The white flame in the middle of the spires shook as the spires were returned to their former glory. The white flames turned purple as they were raised up. A new raging purple flame appeared above the Guardian tower.
Yakish looked at that purple flame in horror. The Guardian’s flame is lit once more. It will be lit across the land.
Yakish let out a cry as Anthony cut his side. His sword came back again, intending to cut his limbs off.
Yakish defended, using power to disengage.
He was looking for a way out. He needed to tell the rest of the Drafeng; they needed to open the gates now. With time, the Guardians were sure to establish their strength again. Just the Guardian flames in the different cities were enough to start removing the chaos and fear that they had spent centuries instilling.
“Tell the others, move ahead with our plans!” Yakish turned and tried to fly away.
“You think you can leave just because you want to?” A hammer was in Anthony’s hand.
Yakish burned more of his power as Anthony’s hammer rung out across Ascen, causing the air to shake.
A courtroom appeared in midair. Sitting on it were all dignified leaders and heroes of the different races. The court was formed from purple power but it seemed that life had been breathed back into these people as they looked as real and lifelike as any other.
“A Drafeng commander,” the gnome judge said.
“Defilers of the tower, defilers and chaotic forces that have attacked the heart of Dena. Attacked its people!” The hobgoblin shook with anger, looking at the fleeing Yakish.
Purple chains shot out from the walls. Yakish hit them with his weapons. But he wasn’t able to damage them and he was captured like a fly in a trap.
The chaotic forces were pinned to the ground and the Drafeng were picked up as well.
“You have clouded people’s minds but we will free them,” the elf judge said.
Purple flames shot out of the tower, racing through Ascen and the lands beyond.
Devout followers of the Church of Light, those who had been blessed with his flames, dropped in pain as the power in their bodies returned to Dena’s power and the chaotic energy in their bodies was purified and destroyed. They collapsed across the city: in the streets, in their homes, in the fields.
The court and Yakish were carried upward, to the top of the tower. Projections appeared around the tower as Yakish squirmed against his chains.
“While you have been in this land, what have been your disguises?” the beast kin asked.
Yakish’s form reverted against his will, showing him as a knight, as the anointed leader of the Church of Light. Beast kin, elf, gnome, human, goblin, and dwarf: there were hundreds of people he had impersonated or become over the years.
“These people who you have copied, what did you do to them?” the gnome judge asked, leading the court.
“Killed them,” Yakish spat.
“What and who are you?”
“I am a Drafeng commander. My name is Yakish.”
“What is your purpose here?”
“To create chaos among the people of Dena so that when the invasion comes there will be less resistance.”
“The Church of Light—was that your creation?” the human judge asked.
“It was.”
“How did it come about?”
“We manipulated the original Order of Light. They desired more power. We exacerbated things between them and the Guardians. We tore the Guardians apart through different groups and then had them turn on one another. The Order of Light was the last one standing. We came as envoys of the power of Light, giving them the enemy of the other races. With the influence that comes with having the chaotic power within the races of Dena, they descended into insanity and became our tools. Then we let the humans rule themselves, to see how far they would go with the groundwork that we created. We guided them to make as much strife as possible. Ignited wars with the other groups, made the races separate out and be wary of one another.”
“Who were the leaders of the Church of Light?”
“We were.”
“What happened to those who rose from the ranks? Were they Drafeng as well?”
“Drafeng? Those useless greedy creatures? No! They were the best pawns.” Yakish started laughing. His laughter carried a deep satisfaction with it. “You know what we did before we killed them? We told them the truth—we showed them the truth. Guess what they did?”
Yakish continued to laugh. “They said that the Lord of Light would smite us! They were so wrapped up in the thing that we had created to sow chaos that they believed that they were chosen. They were people who had showed that they were more vicious than all of the rest. The torturers, those who killed villages out of boredom—we gave them the power. Then, when they found out where it truly came from, they didn’t repent; they just tried to kill again. Worthless.”
Yakish saw something in the corner of his eye.
He looked out over the city. Courts appeared across the city, people being charged with all kinds of crimes. There were several courts over the emperor’s residence. Lines of people wearing chains could be seen across Ascen.
Saints, the most valiant warriors of the churches, cried out as the power of chaos that lay dormant within them was pulled out and the converted power of Dena turned from white into purple.
The power couldn’t be drawn out of them without killing them. Their strength remained as they were judged; their crimes rang out over the city. The people watched as their heroes, those they had looked up to, had their masks removed and their true faces were revealed to everyone.
As he was chained there, he couldn’t lie.
It went on for hours as he listed the crimes that he had committed. He had forgotten about most of them. Killing the enemy was not something that he thought about.
“When will the Drafeng attempt to open their doors again?” the dwarf asked.
“Within three months,” Yakish said. “You might have recovered Ascen but now a war wages along the borders of Radal. Fighting has broken out across Dena. We lurk in the shadows. Even with your attempts, you will not be able to survive again!”
Yakish was trying to kill himself, to try to stop himself from spilling more secrets.
“How many commanders are in Dena?”
“I do not know the full amount. I was in a group of one hundred who were sent here. Only seven of us remained after we destroyed the Guardians.”
“Drafeng queens?”
“We were not able to keep any here. The Guardians destroyed them all.”
“Regulars?”
“There were just fifty or so remaining.”
“Are you still in contact with the Drafeng?”
“Yes.”
“How do you contact them?”
“I would use the power of the Church of Light to break open a spatial tear and then I could send messages through the tear. They would send back messages.”
“How often do you send messages?” the elf judge asked.
“Once every month.”
“When will the next be?” the beast kin asked.
“Three weeks.” Yakish’s will waned and his strength was useless against the chains as he could only answer questions. He outlined all of his plans and the preparations he had made.
Silence finally fell on the court.
“Yakish, Drafeng Commander, you have been found guilty of war crimes and a list of crimes against the people of Dena that would take too long to recount. There is no salvation for you. Guardian Anthony.” The human judge looked at Anthony.
The black chaotic flames had been destroyed. He flapped his wings and flew over to Yakish.
“You saved the people from Laisa from fighting one another, rendered judgment there, right?” Yakish asked.
“Yes,” Anthony said.
“Heard that one of your people is from there. Shame, really. Well, the Church of Light would say that they purified Laisa,” Yakish gloated.
<
br /> “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. One of our priests sent out a group of the Radal Army and church enforcers to deal with the forces of darkness there and purge the city.” Yakish laughed in Anthony’s face.
His eyes blazed, making Yakish recoil as he saw underneath his helmet.
“No! You’re dead!” Yakish felt horror, his mind working faster as he glanced down at Claire.
She’s a lich—could she... Is that why she is no longer a Guardian and we couldn’t track any of them down through their power? Dead things don’t use power.
“Only partially.” Anthony’s eyes looked into Yakish’s.
He let out a bone-chilling scream as his mind felt as if it were being turned inside out and then pulled out of his eyes.
He knew that his memories were being scanned, drawn out, and destroyed. Yakish lost parts of himself, turning into nothing more than a husk.
Yakish’s eyes were dull as the glow around his body dimmed, losing control over his chaotic power, revealing a broken and half-repaired body underneath.
Anthony drove his sword into Yakish’s body, releasing his chaotic power. It shot into Anthony’s body as he consumed and fed off it. Now that it wasn’t an attack but pure chaotic energy, he could consume it.
He withdrew his sword. The chains around Yakish fell away and his lifeless body dropped, falling down from the peak.
Anthony looked around.
Ascen was being judged, the homeland of the Guardians purified by their purple flames.
Anthony looked at the capital with cold eyes and turned to the southeast.
He consumed the power of Yakish, from the ley lines, feeling stronger than ever, but the weight on his shoulders seemed to weigh more.
He looked down, seeing Tommie trying to break from Aila’s hold, his eyes wild.
Anthony sheathed his sword.
It’s time to stop this infighting. Dena will come together, even if I have to force it with my own hands.
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Death Knight Box Set Page 45