The throne room in Eidon's captured keep was dimly lit, the stone walls casting long, cold shadows across the room. Seated on a blackened iron throne that was recently placed atop the previous city ruler's meager chair, was King Varnok, the man responsible for the terror that had swept across the land. His eyes, dark and calculating, gleamed with a hatred so deep it seemed to radiate from his very core. Around him stood his generals—men hardened by years of battle, their loyalty bound not by honor but by fear.
King Varnok leaned forward, his gauntleted fingers tapping against the armrest of his throne as his lips curled into a sneer. His voice, low and venomous, cut through the silence like a blade. "Our forces are advancing, but it's not enough. I want this city reduced to ashes. I want the screams of the dying to echo through the streets."
One of the generals, a grizzled veteran with a jagged scar across his face, hesitated. "Sire, the resistance has been… stronger than anticipated. Their reinforcements have arrived, and—"
"Stronger?" Varnok's voice rose, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone. He stood abruptly, his black cloak billowing behind him. "Do not speak to me of strength, General. They are vermin, nothing more." His eyes gleamed with malice. "We control the beasts, and soon, we will control everything."
There was a collective intake of breath among the generals. Some shifted uncomfortably, but none dared to speak. They all knew what their king was capable of, the depths of his cruelty, and the power he had over them.
Varnok began to pace, his heavy boots thudding against the stone floor. "The orc horde will ravage the north, as I've commanded. Their brutish strength will serve me well as a distraction. While they tear through the kingdom's armies, we'll continue to advance from the south. By the time they realize what's happening, it will be too late."
One of the younger generals, braver than the rest, cleared his throat. "Sire, what of the… other plan? The one we've been keeping hidden?"
Varnok paused, a twisted grin slowly spreading across his face. "Ah, yes. The other plan." His voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "Soon, that will be revealed as well. When the orcs have done their part, and the kingdom lies in ruin, our final weapon will be unleashed. Not even the capital will stand against it."
The general's face paled. He had heard rumors, whispers of something far worse than the orcs. But Varnok was a master of manipulation, and he had learned long ago that the king's thirst for power knew no bounds.
Varnok turned back to his generals, his eyes burning with malevolent intent. "Remember, this isn't about conquest. This is about domination. The people of this land will kneel before me, or they will burn. There is no middle ground. We leave nothing standing."
His generals nodded, their fear palpable. None dared to question him further.
Varnok strode back to his throne, sitting down with a look of dark satisfaction. "Now, let's watch as our enemies fall, one by one."
Roman's Battle Continues
Meanwhile, outside the walls of Eidon, Roman was fighting for his life. His earlier confidence had been replaced with the grinding weight of exhaustion. His body ached, his muscles screaming with every movement as he faced down the monstrous creature before him. The initial thrill of battle had worn off, replaced by the harsh reality of fatigue.
He punched out with a lightning burst again, but his strikes were slower now, less precise and a whole lot weaker. The hulking scorpion-like creature in front of him was relentless, its spiked tail lashing out with deadly precision. Roman barely managed to dodge, the tail striking the ground where he had been standing moments before, shattering the stone beneath it.
I can't keep this up, Roman thought, his breath ragged. His magic reserves were nearly depleted, he could feel it, the energy that was bursting from him earlier was now fading from his body. Each movement felt heavier than the last, as though the weight of the battle was dragging him down.
The beast charged at him again, its pincers snapping dangerously close to his chest. Roman rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, but the strain was evident. His legs burned with every step, and his arms felt like lead as he raised his glaive to block the next strike.
Come on… Roman growled to himself, forcing his body to keep moving. He had fought so hard, pushed his limits further than ever before. But the fight wasn't over, and the monstrous creature was still coming at him, relentless and unyielding.
He tried to summon another burst of magic, but the energy flickered weakly, the flames sputtering out before they could fully form. Roman cursed under his breath, realizing he was tapped out on power.
The scorpion-like beast lunged again, and this time, Roman couldn't dodge in time. The massive tail struck him square in the chest, the force of the blow sending him flying backward. He crashed into the ground, pain shooting through his body as he gasped for air.
Get up. Get up, he told himself, his vision swimming. The beast was closing in, its pincers clacking ominously as it prepared for the final blow.
Roman's heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing. I need more power. I can't let this thing win.
But there was nothing left. His body was drained, his magic all but spent. He struggled to his feet, wobbling slightly as he tried to steady himself. The beast was right in front of him now, its massive form towering over him.
Just as the creature's tail swung down for the killing strike, Roman's mind flashed to Kinetic Absorption once again. He had used it before, but now, in his weakened state, it was his only hope.
With the last of his strength, Roman planted his feet and braced for impact. The tail slammed into him, and for a split second, Roman felt like he was going to be crushed under the force of it. But then, the energy from the blow surged into him, filling his body with a sudden rush of power.
Now!
Roman unleashed the stored energy in one final, desperate attack. His body crackled with electricity as he pushed out a massive Lightning Burst, the power amplified by the kinetic energy he had absorbed. The blast hit the creature point-blank in the dent he had caused earlier and had been targeting this whole fight, the force of the electricity tearing through its armored hide and sending it reeling backward with a deafening screech.
Roman collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, watching as the beast shuddered and then fell, its massive body crashing to the ground in a smoking heap.
For a moment, Roman could barely believe it. The battle wasn't over—there were still more monsters to fight—but for now, he had survived. And as he stood shakily, preparing to face whatever came next, he knew one thing for certain:
He beat the brakes of that scorpion. He chuckled and started to lose consciousness when a soft warm hand grabbed his, he looked to his left and saw Lexi smiling up at him and in that moment he had never seen anything so beautiful.
"wow, So beautiful." He whispered and passed out, his head landing on her shoulder as she twisted to support his weight.
"I got you." Lexi said, her face shining a bright red after hearing his words. He gripped him then tugged the rope she repelled down on and they were slowly lifted back to the top of the walls.
"Thank you." He muttered, regaining his senses barely.
"Of course, we're a party." She smiled down at him.
"I wish we could be more than that…but I know its too fast since we just met but being with you feels right." He said and leaned up and kissed her. She didn't move a muscle, stayed completely still until he slouched back into her arms. Her mind raced in a thousand directions and none at the same time. He kissed me! He said he wants to be with me!
"LEXI!!!" A scream in her ear snapped her back with a shock.
"Huh? Why are you yelling?!" She shot back at Jessika.
"I have been calling you and talking to you for the past thirty seconds!" Jessika shot back, she was leaning on the rail for support after using all of her magic to keep the monsters away to give her time to retrieve the boys. Everyone was now back on the walls and completely wiped.
"O-oh sorry. I was thinking and didn't hear you." Lexi answered shyly.
"Thinking about what that your ears turned off?" Jessika pushed.
"N-Nothing. Are the guys ok?" She asked and tried to walk past Jessika who wouldn't budge.
"Yeah they're fine, don't try to change the subject! What were you lost in thought and blushing so hard for?"
"Blushing? I wasn't blushing." Lexi answered.
"I could have probably seen that blush from the capital." Sergeant Smithson said with a chuckle which made her blush more.
"There you go again! Why were you blushing? Did Roman say something to you or just holding him in your arms filled your heart with the warm and fuzzies?" Jessika chuckled.
"And?! What about you and Z!" She yelled and Z's head snapped up.
"Come again?" He said and looked between them. Now Jessika was the one blushing and trying to change the subject but before she could even start speaking about the thing she was pointing out, Lexi kept going.
"Yeah, you're always on my case because I like Roman but you've been drooling after Z from the time we've met and never said a thing! I just met Roman two days ago so had a reason to take some time as we got to know each other but what about you!" Lexi asked and a again Z looked shocked.
"Come again?!" He said again, mouth still hanging open in shock.
"Yes, Z, Jessika is in love with you and has been throwing you hints for months and you've ignored them all…she basically thought you weren't interested which is why she has been so miserable lately." Lexi said and walked away with Roman still in her arms towards one of the medical tents before Jessika or Z could get a word in while Sergeant Smithson just chuckled.
"Can I get someone to check on him please." She asked as she entered the tent.
"Sure, right this way please." They spread him down on the hard wood surface and Lexi stepped back so they could examine him.
"Lexi!" An older grizzled voice called out to her from one side of the tent and Lexi smiled as her old master approached and her friends stepped back out of the tent to give them space.
"Master Wong!" She called out. He was her instructor most of her life, finally leaving her father's service to get back on the road when she turned 16, saying she was all set and would have to develop her own fighting style from here. That was when she fell in love with the bow.
"Look at you! I have been following you guys as much as I can but you know gossip can be so unreliable. I heard you were out here fighting with the army and couldn't believe it so made my way down here and here you are!" He exclaimed.
Before she could answer, Roman started coughing so she stopped and looked at him but since medical team didn't look alerted, she relaxed and tuned back to Master Wong but now he looked nervous.