The banners of House Soient flew high as Zarphinion's forces marched toward the grand estate of House Valtheris. The banners were a striking sight—royal purple trimmed with silver, the fabric shimmering under the sunlight. Embroidered at the center was a magnificent scythe, its blade curved like the crescent moon, wreathed in ethereal silver flames. Coiled around the base of the scythe was a mighty black dragon, its wings partially spread in a display of reverence, its eyes gleaming with an ominous crimson glow. The emblem stood as a testament to House Soient's dominion over power and destiny, now reclaimed under Zarphinion's rule. The fortress-like city, nestled within the mountains, had long stood as a monument to their ill-gotten power. Now, it would serve as the site of their reckoning.
The assembled army moved with disciplined precision, a force now consisting of hardened warriors, seasoned mercenaries, and the newly trained militia from Blackthorn. At the heart of their formation strode Zarphinion himself, his newly acquired scythe, Ebon Reaper, gleaming with a dark, otherworldly aura. Asira, clad in her enchanted shapeshifting armor, walked by his side, ever the vigilant protector, while Lilith's magic flared at her fingertips in anticipation of the battle to come.
Selene rode ahead, scouting the terrain, and returned with an urgent report. "The Valtheris have bolstered their defenses. Their forces number in the thousands, with trained battlemages reinforcing their ranks."
Zarphinion smirked, gripping his scythe. "Then we break them."
The Ambush
Under the cover of darkness, the first strike came. Hidden along the cliffs, Valtheris rangers loosed a volley of arrows tipped with arcane fire. The night erupted into chaos as flames streaked through the air, igniting parts of the vanguard. Screams filled the air as warriors fell, but the trained units of Blackthorn quickly countered.
"Shields up!" Zarphinion commanded, raising his own barrier of shadow magic, deflecting the incoming projectiles. Asira transformed into a massive direwolf, charging ahead and ripping through the enemy archers with lethal precision. Lilith's whip, now infused with eldritch energy, snapped through the air, ensnaring enemies and pulling them into her grasp.
The battlefield roared to life as both sides clashed in open combat. Moonfang warriors, led by Kael, stormed forward, cutting down enemy lines with brutal efficiency. The sounds of steel meeting flesh and the cries of the dying echoed through the mountains.
House Valtheris' Betrayal Unfolds
As Zarphinion pressed forward, his keen eyes spotted a lone figure standing amidst the battlefield. A woman, robed in deep crimson, her silver hair cascading over her shoulders, held her ground despite the chaos surrounding her. Her arms were covered in tattoos glowing with elemental energy—fire, ice, and lightning flickering across her skin.
She raised a hand, sending a column of fire into the ranks of her own house's soldiers, searing them where they stood. The battlefield stilled momentarily as both sides watched in shock.
She turned to Zarphinion, eyes burning with a mix of hatred and desperation. "I am Lady Elyndra Valtheris, and I renounce my house and its corruption. Take me as yours, and I will serve only you."
Her words sent a ripple through the battlefield. The Valtheris lord, her father, bellowed from the ramparts, his voice filled with fury. "You dare betray your blood?!"
Without hesitation, Elyndra cast a bolt of lightning toward the fortress, striking the gates and shattering them. She strode forward, loosening the clasp of her robes, letting the fabric pool around her feet, baring herself in the firelit night. "Let me offer myself to you here and now, before all, as a sign of my loyalty."
The soldiers around them froze, eyes wide with astonishment. Zarphinion, ever the tactician, saw the opportunity for both power and psychological warfare. He stepped forward, gripping Elyndra's chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. "You renounce your house?"
"With my life," she whispered. "I am yours."
He turned his gaze toward the fortress walls, locking eyes with the enraged Lord Valtheris. "Then let your father witness what true loyalty looks like."
The scene that followed shattered the spirits of the enemy forces. Lord Valtheris' face twisted in utter horror, his screams of rage turning into incoherent wails of despair. The soldiers who had once stood steadfastly against Zarphinion now faltered, their will to fight crumbling before the utter domination displayed before them. Some dropped their weapons, unwilling to face a foe who could shatter their lord's legacy so thoroughly. Others fled outright, unwilling to bear witness to such a display of submission and power.
Elyndra's actions branded her permanently as a traitor to her house, yet her expression showed no regret—only satisfaction as she watched her father's spirit break. When it was over, she knelt before Zarphinion, her loyalty cemented. The remaining Valtheris forces, seeing their leader's collapse, surrendered en masse.
The Fall of House Valtheris
With their morale shattered, the forces of House Valtheris crumbled. Zarphinion, his bloodlust now at its peak, led the final charge into the city. He cut through his foes like a specter of death, Ebon Reaper drinking deeply from their lives. Asira tore through their ranks in her hybrid form, while Lilith's dark magic turned even the strongest warriors into puppets of the abyss.
Finally, Zarphinion reached the great hall, where Lord Valtheris stood, his blade drawn, shaking with fury and fear.
"You think you've won?" the old lord spat. "You think taking my daughter and my land makes you powerful?"
Zarphinion did not reply with words. With one swing of Ebon Reaper, he cleaved the man's head from his shoulders, his blood painting the walls of the house that had betrayed his own. He stepped forward, dipping his hands into the still-warm blood, dragging them over his chest as a mark of victory.
Elyndra knelt before him, her voice unwavering. "I belong to you now, my lord. My magic, my body, my soul—I pledge it all."
Zarphinion smirked. "Then rise, Elyndra Soient. Your former name holds no meaning anymore."
And with that, House Valtheris was no more.