It was just like Clyde to not put up with being bedridden, especially after the things he had seen and experienced at the ruins of Delos. The horrors he had seen in his dreams had come to pass, and Delos had been dealt a heavy blow because of it…had they been sooner, just a bit quicker, or perhaps wiser, the destruction could have been averted. Now the Delosian forces, or what little was left of them, sat with no king, no leader, and nothing but a commander who was shaken and a few generals who were unsure of their next move.

What was left? Their castle had been thoroughly wiped out and crushed, their capital decimated, and word in from scouts sent out to the other towns revealed all but one had been intact, Airroboros, and they quickly rushed the survivors of that town back to Nindural headquarters. Everyone who was left in Delos was now there, and they needed a plan for the future, or they would quickly be lost into history…

‘�You should be asleep…�

Leon spoke grimly, Sophia in his lap once more, but not even she was happy. The air of the room was a sad one…the carnage that had befallen their people…everyone present had some doubt their mind was playing on, or some regret or fact that they’d wished they had known. Tera Maxwell was present, a few of the scouts whom had rushed out, and an emissary from the mining company in Delos, which had been left oddly intact…but abandoned in the proceedings. Miners were now in with everyone else…

“I should be a lot of things. What’s our plan, Leon?�

Hobbling, and leaning on Mai and a crutch for support, Clyde made his way to the desk, sighing as he looked at the battle map he had been looking on just a week or so before, but now areas had been covered in white paper, signifying they were no longer useable…towns…civilians…citizens of Delos caught in the destruction. Innocent lives that had been massacred by…who?

“We don’t have one…there’s little left to do but evacuate to another kingdom and pray to Eljah that they’ll take us in.�

Mai bit her lip, remembering the speeches Clyde had given about loyalty to their country, to Delos, and the respect he held for the land, even with its flaws. Someone had decided to abuse those flaws apparently, and wiped out the most of the land within nightfall. Not a single spy had even heard word of an army approaching…nothing, it was as if you turned around and the city was decimated in the blink of an eye.

“Velucia. A rough kingdom of merchants…if we can rough it in the wasteland to get out to an oasis, I think we could manage there. Perhaps try and appeal to Gote and Aephris for a bit of aid in looking into things, and maybe try to pay a visit to the Mystics and Elves to see if they’ll help a weary nation. That’s what I’d suggest, but a step at a time, moving out of this area should be top priority, since looking at the land isn’t going to exactly raise anyone’s spirits…What I want to know…is who did this.�

Oh, Mai bit he lip harder, squeezing her eyes shut for a few moments before sighing and hugging close to Clyde, not wanting to dig up the memories surrounding that person…they were painful, and tragic to her, but not on the scale of everything that had happened. No, was he really capable of all this? The man had been…cruel…to Mai, but this simply seemed like the work of a madman…then again, he fit the bill.

“Khaine of the Black Shadow. A lot of rumors about him make their way into Velucia…apparently he traveled alone into the lands over the mountain, and through the darker forests…no one heard from him for years, and now, apparently, he’s back and shrouded in a bit of mystery. I heard he was recruiting before I had left Velucia…� Or rather…she had seen it first hand.

“That just begs the question…who are you?�

Leon was the one that spoke, though Tera’s eyes fell on the girl, Sophia’s and the scouts as well, Leon’s looking her over before Clyde tried, in a bit of vain, to step between her and the majority of the room. Oh, Mai wasn’t feeling well at the moment…it was like blame and guilt was being cast on her, as if those other then Clyde blamed her for what had happened…she knew things that they didn’t, so where she got that knowledge could be false.

“Mai Pyris, a warrior I had the pleasure of running into when we were attacking one of the camps. I suppose you could say I saved her life, but that isn’t exactly how things happened.�

A light smile crossed the Fire Elementals face as she wrapped her arms around Clyde; hugging him close…he stood up for her…that was a first. And he didn’t mention her race, which was normally a cause of worry for her in the past…Some people didn’t take kindly when they found out her past…or at least who she was. Clyde had stood up for her with the troops as well, Mai simply didn’t know of that…

“Alright then…Khaine…first priority, is to move everyone out. Then comes looking into this Khaine, and planning from there…get the refugees ready, and send a scout ahead to ask around for us on where we can relocate to precisely…this won’t be easy. But for Delos’s sake we must survive. You’re all dismissed…�

Clyde however, shook his head, smirking over to Leon who instantly knew the general had other plans in mind…this could go well, or it could go badly, but in either case, Clyde was in no condition to travel. “Actually, Leon, if it’s alright, I would like to take a trip to Aephris and Gote, to see what we can find out…� He would have considered taking a trip into the tundra to search out the mystics if he wasn’t nearly one hundred percent sure Mai would want to accompany him…the ice and cold may kill her.

With a light chuckle he waved the Ice Elemental off, hugging Sophia a little closer in his lap, “Fine then, but I don’t want you straining yourself…if you’re heading elsewhere then us, take some time to rest, and take a horse or two. I say two since I take it you’ll be accompanying Miss Pyris somewhere safe?� Well, to Leon, Sophia, and Tera, it was no secret that Clyde was a hopeless flirt, and a bit of a playboy now and then, though he hardly went after the carnal pleasures, more the fun of the chase…

Mai was the one who spoke up however, “No…I’m going with him.� A hand was raised in protest, Clyde’s, but figuring what he knew about Mai, it was highly unlikely he could EVER sway her mind when she made it up….stubborn little…

“Well, now that that’s decided…dismissed.�

“Are you crazy?!�

The door to the cabin, one certain general’s cabin, closed, Mai turned to face him, who had already settled on the side of the bed, breathing a little heavy. Crazy? Maybe, really he hadn’t considered it, but given everything he had gone through in his lifetime…crazy could have really been a fitting word. Mai, however, didn’t give time for the reality of being called crazy to settle in as she walked over, half leaning over in front of him as she put her hand to his forehead…a foolish thing, since no matter what he’d feel cold to her…and her warm was hardly a normal warm.

“You’re in no condition to travel, Clyde…even to go with everyone else…you know I’m not going to let you leave until you can move normally…right?�

“Yeah, I kind of figured that…� He smiled up to her, setting his crutch aside and relaxing. One hand lightly moved over his stomach, checking the bandage and he had to cringe when his skin made contact with his own skin, or rather the wrapped skin of the bandage. “Alright…so maybe I do need to stay…� It was really only sore, but the healers had sealed up the wound near perfectly…there would only be minimal scarring, a ring on his stomach and back at the least…The good news was he had missed any organs that couldn’t be without, leaving ones that could be healed…

“You do…we’ll stay, and I’ll keep an eye on you.� A soft smile crossed her lips as she leaned in, pressing her heated lips to his chilled, shivering a bit without thinking…the cold of his body always made her shiver, but it was simply him, he couldn’t control it, just like the heat of her body made him shiver…Only neither of them cared. The warmth of Mai was like something of a dream to him, a far away fantasy he could never have reached…

A sly little smirk crossed over his lips as he relaxed, scooting back on the bed a bit and patting his knee…injury or not, he still wanted Mai close. Someone whom he could be close do, dote on and be affectionate with, or rather she was there for him, for comfort…something he hadn’t had in a long time, since long before he left Airroboros. “I think I like that idea…�

Mai, nearly sultry in her manner, slipped right onto his knee, tossing her arms around his neck…one might confuse them for lovers, but in reality, wasn’t that the truth? The two had hardly given it much clear thought, there hadn’t been a reason to…they were far too happy to have someone to be able to speak and seek comfort in, both even in remotely similar situations, of a sort, so what need was there to complicate things?

“I figured you would…Mmm…� In all actuality, the time they had spent beforehand had been rather innocent, not being anything but hugging onto each other, cuddling, kissing, and a great deal of talking and confiding…While the want was there, on one part, if not both, they hadn’t crossed that line…gone that far…and neither really knew why? What was stopping them…?

Certainly nothing and the two of them shared the night there, together in one another’s arms, in a warm embrace, showing as a clear cut example how they felt about one another, an expression of love and passion unlike any either had felt before. Maybe it was the added excitement of the opposing elements, maybe it was the fact that it shouldn’t have been possible, that they should have been enemies, yet had fallen in…

A few days, a few days rest and relaxation on the mountain with the woman he loved while his comrades headed off to stake their claim on a new place to live, a place where they could be at peace and rest after the destruction of their homeland, to rest, regroup, work, and then move back and rebuild…They would not give up Delos forever…None of them had that intention. Clyde, however, was on a fairly permanent bedrest, seeing as Mai wouldn’t let him stand up until he could be able to stand a little pressure on his stomach…no walking until he was fit to travel.

This left the Fire Elemental to wander around the camp for supplies and other things the two would need, it left her to cook the food, clean things up, and so forth, but the only odd part of that to her, and what felt off, was she was doing it for someone else now as well as herself…and she made a mental note to make Clyde do it all when he was better, the same mental note he was making. Like he’d ever enjoy being coddled like this…the male was just waiting for his chance to get moving again, feeling so selfish for letting her simply take care of him like this.

However, the time had come, seeing as Clyde visibly stood, without crutches, and snuck up behind Mai as she was hanging up the washed clothes, catching her in a hug with a smirk. A pretty clear sign he could handle the pressure on his body, and that he was fine to move…after a short trip back to the cabin, to ‘pass time’ while the clothes dried, they packed up and took the horses left for them, including a wagon and loading it with enough supplies to last quite a few days. Travel alone would be a problem…Bandits WERE still on the loose, no towns to rest at, and they needed to be able to make it to the border with no places to stock up on supplies…

One thing, however, was that they both wanted to be in the same wagon, preferably close, so taking two was out of the question…

Loaded up to the brim in a single covered wagon, everything in the back was arranged around to leave space for two people to lay, and blankets and pillows laid down for that purpose…so maybe functionality was tossed out the window for comfort, but the Aephris border was only three days away, and their food supply was fit for seven, not to mention the amount of money between the two of them, life savings and everything brought along, there was enough to buy a small house…or two…not that the idea had crossed their minds.

“All set?� Mai climbed into the seat beside Clyde with a nod as he took the reins. She’d had him on bedrest for so long, it was about time –he- got to do something…Mostly she had been doing EVERTTHING, even down to what they did in the privacy of their cabin, and while part of him enjoyed that she wanted to take care of him like that, his sense of control wanted him to take that control back from her, and be the one to lead. Mai, however, was rather independent…this could only not end well.

“I think so, I’ve packed everything I could think of that we’d need, and then you things and mine, and a few extra things to barter and sell…and any leftover weapons that were about in the camp. We can always comeback, since we –did- take the time to hide all that other stuff…� Stuff like anything bandits might loot, it all hidden in a secret area of a cave just on a plateau above the miniature town, waiting for them to come back and retrieve it all, which they would…some of the food had to be left behind, though Mai had snuck that in as well, making the wagon a bit heavier then it should have been…as long as they took a steady pace and didn’t strain the horses, all should have been fine, though.

Clyde smirked, kissing her cheek lightly, “Thank you then…I think we’re set…have you ever been to Aephris before?� It wouldn’t come as a shock if she hadn’t, seeing as most people hardly went to Aephris by choice, at least not from Gote or Delos, those from Velucia willing to go anywhere a profit could be made…�It’s…different.� Different could have been interpreted many, many different ways, but the one meant was the land itself held a certain air that just made Clyde uncomfortable, more so then being in Velucia.

Why did he dislike being in Velucia? The heat alone of that desert wasteland could kill him…Mai, on the other hand, was born in the wastelands there, which was why she was quite at home in the desert…now in the northern part of Aephris…where the snow and Mystics resided, that was a different story. Actually, it was the same story as Velucia between them, only reversed…Ice and Fire, Fire and Ice. “I have…once…we’re visiting the palace, right? I can’t see this going too well, Clyde…rumors about the king and all.�

Rumors? They were near facts…but circulating throughout the towns and villages, trade routes and wandering merchants, there stood a great many tales of the land of Aephris and his king. Rumor had it the son, Crown Prince Aredhon, heir to the throne of Aephris, and possibly the only hope of a compassionate ruler Aephris would have, or has had, in a good while…quite a few generations actually. The king himself, Aredhon’s father, was a man of military, drafting and training his subjects into an army to crush their opponents, but since Aephris and the land in general had been in such a time of peace, the royal blades of Aephris had been dulling…

Why, the Prince even had his own fan clubs, and schools of girls wanting a chance to see the heir, and rumors were also abuzz about attempted match-ups with the Princess of the Mystics…though the rumors get sort of vague on what exactly happens between them, the general consensus is it wouldn’t work out. Unfortunately, really, seeing as both Princess Selena and Prince Aredhon are well liked by their respective people, it could unite Aephris like never before, and bring the kingdom into a new rule of prosperity…

Yeah…right.

The gates of Kilia city itself coming into view, a full three days after they had set out, Clyde waved the pass that Nindural carried to a guard, sorting out where he was from, and his business, and was let into the city, pulling into a nice in with the wagon, one with a stable to watch the horses while they dealt with the other arrangements. Their stay wouldn’t be a long one, though arrangements had already been made for their arrival, which made Clyde a little uneasy. Someone, or someone’s, were expecting them.

“Sir Enduro, we’ve been expecting you…right this way.�

Suspicions were confirmed as he reached the gilded gates of the Kilia palace, entering within and being led off to the meeting room, Mai in tow, to see but a veritable who’s who of figureheads of the world. Gathered around the table were people of every kingdom, save Delos, and even some whom Clyde didn’t recognize, though they were merely staff and not part of the meeting, sent away as soon as Clyde had arrived.

“General Enduro…it’s about time you showed up.�

Spoken from the mouth of a rather peeved Mystic Princess, Selena, with her ‘bird’ handy, though it would be best not to let him hear that. The king himself may not have arrived, but his son was present, Prince Aredhon with his solid black, near glossy, wings tinted with gold. To his right was a rather short grey haired fellow, the main worker on the three supercomputers of Gote and the ambassador, Ezkiel Lionheart, and beside him a rather tired looking demon, purple in many aspects and with…Catlike ears and tail, Suzume Murasaki, Ezkiel’s ‘partner’. To their right were two people Clyde knew, and Linar Astald, a fiery haired historian, one whom near represented Velucia to a point, and an attendant with him.

“I was…delayed. I trust you all know what occurred in Delos?�

Wasting no time, Clyde and Mai filled in the gaps at the table, the one side not with anyone on it, though Selena was rather angry with having to be anywhere near Aredhon. Rivalries and such needed to be set aside, as something possibly damaging to the world might occur, as already the world economy had taken a blow, with goods from Delos…no longer coming from the serrated wasteland left in the wake of-

“Khaine of the Black Sword, or so I’m told. It’s a rather…disturbing matter, to say the least. We’ve word from Sir Reed that you were coming, and that the refugees had reached the Velucian border in safety, which merely leaves what to do about the problem at hand.� Aredhon, as near always, was well on top of the situation, though Selena scoffed at his comments, for her own reasons.

“This is a problem for Delos, there’s no reason to get everyone else involved. I don’t see a need to draw the Mystics into your petty struggles and fights amongst the humans. Honestly, keep your squabbles to yourselves, there was a reason we moved to the North.� The same sort of thoughts were running through Linar’s head…Velucia…Though it may have seemed bad, it was the general consensus of Velucia.

“What he’s trying to say is, we of Velucia are not a people of war…we’ve no soldiers, no real government, just those with influence writing the rules…there’s no way we can really be pulled into this and provide anything useful besides Cals to cover some costs. I’m sorry if that seems harsh, but it’s the truth.� Mai scoffed now, hardly resisting the urge to call them cowards…but Clyde had talked to her beforehand about raising her anger in that room…it could easily set off a drawn out political battle which could in the end damage everyone.

“Gote has…well…nothing but things to defend ourselves, and little more. Sorry, Sir Enduro, but we can’t be of too much help either…Gote will do what it can to help get Delos back on it’s feet, but I really wish there was more that we could do about this threat…� Again, Mai scoffed, though Aredhon spoke up, drawing most of the attention from the room…

“Alright…It’s apparent what you two can do…which leaves it to Aephris to lead the charge. We’ve a strong military, and can lend you some aid, Clyde, but the fact of the matter is my father doesn’t see things the same way we do. To him, Delos is still the enemy it had been in my great, great, great grandfather’s days…if anything, I can lend my own personal detachments, and little more. I’d suggest against all out war with someone we know nothing about though…�

“Wasn’t our intention. For now, Leon’s sent me to discuss strategy and gather information, anything we can get on this man…Every little bit helps, since it can lead us one step closer to prevent what happened from happening again, at least in this generation. Safety is our main concern; since rebuilding can be torn back down if the problem isn’t dealt with…that’s why we need your help. Aredhon’s right…it’s not a good strategy to go to war uninformed, though we hardly plan war…but being uninformed would still be a disadvantage…�

The attendant with Linar scoffed, picking up his bag and turning to the door, “This still has nothing to do with Velucia…send word when you get your trade routes working, or maybe the mines, then we’ll have something to discuss.� Mai stopped him before he could get anywhere, silently, and Clyde approached, lifting up his shirt to show the scar across his stomach. “My king is dead…the man who did it left this reminder on me, toyed with my life, and wiped my kingdom off the face of the earth…Velucia could very well be next, and it’s quite hard to trade when no one is left alive to trade –with-.�

“Are you threatening me, Enduro?�

“No, I’m telling you the truth…you can help your neighbors, or you can sit on top your worthless piles of Cals when there’s no one left alive to use them with. It’s your call…�

A long sigh, and he turned back around, prompting a scowl from Selena, who promptly stood, having watched the entire ordeal, “This is still no war for the Mystics, we’ve no need to get involved. Unlike Velucia, we’ve no dependence on outside interference…self-sustaining, so it’s all the same to us whether you live or die.� And with a sharp glare to Aredhon, she started for the door, “And I’d rather some of you die.� With that, she was gone, settling into the private room set aside for her…

“Right…tomorrow morning, those departing can do so, I suggest we take a break for now, however…I trust Sir Enduro is a bit weary from his travels…a little rest would help make tomorrow’s proceedings run smoother. Until tomorrow.� And with a bow, Aredhon took his leave as well; not to chase down Selena, but rather retire to his own bedchambers…being told you’d rather be dead to someone was never a settling thing…though the thought was nagging on him, and Aredhon felt the need to pursue things. Perhaps…

“Well that went well…� About now the Fire Elemental chose to speak, while the others were making their exits to their rooms, set to ready fro dinner, and prepare themselves for the work tomorrow. Little did anyone know what would truly take place that night and the following morn, as the gods themselves had only hoped to intervene, falling short as greater powers on earth strode into their plans of action, taking with them the bounties of whatever they chose? The night itself would either be painted red…or painted black…and it was up to the darkness to decide.

Knock, knock, knock.

Rasping noises that had no real place amongst the calm night air, noises that pierced the silences as quickly as the groan that followed them, flowing like water into the night air from the other side of the door. ‘Twas Selena’s room, and the princess had been resting, relaxing and chatting, more like being lectured, but Nefriel while the phoenix instructed her on how a princess should act in foreign affairs, and the girl actively not listening. More so reading a book, a tome of history entailing a journey or two of early in this era…odd how one name in there seemed to stand out as one she’d heard before, today even.

“Who is it?�

The book was closed and settled on the nightstand beside the bed, just as the military exploits of one particular commander came to life, that life was quickly cut short with the interrupted reading, leaving the already easily agitated Serene Highness, Heir to Mystic throne, Selena Xhena Gwin Mystiqae Na'teal'tresdefore even more agitated, angry at whomever dare disturb herself in her chambers, even though she hadn’t a clue who it was. Even if she did…

“It’s Aredhon, Selena. Open up? I’d like to talk.�

A twitch, a furious twitch as Nefriel ducked away, Selena looking for something, anything to turn into a weapon. Of all people, that spoiled Aphresian Prince?! The very one whom…Oooh…no. Just No! No! No! No! There wasn’t a single way he was getting into her room, whether it was his palace or not, and picking up the book she’d just been reading, it flew, with violent force of course, at the door, hitting it with a thud as nearly biting words chased after the tome to make it’s sacrifice not in vain, to allow some explanation for the damage on the door from the thick book,

“Not on your life you brat! Go bother someone else; I’m certain there’s plenty of your fan clubs about! Leave! Me! Alone! I’d rather die ten thousand deaths then let you in this room!�

With a huff, arms crossed in front of her chest, pulling her legs up onto the bed as the gown she was wearing filtered over them, covering up her skin…for some reason she felt so exposed right now. It wasn’t like the material was thin, wool to be precise seeing as she did live out in the conservatory, and durable…a faint amethyst in color, but for some reason she wanted to just bury herself in covers. Maybe to make him go away, though the door clicked and opened regardless, Aredhon pocketing the skeleton key for the castle.

“Then I’ll merely have to let myself in. I take it that’s better.�

“No you knave it’s worse! Leave now!�

Oh she was brimming with anger, flickers of electricity darting across her skin as a could began to subtly form in the room, Aredhon rolling his eyes as he tapped his foot, magical wards kicking in as the spells were…dispelled. The could dissipated and Selena’s anger only grew, she actually rose while her hands balled up into fists, looking as if she were about to strike. How dare he! Come barging into a ladies room, how dare he garner so much attention, how dare he be so sophisticated, so charming, so debonair. How dare he act as if he owned her! Well, that was the way Selena saw things…

“I can’t exactly leave; this is my home, after all. I just want to talk, Selena…mind taking a seat?�

Reluctantly, and not without a glare that seemed to want to kill him on the spot, Selena sat, turning her head the other way, half wondering if she should keep an eye on him so he couldn’t try anything suspicious. Selena didn’t trust Aredhon. She didn’t like Aredhon. Didn’t enjoy spending time around him with his fan clubs on his heels. It was sickening how some of the girls of his kingdom fawned over the man as if he were something special, and at the balls and social gatherings, all the females were always volleying for Prince Aredhon’s attention. All of them save Selena, of course, like she’d be caught dead dancing with this fool that her parents kept pushing her to be with…To marry! This man?! Ha!

“Speak, and then leave. It’s getting late and I want to sleep.�

“Fine, fine. I don’t see why you don’t seem to enjoy my company. I –am- trying everything I can to make your stay more comfort-“ “You’re still around, so it’s not that comfortable.� “-ble…regardless, everything is being done for you, yet you turn it all down. Why? What exactly have I done to deserve this, Selena?�

A twitch occurred again as she rose, rose up from where Aredhon had set next to her, close and turned to face her, his body adjusting as she rose in front of him, “You?! You deserve all this! No, you deserve nothing you insufferable oaf! Useless petty knave! Go chase your girls and leave me be, I want no part in anything you have a hand in you fool! No amount of money or luxuries are going to sway my mind and heart, I cannot be bought like your petty followers, my allegiance is my own! And it is HER HIGHNESS, you’ve no RIGHT to call me Selena! Out with you, now!�

A firm smack, the back of Selena’s moving hand as it rose and fell with everything she said before drawing back to push forward, making contact with the side of his face, a sanguine mark being left in it’s wake as Aredhon’s entire head was turned from the impact. Not a word was spoken, not a sound in the air save Selena’s heavy breathing from the anger coursing through her veins. Oh how she hated this man, despised him with every fiber of her being with a passion that wouldn’t be denied, yet he waltzed in here like spending money on her would make everything better?! Ha! Lesson learned hopefully.

Silently, Aredhon rose, heaving a sigh as he walked for the door, opening and slipping through, peaking his head back in before closing it, a solemn look across his face. That had hurt in more ways them one, though Aredhon had not the heart to say that, instead speaking as his duties instructed, “Breakfast will be served promptly at midmorning, I pray you’re in a better mood then, Selena.� Just as his head ducked out, and the door closed, a pillow chased after it hitting with a thud as Selena huffed again. Why, why did he bother her?

“I pray he dies in his sleep.�

In a rather childish display, Selena stuck her tongue out at the door before climbing into her bed, slipping underneath the silken sheets and drawing a pillow to her stomach, hugging it close to her form while a solitary tear rolled down her cheek, Nefriel taking note and not about to bother her the rest of the night. Instead Selena whimpered, burying her head into her pillows as a single word erupted from the feathery cage…

“Idiot…�

In the midst of the night, there was a disturbance in the Mystic Heir’s room, one that the staff chalked up to a flaring temper of Selena, though come morning, they had to fetch the guard, nearly everyone from the meeting, and an extra assembling outside her room, wondering what the commotion was. Apparently, someone had broken into the room in the middle of the night, or Princess Selena had escaped…in either case, what was left was a piece of paper, one that no one knew what the strange markings on it meant, runes, until Linar spoke up, sighing.

“Seeing Runes…True Seeing Runes actually, whatever event took place while the runes were active; it lets the person whom activates them look in on the events, and see them as if they had been present. It’s actually a bit of what I had figured was forgotten magic…but it appears that someone still knows how to make them…I’ve not heard of the Princess being versed in magic, however, but they’re quite simple to activate.� One arm around the person whom had been an extra today, not at the meeting, Linar reached out for the paper, tossing it down in the midst of the group.

“Gras Vrun Tunsen.�

At his command, the paper began to glow, the small group being incased in a glowing light, no outsiders able to enter into their midst, and not one being able to leave, though they were all caught in powerful illusion magic, seeing the room that night as if they had really been there. The window opened from a strong wind, shadows moving across the floor as they surrounded and engulfed the sleeping Selena, binding her everywhere but her eyes as a white form entered the room. Clyde jumped, reaching for his sword before he remembered it was an illusion, but the act alone let everyone else know who it was…

“Khaine of the Black Sword…at your service…you’ll make a fine little pet for me, Princess…now then.�

The shadows formed into ropes and a gag as Khaine picked up, easily, the struggling Selena, holding her in his arms as he took to the window, smirking back for a few moments at where the group was, as if he knew ahead of time that they would be watching, as he dropped the rune-paper and jumped out the window with a single utterance, “Black Marshes…� That alone gave at least Clyde an idea…of where he was headed with the girl. This entire time, Nefriel, Selena’s familiar, had been bound by shadows, locked away in the corner, and as the illusion faded, they finally found and released him, gathering once again in the meeting room.

“He’s struck…� Ezkiel spoke out, sighing and staying close to Suzume, a messenger appearing at the door, frantically looking about the room, pausing as he saw the two from Gote, but relaying the message to Aredhon nonetheless…�We’ve just received word from our scouts…Gote has…the three cities…they’re…they’ve…been laid to ruin, sir. It’s like Delos all over again…�

Ezkiel froze, twitching, and it didn’t take an expert to notice he was NOT happy…his home…his work, his town, everything he’d been working on his entire life had just been wiped out? Was that possible? Suzume rose that question, since Ezkiel could not, and a nod from the messenger told the tale…Gote was…gone. The technological marvel of the modern world in ashes because of “Khaine…�

It didn’t take two seconds for the grey haired boy to rush for the door, Clyde catching his shoulder, staring coldly down at the boy…it wasn’t his intent to scare or intimidate him, but there was one thing Clyde wanted to get across to everyone present. “What do you expect to do, Ezkiel? Run, try and gather up what’s left of dying ruins? Or maybe try and assault Khaine yourself…the words he left…it’s a trap…he’ll be expecting us, and if you rush in, you’ll wind up just like the rest of Gote. For the sake of your people, survive and rebuild…I’ve heard of your talents, and if anyone can do that, you can…for now, let’s gather what resources we can, and prevent more destruction…it may be a trap, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be coming unprepared.�

“But what about the sur-“�Survivors? I doubt the vampires would let their prey come under harm, Ezkiel, anyone that can be saved has been saved and are probably on their way to a safe location…they’ll be fine for now, but we need to make sure they won’t come under harm again, alright?� “A…alright…�

Suzume took it from there, grabbing Ezkiel arm and leading him back to their side of the table, wrapping him up in her arms…what family he had left may have been…and…Suzume had faced the same realization, but she expected her parents to make it out alright, after all Rei Murasaki was a king of thieves…some little massacre wouldn’t stop him, and likely he saved Ezkiel’s family as well. Right?

“That settles it…we can’t delay much longer. More lives are at stake here, so we need to act quickly. I’ll send messengers to gather forces from the Mystics, I’ll personally talk with the Seraphs, we’ll need someone to speak with the Vampires, and gather what other forces you can. This won’t be an easy fight, but it will be a fight nonetheless…we march as soon as we’re ready…any complaints?�

Clyde raised his hand, looking right at Aredhon, “If Selena was kidnapped, and now Gote stroke, he’s trying to draw us into the open…we should not leave until we’re prepared, and not a moment sooner…� Aredhon nodded, “I agree with you, General Enduro, but lives are at stake here, and there’s no telling when he might strike again. We need to move, and we need to move as soon as we can to prevent more casualties…�

Apparently, the prince wasn’t listening, but Clyde nodded, silently standing by while final preparations were made. Ezkiel would return to Gote with Suzume to gather supplies and what was salvageable, Linar, and Kirise traveling back to Velucia to gather any artifacts that may be of use, Aredhon would gather the soldiers, and Clyde and Mai were meant to just…sit about and wait. It was a shame no one listened…rushing headfirst into the enemy would be a fools campaign…and Clyde was starting to get a feel for how Khaine thought…the moment they left, Aephris would be totaled…but he couldn’t tell that to Aredhon.

Things had gotten so complicated…

“Let me GO!�

Trapped in the grasp of possibly the most dangerous man on the planet, Selena could do little but struggle as he slapped a collar around her neck, odd dark sketchings around the sides of it, ones that began to glow as soon as it was latched. All of a sudden, her body began getting a little warm, then hot, before cooling back down, her binding done. Now, her soul was bound to that of Khaine’s, and using the innate shapeshifting abilities of the collar, he settled into his throne, intent to cast a few orders to begin.

“Selena, you are not to flee this location. You are not to inflict pain of any manner on myself, you are not to use your abilities to assist in escape or damage the grounds in any way shape or form. You are to obey my every fluid order, and fulfill any need I lay before you…Oh, and change into something more fitting for my personal little prisoners, Selena.�

While Selena wanted to resist, wanted to disobey, her body became hot again, burning as the collars orders took effect, even going so far as to change her clothing, the things she had been wearing back at the palace disappearing in favor of a thin low cut and high rise silver tank top, barely covering the points of her bust and little else, and a thin piece of silver cloth covering her below, held up by mere string…she felt so exposed, but more so angry, glaring up at Khaine, though her body forbade her to move against him…

“How…what magic is this…�

Khaine chuckled, leaning in to slide his serpentine fingers across her cheek, “An artifact fashioned by my own two hands…you did not think only the gods of old were capable of such things, did you Selena? A Collar of Binding…it forces your body to obey my every order, whatever that may be, and your mind must endure it. All in all, it is the perfect torture to break the will of a princess, isn’t it…tell me, since you must, what is it you fear most?�

The girl’s entire body shivered, amethyst eyes quivering as she tried in vain to hold back the words that came out of her mouth, “…Nefriel’s death… Aredhon’s death…� This alone made Khaine grin, lips twisting upward, but the way her body quivered was asserting his newfound dominance over her very being. Her Serene Highness, Heir to Mystic throne, Selena Xhena Gwin Mystiqae Na'teal'tresdefore would be his own personal little slave to bend to his will…oh, just the thought was sending chills up his spine, feminine lips pressing forth a chuckle.

“Crown Prince Aredhon…tsk, tsk. Wishing to unite Aephris? Pity…I plan on wiping out the whole of Kilia city.�

Certainly not a lie, but the way Selena’s eyes glared, half in shock, half in pure hate, realizing that this madman may just do it…to kill an entire kingdom…Delos had fallen, and Aephris was next? Sure, Selena cared about her people, but Aredhon would fall with Kilia…that…was…just…

“Oh, but I certainly won’t leave you alone…it wouldn’t be proper to leave such a beauty alone after such a tragic incident, which is why you –will- stay and become my own personal servant to carry out anything I may need…to begin, let us test you. Kneel before the throne of your new lord.�

Hate showed clearly through her eyes, wishing that they alone could do some kind of damage, though her body grew in heat as it positioned itself as the collar had been ordered, kneeling before the throne, though her head stayed promptly glaring at his face, leaving it pointing up, and inches from his body…the collar had kept the girl close, after all, and the view was quite nice to Khaine, whom only chuckled once more.

“Call the name of your lord and master…then, remove the top of your clothing. Following everything you are ordered, you are to say, ‘Yes lord Khaine.’ Is that understood?�

“Y…Yes lord Khaine. Lord Khaine is my master.�

Thus was the servitude she was being forced into…

“GET BACK HERE, SHIFTER!�

In the midst of planning and discussing in the throne room after everyone had departed, leaving Clyde and Mai to speak with the king, former enemies talking about the situation at hand and how to deal with it, no real solutions being resolved, but then again, that didn’t matter, the plans were being laid out anyway, it was a mere formality. The passive aggressive ‘negotiations’ were interrupted by the very resounding noise that had caught the attention of all present. Running in was a grey blur, and behind it, a black dressed seraph, down to the wings on –her- back…it was female, and Clyde was definitely not going to not notice that, what from way her blonde hair fell…

“Come on, Serel, you’ll have to try harder then that!�

The Seraph’s sword was drawn, making it a wonder she even made it into the palace, then again, Aredhon had taken all but the royal guard at the throne with the king, whom was now at arms, readying in case she should attempt a strike…instead, she was striking at the other intruder, trying to cut him though he vanished into thin air as she did, the sword passing through nothingness in it’s swipe, the grey form appearing at another location unscathed. Again, the angel charged, falling short once more…

“No, no, you’ll never catch me that way. Over here! Too slow. Come on, Shadow. Whoops, no chance.�

This continued for a few minutes before the form appeared on top of one of the flags on the wall, mounted above the floor, well above the seraph, “Come on, I know you can do better then this, Serel.� In his hand, as Mai now spotted, was a single black feather in the likeness that had been on the seraphs back, and apparently, she was chasing him for it, the way he taunted it above her. Without a second thought, ‘Shadow’ charged in headstrong, bursting into flight after the form, “Your days are numbered, shifter!�

Before the seraph could even touch him, though he looked oddly effeminate it was obvious it was a he, the ‘shifter’ vaulted from the pole, directly over the seraph, reaching out to pluck another feather of her wings, which rustled, with a audible repeating of the sound echoing from his lips, just to annoy the angel. It worked, of course, as she changed directions in midair, vaulting back down at the form which vanished, appearing in the center of the room.

“Come on, Serel, might as well give it up. You’ll never catch me, and you seem to be losing in your efforts across the board…after all, I have twice my spoils now…and…what is it that you have?�

How long had this little game gone on, of feathers, annoyance, toying and playing…across the world, in multiple kingdoms, towns, the expanses of the wild…she could seek him through her feathers, and he could avoid her with his skills. It was an endless dance, endless from the way their respective races worked, and to the end of time they’d be ‘dancing’, waltzing over the wheels of eternity. Obviously, she didn’t like it, growling at him, though sheathing her sword despite it.

“Bah…your days –are- numbered, shifter…where have you taken us now…�

Not so much a question, as an order, though he complied anyway, pocketing the feathers in his small growing collection, five of them now, and looking around, peripheral vision keeping an eye on his predator. One didn’t live this long without being cautious…�Judging from the throne, I’d say it’s no farm.� Chuckling and with a smirk that so suited his features, the shifter turned back to the angel, raising his hands up and shrugging.

“You’re in the throne room of Aephris, and it’s a pretty good chance the two of you may be imprisoned for attempted assassination of the king. Really, though, how did the two of you get here…and…what are your names?�

Curiosity could be dangerous, but the shifter merely chuckled, striding, slowly, over to the seraph, “My name…is Dondt. Ezkiel Dondt. This, lovely little killing machine…� As spoken, one hand twined around her waist, prompting a growl…the seraph knew she couldn’t hit Dondt, but there was no reason to flaunt the fact like that…it was torture…�Is Shadow Serel. She happened to be chasing me…in pursuit of one of her feathers, well, about six now isn’t it Shadow…� Oh, he was taunting her, and she scoffed, looking away, “If I remember right, the lot of you are looking for help…aren’t you? Looking to take down one of those Drakors?�

Shadow alone was a bit surprised that Dondt had the time to even gather information when he wasn’t being chased…one of these days…she’d kill him and take back her feathers. They were important in ways no one but she and he knew…and it was best to -keep- it that way…Clyde, also in a state of shock, slipped an arm around Mai with a quick smirk over to her as they both walked p to the other two, “Darkor? I wouldn’t know anything about that…but we are trying to deal with a Khaine of the Black Sword…help is appreciated, of course.�

Dondt nodded, kissing Shadow’s cheek quickly, a light peck, and then jumping back before she had a chance to knee him or slap him…by now he knew how the seraph worked. “Shadow, please help them.� Noting to himself the scowl, the growl, and the hand reaching for her sword…It had to have worked, and Shadow turned to the other two, “Fine…when do we leave. I –will- kill you, shifter. Five.�

“You’ve said that before. Now then, I take it you’d want my assistance as well, hm?� Dondt chuckled, pulling out a feather and holding it up, looking at it as if he were inspecting something to the light. These feathers were more precious then gold to him…and he wanted to be the only one exploiting Shadow’s weaknesses, as he wouldn’t abuse them too badly as others may. The shifter wanted merely to annoy her…

Clyde, however, shifted at the offer…two people fighting amongst the ranks wouldn’t…be good…�Well…yes…bu-“�Shadow, let’s not fight until this Drakor is dealt with…It’s Drakor, anyway, General, not Darkor.� The feather in his hand vanished, had he teleported it somewhere? “Darkor is another kind of mixed breed entirely, you see. Much less deadly, however, and cannot control the shadows. Probably the one thing that makes Darkors easier to beat. One thing either can’t control, however, is this Shadow…yes, you.� The one that was glaring at him…

“You say Khaine is a Drakor…? Well…can you explain that…?� Clyde shifted a bit, wondering how reliable this information was…but then again, it seemed like Dondt knew a lot…or at least as knowledgeable on this subject. Either way, he could be a help if it could all be verified…and any help in defeating Khaine was more then welcome.

“But of course. Do you have a meeting room for this? Some chairs would be nice, seeing as this will take a while. I do hope you’ve slept well last night…�

“The year was 4583 A.D. when the fall of modern civilization came about. Many of the problems that had pushed back humanity had been solved, only one thing remained, and that was humanity itself. Zeron Drakor, a direct ancestor of Khaine, ushered in the destruction of the world itself through calling upon another dimension, something achieved through the science of the time, and bringing creatures from the astral dimension to aid him in his goal…wiping out the world, and starting anew, just like his ancestors had done, and in the same manner as those before him.

A little known fact, really, as most historical logs from that time are lost, or hidden amongst those who would think them dangerous to everyone else. After all, with knowledge that there even –was- an astral dimension with power immense there, wouldn’t someone else try to seek it out and repeat the whole process perhaps by mistake? His descendants remained blissfully unaware of the power their blood held as well, seeing as Zeron caught the eye of one of those beings, and…well…needless to say, Khaine’s got some odd blood in him. A large amount as well, as quite a few in his line have married cross-plane, in secret, as they’ve been pulled out of this one by descendants of the family that had learned of Zeron.

In either case, Khaine has an entire other dimension at his disposal, and that’s where the majority of his power comes…creatures cast into this plane are bound to obey whoever summoned them, same as if we were taken there…it’s the only method of travel known. Before you ask how I know all of this…Shapeshifters often have a near photographic memory, more of a curse then a blessing given the lifespan, and I gained entrance into the forbidden libraries, reason I was cast out and aside…well…actually they tried to kill me, but you saw how well Shadow’s efforts in that were, and she’s honed in that sort of thing…take a bunch of pacifists…and…�

Elsewhere, the very person whom had been spoken of sat on his throne, eying the nude toy he’d ordered to dance for him, watching his personal princess sway and move her hips and body, legs soaked and stained…not yet had he given her what she had been craving, simply getting her nice and aroused, and then leaving her to satisfy –him- and nothing more, waiting for the time when her will would break and she would beg. Days this had gone on for, and with only breaks for rest, Selena’s will was indeed wearing thin…

The mystic’s lip had a fair indent in it, from where she was biting to try and keep herself in check, eyes glued on his length as ordered while her body swayed, getting him aroused once more, only for more torture…where were her saviors…where was her family…where were her rescuers…where was Aredhon?

“Tsk, Tsk, Selena…you seem to be losing your spunk…and I’d like that.�

“I’m sorry, Lord Khaine.�

Speaking like a ruled servant was starting to be second nature to her as the collar was working its effects…after so long, the orders given begin to corrupt the mind of the victim, leaving it in a state of whatever had been suggested. Normally, the process took weeks, but under situations of extreme stress, it was easily sped forward, like now, Selena dropped to her knees without order, prepared to continue what she had before…

…where was Aredhon…

A certain Ice Elemental was wondering the same things, sitting in a conference room with a apparently fallen seraph who was glaring the entire time at a apparent shapeshifter, holding onto a Fire Elemental whom was cuddling into him, a small grey inventor who honestly looked like a younger form of the shifter, his demon friend, whom was sticking close to him, tail swaying, and, of course, the map of the world, or what was left of it…The Velucian group was still absent, leaving Clyde to wonder if they hadn’t just left them, and fled the upcoming battles in hopes of making some kind of coin out of it all…merchants were like that, right?

No, in all reality, the Velucian group was just arriving, Linar coming in first, his female companion Kirise supporting him, the same one whom had been at Selena’s room, a demon half-bred with an elf, and it showed in her appearance. Linar’s arm was in a sling, and Kirise, mysteriously, was the only one present of the group without any damage…was she simply too quick for the destruction, or had she a hand in the devastation?

“What ha-“�Velucia is gone…like Delos…� Linar choked on the words, as if part of his own soul had just died…in reality, it had. Velucia was his homeland, where he did his research, kept his work, not where his family was, heavens no, but it was important to him…and…in all the destruction, he’d lost his some 600 years of research…that only added to his pain, or rather was the majority of his pain. “We brought…what we could…what was left…�

Ezkiel nodded, “So did we…I can maybe fashion some things from the scraps I brought back…if I could get a look at those things you brought, maybe they could be combined…� Artifacts in technology, something Ezkiel had been working on, and truly, it would be a force to be reckoned with, as when you combined immense magical power with immense technological power…you would get…power. Pure, raw, power that could put an end to the bloodshed, and if Ezkiel was still around afterwards, he’d destroy the device permanently to prevent it from being used again.

If it was up to Clyde, such thing wouldn’t be needed…�Did you spot Aredhon?� A question on everyone’s mind and it may as well have been asked by everyone, save the shifter and seraph…the final person in their little group, the one whom personally wanted to save Selena the most rather then do away with Khaine, and yet he was absent while they were preparing. It had to have been a few days going by, a few times in the chronicles of the world while they waited for Aredhon to return so they could leave, while Selena remained imprisoned and with Khaine, being subjected to the same torture she’d been given thus far, with new additions in blood…

“This isn’t finished, Shifter.�

A sigh escaped him, him being Ezkiel Dondt, and the sigh being because Shadow Serel was right behind him, growling and glaring as he walked along in the gardens outside the palace, inside the walls, where lush plants grow in a pleasing display to the eyes. Here a form of black, and another of grey stood, the latter turning to face the former as he quirked an eyebrow. Oh, this was rich…but done before.

“You say that, but it keeps going on, Serel…I have a name, use it.�

Spitting at the ground, blue eyes glared right into the grey pools contained in Dondt’s head…if looks could kill, well, that was what she was hoping for. By the rules of engagement she couldn’t physically harm him, for reasons supernatural, and only because of what he had done with her feathers, otherwise, her sword would be drawn and she’d be trying to achieve drawn blood, his of course, instead she couldn’t ‘fight’ him…there had to be another way to exact her revenge for forcing her into this.

“Not even when you’re cold and dead, as I spit on your grave. When we’re done here, Shifter, I will make you experience pain you’ve never imagined. I will cut your ribs by your spine, and break them so they’re nice and bloody, then pull your lungs out, finishing it off by dousing salt all over your exposed torso…I will pull out your heart and force it down your throat, Shifter, then gouge out your very eyes and force you to eat those as well…you’ll have a full stomach by the time I’m done, Shifter, and then I’ll cut that open and force it on you all over again.�

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before, Shadow…the thing is, you have to catch me first…something you’ve yet to accomplish.�

That actually made an impact on the seraph, and instead of growling, she stopped, composed in thought before sighing, pulling on an act as she dropped her shoulders in defeat, “I guess you’re right, Shifter…or should I say…Ezkiel…� Smiling, actually smiling, softly she tilted her head back up, stepping forward to him, swaying her hips as she moved. Shadow herself was already well formed, and in her normal apparel, there was certainly a charm about her looks, only that if you were caught looking, she’d tear your eyes out. A cami, black and midriff baring as draped over her form, nothing over or under it, as she was freer to move like this, bust contained within, stretching the cloth a bit, but her firmness kept that in check. Shadows skin was far from soft…Gracing her lower half, was a black pair of lower cut black jeans, and they were swaying with her hips as she sidled up close to a thoroughly confused Dondt.

“I can’t beat you…can I…so why fight it…why fight my feelings…� Leaning up, she drew her lips close to his as if she were about to kiss him, “Why fight what my body, mind, and heart want…� While Dondt’s eyes were on her face, Shadow pulled a knife and a stone from her pack on her back, covering the actual ‘low rise’ part of the jeans…it also carried things for an occasion where she’d need them, like now. Gods she felt dirty for doing this…�Why fight what I crave…what you crave…Ezkiel?�

As she was just about to press her lips to his, he knife struck out, cutting open his shirt and hitting the skin, blood flowing easily from his feeble constitution as she pushed the stone into the wound, gathering more then enough blood in his surprise and shock…she’d tricked him…and hit him…but Dondt simply shifted the wound away and stepped back, shaking his head, “Dirty trick, Serel…wouldn’t have expected it though…�

“Pity, I’m not done yet…enjoy your trip, Shifter.�

As she spoke, the stone in her hand began resonating, the blood red stone shaking and shivering, echoing loud calls that only Dondt could hear, calling out to him, to his form, and drawing him in as he became trapped, vanishing from that plane of existence…at least his soul. Thus was the abilities of the SoulKeeper, a personal tool of Shadow’s for torturing her victims…now to ‘dispose’ of the body…she couldn’t leave it here…so…with a grab on his cold dead shoulder, she lifted him over her back, carrying him off to the only place she could. Her room. And hoping to avoid suspicion too much…By the time the SoulKeeper released his soul, he’d be too far from his body to save it…and both parts would die…

“Ugh…it was worth it to kill the shifter……………………it was worth it to kill the shifter……………………it was worth it to kill the shifter……………………�

Technically, she didn’t fight him…

“’Ey…Ezkiel?�

The room was nearly empty, save some scraps in the corner…entirely unlike the owner of the room, or temporary guest, where normally the entire place would be filled, cluttered, or otherwise occupied by debris. ‘Twas the way they lived their own lives, but to find a room belonging to Ezkiel Lionheart…clean…was akin to finding that fabled needle in the haystack. It wasn’t ever seeming to be possible, but then one simply stumbled upon it…if a room were to be clean, it meant he left, as was such when he moved workshops, however that meant Ezkiel’s room would no longer be his room, yet that the new one would be his. If that made any sense.

Honestly the girl confused herself with the thought…

A tail, furry appendage catlike in nature, swung back and forth behind it’s owner as it’s mistress’s eyes surveyed the room. Where could he have gone? Did they give him a workshop before she had gotten back from town…? It wasn’t like Ezkiel to not tell his ‘assistant’ where he was going…Suzume deserved to know. Yet, now the room was empty, the boy vacant, and the girl left to wonder. That was, until the telltale explosion in the distance alerted her catlike ears, twitching as she grinned. There was her Ezkiel.

Smoke cluttered up the area, thick grey smoke, grey because for some odd reason smoke and dust were never black in Ezkiel’s presence, at least not what he created anyway. Always grey, a pale grey that made it seem as if you were going blind just looking into it, though with a few coughs uttered within, the window opened, door as well, and the grey figure exited, childlike features with tears on them. Why tears? Smoke stung your eyes, of course…and he was coughing and wheezing as if there were a lung disease present…

“Ugh…I don’t get it…it was just a glove…�

“Yeah, well everything of yours seems to wind up going to smoke lately…maybe it’s the stress? You haven’t been the same since we got that news…�

“Suzume!�

It was her, Suzume Murasaki, a sort of smirk on her face as amethyst eyes closed, simply to shake along with her head, matching hair flowing a little. It was short, but that wasn’t the matter, nor was it ever. Instead one of her hands found its way to her hip, the other scratching the side of her face in a gesture that had likely lost it’s meaning. Clad in a simple v-cut purple shirt, and a pair of simple pants, Suzume stood, tail still swaying as her eyes opened once more to look onto the building Ezkiel had just exited. It appeared they gave him a shed, or something similar, as the entire building was hardly the size of a standard bedroom, but contained within happened to be tables, chairs, books, tools, and all of Ezkiel’s things; however it also contained an amazing amount of smoke from the latest failure of the ‘broken’ inventor.

“You’ve really got to stop with the backfires…here at least…if you ruin something around here, I don’t think they’ll be too happy, Ezki.�

“Hey! I wasn’t even building anything!�

It stung a little, but just as the grey eyes closed, Suzume’s hand was on his head, a smile on her face. Of course she never meant to hurt the young inventor, and simply put it was a joke. “Then what were you doing? Something about a glove? I didn’t think leather could explode, unless things are spontaneously combusting now…� Smirking again, she called a few breezes over with her own form of magic, clearing out the workshop with a few asks of the crazy little gusts of wind. Aephris wind was simply just…odd.

“I don’t think that’s how spontaneous combustion works…and that’s just an old theory on one of the hard copies back home…well it was. No one’s proven it, remember? Just a remnant of the past. Anyway…I was working on adding metal plates to a glove to prepare it for mounting a few tools onto it…but I didn’t even have any tech near the thing! I was even attaching it by hand!� A heavy sigh erupted from his mouth, however Suzume already had the sullen boy’s hand and was pulling him into the workshop to look at the blackened table where the glove sat…undamaged…“Ezki…where did you get that glove?�

“Er…huh?� It looked simple, black leather with a certain thickness to it, but otherwise like a run of the mill glove you would find in any higher class store. Suzume however saw something different, perhaps it was her attunement to magic, or an outside intervention, but the glove held a slightly golden glow to it in the demon’s amethyst eyes. “I asked an attendant for one…he said it was among the things left behind for our use by Aredhon…� Magic…it had to be magic, or enchanted, and the demon’s eyes were captivated on it, scooping it up off the table to examine it. The plates weren’t on it, anymore…that had to be what had blown away…

“I may need a second opinion…but I think you snagged yourself an artifact, Ezki.�

It seemed like the shortest walk ever to reach her room, and every doorway had had the shifters head hit against it as she passed through, on purpose, and every wall had had his legs hit against it in passing, every time a mumbling of “And that was for THAT feather…� There were a great many of things she owed him, none of them pleasant, but she couldn’t actively fight him, which was the pain…when Khaine was gone, she would have to come back for his corpse to desecrate it for all the pain he had caused her…

THUNK

Tossed on the floor, she left the shifter there, climbing onto her bed with the door closed…the windows were pulled closed, blinds, dark as night pulled over them to shroud her in darkness…it was all she could get in her short stay here, though she’d rather have had the entire room black as night. Instead there was a spot of grey as she settled onto the bed, pulling her legs up close…why wasn’t this more fulfilling then she always thought it’d be…

Dondt, on the other hand was in a much different situation, suspended in nothingness, red tinted blackness all around him, unable to feel anything, not even himself, yet still visibly conscious of himself and the outside world, still conscious period, in torture, he knew he was there…be he couldn’t tell were there was, it all being dark, dark red…one thing he did figure, was that his attacker was nearby, why wouldn’t she? Probably pleased with herself over the victory, but Dondt wouldn’t let that settle so easily…

There was one thing Shadow forgot about…Ezkiel still had a few feathers of hers…four to be exact. Do the math.

With a few simple utterances, Shadow had cringed…he was acting on her only weakness…all she had left that could hurt her…calling on the defect in her feathers, one could force Shadow under their control if they did things right, and with a near whimper, she was forced to let him out of the SoulKeeper, turning away from him…pulling her knees up as tears started to well in the corners of her eyes…well they would have had she been able to cry, instead all she felt was hurt and depression.

Every thing she tried to get back at the man taunting her very existence, failed. Nothing worked, and she just continued to be tortured…

Stretching and shifting away the cuts and bruises Shadow had caused, like he hadn’t expected them, Dondt was about to just simply leave…until he stopped to take a look at his former captor, in her sulking state, and the heart –he- held felt twinges of guilt. How could he not feel bad…? Shadow would never have felt such remorse though, but Dondt couldn’t help that he settled on the opposite end of the bed as her, taking a deep breath…

“The…door is over there…just go.�

“I can’t do that…it…was a nice trick.�

A sniffle echoed back and Shadow sighed, “Still didn’t work, Shifter…you still torment me…�

A cringe, “I do…don’t I…� Reaching into his pocket, Dondt pulled out the feathers he’d had, all but one to ensure his safety, and held them out over her shoulder, “Take them…�

“Why…you’ll just take more…� Shifting a little, she turned away, wings ruffling a bit as the seraph pulled her knees tighter…why didn’t he just leave her be…what made it so enjoyable for him to torment her like this…Shadow Serel’s very existence had been consumed with chasing this one person whom knew and exploited her weakness to try and prevent it from getting out, to prevent others from doing the same as he did…to do like the one she had…known in the past…

Dondt’s eyes fell on the feather in his hand, settling down next to Shadow on the edge of the bed, leaning on his knees while she scooted away a bit…�Oh come on…I’m not going to do anything right now…you could still put me back in…right?� “In theory…� Dondt nodded, letting his fingers idly trace up and down the single feather he still held onto, the others tossed out onto the bed…he wasn’t going to keep them if she wouldn’t take them. “What…is so important about these feathers…?�

“It’s…a birth defect…though…I suppose it’s a curse…fitting…seeing how I turned out. Whenever…someone takes hold of my feathers…and makes an order…well…you’ve seen it…shifter…they ‘vanish’…in reality, they return to my wings, binding me to the favor asked…you’ve abused it, so I know you know how it works…it’s gotten me…into so much trouble…� Twirling the feather about a few times, Dondt nodded again, sighing as he leaned his head back…that sarcastic smirk that oh so often covered his face was gone, replaced by the solemn look of a man in thought…

“You spoke of that before…right? I remember you saying something about losing something that couldn’t be returned…� That alone could mean a great many things, but what exactly did it hold for Shadow? “A heart…my heart…� On the words Shadow pulled her knees closer…it hurt still, not that it was gone, but how it was taken, and who had taken it, the entirety of the situation haunted her every now and then when she thought of it, but that was why she covered it up…

“Wait…heart? I’m no expert on Seraph anatomy, but the heart is kinda a vital organ…?�

“It is…in the physical sense…but in the emotional sense it can be taken…stripped of the body…things…happened…and I lost myself…� The first response would have been, ‘What things?’ but it didn’t take a genius to know that that wasn’t a good question right now, instead Dondt did something he’d only done before to tease and taunt her…he slipped his arm around her, across her shoulder, scooting over and holding her to him to comfort, hopefully.

“Could it be returned?�

“Well, there’s…no…no it can’t…� Oh, there was a way, and Dondt picked up on that, Shadow completely immune to any comfort he was trying to give her…right about now…what was the point of life if she was completely powerless, tortured, and nothing left for her…anywhere…�There’s no spell that can’t be undone at the right price…now then…how can it be undone…and if you don’t know, I think I know of a place where I could find out…� The feather still in his had was slid right behind her ear, something that made Shadow blink…he…returned all of them…

“I…know…but…to…undo it, there needs to be someone who actively loves me, and wants to help me retrieve it…a relative by blood of the person whom cast the spell…and proof of love between the person helping and myself…that’ll never happen…� And that was just more depressing to the Seraph…she would never get back what was taken from her by someone whom had stolen her heart in a much more…emotional sense…then literally stole it from her…it was…so cruel.

“I will help.�

Grease, the clamor of machines, and the smell of smoke and powder in the air…that was what overtook the makeshift workshop one inventor had set up in a room out of the palace. ‘Assistant ‘ at his side, Ezkiel was hard at work at trying to fashion something together, Linar across from him with the artifacts they had, Kirise with him…four people in the room, one shifter, two demons, and a human, all of which working on something to eliminate those shadows which threatened to overtake them.

The things available from the artifacts were heat retention crystal, a cooling device in the shape of a gem of ice that never melted, a small necklace that granted the wearer clear sight, a glove that increased physical strength one-hundred fold, an arrow that burned with a bright, cleansing light whenever energy was fed into it, and a ring that could produce a beam of intensified sunlight…Ezkiel had his work cut out for him, that was certain, but with Linar’s guidance on how the magical items worked, and Ezkiel’s expertise with machines, they were making progress…

The two elementals, however, were busy talking…what about? The upcoming battle…it was on everyone’s minds, that when Aredhon finally returned with the Seraphs, that they would launch an assault to wipe Khaine off the face of the earth…pity Fate had such other plans in mind…People, no matter how much they wished to avoid it, would always play into Time’s hand, one way or another, and carry out whatever they were meant to do, even if they were trying to avoid it…

“S…Sir Enduro!�

The two had been in the garden, nestled on a bench, cuddling close and talking whilst looking out upon the scenery, instead they had been interrupted by a messenger running up the walk…The man didn’t even have to say his news, Clyde knew, oh he knew, that at this point, Khaine had seen fit to do away with another kingdom…he had to have, there were no other excuses, that was the only thing that would draw such desperation from these Aephris men…they were men of war, but even those bred to fight have fear.

“Which one…�

“T…the mystic’s sir. The…there are only a handful of survivors…we’re helping them here now…�

“No, send them to the refugee camp…Leon will be able to protect and safeguard them until we go on the charge…all the focus needs to be n preparing.� What did he want to say? That Aephris was all that was left, that they were logically next…no one knew exactly where the elves and shifter’s resided, just how those groups liked it…removal from the rest of the world meant safety and protection, and more importantly, it meant they were left alone.

“Sir…you don’t have the authority to make that kind of decision…Sir…Aredhon just informed me to keep you informed…�

The man shifted his weight a little, leaning on one foot as he thought…it wasn’t logical either, seeing as the man was raised to believe Aephris was strong…what better place to house the refugees then where the armies could protect them? In all reality, in the way Khaine had struck before…the higher the concentration, the larger the risk…Clyde didn’t know how the man fought, or how he struck, but it seemed to be swift and wiped out entire towns in the blink of an eye…

“Fine…fine…any word from Aredhon?�

The messenger shook his head, bowing and taking his leave…there were preparations to still be made…

Boom

“Mai, did you hear that? It sounded like someone whis-“

As if echoing the sentiment, an explosion echoed through the courtyard, all through the palace really, the location being of no surprise to one demon, though everyone else was shocked. Mai grabbed Clyde’s arm, pulling him over to the source of the explosion, the workshop Ezkiel had taken up residence in…The door itself wouldn’t open, but with a subtle negotiation with the bottom of Clyde’s foot, it relinquished its position guarding the entranceway…and fell on a young grey form.

Sprawled out across the room was scrap metal, and lots of it. The door shifted and Ezkiel crawled out from under it, coughing and looking about…sticking up out of a pile of papers and books was a hand he went right for, pulling Suzume out of the rubble as she coughed as well, “Ugh…I told you it was going to blow…I said that!� Getting herself out the rest of the way, she sighed, leaning against the wall as Clyde and Mai stepped in, looking for…

“Where’s Linar and Kirise?�

A cough answered them as Kirise emerged from the rubble over towards the corner, dragging Linar up with her…she…wasn’t happy, however Linar was chuckling. Dust was everywhere, smoke still in there air, and those with furry appendages, mainly Suzume and Kirise, would be having a rather tough time getting clean now…the precise reason why Kirise wasn’t happy, glaring at the inventor whom smiled nervously.

“Alright…what happened?�

Clyde was less then happy, mainly that people could have been injured, Linar the most likely…shifters weren’t exactly the most durable beings in the world, not exactly known for their life expectancy…which was why the majority of them hid away. It was like a death sentence to live among everyone else. Ezkiel shifted a bit, standing up and dusting himself off…what went wrong? Well there were a few things, but he’d give the short version for Clyde’s sake.

“The energy was too much for the device…those artifacts are…well…powerful. I couldn’t calibrate it to the machinery, and it backfired, causing a small explosion…� “Small compared to the ones back home.� “Yes, yes, Suzume. Anyway, I need a bit more time, a few days at the most, to test the artifacts and get something useful made. I have an idea now, and a very clear one…it ought to be able to handle the wide array of enemies we’d be up against.�

Clyde nodded, “I think I could pull a priest to bless it just in case as well…then again, Aephris only has war intent, doesn’t it? A blessing from that sort of god would…well it’d be what we need, but I wouldn’t want to go anywhere near a weapon with that…�

Ezkiel shifted his weight, shaking his head, “It’s not a weapon…a device…� Weapons slaughtered and destroyed…this would be their saving grace…Sitting on the table which had mostly remained unaffected was a bright glowing white gemstone…the tool for the fight against the shadow…and something created from Ezkiel’s own work, on accident even. When you worked to combine artifacts…odd things happened.

Tossing, turning…restlessness.

Selena tried to back away, but Khaine grinned, catching her wrist and tossing her towards the thrones. Sitting on top of them, her mother and father, bound by shadows holding them still, all under Khaine’s control, and all waiting specifically for her. Her parents looked on in horror…not only was Selena standing with a knife there, trying desperately to throw it away, though she’d been ordered to hold onto it, so it refused to leave her hand…but she also stood nude, entirely, Khaine not allowing his little pet to dress for the occasion.

The Cloaked Figure raised himself up, drawing the claw like appendage off the sheath and licking its tongue across the blade, just trying to get the taste before the blood to compare with after before Khaine stuck his arm back, smirking and shaking his head to his general. “Selena, kill them.�

“K…KILL?!�

Oh she was fighting it…her body was hot…so hot, burning like fire had broken out inside her and on her skin, shaking as if an earthquake were occurring within her very body while the knife raised itself up. She couldn’t stop it, the mystic’s body wasn’t responding to any orders her mind gave, and the knife plunged down, red spraying across the room as Khaine and The Cloaked Figure looked on, Khaine particularly pleased…Multiple birds with one stone…he further breaks Selena’s will by letting her know firsthand that no one of her family will come to save her…he takes care of the mystics, and he furthers Selena’s hate for his very being.

That was apparent, as curses ran out from the princess’s lips as her parents screamed in horror and pain. The things that were being done were and should remain indescribable…Selena wasn’t just murdering her parents, she was torturing them before hand, something Khaine hadn’t ordered, but in a sense, it was prolonging their lives long enough for her to mumble out apologies, and begs of forgiveness, for her to try and apologize for every boy she’d ever injured because they wanted her to have a husband to stand by her, for every time she ever yelled and screamed at them as they tried to make her do anything, every little attempt to undercut their authority over her life…

Tears streamed from the princess’s eyes as that demonic chortle sounded throughout the room over the death cries of the Rulers of the Mystic Realm…

“Fu…Fu…Fu…�

Snapping awake in a cold sweat, Selena caught her breath in her throat, choking and coughing before it cleared, leaving her breathing heavy and disorientated…it didn’t take but a few moments for the true gloom of her situation to settle in, and the realization that the dream itself, or rather nightmare, had been a reality…She wasn’t free either, with the collar still around her neck, sitting naked on the floor by Khaine’s bed, leash attached to her that run up into Khaine’s very hand, though the man was asleep…her one reprieve.

Just like in the nightmare, tears fell in streams across her cheek, and a few sobs echoed throughout the room…this was madness…this was hell itself. Torture uncompromised, nothing but pain and suffering day after day…it was a daily occurrence now after she’d been forced to beg for Khaine to further rob her of her womanhood…there wasn’t blood, not anymore, but before…he’d taken something that could never have been returned, stripped from her like a toy from a disobedient child…

Why was this happening to her…when would it end…

Two days…two days suffering in silence, everyone sat waiting…not only did Shadow and Dondt not show themselves, no one had seen them for a while…Clyde, for one, was fearing they’d simply left. Would the remaining power be enough to take care of such a threat as Khaine…they would need all the help they could get for someone whom controlled the very shadows. Shadows were everywhere, every nook, every cranny, every place that light was cast there were shadows as well. It was a fact of life, and someone whom could control and bend those to his very will was…

“Clyde! I was wondering where you’d ran off to.�

Leaned up against the side of the wall, he’d been deep in thought outside the palace against it…Mai made her approach, tilting her head to the side. Something was wrong…Clyde had been getting more and more distant lately; with every kingdom that fell his mood seemed to fall with them, worse and worse…The worst being he wouldn’t allow her to help or aid him in any way…

“Clyde…�

Biting his lip, Clyde closed his eyes and leaned his head back, letting it knock lightly against the wall. The situation was bleak…there was nowhere left to turn for support, everywhere had fallen…fire in the woods and hidden strongholds had been blown, telling the tale of the death of the elvish and shapeshifter kingdoms…there was nowhere left to turn for support, troop morale however was at an all time high. The king had inspired his troops in the foolhardy manner that Aephris would never fall like everyone else, that it was strong, had been in the past, and would be until the end of time. They were invincible!

Fools…

No one was invincible, but not one Aephris soldier questions their ruler, seeing as they’d been born and bred to follow his every order, taught that their kingdom was in fact invincible at such a young age. No one would make it out of battle alive thinking it was impossible for them to die…at least the prince saw the truth, but he was missing. No one had seen Aredhon for a near week now, and Clyde was preparing to gather what he could for an ass-

“He’s back Clyde…please…let’s go.�

And thus the ray of sunshine fell…

“The Seraphs had agreed to aid us, a force of 4,000 strong with only the elders remaining behind…preparations are complete? Good, we leave in the morning…Sir Enduro! So nice to see you!�

Clyde waved it off, stepping into place at the meeting table, everyone else already gathered…the first thing noticed, was Aredhon’s arm was in a sling…there was also a brace on his leg…the man was in no condition to fight, that was certain. Clyde wouldn’t let so-…Oh, right, he held no authority in Aephris. Ugh…Such a proud and arrogant people, it was a wonder why they weren’t the first target…

“Everything in order? Good…I need to meet with the healers to take care of these wounds, ensuring everything is alright for the battle is top priority…everyone meet here at sunrise for final preparations.�

With that, Crown Prince Aredhon left the room, not even bothering to ask what they had been up to in his absence…his mind was focused on rescuing Selena, while everyone else was focused on taking out Khaine, as Selena would be free then. That was, if she was even alive right now…no one knew. Khaine had had a perfect opportunity to wipe them all out when he visited the palace to steal Selena away, but why hadn’t he?

“It’s a trap…and we know it’s a trap…but…�
Ezkiel cut Clyde off, “We can’t allow him to go alone…he’ll die for certain.�

Clyde nodded, leaning onto the table with both hands, “What’s the status of the device?� Ezkiel’s eyes lit up at the question, a clear sign and Clyde cut him off before he could go into detail about the success of the invention, all with a finger. Instead, he marked out where the black marshes would be on the map, sighing and shaking his head…it was a defensible position, Nestled in a natural alcove in the mountains, the terrain being swampy for a good one hundred miles in every direction that wasn’t a mountain…Khaine would know of their approach long before they got there for certain…

It all had to have been planned out in advance, and as a strategic mind, it was killing Clyde to know they were marching into a battle where a trap had been set for them and no way to get around the trap. Perhaps they could survive it…but Khaine had to have had something up his sleeve to wipe them off the face of the world…there was no other way. Their fates were sealed, were they…Pity Clyde never believed in fate.

“Alright, so we know where he is, we know he’s expecting us, and we know there’s probably some sort of trap waiting on us…is everyone ready to strike the stronghold Khaine must have?� Nods all around, agreement from every person at the table, “Alright…I’ll go see if Dondt and Shadow haven’t killed each other…then we’ll show up tomorrow with Aredhon. In the battle, we’ll slip ahead, while their forces are distracted, and then make our way to the stronghold…it’s a losing battle, he can call as many beings as he wants to fight us, so time is of the essence…we’ll need to take out Khaine. Kill the commander, and the units fall into disarray…that’s our only hope of victory…Sorry, Mai, but brute force’ll only dull our blade…� He smirked to her, knowing her fairly obvious disapproval at the plan…but even the Fire Elemental knew there wasn’t another good course of action…

“Right…prepare for the morning.�

Early morning, sun rising over the horizon in a vain attempt to light the fields around Aephris, though something was off today had one bothered to look. Rising from his bed in the northeastern section of the castle, with a window on the eastern wall…lit was a candle to keep track of the time, and already, it was a few hours past sunrise. The main thing, was that the room was still dark as if it were the dead of night with clouds reigning high in the sky, no light from the world’s moon. Clyde didn’t have to think twice, looking out the window to see darkness as far as the eye could see…

“Mai.�

Checking the bed, she was still there, and with a nudge he roused her, both of them quickly getting dressed, and drawing their equipment from the closet…Mai didn’t even have to be told. Dead of night when it should have been morning…Darkness was something of Khaine’s invention, or domain, as one should say. Black Sword…he was present, was he not? The air held an ominous tone to it, making the walls themselves feel as if they weren’t there, a near dreamlike state, and as the door opened, shadows drifted into the room, clouding up the ceiling as the two looked out into the hallways, Clyde’s hand finding its way around Mai.

Hanging low in the hallway was the same shadowy mass, almost as if smoke, though pure black like the night, and every now and then wisps would clear allowing sight of a small portion of whatever direction you were looking. It was…odd. Disorientating, though neither Elemental took a step out into it yet. On Clyde’s mind was the thought of what it might do to the body, let alone mind. It was no secret that Khaine was mad, by this point, though what was unclear was if he was truly behind what was going on…

A path cleared from the left as a grey form emerged, black beside it, wings emerging. Shadow and Dondt appeared to have merely been walking through it, as the mass stayed a good three feet from them at all times, moving whenever they did to create a sort of bubble. Right away Mai broke toward them dragging Clyde with him as Dondt spoke up to fill the two in.

“Rough morning, hm? Black mist, I believe the spell is called. However, it merely clouds vision from afar…get close, and it’s ‘scared off’, allowing easy passing through, but completely obliterating a chance of any sort of ranged strike to…well…hit. Quite effective against companies of archers on the battlefield, but isolated in this palace? My guess is someone doesn’t want us to move about much, or if we do, to be blind to what may be going on around…�

Clyde growled under his breath, “Khaine…�

A nod came from the shifter, holding a hand out towards the hall, pointing down to where the other’s rooms were, “We should gather everyone before they start moving about…best to keep everyone together, that way no one gets lost. I’m certain something will be occurring…� Something? Oh definitely something…echoing throughout the halls came that demonic chortle that haunted Selena’s dreams…

“Fu fu fu…�

It didn’t take but fifteen minutes to assemble the group, minus one crown prince, though his room was on the other side of the palace, alongside the room of the king. None wanted to travel too far before everything was together…Dressed and ready for a fight, like they’d been expecting on the fields today, not in the palace, they stood in the hallway. Linar, Kirise, Suzume, Ezkiel, Clyde, Mai, Dondt, and Shadow…the last of which had a slight smile on her face, which probably was more chilling then anything else…she seemed to be nearly hanging on to Dondt.

“Alright…we need to ensure that Aredhon and the king are safe…and what’s going on here…everyone in agreement?� Clyde waited, as everyone nodded or made some other notion that they felt the same way about the plan, “Then we’ll take the hallway around, and stick to the halls. No one enter a chamber, as it’s merely another area to have to watch…Dondt, you alright with watching our rear? Good…then we’ll keep slow as well…keep your ears listening, if we can hear anything before it comes, it can be a huge help. To be taken by surprise in this mist…could be death…that being said…any efforts to stay quiet would be greatly appreciated…�

The General shifted a little, used to leading troops…hell, they had to obey him. These people were victims of circumstance, nearly every one of them here because they either chose to be, or had nowhere else to go, needing to find strength in others to secure their own path which had been wrenched from them. Could he really trump fate and give these people back what they had lost…? No, not a chance, but Clyde was certain he could help them to build again…after all, he had.

Without further wait, they began, moving quietly along…Ezkiel mind was toiling over how to use the device affixed to his left arm inside, a near cylinder about it, with a hole on the end…it was a contained device, just in case things got out of hand, the inside of the tubing would absorb a lot of the impact of an internal explosion before the outside could burst…it also meant more close-range shrapnel, but Ezkiel had plenty of experience dealing with that…he could pull it out, of course.

Suzume and Kirise were both having similar thoughts about what might be occurring, leaving Linar to slip his hand into the latter’s, holding it tight as they walked through the darkness. Oh, this was –LIVING- history…Linar was making himself apart of what he could chronicle for later generations, and even later ages to read, knowing how the world became in such a state, and what was done to fix it, and all the events in-between! This, this was like heaven for the historian…though the idea of self-preservation was evading his smirking mind at the moment.

Dondt’s mind was elsewhere, not on the veritable history of the enemy they may or may not be about to face (likely a subject which Linar would be very interested in), but rather on what would be done after it…The man had to find a descendant, or one of the blood line of the demon whom entrapped the heart of the one next to him…Surely this wasn’t a task to be taken lightly, but if someone existed…he would find them eventually, of course. Shadow needed it, didn’t she…and the seraph was merely thinking about her existence up until this point, and how someone had finally offered a hand, and however reluctant she was to accept it, it wasn’t like she could stop him…

Mai’s own mind had been dominated with thoughts of a shadow from her past since they began walking through the palace. Khaine…what had truly happened to him all those years ago, though it was sort of a moot point. Could she really kill him? Could she end the life of…no…but…Pyris had to, now he was a menace, right? The girl was thoroughly confused, though Clyde must have noticed, pulling her closer in their walking, comforting her and reminding her…Mai Pyris did not need her past, she had a future to look forward to with the man beside her…though, there were still things that needed taken care of.

Whatever their driving forces were, whatever the cause, they pressed on, passing by the throne room doors, an odd humming coming from within, but none dared enter it yet. First things first as they rounded the halls, odd shadows seeming to dance in and out of sight every now and then, nearly proclaiming the dark’s hold on the palace. The royal family of Aephris held no ground in this labyrinth of shadows, crafted from a mind that must have been mad. Approaching the room for Aredhon, Clyde knocked once on the door, looking back at the others before opening it, slowly…he door creaking in it’s movements, revealing the…

Kitchen.

“I…I’m certain this is where his room is supposed to be…�

Clyde couldn’t believe it, shifting his weight and walking back to Mai as the others stared off into the room, Suzume mumbling something under her breath as the rest contemplated what could possibly have brought about such a thing. Over the course of their stay, each had at least visited the Crown Prince’s room once, and it was…here. However, it wasn’t…while the first thought was to travel for the kitchen in hopes of Aredhon’s room being there instead, Dondt took the first step, this one being forward, and into the room, passing through what seemed like thin air and vanishing, without a second lost porting right back.

�He’s in there…it’s but a mere illusion, Clyde, draw your blade, there are shadows within…�

Ezkiel shifted his weight, speaking up, “No, let me handle it, I didn’t design this thing for nothing. If I can’t use it on the armies, at least I can use it on the shadows in here!� Of course, the suggestion to do so had been whispered by Suzume into his ear, prompting him to have the courage to even say those words, and also promptly the both of them walked into the room, two blasts sounding off cleanly after they ‘vanished’ into the ‘kitchen’, signaling nearly as smoke came out the door that things were prepared…

The party entered, Aredhon sprawled out on the bed, black wings folded neatly behind him, broken arm slung cross his chest while his other hand was gripped the holy sword of the Aephris Empire…the blade he’d intended to ram through Khaine’s heart, should such a thing exist. Instead, he lay still, silent, not cold, however...the boy was not dead, nor was he resting, and with a quick glance Linar caught the problem, holding his hand over the prince and reciting a few words as the spell was broken, consciousness returning as he snapped up, the name of the princess on his lips.

No time was spent talking, as Aredhon nearly knew, the party exiting as he dressed, leaving him to emerge in full armor, a lightweight plate outfit, helmet tossed aside…he wouldn’t use such a thing that would obscure his vision against someone like Khaine…Clearly he expected the fiend in the palace, though where was a mystery Clyde filled in, shifting his weight. Where else would Khaine be, but in the same place he had rested in the crumbled Delos…?

“The throne room…�

No one had thought to check on the king, though that was just as well as the doors to the throne room, tall and elegant opened, creaking slowly across the floor in a sound that seemed to echo endlessly throughout the empty palace, though on entry two things were easily noticed, some noticing one, and some another…Laid out in the middle of the room, was a massacred body with a cloaked figure standing over it, doing what seemed like…eating. Bits of flesh from the body were missing, and it looked like more was vanishing, truly the sight making those looking upon it sick to their stomach…but…that was the King of Aephris on the floor, face still intact.

Aredhon, however, hadn’t noticed his father’s corpse, eyes staring in shock at the throne as Selena sat, facing Khaine in his lap, nude as the day she was born and sweating as if she’d been carrying on all night, and honestly she had in some way or another. Aredhon’s face went red, though instead of Khaine smacking his pet around, he tossed her off his lap, fixing his clothing and speaking a few words back to her, ordering her to hold still, eyes wide in shock and terror and face a bright red as she took note of the very prince whom she’d wished for being present in the room…Drawing her knees up, Selena buried her head into them, tears flowing…gods, how could things get any worse…

“Run…run you fool…he’ll kill you…�

In the timeframe of her capture, Selena’s view of Khaine had become so skewered…she viewed him as an all powerful being of such immense evil, something she could never beat in a hundred years, a product of her torture bearing those thoughts, and the last thing she wished to see, was Aredhon’s death, and be powerless to help as she was now. Luckily, Nefriel had flown around the room, discreetly in the shadows to his princess, and summoner…He –was- her familiar, and it was about time he was able to do something.

“Khaine…you bastard!�

Aredhon’s sword was raised as he charged at the walking man, the down-strike of the legendary blade of the Aephris throne being deflect with a mere hand movement, not even connecting to Khaine, the blade splintering and shattering, shards flying over towards the throne. The cloaked figure rose from his corpse, bloodied face turning to the rest of the party assembled. The claw-like appendages slipping out of the edges of the cloak, bloody and seemingly looking for more…

“D’Angelo, Stand down.�

Reluctantly, the cloaked figure backed off, returning to stand behind his lord while Khaine held up Aredhon, by the throat, chuckling at his attempted to struggle while shadows wrapped his body tight in a cocoon like grip around his wrists and ankles. “This…the crown prince of Aephris? No, with your father dead, that would make you king, wouldn’t it? Pity you have no kingdom to reign…�

D’Angelo at his side, and the ‘leader’ of the enemy in his very grip, mercy to his motives, Khaine felt invincible. “This is the best you imbeciles have to offer?! You honestly expected to conquer ME with such pathetic means?! My pet, Selena, I want you to watch as I kill your beloved Aredhon, watch as your world crumbles at the might of your master!� With that, a spike protruded from Khaine’s chest, stabbing Aredhon clear through his own, blood red as it forced it’s way out of the princes back, causing a cry of Pain as Khaine let him hang there for a bit before waving his hand, the shadows carrying him back…Selena had been crying, that was apparent, but if Khaine bothered to listen, she sounded closer then before.

Mai was the next to step forward, her hand in Clyde’s, “T…Tristan…what’s gotten into you! What do you think to accomplish from this all?!� At the name, nearly everyone was shocked, save Khaine and D’Angelo, both of whom shrugged it off as if it were nothing. If they got out of here…Clyde wanted to know –how- she knew Khaine…why hadn’t he asked before?

“Why, I’m merely fulfilling my destiny, Elemental. Now learnt your place on your knees before me before I end you all!� The demonic chortle was heard from beside the leader of the darkness before his hand raised, every party member who’d been readying their weapons and preparing to strike now wrapped up in the same shadows the lifeless Aredhon had been in…the man on the floor, so close to his father, wasn’t moving, not an inch, not even breath coming from his lungs…

Now, before any more death could be dealt on those whom were innocent in their intent to protect, the very blade that had been intent to kill Khaine had, protruding from his stomach, the man’s eyes growing wide as he looked down as his own blood actually…poured…from him. “H…how?� The very abilities kicked in in the blade, initiated by the one holding it as the stored energy inside even the fragment released itself, tearing a large hole in Khaine’s insides as the body fell limp to the floor, Selena panting as she fell to her knees.

�I…I did…it…�

In everything Khaine had been doing, Nefriel had dispelled the collar, having been researching over anything and everything to aid in an escape in this timeframe, certain to give the princess a lecture when the time came, though for now he’d simply perched on the throne, watching his charge summon the will to do what she’d thought impossible. After that was done, Selena rose, ignoring D’Angelo entirely as Khaine’s body twitched, but she cared not for him either, dashing to Aredhon’s side as she picked up his lifeless body, cradling it to her own…

“Gods…don’t take him…�

Dondt was the first to walk over, simply ported out of the shadows before they dispelled as he tossed his cloak around the girls back so she wouldn’t be forced to look in such a state anymore…A small thank you was mumbled to the shifter as he kneeled beside the girl, “Her Serene Highness, Heir to Mystic thr-No, that’s not suiting anymore. Her Serene Highness, Queen to the Mystic throne, Selena Xhena Gwin Mystiqae Na'teal'tresdefore. Don’t shed a tear, not yet, there’s not a thing in this world that cannot be undone…I believe I know of a healer that can patch up Aredhon, but only if we hurry.� A glance was cast over to Shadow, whom came over to take one of Dondt’s hands, the other resting on Selena’s shoulder, “Shall we?� A hurried nod and those four were gone, leaving the others as Nefriel took off out the door to fly after them, mumbling to himself.

Clyde looked up at the throne room as the shadows dissipated, light finally shining in through the room, though a quick glance showed D’Angelo was gone, though Khaine’s body remained, Clyde drawing his sword and walking over to it, Mai following solemnly behind, half in tears… “This…is for the King of Delos, the royal family, the mystics, the shapeshifters, the elves, the merchants of Velucia, the people of Gote, those of Aephris likely…the elementals, the seraphs likely as well…this is for the world, you plague.�

A solitary stab deep into the chest of Khaine, blade pushed in until it pushed through the heart, body writhing as it’s last bits of life left, a demonic chortle once again filling the room, though it wasn’t anything connected with ‘Fu’…more a laugh, cackle perhaps. Disembodied as it was, it was apparent someone was in the room, someone watching, waiting, looking out on those present from wherever it’s place of origin was…

“Ah, you fools of the mortal world, how little you really understand. Honestly, do you think one Tristan Drakor could honestly devise such a cunning strategy? Did you really think he could devise sending his little lackey to organize the bandits to weaken the Shield of Delos, then crush it, weakening and frightening the other kingdoms which fell so swiftly. The near total annihilation of the world and you think that fool on the ground engineered it? Ha! Who do you think let him in on the power of his blood, because it certainly didn’t awaken itself! No, every movement has been planned out from back in my own realm, and everything has gone perfectly according to plan~ This is hardly the last you’ll have to face, or rather, you mortals will have to. There are powers at work much, much farther beyond your own comprehension you fools…�

Then…silence.

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Included is the extras I wrote for this story, from the viewpoint of Linar Astald. Please enjoy.

Throughout the history of the world there have been many occurrences of hardship, from the battles of old, histories long forgotten in the tides of time to the newer battles young heroes face today. Why the young? Mostly because it seems fortune seems to favor them, or because they’ve the will to survive, more endurance than their elders, or some similar propaganda. It doesn’t matter the age of a leader, but rather what they can accomplish, and under harsh conditions, human can perform great deeds. But no, this simply isn’t about humans, as in our world, there are many other forces at play, and in this brief time, I will work to describe them all.

If you were happening to be in wonder, my name is Linar Astald, and I am but a historian.

In the world, there are quite a few races as you may have noticed in the prior story, a historical account taken from multiple sources involved. The main ones referenced and represented would be the Humans, the Elves, the Shapeshifters, the Seraphs, the Vampires, the Elementals, and the Mystics. While you may be wondering how these may differ from myths and other things you may hear, I urge you to be patient or read on to the appropriate section for the information you would want. But first, let us start with the most basic of the races.

Humans.

Mankind has been about since the dawn of written history that still exists in this time period, though other races claim to have been around even longer. With no written proof to back such claims, or proof in general, it is easily claimed that the human race existed not long after the others. While written lore may dictate that humans were created after the other races, as to allow for something to be common ground between them all, a mix of all the best and worst traits of their peers, humans still claim to have been first, rather arrogant in the majority of claims.

Every race has its own patron god or goddess, and for the human it is Eljah, the Mother. According to myth and legend she created humans after seeing all of the other races of the world being created from their own gods, and then saw that there was no sense of neutrality between them, many of the races being opposites of sorts. To remedy this, Eljah drew on her powers to bring forth the best and worst traits of every race, feeding them together into a single form and giving the form one thing the others did not carry.

The undying will to survive.

Over the course of time, Humans endured many, many hardships, though again each and every time they found a way to pull through, settling and working on a vast majority of the world, not being the dominant race by any means, but being the most openly present. It may be true that humans are capable of such great deeds, but they are also capable of such great harm as brought up by the Elves time and time again as Humans clear woodland for their fires. They breed war, and fight with one another, earning the distrust of the Shapeshifters. They fall from divine grace into the depravity and immorality, earning a sad distrust from the Seraphs in many of the humans, at least the ones whom act in such a manner. From the Elementals, they are distrusted for their abuse of the elements, sometimes mocked for not being able to withstand things that the others can. Many mystics view humans in a regard of them being unnecessary and useless, a waste of their time to deal with, but then again, the Mystics dislike dealing with many people. Possibly the only race without some sort of problem with the Humans would be the Vampires, but that would only be because they make…quite easy prey.

The main kingdoms of the humans are located clearly in the four regions of the currently explored world. While transcripts tell of far off lands and new people, few dare venture outside of the kingdoms, as none come back that ever leave. Whether they die, or remain where they travel is unknown, but no one wishes to risk the former should they be able to, and the races whom would be knowledgeable refuse to tell the secrets of the outside world. The regions of the humans are as follows; Gote, Aephris, Delos, and Velucia.

Delos.

Delos is the most peaceful of the four kingdoms, being the most expansive politically. The kingdom’s land is mostly large expansive fields of grasslands, with a mountain range separating them from the Kingdom of Aephris. The grasslands are nice and peaceful...though at many times there are bandits roaming them, as they mostly control the grasslands except for when the armed transports come through.

The Delos military is rather lacking in numbers and in skill, while the population is high enough to more than fill the numbers, years of peace have driven away Delos' once feared defensive skills, leaving people who can barely defend themselves from bandits. The bandit problem is getting worse for the military, and they are looking for other ways out and to deal with them, often resorting to Mercenaries, and recently the Nindural.

The Delos economy is thriving as there are many weapons and such produced in the mountains and shipped to other areas of the world, as well as the thriving industries that the Evanescue Mining Company has brought to the area, as Devin himself basically runs the entire legal economy of the kingdom, much to the king's joy.

The king himself has a rather laid back state of affairs, mostly doing his job to keep the citizens happy, and far from keeping his country strong, as if unable to see the Kingdom of Aephris and it's expansive military bordering his own kingdom, almost begging to be overrun.

Far, far back when there were no kingdoms, Delos was but a dream of a wandering nomad, who eventually settled into the area with his family and the kingdom began to from from the settlement there. More and more people came, and eventually a guard was formed. The leader of that guard was named Hafune Jule, and built commissioned the building of Jule tower in the center of town, the structure raising a great height from the ground.

Armed with their new tower, The city of Delos became the most feared defensive force the world over, anyone who attacked could not succeed in laying siege to the tower, and would fall before the many arrows and other traps and surprises the Delos people hid within. With such protection, more and more merchants began traveling to Delos, helping it grow even larger.

Now they were a full fledged kingdom, small in size, but with their defensive might and the strength of their towers and trickery, Delos eventually spread out, taking the area from itself into the Laroren Mountain range and down to the shores of the sea. To this day they own that same land and a few other cities have sprouted over the many years that Delos has prospered in, each serving their own purpose.

The line of kings for Delos has been rather short actually, each one living to their full ages before passing, and not a single one dying in battle. The current king is King Aidan the second, with Prince Aidan the third next in line for the throne. The king is of fair age, and has many years ahead of him if catastrophe does not strike; his son however grows worried about their neighbors...

With access to the sea, economic stability, and a political edge, Delos is easily the better off of the kingdoms, but over the years their military numbers have begun to dwindle. In the peaceful times of late, there hasn't been a need for their military, leaving it with less and less funding, which the king feeds back into the economy and for festivals to keep the people happy. They are but ripe for the picking...

Gote.

Gote is a sprawling mega city, complete with gigantic buildings and large screens everywhere. Advertisements are up over all the screens, and it looks much like Times Square in that aspect, however the entire city is a shade of black, and many illegal things go on in the city of Gote. The city is almost always crowded, and it's hard to tell one alleyway from another, making it easy to get lost in the sprawling mass of industry and technology.

The Gote military is non-existent, instead of using traditional soldiers and such, Gote uses technology to overpower the enemy, it's current and best invention for defense being a crossbow that can shoot up to 200 yards and is fully automated and fast reloading, just one of the things an advancing army would have to worry about...they wouldn't even make it to the city limits.

The Gote economy is bustling, as they are constantly selling new technologies to be passed around to those willing to use, though the majority of the city is sustained through the black market, that the government not only knows about, but funds personally...Gote is far more shady then most know.

The 'government' of Gote is three computer terminals each imbued with a different personality which 'discuss' the nations problems at such high speeds that most decisions are made in split seconds. The main thing to know is that all three computers must agree for something to happen, and it seems as if the personalities wouldn't allow that, however they continue to agree...almost like it isn't them making the decisions...

Long ago, when the kingdoms were yet beginning to form, the land where Gote stands discovered by an inventor. The massive city was simply sitting there, out of place with the rest of the world and broken beyond belief. No one knew exactly how everything worked, but through constant struggle, the discovering inventor brought together a team of people to help rebuild the place to call home. Eventually this man became their leader, and eventually their king.

Though the years their grasp on the technology found became tighter, allowing them more and more control of their city and access to things they couldn't have before. The founders Granddaughter Jadea Cascade was the one who eventually discovered how to do the programming on some of the machines around and discovered a use for the machine the books called a 'computer'.

Her grandfather hadn't been around to see it, which was quite a shame, but nonetheless, she programmed three super computers at her father's order to do his job for him, the in-evitable dooming Gote to a lazier way of life. With no need for a king, Jadea's father stepped down and helped work with the many entertainment devices being built, and the other things.

His standing achievement before quitting was his founding of the Gote Research Labs, where many strange and odd things take place away from the eyes of the public. Gote has lived on in this way for as long as anyone who dwells within can remember a city of pleasure with little limits. Gote is a blessing and a curse on the face of the world, depending on what areas you look at.