ALDIR
It's the dawn of the new year. The time Kezess set forth as the date the world comes to an end. An apocalypse put in motion to put a war into the history books instead of newspapers.
"It's been too long since I've had the privilege to see you in combat, old friend. Surely you haven't gone complacent?" I hear from over my shoulder causing me to turn my head. Before me is someone I'll likely never see again after this mission. His well-manicured, platinum-blonde hair and galaxy eyes glance across my face, searching for a sense of longing within myself.
"I can promise I have not, Windsom. You should continue to pity the fools on the other side of Silverlight. I wasn't bestowed the World Eater technique without reason," I reply sternly. Windsom can only stifle a chuckle at my seriousness as the collection of the two greatest prospects of each of the Eight Great Clans walk amongst each other.
"I couldn't say it better myself," a third voice calls out as a bald man with four eyes and runic tattoos across his body steps away from the two Grandus clan members of the task force.
"Ah, Kordri. I've not had the pleasure since the boy was under your care in the aether orb. How has time been treating you?" Windsom asks my brother.
"Time gives to all equally. I regret the necessity of this mission, but if it means Epehotus' survival, I'm glad to take part," he replies, lying through his teeth.
"You Thyestes seem to have a propensity towards the lessers. I wonder what the causation of that could have been?" Windsom questions as an eyebrow raises and he curiously glances over us.
"You're assumption is likely correct. If Arthur were still here, we wouldn't need to get our hands dirty or put our lives at stake. It's easier to fight a war through proxies than to step on the battlefield yourself," I asset, attempting to take the suspicious eye from my brother.
"It's a shame indeed. However, there's very little sixteen of the most powerful asura from Epheotus can't do," he gloats.
Except for seeing the errors in their ways.
I mentally reprimand the whole of Epheotus for being short-sighted as I can barely hear the muffled conversation Kordri is having with Windsom.
"Ahem," Windsom coughs, catching my attention. He directs my gaze toward the slight stage where Lord Indrath steps up to see us off.
"Greetings, all. You are sixteen of Epheotus' most prominent and powerful. You're tasked with a single goal, the complete elimination of the Vritra clan at the expense of anything in your way. Allow no lesser or mountain to inhibit your goal. We can always start again. May Mt. Geolus guide you," the Dragon Lord announces in a brief speech. His cold violet gaze takes turns glancing over each of us while spending a slightly longer time on me.
The cool winter air swishes through the thoroughfare created at the bridge that leads to Indrath Castle. Songbirds come to a standstill as the only thing left to hear is the pounding of nervous hearts and the howling of the breeze.
We all collectively take a knee and bow our heads before we're finally dismissed. "Go now, and emerge victorious."
Kezess swiftly turns and allows his cape to flow behind him as Myre sends myself and Kordri a pained expression. Her eyes are full of inner turmoil before she turns away to step in tow with her husband. The few heavily armored Indrath soldiers follow suit as their heels clack along the stonework back to Indrath Castle.
As we all rise to our feet, fifteen pairs of eyes turn to me, the appointed leader of this group.
"So what now, brother?" Kordri asks.
"We depart. Fall into a double-file line adjacent to your clan mate. I'll lead the line, then Indraths, Eccleiah, Grandus, Mapellia, Aerind, Avignis, and Vices," I order.
The Vices are the few remaining basilisks on Epheotus. They took the place of the Vritra among the Eight Great Clans. They're often left from meetings as relations between them and the rest of the clans are even worse than relations between the Avignis and Indrath.
Chattering begins slightly at my ordering as some believe it's in order of power but in reality, it's me placing us all in an order than can facilitate the rebellious clans eliminating the loyal clans' members. It's a shame to have to stomp out such precious life, but it's a necessary sacrifice to achieve everlasting peace on Epheotus.
"Fall in line and follow me," I order once more as we begin our forced march to the nearest teleport gate.
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6...5...4...3...2...1...
"We'll take a quick rest here. Take the time to strategize your teamwork with your clan mate, and I'll convene with you all in five minutes to discuss the overarching strategy," I voice as I pull Kordri off to the side.
We just arrived in the Central Domain and are a mere hour's walk from the outskirts of Cardigan, our first target. From there, we make haste to Taegrin Caelum and split our teams off to each of the separate domains.
"Kordri, I know the plan we're supposed to be following, but please tell me you're not considering going through with this?" I ask. His stern gaze meets mine as I search for a sense of agreement. He merely chuckles.
"Of course not. I'm behind whatever it is you ask me to here and now. Are you intending to upend this whole plan? How do you plan to convey that to the other rebellious clans?" he asks.
"We've already discussed a code phrase. 'The dragons shall go alone,'" I reply. It was intended to take hold at this part of the mission anyhow. We're to discuss the teams we'll break into after the assault on Taegrin Caelum. It's when I suggest that the dragons will go alone to a domain as a way to inflate their ego of being the 'strongest race of asuras' that the other races are to know that the plan has changed.
"I understand. I'll leave it to you. Let's begin," Kordri replies as he offers a hand to affirm his resolve. We clasp arms and share a brotherly shake before heading back to the rest of the task force.
"Let's discuss," I say before clearing my throat to announce my presence. Heads turn to me as Phoenix, Leviathan, and Titan eyes stare into mine expectantly.
"We'll lead the assault on Cardigan before making our way into the Basilisk Fang Mountains to level Taegrin Caelum. From there, I want the Phoenixes and Hamadryads in Vechor, the Leviathans and Basilisks in Sehz-Clar, and the Sylphs and Titans in Truacia, as we Pantheons will remain in the Central Domain. The Dragons will also go alone to Etril. Any objections?" I command. The same Phoenix, Leviathan, and Titan gazes keep their same fervor but gain a tinge of nervousness.
"I have none. I trust you, Aldir," Windsom voices before he reaches a hand out similar to what Kordri had just done.
"Much appreciated, Windsom," I reply, moderately pained at his sincerity. I can't quite tell if this is a mere farce or genuine.
The internal chattering of the clans starts back up as we reform our lines and head off to Cardigan.
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"Where did it go?" Kordri mutters to himself.
Before us is a massive crater partially filled in by an apparent rockslide. The city is gone. Wiped from the map. Glancing into the Basilisk Fang Mountains, the huge fortress of Taegrin Caelum is also no more.
"What's the meaning of this, Aldir?" Heathrow, one of the Vices, asks.
"I- I don't know," I answer. This upends the entirety of our plan.
"What do you mean you don't know? Our objective is gone. Where's Agrona? Where's Cardigan?" he continues, his voice getting louder with each word.
"I said I don't know!" I shout. I glare back at him as he continues to march his way from the back of the line to the front to meet my gaze.
The dry winter air flows around as it wafts the earthy scent of the exposed bedrock and soil that hadn't ever seen the sun.
"Then what do we do now?" he questions. My gaze breaks from his to meet those of my fellow rebellious clans. I receive solemn nods from each of them before I turn back to Heathrow.
"We fight," I whisper to him as I summon Silverlight and lodge it firmly into his chest, piercing his mana core to leave him to die from mana deprivation. He never had a chance to react as his eyes lull back into his head and he coughs up a lime-colored ichor that covers my chest.
"What's the meaning of this Aldir!" Windsom yells from my side. He was marching just behind me this whole time as we shared an innocuous conversation about our future.
"It's rebellion, Windsom. I'm sorry. You're on the wrong side of history," I apologize as I rip my spear from Heathrow's chest and flick the basilisk's lifeblood from it.
Windsom's expression hardens as it begins to shift into betrayal.
"I had my reservations, Aldir, but I refused to believe them. You had been acting somewhat suspicious, but to think it was this. This treachery..." he mumbles.
His attention is drawn from me as a clattering of weapons begins to sound from behind him. Phoenixes are spewing fire at Hamadryads who are failing to fend it off with their plant magic as Titans and Leviathans are shifting to their true forms to engage with the Sylphs and remaining Basilisk.
His and his clan mate, Warrick's, gazes return to me as Kordri steps back and draws a spear of his own. Windsom and Warrick draw their weapons as we both draw their ire among the cacophony of warring asuras.
"I'm disappointed in you, Aldir," Windsom squeaks.
"Not more disappointed than I am in Lord Indrath," I reply before Kordri and I lunge at the two dragons. Two sets of spears clash as we all begin to trade blows. The surrounding forest begins to descend into ruin as the rim of the crater begins to crumble away from the shockwaves of clashing quasi-deities.
Windsom whips his spear in a slash through the air, whistling as it moves. I can only choose to backpedal to avoid his swipe as Kordri is thrust into me from a booming kick from Warrick.
"This is just a taste of what's to come, Dragons. A new age will befall the world," Kordri spits as his two upper eyes begin to gleam.
He lunges toward Warrick as Windsom charges back toward me, this time his hair is snow-white and his eyes are purple beacons through the dust that's being kicked up in the battle. His spear, coated in a thin veil of purple, darts right for my neck. I parry with Silverlight and use the butt of my spear to bludgeon him across the jaw.
Windsom reels from the impact as I take a quick moment to retreat and create a beam at the tip of each of my fingers before I lunge forward at Windsom placing my hand mere inches from his chest before he blocks me with his spear. The beams cause rifle at Windsom's chest and deliver five concussive blasts for his chest, launching him across the battlefield. I could hear his ribs cave in from the pressure.
In my brief moment of reprieve, I get the chance to observe the battlefield. A Leviathan, a Phoenix, both Sylphs, both Basilisks, both Titans, and a Hamadryad lie dead on the ground. Perhaps 'ground' is a generous classification. The earth resembles little more than an amalgamation of soil, stone, and organic matter. The battle continues to rage as the landscape continues to be scarred by each and every swipe of a blade or pound of a hammer.
The remaining Leviathan and Phoenix are close to bringing the final Hamadryad to their knees, but Kordri appears to be struggling. Warrick has quite the counter to Kordri's close-up style as he uses his spear as a javelin on a tether. He quickly throws it for it to simply return to his hand a moment later. Kordri has several holes in his limbs, but none in his torso. His movement is slowing but so is Warrick who is equally as wounded with many slashes and gashes to more vital parts of his body.
Windsom finally seems to be returning to the fray as he rockets through the air to meet me in continued melee combat. We trade blows as he slams the butt end of his spear into my gut which I'm able to slow by grabbing the shaft before I quickly retaliate with a thrust to his shin, immobilizing the leg by pinning it to the earth. I reel up a second round of beams on my free hand and send them into his chest again as he's launched away once more, this time without the lower half of his left.
The grimace on his face and the numerous wounds he's been dealt thus far are beginning to show his current state.
I refuse to relent as I flash over to him once again and make a stab at his throat only for it to nick his clavicle. He grimaces once more before attempting to fly away but I'm able to recover with Silverlight fast enough to pin him to the ground with a thrust through his abdomen, adjacent to his kidney. He howls in agony as I thrust my spear over a foot into him and another foot into the ground as I press my right foot on his chest.
"Where's your aether manipulation, Windsom? Oh! That's right. The little lover boy who got rejected never was able to make it work," I spit as I pull Silverlight from his abdomen and thrust it once more into his chest, clipping his mana core and causing slight amounts to trickle out, spelling his eventual demise no matter what.
"You know nothing, Aldir! Do you think no one knew of Zelyna? Do you think that no one knows how your actions during the warring period got her killed? Spare me your trifling insults and finish the job!" he rebukes as he sends a thrust of his own into my side from the bottom. I relish the feeling somewhat. The first wound I'd been dealt in a millennium.
"May Mt. Geolus guide you," I murmur as Silverlight winds up for one final strike at Windsom's open jaw, ready to denounce me even more. The wet gush of his life's blood is all I can hear as I focus on the feud we'd so long veiled with our allegiance to the Indrath Clan. He's the one who was never chosen and lost. I was chosen and lost it all. He doesn't know how I felt and I can't know how he did.
Sylvia and Zelyna are gone and we can only continue to honor their memory and move on.
I pull my spear from Windsom as I take a knee at his side to close his eyes.
So long, old friend.
The battlefield has returned to a deafening silence. Kordri limps over to me with one remaining arm while using his spear as a walking stick.
"The battle is won, brother. But at what cost?" he asks as he kneels at my side, bringing me into an embrace.
Glancing at the wreckage, it's made ever so clear how much carnage is caused by the clashing of us asura. The southern portion of the Basilisk Fang mountains is leveled, the huge crater of Cardigan essentially filled in by the rubble. The surrounding forest is engulfed in a phoenix's flame, content to burn until no fuel remains. The only solace in this destruction is the corpses of the two hamadryads that have bloomed into gargantuan oak trees, ready to replenish the lost landscape surrounding us.
"I can't say, Kordri, but I know it's a start. However, I also know it has to finish soon before there's no world left to rule."