The wind blew over the remains of the Blue Stream Village. Diomede stood with his hand gripping his greatsword, staring down Commander Ruffgaurd, Elite Knight Panagiot, and three Holy Knights of Umar. The damage dealt to them from the explosion was visible. The armor the three knights had left was broken pieces, the rest had been blown off, revealing their arms, legs, and the armor padding that sat under their plates. Ruffguard had a gash on his temple, but it didn't appear too deep. His armor was covered in cracks and missing vital points around his hips and lower legs. His left arm was exposed to the open air. Panagiot only had the remains of his torso armor and his shin guards. His body showed no signs of damage, his fingers had regrown; his body was only decorated by the scars of his past. Diomede wasted no time, he threw himself into a full dash. He drew his greatsword from his back and raised his left arm. The ground under Commander Ruffgaurd and two of his knights erupted with molten rock and flame, engulfing them. Diomede drew one of his axes and threw it at the ground beside Panagiot. But before it reached its target, the elite kicked it into the air. This threw off Diomede for he attempted to pull himself to the axe as he had done the night before. But this left him flying in the air, it left him open and an easy target. Commander Ruffgaurd shouted out, "ONE WHO SITS ABOVE ALL, DOUSE THESE FLAMES AND GRANT ME YOUR DIVINE POWER!" As he said this, the molten rock and flame died, and from his hand shot a beam of golden light. Diomede felt the light pierce through his stomach. Diomede fell to the ground hard, similar to a bag of rocks dropped from a high ledge. The two knights that were engulfed with Commander Ruffgaurd fell stiff, and covered in burns. Panagiot began sprinting toward Diomede as he sat himself up and propped his knee on the ground clenching his fresh wound. Panagiot raised his axe over his head and drove it down onto Diomede. Diomede was able to throw his sword up in time to catch the blade of the axe on the handle."Good, you still have fight in you." Panagiot said as he laughed. Diomede's eyes began to turn dark orange. Panagiot felt excitement fill his chest. "So THAT'S what you are!" "I thought your kind was killed off years ago." Diomede spit into Panagiot's eye and kneed him in his groin. Panagiot laughed at the attempt to gain an upper hand. "You're going to have to do better than that!' Panagiot chuckled, as he pulled his head back and smashed Diomede in the face with his forehead. Commander Ruffgaurd watched as the elite repeatedly headbutted Diomede over and over. Panagiot stood up, his face covered in blood, but none his own. "Head back to what remains of the office and see if this one's companions still draw breath as well." Ruffgaurd turned and smacked the remaining knight's shoulder, "Come." The two headed in the direction of the office.
A tune is hummed as Francisco leads the group of four still twirling with his new cloak, overjoyed that it looked just as his father's did. Kira and Lily walked side by side and watched as the nesfundur made a fool of himself. Clayton walked at the back of the group, looking over all of the destruction that had befallen his post, his village. The group stopped and Lily noticed and large pile of debris covering something. Kira felt Clayton's heart skip a beat in hopes of being a survivor. As Lily and Francisco pulled the planks of wood and the small pieces of buildings, they revealed the top part of the gultonk's corpse. "Oh, it must have gotten buried from the blast." Francisco exclaimed. Lily, Kira, and Francisco continued walking leaving Clayton standing over the gultonk's corpse. He looked over the monster with disgust and hatred. Its head still held the broken sword he had used to take its eye. The handle stuck out from the top of its head. Clayton began to play through the memories of that evening. How it broke through the barracks and slaughtered his brothers. How he felt standing against it. How Diomede spoke with it. Clayton grabbed hold of the hilt sticking out of the dead gultonk's head. He began to pull and after a few moments. It came free. Lily toasted a small piece of wood at Clayton to catch his attention. "What do you plan to do with that?" She asked. Clayton looked over the blade, it still held the cracks and a chipped edge. "I Plan to keep this as a reminder of my brothers, it helped me avenge them that night." Clayton exclaimed. Lily walked over to him, had extended her hand to see the blade. She looked it over, "I once met a blacksmith who said weapons take on the personality of what they represent." She said as she handed the broken sword back to Clayton. For some reason, this filled Clayton with a feeling of peace. The two quickly returned to Francisco and Kira. The four walked a few more steps before the sight of Commander Ruffgaurd befell them. Everyone stopped, Clayton and Lily jumped in front of Francisco and Kira. While Francisco extended his arms around Kira. Commander Ruffgaurd let out a loud laugh, "Please do you think you can just walk away after the destruction you caused?" The group was filled with anger. Clayton burst out, "You would place the blame onto us?!" Commander Ruffgaurd's laughter stopped, he stared daggers directly at Clayton. "You dare speak after betraying your country, YOUR KING?!" Clayton drew his sword, "With all you have done to the people of this village!" Clayton took a step forward. "I Know What Panagiot did last night before the explosion. I Know He killed the survivors at the temple!" Clayton gripped his sword with both his hands and pulled back. " I will not be called a traitor from the likes of you." Clayton began running toward Commander Ruffguard. Ruffgaurd reacted with the same speed and ferocity. The two met with a clash of their blades. Ruffgaurd recovered and countered with a downward slash with his right arm, Clayton leaned to his left. Clearing the attack and spinning on his left knee, Clayton drove his sword into Ruffguard's right leg. Clayton felt the pop of Ruffguard's knee dislocating and the tendings detaching. Ruffguard let out a yell of pain and backhanded Clayton on the right side of his head; knocking him back. Clayton held on to his sword as he was flung back. The sword was pulled from the commander's knee, blood spewed like a fountain. Clayton rolled as he stumbled across the ground. Lily dug deep within herself and called on her father. Her shadow shimmered and a large aberration of her father formed over her. Kira and Francisco watched in awe at the display. Lily pulled her great axe from her back and leaped into the air clearing the distance between Ruffguard and herself. Lily came crashing down onto the commander. Ruffguard threw up his left arm, and as his hand reached high a large circle of light extended from him and met Lily's axe head. She landed and proceeded to unleash devastating blows against Ruffguard's shield of light. Lily reared back and swung the axe with all her strength. Before the axe could make contact, Ruffgaurd dropped his spell and stepped out of the way of Lily's blow. Ruffguard grabbed the handle of the great axe and attempted to head-butt Lily. He was stopped by Lily's father grabbing the commander's head. Ruffguard tried to pull free from the aberration's grasp but to no avail. Lily swung her axe into Ruffguard's left shoulder. His one eye peered out between her father's hand. Ruffgaurd dropped his sword grabbed Lily by her throat and lifted her, as he did she held onto her axe and began to step on the handle to loosen the commander's grip. This led to the axe being pushed deeper into the commander's shoulder. Blood began to flow out of Ruffgurads mouth, to the point he was spitting it out. Lily's father's aberration began to fade back into Lily's shadow. Clayton crawled on the ground and transitioned into a full sprint before he could reach the tangled pair. A knight tackled him to the ground and began welling onto his head and torso. Clayton attempted to block each hit, but the knight found holes in Clayton's defenses. Ruffguard increased his grip around Lily's throat, cutting off her airway. She felt all the blood in her head build up and the pressure grew. It felt as if he was going to pop her head like a grape. Lily's face began to change red and then to purple. Her vision shifted and began to become blurry, she felt the darkness engulf her eyes. Fransico reached into his bag and pulled out a small drum. As he began hitting it, a sound wave shot out and collided with Ruffguard and Lily. Knocking the two free of each other. Lily gasped for air as she rolled over to her side. Her father's aberration floated over her and shouted. "Get up Lily your foe is about to recover!" Commander Ruffguard sat up with the axe head still on his shoulder, he yelled out to the knight pumpling away at Clayton, "Stop messing about and kill the bastard!" The knight turned his head to acknowledge the order. Clayton saw his opportunity, and reached under the knight's helmet, digging into his eyes. The knight let out a blood-curdling scream as blood ran down his face and out the bottom of his helmet. Clayton pushed the knight off himself with his right hip and pulled whatever he could grab hold of. Clayton kneeled over his opponent holding bits of eye. Ruffguard went to stand but fell due to his right leg buckling and giving out underneath him. Lily pulled herself up and held a rock in her hand. She walked over to Ruffguard and stood over him. "Go ahead you ghostly bitch. Kill me. But know they will hunt you down." Ruffguard barked. "And you boy the one above all will punish you for your betrayal, I promise you that." Lily grabbed the old commander's grey hair and bashed the rock against his head. Over and over, until his skull caved in on itself. The glazed-over eye Ruffguard had popped from its socket and hung from his head. With a thud, his body hit the ground. Lily rolled the old knight over and pulled free her great axe. Kira felt satisfaction in seeing her torturer lay in the dirt with his head caved in. Kira then noticed Clayton stood and picked up his sword. The knight still cried out in pain clawing at his helmet. Clayton stood over him and raised his sword. "Wait!" Kira called out. Clayton turned with confusion on his face. "Wait? Why?" Kire walked to the knight's side and moved Clayton. She removed his helmet revealing his face, it was now covered in blood and his eyes were swollen shut. She placed her hands over his face. His fear seeped into her, his pain caused her own eyes to throb. Light spilled from her hands and covered the knight. "You would help him? After the harm he caused? All the life he took?" Clayton shouted. Kira removed her hands and stood up. "Yes." Clayton was dumbfounded. "WHY?" Kira turned to him with a stern look, "Because my heart cries out for me too." Clayton felt rage run rampant through his body. He gripped his sword, and he began to move closer to the knight but was stopped by Lily placing her arm across his chest stopping him. Clayton cut his eyes to her and she returned the glare. "Everyone, breathe and relax, You just finished a fight against a Umar war hero. Your adrenaline is through the roof right now." Francisco said in a soothing voice. Clayton turned and began pacing around. Kira turned to the knight, "I suggest you leave. Now." The Knight confused, looked around and saw the Nesfundur and the woman who had just killed Commander Ruffguard, a war hero of Umar, glaring at him like predators with cornered prey. He stood to his feet, "I…I don't understand." The knight said. Kira turned to the confused knight, "Go while you are still able." The holy knight looked around and felt the cold air of being outnumbered. Clayton's eyes roared with the flames of anger. Lily looked on with a dead stare. Francisco nudged his head in direction, signaling the knight to leave. The knight began running toward the river. "You let him go now. He will report what happened here!" Clayton yelled. "Have faith Clayton, all may turn out better than most." Kira gently said. Her words felt warm and relaxing to his ears and his heart. Clayton could feel his anger subsiding, "Alright let's find the old man." Clayton exclaimed as he stomped toward the direction they left Diomede. Francisco nodded in agreement, "Yes let." The four turned to continue walking down the destroyed village road. After a few steps, a shadow flew over their heads. What a heavy thud and groans, Diomede landed behind them. The group rushed to his side. They saw that he was covered in wounds and blood. His face was ripped open and showed his cheekbones and skull. "What happened to him now?!" Lily shouted. Kira turned her head and saw the silhouette of Panagiot begin to form as he walked toward them. The group couldn't believe it. "How is he still alive?" Francisco asked. "I don't know but we are putting him down now!" Shouted Clayton.