The man waited patiently for the two of them stop laughing. Encara and Aerith wiped their tears, still giggling, and holding their stomachs. "Okay, what is this meeting actually for? That you would risk your lives for it." Aerith asked. "The king and queen of Artaraxus, have requested for your complete surrender." "Oh, you're actually serious." Aerith said stunned. "Quite serious, milady." He said taking out another scroll. "Here are the details of your surrender." Encara snatched it out of his hand. "Vexgar and Axilas will be taken in alive. Any man old enough to hold a sword, will fight in the coliseum. Women who have had their blood, will be made into breeders, to replenish the Kal'Nar legions. The Grand Mages will be given a merciful death by hanging. Grand Knights Lyn, Fervias and Yssac will be beheaded for their corruption of the heir to Artaraxus. As for Gwyneth Lockhart. She is to be personally bred by the King to make a new direct heir for their kingdom." Encara read out, looking up to glare at the man.
Aerith lurched forward in her seat. "Could you tell me, why we would ever agree to these terms?" She asked clenching her fist. The old man let out a wheezy chortle. "We are no fools. Your people starve. They do not sleep, for fear of an attack. Your ceasefire has only given you a slow death." "We've dealt with worse. Now here's my message to your king and queen." She growled opening a Wind gate. "Before you strike an old man down. Let me say my piece." He cleared his throat, giving them a sinister smile. "Princess Farella of Tuskdran, has isolated the Fork to the west, stopping your access for fresh water and fish. Kal'Nar's armies have secured the east, isolating you from the forests of wild game and resources from Yamata. We have secured our foothold to the south, and our amasses, ready to siege at a moment's notice. You're only choices now? To flee north into frozen wilderness and be hunted down like animals. Or stay inside your walls, and die like a caged animal."
He slid the surrender parchment closer to them. "The king and queen have given you a generous offer. You are completely surrounded, be wise, and end your suffering now. You all know that waiting, will only let us reconvene with our forces. Make the right choice." Aerith stood up, grabbing all three scrolls, and tore them into pieces. She slammed her hands onto the table. "You consider surrounding us a tactical advantage. It just means we don't need to aim our attacks." The old man snickered. "What's so funny old man!?"
"When the ashes settle. The only kingdom that will stand is Artaraxus. Do you know why?" "I'm going to kill him." Encara stopped Aerith. "We are not co-dependent on magic, unlike you inferior kingdoms." He took out the last scroll from the bag by his side. "I already told you, we're not accepting any damn surrender terms!" "You are mistaken milady. This not a surrender letter." Aerith unfurled the scroll, showing a bizarre message. 'From their lost existence they will rise again with a new purpose.' The message read. The two looked at each other confused, before the old man giggled, slowly leaving. "You two may keep the tent, let it keep you warm, in your final moments." "I am going to feed him dog shit, when this is over." Aerith snarled. "We should head back. They wouldn't do something this bold, without an actual plan."
The two left the tent, walking back together in silence, feeling a looming sense of dread surrounding them. The hair on their skin stood on end. Each breath felt impossible to take, with a pressure weighing down on their throats. As if their throats were held in the fangs of a predator. "Do you feel that?" Aerith asked. Encara nodded. "Something unfathomably powerful is heading towards us." "Warp back and alert-" Encara snatched her wrist. "Go." He ordered, a Blessing and Curse Gate opened on each of his eyes. Aerith wasted no time, leaping into the sky and flying back towards the Citadel. She landed on the wall with Gwyneth, Yssac and Fervias. "Battle formations. Something has him spooked." He turned back scanning the horizon. The three took a gulp. Horns and drums rung out, weary and hungry knights and mages took their positions.
Gwayn leapt up onto the wall with them, hand on his hilt. "What's he doing? He's just standing there like an idiot." "Gwyneth, when this is over. Do I have your permission to kill him?" Aerith said. "You can do it now for all I care." Encara pointed west. Aerith took a spy glass from a knight, spotting Tuskdran flags coming down from Pest Peak. "Shit. Tuskdran is coming to play as well." He suddenly pointed east. "Uh, Aerith." Fervias tapped her on the shoulder. She snapped East, seeing Kal'Nar's army emerge from the eastern tree line. "Fuck! We had a damn agreement!" She shouted stomping her feet. "Did you really believe them to uphold their end of the bargain? It's a miracle this place is still even alive." Gwayn scoffed. "It's a miracle, that you're still alive right now." "Enough, the both of you. Encara is doing something."
From the south, Artaraxus's army approached. In front of them war machinations they had never seen before. Catapults and trebuchets wheeled up. "What the fuck are those things?" Fervais asked. "I don't know..." Aerith trailed off looking to Tuskdran and Kal'Nar. The same wooden constructs wheeled in their front line. "But it doesn't look good." "Great observation skills." Aerith grabbed Gwayn by his cuirass. "Listen here, you gangly fuck knuckle. If you want to help, you listen to everything I god damn say!" Gwayn lurched forward with a smug grin across his face. "No. I'm not here under your orders, but Irina's. Now my men and I, are going to go and wipe out the Tuskdrans." He said walking off the wall. "I hope you fucking die!" Aerith shouted after him. "Seriously, how did you not kill him in the womb?" Gwyneth sighed, shrugging and shaking her head. "I'm disappointed in myself as well."
He approached the western gate, with his knights and mages, ordering for the wall to be opened. He drew his weapon holding it high in the air. "We're ending this farce today! We'll kill the Tuskdrans, claim the frozen mountains, and head home!" His men cheered, banging their chests. Encara took a step forward, watching from afar as they locked the trebuchets and catapults into place. Shambling figures hopped into the war machines. Their bodies flew across the sky. Horror stretched across Encara's face, he snapped west and east, checking the other armies. His Magnum Opus come to haunt him. Each of the armies loaded their war machines, with shambling Immortals. He clapped his hands warping back, hovering over the Citadel. "EVERYONE INSIDE NOW! AERIAL DEFENSE! NOW!" He roared. Encara flew down to Aerith. "What's wrong? What are they doing? What the fuck are they launching at us?" "Immortals!"
Aerith leaned off the ledge. "TAKE OUT ARTARAXUS!" "THE PEOPLE!" Vexgar roared back. "Don't waste your energy, dealing with the bodies, I'll keep them out. Take care of Kal'Nar's machines. Skora make sure they aren't doing anything in the tunnels." Aerith ordered soaring into the sky. Skora sunk through the wall heading underground. The three nodded rushing east to face Kal'Nar. Lyn, Vexgar and Axilas rushed out with their knights following. Aerith counted at least a few dozen bodies had splattered inside. Encara warped around rotting away the limbs into a bubbling black mess. She spotted Gwayn already on his way to engage with Tuskdran. Skora entered the caverns still enclosed off with no activity, as she tried to leave and help the others a voice called out. It brought her down to her knees, she held her ears, screaming and writhing on the ground. "Skora. Skora." Annorak whispered. "Did you really think, he could free you from my presence that easily?"
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" She thrashed. The entire cavern shook. "Careful now. You wouldn't want to be responsible for destroying the Citadel now." She gnashed her teeth, a searing pain coursing through her veins. "Don't interfere. This isn't your fight." "Yes it is." She growled, spitting her answer out. "Remember who you serve. Remember the oath you and your father swore." "Fuck him! Fuck you! And fuck Vasha!" "Last chance. Reject me here, and they will suffer, for your freedom." "I said, get the fuck out of my head!" "Very well. Suffer with them." She rolled onto her hand and knees, vomiting a black sludge, before collapsing onto the ground. Her body turned frail and feeble, her skin wrinkling, and her hair turning grey. Skora fell unconscious in the pool of black sludge.
Soel slapped Cin across the face. He continued to snore away. "CIN, WAKE THE FUCK UP!" She shook him violently. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" He continued to sleep away with a smile across his face. "This is not good. This is not good! Why aren't you waking up!?" She pinched his nose and mouth shut. "Come on. Come on." His face went red, his body twitched, but he did not wake. "Cin, don't think I'll let go. I'll do this till you die." His face went blue. Soel let him go, watching him gasp, but continue to sleep. She struck him across the face. "Aerith is having sex with another man!" He turned to his side, nuzzling his pillow. "Damn it all!" She opened a Earth gate, sending Cin crashing into the cavern below. She watched him sink like a rock, and the bubbles from the water slowly come to a stop. "OH COME ON!" She screamed diving into the water. Cin was still asleep in her arms. She tossed him out of the water, her hair drenched across her face. "Alright, this clearly isn't happening." She growled, wiping her face. She found Skora unconscious and quickly rushed to her aid.
"Skora! Skora!" She shook her violently, to no response. "FUCK THIS!" She launched the three of them to the surface. Above them Aerith swatted away Immortal corpses flying in from every direction. Encara warped in front of them. "What's happening!? Why did you bring Cin here, and who is...." "Cin isn't waking up, and I don't know what happened to Skora!" "Help Aerith, deal with the bodies flying in. I'll take care of them." He warped the two of them into the Keep. Soel summoned an Earth gate, skating on the earth, weaving in and out of streets to find any corpses flying in. Miranda took Kahu to shelter, throwing her inside with the terrified Islanders. "All of you stay in here. Anything bad happens to her, I'll gut you all." "Wait, what's happening? How can we help?" "Stay inside. You are all not ready for this." Kale stepped forward trembling with his arming sword. "I can help." "Keeping people safe is helping. Keep the doors closed at all times, if you hear roars. Do. Not. Come. Out!" She said slamming the heavy wooden doors of the dining hall shut.
Thanatos was gagged and bound in cursed chains. Bloodied and bruised he was thrown to the ground. Standing over him was a light skinned Elf, with spiked and glossy blond hair. He wore crimson armour with emerald accents, and a cape over his right shoulder. The man was a hulking unit that rivalled Vexgar in stature, with an adamantine spiked mace sitting on his back. "You see this is why you should have listened to me Uncle." Thanatos spat and growled with his gag. The man ordered it be removed. "FURIEN! Once I am free, I will kill you for your treason-" Furien snatched him up by the throat with his left arm. "Treason? You show weakness by retreating, and taking their deal for a truce. You give a low born, armour and pure mythril? Then not only that, she decided to disrespect me." He growled, raising his right arm, revealing only on a stump above his elbow. He tossed Thanatos to the ground. "Now we will end this war, and the others who seek to take what is rightfully ours." He said glaring to Artaraxus.
Furien raised his arm. "Bring me Father's fang. There's enough corpses in there." "Stop it now! Those fangs were not meant to be used for Immortals!" Furien botted Thanatos across the face, his teeth scattered across the ground. "Launch him in as well. I've heard enough from my uncle." Dazed and confused he was dragged onto a catapult. "St..stop...you'll..." "Fire!" Furien commanded. Thanatos was launched into the sky, watching his army shrink and shrink, and a gleaming fang be wheeled out to Furien. "Stop..." He said weakly, accepting his fate. He came to a sudden stop in mid air. "What the fuck happened to you!?" Aerith shouted. "Stop...stop.." "Okay you're worthless." Aerith groaned, dropping Thanatos to the ground. "Make sure that idiot lives!" She yelled at some of the scrambling knights below.
Encara stood over Skora, slowly healing her. "Damn it Skora, just how long have you lived for?" He looked over to Cin, still dead asleep. "And, what the fuck did you drink!?" Cin groaned swatting him away, and rolling over. "I am going to castrate you." He growled. "Forget...about...me...Save..." "Save your damn strength Skora. Or whatever you have left." Encara took Cin's arm breaking it like a twig. He twitched and continued to snore away. "Alright, I'm now going to get Aerith to castrate you." He shook his head, focusing all his attention onto Skora. "What, did Annorak feed you? Do you remember what it looked like?" "Scor..." He rolled his eyes. "Of course. His fucking love for those things. Listen, I'm going to stabilize you. Do not! Try and use any energy, till I finish your treatment."
Lyn, Axilas and Vexgar bulldozed through the fodder, effortless cutting them down, with their knights dealing with the stragglers. The Artaraxian army retreated letting their war machines be destroyed. "DON'T DESTROY THE MACHINES!" Lyn ordered. Vexgar stopped before he destroyed a catapult. He stumbled over from his momentum, face planting into the ground.. "Take them back, we can use it." Axilas and Vexgar nodded. nodded, ordering their knights to capture and take the machines. She watched as the Artaraxian retreated with barely any resistance. "FALL BACK NOW! THEY'RE GOING TO USE THE HORN!" She screamed, helping push back a catapult.
Gwyneth, Yssac and Fervias and leapt off the wall, ready to charge into battle. "Ah, a worthy set of opponents." Furien smiled, drawing his spiked mace. A Commander stepped forward. "Cousin, you have only one arm. It is not wise to engag-" His head exploded into a fine mist of blood, and chunks of grey matter and bone flew across the field. "Do not consider us the same level." He growled. Furien sprinted towards them, leaping into the sky. "Go destroy the machines, I'll deal with this one." Yssac said, watching Furien soar into the sky. The two nodded splitting off. Furien opened a Fire gate and came crashing down as a fire ball. Yssac leapt out of the way, dodging the attack. From the dust cloud, Furien emerged slinging his mace over his shoulder. He looked over to Gwyneth and Fervias dismantling his army with ease. He sucked on his teeth. "Tsk, you're not interesting to fight." Yssac flourished his spear. "Do not get cocky boy."
"You are nothing more than a foot note in my father's victories. You aren't worth my time. She however is." He turned to chase down Gwyneth. Yssac thrust his spear. Furien leant back dodging the spear, and swung his mace. Yssac dodged by the skin of his teeth, feeling the air rush past him. "You're not worth her time." Furien sighed. "Fine, I'll finish you off. I suppose that will put me above my brothers." He opened a Fire gate in front of him. Yssac took a defensive stance, spear across and tight to his body. Furien swung with his entire body, entering into the gate. He turned into a whirling vortex of flames. Materializing right above Yssac. Ready to bring his mace down with all his might. Yssac opened an Arcane gate beneath his feet, releasing a giant surge of energy. Furien was completely stunned, missing his attack, with Yssac staring up with a smug smirk. He flourished his spear with a quick motion, slicing Furien's throat open. He fell to ground gasping and gurgling, drowning in his own blood.
Yssac wasted no time rushing to the others. Furien gasping and clawing at his throat, spat out blood. He watched Yssac sprint off, without even giving him the honour of a quick death. 'I'll KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!' His vision blurred and the world started to become dark. His dark world suddenly became surrounded in raging fire. "Come now child. Do you really wish to die such a pitiful death?" Vasha called out. "Who are you? Where am I?" "Your father would not die such a pitiful death. Are you going to do the same?" "NO!" "Then rise child. I will save you." She snickered. The Elven commander suddenly rose from the ground, his skull reforming into one of a Draken. The Elves scurried away terrified at the sight. The horn rung out with a different, but familiar shriek, one that sent a shiver down all the Grand Knight's spine. The six of them turned to the roar. "Begron." They whispered.
Furien's throat sealed shut, his body convulsed and his armour exploded. Aerith swatted a body away, only to have it convulse and expand. It morphed into a horrific and nightmarish grey scaled Dragon. With 5 legs and 7 wings, it roared with a split mouth conjoined from the side. It scanned the area with a dozen beady black eye balls. Other horrific Drakens emerged, misshaped and deformed with extra or missing limbs. They took to the skies, blowing down black fire, razing the ground and houses.
A collective "WHAT THE FUCK!?" rung throughout the Citadel. Screams rung out in terror. Soel transformed attempting to hold them down. Aerith wasted no time flying towards the Keep, crashing into Cin's room. Huffing and sweating, she dusted herself off. "WHAT'S GOING ON!? WHY ISN'T HE AWAKE!?" "HOW SHOULD I KNOW!?" Encara shouted. Aerith mounted Cin slapping him across the face. A smile stretched across his face. "Mmmm, harder." He whispered. "Whelp. We're fucked. It's been nice knowing you Encara." She slumped beside Cin. "Did you break his arm?" "Watch her, make sure she doesn't die!" Encara said leaping out high above the Citadel. Aerith looked over to the side at the frail and pruned Skora. "WHO THE FUCK IS SHE!?" Gwayn flew through the skies, his left arm mangled, and his army trailing behind. Dragons and Ryūs soaring behind them. Gwayn stumbled to the ground.
The eastern side of the Fourth ring came crumbling down. Gwyneth in her Dragon state, shook off the rubble. Her scales were scorched and blackened, with smoke rising up. Underneath her arm, was Fervias and Yssac their armour melted onto their skin. She turned back to release a laser breath. A Crimson Drake larger than any Dragon or Ryū, Encara had ever seen, leapt over the laser pinning Gwyneth down. With a raging aura of fire around it. It mauled Gwyneth. The south side of the Fourth Ring exploded. A hail of stone came crashing through. Wounded soldiers poured in with Vexgar shielding them from the hail. His right arm attached to him only by the threads of his undershirt.
Axilas was in the sky in his Wyvern state, his wings frayed and torn open. Bleeding profusely from his sides, he barely hung in the air. Lyn beneath him was drenched in blood, dragging two wounded knights. An Immortal Dragon roared flying towards Encara. He turned to it, with the gates appearing over his eyes. Furien maniacally cackled inside, mauling Gwyneth, feeling her blood and scales rip under his claws. 'Leave now child. I cannot save you from that monster.' Vasha said in his mind. He stopped looking up. The Immortal Dragon exploded into black guts, before touching Encara. Furien reeled his arm back to deal the finishing the blow on Gwyneth. 'NOW YOU STUPID CHILD!' Vasha roared. Furien ignored her voice, driving his claws down. His arm shattered against her scales.
He looked up to the nightmare, told to all of the children of Kal'Nar. The monster that destroyed an entire kingdom. Creating magic so twisted and foul. Deformed his king and queen. The Thousand Hand Draken. Above the Citadel stood a 15 metre tall, Golden scaled Were-Dragon with a turquoise mane. From his back two gigantic magenta wings, made purely of interlocking Cursed hands. Encara reeled back letting out a roar. From his body Blessing marks shot out branding every citizen of the Citadel. Their injuries disappeared instantly. Furien looked down at his paw aging rapidly and wrinkly. 'Retreat now!' Vasha roared inside. He grunted limping away. Encara's wings grew larger than the Citadel itself, closing over it, killing all the Immortal Drakens. Everyone watched in silence, marvelling at the sight. "We're saved!" An Islander cheered. Miranda slapped him across the face. "Stop being a fucking idiot!" She barked. "He just delayed the inevitable by a few minutes."
Everyone stood up getting a second wind. The wings started to recede rapidly. Fervias and Yssac groaned, pulling their armour off. Gwyneth reverted back, covering herself with a nearby cape. Vexgar covered Axilas with tattered cape. The six of them leapt up onto the wall. They gazed out, seeing each army wheeling out another wave of war machines. The remaining Drakens patrolling around the Cursed barrier. Miranda joined the six of them, handing them each a temporary weapon replacement. "You all ready to die?" She asked. All of them gave a solemn nod. She chuckled. "Never thought, I'd see the six of you agree on something. Although nothing at this point in my life, could surprise me anymore." "Want to bet?" Gwyneth asked. "If something surprises me today. I'll go fuck Vexgar into a drunken stupor." "We all heard it." Gwyneth said. The wings disappeared, and Encara reverted back to normal, falling to ground as a withered old man. The seven of them took a defensive stance.
A distant roar rung out. A shiver ran down everyone's spine. The Drakens cowered. Furien let out a roar. "What the fuck is going on now!?" Miranda snapped. "Something stronger than all of this is still coming this way? It wasn't all of that shit!?" She yelled. The roar quickly became deafening. The Drakens fell to the ground, writhing in agony, followed by everyone fell to their knees, covering their ears. The roar ended and there was nothing but silence. A shadow loomed over them the entire battlefield. They gulped, staring up at Elise, beating her wings above them. She stared at Gwyneth. "Guinevere." Elise said softly. With a beat of her wings and roar. Powerful cyclones around the Citadel, tearing their way outwards. They watched as the Drakens and armies retreated. Elise nodded at her, before leaving, east ward. All of them watched with bulging eyes in complete shocked silence.
"Hey Miranda." Gwyneth said. "Yeah...." "Remember that thing you said, about never being surprised again?" "Yeah...Can I take that back?" All of them shook their heads, with Vexgar eagerly shaking his head. "Well...I meant to say, nothing could make me speechless." "Seeing a 'dead' Forsaken Knight, destroy our enemies, and notice Gwyneth. Wasn't enough?" Fervias asked. "I'm...I'm a...I'm still talking..." She stammered, staring at the damage left behind. A few seconds later, the last floating island of Kumo came barrelling from the sky and crashed in front of them. "What if Kumo fell out of the sky in front of us?" Lyn asked. "I...." From the dust cloud a streak of lightning shot out into the sky, streaking and bouncing above them. The bolt crashed beside them. Weary and shaking, she wore a teary eyed smile at them. She locked eyes with Lyn. "Lyn...?" She choked up. "Mum?" The two quickly embraced each other, falling to their knees sobbing. Gwyneth leaned in beside Miranda's hanging jaw. "What if Lyn's dead mother came back to life?" Miranda was silent. "YES!" Vexgar cheered.