The sky was thick with storm clouds, as if the heavens themselves anticipated the bloodshed to come.
At dawn, the King's army arrived.
Tens of thousands of soldiers marched in perfect formation, their banners waving, their armor gleaming in the early light.
At the forefront rode the Order of the Silver Sun, their paladin knights radiating holy energy. Behind them, warlocks in dark robes muttered incantations, and above, wyverns circled, waiting for the order to strike.
The siege of Shadowveil had begun.
[System Update: War Phase Activated]
"This is no mere battle. This is history being written in blood."
Enemy Forces Deployed:
Royal Vanguard (10,000 soldiers).Order of the Silver Sun (2,000 paladins).Royal Battlemages (500 warlocks).Sky Serpents (100 Wyvern Riders).Siege Weapons (Catapults, Trebuchets, and Arcane Cannons).
Shadowveil Defenses:
Bloodforged Legion (500 Elites).Shadowveil Militia (2,000 Fighters).Barbarian Warbands (1,000 Berserkers).Scholars' Enclave Warlocks (300 Mages).Experimental War Machines (Fireballistae, Traps, Arcane Barriers).Edwin's Assassins Active (Disrupting Enemy Command).
Xel'Varyn's Current Stats:
Name: Xel'Varyn, The Shadow Sovereign
Titles:
Bane of Kings (Enemies who declare war on you suffer -10% morale upon engagement.)Demon-Fanged Monarch (Your Qi-infused strikes have a 30% chance to ignore armor.)Warborn Tyrant (For every 1,000 enemies slain, gain a permanent +1% to Strength and Agility.)Wyvern Slayer (Wyverns and flying beasts sense your presence and become agitated.)
Stats:
Strength: 420 (+15 from recent battles)Agility: 385Intelligence: 410Qi Reserves: 8,900Notoriety: [FEARED] (All known kingdoms recognize you as a dire threat.)The First Strike
Before the King's army could fully deploy, Xel'Varyn made her move.
"Launch the fireballistae!"
Flaming projectiles arced through the sky, crashing into enemy siege engines. Explosions erupted, turning trebuchets into burning wreckage.
Shadowveil's warlocks raised their hands, forming barrier wards that absorbed the first wave of incoming magical attacks.
From the fortress gates, the barbarians of the warbands charged, roaring with bloodlust. They crashed into the Royal Vanguard like a storm of blades and fury.
The Wyvern Assault
From above, the Sky Serpents dove.
Hundreds of wyverns, each carrying an elite knight, descended upon the battlefield, claws and lances gleaming.
Xel'Varyn smirked.
She had been waiting for this.
She leapt into the sky, her Qi-infused legs propelling her upward.
With her greatsword in one hand, a dagger in another, and raw Qi energy crackling in her third, she met the wyverns head-on.
One of the wyvern riders lunged at her. She twisted midair, slashing through the beast's throat in one fluid motion.
The knight screamed as he plummeted.
Another wyvern came from behind—she spun, catching its claws in one hand, her grip crushing the bones, before sending a pulse of Qi that detonated its entire body.
Blood and viscera rained down onto the battlefield below.
Within minutes, half the wyverns were dead.
The rest, sensing the power before them, began to flee.
Xel'Varyn landed amidst the chaos, her armor drenched in wyvern blood.
Her gaze locked onto the enemy commanders.
It was time to end this.
The Duel of Monarchs
Across the battlefield, the King himself dismounted his warhorse.
He was a mountain of a man, clad in golden armor, his sword radiating divine energy.
The battlefield fell silent as he walked toward Xel'Varyn.
His voice was calm but filled with authority.
"You have waged war upon my kingdom. You have defiled my noble houses. You have insulted my throne."
He pointed his blade at her. "Kneel now, and I will grant you a swift death."
Xel'Varyn chuckled.
"And if I refuse?"
The King's grip tightened on his sword. "Then I will carve your name from history."
The two rulers stood across from each other, the fate of the war hanging in the balance.
And then—
They charged.