The town of Brinewall was eerily silent save for the sounds of braying horses, bellowing behemoths, and clashing steel. The voices of angels and demons roared just outside of town where their sources battled. The landscape was a sea of armor, white and gold, black and red. Even the sound of crashing waves on the nearby shore could not dwarf the furor of their battle.

The residents had all been evacuated while the angelic soldiers defended them and their homes from the formidable demonic attackers. The battle was nearing its climax, and the angelic soldiers were finally beginning to make headway in pushing back the demonic battalion. Instead of retreating, however, the demonic soldiers merely fought harder. Despite having gained the advantage, the angelic battalion still had a long way to go before claiming victory.

General Zade Dawnforge, God of Light, fought alongside his men as he always did. As he fought off demonic soldiers left and right, with skilled swordplay and radiant magic, he spotted a hulking, muscle-bound creature lumbering toward him; a behemoth, the heaviest cavalry the demonic army could muster. It swatted the unlucky angels in its path with its outsize forelimbs as it lumbered forward, like a mix between a gorilla and an elephant. Matte black armor covered most of its shaggy, grime colored hair, indicative of its importance. The behemoth’s trusted rider, one of the demonic colonels, pointed his saber at Zade, spurring the huge creature and all nearby demonic soldiers onward. The behemoth let out a bassy, grumbling bellow from its tusked mouth.

Zade took a deep breath. From his back sprouted a pair of feathery white wings, practically shining in the light of the mid-afternoon sun. With a mighty flap of those wings, Zade leaped high into the air. Doing his best to dodge the storm of arrows that followed, Zade glided onto the behemoth’s snout with just barely enough room to stand. Zade let loose a bright flash of light from his palm directly into the beast’s beady eyes, as he struggled to keep his balance. The behemoth, startled and dazed, reared up onto its hind legs. The demonic colonel toppled off his saddle and onto the ground with an unceremonious thud and was promptly trampled by a swarm of his own men.

Zade backflipped off the behemoth before he could slip off. In the precious time he’d bought for himself, while the behemoth was still on its hind legs, he closed his eyes and focused. Pale yellow energy rapidly coursed through his arms and into his hands, engulfing them in a blinding light. He thrust his hands forward and from them erupted an enormous laser of luminous magic. The beam clashed with the behemoth’s armor like a drill to stone. Sparks flew in every direction, and finally, the beam blasted through. It pierced the behemoth’s stomach and sent dozens of nearby soldiers flying. The behemoth, letting out one last wail of defeat, toppled onto its back from the force of the hit and collapsed in a bloody heap. Zade, still being peppered with arrows, turned around and sprinted away into the relative safety of the backline. He hunched over with his hands on his knees, sweat dripping off his tanned skin and blood oozing from a few arrow wounds. He furled his wings to let them rest, their brilliant white disappearing into nothingness.

“Getting a little winded, Zade?” taunted a rough, familiar voice. Zade turned around to see Arryn, God of Fire, grinning at him.

“Hah…It’ll take a lot more than a couple of behemoths to keep me down,” Zade gasped, yanking an arrow out of his back like he was shrugging off a punch. The hole the arrow left behind started regenerating. “I don’t know how many more of those lasers I’ve got left in me, though.”

“Don’t overdo it,” Arryn snickered. “Leave some work for the rest of us!” Arryn drew his falchion and darted headlong into the fray. Not long after he disappeared into the thick of the action, fiery explosions began to erupt throughout the battlefield. Dozens of demonic soldiers ran around in a panic, realizing their flammability just a little bit too late.

The battle waged on, but the demonic battalion couldn’t last much longer. All of their behemoths had died, and their other cavalry was thinning rapidly as well. A demonic recovery would require great care and efficiency, but efficiency was nigh impossible in the middle of an inferno. Zade glanced at the town behind him while he plucked the rest of the arrows in his back out. The town itself hadn’t been damaged much. Zade let out a sigh of relief, glad to see the townspeople he’d helped evacuate would have homes to go back to. It looked like this was going to be another near-perfect victory. Zade took a couple more deep breaths and prepared to run back into battle. As he did, however, he spotted a lone demon—a hooded young man, maybe nineteen years old or so—strolling through the chaos and scanning the battlefield. At first, Zade was confused. But then it hit him. He recognized that demon.

A group of angelic soldiers charged at the young demon as if he were any other demonic soldier. The young demon was unfazed. He dug his heels in, started to shake, and strange, dark-taupe energy began to crackle across his body. All of the demon’s nearby allies stopped everything they were doing and clamored away as if their lives depended on it. The angelic soldiers didn’t seem to notice.

“ALL OF YOU, RUN!!” Zade shouted at the top of his lungs. It was too late. The demon let out an eruption of energy that sent all of the angels attacking him careening into the dirt. A few soldiers struggled to get back on their feet. The rest remained stuck on the ground, convulsing erratically. Some weren’t moving at all.

Those that were able charged at the demon again. From seemingly nowhere, a pair of black steel claws appeared on the demon’s hands. He easily avoided the first soldier’s attack and stabbed him through the ribs. A pulse of dark-taupe energy shot through the demon’s claws and into the soldier; when the demon pulled his claws out, the wounds didn’t start to close like they normally would. Instead, the angel dropped to the ground with a few feeble, agonized groans. The next closest soldier, before he could reconsider attacking, was knocked over and stabbed through the neck, and joined his comrade in writhing on the ground before going limp. The next two soldiers attacked in unison, but it wasn’t enough. The demon blocked both strikes with his two claws and decapitated the soldier to his left. The remaining soldier, blinded by terror, tried to attack again. The demon effortlessly caught the soldier’s sword in between his claws and tore it out of its wielder’s hand. The soldier stood frozen in disbelief for an instant, before coming to his senses and attempting to escape. The demon lunged after him, stabbed him in the back with both claws, and tore him into bloody pieces. All of the other soldiers, now realizing their mistake, ran away from the demon in a blind panic.

Zade watched his men get eviscerated with a terrible, all-consuming mix of horror, disgust, and fury. He was frozen in place, shivering. Though he desperately wanted to look away, he couldn’t. Eventually, as Zade watched the massacre unfold, he and the demon’s eyes met. The demon refocused on Zade, leaving a half-mutilated corpse on the ground, and stared vacantly into him. Zade felt his thoughts icing over under the demon’s soul-piercing stare; everything but the demons glowing white eyes and ominous, empty expression started to fade away.

The rest of the demonic battalion decided to cut their losses and retreat. The hooded demon narrowed his eyes at Zade and reluctantly followed suit. Once the horrifying visage of the strange young demon blended into the rest of the demonic battalion, Zade noticed his surroundings once more, thoroughly drained. He and his soldiers went to search for survivors and gather the dead, and then retreated themselves.

The battle was won, but the victory was grim and tainted. The God Eater had struck again.

~        ~        ~

Zade and Arryn returned to a hushed and sad atmosphere at the angelic stronghold that evening. The halls bustled, but the energy was off. Everyone looked sad and defeated. The two walked into the chamber where the other gods met and sat down at their chairs.

“How did the battle go, Zade?” Vera, God of Electricity, asked quietly.

“We successfully defended Brinewall, but then…The God Eater arrived and killed dozens of our men.”

“I can’t get it out of my mind,” Arryn groaned. “I just can’t unsee it. The way he fought, the way he tore apart our soldiers—MY soldiers—like paper…” In the silence that followed, Zade noticed that Erika, God of Air, was absent.

“…Where’s Erika?” Zade asked. The silence deepened. Vera winced and hid her face in her hands.

“When you left, Zade…” Corryl, God of Earth, began. “…Vera returned with the soldiers she and Erika left with, but…” He stopped. The silence returned. “…Erika is dead, Zade,” Corryl finished, his sonorous voice wavering slightly. “The God Eater killed her in battle.”

Corryl’s words hit Zade harder than any blow from battle ever could. He looked around, wide-eyed and frozen in time, at all the other gods. They all had their heads down, save for Vera, who still hid her face. Her body was heaving, and the faint sound of sobbing escaped out from underneath her hands. Zade just sat there blinking like a stunned animal.

Arryn took a deep breath in, trembling violently. “She…was…WHAT?!” he screamed, slamming his fists on the table. “How the fuck did he—we just saw him! How did he…?!” He glowered at Corryl. “You’re wrong. She must be lost. She—”

“No. I saw him,” Vera whimpered, still hiding her face. “I saw The God Eater. Erika made me retreat with the soldiers. She stayed to buy us time…”

Arryn sat there hushed for a moment. He hit the table again and said, “No! She…she could have gotten away, she—”

“Arryn, please, be calm…” Ulrich, God of Water, said, trying to mollify him.

“BE CALM?!” Arryn raged, staring daggers at Ulrich. “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN, ‘BE CALM?!’ ERIKA IS DEAD!!” Zade noticed Arryn’s cheeks were slick with tears, overshadowed by his fury.

Ulrich held up his hands, his aging face deeply creased with worry. “A-Arryn, screaming won’t solve anything,” he insisted. “I’m…I’m just as distraught as you, believe me…”

“Sure! Alright!” Arryn scoffed. His trembling was getting worse. “This…can’t be happening…”

“Arryn…” Zade began. Arryn shifted his searing gaze to Zade. Try as he might, Zade couldn’t think of anything to say.

Lucien, God of Darkness, sat up. “We need to end this war, now,” he asserted, silencing the room with his steely, authoritative voice. “Everything is spiraling out of our control; the demons have become more coordinated, we’re losing too many men too fast, and now we have to deal with The God Eater. We may have the advantage now, but if we don’t end this soon, I don’t think we’ll ever have it again.”

Corryl furrowed his brow. “Do you have a plan?”

Lucien nodded. “I’m glad you asked; as a matter of fact, I do. It’s what I’ve been mulling over for the past few weeks. Now that Erika’s gone, I think it may be our only chance.”

Zade recovered from his shock and asked, “What do you have in mind?”

“I say we split into two groups; one group will march through the Gallius Foothills to Sablerock Canyon. The other group will march to Blackened Vale and flank after the battle starts. The God Eater will show himself in the meantime, so when the flanking group arrives, we can surprise him and collapse on him. He’s only one man; he can’t handle all of us at the same time.” The room was quiet for a brief moment. “A few days ago, our scouts reported that a demonic battalion is headed toward Gemhand; If we attack now, their army in Sablerock will be weaker.” The room was silent. “There’s no time like the present, everyone.” Lucien asserted.

Zade sighed and looked Lucien in the eyes. Lucien looked back and raised his eyebrows. “Lucien,” Zade began, “if we all attack at once, we’ll be leaving all the human towns unguarded. How can we be sure the demons headed to Gemhand won’t attack Brinewall or Grandstead? Not to mention the danger to ourselves.”

Lucien nodded. “Yes, you’re right, but now’s not the time to be passive. Risks need to be taken.” Zade gave Lucien a stern, questioning look. Lucien continued: “We need to take this risk to prevent further calamity. If we let this war get out of our control, we’ll lose more than Erika. We can’t lose another god. We can’t.”

Zade sighed again, his gaze on Lucien unwavering. “You have a point,” he said. “Well, everybody? We’ll be putting ourselves—not to mention everybody else—in grave danger. But we could end the war once and for all, and ensure the safety of everyone.”

“…I’m in,” Arryn announced. His tears were already gone as if they were never there. He was still shaking. “We’ll make them pay. For everything.”

Ulrich sighed. “Count me in as well,” he added. “Prudence and celerity are vital in all walks of life.”

Vera lowered her hands and let out an exasperated sigh, revealing her face. It was stained with tears, her expression dark and deeply troubled. “That’s all well and good, but I know what Zade was thinking. We can’t gamble with lives, and I agree.”

Lucien glared at her. “This isn’t a mere gamble,” he rebutted. “It’s our only option. As much as I’d love to play it safe, that just isn’t something we can do. Not with The God Eater around. Not without Erika.”

“But we c—!”

“Vera…!” Lucien interrupted, a frustrated frown forming on his face. After a moment, his expression softened, and he cleared his throat. “No, I’m sorry, you make a good point,” he admitted. “I admire your concern, Vera, but you’ve got to understand. Things won’t change if our actions don’t, and the war’s already slipping away from us.”

Vera took a deep breath. “I can’t argue with that. I suppose we have no choice.”

Meanwhile, Corryl sat with his eyes closed and his hand on his chin. Lucien took notice and thought about the claw mark on Corryl’s face—a whitish scar on his dark skin from the bottom-right of his chin to the top-left of his forehead. “And you, Corryl?” Lucien asked. There was silence once more.

“…No objections,” Corryl said, his eyes still closed.

The next morning, the gods split up to inform their soldiers of the plan. Lucien, Ulrich, and Vera were going to march through the Galius Foothills to Sablerock Canyon; Zade, Corryl, and Arryn were going to go through the Thundering Badlands and Blackened Vale. A day or two later, once they’d finished organizing everything, the two groups prepared to leave.

As his group made their final preparations, Zade spoke up. “We can’t let Erika’s death be in vain, everyone!” he shouted. “Let’s end this war! Once and for all!” Every soldier in attendance roared with enthusiasm, and the two groups set off with reignited morale.

~        ~        ~

The oppressive heat and dry, sandy air of the Thundering Badlands hit the angelic battalion the moment they set foot inside its borders. Many soldiers were sent into coughing fits, caught off guard by the sudden shift in the air. Despite the discomfort, the battalion marched onward without complaint. The badlands weren’t quite done welcoming the battalion, though; as the afternoon sun neared its highest point, the sky grew dark. Foreboding, billowing, and dusky clouds towered over the desert. All their rain evaporated instantly in the scorching desert heat, denying moisture to the sparse, gangly vegetation below. Not long after the dark clouds rolled in, the violent, explosive sound of thunder tore through the air, startling even Corryl.

Zade didn’t seem bothered by the raging thunder, even though he flinched with every strike like everyone else. He pointed the group toward one of the large rock formations littered around the desert landscape—he said it was far too dangerous to be marching around without shelter for long.

“You’re more likely to be struck in the open,” Zade explained. “And, trust me, you do NOT want to get struck around here. You’ll be scarred for life, if you’re lucky.” Nobody argued with Zade’s advice and followed his directions to a T.

“I’ve never seen a thunderstorm like this in my whole life,” Arryn remarked, wiping some sweat off his brow.

“They call it the Thundering Badlands for a reason,” Zade quipped. His amusement was cut short by another earsplitting boom. All of the sudden, the air around them was effervescent and smelled like singed metal. The bolt had only just missed them; it hit the rock formation they were standing under instead. The group kept moving, darting as quickly as they could between rock formations.

The next closeby thunderbolt caught the battalion by surprise. As they ran between rock formations, lightning struck a cactus near a large group of soldiers. Many of the soldiers were knocked over by the bolt’s sheer power.

“Teacher’s grace, that was close,” Zade gasped. The soldiers who weren’t staggered helped their peers up. “This is one hell of a storm we’ve got on our hands.”

“Naaah, it’s just a drizzle,” Arryn sneered. Zade rolled his eyes. Corryl was too absorbed in thought to react.

On the horizon, an enormous spire stood tall above the sandy veil, a monumental tower of rock that pierced the lowest of the thunderheads, eight kilometers tall or more. The bolts that struck its peak were frighteningly audible even from such a distance. Underneath and around the spire, sheltered from the lightning by it, rested an oasis town, the green of its lush foliage muted by the whipping desert winds.

Zade pointed at the town from underneath the battalion’s latest shelter. “See that over there, Arryn? That’s Jadesilt, I’m sure you could guess. We can rest there and hope the storm dies down a little. It gets worse from here.”

Arrryn’s eyes widened. “Worse? How the hell can this lightning get worse?”

“Well…it’s not so much the lightning…” Zade trailed off and noticed Corryl was still off in his own world. “Is something the matter, Corryl?” Corryl opened his eyes, glanced at Zade, and shook his head. Zade gave him a questioning look.

“…I was…worried about getting too far behind,” Corryl answered, at last. Zade didn’t look very satisfied.

“…We won’t stay any longer than we need to,” he promised. Corryl went back to pondering.

After a few more close calls, the battalion arrived at Jadesilt. A skinny, decorated man with an oversized grin strolled up to greet them. “…Nice weather we’re having!” he shouted over the din of the storm.

“Indeed,” Zade responded, with a much more modest smile. In the awkward pause that followed, Corryl and Arryn stepped back to let Zade do the talking.

“So…what brings an army of your size to Jadesilt, friends?” the man asked, wringing his hands.

“Relax, we aren’t here to fight,” Zade said, reading the man like an open book. “Well, not yet, at least. There aren’t any demons headed this way, is what I mean. We’re just here to ride out the storm. We’ll be out of your way soon enough.”

The man let out a silent sigh of relief and said, “O-o-oh, no, please, make yourselves at home.” A new, genuine smile spread across his face. “You’ll have to excuse me, we’ve been…struggling, with all the recent attacks and everything.”

“Aren’t we all?” Zade said with a laugh and a sprinkle of melancholy.

“Oh, and words can’t express how thankful we are for your support, all of it,” the man continued. “Let us know if we can do anything to help.”

“You’re very welcome, sir, and thank you,” Zade said. “We won’t squander your hospitality.”

A few moments later, after the man left, Arryn spoke up. “I still don’t know how you’re so good at that. It’s like everyone’s your friend.”

Zade laughed. “I wish. And I wish I could teach you.”

~        ~        ~

The march through the Galius Foothills was going better than expected; the wind wasn’t half as bad as usual. Vera decided to take in the scenery. Dilapidated, primeval structures covered the landscape, some impressive, but most rather unremarkable, at least to Vera. She figured someone like Ulrich or Corryl would appreciate them more. Or Erika, for that matter. She felt another pang of heartache, but it was hard to stay gloomy with Ulrich’s enthusiastic voice filling the air. He was spouting grandiose stories at the soldiers while Lucien followed in silence.

“…I lined the ship up and told my men to man the cannons!” Ulrich boomed. Half of the soldiers listened in awe, while the other half paid no attention. “I could see those scoundrels quaking in their boots even at that great a distance—no doubt realizing just how doomed they were! They tried to escape with their tails between their legs, but it was too late. Silence…and then…BOOM!” As if called by Ulrich’s exclamation, the wind surged, and a sharp crack echoed through the valley they were walking through. The shards of a pulverized rock rode the wind and flew at the battalion like a hundred tiny daggers. They all found something to hide behind, and once things were safe again, Vera gave Ulrich a snide look.

“If you could refrain from invoking nature’s wrath while telling your tall tales, that’d be just grand,” she quipped.

Ulrich frowned. “They’re not tall tales…!” he grumbled. “So…ahem…the cannons fired! Bullseye. Their goose was cooked; we punched a hole in their hull!”

Ulrich continued to tell his stories as the march went on. Vera liked listening to his voice, but she wasn’t paying attention. Instead, she noticed Lucien’s absent expression and walked closer. He was staring at the ground and looked spaced-out.

“What are you thinking about, Lucien?” she asked.

Lucien looked up and said, “Oh…Nothing.” Vera gave him a skeptical look. “…I’m a little concerned, I suppose. Zade was right to call this a risky mission.”

“Is that all?” Vera asked. Lucien didn’t answer. “I’m sure we’ll be fine, Lucien. Especially with you here.” She put a hand on his shoulder. Lucien looked at her for a moment and gave her a faint, grim smile.

“Yes…You’re right,” he mumbled to himself, resuming his train of thought. Vera looked at him quizzically for a moment, but thought nothing of it. She decided to try actually listening to Ulrich, for now.

~        ~        ~

Late next morning, Arryn and a few soldiers lounged in the local tavern. “Another, please!” Arryn shouted at the bartender, over the din of the other patrons. The bar was filled with locals and angelic soldiers alike, all of them intermingling. Arryn was surprised at how cool it was inside the bar, despite all of the customers and the searing desert sun shining through the tinted windows. It was like magic, but he didn’t see anything magical inside. It was still warm, but it was cool enough to be relieving and refreshing. The bartender, with a jaded and vacant expression, slid Arryn a new glass of alcohol. Arryn caught it, took a gulp, and went back to telling one of his famous stories to a few of his soldiers.

“…So then, when I was out of sight, I—get this—jumped into the moat. And it. was. filthy.” Arryn took another gulp. His soldiers stared at him, eager to hear the rest. “There was a ton of dirt and all kinds of other shit everywhere, but I stayed. I held my breath longer than I knew I could.”

“So you got away?” one of the soldiers asked, grinning.

“Naturally!” Arryn boasted. “The guards ran right on by. I swam the other direction and ran back to my hideout—completely unscathed…and unseen.”

“Wow…” all of Arryn’s spectators chorused.

“I got sick as a dog the next day, of course. Musta drank some of that sludge on accident. I was bedridden for, like, a week, maybe more, I don’t remember. But it beat rotting in one of those dingy ass dungeon cells. Hell, the boys gave me room service, you don’t get that in a cell. Unless they’re about to put you in the gallows.”

One of the soldiers recoiled and said, “The gallows? For pilfering?”

Arryn laughed. “This was when I was, like, public enemy number one. They woulda hung me for loitering.”

“Still seems a bit unfair…” the same soldier said.

“To their credit, I was being a real pain in the ass, and on purpose too.” Arryn let out a contented sigh. “I wonder how the boys are doing. Hope they’re doing alright, not being a bunch of thugs now that I’m not there to keep them in line.”

“I’ll defend you to the end, General,” another soldier began, “but wasn’t being a thug the whole point?”

Arryn smiled wide. “We were thugs with a cause.” Voice thick with irony and pomp, he said, “I wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t some good in this cold, black heart of mine.” He and the soldiers laughed and raised their drinks at one another.

While Arryn answered questions about the story, Corryl walked in.

“We’re leaving soon,” Corryl announced.

“Let me finish my drink,” Arryn replied.

“…You shouldn’t be getting drunk in the middle of a military operation,” Corryl remarked.

Arryn waved his hand dismissively. “I’m not drunk,” he insisted. “I hold my liquor well. It’s fine.”

“And alcohol? In the morning?”

“It’s almost noon. What, should I be drinking water with brunch?”

Corryl put a hand to his face and shook his head. “You city-folk, I swear…”

Arryn laughed and gave Corryl a smug look. “You got a problem with booze, nature-man?”

“No, but in principle—”

“Principle this, principle that!” Arryn sneered, finishing off his drink. “I wouldn’t be drinking right now if I knew it’d be a problem. Ulrich’s disciplined me plenty.”

Corryl sighed. “I’m just looking out for you. Making sure you don’t do anything stupid in Ulrich’s stead.”

“Have you that little faith in me?” Arryn asked, still smiling.

“…No,” Corryl responded. All the sternness in his face left. “I’m just being cautious. You know how I am.” He shook his head, turned away, and began to walk out. “Zade and the others are waiting outside.”

“Understood!” Arryn shouted, putting a small pile of gold coins on the countertop for the bartender. “Hey, thanks for putting up with us, barkeep,” he said, standing up and stretching.

The bartender almost smiled. “Just doing my job,” he sighed.

~        ~        ~

Once everyone was present, Zade led the battalion back out into the brunt of the desert. The thunderstorm had abated, and the sun was past its peak, casting a sliver of shade over the westmost desert. The battalion hugged the cliff wall to their left, making use of the shadow’s coolness. Despite the improved conditions, Zade seemed antsy. He was walking unusually quickly and requested that everybody else do the same.

As they walked, a gigantic opening in the cliff wall came into view. A moment later, a group of people in sandy-colored robes came into view as well; they were sprinting at full speed in the battalion’s direction. Arryn noticed them first.

“Is it just me or are those people running at us?” Arryn asked.

“Marauders?” Zade asked himself. Then, his eyes widened. “Ohhhh no. Oh, Teacher’s grace…” A few moments later, Corryl realized what was going on as well. He froze in place just like Zade. Arryn looked at them both in confusion.
        “What’s wrong with you two?” he asked.

“Have you ever heard of The Elder Den?” Corryl replied.

“In passing,” Arryn said, still confused. He pointed at the gaping cave the marauders were running from. “Is that it?” Then it hit him. “…Oh, fuck.”

Upon closer inspection, some of the marauders were carrying eggs as big as their torsos. They were waddling as fast as they could, holding the eggs in both hands.

Corryl’s face twisted into a disdainful frown. “What are they even doing with those eggs?” he grunted, mostly to himself.

Zade answered, regardless: “Didn’t you know? The marauders here make a hefty sum of their money from dragon eggs. Or, at least, they used to.”

Corryl let out an exasperated sigh. “Just our luck,” he grumbled. “It’s always money, isn’t it? Who even buys them?”

Zade shrugged. “Maybe they’re a ritzy delicacy. I wouldn’t know.” He turned around to face the soldiers. “Everybody, we need to retreat, NOW.” Nobody had the time to question why before a deafening roar echoed throughout the desert.

A monstrous head with yellow scales poked out of the den. It looked around and let out another earsplitting roar, no less terrifying than the last. The creature exited the cave and spread the massive wings on its back. The ground rumbled with every step it took. It was positively enormous, large enough for ten full-grown men to ride on it’s back with room to spare. Even the stoniest of soldiers in the battalion felt their heartbeats quicken at the sight of the elder dragon.

Zade led everybody away from the dragon and toward a large stone plateau. Everybody ran as fast as their legs could carry them, too panicked to question where Zade was taking them. Before Zade could get everyone to the plateau, a sharp, startling crack stopped them in their tracks. They looked back to see the marauders frozen in terror. In front of one of them was a single cracked egg, carelessly dropped, clear fluid oozing out and permeating into the sand. The dragon stopped with a start and took a moment to process what had just happened.

Its stare shifted to the marauders, then the broken egg, and back. Its eyes radiated fury and murder. It took a deep breath in, slammed its feet into the sand, spread its wings, and bellowed at the top of its lungs. The sheer power of its roar made the sand around it shake and rise, and it knocked a couple of marauders off their feet. Even a few angelic soldiers were staggered. The dragon sprinted toward the marauders, and sand flew everywhere as its gigantic feet hit the ground. The angelic soldiers ran away even faster than before. Nothing mattered anymore except getting away from that dragon as soon as humanly possible.

When the battalion got to the plateau, Zade led them onto a slope to the top of it. As they ascended, they had a clear view of the battle between the marauders and the dragon. Some brave souls stood their ground and fought while the others ran. Their bravery was wasted. The dragon swatted a few of them away with its massive claws, as if they were as meaningless as the sand it trod on. Those that weren’t clawed away weren’t nearly as lucky. The dragon reached down and caught three of the marauders in its mouth. It gnashed its teeth, grinding the marauders into pieces. Crimson red blood spattered out, gushing and oozing out through the dragon’s clenched teeth and onto the sand below. The dragon raised its head to swallow the marauders and shook its head to get the excess blood off its face.

The surviving marauders, realizing individual attack wasn’t working, grouped up to attack in unison. Another mistake. The dragon reared its head as the marauders charged, and took a deep breath in. Then, it thrust its head forward and opened its toothy maw. In the next instant, a colossal bolt of electricity erupted from its mouth and struck the group of approaching marauders with a deafening crack. All that remained was a blackened mark in the sand. Those that had stayed to fight finally gave in and ran away in a hopeless attempt to catch up with their friends.

The battalion reached the top of the plateau, and their destination, a large cave big enough for them but barely too small for the dragon, was now in sight. The battalion ran faster than they ever had before in their lives, desperate to get to safety. The sound of the raging dragon spurred them on. They were a little more than halfway there when they were startled by another roar.

Another dragon with ruby red scales, a bit bigger than the other one, dropped onto the plateau with a heavy slam, landing in between the battalion and the cave. The battalion stopped in their tracks while the dragon looked down at them, its reptilian eyes stern and cold. Zade, calmer than ever, walked closer to the dragon. Corryl and Arryn watched in horror.

“ZADE, ARE YOU INSANE?!” Arryn yelled. Zade didn’t look back.

As Zade neared the red dragon, it lowered its head to his level, meeting his eyes. Once he was close enough, Zade laid a hand on its scaly snout. The red dragon flinched, at first, but didn’t seem to mind much. Zade spoke in a soothing voice that was only barely audible over the sound of the furious yellow dragon below.

“Eaaaasy, now…eaaasy…” he said, stroking the dragon gently. It abruptly lifted its head, let out a vaguely irritated snort, and turned away. Embers danced out of its nostrils as it did. It crouched, raised its wings, and jumped into the air, taking flight. The gust from the dragon’s mighty leap knocked over everyone unprepared for it. Everybody stared at Zade in awe as he walked back with a pleased smile on his face.

“HOW…HOW DID YOU DO THAT?” Arryn yelled.

Zade exhaled in amusement. “It’s…a long story,” he responded, scratching the back of his head. “One I don’t feel like telling right now. We need to get moving again.” The battalion eagerly left the dragons to their prey and escaped into the cave.

The cave turned into a steep slope into the desert underground. The air was ever so slightly cool—cold as ice in comparison to the heat the army just came from. The battalion walked in silence for a while before deciding to stop and take a short rest, to cool down after their mad dash away from the elder dragons. As they rested, a quiet, rushing sound percolated through the cavern walls.

“Is that…water?” Arryn thought aloud, sitting against the wall and shaking sand out of his boots.

“There’s an underground canal in The Elder Den nearby,” Zade explained, getting the sand out of his raiments with impressive efficiency. “That’s one reason it’s so cool down here. Rumor has it the dragons themselves made the canal for easy access to water.”

“Sounds like a myth to me,” Arryn remarked.

“I thought so too, at first, but those dragons are a hell of a lot smarter than you’d think.” Zade shrugged.

“You would know, huh?” Arryn said. “I know you’re from around here, but, grace, it’s like you know everything about this place.”

“Well, you learn a lot from roughing it in the wilderness. Corryl can tell you that. Hell, you’ve had quite a few camping trips yourself, I bet.”

“Nah, I’m nowhere near as worldly as you two.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. We’ve all got our talents.” Zade faced the bulk of the soldiers. “We’ve got a ways to go, everyone. Enjoy the lull in heat while it lasts.”

The rhythm of the battalion’s footsteps and the quiet rushing of water gave the cavern an air of tranquility. It was almost soporific. And yet, tension lingered in the air as the battalion drew closer to the rendezvous point. Their final battle was almost upon them.

~        ~        ~

To Vera’s surprise, Ulrich still hadn’t exhausted his supply of tales from the sea. She hadn’t intended to, but she found herself getting swept up in the stories right alongside the other soldiers. There was something endearing and exciting about the way Ulrich told them, despite how unbelievable Vera found them. It was comforting to hear him talk so excitedly. And yet, she had the nagging feeling that something was missing. She looked around for a moment and realized Lucien wasn’t with them.

“Ulrich?” Vera interrupted, to no avail. Ulrich kept talking in his theatrical storytelling voice, gesticulating dramatically. “Ulrich!” Vera yelled again, over Ulrich.

“What is it?” he sighed. “I was just getting to the best part.”

“Where’s Lucien?”

Ulrich’s eyes widened, and he looked around. He couldn’t see Lucien anywhere. “I…I don’t know,” he answered. “He—he was here while we were resting just a moment ago, right?”

“I think so?” Vera replied. She could have sworn he was there, but she wasn’t sure. The soldiers began to whisper and gossip amongst themselves.

“He’s not the dawdling type…” Ulrich pondered aloud.

Vera had an idea, but she hoped it wasn’t true. Lucien said he was fine, but he was clearly anxious. Not scared, but Lucien didn’t really get “scared.” What was he so anxious about? He was the one who came up with this plan, to begin with. Why would he be so worried…unless he thought something was wrong? Vera thought she saw a looming shadow out of the corner of her eye back while she was resting. She’d dismissed it as nothing at the time, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. What if it was The God Eater? What if he was coming for her and Ulrich next?

Fear and grief flooded over Vera, making her head spin and her body stiff. Her heart rate quickened, and her vision began to pulse in time with it. She missed Erika enough already; she could see her friendly, nervous smile so clearly. She could feel her soft, slender hands as if she was right there. But no matter how much Vera wished she was, she wasn’t; she was gone, forever. Vera’s eyes were covered by a film of tears that wouldn’t fall out. She didn’t want Lucien to be gone as well.

Vera heard the sound of distant shouting and rumbling over the pounding in her head. Through her bleary, unfocused eyes, she saw an amorphous mass of black and pale red. Vera blinked away the tears and rubbed her eyes. Straight ahead of the angelic battalion was a gargantuan wave of demons, what looked like half of the entire demonic army. It was as if they’d appeared out of nowhere. Vera could hear Ulrich drawing his cutlass.

        “Everyone, prepare for battle!” he shouted. He and the rest of the soldiers charged forward into battle once the demonic force was in range. Ulrich waved with his free hand, and from it burst forth a towering wall of water that slammed into the demonic frontline like a ton of rocks. After giving himself a brief moment to recover, Ulrich thrust his hand forward again and knocked a behemoth over with a tremendous, surging pillar of water. Vera shook her head, dragged herself back into reality, and drew her sword.

Vera scanned the demonic battalion to get an idea of what she was up against. It was the typical arrangement but on a grander scale. A line of footsoldiers and cavalry composed the frontline, followed up by elite soldiers and behemoths, and behind them the archers and mages. They only barely outnumbered the angelic battalion. Vera took a deep breath and rushed to join Ulrich. Things were about to get messy.

~        ~        ~

Eventually, Zade and the rest of the battalion made it to the end of the cave. The faint smell of ash bit their noses before they’d even exited. They were presented with a foreboding, yet oddly beautiful vista of Blackened Vale as they emerged. It was a sea of dark greys and harsh blacks with occasional red-orange rivers of lava. The crevasses scattered about emanated faint red light, originating from the massive streams of molten rock below. The glow of the moon and the lava underneath it gave the landscape an eerie, almost ethereal look.

Not long after they’d exited the cave, the battalion decided to stop and rest, before delving into the heart of the scorched valley. Arryn left with some of the soldiers to get some high ground and keep watch while everyone else got settled. Zade was giving the soldiers that stayed a pep talk; a number of them were still shaken by their encounter with the elder dragons. The sight of people getting eaten alive is not easily forgotten.

Corryl sat apart from everyone else to think, even though he’d been thinking hard for the whole trip. He hadn’t been able to pinpoint what was bothering him earlier, but this particular moment of respite allowed him to meditate, and think clearer. With some deep, thorough introspection, Corryl identified the disturbance; a nagging feeling in the back of his head, like he’d forgotten something. Corryl stared rigidly into nothing, looking for the anxiety’s source. Zade’s voice made it easier; it was invigorating, yet soothing, and eased Corryl’s racing thoughts. But something still bothered him. He just couldn’t figure out what it was. Was it dread? It felt like his subconscious was trying to tell him something. Maybe…trying to warn him.

Zade’s voice pierced Corryl’s trance. “Corryl, is something wrong?” Corryl snapped back into reality and saw Zade standing in front of him, finished with the speech.

“…No. Nothing’s wrong,” Corryl said.

“Sorry, wrong question. What is wrong? I know something’s up, I can tell by your face. You’ve been acting strange this whole trip.”

Corryl sighed, slowly lifting himself off the ground. He stretched with a prolonged groan. “I can’t describe it,” he began. “I’ve just got a bad feeling about all this. It feels like I’m forgetting something, almost, but not exactly…”

Zade nodded, scratching the short stubble on his face. “Why, do you think?”

“I don’t know. That’s exactly what I’ve been mulling over.” Corryl rolled his shoulders and stretched some more. “…I think Lucien felt it, too.”

Zade titled his head. “What do you mean?”

“He seemed awfully…defensive, didn’t he?” Corryl noted. “Like he was trying to justify his own plan to himself.”

“I see what you mean, now that you mention it…” Zade mumbled.

Corryl shook his head and sighed again. “It’s all in my head, I’m sure. Sorry for bringing you down.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Zade asserted, putting a hand on Corryl’s shoulder and holding it firmly. “It’s always ok to open up, alright?”

“That’s not what I was saying sorry about.”

“My point stands. You don’t have to brood alone if you don’t want to. We’re here for each other.”

Corryl stared at Zade with the same unshakeable expression as always. Then, all of the sudden, he let a subdued smile escape onto his face. “Thanks, Zade,” he rumbled.

Just as Corryl began to walk away and back to the rest of the group, Arryn rushed up to them, panic in his eyes. “Zade! Corryl!”

“What is it?!” Zade shouted back, startled.

Arryn took a deep breath and composed himself. “There was a horde of demons waiting by the main passage to here from the Thundering Badlands. They must have seen us while we were scouting. Now they’re approaching from all sides!” Corryl and Zade look at each other, wide-eyed.

“An ambush?” Zade asked himself. “How did they know we were coming…?”

Arryn shook his head. “I don’t know, but it seems like they did. Those dragons saved our lives.”

“How many do you think there are?” Corryl demanded. Arryn took another deep breath.

“Half of the entire army. At least.” They looked at each other in silence. “Well? Do you guys have any plans?”

“…We need to escape,” Zade decided. “We’re surrounded and unprepared, and it’d still be a hard fight if we weren’t. We’ll need to evacuate the soldiers back through the caves; I doubt the demons know their way through them.” Arryn and Corryl nodded. “We need to move now, and fast,” Zade continued. “We can’t get through that cave entrance quickly. It’s not big enough for all of us.”

“Got it,” Arryn barked, dashing off to give the rest of the battalion the grave news. Zade and Corryl followed. They could already hear the quiet, distant sound of rumbling footsteps.

~        ~        ~

The gods explained the situation to their soldiers, and everyone rushed to get back into the caves they’d come from. Progress was slow, as expected, but there was time. That time was running out, though. The rumbling footsteps were getting louder, and those still waiting to enter the cave could barely hear the sounds of demonic war cries. Arryn volunteered to enter first and lead the soldiers; he argued that his voice would carry through the caves the best. He also insisted that he remembered the way back. Zade decided to trust him and stayed behind to help Corryl get everyone inside.

Zade suddenly felt a pang of anxiety as he and Corryl helped the last batch of soldiers into the cave. He gave his surroundings a couple of cautious glances while the sound of the approaching demonic army got clearer by the minute. Something caught Zade’s eye as he did—a nearly imperceptible millisecond of movement in the corner of his eye. Zade drew his sword, and in that instant, it clashed with a pair of black steel claws. Zade glowered at his attacker, a dark, silent figure. Zade recognized the figure immediately. There was no forgetting the hooded, shadowy visage of The God Eater.

Corryl heard the sound of the clash and whirled around to see what it was. Once he recognized The God Eater, he left the soldiers to help Zade. A veil of stone cloaked his right fist, and with it, he threw a punch at The God Eater. The God Eater barely avoided it and leaped backward.

“Go! I’ll keep him busy!” Zade yelled.

“No!” Corryl yelled back. “You can’t fight him alone!” Corryl yelled back. The God Eater ran forward and clashed with Zade again. Zade kept his eyes on The God Eater.

“Don’t worry about me!” he persisted. “Get the soldiers to safety!”

“But, Zade—”

“GO!!” Zade interrupted, shouting at the top of his lungs. For a moment, Corryl disobeyed. He threw another punch at The God Eater, and managed to hit this time. The God Eater hurtled backward and tumbled across the ground.

“Zade, we can’t lose you!” Corryl pleaded. Zade still wouldn’t look at him.

“There’s no time for this,” Zade said. “You need to get out of here, NOW. Block the entrance, while you’re at it.”

“Zade…”

“I’ll find a way out of this, I promise.” Corryl didn’t move. “Just believe in me, Corryl. The others need you.”

“The others need you too! We all need you!”

“I have faith in you. Besides, I’ll figure something out. Now, get out of here!”

Corryl still wouldn’t move, but his conviction was wavering. The demonic army was visible on the horizon, now, and approaching all too quickly. Begrudgingly, Corryl ran to get the rest of the soldiers through the cave. The God Eater, now back on his feet, attempted to give chase, but Zade got in the way and clashed with him once more.

Corryl got the last of the soldiers into the cave, then turned around and raised his fist. Green energy pulsed through his body and pooled into his right arm. Corryl slammed his fist into the ground and the green energy spread through the earth like the ripples of a pond in the rain. The cave entrance rumbled and cracked until it collapsed into a pile of rocky debris. The towering wall of rubble blocked all hope of entry. The God Eater scoffed in irritation as he watched the rubble fall, only half paying attention to Zade. Zade reclaimed The God Eater’s attention by pushing him backward, and the two of them locked eyes. The God Eater’s vicious, emotionless gaze sent chills through Zade’s spine just like it did at Brinewall. It was even worse up close. Zade inadvertently tightened his grip on his sword.

The God Eater lunged forward, raising his right claw and aiming for Zade’s throat. Zade raised his sword to block, then quickly lowered it to block The God Eater’s follow-up strike. The God Eater kept up the pressure and threw blow after blow at blinding speed. Zade struggled to keep up; he managed to block or evade most of the strikes, if only by a hair, but was repeatedly nicked by every other one. He tried to push The God Eater away again and give himself some space, but The God Eater wouldn’t allow it. Zade felt his arms getting tired, and The God Eater showed no signs of slowing down. He couldn’t fathom the efficiency of The God Eater’s every move. Nevertheless, he upheld his defense as best he could, and in the meantime, channeled pale yellow energy into his free hand. Finally, just after dodging one of The God Eater’s swipes, he threw a punch at The God Eater’s face. As his knuckles made contact with The God Eater’s cheek, an explosion of luminous magic erupted from Zade’s fist. The God Eater went flying backward and tumbled onto his face. Glowing, wispy tendrils of dim, pale-yellow light rose off his skin like smoke from a spent log of firewood.

Zade hunched over to catch his breath, his hands on his knees. By the time he raised his head, The God Eater was already upon him, face filled to the brim with savage wrath. Zade stabbed at The God Eater as he approached. The God Eater dodged to his left and countered with a thrust of his own. Zade barely managed to twist himself away from the brunt of the thrust, but was nicked across the chest regardless. Zade disregarded the pain and swept The God Eater’s feet out from under him with a spinning kick. Just after The God Eater hit the ground, he rolled backward and did a handspring back onto his feet. He glowered at Zade. He was trembling with adrenaline and frustration, but his eyes were just as overwhelmingly empty as always.

The God Eater ran forward again, so Zade raised his sword to block in anticipation of another swipe. Zade instantly realized the mistake he’d just made, but it was already too late. The God Eater swung upward with his right claw and caught Zade’s sword in between its blades. With a single, bewildering motion, The God Eater disarmed Zade, sending his sword careening into the gravel. Zade almost let himself panic, but quickly god ahold of himself, and prepared a light-imbued jab. The God Eater did a roundhouse block and diverted it, but Zade was already following up with another punch, this time with his dominant hand. He directed it into The God Eater’s midriff. Embers of pale-yellow light snaked across The God Eater’s body and he let out a raspy wheeze. He doubled over crumpled to his knees. Zade used the few precious moments he’d garnered for himself to run for his sword.

Zade bent down to pick up his sword, and when he stood up, he saw The God Eater back on his feet, sprinting toward him. Zade stood his ground, dodged The God Eater’s attack, and countered with a precisely placed slash. His sword cleaved through The God Eater’s light armor and left a huge diagonal gash across his chest. Ebony blood gushed out, soaking The God Eater’s clothes and the ground underneath him. The God Eater screamed in pain, and his shining white eyes seemed to grow brighter.

Zade saw the opportunity and felt his adrenaline surge. He ran forward to capitalize on the opportunity he’d made for himself. The God Eater, still hunched over in pain, started to convulse and crackle with dark-taupe energy. Zade tried to stop and jump away, but there was no time, so he could only brace for impact. An explosion of dark-taupe energy from The God Eater’s body sent Zade flying into the air and onto his back. Sparks of the dark-taupe magic cascaded throughout the ground where the blast had scarred it. Even though Zade was ready for it, the blast still blindsided him somehow. He felt like his energy was leaking away into nothingness, and breathing became a conscious effort. Zade, trembling and half-dazed,  got back on his feet to prepare for The God Eater’s next attack, but the muscles in his arms wouldn’t quite work right. The God Eater enveloped his claws in that same dark-taupe energy and slashed Zade across the face with one claw, and then again with the other. Zade staggered backward, just barely able to stay on his feet.

All of the feeling in Zade’s body drained away. He couldn’t feel his arms, or his legs, or his head. He felt trapped inside his body; he was completely, utterly numb, deprived of all sensation. His posture kept him from falling over. Zade felt like his limbs were limp as a sack of water, but clearly, they were too stiff to let him fall. The God Eater’s battle frenzy seemed to dissipate. He straightened his posture and watched as Zade tried to do something, anything. Zade felt like a stiff breeze could carry him away, but only because he didn’t feel much of anything. His limbs didn’t feel heavy, because they wouldn’t respond at all. He could feel pain, but it was more psychic than physical. It was like a frigid, ten-ton dagger sinking into the fabric of his consciousness. Everything was just…empty. The scenery around him turned into a swirling grey void. The only thing he could see aside from the undulating nothing was The God Eater’s sadistic, empty glare. When he tried very hard, Zade could hear the rumble of the approaching demonic soldiers.

The God Eater still hadn’t moved. He just watched. Zade was too tired to be insulted. As far as Zade was concerned, it could have been years before The God Eater finally did something. He began to walk forward. His claws glowed with ghastly magic once again. Terror shot through Zade’s mind. There was nothing else to focus on, so it consumed him. Zade tried to flail, but he still couldn’t move. He’d never thought such horror possible. The God Eater got closer. Closer. Closer. Zade wanted to cry, but he simply wasn’t able to.

“This…is it, then,” he thought. He couldn’t hear his own thoughts. The pain and fear were growing warmer now. In fact, they almost felt comforting, like this was the new normal. It was like his soul itself had gone numb. Zade’s eyes began to close. His eyes slowly fell, more and more, until he was entirely wrapped in black. The drowsiness was insurmountable, and so, Zade slept.

If it wasn’t sleep, it must have been something similar. The lack of control wasn’t distressing anymore. He didn’t have to hold himself anymore; he was free. Unbound. Lighter than air, lighter than nothingness. But it wasn’t cathartic. He could still feel one last thing; resistance. Something deep, deep inside Zade rebelled—something transcending the drowsiness in his eyes, the pain in his body, the complete, ultimate terror in his heart. The resistance blossomed into something more perceptible. Hope. With great effort, Zade opened his eyes a tiny slit.

        The swirling void wasn’t there. It took Zade a moment to grow accustomed to sight again. His feet were anchored to the ground again, and the faint glow of Blackened Vale’s charred landscape had returned. The demonic army was easily in view, and far too close for comfort. Zade could even feel his arms and legs again. He tensed them involuntarily, unaccustomed to the feeling of feeling. His body felt warm and remade. Maybe that was just the blood from his wounds.

The God Eater didn’t seem to notice. Zade kept his eyes mostly shut so he wouldn’t alert The God Eater. He considered continuing the fight, but the demonic army was too close, and there wasn’t time to give himself a pep talk. He desperately searched for some kind of way to save himself, and then, something caught his eye. A minute flash of light in his peripheral vision, a glint of orange in the speckled inky darkness of the sky.

Zade glanced upward and saw a volley of explosive spells headed toward him and the blocked cave entrance. He couldn’t keep his eyes shut; they widened without his permission, brimming with inspiration. The hope swelled to a fever pitch and made him shiver with energy. The explosive spells reached their peak and were heading downward. Zade took a step back, unfurled his wings, and spread them wide. Even without the sun’s light, they seemed to glow.

The God Eater jolted and stared incredulously. He looked to see what Zade was looking at. He furrowed his brow at the spells. He refocused on Zade, eyes smoldering with confusion and indignation. His walk turned into a run. It was all too late. Zade bent his knees, closed his eyes, and jumped upward as high as he could. The explosive spells hit the ground and erupted with a deafening crack and a blast of fiery energy. Debris and bits of gravel flew everywhere; Zade, catching the force of the explosions in his wings, flew with it. He flew high into the air, and out of The God Eater’s reach.

        Zade tucked in his wings, plummeted downward, and then opened them again, sailing forward in a high-speed glide. He couldn’t help but burst into hysterical laughter as The God Eater howled and screamed over the ringing in his ears. The God Eater ran after Zade in vain, leaving the rest of the demonic army behind. The entirety of Blackened Vale was sent into a fit of panicked screaming. The enormous mass of demons tried to keep up with Zade and The God Eater as best they could. Zade, taking advantage of his momentum and flapping his wings, flew over the cliffs separating Blackened Vale and the Thundering Badlands, and into one of the Thundering Badlands’ many caves.

A couple of minutes later, the demonic army got to the caves as well. They splintered into groups, searching every pathway they could find, but no matter where they turned, they couldn’t find Zade or any traces of him anywhere. Even the demons guarding the entrances hadn’t seen him. Zade had vanished into thin air.

~        ~        ~

Vera was growing fatigued from all the fighting. Nevertheless, she continued to fire lightning bolt after lightning bolt into the unending onslaught of demonic soldiers, and support her own soldiers as best she could. It didn’t help that Ulrich disappeared, just like Lucien, not too long ago. Vera’s thoughts were already plagued by Lucien’s disappearance, and Ulrich’s only made her worry more. She constantly kept an eye out for The God Eater. She could never forget his terrifying aura in the battle where Erika died, and she could already feel it. In fact, she felt it more this time. Its sheer authoritative might made her feel like a fly in the sights of a patient, hungry frog. It wouldn’t leave her alone no matter how many lightning bolts she threw.

The battle was wearing her out fast now that the other gods were gone. Her soldiers fought valiantly and relieved some of the burden, but they could only do so much. Vera took a moment to reevaluate the situation. Despite all her hard work, the demonic battalion seemed entirely unfettered.

A demonic colonel on top of an armored behemoth pointed his sword at her and the rest of the soldiers. The wave of demons surged forward again. Vera felt an overwhelming sorrow rising within her. She slowly raised her sword, struggling to see why she should keep fighting at all. Then, she saw one of her soldiers charging into the fray, leading some of her friends to take down a demonic horseback rider. Vera imagined Ulrich with them. He couldn’t care less about the demons keeping the upper hand, and ran in as if victory was assured. He shouted to the soldiers to keep up the good work, and to fight with all their heart. He was talking to her. Vera’s misery combusted into rage. Rage at the demons and herself. Another blast of adrenaline surged through her aching muscles. Ulrich’s voice was joined by Erika’s. This fight was far from over.

Vera lunged into the bowels of the demonic horde. She yelled to her soldiers at the top of her lungs, and they responded in kind. All of them cascaded forward in a headlong assault. Unprepared for Vera’s sudden charge, the first few demons went down without a fight. The next few, though they tried, could not handle Vera’s incredible speed. She slashed and dodged at incomprehensible speed, leaving a shower of electric sparks and convulsing demons in her wake. The demons frantically attempted to regain control as Vera tore through their ranks.

Vera locked eyes with the behemoth-riding colonel who looked so cocksure just a minute ago. Vera separated herself from the immediate action to focus. She tensed all of her muscles and magnified the electric power in her blood. Sparks arced across every inch of her body, growing larger and louder by the second. Her muscles started to convulse from the force of her strain. Vera raised her hand to the sky, index finger extended, swung her arm downward at the behemoth, and let the rampant power within herself go. A monumental bolt of electricity streaked down from the heavens, into the behemoth and its rider. In what couldn’t have been more than a few milliseconds, they were both reduced to piles of ash in a smoldering crater. Surrounding demonic soldiers were vaporized with them, and the soldiers around them were sent flying by an explosion of rubble and residual electricity.

Vera remained standing despite the exhaustion that consumed her. Before she could truly recover, a stray arrow struck her in her left shoulder. Vera fell backward onto the ground, already deeply unstable. Some soldiers swooped in to carry her away. Vera, only half-conscious, tried to get on her feet, stand up, and keep fighting, but her body was too fatigued to listen.

        Minutes later, involuntary tears dribbled down Vera’s face while one of the medics fussed over her, inside a makeshift tent put up early in the fight. The ground was stained with blood from the previous patients. Most of Vera’s various wounds had already healed into scars, and some had vanished altogether. None of them could hold a candle to the pain of the fatigue she’d inflicted upon herself. And yet, she longed to run out of the tent and rejoin the fight. She feared for her soldiers, for Lucien and Ulrich, and for the other group. But she didn’t have the energy to continue fighting, and the medic implored her to relax, to regain—at the very least—a fraction of her energy. She acquiesced.

Later still, Vera’s angst was interrupted by footsteps outside. They were quiet, almost inaudible, but Vera noticed them immediately. She struggled to get off her cot and failed, only managing to lift her head. A tall, dark figure stepped into the tent. Vera’s heart skipped a beat before she realized it was Lucien, with his wings unfurled. He looked tired and stern. The tears started to trickle down again.

“L…Lucien! What are you doing here? Where have you been?!” Vera kept trying to lift herself off the cot. She couldn’t. Her head fell back onto the cot’s thin pillow. “I-I was so worried…”

Lucien wouldn’t say anything. The tent was deathly silent. Vera lifted her head again and shook her dirty blonde hair out of her face to look Lucien in the eyes. They were cold and emotionless. Lucien was by no means “emotional,” but his eyes were never this steely. They made Vera shudder.

“A-a-are you ok?” Vera stuttered. Lucien still wouldn’t respond. He looked like he was lost in thought. Vera tried again: “Have you seen Ulrich? He-he vanished, like…a half-hour ago, I’m not sure…” Lucien averted his eyes, and his face got dark. Vera stared at him, baffled. “…Di-did you see him? …What happened?” Lucien locked eyes with Vera again. There was…menace in them now. “What’s wrong with you?” Vera gasped, desperately.

Lucien’s body started to waver, ever so slightly, like a desert oasis on the horizon. Underneath the gentle, dark ripples, Lucien’s skin looked oddly flushed. It was growing redder by the second. It grew redder and redder, and ultimately turned into a profound, dusty-rose color. His eyes went from brownish-black to crimson. He started to look taller—a foot and a half taller, at that—and more muscular, too. When Vera looked at Lucien’s face again, she saw sheeny black horns on his head. His wings, instead of feathery and white, were now leathery, red, and dark brown. The authoritative aura Vera sensed before was choking her, now.

"…Lucien…?” Vera whimpered. Lucien’s gaze softened a bit. He averted his eyes again.

Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be,” he said, with a voice an octave deeper than usual. Despite the difference, it was painfully familiar. Was this his real voice? Vera blinked rapidly, keeping the tears from blocking her vision, and trying to rationalize what was happening. She reached for her sword, but her arm was too numb to grip it. She tried to sit up, but she couldn’t. Lucien walked closer. The aura stifled Vera’s heartbeat. In Lucien’s hand, dark energy began to crackle.

“It’s…really a shame,” Lucien sighed. “Unfair, even. Practically outright cruel. …The Grand Teacher works in mysterious ways, doesn’t he?” Vera tried to gasp out a response, but the tears in her throat choked her. Her face and neck were wet with a practical fountain of tears.

“Lu…cien…” she finally managed to mumble, amid her gasps.

Lucien closed his eyes and sighed again. “Close your eyes,” he whispered. “I’ll make this as painless as possible.” Vera disobeyed for a while. She kept trying to sit up, trying to do something, trying to stop Lucien. It was no use. She tried to look at Lucien again, but Lucien wouldn’t meet her gaze anymore. She rested her head and took a deep breath. At the very least, she might get to see Erika again. She desperately needed a cuddle from her.

~        ~        ~

It was quiet inside. The ticking of the grandfather clock faded into the background long ago, and the birds outside sang to each other softly. The light of the late afternoon sun shone through the windows, lighting up the living room. Thea sat in her usual chair, reading a novel, and trying in vain to forget her worry. Tears threatened to fall again. She suppressed them.

All of the sudden, Thea was startled by the sound of tiny, gentle footsteps coming from the stairs in the other room. She looked up from her novel to see her two-year-old son, Allen, slowly and cautiously climbing down the steps. Thea sighed. She could have sworn she’d closed the bedroom door. How could Allen so consistently slip through her fingers?

Allen, after reaching the bottom of the stairs, bumbled around the room for a few moments before walking up to Thea. He stood on his toes and reached up at her. Thea put down her novel and picked Allen up, cradling him in her lap.

“Daddy?” Allen asked. Thea averted her eyes, almost letting her tears out.

“Daddy isn’t home yet,” she whispered, her voice wavering. Allen gave her a confused, demanding look. “He…he’ll be home soon, honey.”

Thea couldn’t help but assume the worst. The army hadn’t sent any word about her husband’s absence. They usually did, if he didn’t himself. He should have been home a long time ago, and yet, she still hadn’t heard anything from anyone. Thea considered leaving the house and asking around, but she felt vulnerable and powerless enough inside, let alone outside. Allen kept staring at her with a blank, inquisitive expression. She couldn’t help but feel like he was judging her. Impulsively, she lifted Allen and hugged him. She wished she was as stalwart as her precious baby boy. Or her husband, for that matter.

Allen nuzzled his head into his mother’s stomach and fell asleep. Thea sighed, heavy-hearted, and picked up her novel again. She was stuck on the same sentence for ages. Her mind kept wandering off to things she desperately didn’t want to think about. With great effort, she kept her breathing and heartbeat steady, so as not to bother Allen.

A few agonizing minutes later, a loud knocking on the door rang through the room. Allen awoke with a start, more disgruntled than upset. Thea lifted him off her lap with an apologetic smile and stood up.

“Who is it?” she called, walking to the door.

“Arryn,” a somber, empty voice called back. Thea’s heart snapped and sunk deep into her stomach. She kept holding back the tears.

Thea opened the door and greeted Arryn, doing an exceptionally poor job of hiding her distress. It wasn’t the Arryn she remembered. He had the same short, messy hair, the same roughened skin, the same vibrant, brown eyes, but he wasn’t the same. He looked defeated.

“What…what brings you here?” Thea croaked. Arryn looked over his shoulder.

Corryl walked up from behind, supporting Zade on his shoulder, who was almost hanging like a ragdoll. Zade looked so tired and battered it was as if he’d been dragged through the depths of hell and back. Perhaps he had.

“I-I’m good from here, Corryl,” he groaned. Corryl didn’t budge, as Zade tried to stand up on his own and failed. “R-really. Just…ugh…just give me a moment. I’m fine.” Corryl bowed his head and reluctantly let Zade off his shoulder. Zade staggered a bit and lifted his head. On his face were two perpendicular, dark red scars. They looked like claw-marks, forming an X shape centered on the bridge of his nose.

Thea lost track of the world around her. The tears she’d been holding back for days on end all came out at once, turning her into a heaving wreck. She felt Zade hugging her tightly and whispering words she couldn’t understand. By the time the tears had thinned enough for her to see again, her face was buried in Zade’s shoulder, and both Corryl and Arryn were gone. Zade was holding her steady, despite being rather unsteady himself.

Allen stumbled into the antechamber to see what the commotion was about. He patted Thea’s leg in a vain attempt to calm her down, before noticing the scarred mess of a man who’d just walked into his home. Allen toddled over to Zade, looking up at him with a bewildered expression. Zade made sure Thea wouldn’t fall over if he let go, the crouched to meet Allen’s eyes. He smiled as wide as he could manage. Allen reached out and felt the scars on Zade’s face with his tiny, pudgy hand. Zade strived to keep smiling as he winced in pain under Allen’s touch.

“Daddy,” Allen declared.

“That’s right, Allen, it’s Daddy.” Zade picked Allen up and spun him around. Allen burst into a fit of giggling and squealing. “Everything’s ok. Daddy’s home.”