Gabriel rode up next to Lantana, and together they surveyed the land. Six months of their life were sacrificed to try to defend the kingdom. These months brought victories and losses, hope and despair. Six months where the people continued to grow poorer, the kingdom continued to grow weaker. Six months of torture was going to end today.
It was almost ironic how the location for this battle was the one where their very first battle. The land is war-stricken. Craters and gigantic forms of biodiversity scattered across the plain, and woods an obstacle themselves to traverse. What was once a beautiful plain, one that was full of life and flourish, now lay as dead as some of the soldiers in the army themselves. Lush grass had turned brown and dried, ripped out of their roots in spots. Trees were decaying or already dead, feebly held up by the roots still situated in the ground.
It was tragic. An ugly tear on their world to show the true impacts of war.
Ruining their serenity, Sisthos abruptly appeared next to them.
"We are... assembled. I cannot sense Rhytdros in the area, but he is bound to arrive." Sisthos's tone flowed smoothly from his mouth, and he seemed too collected for what was about to arrive.
Being an almost undefeatable god may grant him these advantages, but Lantana still felt it was rather inappropriate considering their situation.
Their army, although considerably smaller than the first battles had not experienced losses quite as catastrophic ever since. Sisthos had been quite loyal ever since the first battle in which he decided to not make his appearance. Other gods had allied with them, but as their ally count grew, so did the number of enemies they had gathered. Considering their circumstances, a good number of the gods remained neutral, or did not want to participate in "silly mortal combat". Their conditions could have been much more severe, and even though there was so much that could be lost, victory was so close. The next time to sun crossed the horizon, they would know for certain the outcome of this bloody mess.
"Oh, speak of the devil," Lantana heard Gabriel state, and the same thought crossed her mind as she looked up at the sky.
Just as in the first battle, the sky turned stormy signaling Rhytdros's arrival. The wind rustled the trees, and leaves shook loose of their branches flying about. The boom of thunder could be heard in the distance, and in a sudden flash of bright light, they were met with Rhytdros's presence once again.
The wind flowed through his beard, and his eyes were just as stormy as the clouds that gathered above. Other gods started to arrive, taking their place by Rhytdros. Lantana counted them as they arrived. Three gods. More than they had ever faced, yet a task that was still feasible.
Rhytdros, Iola, and Adra. Elements, nature, and war.
"I am right here you know," Sisthos said before turning to Gabriel. "Are you ready Blackthorne?" He stated monotonously.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
"Step down from your horse." Gabriel did as he was told, and held out his hands to Sisthos. In return, Sisthos latched onto Gabriel's wrists and began muttering an old tongue, one only the earliest gods could comprehend.
The sky slowly started to darken, as if the night was leaking from the storm clouds leaving a haze on the atmosphere. Peering down at Sisthos and Gabriel's entwined wrists, Lantana was able to see a truly confounding sight. A dark mask seemed to spread over their hands, but at the same time, it emitted an eerie light. Sisthos continued to chant, and the sky around them continued to darken. Then, a gap in their world occurred as a mammoth bolt of lightning appeared out of the sky, aimed directly toward the spot where the two of them were.
Rhytdros certainly didn't like this was the only thing that flashed through Lantana's mind before the jolt of power disappeared.
It almost seemed as if it had evaporated, but Lantana knew better than to think that. Even if her eyes couldn't pick up on it, an aura would have formed around Gabriel and Sisthos by now, completely cutting off them from the outside world. They were untouchable until either Gabriel or Sisthos decided to end the ordeal, or it was to be finished.
The transmission of power from a god to a mortal.
It took a great deal of convincing to finally make Sisthos agree to it. Once the energy was completely split, Sisthos and Gabriel would be on equal levels of power. With someone as strong as Gabriel, that wasn't a sight that many wanted to see, especially with the fact that if Sisthos were to be slain by Gabriel, the remainder of his power would go into the general, essentially turning him into a god.
Their reasoning seemed to be just enough to convince Sisthos to give Gabriel the opportunity, and Lantana continued to spectate. She saw as Gabriel started to shake, the first time she had ever seen any form of weakness from the man His body started to whirth around, and then he turned to Lantana, their eyes meeting.
If you could even call those eyes, Lantana thought.
Instead of eyes, the sockets seemed to be filled with pure black flame. Wisps of smoke started to come out of the tops, and his eyes seemed to hold a dark void. Sisthos, as if seeming to sense the way Gabriel was acting, turned toward Lantana as well, and the sight sent shivers down her spine. Their eyes were alike, the dark flames seemed to ignite in them. She knew that the transmission was almost complete. With Gabriel's dark demeanor and Sisthos being the god of darkness, they seemed like brothers, in the supernatural way they were able to tie together.
Then, it seemed as if Gabriel was sucking the life out of Sisthos himself. It only lasted an instant, but Sisthos deflated just as Gabriel seemed to rise and become a force larger than himself. In a way, that was how it was. Gabriel and Sisthos both were now demigods.
It didn't even take Gabriel a second to send a dark tendril rocketing across the earth, and Sisthos quickly followed suit. For a moment, Lantana was reminded of the kraken's tentacles, just a darker, much more dangerous variant. Even though it was a fraction of what Sisthos could typically produce, even in his demigod form, even a slight encounter could infect a human body and be the end of them. Of course, that meant the effects would be even weaker when faced with a god, but that wasn't the effect that they were looking for.
It was all merely a distraction. A dark, beautiful distraction to divert the god's attention from the army.
For the God of Spirit's work didn't go unnoticed.
They had discussed it, and even though it was risky, it was a risk that they needed to take. The army would be turned into spirits, only for a moment, but to barrage the gods. Of course, the entire army disappearing without explanation would not be an act to go unnoticed. And, there was the possibility of the them being extinguished. Trespassing into the spirits world, even with help from the God of Spirits, could lead to deadly consequences.
Spirits were souls whom were lost on the journey from their world to the afterlife. Most of them remained in this list state, forever roaming the Earth and sky, yet some were vengeful. Legends had been spread about these vicious spirits possessing animals, leaving a scarring path behind them. They were the spirits who would take action when a mass transferred into their world.
They had run the formula hundreds of times, and they had to accept the fact. There would be people who would he lost with this transition. Knowing the fate of this, they had decided it would be best to… not inform the army of the steps they were going to take until they had folded into action. There was no other option as letting them know the truth would drive fear into their minds keeping them from performing what must be done.
Sisthos emerged out of the shadows of Lantana's horse and a brief conversation arose. "I hate this body. I can hardly travel the distance of this field at most. And every single action seems so draining. How do you mortals survive in those puny bodies?"
"We're falling off topic Sisthos. Gabriel has them distracted, but I doubt it could last another few seconds, granted several minutes. The time to act is now."
With a sigh, "Whatever you say princess. You still should know that I am still unsatisfied as to how this plan can work, and at any given moment I can strip Gabriel's power once again."
"Whatever you say demigod."
Lantana felt a twinge of regret as she spoke that comment realizing Sisthos could still end her. A glare was the only thing that she received in return as Sisthos sunk into the shadows again to contact the God in question.
Him and Gabriel are similar in so many fashions. They make a perfect match the split power between, Lantana woefully contemplated.
Not even fifteen seconds later, Lantana's head suddenly began spinning, and her breakfast felt as if it were going to come back up. The world seemed almost… shimmery and white spots waltzed across her vision almost seeming as if the Sun's glint was reflecting off it. Then, the sickness passed but Lantana's sight didn't change. A thought surfaced, and she realized that it was a side effect of becoming a spirit. Looking around, she saw the army… yet transferred into translucent figure. She saw the black tendrils; the deathly vines, sweeping across the field. Knowing it was her time to lead, she turned and faced the army.
"I know this feeling is unknown and scary." She took a deep breath, "We have been transformed into spirits." The battalion erupted into whispers, but even those had changed.
It seemed that their voices had blended together into a torturous melody. Harmonic notes and screeches conflated. It was beautiful. It was ugly. It was a body of spirits at their truest.
"Shut it," The roaring voice of Gabriel spread into the crowd, filling up all gaps of noise and bringing quiet to them all. "You've been turned into spirits to bypass the gods, but time is of essence. Move, or be trapped in this form for all of eternity."
As always, his commanding tone was one that gave the regiment the force they needed to succeed. It seemed as if wind had come from the opposing direction pushing their masses toward the gods.
Naturally, disaster was bound to strike. Sisthos was in half the power he typically held, fending off three major gods at once. Their attention was diverted, but not for long. Matters only worsened as black clouds seemed to sweep over the horizon. Lantana knew better than to assume that. She knew that they were the nefarious spirits looking to take vengeance on any who would trespass in their realm.
Gabriel seemed to realize what was wrong and was quick to speak. "Demented spirits are coming. Being attacked by them will lead to a fate worse than death. A fate that's much worse than any outcome of attacking these gods."
Lantana already thought the army was moving fast, but with the imminent threat of being trapped in this form, they began to move even faster than before. Lantana urged her horse on again, only to realize how swiftly they were moving.
Looking down, she saw that her horse had also been transformed into a spirit form. Her once gray mare have turned a silvery, transparent shade. Every stroke it took propelled the both of them numerous feet, and looking around she saw that the members of the cavalry all had similar advantages.
Unable to resist the urge, she also peeked behind her shoulder for a moment. That second was enough to see everything. The soldiers on foot, at the back of their formation were being ravaged by these spirits. The black phantoms were diving down and picking up soldiers. They would be engulfed, and then... vanquished. They were sucked out of this world into the in between. She hated it. She hated seeing is unfold helpless as it had been in so many other situations.
Her horse seemed to know when to stop, as she recognized the lack of movement. Lantana had been so lost in thought, she hadn't acquired that she was within a mere fifty feet of the gods. Adra was attempting to fight off the tendrils, alternating between weapons every time a new one seemed to approach her. Rhytdros and Iola merged their powers once again, living vines tearing across the earth, finding ground as Rhytdros broke up the planet.
The Gods are overpowering the demigods. The thought, unfortunately, was a valid one.
Seconds after that thought left her mind, the feeling of illness spread over Lantana again. This time, it was quicker to pass and as she glanced down, she saw that her normal, mortal, body was back. It was time. Lantana was one of the first to change the gods, but the rest of the army was soon to follow.
Their strategy of pure annoyance had its ups and downs, but key locations had been identified, and it was more efficient than ever at the moment. Yet, before the first arrows struck Rhytdros' skin, a gust of wind intercepted them and blew them back with deadly force toward the army. Lantana steered her horse away to avoid one. Others weren't as lucky, but as Lantana heard the clink the arrows made as they bounced off armor, she knew most of the damage had been averted.
Forces of nature stopped abruptly, and Lantana was quick to realize the cause. Adra had shrunk down to a human sized form, and was glowering at the army.
"Where are you Blackthorne," She growled, her eyes scanning for the general. "Don't be such a coward as to not fight me in bat-"
"I'm right here," Gabriel's words were spoken slowly as the army parted to let him by.
His hand held Fhildyin's hilt, yet he hadn't pulled out the sword. The two stood there facing each other, and the world seemed to stand still for a moment. Not a single soul dared to breath as the two beings stared each other down. A second of peace in the midst of a war.
Then, Adra let out a shout as she raised her sword and charged toward Gabriel. He quickly took out his own blade, and the swords met, the sound of metal against metal vibrating across the entire battlefield.
The two struggled with each other for a moment before Gabriel broke off quickly slicing toward the goddess's side. Adra turned on her heel avoiding the blade, her sword turning into a throwing dagger as she aimed it at Gabriel's face.
Gabriel, forced to play defense turned away from the dagger at an angle so he now faced an opposite direction than Adra. Confused for a moment, Lantana sook understood his actions as another dagger flew at his, bouncing off his armor.
Gabriel moved swiftly and made a full rotation using the momentum to launch a single, strong blow at Adra. The assets he now had from Sisthos' power must have played a hand with the strength and speed the blow was able to hold, and he was able to strike the goddess hard enough to make a dent in her armor.
Adra, shocked from both the blow and the sheer fact that Gabriel had been able to land an attack against her took a step back and stopped for a moment. That was all Gabriel needed to pull back and swing his sword toward the goddess again. Adra wouldn't be as sloppy to let him strike her again. Even though he had the power needed to, Adra, now holding a new sword met Gabriel in a lock.
The two were stalled there for a moment, each unable to move. Adra was first to disengage as her sword morphed into an axe. She swung toward Gabriel. It must have been a mixture of anger and adrenaline because Adra swung too hard. Gabriel easily avoided the attack and because the goddess was disproportioned, shot darkness out of the ground to wrap around her limbs.
Adra, realizing her mistake tried to squirm out of her trap but it was fruitless. Gabriel had won. One of the best, if not the best swordsman had beaten the Goddess of War. He took slow steps toward her, teasing her as he raised Fhildyin to deliver the final blow.
It would have been settled if not for the other divine forces in the area. Thick grasses grew out of the ground and knotted around Gabriel's legs preventing him from taking any steps further. He turned his head and glared at the goddess. Iola, in turn moved toward him. Then she started to speak.
Iola's voice was... calm. Calmer than what Lantana would have expected the goddess of nature's to be. It reminded her of the lazy afternoons she liked to spend in the forest, and it was nice. "Gabriel has humbled our dear Goddess of War. With this, I have come to the conclusion that all of us here are at stake, and so I call for armistice. This fighting has brought us nowhere, and I feel that the country of Virago has learned their lesson. General, Queen?" Iola now turned toward Lantana, and they stared at each other for a moment.
She comprehended the truth the goddess's words held. She looked back on all the nights spent in a cold depression, dreading the battles that were to come. She knew it was the best for their country.
"Iola," she turned, addressing the goddess. "I, as Queen of Virago... accept your call for a truce. I agree that it is for the best, and I'm sure many others will agree with me." The goddess gave her a slight nod, and Lantana knew that the deal was set.
It should have ended. It should have been over.
"Don't you dare just accept peace that easily Lantana," Gabriel's rough voice cut through the atmosphere. "Think of all those that we have lost, think of everything we've been fighting for. All of this, only to let them leave unscathed?" continuing his trek toward Adra. "I want to feel them hurt as much as they've hurt us. I want to see their pain."
Lantana saw Iola's expression change from a neutral one to one of disappointment. "I gave you the offer. Even if you will not accept, I do not want to continue this frivolous fight. Goodbye mortals." With that, she sank into the Earth, and left their battlefield.
Rhytdros' voice was the next to join their chorus. "I do not believe for us to quit until I am certain you mortals have learned your lesson. The roots of this problem stretch much deeper than humans cheating the gods, isn't that right... Gabriel?"
"You never had an issue up until that point, but was that all it took for you to burst? Why, why! There were decades to fix it, but you didn't seem to mind until that point onward?"
Lantana's confusion continued to deepen. The words they were speaking seemed to make no sense. She could tell that something was building up. Gabriel left Adra's side, and Rhytdros had sunken down to a mortal form. The two were approaching each other, and she questioned if they were preparing for another duel.
"Gabriel does strike a fair point." Sisthos slunk up next to him now. "Is it worth all the conflict? Ask yourself that Rhytdros. If you had never stroked the flame, it wouldn't have extended into a inferno as the chaos we are in now."
"Listen to Sisthos. To show you how much we can make you hurt, I'll kill her." Gabriel pointed his sword toward Adra. "I will fucking kill the goddess to show how much we can make you hurt."
"We don't need to go that far-"
Gabriel slid into the shadows and appeared next to Adra, holding his sword to her neck. In that instant, time seemed to slow and Lantana saw. Looking back, she was never sure of the cause of the enlightenment, but she saw the destruction Gabriel was about to cause. If he killed the Goddess of War, the essence of battle would be shattered and conflated into every being. War, as more deadly than what had ever faced their planet. The world would turn violent, always eager for war. Friends turning against each other, family murdering themselves in their sleep. Humans would destroy themselves, and up in the heavens, the gods would do the same. Absolute destruction. They needed Adra to contain all the war, to spread it out only when necessary. Killing her would be the death of them all. There was no one to stop Gabriel. He would act swiftly, and it would be over.
"Stop!" Lantana cried out, and Gabriel turned his head toward her. "Don't you dare do that Blackthorne. If you kill her, you destroy us all!"
"Your ruler has a point," Rhytdros added.
"How so? You cannot stop me from completing this action?"
"You insert war into all of us, just... It will be the doom of us all! Gabriel, please. I know at times you can be unpleasant, but I know you're capable of feeling and emotion. Do you really want to destroy all people?" Another thought popped into her mind. "You're not your grandfather Gabriel. I know you can break from the influence the Graeme Blackwoode esta-"
His laughter was what cut Lantana off. Cold, unemotional laughter. A noise that echoed over every being in the battlefield that day, something so simple that would eternally scar Lantana. "You still don't see it do you!" The laughter seemed to mock Lantana, infiltrating her mind, possessing every fiber of her being. She tried to look for aid, but all she saw was the solemn looks that god and demigod shared. The laughter stopped abruptly, and it was still ringing around in her mind before Gabriel's tone hardened and he spoke.
"I am Graeme Blackwoode." With that, he plunged his sword toward Adra's heart.