Kayden screamed in a mindless fury as the purple lightning erupted from the sky in a massive electrical forest of jolting arcs. He felt the power of the planet’s darkness finally and fully solidified within him. He felt all-powerful, unshakable, unmovable in the wake of his monumental outcry. Purple light erupted around Kayden’s fist, and he threw the tightest most powerful punch of his life at the demon’s incorporeal face.
It was a useless act of defiance undertaken in the thrill of the moment and the blossoming of his world-ending rage. Still though, it was the hardest and truest punch of Kayden’s life. As his arm moved, it felt as though his fist were splitting reality itself, and the air around it began to ripple unnaturally.
Kayden’s eyes nearly bulged from his face when he felt the solid contact of his knuckles meeting the rubbery flesh covering Aurax’s jaw. He screamed in triumph as he followed through, connecting with the impossible punch. Aurax’s face registered complete shock for a fraction of a second before he evaporated in a red haze. Kayden nearly pitched forward with the momentum of his blow, screaming with wild triumph into the night sky.
The momentary explosion of power ceased, and the amethyst lightning of darkness fizzled from existence. As the clouds began to part, Kayden gazed down at the assembled Champions, nearly three hundred strong, as they gaped up at him in terror. The crimson light of the Blood Star fell upon him, and Kayden leapt from his perch down toward the site of his greatest failure, ready to set the stage for his ultimate triumph.
“What is that?” Maura asked as she stepped beside Valentean, gazing out through the open window the animus warrior stood near. He didn’t look at her, but he knew to what she must have been referring. The blood-red, shining orb in the sky had taken up Valentean’s focus since it had appeared at the first hint of twilight.
“It’s called the Blood Star,” he said, his eyes fixated upon this ill omen.
“What does it mean?” Maura asked, clearly trying to pull more conversation out of him. Valentean sighed inwardly at the pitiful attempt to cull engagement. Rather than appease the chaos by snapping back at her, the more reasonable half of his mind decided Maura should know the story surrounding the mysterious celestial phenomenon, as she would be running into danger beneath it.
“My father used to tell me that it was a sign of great destruction. Something that will violently change the course of the planet. He went into battle under it once, and that was the night he attacked Kahntran.”
“And we saw what that turned into…” Maura trailed off, no doubt remembering the ruins of that forgotten magical city. Valentean simply nodded and continued to keep his gaze trained upon the Blood Star, reaching out with his newfound sensitivity to the wild forces of Terra. What he found there surprised him.
“Is it an actual star?” Maura asked.
Valentean wondered whether she was actually curious or simply trying to hold him to speaking with her. Either way, he decided to share his revelation with his longest-running companion. “No,” he said softly, fingers twitching upon the ledge. “This is the first Blood Star I’ve ever seen, and I can sense where it comes from.”
“Oh?” She turned to him quizzically, her head tilted in interest.
“It’s sitting in Terra’s atmosphere. It’s not a star. It’s a ball of pure chaos magic. It’s…Ignis.”
“The Skirlack High Mother?”
“Yes. The chaos throughout the world is so thick and palpable right now that it’s actually creating a link to her. She can see the world right now. I can feel her…calling to me.”
“What is she saying?”
Valentean shook his head. “It’s all just jumbled nonsense. It’s more a feeling than anything else.”
Maura nodded. Before she could say anything else, they were interrupted by Nevick, who walked down the hall toward them.
“Mitchell says we’re ready to fly,” he told the pair.
“I guess it’s time then,” Maura said, reaching a hand out to touch Valentean’s arm. But before she made contact with the red fabric of his sleeve, she stopped short and pulled her arm back. “Let’s go, Valentean. Seraphina is waiting for us.”
He nodded to Maura as she walked away from him. Valentean turned to leave but paused, glancing back up at the Blood Star as a sickening pit formed in his stomach. He had not been truthful with Maura when she asked what he could hear coming from it. It was not a jumbled mess of emotions. It was a silent call reverberating through his mind. It was a command or a promise.
“Freeeeee meeeeeee.”
XXVI: Assault on Aleksandrya
Seraphina was enjoying a rare break from the torment she had thus far endured for hours at the maniacal hands of her demented sibling. Aleksandra would periodically take reprieves from torturing Seraphina’s hanging form to sit upon that barbaric black throne of hers. Seraphina could sense the swirling chaos in the room converge upon the chair, pumping into her sister and extending her consciousness.
When Aleksandra sat upon the throne, Seraphina could feel her presence in the air. Aleksandra’s mind became a part of the atmosphere, flowing through reality and permeating every crevice of creation. It was in moments such as these when Seraphina had to halt her plan of escape, as even the slightest twitch in the wrong direction would be detected by her captress.
Seraphina shifted uncomfortably. Everything hurt. Her skin was covered in black, oozing burn scars, which dripped blood and gruesome internal fluids to the floor around her knees. Her light body armor was dented and torn in many spots, and the blue overcoat she wore was shredded and splattered in crimson. The silver crown designed for her by the rebels still sat atop her frizzled, brown hair. Had Aleksandra not noticed it? Or did she simply not care? Seraphina’s silent musing came to a close as a flash of red erupted within the room.
Aurax appeared, falling through the air and crashing hard into the ground before Aleksandra’s throne. Her sister seemed to snap out of her daze immediately, and Seraphina felt the empress’s all-powerful consciousness recede back into her body as she leapt from her seat of power.
“Aurax?” Aleksandra asked in a hushed worry. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, Mistress,” the demon groaned, rising through pain that was clearly etched across his crimson face. Seraphina could see a dark blue bruise forming over the minion’s jawline.
“Kayden has betrayed us,” she said slowly, having born witness to whatever had occurred. Seraphina’s heart leapt. Had Kayden truly abandoned Aleksandra’s cause? Was he fighting for their side at long last?
“This comes as no surprise,” the demon remarked, rubbing his aching jaw.
Seraphina focused on the tiny spark of order still alive within her chest as she pushed the excitement of Kayden’s betrayal from her mind. It seemed as though the Grassani devices were unable to fully quench the magical might of a realized Spirit of Order. If she remained calm and under control, she could call upon an infinitesimal pulsation of magic still alight within. She had been calling upon this power when Aleksandra’s attention had been diverted as it was now.
Seraphina exhaled a frosty, blue fog that spilled from her lips and bonded itself to the device’s gears, slowing them, pushing them ever closer to stoppage. Then, she would be free, and then she would face her sister. It might be a one-sided battle. For all Seraphina knew, she would fall within the first minute of combat. But she had to try. She had to give her all in this fight. It was what Val would do. It was what her Val would do.
The chaos creature that had accosted her within the Dreamscape was not Valentean. It never could be. But she could sense her beloved still trapped within the blazing inferno of a wracked mind and soul.
“Has the time finally come to deal with this creature?”
“His time will come,” Aleksandra said, her voice tight with tension. Aurax grimaced at this answer but remained at attention. “I am sure you have seen what hangs in the sky on this night. You have felt the call.”
“Indeed, I have, Mistress.”<
br />
“The Blood Star shines brightly overhead. I have awaited this moment for my entire life. The night where I would finally hear the voice of the Goddess.”
Seraphina had heard of the Blood Star. Val once told her it was a bad omen only appearing before some horrible world-changing bloodshed was about to unfold.
“Her voice fills my head, Aurax, and it is wonderful. But the presence of the Blood Star can mean only one thing. Tonight, our enemies will attack, led by the Shogai. Tonight marks the final battle.”
Seraphina’s heart leapt into her throat. Val was coming here? Tonight? She furrowed her brow, trying to push from her mind horrid visions of the chaos eyes that shone from the face she so adored. Val was coming for her. Together, they could topple Aleksandra and drive the chaos from his heart.
“So, you believe engaging the black dragon to be a waste of your efforts?” Aurax asked.
“He is of no consequence.”
“He struck me through the dimensional rift, Mistress.”
“I am aware. It does not concern me.”
“But—”
“Are you questioning me for the first time, my loyal one? On this, the night of our victory?”
“I…do not question your will, Mistress.”
“I am aware of your desire for revenge, but we must remain focused on the true threat.”
“The Shogai…” Aurax breathed as though it were a vile curse.
“By keeping Kayden in play, we further hinder Valentean’s efforts. Kayden will attack his brother long before he sets his sights on us. It is in the nature of light and dark to oppose one another. And Valentean, fueled by the Goddess’s gift, will finish this annoyance for us.”
“And become sufficiently weakened by the encounter,” Aurax finished her thought. “I am in awe at your brilliance as always, Mistress.”
Aleksandra smiled and turned her attention to Seraphina. The Ice Queen flinched involuntarily as her sister advanced. “Did you hear that, Harbinger?” The empress stalked forward until she stood face to face with Seraphina. “Your animus warrior seeks to return to your side.” Her long-nailed fingers came out to caress the side of Seraphina’s face. “And when he arrives, he will do just that. He will watch helplessly at your side while I rip out your throat.”
She lashed out with her pointed nails, carving into the raw flesh around Seraphina’s eyes, drawing four long slashes from which blood flowed down into the muzzle. Aleksandra turned and marched back toward her throne, but before she would arrive, Seraphina exhaled another cloud of frigid air that once more slowed the turning gears of the apparatus.
Aleksandra settled into her seat of power, and Seraphina could feel that all-consuming consciousness once more pouring out into the world. She sat bolt upright.
“Aurax,” she hissed in annoyance.
“Yes, Mistress?”
“An army masses outside our gates.”
“Grassan, Excellency?”
Aleksandra’s head tilted to the side with interest. “Karminia…”
“Shall I scramble our troops?”
“No,” Aleksandra said, shaking her head slowly. “Valentean is not amongst them. This is a distraction. Go to them, Aurax. Parlay with their forces. Let them know any advancement will result in their immediate annihilation.”
“It will be done, Mistress,” the minion replied with a short bow, vanishing once more in a haze of red.
Seraphina could hear the gears of her restraint struggling through the unmeltable frost created by her magic. It would not be long now. And when Valentean arrived, she would be ready.
McNeil grumbled to himself as he walked amongst the camp his troops had made nearly three kilometers from the Aleksandryan capital. He took pride in the admiration his soldiers showed him as he marched past. They were all thankful to finally have a monarch who would join them on the field of battle.
Despite the emperor’s contentment at the approval of his subordinates, he was still seething with anger. He had been shown up by that would-be mage king and his pathetic friends. It was demeaning to one of his new station. All other monarchs of Terra should acquiesce before the Imperial authority of the Karminian Emperor. It was only fair. His was the largest and strongest society on the planet. Why then could he be overruled by a boy king barely wet behind the ears while his city lies in ruination?
And the Dragon-Lord had gone along with it. All that power and he was still a slave to his allies. He could still be shaped and molded to suit their whims and desires. It was pathetic. An utter waste of that glorious power. Were it McNeil who commanded the elemental might of a god, he would use it to serve his will and that of his country above all else. No one would be able to force him into subservience. No, with the power of a god, he would truly be a god. It was all such a waste.
Baus was waiting to greet him at the entrance to his large, green command tent. “Your Highness,” the statuesque healer said with a bow.
“How fares our preparations?” McNeil asked, not wanting to mince words with this unsettling individual for longer than necessary.
“The general assures me combat forces are prepared to move out at the first sign of engagement. My healers are standing by, ready to receive wounded. Though I must say, I am sorely disappointed the female from Casid is not amongst them.”
“There was no way that large oaf was going to leave his crippled betrothed with us.”
“Still, I’m fascinated to know where that power comes from,” Baus replied, rubbing his hands together. “I’m certain the secret lies beneath her flesh.” His left hand dropped to his belt of medical instruments, fingers lightly brushing the handle of a razor-sharp scalpel. McNeil noted a far-off look in the man’s eyes as his tongue slowly lapped over his lips.
The healer’s bizarre fascinations aside, McNeil was also curious as to the young woman’s unheard-of ability. There were so many enigmas floating about the little band of theirs, and the emperor seethed with envy at their mysterious magic. The Dragon-Lord’s power, the woman’s healing ability, the protector of Casid’s supposed ability to transform into a hulking brute—these were all abilities he coveted yet could not hope to possess.
“Your Excellency,” General Belladon said, approaching the two men and falling to one knee before the emperor. He motioned for her to rise, and the female warrior stood to her commanding height. There existed no more fearsome warrior in all of the Karminian Empire than she, save for himself, of course. But still, their power could never hope to match the Dragon-Lord and his allies. And so now the emperor of the strongest Imperial nation on the planet was taking commands from an animus warrior.
“Let us begin planning the first stage of attack.” McNeil turned to enter the tent, throwing the flap off to the side. As he crossed the threshold into the dimly lit yet extravagantly decorated temporary domicile and war room, he sensed something was amiss. As his eyes adjusted, he saw it instantly—a thin, red-skinned figure seated upon his temporary throne, glaring at the Imperial trio with contempt.
McNeil felt Baus tense behind him, and Belladon erupted into immediate action, unsheathing her sword and flinging it at the invading creature. McNeil already knew this gesture was empty and pointless. The blade passed harmlessly through the area where its heart should have been, embedding itself in the backrest of the chair. The area where the blade had pierced the demon was wavy and translucent as though it were but fog.
“Fantastic,” the creature said dryly.
“You are Aurax,” McNeil stated. He had heard enough about this servant of the enemy to recognize him.
“Correct, human.”
“You will address him as Emperor,” Belladon commanded, pointing an armored finger at the intrusive demon.
“I will not,” Aurax replied, rising from McNeil’s throne and phasing harmlessly through the sword. “There is only one true ruler of this world. It is not you, it is not I, nor is it Empress Aleksandra. The only true sovereign of Terra is the all-knowing and all-seeing Goddess.”
“Spare me your religious babble,” McNeil spat. “What exactly do you want?”
The cleric’s face darkened at the comment, but he simply clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace. “I come at the behest of the Holy Empress of the Empire of Aleksandrya. She wishes to offer you a chance. Take your troops, and abandon the Shogai’s foolish crusade. He will lose. It is inevitable. And this way, your empire will continue to exist.”
McNeal scoffed. “The Empire of Karminia has never in our 900-year history retreated from a foe.”
“You have never faced a foe such as the empress.”
“Nothing is unbeatable.”
“Nothing mortal.”
“Your empress is flesh and blood.”
“That is where you are wrong. She is so much more than that. She is flame and fury. She holds within her a spark of the eternal.”
“Seems to me that the Dragon-Lord has that same spark.”
“Yes, I suppose to one with your trivial understanding, it would certainly seem that way.”
“There will come a battle, demon, and I will not fail.”
“There will be a battle, human, and the empress shall decorate the walls of her fortress with your entrails. Then she will travel across the sea, pluck your empire from the ground, and incinerate it until nothing your family has built remains. Your entire legacy will be burned away, erased from the planet due to this one error in judgment. Is that what you wish?”
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