- Helternia Tavern -
"Einz not with tha Federation, but me an' that winged guy are." Marshall slurred. "You bess talk ta him, at the fort. It's about ten miles that way." Marshall pointed north. "Or, about forty-hundred-thousand-million miles that way." He said pointing south. "So, it's your choice really." Marshall burped, and then laughed a bit. "I miss Firstman..."
--- ---
- Fort Klawvorn -
Duilin arrived in the command centre of the fortress.
"Why did you let him in here?" Duilin asked the guard.
"We didn't he just came in. We have him under heavy watch, but he's really powerful, we're worried about fighting him. He might flip out and blow up the entire fortress."
"Hmm..."
Duilin continued to walk with the guard, until they arrived at the door of the High General's Office. Behind the door there was some rambling and shouting.
"My office!? You let him in here." He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm going in by myself. Nobody follow me." He opened the door and stepped in and then closed the door behind him.
The lantern in the room was unlit and the curtains were closed, so it was dark in the room. A few beams of light were shining through the bit of window uncovered by the curtains. There was a figure pacing back and forth behind Duilin's desk. He could make out that he had long hair and was wearing a jacket of some sort. He was rambling in tongues.
"Who are you?"
The man stopped rambling and then looked at Duilin, but said nothing. The two looked at each other for a moment, but it was too dark in the room.
"Open the curtains." Duilin commanded.
The man nodded and did so. The light shined on his face, normally it would burn his eyes for being so instant, but the man didn't seem to even be bothered by the sudden light flushing into the room. He had familiar looking white hair, and was wearing a purple and black coat. He remembered somebody who seemed to like those two colours, and had the very same hair style.
"Valos?"
The man turned around, it was indeed Valos. But his familiar inhuman red eyes were gone and replaced with shiny blue ones.
"Hello Duilin."
"What happened to your eyes?" Duilin asked.
"That's all you have to say? No 'You're alive?' or 'How did you know to find me here?' or anything like that. You ask what happened to my eyes?"
There was a brief silence, as Valos neglected to answer the general's question.
"Pfft. I had them fixed that's what. Had one of the best white mages in the world fix me up, removes the demonic genes that poisoned me. So thus my eyes are better."
"Right. So you mind answering those two questions you expected me to ask now?"
"Not at. So yes, I am alive. In fact, I never really died, I was simply teleported to Thanatos, and Pheonix released my body. I was able to fight my way out, though. That was three years ago. I've been training ever since, and ridding this world of the demons that now plague it."
"Ever met up with Draven?"
"I believe he fell in battle against Retan. So now I'm on my own."
"Oh, poor you. So, why exactly are you here? To try and kill me?"
"Well, in a way yes. But there is another reason. You see, there are greater demons out there, which I can not kill myself as sad as it is to say it. I recently discovered that they have allied with the Kandarinians. In fact, one of them is now a captain."
"Go on..."
"Well, you see. With Draven gone, and the fact that the Kandarins have sided with the worst bunch of demons there could ever be, that leaves you and the Federation as the only possible allies I could have. I may be willing to work with you considering you're half human, which is the true superior race."
Duilin sighed, not feeling like arguing with what seems to be a newly recruited bigot. "Okay, so who are these demons? How strong are they?"
"Many of them are weak: they're human-shaped, generic red skin and horns. Some of them a bit stronger but I'm able to take on one or two at a time, they're also human shaped but wear black suits. There are also ones that steal the bodies of animals and sneak into places. Some really nasty ones are these giant minotaur like demons with metal plates and steam pipes all over their body."
"Sounds like a bunch of freaks too me."
"Oh, I wouldn't be calling them 'freaks' if I were you. Because you see, they're actually all members of your, ahem, family."
"The Talonscar!?" Duilin said loudly, as if a past fear he had just snuck up on him.
Valos laughed. "Yep, and Nex is even leading them. He's the one we need to kill. Not even me and Draven together were able to defeat him. We got close though. But now he's even stronger than before."
"I don't remember Nex being that much stronger than me in the past."
"He's gotten a lot more powerful trust me. He's almost invincible."
"That's ridiculous. I've come to know that nobody is invincible, they just act like they are. Haraldur, Abodahon and Retan had their weak spots and so will Nex. So yes, we will help each other in defeating the Talonscar, but we will move at my pace, I will be in charge of this mission."
"Yes, but don't expect this alliance to last. In fact, as soon as Nex is defeated. You're next." Valos warned.
"I'm actually expecting that. So no worries."
"Excellent." Valos grinned. "I have to say Duilin, I wasn't expecting you to be so willing to ally with me, considering our past rivalries."
"Yes, but you have to remember the only reason we were enemies is because you with the Talonscar. And also, what are brothers for."
Valos glared. "We are not brothers. I refuse to accept that freak, Abodahon, as my father and neither should you."
Duilin sighed. "Valos, you can't simply refuse family. I hate Abodahon, just as much, if not more than you do, but he is our father."
"I only acknowledge my mother's blood line. She was human. We have different mothers and therefore we are not brothers."
"Fine then."
