Fantasy [Private] El Stories

[MementoDei]

Darhan​

He was a master of disguise and, as soon as the night fell, he took the appearance of a young scout. The attire covered his face and his hair was a light pink. He couldn't modify his height, but for once he was glad to be way below the average height of pure blood elves. He went out along the kids' mother to find a way back to Elrios, but as they travelled through the forests, his hopes were getting lower. The forests had traces of skulls, old buildings teared down and even the spirits around them were full of grief. On the old ruins, he could barely read names of shops, cabarets and other buildings.

The woman stopped at the end of a road. It was a cliff and down below, a cementery of homes was visible. "You were alive during the first war, weren't you? If I had to guess, you'd be around my kids' age."

Darhan nodded. "I was. In human years, I had eighteen."

"A bit older, then. That said, I can't apologize for what the demons did to your villages, the dead won't come back and the fear will still be there. Just like it will be for us after we lost that war to Ishmael. Not only to her, but to the demons as well. The age of the elves is long over, isn't it?"

Darhan looked down and walked to the woman's right, standing only half a foot away from the edge of the cliff. "After we lost the El, it was over. Our magic got weaker and the humans, who inherited the El, became stronger. There's only one pure blood still alive, and all the hybrids in Elrios died. If so much destruction happened after the first war in Varnimyr, what will this war leave behind of our heritage?"

"The only pure blood left is you, I suppose. But speaking of Varnimyr's hybrids, only a handful of them might survive. And even then, will they remember their heritage, or will they be assimilated the demons?"

What she had said was wrong, but considering that he should keep a low profile, he didn't say anything. The woman continued to walk and Darhan followed her a few seconds later. The path near the cliff turned around towards a taller mountain. More luxurious houses were built around that area. Because they were closer to what seemed to be the old centre of spiritual convergence, Darhan could only assume that the pure bloods used to live here. The sight of a skeleton hanging over a tree, with a X mark on its forehead branch made him frown. Then another one appeared two minutes later. Each two minutes, a hanged corpse was hanging from a branch. It was so strikingly similar to what the demons had done in elven villages that he couldn't help to feel a chill down his spine.

"A demon raid...?"

"Yes and no. These were people hanged by the demon army under Edith's orders. She has a peculiar way to crush people that stick to the true traditions. There was some resistance at first, but I guess the best at seducing demon generals wins."

"I apologize if I'm being too nosy, but wasn't your husband also a person of influence within the demon army?"

"We never married, but he was from an important noble household, but only as a servant. Or a slave, if you must be specific about it. He was important, but only as a General's pawn. His life depended on that general, but..."

The woman took a pause and breathed deeply. "He did dream of breaking his chains, which is why he tried to stay here with me, but he couldn't get over his fears. And in the end, those fears got the better of him. I hope you didn't let the fear win after you survived and weren't captured back in those days."

Darhan thougt about the woman's words. He couldn't say that he was brave and persevered througout the rest of the war, keeping his head and his mind afloat from what he had been put through, but he did decide to live on. He had caused many deaths, but he had given the humans an advantage to win: The Guardian Stone. And after so many people lived and his knowledge was used for the greater good, Darhan felt more at peace with his own actions. It made him think about Yullr, who had told him that he couldn't find any redemption for what he had done unless he died. Darhan couldn't help but wonder how the bright and optimistic child he once knew would grow to think such extreme things.

After half an hour of silent walking, they were in front of imposing ruins made of stone and slowly swallowed by nature. A giant wheel of stone stood in front of them and pillars covered with ancient runes were the boundaries of the path of stairs that lead to the portal. The marks on his skin began to react and his disguise disappeared. Darhan began to focus his power on opening a portal like he would in Ishmael's world, but nothing happened. His marks stopped glowing and most of his mana seemed to be sealed away against his will. Darhan frowned, but noticed he had enough to retake his fake appearance.

"I can't stay here for long, are there other ways to get out of this village?"

"Yes, but those are not paths I'm risking to take. I have children to take care of."

"Just a map will do. I've already passed three weeks here."

"What's your rush to get back to Elrios? Fight some unholy war?"

Darhan squinted at the woman. "...You could say that."

The woman huffed. "You pure bloods are silly men. Going to fight alone like you got nothing more to lose. Let's head back before the dawn scouts see us."

 

[Fume]

"Naughty~." He replied to Phantom as they kept singing and dancing with the white demon, it was a good time for tired spirits.

"Ready, ma'am!" He replied cheerfully as they moved around the bridge, dusk was just around the corner as well, blame all that dancing and singing, though nobody complained. As soon as they entered the meeting tent, the atmosphere grew intense. Not even Damien dared to speak a word, for it was a serious situation. Fooling around wasn't advised at the slightest.

"Good, you came. We'll begin very shortly, sit down for now." He ordered and they complied, sitting down on a round table with a map of the kingdom in the middle for all to see. There were two daggers to mark their standing and the enemy.

Not too late after them, two soldiers came around, a glitter general and Chloe. The both of them sat down as well in a pensive posture as they were thinking of a plan.

"Thank you for coming, we'll now begin our discussion about our escape from Elrios. Do remember that we cannot use the portal that we came, in order to not catch us on the act of fleeing from home. Doing so and the demons around here are the ones that'll suffer the most." He instructed as he then pointed to the map. "Let's do a small recap from what has been happening, it'll serve us well in the meeting, I assure you.

We're currently on Hope bridge, through the last month we were able to have a good standing with the humans here while giving slight attention to the minor bridges, to avoid a pincer attack. However, we just received info that we aren't receiving supplies anymore, make it food rations, medical supplies or spare weapons. Soldiers, we were left to die, to buy time for Ran. We currently have 500 soldiers wounded on the sick tents and we've lost 1000 soldiers, if we aren't counting the wounded, then our forces have been reduced to a mere 2000 able bodies. I've already marked our escape over here." He pointed towards the docks of Velder, Port Lurensia. "If we are able to create a dark portal here, then we can slip by the watchful gaze back home. It'll be a difficult track, but this place is far enough to be considered safe."

"And how do you think we can bypass the humans that are constantly patrolling, hmm? We're talking about 2500 people that need to move all around town, we're going to engage in battles no matter how you look at it!" Chloe pointed out, knowing full well that the moment they step out of that bridge, they'll have hell coming straight for them.

"I have to agree with, commander Chloe! There is absolutely no way we can transport the wounded with us if we're going to go on a death march."

"Then what are you suggesting? That we abandon the wounded and flee with our tails between our legs? They're doing everything they can to survive, the least we can do is make sure they CAN see their family or loved ones back home!"

"Speak some sense, Dust! We can't take them with us and we won't be able to both protect the wounded and ourselves! There's only so much we can do, so much that the soldiers can do!" Chloe bickered as he wasn't tapping reality like them, where his conscious soul was overpowering his judgement.

"I've been thinking about the water down the bridge, commanders, thinking that maybe we could make a makeshift raft for the wounded to safely pass the fight inconspicuous, but the recent tremors and quakes are making the river unstable. You thought this too, haven't you, commander Dust?" The glitter general asked as he noticed that the commander had been taken special attention to the waters below.

"That is... true... I thought that maybe we could, but us taking the Earth El screwed with that plan. The backlash is finally kicking in as well, now that we aren't used to these, fighting humans is harder as well, especially for the special witted ones."

"What if we separated the wounded and half our troops between the two bridges? Our chances to save them might increase, right?" Damien asked in hopes to help, only for Dust to shake his head.

"The less forces around, the easier it is for them to pick them off. In theory that would be a good idea, if we were on the other side of the kingdom that is." He informed as he kept trying to think on how to tackle this problem.

"Sir... I talked with the sick and wounded glitters beforehand and they told me to leave them." The general informed to which Dust banged his hand on the table.

"What!? You can't be serious! We are not leaving them here to die!! I made a promise to them that I'd get them back home and I'm not a person that breaks his promises so easily!"

"I know how you feel, Dust, but sometimes we don't have a choice in the matter. We need to breaks those promises to save ourselves and the other troops that are trying to survive. Think of this as a sacrifice that they are making for us. They're entrusting us their future for ours, honor them that!" Chloe tried to talk him down, but he could only curse under his breathe as he desperately tried to think of a way for them to survive.

Phant0m

 

[Phant0m]

Briefly, Phantom was glad that he was sitting on his own when Chloe and the glitter general arrived before he rested his elbows on his knees, observing the map while listening to Dust and Chloe argue. Xiopetec would occasionally lean her ear to her priest so he would translate the parts she didn't understand yet but her expression was turning really grim by the second, it was obvious by the very thin lines her lips made.

"If I may," The priest cut in as he raised his hand. He cleared his throat to compose himself when all eyes were on him but Xio put her hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze, "But I agree with Commander Chloe and the general." He paused for a moment, thinking of what to say next. "Of the 500 wounded...I can't even give you a definitive number of how many still have a chance to make it through their treatment." His expression turned to steel. "The humans are hitting us hard and- even though it pains me to say this- it is best to leave the wounded behind. Me being a priest, I have given a lot of soldiers their last rites, I have given them an ear to listen while they confess what they see as their sins hoping that they'll pass on in peace. A lot of them are either knocking on death's door or are sitting on the doorstep."

He glanced at Xiopetec before staring at Dust. "But I still have mana to spare...I can use it to help out those who are stronger than the rest. Maybe make it easier for them to be moved around but that's a big if. The only thing that can be done with certainty is to take last requests: final messages to loved ones, trinkets to give to their families, anything to tie up their loose ends. Yes, promises will be broken but Commander Chloe is right. We don't have a choice and we can only do so much."

"The way I see it, we'll lose our numbers no matter what. The wounded can't be moved for certain, and not without severely impacting our pace, but we have to let them go. It's no use trying to drag the dead along with us," Xiopetec chimed in as she stood, "They're suffering enough as it is and I will not sit here quietly while we're discussing potential options that would only make their suffering worse! They deserve to die in peace, and with the honor that peace gives them!" She glared down at Phantom. "You will not give them hope and then crush it when you go 'oops, guess I thought wrong.'" She pointed in the general direction of the sick tent beyond the room and she looked to everyone in the room. "Those 500 are already lost, and while you are concerned about what to do with them now, I am worried about what could potentially happen when the humans have their hands on them." Her hands shook a bit and she clenched them into fists and she folded her arms over her chest and she continued in a firm, but slightly wobbly voice, "It will be heartbreaking. It will cause much grief to their comrades and their families, but...I say this with certainty that they'll be better off dead. From what the general said, it sounds like they have come to terms with the fact."

Fume

 

[Fume]

"...If we're going to abandon them... I'd prefer if they at least can stay in the palace. The king of Velder is still there with his wife, daughter and subjects. We haven't touched or mistreated them once since we came here. If their fates are sealed, I want for them to live the very last second of their lives in comfort. Call me heartless to not give them a swift death, but if I were in their shoes, I want to see the morning sun as the enemy approaches with my honor as a soldier still intact. We can at least offer them that.

You're suggestion is appreciated Phantom, but you're more useful with your mana to yourself. I'll ask a soldier to collect any letter or trinket as you said and deliver them when the time comes. It's the least we can do for them. Everyone agree with this?" He closed his eyes and kept a straight face, despite his heart bleed with a wound. Again, he would have to shoulder this pain and this feeling. Again he would have more lives on his shoulders.

"I'm okay with this, at least we'll be able to move without a burden on our backs." Chloe replied with little emotion, she wasn't as tight with the demons, but she still respected the fallen.

"I'm fine as well. I'll go ahead and do that dead now." The general was about to stand before Dust gestured him to stay.

"There's just one more thing. We're... going to need to sacrifice a bit of our forces as well."

"I knew it... We're going with that plan aren't we?" Chloe asked as it seemed the best choice in her head as well.

"What plan?" The general asked as he knew that it wouldn't be good.

"As Damien said, we could split our forces in half, but that would only weaken both sides. But if 75% made for a run for it..."

"Then the 25% remaining forces were to be the diversion of another place for a little more safety for the main group. I see..."

"But that's!!"

"Damien, I know. I didn't want to do this, but if it improves our chances of survival and our chances of less people dying, then it should be done. We need to save as many lives as we can." Dust said, not even liking his way of speaking anymore.

Phant0m

 

[Phant0m]

"I'll help as well," Xiopetec said to the general. Turning her back on her priest as she moved to leave, but waited silently by the door.

Phantom nodded at Dust's words, and looked to the floor when it was obvious that his goddess wasn't acknowledging him anymore. He knew the suggestion wouldn't sit well with her, and at least she was being reserved with her anger.

"Let's just hope the diversion will last long enough for that to happen," The priest said.

Fume

 

[Fume]

Through wee hours of the night, the soldiers carried their wounded companions inside the palace, as quickly but gently as possible. It was not an acceptable situation for anyone, but at least the lot would be comfortable enough for the next day, if they could arrive at that part of it even. The king of Velder, his family and few subjects were inside their cells, just glaring and shouting insults at the glitters that passed by every once in a while.

Dust and the king just looked at each other, the human with a stoicism on his face as his frown never left, just eyeing him with hatred towards him and the demons.

"You won the battle," He spoke up to which the kings fingers twitched at the news that he hadn't got in months, the battle for his kingdom was done and the humans won, but why would this elf tell him this? If anything he's just making things harder for himself. "But not the war." He coldly finished his sentence, a chill ran through the subjects as the worst outcome came rushing in their minds, the El stone of Earth might be taken. It would explain the sudden tremors and quakes nowadays. "Tell that to the commanders as we plunge a flaming arrow, straight at rising tide."

He left, giving only that little info and disappearing into the shadows. It wasn't too long as Chloe had amassed the volunteers that would lead the diversion task, all 500 of them. The moon was still high, but only for an hour or so, morning would come rushing like a speed demon and only then would their plan fail.

"What now, commander Dust?" She asked as the rest of the troops were already on the bridge to the far left side, awaiting for the signal to move.

"Now, we must say goodbye to these men. It's no gander that they might not survive... And I appreciate of you taking the fall for us. I'm... Proud of you soldiers!" He would not pity them, he would not show weakness to them! He will show nothing more than gratitude for them. It hurt. So much to do the same tactics as Scar, Karis or Ran, right here and now.

"Thank you commander, for everything!!" All of them replied back, understanding his feelings wholeheartedly. This is the proper way a commander should do and they'd take nothing more than that.

"I pray that you'll comeback to us! Make it whole or not, we'll always welcome you, soldiers! We do not bow our heads to the leader, we bow our heads to the country!"

"FOR THE COUNTRY IS US AND WE ARE OUR OWN SENTINELS!!" They yelled out as they immediately ran towards their certain doom. Dust stood there for a few seconds before Chloe approached.

"Dust." Chloe tapped his shoulder and he turned around.

"We're not letting their sacrifice go in vain, WE'RE LEAVING!"

"Yes, sir!" They started to march their way on the opposite bridge, looking forward for their escape.

Phant0m MementoDei Late

 

[MementoDei]

Lento
​

He headed back to the camp with many thoughts running through his mind and he met Yullr heading out of the communications room, with a confident smirk on his face, but that small display of victory faded away from his face when he saw him.

"Ready?" the elf asked.

"I suppose I am..." he answered, feeling unsure about how the plan was going to go. "You...seem to know the demons fairly well. I wouldn't have thought about that."

Yullr frowned and let out a deep sigh. "I do know the demons a fair bit. I did work for them for...the equivalent of twelve human years. They're pretty nasty, always watching each other's movements and backstabbing each other. The demon realm is quite beautiful, but so deadly if you dare to resist their chains. But I managed to stay safe and keep most people I cared about safe."

"What do they do when they betray another demon?"

Yullr stared at him. "Why are you suddenly so curious about the demon realm?"

"Because, well, call it a stupid reason, but I can't feel at peace to kill beings that may or may not be waiting for a worse fate than death if we win. Yet again, I can't forgive them for what they have done here. They must be stopped, even if they have a saviour to pray for."

The elf took a deep breath. "Very well, I can understand the fact that Dust's words are still going around in your mind, but he has not been the first self-proclaimed saviour. If he succeeds, good for him, but he would need to act alone and hope no one will look when he plans on moving closer towards his goal to supposedly bring justice to the world. Also, if Dust wins, what do you think that'll mean for the human realm? He took the Earth El and he will keep taking resources from this realm to empower the demons."

"Which is why we need to stop him, but I don't want to give up the hope of getting both sides together if there's truly an unjust world in the demon realm."

The elf huffed. "A king here can starve the peasants if he wishes to. Velder's revolution proved that nobles also back stab each other. The only fair world is where no one is alive, where no one feels self-righteous. Lento, we have a battle to win here in order for all humanity to live. Dust, as far as his actions have told us, wants the demons to survive alone. He might sugarcoat it with his words, but in the end, in this war, one side will have to go down. Will you fight to win, for those who have put their faith in you?"

Lento nodded. "I know. I just hoped it wouldn't come to this. But that spear, those battles, the bombs, Feita...actions speak louder than words."

Some soldiers were looking at him, confused to see his rare moment of hesitation. He was a leader, he couldn't afford to hesitate any longer, so he raised his voice. "And our actions today will send them a dreadful answer for all their crimes! They are confident in their numbers, in their position, but today, we will crush them until they beg for mercy!"

"Make them beg! Kill them all!" the soldiers began to chant.

*****
Darhan​

He had been able to sneak out of the home during some nights, hiding his appearance like he did when the mother took him to the ruins. Varnymir, or rather what remained of it, was a circle of homes, where streets turned round and upwards, and the trees surrounding the village laid in a very ordely fashion. It was not simply part of the forest, it probably held many scout outposts and he couldn't understimate the hybrids in their own territory. They hadn't done anything yet, but Darhan could often feel that wherever he went, he wasn't alone. The pure blood didn't fear the scouts, for he could battle against them without much worries, but the problem would come from his lack of discretion. If the Elder's strength laid in her magic, she could find out very well who he was. Darhan did have Karis as his ally, but Ran was always unpredictable and he could have more than enough reasons to believe that Ishmael didn't care anymore about him.

Although, that would be only the best-case scenario. If he had to fear for the worst, he could expect that he had become an enemy to the goddess and was sent to the Void because of it. He still couldn't remember much about it, but he would gladly keep his mind on what he had at hand instead. The first thing was, of course, to get out of Varnymir and then get to Karis's residence. He had already been there, and the succubi queen didn't care as much about Ishmael than Ran did. Hopefully, the war had made the white-haired demon go far away from the demon realm. He had passed a month an a week stuck already, waiting for a map or for directions to find a path where the scouts wouldn't be around. Although Leon seemed to be a hot-headed teen, he was probably the only one who could plan a good escape route for him.

One evening, Leon came back later than his sister with what looked to be a newspaper on his hands. Darhan couldn't read but strange symbols from it. It was probably written in demonic. The headlines kept the mother frowning and she asked her son where he had gotten that newspaper.

"I was authorized to go to the town. My graduation will be next month and the Army selected me." He said without much enthusiasm.

"Which division?"

"Tervani. But look at the news. Some other commander is planning shady stuff, the same commander that took Berthe's place." The teen put the newspaper open in the table and Elena put her hand on her mouth, shocked, while her mother closed her eyes and shook her head. Darhan glanced at the images of decapitated soldiers and what looked to be their families, if he judged by their much simpler clothing and their smaller size.

"Why did they kill their kids too? Mother...why would anyone do this to people that are working under the orders of someone else? Why can't they just punish the leader?"

The woman opened her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Because that's how Ran Tervani sends a message. Leon, I beg you, be careful under that demon's orders. Whatever you do, think of your sister first before taking Dust's side. He might have a way with words, but look what his plan brought to those alchemists."

"Dust? What did that commander do?" Darhan asked.

The family turned towards him, finally becoming aware of his presence. The woman spoke first. "He got a hundred glitters tortured and killed along their families for plotting against King Barkat. Ran Tervani got the soldiers' confession and king Barkat aproved the sentence. Whatever they were working on will get split between the Tervani and the Lilith households."

The explanation brought a heavy silence in the room and Elena left first and Leon followed her soon after, leaving on the table a certificate next to the newspaper. The woman took her long pipe and lit some tobacco. "It's like Ran Tervani put a curse on this family, like a horrible joke played on repeat. Sometimes fate is disgusting, isn't it?"

Darhan looked one last time at the lost pink gaze of the woman who seemed more inclined to keep silent and smoke from now on than to talk with anyone. Once back in the bedroom he was given, he tried to sleep, but his mind was still planning on what he could do if Karis Lilith had more resources than he could anticipate. What could he offer her in exchange of getting out of this realm? Darhan feared that things would get more complicated from now on.

****
Yullr
​

Lento had caught him off-guard by asking so much questions about what he knew about the demons, but he couldn't blame him for having second thoughts. If there was anything he respected about Dust was his charisma. Lento had taken back his confidence, but the ambience had brought the elf doubts about the choice he had taken since that day. He went away to protect them from the mess he got involved in. Yet, when he left, he had so many other worries on his mind. In the end, he never found what he came to seek, only a curse that was crawling under his skin, waiting to be set free.

He couldn't afford, back in those days, to hold any memories of them, except for his pipe. Although that would be an ironic memento. This thought made him chuckle, even if he didn't feel much joy about his old life. He went back to his tent to get everything he needed for his plan to succeed.

A few moments later

"Alright, gentlemen, carry those barrels carefully, you don't want to spill the contents, I assure you." the elf said as the soldiers took sealed barrels out of the camp. He had been sending out a few of those to Eosforos's men. The elf had a small device on his right ear that connected him directly with the demons. Eosforos was very lucky to get a lot of people from the communications division under his wing. To avoid getting under the enemy's radar, they had changed the mana frequency at which they communicated, Lento didn't need a device on his side, considering that he could only "hear" through mana frequencies already.

"Did you get there?" he asked. He nodded at the reply and got in contact with Lento. The moon was high in the sky and everything was set to begin right before dawn. Lento contacted him and told him that the fleets were closing in through the canals. With the wind on their side, they would get when everything had been laid on the bridges.

"You know, Lento, thank god there's still damn hybrids working in Hamel's Navy. Or should I say, thank god that there's so many hybrids in the enemy's side. We got control of the port ever since Elesis got here and they got no idea. They'll be sitting ducks."

"It was thanks to Hamel's elven hybrids that I could come here in the first place from my natal town. There was little resistance, and now fifteen battleships are covering the coast. Five of those will get to us, and the rest was your genius, Yullr. Your memo will win us this battle and we'll get in a better position to fight in Hamel. I will return with the troops Penensio lent me and we'll push them back from my city."

The elf nodded. "I like your enthusiasm, Commander. No worries for the bridges, right?"

"The royal citadel, including the bridges were made with special magic-embedded stones. Even with the most explosive Fertrunier charges, they will not fall." Elesis affirmed.

Yullr chuckled. "Excellent news! Xavier, Eosforos. You must be in position now, please go right ahead. We'll be ready in a few. Miss. fleet commander, are the winds in your favour?"

"We don't need the winds with our motors. We'll be there as soon as you engage, with the five barrels those glitters sent to us." she answered

"Aye, aye, captain." the elf said with a grin.

Twenty soldiers carried the remaining ten barrels to the last bridge. There was Elesis and Lento, looking at the closed doors of the citadel. One by one the barrels were opened and revealed their content: ashes. Lento unsheathed his sword and Elesis clenched her fist and covered it with flames. The night was ending and there was movement in all the bridges. Lento could distinguish them first thanks to his mana field and they knew that there were less demons on the left bridge: the Red Knights bridge, while there was no demons on the Centurial bridge.

Yullr mumbled some incantations and the ashes began to take life and transform into the Ash army. The new soldiers split into two homogeneous groups, numbering around a thousand men each between the two bridges. Dawn finally rose from the corner of the firmament and both sides rushed towards each other, Lento being part of the troops. He could be fast enough to evade the Fertrunier, but even if he wasn't and was gravely injured, there was a backup soldier for that, waiting patiently in her cell.

Yullr kept his army organised and Elesis threw fire to many of them to turn their bodies into dangerous masses to attack in melee range. By that point, two battleships were appearing on the left and three on the right. Through the communication system they had put up, he heard the fleet captain give the decisive order.

"FIRE!"

Late Phant0m Fume

 

[Late]

Eosforos
​

Everything was set. Eosforos took in a shaky breath as the unnerving emotions from everyone around him was almost suffocating him. He was out of focus for a moment until he blinks a couple of times when Xavier snapped his fingers in front of his face. The man shook his head, coming back to reality and knowing that there was a war going on and they have to start moving. He looks up to see that the demons who were assigned for moving the sealed barrels returned back to them, a few were out of breath for rushing so quickly yet there was a look of readiness in their eyes. All the demons with him have different uniforms and helmets, just to stand out from the enemies and to show whose side they are on. They weren't Velder knight equipment, but it was something that Eosforos tried to recreate from back what he saw when wandering around in an abandoned castle.

"Sir, everything is set up and we are all here together," the archer spoke up to him, having his crossbow out and ready.

Eosforos nodded his head and he looks at the archer, knowing very well that this soldier always seems to be by his side no matter what. Slightly hesitant at first, Eosforos went ahead to pat the captain on his shoulder which caught the archer somewhat off guard. The demon looked at him with a strange confusion on his face and the devil simply offer a small smile.

"Relax...everyone here will survive as long as well follow orders. I won't let any of you die...it's the least I can do for making you guys stay this far down the road," Eosforos said in their language.

"Even though I don't like you...Eosforos," a glitter soldier spoke up, the usual one who seems to always have issues with the devil's choices. "Be sure to give our king a piece of our minds when you do try to regain your throne. I'm just saying this because I doubt you could save every single life here...and I'm willing to give my life away to save others. Even if I do survive in the end, just remember this: I'll hate to see what the future will hold with those dreadful kings and queens being alive and in power. I want a safe place for the future, Eosforos, a future for the children to grow up safely. So they don't suffer the same fate we all did."

Eosforos blinks a couple times at the glitter's words and he nods his head. "I'll try my best, Ace. I am afraid of making promises, but this one, in particular, is something I planned to do. For the sake of the future, and the future's children," he replied. "...It would be rather nice to have you alive in the end though. You look like the type of guy to hold the fruit bowl for me."

This seems to cause a wave of chuckles in the glitter soldiers as Ace gave Eosforos a glare. "Just because of that, I'm not going to catch an arrow for you," Ace huffed, turning away to put on his helmet.

The slight gesture of positivity from these soldiers strangely reminded Eosforos the time when he was with Stirbargen. The time he managed to get Luciela and his friend to sign a peace treaty with each other as king and queen, ending their war between their countries. That time in history held a lot of bright future for ahead but Eosforos wasn't sure what went wrong. He was unable to get answers from Lu since she seems to change the subject whenever he asks. As for Stirbargen....he hopes that he is still alive and somewhere safe in Elrios.

"Noted, Ace." Eosforos straightened himself up and looks up momentarily to see the dragons peering down, all three were ready to go. "Just as planned everyone. The dragons have their own area to work with. Aragorn in the air, Octavia in the waters, and Ivy with us on land."

The dragons took that as their cue to get going and both Aragorn and Octavia took off. Eosforos looks at Xavier with a bit of worry for the man, afraid he might feel anxious for his remaining family but Xavier had a rather calm look on his face. Those cool blue eyes strangely soothed his soul and it was enough for Eosforos to feel a bit more confident about the safety of everyone here. He takes in a deep breath and starts to hear the cries of raging soldiers ahead.

"Archers, be sure to have our backs. Xavier will do his best to assist you guys to find any threatening targets. Everyone else, let's move out and try to stay close. Xavier, make sure those archers won't get hurt but if you see something that the archers can't handle on their own, take care of it," Eosforos said as they started to move out.

"Don't worry, I got your back. Come on, Komodo," Xavier replied as he took up to his own position with Komodo following after him.

"Lu and her butler should be catching up with us as well. They just have a few things to take care of first. I gave them a special task to work with," Eosforos said to the demon group. "They should be done soon..."

As the fight erupts, the dragons were doing their jobs. Aragorn was making sure there won't be any surprises by scouting up in the air. He was away from the cannons' range and could easily swoop down to help others who need it. Though if there was something that caught his eye, he would immediately report it to Ivy with a roar. Octavia's job is a bit different and rather a danger to everyone if they fell in the waters but that was the reason for Aragorn to be up in the skies. Eosforos could see that the water dragon was successful in reaching to the river and already dived into it. Her plan was to make whirlpools as the gap between land was big enough for Octavia to work around with. Meanwhile, the ash soldiers were out and formed, all were ready to take on the Hope Bridge.

As they approached closer, Ivy went ahead to be in the front of everyone as her vines start to push through the blockage that was in the way in order to break it down. Eosforos thought back to what Ivy mentioned about in the past month, a solution to fix the issue of the missing Earth El. He knows she definitely has the ability and power to restore the earth's balance on her own, but the issue was Xavier not knowing of her plan. If she were to die here, Ivy asked Eosforos to take her power source with him into the earth temple ahead. If it ever comes down to that, Eosforos hopes Xavier won't try to get in his way for doing so. It's likely the fourth time someone would disrespect a dragon's death and yet...it was Ivy's wish for it to be done.

Eosforos noticed the cannons from the other side started to aim down at them but the archers reacted quickly to fire their arrows at the demons trying to ready the large weapons. He noticed a few arrows were crystallized and the time it hits the target, the ice seems to wrap itself around the enemies as if trying to slow down its movements from doing anything. It allows the archers to fire another one to end the enemies' life if the first shot was unsuccessful but he noticed a cannon went off successfully at them. He quickly warned the others about it and yet one demon seems to respond late to this. Eosforos quickly unsheathed his sword, having a sturdier and heavier look to it as it shows it was modified. With a quick shove and a single swoop down, the sword destroyed through the cannonball in half and several pieces traveled into the ash soldiers rather than his men. It doesn't seem to affect them as much as they start to help Ivy breaking down the barrier. The time the blockage was down, Ivy let the ash soldiers move in and looks over at Eosforos, her vines slowly start to cover in thorns.

"I hope you thank Athena in the end for having that amount of strength..." Ivy said. Eosforos wasn't sure if she said it in spite since she quickly turned away and moved in along with the ash soldiers.

Eosforos looked at the glitter soldier he saved and noticed it was the younger one of the group. The glitter gave a rather scared look at Eosforos, knowing that was rather a close one and the devil let out a raspy sigh until he noticed his hat came off. Probably from the rushing wind of the cannon and the young soldier noticed this and picked it off the ground for him.

"I...think it's best if you don't hide like this...your true self I mean..." The glitter said to him quietly. Eosforos looks down at his hat and eventually lowered the demon's hand so he can drop it. The soldier looked up at him as if studying the growing horns as the man stayed quiet. "...I'll be careful next time," he said afterward and quickly joined with the others.

Eosforos sighs lightly and quickly joined the rest. There was a lot going on but the ash soldiers were being very efficient for them. The cannons were just an issue for them to worry about but everyone was doing their best to take care of them. Even his men were quick to take advantage of this and use the cannons against their enemies. Everything seem to be going well so far.

MementoDei Fume Phant0m

 

[MementoDei]

Minerva
​

During the days of the first war, her family had decided to let her live her dream to become a singer, but only as long as she could live on her own. Rations and curfews were not a thing that Varnimyr knew about, unlike many other regions around it. The forest, its spirits and the power of the second largest El Shard in the demon world made the village an important source of stability for the rest of the demon realm. Minerva found soon enough her first stage in a small cabaret that most demon would ignore when there were better places right next door. It was a place of pure-blood elves and elven hybrids; it was the second centre of Varnimyr's small social gatherings. A demon commander, however, sometimes came to visit. One night, he came along a pure-blood elf, a teen that was barely making the last steps that separated him from adulthood. Minerva's work had made her rather observant to people, sensible to each group's aura so her voice could find a way to turn their attention to her. The commander's new friend was also in the military, but his rather serious gestures and closed smiles contrasted greatly with the commander's outspoken nature. After she was done singing for the crowd, Minerva joined the public for the next performer, an old pianist known only by his slave name: Oedipus Lilith.

Although the villagers were rather curious about the new pure-blood next to a demon talking in friendly terms, but only she had dared to approach the two strangers. Words came as naturally to her as the melody of her songs and her light music that she let fly through the chords of a piano. She had learned both of their names: Serge Debussy and Ulysses Tervani. The difference in their last names made it clear that they were not master and slave. Their uniforms seemed to come from different divisions, even the armbands suggested that Debussy had a higher rank than Ulysses. It was under very odd circumstances that those two had met, and it was by mere coincidences that they had kept in contact with each other. Debussy had no shame to let the alcohol boost his military achievements, while Ulysses's cigarettes let out compliments for her talent on the piano, although they were nuanced with some ways to improve. His mind seemed buried in many thoughts that the dark whirlpool of lavender in his eyes could barely scratch on the surface. He had his feet on the present, like immortal roots, but his mind was in a sky of thoughts that painted the image of a man with dreams, but limited by a prison of conformism. It was probably the source of his dry cynicism, but Minerva had learnt that the difference between laughs and pain was not that great. It was precisely because those two opposite things were so close that people could raise their courage to face any kind of future. At least, that what she never stopped believing.

Serge was a stranger in the small place where she lived her dream, and he sought better places with succubi that would do anything to brag about spending the night with a demon commander. The quieter Ulysses stayed in the simple ambience of her small stage, looking to the smoke of his vice as if it held the answer that would calm the tempest that clouded his eyes under a sombre night. He spoke rarely with any other elves but her, as he admitted that it was rather odd to speak with strangers that were only interested in his military rank to get a better drink next time they came here. Ulysses's armband had changed, it had now the sign of a captain from a division she had never heard before, and which he never spoke about. She had to admit that he had a talent to change the flow of the conversation without much effort and so seamlessly that he could've made a great liar. Yet, his heart was sincere for the rest of what he did want to talk. He would live centuries more than her, that was a fact, but his knowledge was something even many other pure-bloods would respect about him. Yet, the more she talked to him, the more she got the feeling that behind the knowledge everyone respected, there was a child that had never given been the chance to live his emotions, either positive or negative, by any means besides the world's universal language: music.

****
Darhan​

He had noticed from the first day the piano covered by a white cloth in his bedroom, but he had never felt like playing. He had learnt some very basic songs as a kid, and he dared to believe that even without Ishmael's magic, his voice wasn't half that bad. There was no map yet, but he had been gathering bits and pieces of Varnimyr's layout to find a way out by next month. There was no one around yet, as morning had passed for a long time. He couldn't go outside until dusk, so the piano had to do for now. He took the cloth off and a black grand piano that looked to had been taken care of with the hand of an expert. It looked brand new, but the golden letters that marked it had the name of one of the old cabarets in ruins he had seen with Minerva when she had taken him to the Henir portal. He brought a wooden chair and sat in front of the instrument. His left hand hovered over the second lowest octave and his fingers traveled through a simple scale. The last note echoed as his right foot touched the right pedal. Darhan's right hand picked up the scale in a higher octave until his thumb found the first key of a chord. His index and pinky fell on the rest of the keys that formed the chord. He was remembering it, slowly but surely, the notes were taking him back through time with a different kind of nostalgia.

He was taken back to the old stories Sylfir used to tell him about the towns in books. The notes took him back to the port of Amsterdam and everything but the instrument and his voice lost its value. He had a small smile to almost find himself recreating a moment of happiness.

"In the port of Amsterdam, there are sailors who sing of the dreams that haunt them off the shores of Amsterdam." he began the song with the mysticism of a town in a novel, but there was a new feeling to the same familiar words. Sylfir wouldn't sing it with the silent hatred that was building up inside of him. Amsterdam had no face, no feelings, but every note began to attach those real things to a fantasy, covering them with the same bleakness that a town like Amsterdam would have if it existed in this world buried in memories left to gather dust like the cloth that had covered this piano.

"In the port of Amsterdam, there are sailors who sleep like flags that are draped along the dark banks. In the port of Amsterdam, there are sailors who die full of dramas and beer under the first morning light." Amsterdam had a shape, the same streets that Resiam had once, but it was not the pristine town he had known. It was a town free from any light. A town where, perhaps, the demons had won or he had never visited. It was a town that shared more with the Feita kingdom he knew. A cold town where beggars had the choice between becoming soldiers or thieves. And that was the only choices for a human. Elves were only given the last option.

"But in the port of Amsterdam, there are sailors born in the thick heat of the languors of the ocean. In the port of Amsterdam, there are sailors who eat on overbleached tablecloths dripping wet fish. They bare their teeth that would chew up your fortune, swallow the moon and the shrouds of your ship." The quiet notes were growing louder as he was almost spitting a very different portrait of the Amsterdam he remembered as a child. Yet, the words flowed from his mouth as if it had always been the same for all his life, but Sylfir had never sung it. This was a song of a man that had been in a city of sin, powerless against the black-haired sailors that took everything he valued. His fortune, the light of his night and the only way he had to navigate through a sombre sea. Maybe all those things were one and the same.

"And there's the smell of whores right through the heart of the fries which their big hands invite to bring back some more, then they rise up laughing with the sound of a tempest, they zip up their flies again and leave belching." His right hand was playing the high notes faster as the low chords played by his left hand gave a tragic tone that got close to his own feelings. The sailors began to have more human traits and the whores' shadows became clearer as brown hair covered the nape of their necks.

"In the port of Amsterdam, there are sailors that dance, rubbing their bellies against women's bellies. And they turn and they dance like suns spat out to the torn up sound of a rancid accordion. They twist their necks to better hear themselves laugh until, all of a sudden, the accordion dies. Then, with a serious gesture, with a victorious gaze, they bring their night loot to the full light." His voice took a pause as the melody kept its loud and scornful pace to serve as a prelude to the images in his mind. Black haired sailors with expensive swords took young blue-eyed brunettes to find a momentary pleasure while he, the narrator who had lost everything to the sailors, was singing his grief in the same way the sailors drowned themselves in alcohol. It felt oddly real, but it wasn't his tale. The piano was slowly revealing his deepest fears, the ones he had rarely thought about.

"In the port of Amsterdam, there are sailors who drink, keep drinking and they drink up some more. They drink to the health of the whores of Amsterdam, of Hamburg or anywhere else! At last, they drink! To the ladies who give them their precious body, who give them their virtue for a mere gold coin. And when they can't drink anymore, they lie up face up under the sky, blow their noses in the stars and piss the same way I cry over unfaithful women! In the port of Amsterdam! In the port of Amsterdam!"

The deep and low chords echoed once more in the empty house and slowly the port of Amsterdam left his mind and the empty room came back into perspective. The piano was only another part of it. There was another person that laid her back over the door. The sound of a lonesome applause followed and Minerva's voice broke all the fears that Amsterdam had brought to his mind.

"That was a great interpretation, Mr. Darhan. It's rare that people convey so many different emotions through a known old song."

He couldn't find any kind of answer to what she had said, as he had never understood what people meant by feeling music until now. He had made people feel music, but he had never felt him himself, it was an impersonal experience. Minerva seemed to notice this and walked towards him.

"Music is and will always be the way souls can sometimes face themselves. This piano holds the memory of many artists, but it also holds the memory of Ulysses's shrouded emotions."

"Ulysses was your lover, I suppose."

The woman nodded. "Yes, and it was the moment he let me see through more of his thoughts and his fears. He offered me a poignant serenade, similar to yours, although he couldn't sing."

He smiled weakly at Minerva's description, as it reminded him on how Yullr could play an instrument for hours and say that music was more powerful than magic, but his voice could never replicate the same melodies as his fingers. That frustrated the young prince, so Darhan had told him that he shouldn't feel sad because his soul was made for magic while his heart was made and open for the most powerful force of all: music. Darhan had closed his heart to music until this moment, and because of this, he was almost tempted to say that Yullr had perhaps a point on his view on music.

 

[Fume]

"Incoming bombardment!" One of the soldiers screamed as barrels and large ammunition rained down from the somewhere.

"Shields up! Protect yourselves! Damien, buff the defensive team! Chloe, see if you can shoot down the rain away from us!"

"Yes sir! Come on, fellas! We're the sentinels of our kingdom! Put a little back bone into it!" He flicked his maracas in a defensive tone before giving a shining blue aura around the shielding demons, increasing their defense.

"Are you crazy!? There's too many of them! I can only get some many, even with your help!"

"That's okay, we'll save how many we can! Xio, Phantom! Leave those that can't survive, heal the ones with minor wounds and try to assist them in the defense!" He jumped up on the bridge, blades on his hands and swiped them to the side, cutting 5 cannonballs in half before three arrows hit three barrels at the same time, falling down at the river below. Up high on the air, Dust realized that the bombardment was coming from ships, far away. Their original plan was a bust from the start.

"No wonder I wasn't receiving a report from the demons at the port... they were already dead!" He fell down as he grit his teeth, still in this kind of situation he couldn't think of another plan right off the bat, his mind going a million thoughts by the second on what to do next. Then he noticed a barrel heading his direction, he slashed it and saw something coming out.

"Sand? No, that doesn't look like it, it's too grey for that..." Then ash started to take form, a face of horror and pain was made and it bore holes onto the hybrid. "What the hell!?" He slashed at it, but it just reshaped itself. With a kick, he threw the ash golem into the river, falling with a ghastly wail.

"Sir! Enemy forces are coming at our back slowly!" As he heard that, he saw that the barrels were broken and reforming into the same creature he saw before, but they took the form of a knight of the rebel forces.

"Are they using their fallen comrades... Yullr!" Only then did he realize that Yullr was the one behind it, only someone that controls the dead can raise them from their slumber. "I want 30 soldiers guarding our flank! Make yourselves in groups of 5 at once!"

"Yes, sir!" They immediately put themselves into position and smashed, slashed and puncture the golems. But they simply reformed themselves, slowly coming closer to them.

"Don't tell me that the only way to defeat them, is through Yullr? Damn it..." He cursed that dark elf for this.

"Dust! There's too many things coming at once! What can we do?" Chloe asked, desperately trying to make the barrels fall down as fast as she could and exploding the cannonballs.

"We continue with the plan! Continue forward!"

Phant0m Late MementoDei

 

[Phant0m]

"Yessir!" Phantom shouted as he threw light arrows to the soldiers he saw who weren't too badly injured and summoned his staff, Nox, and summoned the scythe blade. He covered other soldiers' backs and helping to deflect attacks and he kept Xio in the corner of his eye.

His goddess was doing everything she could to not speak to her priest, furious that he suggested something that she thought she taught him better. Xiopetec sprinted from fallen soldier to fallen soldier, her aura fuschia as she looked like she grabbing empty air from each soldier.

"I'll be damned if I don't help them pass on quickly," she snapped before she went to another fallen soldier and grabbed empty air, like she was helping an invisible person up, "Go little one...follow the path. Find peace."

And when she saw the ash soldier, Xiopetec violently hissed with her forked tongue practically stabbing the air. Another soldier grabbed her attention and she got into position with the others, summoning her sickles and twirling them in her hands as she brought them in front of her, ready to slash at a moment's notice.

Phantom looked around, moving the group he was in and watching his comrade's back with his scythe at the ready. Despite his manipulation of nature and fire weakening since he became a light demon, the priest was glad that he could at least do the basics. That's all he really needed anyway. Bodies were flammable, all that was needed was one lick of flame to start the pyre. And his vines could effectively grab and momentarily hold a person still so they could have a very intimate meeting with his scythe blade.

But Phantom kept glancing over to Xio to make sure she was ok before looking to check on Damien and Dust to make sure of the same.

Fume Late MementoDei

 

[MementoDei]

Lento
​

He was directly in the middle of the battlefield, walking between the friendly fire and slashing down the enemies in front of him. He had to make sure that Yullr wouldn't get attacked. Some barrels had been knocked over, but the ashes floated back into the bridge and formed new soldiers that helped him contain the wave of demons in place. Some of the enemy's shielders couldn't hold anymore projectiles and the shock of the explosions blew holes in the demons' rear.

"Yullr, there's an opening in the Hope bridge. Five hundred metres in front of me." he informed through the mana waves that they had used to communicate. He parried the lance of a glitter and, after coating his knee with mana, he pierced a hole through the chest of the demon before tossing it to the abyss below.

"Roger that. Navy, open your barrels on my mark." Yullr said.

A cloud of ashes flew towards them and a group of two hundred soldiers began to take advantage of the opening he had seen. The demons were dividing themselves in smaller groups and the few ash soldiers that had been burnt were getting up as human torches that walked towards the demons before exploding and cornering them further.

He was probably imagining it, but Lento glanced at the water he couldn't tell if it had been made of blood and fire or if there was still water underneath. His small distraction got him a spear on the shoulder. He grunted in pain, but managed to slash the glitter swordsman before it could plant its sword in his heart. The healers. They had to get to the healers or else he would have a harder time to contain them all, even if the ash soldiers supported him.

Lento tried to use one of his offensive spells to push the demons back, but the stones of the bridge were nullifying it. It was a battle of raw strength.

'Are you giving up? So soon?' Sophia's voice said inside his mind.

'No way. I'm the last defence Yullr and Elesis have. Not only them, but the whole camp. I should still manage.' he replied, clenching his sword as he slashed down two more glitters. One of the Fertrunier cannonballs exploded right next to him and sent him to the ground, its blinding blue light had stunned him. He felt an acute pain spread through his lower back and Sophia's mana grew stronger.

'Finally! FINALLY! THEY'VE PUT YOU DOWN AND THEY DON'T KNOW, THEY CAN'T KNOW!' she yelled in his mind as everything around him returned to its normal state. The demons were rushing on in smaller groups and Sophia was in front of him, taking with her claws the glitters and smashing their heads to the bridge, crushing their skulls.

"So... you must be the demons." she said as she unveiled her razor-sharp teeth with a crooked smile. The skin around her eyes was covered by black scales now. "Too bad you don't know anything about his plan. There'll never be one of us without the other."

She jumped to the other bridge without the shadow of a doubt and landed over the shields of the smaller group of demons. Sophia began a carnage of unspeakable cruelty, her human traits were slowly fading away, but her voice echoed in his mind, clearer than before. Lento turned away and continued to battle on. He heard Elesis order the boats to get out the Shrapnel shells, which would inflict even more damage if they were cut down by the demons. He was ordered to retreat and let the ash soldiers get in charge of the rest. By the time he got to safety, there was nothing more but a pile of corpses on the second bridge and at the top of the carnage was Sophia, looking carefully at one of the heads of the glitters that she had killed before she crushed it in her hands. She looked at him with a haunting gaze and smiled with confidence, as if she had done something that he wanted.

No. He wished to win, but that...those dismembered corpses, with their guts hanging over the bridge, spreading blood over the water, the dismembered demons that stared at their killer with a frozen horror, that was not what he wanted.

'This is war, Lento. You know it. It's all about survival.' She said with a terrifyingly calm voice. He was disgusted to admit that a part of him was comforted by her words. It was their side or his. They had done so much worse in Feita, in Velder...right?

The Shrapnel rounds fired and when they were cut down by the demon forces, they liberated small and burning hot lead spheres that disfigured many demons or tore to shreds their arms or legs. They were screeching in pain. Sophia was looking at the guts and blood with a childish curiosity, as if this was only another game. An evil game.

He remembered what Dust had done to Feita, what he and Phantom had almost done to Velder. The other battles, the death of Vanessa, Elesis's injuries...

This was a cruel and evil game indeed. And he would not be watching it unfold anymore.

'See? This is no different from what you wanted.'

'You're not wrong, but going mindlessly against a thousand is not the only thing we should do. We should hunt the head down. I know their names and I will bring death to them.'

Sophia chuckled. 'Will we hunt them down? It's been eons since my last hunt. Lead the way...'
Late Fume Phant0m

 

[MementoDei]

Darhan​

The house was quieter for the past days, as Leon had recently graduated as a soldier, and Elena had become the first Alchemist Varnymir had since the first demon invasion. God knows where Minerva went until late at night, so Darhan took his time to practice the piano again. Without singing. He had almost his plan of escape in his hands, but there was still the same problem in the long-run: there was no certain way out of the demon realm. Karis could very well refuse any offer unless he satisfied another kind of her desires.

Needless to say that he was stuck here, living as an uninvited guest of a family that would perhaps do better if he had never visited them. The Earth El was in the demon realm and Ishmael would know of his presence here sooner than later, that was certain. He thought back at his plan, the one he had swore to accomplish in Lara's memory. He still had the pendant made of blue glass, coloured by coloured crystals that tried to imitate the colour of her soul. He stopped playing to look at the blue cross he had hanging on his torso. He sometimes forgot that he couldn't keep any shards of her soul, but he had found a crystal so similar that it didn't hurt to pretend that she was always with him, as she would always be.

"Lara, my dear...would you forgive me for not avenging you? It's the second promise I don't fulfill to you."

The pendant's blueness sometimes moved inside its prison. Darhan only saw in its movements a sign of happiness and forgiveness for everything he could ever do. The colour was focusing on the side closer to the piano, banging its shell with an inert curiosity. The archangel was only happy to know that, once more, Lara had understood him and forgave him.

"You've never seen me play, have you?" the archangel smiled. "Honestly, it's been centuries since I've touched a piano. But I'm not too bad, am I?" Darhan sighed. "I've got so many things to live with you."

He grabbed the pendant delicately with his left had, watching the glow silently freeze with tranquility and he chuckled. "All will come in its due time, my love. If everything goes well, nothing will separate us ever again. Not even death."

The archangel closed his eyes and continued to play a romantic ballad, continuing to talk to the one he would never let down again. "You know, while I served that goddess, I also gathered a lot of knowledge. Did you know that she knows of the existence of other worlds? Worlds where things were different for everyone, including us."

He sunk the pedal a bit more than it was needed as his fingers danced over the piano, making each note echo; the higher notes were getting drowned by the lower notes in a wave of disarray. "In many of those, we lived the dream I always wanted. Married, with children sometimes...and not a single storm to ever disturb our paradise. You never went to war in most of them. You enjoyed life so much more and so did I. My village never got attacked, I never went through hell...I simply was there to meet you and spend my life with you. It was destiny, my love."

Darhan's fingers slipped over some notes, tainting the song with a disturbing obsession that overpowered the romanticism. The thoughts he drowned with his work, they were all slipping out from the hidden scars of his mind. The old wounds were bleeding out again, but the blood overflowed in a different way. It did not paint a puddle of self-loathing and guilt; the blood had twisted his righteousness to an incomprehensible extreme, but he had never admitted it until now. He had never seen his own thoughts so clearly, everything that he suppressed was actually the only goal that would put his mind at ease. Darhan had never accepted that fleeting madness that lingered around him ever since his grief had made him look for knowledge he knew he should not have looked for. But now that he embraced it all, he felt accomplished, but also slightly disturbed by what his own mind was capable of. Without work to focus his mind, he was again being a victim of his demons. He quickly casted that doubt away, continuing to expose his plan to the emptiness from where Lara would hear him.

"In all those worlds, we were meant to spend eternity together. The only world where another man got in the way, you destroyed it all. I would have done so too if anyone had hurt you in any way. You chose to think you loved someone else to cope with my absence, I know. But I forgive you, Lara. I really do. However, in this world, I am here, just like you are with me. I'm fully aware that you and I were united by fate. And I can't let this world be the only exception to all of those paradises we could have lived. I'll find your shell, retrieve other fragments of your soul after I kill that knight. And after we're properly reunited, we'll flee to another world, where Ishmael will let us be. And trust me, even if you are defenceless, I grew stronger to protect you. I will kill anyone who tries to disturb the paradise I'll forge for us, darling."

The archangel ended his maddened serenade with the highest note on the piano, but the note fell silent. Darhan pressed the note again, with more insistence, but the note refused to liberate its sound. He frowned and looked closely at the key. There was something blocking it. A small triangle of yellow paper jutted out underneath the key. It had probably broke the key after all the time it had passed. He slowly pulled out the triangle and found a piece of paper folded in a small square. He would not have opened it under normal circumstances, but he had an urge to know what was the secret that had stopped his carefree melody. It was a small letter with only two sentences written on them in ancient elven.

'For all the seasons that I can't spend with you, let it be known that my spirit will find a way back. After the storm has passed, I will come back to you as a free man.'

It was signed by two initials: Y.M. In elven, the symbols formed the old royal signature and Darhan understood all too well that Ulysses and the kid he had left with the demons were one and the same. Leon had Yullr's eyes, it was as clear as the light of day now. While he was losing everything, Yullr was here, living the paradise that this world had not made for him. He stole it. It had to be so. Yullr stole the fate that was rightfully his.

Darhan thought back to the few years of peace where he thought of finally proposing to Lara. She was slowly recovering her mind back then, and he couldn’t be happier about it. Yet, there was still some doubts in his mind about living again after he had let so many people down. Reijak was a close friend of Lara that finally convinced him to propose, but the demons left his words unheard to Lara.

For all those years, he had thought that Yullr was suffering at the hands of the demons, but he was in fact living an almost perfect life, the life that those same demons denied from him. Darhan put the letter back where it was and headed outside, not even bothering to hide his silver mane. He couldn’t stay another second in that house where his dreams would replace the past of someone that had probably stolen the fate that would have awaited him in this world. Only in this world Yullr had lived until this day. He was the thief.

When he got to the Ruins, Karis and Ren were there, waiting for him.

“We meet again, Darhan.” Ren said with a soft voice he could’ve sworn to hold a bit of sadness. He held his pendent and knew that his plan had lower chances of ever working. He could negotiate with Ishmael, sure, but only if he could do something for the goddess in return. He briefly thought back on what Lara had said when she died.

Darhan, don't keep my memory full of sadness, don't carry my burden. It'll break you too. And that's something I wouldn't forgive you for. Never.

Would his plan truly respect her wish?

*****
Yullr
​

The elf watched with concern Lento getting crushed by the rocks, he was at the mercy of demons until Sophia showed up as he had planned. If he ever had something to thank Dust about, it was the knowledge about mental connections between Voidborn he found in the Library. With this, both of them would watch each other's back, but he did not remember fully what the side-effects of that spell were. One thing was when they naturally cast it among them, but making it work with a completely different species was risky. Despite all the risks, he never expected to work this well. The elf squinted his eyes and saw two shadows move through the battlefield. He grabbed his binoculars and identified Lento's white hair, leaping across the battlefield with a black, serpent-like, shadow next to him. Sophia.

The elf widened his eyes and began to contact Lento. "Lento, what the hell are you doing?"

"It's a good day to hunt for the head, Yullr."

"What? No! Get back in formation, you're putting yourself behind enemy lines! You can't beat Dust yourself, you know that! Fall back, you hear me?! Lento! Lento!"

The communication had been lost. "That fucking idiot!"

He sighed with rage and thought to himself that Lento would not act like that on his own. Hunting...that was something Sophia would say. She was the unstoppable berserker, while Lento was the methodical soldier. Both had become aspects of war and Yullr only had himself to blame. Of course bringing them to a battlefield would bring that consequence! Voidborn were very sensitive to their surroundings and the actions of those they had tied their minds with. If they were in the middle of a battle, the risk that they would become bloodthirsty forever would be too high. Some tales even talked about a pair of Voidborn becoming the Kindred spirits of death itself. He couldn't let that happen to Lento, but perhaps it was too late to stop it.

"Shit!"

"Yullr, what's going on?" Elesis asked.

"We got two hunters going for the head."

"Hunters? Not Ash Soldiers? With all that chaos?! Tell them to fall back! Now! They'll be caught in the fire."

The elf sighed. "They've destroyed their communication devices, Commander."

"They went rogue?"

"I wouldn't think so, but for now let's hope they help us. We're too far away to help them."

"Give me their ranks and names. Now."

Yullr had never heard the commander give orders with such authority, but her voice left no room for negotiations. "Sixth division commander, Lento Asini and Sixth division Lieutenant, Sophia."

"WHAT?!"

 

[MementoDei]

Ren
(2 days before Darhan's capture)
​

The final reports of the alchemists that were studying Dust’s mana was as worrisome as the situation in Velder. Not only did his blood contain high levels of Dark El, but it seemed to be tied to an ancient giant that had been sealed away in chains for millennia. Samael was a dangerous being and his wielder was destroying the human realm by violating the conditions of the peace treaty of the first demon war. The El had to be a source of life exclusive to the human realm. When Ishmael heard it the full report, she was decided to act.

“First, we need Darhan back to finish the weapon he was planning to forge. He knows his own work better than the rest of the alchemists. I’ve been in contact with a demon noble, Karis Lilith, and she is more than willing to lend us her forces. Same goes are the demon kings. They know where Darhan is and that he's one of us. They want to see that Dust die as much as we do. I don’t want to take any risks on missing anything on this Dust, so we’ve also got Henir’s order helping us.”

“My goddess, what about the Treaty? I’m sure the demons will like to keep the El for themselves now that they have it. And how did you convince those fanatics?”

The goddess huffed. “It was already a horrible mistake for me to doom a whole realm to its self-destruction because of a king gone mad. Elria made me realize that later on. And about the Order, those fanatics are furious because Darhan escaped their surveillance. They want him dead, but I want to question him first. If he's a traitor, then he's too powerful to be left alive."

The goddess fell silent and clicked her tongue. Something was bothering her, but she shrugged it off and dismissed her closest warrior. Ren nodded reluctantly and did as she was told. Perhaps Ishmael was afraid of the possibility that Darhan went rogue. If he had, then the massacre of Henir's cult would repeat itself, but in Ishmael's grounds.

[Present Day]
​

When the portal to the demon realm opened, she was welcomed by forgotten ruins in a forest and a red-haired succubus. That had to be Karis.

“Karis Lilith?”

The succubus nodded as her gaze swept her from head to toe. “Ren Ishmael, I suppose. If you wore a bit less armour, you’d be such a beauty. I’d like bring you to my harem, one of these days. We could have so much fun with your precious comrade.”

Ren squinted her eyes at the demon woman and asked her how she knew that Darhan was here.

“Oh, Ren, darling, the scouts of this village report to me. They’ve seen him come and go from here to a house. In fact, they’ve had their eyes on him ever since he opened this portal by himself.” She began to walk towards her and whispered a threat to her ear. “The Elder of the village wanted him dead, but I stopped her from doing anything. You owe me a little favour for keeping our friend Darhan alive, don’t you?”

The lips of the demon were closer to her neck and before the succubus could do anything, Ren stepped away and frowned at her. “We’ll see about that, demon.” The warrior hissed.

The sound of steps made both of them turn towards Darhan, who seemed almost scared to see the two of them there, waiting for him.

“We meet again, Darhan.” She said. It was all she could say even if she wanted him to live, the stakes of this battle were too great for her to be swept by regrets now. She had agreed to fulfill her role, and that was all that Ishmael desired. If it meant that her goddess would be happy, Ren would’ve done anything, even if that meant killing the second and last Archangel that Elrios had seen.

“Yes. It’s been a while, Ren, Karis.” The Archangel replied. There was a spark of unrest in his eyes, but his voice had the same calm tone she remembered. She still could hope that Ishmael would not have to deal with another massacre of her servants. Ren hoped Darhan could resist the corruption that had driven the first archangel to insanity.

“Darhan, our goddess Ishmael needs your help. The hybrid known as Dust is posing a serious threat and, without the creator of the Spear of the Rebel, we can’t neutralize the menace that his existence has become. He has the power of an ancient being: Samael.”

“And he’s been doing some shady stuff here too. We’ll give you all the knowledge we’ve gathered on necromancy. It might come in handy to deal with certain spiritual bonds. Not only that but Ran and I will send some forces to help you kill them all when you’re ready to intervene. In exchange, you’ll pay me a brief visit, won’t you?”

Darhan lowered his gaze but nodded. “Alright, Ren. Take me back to my workshop. Karis, please send me any data you might have on Dark El manipulation and Soul Pacts. That will come in handy.”

The archangel and the warrior left for Ishmael’s kingdom while Karis left to the demonic library, where Joaqin had reconstructed most of Ulysses Tervani’s knowledge. Of course, that selfish glitter had taken all the credit as if all that knowledge came from him, but Karis knew that it was a lie. Darhan took in charge the group of alchemists to finish the Spear of the Rebel. A masked man that wore the robes of Henir’s order came sometimes to watch them work on it. He glanced at her, who did the same and told her something that caught her attention.

“Darhan is not the only one my God wishes to see disappear. Dust, the rebel that you’re going to chase, I let him look into the Interdimensional library. I let him travel to many different dimensions. The knowledge he holds is very vast, if I say so myself. He’s collected many dangerous clues.”

Ren glared at the masked man. “Why did you even let a mortal access to that Library?! What were you thinking? Don’t tell me he looked for the secrets of our Gods.”

He shrugged. “Henir is only interested in Destruction. There’s no better way to provoke it than to let some exceptions sneak in and try to fight a meaningless war. This battle of ours will be the last. I know things about Dust that might be useful to that Archangel. I hope you don’t mind me keeping that group company. Even Henir has his limits to how far the agents of Destruction can go.”

Ren closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I never expected to see the day when our gods would join hands to decide the fate of Elrios. If this is the will of our gods, I will fight alongside you.”

The masked man chuckled. “I like your resolve, Ren. You fit well as the last warrior of Ishmael from that time. You're the only one that can still use ancient sorcery on divine weapons, aren't you?”

Ren squinted her eyes at him. "I thought only Luto had lived long enough to know me that well. Who are you?"

The man walked away and chuckled. "You can call me by my title: Kerberos. I'm not as ancient as you or that old man, but I've read things here and there...even the things you chose to hide from yourself."

Kerberos...Ren remembered thatLuto had told Ishmael about his new recruit not so long after the unfortunate death of the first Kerberos. If the second Kerberos was powerful to have lived with that title for so much time, she'd have to watch him very closely.

*****
Sophia
​

In the depths of the trenches her species used to live in, there was this comfortable thought that one day, they'd cease their hunt and become aware. It was a state she had briefly thought about as she took down Voidborn smaller than her. Wait, lure, kill, devour. That was the hunt all hydras that once inhabited the trenches did endlessly. At one point, some became aware and they left the trench, never to come back. Then, others followed and became aware as well. One after the other, in pairs, the void hydras abandonned the trench. Their home had become only her home. She was left there to continue the hunt. Endlessly. Wait, lure... She did not want to kill the minuscule prey in front of her that day. The prey had made some sounds, it showed a crystal to her. It was a very peculiar crystal, its smell and glow were native to her land, but some of it was strange, hypnotizing.

She remembered the crystal glowing even more, backing away with so much fear and disgust that she felt its fear. The crystal was frozen in time. It wanted to remain that way. Why was the man forcing it to come out from where it wanted to be? It was wrong, but the crystal could not do anything about it. Everything in her vision became the crystal's glow and the silhouette of a woman briefly appeared with a flash of incomplete images, blurred, melted once they had been removed from where they wanted to be. Those images passed so fast that, eventually, she forgot all of them. Then, the desert appeared. She knew words that she never used before. Words. Names. Thoughts. Those things were new as well. Had she become aware? Where was her partner, then? She only saw the same man as before next to her. His white hair, his mask, his golden eye, his black robes. That meant that they had become aware together!

'We're aware! Is this the world out of home? It's so pretty.'

But the masked man did not answer her. Instead, she asked her for her name. With sounds, not with thoughts.

'Lara Tureen! Are you not hearing me? That's strange...'

He asked her to speak, but she could not. It was unnecessary, but it was so frustrating to be asked to do complicated things that should not be necessary in the first place. The man put his hand over her front and the knowledge of the truth came back to her. That man was not her partner, but he had taken her out of her prison. The trench. A nest where ancient monsters mutated by Henir's energy lived to kill until they found someone like them, retrieved their conscience and were freed into the rest of the Void. She had practically become aware on her own. Thanks to the crystal, she had become aware! She had always had a name!

Then...she realized that she had never become aware. She had simply taken the consciousness and body of the crystal. The crystal held the soul of someone that was not her. That was why she was hunting again today. Next to someone who, like the crystal, was afraid of her. Someone that wanted to see her back in the trenches, but that could understand her. He could hear her thoughts, but she had already been wrong by trusting her instincts once; she would not make the same mistake again. She would not trust anything until she was free from the crystal's shadow. Looking at Lento's cruelest thoughts and executing them seemed like the way to go to feel liberated. It had made the hunt begin today. They were in perfect coordination, leaping through the battlefield and killing the few demons that shot arrows them as they crawled the walls of the fortress.

'There's plenty of people here...I can't wait! Whose lives shall we hunt?'

Lento jumped down the six-story high wall and used his mana manipulation techniques to land graciously into the empty fortress. 'We'll go kill the spies that opened the palace's gates in the first place. The ones that gave away the El's location too. That way, Velder will remain safe.'

She let out a low growl and sent flying a demon that was hiding behind three walls in the west wing. Her claw pulled up the glitter's impaled corpse and she grinned as the energy from the Void disintegrated the body into ashes. It was the only one that was still walking around the palace.

'We should go and erase these demons' town like what they did to us.'

'That'd be impossible. Assuming we even can reach the demon realm from here, we'd pass our time looking for them, surrounded by enemies, running like fugitives. Watching them flee from here with the same terror we felt in Feita is the only revenge we can reasonably obtain.'

The Knight shook his head and they continued their way through the corridors of the fortress. They had been there before, the crystal had been there and knew the place inside out. It knew the faces of the traitors. The two of them were simply following the trail.

They made their way to the dungeons, where the nobility and even the royal family were captured. They briefly smirked at the traitors' grateful eyes, at their cries of relief once they saw their armbands. They all asked to be saved. They were all so pathetic for traitorous nobles. Only fools like them would ever think that demons fulfilled their promises.

"Don't worry, we've come to set you free, but we can't protect all of you to get out safely."

"Is the battle over? Have you won?"

"Oh, but of course, my Lord. But the bridges are all so damaged that we're going to use the two secret passages to get you out. The count of Westeria, the baroness Arwe, the baron of Litzche and the duchess of Saint-Roue will follow me. The rest will follow my commander."

They were all too desperate to even imagine the reason behind the two groups. It was just so easy for them, just as easy as it was for her to grab the cell gate, rip it off and toss it to the side as if it was made of paper and not the thoughest steel in the kingdom. The nobles she had called followed her without a word, they went into the second escape route, as promised. But she took a wrong turn, punching the wall until the hole had roughly the shape of a demonic cannonball.

"What in Ishmael's name are you doing?!" one of the traitors asked.

"Look at the those ships. Those are demon ships, burning, trying to reach the shore. Aren't you happy that they're gonna take you with them?"

One of the ships fired at them and the nobles cowered in fear as the demonic ship fired at them. Sophia grabbed the cannonball that was about to hit them directly, but let the other projectiles pierce the structure and turn it into two dead ends. She crushed the cannonball and heard the quiet sobs of the nobles. A Hamelian ship fired and finished to shink the ship. Sophia used an illusion spell to make all the group invisible to any onlookers and watched as some emergency ships made it to the shore. A group of demon soldiers climbed and the last thing they saw was a trail of darkness end their hope. Sophia had beheaded the four survivors in one strike.

"Oh, thank the El!" the duchess said. "we're safe! You can take us to safety now, right? You're strong enough to make a way through that-"

Sophia grabbed the spears of one of the dead soldiers and pierced the woman in her heart. "We hunt spies, even if they're as good as stray cats."

The woman's true appearance began to show, as a shapeshifter demoness that glared at her. "H-How?" it managed to say before its amulet froze it with the human appearance it had taken. "We know your names. We have always known them."

Sophia took the spear out of the woman's body and looked at the remaining spies. She grabbed the two canonballs that had caused the dead end and crushed two other nobles with them, to make it look as if they had been caught in the explosion. Then, she grabbed the sword of one of the dead glitter soldiers and beheaded the last demon. Their hunt was done. Now, she simply had to not make it seem like a hunt. Sophia made the sword levitate and stabbed her gut with it. It was painful, but it would be an injury that would take a lot of time to recover. Then, she used the same energy to make herself crash into the wall where she had first made the hole. Lastly, she made on her arms shallow cuts with the spear. Too weak to move anymore, she sat down and felt as their coordination was fading away. Something else was happening and she was again, like in the trench, waiting...

'Lento..?'

There was no answer. She closed her eyes. Could she ever hope to reach the light beyond the crystal's shadow...?

 

[MementoDei]

Glave
​

The workshop the archangel was in charge of was spacious, with shelves filled with books while others held potions and crystals of all kinds. The man was working with moonstone and dark El, forging artificially a mineral that would soon be used in combat. Glave had warned him that if he did that, he could be the only wielder and would sacrifice most of his power. He would become no different from the lowest rank of servant. Even so, Darhan insisted on keeping to forge the magic of the weapon in the same way. Glave walked around and noticed

"Interesting...you managed to capture a small fragment of a soul. It's going to go to waste if you take too long before you find the shell."

The archangel glanced at him, his golden eyes seemed both curious and afraid of what he was trying to do by saying that. He did not say a thing and continued to work, preparing the magical ritual necessary to tie a great part of his power to the spear in front of him.

"The shell is in Elrios and it already has another fraction of a soul. You should finish that spear by tonight, if you're really thinking on using the fraction you have here. Or else, it will simply vanish."

The elf stopped his work and walked to him, his calm steps were still full of the pride of a noble. The corruption of Henir's energy, however, had begun to show over his skin and perhaps part of his mind.

"What are you implying, disciple of Henir?"

Glave smirked and took some small Void cubes to make float in his hand. "I'm offering you one of the answers you might be interested in. I'm the one that can watch multiple fates unfold before you do."

"Gods and their disciples don't watch individual fates, nor they intervene to prevent or seal them."

Glave made the cubes slowly spin like a spiral tower. "That's true, but who wouldn't die to know their future in advance? The rules of the Heavens aren't all that clear on what I can or can not tell you."

The archangel scoffed at him and turned back to his job. "You're speaking to the wrong person if you want to form a pact, devil."

Just like in the past, Darhan was a man who rarely bowed to anyone. If he had refused his help now, he would also refuse any other time he asked. At least, that would be the case in this timeline. Glave was somewhat disappointed on the boring finale this timeline would now hold for the second archangel.

"Sometimes, we don't know who the true thieves and devils are, Darhan..." he thought before leaving the elf alone.

*****
Lento
​

He simply guided the royalty to the secret passage and the king himself guided the rest of the court to safety. However, the hunt was not over. There were some steps going down from the upper floors. Some demons had stayed and they were coming for him. Lento rushed through another set of stairs and extended the reach of his mana field so he could have an idea of how many demons were around. He looked through one chamber, two chambers...all of them were full of injured glitter soldiers.

An acute pain spread from his gut and he got to his knees. A lance-! No. It was an arrow. But the pain felt like he had been stabbed. He turned around and rushed towards the archer, stabbing it through the neck before the glitter archer could reload his weapon. He looked at the flames of a torch and saw briefly the flames form the silhouette of a boat in flames, sinking over the ocean. Despite the pain, he still had to deal with the remaining demons. Lento kicked the door of the first chamber and watched the sick and the injured try to lift their weapons at him, only managing to tremble on their beds or falling on the floor.

"Surrender and we might let you live." he announced to the demons. Some muttered something in their strange language, but it did not seem like they had been giving up.

Lento felt his mana field be deformed by the trajectory of an orb and he deflected it just in time so he would not become a human torch. The orb crashed into the floor of the chamber and the shockwave sent him flying to the other end of the corridor. He saw the vague shadow of an armed glitter and the shape of the gargoyles in Feita came back to haunt him. The mace the soldier was swinging at him became a giant stone head headed for his chest. He felt the crushed bones again, his breath growing shorter, he closed his eyes but he forged a barrier just in time to stop the head. He looked in front of him again to see the mace being crushed by his only defence. Lento chuckled and got up again, despite the burns on his arms and the blood that was pouring from his head after he had hit the wall. He knocked the helmet of the demon off and the demon's lips formed a something he could finally understand.

"How...how are you still standing after that hit?! The explosion should have killed you!"

"You're right...but I've stopped worrying about death for some years now." he glanced at the blaze that was spreading to the other chambers. The structure would crumble if the fire caused by the El spread to the armoury on the other side of the corridor. "Sadly, I can't say the same for your comrades. Only a fool would throw a fire orb in a corridor. I'm sure they'll appreciate knowing that their own comrade blew them up."

"It's...not..." the demon coughed. "...my fault..."

"Oh, but it is." Lento said as he took the soldier's bag of elemental orbs. The demons was already too weakened by the poisonous smoke of El explosions to even stop him. "I wonder what your commander will think once he sees this place blow up. Maybe that'll remind him of my village where he did the same."

The knight covered his fist with mana and punched a hole in the wall and jumped out of the burning building, feeling the wind make his wounds burn more than when the fire was licking them. His vision was blurring and he felt again weaker, the adrenaline was fading away and left its place to the pain. He remembered once more the fight in Feita. He had ended up like this back then too, but he was not completely alone. Maybe Sophia had already gotten to safety, he just had to wait a bit more for his wounds to close and move again. He had barely the courage to glance at his reflection and saw that a lot of his skin had been burnt by the explosion. No wonder the glitter was terrorized when it saw him go back up. Hopefully, no more demons had followed Sophia. The burning boat he saw in those flames was giving him a bad feeling.

'Sophia, where are-'

The breaking dawn suddenly filled with a pure cyan light and his message was cut short. His thoughts felt suddenly imprisoned inside of his mind, unable to reach her ever again.

 

[MementoDei]

Elesis​

The earth underneath her feet began to shake again, and she looked around and noticed that nothing else was moving. It was not an earthquake...a mine? The commander stepped away and the land where she was standing on opened like the door of an attic. The king and some five members of his court came out of it, looking way better than what she might have expected from a group of hostages. The king approached her nodded to her.

"Thank you for sending two of your men to our rescue."

Elesis did not let her surprise appear on her face and bowed to the king. "It is part of my duties to protect you, your highness, and your kingd-"

An explosion made the earth tremble as a part of the fortress set ablaze. "Yullr! Status report!"

The necromancer next to her began to contact all other units and the status was not as optimistic as Elesis would have hoped. "The Siren's Curse found Lieutenant Sophia heavily injured after an attack made by enemy troops. The hostages that were with her died. The explosion in the palace sent some debris flying up to the bridges. It cut the demons' path but...Dust is damaging the ships with the debris. The ships are backing out and are barely in fire range."

The commander clicked her tongue. The demon commander was not going to back down without a fight and she would give him one. She would step in with the mages of her division and set fire to those troops until they were nothing but ashes. Elesis rallied the best Rune Knights in her division and headed out to bring an inferno to those demons. She was charging a Fire Wing to burn through the demons while the rest of the mages were summoning a row of Luna Blades.

Once everyone was ready, she ordered to open fire, but neither her nor any mages moved. Yullr's soldiers began to return to what they were: piles of ashes and her magic was also being dissolved into thin air. The ships could not even move an inch nor shoot anything more. She tried to speak, but her body refused to move. Only her eyes could glance up to a giant magical circle hovering above the sky. It was made of a heavenly blue, but its brightness forced her to stop looking at it. Right in front of her, a demon-like being stood still among fallen comrades and immobilized troops. It was a monster covered in blood, but it could manage to move, even if it was stiff and short movements. Then, the skies opened to reveal a small legion of winged warriors led by a winged dark elf. The weapon he held was a spear like she had never seen before. Even she, who was not a proper mage, could feel an oppressive power emanating from the weapon.

*****
Darhan
​

He looked at the battlefield from above. Everyone but his target would be frozen in place by the presence of so many high ranking celestial beings. If there was a reason why the Heavens rarely intervened directly with Elrios was exactly because of this. If only twenty celestials rooted everyone in place and nullified most magic, a full squadron would destroy a whole world.

Dust was covered by the demonic chains he had used for centuries. Samael, an ancient being, was still lending him his strength. The Spear of the Rebel would not be an overkill. It would simply bring the fair judgement the three gods reserved for Dust. As the man that wanted to destroy the world in the name of his own justice, the gods had but only one possible punishment: Complete annihilation. The Spear would make sure of it.

"Demon commander Dust Erindel." he began as Dust turned towards him, still trying to find a way to fight. But his strength was reaching its limit and not even Samael could grab anything to help his protégé. "Your actions have violated human and celestial laws. You are guilty of more than 30 crimes, including unauthorized access to divine knowledge, robbing Elrios from its life source, the slaughter of more than two thousand civilians and kidnapping a servant of Ishmael."

Dust began to move more, trying to reply something, but not even he could fight against the oppressing magic that celestials could have. Darhan knew that the man wanted to protest, his eyes were filled with hatred, but it was already to death. "The gods have only one sentence for you: death."

*****
Yullr
​

The elf could not believe his eyes when he saw the same azure glow in the sky. Perhaps he had lived too much to see Ishmael's lackeys manifest themselves to announce their sentence. Last time, they had condemned the demon realm by taking away the El and now, would they come to destroy Elrios?

"Demon commander Dust Erindel."

Yullr glanced upwards to be certain that he had heard that correctly. Darhan was the one leading the march to accuse Dust of similar crimes the Thirtieth Demon King was accused of. He had been the Mad King that condemned a whole realm to slowly decay because of the absence of El. It was over for the demons and perhaps for them. Yullr did not even see the spear leave Darhan's hand when it was already piercing Dust's heart, absorbing the chains that were covering him and burning them. A giant spirit appeared from them, covered in blue flames that tore his flesh apart. The beast repeated curses, telling the heavens that he would seek revenge because he was Samael, an ancient giant. But soon enough, the beast simply became a pile of ashes that vanished into the air. The azure light vanished and all the magic that was put into a halt continued. Yullr could move again and formed rapidly his ghouls back up. He saw Dust's corpse, slowly turning into black sand as a group of demons and an elven warrior were crying next to him. A blazing wing claimed the life of the elf woman while a rain of Luna Blades finished off whatever glitters were around. Phantom and Xio were still alive and Yullr ordered the soldiers to capture them. It was odd, but it was a simple reflex of his and his ghouls captured them. The demons had been defeated.

Late Fume Phant0m

*****
Ishmael
​

The goddess had finished her negotiations with the most important factions of the demon nobility. They all agreed on withdrawing after she put some El Shards back in their dimension. And gave some information on their destiny for some or some minor, but rare treasures to others. The goddess felt a call of distress of many soldiers coming from Velder and saw one of his former followers among the enemy side. She was not as cruel as to let him die like a dog because of his commander. As much as she disliked his new goddess, they were not part of those that needed to be executed. Henir had already convinced her of that.

She simply moved a string of destiny and made Yullr call an order to save those two, even if they would be captured. Ishmael heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The gates opened to let through an exhausted Darhan, with as little powers as he had when she had first made him her servant, next to Ren.

"Well, Darhan, I'll give you the option to become a Lost Soul or find your final rest. Which one will it be?"

The elf caught his breath and looked at her in the eye. "Could a compromise between those two options be possible?"

Ishmael nodded. "Let's hear what you have in mind."

*****
Lento
​

3 months after the battle

The town was still rebuilding itself, the medics were working with the priests to not only cure our wounded, but treat the two prisoners from the battle well. It always struck me as odd that Yullr, of all people, would choose to save those two and even offer them something to reverse their demonization. They had still not replied, but their bodies were recovering perfectly. That said, it has become a bit strange to speak my mind and not feel like anyone is listening to it. Even as I'm writing reports in my new office, sending some letters to Allegro and the new village, this peace felt strangely lonely sometimes.

I walked out of the tent that I used as my office out of habit and made my way to the first hospital that had opened last week and where the most critically injured patients were transported to. In my way, I found Elesis walking out with a smile.

"Good news?"

The commander nodded. "Yes. Most of the injured marines are recovering perfectly. How is Allegro doing?"

"Oh, he told me last week the village was doing good, commander."

The commander made a sad smile and looked down. "What is it?"

"Lento...I heard that it's possible she's not waking up again."

I sighed and simply turned away from the commander because I knew it was true. Sophia was not Lara, she was a living creature and injuries like what she had been through without the proper care... I shook my head and got upstairs and took the west wing. Her room was the last on the aisle, with one of the nicest views of the rising sun. It was one of the things she enjoyed the most, or so she had said when she first saw Elrios. I opened the door, expecting to see Sophia sleeping alone like every other week I had visited her. But I saw Darhan looking at the window as he held a flask with blue sand on his hands, behind his back.

"We meet again."

The elf turned around. He no longer had any marks on his face and his mana was very weak compared to how oppressing it had been during the battle.

"Good afternoon."

"It is strange to see a warrior of Ishmael-"

"Former warrior. I'm not different to you now."

The elf walked until he was right in front of me. He looked like a noble, despite wearing very simple clothing compared to the attires his status among Ishmael's army had given him.

"Still, it's odd to see you here, of all places."

"I assure you it is not. And if you're truly Lara's heir, you'd know that I would have more than a single reason to be here."

I nodded. "Yes, I do. But the past needs to remain in the past, Darhan. She is not Lara and will never be."

Darhan glanced at Sophia and simply turned around. "I know that, Lento. But sometimes a man needs to make amends before disappearing."

"What?"

The door closed and once again, the same silence I had lived for the past three years surrounded me. I sat on a chair on the right corner and looked at Sophia. "You probably don't know how I know him, right? It's a long story..." I sighed. "He talked about vanishing...well, I suppose that he has lived through too much. It explains why I also saw him talking with Yullr sometimes. I hope he goes in peace."

'Dear El, I wonder why I let you go on your own like that. That was a stupid plan. You're not like me, nor like Lara...'

A grim idea struck me. The same one that had struck me when I saw Vanessa die right in front of my eyes; I shrugged it off. It was a horrible idea. From the corner of my eye, I saw her thumb briefly move. It was the same sign of consciousness she had given last week.

"You better move that finger when the doctors come, Sophia. Perhaps you'll make them believe in a miracle."

 

[Late]

Ever since the war has ended, everything has gone quiet. There was no more bloodshed, no reason to raise up arms against opposing forces, it was peaceful. Eosforos was mostly stuck in this situation since he didn't expect to end so suddenly. After learning that the demon forces are no longer setting foot on Elrios, the group suddenly remembered to breathe. Unlike most soldiers, Eosforos couldn't help but feel peeved by this, having to work so much when all the troubles could be gone like a finger snap. However, he kept it to himself. Maybe he did need a break in the end and he should be careful on what to wish for...

When the Earth El was returned back to Velder, Xavier was relieved since there was no reason for Ivy to sacrifice herself. The other dragons were happy as well with the news, believing that they could really live peacefully with the humans and having Xavier safe and sound with them. However, not everything was meant to be in the end.

It was sudden but after a month helping the humans to rebuild the damages that were done during the war, Glave visited Eosforos.

"I hope you didn't forget about our deal, prince," Glave said to the man, whose demon features were becoming more noticeable than before.

Eosforos briefly put down a book he was reading him, turning his head to stare at Glave with hidden hatred. After a few seconds, Eosforos let out a small sigh. "No, I didn't forget. I bet you're thrilled that this worked out in the end," Eosforos chuckled, vaguely gesturing his only hand. "And I suppose I am thrilled as well."

"Hm..I'll give you till the end of the day. You're very lucky, Eosforos, you were too close to losing it all," Glave said with a small shrug, walking away as the devil slowly started to frown.

He told the news to Xavier later that day and it disturbed the man. Eosforos couldn't blame him for feeling comfortable living here for all of his life, having a family of dragons he loved very much. He doesn't know what his life was like from the other dimension but Eosforos reassures him that it was better than this one. It was hard to get Xavier away from the dragons but they seem to always know what was going on. Eosoforos stand by to let Xavier explain to them, sighing and turning away when he heard the sad tones from the group and a brief silence to follow afterward. Komodo was the worse of them all, not completely grasping what was happening and tried to anchor Xavier's foot down. The dragon tamer had to give him a good scratch around the dragon's neck before kissing his forehead.

"I am really sorry, you can't keep me here not matter how much you tried," Xavier mumbled to his friend, the dragon growling low at him. "I was never meant to be here in the first place, now I have to return back to my real home. I am thankful to have you in this lifetime...to all of you." Xavier gave one last pet before leaving them be to mourning and joining up to Eosforos.

"...I think owe you an apology, Xavier. Even though my apology won't make things any better...I have to say that I am really sorry to take an advantage over you. You don't deserve this mess, you never asked for it and along with Perkisas too. I won't be surprised if you think ill of me, I would if I were to be in your shoes," Eosforos sighed, gesturing Xavier to follow him into the forest he has been waiting in front of. "I already know I am not a good man...so this will be the only last bad deed I will fulfill, you sent you back where you truly belong."

"...What will you do now that the war in Elrios is over?" Xavier questioned him quietly. “...world domination?”

"You’re being ridiculous, even at the very last few minutes! Did I not say that this is the last bad deed I’ll do?” Eosforos chuckled at Xavier’s assumption, earning a slight surprised look from the dragon tamer. He grew quiet as they kept walking deeper into the forest. “My original plan...well, you already know that what it is. Let’s just say...it’ll be something but a dream or a nightmare of the former me.”

Xavier stopped his tracks for a moment, causing Eosforos to stop as well and turn around to face him with a sad smile.

“...you changed your life goal?” Xavier questioned him.

“Stupid of me, right? I worked so hard and so long just for me to...change my mind. ...it’s pathetic,” Eosforos laughed, shaking his head. “Maybe it’s for the better of the future...the new plan is to investigate about a rumor of a demon king residing in Hamel. Lu will be with me along with her butler and once we group up, we’ll return to the demon realm to claim back our throne and fix whatever mess has been occurring for the past years. Happily forever after from there.”

Xavier was still surprised by this, staring at Eosforos for a long while.

“...don’t think I did this for you,” Eosforos said to him with a roll of his eyes. “...my life has always been a mess, Xavier. I think I just want a change for once. Ever since that battle ended, I feel like I could finally see what was really around me. We may not be perfect beings...but I think I can accept that finally.”

“So, you learn to accept how the world was made...” Xavier said as Eosforos simply shrugged his shoulders before walking forward to stand in front of him. The devil grinned and put his hand on Xavier’s shoulder.

“Xavier, I don’t know how much you’ll remember once you’re back home, but I hope that you won’t forget the important lessons. Such as having the strength to fight, the wisdom to guide, and the courage to face your fears. So when you face a big scary dragon, don’t forget those three things.”

“Eosforos...just know that you are a god...but only in here,” Xavier said as he gently tapped the devil’s temple. Eosforos gave him another sad smile and gave him a firm squeeze on his shoulder before letting go.

“Goodbye, Xavier.”

.

Xavier found himself face to face with a massive, red dragon with its mouth wide open. Everything around him felt like it was moving slowly yet he can feel the intense heat rising up and the loud cries echoing through the firey arena. He slowly looked up to meet the dragon’s gaze, at first noticing pure anger. However in the next second, the dragon’s eyes was starting to widen and Xavier can feel the ground shake around him, watching how the dragon tried to manuever around him, to avoid breathing the hot flames of death on him.

He suddenly felt someone picking him up as the dragon collides hard against the ground and right when he couldn’t feel his feet touching the floor, everything was resumed back at a normal speed. Dust exploded from the ground as the dragon tried to shield away the flames and Xavier being carried off to a clear area, seeing different people he has trouble recognizing.

“Xavier, why do you always put yourself in danger?!”

Xavier wasn’t sure who’s voice it was, staring at the unfamiliar faces which slowly start to become familiar. All the looks they have, mix with fear and anger, and maybe even happiness. What happened? What just happened? Xavier wasn’t sure how to respond properly but he could feel his tears cooling him down from the hot environment.He can hear the dragon, Perkisas, recovering back on his feet and looks over to see the dragon shaking off the debris and flapping his wings.

Xavier stared right at him and the dragon stared right back. And for a brief moment, they shared a similar thought.

‘We are back home.’