(" Thou must go forward. This is the only way for all to begin... all that will have meaning. There is great power in him, however, his essence is incomplete. They spring from the king, they are not characters of their own. Thou must find the weak points in all this. Beware: one of your midst acts against purpose, prevent the spoiler from gaining influence. Time is running short and the challenge is daunting...I'll provide what I can... be ready for it. Covenant is near.")
("What are you talking about? I've been trying to prepare for Yrasil for a long time but the situation keeps shifting. Those three monsters, who could have expected them? The execution of these schemes is made up of madness and resolve yet also despair. Tell me, why can't you assist me as you did before? Are you listening to me?!")
"-Up, wake up Leo! We have a lot to sort out, hurry up and get ready. I have some questions for you!"
After yesterday's events, the two sides merged. Both dark elves and elves slept in the same camp. Such a scenario was not seen in centuries. Nevertheless, all of them had no reason to regard such trivial things as problems anymore. A new enemy emerged last night, a foe whose magnitude used to be immeasurable. Hence, there was no time to lose in order to devise a collective war strategy.
"And you didn't suffer a single loss of your people? Tsk, collectively we could have prevented all of our casualties. Eight of our ranks were killed on the way."
Leo and Elayn were meeting for the first time since he threatened to kill her. While he wasn't aggressive toward her, she was a complete stranger to him...and that's how he treated her.
" If we had been together, we would be exposed more often as it would have been more difficult to make quick decisions. Furthermore, a cooperation wouldn't have worked out so far. Your feelings of anger or dislike against us are completely nonsensical. We neither had a pact nor a real negotiation. In addition, a human was not fit to join the ranks of dark elves, especially not me. I was with them long enough to know that my reputation and existence makes them restless and uneasy. Our bond was hardly based on trust, rather it was based on the acclamation and orders of their leader."
"That's not so true Leo. Your actions caused them to behave that way towards you. Don't blame everything on their nature by throwing them all together!"
"What is it that we are right now? Right now and in this situation? Just what have we been in the past as the enemy attacked? An army or single troopers? Of course I'm gonna put them together!"
"Two separate armies made up of soldiers. Every single one has significance in our ranks. It has always been like this, for centuries. There is no other way, we are forced to act and imagine this way. The way you believe may not be wrong, however, you have not gone through the kind of pain and suffering we have gone through. Let's stop arguing, we need your help and you need ours. Know what role you can play for us in this fight."
Leo almost lost his composure at this sentence. For quite some time he was aware of a big issue to which he had not paid any attention in the past. He took his dagger out of nowhere and rammed it into the table in front of Elayn.
"A role for you huh? Of course a role, what else...I'm sick of being seen like this. It's true Elayn...I don't really know your past. Your feelings, the pictures that were burned into your heads, the comrades you lost and the suffering that was done to you. But it seems that you have forgotten one thing: Neither do you know my past, what I have gone through, how I have had to suffer. Only because one suffering is bigger does not mean that the other one has no meaning. I believe you all have a wrong impression of me: I am not your puppet, your subservient who receives orders. You say that it was my actions that led to my relationship with them Lynia? Well, remind yourself again of exactly what I did: Contributed to your battle, improved your supplies as well as the people's drive making their existence in this fucked up world a little brighter. If you care so much about the means, you are far from facing reality. It is only when all is included that things can move forward. Things can only be changed if you get active. You are constantly going around in the same old ways and the same patterns using the same minds. The moment a person makes a drastic change, this person appears to them as a complete stranger or even an enemy. It's ironic that I'm considered less strange among these people than I am among your people, despite the fact that I've spent a lot of time with you."
"Either you show respect and acceptance towards change and realities or you will still be sitting in your own prison. Each and every one of my men knows who they are and what they intend to do. Though I wonder if you, great leader, possess the same intentions. I highly suspect not everyone in this place feels compelled to do this of their own free will. Since I believe that a person who wants to impose their intentions on others is nothing but malicious. Your purposes have always toyed with life and death. All of us know that leaders have impurities within them that they must deal with so they should all be aware of just what it is they should be focusing on."
No one had ever known Leo from this side, he was completely turning away from everyone as if they were strangers to him. A great distance had been created between him and his allies. Apart from Lynia, no one knew him like this. Moreover, for her it was the worst time it could have happened. Last time she witnessed him like that was during his disastrous defeat. Back then he had the protection of a divine but this time...this time it was going to be different...completely unprecedented. Unfortunately, there was still one subject on which they disagreed: The salvation of possible prisoners. Expectedly, Elayn posed a possible option but Vega didn't even want to consider it.
"It's truly fitting that you still don't realize it. I'm not here to save your people let alone shift my focus. If you value the lives of slaves more than your current soldiers then that's your problem. Having seen what happened yesterday, it should be clear to you that there isn't really an opportunity to do that. Once we manage to breach the city, there will be no time to seek prisoners. One should always look ahead in war and never avert one' s gaze. Far greater countless obstacles are going to be in front of us. Everyone is aware that there will be casualties so don't try to escape from this fact. Here it' s all or nothing, especially for you. Failure here will doom your people once and for all!"
Lynia was aware that they were in no position to make any demands or requests. Fact was that Vega's strength was far superior to their army despite being outnumbered. On top of that, she had the support of a former tactical genius whose skills she knew to be true. Her mother, nevertheless, refused to accept her situation; for a long time her authority and abilities had been partially questioned. Now, of all times, her long-hidden pride came out.
Her words were not amusing to her allies
" You will go down with us, however, with the knowledge that you were powerless. In the end, you are part of our goal whether you like it or not. If we want to take out Yrasil, we should start compromising, don't you think? You can claim as much as you want that you still stand a chance without us but we both know that's not true. We need every hand we can get in this critical situation. So you want to listen to me one more time?"
Vega felt provoked yet she liked the attitude of her counterpart. In spite of her troubles, she really possessed the manner of a leader.
"What is this supposed to be? Extortion or even a threat? I could walk away right now leaving you alone in the fight against the impossible!"
"No, you can't and you won't. I get your kind of person: you've come this far so there's no going back now. You' ve proven your accomplishments and abilities, including your men, well enough that your self-confidence makes you sure of it. You' re still young yet you have the aura of a senior veteran, much like me, so how about you start a conversation with me on the same level, girl?"
"Ha, try it if you want. Let's see if you are able to get enough interest in yourself to be of such great importance to my eye!"
Both of these women seemed to be in their own world and barely allowed themselves to be interrupted. Eventually, they all decided to go and leave the two of them alone in their battle of words. There was still enough other things to sort out, most important of which was Maris.
"He's in his tent over there. Always wants to be alone, a conversation with him is as good as impossible. Then again, we can try it one more time."
"No, I will have a go on my own. Don't get me wrong though, in his eyes I have bigger significance than all of you. I think in a few hours we should be more knowledgeable. If you don't have anything to do then I recommend joining the training of the mask warriors. It' s even harder than Carleen's training but surely Connor can demonstrate to you the results it can bring. You could still expand their training Ryu, given your talent they should be up for a new challenge."
" I want a word with you young warrior afterwards. There is something very important which may help us."
After talking, Leo made his way directly to Mari's tent. Sure enough, he sat there quietly looking at a necklace.
"What's that supposed to be? It looks like a twig or thorn."
"It's a flower, my brother made it for me back in the day."
"Then I guess we're right on topic. What I want to hear is anything that can help us with this. In return, I'll answer any and all questions you have. There's no point in keeping quiet, we both know I won't leave until I've heard enough."
Leo was not sympathetic to him, he pushed him into a corner he never wanted to be in again. At last he submitted to his situation and started to talk.
"Your demeanor reminds me a lot of Yrasil's. Both of you don't stop until you reach your goal. Or maybe I'm just imagining it, maybe it's Zaphiel who''s talking from you? Tell me, how did you contact him in the first place? I believed he had been banished. Then, how did he come back?"
"That's quite a long story, and one that's not meant for many ears. I'm sure that issue can be easily sorted out, right?"
Maris created a barrier that no one outside would hear anything coming from in here. Leo then went on with his story. Maris cut him off a few times, however, he got his answers right to the end.
"How about your story? You know, Zaphiel is not the only one who was believed dead for most. What did they do to you or what did he do to you?"
"Tsk, I cant believe I have to explain to a human. It all began innocently until he fell into insanity. When Zaphiel's upheaval finally began, that moment when the balance was lost, everything fell into damnation.
Maris told about his history, about the existence with his brother up to his bad destiny that embraced him:
Brothers are always different, however Yrasil and Maris couldn't be more apart. In the beginning, elves and dark elves coexisted peacefully among themselves till they met their rulers. Still, not much changed after their arrival. As time went by, it became apparent to everyone that the two had differences. Yrasil always emphasized order and rigor, while Maris preferred freedom and obstinacy for the dark elves. The dark elves appeared more content and joyful while the elves' freedom was limited. Still, both races had confidence in each other and in their rulers. But this seeming utopia began to disintegrate at the moment when serious clashes began to manifest themselves. The elves developed envy towards their familial race not having the ability to live in the dark elves' own way. Both races had confidence in each other and in their rulers. But this seeming utopia began to disintegrate at the moment when serious clashes began to manifest themselves. However, both rulers took responsibility in different ways. Yrasil's nature caused him to lose his own value. In the end, envy spread from the people onto the ruler. Yrasil tried to create difficulties for Mari's reign by manipulating it in various ways. He soon took a liking to posing new threats to Maris by pushing him into a corner. Before long, the dark elves became restless and started to have doubts in their ruler. Still this was not enough for Yrasil, he endlessly sought to be superior to his brother. Then one day, the impossible happened: Another race, the humans, began to divide. Yrasil saw the renegades as failures, nevertheless, he considered this incident as his great chance. As Zaphiel once manipulated the humans into a free will, so Yrasil managed to take it away from his people and devote himself to his hatred. All of a sudden, the dark elves were at the mercy of contempt and hatred. Just as the humans did, they chased the dark elves to death. There was nothing Maris could do against this terror, his brother not only had received more power but was able to strip him of some of his strength. There was nothing Maris could do against this terror, his brother not only had received more power, but was able to rob him of some of his strength. So he could only watch his people being slaughtered endlessly. Unlike Zaphiel, he did not have the strenght to protect or defend them. In the end, it was he who was hunted to the end of the world by his own brother. Even if he despised his brother, Yrasil could not rob Maris of his full powers. To extend his suffering, he let him live so that he would have to witness the suffering of his people. They prayed to him, but Maris could not hear their cries. This was the beginning of the end of his people and his being.
Maris couldn't do anything against this terror, his brother had not only received more power but was able to deprive him of a part of his strength. Thus he had no choice but to watch as his people were endlessly slaughtered. Unlike Zaphiel, he lacked the powers to protect or to defend them. In the end, it was him who was hunted down to the end of the world by his own brother. Although he despised his brother, Yrasil was unable to rob Maris of his full powers. To extend his suffering, he made him stay alive so that he would experience the sorrow of his people. They prayed to him, but Maris did not hear their cries. This was the beginning of the end of his people as well as of his being.
"The necklace was a gift from him, a sign of our alliance, until everything finally fell apart. And it' s my fault alone not to have noticed it all sooner and to have allowed this terrible thing to happen."
"Tsk, you no longer want it to be true. There was no one who could take away Zaphiel's full powers. I saw and experienced for myself what strength was in him. In fact, it would have been more than enough to wipe out half of humanity had my body not been its shell. The story you are telling is most likely not quite right. You either don't understand or don't want to understand but there is more power in you than you think."
"Haven't you been listening? I'm pretty much useless, a coward filled with illusions. Whatever I do, nothing turns out in a good end. I am incapable of protecting those who confided in me. My failures are the punishment for my decisions. I am simply a powerless creature.
"Man, it' s always this self-pity. I doubt he left you alive on purpose. Yrasil doesn't have the power to actually kill you. I suppose he stole a part of your powers away and sealed the other part. That way you wouldn't be able to do anything but watch. You weren't a threat to him anymore and therefore irrelevant. Hell, even if I'm wrong, it doesn't mean you can just crawl away here with the opportunity to take action. Obviously you have forgotten what you had happened to you and what you need to do about it. Let's change it as soon as possible and restore your mind. It is the only chance to turn things around and make up for your mistakes. You are not supposed to walk among your people but to watch over them. Can' t you see? There are a lot of people here who have faith in you, who don't blame you, thus convince them of their faith!"
("This being is indeed under strong influence. I do not understand how these beings are able to use such things...it needs to be reconstituted. Whom was it that has been acting in such a matter? It shall be given the very chance that was taken away from it. It will become clear where the real flaw lies. Leave it to me to release him!")
Suddenly Leo was pulled out of his body. Based on Maris' reaction, he too realized that Leo was no longer standing in front of him. Within no more than three seconds, Leo was back in his own body. His entire body ached as the rune in his hand glowed. He gazed in wonder at what the voice meant by his release.Yrasil's abilities were amazing though, looking at him, a soldier unfolded into a king, a legitimate ruler. Maris stood before him wearing shining white and black armor. His eyes glowed yellow-green while the scars on his body disappeared. A brown wreath with yellow lines formed on his head. He now looked like he was portrayed in books. As his people looked at him, they were awestruck by his appearance and knelt down in front of him. It was not long until the news reached everyone. That day, the hope for which everyone had been waiting for centuries arose. Everyone showed his respect for Maris, who had regained his authority. Having found his true identity again marked the real beginning of this war, now completely turned upside down. Leo fulfilled Ryu's request and met with him alone.
J You know, your drills would kill me right now."
" Not this time, there is another technique I want to show you. I once told you what this sword really means. It carries higher powers that require tremendous energy. Master trained me for years in order to find a balance. When I started this particular training, he shared the story about this weapon and its users with me. Originally, I had planned this kind of experiment for a long time but keeping it secret was impossible before. Today is the very last time I will be able to show you the truth. This sword is as old as time itself, it has never lost its quality or suffered any damage. There was a reason for this as only certain beings were able to realize its true potential. You are still a mystery to everyone, I too hardly know what exactly is inside you. So I want you to try this blade by following my steps. I want to see if it's true."
Ryu was determined and insisted on his request.
"Alright, let's do it. Now, what exactly do you want me to do? Just don't push me too hard, almost no one is at your level."
Leo followed any steps and exercises. Once the training was complete, he performed one last ritual with him. Leo closed his eyes and focused on Ryu's words. For an instant, the sword glowed white. Ryu could not believe his eyes and yet he was delighted at the same time. However, the glow faded after only a few seconds. Mildly disappointed, he took the sword from him.
"As I thought, the blade is still incomplete. Due to your characteristic, I figured that you might be a key yet I'm still waiting to find out the truth."
What Ryu didn't know was that he hadn't been entirely wrong in the case of Leo.
("This dark elf...where did he get this artifact? Based on my information, it should be in the possession of "him". I see, his time has passed. Right now, this creature is the one in control, nevertheless, I do not sense the key. Is it lost on him? This is not in my power, his path is infinite this way, he still doesn't know the truth. Thou canst not be his answer.")
("Didn't really intend to do that but the weapon is much more significant than I thought. If it plays no part in this scenario then any thoughts of it ought to disappear from my mind. I assume you can't give me any more information, can you? I am not eligible or ready for it, am I right?...of course no answer. What was I expecting? I guess I'll have to await our next meeting then.")
During this night, Leo was not being allowed to sleep. Upon opening his eyes, he found himself inside a white orb. No piece of the outside world was to be seen any more. Ahead of him he saw a golden glowing shade.
("I made a decision. Now that one key has been unlocked, quick action must be taken. His value in this endeavor is undeniably supreme, however, you do not belong by his side. His purpose diverges from your path. Keep going forward but not in front, support is all around you yet don't be too sure of its cost or it will crumble. Thy thoughts harbor great perils and risks, failure is ever near. Stand together, act with wisdom and a gate will open of its own accord. Allow myself to walk you down this bloody path to its conclusion. That is all that is capable of you now. This way it is done, thy work and mine.")
Previously, the assistance of this entity was powers that made all the difference, its strength won battles and provided protection to its user. But this time it would be different, combat was not the cause nor was it strength. It was a first glimpse of what Leo was about to complete. A breath that transcended any and everything else. Following these words, he found himself back in his world once again. Again he waited to see the changes in his body along with its abilities, however, the only thing happening was that all the white runes and signs vanished from his body and disappeared into thin air.
("What the fuck is that supposed to do now? Has it failed or did it trick me? Hey, can you hear me? I wouldn't mind a few clues...of course...no answer...")
Leo got it wrong, he had received his powers already. This time, they had adjusted to him instantly. Physical changes weren't necessary anymore, he was on to another stage. On the next day, it was time to take the fixed final decisions that would determine their fate. It was Maris who provided them with the necessary intel and eventually was appointed as their leader. Not even Vega had a problem placing herself under such a powerful being. He was their wild card, their surprise, who would carry them very close to their objective.
-Two days later-
"So you really went delusional brother. Go for it then... retrieve the one that is lost, save that which is doomed. As before you shall fail in your naivety though this time you will finally pay with your death."
"Shut up, I'm tired of hearing your voice. You think I want to bring back someone useless? And If I want to save anything it will be through your demise. I'm not here to receive an apology, to rob you of your powers or to merely free my people. I'm here for something I should have started doing a lot sooner: Retribution. I'm sure you had your reasons for keeping me alive. You will soon be able to watch your mercy destroy you! Let me show you your flaws brother!"