Dragonfire II: The Twilight Invasion

Chapter 37: Broken Bonds

Albedo and Kei were on one of the rooftops of the Dragon Keep. They were atop one of the towers, which was rather large and offered a lot of room. They used this rooftop for sparring sessions often, as it was enchanted for that purpose. There were magical barriers preventing anyone from falling off, and it was capable of repairing any damage done to it on its own. It was the perfect place for training - a beautiful view of the city, plenty of fresh air and sunlight, and no damage could be done. Albedo and Kei had just finished a round of sparring, one Kei was victorious in. Their goal was to knock the other person off their feet using their own moves and techniques. The training offered plenty of insight into their strengths and weaknesses. And after winning this round, Kei decided she knew what Albedo's weakness was. "You always go easy on me." She said, "H-Huh? N-No I don't..." Albedo responded, "Yes you do. It's why I always win." Kei said. Albedo averted her gaze. "Y-You're just really good..." She said, "Well, yes. But not as good as you, I bet. Let's do another round, but this time, I wanna see you go at your pace!" Kei responded. Albedo didn't meet her eyes but nodded in understanding. "Alright, ready?" Kei asked, preparing her claymore, "Ready." Albedo answered, "Begin!" Kei exclaimed. The moment she uttered the word, Albedo was already right in front of her! She swung out swiftly, barely being blocked by Kei! "Woah!" Kei exclaimed! Albedo slid her Regalia up Kei's claymore, fluidly twirling it around into another strike! Kei blocked once more, only for Albedo to immediately flow into a strike on her other side! After only a few more strikes, all as quick as lightning, Kei had become completely distracted by just trying to block Albedo's attacks. And in that distraction, Albedo suddenly swooped low! She swept Kei's legs out from under her, catching her in her arms. "Checkmate." Albedo said. 

Kei's face flushed red. "Wow...I never knew defeat could be so...exciting." She said. Albedo helped her back to her feet, where she was still completely stunned. "You're so fast." Kei said, "Yeah, I've always been pretty quick, but I've improved a lot over the last couple of years. Our sparring sessions have really paid off." Albedo responded, "If only I was that quick. But then again, I'm pretty much a stonewall when I'm not sparring with you." Kei said, "Maybe you should try going at your pace too..." Albedo responded, "Hmm, maybe next time. Right now I need to go get that seasoning Moona told us about for tomorrow's dinner." Kei said, "Oh, alright. Be careful." Albedo responded, "I will be." Kei said, "Dinner will be ready when you get back, hopefully.' Albedo replied, "If you don't blow it up this time..." Kei said, "Th-That was just a minor miscalculation..." Albedo responded. Kei laughed. "I'll see you later, love." She said, "See you later." Albedo responded. Kei made her way out of the castle and went to a Portal Opener's location. The Twilight Covenant had established these locations where portals would be opened to and from the Binding Star. Special Casters resided there, opening portals for those who wished to use them. They always led to the portal room first, which was where Kei ended up. She let out a sigh upon reaching it. She was still unfamiliar with the Binding Star's inner city and would need to find her way around. She was about to pass through the portal to the central part of the city, only to stop when she noticed something off; Warriors bearing full gear marching through the room into various portals. She hadn't seen them open before, as they were vacant slots. What were they being used for? "Something tells me those guys aren't going out for pizza. What's going on?" She thought to herself. She decided to follow them, passing through one of the portals shortly behind them. 

To her shock, she immediately found herself in a plume of smoke! She coughed as she pushed through it, looking around in confusion. Everything was red and covered in dark plumes. She immediately recognized the area, however. It was Arumi! It was burning! "What the hell?!" She asked. The buildings around her were falling apart as the wood burned away. The gorgeous magical fauna was being reduced to ash. And the Twilight Covenant was fanning the flames. A Warrior was just ahead, throwing torches into a house! "You! What the hell are you doing?!" Kei asked! The Warrior turned to her with a stern gaze. "General Kei. Princess Moona's orders. I recommend going back through the portal you came here through." He answered, "What?! Where is she?!" Kei asked, "The palace courtyard, last I heard." The Warrior answered, "She told you to burn the city?!" Kei asked, "That she did." The Warrior answered. Kei scoffed. "I can't let you keep doing this." She said, "Then you won't be going back the way you came at all." The Warrior responded, turning his blade on her! She swiftly drew her claymore, blocking an incoming strike! She swung out at him, slicing through his throat! He collapsed to the ground, but the threat remained. She had to reach the palace courtyard. Fortunately, she knew the path as she had already visited Arumi various times, one time in particular not so dissimilar to the situation she was in now. She rushed through the burning city, saving a few Elves on the way. Once she reached the palace courtyard, she laid eyes on Moona and The Stars of Darkness. There was a small army of Warriors on either side of the courtyard, while Roxanne was laying on the ground in the center.