~Valarendrik~
The fiery glow of ghoulish wall scones flickered throughout the guest room. I solemnly stared at myself in the mirror, taking in the intricately designed hellish armor my frame was adorned in, trying to mentally prepare for the battle that would soon ensue. Thick obsidian spikes glistened in the dim light, curving up my arms and over my shoulders, accented by subtle hues of crimson in the polishing. It was somewhat similar yet still quite different than abyssal armor, not as bulky yet much more menacing in appearance. Although, I felt it was unnecessary. I'd always fought just fine in casual clothing. My hair was tied back in a half-up style, allowing it to sway in the warm breeze blowing in from the giant hole in the wall.
My fiery determination to rescue Lucilia and the others had scorched away the last of my anxiety. I felt rabid and brimming with bloodlust. I yearned to watch Tenveriel crumble before me, rupturing in a cloud of dust beneath my power. To cleanse the streets of the demented and odious citizens who did nothing but rape and consume one another. I would wield both my hatred and my righteousness through the double edges of my twin blades, ending the lloigor's reign of aischrolatreia and death. I would avenge my horse and retrieve my wife. My mother would pay for all that she had done. And I was going to ensure that the fall of Tenveriel happened while under her rule.
I will stop at nothing until I have my little Lucy back in my arms...
Azathoth had used his military training to devise an attack strategy, distracting my mother and her army while Gwendolyn and William snuck into the castle to retrieve everyone. And although I would much rather be the one to go in, it would raise suspicion if I wasn't seen during the battle. Cerindier would surely figure out where I was and what I was doing. And the last thing we needed was for her to send a lloigor in after us while everyone was trying to escape... Plus, I had my own highly important and secret task.
The faint sound of tiny claws scraping against glass suddenly caught my attention, momentarily distracting my mind from the weight of my thoughts. I looked over to find Speedy trying to get to the crispy head of lettuce right outside of his enclosure. Shadows swirled at my feet as I glided over to the strange yet beloved creature. I softly smiled while carefully pulling a piece of the lettuce off and lowering it in front of him. His green toothless turtle mouth opened wide, then he began to happily munch on the tasty treat. I couldn't have Lucilia coming home to find a hungry turtle after all.
The woosh of softly flapping wings came from behind me as Azathoth appeared with a puff of black smoke. "Are you ready?" His voice rumbled while I turned to face him. The hellish armor he sported matched mine in style, however, the upper half had a slightly different shape to allow his wings full mobility. His ebon hair was tied back in a high braid and black smudging imposingly framed his glowing eyes. "Everyone's waiting in the living room."
I nodded, determination gleaming in my abyssal gaze. "I do not wish to delay another moment. I've never endured such torture quite like this feeling of separation."
A brotherly smile softly curved upon his lips. The flickering firelight created dark shadows and highlights across his demonic features while he looked at me with loyalty and compassion. "Then let's go get your wife back. If anyone deserves a happy life and marriage, it's you."
He placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze, then black smoke surrounded us both. The guest bedroom disappeared, replaced by the living room. Gwendolyn, Darrell, and William were all waiting around, dressed in their own eldritch sets of armor. Maribel and the four tenverian children were seated on the long seat, which I now knew was called a couch. Grief marred her features from having recently learned of Parker's fate, with black tears staining her cheeks as she spoke with Gwendolyn and Darrell. The children, however, seemed far more at ease here than they'd been in the abyss... Well, all but Rosalie that is.
William was crouched down in front of her, softly speaking words of comfort while the poor girl stared blankly into nothingness. Gwendolyn had already arranged for her to be seen by a doctor, yet I had a nagging suspicion that the child's mind was somehow trapped within a void. If that was the case, well, it's hard to say what kinds of unfathomable horrors she might be enduring in there. The thought of something so heinous happening to a youngling kindled rage within my blood and further fueled my desire to bring down the lloigors. Shadows writhed within my hair as I watched William gently caress her cheek with his thumb, smiling lovingly as if he was her parent.
Pepper Paws came slinking over and began rubbing the side of his tiny body against Azathoth's leg, purring as he did so. "Alright everyone, the legion of dracrulians are ready and waiting for my command." He reached down and swooped the cat up, giving him an affectionate scratch beneath the chin while he continued to speak. "And I just checked on our tenverian army back in the abyss. They should be cresting the peaks of the mountains any moment now, so we need to leave at once to ensure that we're there when Cerindier notices them." He glanced over at me. "Do you have the orb?"
"Yes, it's over here." I took a few steps over to a side table where I'd left it. The lloigors couldn't sense it here since we were many worlds away, yet I kept the enchanted cloth over it nonetheless. "I will do my best to ensure that it is dealt with properly." I had an important task to take care of that would hopefully grant us a huge advantage, although it was highly uncertain if it would even work.
"It is a suicide mission..." The crown hissed with dismay. "The serpent will swallow you whole if you attempt such a thing!"
Ignoring the crown, I shifted back to my place beside Azathoth, where everyone else who was joining in the battle was now gathered. "I want to remind everyone to be very careful out there. My mother, the opposing tenverians, and the lloigors are completely ruthless. They will not hesitate for even a moment to take your lives. I know you have your magic, but do not underestimate them by any means... Especially the lloigors." I couldn't help but worry for the humans, knowing what a dramatic physical disadvantage they had.
"Eh, we'll be fine." Darrell shrugged with a smile while stroking Belzar on the head. "It's not like we'll be on the front lines or anything." His obsidian armor gleamed in the firelight as he moved, and his many braids were swirled up into a large bun on top of his head.
"Yeah, don't worry. Azathoth already made us triple promise to peace out the moment something goes wrong." Gwendolyn laughed while stealing the cat from Azathoth, giving him a little kiss on the head and a loving squeeze before placing him back down. Then she looked over at Maribel. "Do you guys need anything before we leave?"
She shook her head and wiped another tear from her cheek, sucking in a deep breath before responding. "No, but I can't thank you enough for taking us in like this." Her arm wrapped around her son, Jaxson. The boy had Jayden's tight curls which were tied back in a poofy ponytail and had changed into clean newer clothing from Hell.
Gwendolyn smiled sympathetically, her green eyes shifting over each child. "Of course. We couldn't just leave you and all the kids back in the abyss like that."
"I don't know how long we'll be gone, but you're welcome to help yourself to anything in the kitchen, and there are lots of toys and craft supplies in the playroom." Azathoth added with a caring smile.
"Thank you." She kindly bowed her head. "Be careful out there and please bring as many as you can back."
"We will." I nodded with a smile.
"Alright, everyone hold hands." Azathoth instructed while grabbing Gwendolyn's hand and reaching out to take mine. Gwendolyn took William's hand, he took Darrell's, and Darrell wrapped an arm around Belzar. Then Belzar softly whined while lifting up a big black paw toward me, so I used my shadows to hold the orb and wrapped my other hand around it, completing the circle. "Good, now let's go kill everyone and destroy the kingdom!" His eyes gleamed with evil and excitement, as though he couldn't wait for the bloodshed.
"Wait!? I thought this was a rescue mission!" Gwendolyn blurted out just as black smoke surrounded us all.
The warming glow of Hell faded into the desolate darkness and chilling winds of the abyss. The wailing mountains eerily echoed in the far distance while we appeared upon the ash-laden rocky hills just outside of Tenveriel, facing the vastness of the cremation grounds and mighty high mountains. Several large sharp stones shielded us from the ever-watching eyes of the kingdom, yet the harrowingly low chirps of lloigors and growling of the guards still reached our ears. I could faintly hear the crashing of waves against the steep seaside cliffs, while the stench of putrid sea winds and decay suffocated my nostrils. I immediately decided that it was best not to breathe.
"Now Buttercup, why would I ever pass up an opportunity to destroy a kingdom such as Tenveriel?" Azathoth mischievously grinned while kissing the top of Gwendolyn's head. Then he swiftly vanished with a wicked cackle just as she began fiercely berating him about priorities.
My eyes drifted across the cremation grounds, watching the way the dust devils eerily swirled across the ashen valley before shifting my gaze up to the jagged ridge of the high mountains in the distance. They ominously pierced the raging black clouds like crimson-dipped thrones trying to ensnare the unbridled essence of the skies, the wind howling in misery as it sliced through their razor-blade peaks.
The sky suddenly cracked with a strange and sharp rumble, creating a sonic ring booming across the land. The very ground beneath my feet trembled as the powerful echo shook the mountains and tossed the sea with immeasurable fury. "What the fuck!?" William exclaimed while wobblingly leaning against one of the stones from the force of it.
"Stay close to me." I said while firmly holding onto Gwendolyn's small frame with one arm, keeping the orb safely in the other. Darrell shielded his face with his forearm while holding onto Belzar. The ashen wind violently whipped through our hair and momentarily clouded our vision.
A chaotic chorus of screeching lloigors erupted behind us, as thunder cracked across the sky and the glow of flames gloriously ignited within a giant cloud swirling right above the mountains. A massive cascade of flames violently poured from the sky and rolled down the slopes, scorching the land to smoldering cinders. The black clouds formed a whirling amalgamation of fire and darkness as a portal to the blazing pits of Hell was opened. The entire area was sinisterly set agleam, causing Tenveriel's eerie warning sirens to ring through the air.
Azathoth's mighty black wings came soaring out of the portal and straight down into sight in line with the mountain, his armor gleaming radiantly like a morning star in the menacing firelight. Several more demons came soaring in after him, followed by an entire swarm of a few hundred pouring into the abyss like a fiery fountain of evil. Their wings loudly flapped with elegance and power as they majestically soared over the cremation grounds, their eyes set alight with bloodlust and fangs flashing. They came in a large range of colorations, yet all wore the same type of formidable obsidian armor, some even bearing frightfully ghoulish weapons.
The uproar of low buzz-like hisses and growls from the lloigors intensified behind us, the sounds of their snapping jaws sending chills up my spine. With a protective arm still around Gwendolyn, I carefully peeked around one of the stones to get a good look at the kingdom. Cerindier was watching from atop the wall with a look of utter horror frozen onto her face, the unnaturally warm winds gusting through her long hair and regal dress. My heart sank as my gaze drifted down to the ground below, not finding Sagacor's body where he had perished.
One of the lloigors must have already devoured him...
The crown twitched with a pang of my sorrow, yet my focus remained on the battle that was about to transpire. A few strands of hair sullenly blew across my face while I turned to remain fully hidden behind the rock once more. "Holy shit!" Gwendolyn whispered in astonishment as her green eyes shifted up to meet mine, then she slowly moved her gaze back out toward the mountains.
I followed the path of her gaze, finding the entire sky covered in a web of flames and flapping wings. And just as the demons filled the sky like a swarm of otherworldly beings, the army of the tenverians who had slumbered within the trees crested the tops of the high mountains. Ancient armor faintly glittered in the amber glow from above, their claws fully extended and teeth bared with many millennia's worth of fury and injustice. They were still quite far away, yet I could easily see them with my keen eyesight. The general stood at the front of them all, his face set in a deadly scowl with the need for revenge teeming within his furious gaze. Their numbers were many, growing as they appeared like long-forgotten souls returning from the grave, marching towards war and vengeance, swords gleaming in the light of the demons. They spilled down the slopes like rushing rivers, moving at a rapid pace despite seeming to march at their leisure.
"Cerindier!" Azathoth's voice came from above, somehow managing to boom over the deafening cracks of flapping wings. "I give you one last chance to surrender the princess, Lucilia, and every tenverian you found in the ancient ruins or we shall eradicate every last one of your worthless men as well as Hsarohpem's odious army of the elohim!"
A cacophony of sickening roars and growls vibrated throughout the kingdom. I wasn't looking at her, but I had no doubt that the expression on my mother's face was livid. "I will do no such thing, you vile horned beast!" Her voice wickedly called back. "Why do you come here and challenge me when this isn't your fight!? Go back to your world and let the cowardly prince face me on his own like one of true royal blood!" We already knew that she'd never back down, Azathoth taunting her was merely part of the distraction.
"I am loyal to the prince and consider his fight as my own." Azathoth called back, his wings flapping to keep him high in the air. "A kingdom built upon the rot of its people is a kingdom doomed to crumble, and make no mistake that these are Tenveriel's final hours! You and all your citizens will join with the dead whom hungrily lurk just outside the grandeur of your walls. Only there shall be no undeath entangled within your bones. You shall decay and be forever forgotten, buried deep within the ashes..."
Azathoth continued with his monolog while I peered back at Tenverial, watching as the gates opened to allow thousands of Cerindier's soldiers to march out. "She's releasing her army, it's time to go." I glanced back at Gwendolyn and Willaim, then looked at Darrell. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"I'm certain of it." His brown eyes twinkled while purple necromantic mist softly swirled around him. "Besides, someone's got to raise and command Cerindier's fallen tenverians."
I nodded to him, trusting that his skills would be enough and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Stay hidden and safe, my friend."
"Alright bitches, let's go. I have a long-lost lover to go save." William grabbed onto Belzar.
Gwendolyn followed his action, then so did I, grabbing ahold of Belzar's soft thick fur. With one last glance at Darrell, Belzar teleported us to one of the rocky beaches right below the castle cliffs. The mighty waves crashed against the battered shore, misting us with the bitter salted waters. My boots splashed through a shallow tidepool, crunching over the brine and shells as I led them over to a small cave-like entrance carved into the cliff.
"This is it." I glanced back at them, feeling nervous about letting them enter the secret passageway alone. "There's only one way up, however, you'll have to rely on Belzar's sense of smell once you make it inside the castle. Do not hesitate to kill any guards you see and make sure you use your light to blind them. They'll be much easier to take down that way."
"Don't worry, we're blind as bats without it so we have no choice but to use light." Gwendolyn laughed while setting her twin swords ablaze with hellfire. The hissing flames twisted menacingly over the blades, a death sentence for any tenverian who might fall victim to their searing edges. She truly looked like a warrior in all her armor, with her long tied-up hair fluttering in the breeze and eyes framed with black makeup. Far different than the goofy girl who'd journeyed to the abyss for a romantic getaway with Azathoth all those years ago.
"I mean it, be very careful in there and follow Belzar. He knows his way around the castle and should be able to easily sniff them out." I sternly spoke. "And make sure you leave the moment anything begins to go wrong." Venom pooled in my mouth, but I swiftly swallowed it. "The guards are unlikely to harm Lucilia since she is carrying my child, but they will not hesitate to murder anyone else."
The two swords that William was using began to glow with a brilliant white light, piercing through the darkness with the flashing radiance of his life magic. "Trust me, we've got this... Eee-yah!" He abruptly screeched while cartwheeling into the darkness of the cave like a madman.
"Good luck with the serpent!" Gwendolyn hollered while running in after him, her feet splashing through a few puddles. Belzar followed her with a woof, dragging his nose on the ground to sniff as he traversed the cave.
I watched the darkness swallow their light while they ascended up the steep climb into the castle. The eerie glow of demonic fire bled across the sky, giving the raging black sea an unsettling crimson shimmer. The brewing battle had yet to begin, yet the sounds coming from up above were almost deafening. A couple of large flying creatures twisted around one another while gliding over the ocean, snapping their jaws to fight the other off in an evenly-matched brawl. I tightened my grip on the orb while peering out over the temptest waves, uncertainty filling my soul as they beckoned me forth into their perilous embrace.
My lungs filled with useless putrid air, then my shadows swirled around my feet and I began gliding over the murky ebon waters. The blood moon was soon to arise, so I had to move quickly into the heart of the ocean. A large half-rotted tentacle suddenly arose from the waves only to be swiftly severed by a swift swoosh of my sword. It writhed and hissed while returning to the depths. Stale crimson mist hovered on the horizon like a brooding enchantment, the water growing darker beneath me the further out I went. My hair whipped out behind my back like a cape, while the tip of my blade hissed as it shallowly cut through the surface of the sea.
"Do not do this!" The crown screeched while furiously squirming upon my head. "We will both parish if you go any further!"
I internally scoffed... Do you really think there's any chance I will ever take your advice again?
A guttural hiss was the crown's response. "You will fail, worthless prince! You and your queen will die and the new heir will be punished for your sins against Hsarohpem!"
Its taunting only fueled my determination... If you're trying to discourage me from fighting this battle, then you're not doing a very good job at it... I mentally spat back.
The thick air crackled with anticipation of the impending war. I hovered over the exact spot where the serpent would rise from and glanced back at the shore. The demons imposingly flapped over the cremation grounds while the lloigors protectively swarmed the disintegrative kingdom. My eyes flitted to the menacing spires of the castle, feeling a strong sense of apprehension for Lucilia. If all else failed, I had to ensure that she was saved. My heart wouldn't be able to endure losing her as well.
Releasing the air from my lungs, I pulled my shadows back into my soul and plunged beneath the waves. Every inch of my body was enveloped within the cold inky sea, while I allowed the heavy weight of my armor to drag me down into its dark embrace. My eyes were well-adjusted to seeing in the darkness, yet I struggled to make out what creatures were swimming all around me in the clouded waves. I squinted, barely making out the sight of a few little fish skeletons slowly drifting by... A long moment passed before anything happened.
Then the impenetrable darkness suddenly appeared to slither against the black void, black shimmering against black in a chaotic tangle of serpentine scales. Long twisting coils glided through the abyssal sea all around me, creating whirling underwater currents to ensnare me with... This must be the serpent!... I aimlessly spun around in the water, searching for the face of the ancient beast. Then a mighty fang-filled jaw emerged from the murk, opening right before me. My eyes widened and I seldom had time to move before the serpent snapped in my direction, slithering past me with unfathomable fury.
"This is a suicide mission! That serpent is insane and will kill us both!" The crown screeched as Malsangius turned around and snapped at me yet again.
Using my shadows, I quickly dodged the attack. My hands fumbled to quickly rip the enchanted cloth away from the orb. Its power pulsated through the dark water. It thrummed in my pale hand, sending vibrations throughout my entire body. The serpent momentarily stilled its violent slithering. Then it eerily turned its head to face me again. Its one massive eye inquisitively peered down at the orb while a large forked tongue flickered out from between its powerful fangs.
"Theif of the cosmos! How dare you use my power to cloak this world in your pestilence!" The serpent's deep voice hissed into my mind, startling me near to full-death. Once again it opened its jaws and snapped at me, but with far more ferocity this time.
Holy shit! I was not expecting it to be able to speak!
Water and shadows whooshed around my body as I once again moved out of the way, almost losing an arm in the process. "I am not the one who has stolen from you, O' Mighty Malsangius!" I tried to speak into the sea but my voice was all gurgled sounding. "I have come to return what is rightfully yours so that it may never be used for ill-intent again!"
"Deceiver!" It hissed, drawing out the 'S' sound.
Oh for fuck's sake, I don't have any time for this...
I flashed my fangs and swiftly used my shadows to launch myself at the serpent's skull, narrowly escaping yet another assault. My hand latched onto one of the many slippery horns crowning its head, causing it to screech and wildly thrash within the waves. Its crystalline scales forcefully rippled beneath the powerful rope of muscle which made up its writhing body, causing me to flail around like a helpless ragdoll. Using all my strength to desperately hold on, I held the orb up and screamed, thrusting it with determination and vehemence back into Malsangius's empty eye socket. Black electric threads immediately shot out all around it, then it began to rapidly grow, tripling in size to fully fill out the entire socket.
Much to my relief, the serpent suddenly calmed. Its eyes began shifting around with a look of realization dawning upon its snakey features. I slumped down upon its head, desperately hoping that the plan had worked. "I see... At last, I see and I know..." Its voice telepathically whisper-hissed into the waves with overwhelming emotion, as if it'd just been unshackled and allowed to roam for the first time in many years. "My power is whole once more... And I see all that my eye has seen..."
"That's wonderful..." I warily spoke while lifting my head to gaze down at it, my hair lazily flowing all around me while some squid thing swam by. "Are you still wanting to kill me? Or-"
It hissed as if the thought was suddenly abhorrent to it. "I shall do no such thing, O' Prince of Tenveriel! You have restored my mind and my sight. Let us go now and together reclaim this land from those heinous cosmic invaders, for our fight is the same!"
Phew...
I hardly had any time to hold on as it began rapidly slithering through the water, cutting across the ocean like the menacing sea god it was. I gripped its horns with both of my hands, letting my body limply float above its head as it dragged me along. We reached the shore within a few seconds, so I hastily placed my feet on its skull to steady myself.
I stood with my swords menacingly drawn while its colossal head gloriously rose above the waves, ascending like a malevolent god here to destroy his creation. Scales rippled with strength, frills exquisitely flicked, and waves violently crashed against the jagged cliffs. Its jaws were open wide, allowing a grand cascade of seawater to powerfully pour from between its algae-encrusted sharp teeth. A deafening predatory growl rumbled lowly within its throat, creating ripples of water all around us while both of its eyes furiously shifted around the terrified kingdom below.
The faces of both citizens and guards alike paled at such a harrowing display of power. The rise of a god. Screams erupted all throughout the sickening streets, many desperately dashing to the safety of their homes. I unleashed a whirlwind of my shadow and let flashes of bright white lightning crackle throughout the swirling darkness as my gaze sought my mother's. Cerindier was still standing over the gate on the far wall, likely having still been arguing with Azathoth before the serpentine spectacle appeared. Her face was of pure shock and horror, and I knew that she understood this day would bring about her doom.
A deafening roar bellowed from the serpent, while my power impressively danced all around us, writhing through the air and up to the clouds. Hatred marred my expression while I peered down at my mother, relishing in the immense fear evident on her sickly countenance. Shadows hissed through the wet twisting strands of my hair while my eyes eerily glowed with pure white light. My claws were fully extended and black venom dripped from my fangs.
"Cerindier! Your rein of oppression comes to an end this day!" My voice passionately boomed across the kingdom, silencing the chorus of screams below and earning the attention of all as I ardently spoke my declaration. "For I am the rightful king of Tenveriel!... And I have come for my queen!"
I furiously roared as the serpent's head violently crashed down into the streets, causing buildings to dramatically collapse with huge blinding clouds of dust and thunderous booms. The lloigors leapt from the walls with harrowing screeches and gnashing jaws, while the demons rapidly descended from the skies. Fire clashed with darkness and Tenverian charged against Tenverian as a brutal battle broke loose, bloodshed swiftly transpiring.
And as I leapt from the giant snake and into the chaos of warfare, I was certain that this would be the day that I would bring death to my mother.