《Rune》 Prologue (Part 1) Soaring through the blue sky with its wings spread wide, welcoming the chill of the wind is an adolescent wyvern. It¡¯s scales as green as pure jade welcomed the rays of the mourning sun. It''s legs tucked inwards revealed a cylindrical parcel attached to it''s claw. It''s eye''s widened as the clouds parted, revealing the vast greenery below. The young one increased it''s speed as it flew into the landscape. This huge land mass floating thousands of feet in the air is the continent of Iremun , home to the Dragons. A land so ancient it boasts the title of the oldest continent by a dozen millenia. The kingdom itself is called Caelum and is said to produce a sheen of countless colors as rays of light hit it. This is do to numerous gems embedded into the buildings themselves. The highest point of this kingdom is the castle of Ventulus. It sits proud in the middle of the city and is so grand that the spires themselves are hidden in the clouds. In a study calmly reading sits a figure dressed in an elegant black robe bound by red stitching. From his temple protrudes two black horns that curve back over his head. Eye''s that look cat-like shine dark amber and his lack of skin is replaced by smooth gray scales flowing down his figure. In his lap propped up by hands that have the inkling of claws is a scroll that reads ''Tenebris investigation report''. His gaze gently swipes over the contents of the scroll, taking in every bit of information. SCREECH!!! He breaks his gaze from the scroll, calmly looking up towards the window. Placing the scroll on the table to the side he gets up, showing his impressive stature that stands just over two meters and showcases a slim yet firm build. Taking long strides he makes his way towards a stain glass window and proceeds to pry it open. The chilling breeze hits his face contrasting with the warmth of the mourning sun that follows. Gazing outward upon the vast kingdom below, his eye''s meet a silhouette in the distance approaching at an amazing speed. In seconds a young wyvern is seen soaring towards him as it basks in the sun. Getting close enough the wyvern slowed as it approached its master and looked for a place to land, until it spotted its master holding out his forearm as if to welcome him. Screech! It cried in glee. As it clutched his arm, its master proceeded to caress it while being careful not to accidentally prick it with his own short yet sharp talons replacing what would be nails. "You have done well to arrive so fast little one. Truly worthy of your title of ''Refined Jade'' boasting speed and grace that none can rival." The wyvern proceeded to nozzle it''s master. Taking the parcel in hand he eased the young one back in the sky. "Now go rest with your kin. You may be needed yet again and you need to keep up your strength." As if in response the wyvern produced a low screech as it flew towards a set of mountain tops in the distance. After closing the window and proceeding to open the scroll his face became rigid. He re-read it''s contents hoping to have misread something along the way. Alas he''s disappointed as he discovers otherwise. Closing the scroll he makes his way towards the door stopping in front of it in deep thought. "Faerie''s of Tenebris, has fate finally lead you down the path you''ve battled against for ages? Have you lost your eternal struggle against the darkness and thrown away your humanity at last? Sadly I see myself hoping for this as if you have committed these atrocities of your own will... then you''ll meet a fate far less merciful than the humans." An edge of coldness escaped him as his face darkened. Deeply sighing he regains his composure and heads out of his study. He starts to navigate the corridors that are in itself a maze of which only the royal family and it''s closest retainers can maneuver. Relatively soon he comes to a huge obsidian door and proceeds to nod towards the squadron of guards posted outside. As the guards take note of his presence they go forward and begin to pull the impossibly heavy door as it creaks open just enough for him to get through. Inside is a corridor that houses the throne. The room itself is roughly two hundred paces long and half as wide. A ceiling so high that the giants of legend could fit unperturbed showcased its grandeur. He starts to walk at a moderate pace towards the throne while displaying the utmost elegance. As he reaches the edge of the stairs leading up towards the throne, he announces his presence. "Tabor, Chief of War seeks an audience with his majesty." He says kneeling, head down, knuckles to the floor and the other arm behind his back. Upon the throne sat a battle withered King in golden robes lined with black. He stood roughly two heads taller than the man before him as he showcased his strong, sharp features. His age spoke experience and wisdom as he looked to be in his mid forties. However his real age couldn''t be counted in decades and could just barely be counted in centuries. Four horns extend out from his temple forming a line mimicking his hairline. They extend backwards over his wavy black hair. The two in the middle were half the length of the others. All of them produced a sheen of charcoal grey in the light. His face seemed to be chiseled from pure obsidian and spoke grace even as a trim beard hide his jawline. His deep crimson eyes gazed down, threatening to pierce the man before him. Strangely this man appeared more human than his subordinate with just his eye''s and horns to say otherwise. This was Rahim de Salicosa Vena , King of Dragons. A just and merciful ruler that showed compassion for his kin as well as for those of every race. Every battle the kingdom of Caelum fought, he was on the front lines leading them to victory. In battle his bloodlust would get so thick it was felt in his enemy''s headquarters and cause them to shiver in despair. He fights for what he believes in while listening to the problems of his kin. As a result his power is only seen on the battlefield. Today he showed fatigue, a rare sight, however his wife was due within the month with their daughter, his first born; draconian woman can get quite irritable during their late stages of pregnancy. "Rise" Said the king in a deep voice that resonated throughout the hall. "Your, majesty." As he proceeded to stand up Tabor did a curt bow. "Enough of the formalities, what is it you''ve come to report?" "Yes my lord, we have just gotten word from our emissaries outside of Tenebris as well as a report from Sceleratis." "And?" The king said rather irritably. "First your grace, the emissaries speak of the annual winter solstice as a day of festivities for Tenebris. Being the darkest day of the year their powers are strongest, however they are unstable as well. The emissaries see this is the most opportune time to strike." "Would the faeries not be weary at a time like this and increase security in and around the city?" "No my lord. The faeries are as overconfident as ever and believe this as a day they are invincible." "I see. Contact Magnus and his men and inform them that we will be taking action." "Yes, your majesty." Tabor did another curt bow. "What of this report from the Demons of Sceleratis?" This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Well you''re grace the demons speak of war on the horizon. As well, an army has been spotted gathering within the dark forest just outside the Tenebris capital." "If the demons speak of war then we can assume the faeries attempted to ensnare them in joining their side. If not then we would not know of this as they shan''t have told us. However the faeries should not have an army do to the treaty." The King said rather confused. "Indeed, your grace, however they have neither conscripted soldiers to join nor are there any forces that have come to ally with them. They used these means to keep this army unseen." "Then what is this army comprised of Tabor?" The King cast an inquisitive look his way. Taking a deep breath Tabor turned his gaze to look at the king, what he said next was something that filled him with dread. "You''re majesty the army is comprised of ... the corrupted." The king stood up in a start. Fists bald so tight they whitened as the air around him began to swirl as it would in a storm. "You mean to tell me, not only have they broken the treaty but they have let their own people ... no forced their own kin to be consumed by darkness!!!" His voice was filled with anger that boomed throughout the room causing the very ground to quake. The guards near the door trembled as a cold shiver ran through their spins. They quietly proceeded to leave the room, closing the huge metal door behind them as quietly as possible. When the kind and merciful King Vena show¡¯s anger, the very air around him is filled with thick bloodlust that threatens to suffocate those not strong willed enough to resist . Tabor taking notice of this delicate time abruptly voiced his observations. "My Lord, I must remind you that the citizens of Tenebris likely have no idea what''s happening. They''ve been kept in the dark for the past few months regarding anything to do with the royal family. So this train of thought is likely isolated within the royal family and nobles close to them." Closing his eyes the King retracted his bloodlust and the air around him settled. He took deep rhythmic breaths trying to regain his composure. "Ria" He said in a voice void of emotion as he opened his eyes. A silhouette made it''s way from behind the throne. A woman wearing a violet robe over her black attire appeared. She stood a head shorter then the King with her face hidden beneath a blank white mask as her three horns protruded backwards from her forehead. "Yes your majesty." A gentle and calming voice resounded throughout the hall as she spoke. Hearing this voice his majesty previous calm air overcame him. "Contact Magnus and tell him we will be acting on the solstice. Him and his men will be responsible for disposing of this vile army, while we infiltrate the palace." "Your majesty." Tabor spoke in between them. "Is it wise to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Orcs in these desperate times?" "You doubt their resolve Tabor?" The King glared at him both for questioning his decision and interrupting him. "No your majesty, just their aim. They had nothing to gain from helping us gather information on the faeries, plus they were the only ones more animate than us about doing so." "They are wise Tabor. They know when a threat becomes too big to ignore and as usual they were correct." His voice contained a tinge of sadness. "Your majesty, many regard them as savage beasts that only thirst for blood and that has been shown true throughout their history. Not to mention I have met my share of orcs, and they are not as intelligent as you speak. Why do you hold them in such high regard?" "Hmpf" The King did not hide the disdain in his voice as he listened to Tabor. "They were savage beasts and remained such until five-hundred years ago. What they got from their savagery was experience. I dare say Magnus is on par with the ancient Treants, Elves and myself in regards to the wisdom of this world. Despite being a forth of my age at that. And what grants someone wisdom is not how intelligent they are Tabor. Take yourself for example, you are the best tactic I have had in my service, and one of the most intelligent people I have as a retainer. However compared to Magnus you are but a fleshing ripe off his mother''s teat. You''re experience in the world and with the races is lacking if you take what you see with your eyes as face value." Tabor stood their, glowing red with his face drooped toward the floor and fists clenched towards his sides. He was thoroughly embarrassed at his naivety and brashness. The King eyed him as he saw that what he said had gotten through to him. "Now, speak no more of this and send word for our troops to prepare. We leave for the continent Anijre within the week." "Yes my lord... forgive my impudence." Bowing even deeper before the King, Tabor made his way towards the door. His stride was a bit rushed this time around as he was noticeably flustered. He didn''t bother waiting for the guards to open the huge door for him. Wanting to leave as quickly as possible, he effortlessly pushed the door with one hand. Opening it wider then the guards did with a whole squadron. The guards outside of the door noticing Tabor''s attitude, stood there saluting him as he passed, not daring to say anything or even glance in his direction. Once they noticed he was out of the vicinity only then did they proceeded to close the door. Watching the door close the mysterious Ria and the King stood there in silence. "Was it necessary to embarrass him so my Lord?" "Tabor has had his position for no more than two months. With all the achievements he¡¯s gotten within the years leading up to this promotion he''s no doubt gotten smug and is still very naive. It is a given considering how young he is, but his position will need him to shed that side of him and fast." "Indeed, he was rather disrespectful in front of you my lord, I had to hold myself back as not to flatten him where he stood." "Now, now Ria you''re being overprotective again. I am the King after all, I can handle myself and subordinates just fine." "I meant no offense you''re majesty!" Said Ria bowing down, completely dispelling the cold aura she had just moments prior. "It is okay Ria, you were just doing your job. Now enough of the pleasantries. Send word to Magnus all we have learned today... Also tell him to prepare his soldiers for the worst upon reaching Tenebris." "Your Majesty?" "It''s just a feeling, however I believe the faeries haven''t shared their activities with their citizens for a reason. As well as why they are so confident even if the solstice is supposed to be when they are their most powerful." "You mean..." Bloodlust almost as strong as the Kings leaked out from Ria as the realization dawned on her. "Yes... Their powers may be the strongest on the solstice, but they are also the most unstable at this time. I fear they plan to plunge their whole country into a sea of darkness if we don''t hurry." Prologue (Part 2) Half a month later on the continent of Anijre, birthplace of the faeries and demons, sat an army encampment on the border of the two kingdoms. On one side the domineering dark forest of Tenebris with it''s gray fog and foreboding aura. On the other side the unique violet plains of Sceleratis waving freely in the wind. The encampment was erected by the Demon empress to accommodate the vastness of the three armies. Fifty thousand orcs, five thousand demons and one thousand elite dragons formed this army, with the demons and dragons acting as support for the orcs. In a large hut acting as a temporary headquarters, were the leaders of this joint expedition. They were going over the battle plan a final time in preparation for that night. Sitting at a large rectangular table overlooking battle plans was Tabor, he was acting his role as Chief of war. He wore slimming black leather armor that clung to his figure snugly. A hooded cowl hung from his shoulders in preparation for his mission. On his back lay a lone sheathed sword that curved upwards. On one end of the table to the right of Tabor sat King Vena who donned a full set of red and black armor. Covering his bulking shoulders sat pauldrons taking the shape of dragon''s claws that seemed to clutch themselves to his shoulders. Resting on the table was his helm that gave off a chilling aura. It''s serrated teeth clenched in a vicious smile made sure that enemies cowered before him as they embraced death. Leaning against the table was his trusted great sword, that stood just half a head shorter than himself. He passed the torch to Tabor who spearheaded the operation. "As the night roles in it will signal the start to our operation. We will go over each of our roles once more as to be certain all of us to ''perfectly'' understand what we are to do. Tabor, take over." "Yes, your majesty" Said Tabor as he nodded respectfully towards the king. Taking his stand he then proceeded to arrange pawns on the map before him. "As soon as dusk is upon us we''ll start our trek towards Tenebris. What would normally take a full week to traverse will take but a moment thanks to Empress Vedasto and here troops. After we make the jump across the void, the battalion leaders whom I''ve already briefed, will position their troops. The fifty thousand troops Lord Magnus has provided will be split into fifteen-thousand in each battalion. As well the thousand draconian troops will be split between the three acting as support for each battalion. The final five thousand orcs and five thousand demons will be lead by Lord Magnus, King Vena and Empress Vedasto. The battle will start when King Vena declares the signal, of which will be heard by all our soldiers simultaneously thus bringing confusion to our enemy for a short time. After the signal is given the three battalions will strike the north, south and east gate drawing the enemies away from the west. At this time the three of them will go along with their squadron and start to evacuate the civilians of the west distract. After which they will act as relief for the other battalions. Meanwhile I will be leading the draconian elites, consisting of Ria and her sisters to infiltrate the Palace. We will be gathering information and acting to exterminate the ones responsible for this vile plot. Are there any questions?" After completing his speech he took a look around to find a hand raised beside lord Magnus. "Yea I have one... Why not have your lord over there take his legendary dragon form and proceed to wipe out the opposing forces in one fell swoop?" *Smack!* "Sorry Rahim, my daughter here is still very impatient and apparently more naive than I thought. Especially if she believes this conflict can be so easily resolved." This was Donatos Magnus, the King of the Orcs. He sat opposite the dragon emperor in rather grand looking armor compared to his humble kin, whom favored functionality over aesthetics. He wore plate mail that was pitch black from head to toe. His helm was also placed in front of him. It looked rather simple in contrast to King Vena''s, it had wide slits for his eye''s that were glazed over in a bronze glass-like material, this mimicked his unique eye color. Two white horns protruded from the side of the helm curving forward. In all he looked to be a hair under two meters and displayed the red skin Orcs were known for. He had white hair that was pulled into thick dreadlocks seeming to stretch his already giant forehead. Two tusks about two finger widths wide and a thumb long jetted out from his mouth, albeit one was chipped to half the size of the other. Beside him rubbing her bruised head was Quinn Magnus, his last surviving daughter. It was a result of an attempted coup planned by his son''s, it lead to both their own deaths and his eldest daughter''s who died protecting Quinn in the chaos. She had the same eye catching bronze eyes and white hair as her father. However hers was a little past shoulder length, straight and tied up in a pony tail. Her frame was the polar opposite of her dad''s hulking figure. She was slim but toned. If her father was the epitome of strength, she was that of flexibility and agility. She was about two heads shorter than her father and not an ounce of fat was present as her tone muscles wrapped around her alluring figure. She had the making of a beautiful woman once she reached adulthood, however she was just sixteen as of a few months ago. Her face had strong and dominant features, however there was a touch of fragility mixed in do to her delicate nose and thin lips. She wore thin leather armor that glinted dark brown in the light, on her waist hung two daggers. "What''s the big deal pa, you drag me along with you to a war zone and I''m not allowed to ask questions about the battle plan?" Due to the failed coup Lord Magnus has been... let''s say a little overprotective. Things related to taking her wherever he went and even getting his most trusted guards to stand by her sleeping quarters. (Of course they were woman, had a man even thought of going in the same corridor of the castle as her when she slept; then no matter what the circumstances or who they were, they''d be nothing but charred remains by mourning). He reasoned that the safest place for her to be was beside him. "If you''ve got a question make sure it''s not plagued was you''re childish woes, and show some respect towards the royalty of another race why don''t ya." "Che, these geezer''s are more ancient than you old man, I''m sure their past the point of caring for simple formalities." *Smack!!* "She''s a rather feisty one isn''t she Donatos? Are you sure you won''t reconsider giving her to me, I''ll make sure she''s made into a ''proper'' women." She said as she licked her lips, ridding herself of the crumbs of a biscuit. This women who sat at opposite Tabor, was the Demon Empress Liliana Vedasto. Her straight hair hung low to her waist and was pale blue in color, a trait of the demon race. Signifying the royal bloodline flowing through her veins were two ocean blue eyes void of irises or pupils. Her face framed her elegant nose and her full tender lips. She wore a white one piece dress that accentuated her collarbone. The roundness of her shoulders put her breathtaking lavender skin on display as her form was the very definition of seductive. From her modest perky chest, fragile waist or to her tempting long legs that flowed from underneath the white dress. She boasted a carefree attitude as she ate her biscuit over the war plans in question. "Lily, I wouldn''t dream of sending her over to you. I made that mistake with my eldest daughter and watched as you ''corrupted'' her." "Now, now corrupted is a strong of a word. I like to think I opened her mind to the wonders that us fellow women have to offer." "Not happening." He said matter-of-factly. "That''s a shame. Quinn, if you ever want to rid yourself of your overprotective father, my door''s are always open. If you''re with me you''ll be free...in more ways than one." She said as she threw a wink in Quinn''s direction. A shiver went through her spin. Her sister was known to bed the most beautiful women throughout the kingdom, whether they be single or married. She had a way of entrancing her ''victims'' with her woes. No doubt ran through her mind that she''d learnt it from this women right here. The temperature in the large hut skyrocketed as Lord Magnus stared daggers at Empress Vedasto. "Alright, alright. I''ll take it as my loss for now." She said raising her hands in defeat. "However my over still stands." "Well she won''t need that offer, for if i don''t approve of her partner... whether that be a man or woman then it''s not happening." He resigned while sighing. Quinn sat there in uncomfortable silence. "Why don''t we start taking this seriously Lily, a whole race is on the line after all." Said King Vena as he chimed in. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it."Oh my Rahim, have we finally embraced your feminine side? To finally let your retainers call you ''King Vena'', I assume Prim is getting a tad overbearing in her late stages of pregnancy?" She said sneering. A sharp bloodlust was directed towards Empress Vedasto, the source... Ria. "Oh my..." She said acting surprised. With the flick of her wrist she vanished in a purple haze and reappeared behind Ria. She started to caress her figure hidden underneath the robe. "You''re so cold... Ria won''t you finally let me have a peek under that mask." She said with a seductive edge in her voice as she took her thin fingers and started to slightly tilt the blank white mask upwards. The air around the room swirled as Ria released her full killing intent. She abruptly swung around and instantly growing her razor sharp talons swung them in a viscous sideways arc. When it struck Empress Vedasto instead of leaving a blemish on her beautiful skin, what her hand met was the empty air. The same violet haze from before formed where she once stood. Empress Vedasto was back in her seat grinning wickedly. "That was the best reaction yet Ria, perhaps my advances are finally working." Seemingly flustered Ria took a step toward the empress only to be met with King Vena''s booming voice. "Enough!" His voice although quiet sounded through the large hut with a threatening tone. "You''ve had you''re fun Lily, now let us get back to the problem at hand." "Yes, yes, Oh!..." Seeming to have remembered something she gazed toward Quinn. "My dear Quinn, regarding your previous question, about why Rahim over there doesn''t take his dragon form. The answer is simple, they are not worthy." Throwing away her playful attitude she spoke with a blunt tone, getting straight to the point. "I wonder..." She cast an inquisitive gaze at Lord Vena. "It has most likely been five hundred years since he''s taken his true form. Was it when you fought with the previous orc lord, or was it that over bearing human?" "Leave the reminiscing for another time Lily." Lord Vena said, cutting in. "Tabor, continue." Standing up yet again after patiently waiting for the commotion to settle, Tabor took the reigns. *Ahem* "Like I was saying, this plan minimizes the casualties both sides will endure. To further provide an answer to your question young Quinn" He made sure to emphasize the word ''young'', seeming to want to correct an immature viewpoint as someone once did to him. "If the three Lords her and the faerie King were to fight with all their might, the kingdom of Tenebris would be no more. You must take into account that once someone uses their full power right away the other side will do the same to combat it. Now when Empress Vedasto mentioned the enemy not being worthy, she was referring to principle not power. An opponent must be worthy not only in strength but also in cause for our kind to utilize their true forms. This is a rule King Vena had established after the war five hundred years ago. Remember this." After it seemed that Quinn got even more red, he continued recounting the plan. "Now getting on with it, our sources say the faerie King is to be giving a special announcement in the festival square. We can assume this is when he will enact his plan. From our information the plan of the royal family and nobles involved is to plunge the citizens into darkness. On this eve it has been known that the Queen will give birth, thus won''t be at the ceremony. If this has anything to do with the plan of the royals we do not know. However we know the faeries are unstable and powerful at this time, should one of them not just be corrupted but fully fallen, then they can forcibly cause those around them to as well. Should we be too late and he has indeed succeeded, then we will fall back and shift our focus from evacuation and suppression to extermination. None of the corrupted must leave Tenebris." Silence ensued as Tabor finished. Everyone had a rather solemn expression. "Now I''m not going to say this plan will be perfect. But we have made the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the citizens and troops we evacuate. Expect the worst, pray for the best. That is all." Dusk, outside of the allied encampment. "Soldiers. Orcs, Demons and my Draconian brethren, we are faced with an oppressing evil that threatens the peace of this continent. Some of you are eager to go out and combat this evil, some have been conscripted but choose to follow this specific expedition for one reason. This evil ... no all the evil in this world, If left alone will fester, will grow and multiply faster than our minds can comprehend. This evil, these atrocious acts are for now, isolated on this continent. But should we fail, know that it will reach our shores, it will reach your homes, your families and what has happened here will happen to them. That is if we fail. BUT ARE WE GOING TO FAIL!???" "NO!!" The army yelled in unseen. The air around them swirled as the thick bloodlust of over fifty-thousand troops seemed to materialize in the air. "WILL YOU LET YOUR FAMILIES SUFFER THE PAIN AND TORTURE THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE???" "NO!!" "SO THEN WILL YOU KEEP THEM SAFE??" "YES!!!" "WILL WE WIN??" "YES!!!" "THAN LET US TASTE THE GLORY AND VANQUISH THE EVIL BEFORE US" Ear deafening cheers and the pounding of feet on the ground and those pounding on their shields rang out across the once quiet landscape. Tabor having given his speech to rile the troops up signaled to Demon soldiers to open the void portal. This portal used the combined strength of five-thousand demons of the void. Even then it would only allow a thousand people a minute to pass through and thusly drain the demons of their stamina, thusly the reason they will be focusing on evacuation at first. As to why not more troops from the Demons have been arranged, that is do to the chance of failure. Should they fail, the remaining demon army will hold back the corrupted and contain them for as long as they can while troops from the other nations send reinforcements. King Vena convinced the allied nations to let the orcs, demons and his kin take charge. Though if you excluded the Elves and ancient Treants the rest of the nations did not seem to care. They seem to think, this evil does not concern them, that it can never reach their shores. The younger races and nations are indeed as naive as King Vena said. Roughly and hour later in the dark forest, just outside of Mutus the capital of Tenebris. The forest was devoid of light and sound as the three battalions set out to their respective positions. The orc''s lit the way with dim flames as to avoid detection, while the draconian¡¯s hushed their footsteps. No one was talking or spoke a word since going through the portal, to much was at stake. They made their way silently toward that approaching battlefield. As the the capital city of Mutus came into view so did the black walls that reached into the sky surrounding the city. "It seems they''ve done some remodeling since we''ve last been here." "Fifty years is a long time Magnus." "Indeed, long enough for the entire faerie race to go into seclusion and commit vile acts on there own people." "A tasteless jest, however true it may be." Voiced Magnus as she replied to Empress Vedasto. "Alright. The battalions are in place. Give the signal when you''re ready Lord Vena." Said Tabor. King Vena gazed around at the soldiers behind him and his fellow leaders at his side. Giving them a brief nod the air around him began to swirl. It increased in intensity as his feet finally left the ground. His was floating higher and higher into the air at a slow pace, until right as he was about to clear the wall he seemed to exploded high above the capital. Floating a good distance above the capital he held his hand out and he closed his eyes in concentration. In front of his hand a visible disturbance in the air was seen. A a clear bubble the size of marble formed in front of his open palm. It floated there patiently until Lord Vena slowly closed his palm. The bubble jetted forward and stopped right above what looked to be the middle of the city. The air around it swirled as it was getting sucked into it. An unbelievable amount of air went into the marble size bubble as it kept compressing until finally Lord Vena opened his eyes. He abruptly opened his hand and this action seemed to have popped the bubble. What happened next was the air around it was suddenly sucked in for a moment and then it seemed to disappear. The air around it caused the bubble to implode on itself causing an earth shattering sonic boom. The glass in countless of the buildings below was heard shattering as the wave spread out. Even kilometers away trees rustled in response. The signal was set, bringing the start to the battle upon them. Prologue (Part 3) Floating high above the sky illuminated by the silver moonlight was King Vena. He wore his eerie helm as he started to emit a thick killing intent. The reason being the grizzly scene happening before him. Mass hysteria ensued after the sonic boom he created resounded throughout the kingdom, though the faerie king''s response was to put his plan into motion prematurely. His figure was engulfed in a dense black fog and in the next second, it acted as a wave fanning out among the stunned crowd. Countless cries of agony rang out below, the elegant spread of their transparent gray wings withered and their veins blackened showing through their pale skin. But what enraged him, what made him sick to his stomach was the location''s the corrupted armies poured out from. It was the houses of the citizens. What can only be said to be the faerie king''s plan to corrupt the whole city in one fell swoop, began before the first battalions arrived in the dark forest. The stranglers that didn''t go to the festival were the first to get corrupted; new mothers, infants not yet old enough to open their eye''s were taken first. As king Vena gazed down on the chaos below it took every fiber of his being not to rush down and wreak havoc on the enemy before him. He clenched his fist so hard blood was drawn, only then did he remember his mission. He descended back toward the west gate and as he found his fellow leaders, landed in front of them with no regard for his speed. *Boom!* The ground cracked and sunk half a meter under the force. Lord Magnus and Empress Vedasto both looked at each other as Quinn who accompanied her father shrank behind him. "...Rahim, calm down, retract that sickening bloodlust and tell us the situation." "Seriously, you''re even scaring Quinn." King Vena blinked in bewilderment as he regained his senses, finally retracting his bloodlust. "...Sorry. Tabor, were making a change to the plan, Empress Vedasto and myself will be directly facing off with the faerie king. Lord Magnus, you and Quinn will keep the corrupted at bay long enough for us to evacuate as many citizens as we can. Tabor, you¡¯re mission still stands." Empress Vedasto stepped closer to King Vena, still wearing her white one piece. "Rahim, what happened?" He took off his helmet and turned his gaze to meet each person before him. "We told our soldiers to prepare for the worst. Well this isn''t far from it. Upon hearing the signal, mass confusion did occur within the enemy, however for just a fraction of the time that we expected. We overlooked one thing... and assumed we knew the position of the enemy army." He took a pause drawing out the moment. "The battle started before we even set foot in the dark forest. First it was the guards, hence why there was no resistance. Next was the citizens in the outer districts that didn''t attend. The army keep creeping their way towards the festival square in the middle of the city. To sum it up, the casualties in this battle will very much be greater than we anticipated, and no doubt won¡¯t exclude the helpless. The faerie king was very thorough in his planning." King Vena finished with a sigh. The words king Vena said echoed in everyone''s mind, resulting in somber faces, all except for empress Vedasto. The expression splayed across her beautiful face was that of her underlying rage. She took another step forward towards the wall, completely side stepping King Vena as purple smoke trailed in her wake. It enveloped her alluring figure and as she made her way towards the towering obsidian walls it started to dissipate. The white one piece dress she once wore was replaced by dark violet and sky blue armor. Where a helm would normally reside was an opaque violet veil that hide her face. Thick plate armor covered her vitals while a more free moving violet material clung to her legs and waist. Sky blue patches of plate metal decorated her legs adding more protection. Her full battle gear stood as a reminder of how her carefree attitude influenced the armor, but mixed in one could feel a kind of lurking chaos. Never-ending blue swirls decorated the armor''s surface and with her veil it produced a chilling presence as only her ocean blue eyes shone through. The tips of her gauntlets and boots radiated a bright blue that would be seen arcing from enemy to enemy as she fought. As she reached the wall she continued walking as if to hit it, only once she did, she vanished. A purple mist was left in her wake. One word echoed through the stunned surroundings permitting a chilling tone. "Despicable!" ¡­. "You have your orders" King Vena paused looking around. "Let us save as many as we can." He then took to the sky after Empress Vedasto. * Fire raged through the once dark city as the orcs charged, adding their red figure''s to the sea of fire. All of the wore similar brown armor as their various weapons were primed to go. Orcs near the front lines met the enemy with flaming red weapons, those in the middle manipulated flame itself while the few draconian soldiers at the rear fed the fire with wind. The result, a firestorm of death that rained down on the corrupted and held back the ensuing darkness. In the west district the remaining citizens funneled themselves towards the gate. The plan to draw the enemy from the west had worked, giving them more time to evacuate safely. Lord Magnus in his black armor and Quinn in her tan armor courted the fleeing citizens towards the west gate. The corrupted were seen mixing in with the citizens from a distance. "Pa, they''re here." "Alright, stay by my side and don''t leave my sight." Lord Magnus said, his husky voice resounding from within his helm. "If you want to stay by my side, you''ll have to keep up old man." They both unsheathed their weapons as flames grew onto them. Lord Magnus''s weapon in a scorching blue flame and Quinn''s in a bronze one. The first corrupted lunged at Quinn, she side stepped to her right and slashed at the corrupted only to watch the blade flow through it''s smokey silhouette. *Boom!* ¡°Focus your flame Quinn" Lord Magnus said as he lifted his giant flaming mace off the remains of the corrupted she was fighting. After which he exploded forward weaving through citizens and dispatching the corrupted with a swing of his mace. She gritted her teeth, she had wanted to show him how much she''d'' grown. She followed her father taking her frustration out on the enemies before her. * A dense black fog covered the ground, a lone figure stood in the middle of the square and at the epicenter of the darkness. He was the source of this calamity, the mastermind, he was Faerie King Mirza Cyrus. His face looked gentle with a hint of childishness, as he showcased his pale white skin smoother than jade itself. Black straight hair fell down past his shoulders. Protruding from his robe at his back were two black translucent wings. His most prominent feature on his feminine face were his eyes that were void of any color, the sign that he had fallen. *Rip* Suddenly a purple tear appeared in the air beside him, a blue light made a beeline for his throat. *Shink!* Empress Vedasto stood to the side of him, her blade blocked by one finger. "Tsk, tsk. Liliana, I should have known you''d call for reinforcements after you rejected my gracious offer." He said in a calm voice. "Had I known this is what you had planned I would have struck you down that day." A chilling voice said void of emotion. "The sad thing is you might have been able to do so single-handedly at that time, oh the irony. Now let me return the favor for the many inconveniences you''ve given me." As he held up the blade with his finger, black spikes began to materialize from the black fog underneath her, threatening to skewer her. Jumping but not quite clearing the spikes she prepared her magic, however before that happened a viscous gust of wind tore threw the square. This wind focused on Empress Vedasto pushing her away from the spikes. "When did you fall so low Mirza." *Clap,clap...clap* "Bravo on the dramatic entrance dragon King Vena" He said facetiously as he made a mocking bow. "Have you no shame or remorse for what you''ve done!" Empress Vedasto said in a loud voice. "What I''ve done huh ... what ... I''ve ... done." The faerie said tapping his thin finger against his lips in false contemplation. "Ah!... would you happen to be talking about my amazing plan to give every last one of my citizens amazing power?" He voiced matter of factly. "At the cost of their will and soul." King Vena rebuked. "That''s but a formality to transcend into greatness really." "What is it you''re after Mirza?" "When did you become so untrusting Rahim, havn¡¯t I just told you my plan? Don¡¯t you believe me?" "Cut the shit, Mirza!" King Vena boomed. "Now, now no need to be antsy, and as for my plan... well I''ll keep that as my little secret." "ENOUGH!!" Screamed empress Vedasto as she charged the faerie King. "Heh, once a hot head always one." The faerie said with a mischievous grin. Following the empress¡¯s lead king Vena also charged towards his enemy. In response to the charge coming from both directions the faerie king took to the sky, the darkness blanketing the ground followed. Empress Vedasto and King Vena continued to charge though. Just a few meters from each other, King Vena unsheathed his weapon as empress Vedasto jumped into the air and landed on the flat of the great-sword. Pouring power into his arms King Vena hurled the empress into the air and soon followed as he exploded after her using the wind as his catalyst. Their destination was a smirking Faerie King hovering in the air. "So very predictable, to think I was once this simple minded." The faerie king muttered seeming to talk to himself. After saying thus he spread his arms wide embracing the darkness and the blades that followed. * Inside the royal palace, Tabor led Ria and her dozen ''sisters'' throughout the palace. The palace itself seemed to be made of a glass like metal that was ash grey in the moonlight. It stood fiercely domineering over the city below. As they silently dashed from room to room they occasionally found nobles in the middle of their vile acts, the cries of death soon followed. As result crimson blood coated their weapons as they went, dribbling blood on the ground. As they went through the winding halls they came upon the Queen''s chambers. No guards were posted outside and no noise was heard coming from within, rather peculiar if she as to be giving birth. Tabor pushed the big metal door open. *Boom!* A large quake caused the castle to rumble and shake violently. Perhaps the aftermath of the battle between the three lords outside. Shaking his head as to clear his mind of such distracting thoughts he continued to push open the door. A gentle breeze brushed against his face bringing with it a sweet fragrance that perforated through his nose. It smelt of chrysanthemum¡¯s damp from the morning dew, a calming smell that eased the mind. At the far end of the room on a window bench overlooking the city below sat the faerie Queen Banu Cyrus. She had the same pearl white skin that her people were known for, however what could best describe her was absolute flawlessness. The rays of the moonlight hit her skin reflecting it''s smoother than jade appearance. Her rare platinum hair hung incredibly low to the floor and from her back came the same black wings the faerie king was known for. She was a petite women, shown as a white night gown caressed her figure. A nose as petite as herself stood perkily, below it were thin pale lips. However taking away from her beauty were those same black eye''s that plagued her as a fallen, but something was off. Those eye''s didn''t show a mocking synergy or anything like her husband''s. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Tears were flowing from her eye''s, in her hands a baby bundled up as to keep her isolated from the horrific sights below. And as what seemed to be timed with the noise that rustled the palace earlier, a black ring on her finger seemed to disintegrate. She abruptly turned her head to face the shadows at the, to her terror they were coming closer, blades running red with blood and blank white masks sprayed with it. She hurriedly clutched a purple gem on a necklace around her neck, it started to glow brightly with a violet hue. Ria, knew what this gem was, to catch her before she vanished she leaned forward building energy into her legs as she exploded toward her. To many questions went unanswered and the nobles proved a dull source of information. To her surprise though Tabor was already in front of her going at a viscous speed. Soon the queen''s figure vanished, leaving a purple tear in the air where she once was. Knowing she wouldn''t make it in time she came to an abrupt halt, she would let Tabor handle this, it was about time he showed his resolve. * Sitting still on a bed with her back supported against the wall, was a rather haggard looking young women who seemed to be in her early twenties. Sweat coated her cloths as it clung to her skin. Her complexion was as pale as her lips were drained of color. The irises in her eye¡¯s were void of light as she stared straight in front of her, not looking at anything in particular. The white sheets that covered the bed lay stained with blood, though she didn¡¯t seem to take notice. She sat there clutching her daughter in her hands. She was beautiful and was even born with a full head of golden hair that matched hers. She had the most stunning green eyes she¡¯d ever seen, no doubt taking after her father. Her cute face was full of the cutest little features a baby could ever hope to have. However there was something wrong. Her daughter in her hands was ice cold. She sat there clutching her lifeless daughter, her stillborn daughter. This was going to be her baby. She would raise her to be a kind and gentle women, teaching her the most important values she¡¯d learnt as a kid. She¡¯d tell her to go out and make friends that would last a lifetime. Then when she met the person she loved more then anything in the whole world tell her that she should cherish them with all her heart. Much like she herself had. But that sweet dream was floating away just like the life in her eyes. Again they had been robbed of a child, of someone that would bring so much happiness to their lives that anything in the world would pale in comparison. What could she do but give up, there was no doubt in her mind that her husband blamed her. After-all she couldn¡¯t do the one thing all women all on this planet could, bare a child. Her future was gone, there was nothing left but the darkness in her heart, and she welcomed it. Her husband sat at her side trying to show the most resolute face he could in the situation. Even though he was on the verge of tears himself. He needed to be there for her, she needed him now more than ever, but what could he do? Tell her everything''s going to be alright? Say they can try again in the future? All of those are just empty words and he knew it, this was their last chance. Destiny had decided against them having their own child, something no couple can possibly bear, truly cruel . But not as cruel as fate, which would not let them even adopt as to not go against destiny. The two go hand and hand, and the scriptures speak that if one can not conceive their own child, they are destined to not be a parent. This world is cruel and unforgiving. He watched his darling wife, the most beautiful women he¡¯d met in his life as her eyes seemed to dim. His heart nearly shattered right then and there as his body seemed to move on it¡¯s own. The next thing he knew he was on the bed embracing both his wife and his stillborn baby girl. That¡¯s right he didn¡¯t need to think at a time like this, all he needed to do was be there for his wife and tell her it¡¯s ok. ¡°Em, it¡¯s going to be ok. I know you think it¡¯s you¡¯re fault but it¡¯s not, destiny lent us a bad card that¡¯s all. We can get through this I know we can.¡± The man said as he rubbed the woman''s back in an attempt to sooth her. Her whole body, starting to shake as she silently whimpered into the man¡¯s nape. The light in her eyes got ever so slightly brighter at his words. Together, for what seemed like hours, they wept in each other''s embrace. *Rip!* As they embraced a purple tare appeared at the foot of the bed and what followed was something that utterly shocked them. Coming out from the tear came a literal faerie of stunning beauty that released a calming aura, in her arms was what can only be assumed as a tightly bundled up baby. Though for some reason this faerie was crying. * The tear stayed there for twenty odd minutes, well after the faerie had left. Yet another person appeared through the tare. This time it was a man scantily dressed in a black robe and a matching blank mask. But rather unsettling was the blood smeared on the mask, along with some that dripped from his unsheathed weapon. This man was of course Tabor and do to the teleportation of the void not being instant, it especially showed over long distances. Though for an odd reason he didn¡¯t seem intimidating to the man in front of him. He expected the man to exude a fearful aura, but what he was met with a calming one. Tabor was in a small simple bedroom and stood at the foot of a bed. In front of him were a couple looking rather bedraggled and worn, in the woman¡¯s hands was a baby tightly wrapped in a blanket. What caught this his attention was that the cloth the baby was wrapped in matched what the faerie queen wrapped her¡¯s in. ¡°Where is she?¡± He asked in stern but gentle tone. ¡°She¡­ she left some time ago.¡± Said the man who sat next to the women. ¡°... Do you know who it is your wife holds in her hands?¡± ¡°We do¡­ however we beg you¡­ ¡®she¡¯ would beg you to let this child go. She is but a blank slate that should not be tainted by the guilt and sorrow of her parents.¡± ¡°...¡± The man stood up, walked towards Tabor and reached out his hand toward him, handing him a letter. ¡°The lady from before wanted the one who passed through that tear to have this. She didn¡¯t tell us much about herself, only that she was royalty and her husband was dethroned for some vile acts he committed.¡± Tabor sheathed his weapon, took the letter from the man and started to read through it. It read: Dear Tabor, I had a feeling you would be the one to follow me here. We have a long history my friend, even before all this started, so I beg of you to honor that friendship and leave this child be. This family needs this child, I¡¯ve been watching over them from the shadow¡¯s over the years knowing this day would come. I am not worthy of the child that I bore, of those innocent eyes that look at me from below, however these people are. I wasn¡¯t able to stop Mirza from falling, and I have even fallen myself. I don¡¯t know what this will mean for the child, so I ask one last thing of you, watch over this family and keep them safe. -Your dear friend Banu As he read that letter he felt conflicted in his very soul. His friend from over the years had still remained unperturbed by her husband''s acts and even retained her sanity when she had fallen, but where had she gone? ¡°Still as strong and stubborn as ever¡­¡± He mumbled under his breath. The man before him looked at him with curiosity, he expected anger and perhaps even violence, especially due to the blood on his attire, but was surprised by an even calmer aura that surrounded him. Tabor, after reading the letter from Banu, proceeded to take off his cowl and mask revealing a calming smile on his face. He then took a deep bow before the man in front of him. ¡°My name is Tabor Sentius, chief of war to the Great Dragon Emperor Rahim de Salicosa Vena. It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± The man seemed to be taken aback by his sudden show of grandeur. ¡°Please such formalities don¡¯t suit us and it is rather unbecoming of a graceful draconian such as yourself to lower your head to the likes of us humans.¡± He said rather flustered. ¡°My name is Jorgen and this is my wife Emily, we hail from the house of Thrane.¡± * As the mourning sun peaked through the cloudy sky over the city of Mutus, a battle seemed to have ended some time ago. Smoke rose from the debris of the once beautiful city as charred remains lay waste in the street. King Vena and Ria stood in solitude in the festival square where it all began. ¡°Ria, what¡¯s the damage report?¡± ¡°Well my lord, a little more than half of the population was wiped out because of the corrupted. Once the faerie king made his escape the control of the corrupted fell and lessened to the severity of the enemy to that of a mass riot. A fifth of our force died in battle, most of which consisted of Lord Magnus¡¯s soldiers.¡± ¡°And what of Tabor?¡± ¡°Tabor chased after the faerie queen narrowly making it into the void portal she escaped through. If he¡¯s not back by the day¡¯s end we can assume he failed to apprehend her. It may be more than a month before we see Tabor again my lord as he doesn¡¯t have his own void crystal and considering where the portal opened.¡± ¡°I see¡­ and what information did we get from the nobles involved?¡± King Vena said with a troubled face. ¡° ¡­ we¡¯ve gotten very little my lord. Even given the methods of ¡®persuasion¡¯ we have, all we could find out was that they knew very little of their king¡¯s plan¡¯s.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°This won¡¯t do¡­¡± He mumbled under his breath. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°How many nobles do with detained at the moment?¡± ¡°A little over a dozen households.¡± ¡°Good. Let the citizens have a target for their pent of anger and sorrow, start the public executions as soon as the relief camp is set up.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Ria bowed as she took her leave. King Vena stood in the square completely alone now, as lord Magnus and empress Vedasto were helping with the injured citizens and soldiers. Kicking off the ground he slowly rose into the air as he overlooked the city below. Something troubled him, the faerie king and his plan, the coincidental birth of his heir on the same day and another thing. Was there a third party involved? If not how did both the king and queen of an entire race fall. Someone or something was operating in the shadows, something sinister. He clenched his fist tightly as he gazed at the sunrise. He would find them and repay what they''ve done, this he vowed. Prologue End~ ......................................................................................................................................................................................... Alright so that concludes the prologue of the story. Thanks to those who were patient enough to read this far, if you have any feedback to give please comment down below. That being said starting in the next chapter I''ll be writing different points of view in first person. We''ll also be shifting focus of the story on the faerie queens baby and her new family so look forward to that. As always if you find any grammatical errors feel free to point them out, I''ll take a look with fresh eyes and see if i catch any mistakes after I get some sleep. Chapter 1: Family *POV Jorgen Thrane* I embraced my heartbroken wife for what turned out to be hour''s and then I heard a ripping sound. I looked down to the blood dampened sheets thinking they accidentally tore only to feel a light tap on my shoulders. Em, pointed towards the end of the bed and my gaze followed. I couldn''t believe my eye''s, standing at the end of the bed was a goddess of absolute beauty...no I mean a faerie. Jeez Jorgen think with your brain.... you''re brain. ''Ahem'', yes it was a faerie from the legends and scriptures, a race no human had seen for centuries. She had those ears that pointed at their tip, those translucent wings and that childish face, all features of a faerie. Except she was rather small even for a faeries standard. She abruptly wiped her eye''s clear of tears with the sleeve of her white nightgown. "...Who are you and why are you here?" I said slowly standing up from the bed, inching my way towards my sword propped against the nightstand. "Jorgen, Emily.... I have watched you too struggle with your hardships for quite a while, as well I have seen how destiny plagues you." She said her voice soothing like the falling rain outside. "What do you..." I was cut off from finishing. "There is little time." She glanced back at the tear she''d appeared from. "Time for what?" I asked rather annoyed at the vague answers coming from a stranger in our home. "... For now know that I come here not to harm you more then you have been already." Already? What did she mean? If she was talking about what we¡¯ve been through today then that would make sense, after-all we''re both tired beyond compare. But she made it seem like someone intentionally harmed us, though I can''t recall that ever happening. "I''ve come here to ask a favor from the both of you, doing this will also fulfill the one thing you both desire." "What are you getting at?" I said rather pessimistically. "The both of you have been dealt an unfortunate hand by fate. But I also believe this is fate in and of itself." As she said that she slowly approached the other side of the bed. A shadow emerged from the from the floor as it formed a hand that gently took our daughter from Emily''s arms. At the same time the faerie slowly lowered her own baby into my wife''s arms. Emily throughout the whole exchange was oddly quiet, as if captivated by her presence. "You were not able to conceive and safety give birth on your own for various reasons. However, that does not mean you two should be deprived of a child." She gave one last longing look at the baby in my wife''s arms as she took our daughter from the hand made of shadows, then bundled her in a blanket of darkness. "Do not worry, I will give this child a proper send off. Though you must promise me that you will look after my... no you''re daughter that I¡¯ve just passed to you. She needs the both of you as much as you need her." She then took out some paper strapped to her waist and proceeded to write something, she then handed the letter to me while looking me straight in the eye. "I know I may be inconveniencing you, but before this void closes a man will also come through, looking for me. I can''t tell you who I am but I can tell you that this child does not deserve to suffer from the sins of her parents." Her words were full of sorrow. "You two will be fine parents." She cast a warming smile our way as she clutched the gem around her neck. It shone a bright violet as another tear appeared where she stood. "Raise her well." Those were her last parting words as she stepped in the void our daughter along with her . As i looked out the window by chance I saw that as she left she took with her a darkness that we didn''t notice. It was cast around the outside of our house, forming what seemed to be a barrier concealing her presence from the outside world. We both stayed in silence for moment, processing what had just happened, until the bundle my wife was holding onto seemed to spring to life in a shrill of cries. I was startled for moment until i realized we indeed did have a baby among us. I glanced toward my wife who was at a loss of what to do for a moment. Poking out from the bundle were two pale chubby arms that were clawing at the air towards Em. Emily then seemed to regain her sense as she started to soothe the baby, cradling her in her arms. Immediately she started to calm down, only to start crying a moment later. "She might be hungry." I thoughtlessly blurted out, I then in turn received a glare from her. "All of a sudden you''ve developed motherly instincts?" She said in as harsh a tone as she could without startling the baby. I just waved my arms in a sign of defeat as the cries got louder and louder. She then reluctantly took out her breasts as she eased the baby closer. The baby then immediately latched on as she started to suckle my wife''s breast''s. I broke out into a wide grin and forgot to hide my gloating face as pillow abruptly hit it. "Put that stupid mug away, you''ll scare the baby." As she said that a smile appeared on both our faces, we were both giddy at the sudden turn events, at the conflicting emotions in our hearts. We had a baby, we had a daughter, breathing and every bit alive as she helped herself to her meal. I sat down on the chair, saying yet another thing that I wish I hadn''t. "I guess my parental instincts are just a tad more refined than yours." A wide grin plastered itself on my face again, earning me yet another slap with a pillow. The pillow of which i had to reluctantly give back as she did need it. "So what do we do Emily?" She looked at me like I''d said the sky wouldn''t be blue the next day. "What do you mean...you can''t actually think we should hand her over to that man." I swiftly brought us back from our temporary escapism. "We just have to be prepared if he want''s to take her--" "No!" She yelled as she looked down at the baby bound to her breast. "Jorgen... I can''t lose two children in one night, you can''t expect me to go along with that." Her voice cracked as if just remembering that hours earlier she had failed a child birth. "I know Em... I just had to make sure... make sure that you understood that we''ll have to fight if he wants to take her." "I understand." She nodded toward me. "I won''t let him take her, not as long as this body of mine still breaths." We sat in silence until the tear started to close and on cue a hooded figure appeared. *POV Emily Thrane / Moments Earlier* It all happened so fast, if you welcome that darkness that lies deep within your heart and then someone suddenly pried you away from it, certainly there is a moment where absolutely nothing is going through your mind. And in this agonizing time I sat snuggled in my husband''s strong beefy arms as he comforted me. This is the man I love, and I regret not of the choices that brought us together. He always seemed to know the right thing to do, the right things to say to me in my moments of need. I''ll love him in this life and every life after this, that I knew. We sat in each other''s embrace for a long, long time until something caught my eye. A small violet ripple appeared just off the foot of the bed, it steadily grew larger and larger until it produced a tearing sound. Walking calmly out of the tear was a faerie goddess, that''s the only way I know how to describe her. I tapped my husband''s shoulder and pointed to the foot of the bed as time itself seemed to stop for me. "... I have seen you''re hardships as well as what plagues you." Was all my ears caught her say as her soothing voice echoed through my head. A serene calmness overtook me, all the pain that I... we''d gone through today seem to be in the background. Was she truly a goddess? She even had the wings of one. I didn''t even notice as a shadowy figure pried the cold rigid baby from my hands. All my eyes caught were a ball of bundled warmth edging closer to me and finally landing in my arms. My heart nearly leaped from my chest, it was the first ¡®live¡¯ baby I''d held since we got married and I''d nearly forgotten the feeling of it. I glanced down at the swaddled baby and on reflex I gently peaked underneath the blanket. My mouth was left agape, she was stunning, a true bundle of joy sleeping soundly. She had rare platinum hair that matched the goddess in-front of me, pale pink lips, chubby rosy cheeks and long eyelashes. I nearly wept at the sight of her, remembering the child that I could''ve had. As I strengthened my grip ever so gently on the small baby in my arms I looked for where ''my'' child had gone. I caught the goddess''s gaze as she took my lifeless baby in her arms. A black blanket seemed to wrap itself around her completely. Unlike usual swaddling the blanket also covered the baby''s face. Tears welled up in my eye''s as the cruel realization dawned on me yet again. That was until I heard the Goddess''s next words. "... look after my... no you''re daughter..." Those were the words that my ears caught as I looked down once more. This was our baby? Questions started rising one after another in my head. What did she mean? Would she come back for her when she''s grown? Was she truly a goddess come to fulfill our deepest wishes? Could we truly be happy? All those thoughts rattled around my head until as I looked down at ''my'' daughter I watched as she slowly opened her radiant amber eye''s. At first she blinked erratically getting used to the light, then moments later she quietly stared at me, not making a sound. She was as fixated on me as I was on her, she was the most adorable thing I''d ever seen and she was ours. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. I barely caught one last glance at the goddess before she stepped into yet another violet void, disappearing as fast as she''d come. As if knowing on cue that her ''mother'' had left, ¡®my¡¯ daughter began to cry for the first time. Thinking that because her mother had just left that she was crying I began to swaddle her. Only to her my husbands voice moments later sharing more of his ¡®mystic¡¯ wisdom with me. "She might be hungry." Those were his first words to me after his conversation with the goddess earlier. Seriously why did he have to be such an ass sometimes. Parenting is a bunch of trial and error and I was going to try feeding her later thank you very much! After voicing a more reasonable argument in my head I ended up saying something in a bit more of a harsher tone than I intended. "All of a sudden you''ve developed motherly instincts?" Sometimes my words can be like venom to those around me, luckily Jorgen know''s exactly how I can be at times and chose to ignore my ''rude'' reply by putting his arms up in defeat. A little much if i say so myself, it was just said a bit harsher than I''d like to, not like I was going to rip him a new one... unless he gave another smart ass reply. After going against his words to spite him I reluctantly gave in attempting to soothe her and tried my next course of action, feeding her. To my unfortunate surprise she latched on right away. Don''t have a smug look on your face... don''t have a that stupid smug look on your face. I chanted in my head as I turned my gaze to him. *Wham!* The pillow left my hands before I knew it. He can be such an ass sometimes, you know the proper thing to do is try to keep a straight face or even look away, not present that stupid mug with that pretentious grin you always put on. "Put that stupid mug away, you''ll scare the baby." Again some ''venom'' seemed to leak out as I said that, I''ll just attest that to him trying to drive me crazy constantly. But to my surprise he had another smart ass comment to throw in. "I guess my parental instincts are just a tad more refined than yours." *Wham* He''s pushing it today. I motion for him to toss the pillow back to me, which he reluctantly does. Jeez if you think I''m going to throw it at you again, then I really will just out of sheer annoyance. As we looked at each other a wide grin appeared on my face, today was a an emotional carriage ride but I have him here to experience everything with me. I started to giggle like a little school-girl trying hard to to bust a gut as to rose my daughter. He on the other hand almost went with his full blown hearty laugh, seriously this guy knows not where he is and who is among us. "So what do we do Emily?" It felt like he cast a pail of cold water upon me waking me up from my hopeful dream. My train of thought seemed to speed up for a second, going over what he''d just said until it hit me. "We just have to be prepared if that man want''s to take her--" ¡°NO!¡± I yelled, fortunately not rousing the baby. "Jorgen... I can''t lose two children in one night, you can''t expect me to go along with that." My voice cracked as those words parted my lips. I looked back down ¡®my¡¯ daughter in my arms, there¡¯s absolutely no way I can let her go. "I know Em... I just had to make sure... make sure that you understood that we''ll have to fight if he wants to take her." ¡®Jorgen¡­ you don¡¯t always have to be the voice of reason among the two of us¡¯ I thought to myself. However our past proved otherwise¡­ a person easily swayed by their emotions (me) and the pragmatic voice of reason (Jorgen). That¡¯s what people saw of us as we walked through town. "I understand." I nodded towards him. "I won''t let him take her, not as long as this body of mine still breaths." I meant everyone of these words, I would readily die before this momentary happiness this child brought us was stripped away. We both sat there in a tense silence as we waited for this mystery man to show up. I had a feeling deep in my heart that something dangerous would appear through that void¡­ and I was right. The void started to close and just as I thought that he wasn¡¯t going to show up, he appeared. Coming through the violet tare was a tall husk of a man, standing even taller then my husband who was stood at 1.95 meters. He wore a black robe, covering his fitting clothing underneath, he was by no means as hulking as my husband but one could tell he was fit. His clothing was intimating along with his weapon which contrasted with the calming aura he emitted. His black mask dripped blood onto his rod while his weapon was stained crimson. A huge man standing in the middle of a small room, wearing clothing no doubt meant for ''special missions'' can speak wonders in the way of danger. However all that immediately left as soon as he spoke. ¡°Where is she?¡± Unlike the menacing tone that I''d expected, a soft and caring tone came from within that blank mask. I¡¯ll just play the part of a doting parent and her newborn for now, unless Jorgen can¡¯t handle him. ¡°She¡­ she left some time ago.¡± I hear him say, gauging his opponents interest in the goddess. He then glanced in my direction, his gaze briefly piercing right through me as it settled on the bundle of joy in my hands. This man was dangerous, very dangerous. ¡°... Do you know who it is your wife holds in her hands?¡± He said with a certain edge to his voice. ¡°We do¡­ however we beg you¡­ ¡®she¡¯ would beg you to let this child go. She is but a blank slate that should not be tainted by the guilt and sorrow of her parents.¡± Jorgen added a tiny lie hidden within the truth of that statement, as calculating as ever I see. He then stood up and walked towards the robbed man, letter in tow. To my surprise the masked man put his sword away before taking the letter... He know''s proper manners for a ¡®self¡¯ dubbed assassin. ¡°The lady from before wanted the one who passed through that tear to have this. She didn¡¯t tell us much about herself, only that she was royalty and her husband was dethroned for some vile acts he committed.¡± Jorgen took a shot in the dark as he noticed the subtle nuances in the masked man''s behavior and tried for information. No reaction... so we can''t rule out royalty just yet. After reading the letter he mumbled something under his breath as the last visage of suspicion left me. To my surprise he proceeded to take off his mask and cowl revealing... a draconian! A race only the king can request an audience with and even then they can only supposedly come in contact with his underlings. His skin looked gray... though on upon closer inspection the outlines of the scales tightly packed together told otherwise. His cat-like amber... no dark amber eyes glowed radiantly in the dimly lit room. Two black horns curved backwards over his head, blending nicely with his ash gray hair. So this is a draconian... He then started to take a deep bow towards us. Something incomprehensible really, given the superior race he was. Seriously seeing two different races no one has seen for centuries in one day, fate is at work here right? ¡°My name is Tabor Sentius, chief of war to the Great Dragon Emperor Rahim de Salicosa Vena. It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± My husband getting flustered brought him back up from his bow. ¡°Please such formalities don¡¯t suit us and it is rather unbecoming of a graceful draconian such as yourself.¡± I mean seriously we were the losers of the legendary war and rightly so got our deserved punishment of isolation. ¡°My name is Jorgen and this is my wife Emily, we hail from the house of Thrane.¡± Jorgen then introduced both of us. * As Sir Sentius left he did so while saying that he''ll be in touch with us soon as he walked out the front door. Yes! No grand exit like the faerie goddess, he just walked right out the front door. Apparently he didn''t have one of the those void gems, after all there something only close friends of the demons can gather. Because of that he said it would take about a month and a half before he could contact us again. He gathered that amount of time when we told him we were in the Kramn prefecture, ruled by Jorgen''s family, the Thrane''s. All and all we conversed with sir Sentius about the dangers of leaking the information and the events that happened here today are. So as made known to the public tomorrow, I successfully gave birth to a healthy baby girl. * "Jorgen, do you want to hold and finally see your daughter?" I asked him, finally willing to separate a maximum of five paces from her. He reluctantly eased his way closer to us as he ever so gently picked our daughter up. With his massive size he looked like a giant as he held her in his hands. His face lit up as his eyes moistened threatening to flow down his face. "...Isabella" "What?" "Doesn''t she look like an Isabella" He said in a quiet voice. Did he just name our daughter without even running the name by me? That.... "See she likes it." He said as he played with her little hands. *Sigh* "That''s a nice name, Isabella it is." I said with a smile as I looked at the hulking man in front of me completely melt as he played with our daughter. Chapter 2: Bearings The ruins of the once great city of Mutus; charred remains of the fallen corrupted lay scattered among the debris of the burnt buildings. Golden rays from the sun breakthrough the parting clouds casting the city in a new light. The metallic sheen of the walkways peak through the rubble, showing the once beautiful streets hidden underneath. Walking towards the royal palace along a pathway free of obstructions was Empress Vedasto. She wore a dark blue sundress as she walked past the rows upon rows of relief tents and first aid shelter¡¯s. She cast a gentle smile towards the faeries tormented from grief the past few days. No doubt assuring them that everything would be alright despite their conditions at the moment. In fact throughout this sea of turmoil she has been the populaces rescue raft, a staple of hope. She walked up to the iron gates that led into the palace courtyard. ¡°Empress!¡± The two demon guards that stood at attention still wore their full battle armor. ¡°At ease.¡± She said, the gentle smile she wore before vanished. Her calm and hopeful aura replaced by a commanding one. ¡°Notify the troops that I will be in a meeting, should anything dire come up do not hesitate to notify us. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes Empress!¡± They both said in unison. She didn¡¯t wait for them to open the gates as she vanished in a flash of violet smoke only to reappear on the other side. Walking up the grand steps towards the entrance of the palace she couldn¡¯t wait to cast aside her multiple facades and relax. Perhaps even tease Ria a little, she wondered how far she could push her this time. Once she entered the palace she navigated the corridors passing various soldiers and representatives of all races present, all the while thinking of different ways to ¡®torment¡¯ Ria. However all of those thoughts flew out the window as she stepped into the royal throne room. Sitting at a round table was King Vena, Lord Magnus and Quinn, all of which showed no attempt to hide the solemn look on their faces. ¡°Tsk!¡± As she kissed her teeth all those who were present cast a glance her way. ¡°If I wanted to see grief stricken faces I could just take a step back outside.¡± She said in a rather passive aggressive tone. ¡°Good since everyone is present let us go over what we know.¡± King Vena said as he stood up completely ignoring her statement. King Vena, Lord Magnus and Ria all wore their royal garments while Quinn and Empress Vedasto wore casual clothes. Empress Vedasto took her seat as King Vena continued his speech shortly after taking his own shortly after. ¡°Let us go over what we know of Mirza¡¯s motives.¡± ¡°Then should we not go over his actions over the past 50 years?¡± Empress Vedasto suggested, throwing on a facade fit for a ruler. ¡°Well¡­¡± Lord Magnus thought. ¡°He secluded himself shortly after a supposed meeting with Rahim, a few years later he started to cut ties with various races.¡± ¡°Right, so Rahim explain one more time why you and Mirza had such a disagreement.¡± Empress Vedasto mediated. King Vena thought for a moment. ¡°Well, put simply he wanted to lift the sanctions placed on the human¡¯s and start to integrate the races together, thereby nullifying all countries and making each ruling system obsolete.¡± ¡°An Idea of which we can all agree is not so bad.¡± Empress Vedasto mumbled. ¡°True, however all of us know that it is far too soon to even attempt to implement such a plan. The magnanimity and persecution of the races runs to deep in this generation. Especially considering not five hundred years have past. Although this is dozens of generations for the humans and ''younger'' races, it is at most two or worst not even a generation for our races.¡± Lord Magnus proclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I refused his plan, however what perplexed me and still does to this day is why he even brought it up. I was certain from our meeting months prior that the four of us were in agreement on this matter.¡± Refuted King Vena. ¡°So you believe between the meeting we had and Mirza coming to consult you that ¡®something¡¯ influenced him.¡± Said the Empress. ¡°Well we can rule out the races present, however that still leaves six other potential suspects. Despite our alliance spanning over all of the races only us three.... no our four races have ''close'' ties.¡± A momentary silence came and went as the magnitude of the situation was brought to light by Lord Magnus. ¡°So Mirza¡¯s change in character took place within that time frame and immediately afterward he started to seclude himself; missing meetings and not leaving his kingdom until finally cutting ties with all races but the Demons.¡± Lord Magnus said in a serious tone. ¡°Oh cast that suspicious glare somewhere else you half wit! My country¡¯s main export is specialized items pertaining to the void rune. Besides because of the alliance each race exports what the others can not obtain. Last time I checked I don¡¯t have the food supply to support an additional nation.¡± The Empress then took a deep breath, calming down a little. ¡°Banu herself fought with Mirza to keep our countries in contact. I regularly saw her throughout the years and can vow that she didn¡¯t know what was happening within the country. So we can assume ¡®another¡¯ party helped carry the burden placed on Tenebris. They most likely had a hand in causing Mirza to fall.¡± ¡°I assume Banu herself had been left in the dark until the very end¡­¡± Said King Vena. ¡°Ria, you said and you¡¯re sisters witnessed Banu with her eyes blackened as she held her newborn correct?¡± Ria simply nodded from her position behind her king. ¡°Then we can assume she had fallen within the year, hence her absence from our regular get-togethers.¡± ¡°What troubles me is that they reported that she was crying. Had she fallen would the darkness in her heart not immediately eat at her sanity?¡± Said Lord Magnus ¡°Hmm¡­ it could be delayed due to her pregnancy or-¡± ¡°Could she have fallen and retained her sanity?¡± King Vena said cutting in. ¡°We¡¯ll only now when Tabor get¡¯s back.¡± Said Lord Magnus. ¡°Could the child Faerie Queen Cyrus bore be tied into this? I mean we don¡¯t know the fate of a child born of two fallen.¡± Said Quinn finally drawing into the conversation. ¡°We should find out in at most a month. Tabor went into the portal after her before it closed, seeing as he¡¯s not back I doubt he apprehended her, though do to their friendship in the past I assume he has found somethings out.¡± * The continent of Yawron, surrounded on all sides by water is home to the humans. Boasting this world''s wildest weather extremes, Yawron is a large land mass at over ten-million square kilometers. Not the smallest continent, but also no where near the largest. There is only one that rules this continent, the Zavaria Dynasty. A royal bloodline chosen to rule by the Alliance of the races after the war. Though they rule the continent, due to it¡¯s sheer mass it¡¯s divided into 10 provinces. These provinces mimic the ten ancient runes; Water, Earth, Fire, Wind, Light, Darkness, Void, Stasis, Nature and Decay. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Each province then has a ¡®house¡¯ that manages the land and they govern over the land. The people of each province are tied to the houses though they are loyal to the royal family. Walking down the busy street of Rolige, the capital of the Kramn province, was a hulking figure that stood at least a head taller than everyone else. He had pale skin with a rare tan to it. The hair on his head was a light brown, his eyes a jade green and a strong jaw supported his masculine facial features. This man would normally be rushing about his way, parting the crowd of people before him like a receding tide, however today he walked rather slowly and lightly. This caused the busy street to congest, though no one wanted to push or berate him with insults because of his build and his status. The reason he walked slow was the little bundle tightly wrapped in his arms was his newborn baby girl. *POV Emily* On the night we got Bella I stayed awake the whole night watching over as she slept, thinking to myself that she¡¯d disappear if I took my eyes off her. I closed my eyes for a brief minute only to find that it was mourning and Bella wasn¡¯t in my arms. After abruptly falling out of bed I hobbled to the kitchen where I found Jorgen making breakfast with our daughter in his arms. Of course I yelled at him for not waking me up and instead taking her from me. He then sat me down while he soothed a crying Bella in his arm¡¯s. ¡°Em, you¡¯re not in this alone, you know I¡¯m good with kids, that¡¯s especially the case with Izzy.¡± ¡°...her nicknames Bella.¡± I said under my breath. ¡°Hehe, that might be your nickname for her, but she likes it when I call her Izzy. Don¡¯t you Izzy?¡± Bella immediately stopped her crying as he soothed her, causing me to bit my lip in jealousy. ¡°Look Em, you have nothing to be jealous about nor do you have anything to prove. This is our daughter, you''re her mother and I¡¯m her father. So let me help.¡± Damn¡­ he see¡¯s right through me. ¡°Now go get some rest, I¡¯ll call you again when breakfast is ready.¡± As I sat there in silence he then shooed me towards the bedroom in order to get some rest. Like that almost a week past as we got used to our routines. I would watch Bella during the day and once Jorgen got home from his work he would then look after her. I will admit at first I had wanted to prove to his family, to the world that I wasn¡¯t destined to not to have a family. And now that I do have one I¡¯ll be the best mother I could be. Though thanks to my aloft and observant husband he proved to me that I don¡¯t have anything to prove or worry about. He threw in his opinion of screw them for keeping that outdated scripture in practice, and screw them for making me feel that I was any less of a women. As such I¡¯ve been a little less overbearing as well as understanding of Jorgen and his attempts to get me out of the house. While I don¡¯t think I have anything to prove it¡¯s too early for me to go out into the world. Afterall we have yet to make it known that we do have a healthy baby girl and not another stillborn... I¡¯m just to scared, what if they shun us or worse, what if they shun Bella. In an attempt to get me to go outside the ¡®charmer¡¯ my husband was told me to clean myself up and after which we¡¯d make it known that we do have a daughter. As I was washing my body, my hair and everything in between I realized how filthy I was. Quite literally too, not bathing for almost a week is something not too rare on long journey¡¯s though when you¡¯re home the whole time it can be quite worrying. As I washed myself I began to think that It would be a positive thing making it known that we have a daughter. Looking on the bright side I stepped out of the tub after having washed up feeling quiet refreshed. I even thought today might be the day I finally venture out of the house. At least that was my thinking until after I clothed myself, made my way to the kitchen to meet my husband, and found out that he wasn¡¯t there. What was in his place was a small piece of paper with some writing on it that read: Just to make sure you got yourself out of the house today and that we reveal our lovely daughter to the world, I took it upon myself to go ahead of you. Our first stop is the garrison at the manor. -Love your amazing husband, Jorgen The paper in my hands immediately went up in flames as for the first time since I knew I was pregnant I, used my magic. *POV Jorgen* I had a foreboding feeling as I made my way through the crowded streets. Had I gone too far, with my little attempt to get Emily out of the house? I mean I¡¯m almost certain she¡¯d hold herself up in the house forever if she didn¡¯t have a certain push. This just so happened to be the one I thought up¡­ Oh well, I¡¯ll think about that when I come across it, she couldn¡¯t possibly get that mad. I put the thought out of my head as I a strolled through the streets on my way towards the garrison, the first people I wanted to find out were of course my brothers in arms. Some of them had been with me since I was young and we¡¯d been through thick and thin together. I was still close to the others as well as I trained some of them when I had free time. As I got closer I heard the sounds of swords clashing with shields and other swords alike. I¡¯d better have them stop practice for a moment while Izzy¡¯s here, wouldn¡¯t want to scare her. Though upon going into the garrison no one was present. I then made my way to the center of the field before I realized my mistake. "CHARGE!!" "TASTE DEFEAT JORGEN!!" From every corner of the field soldiers I¡¯d trained and my brothers in arms ran at me, full speed attempting to land a hit on me. This was the first time my motto of ''give it one hundred percent backfired on me'', after all usually they¡¯d do some drastic act to try to best me. Today just so happened to be a poorly executed ambush and the day I forgot. Oh well I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll notice the baby in my arms right? "......" ''Hey,hey,hey you guys are getting a little close, don¡¯t you see who I have in my hands?'' I screamed in my head for fear of waking Izzy. ¡®Fine!¡¯ I concluded with myself as I got ready to use my prided stasis magic. *Whoosh* That was until my beautiful wife appeared right before in a flash of bright light, she was red as a tomato from anger. No doubt at my stupidity. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Hey hun¡­.¡± She shot me a furious glare and then stared out at the running gang of armor clad idiots coming towards us. Well crap¡­... Chapter 3: Alleviation Dust was kicked into the air as a horde of armor clad warriors charged towards a lone man who stood in the middle of the garrison. They wielded great swords, short swords, shields, bows, daggers and other various weapons as they exuded a lingering battle spirit. There was no bloodlust in the air, no contempt on their faces and no detest in their eyes it was just simple excitement. This garrison belongs to the Thrane house and these soldiers are part of their forces. The man whom they are charging towards is Jorgen Thrane, their commander, their leader and today... the target of this ambush. Throughout the years their commander would train them through the harshest training they had ever experienced; however it became known through pure accident that this training was but a portion of Jorgen''s prior regimen. Unknown to him a fire was lit in the hearts of his soldiers. They would never admit defeat and would always strive to better themselves, so with it known that there was a better chance for them to do so, they took action. Their lust for power stemmed from the need to be the absolute defense that protected province, while simultaneously having the strength to be the hand of reckoning should any enemy be brave enough to stand before them. Thus when they learned of howJorgenwithheldsome of the trainingregimen they suffered a considerable blow to their pride and all of them came to the unanimous conclusion, they were weak... far too weak. The absolute strength of their commander seemed like an unobtainable dream to them. For Jorgen didn''t get his position as a pleasantry from his family, no, he earned it. All the achievements he earned over the years serve as a timeline of how his strength progressed to the point that no one could ignore his accomplishments. As a result he became commander of the elite troops. Their commander is one of the most promising masters of the stasis rune to appear throughout the entire province in the past few centuries! Though adding insult to injury they had never seen him use his prided runic magic outside of dire circumstances and as a result they thought they weren''t ''worthy'' enough for him to do so in training. So for the past year these soldiers trained harder, longer and more intense than ever before. At the same time they pleaded with Jorgen to allow them to practice his entire training regimen. The compromise they all agreed upon was that if one person out of the thirty present could land a blow on him, he would yield. They would not only get a better regime but one tailored to their strengths with just as much intensity as his. A tempting offer indeed and one that would greatly increase their strength either way. Since this deal was made a vicious battle occurred in staggered and unpredictable variances that time and time again resulted in their complete and utter defeat. ''But that would end today!'' was the mentality of all the soldiers present. Even though the timing of this wasn''t something to be proud of, to them these battles were as good as war. There would be no glorious one on one choreographed battles depicted in the play''s of the royal city. No... today was a real battle, to the point of any despicable action becoming commendable. This was as real as training got, there would be dirt thrown into eyes, back-stabs, groin shots and any action that preserved their lives... or in this case their consciousness. Although all these were acceptable, no one ever landed any, thus was their struggle. They persevered though, for they would do anything to triumph over their leader in the face of promised strength. And finally when they were at the end of their rope... they found a means. Taking advantage of an uncharacteristically opportune time in their commanders life, they planned. They would use the failed birth of yet another one of the commanders children; it didn''t settle well with everyone, however they knew it would possibly be their best chance. Did they know for sure that they had a stillborn again? No, but the fact that nothing had changed in the commander''s behavior was proof enough. Being the man he is there was almost no way he could hide his emotions. He was like an open book, he wore his emotions on his face... except for when something big happened. In that case it would be like he was broken, if one talked about the incident it was like talking to an undead, almost as if he had no memories of it. The only one who could make him talk about it was Emily. They had seen him like this when it happened the first time and then again when they were refused as adopted parents. He had to have been going through a tough time again... but wasn''t this their best chance? Of course all of them felt awful about what they were doing. However in their eyes the search for strength is a winding trail that never ends and if you stop and smell the roses someone else is bound to pass you. This was their best shot and they knew it so they started their plan. A scout was sent to follow his movements at all times, as he drew nearer he would hear the regular clashes of swords indicating mourning practice. This was but part of their ruse orchestrated by another troop under his sister''s command, of course this resulted in a favor being owed of them but it was worth it. Enough of that though, their target was right in front of them. He stood there preoccupied staring down at the bundle in his arms? They thought for a split second of the possibility of the improbable and quickly rescinded that thinking. There would be no way the commander could keep his newborn baby a secret for over a week. As their minds rationalized what they saw they inched closer and closer to the their target until... *Whoosh* Miss Emily? She appeared in-front of the commander in a flash of bright light. She wore her typical attire focusing on unrestricted mobility with a linen shirt and linen tights that flowed down from under a simple skirt. She still looked like a beauty with her golden locks flowing just past her shoulders, her sky blue eyes and the light freckles sprinkled on her cheeks. Though the usual carefree attitude that surrounded her was gone... she looked pissed. She turned her head towards the commander and stared for but a moment then turned back to the soldiers. Her face was even more red and a tiny vein could be seen popping out on her temple. The soldiers wracked their brains and after a split second (being the elite soldiers they were) the dots connected to form the bigger picture. Miss Emily up and about + no baby bump + the commanders strangely normal behavior = that bundle... that bundle he''s holding ever so gently. ''We have to abort!'' was what went through their minds as they looked at one another mid sprint. Then almost immediately they thought of their fate... miss Emily was still pissed and the one person she really wanted to hit had that bundle... no a baby in their hands! Thus they resigned to their fate and steeled their hearts... they wouldn''t go down without a fight!! "URAH!" The approaching soldiers yelled their battles cries as they approached their damnation. After-all the person they faced was miss Emily! She was equally as strong or even stronger then the commander in terms of raw power. Plus she only dabbled in the arts of runic magic and the martial way to expand her chances of giving birth. Simply put she was a monster! If she wanted to she might even be able to stand toe to toe with the commander. Speaking of which during this whole dramatic rush he had simply bypassed the formation while keeping a slow, steady walk. He headed towards the stone steps that went up into the mess hall intending to sit down. All the while soothing the young baby in his hands. Meanwhile they continued their strides and came within twenty paces of Emily before they witnessed her make a move. A pale blue flame was ignited on her delicate palm and it continued to get hotter and glow brighter. The more astute soldiers among them noticed the commander cover the baby''s eyes with his hands and did the same with his own. *Flash!* Nearly half of the soldiers collapsed to ground as they reached for their eyes while groaning in pain from temporary blindness. The ones still standing did so while either hiding behind a shield, a wall of earth or a film of water. The two either shielding them for the light all together or the latter refracting most of the light elsewhere. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Emily''s face when from being filled with anger to being expressionless as she gazed at the soldiers still standing. She was serious now! The soldiers thinking the assault to have paused for a moment began to rid themselves of their various shields. A particular soldiers wall of earth crumbled to loose dirt by his will, the blood in his face proceed to drain as he gazed at a hand reaching for him at an astonishing speed. The hand reached out from the cloud of dust and grasped the back of his head pulling it downward. *Crack* A sound escaped from his nose as a knee met his face. Before he could react to the pain and blood trickling down from it, a brief pain was felt on his neck... his vision immediately blackened as he lost consciousness. Soon after everyone withdrew their shields they saw another soldier incapacitated and Emily standing over him. A torrent of wind then surged forward from her position and was viscous enough in some area''s to sweep a handful of soldiers off their feet, propelling them into a nearby wall. Most of them either knocked out or too injured to go on. Her figure flew along with torrent of wind as she came face to face with a dense group of soldiers. A pale blue flame radiated outwards on the ground from where she stood. Soldiers prioritized putting out the flames on their boots that threatened to set their bodies aflame and proceeded to fall one by one. A single strike in vital area was all it took to take them down and this pattern continued until only three people were left to oppose her; a women wearing leather armor, a man wearing cloth and another man clad head to toe in plate armor. They each took up a side and surrounded her in a triangle formation. The one clad in plate revealed his specialty to be of the earth rune as he abruptly forced the dirt under her to soften. Her feet then started to sink after which the man in cloth revealed himself to be of the water rune as he flooded the dirt with water. This was no doubt freezing water as Emily could be seen shaking in her boots. Lastly the women revealed her to be of the wind rune as she swiftly forced a constant funnel of wind onto the mixture Emily stood in. All of this happened simultaneously as the ground Emily stood on hardened in an instant. She was trapped and the trio thought they had bested her. However while the funnel of air blew on the ground a blue flame surged forward and appeared to be feasting on the air. It swallowed it faster than the air could push against it and as the flame raced towards the women she tried to produce one last burst of power. However it was too close...In fact because of that the flame abruptly exploded and impacted the women sending her flying. Emily then produced a ball of the most ferocious wind in one hand and a ball of the hottest blue flame in another and joined them together. *Flash* Heat singed and threatened to ignite the water users armor as he covered his eyes. The earth user on the other hand threw up a wall of earth but quickly found a hand crashing threw it threatening to grab him. Doing the only thing he could think of he willed a pillar of earth to crash into him faster than the hand to grab him. The pillar hit his shield with a thud and sent him tumbling back a couple of meters. As he got up he threw away his shield which at this point had noticeable dent in it. He looked back towards his prior position to find the wall crumbled and Emily among the scattered dust. Not resting for even a moment she twirled on the spot, her skirt blooming like a flower in response. A crimson flame spread out in a spiral around her threatening to roast the two alive. The man produced another pillar underneath him and raised himself into the air. The water user produced a sphere of water that enveloped him. As the flame approached the two she vanished in yet another flash of light only to reappear behind the water user, shielding herself from her flame. The flames then hit the sphere of water in two phases and only caused a slight ripple. She prepared to strike at him from behind when the earth she stood on began to quake. Quickly separating herself from the sphere she watched as as spikes emerged from the ground where she once stood. However to her dismay the ground she now stood on stood doused in water and soon after froze over. The water user utilized his shield and separated a couple of blobs of water that then elongated and froze. The ice spears then sped their way through the air threatening to skewer her. In response she produced a vortex of crimson flame that emerged from her palm and it quickly melted the ice. Directly after as the man in plate armor lowered himself to the ground a buzzing sound was heard in front of him. A blade of distorted air vibrated intensely and surged outwards, split and went towards both of them. In a panic both of them used their respective magic to propel themselves upwards in order to evade the doom below. The short pillar the earth user used was cleanly sliced in half while the torrent of water used by the other was whisked away. As they flew in the air and reached their peak height another torrent of wind propelled them downwards at a terrifying speed. In a panic the water user made a bed of water appear under him tried unsuccessfully to provide one for his partner. *Splash!-Thud!* The knight met the bed at an amazing speed and before he could completely come to a stop his back met the ground. Blood spewed from his mouth as he coughed up a storm. Meanwhile Emily produced one more blade of buzzing wind and sent them towards their unsuspected targets. If this hit them they''d be more than incapacitated... In a last ditch attempt the water user was about to smash his fist into a spike made of his own ice, no doubt attempting to draw blood. However before the wind blade reached either of them and before he smashed his fist into the spike everything wind quiet. Jorgen stood up from the steps and slowly made his way towards the battlefield, all the while soothing young Isabella. The scene before him filled with silence and stillness. He continued until he stood in-front of Emily. "Em... I know you''re not pleased with me." He cast a glance at the water user and the state he was in. He then said in a loud voice. "Do to your efforts today and throughout the year I take this battle as my loss! Had Emily not shown up one of you would have landed a blow on me... that I have no doubt about. So rejoice! When everyone recovers Emily will make a new training regimen for the lot of you with as much intensity as she did with mine." Pained groaning resounded throughout the garrison as he undid his magic. Steam was left rising where the wind blade once was as it dispersed and vanished. As Emily was released from his magic she stoutly straightened her outfit and faced Jorgen and gently brought Isabella into her arms. After she was safely acquired the smell of something burning filled Jorgen¡¯s nose, followed by a pain that left as quickly as it came . He slowly touched his hand to his face to find one of his eyebrows missing. ¡°I suppose I deserve that much¡­ anyway my friends! I originally came here to introduce my baby girl Izzy¡­ Isabella to you all.¡± He quickly corrected himself as he acquired another glare from Emily. The water user being the least injured patted himself off and strode towards the couple. ¡°No way! There¡¯s this hulking man and block brain of a commander could have a daughter so cute!¡± ¡°What was that!!¡± Jorgen pleaded in protest¡­. A heartwarming scene took place among one of carnage, meanwhile a silhouette in the background of the garrison quietly made its way away from the grounds. It walked through the streets greeting merchants and citizens left and right as it made its way through the busy streets towards the only notable landmark, the Thrane Manor... *********************************************** Sorry for that briefand unannouncedhiatus, Igot kind of overwhelmed with RL things. Anyways even though I didn''t post anything I made some progress in where exactly I want the story to go, so be assured I will continue to the story till it''s end. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always if you have any thoughts, gripes, complements ;)or simply want to bring to my attention some grammatical errors feel free to leave comments down below.