Dark Age Legends

[Dark Spartan]

//Wonderful, coming up on 5,000 posts.\\

?SHIT!?

A rebel complained as he reloaded his lever-action shotgun; this had been the third time in five minutes he had jammed the damn thing. Finally, he managed to force the shells into place and close the lever. He was taking some potshots at hay bale targets he and some other rebels had set up, as target practice. As they did, the four scientists still argued over what to do in Alex?s absence.

?What CAN we do but wait?? Ilia said. ?He?s by far the most capable of us, we should wait for him to come back so he can lead us!?

?And what if he doesn?t come back?? Fenix retorted. ?That Midna girl could?ve banished him to some other dimension, we might never see him again!?

While all four scientists were into the argument, the true conflict seemed to roil between Ilia and Dom Fenix. All Kleiner and Vance could do was sit aside and mediate.

?Izzy,? Vance asked, standing up on his prosthesis, ?What if Dom?s right? What if Alex doesn?t come back??

?Nonsense,? Kleiner replied. ?I have confidence in him. We all should. He?s gotten us this far, hasn?t he??

?I still want to know where he was taken,? Vance replied, stroking his snow-white beard. ?You think he?s all right??

?I know Alex better than anyone, I know he?s okay,? Izzy replied, a little nervousness finally beginning to show.

?You can?t hide it any longer,? Vance replied. ?Admit it, you?re just as worried about him as the rest of us.?

?Oh, you?re right,? Kleiner cried. ?I guess none of us can help it. We?re a little lost as to what to do??

?Just have faith, Izzy,? Vance said. ?He?ll be okay.?

In the background the rebel once again jammed his gun.

?SHIT!?



?The first page should be across town. If I remember correctly,? Equinox continued, ?It should contain the scriptures on how to cast the Umbraburst, the exact opposite to the Solburst you just learned.?

?Got it,? Alex said. ?Any other advice??

?Use your senses,? Equinox said. ?In your Twili state your hearing and eyesight are many times more powerful than in your human form. Tune your senses and you could be led directly to the first page. Once you?ve found it, you can master the spell and begin looking for the second one. Once you?ve mastered the spells, you?ll be one step closer to being able to face Damien. We have prepared for you the implement of the Kandarinian demise, but you must fully understand yourself as a Twili first. Now go find those pages!?



?What do you think he meant by ?the implement of the Kandarinian demise???

?The Twilight Warrior did not act on magic alone in his servitude of the princess. He wielded a special suit of armor and a blade whose power is unmatched by any other. The armor itself was an amazing spectacle, combining the utmost in Twili magic and engineering. The blade, known as the Shadeblade, balances the armor?s light properties, creating perfect conditions for extremely powerful Twili magic.?

?Amazing,? Alex said as the two strolled down the road to the Twilight City, ?and they expect me to use this??

?And to master it,? Midna replied. ?Please forgive me, this whole thing is by their design, not mine. I?m just as worried as you are. I can?t really do you much good until I can regain my true form, I?m sorr--?

?No, no, don?t say that,? Alex reassured her. ?You?ve taught me so much about this world so far, and what I?m supposed to do. I?d be totally lost without you.?

?We need to work fast. Just because we?re in another dimension doesn?t mean the sun will come up any slower in the world of light. We need to find those pages. Try right here, do what Equinox said, tune your senses.?

?All right,? Alex closed his eyes and imagined himself as knowing where the pages were. As silly as it felt, Alex soon felt a vague idea as to where to go. ?I think I know where the Umbraburst page is.?

?Really?? Midna asked, hopefully. ?Where??

Alex opened his red eyes and looked to the top of the Twilight City skyline. He raised his pale arm and pointed. ?Up there, at the top of that spire.? He was of course pointing to a very tall tower in the center of town, at least a few hundred feet up.

?That?s ridiculous,? Midna said, putting her hands on her hips. ?How will you get up there??

?Well, you?re the one who supposedly knows so much about the Twilight Warrior. Isn?t he known for acrobatic ability or something??

?Of course he is! As the Twilight Warrior, no practice is really necessary for you, it should be second nature.?

?Well, I had a feeling the Asgarnian Industrial District wouldn?t be the last jumping puzzle I had to do,? Alex sighed. ?But two hundred feet up? One false move and??

?Don?t worry about that,? Midna replied, clearly having confidence in her Twili accomplice, ?surely you?ll be able to land safely if you do.?

Alex took a deep breath. ?All right then,? he said. ?Let?s get that page.?

He looked at an awning he could use to spring up onto the rooftops. If he could force enough power into the jump, he would easily be on the roof within moments. He first crouched down, and with all his might, forced his body away from the ground. To his amazement he rocketed up into the air and onto the awning, which he used as a springboard to flip up to the roofs above. After performing a few flips in midair he came down on the roof and landed. He stood back up with little effort.

?That?? Alex said, standing up, cracking his neck, ??was satisfying.?

?Keep going, Alex!? Midna shouted from below. ?That page is bound to be up there!?



?What do you MEAN YOU CAN?T FIND HIM?!?

?Sir, I told you six times already! Alex and Midna are no longer in Asgarnia, or even in this dimension as a matter of fact!?

Damien threw the Kandarinian commander aside in a fit of rage. ?I don?t care if you have to use every Goddamn man you have at your disposal, Commander, I want those two! As long as they?re still out there, they pose a threat.?

?And how do we do that? They?re not even on this plane of existence anymore!?

?Commander, you?re obviously not understanding, so let me sum it up for you in a way you?ll be able to comprehend. Alex is no ordinary man. No ordinary man could defeat me so easily. There?s something about him. He?s part Twili.?

?I?m sorry, sir??

?The Twili are the main cause of this conflict with Asgarnia. They?re an ancient race adept in the magical arts, though they isolated themselves to a region of the Borderworld called the Twilight. In those thousands of years since their migration there they?ve lived in peace, and more than once we?ve tried to trounce them, only to fail. And do you know why we failed, Commander??

?Why, sir??

?Two Twili stood up and decided to oppose us. They called them the Twilight Warrior and the Twilight Princess. Their magics combined were enough to level our entire legions of men we sent in. It was a disgrace to the Sovereignty.?

?Why haven?t they launched another attack, sir??

?Legend holds that the Twilight Warrior was killed by another Kandarinian sorcerer twenty-eight years ago. The prophecies proclaimed that the first-born son of the reigning monarchs at the time of the old Warrior?s death would be imbued with his power.?

?And you?re saying that that?s Alex, sir??

?I KNOW it?s him! His mother and father I know were the king and queen during that time. Of course they didn?t want to jeopardize their only link to survival, so they handed him off to the wise mage Caulus Zalridge. I was always aware that Alex was the Twilight Warrior, though how to do away with him was another story.?

?If you killed their only son,? the commander asked, ?couldn?t they just have another child??

?Clever thinking, Commander,? Damien went on. ?That?s why I killed them.?

?You?killed Alex?s parents??

?Exactly. In their utter disarray they had not selected the next king and queen. As of now the three elders take care of affairs. If Alex dies, you see, the Twili are doomed.?

?And what of the Twilight Princess??

?Midna was always a thorn in my side,? Damien complained, ?but once I learned that she had taken up the role of ruler of Asgarnia, I saw it as an offer that was too good to pass up. And so here we are in this damn city, Commander, and I still don?t have Alex and Midna on their knees before me. Now why do you think that is??

At this point the commander began to grow very nervous, knowing Damien could snap. ?Uh?because we aren?t trying hard enough??

?I?m glad you see it my way, Commander,? Damien said in mock appreciation. ?Hear me out now, Commander,? he continued, his anger escalating. ?If you so much as fail me one more time, I shall have the personal pleasure of eviscerating your internal organs through the openings in that empty shell of a head you have, and then feeding the carcass to the zombies in the Mining District! Now, GET OUT THERE AND BRING ME THOSE TWILI!?

Almost losing his composure, he saluted Damien. ?Err, yes sir, right away sir.? The commander wasted no time in escaping his confrontation with the choleric sorcerer.

As the door slammed behind him, Damien heaved a sigh. Freshly resurrected as a favor from Kronos, he knew he could not fail again. Those two meddlesome Twili were ever the keys to taking over the continent. But first he had to deal with this nuisance of an insurgency occurring within Asgarnia?s walls.

?Soon,? Damien snarled to himself, ?soon I shall show them that good and evil are two sides of the same coin.?

He walked out to the balcony that looked over the city a thousand feet below.

?One cannot exist without the other.?

[Zeros']

Zeros' grinned and rubbed his ears in a mocking fashion. He then bowed, low enough, so he hit the ground, causing the crescent blades to harmlessly pass over his body. He sensed Rink nearby and sent a message.

Ahh. You finally got out, huh? he telepathed before standing up.

"Well, well... That was a pathetic try. Try again," he yawned, purposely trying to aggrivate the drake.

---

Allen didn't say much. He mostly followed behind the two and nodded silently to his name. His mind seemed to be elsewhere.

[Xorlak]

"My Lord... he is ready..."

The smallish lizard man bowed lowly, his tail flicking back and forth...  Grav held the position for a long while, until the dark horned figure finally took note of him...

"Excellent... just in time..."

A shadow appeared, a third figure, this one a featureless humanoid...

"I exist only to serve the Dark Emperor in all his glory..."

"Very good... Show me your form Zefnario..."

"As you wish, my Lord..."

The shadow stepped towards the dim light of a blue torch.  But when the light was cast upon him, he was no longer a black mass, but rather he was wearing flowing beige and red robes that waved as if under water.  Upon his short black hair was a band of feathers...

It was Kronos...

Except his eyes were burning with a crimson fury, much like that of the Dark Emperor.

Retan nodded in approval.

Grav rose from his bow, lifting his staff up into the air.

"What a success!  He looks exactly like the Marshal!  Your prowess knows no bounds, my lord!  Eee hee hee!!"

The short lizard man began dancing circles around the dour Dark Emperor, until he strayed too close to Retan's black gauntlet.  In which case Grav was promptly smacked in the muzzle and sent flying.  Retan spoke.

"You will need this."

In his other hand was a blindfold.  Zefnario fell to his knees and accepted the cloth from his master, quickly tying it around his eyes and thus hiding the crimson glow.

The Dark Emperor Retan observed his creation.

"Excellent.  I christen ye Kronos Z.  Go.  Take the lich's place.  Prepare my nation for the time when they will accept me as their one and only master."

"Yes my Lord.  I shall do as you command..."

----

Sunrise at Kesnar was normally a beautiful experience.

On a typical morning, crimson hues that painted the sky over the eastern mountains inspired artists, writers, poets, and the like with messages of calm serenity, peace, prosperity, and most importantly, hope.

Yet just as the sky began to brighten in that pre-dawn hour, the soldiers stationed at the once peaceful town could not help but turn their eyes to the dark west...  To those three black specks upon the ocean horizon...


"Heh..."

"Something amuses you, my Lord?"

Melface was standing on the ship's railing.  Jayce turned to the child like figure, a sinister smile upon his face.

"I just realized I attacked that town before, a year or two ago, but I was interrupted.    For that, I cannot let it stand...  What did you find on Romme?"

Melface sighed, waving a bored hand.

"Pah, nothing at all.  A dead island, as you say."

"Very well, the time has come...  Unload the troops and storm.  Nothing is to be left alive... no building is to be left standing... This town shall be a sacrifice to my name as I start my campaign upon Tjed..."


Great compartments opened up in the fronts of the sea faring vessels, and many smaller landing boats spilled forth, rushing the waves towards the shores of Tjed, overflowing with scaly lizard men brandishing weapons and armor of all types...

And thus it began...

[Dude Man]

//God damnit! Post #4999. I hate life! *cuts wrists*\\

Gorus' eyes narrowed in rage. He then flapped his wings and moved backwards. He then lifted his head upwards and opened his mouth and began gathering dark energy...

Rink stepped into room, where he saw Zeros' and the Death Wyvern. He assumed that the Death Wyvern must be Gorus. Interesting, he didn't know there were lizard men gepardis.

Rink scanned around the room and spotted Duilin's mace on the floor. If he could get it maybe he could actually help fend Gorus off...

--- ---

Duilin's ship began to pick up the pace and move at a much greater speed. The wind was blowing through Duilin's hair, swinging it back. "Whoo-hoo!" Duilin cheered. "Those Tjeds weren't joking when they said this ship was fast."

"I've been on faster me boy!" Goldolf called back.

Duilin's facial expression lowered when he saw that the warships had already made it.

"It looks like those are Dark Empire ships." Goldolf said. "Only the empire would make a warship like that."

"Yeah, I think you're right." Duilin then cursed under his breath. Images of the gruesome battle in front of the Romme Castle with a field of dead bodies flashed through his mind. He wasn't going to allow another peaceful nation go down like Romme did. "I let Iduran down, but I won't let Henri and Ven down. Not wile I'm alive..." He whispered to himself.

[Xorlak]

"Holy...  Captain!!  Come take a look at this!!"

The smallish solider handed the spyglass to his elder, who regarded the sea with interest... then shock... then horror...

"It... it's... an invasion..."

They all knew this day would come.  It was only a matter of time before that black empire set its main forces upon them...

"Invasion!!"

"INVASION!!!"

"INVAAAASION~!!!!!"

The bells of Kesnar rang loudly.  The solders, knights and even some young squires ran to the flimsy walls of the city that faced the sea.

The boats... there were several dozen coming... and more on the way, each crammed full with snarling beastly Lizard Men, thirsting for human blood.

And on the horizon the three black warships loomed, as if mocking the petty city.  The skulls etched upon the sides of the Jagahn seemed to laugh particularly loud.

The catapults lining the walls were readied...  Soon the first of the Dark Empire boats would be in range...


"WHAT?!  Now?!"

King Henri tried to lunge back towards the city, to follow the wooded path back to the few knights that were almost certainly doomed.

"My liege!  You must return to the capital!  You are needed!"  Ven said as he held his king back.

Henri hesitated.  He knew he could not fight, he had no delusions about that... But he desperately felt he needed to see them...  Oh gods, they weren't ready!

Ven continued.

"You must meet with the war concil and prepare!  My leige!  Please!"

Henri turned to the High Knight Ven, who continued still.

"I will take charge here.  We will hold them for as long as possible, then we will retreat.  You have my word I will return."

Henri didn't say anything for a moment.  Then the two embraced, a brief hug like a father and son would share.

"Don't do anything drastic."

"Says you."  Ven waved dismissively at the king and smiled.  Henri returned it.  Ven was rational in chaotic times, he knew.  His finest warrior would make it out of this, he was sure of it.

Then Ven departed alone, running back down the path, back to Kesnar, to the battle ahead...

[Dark Spartan]

//5,000 posts. Wow. That's neat. Though I wanted to be the 5,000th poster.  <_<\\

?Found it yet, Alex?? Midna shouted up from below.

Alex leaned back against the tower wall he was on, inching his way across the narrow lip. ?Not yet!? he shouted back.

?It should be up there,? she shouted up again. ?Your senses detected it!?

Finally Alex got onto a flat rooftop. ?Urgh,? he moaned. ?Never again! That?s what I said in the Industrial District.?

From Alex?s view he saw the entire Twilight City below him, roofs and windows glistening in the never-ending dusk that shrouded the land. Two hundred feet below Midna stood on the cobblestones, watching Alex perform his acrobatic act to find a ripped-out book page.

Finally something caught his eye.

Resting draped over a wire connecting two buildings, Alex saw a white sheet of paper. He had done it!

?Here it is!? He shouted back.

?That?s great!? Midna hollered. ?But how are you going to get it? It?s all the way out on the middle of that cable!?

How was a good question indeed. The wire itself hung slack two hundred feet above the hard street below, preventing Alex from walking out onto the wire. He could dangle down off the wire, but he would risk jostling the page and it flittering away carelessly into the wind. Though he had no choice.

Alex knelt down near where the cable was secured to the tower, and affixed his hands around it. Taking a deep breath he hurled himself off the edge, allowing his hands to suspend him. To his fortune, the cable did not shake much, and so the page rested happily where it had been for who knows how long. Slowly but surely Alex hand-over-handed towards the page.

?You?re almost there, Alex!? Midna yelled up.

This act reminded Alex of his days back in the Glacia mountains, grabbing onto unstable rock holds in order to cross chasms ten times deeper than this. But now at the end lay a prize. Within inches of it, Alex reached out his arm and grabbed the page in his hand.

?Got it!? He shouted.

Naturally things could not be so easy. As soon as he was center stage, the cable moaned under Alex?s weight. With little give, the wire snapped, sending Alex earthward.

Shit, he thought to himself, seeing the street approaching fast before him. Better do some of that acrobatic stuff she mentioned!

Almost by instinct, Alex, who at this point was falling head-first, began to roll. If he could hit the ground rolling, he could minimize his injury. With the forward momentum given by the cable, he figured this to be easy. Alex landed on the top of his back, rolling down the cobblestones before coming to a stop on his back, the page still clenched firmly in his hand. When Alex opened his eyes, Midna was hovering over him with a beaming smile on her face.

?Alex, you did it! You got the first page!? Midna took no time in hurling her tiny arms around Alex?s body as he got up.

?All right then?? he said, looking at the page as Midna hugged him. ?Let?s see here.?



?I grow impatient,? Damien mumbled, still looking over the ruined city below. ?Kronos is getting restless with the incompetence of these blasted dogs he calls soldiers. If I do not attain absolute control over this city soon he will have my head. But what can I do? It would be far more sporting to allow those two to come here themselves only to be destroyed, rather than cut their cords short now. The sun will rise soon, and I cannot wait much longer.?



?Ilia, please, it?s the only way.?

?I wish it wasn?t,? she said sorrowfully. ?Sending those men out there is suicide without Alex to back them!?

Dom gritted his teeth. ?Ilia, face facts! We don?t know where he is! We don?t know if he?s ever coming back, or if he even cares about us anymore!?

?Dominic!? Vance hollered. ?That?s quite enough! Don?t try to hide it, you?re as worried as the rest of us. You may not believe this, but sending our soldiers on a suicide attack of the citadel will NOT bring Alex back any faster! All we can do is wait!?

?Sam, we?ve been waiting for almost a day now,? Dom replied. ?Alex surely would?ve given us some sign as to where he is. It?s not like him to disappear without a word.?

?What about this Midna character, Dom?? Ilia shot back. ?You ever think of that??

?What does that have to do with anything?? Dom said.

?Midna could?ve taken him to the Twilight,? a voice across the room spoke up. It was the scout who had gone looking for Alex those hours ago.

?Sergeant, you have our attention,? Izzy replied.

?I know far more about this affair than any normal man should,? the scout replied. ?I suppose you could say that in a previous life, before Asgarnia fell under attack, I was one of Princess Midna?s personal bodyguards. And so as a result I overheard a lot about who she was and what she did.?

?Care to share?? Ilia asked.

?Fine, but you didn?t hear this from me,? the scout cleared his throat. ?Princess Midna is a member of an ancient race, called the Twili. She once lived in the Borderworld and ruled over the Twilight, but relocated to Asgarnia once the Kandarin-Twili War began to escalate. She wanted to keep a low profile and avoid detection until the Twilight Warrior revealed himself.?

?Twilight Warrior?what the,? Dom asked, confused. ?Are you just making shit up now??

?Let him talk, Fenix,? Vance bit back.

?That?s right, Twilight Warrior. He one part of a two-Twili group, consisting of him and the Twilight Princess, who in this case is Midna. It?s the Warrior?s job to combine his power with the Princess to slay the greater evil. In this case, it?s our good friend, Damien Roth.?

?If what you?re saying is what I think you?re saying?? Ilia went on.

?Unfortunately, you?re right. It seems Alex was bestowed with the Twilight Warrior?s power after the previous one was killed. The legend says the first born son of the ruling king and queen of the Twilight are granted his power, to be revealed at a key point in his life.?

?Oh, man,? Fenix moaned. ?I always knew Alex had some kind of issue with Damien, but never one as deep as this. I guess the fate of Asgarnia is still up to him then. But where is he now??

?Chances are Midna took him back to the Twilight to better acquaint him with his new abilities that he is expected to master. The sun will rise within hours, so I?m sure we can expect Alex to return then.?

?Dear me,? Kleiner sighed. ?I suppose Alex didn?t want us to worry for him. But we did anyway? I can only imagine what?s going through his mind now.?

?Though there?s no reason to fear,? the scout replied. ?If the legend is true, Damien, along with the rest of the Kandie occupation in the city, will be routed. But then, Alex must pursue them elsewhere.?

?He?ll leave us?? Ilia said.

?I?m afraid so,? the scout said. ?The two cannot stop until the greater evil that caused the ancient war is put to rest, unfortunately, that task has been unaccomplished ever since the first Twilight Warrior thousands of years ago.?

?So there?s a perfectly good chance Alex could die like the rest of them?!? Ilia cried.

?Now, now, Ilia, there?s no need to worry,? the scout replied, trying to allay her fears. ?I know Alex will pull through. He has in the past.?

?If you say so??



Before long the sun would once more find its way to shining on the once-utopian city. Now questions lie in its downtrodden inhabitants? minds: Will their saviors appear before them? Will they be successful in destroying the greater evil? Will Asgarnia be restored to its former beauty?

Of these many uncertainties, there lies one truth. Light will once again shine on the city of Asgarnia, in more ways than one.

[Dude Man]

Duilin's ship closed in towards Kensar. They were only about a five minute walking distance away from the warships.

"Okay, I'm going out there. If you guys just want to sail back, go ahead. I'm not leaving until empire is out of here." Duilin said.

"Duilin? Why are you so determined to fight?" Belle asked in concern.

"I tried to save Romme, but I failed. I can't let that happen again. I'm more then five times stronger then I was after I left Romme, so these Lizards are in for one hell of a fight!"

"Don't underestimate lizard men." Lagart warned. "They very strong race."

"Well...so am I." Duilin said heading towards the edge of the boat. "So, any of you in?"

"I help fight." Lagart said. "You may need it."

"I guess I'll help." Goldolf said. "I've got some basic elemental magic skill, but it's probably nothing compared to you."

"I'm not a fighter." Belle stated. "But I'll try and help in the best way I can. Plus, I don't want you too run off on me again."

Duilin nodded. "Okay, just be careful. I don't want any of you to get killed."

"I won't make any promises." Goldolf chuckled. "I could kick the bucket any minute at my age."

Duilin then jumped off the ship and flapped his wings pushing himself forward and landed in the shallow water of the beach.

Lagart and Goldolf tossed down ropes and slid down them. Lagart had his broadsword out, which seemed like a smaller weapon in his large hands. The three then rushed towards the ports ready to surprise the lizards...

[Xorlak]

"Sir Ven!  Glad you could make it!"

"Glad to be here, Gander.  What's our situation?"

Ven leaned on the flimsy stone wall that surrounded the town, facing the beach.  Blast it, the ports were the weakest point.  Fortunately there was a flood gate, which was slowly closing even now as Ven looked to his right.   This was a small wall that shut off the water from the sea from flowing into the short canal that lead to the ports.  It would stop those boats from coming directly in at least, but the lizards wouldn't have much trouble getting out of their boats and climbing over it.  Several men stood on top of the flood gate with long spears, ready to beat back any that tried.

The rest of the wall facing the ocean on either side of the flood gate was stone, about ten to fifteen feet high, depending on the drifting of the beach sand.  From the walls, there was a good fifty feet of sandy beach the lizards would have to tromp through after getting out of their boats.  Archers lining the walls would take their advantage then, if they are capable of piercing the lizard men's thick hides that is...



"Another minute and they'll be in range of our catapults..."  Gander replied.

"Hey!  There's a group of people running along the beach!  One of them's a lizard!"

Ven strained himself to see.

"Hold your fire!  That... that's Duilin!!  Lower the ladder!"

"But sir!"

"Do it!!"

Before the rope ladder was even lowered, Ven hopped off the tall wall and landed in the sand.

"Duilin!  Am I glad to see you!!"

He trudged through the beach, running towards the winged half human and his crew.

"Are the others all right?  How about you?"

"They're in range!"  A voice echoed from the walls.  With a loud SNAP, all five catapults loosed their rocky projectiles, and they flew high over the group's heads.  A moment later huge splashes of water ripped through the otherwise serene water, dislodging some of the oncoming boats.

Ven held his head low.  "Listen, we have to get out of here.  Come with me up on the walls."  He then hurried back to the rope ladder thrown down.

[Dude Man]

"Ven!" Duilin called. "I'm glad to see you too." As Ven said they should head inside he called over to Belle. "Belle, come on. You'll be safer behind the walls!"

Belle slid down the rope off the ship and then ran over to catch up with the others climbing up the rope ladder. After the five got over the wall Duilin spoke to Ven.

"So, you haven't seen the others have you? Damn. I was kind of hoping they'd be here. I have a feeling Zeros' is here, and I can bet Rink is around too. But I don't know about Xenai and the others, I fear the worst for them."

He turned his head up towards the sky. "I met this one fox-guy who looked like he was attacked by fire mage. I'm almost certain it's Draven."

He looked back at Ven and motioned to his companions. "Okay, so these guys agreed to join up with me. The old drow is named Goldolf. The woman is Belle and this lizard man, has left the empire because he disagrees with their views on humans. His name's Lagart." He looked at his companions. "This is Ven. He's a High Knight with the Kingdom Of Tjed. I met him a wile ago." He looked back at Ven. "Okay so let's get back to the point. I want to help you fight; the only thing I ask in return is for you to take care of my friends. Lagart and Goldolf want to help fight. So, find safe place for Belle to stay."

He then cracked his knuckles. "Okay, so you got a battle plan? 'Cause I'm ready to bust some skulls."

[Jenia]

"Fernis, you are officialy bad at navigating."

It has been quite a while since Indher finally agreed to go to Tjed, despite wanting to stay at Romme to try a few more things. She was still bitter at what the old knight told her-
Anyone would be if they knew their masterpiece would break apart by dawn.

Though not doing so bluntly, she ended up forcing Mavas to come as well, saying he would probably find his targets there anyway, et cetra.

"Bah!" Gernis shot at Elphos, too lost in thought to consider anything he has to say "so what if we were supposed to be at Tjed a while ago already? It's a pathetic little boat for crying out loud! Heck, were it to be a little smaller, we'd all sink due to sheer weight of Iduran's armor! We are damn lucky the sea isn't story today!"

Elphos apperantly shot something back at her, but she didn't even bother responding. What bothered her was the reason for the time limit on Iduran's renewed existence...
She assumed Iduran himself wouldn't know, and acknowledged it being her mistake a possibility.
Not being able to think of any possible mistake she made, she went on to trying to find a solution.
She quickly dismissed all ideas thought of at first, except the "bind soul to gem, embedd gem in body" idea, which was too costy and complicated and thus was left for a last resort.

Suddenly, Fernis got up, almost hitting her head against the boat's cabin cieling.
Having realized stress was being build up by all of this, she decided to find something to occupy her for the time being. She could poke Elphos and laugh at him or torture Mavas by tying him to the boat and making him fly them all the way to Tjed, but a better idea came to mind.

"Excuse me, ugh, sir Iduran?" she approached him "May I have your outer armor and weapon for a while?"
She scratched the back of her head.
"It's just that, I thought... Since we might encounter hostile forces when we arrive there, it would be better if I use the free time I have on this boat to upgrade your gear..."

Making Iduran a flaming blade sounded quite fun, though engraving runes on a metal would take more time than it would take to draw them on dirt...

[Zeros']

Zeros' looked up at Gorus, his stance relaxed, his arms crossed, impatiently tapping his foot.

"Well, hury up, would ya? I have better things to do," he said. He sent a telepathic message to Rink, though.

When he fires, make sure you get out of it's range. I have a feeling something big is going to happen.

---

Allen sat ontop of the wall, near the company that had just came up. He narrowed his eyes and adjusted his glasses. He wasn't a fighter. He was a scientist and alchemist, but, he was also a strategizer. That's why he was on the front lines.

He was leaning over the walls, observing the ships. Lizardmen weren't known for their magically capacity. Plus, it didn't look like they had many magically fighters. He scanned the many ships and narrowed his eyes.

"It looks like this crew is made of mostly lizardmen... Ven, do we have any mages or any sort of magical forces? If so, put them on standby... If the Dark Empire forces are mostly soldiers and melee fighters, we can blockade them at the beach and the floodgate..." he said, pointing towards the beach, where a good distance stood between it and the walls.

"If we could somehow ignite the beach with fire, making it burn, it could temporarily stop the forces coming towards us. Or, if we have mages, they could make the beach erupt with flames... or even ice. I'm not sure about this, though... What do you think, Ven?" He then looked over at Lagart.

"Lagart was it? How are your kinsmen resistances to fire and ice magic?" he said, quickly formulating plans in his head.

He relayed this all quickly, using gesture to imply what he wished.

[D. Ein]

Armand Cross hurried across the deserted Asgarnian streets. That Damien makes himself out to be bigger than he actually is, he thought. Larger or not, though, he is right: something has to be done about Alex. This was not the first time Armand got in trouble with Damien about him. Alex keeps proving himself just a little more than a worthy adversary. Every time he's cornered, somehow he saves his sorry hide, and this keeps on happening. Well, it's time someone put a stop to it.

Armand finally made it to a Kandarinain control outpost, where officers met up to discuss further strategies of bringing down the resistance. He sat down next to another commander.

-"Heh, look at that. Armand is back. Did Damien spank you?"

Others laughed. Armand simply scowled, and turned to the commanders across the table.

-"Gentlemen, I think it is time for that annoying fly Alex to finally learn his place. However, no matter what we try, he always seems to survive. Do you have any suggestions?"

A rather thin commander spoke.

-"Sometimes, when an enemy knows he's cornered, no amount of small assaults will bring him down. We need to finish this with one quick, decisive blow. The question is, what do we use for the said blow?"

-"De Sade."

The name was said by a lower-ranking officer standing at the door. It appeared as though he just came in. Everybody looked at him.

-"De who?"

The officer sighed.

-"You, sirs, should study your nation's history. Oftentimes, it can give you valuable insights into an otherwise hard situation. The Lilithian sorcerer known as de Sade was the one who originally brought down the Twilight Warrior. Ratrix the 2nd, the then-Marshal of the Sovereignty, awarded de Sade with retirement for his great service to Kandarin. He now lives a hermit's life, ironically not too far from here. I suppose you could try to talk him into helping you."

The officer proceeded into the further halls of the outpost, most likely filing a report. He left the commanders speechless. Armand quickly hurried after the officer, and asked him of the precise location of the sorcerer.

---

Several hours passed. Armand finally found the sorcerer's hut, hidden deep in the forest next to Asgarnia. He carefully knocked on the door.

-"Who disturbes me? Show yourself, intruder!"

The door burst open, with no one behind it. Armand walked in, and just then he saw the Lilithian.

De Sade was sitting in a large armchair facing a hot fire. He was completely hidden by the chair, save for his hands, which were resting on the chair's armrests. From the look of the hands, de Sade had green leathery skin.

-"Archmage de Sade, the Sovereignty needs one last service. There is another Twilight Warrior, and he is wrecking all sorts of trouble in Asgarnia, a city we recently took over."

The sorcerer sighed heavily.

-"Again I am summoned to show insects the way to perfection."

De Sade finally stood up, and Armand nearly sat down. This guy didn't need magic to kill, his looks did the job perfectly. The Lilithian was dressed in black robes streaked with dark green lines, with a hood covering an inhuman face. His skin was very tight on his head, baring his teeth and giving it an overall appearance of a green skull. Though the eye sockets were there, the eyes were nowhere to be seen. The sorcerer also had a pair of small scaly wings, not large enough to be of any use. However, they seemed to have been cut from their original size.

De Sade seemed to look directly at Armand, and he felt a chilling cold creeping over his insides.

-"The Twilight Warrior is Alex. Barely enough for a decent challenge. Tell me, would a dragon swat a fly just because he could?"

Armand did not find the strength to answer.

-"Think about that. But now, the wind sings a strange melody... Someone is approaching."

The Archmage, nearly hovering over the ground, left the hut. Armand did not come up with anything more original nor useful other than to follow.

De Sade was right. There was a rebel walking through the forest. He did not appear to have sighted either de Sade, Armand, or the hut. Finally, Armand found strength within him to speak.

-"A-a-a-archmage, that there is a  - a rebel, from the city we are occupying..."

-"His lesson today will be pain."

De Sade extended a razor-sharp talon towards the rebel, and the Asgarnian cringed, then fell down. There was a visible black pentagram on the ground around him, and it appeared to be drawing the rebel to it. Finally, the movements stilled.

-"But... but you didn't give him a chance! He didn't even see you!"

-"Sometimes, it is best preferable not to hear the serpent's rattle, young one. Now, Alex, was it?"

[Dark Spartan]

?So is what I hear true??

?Yes, Lord Roth,? Armand replied. ?De Sade has decided to open up his amazing talents to our extinguishing of the Twilight Warrior.?

Damien groaned. ?You disappoint me, Commander. You mean to say that you and your men are so horribly incompetent as to call on the retired Archmage to do your dirty work for you??

Armand didn?t have the stomach to make a rebuttal.

?That?s what I thought. You sicken me.?

?Sir, we see no other alternative--?

?NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE?! DO YOU LACK GRAY MATTER?! Surely Alex is a formidable opponent, make no mistake, but calling on someone such as de Sade is a step too far.?

?Lord, is there a problem? Alex will finally be brought to his knees!?

Damien moaned again. ?Commander, I fear I may have made a mistake putting you in charge of controlling that rabble below.?

?Lord, those are merely mortals with weapons! Your vendetta entails a near-immortal being granted the power of the gods!?

?Armand, your excuses are wearing on my last nerve. Unfortunately, de Sade lost his sanity years ago. It pains me to realize what he will do to our dear friend Alex should he find him.?

?Sir, you appear to have personal objections to this action?may I ask why??

The Lord could only sigh. ?If you keep this from those cretins in High Command, yes. If you recall properly, Commander, Archmages lie one rung up on the chain of command from Lords, and de Sade is one Archmage I never want to experience again.?

?Sir--?

?If de Sade found out it was I that had made such a blunder, I may follow the same fate as the first Twilight Warrior. That is why I want to destroy Alex myself.?

?Sir--!?

?Commander, it is not anything personal against you, but I have warned you in the past of your penultimate failure. It seems that by calling in de Sade, you?ve spared yourself a horrible death. Perhaps I should reconsider your assignment.?

?Sir??

?These rebels I once thought of as sniveling cowards, finally willing to fight for their city, have managed to wipe out a third of our forces in Asgarnia. Why is that, Commander??

?Sir, I--?

?I will tell you why. It is because you are not down there to command them.?



?Yes, Commander. You are now re-assigned as commanding those damned soldiers below. At least if you die that way, it will be less tortuous.?

?Sir, I--?

?And still you protest? I have done you a great deed, you thankless whelp. Get out of my sight!?

Defeated, all Armand could utter was a dejected ?Yessir? before exiting Damien?s chamber.

?De Sade,? Damien muttered to himself, a grave fear entering the sound of his voice. ?If he rears his ugly head I fear we are all in for suffering. I must defeat Alex myself! As the gods as my witnesses, I shall destroy him, regardless of what stands betwixt.?

---

?Alex, the rate you?re mastering these spells is unnatural.?

?What can I say? I was always a quick learner.?

In the course of forty-five minutes Alex had perfected the Umbraburst. A swirling vortex launched from his hands and out into open air, away from anything it could pull in. The portal opened wide, revealing the empty black void within, purple bolts of lighting arcing to and fro the clouds it pulled in. Within a second the deafening roar was once again replaced with silence.

?Alex, you?re actually scaring me a little bit,? Midna admitted, drifting over to him. ?No Warrior previous mastered such spells so quickly!?

?I guess I?m just lucky,? Alex said. ?Past experiences have taught me that a lot of things boil down to dumb luck.?

?Not this,? Midna said. ?What I saw was skill, and it?s exactly what we need.?

Alex cracked his knuckles. ?So, should we begin looking for the second page??

?I guess so,? Midna replied. ?If I remember correctly, the fourth spell is The Parasite. It paralyzes your target and drains their vitality, adding to yours.?

?Neat stuff,? Alex said, himself a little perturbed about his increasingly morbid sense of humor. ?I just wish I knew the vague direction to begin looking.?

?I think I overheard Equinox mention something about the Glacia mountain range??

?Glacia?? Alex asked, suddenly reminded of his homeland. ?I used to live in Glacia.?

?It seems we might be heading back there pretty soon,? the imp replied.

?I had a lot of friends in Glacia,? Alex recollected. ?It would be nice to see them all again.?

?You might get that chance. Come on, we need to go inform the elders that we?re leaving.?

---

?Lamarr? Otis! Please come down from there!?

Kleiner had once again become dominated by creatures lesser than him. In this case the two aliens had clambered onto a shelf and refused to move.

?Dear me,? he sighed. ?The poor things are terrified. Otis hasn?t seen Alex in a long while, neither have the rest of us.?

Ilia could only hope Alex would return safely. ?The Kandarinian High Command is getting skittish,? she said. ?And our scout we sent out to the forest hasn?t come back yet??

?It could be worse,? Dom muttered. ?We could have some immoral sorcerer to deal with.?

?Thankfully such is not the case!? Kleiner said, finally lifting the two headcrabs down. ?I have a feeling Alex will be back before we know it.?

?I sure hope so,? Ilia replied. ?I?m worried sick about him.?

?No need to worry,? Vance consoled her, putting his hands around her. ?Before long Alex will be back, and we?ll win this war once and for all.?

However, Vance had no idea how wrong he was. Alex would have far more on his plate than he ever did in Glacia. In eighteen months the snowy province had been forgotten by the Sovereignty, deemed a waste of time and resources to take over, and so Glacia remained untouched. This slight tactical miscalculation would eventually wind up causing the Sovereignty far more trouble than it would have by merely taking over the commonwealth.

[D. Ein]

As Armand left, de Sade resumed walking through the forest. The plants on either sides of him seemed to die as he passed by them. Soon, he heard an odd smell - the stench of weapon oil, a smell near forgotten by him. Seems the rebel he struck down had friends that were expecting him, and were now coming to check up on him. De Sade did not even bother concealing himself. He continued walking.

-"Holy crap, what is that thing?!"

-"Kill it! I found Rufio, he's dead!"

The air was filled with the clicking of spearguns. The projectiles, however, didn't make the full voyage to their destination - they slowed to a crawl as they approached de Sade.

-"The spirit is strong, but the spears are not enough... I beg of you, do continue firing. Your silent terror makes music for my mind."

Soon enough, the rebels were out of ammo. Most of them took out their bladed weapons and rushed for de Sade, who did not move. Even though the Asgarnians were roaring with rage, inside they were shivering with fear. What was this thing?

Just like the spears, the rebels didn't make it to de Sade. The projectiles fired at the sorcerer turned about in mid-air, and soon each rebel had at least three spears sticking out of him. Most were killed instantly; only one was left clinging to his life. De Sade approached him, reaching for his chest.

-"The touch of Death. Cold..."

The talons shred through the flesh, and de Sade felt the rebel's heart in his palm. He swiftly severed it from the body, and tore it out.

-"Your corpse is little more than a nesting place for maggot egglings. I hope you do aspire to greater things in the next life than fighting battles you cannot win."

Of course, the rebel heard none of this. He died before de Sade even touched him.

---

?Lieutenant, I have an assignment for you.?

Lt. Carmine had never been directly addressed by the Lord before. Surely he must?ve had a mighty task to ask of him.

?Yes, O Mighty Lord? What do you require of me?? Carmine was always eager to please.

?Lieutenant, I have someone I want you to keep an eye on. Since I know you are new to these ranks I am sure you will not recognize him. His name is de Sade. He was a former Archmage many years ago. High Command has seen fit to ask one last favor of him. I won?t go into details, but I have personal history with him, and I want you to merely keep an eye on him. Think you can handle such a menial task??

?Yes sir, of course sir!? The gung-ho lieutenant saluted the mighty Lord and departed.

?Oh, that poor soldier,? Damien sighed. ?If I never see him again it will be too soon.?

---

The Lilithian already knew that he was assigned a convoy, and was waiting for him at the northern Asgarnian gate. With a slight feeling of disgust, he saw the Kandarinian sentries throwing careful glances at himself. If the pathetic pests only knew what they were looking at...

Finally, he sighted the convoy. He appeared to be a brisk man in his twenties. With but a hint of surprise, de Sade noted the complete lack of fear for his frightening appearance.

-"You, sir, bear a striking resemblance to Death, if I do say so myself!"

-"Hmmph. That vermin Damien is insecure about himself, so he sends a spy? You are a worthless rat, Roth! No, less than worthless!"

-"I'll be sure to quote you on that, sir! By the way, I am --"

-"Lieutenant Carmine. The question is, do you know who I am?"

-"You, good sir, are Archmage de Sade!"

-"So he has told you."

-"Yes, gentle sir!"

De Sade couldn't help the feeling that he was being patronized.

-"Wasting time is for fools, and I cannot be classified as one. Let us depart."

[Dude Man]

Rink begins sneak across the room towards Duilin's mace. He knew it was just a weapon, but it was Duilin's. He'd want it back, plus if Duilin is gone, then he'd have something to remember him by, yet he probably wouldn't need it to.

The energy in Gorus' mouth tripled in size. He then arched his head forward and then shot the blast, but not at Zeros', rather at the cave wall above him. A large explosion then destroyed the upper half of the wall, and the entire interior began rumbling. From the other sections of the mountain the lizard warrior's could feel it. Rocks began falling from the roof.

Rink then grabbed the mace. "Got it." He then covered his mouth, why'd he have to think out loud?

Gorus turned his head. <span style='color:red'>"You little runt. You shall die now!"</span>

Rink then disappeared in a puff of smoke along with the mace. The imp then appeared right behind the Death wyvern's head. Rink had the mace in his hands and then swung the mace at the back of it's head, knocking him away.

"Let's get outta here!" Rink shouted.