beauty and craftsmanship of her creation.
The others took their formations, readying themselves for combat. Gwyneth had gone to her quarters, and readied herself for combat. She stood before her dresser, feeling the rage boiling inside of her. The overwhelming feeling of worthlessness filled her mind. Yamada was in danger, and she was unable to come rescue him. Not with this war. Not with this relentless onslaught of soldiers against the Citadel. This war could take years. Years she could not spare worrying, about the safety of Yamada. She gnashed her teeth, and tossed her helmet aside. Gwyneth opened her dresser, and pulled out an azure cape.
She grimaced touching the cape. With a deep breath, she clipped the cape onto her pauldrons, and marched out, helmet on and down. The handmaidens gawked at the new cape. A sight they had never seen before. The striking cape colour contrasted against her silver armour. With the sun at its peak. The Tuskdran army stood side by side with Thanatos and the Elven army. Above the new ring, stood the Grand Mages and Knights. Their robes and capes fluttered in the wind, their figures casting a shadow down upon their soldiers. "Do you surrender yet!?" Thanatos shouted up, with a smug smile. "That's about five thousand Elves, and another ten thousand Tuskdrans." Axilas said. "Everyone go rest, I'll deal with this wave." Encara said clapping his hands.
Gwyneth stopped him placing a hand on his shoulder. "Keep up." She said coldly. The others froze watching her azure cape flutter in the wind. She walked off the ring, gracefully floating down. Gwyneth took a deep breath, and begun to draw her weapon. Thanatos stepped back horrified, his fear spread through the like a contagion. She wielded a Deiridium great sword in the shape of a cleaver. Flat at the top, with a thick spine and rows of teeth. A weapon designed only to cleave flesh and bone. The perfect weapon for a Butcher. She took the wrath stance, resting the thick spine against the nape of her neck. Through the slit of her visor, piercing lilac gazed at them. "KILL THE BUTCHER!" The Tuskdran commander ordered, from high above his mammoth.
The army charged in, chanting their battle cries. Thanatos continued to stumble back, as his soldiers rushed past him. He gripped the horn by his waist tightly. The Tuskdran commander scoffed at Thanatos's fear, and charged in behind his army. Gwyneth stood her ground, and closed her eyes, drowning out the stampeding army. 'I promised you, I would never use this weapon again. I promised you, I would never transform again. I hope you'll forgive me Miranda, for being such a terrible dance partner. But I have to become the Butcher again.' She opened her eyes, to a lunging Sabre toothed-tiger. With a heavy step, she separated the beast and its rider, with one fell swing. The halves crashed beside her, painting her armour with blood and guts. A pulse of arcane energy radiated from her, ejecting the blood off her.
Thanatos watched in horror and awe. The Butcher had returned. Gwyneth spun with the momentum of each slash. Cleaving each victim in twain, each one fell to her blade instantly. Screams of dying men, women and beasts filled the air. Gwyneth's helmet broke off, revealing her angelic face, with an expression that could only be described as boredom. Nevertheless through the maelstrom and whirlwind of death. A sight that would haunt the nightmares of war veterans. Gwyneth's lips were glued together, with blood staining her hair and face, she hummed a tune. The army backed away encircling her, as they stood upon a thousand corpses. They panted and huffed, their adrenaline and rush had come and gone. The Tuskdran beasts, cowered back. Their instincts told them, this was someone, to never bare your fangs at. Gwyneth stood in the middle of all of them, in the wrath stance, continuing to hum.
Thanatos looked up to the others standing on the wall. What is she? How can she continue to hum? Why aren't they helping her? The thoughts raced through his mind. Fervias drew his axes and chains, doing a running leap. He floated down to Gwyneth and perched atop her cleaver. The two of them said nothing. They shared a glance, when he smiled at her. He spun his back towards her. "Keep up, Lockhart." He said. She responded with a smile, and the two of them begun their dance of slaughter. Their waltz begun with Gwyneth launching Fervias into the army. He launched his axes into a beast rider. He pulled himself towards the target, driving his sabatons through their skulls. Those foolish enough to grab the chains, had spikes gore their hands apart.
Fervias hacked and embedded his axes into his victims. He drove himself through the crowds, laughing manically with each swing. Yssac spat and drew his spear. With a quick flourish, he leapt off the wall. Axilas, Vexgar and Lyn sucked on their teeth, sharing the same thought. 'We won't ever help the Butcher.' Yssac landed behind Fervias, killing those who chased after him. Gwyneth cleaved her way towards Thanatos. Bloody mist permeated the area, and drew closer to Thanatos. He stumbled back terrified. This is not what was promised by Urkse. The Citadel was meant to be a disorganised, bumbling and inept Kingdom. And yet only three of them had rendered a wave of 15,000 soldiers obsolete. Could a war of attrition even work, if the most powerful Mages stood by and simply watched?
From above Gwyneth, Fervias and Yssac, took the shape of predators encircled by schools of fish. An Elven warrior managed to slash Fervias across his cheek. He grunted and quickly repaid the kind act. By driving his fist into the warriors mouth, and through the base of his skull. The warrior's jaw tore open, and fell limp around his wrist. Lyn grit her teeth and clenched her fists. She drew her arming sword and shield, leaping down into the fray. Yssac killed his opponents with precise thrusts and slashes. Each attack severed a major artery or ruptured an organ. Lyn joined the fight, lacking the elegance and grace that Gwyneth had. She took a more brutish approach.
Lyn cracked their skulls open with her shield, and only split them from belly to ear. With a lighter blade, and smaller amount of arcane energy. Her sword had a tendency to become wedged in her victims. The soldiers surrounded Lyn, thinking her exposed. They were proven wrong. Lyn delivered a thrust kick, to the corpse, filled with an explosive amount of arcane energy. The army was blown back the force, and the corpse at the end of her blade flew into the distance. Vexgar and Axilas slammed their visors down, begrudgingly leaping down. To save Lyn, not Gwyneth. Never her. The two brothers wasted no time, in bludgeoning and crushing everything in their path. It had taken forty long gruelling minutes, but the wave had been decimated, and ordered to retreat. Blood streamed down their armour, they heaved and rested on their weapons. Fervias and Lyn chose to sit on the ground.
Thanatos held the horn in his mouth, trembling and quivering. Awestruck and bewildered at the sight he had witnessed. Six bloodied figures stared back at him, with another four atop the ring. They could charge at him and overpower him. Yet they chose to remain motionless. This was the Citadel's response to the war. To fight them is to choose death. Thanatos mustered all his strength blowing the horn with all his might. The shrill roar made them all wince. He quickly fled the scene. The Grand Knights grouped up, ragged and weary from the battle. The corpses begun to twitch and spasm.
'Destroyed brain or heart, they can come back. Beasts are no different.' Encara examined. Soel created a path for them to return. The terrified legion of knights and mages stared in silence. As the six of them trudged back inside, reeking of death and invoking a deathly visage. Encara watched on as the beasts became variations of a Qilin. They grew stag horns, scales and crazed dilated pupils. The destroyed limbs distengrated and begun transforming into Drakens. 'One to one conversion. Two halves of a dead body, won't make two smaller Drakens. Best solution to ridding them is total destruction of the body.' He thought before clapping his hands together. "Tell the soldiers to stand down and rest. I'll deal with this." The others nodded and leapt off, floating down below.
Above the swarm of Drakens awakening, a giant Curse gate appeared above them. The feral beasts gazed up to the five magenta hands clawing down at them. 'Nothing above an Amphithere. Perhaps the transformation is related to the amount, of arcane energy from the horn user? Or perhaps the deceased's arcane energy?' The Drakens let out a collective roar, before the gate descended upon them. "Rot and Decay." He growled. The gate plummeted down, and the den of Drakens were destroyed with extreme prejudice. Their scales shattered under their weight, their fangs withered to dust, and they bloated before liquefying. Encara let out a long breath. His hair drooped and went black.
Skora readied herself to travel towards the Silver City. Ready to have another encounter with Yamada, when a scorpion scuttled next to her. It dissolved into a black sludge melting the ground, and leaving a message. 'Stay in your area. Irina will meet the Forsaken one.' It read. Skora scowled at the message and covered it up with her magic. She took a seat and scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You know, she's going to kill him right?" She said outloud. Nothing but the wind responded to her. She shook her head in frustration, and kicked a pebble. "Am I meant to just sit here and wait for another recruit?" Another scorpion scuttled across her lap, and then nodded. She flicked it angrily across the field. Skora turned back and gazed at the Keep cresting above the horizon. She then smirked. "I know how to kill some time."