Fate of the Empires

The war has begun. Even if we prevent the assassinations of the Emperor and Lord Darkwynde, blood has already been spilled on both sides. Slade is gone, but the wake of death that followed him has not ended. The base is still under heavy assault from Black Flame mages and Brotherhood of the Blade assassins. It is still unclear where Lord Ratheburne’s allegiance lies, but his assassins show up on Ethan’s behalf all too often.

Bodies of fallen warriors litter the grounds of this once quiet compound. Many of these soldiers put up no fight or were attacked from behind. This was a setup. I expect to find more Kodasai lurking around out here. They will meet a swift end like their confederates in the ninja hideout.

I find a small group of Densetsun soldiers taking on some Brotherhood of the Blade assassins. The strength and endurance of the Athusian warriors clashes with the speed and accuracy of the Densetsun fighters. Neither side is able to take the advantage. I take some of the assassins by surprise, barreling into them with my shoulder. I lost my sword to the pit when Slade blew me off the platform in the training room. “Give me a blade!” I shout to the Densetsun soldiers.

One of the soldiers tosses me his sword while he pulls out his secondary weapon. I finish off the assassins I knocked down before they have a chance to get back up. This turns the tide of the battle. The soldiers and I easily dispatch the rest of the assassins and move on to assist others. I lend my healing skills to the wounded as they need it.

This attack must be Ethan’s back up plan for if Jun didn’t kill his father. What sort of twisted soul craves power so much that they will destroy anything to get it?! If this much has happened here already I don’t want to think what is transpiring back in Athust. I hope Ethan hasn’t made a move on Lord Darkwynde yet. It seems like a fool’s errand, but I know Ethan is capable of succeeding.

I feel so alone right now. The battlefield is my second home, but I have grown so accustomed to fighting alongside the other three that nothing seems right. I still have no idea what happened to Magnus. Does Ethan still have him? Is he dead? Did he flee back to Draz’zt Tharr?

Jun is in a mysterious coma. He is completely healed and healthy, but he will not wake up. Some power not of this world is holding him in this state, though I do not know why. His leadership united us and now that is missing. Of course, his condition bothers me on a different level, but I mustn’t dwell on those emotions right now. I wish he were at my side. It kills me that I can’t help him!

At least I was able to help Draccus. I’ve heard stories of ravenous Orrocks beyond madness, but I thought they were just that, stories. What’s even stranger is that I didn’t use any holy magic. I simply knew that by touching his head I could restore his memories. I don’t know how. I just felt it. I hope Draccus doesn’t hold it against himself that he attacked me in that state. I don’t.

I have yet to see General Fang or Lieutenant Motori anywhere. I am assuming the General stayed with Jun, but the Lieutenant was fighting the Black Flame before we chased after Slade. He must be battling alongside one of the groups soldiers somewhere in the base. It would be best if we could link up with him to form a stronger battle party.

My small group reaches the front of the base to find the entire training yard alive with action! Densetsun archers rain arrows down from the rooftops while Athusian mages fly through the sky showering their enemies with magic bolts. On the ground the Kodasai and the Brotherhood of the Blade have teamed up against what is left of the Imperial Army troops. We throw ourselves into the fight, attacking any Athusian or Kodasai that moves.

I feel the strength within me again! The raw power is overwhelming! I feel like I can do anything and I’m inclined to try. I propel myself into the sky moving faster than a missile fired out of a ballista. I skewer a Black Flame mage on the end of my Densetsun blade before gliding back down to the ground. That got some notice from the other mages. Here they come!

They swoop down like hawks throwing projectile spells at me. I can read their movements before they make them! It’s so effortless. What is this?! What else can I do? I feel my sword charge with energy. This will be useful. I slash the sword towards the sky releasing a sonic boom that rips through the air knocking all of the mages to the earth. Now they are easy prey. This is amazing!

The battle starts to move in our favor when suddenly I feel a familiar essence. Kindred spirits? A concussion wave rocks the training yard as the main doors to the base are blown inward. Ten battle clerics of my order enter through the smoke and debris. Sunlight glints off their metallic plate armor. Their holy swords are drawn, ready to serve the justice of Arus. The clerics are led by high cleric Vancord Tanus. He is a broad shouldered warrior who has served the order for a long time. Finally, help has arrived! I rush over to my fellow clerics. “Thank Arus, you’re here,” I say, “Come on, follow me!”

“You’ve done enough, Leaia,” Cleric Tanus says, “We’ll handle it from here.”

They push passed me and begin to advance on the Densetsuns! “What are you doing?!” I block their path.

“Following orders, Cleric Windamere,” Cleric Tanus says.

“What orders?”

“The Densetsun Army attacked Athust. Lord Fenholm wants justice for their treachery.”

Lord Fenholm?! “This is not justice! There was no attack! This is all part of Fenholm’s plan! You have to believe me!”

“Cleric Windamere, we were warned that you may have been turned to their cause by the traitor, Jun Fang. While I do not wish to believe that, if you are not with us, you are against us. Now stand aside!”

“This is the will of a murderer not the justice of Arus! If you cannot sense that then you are not fit to serve our deity!”

“Mind your place, Cleric. Move aside or be moved.”

Cleric Tanus points his sword at me. I will not fight my own order, but I cannot let them hurt these men. “I will not move,” I stand my ground.

Cleric Tanus nods to the other clerics. They all begin to move backwards. I suddenly feel as though I can’t move! They’re using holy magic against me! “Very well, Cleric. You are a traitor and this is how we deal with traitors. Justice of Arus, holy strike!”

Holy strike?! That is a killing attack! A pillar of light shoots out of the heavens engulfing me. Everything becomes solid white. I can see nothing else. I feel nothing. No pain at all. Wait, I feel weightless. I’m floating? Am I dead? I close my eyes.

When I open them I am standing outside of Caeleum on the beach from my dreams. What am I doing here? If I am dead I should be in the underworld. I must be dreaming again, but how? Why? “I’m sure you have many questions,” I hear a commanding voice from behind me, “And now is the time for answers.”

I turn to find myself in the presence of a handsome warrior. He stands tall and proud. His short hair is the color of red-hot fire and his eyes are solid white. His armor is magnificent! It looks to be made of diamond. Etched in the armor is a holy symbol. It is subtle, but it looks to be the symbol of…Arus! I am in the presence of Arus! I quickly kneel and avert my eyes. He laughs in a thunderous roar. “There is no need for that. Arise.”

I stand, but I still keep from looking directly at him. “Do not fear me. You can look at me.”

Of course…he can read my thoughts. “My Lord, I am…at a loss,” I stutter, “Why…why am I here?”

“Walk with me and I assure you all your questions will be answered.”

He leads me away from the beach towards the city. Everything is so white and clean. There was sand on the beach, but nothing is dirty here. Even my blood-stained battle attire has become like new. I don’t think I am dreaming anymore.

We pass through the silver gates into the city of the gods. My mouth hangs open in awe of Caeleum’s beauty. The finest architecture from every corner of the world is reflected in each of the buildings here. The streets are paved with white stones that are smooth like they’ve been at the bottom of a flowing river for years. And the city is inhabited by more than just the gods. Humans. There are humans here. They must be spirits, but still…I thought all the dead went to the underworld. “Impressive, is it not?” Arus asks as we walk.

“It is the most wonderful place I have ever seen,” I say with wide-eyes.

Arus smiles and continues to lead the way through the bright streets of Caeleum. I can’t help, but wonder why I am here. Am I to be punished by Arus for standing against my fellow clerics? Arus laughs. “No, you are not here for punishment,” Arus says as we walk, “Leaia, the path to justice is not always clear. Sometimes what seems wrong is actually the correct action. What you did down there was just. My other priests are blinded by their orders. They do not see the true path.”

“They tried to kill me…they did just try, right?”

Arus laughs again. “Yes, they tried. They tried with my magic,” Arus continues to laugh until he sees that I am not, “Well, you’ll laugh later. We are here.”

I look around. Where did we go? The city is gone. We are in the middle of a field. Dark clouds loom over the tall grass we stand in. Now I’m a little scared. What is going on?! “You have been dreaming about your parents a lot recently haven’t you?” Arus asks as he looks into my eyes.

“Yes, I have. I never knew them.”

“I am sorry for that. I know your parents. They never intended to hurt you.”

“You know them?! Where are they?”

“All in good time. You do look a lot like your mother. Leaia, there is something special about you. You’ve known this since you were young. When you would get angry or emotional and you could use magic without trying. You’ve always been a natural in combat. Any weapon becomes deadly in your grasp and you’ve never known why. You grow stronger and there’s no reason for it. You have a power within you that frightens you.”

“Yes…what is happening to me.”

“You are awakening.”

“What is that?”

“What your mother told you in your dreams is true. Kayla grew up in Aqari without a care in the world until the day she met your father. It was love at first sight for the both of them, but your father had a secret. That secret has been passed on to you.”

“What secret?”

“The power within you, Leaia…is the power of your father. The power of a god. The power…of Arus.”

That’s impossible! “You? You are my father?”

“Yes, child. You are my daughter and in being so you are half-immortal. You will have power over your fellow man, like a god…but like a human, you have the power of choice.”

“Choice? I didn’t choose to grow up without parents! I didn’t choose to have these powers! I didn’t choose to be raised as a warrior! What choices have I had?! What choice does any mortal have?”

“I understand this is not easy for you.”

“Not easy for me? I’ve spent years searching for answers when you could’ve shown up at any time to give them! You have no conception of what this is like for me!”

“You’re right. I don’t really know how this feels for you. I should be more understanding. After all, I never had parents either.”

That’s right. I remember the creation story of Arus. Spawned into adulthood from the sword of Draco Magus, he did not have immortal parents. I’ve never imagined the life of a god as a lonely one. While the life of a mortal cannot be compared to that of a god, I suppose he and I have more in common than I thought. I don’t know what to say. The last thing I ever expected to hear my deity say is that he’s my father. This is a lot to think about, but I still have so many questions. “Ask them,” Arus says.

“Why was I left alone? Why did you abandon me?!”

“I am eternally sorry for that, my child. Your mother died in childbirth. The strain of birthing a half-immortal child is too much for any human to handle. I should’ve known better. After she died I journeyed into the underworld to bring her back to Caeleum. It was here that we decided you should stay in the mortal realm. We wanted you to live as normally as possible, but we wanted to make sure you were cared for and watched over which is why we left you at my temple in Athusia. It may not have been the right choice, but we thought it best at the time.”

Never in my craziest fantasies would I have imagined anything like this! My search is finally over, but why did I have to wait so long for the answers? “I had to be certain you were ready to hear what I had to tell you.”

“How do you know I’m ready?”

“You are helping decide the fate of two nations and thus far you have acted justly. You have the wisdom, my child. All that was lacking was the knowledge.”

“And now that I know…”

“You can come to Caeleum any time to see us or if you need my guidance I can come to you in human form.”

“How will I know-”

“You have many powers and you will discover how to use them over time.”

I don’t know what to make of all this. I was so angry before, but how can I be mad at a god? I don’t agree with their decisions, but if they had done differently, I too would be different. I can put this power to good use. I can really make a difference and bring justice to those that need it. I have many other questions, most of which can wait, except this one. “Why are we in this field?”

My father smiles. “I thought a little training was in order,” he says to me before laughing, “Do you see now why it was funny that they tried to kill you in my…name- oh nevermind.”

“Training?”

“Yes, I’ve captured a couple demons from the underworld and I thought they would be perfect for teaching you how to use the sword of Arus.”

I check my belt, but there is no sword. “I am unarmed,” I say.

“The sword of Arus is not material. It is made of energy. You will have to summon it. I’d do it quickly if I were you. These are nasty creatures and if you don’t prove you are worthy to be the daughter of Arus…you will die.”

With a wave of his hand two black fiends rise up from the grass. I’ve never seen a demon before. These dark creatures have no visible eyes. Their mouths are enormous and filled with jagged teeth that still have flesh hanging from them. They have two legs like a human, but where there should be arms there are instead dozens of black tentacles. They come at me with uncanny speed.

I attempt to dodge, but their tentacles move even faster than they do and knock me to the ground. A few tentacles wrap around my legs and start to pull me in. I struggle but it does no good. “Feel it, Leaia!” Arus shouts from the side, “Feel the energy within yourself and harness it!”

Okay. You can do this. Feel it…feel it…yes. I feel it! Now I just have to focus it. The demon pulls me very close to its mouth, but the other demon gets its tentacles around my left arm and they begin to fight over me. This buys me the time I need. Envision a sword. The sword of Arus. As I concentrate I feel the rush of power flow through my sword arm. A sword made of pure energy appears in my hand. Yes! I slash at the tentacles, cutting myself free.

The demons didn’t like that very much. They come at me again, this time with a different tactic. They use their speed to their advantage. I can’t keep up with them. They slam into me, hitting me with the full force of their bodies. They knock me from one to the other! I can’t break out of the pattern. I’m getting weak. Everything is spinning. I can’t take anymore of this. I feel the strength returning. That feeling of being indestructible. I brace myself. One of the demons slams into me, but it is knocked down this time. “Yes! That is your immortal form! In it you are stronger, faster, and impervious to damage. You can only maintain this form for short periods of time. You are still half-mortal. Use it wisely.”

The other demon attacks me. Its tentacles strike quickly but just as when I fought the mages, I can see everything before it happens. I sever each tentacle before they reach me. The demon lets out the most horrendous cry I have ever heard. The other demon is back on its feet and approaching fast. I thrust my sword forward into its open mouth. The creature slides up the blade. It dissipates into a black smoke before it gets all the way to me. The other demon’s tentacles have reformed. These demons heal fast.

The demon attacks me again, but this time it drives its tentacles into the ground so I can’t see them coming. Demons adapt quickly as well. Two tentacles grab my boots and pull me waist deep into the ground. The demon charges. I use my newfound strength to push my way out of the earth. I explode out of the ground right before the demon gets to me. I slash down at it as it passes under me while I am in the air! The demon cries out again before dissipating into the black smoke. As I land I hear clapping. “Well done,” Arus says.

“Thank you,” I reply.

“Don’t feel too proud. Those were lesser demons. Someday you might have to face one much stronger.”

“Why?”

“It is the price of immortality. Forces, both light and dark, will always try to sway you to their side…or kill you.”

“I see.”

“It is time for you to return to the mortal realm.”

“But I still have more questions about you and my mother.”

“Another time, my daughter. I have frozen time in your realm so you can stop my clerics from making a big mistake, but I cannot hold it much longer. You must return.”

“Yes…father.”

“You’re never alone, Leaia. Your mother and I will always be here.”

“I know…”

The field fades from view as I become surrounded once again in light. I feel the change this time, going from Caeleum back to the human world. The vicissitude of going from an ethereal form to a physical one is barely noticeable. As a mortal I would have never felt the difference, but I seem to have a higher sense of awareness now. The light around me is replaced by the tableau of Cleric Tanus and his men in attack formation. The clerics slowly reanimate while the scene around them remains frozen. Cleric Tanus looks confused. “That’s not possible!” he exclaims in disbelief.

I need them to believe me this time. I have to do something dramatic. I don’t want to abuse this power, but I need to use the immortal form. I call on the power of the gods. Slowly, I ascend into the air. In the physical world the immortal form alters my appearance as well. My armor becomes the diamond armor of my father. “Her eyes!” one of the clerics says.

The eyes of the immortals are completely white like my father’s were. Mine must be also. I can see the fear in their faces. Now that I have their attention. “I am Leaia, daughter of Arus! You are not seeing justice! You are blinded by duty! Hear me!”

The lesser clerics look to Tanus for assurance of what to do. “This is another trick!” he shouts, “Destroy her!”

Fools. We’ll do it your way. I descend back to the ground as the clerics rush me. Tanus holds back, waiting for the best time to strike. Just as with the demons I can see each attack from the nine clerics as though they were moving very slowly. I don’t wish to hurt any of them for their intentions are pure, just misguided by deception. I avoid and deflect their attacks without touching a weapon. I draw the clerics away from the other warriors that are still held in the time cessation.

The clerics surround me and move in. I kneel down and place my hand on the ground. I pull in energy from the earth. I hold it in until the clerics are within reach of me. The clerics are sent flying as I release the energy into a radial shockwave. It stuns them, but does no permanent harm.

Before I can stand Tanus is all over me. He has somehow hastened himself to move at the same speed as me. I have to grab one of the other cleric’s swords to defend myself. Tanus is an elite cleric and may actually be better than me with a blade. We exchange strikes until our blades become locked. We struggle with each other getting face to face. “You will not beat me, traitor!” Tanus says.

“Fenholm is the traitor!” I argue.

Tanus pushes our swords up and kicks me in the ribs. The hit doesn’t hurt, but is enough to push me back giving Tanus the time he needs to cast. “Sword of Arus. Blade storm!”

Tanus points his sword at me, but nothing happens. Panic fills his face. “Blade storm!” he tries to cast again.

It seems my father won’t allow his magic to be used against me. I toss the cleric’s long sword to the ground. I walk towards Tanus. He keeps his sword pointed at me. I stop at the tip of the blade. “Don’t do this,” I say calmly.

Tanus looks around at all his men lying on the ground. He looks back to me. “Why should I listen to you?” he asks.

I slowly push his blade away from me. “We are both clerics of Arus. I don’t want to fight you. I just want you to see the truth. I am the daughter of Arus.”

“I...I believe you now.”

“Then believe me when I say that the Densetsuns have not attacked our soil. This is all part of a plot by Fenholm to take over the throne. I need your help to stop it. Please.”

After a long silence Tanus kneels in front of me. “I’m sorry, Priestess. I have been ignorant. I am not fit to serve Arus.”

“That is not true. Have faith in Arus and in yourself. Help me do what needs to be done here.”

I offer Tanus my hand and help him up. The effects of my shockwave start to wear off and the other clerics slowly get back to their feet. “What would you have us do?”

“Protect the Imperial soldiers.”

Tanus turns to the clerics. “Clerics of Arus! We have a new mission. We will aid the Imperial troops in defending their soil. Any man who doesn’t stand with us, stands against us and stands against justice! Who is with me?”

The clerics are unyieldingly loyal to their leader and agree to follow him. The world around us comes alive as time returns to normal. The clerics turn their attention to the Brotherhood of the Blade assassins and the Kodasai who are still attacking the Imperial soldiers. I change back into mortal form to join my fellow warriors in defending the Densetsuns.

I summon the sword of Arus. The bright glow of the magical blade sends fear into the hearts of my enemies. I can see it in their hesitation. They know that death is coming and they cannot stop it.

Draccus charges into the fight armed with a Densetsun sword. He wasn’t lying about how quickly he would heal! I am glad to have him back fighting at my side. Draccus, Tanus, and I become a trio of devastation against our attackers. The remaining Kodasai band together against the three of us, while the Brotherhood of the Blade assassins take on the other clerics and the Imperial soldiers.

The skill of the Athusian assassins does not equal the pairing of the Imperial soldiers and the Arusian clerics. They make short work of the invaders. The Kodasai can see the direction the battle is going. They throw down smoke bombs in order to make a quick escape. When the smoke clears the ninja warriors have vanished. The battle is over. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of Densetsun soldiers still alive in the training yard. I wish that we could have saved more.

The sounds of clashing steel can still be heard in the distance. There is no time to rest. If others are alive we must help them. “Cleric Tanus, take your men and clear this base of any other unwanted visitors,” I order.

“Yes, Priestess,” Tanus responds.

Cleric Tanus and his men follow the Imperial soldiers towards the sounds of fighting in the southwestern part of the base. Draccus looks at me. “Are you alright now?” I ask.

“I am healed,” Draccus answers, “Thank you again.”

I suddenly get a horrible feeling. Something is going to happen to Jun! I need to find him. Tanus and his men will be okay on their own. “Draccus, help the others,” I say, “I need to check on Jun.”

“Is something wrong?” Draccus asks.

“I don’t know…”

Draccus puts his hand on my arm. “Go,” he says softly, “I will take care of things out here.”

“Thank you.”

Draccus and I go separate ways once more. He follows in the direction of Tanus and the others while I run towards General Fang’s quarters. I am afraid of what I will find when I get there though. A feeling of dread consumes me. Is this just an artificial instinct brought on by my feelings for him? Or have I developed the latent ability to sense danger? After everything we’ve gone through thus far I would rather it be false emotions. What worries me the most is that we still haven’t found Kwon Zhang and he must want us dead. Hold on, Jun. I’m on my way.