The Pale Death Saga: The Fall Of Emprea

[Lucifer Blight]

(Closed)

“All right then. Gentlemen, let us draw our attention to the task before us.” A man with short blond hair and fierce green eyes said to the group that sat around the table with him. The man’s outfit was obviously expensive, his white shirt being made of the finest silk, as well as his black pants. The gold decorations across his shoulders only added to the importance the man seemed to radiate. Despite the man’s medium build, it was clear to all that this person was the one in charge. The man’s name was Ares Victus, and he was obviously not one to be trifled with.

To his right sat a man with long brown hair and much cooler looking blue eyes. His outfit was not as expensive as the one worn by Ares, but still far out of reach to the common man. His blue silk robe had no gold decorations lacing it, but the outfit was still fine enough to be admired by most people. That man would be Trabant Magone, and although he did not pulse with authority like Ares, his figure still commanded respect.

To Ares left sat a man in full steel plate armor, save for the helmet that lay on the table. The armor was immaculate, not a scratch or dent could be seen. If the sun could somehow pierce the interior of the tent covering the group, there was no doubt that the armor would gleam with the sun’s bright rays. The man had a shaved patch of blond hair covering his large head, along with a rather large moustache to cover his chin. His blazing blue eyes were the type that commanded obedience. His name was Macbeth Zaine, and only a fool or man of great power would cross him. All three men were men of power and prestige.

And Lucifer Blight hated them all.

Lucifer Blight, the fourth man who sat across from Ares, despised those who shared the table with him. To him, they were nothing but a bunch of lackeys, following a fool who sat upon a throne. A throne, that at least in Lucifer’s mind, should be long to Lucifer Blight. But, that throne was forever beyond Lucifer’s reach. All in all, it would be fair to say that Lucifer had enough problems simply keeping his emotions under control most of the time.

Lucifer’s outfit was the least stunning of the three. He wore a loose long sleeve shirt that was a dark silver color, and his pants were of the same shade of color. Unlike both Ares and Trabant, Lucifer’s clothes were made of a fine cloth rather than silk (silk was far too delicate in Lucifer’s opinion). Although there was no gold on his shoulders, a dark blue cape did hang over the well-made wooden chair that he sat on. He was also the only one who had a sword sheathed at his side, which was a testament to either his warrior prowess or perhaps his violent attitude. In any case, that was how Lucifer looked as he sat with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, surrounded by three people he hated. He wondered at times if they even knew how he felt about them.

“Now gentlemen, if you will look at the map, you will see the obstacle we face. It is the castle of Emprea, and it is formidable. It has two layers of walls surrounding its keep, both of which have but one gate. Naturally, both walls have ample spots for archers to be placed along the top, and it goes without saying that they will greatly hinder any assault. Yet, King Victus has declared that this castle must fall, and so it must be done.”

Oh yes. King Victus. I was so caught up in my hate of you three that I had almost forgotten about the slime that sits upon my throne. If I hate the three of you with all my rage, the surely my hate for him must be something out of this world. Thought Lucifer as began to tap his left foot. Ares was known for giving long speeches even when a few simple sentences would do. In Lucifer’s opinion, all he had to say was “here’s the castle; let’s find a way to crush it.”

“It is true that our enemy has a formidable castle, Prince Victus, but it is also true that we outnumber them at least three to one. The price may be high, but just give the word and I will personally lead the assault against the castle walls. Our men shall lay down their lives by the thousands to breach that gate!” Macbeth nearly shouted as he slammed his fist into the table to signify his dedication. It was well known that King Agares of Carthage was very fond of Macbeth for a reason. The man was unflinching loyal to the king and his sons. Lucifer often thought of Macbeth as a sort of dog, who anxiously nips at the heels of a master who moves far too slowly.

“I do not doubt your sincerity General Macbeth, but let us not hasten to waste our resources. Surely, a frontal attack should not be the first option we leap to. Let us study the information before us, and then come up with a suitable plan.” Said Trabant in a soft voice, to which Ares nodded. And when Ares nodded, Macbeth immediately nodded as well. It was just like clockwork. One head nods, then another, then another, and so on until the clock broke. Lucifer could not wait for the day when the clock not only broke, but it was torn to bits and pieces and then set on fire.

“Brother, do you have anything to add?” Asked Ares, motioning at Lucifer who still sat with his arms crossed and his foot tapping impatiently. Lucifer had been looking up at the dull brown tent cover above them, but when he heard Ares speak he immediately snapped back into focus. Not out of respect or fear, but rather out of anger. We’re not brothers! Just because your daddy took the throne after my father was killed does not make us brothers! We have different last names for a reason! Lucifer nearly screamed, but instead kept his peace.

“What ever happened to that town we marched by on the way here?” Lucifer asked as he blankly stared at the map before him. It was rather actually detailed. It accurately depicted both layers of the castle walls, the gate on each wall, as well as what looked to be multiple connecting buildings within the second wall. One of them must have been the keep, another most likely the armory and storage area. Another had to be the barracks. It was a shame the spies hadn’t informed them of the rest.

“The one about two miles or so back? We left a group of soldiers there to survey the area. No interesting reports so far.” Trabant responded, causing Lucifer to nod his head. For a moment longer he stared at the map of the castle, while the other three men wondered just what exactly was going on in his head. Lucifer was famous throughout the kingdom for being secretive. It seemed he was not going to change his habits now.

“Fine. I’ll have that gate opened at tomorrow’s sunrise.” Lucifer muttered as he stood up and prepared to leave. He flung his cape over his shoulder with an irritated expression upon his face as he headed for the flap that doubled as the tent’s door. Unfortunately, he found himself detained a while longer when Macbeth shot up out of his seat, sending the wooden chair flying backwards into the tents wall.

“Are you saying you’ll have the first gate breached in a day? Did you acquire some sort of power while you were away?” Asked Macbeth in his usual loud voice. It was doubtful that Macbeth knew the meaning of the term inside voice, for Lucifer found him almost always shouting at something or someone. If I had acquired enough power to do what you say, do you think I’d be only a prince? Lucifer thought but knew better than to say.

Macbeth spoke of a little sidequest Ares had sent Lucifer on. There was a fort that could have, under superb leadership, strike at Carthage's flank. At the right time, such an action could turn the tide of the war. That, of course, was unacceptable. A large Carthage force had been assigned to deal with that fort, but when word that the attack had stalled reached Ares, he had sent Lucifer to the fort with some reinforcements.

It had been the biggest waste of time Lucifer had ever been forced to put up with. The fort was in near ruins by the time Lucifer had arrived. He had played no more than the messanger boy, something he was sure Ares had enjoyed greatly.

“Nothing of the sort. I never said I could breach the gate. I said I could get it open. I’ll leave the actual breaching of the gate to you and those soldiers who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the glory of Carthage.” Lucifer grumbled as he shoved the memory of the fort out of his mind. But his tone caused Macbeth to clench his fists in irritation. Macbeth was strong, but when it came to tactics and tricks the man most certainly did not graduate first in his class. The fact that he could no guess Lucifer's plan irritated Macbeth but made Lucifer smile.

“Relax Macbeth. I’ll need only a small group of cavalry to accomplish the task. That way, if I fail, we won’t have lost much and you’ll still have plenty of men to throw against the big stone wall.” Lucifer said, making sure to get in just a hint of sarcasm at the end. Macbeth seemed to be smart enough to realize the insult, for his face turned a bright shade of red. Ares, who had been listening quietly all this time, finally rose up to speak. Instantly all attention gravitated back towards him, except for Lucifer who turned his attention towards the door. He really wanted to get away from these people.

“Very well. Lucifer, take as many men as you need. Macbeth, organize the rest of the men. Make sure they’re prepared for a full-scale assault tomorrow. Trabant, why don’t you see if our engineers are finished putting together those catapults. I’ve a feeling we’ll need them tomorrow.”

Both Trabant and Macbeth bowed in response while Lucifer gave a short nod. Yet even nodding to Ares was something that drove Lucifer mad, he couldn’t imagine having to actually bow to the scum. But, on the bright side, Lucifer was finally free to leave the tent and do what he did best, which was wage war. It was a trait that seemed to be absent from the Victus bloodline, judging from the worried faces he saw whenever anyone of that family dared to set foot on the field of battle.

Relax Victus. I’ll show you how to wage a war.

[Viola Conda]

Inside the royal castle of Emprea was a work hive of activity for the coming invasion. Multiple strategy meetings were being held across the breath of the meeting rooms as advisers ran circles to deliver messages from one room to the next. Carthage was not an enemy to take lightly and they would not waste a single minute to get the job done.

Atop the third tower in the left quadrant of the stonework crown of Emprea were five soldiers. They all talked casually to the other as they waited for their active chief counselor to begin the main strategic meeting. The entire defense of the castle was set up by these five warriors, all hand picked by the chief counselor herself.

Viola Conda was the current active chief counselor of Emprea. She was a well toned woman, confident in everything she does and is often seen as a cold heartless woman. The title of Chief Counselor was not given lightly as she was the woman in charge of all the aspects of Emprea's mighty military arms. With her in charge Emprea had known little defeat at the hands of her enemies, but in this darkest hour the biggest threat of them all was coming in a few hours time. Emprea looked to her for the support they needed to be victorious.

"She's late." said a muscular heavily armored soldier. Line Officer 1st class Paul Donovan was the youngest of the assigned generals. His hazel eyes scanned each face in the room as he wiped one gauntleted hand through his short spiked hair. His deeds had proven his worth as a Line Officer against the dark elven race of Revan during their war games at the grand Citadel to obtain that title and his soldiers all followed him unquestioningly and used him as point to rally behind. His temper was legendary for being explosive and many a commanding officer had found him crude and unable to lead, but Viola had took the patience to mould him into the soldier he was today. A debt he had always felt he needed to repay.

"Chill, Paul." a feminine voice spoke out moving her long brown hair out of her eyes. She was a pale, stalky thing and many had wondered how she became one of Viola’s chosen in the first place. Rachel Leona was Captain of the Archers, a title she rightly earned with her aim, the deadliest in the region. Archers of Emprea had become renowned for their ability to pick an enemy commander from two hundred yards away and accurately impale him on the bolt from one of their heavy ballistas. She was also engaged to the man on her right, and she always wore the ring he gave her as a symbol of pride.

Her fiancé Jonothan Andrews, Captain of the house knights, was a toned, mild tempered leader that had risen in the ranks of the nobility through his valor and calm leadership. Repeatedly during the war games against Revan he was able to turn a route into a stunning comeback charge flat footing the enemy. He was hailed for his abilities to change the tide of battle against overwhelming odds on a score of occasions outside the war games as well. It was also a common talked about manner regarding the stiff competition with David King, Captain of the Guard.

The Captain of the Guard David King was to say the least, a smug person. Borderline arrogance was only tipped on the scale by his calm, assured demeanor. Nothing ever rattled David’s determination when in battle, keeping a level head where others would falter. When he made a boast, he very well backed it up. He was highly competitive with Jonothan Andrews in a friendly rivalry, scoffing his commanding officer in mock anger. Everything to do with the walls and defense of the main castle fell upon his shoulders.

The last and final member in the room was an aloof personality named Brian McCorvan. The Nighthawk Assassin's Corp’s master made him a very respected individual. He was a broad shouldered individual, long flashy hair and an air of positive energy surrounded his being. He had succeeded in many missions for Viola assassinating enemy commanders in their own base and rumors have been said of his ability to infiltrate any enemy stronghold. He commonly joked with the group, making odd, rather out of place comments and it was well known the man loathed being in any protracted combat.

"If she's late, then we can go early." Brian joked. "God only knows what tasks I have set ahead of me..." he looked his papers reading them over. They gave him a nervous look, for he was assigned the task of killing General Ares of the Carthage army. No small task in itself, but if Emprea were to stand a chance, it was clear Ares had to go.

"I hope Fort Caliben is okay." Rachel wondered loudly looking at a map of the Emprean region. "We really need that Fort and all its soldiers if we are going to pull this out of the bag." She rested her hand on Jonothan's, who gripped it back.

"I'm sure we will be getting a runner sometime soon with a status report." David said calmly lifting up a pot of tea and pouring himself and Rachel a glass. Jonothan looked to David with a goofy smile.

"Hey, is it really true that you gambled with the mercenaries to get them to fight in the fort?" David nodded grinning wildly as he let out a snort of victory.

"Yeah, I did." he looked to the door carefully lowering his voice. "And if Viola ever found out I'd be dead. So let's keep that between us shall we?" the room laughed.

The commonly known fact of the group was that they all knew each other closely. Brain and Jonothan had grown up together as nobles living in the castle halls all their life. Paul and David had lived in the same town and together they sparred regularly to join in the academy. Rachel had grown up in a smaller town near the edges of the Carthage border joining the academy using her skills with her bow to pave the way.

During training Paul and Jonothan met on opposite sides of a sparring circle. Paul had been picked out because of his berserker like fighting style to prove an instructors point on how a calm mind would win every battle. Paul sparred like a furious caged animal while Jonothan fought like the eye of a storm. The two traded blows that would have ended the fight, but neither one was willing to accept defeat. After twenty minutes of combat both stopped and just began laughing. They had been close ever since in a brotherly way.

Paul introduced Jonothan to his other brother like figure, David, and the two of them became fast friends and fierce rivals. Jonothan in turn introduced them to Brian and they all found common interests and friendship in each other.

Paul was later detailed to a small patrol for his first assignment where he met Rachel, the two’s personalities clicking instantly. They made fun of each other and fought with each other like brother and sister, and after a while they just decided that though no blood existed between them, they were related and addressed the other as kin. Paul later introduced Rachel to the group, and Jonothan and Rachel became inseparable.

All this amounted to a group of individuals who didn’t need to bark orders to each other to operate. Viola Conda noticed this rare talent in them when they raided the Machiavelli, crown jewel of the Black Archipelago, and sabotaged the metal behemoth. She looked to each one with an appraising eye knowing their strengths and weaknesses and how to balance them. Where Jonothan and David were calm and calculating, Paul and Rachel made up for it with their brash nature. While none had the subtle skills of intrigue, Brain had a labyrinth, steal like, mind that saw opportunities at every turn.

With their help she became a force to be reckoned with as the Emprean army adopted a title calling them the Six Heroes of Emprea. Each one of them was like a beacon of hope in the coming darkness, and they each took their role seriously.

"Seriously though, she is running really late." Paul said looking out to the castle walls through the window. He observed his warriors setting up barrels full of spears along the walls as local towns were being escorted into the castle main gate.

“I’m sure she has a lot on her plate,” Jonothan said offhandedly. “Carthage is not exactly an army you can take lightly.”

“For every day of peace, a week of war.” Brian said mockingly as if he was talking like a bard about a new play in town. “The blood stained kingdom invades Emprea, the land of Heroes! Invading your territory whether you are ready or not.” they all laughed again as Paul slumped in his chair.

“How the hell do you survive in a place like that? Always in a state of war, always marching and fighting.” Paul mumbled closing his eyes.

“Some people just want to see the world burn.” David pondered loudly. “I know for a fact that wars don’t need the greatest reasons to start. When a king says march, the nation marches.”

“I had heard it was because the king’s treasury was empty. It’s well known that Emprea has been stock piled for a long time.” Rachel added. “Mostly due to the reason we aren’t invading everything close by.”

The door opened in a wide arc making the wood groan on the hinge as a soldier stepped aside to let a thin, pompous man through. He had wavy blond hair and deep piercing blue eyes that oozed of scum as he looked to each warrior with a smile so fake that none returned it. He shut the door hitting the soldier in the face before sitting down and reaching for the tea pot pouring himself a glass.

"Good day, gentlemen." he said looking to each warrior except Rachel. "I hope you didn't wait too long." He laughed as if he told a great joke.

"Why are you here, Counselor Renault?" Paul asked giving him a confused stare. "Where is Chief Counselor Viola Conda?" the room nodded in agreement as they waited for an answer.

"She is no longer Active Chief Counselor." Renald said bluntly as he stirred honey into his tea. Every jaw in the room dropped as they looked to him in shock.

“But, but why?” Brian muttered confused. “Surely we would have been notified by now considering our positions.”

Renald ticked his tongue lifting a finger. “Now that is technically not true. You all hold very high respected positions, but please remember that your ranks don‘t equate to certain privileges. Captain King and Lord Andrews are the only two people in this room that should have been notified, but due to your closeness with Viola Conda you were kept from council regarding her current situation.”

“Which is?” Paul said trying to pull more information out by waving his hand hurriedly.

“Not a line officer’s concern.” Renald said with venom as he looked to Paul with contempt.

“Not only was she our previous commanding officer, but as her personal council we are allowed the right to know her current fate!” Rachel looked to Renald like he were some worm. He turned back to her, smiled vilely showing his teeth before he shook his head.

“Hardly. If a Line Officer is not allowed to know, what do you think a petty Captain deserves?” Rachel was taken aback at his rudeness as Renald lifted his arms up in a defensive impassive manner. “Look everyone, I understand your feelings. Viola Conda was a great leader, but she is gone. There is a war going on and your king has appointed a new Chief Adviser in her place.”

“And who the hell is that?” Jonothan looked to Renald with a knowing eye. Renald’s lips curled into a smile so cruel it made him flinch at the sight of it.

“Why, but me of course.” he said flattering his own ego. There was a moment of tension before Paul looked to the others in the room.

“Well Emprea’s screwed.” he said blatantly. Renald spilt his tea he was sipping as the tea cup crashed to the stone floor, his chair skidding backwards as he slammed his fists on the table.

“Any more outbursts like that from any of you and you will be confined to quarters until further notice. The King wanted all of you…” Renald caught himself as he lifted one hand to his chest to calm his temper. After a moment he spoke, more forcefully and calmly. “I am your new Active Chief Counselor. Despite Viola’s absence Emprea still needs to be defended. You will give me the same respect you gave her in my stead as we work to bring Emprea’s deliverance.”

"Great start to earning it." David mumbled. Paul scoffed as he leaned back in his chair.

"Do we have a problem Captain Donovan? Or should I say, Sergeant Donovan?" Paul dropped his jaw in shock at Renault's blatant threat. Renault let his smile turn into a sneer as he looked down upon each ‘hero’ of Emprea.

"I want it made clear, Viola Conda no longer is in charge. I am. If you cannot conform to that I will have you removed. Carthage is breathing down our necks at this very moment, and I shall not have you compromise the defense of this castle."

"Wasn't Carthage negotiations left to you, Counselor?" Jonothan asked. Renault looked to him with a contemptful glare, his eyes flaring in challenge. In the reality of the situation, he had been in charge of those failed negotiations. Blight Attendant Farina Hardheart was very direct with him. He had never heard the word ‘No’ so many times in his life.

"Well, Captain Andrews,” Renald said sadly shuffling his papers into place. “I would like you to leave now. I will not tolerate your insubordination."

"Okay jerk," Jonothan lifted his hand pointing two fingers at the ceiling. "First off, it was a simple question to understand the determination of our foe. If they won't comply to any requests and won't trade or negotiate then we are facing a blood driven foe with nothing to lose." he dropped one finger. "Secondly, only the king can remove me from my position of duty. The Chief Counselor can advise the house knights, only the king can order it!"

Renault gulped loudly as the six heroes of Emprea shifted forwards in their chair as one. He felt their pressure on him and he was realizing why Viola Conda hand picked each one. In front of their gazes he felt his control slipping out of his fingers like water.

"Look, we are really not starting off on the right foot." He said shyly. "Let's just go over details, shall we?" Renault lifted a piece of paper up and in front of his head. "David King, your defense strategy seems sound from the little bit I‘ve read. Have you worked with Captain Andrews on it?"

"No." David said darkly. "I worked on it all by myself. I don't need to bother him with MY duty." Renault looked to David with a stern look over the top of the papers.

"But all defensive strategies must go through the House Knights when involving the royal castle. Surely you knew this. I can't in good-"

"I saw it," Jonothan lied. "I approved it." Renault gulped looking at the sheet again as he felt all their tension dump upon him. He began to wonder how Viola tamed them all.

"Are we sure we should put Rachel Leona in the main court garden? Why don't we just send our archers up to the walls to pick off the enemy."

"Because there isn't much room left up there." David said irritably. "Rachel's archers are already spread thin, to scoop them up in one spot will make them unable to move into hot spots. So I place them in the court yard where it's equal distance to any other portion of the castle walls."

Renald looked to David King with a sneer. "Mind your tone."

"Mind your idiocy." Paul mumbled.

"What was that?" Renald said glaring at Paul. Brian stood up and walked to the door pushing Renald out of his way.

"Well, this meeting sure was fun." he joked as he turned to the rest. "I'm out. I have one duty to perform, and it doesn't need your consent. Later," Brian opened the door and waited a moment turning back to Renault. "Oh, and your a complete idiot." he added slamming the door.

Silence filled the air. Renald adjusted his collar as he sipped his tea. He looked to the papers again and spit the tea out, all over the table. "Why is Paul Donovan in charge of the walls?"

"Because I assigned him there." David said plain as day pointing to the paper.

"But he nearly let the walls fall multiple times in the war games against Revan! No, I will not approve that action." He shook his head as he pulled out a pen. “Commander Fulgrim can handle those walls just fine.”

David looked to the man and laughed. “Fulgrim? That drunk? I think not, sir. Paul’s better than anyone else on these walls. He has more experience with holding walls than any other captain, commander, or Lord except myself and Viola and unlike in the past wargames the support network of the Emprean castle allows him to be supported at a moments notice. Not only that but my company will be holding the walls with him.”

“I feel your judgment is clouded by your friendship with Captain Donovan. It’s is natural that you all cling together, but Commander Fulgrim has recently showed a great aptitude for leading men. Captain Donovan is just a Line Officer, he’s not suited for these things. Fulgrim stays on the wall.”

"Okay then, Chief Adviser." Paul shouted losing his temper. "Where the hell should I stand with my men? In a corner twiddling my thumbs playing grab ass?” Renald looked to him crossly. “On the wall we can defend the castle best, if the enemy is about to storm we can flank them, and when the charge is sounded we can follow in the wake of the house knights."

"Your tone is border line insubordination!" Renald shouted. Paul stood up swiping his fist across the table breaking the tea pot against the wall.

"WHERE THE HELL IS THE REAL CHIEF ADVISER?" Paul bellowed. Renald met his gaze standing up to meet him eye for eye.

"YOU ARE DISMISSED, CAPTAIN DONOVAN!"

“WHERE THE HELL IS VIOLA?” Paul’s fists clenched tightly as he controlled himself from reaching over and grabbing Renald by the throat. Renald met kept his cool, but he clearly was sweating as he met Paul’s wrath head on, looking to find no support from his other officers. After a few seconds Paul slammed his fists on the table again. “WELL?”

Renald took a deep breath. “Captain Donovan, go to your men. You are well beyond the acceptable lines for your behavior to a senior officer. I’d do the smart thing and quit while you still are a captain.”

"Fine, which one?" Paul chided. Renald gave him a confused look. "My corner post, or, my real assigned post by David King?" Renald still look confused. “WHERE THE HELL DO YOU WANT ME?” Paul exploded losing his temper again.

"Get out of my sight."

"What's my orders, sir?" he oozed with sarcasm as he felt his blood boil.

"Paul, shut up!" Jonothan said loudly. Both men stood glaring each other in the eye before Paul’s gaze softly dropped to Jonothan’s. "Go defend the walls until further notice." Paul turned back to Renald and after a tense moment he took in a sharp breath and nodded. He picked up a long double bladed axe and stalked out of the room slamming the door shut behind him.

"Thank you for supporting you commanding officer, Jonothan." Renald said tiredly. "Such a volcanic temper is dangerous."

"Stow it." Jonothan said standing up with David and Rachel. "I did it for Paul's sake, not yours. You better pray that Viola comes back, because if she doesn't then I fear for Emprea. I truly do."

"As do I!" Rachel added.

"I as well." David said opening the door. When the door shut Renald scooped up his papers looking out the window to the fading sun.

"Hmm, well make do without her, because she's not coming back.”

[Lucifer Blight]

The entire village had gathered in the center of the town, every single pair of eyes focused in one direction. Children huddled around their parents, wives around their husbands, all shuddering at fear of the unknown. Only moments ago, the small occupational force had up and completely deserted the town, leaving not a single Carthage soldier behind. At first, the townspeople had thought their luck had finally changed for good. They had hoped that their kingdom of Emprea had struck back and forced the invaders back to where they had come from. Yet, as hundreds of eyes stared up at the large grassy hill before the town, the townspeople knew that they had no such fortune.

The rising sun sent streaks of orange across the land, streaks which glistened off the steel armor worn by the soldiers surrounding the town. Each man sat upon a lightly armored horse lined up side-by-side, completely surrounding the town at all exits save for the one spot that Lucifer had ordered to be left open. Grinning sadistically at the town before him, Lucifer rode a few feet ahead of his men to look at the place that would soon be wiped from the face of the earth. Actually, it wasn’t just this town that would be wiped away; it was the entire kingdom that was destined to be turned to dust.

“Sir! All of our troops are in position. The preparations have been complete, all we need now is your order.” Shouted one of the soldiers as he galloped up next to Lucifer. The prince’s smile turned even more sadistic as he stroked the black hair of the horse he sat upon and gazed one last time at the town and the terrified villagers. Look at their faces! Look how they cower in fear! Too afraid to move! Too afraid to defend themselves! All they can do is cower pathetically like a beaten dog! They don’t deserve to live! Thought Lucifer as he rode back towards the line of men that patiently awaited his command. Power was such a great thing.

“Gentlemen. Light your torches!” Cried Lucifer as every single horseman reached behind them and produced a single torch. As one, the entire unit lit their torches, sending a large stream of black smoke up into the orange dawn above. Lucifer grabbed the sword strapped to his side and yanked it out of its sheath, sending a loud shrieking noise throughout the land. He quickly raised his sword upwards, the orange rays of the sun dancing off the steel blade as it soared upwards to the sky. Several screams erupted from the village as the frightened citizens of Emprea began to take flight.

“Let’s go! Take what you want and burn the rest! The country of Emprea doesn’t exist anymore! Their land, their wealth, and everything else belong to us!” Shouted Lucifer as the cavalry around him let out a single cry in unison. All at once the entire Carthage unit descended upon the small village, completely engulfing the place. Husbands were separated from their wives, children from their parents, pets from their caretakers. As the Carthage unit road into the city, the soldiers flung their torches onto the thatched roofs before them, instantly setting the village aflame. Soon enough, the village matched the color of the rising sun, as the flames began to rise higher and higher into the sky. To no avail the villagers cried out for mercy, receiving none from their assailants.

“Flee! Flee or face my blade you pitiful dogs! Hell, I don’t care if you do flee! I’ll cut you down all the same!” Screamed Lucifer as he galloped through the streets of the village, swinging his sword about as he rode. Resentment easily cleaved through the unprotected villagers before the prince, staining the streets red with their blood and filling the air with their death cries. Lucifer laughed as he slaughtered all before him, drenching himself and his blade in a coat of crimson. Some of the townsmen valiantly armed themselves with whatever they could find, trying their best to defend their loved ones. But pitchforks and hope are no match for cold steel and well-trained soldiers. The small village of Emprea was doomed the moment Lucifer raised his sword.

“As you planned my lord, all of the townspeople flee towards the one gap in our lines. Shall we cease the attack and regroup while we prepare for the second part of the plan?” Asked a nearby soldier (by the small ranking signs on his shoulder, Lucifer guessed the man ranked about a lieutenant). This particular soldier’s sword was bloodless, signifying that he did not approve of the slaughter of innocents. That was to be expected, not all people enjoyed carnage as much as Lucifer did. However, most soldiers also didn’t mind taking advantage of the chaos caused by the slaughter to enrich their own lives. After all, the army paid low wages, had poor housing, and offered very few benefits. Yet one of the major bonuses in any battle was that the property of the fallen quickly became the property of the victors. Lucifer had no intention of depriving his men of that right.

“No. We don’t stop until we’ve burnt this town to ash.” Lucifer said coldly as he turned his attention back to the flames before him. The bright flames danced before the prince’s brown eyes, imparting a flickering orange glow on Lucifer as he surveyed the carnage he wrought. Before him houses burned, people bled, and children wept. Carthage soldiers spread through the town; looting and pillaging anything they could get their hands on. Several men abandoned their horses so they could better reach the valuables that were dropped as the terrified citizens ran for their lives. It was a sight of pure horror and hate, a vision of just how black man’s heart could be. Lucifer loved it.

“As you wish my lord.” The lieutenant muttered as he slowly rode off, hunching his shoulders towards the ground as he did so. Obviously that man disapproved of Lucifer’s methods. Of course, the two men who had just come out of a burning house clutching a rather large chest obviously had different feelings on the matter. Lucifer watched the men carry away their booty until an old man let out a cry and leapt from a burning building nearby. The old man’s skin was burnt badly, the charred black marks easily visible in the light of the flames. If the man lived, he would probably have those marks for the rest of his life. Yet the man had obviously quit carrying about his own life, for in his old hands the man grasped a bloody pitchfork and charged straight towards Lucifer. Instantly Lucifer batted aside the untrained and feeble man’s attacking pitchfork, retaliating by thrusting Resentment into the man’s exposed throat.

“FATHER! DIE MURDERER!” Screamed a slightly younger man from behind Lucifer as the prince yanked his blade out of the old man, who fell to the ground clutching his fatally wounded throat. The prince quickly whipped his horse about as the younger man raised a small dagger in his right hand. Lucifer quickly kicked the sides of his horse, sending the horse into a mad dash down the street, straight towards the screaming villager. The villager flung his dagger just as Lucifer was upon him, managing to cut the prince’s shoulder. Lucifer’s sword, however, was far more accurate than the man’s dagger. As a small trickle of Lucifer’s own blood began to mix with fresh bloodstains on his shirt, Lucifer raised his sword and brought it down into the assailant’s skull. A crimson mist burst into the air as the sword cut into the man’s skull, drenching Lucifer’s face in a coat of blood. The villager didn’t even have time to scream as he fell next to his father, who had managed to crawl towards his son before his throat bled dry.

“BURN! BURN IT ALL! BURN THE KINGDOM OF EMPREA TO THE GROUND!” Shouted Lucifer as he waved his sword around in the air, sending the fresh blood into the sky. The prince’s voice raced through the town, whipping the remaining citizens into a full-fledged panic. Almost as one, the surviving villagers dropped whatever they were holding and began to run. They ran as far and as fast as they could, to the only place left for them. Their village was gone; the Carthage army would make sure of that. Only one place of salvation remained, and the citizens thanked the Gods that no enemy soldier could be seen on that path.

*~*~*~

“Commander Ares! This is inexcusable! You’re brother has gone ahead and raided a town for spoils, nothing more! He is not fighting the enemy, he is slaughtering for fun and reaping pillaged wealth!” Cried Macbeth as he ran up to Ares, who was viewing the sight before them. The Carthage battle lines had already been prepared and the troops would charge when given the order. Only problem was, all Ares could attack at this moment was a group of helpless villagers huddling around a closed gate. Unlike his adopted brother, Ares found no joy in that.

“I wouldn’t be so sure Macbeth. Lucifer’s plan is cruel, but rather well thought out. If I’ve guessed it right, that gate will be opening very soon. Your majesty, I recommend giving the order to move forward.” Trabant said softly as he walked up to where Macbeth and Ares stood. Unlike the two other men before him, Trabant was skilled at strategies. The minute he had seen the smoke rise into the air Trabant had guessed Lucifer’s plan. All in all, the bastard prince was actually quite capable when it came to the battlefield.

“This is mindless slaughter! Your majesty, give me the order so I can put a stop to this senseless…” Macbeth forced himself to stop mid-sentence as all three men gazed at the closed gate before them. A loud creaking noise could be heard across the empty field, and the steel gates of Emprea castle finally began to open.

“All units! CHARGE!” Cried Ares, as the forces of Carthage rushed towards the open gates.

[Viola Conda]

Paul and David sat upon the top of the wall, both looking towards the rising smoke on the horizon. Though Emprea had managed to gather a great deal of its citizens, nothing they could do could bring back the whole nation in time, nor did the castle have the room to support them all. The sun was setting and the sky was turning to a light shade of orange, which made the black clouds stand out like a beacon of the soon approaching darkness.

“Which city do you think that is?” Paul wondered.

“That would have to be Cadia.” David turned from the sight obviously disgusted. “I never grasped why innocent people had to die in wars. I couldn’t bring myself to fulfill an order to destroy people’s lives, regardless of who told me to do so.” he felt Paul pat him on the shoulder, their metal armor making a bulky sound.

“Don’t think I would do so either.” The two looked down as some random adviser was shouting for Paul, and when the Line Officer shouted back the man lifted a single paper, handing it to a soldier who promptly ran it back up.

“Looked official,” David mused. “Must be from Renald.”

“How in the seven layers of hell did King Horus think that it would be a good idea to appoint him as counselor?” David sighed heavily.

“Status is first reason. Second reason is the man’s lips are pleasantly planted on every butt that’s important. The only person who didn’t take his garbage was Viola.” The name sparked unease in both men as they shifted uncomfortably. “He apparently is very good at smooth talking, so that must also be the reason.”

“I wonder what happened to her.” Paul looked down upon his soldiers again. “It just feels…I dunno, wrong not have her leading us.” David nodded softly.

“Jonothan and I are trying to contact the king, but he has more sway than I do. Besides, as much as I respect her, my duty is to defending these walls, not finding out what happened to her.”

“Well, that’s because you have a full plate. Mine is squeaky clean.” David pursed his lips into a smile.

“If you’d stop going off the handle at every commanding officer you wouldn’t be in so much trouble all the time. Your lucky your skills in savage butchery cover your ass.”

“Savage butchery, eh?” Paul snorted in laughter. “My men just call it retard bashing.” Both chuckled. “They are all good people though. Not a single one of them disobeys me nor lets me down. I couldn’t ask for better soldiers. Carthage has their work cut out for them.”

“That they do,” David whispered pointing to the letter. The soldier gave a military bow and turned on his heel. Before he left Paul grabbed his shoulder turning him around.

“Victor Spero, how the hell do you expect to defend the walls if there aren’t enough spears to repulse the enemy?” Paul gestured to the empty barrels. Victor looked to them and softly muttered a curse word.

“Well, I was thinking of trying this new tactic of not using spears.” he smiled.

“Oh, well that’s new for sure…oh wait someone tried that,” Paul continued the joke. “Ugh, can’t remember how it went, do you David?”

“Ya, it failed big time.” David said waving it off. “But I’m sure you guys can do it.”

“Hmm, better make sure.” Paul tapped a finger on his chin.

“The spears will be ready in two minutes.” Victor said catching the hint as he ran off. Paul called out to him.

“How is the moral? Are you all ready for this?”

“Sir, we’ve been waiting for quite a long time to sink our teeth into Carthage. As sure as my daughter is holding fort Caliben, so to will my men hold this wall.” He saluted and ran off.

“Ugh, not Noel Spero,” David said. “Did you know she actually tripped and impaled my foot with her spear?” Paul laughed wildly.

“Seriously?” he slapped the wall looking to David with mirth. “I heard when Rachel tried to teach her how to fire a bow the arrow was let loose prematurely, bounced off a shield, ricocheted off a mirror, and took a lock of Rachel’s hair off.” David couldn’t contain himself as he began to laugh.

“Oh man was Rachel pissed off. She told me snatched the bow from her hand, pointed to the door and ordered her NOT to kill anyone on the way out.” David and Paul laughed as the Line Officer un-scrolled the letter. His eyes traveled down the paper before he let began to breath heavily.

“You okay?” David asked looking to him. Paul just shook his head as he crumbled up the paper.

“By order of King Horus and the Active Chief Counselor of Emprea, Paul Donovan is hereby removed from his post as Line Officer first class and placed on the active soldier roster. Commander Fulgrim will take his stead as the commanding officer until a new line officer will be assigned.” Paul recited in a dark tone, his anger evident to everyone. David looked to him to see his reaction, but after a long frustrated sigh Paul looked over the walls with grim determination.

“Don’t worry, I had a feeling one day you may go off the handle on the wrong person. Your not going anywhere.” David said reassuringly as Paul looked to him before nodding softly mumbling his thanks. “However I will be a voice of reason in all this.” David said lightly. “You did provoke him Paul.” The Line Officer seethed and snarled as he looked to David.

“That asshole is going to get us all killed. If you want to be lead by him into the slaughter house, go for it.”

“Come on,” David said crossly. “I’m not any happier about this than you are.”

“Makes me really wonder where Viola went…” Paul walked further down the wall as his eyes began to narrow. “I see movement, what do you think it is?”

David’s eyes looked to the far end and his trained senses told him what he was seeing. He sighed sadly as he saw civilians running towards the castle gate, enemy soldiers chasing them down. His fists turned white as he gripped his knuckles in rage at the site of the enemy tactics.

“Those are civilians.” David said in disgust. “They are flooding towards this castle with a small detachment of Carthage soldiers flanking them.” Paul remained quiet. Both men said nothing as watchmen began to sound alarms and alert the general army of the coming commotion.

“It’s a trap.” Paul said at last adding to the hidden tension building in the air. “They are corralling those civilians towards the castle like sheep in the hope we open the first wall and main gate.”

“I know that.” David said looking towards the gate. “If we open that gate the Carthage soldiers will flood in. The defense of the walls will not even be a thought, for the entire army will burn in through those walls.”

“What a cowardly tactic.” Paul spat over the edge of the wall.

“Only a bastard would think of it.” David said. “Whoever leads them is a cunning man with an appetite for chaos.”

“Your orders sir?” Paul said in all seriousness. David looked to him.

“You know what I must do,” David said sadly. “I can’t open these gates.”

“Then those civilians are as good as dead.” Paul said grimly looking over the gates. “Ten minutes tops. Some of those people are nearing the walls already.”

Shouts of alarm rose up from the soldiers surrounding the wall as some began to notice people they knew. A wave on unease washed over the castle and Paul looked back to them before snarling. He pounded one fist into the other as he breathed heavily.

“We have to save them.” David said making up his mind. “I just don’t know how.” he began to scratch his chin in thought. Paul looked to him with a glint in his eyes, his teeth spreading into a sinister grin.

“Cowards expect us to open the doors than I say lets welcome them upon the edge of my axe!” Paul shouted moving forward.

“What are you doing, Paul?” David called to him walking to stop his friend.

“Give me ten minutes, ten minutes with my men and we will pull the civilians to safety while holding Carthage back.” David shook his head.

“But that’s just suicide! You’re playing into their hands!” David said irritably as he pulled on Paul’s armored collar. The two struggled for a moment before Paul broke free.

“My men can do it! We’ve been ready for this day and I cannot think of a single other person who could do this job! Let me lead my men out there David, I swear to you the wall will not fall on my life!” David looked to Paul’s eyes and could see the passion of his beliefs in his own men. His hand moved to his belt quickly.

“Rachel Leona!” David ordered into his communication orb. “I want archers along the gate to cover the men! Paul’s going out there and I want you covering him and his men!” Paul and David looked to each other before both men rose their arms out and shook hands.

“Understood!” Rachel’s voice sag out over the orb from the magical communication runes.

“Jonothan!” David spoke rapidly moving quickly along the wall towards his guards. “I want the house knights in the outer courtyard. If for any reason we can’t stop Carthage outside I want them to meet Emprea’s finest at the door!”

“You got it.” Jonothan replied. He could see movement as soldiers began running into position. He turned to look at the second wall and could see Jonothan’s House Knights preparing for battle as they all scrambled as fast as they could.

“All front line soldiers to me!” Paul bellowed. “I want third, fourth, and seventh companies as reserves. Third sixth and eight on up I want you inside the castle walls and prepared to defend your country with your very lives!”

“What of the first, second and fifth?” Victor Spero shouted.

“Rally to me! Victor Spero of the Fifth has the honor of holding the right flank as we charge out! Charles El’Johnson will cover the left flank! I shall lead the teeth of Emprea into the jugular of Carthage myself! Where are my wolves?” Paul’s voice rang out like the sound of a hammer beating on an iron. He jumped down to the bottom level looking for his personal retinue.

Donovan’s Wolves were legendary in Emprea for their near suicidal like tactics of charging head first into the largest pocket of enemies to cut them down. They were the teeth of Emprea, and always tore through whatever stood between them and the throat of the enemy army; its leaders. Each man was a berserker unto himself, capable of laughing off wounds that would slaughter weaker individuals. With Jonothan’s house knights protecting them in their charge in the wolves have broken many a back of Emprea’s foes.

The contingent of berserkers barked madly to their commanding officer charging through the ant like swarm of soldiers, all howling in anticipation of the battle. Paul lifted his fist into the air and they all raised their axes and cried as one. He strode forward a little more towards Victor Spero, who handed a double headed axe with a shaft as long as he was tall, made of such fine quality the sheen was like a mirror in the fading sun. The axe was called Fenrir, a symbol of his strength and dedication to his duty to ensure those around them did not falter.

“To me brothers! We get to roll out the welcoming wagon!” Paul’s voice echoed within the confines of the courtyard and it was clear he was excited about the anticipation of the battle.

David looked over the walls. The cries of the civilians terror was audible in his ears. It was time.

“FOR GLORY OF EMPREA AND THE KING!” Paul shouted.

“FOR EMPREA!” David shouted back signaling for the gates to open. Paul let out a blood curdling howl of challenge as he ran forward with his personal retinue of soldiers. Cries of battle shouted over the walls and the tension boiled over in the air like a tidal wave.

Emprea surged forward as one to war.

[Lucifer Blight]

The forces of Carthage and Emprea collided for the first time on the field of battle. With practiced precision the Emprean army fanned out and protected the citizens who rushed into the castle. No longer interested in the citizens, the Carthage army charged straight into the Emprean army and chaos soon engulfed the field.

The Emprean tactic was simple. Fan out and surround the larger Carthage army so the middle lines of the Carthage army would be blocked by their own comrades. Carthage had done it's research well, and each recognized the famed Donovan's Wolves lead the charge. With their cries of rage and already bloodied weapons, those wolves were a sight to behold indeed.

Carthage had a simple rule when it came to enemy officers met on the field of battle. Kill them. Whoever took down a commander was heaped with rewards in accordance with the fallen officer's rank. A simple soldier could retire and live well if they felled a commander of great rank, and no small amount of Carthage soldiers were happy to risk their lives for such a reward. As such, commanders were a prime target in any battle.

Such stakes suited Paul Donovan just fine.

As was to be expected Carthage had sent their heavy infantry in first and Carthage did not fool around when it came to its army. When they said heavy infantry, they damn well meant heavy infantry. Their armored soldiers were slow, but their layers of plate mail shrugged off blow after blow that would fell another man.

Among the reports of the Emprean army, Carthage spies had made it very clear that those called the “Six Heroes Of Emprea” each carried with them a very special weapon. Various notes recorded what details could be learned and each Carthage officer memorized these reports, for not only could it turn the tide of battle but also the one who felled a hero could claim their weapon as their prize.

Rachel Leona carried with her a fine bow of silver. Brian McCorvan had always upon his person a dagger no larger than eight inches. Both Jonathan Andrews and David King wielded swords, and lastly, Paul Donovan used a mighty war axe named Fenrir.

It was a mammoth of a weapon. The sturdy oak shaft was equal to his height, the double blades of the axe shined with a grim light that foretold a dark fate for any man unfortunate enough to be on the other end of the weapon. It was rumored that if a strong enough man swung the blade into the earth, the very land would tremble and quake under the force of the blow. Perhaps, if a God was willed it so, a strong enough man could rend Althanas to its core. Perhaps, if a devil willed it so, the axe could end the world.

The main point to take away from such stories and rumors was that the heavy armor that Carthage wore meant absolutely nothing to Paul Donovan.

“SHOW THESE BASTARDS WHAT IT MEANS TO WAGE WAR WITH EMPREA!” Paul screamed as his heavy axe slashed through the armor of an enemy much like a battle axe would slash its way through a large stick of butter. Quickly and very messily.

Blood spurted through the air as Paul yanked his blade out of the fallen man’s flesh and as another Carthage officer charged him Paul brought the axe down with all his might. The man’s helmet crumpled instantly and whatever face the man had disappeared into a mist of blood and bones.

“We’ve all but the elderly and children inside sir!” A soldier of Emprea reported to Paul. With a nod and another swing of his axe, Paul felled another foe and glanced about.

“Good! Now my wolves, let us hunt!” Paul ordered as his berserkers surged forward, straight into the middle of the Carthage lines. Paul allowed his men to use whatever weapon they wished, but the almost universal weapon of choice amongst Donovan’s Wolves was an axe of some sort. Some men wielded large ones much like Fenrir, others chose a smaller hand axe so they could carry a shield in their off-hand. Yet others preferred two small hand-axes, all forms of defense sacrificed for pure brutal killing power.

It was with these axes that the Wolves tore into Carthage. Surrounded by Emprea’s thin lines, many a Carthage soldier found his path to battle blocked by their own troops. It was in this way that Emprea held the Carthage onslaught off as the defenseless citizens made their way into the castle.

At least until Lucifer rode into the right flank with his cavalry.

The spread out troops of Emprea that had surrounded Carthage in turn found themselves surrounded. Unlike Carthage, however, Emprea did not have the troops to spare for such an attack. And with each moment that passed, Lucifer took another with his blade.

“Ride through the dogs! Don’t stop until you’ve cut your way to the other side!” Lucifer barked as his blade plunged into the heart of an Emprea soldier. His black horse trampled over the body as he pushed onwards. Lucifer licked his lips and let out a long, cruel laugh.

“This is what I live for!” Lucifer screamed as he reared his horse up on its hid legs and slashed into the back of another soldier. Around him his cavalry scattered Emprea and just as quickly as Emprea had been winning, they were now losing.

Paul swore a stream of curses as his axe shredded another man’s flesh. With a quick glance over his shoulder he noted that the last of the citizens had made it into the castle. He also noted that his left flank was mostly untouched, his middle lines had pressed far into the Carthage center, and in about a minute his right flank would cease to exist. He made to only call he could given the circumstances.

“Fall back. Rachel, fire at ‘em we go.” Paul muttered softly as he thumbed his communication orb, very thankful that he had not had his orb taken away from him when he was demoted.

“That’s not very easy task you idiot! I’m good but no archer’s that good! You’ll get caught in the crossfire!” Rachel screamed back.

“I know.” Was all Paul said as he twirled his heavy weapon about and forced a few Carthage soldiers away from him. He mentally winced as Rachel continued to scream at him.

“Oh, you know do you? Well you can take that request and SHOVE IT because I’m not about to order my men to shoot at their own comrades!” She shouted back at him.

“Hey! I don’t like it anymore than you do but there’s no choice!” Paul returned as he beheaded another foe. The last of his right flank vanished as it was devoured by the cavalry and Carthage lines.

“Piss off Paul!”

“Screw you Rachel!”

“Alas, as I outrank you both, my word is the end all be all. Both of you shut up.” David’s cool voice echoed through the orb. Paul’s face turned red but he had no appropriate come back save for his axe, which cleaved into a man’s torso.

“Rachel, fire a volley or two at the right flank, we’ve not much left there. Then focus you’re fire as best you can towards the middle, but get Carthage and not us. Paul, we do not sacrifice our men. Find another way.”

“But there is no there way!”

“How hard have you looked?”

As David’s voice faded away Paul saw the man on a black war horse. The man’s clothes and blade a bloody mess. His face alight with carnage, his long black hair danced about in union to the chaos. The man who led the cavalry, the man who Paul could only assume led the attack on the village. Paul let a smile cross his features as he barked a few orders, hefted Fenrir and charged.

“Well what have we here? A man with some spine? Can’t be, this is Emprea we’re talking about!” Lucifer cackled as he pulled his horse to the right to avoid the massive axe that crashed down into the earth.

“And what have we here?” Paul echoed back as he lifted his giant axe out of the ground, “A man with half a brain? Can’t be, this is Carthage we’re talking about!”

Lucifer tugged his horse back to the left and charged past his foe. He struck at the man’s face, but the man shifted his axe about and blocked the strike with the flat side of his axe’s blade.

“Paul Donovan, the man who’ll be your end!” The man before Lucifer shouted. Lucifer just clucked his tongue. It was obvious what the man’s aim was. Bait Lucifer into a duel to buy time for the rest of the army to retreat. It was a stupid plan.

Lucifer was certain he could kill the fool in thirty seconds and still finish of the Emprean army.

“Lucifer Blight, the man who’ll be the end of the Emprea!” Lucifer countered as he galloped about and struck at his foe. Perhaps, if Lucifer had been on the ground face to face with the man, it would have been a fair fight. At the moment, Lucifer had a horse and a much larger army. The deck was heavily stacked in his favor.

Lucifer laughed a mad laugh and raced around his foe. Paul weaved about as Lucifer struck him time and again. Paul swung his heavy axe wide, but Lucifer’s horse was faster by far. Lucifer chuckled as he rode on by and plunged his sword into Paul’s shoulder.

Lucifer heard the man grunt as he withdrew Resentment and galloped on. Paul wore heavy armor, but Lucifer had a clear advantage in both speed and height. Although many of his blows bounced of Paul’s armor, every now and then one would hit home.

“Come on now! Show me how a Wolf Of Emprea lives!” Lucifer barked as he ducked his head low to avoid a counter strike from Paul’s axe. Lucifer then yanked back on his reins and forced his horse up onto his hinds legs. Lucifer swung his bloodied blade as he did so, and it smashed into the side of Paul’s helmet which spiraled off his head and onto the red dirt below. “Better yet, show me how he dies!”

The two locked eyes for but a moment. The dark brown eyes of Lucifer, hate filled and consumed with the flames or war, burned into Paul’s hazel eyes full of determination and no small amount of rage. I think I might have liked you. Lucifer thought to himself as Resentment found home in the left side of Paul’s chest.

But Paul did not falter. Instead he grinned wickedly at Lucifer and dropped his axe to the ground. As a bit of blood tricked from Paul’s lips the man grabbed hold of Lucifer’s blade. His armor offered him a bit of protection, but Resentment still bit into his hands.

“What are you trying to pull?” Lucifer demanded as he tugged on his sword, which Paul would not let go of. “You want to bleed more? Then I shall oblige you, maggot!”

Lucifer shoved his blade deeper into Paul, and the man buckled to one leg. Lucifer chuckled as he felt the man’s grip weaken, but Lucifer did not bother to withdraw his blade. Deeper he plunged it.

“And so we bid farewell to the so-called leader of Donovan’s Wolves. Pathetic!” Lucifer sneered as his blade tore through the man on his knee. Then Paul whispered something softly, and Lucifer leaned in to hear the man’s words.

“Wolves hunt in packs.” Paul muttered as his berserkers surrounded him and charged Lucifer. Instantly Lucifer reared his horse back and swung his sword back wildly. But the men were called berserkers for a reason, and Lucifer’s blade did little to deter them.

“You worm of a man! I’ll rip your throat out with my own hands!” Lucifer spat as he spurred his horse about. But the berserkers had him surrounded, there was no way out. Lucifer grinded his teeth in rage as an axe bit into his leg.

“To me! TO ME!” Lucifer screamed as his horse wildly galloped about, desperate to find a way out of the trap. Instantly his horse men ceased their charge and rallied to their prince. Paul’s berserkers turned their attention to the new threat which allowed Lucifer a brief moment of respite. He used this to bring his wounded horse towards Paul.

“So you stopped the attack. Not bad. I’ll reward you with a quick death.” Lucifer said as he hefted Resentment into the sky. Paul glared at him, but a smug smile was stuck on the soon-to-be-dead man’s face. Lucifer could just hear the man’s thoughts. I tricked you good, you stupid Carthage bastard.

Lucifer choked in pain as an arrow pierced his shoulder. His blow faltered and missed Paul, who summoned the last of his strength to roll to the side. A berserker charged at Lucifer, but a Carthage horse man trampled the man to the ground as the Donovan’s Wolves formed a wall around their wounded leader.

“You have to fall back my lord! We’re too close to their archer, you’re a prime target!” The man who had saved Lucifer pleaded as Lucifer choked on his rage. His horsemen battered away at the lines, but he could see the body of Paul Donovan being carried safely away.

“You haven’t accomplished anything! You hear me?” Lucifer screamed at everyone and no one at all. Filled with rage and an insatiable lust for battle, Lucifer turned his horse about and rode towards the rear of the Carthage lines as the main part of the army surged through the first gate.

Heh. I’ll show them. They haven’t accomplished anything. Time for part two. Lucifer thought to himself as sinister grin spread across his face. All that mattered was that Emprea had lost the first gate. The fact that Lucifer had nearly been trapped and killed was of no consequence. No consequence of all.

At least, that was what Lucifer told himself as he rode.

*~*~*~*~

“Good shot Rachel.” David said into his communication orb as he watched the battle from atop the first wall. His face was set in stone and he did not bat an eye as Carthage soldiers streamed through the first of the two gates.

“That was risky. I could have hit Paul.” Rachel’s voice echoed back. David nodded his head, then he realized Rachel couldn’t possibly see him nod and let out a soft chuckle.

“You are correct. I take it back. It was an excellent shot.” David responded and turned towards the few men next to him. They stared at him expectantly. He coolly ran a hand through his hair, for he wore no helmet. He hated how it ruined his hair.

“Mister Falcon.” David said softly. “How goes the withdrawal of our troops to the second wall?”

The man’s name was not actually Falcon. It was actually Jake something-or-other, but the man was well known for his love of falconry. As such, people called him Jake Falcon and David wasn’t sure if the man would actually even answer to his real name.

“Complete save for your personal guard.” The man replied with steady eyes. Jake had served as David’s second-in-command ever since his appointment to Captain of the Guards and was the most faithful of his officers. David patted him on the shoulder.

“Then let us withdraw as well. The stink of Carthage is ruining my view.” David joked as he turned his gaze back towards the field. It was now filled with Carthage soldiers.

“Yes sir.” Jake shouted as the men around David King began to move out. David clucked his tongue and adjusted his hair to perfection, then let out a small sigh.

“Paul did well sir.” Jake offered softly. David King was known for several things, one of which was his smug attitude. If the man wasn’t smug, something was usually wrong.

“Indeed he did. Send a man to check on him for me.”

“Already did sir.”

David grinned at his lieutenant as the two began to walk. Although he always tried to maintain his cool demeanor, he did worry about his friends, and Paul was a very close one. He had not enjoyed standing by idly while Paul had nearly gotten killed.

“See to the men Mister Falcon. Have them ready to support the House Knights if need be. Oh, and we had better outshine them. I lost my most recent chest game against Jonathan. I would rather not be outdone again.”

“And you sir?” Jake asked as the men shouted in eager anticipation of the battle before him. The rivalry between Jonathan Andrews and David King was friendly but fierce, and both men preferred it that way. Both were immensely competitive, and each used the other as a way to measure their skills. In time, the men under their command had begun to feel the same way and nowadays his troops were eager to show up the famed House Knights Of Emprea and prove just who was the best in the land.

“I’ve a report to make.” David said with a hint of sadness buried in his voice as his gaze drifted back to the field littered with dead Emprean soldiers and an ever larger Carthage army. “We have lost the first wall, after all.”

[Viola Conda]

The loud echoing of horses and feet stampeding the castle rang throughout even the lowest dungeon levels like a loud war drum being beaten erratically by a battle crazed goblin. The echoing caused a few of the prisoners to stir to life, like sleeping dragons being awakened from a long nap, shouting profanity and pleas for help as if the loud rush of noise could hear their pleas. It would be only a matter of time before the stampede would be silenced and be replaced with the definitive sound of steel clashing against steel.

“Your majesty, I ask you to please stay in your seat.” Renald’s voice ruffed out. “We have all of your elite soldiers, including of course,” A large portion of pride filled the air. “Your Active Cheif Counselor. You will be safe with us.”

“Renald, I will feel safer when I feel competent in your skills. So far I just see the death of my people, and the savage slaughtering of my men as the Carthage army moves ever forward towards the castle gates.” King Horus was a tree of a man, made of nothing but muscle despite being hidden inside a royal robe. He had fire red hair and piercing brown eyes. His fingers flexed as he looked to the carnage outside.

He turned immediately to David King and his eyes flared as if he was forcing himself to be calm. “Why did you open the walls?” He asked darkly. “You had to have known that was a trap laid out before us by those Carthage bastards.”

David met his gaze unflinchingly as he stepped forward bowing to his king. “I made a decision that I was trained to do. I only ask you your majesty that you think of what you yourself would have done in my stead.” Horus grinded his teeth.

“You think you’re in a position to ask me how to do your job?” He said roughly moving forward to David. Jonothan stepped forwards next to David meeting the King’s gaze.

“Sire,” Jonothan said calmly. “I too would have done that action. So would have my other lords and ladies, so too would have anyone else in this castle. I know you would have done that yourself.” The king looked to both men before sighing turning his back to them.

“You always stick together, don’t you Lord Andrews?” There was a relief in the tension as the king’s hostile tone lowered.

“Sire, I would hardly have anything to keep me at peak performance if David were not here to test me. The call he made was one that no sane man could make rashly.”

“Yet I still wonder,” He turned to David. “Was it your idea to send in Donovan, or his?”

David had a feeling this question was coming and sighed deeply. “His idea, sir. But if anyone is going to make it happen, it would have been him sir.”

King Horus nodded wiping a hand through his hair. “A decision you obviously did not make with haste. His madness is infectious, I must admit.” The king laughed lightly. “You’re all so valuable to me, and I trust your decisions, but now the first wall has fallen and Carthage is inside the outer perimeter. It’s only a matter of time before they reach me.”

“It’s my failure for forsaking my duty to you, my king.” David bowed again. Horus approached him and placed a gentle hand on his pauldron.

“Your duty is to Emprea, which you preformed.” He said lightly. “Something some certain Chief Advisers can’t seem to say for themselves.” Horus’ tone lifted into anger again as he rounded on Renald. “Emprea has always known victory in the jaws of defeat! What plan have you to turn this around, Renald?”

The Chief Adviser began to ramble like a baby, unsure what to think before he pointed to David. “As Captain of the Guard I am willing to hear anything you have to say on this matter.” David glared at Renald as he looked to Jonothan.

“Emprea’s military is strong, very strong, but also small. Carthage has almost a near three to one body count last we checked. Even if every warrior could drag two of theirs down before death we would still be at a disadvantage. Not to mention the loss of nearly the entire First, Second and Fifth company. Paul Donovan is lucky indeed that his wolves dragged him back to the medical facilities. The other companies are holding off different sections of the wall, but I think that this is only a futile gesture.”

David walked over to the window and king Horus followed him as did Jonothan. He lifted his finger. “We need to concentrate the enemy into areas where their numbers will mean little. Rachel Lenoa’s archers are still in good shape despite the set back of losing the first wall, I suggest she camp in the main courtyard before the castle garden and barracks. If Jonothan’s House Knights stay with you and only a small contingent of his men go out to bulk up the less trained warriors of the Line Officers we will be able to funnel the enemy through tight corridors there,” he pointed to an archway to the military wing. “There,” he pointed to the royal chambers. “And there.” he pointed to the castle gardens.

“Each of those corridors are narrow enough that we should be able to hold them off with smaller numbers. However since we are losing precious time I cannot order anyone to guard the palace.” David looked to his King who nodded approvingly.

“Wait, you’re not going to protect the king?” Renald said confusedly. All three men turned to Renald as if he were an idiot.

“Protecting this throne room is not going to accomplish anything. If we stick to that battle plan we may be able to turn this already hopeless situation around.”

“But surely we can spare a few more men to protect the king’s escape!” Renald said forcefully. “I cannot approve of your plan. Emprea’s future is in the king!”

Horus lifted to his full height. “Emprea’s future is in its people! I will not cower and back down from a fight. David King is right to sacrifice me to the enemy! It’s a move that will give the majority of the army time to assemble in their assigned areas! Carthage must take me out before spreading to the rest of the castle!”

“This wouldn’t have happened if Paul Donovan didn’t recklessly charge forward like a prime ape!” Renald seethed. “What of the prison? What of the servants quarters? What of the castle chambers and the library! We can hold just as easily in those positions as well.”

“Open your eyes!” Jonothan said harshly. “Those locations are located way outside of the central area. If one of the locations David King proposed is compromised the surviving Soldiers can run and rally to another corridor. Attrition is the only thing we have now. We must grind our enemies away piece by piece if we are to survive.”

Renald huffed as glared at the two men, sighing deeply as he bowed to the king and stormed away to a corner with a few commanders. Horus looked to his two soldiers.

“That wasn’t an easy call.” Horus said to David. “You thought of your people over your king. Many men don’t have the spine to say that to my face.”

“Viola would have done the same.” David said determinedly. At the mention of her name all three warriors stiffened before David and Jonothan turned to their king. “My King,” David started.

“Sire, what did you do with her?” Jonothan asked. “Have we not served you faithfully enough, has she not served you faithfully enough to be here instead of that moron? Emprea could have sparred itself this meat grinder if she were here.”

“Do not lose your tongues in my presence.” Horus ordered. “You are not given permission to speak freely. If I am about to be used as a pawn in your strategy you will give me the respect of that.” Jonothan bowed low.

“My tongue may have loosened, Sire,” Jonothan spoke carefully.

“But our hearts do not waiver in our resolve. What did you do to her my king? All this secrecy, this hush-hush mentality.” David continued. Horus lifted his hand to silence them both looking down to his feet in contemplation.

“Viola Conda had made a decision for herself that compromised the integrity of her devotion to her king.” Horus spoke walking forward towards his throne. “That is all there is to the matter, and do not ever speak of it again. You have orders to carry out gentlemen, go.” Horus sat on his throne looking out towards his double doors.

Jonothan and David looked to their king before them moved, ordering units into position with their orbs of communication.

Horus looked out over his castle walls towards the prison, his heart aching as he felt his stomach churn. Unable to bear it he turned back to the door of his throne room as it closed.

“Forgive me, Emprea.” he whispered softly to himself as he prepared to meditate on the coming battle.

[Lucifer Blight]

“Are we prepared on this end?” Muttered Lucifer as he rode towards the rear lines while the majority of the Carthage army began to fall back. He still bleed from the arrow wound and his leg still stung from where an axe hed cut him, but none of that mattered. What mattered was what would happen when Lucifer brought down the second wall. Lucifer slowly climbed off his horse while several Carthage soldiers scurried about, putting the final touches on Lucifer’s master plan.

“Yes sir! We’ve done as you asked and relayed your orders.” Said one Carthage soldier as he saluted while multiple other soldiers began to form groups of three. Lucifer clutched his wound as he turned his attention back to the castle of Emprea. Before he returned, he had ordered the majority of Carthage to fall back and to leave a clear path through the first shattered gate to the second still standing gate.

“Excellent. Begin the operation.” Lucifer said with a nod as the Carthage troops all shouted in agreement. Each group of soldiers produced a large rubber tube that had been designed in the shape of a circle. Exactly in the middle of the tube was a black piece of plastic where small circular objects could be placed. Lucifer smiled as makeshift brown packages were placed were quickly placed in each of the plastics.

“Brother. What are these…contraptions?” Ares asked as he walked up towards Lucifer. Unlike Lucifer, whose clothes and hair were drenched in blood, Ares battle gear was untouched. Irritated, but not very surprised, Lucifer realized that his brother had yet to even see the front line. His hatred of the man had just doubled.

“A child’s toy put to good use. Those contraptions are sling shots, very powerful ones to be exact. Those brown packages are filled with gunpowder I stole from that village. You didn’t think I was plundering just for fun, did you?” Lucifer said with a grin as Macbeth walked up to the two princes. Like Ares, Macbeth’s armor was completely devoid of any blood.

“And what of the other things you plundered? I hear your troops made off with a small fortune.” Snapped Macbeth as he confronted Lucifer. All Lucifer did was shrug at Macbeth while the soldiers yanked back their slingshots and let their hand-made bombs soar through the air. Soon enough, numerous explosions pounded against the second gate of Carthage.

“Soldiers will be soldiers. Winners in war have been taking the losers’ possessions for as long as I can remember. I have no intention of depriving our soldiers of that tradition. After all, I heard our king had his eyes on Emprea’s vast treasury.” Lucifer added at the last second in a sarcastic voice. Although he did not know the full story, the rumor in the castle court was that constant splurging by King Victus and the rest of the nobles had left the castle treasury quite bare. Although there was no real proof, Lucifer did not believe the rumor was far-fetched. His adopted sister was known to spend thousands of gold on clothing.

“I would think a prince of Carthage would know better than to listen to such unfounded rumors!” Barked Macbeth as Ares held his tongue. Several more explosions could be heard off in the distance as a Carthage soldier ran up to Lucifer to inform him that the there were no bombs left to fire at the gate. The small village had not provided a very large source of gunpowder. Still, looking at the Carthage gate that was now charred black, Lucifer was certain it would not take much to break it to pieces.

“Very well. Send a message to the front; tell them to begin another assault on the gate. Don’t stop till you’ve cut your way through the throne room. And the treasury.” Lucifer ordered as Macbeth nearly leapt out of his armor. The large man probably would have if it wasn’t for Ares placing his hand on Macbeth’s shoulder.

“Well, seems like Emprea is about to fall. Would either of you two like to lead the assault?” Lucifer asked as he turned his attention towards his adopted brother and Macbeth. Once again Macbeth was ready to leap at the opportunity, but Ares once again held the man in place.

“After all the work you’ve done it would be wrong of us to steal the victory. You’ll be at the front of the charge. After you treat your wounds of course.” Ares said as he took Macbeth away from Lucifer. There was no doubt in his mind that the purpose of Ares putting Lucifer at the front was a way to hopefully kill off the reckless prince who was becoming more vocal about his hatred for the king each passing day. Don’t worry brother. Someday soon, I’ll find a way to put an end to your worries. Thought Lucifer as he clenched his fist and headed towards a nearby tent.

Several Minutes later…

“The axe wound is small, and the arrow missed your vital organs my lord. You’ve the luck of the devil. Just a little standard healing tonic and you should be as good as new.” The medic told Lucifer as he impatiently sat on a small bed inside the medic’s tent. The minute the medic slapped on the tonic a sudden burst of heat coursed through Lucifer’s wounds and then the wound quickly began to cool. When the temperature returned to normal, Lucifer was ready to charge into Emprea once more.

“Good. Thanks for your help. You’re excused.” Lucifer muttered as the doctor left the tent while Lucifer stood up and stretched his arms. As soon as he established that his arm was as good as new, Lucifer quickly snatched up his sword and latched it to his belt. Instantly after that Lucifer began to head off to the front, only to be stopped by Trabant before he managed to exit the tent.

“Off so soon my lord? You’ve only just recovered.” Said Trabant as he strolled into the tent carrying a steel chest plate in his hands. Lucifer simply glared at the strategist, somewhat irritated at the man. Although Trabant was far from the lackey that Macbeth was, Lucifer still had no love for any of his father’s men.

“Someone has to lead our forces. It seems my brother has elected me to the task.” Lucifer muttered as he motioned for Trabant to get out of his way. Nodding, Trabant stood aside while passing the steel piece of armor over towards Lucifer.

“I assumed as much. This time though, you should at least wear some armor. You’ll find this chest plate strong enough to cover your heart, but light enough to maneuver freely. I thought it would fit your style of combat.” Trabant said as Lucifer nodded and began to don the armor. Trabant didn’t have to say that Lucifer’s style of fighting involved moving quickly so he could butcher fleeing foes. That went without saying.

“Thanks Trabant. You’re not like my so-called brother and his lackey Macbeth, are you?” Lucifer asked as he headed for the tent’s door. Trabant simply shrugged in response.

“I don’t know what you mean my lord.” Was Trabant’s only response, which was enough of a response to cause Lucifer to wait around just a little longer. Smiling wickedly without turning to face Trabant, the prince opened the tent flap in front of him and stared at the now wrecked Emprea castle.

“Those two follow my old man blindly. Not you though, you’re a schemer. Where people die for honor, you’d gladly trade your honor for a prize, wouldn’t you? Stop me if I’m wrong.” Lucifer said in a low voice so that no passing guard had a chance of hearing the two men talk. Trabant simply bowed his head in response to Lucifer’s accusation.

“I simply serve to the best of my ability, however much that may be. Not everyone is meant for the front line, which is fine with me. Many people that are sent to the front don’t come back, if you understand my meaning.” Was Trabant’s response, clearly hinting at Lucifer’s current survival odds. The strategist was fully aware of why Ares had sent Lucifer to the front lines, as was Lucifer.

“I understand the meaning. Have fun while I’m gone.” Lucifer answered while walking off towards Emprea. Trabant, on the other hand, simply leaned back against a table and pondered for a little while. That young prince is smarter than the butcher I took him for. Now, I wonder what his plans are for after the battle… Thought Trabant as he began to carefully lay plans of his own.

Later at the front…

Calmly, and this time without having to cut his way through hundreds of enemies and peasants, Lucifer strolled down the stairs of one of the buildings in the Emprea courtyard. Upon his arrival, Lucifer had learned that most of the courtyard had been taken by Carthage troops, but there was a fierce pocket of resistance centered around the entrance to the main hall. It was such a fierce resistance that it had most Carthage troops staying put rather than risk death. While Lucifer could have ordered the charge anyway, he decided there was a better way to break into the main hall.

“My Lord Lucifer! Is there something we can do for you?” Asked a Carthage soldier as Lucifer finished his walk down the stairs. While the air above had been thick with blood and sounds of fighting, the air down hear was musk and dank. Most dungeons usually were.

“The attack has been halted, I’ve come to fix that. Where are the main prisoner cells?” Asked Lucifer, and in response the guard quickly led him down a nearby hall. Lucifer ignored the foul smell that emanated from the rotting stonewalls and instead turned his focus towards the multiple prisoners being held in Emprea cells. It appeared that the long arm of Emprea law had grabbed many a person, which was all the better for Lucifer’s plan.

“Well gentlemen, it appears you have a bit of a choice. You see, I’ve come to offer you men a chance at salvation.” Lucifer said as he addressed the cells before him. One by one, the prisoners began to head towards their cell doors, interested to see what the man before them had to say. Once he had their attention, Lucifer began to speak loudly as he strolled down the hall, eyeing as many of the prisoners as he could. Most looked feeble and weak, most likely from their current environment. Not that it mattered; even as feeble as they were they would serve their purpose.

“I don’t know how much you know, so I’ll just give you the summary of the current events. We, Carthage, are here to crush Emprea. Political reasons and all that garbage aside, I assure you that Emprea shall fall. Now, the original plan is to take all the prisoners and make them stand trial, just as Emprea had planned. Our Commander is a sticker for justice.” Lucifer spoke as he walked back towards the halls entrance, running his hand across some of the prison bars just for effect. He needed to make sure the prisoners understood their current situation, which wasn’t all that bright.

“However, I’m a bit more of a realist. I don’t care what you did under Emprea rule, what matters to me is what you do under Carthage rule. So I’ll offer a deal to anyone willing to take it. Fight for me, and you’ll receive your pardon. Flee after the battles done, or stick around in our army. I really don’t give a damn what you do after the battle is fought. You could of course stay here and let my brother follow through his grand scheme of justice; it’s your call really. Any takers?” Not surprisingly, there was a whole throng of people eager to get out of their cells. Lucifer smirked as he turned his attention to the guard next to him.

“Get some weapons and additional men. Pass the weapons along to these recruits, and make sure you have enough men to control them incase they start to think they dislike Carthage rule. When you’ve armed them, send them to the front. Tell whoever’s up there that these men are for front line duty. I want them to be first to charge.” Lucifer ordered as the guard saluted and ran off to accomplish his task. Lucifer turned back around and surveyed his new rabble army. There were about a good hundred men down here or so, no doubt due to the present wartime conditions. War always had a way of raising the crime rate of a country. The chances of these hundred men surviving the first charge was slim, but better them than Carthage soldiers.

“And what have we here?” Lucifer asked as he left the main cells and instead focused on a solitary cell that was far away from any other cell. At the heavy iron door that blocked all viewing into the cell stood two Carthage soldiers, and at their feet stood to Emprea soldiers with the weapons cast aside and their hands tied.

“Were not sure sir. We were just questioning the guards when you arrived. Apparently this cell is used for holding very important or particularly dangerous criminals. Traitors and such would be the common use for this cell. It’s just a single cell, with only one person in it at a time.” Answered one of the guards as Lucifer’s eyes began to light up with interest. If there was someone so dangerous worthy of such precautions (the solid iron door before him looked like it would take quite a pounding to knock down), Lucifer simply had to know just who was inside.

“Hey, who’s in there? Or do you always leave this thing locked?” Lucifer asked one of the capture soldiers as he reached out and gave the door a hard tug. It appeared that Lucifer would need a key to open this door, for as strong as Lucifer thought he was he was also certain he couldn’t force his way through this door.

“Just a whore who tried to sleep her way to the top of our royalty.” Spat one of the guards at Lucifer. In response, Lucifer simply raised his eyebrows. Under normal circumstances Lucifer would have taught the man a lesson, but at the moment he really wanted to see who was inside.

“Your country is so afraid of a whore that you had to lock her up in this? No wonder you’re losing. Open the door.” Lucifer ordered. When no prisoner made a move, Lucifer simply sighed and yanked his sword out of his sheath. That proved to be more than enough motivation for the prisoners, since one of them quickly reached to his belt and took out a key ring. A Carthage soldier quickly snatched up the ring and stuck the key into the door, earning a loud clicking noise for his efforts. Nodding, Lucifer rested his sword on his shoulder as he swung the door open and walked inside.

The room itself was barren. The walls were stone, devoid even of common prison devices such as shackles. There wasn’t even a skeleton to testify to the former residents of this cell. The only thing that was in the room was a single steel pillory, and in that steel pillory did indeed lay trapped one sole woman.

“I’ll be damned. There actually is a woman in here! Hell, I was expecting some sort of demon with the way this cell looks. I can’t believe the guards were right when they said they use this cell to hold whores! God, this county is pathetic!” Laughed Lucifer, as the Carthage soldiers peeked their heads in. They too let out a laugh at the sight inside the cell.

Above the dungeon, the additional reinforcements that Lucifer had sent quickly rushed the Emprea main hall, and in return received a fierce volley of arrows that slaughtered half of the group instantly. The rest of Carthage, however, had no qualms about using the prisoner’s as meat shields as the charged towards the main hall and the king inside.

[Viola Conda]

In the deepest cell in the farthest part of the castle prison was a solitary room. In the room was a barren, stone walled, square shaped room with a single oaken pillory used to hold the most degenerate, offensive, monstrous of prisoners that would be executed. The room was nicknamed the Pillory of the Sleepless, for it was rumored that those stuck in the pillory for only two days began to crack.

Sociopaths and sycophants would delve the final level into madness with the sleep that never came. Those that were rapists and serial killers couldn’t awaken from the nightmares that hid behind their eyelids with the sleep that never ended. It was common practice for bored guards to contemplate in wonder which was worse: The sleep that never comes, or the sleep that never ends?

The rooms occupation was held by a single woman with a very toned muscular body. Her hair was black as night and cut shoulder length pulled into two small ponytails at the sides of her face so that her hair would not be a distraction. She was forced into the pillory and bruises lined her cheeks and arms as she had been forced into the device, her head and arms hooked awkwardly forward forcing her knees to bend in order to support her own weight. An iron bowl was placed before her, the food being eaten by maggots. A solitary cup of water with a long straw was before her mouth, but the cup was just a few scant inches away from her to drink.

Bruised, hungry and most importantly left broken was the former Emprean Chief Adviser, Viola Conda.

To be placed in the pillory was an experience she never could have forgotten. She was told by King Horus to gather a royal item he had hidden away in preparations for the defense of Emprea against Carthage two weeks ago. When she entered the cell she had already known something was wrong. Her escort pushed her forward as many robed men assailed her. She had fought at them like savages, but one face couldn’t hide behind the hood of the robes.

Renald stood before her with a look of both pleasure and revulsion. She shouted at him for an explanation, but he only lifted a scroll unwrapping it as she was forced into the pillory by many hands. By order of King Horus active Chief Counselor Viola Conda was dishonorably discharged from her command as well as the army and sentenced to life in prison for her failure to perform her duty to the king.

Viola shouted, cried, raged, and spat at Renald’s feet as he approached her, but he kept a stance of neutral hatred towards her. The two never got along and she was positive this was his doing. Yet what she could do? She was locked away by soldiers she trained, beaten into submission and forced to a life of loneliness. Her only clue as to why this fate was thrust upon her was Renald’s final words.

“You didn’t serve the king’s best interests.”

She thought about her duty, her commitment to Emprea. Had she done something wrong she gladly would accept this punishment. Yet she had served her king loyally for years as a soldier, an adviser, a Lady of the House Knights, and finally as Chief Counselor. In all her years not once did the king show any sign of displeasure. Even when she took the risk of promoting her personal retinue to their current offices did the king seem upset. In the contrary, he supported her decision.

A hole burned within her heart after the third day of thinking. She had found out what it was she failed to do, and all the compassion in her heart melted away like snow in the spring for a fraction of a moment. The last conversation with her king was about her hand in marriage to him, which she denied.

She couldn’t believe that. She refused to think that. How could her king be so petty as to throw her away when Carthage was coming? It was ridiculous and she went back to thinking what other duties she could have failed in. But she couldn’t think of any. She had her faults like any normal human being, but to award her this treatment?

Her teeth grinded against each other as she watched robed servants enter, drop off food, and leave. She barely ate, only four times since being locked away. She was lost in the labyrinth of her thoughts trying to navigate the course to explain why she was locked away to rot into nothing.

On the tenth day she took a break thinking to her personal retinue for a distraction. She had wondered who won the latest chess game between Jonothan and David, feeling silly that she took a personal interest in the games. She had thought about Rachel’s request for her to attend her wedding and wondered what dress she would take. She thought about Paul and how he was doing without her to protect him from his outbursts. She thought about Brian’s mission to assassinate the Carthage leader and how he was faring. She sighed deeply as she thought to them, the hope that one of them would come looking for her was a foolish notion, but it did leave something inside her that she had never felt in her entire life.

Bitterness began to build within the hole created at her betrayal by the king. She was upset that the other five “Heroes of Emprea” didn’t come to look for her. Not even the rational parts of her mind could stop the dwelling of her hatred at the notion she was abandoned by her country, her king and her retinue. She had corrected herself on the twelfth day; They were not just her retinue, they were her friends. Rachel kept her honest, David kept her wits about, Brian kept her brain searching for answers, Jonothan kept her loyal, and Paul reminded her that sometimes…just sometimes you needed to destroy what was in the way of the things you want.

It was meant as a joke when the two talked about his motto in life, but the thought burned inside her head on the thirteenth day. Destroy that which is in your way to get what you want. A dangerous string of words for one such as her. It was wrong for her country and king to imprison her. It was wrong for her friends to abandon her. The only question now was what did she want, and, more importantly, what was she willing to destroy to get it?

On the fourteenth day her thoughts were conflicted in a inner turmoil that made the savage fighting that started between Carthage and Emprea seem like two people having a discussion about their differences. She tore into her own heart with jealousy and hatred, only to be repulsed by her sense of duty and loyalty to her country despite the treatment she received. Hate and Duty ripped into her heart, tearing itself limb from limb. She was confused and alone with none of her friends to help her through the biggest trial of her life.

She blocked out the close quarter fighting and only when she heard the click of a lock being turned open did her eyes start to return focus. She was fazed at first, not really hearing there words as they spoke. There was many of them, each holding a weapon of some kind. A central figure strode in with an air of authority that made her military training think of him as a leader of some sort.

As he insulted her country she felt her pride spark like a crackle in the fireplace. Her eyes looked up to him as he turned his back to her leaving.

“What did you say?” She barely said above a whisper. Her voice strained for not being used in such a long time. She realized her mouth was dry and her throat burned as she tried to wet her mouth with her own saliva. The leader stopped as did his soldiers, but he kept his back to her.

“I said I can’t believe they use this cell to hold whores.” Viola’s eyes narrowed in conflict, but her tone steadily built up.

“Not that, the last part.” Her voice spoke with authority and a soldier walked forward into the dim light.

“He said your country is pathetic whore!” Viola’s heart sank at the insults and she found her hands trembling in barely controlled rage.

“Than why do you look to the prison for help? Is the great Carthage army confused that Emprea’s people are thwarting them? Is the Carthage military looking to use the prisoners instead of soldiers because they have more guts than you? So mighty is Carthage to hide behind rapists and murderers.” Her sarcasm oozed with venom as she spoke, the soldier feeling his back curl up in fear at each sentence that she spoke.

“Oh?” The leader said bemused with the situation. He still kept his back to her as he sheathed his bastard sword. “What challenging words come from a woman who is stuck on her knees. Tell me your name.”

Viola looked to the leader with appraising eye, seeing within his stance the cold rigidness of bitterness. She could feel his warming hate from where she stood and it called to her like a siren song.

“I am Viola Conda, Active Chief Counselor of Emprea! I am the sworn general of his Majesty the King Horus’ armies.” He began to tremble. “I have led this army to countless victories over the enemies of the king, fighting in the front with my soldiers.” he began to chuckle. Viola felt her ire rise like a boiling tea pot. “You will look at me when I talk to you!” she shouted making the soldiers flinch.

Either by obeying her words or personal curiosity the leader turned to her. His black hair fanned behind him as he rested a lazy hand on the pommel of his bastard sword, a cruel sick smile on his face. Viola looked to him with clenched teeth.

“And all of this means what to me?” he said at last, his tone cocky and arrogant, but not unfounded. “In that position you are no better fit to lead your army than wear a collar and bark like a dog. It must be obvious you are not as great as you claim if your country would lock you up and forget your name. Men, let this fool dream she is a warrior, we got a castle to sack.”

She listened to the words sink in and despite her pride and sense of duty telling her otherwise, but it was futile. The words were like demons howling in her mind, shouting to her the betrayal of her king to her. Her rage and fury at his impudence was dwindled down into barely alive embers.

She watched as the leader of the enemy army left, the soldiers closing the door behind them. The emptiness in the room echoed in her heart as she felt everything inside her die. She had refused for thirteen days the truth, battling it away with her duty and pride, but now…now that even a stranger of the enemy could see plain as day what she refused to look at, was now painfully obvious.

She was once Viola Conda, honorific Legend who’s sworn duty was to protect Emprea.

She was now Viola Conda, a betrayed warrior of her people, who would destroy anything in her way to watch the world burn.

[Lucifer Blight]

“What do you want us to do with her sir?” Asked one of the soldiers as he slammed the iron door shut, causing a loud clanging noise to echo throughout the almost empty dungeon. Lucifer simply shrugged as he watched the two Emprea guards sit back down under the Carthage soldiers’ careful watch.

“Whatever. Little girls who play war don’t concern me. You two stay here, I’ll see what’s going on above. The fighting has grown softer, wouldn’t you say?” Lucifer said as the soldiers saluted him on his way out. When Lucifer reached the courtyard he quickly noticed it was littered with dead bodies, an especially large amount belonging to his recently created prisoner army. However, Lucifer gazed onward and noticed that the door to the keep was wide open. That brought a smile to his face.

Making his way over the dead bodies and the blood soaked ground, Lucifer peered into the keep’s entrance. At first he saw the imposing double doors that lead to the castle’s throne room. The doors were huge, as were to be expected, towering over a good ten feet tall. Next Lucifer noted the group of Emprea soldiers standing before the shut doors, a group small in number but holding their ground nonetheless. Lastly, Lucifer noticed the large mass of Carthage soldiers, all too afraid to charge forward.

Guessing what was going on, Lucifer grabbed a nearby soldier by his collar and pulled him close. Lucifer barked an order to the young soldier, who looked to be no older than sixteen. Instantly the boy nodded and ran off as fast as his legs could carry him in order to deliver Lucifer’s message. He would be lying if Lucifer said he wasn’t fond of his power in this army.

“So, would someone tell me why you’re all cowering in front of the throne room? Usually, at this point soldiers are shouting loudly and grabbing whatever valuables they can find. Instead, you’re all standing here with dumb looks on your face as if you’re all a bunch of pre-pubescent teenagers who just saw a nude woman for the first time!” Shouted Lucifer, instantly snapping his entire army into attention. His insults had the desired affect, and everyone’s eyes were on the prince as he walked to the front of the line. The Emprea soldiers were ten feet or so away, but they glared and raised their weapons towards Lucifer anyway.

“It’s Emprea’s last line of defense sir. It’s rumored that these men are the best of the best, supposedly trained by a great warrior who long ago vanished from this country. Nothing is known about the person who trained them, but the skill of the warrior is evident.” Whispered a soldier to Lucifer, who glared at the resilient group of enemies before him. The evidence that the Carthage soldier had been talking about lay before Lucifer and all about the hall. The evidence was the dead bodies of numerous Carthage soldiers.

“I see. Very well.” Muttered Lucifer as he glanced about the hall, mostly in an effort to kill time. The Emprea soldiers couldn’t dare charge; to do so would be certain death. All they could do was hope to fend off the Carthage army for a time. In reality the Emprea soldiers were doomed to defeat, but Lucifer guessed that really didn’t bother them. It was enough to make Lucifer smile at the bravery of the soon to be dead men, if not their stupidity.

The hall was beautiful. The walls were made of ivory, as were the numerous pillars that adored the hall. The Emprea emblem lay draped over the entire course of the room, proudly still flying despite the Carthage assault. A red carpet raced down the hall and under the bodies of the dead towards the throne room, only to vanish under the massive double doors. It was a beautiful hall, and in a few minutes Lucifer was certain that it would be wrecked beyond belief as greedy soldiers took whatever they could and left the dead behind. War really was hell, which happened to be Lucifer’s element.

A commotion was heard at the rear line as several troops began to make their way forward and Lucifer realized that it was over for the Emprea elite group. Without even drawing his sword, Lucifer took several feet forward to address the men before him, all of which defiantly clutched their weapons at the massive amount of Carthage troops surrounding them.

“Gentlemen, as the person who raided your village, broke through both of your gates, and crushed that army you sent out to defend your citizens, let me be the first to congratulate you. I’m downright impressed.” Said Lucifer with a wicked smile as several men began to line up behind him. The entire room went silent except for Lucifer who began to clap sarcastically.

“You’ve held on when everyone else let go. You stood when everyone else fell. You fought when everyone else fled. You lived when everyone else died. But, I’m afraid that’s at an end. But, I wasn’t lying when I said I was impressed. I’ll make you a deal. Surrender and join the Carthage army, and I’ll let you live. Any takers?” As was to be expected, not a single enemy came forward. Lucifer was certain he would obtain this result, but had decided to ask anyway. He really felt like drilling in the futility of this fight to his foes at the current moment.

“You must be joking. We are Emprea’s finest. When all other soldiers have fallen, we shall still stand. We were trained by the best, and our Master’s skill is burned into our flesh. All of us will stand and fall together. We are the Defenders Of Emprea. We are the best, and we will prove that to you right now,” Shouted one enemy as he moved to the confront Lucifer. When he finished speaking, the entire Emprea group let out a loud yell and raised their weapons towards the heavens. So be it. Thought Lucifer to himself.

“You’re without a doubt the finest soldiers I’ve gone up against since I raised my blade against your country. You decision is an acceptable one; in fact, I knew you would say those bold words. So soldiers of Emprea, let me tell you how you will fall,” As he spoke, Lucifer walked to the side and motioned towards the several lines of men that had formed behind him. With a sick smile, Lucifer pointed at the group as his twisted voice echoed down the bloodstained halls.

“This is a Carthage heavy archer unit. The bows are made of yew, and are five feet long. The pull weight of these bows is ninety pounds. The arrows are steel tipped, and quite capable of piercing all but the strongest armor. A well-trained archer can fire about five well-aimed shots in a minute. Farewell, Defenders Of Emprea,” The entire hall grew silent as Lucifer finished. Neither Carthage nor Emprea made a single move as the entire group of archers drew back their bows.

Lucifer snapped his fingers, and all hell broke loose.

The arrows flew down the hall at incredible speed, a rain of death aimed straight at the group of Emprea soldiers. A sudden echo of screams shot through the hall as pools of blood began to flood the cold stone floor below. Those that did not fall in the first wave either made a desperate charge at the line of archers or struggled to help their wounded allies to their feet. No matter what the soldiers chose to do, the next volley of arrows stopped them dead in their tracks. The Carthage arrows easily pierced through the armor the men wore, slicing through flesh and tearing into the men’s vital organs. In but a time span of two minutes, the last of the Emprea soldiers fell to the ground dead.

No Carthage soldier dared to make a move as the archers rested their bows. The first man to do anything but stare at the fallen warriors was Lucifer, who coolly walked towards the massive throne room doors that were now stained with blood and covered with stray arrows. He let out a small chuckle as he drew his sword and pointed Resentment at the last barrier before him and the King of Emprea.

“Get that door open. It’s time to pay our respects to his majesty.”

[Viola Conda]

Horus listened to the attack outside. His House Knights have been fighting valiantly, far more valiant than he felt they should. But he couldn’t dwell on his mistakes, his stubborn pride. He had a part to play, and he would be dammed if he couldn’t give David and Jonothan a little more time.

The king’s ears lifted as he heard a soldier’s feint voice, the thick throne room doors blocking out the bulk of noise. It sounded like an enemy general had arrived to rally his men, but the House Knights didn’t falter.

“The men are doing their duty well,” Renald said rubbing one hand over the other. “We may yet pull this off.” Horus lifted one hand up to his face, rubbing the bridge of his nose in irritation.

“This is not a turn of fate, this is not some heroic last stand Renald. Those men are dead. They will not single handedly hold off the entire Carthage army. Paul Donovan couldn’t, I can’t expect anyone else to either.”

Renald’s brow furrowed at the sound of Paul’s name. “Barbarian.” he muttered. “Where is he now? Why is he not here with his damned wolves barking at the nearest thing that moves?” Horus lifted his hand to silence Renald.

“Paul Donovan and his wolves have on more than one occasion saved this country.” Horus said sternly. “In fact, did they not save you and Commander Fulgrim from a surrounding army of Bandits?” Renald’s face dropped lower into anger as he remembered Paul ripping into Renald for his foolish behavior.

“I damn well am proud to have him and his wolves to call upon!” Horus turned his face to Renald, his temper flaring. “I am damn proud of all of Viola’s Heroes! They are the few people I can trust in this army anymore.” He looked back to the throne room doors.

“Each Hero played a part. Each one of them was a glue that pulled this army together. David King and Jonothan are both prime examples of Viola’s leadership. DAMMIT!” He slammed his fist onto his arm rest. “Commander Fulgrim has disappeared, the Spero’s are probably dead, you demoted Donovan, and you got rid of Viola Conda.” Horus remained quiet for a moment as he listened to the slaughter of his elite guard on the other side of the door. “It makes me wonder Renald if you planned this all by yourself, or had some help.”

“What was that?” Renald said incredulously, his arm raising as if he had been struck a physical blow. “You think that I orchestrated these events?”

“No,” Horus said honestly. “Not by yourself. Your too stupid to think of something like this on your own. I think somebody planted the idea in your head for you.” Horus sighed heavily. “And I am stupid as well, Renald,” The king said in defeat. “For not seeing this ahead of time. Stand off to the side Renald, the enemy is about to enter.”

The doors quaked at the impact of the battering ram. The royal guards all arranged themselves in a defensive perimeter to hold the Carthage army at bay. Some of the advisers lifted weapons up taking a few practice swipes before joining the guards, others lifted crossbows and checked the mechanisms. A few just stood with Reanld, unsure or to afraid of what they should do.

The king lifted himself to his full height, popping the air out of his stiff joints, reaching to the side of his throne for a giant Obsidian Tetsubo studded with jade spikes. He let his hands feel the grip of his old weapon, his muscles tightening as he lifted it up to his chest with one hand. It was rumored the king’s tetsubo was made from the same Igneous rock as the enemy king's throne that the first king of Emprea destroyed with his tetsubo. The spikes were added by the third queen of Emprea when she used the weapon to destroy an Akashima king’s armor in a duel. Each piece of the weapon had been added from the defeat of one of Emprea’s enemies.

The king smiled as he mused to himself one simple thought: Should he live past this day, he would take the skull of the enemy king and mount it as a hilt guard.

His robes fell off his shoulders and his muscles tensed as he waited for the door to be broken open. The tattoo of Emprea’s symbol blazed over his chest as the jade spikes glittered across the throne room like stain glass.

The door splintered open as the leader ordered the men to put their spine into the efforts as they charged as one to break the door down. The twin doors of the throne room fell for the first time in Emprea’s history like giant trees in a forest, crashing down killing both Emprean and Carthage soldiers caught unaware.

The guards moved in first, their heavy armor of the cyclopean battle armor making their movements bulky but precise. They had trained in these suits for months and it was difficult for most of Carthage’s weapons to find purchase. The royal guards slaughtered the first wave with ease, not even buckling as the second wave literally slammed into them. Spears shattered, swords were deflected, the universal cry of agony filled King Horus’ ears.

“Enough of this nonsense.” The king heard a dark voice say outside the room. With a snap of his fingers giant bows were brought forth and placed on the ground in a military formation similar to an execution block. They didn’t even hesitate to fire killing their own men as the missiles were loosed into the air.

The effects however were undeniable. At such a close range even the armor of the cyclopean battle suits were unable to deflect the attacks as the yew bows found purchase into chests and faces splattering skulls and showering the throne room in blood. Horus watched his finest warriors, no, Viola’s hand picked finest warriors, die to the attack. His warrior pride dictated he charge in, but years of experience in the field of battle honed his skills to a fine point. He couldn’t charge yet.

The whittled down royal guard continued to attack, fighting with determination. Some wore house banners of Jonothan Andrews, others still wore the colors of David King’s banner. Even when facing death both sides fought in competition with each other to outdo the other. He was proud of his men.

The second volley wiped the last of the royal guard out.

“CHARGE!” Horus shouted, his tetsubo lifting up into the air as he moved inwards. The detachment of house knights Jonothan Andrews left behind sprung out to attack as one from behind pillars and blind spots of the throne room door. Carthage soldiers flooded into the area and the bowmen retreated back behind their lines.

With a mighty roar that put Paul Donovan to shame the king took his weapon and smashed it into the head of a Carthage soldier, his face exploding inwards as he collapsed onto the ground awkwardly. He rotated with his momentum and swung with both hands slamming it into the nose of another warrior, the spikes piercing both his eyes as a spray of warm blood found purchase on his face.

His free hand lurched outwards, grabbing a soldier by the helmet and pulling him inwards by the face kneeing him in the nose and shoving him to the side. The house knights fought with courage against the odds and Emprea managed to fight all the way to the first few feet of the throne room entrance. The king’s tetsubo swiped before him and two soldiers were knocked aside in a bloody mess as one was disemboweled by the spikes.

Another wave of arrows fluttered into the room, felling many of the lightly armored house knights in process. Horus slammed his body behind a pillar, a few large bolts passing by him. The marble pillars exploded in a shower of debris making a smoky fog fill the room. The general’s of Emprea fired their cross bows as the advisers joined the fight. A few Carthage bowmen went down before Carthage sent in a fresh wave of eager troops willing to die for glory of the greatest kill that would make them rich forever; the death of king Horus.

“Come Carthage!” Horus cried out as his weapon was swung low taking out a soldier by the knee spinning him in the air until he landed on his neck. “You die so beautifully!” He sang as his weapon came down at an angle hitting a soldier in the neck. He fell like a sack of bricks crumbling to the ground over another dead soldier.

A spear was incoming quickly and the king lifted his hand grabbing the weapon by the shaft and pushing it aside. He lifted his tetsubo up by the neck hitting into the assailants jaw dropping him to the earth below.

“When will you come out of your hole, you weakling Sheep!” Horus cried out to the manic commander who paced behind his bowmen. “Stop hiding! Come and die like the Carthage Bastard you are!” he bellowed in challenge as his eyes narrowed on three soldiers approaching him.

His weapon swung out and the warrior lifted his shield, only to have the impact of the weapon shatter his wrist bones opening him up to the kings secondary attack which was a stiff punch to his face knocking him out cold. He swung his body like a dancer bringing his weapon around hitting the second soldier in the stomach taking the life out of him. The third warrior leapt at him crazily with twin axes. The king lifted his hand up and grabbed him by the neck turning and slamming him down upon his back.

Two Cartahge soldiers came at the king, but to their surprise he did not move. They continued their charge, lowering their shields in confusion, a half second to late to raise them again as the Horus’ eyes narrowed and he focused his rage. The obsidian tetsubu was swung much like a two handed club squashing the right soldier’s brains to oblivion and knocking his carcass into the left soldier. He twirled with his weapon and the rotation added more momentum as the swing hit the back of the remaining Carthage soldier in the back of the cranium exposing grey matter everywhere. Blood trickled down the Jade spikes as the King brought the weapon back to his right shoulder and he shouted loudly to the enemy leader,

“I SHALL SHOW ALL YOUR MEN BEFORE I DIE WHY EMPREA IS THE CITY OF HEROES! UNFORTUNATELY YOU WILL BE DEAD BEFORE YOU SEE EMPREA’S BRIGHTEST HOUR IN ITS DARKEST NIGHT!”

Another Carthage soldier ran forward with spear in hand and the King took his weapon smashing it down upon the ground and charging forward. He rotated the weapon up but spear pushed it aside easily, but the mass of the king knocked over the soldier as he trampled through him like a stampeding elephant.

The king raised his Tetsubu over his head with both hands and dropped it with the force of vengeance for his fallen soldiers crying out for blood. The squish and cracking sounds made the approaching Carthage soldiers think twice as they stopped recklessly charging the berserker king.. Horus just returned his weapon to the left shoulder and shouted again to the enemy commander,

“What say you, Carthage Bastard?”

[Lucifer Blight]

“You’ve got a big mouth. Learn to shut it maggot,” Spat Lucifer as the king of Emprea mocked him despite the fact that Lucifer was about to slaughter what little defense Emprea had left. Even if it was true that Lucifer was indeed a bastard (both in the literal and the metaphorical sense), it was not something he was found of being reminded of it.

Several wounded Emprea generals struggled to rise to their feet despite the wounds they had received only to be cut down by the numerous Carthage soldiers that streamed into the throne room. Confidently Lucifer walked to the front of the line, ready to answer the king’s challenge. But it wasn’t going to be the answer the king expected.

“You call me a coward? I broke your walls to the ground! I burned your town to ashes! I cut your men down like dogs! You sit on that throne, far away from combat, and dare to call me a coward?” Shouted Lucifer angrily as he tightly clutched his bloodstained sword in his right hand. Lucifer had a short temper to begin with as well as a hatred of any king, and to be mocked by one quickly sent him spiraling into rage.

“A wolf doesn’t fight its prey. It kills it. Drown in a sea of your own blood,” Lucifer shouted as he turned towards his trusty bowmen. With a flick of his wrist the bows were drawn back and aimed at the king, and in the next instant the throne of Emprea would be empty. If Lucifer was the honorable type, he would have instantly accepted the king’s challenge, but Lucifer was not the honorable type. He was the sadistic type.

“WAIT!” Screamed an Emprea general, who happened to be the only unwounded one, as he held up his arms and ran towards Lucifer. Irritated, Lucifer glared at the man sniveling man before him. The king simply shook his head at the incompetence of that particular general.

“Just who the hell are you suppose to be?” Shot Lucifer as he glared at the man before him. The man drew a deep breath before speaking, as if to emphasize his own importance despite his current situation. Lucifer would have cut the man down, but he was far too amused at the man’s stupidity.

“I am Renald Victor. The Active Chief Counselor of Emprea, and sworn holder of the master General’s duties. I have led victorious campaigns across this land, and all in the name of Emprea. I would like a word with you,” Said the man with no small amount of pride in his voice. Lucifer raised his eyebrows at the man before him, mildly amused at the current events.

“Active Chief Counselor you say? Must not be a very important position. You’re the second person today to call that title their own. Of course, the other person didn’t look very chiefly from where she was kneeling,” A look of shock crossed Renald’s face as the king shook his head in shame. Lucifer couldn’t possibly have known the story of Viola Conda and her fall.

“That, um, really isn’t important. What is important is how we end this war. I would like to come to a diplomatic solution,” Renald said with a pale voice. It was apparent to Lucifer that he did not like the mentioning of the other Active Chief Counselor of Emprea.

“Diplomacy isn’t my strong suit, but I’m pretty sure it involves a trade of some sort. You don’t seem to have much to offer,” Answered Lucifer as he impatiently tapped his foot. He was willing to give Renald thirty more seconds to make his point, and then it was off with the man’s head.

“How about this? The key to our treasury is all yours, if you’ll leave the land of Emprea,” Replied Renald as he held out a single golden key. Lucifer crossed his arms with interest as the king, who had until this point remained silent, shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Renald you incompetent fool! Do not give that Carthage bastard anything! You are relieved of your post!” Bellowed the king as he stamped his foot with anger as Lucifer’s eyes flickered with hatred. Lucifer may have accepted the offer (or at least pulled his own men back) had the king not said those words. Now it was time for agony to engulf the lands of Emprea.

“Guess that means you don’t really speak for Emprea anymore,” Said Lucifer coolly as a look of pain appeared on Renald’s face. Lucifer grinned as Renald’s blood began to pour down Resentment, which was at this point impaled in the man’s stomach. With a sneer Lucifer quickly tossed aside the horrified Renald, and picked up the key to Emprea’s treasury.

“That’s Carthage diplomacy. Time to die your majesty. Archers, turn that man into a pin cushion,” Muttered Lucifer as Renald lay bleeding and sniveling in a corner. Lucifer figured the man would remain alive for quite some time until his blood ran dry. Maybe, if the man was really lucky, a soldier would tend to his wounds. At the very least, the man would get to see his king die.

“Belay that order!” Shouted Ares as he and Macbeth walked into the throne room. Although slightly hesitant, the Carthage bowmen had no choice but to follow Ares over Lucifer. Most of the soldiers even dropped to their knees to bow to Ares as he walked up to Lucifer, who at this point was furious.

“What did you say?” Lucifer shouted as his face turned red. Lucifer had no idea why his brother was interfering with the death of the king, for Lucifer knew that the King Of Emprea had to die. The King Of Carthage had ordered it.

“I said belay that order. What do you think you are doing brother?” Ares asked coolly as Macbeth began to smile. Something was up, and Lucifer knew that whatever it was it was not going to end well for him.

“I’m finishing this war! Why possible objection could you have to that?” Screamed Lucifer as Ares pointed a finger at the king, who stood silently by and watched the brothers’ feud. By all logic the king knew he should have been dead a while ago.

“That man challenged you to a duel. Your honor demands you accept,” Ares stated as Lucifer tightly clutched his blade in his right hand. At this point he wanted nothing more than to send his arrogant brother to the next world in the most painful way possible.

“Let me worry about my own honor! You haven’t done anything so far, why change now? You said you’d leave his death to me so keep your damn word and leave me be!” Screamed Lucifer at the top of his lungs. The Carthage army quickly backed away in fear of what was happening. It seemed that one prince of Carthage had finally reached his breaking point.

“Your own honor is your own business. If you want to ruin it, that’s fine by me. But a duel is also a challenge against your family’s honor. I cannot allow you to ruin our family’s name.”

“YOU’RE NOT MY FAMILY!”

The instant Lucifer shouted those words the entire room fell silent. Even Ares found himself speechless at Lucifer’s words of defiance. It was only Macbeth who summoned up some spine as he charged towards Lucifer.

“Respect your commanding officer Prince!” Shouted Macbeth as Lucifer’s gaze turned towards the man charging at him. The prince was in no mood for games.

“BACK OFF PEON!” Screamed Lucifer as he shoved Macbeth back towards Ares. Macbeth stumbled slightly, but managed to keep his balance despite the heavy armor he wore. Angry and with no small amount of red in his face Macbeth reached for his sword as Lucifer raised his own, but both men were quickly stopped by Ares, who knew he had to regain control of the situation.

“ENOUGH! Lucifer, you will accept his challenge this instant or you will be in defiance of a direct order and I will have you executed this immediately! Am I understood?” Ares screamed, hoping that Lucifer would give Ares a reason to kill him here and now. However, despite how angry Lucifer was, he would do no such thing.

“As you wish sir,” Spat Lucifer as he marched towards the king who at this point had a huge smile on his face. The man had certainly not expected such a show before he was killed.

“Good help is so hard to find these days, isn’t?” Said the king in a soft voice as Lucifer merely spat at the bloody ground near his feet. The prince then flung the treasury key at his brother, who quickly reached his hand out and caught the golden object.

“You’ll need that to get into the treasury. I would hate for you to go home empty handed,” Muttered Lucifer as Ares informed the men that not a single one of them was allowed to help Lucifer should the tide turn against him. He was, for all intensive purposes, alone.

“Let’s go, your majesty,” Said Lucifer as both warriors tightly gripped their weapons. In his mind, however, Lucifer said something entirely different.

You’re a dead man Ares.

[Viola Conda]

The King of Emprea eyed his opponent carefully, not daring to let a bit of Lucifer Blight out of his line of sight. The man was a trickster, using underhanded tactics to win the battles he fought. Only with proper training and field experience did the King of Emprea know full well how to fight competently. Emprea was the city Legends, which in itself gave him much pride in upholding. He knew it was futile to even conceive he had a chance of winning this day, but he would go down like those soldiers who bravely fought for him. Standing with a weapon in hand, and taking every last Carthage bastard with him.

The two warriors paced liked caged lions, neither striking first knowing the others training would easily counter the assault and begin the counter attack. The King was a very brutal man when it came to fighting, but brutal did not necessarily mean barbaric. Some of the finest men in all the land trained him, and years on the battlefield had honed those lessons into pure raw experience that could never be replaced or improvised. He was confident those years of training would show through as he looked deep into Lucifer’s eyes.

The king’s body rippled with excitement of the coming battle before a tingling feeling of fear and doubt fell over him. The once dusty smoked filled orange sky became almost completely dark as if a dark omen had struck the land.

Without thinking he struck first, his tetsubu flying forwards in a small vertical drift upwards towards the chest of Lucifer, afraid to even comprehend what was going on outside the battle.


~*~*~*~
“Hold them back!” David shouted as another fresh wave of Carthage spearmen charged into the castle corridor. Bow fire from the rear managed to fell the front line as he and Jake Falcon moved forward with a battlecry taking down those who stood before them. He counted the seconds in his head and with a moments notice he called a retreat in quick order.

Like one tide of zombies after new prey the Emprean soldiers rallied to him and fell back, the archers firing a second volley. The enemy fell in swarms as David hid behind a pillar checking his soldiers. He lost four more good men today. The next wave was decimated. With a heavy sigh he looked up to Jake and grinned.

“I got to get some compensation for this.” David breathed out heavily. Jake smiled to him in a brotherly way.

“Well if we need a new king you have my vote.” the men murmured their agreement with Jake. “We also respectfully ask you remember those who stood with you when you take the throne.” David laughed as he turned to the left. Had that moment of joviality not put him at ease he may have not spotted the flanking force.

“Again!” He cried moving his sword to the left. “Here they come. Let them fall upon our blades!”

They charged out to the flanking force, catching them flatfooted as they collided with the enemy. It was a brutal affair as both armies cut and slaughtered anything in there way. David and Jake fought back to back as several soldiers of Carthage surrounded them. He looked warily to the on comers and saw his men being pulled apart into small groups to be systematically destroyed. He lifted his communication orb up and thumbed a rune.

“Now Rachel!” He called out. Without even a reply dozens of arrows fell into Carthage as his men fell back into the corridor to regroup. The flanking force called a momentary retreat and David looked forward to see another fresh wave of enemy spearmen charging in.

With a flick of his hair he looked back to his men. “Remember, not a single house knight should look to you and see them as better.” he said slyly. His men echoed his rivalry in their hearts as they lifted weapons high and prepared for another charge. Another volley of deadly accurate fire from Rachel’s sharpshooters felled the front line before he heard her voice over the orb. Though he couldn’t understand her over the screams of battle he knew she was pulling back to help Jonothan on his corridor. He did not envy the amount of hustle she had to put into battle.

“No more support this time, Jake, so let’s make sure the men don’t get surrounded.” his lieutenant nodded once as he took up a short sword and spear before charging forward with his captain.

Both armies collapsed into each other as Emprea fought with all the viciousness of a cornered animal. David took Carthage lives left and right as he swept his sword in graceful arcs, not once losing his poise in the fight. He turned to find a heavy infantry soldier approach and he noted the darker shade of red in his armor.

“A commander!” David said bowing to him in challenge. “About time you showed your ugly head. My guess is your superiors are getting a bit tired of your failure.” David parried his slow lance with ease moving in grabbing the soldier by the helmet and wrenching it to the side blinding the warrior.

“That is to be expected I guess.” David continued as he fought off a rampaging axe wielder, shoving him into Jake‘s spear. Turning back to the commander he saw him lift his helmet off and toss it aside.

“How do you reckon that?” The soldier barked taking his lance and impaling a charging Emprean soldier.

“Well taking into consideration that you are up against the Captain of the Guard I would be sorely remiss in my duties if I didn’t hold peons like you off. No, if you want to root us out, please send something other than pawns.”

The desired effect he was going for snapped the mind of the commanding unit as he felt his pride torn asunder before him. He rushed recklessly forward, which gave David all the time he needed to gracefully dip under the lance letting the weapon travel upon his pauldron before coming up stabbing his sword through his exposed throat.

“So sad…had you kept your cool I would have had to start thinking quickly.” David pulled his weapon out with a bloody wrench, the enemies blood covering him and his armor in a deadly spray.

The loss of the enemy commander broke the discipline in the Carthage army and a lieutenant of the enemy called a retreat to regroup. Jake moved next to his commander as they fell back into the corridor’s protective hallway. David rubbed his face with his hand to remove the blood.

“This is just not my day…” he mused as he started attempting to clean his armor. “I look like one of Paul’s damned wolves.” Jake smiled as David sighed lifting a ginger hand to his hair, just fixing it right. The sound of heavy fighting came out over the other corridor and David instantly noticed the sound of Carthage heavy infantry. Unlike what he fought there was more than one in the way he heard it.

“Lieutenant Falcon, your in charge. Give me something to come back too.” he said moving down to the end of the hall with weapon in hand. He knew if he didn’t get over there to help out Jonothan he would be overrun. While he expected that this may happen it was far too soon to let a side fall. Each second they held off meant more reinforcements preparing the traps and the fighting in the corridors.

“And where will you be? Showering?” David laughed.

“Sadly I must go and show the house knights how we fight under my banner.” His men cheered out his name as they watched him go before Jake turned and pointed to the front.

“FORWARD AGAIN! FOR CAPTAIN KING AND FOR EMPREA!” Jake shouted.

[Lucifer Blight]

Lucifer slowly paced around the bloodstained floor below him, keeping the king in his eyes at all time. If everything had gone according to plan, the foolish king of Emprea would be dead by now and his palace would be burning to the ground. Unfortunately, Lucifer’s brother had significantly messed up those plans. No matter. I’ll just come up with a new plan. One that ends with the death of that foolish brother of mine. But for now, I must teach yet another dog of Emprea just who exactly is in charge here.

“It’s time for the last hero of Emprea to fade into history. For after your majesty falls, Emprea will be no more,” Lucifer sneered as he tore of a piece of cloth from a fallen Emprea soldier and used it to clean his blade. When all the blood was removed and Lucifer could once again see his reflection in the cold steel, he glared at his final adversary.

“This blade of mine just wasn’t meant to be clean. Come on, when next I look into the steel of my sword, I expect my reflection to be bathed in royal blood!” Shouted Lucifer as he twirled his sword and marched towards the king.

The tetsubu the king wielded was no more than a fancy name for a giant metal club with a multitude of spikes on it. Most of the time the spikes were made of the same medal that the shaft of the club was, but in this particular case the spikes were made of dark green jade. All in all, Lucifer knew what little armor he wore would not be enough to stop a direct hit from such a powerful weapon.

The King struck first, leaping forward while swinging his giant weapon upwards towards Lucifer’s chest. Reacting quickly, Lucifer leapt back in order to create enough distance between himself and the jade tetsubu. The large weapon flew upwards, barely missing Lucifer’s chest and head. Lucifer grunted as the weapon flew past as he gripped his sword with both his hands.

“I’ve never killed a king before. Let’s see how you bleed!” Lucifer shouted as he plunged his sword forward, aiming to take the head of Emprea’s king in one smooth stroke. It probably wouldn’t be that easy, but it was worth a shot.

Elsewhere…


“My lord, why do you let that man insult you so? He should be punished for his disobedience!” Macbeth nearly shouted as he and Ares made their way towards an empty section of Emprea’s castle. What little guards had remained here had been quickly dispatched; although most of them had been summoned to the throne room where they had meet their death at the hands of Lucifer and his archer brigade.

“Because Macbeth, as much as I hate to admit it, that man is royalty. Not only that, but he’s also quite skilled when it comes to battle. If he was an inept fool or of non-royal blood, he would be easy to take care of. Unfortunately, a person who is a skilled, although barbaric, general and of royal blood is somewhat harder to dispose of. If it was possible, father would have disposed of him years ago,” Ares answered as the two men came upon a large door. Were it normal times, he was sure that Emprea would have had numerous guards posted around this area, but it was far from normal times.

“But not to worry. Every outburst my brother makes brings him one step closer to his doom. I’m certain that the last outburst will be enough for my father to have a valid reason to at least remove Lucifer from his post of general. Something we’ve been wanting to do for quite sometime,” Ares said as Macbeth walked up to the large door and inserted the key Lucifer had given him. Several seconds later, the large doors swung open and Ares smiled with glee.

“Simply marvelous isn’t it? Gather some loyal troops and pack it up. Our majesty will be very pleased with our discovery. And by the way, where is Trabant? I haven’t see him in a while,” Ordered Ares as he motioned towards the vast piles of gold that lay within the vaults of Emprea. Without a doubt, the amount of treasure the two had found would be more than enough to refill the currently empty coffers of Carthage.

“I’m afraid I haven’t seen Trabant either. I shall go send for a messenger to look for him, as well as several men to secure our prize,” Responded Macbeth as he strolled out towards the outer walls of Emprea, smiling at both his victory over Emprea as well as Lucifer Blight.

In The Depths Of Emprea’s Dungeon…

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Trabant Magone. Your enemy. I’m a strategist in the Carthage army. That makes me sound important, but I’m afraid that the person who brought your country to its knees was a man by the name of Lucifer Blight.” As he spoke, Trabant calmly paced about the cell until he decided that there was no remotely comfortable spot to sit down, and resigned himself to leaning against the cold stonewall.

“Now, onto the subject of Lucifer. I believe that his career in this army is almost over, and he doesn’t even have a political career to speak of. While I don’t think he really cares about any of that, one thing I’m sure of is that he will not sit quietly on this matter. I’m sure that he’s already plotting some sort of trick to settle the score, but as cunning as he is, I don’t think he can do it on his own,” Trabant coolly looked at the broken women at his feet and dropped his voice to a low whisper.

“I’m a realistic man, Active Chief Counselor Viola Conda, and I know that my options are limited in under the current king’s rule. Our current king loves to play favorites, and suffice to say that I’m not one of them. I’ve gone about as far as I can go under his rule, and it’s not enough to satisfy me,” Trabant got up, and slowly walked over towards the sole exit towards the room and stood by the large steel door.

“Now, I’m not a strong man, but I like to think that I’m a smart man. Your list of accomplishments is a very long one, worthy of a recognition. But of course that isn’t what you received. Instead you waste away down her, forgotten and alone. That isn’t very fair if you ask me,” Trabant choose his words carefully, doing his best to coax the woman before him into doing just what he wanted. Although, to be honest, it didn’t exactly look like she had a lot to lose.

“Don’t you think they deserve punishment? Don’t you think it’s only fair to avenge yourself? Don’t you think it is your right, no your duty, to have your vengeance? Serve Prince Blight, and you’ll have all that and more!” As he finished the last of his honey-dripped words, he slowly reached into his robes and produced a sheathed sword.

“I found this while I was searching what remains of the castle above. It’s your old sword isn’t? Unlike what they’ve done to you, it seems that the people you swore loyalty to treated your sword with respect. So, Viola Conda, will you choose to sit here and cry or will you right this wrong? Make your choice.”

As he held out the sword, Trabant knew this could end one of two ways. Either she listened to his words and he gained Lucifer a valuable ally, or she grabbed her sword and ran him through. However, Trabant knew that making Lucifer more powerful would not only benefit the prince, but also Lucifer would surely repay Trabant for his loyalty. Lucifer was a cold and sadistic killer, but the man also knew how to reward those who helped him.

Getting ahead in life often requires a few risks. I just hope this one’s worth it.

[Viola Conda]

Lucifer's retaliation was swifter than the king was ready for. A small feint and half quarter turn almost decapitated the king of Emprea in moments. However Hours was a born fighter, and such a useless end to his life would not befit him. He rolled in the direction of the swing, the sword passing harmlessly over him as he sprang back up and grabbed the obnoxious bastardized prince by the neck. He focused all his hatred as he lifted him with one hand and tossed him overhead to his left.

Lucifer's body violently bounced upon the ground thrashing about until it rolled to a stop slamming into a pillar. He groaned in rage, growling his hatred as he slowly stood back up with sword still clutched in hand. Once Lucifer got back up he took a calming breath before taking the time to dust himself off.

"Very good your majesty," Lucifer taunted lowering to him in a sarcastic bow. "You successfully threw a temper tantrum." King Horus narrowed his eyes and focused upon Lucifer's eyes, expecting to see malice in them. What he saw, however, chilled his nerves as he slowly began to circle Lucifer. The eyes of the bastard prince were filled with fire forged from pure hatred. Whatever that spat between the Carthage nobles was about, it was more than enough to set Lucifer into a frenzy.

"You won't like me when I throw a tantrum, I assure you that." Hours replied lazily bringing his weapon up to his shoulder. Before he gave enough time for his opponent to recover the king of Emprea took his tetsubo and began to swing it left and right in long violent arcs. He spun to keep his momentum as he moved toward Prince Blight who began to back peddle.

The king was slightly annoyed that Lucifer was not a common fighter, for if he was he would have in self defense placed his sword forward to defend, but alas Lucifer was a warrior who new that had he done just that his sword would have been easily knocked out of his hands, his wrists shattered from the impact.

Lucifer bought his time, moving all around the castle throne room to make a route, waiting patiently like a wolf for the time to strike. The king swung downwards in a vertical feint, but before he could swing back up Lucifer rolled his weapon down and up in a wide arc. The chest of the king exploded in hot blood spraying the two as King Horus was taken aback retreating.

Now the blood crazed prince was on the offensive, his sword making short, quick stabs to keep Horus’ momentum down. A weapon like the tetsubo needed complete control in order to be of use and the king knew he had options that were limited. When Lucifer extended his sword out he at last found an opening he would not be able to take again.

He lifted his arm up grabbing the blade and forcing it forward until it stabbed him in the upper shoulder. The king howled in rage, but held the weapon tightly as he brought the obsidian weapon down like a hammer. Lucifer spat a curse before releasing his blade jumping back. The blow exploded the marble floor sending dust into the air.

“Both you and that insufferable captain fight the same way. Sacrifice your body to drag the enemy down.” Lucifer spat on the ground as the dust settled. “No wonder Emprea is going to fall. You don’t value your lives enough to live!”

Lucifer charged in, his fists working in a fury of hand to hand combat, his palms hitting his bastard sword deeper and deeper into Horus’ shoulder. At last Horus was able to take his weapon and swing deeply in a wide violent arc that let one of his spiked jade tips cut into his shoulder. The momentum of the swing was also enough to spin the prince into the air where he landed upon his side. The king slammed his weapon down furiously but the wound in his shoulder slowed him down giving Lucifer the time he needed to roll to safety.

With a lurch of speed he struck out with his hand, grabbing the bastard sword by the handle and pulling with all his might. Horus growled his frustrations as his eyes shot with pain, yet he let his adrenaline fuel him as he regained his momentum.

Luncifer’s face began to grow worried as the king kept upon him relentlessly, some of his soldiers looking to him in shock. Never before had Lucifer been put to the test so fiercely. “I am King Horus, sworn protector of Emprea! I have my faults as any other man, my pride my weakness! But you who look down upon my people with contempt! I will illuminate your eyes to the glory of this nation! See how a true man and warrior fights! Come Carthage Bastard! Come and die for me!”

The king continued his flurry of swings as he they approached a pillar by the wall. Horus noted that this was it, Lucifer had no place left to hide from his fury. Lucifer took a quick take of his surroundings and grinned as he stopped moving. The king closed the gap quickly and as his jade weapon nearly struck the head of its target a sudden shock wave erupted in the kings body. He dropped his weapon as his hands quaked with tremors. He nearly dropped to a knee as he screamed in frustration.

"NOW EMPREA FALLS!" Lucifer shouted lifting his sword for a final blow.

~*~*~*~

“Rally to me!” Jonothan shouted as his house knights fell into quick order. Carthage was hard pressed to move him, but even he knew that he was under a lot of distress. This was not a good thing as it felt like Carthage was slamming everything they had into his corridor. “Hold them back! Hold them back!” he chanted as his men fought bravely taking scores of troops.

Just as the spearmen were about to advance a wave of arrows collapsed their lines as another volley ended the charge of a second wave. Without even having to give an order his men rotated on their spot to face the second wave as another string of arrows flew from behind them. With Rachel covering him he no longer had to worry about being surrounded.

Charging forward after the fourth volley the Emprean army pulsed with a new fever of energy. They hacked, chopped, cut and stabbed anything that could move as they turned the Carthage charge into a route.

“Keep it moving!” Jonothan ordered as his men fanned out to better get to grips with the enemy. He watched carefully and looked for enemy archers, but he couldn’t spot any nor the signs of them. “Rally!” Jonothan ordered. His orders were all contradictions to the previous, yet his men followed them unquestioningly. When he said Rally, they abandoned pursuit with cold efficacy to rally to him.

He was not wrong to do so as Carthage heavy infantry charged out. Had he not rallied them soon enough they would have been slaughtered. He turned his weapons on the new foe as he lifted his communication orb.

“Rachel I don’t think your bows can handle their armor. Just give us cover from any fresh waves!” Jonothan ordered to his fiancé.

“I love you Jon, don’t die on me.” Rachel whispered.

“I love you too, and I won’t!” Jonothan replied.

“Damn right you won’t, or I’ll bring you back just to kick your nuts in! Okay?” she shouted.

Despite the carnage, despite the blood, despite the dead soldier on the end of his weapon, Jonothan laughed. What made him love Rachel so much was her love for him, and his love for her made her love him that much more. He was lucky to have her he concluded, and he would not leave her alone.

“You heard my soon to be wife! Don’t you dare fall!” His men cheered as they brought weapons to the ready. Soon the battle continued, but this time Jonothan wasn’t ready for what happened next.

As the heavy infantry fell in they suddenly fanned out to the sides and there was a quiet moment of tension before the ground began to rumble. With a bellow of thunder the Carthage heavy cavalry moved in swiftly. They charged into the open, and though the arrows flew at them their armor protected them from the worst as they spurred their mounts onwards.

“Fall back!” Jonothan cursed . They were out in the open, which was what the enemy had planned. They sacrificed their soldiers to lure him out and he fell for it. This was going to get ugly real fast.

The first horse came in and impaled an Emprean soldier, full plate and all, on a trident like lance as the horse road down another soldier. He moved as fast as he could turning in time to swipe aside a lance that aimed for his chest. Four arrows attempted to penetrate the armor of his assailant but to no avail.

He rolled his sword over the shaft of the lance and pushed outwards with all his might stabbing the blade into the armor. It pierced through the heavy plate killing the rider, but the horse knocked him down to the ground.

He felt his entire world go black, looking for some sign to keep fighting, and he received one in the form of a sword stabbing another weapon away from his heart.

“See, now where exactly would you be if people like me were not around to show you up?” David tisked. “Oh my, and in front of all your soldiers. My men will have a field day with this for weeks. Having to rescue the captain of the house knights.”

“David, pull him out of there!” Rachel screamed into the rune.

“No kidding?” David sassed. “I thought I’d leave him here to rot. God your heavy in full plate!” David groaned as he pulled Jonothan off to the side. The captain of the house knights shook his head as he stood up and began to jog with David back to the corridor.

The horseman were at last stopped when they met heavy resistance from Emprean spearmen, but it was only a matter before the heavy infantry came to finish them off. Both men fought through a pocket of resistance to reach the inside of the corridor.

“Fall back in!” Jonothan ordered. “Slow march, and knock over whatever the hell you can find! Slow them down!” Jonothan turned and pushed over a statue with David’s help as they retreated further in. “Just ten yards, we can’t spare anymore.” he breathed. David nodded as the two men covered a few house knights retreat.

Rachel’s archers fired vehemently at the enemy, but their shots were just not breaking through the heavy armor. “It’s like a personal guard or something! There armor is nuts!” Rachel bellowed. David and Jonothan both picked up spears as they hid behind overturned barrels. His men all retreated as the heavy infantry and horsemen strode forward into the corridors. The bow fire couldn’t reach them under the canopy and Rachel’s frustrations were easily heard over the communications orb.

“So, you do realize that if we die here, I win right.” David mused.

“What?” Jonothan asked.

“You know saving your life is worth at least something in this rivalry.” Jonothan took a moment and nodded.

“Just another reason I need not to die.” Both men clasped each other on the back before charging forward. Jonothan’s spear impaled a soldier in the visor as he drew up his sword. David’s spear lodged deep into the unprotected area of the armpit before he drew up his blade. Both men fought savagely as they killed whatever came near, but they were getting more and more surrounded by the heavy infantry and cavalry.

“Enemy pockets getting big!” A soldier shouted.

“Fall back and regroup. Back to back, everyone to me!” Jonothan shouted. His soldiers all ran forward, spearmen in the middle with the rest of his warriors forming a circle. They jabbed and poked the enemy away as they fought to the last, but it was only a matter of time before Carthage would close the noose.

“ASIDE!” A bellow echoed down the halls as a mighty chorus of howls reached the soldiers ears. The Carthage infantry turned slowly only to find axe and sword shoved into visors, under armpits, and into joints as Donovan’s wolves howled like madmen towards the Emprean final stand.

Paul was marching next to Jake Falcon, both warriors holding their own as Fenrir clove deep into an heavy cavalryman’s face unceremoniously dropping him. He weilded his giant axe one handed, using his wounded shoulder only for support as he cleaved into another soldier.

Carthage sounded a retreat as the wolves reached the Emprean circle, but it was far too late now. With Jonothan’s house knights and now the fresh wave of Donovan’s wolves the attack was turned back and the enemy routed.

As Paul approached the two he gave them a wolfish grin before wincing in pain.

“I thought you were in the hospital.”

“Ya, well Carthage wouldn’t let me sleep, so I decided to go for a walk and let my wolves get some fresh air.” Paul saluted them despite the pain it caused them. David looked to Jake.

“I thought you were in charge of my side.” David inquired.

“I handed that off to the Line Officer of the second company, I had a feeling these wolves would need a hand.” Jake looked to Paul and nodded. “I guess I was wrong.” Paul clapped Jake on the back.

“You’re a good warrior Jake Falcon. Once we rally the army and remove Carthage I’ll have a spot available for you on the Line.” David lifted a finger.

“Don’t take my soldiers because yours are raving lunatics.” Paul grinned again before he moved towards the front. With a howl he called back his wolves and after a bit of carousing, including a threat or two, they rallied back to him.

“Well, do you think the king has bought us enough time?” Jonothan asked David. All three men looked up to the castle throne room.

“I hope so…” he said sadly.

~*~*~

King Horus knew it was over. He even knew now why he had dropped his weapon. Lucifer was a man who could calculate odds very quickly, and while he knew the king was strong he also knew the king could never knock down a pillar. With a small side step to the north west the king's tetsubo did no more than fan off Lucifer's anger and obliterate the side of the marble pillar, but the shock of such an impact collision answered what would happen if the unstoppable object met the unmovable object. And it was an explosion and shock waves felt by all who were in involved.

The king's body still ached from the blow and he had no more energy to try and fight. His body was paralyzed by the shock for a mere second. But a mere second on the battlefield can mean only one thing.

With a crack of thunder the sword cleaved off the head of the last King of Emprea.

[Lucifer Blight]

In slow motion Lucifer watched the body of the last king of Emprea fall to the ground. Royal blood quickly began to pool around the body of the king as the lifeless corpse collapsed to the ground as Lucifer chuckled to himself. I guess royal blood isn’t that different from normal blood. I suppose I’ll just have to spill a bit more to be sure though. All in good time.

“Emprea is gone! Soldiers, grab whatever you can carry! I don’t care if it’s money, jewelry, weapons, or that princess you’ve always wanted! Grab it and claim it as your own! Glory to Carthage!” Lucifer shouted as he raised his bloodstained sword into the air. Instantly the Carthage troops let out a cry of joy and began to scatter in every direction. No matter the circumstance, Lucifer knew he could always count on man’s greed.

Everywhere Lucifer look Carthage soldiers destroyed the history of Emprea. Flags were torn down, books destroyed, and priceless artifacts were tossed into the satchel of any nearby Carthage soldier. The scene was complete chaos, which was exactly what Lucifer wanted. It would be hard to keep track of any man in this current situation, and even someone as infamous as Lucifer Blight might just find a way to lose himself.

“My lord, we have a report that you may find interesting.” Shouted a Carthage soldier as he ran through the carnage. As soon as he reached Lucifer he kneeled before him and waited for permission to speak.

Let me guess, another problem? I swear, all these complications almost make me want to scratch my plan. Almost. Lucifer thought as he watched his soldiers continue to pillage the castle. As much as he wanted to simply tell the messenger to get lost, he knew for his ruse to work he had to at least hear the man out.

“What’s so important that you have to interrupt my victory? I just killed a king after all. Not many people can say that.” Lucifer said with mild irritation, as well as a slight amount of pride. Lucifer was never one to discount anyone’s skill in combat, and he was relatively certain that the king had once been quite the fighter. A pity years of sitting on a cushioned throne had weakened the man. Strength was all that mattered to Lucifer.

“We’ve reports of a woman charging into battle.” The man said in a voice loud enough for the prince to hear but soft enough to be missed by most another people in the throne room. Not that it mattered, most of the soldiers were far to busy collecting riches to concern themselves with what was being reported to Lucifer.

“So? Kill her if she’s on Emprea’s side, let her do what she wants if it benefits Carthage. She’s probably one of the prison soldiers if it’s the latter case.” Lucifer responded without too much of a care. After all, what did one woman matter? She wouldn’t be able to change the outcome of the war.

“That’s what’s strange sir. She’s killed both Carthage and Emprea soldiers. We’re not sure what to do. Then there’s this message from Trabant.” The soldier said as he took out a small scroll. Noting the seal was unbroken, Lucifer broke the seal and read the paper with no small amount of curiosity. After he finished reading, he wanted to grin but knew better. Trabant was as much of a schemer as Lucifer had thought he was.

“Apparently the woman’s more of a problem than I thought. Some sort of fallen general or something. I must attend to matters personally apparently. You come with me.” Lucifer ordered as he tucked the scroll away. Grabbing another two soldiers from their pillaging, Lucifer began to head towards the area mentioned in the scroll.

~*~*~

“Well done.” Trabant whispered as Viola brought down another soldier. This time it was an Emprea soldier, but Trabant knew she had to do more than that to draw a significant amount of attention. Hiding in the shadows, he coached Viola on with honeyed words.

“Say, isn’t that one of the soldiers who called you a whore? In my country kids like him would be taught some manners.” Trabant whispered as Viola eyed a Carthage soldier. Sure enough, it was one of the ones who had dared insult her. It didn’t take a genius (which Trabant often thought he was) to realize Viola was a woman who was very fond of her pride.

“So it is.” Viola whispered as she withdrew her bloodied blade from the corpse before her. The Carthage soldier eyed her with no small amount of fear, for the so called “whore” had been killing people left and right. With the blood crazed look in her eye, the soldier figured he may very well be next.

“Get back witch!” Shouted the soldier as he reached into his belt and withdrew a dagger. He flung at Viola as she charged forward, her sword poised to strike. Viola ducked low as the dagger came towards her head, causing the blade to sail into the darkness behind her. With a cry the soldier lunged forward with his own sword, but all too quickly found his blade knocked aside and Viola’s blade impaled into his chest. The soldier cried in pain as Viola withdrew her blade and stabbed him again and again, each time venting a bit of anger, but nowhere near enough.

“A just reward for his impudence.” Trabant said as he walked up behind Viola, who was covered in blood and breathing heavily. All according to plan so far. Now, to just keep stringing her along. Trabant thought to himself as he eyed the area. There wasn’t much left in the jail now, what with the prisoners drafted into the army and the rest slain by Viola.

“Tell me Viola. Isn’t there something you want? Or perhaps I should say someone?” Trabant whispered into her ear, tempting and turning the woman more and more. Before, she may have been a proud and loyal general of Emprea. A hero even. Judging by the crazed look in her eyes, Trabant was sure that after today she would be exactly the type of person Lucifer needed. A ruthless, yet loyal, killer.

“I can help you find them Viola. Please, let me help you.” Trabant whispered seductively.

[Viola Conda]

Viola's mind was a train wreck of emotions. For each Carthage bastard that died her heart sang the glory of her home, for every fallen betrayer of Emprea her heart sang an equal measure of redemption and satisfaction. Her pride was killing her, and when it seemed to much she would slaughter a handful of Carthage soldiers to bring her mind to ease, but then with a snap her mind would fill with anger and she would assault the few struggling soldiers she trained herself.

The body slid out of her hands like a begger being cast aside as she licked her lips of the taste of blood. The pure energy she felt from licking the blood was not a sign of psychotic behavior. She had trained her men to do that in tense situations to keep their adrenaline going. "Something or Someone?" Viola shot back with mild amusement as she thought. "Thousands Trabant." Viola spit on the ground and looked to the burning sky. "In my own home, my own place of rest was I taken and betrayed. Under these burning skies I trained an empire to battle and watched them all get killed." She picked up a few throwing daggers from the dead Carthage soldier.

"And do you not feel the righteousness of the wrath you feel? Each slain soldier another wipe off the tarnish of your honor?" Trabant said back with as much honey he could produce. Viola's eyes looked at him with disgust as she turned her back on him and began walking down the corridors of the nearly empty prison. Just outside was the main courtyard, the last real defense of the Emprean soldiers.

"Do not think your disgusting words of goading are warping my mind," Viola said darkly. "I am aware of such tactics. It just seems right now that we are both on the same page." Viola replied picking up a spear from a fallen Emprean soldier.

The truth of the matter was that Viola was breaking. She was scarred and humiliated and empowered and confused all at once. Her mind was shattered into a thousand pieces and this Trabant character was a master artificer, putting her back together. The last of her clear minded individual thinking knew however, that Trabant was not making her whole again. Deep pockets of her reasoning and clarity were purposely being left alone, left for Viola to fix on her own. Her options were still available. But the people Trabant spoke of seemed very intuitive and powerful indeed. The only people who could give Viola what she truly wanted.

With a deep sigh Viola turned back to Trabant, and saw a slight tremor in his lips. He wasn't an idiot, that much Viola was sure. He knew the gamble he was performing could kill him and have him seen a punishment worse than what Viola had been through. She admired the man, because the spine needed to make such a decision was not for the weak minded. She looked at Trabant and nodded.

"Aye," she growled as she bent over searching the ground for some way to hold her spear to her back. "There are a few people I think I should see before I leave Emprea. I'm no idiot either, I know I need your help. But that courtyard is the only way to get where I want to go." Viola said with a confidence that she had when speaking to a room full of soldiers.

"What seems to be the issue than?" Trabant said with a seductive grace to his tone. He seemed to glide over to the shadows behind Viola. Viola cocked her head to the door to the courtyard and laughed. Trabant didn't need to have her give him any further hints. The sound of battle was clear in the air and Trabant nodded solemnly in understanding.

"I have a plan Trabant." Viola reached for a carrying harness from a dead Carthage soldier. She equipped it to her chest and adjusted it to fit her. She attached the spear to her back and placed a few daggers along the suspenders. Placing her sword hilt upon the belt that clasped around her waist.

Viola looked around the courtyard for something she could use as a ranged weapon and spotted a few arrows near a dead Emprean Soldier. She casually walked over to the weapons and grabbed them as she searched the body for a glove. Her body jumped in the air backwards as she heard a large intake of breath come from the body, and groggy eyes opened to look at her.

"Viola!" He rasped in excitment. "They told me you betrayed us, but I can see you are here to fight in our grandest, brightest hour." He coughed heavily as he looked to her. "Even if it is our darkest night..." He said sadly smiling to her.

"Maxi?" Viola said in a deep concerned tone. "Maximilien Oswald?" Her heart raced as memories of training this young student the way of the bow, the discipline instilled behind his eyes still shined brightly despite nearly being dead. As she spoke his name he coughed again, but smiled brightly.

"Yes, I am surprised you remember me, we met only four times I think." He turned to his side looking up at Viola's face. "May I speak freely, commander?" Viola's heart ached as she saw his body broken, but still clinging to his Duty. Her mind clouded again, as the foundations Trabant placed inside began to rupture and crumble. Viola nodded as she held her mouth slightly open. His hand touched hers as he looked deep into her eyes. "You are as beautiful as I remembered." Viola's cheecks felt rosy at his comment as she slowly stood up and began to walk away, talking to him in a voice of authority.

"If you can still fight maxi, we may beable to reclaim a little glory, and get our men out of Emprea. All we need to do is rally the courtyard and fade away in the chaos. Emprea may be lost to us, but we can still strike back at the Carthage Empire for this atrocity!" Viola said looking at Trabant with a cold look in her eyes, picking up a dagger from the ground and holding it in a very deadly grip.

"You bitch..." Maxi said sharply, breathing heavily. "You vile, twisted BITCH!" His body began to cough violently as blood erupted from his mouth. Viola turned to him quizzically, her expression neutral. In his hands he was fumbling with a dagger, trying to raise it. "You wear Carthage clothing! You wanted to," He violently collapsed over, wheezing blood out. "to rally us to our doom, where we would be all but wiped out! I hope you choke on that Bastard Carthage King's DICK YOU WHORE!" Viola's anger rose again like a bird in flight and she took the dagger in her hand and through it, hitting Maxi in the chest. He wheezed heavily again, but collapsed to the ground, blood surrounding him on all sides. Viola watched him breath short, small breaths before he died.

"Is this the thanks an empire you served can give you?" Trabant spoke again. "Is this all that your soldiers can offer you. One look Viola, that was all he gave you. One look and he assumed you were a deviant." Trabant came out of the shadows, arms open like a prophet. Viola shivered on the spot, as her brain began to overwhelm itself. "Viola, how hard was it to ask where you got the clothing? How hard was it to trust your commander?" Viola felt like the shadows were creeping in on her mind as she looked at Trabant. "He didn't want to believe you, he wanted to destroy you, and searched for a reason. Is this all that Emprea has to offer you now?" Viola looked at Trabant and then her weapons. Trabant stepped forward, placing gentle hands upon her arms, looking her square in the eye.

"Allow me to introduce you to someone who will reward you..."

[Lucifer Blight]

"For the glory of Emprea!" Shouted a young man dressed in the standard Emprea soldier's uniform. He stabbed his already bloodied blade at Lucifer, who quickly ducked low and grabbed the man by his shirt. Lucifer quickly flung the man into the wall next to him and proceeded to end the man's life with a quick stab from Resentment.

"This is getting tiresome. People should know when they're conquered." Lucifer muttered to himself as another attacker charged down the long hallway Lucifer and three Carthage soldiers walked down. Lucifer barely batted an eye as two of his men intercepted and slew the lone man.

"Emprea scum." Laughed one of the Carthage soldiers as he kicked aside the corpse while Lucifer walked on ahead. The message from Trabant had been simple and to the point. Trabant had procured a soldier who may be of interest to Lucifer, and should the prince wish to see the soldier, he should head to the barracks. Obviously, such a matter was of little to importance to Ares, and as such he should not bother the man. Lucifer had to hand it to Trabant, the man was as devious as any politician or criminal.

"Should we not have more of a guard sir? For your protection, of course." One of the soldiers asked in a very humble tone. All though the man was only doing his job, Lucifer couldn't help but feel anger towards the man. Guard? For me? My so-called brother is the one who will need a guard.

"You want take more men away from Ares to deal with one lone solider? Be my guest. See how he responds to such a request." Lucifer responded, knowing full well the lowly soldier did not have anywhere near enough rank to do such a thing. With a quick nod and salute, the man fell back into line and nothing more was said, which suited Lucifer just fine.

The hallway Lucifer lead the group down was not a well-known hallway, as Carthage spies had learned it was used mostly for quick transportation of troops during a siege. As such, most low-ranked soldiers did not know of it, and Emprea was running dangerously low on high-ranking officers. At present, this hallway was quite vacant, and the toll of war had not yet reached this area. The flag of Emprea still decorated the walls, walls that were not yet scared with flame and battle. Even in the dim light, Lucifer could still make out the crest of Emprea on each pillar he passed. Soon enough, he was certain the Carthage troops would make their way here, but he had time. There wasn't anything to loot in this particular hallway, after all.

After a short time, the hallway ended with but a single door. Pausing slightly, Lucifer readied his blade just in case anything needed to be cut down on the other side. He drew a deep breath and shoved the door open, his battle hunger urging him to kill anything that moved. To his dismay, he found nothing.

What was once no doubt a busy barracks filled with troops living out their day to day lives or preparing for war was now completely empty. All of Emprea's soldiers were either out in the field, dead, or finding their way out of this fallen country. Nothing living remained in the once cramped quarters of Emprea's soldiers. There were various torches and lamps dotting the area, but they had all died and no one had bothered to relight them. The men of Carthage were alone, save for the dim sounds of battle and whatever ghosts their minds chose to remember in this lonely room. One man made to light a torch, but Lucifer grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping the soldier in his tracks.

"Don't bother. I prefer the darkness." Lucifer ordered as he found a box near the corner that gave him a full view of the room. He motioned to the Carthage soldier that had delivered Trabant's message to come over, which the man did instantly.

"Work your way back to Trabant. Tell him I'm here. Don't stop for anything, got it?" Lucifer said with a glare that earned a look of fear from the man (more of a boy in Lucifer's eyes) and a fast salute. Lucifer watched the man shoot down the hallway he had come from, moving quietly yet quickly. The boy wouldn't dare stop to loot, pillage, or even check in with Ares. Lucifer was sure of that.

"What would you have us do, my lord?" One of the remaining two Carthage soldiers asked. Lucifer grunted as he sat down on the nearby box and stared at the entrance to the room. In a few short minutes, Lucifer would meet this soldier Trabant had procured. Already Lucifer's mind began to turn towards vengeance against his "brother" and that foolish man who sat upon the Carthage throne. But Lucifer was no fool. He knew he would need the help of a few extremely loyal and capable men for his plan to work. If Trabant's soldier fit the bill, perfect. If not, Lucifer would just kill the soldier and find someone else. There was bound to be another person or two as bitter as Lucifer on Althanas. A land of magic and adventures didn’t make for a happy ending for everyone.

“We wait. We wait and see.” Lucifer said as he leaned back and casually spun the tip of his blade on the floor beneath him, eyeing the entrance all the while.

“We wait and see...”

[Viola Conda]

Viola's eyes scanned the courtyard, and the destruction being wrought was beyond measure. Emprean soldiers ran forward with long pikes to try and prevent the Carthage heavy cavalry from making a volatile charge that would end the last line of defense for the courtyard. In the openings of the gate yard Carthage bowmen tried to pick off the pikeman, but return fire from the entrenched bowmen of Emprea kept them from being able to make a timed, aimed shot. One brave horseman galloped forward, his lance thrusting forward knocking the pikeman's weapons out of the way as he charged forward. Shortly followed came another mighty warrior on his warhorse and it galloped easily catching up. A third rider was spurred forward and caught up and they made steady, even progress as they kept the weapons from their mounts. Trabant noticed this all hapenning and he pointed to the horseman with a jittery finger.

"Carthage heavy cavalry will not take to stadning still. As you can see the gap is going to close." Viola watched as the horseman were halfway across the courtyard, and her lips parted in a vile smile.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Trabant." She mused as she listened. As if on cue, a loud 'TWANG' sound filled the air, and a massive bolt flew into the flanks of the horseman and the riders impaling them and tearing limbs apart despite the armor they wore to protect themselves. Horse's whinnied in fear and terror and the four brave soldiers were dead upon the ground, the bolt landing into a fountain shattering the stonework to pieces.

"Ha ha!" Trabant laughed in awe of the attack. "I now see why the courtyard has yet to fallen. You got this entrance littered with such traps don't you?" Viola nodded once, but her sincere eyes made the older man quiet up as he realized the horrifying truth that he had to go into this melee of destruction.

"The pike's are to well protected from the rear, and the bolt thrower crews are dead shots. They can tag a single commander from four hundred yards if they had time to line up the shot. If he was within a hundred, he'd be dead without hesitation." She spoke full of pride of the training she marshaled into the bolt teams.

"Yes, Carthage was well aware you had such legendary weapon teams at the ready. Sadly my employer had a plan to neutralize that." Viola's eyes narrowed in hatred knowing full well the clever ploy the general had in forcing the townspeople to flee to the castle. It was a mistake that now had caused Emprea to fall. Legendary soldiers or not, Emprea was small while Carthage was vast, and the element of surprise had taken any buffer Emprea had to thwart back the attack. Time was all the remained of Emprea, thanks to the genius of the Carthage general, and the stupidity of the Emprean.

"How do you think we'll fair just running?" Trabant asked casually. Viola turned to him and smiled.

"None." she said plainly. "But what about if you escort me past the Carthage lines. The armory is closer to their side anyway." Trabant laughed at the novelty of the idea.

"It'd be easier to poke a dragon in the eye," he huffed. "I have no military rank on this field of battle." Viola looked to the Carthage advisor, and her mind began to wonder. Just how much of a risk are you placing yourself into here, Trabant? she wondered.

"Well, then. How about this..." she said lowering herself and creeping towards the shattered fountain. Trabant followed suit and waited as Viola's trained battle eyes scanned the area. "The bolt is already reloaded. Damn they are swift." she cursed. "I guess the fear of death makes one's senses kick into overdrive." Viola looked deeper at the field and noticed four more horseman getting ready to charge.

"You are joking, right?" Trabant asked as he suddenly got the idea of Viola's plan. Viola gave him one look and spoke with a level headed clarity.

"Glory or death at this point Trabant," she said plainly watching the horseman begin the charge. "We're already both dead unless we get to your employer. Now run behind the horseman and just pray your feet are swift."

The horse's ran past, six of them in the charge, and Viola ran as fast as she could, her feet pounding the stones kicking up dust. Arrows whizzed by her and she felt a few places where she was grazed or gashed fiercely, but the leather fighting tunic of the Carthage army she wore was protecting her vitals from any glancing shot. One direct hit and she would be dead. Again the loud sound of a 'TWANG' exploded in the air as the horse's all fell to the might of a bolt shot, some head's from the mighty mounts obliterated from the well placed shot. The soldiers that lived were easily shot down by arrows, or impaled by pikes, which in return took a heavy volley of return fire from Carthage.

The two were almost near the next awning as they breathed heavily trying to make it to the pathway to the armory. Her hairs on the back of her head stood up on end and she rotated placing her arm out and shoulder tackling Trabant as another 'TWANG' erupted from behind them. The ground where she walked exploded with debris, and her eyes fluttered trying to get the dust out as she felt herself be lifted by Trabant who carried her.

"I owe you for that!" Trabant shouted as he dragged her off the bloodied fields to the awning where they could hide. A few arrows flew their way, and Viola bit back on her tongue as one sliced into her upper shoulder, taking off a huge chunk of her flesh. She seethed in anger as she looked at the Emprean design of the arrow, the teal and white feathering a trademark of her homeland.

"It's nothing," she patted away Trabant's aid as she opened the door and walked in, hearing the sound of swords unsheathing in unison. Trabant looked to the blades and then looked to his right, moving into the shadows. Viola looked up and saw two Carthage soldiers bare down on her with naked steel in their hands.

"Who goes there?" One asked seeing the Carthage armor she wore and hesitating. Viola took a deep breath, wincing in pain fro her shoulder wound. She stood to her full height and drew in a deep breath before her commanding tone took over.

"I am Viola Conda, former military general and adviser to the king." her hand went to the hilt of her sword. "Dogs like you should learn not to bark so loud when the master is near. Show him to me." She demanded.

In the back of her head the tiniest idea gave birth, and she felt her heart skip despite the calm she showed on the outside. One way or another, her entire future was about to be reveled to her, and her destiny was hers for the taking.

[Lucifer Blight]

"The so-called Emprea general? Interesting." Lucifer said softly as he observed Viola's entrance from his seat in the darkness. His guards made hesitated, looking for Lucifer for orders. He simply sat there staring at the woman who had just entered the barracks.

"Well my lord, what do you think?" Trabant asked as he glided from the shadows next to where Lucifer sat. Somehow the man had managed to cross the whole room without being seen by the guards or Lucifer, which made Lucifer wonder if Trabant had been a master thief in a past life. Either way, his question deserved answering.

"I'm not sure. Why'd you bring her here?" Lucifer asked softly. Trabant just shrugged his shoulders.

"Even great men such as yourself need capable subordinates to accomplish their plans. I can vouch for this woman's skill." Trabant responded. Lucifer stood up and glared at Trabant, feeling as if the man had already dived into Lucifer's mind and revealed what the prince had not told a soul.

"Just how much have you figured out Trabant?" Lucifer spat as he gripped his sword and advanced towards Trabant. Despite the man's calm exterior, Lucifer could tell the man was sweating heavily and his face was pale. Trabant had already had his fill of danger for the day.

"I simply desire to serve you my lord. Test the woman, you will not find her lacking, nor will you my loyalty." Trabant said softly as Lucifer drew within inches of him. Neither said a word as Lucifer contemplated his next move. After several deathly quiet seconds, he turned towards his two guards who were still waiting for a command, and although Lucifer had been talking quietly he could see the puzzlement in the guards' faces. Either way, those two will have to go.

"I'm sorry, but when did Carthage soldiers grow to be such cowards? That woman just called you a dog, are you men or mice? Avenge yourselves." Lucifer ordered as the guards grinned and turned towards Viola. The odds were in their favor, and whoever this woman was she was certainly not too tough or they would have heard of her. Confidently they advanced towards Viola, their swords drawn.

"Now then, Trabant. Just how much exactly have you guessed?" Lucifer asked as Trabant grew noticeably calmer. Had Lucifer mistrusted Trabant, the strategist was sure the prince would have already ran him through. Lucifer was an angry and violent man, but he was not stupid.

It's now or never. Either I cast my lot with the king, or help the prince. This is a risk, but the rewards are too great. I'll not spend the rest of my life as an advisor with no real authority. Trabant thought to himself as the echoes of a sword fight filled the room. He had seen Viola's skill and he knew he only had a few minutes before the fight was over. He had to act fast to prove his loyalty to the prince, or else Lucifer might decide he wasn't trustworthy. People like that had a way of disappearing around Lucifer Blight.

"You desire what has been denied to you; what is rightfully yours. That is only natural. Still, you are watched by the king's men at every turn. In order to achieve your goal you need to be able to move unseen. I can help you with that, my lord." Trabant said softly, completely figuring out Lucifer's plan. Trabant was a cunning man, of that there was no doubt. Lucifer glanced at his sword one last time, then sheathed it as Trabant breathed a sigh of relief.

"And you desire power, something you'll never have under my father's reign. You're not content to just advise, you want to rule too." Lucifer stated, mostly to prove that Trabant was not the only one able to figure out what went on in the mind of another.

"The king plays favorites. I have more talent than ninety percent of his officials and yet I am reduced to a mere military advisor! I should be in command of an army or running an entire region yet I am reduced to giving advice! Even if my advice is heeded, the credit goes to the general, not to me." Trabant seethed softly, letting his true emotions show for the first time. He was a talented man, but also human. Like the prince, he too desired what was denied to him. Something that, at least in his mind, belonged to him rightfully.

"Then when I have what I desire, so to shall you. However, betray me and I'll rip you apart." Lucifer's last words were stated with the cold determination of a professional warrior. There was no bluff behind those words. Despite his best attempts to control his emotions, Trabant couldn't help but shudder.

"If I betray you then I will have no where to turn. The king will kill me for not turning you into Ares by the end of this battle. All my cunning is at your disposal, my lord." Trabant said with a bow. Lucifer could not help but smile. Trabant was an eloquent speaker as well as a mastermind when it came to intrigue. No wonder Lucifer liked him.

"Then let us talk about my plan." Lucifer said as the screams of the dying began to fill the small room.

[Viola Conda]

Viola watched the confusion on the two soldiers faces melt away as their lord beckoned them to battle. She drew up her blade hearing the sound of metal scraping against the scabbard and taking great comfort in its noise. She eyed each warrior carefully seeing which one had the initiative to strike first, and it seemed the smaller of the two with the axe in hand had the aggressive nature.

He dove in wildly with a bout of vicious swipes, keeping her blade tucked in forcing her hand and making her unable to retaliate in kind. She felt her back getting closer to the wall and licked her lips as she rolled under a wild horizontal swing. The axe bit into the wood and was lodged deeply in and she took her moment to stab inwards into the exposed gut of her target.

A spear dove out and knocked her blade aside as the other warrior ran to his friend’s aid, backing him up as he withdrew his axe from the post. He changed his stance to a boxed in hold, his weapon held closer and his movements more in time with the spear that was protecting him. It was standard two man pairing, where the warrior was backed up by the spearman to protect him from retaliation strikes. It was a very useful trick when one had room to navigate, but as this was the armory of the west wing Viola knew full well they didn’t have enough room to negotiate the terrain their way against her.

She skipped back behind two barrels, using them to block off a forward advance making only the spearman capable of reaching her. As they slowly moved in the spearman thrusted, and Viola smiled kicking one barrel forward. The spear cut into the wooden material and splinters flew out towards Viola’s face as she parried the blow. The axe wielder lifted his foot to stop the barrel from rolling and both men leapt forwards. Viola smiled darting backwards two more steps and getting behind another set of barrels.

Again the spearman thrust his spear forward trying to capture her, and again she kicked the barrel that she hid behind at them. The axe lifted high into the air and slammed downwards into the wood stopping it from being a threat. They advanced upon her but she quickly side stepped back to the front of the room. They both rotated on the spot back into their ready stance, but Viola gave them a wink and lifted a the torch upon the wall and tossing it at their feet. Both men looked down just in time to realize the barrels she had them destroy were full of black powder for the main cannons. They howled in fear as they tossed their weapons aside, both leaping to avoid damage, but they had no where to go as the powder covered the entire area they were in.

The air popped loudly as the two men instantly caught on fire, flailing around in the bright light as they shouted out in agony. Viola looked around the room and saw Trabant looking at his lord looking at the devastation with equal parts intrigue and disinterest. She took her blade and waited patiently for the flames to die down. As they were nearing their end she approached each soldier and stabbed them in the chest killing them with one stroke. She wiped the blood upon their clothing and sheathed her weapon, turning to the two men in the back of the room.

“Now that we have gotten my introductions out of the way, can you please introduce your lord to me, Trabant?” Viola stared the man down, meeting his gaze with her own. Slowly his eyes began to flicker in challenge, and she let her own hate fuel her glare. He gave her the thinnest of smiles as he nodded to Trabant whispering something to him.

“Viola Conda,” Trabant said happily. “I’d like to introduce you to the man who will forge your name in history forever.”

Viola let off a faint smile as she heard this, her heart still unable to stop beating wildly in excitement.

[Lucifer Blight]

"Ah, the prisoner of the pillory." Lucifer muttered as he stepped forward and looked at the woman before him. She had changed greatly since he had seen her last. Gone was the broken little doll that had been chained before him. Before him now stood a warrior of chaos. Her once shallow eyes now burned with hate and vengeance. He rather liked that.

"I remember you." Viola said as she stepped a bit closer to Lucifer. Her hand tightened on her bloodied blade as she remembered the way he had treated her. Her eyes flashed with rage and Lucifer let out a cackle.

"Oh, I do so love that fire in your eyes. It reminds me of me. So what do you want Viola Conda, Active Chief Counselor of Emprea? You could try and kill me. I ought to be worth something to someone. Would that sate you?" Lucifer asked her. Viola glared at him.

"No." Was all she said.

"I killed your king. Took his head clean off. Perhaps you'd like to avenge his death?" Lucifer said softly in an attempt to bait her. All the woman did was raise her eyebrows.

“Why should I avenge the man who threw me into a prison cell because he couldn’t take no for an answer?” She said softly, the hate and torment of the past days clear in her voice. Lucifer laughed.

“That’s why he cast you away? God, this country is so pathetic!” Spoke the prince with mad laughter. “Well, then Viola. What do you want?”

“I want...” She spoke softly as she reflected upon her past, “I want the glory that was denied me. I want revenge.”

As she spoke those words, Viola reached up and rather forcefully pulled at her hair. With a tug the braids there fell lose and her black hair fell over her shoulders. With a gentle flick she pushed her hair to one side and smiled sinisterly. In a way, she hadn’t pushed her hair to the side. She had pushed away her old self.

“Then you and I share a goal. Let us first bring your country to its knees, and then we’ll work on mine. What say you?” Offered Lucifer as he held out his hand. With a sadistic grin similar to the one Lucifer wore, Viola took the offered hand.

“You must disappear my prince. For this ruse to succeed, Ares must think you dead.” Trabant added in, the third member of the treacherous party. Lucifer’s grin became more malevolent than ever.

“Then I shall die. I think a glorious death would fit me. Something my fool of a stepfather can sink his teeth into. What is giving Carthage the most trouble?” Lucifer asked as the three formed a circle.

“You need not ask. Rachel Leona’s archers constantly stall our forces in the courtyard.” Trabant responded.

“Then they die, and I with them. Can you do this for me Viola?” Lucifer asked of the woman to his right. She smiled a sick smile.

“I can my prince.” Viola answered. “But I will need something in return.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Questioned Lucifer with no small amount of interest in his voice. Viola coolly lifted her sword and touched it against Lucifer’s neck.

“You, my prince...”

*~*~*~*~

“I grow tired of this.” David muttered as he shoved a dead Carthage soldier off of himself as Jonathan helped him to his feet.

“What? Me saving you?” Asked Jonathan as the two leaned against a nearby pillar. The Empreans had been pushed back into one of the halls, away from Rachel’s covering fire. At least that meant that Rachel had less to deal with.

“Of course not. I’m still one up.” Responded the Captain of The Guards.

“Nonsense. The third one didn’t count. We both saved each others’ asses.” Countered the Commander Of The House Knights. David thought about that for a moment and nodded.

“True. No, what I grow tired is this damned tug of war game. We push them a bit, they counter with a full rush. We get beat back to this hall where they can’t overwhelm us and so we push them back. Rinse and repeat.” David muttered as he adjusted his hair.

“It is getting old. Well, what are you thinking of doing?” Jonathan asked as he played with his sword a bit. It was a fine sword, a saber with a golden hilt as well a traces of gold around the blade. Tradition had passed it down from the first Commander Of The House Knights to the current one. Interestingly enough, his rival David King had a sword that nearly matched his, save it was decorated with silver instead of gold and passed down from the first Captain Of The Guard to the current one.

“Paul’s having the time of his life with Fenrir.” David said as he jerked his thumb towards his friend who had just cleaved a man in two with his giant axe. Paul accompanied this kill with a rather loud war cry which his wolves echoed.

“I’m sure Rachel is giving Carthage hell with Ullr.” Jonathan muttered. He spoke of Rachel’s silver bow, finer than any other bow carried by either Carthage or Emprea.

“Brian will no doubt use Mistletoe to slay Ares. If Brian’s still alive.” David added in. Though a kind name, Brian’s dagger Mistletoe would kill a man in a day no matter where the cut was landed.

“So I guess this means...” Jonathan began.

“We should use our weapons.” David finished as he held up a finger. “But we’ll do this in style Jonathan. With finesse.”

“You and your dramatics will get use killed one day. I swear it.” Jonathan muttered as the two sheathed their swords and confidently walked to the front of the lines. For what must have been the sixth time in an hour the two sides had fought to a stalemate.

“Half of everything is in the acting dear friend.” David joked as the two reached the front. Both sides eyed each other now; fifteen feet of bloodied ground separated the two.

“Dear Carthage, we grow tired of this.” David said smugly.

“So here we are, the Commander of the House Knights and the Captain of the Guards. Any takers?” Jonathan said, a bit less smugly and a bit more coolly.

It took a moment, but two heavily armored soldiers eventually made their way to the front. The armor was jet black with gold trimmings. David and Jonathan shot each other a smile. Commanders.

“There’s no way those two swords of yours can pierce our armor.” One muttered as he hefted a lance and shield. The other whirled a flail about, the spiked ball a sure death.

“Oh these things? They’re not our swords.” David said as he held out his hand before him.

“Certainly not. You’re up against two of the Six Heroes of Emprea; the best two I might add. These swords, well, they’re symbols of rank really. Fine swords, but not our swords.” Jonathan said as he raised a hand above his head.

Both armies shifted uneasily. Dark red energy began to form before David’s extended hand while a white aura began to trace the sky next to Jonathan’s raised hand. Paul began to give hushed whispers to the Emprean lines, he had seen this ploy before. Jake followed suit.

“Balmung. Hear me.” Jonathan whispered. The white aura coalesced into a sword.

“Tyrfing’s power. Experience it first hand!” David spat at Carthage. His hand reached into the red energy and grasped a sword.

The blades were as different as could be. Balmung’s blade was long and bright. Gold shaped into a small dragon’s wing served as the hilt guard adorned at the top with a large ruby. The hilt itself was wrapped in fine black velvet and it was clear by the length of the blade that it was meant to be used with two hands. Jonathan gripped the hilt with both hands and raised the sword to his eyes; a white aura surrounded the blade.

Tyrfing was far simpler. The blade was a darker metal than Balmung’s blade and the sword lacked a hilt guard. No cloth wrapped the hilt either, instead all David gripped was a plain wooden handle. Tyrfing was designed to be used with a single hand, and David gently swung it before him with his right hand as dark red energy played about the blade.

“Two opposite blades for two rivals.” Jonathan almost laughed as he crouched low.

“Ironic, no?” David almost joked as he stepped forward.

The two Carthage soldiers charged them. Jonathan took the one on the right as David headed for the one on the left. With a grin David dodged the morning star that came for his head as the red energy of Tyrfing flared up. David plunged the blade into the chest of the Carthage soldier; a look of shock crossed the Carthage soldier’s face as his armor provided no protection.

“Armor may as well be paper to Tyrfing. Be consumed by darkness!” David screamed in sadistic delight as his dark sword’s energy wrapped around him. The Carthage soldier collapsed.

Jonathan smashed his sword into his foe’s shield. The shield held. The Carthage soldier shifted his weight to counter, but was stunned when Balmung’s blade shortened before his eyes. Jonathan stepped in and slashed the man’s side with a blade that could now be easily held in one hand, but Balmung didn’t cut through the armor like Tyrfing. The Carthage man stumbled as Jonathan leapt back, his sword quickly transformed from a short blade back into its previous state. Jonathan smashed the man’s helmet off with his long sword and then twirled Balmung about. The sword grew another blade at its hilt, then both blades bent backward as a silver string appeared between the two.

“Ever changing. That’s the power of Balmung.” Jonathan said as he answered the question on everyone’s mind. An arrow of white energy formed as Jonathan drew back the bow. “Fade into the light!”

Jonathan fired the arrow straight into the man’s forehead. The man slumped over dead as Emprea let out a cry and charged. Carthage broke as Paul Donavan hefted Fenrir and slew a man with each swing. David and Jonathan smiled as Carthage was quickly routed. Each slashed their sword about a few times, and then just as they had appeared the blades vanished. Balmung faded into a white light, Tyrfing was devoured by the dark red energy.

“Works every time.” David laughed as he slowly strolled forward.

“Sooner or later we’re going to meet an enemy who isn’t completely thrown off guard by our antics.” Jonathan chuckled as he walked by his friend and rival’s side.

“I look forward to that day actually. It’ll be a good fight.” Was all David said.

“Me too. A battle to remember, for sure.” Jonathan added in.

*~*~*~*~

Briand McCorvan was not dead. He was very much alive, and perched high in the Emprean vault. He had patiently waited for this moment. His Nighthawks were with him, and each had remained carefully hidden as Ares had emptied the vault. The money didn’t matter. What mattered was that Ares died.

He couldn’t make his move with all the Carthage soldiers in the vault. There were too many to get in the way. But Emprea had a huge vault, and of course Ares had remained behind along with Macbeth to watch the last of the gold shipped away. Brian motioned to two of his men. They nodded.

The door to the vault slammed shut; Ares and Macbeth were trapped inside with but a few Carthage soldiers. The soldiers weren’t a problem. One Night Hawk swooped in from his perch atop one of the vault’s pillars and killed a man in one clean stroke with his sword. Another Carthage soldier died to a small bolt fired from a hand crossbow straight into his neck.

“My lord!” Macbeth shouted as he drew his large claymore. The man wore a solid suit of plate armor that shined with but a tint of blue. It was decorated well, the gauntlets and the helmet each had the design of a small dragon upon it. Brian ignored Macbeth for the moment.

“I see it!” Ares responded as a Night Hawk flung a sickle attached to a chain at him. Ares wore no armor, instead he had dressed himself in his royal clothes. Black and gold, the finest of silk. His long blond hair flowed behind him as he moved.

Agares Victus, the king of Carthage, had three children. Each had their strengths and weaknesses. Each had been used perfectly by Agares in his rule.

Paris Victus, the youngest, was a man of fair complexion. His calm blue eyes and pretty face put all at ease. The common man adored his grace and charm. The common woman melted at his touch. He was also a coward, completely unfit for battle.

Siren Victus, the second oldest, was a woman of peerless beauty. Her hand in marriage had been worth a fortune, and nobles from far and wide still came to pay her tribute. She could manipulate a man (and many a woman as well) to do exactly what she wanted. She was also most greediest person in all of Carthage, and spent more in a week than an average person would see in a lifetime.

Ares Victus, the oldest, was strong and well-built. He had a keen tactical mind and, save for his father, outranked all others. His title was Lord of the Army and it was not ill deserved. Lucifer thought he was a weakling that hid behind others but Lucifer was a fool. Ares simply chose his fights. This was one of them.

Ares grabbed the chain with one hand and reached for his sword with his other. His sword was a fine rapier, thicker then most. The golden hilt was adorned with priceless jewels, the blade made of mithril. With one clean strike Ares severed the chain. The Nighthawk moved forward and hefted the other part of his weapon. A heavy weight attached to the same chain the Ares had just cut. He flung it at Ares, but Macbeth leapt in front of the weight. His armor easily deflected the blow.

“Took you long enough assassin. I was wondering how much easier I would have to make it for you to show your face.” Ares spat as he held his sword before him. Macbeth covered his side with eyes eager for battle. Brian just leapt from his perch and bowed low while he played with a small dagger in his right hand. Ares recognized the weapon immediately. Mistletoe. One hit from that and I’m a dead man.

“I prefer a dramatic entrance, and I’ve always thought my actions were better appreciated with a smaller audience.” Brian joked as his men moved towards Ares and Macbeth. The Nighthawk commander had long waited for this moment, he had watch Emprea become bloodied and broken for this moment. It was time.

“Well now’s your chance. Nighthawks hmmm? Interesting.” Ares muttered as Brian drew himself up and walked forward. He still played with Mistletoe in his right hand and Ares watched it carefully. “Brian McCorvan right?”

“Ah, the Lord Of The Army knows my name? I’m honored.” Brian said with a slight chuckle as he bowed low again. This time he did not rise. Instead he twirled Mistletoe between his fingers, a dangerous game since one mistake would be a death sentence.

“I do. Now there’s something you should know about me. As my title states, I lord over all the army. I can call on any number of troops.” Ares began as Brian’s Nighthawks moved ever closer. Brian raised himself up and began to toss his dagger from hand to hand.

“Every Carthage expedition worth anything, and I assure you all our expeditions are worth something, is granted at least one squad of Carthage Assassins. A squad is but two people, always a man and woman. An age old tradition about completing one another. You understand this?” Ares asked. Brian nodded that he did.

“A single squad of Carthage Assassins is expected to equal at least a hundred men. They sabotage, kill, steal, break, burn, whatever needs be done. And I assure you, they are very good at their job.” Ares eyes narrowed, “Now then, how many assassins do you think the Lord of the Army can call upon?”

As he finished, several Nighthawks dropped dead from their hiding places. Men and women wrapped in red cloaks appeared in their places. The Nighthawks quickly began to shift their positions to deal with this new threat, but Brian’s eyes remained on Ares.

“A mistake on your part assassin. I don’t like being stalked, so let’s end this game of cat and mouse.” Ares spat as Brian tossed Mistletoe high into the air. Ares followed it with his eyes.

“What a cheesy line.” Was all Brian said as his left hand flew to his belt and extracted a dagger. His right hand caught Mistletoe while his left hand flung its blade at the head of Ares.

*~*~*~*~

Lucifer marched with hands in chains, Viola’s sword at his back and a dozen men in Emprean uniforms at his side. Viola’s smile was akin to that of a hungry wolf about to devour a baby lamb.

[Viola Conda]

“Forward bolt throwers fire dead ahead! Take out those heavy cavalry! Rear bolt throwers cover the front flanks in a fan formation no more than forty five degrees. All archers to the right! Hold them back, or I swear to god you will not like the world of pain I will cause upon your sorry asses!”

A chorus of the words ‘yes m’am!’ filled the air as Rachel sighed heavily to herself looking down upon her bow. It’s silver work was immaculate painfully crafted by a master artisan about sixty years ago. The condition it was held in was her commitment to her duty, always pristine and showing brightly in the fading sun.

“Repulse the attack on the left flank!” her second in command shouted. She, like Rachel, was a scrawny thing with immensely short black hair. Her eyes looked fearful of the situation at hand as she turned to her captain.

“Belay that order!” Rachel groaned loudly confusing her archers.. “All archers stay on the right! Paul and his wolves can feast upon the left flank.” She moved forward into her position and lifted her bow up taking careful aim. She focused herself and noticed a rather large enemy commander on horseback. His armor stretched down all the way and no bow fire seemed to be making a dent. He had several warriors surrounding him with huge war shields to protect him from the bolts of the war machines.

She held her breath for a moment before using all her concentration to center her mind on her prey letting her bow start to gather up mana in the air. As she pulled back white golden wires formed as a pure energy created the arrow inside the hold. She notched it letting the energy continue to form, creating a bigger and bigger arrow. When she felt she could hold no more she released the white energy.

It roared like a cannon as it flew outwards like a giant ballista. Any Carthage soldiers caught in the way were easily felled as it traveled outwards and onwards. It smashed through one of the shields with ease before slamming into the chest plate of the enemy commander. Blood cascaded outwards in a shower of gore before he fell off his horse dead. Shortly after the discipline broke as the enemy heavy cavalry retreated back while the line soldiers charged recklessly forward again.

“NICE SHOT!” Paul shouted into his orb. Rachel lifted the orb casually breathing heavily.

“Yeah, but god damn is it getting harder to hold the energies.” she muttered. “I’ve never had to fire Ullr so many times before.”

“You’re doing a great job, cutie!” Jonothan said lightly. “Just save it for the big ones and relax yourself.”

“That’s all that seems to be coming now. Carthage is getting a little bit annoyed with our defiance to fall over like a sack of potatoes.” she mused watching the front court go silent. She looked out past the gates and could barely see movement.

“Don’t worry Rachel, you still got us to watch your back.” David said coolly. The captain of the archers smiled to herself, just imagining David fixing his hair.

Before she could reply she heard the wolves howl again as battle was met once again. She pondered to herself where the hell Paul and his soldiers got the insane energy to charge forward into their lines over and over with the same enthusiasm as if it was their last charge.

“Right side is cleared!” one of her personal retainers said giving her a salute. She was as tall as Rachel, medium length brown hair with an exotic air about her.

“Thank you, Maria.” She said patting her on the back. “Let’s see how Hilde Spero and her men are holding without a hero of Emprea.” She walked casually with her guards, four woman who she trained personally and knew as well. There was her second in command, her best friend, named Katy Jucannon. Then there was her other childhood friend Maria Stormrider, she had parents who moved from Fallien to Emprea several years ago. The other two were people she met and trained in the course of her short tenure as Captain of the Archers were Megan Wilbur and Emily Price. In them she found similar interests and tastes.

That and they all loved to gossip.

“So…” Maria said pointedly.

“So what?” Rachel laughed.

“When’s the date?” Rachel shook her head. “Oh come on, it’s a lull and if you start barking more orders I’m going to collapse! I need this and you need it too!”

“Well…” The other three woman flocked to her at just the hint of something juicy. Rachel smiled to each one before whispering. “First things first, then I’ll spill the beans.” Rachel stopped the group looking to Katy. “Don’t you ever contradict my orders like you did again. Today is just one of those days I need blind faith.” Katy looked down to the ground.

“I just thought that maybe the left flank needed help…They keep getting hit hard.” she rubbed her elbows.

“Well that’s why they have David, Paul, and Jon!” Rachel chastised her. “If the three of them can’t hold the side, than a few arrows isn’t going to tip the balance either. Don’t worry about troop placement, leave it to me. Is that understood?” Katy nodded once and she looked to the rest of her sharpshooters. They all nodded once saluting her. Rachel nodded in satisfaction before dropping her glare into a grin.

“Some day in June. That’s all I’ve been able to get out of him.” Rachel’s eyes were alight with excitement. The serious attitudes on their faces melted like snow. They all congratulated her.

“Anybody know what happened to Viola Conda?” Emily said in a hushed tone. “Nobody knows or speaks of her anymore and it’s freaking me out.”

“I know, they wouldn’t tell me either.” Rachel felt bitterness well up in her. “Though now I think of it I haven’t seen her for two weeks…”

“She must have done something for the king.” Maria said passing it off as nothing. “Maybe taking a detachment of soldiers to Carthage and attack the king while he sits on his throne.” Rachel thought about the probability of that nodding.

“Maybe,” she admitted. “Weird she wouldn’t take us with her. We are her Heroes.” though she spoke with pride, it was not in a condescending manner. Each one of the Heroes of Emprea made it a matter of pride to aspire each day to fulfill the role that Viola gave them as an inspirational pillar to lean on.

“Well Paul’s too loud.” Megan said offhandedly.

“Jonothan’s needed with the house knights, so is David with guard.” Maria added.

“Speaking freely, we’re retarded without you here.” Emily voiced with certainty.

“So Brain McCoran is all that remains,” Rachel said. “But he wasn’t with her. He was with us.” they all shrugged.

“Look, forget that nonsense and lets get back to the real things we should be focusing on.” Katy said rapidly. “How’s the sex?”

“Topic change, please.” Emily said quickly with a groan. There was a general consensus on the matter. They hit the back wall and Rachel looked to see Hilde Spero running up the top steps. Despite being out of breath she looked to Rachel and saluted bringing herself up to her full height.

“M’am, you have got to hear this report!” she said excitedly.

~*~*~

“Is that the best the Master of Assassin’s can do?” Ares said boredly as he lifted his hand deflecting the dagger. Brian jumped backwards flat on his back to avoid a Carthage Assassin’s blade. Mistletoe lashed out and stabbed the warrior in the side. The warrior turned rapidly on one leg as Mistletoe was pulled out, but something in his body clicked and he fell over dead.

“Well, give me a little something better to work with than that stupid line you gave me.” Brian retorted rolling and scratching Mistletoe against the assailants boot. It didn’t penetrate and he cursed as he tossed his free dagger into their face. They dodged it with ease but another dagger pierced into their right eye as they fell over onto Brian dead.

Nighthawk assassins and Carthage assassins fought in a sea of red and blue, both tearing each other apart. All Brian and Ares could think was the amount of training, resources and good men were being wasted as they ripped into each other.

Yet Brian also knew that his assassins were not going to win. Carthage was just more ruthless. They didn’t care what it took to get the job done, stabbing blades into another of their own just to stab a nighthawk. Choking them down and holding them as their partner stabbed the prey. They fought like pack mates and this advantage was the deciding factor.

But he wasn’t without a few more tricks.

“Lord of the Army, if you have at your disposal all the troops of Carthage, who would then have all the control of all the tricks and traps?” Ares gave him a moment before grinning.

“Why the Master of the Assassin’s, of course. It would be his domain to control the means of which to find victory.” Brain pushed the dead body off him as he slowly got up, lifting a short sword with him. He took the blade and fought off two assassins who covered each other very well. Yet one scrape from Mistletoe meant they would die in a day, five or six scrapes meant an hour, a few good cuts would end them within minutes, one stab near the chest was seconds.

He found purchase in one’s shoulder, using their body as a shield as he pulled out the dagger and slammed it into the arm of the other warrior. Using the dead body to cover himself the other soldier eventually stopped moving before falling over dead.

“So the point I’m making is, when your facing the Master of Assassin’s did you think I would not have my tricks?” Brian pulled out a small orb from his jacket, a black orb with grey mist swirling inside it. Before Ares could order someone to detain him Brian tossed the orb onto the ground creating a dark atmosphere inside the vault.

Within the darkness the sound of battles became non-existent. Just pitch blackness. Ares could feel Macbeth’s unease as the general gripped his sword tightly.

“What trickery is this?” he spat. Ares kept his nerves calm as he patiently waited.

“This?” Brian’s voice echoed into the air. “I call it Perfect Dark.” Movement shuffled around as the nighthawks moved away from the Carthage Assassins.

“You see, my soldiers are trained in one time of day, as their name suggests it’s the nighttime. I force them through this gauntlet of perfect dark, training their senses to the max. This is a nighthawk’s natural home. In Perfect Dark they can move, coordinate, and fight without saying or muttering a single word.” Ares heard the sound of two bodies slipping to the ground.

“A parlor trick.” Ares said. “Nothing but a cheap trick to level a playing field. Go ahead, Brian McCorvan, play your little games. It will do you little good.” he gripped his sword. “You’re as good as dead to me anyways.”

[Lucifer Blight]

"So noisy." David muttered to himself as Donovan's Wolves tore at the enemy. He and Jonathan stood before a small table with a map placed upon it. Located at the back of the hall, their make-shift command post was far from perfect but it served its purpose.

"We could attempt to funnel some troops from the gardens around here. A quick flanking action. Might do some damage." Jonathan said helpfully as he pointed his finger and traced it around the map. David nodded in agreement.

"I don't think the gardens will last much longer anyway. I tip my hat to you, Commander." David responded fairly sincerely. He activated his communication orb and began to order the troops, but he quickly frowned as the orb turned from blue to red.

"It's never done that before." He said as Jonathan checked his own orb. The same red energy swirled about there as well. The two turned their attention to Paul who ran up to them with his orb in his hand.

"Hey, I don't know what I did but..." Paul began as he held out his orb like a child who had broken a toy and looked to their parent to fix it. A sly voice then began to echo from each orb.

"There now. Took longer than it should have but at least it's working. Can you hear me Emprea?" The voice asked softly. All three men looked to one another, then Jonathan held up his orb.

"Yes. Who are you?" He asked the unfamiliar voice. The communication orbs were only given to ranking officers and as such it was a rare occurrence that none of the three could recognize the speaker by his or her voice. The disembodied voice just chuckled.

"No one of consequence. This really is a wonderful device. Instant communication between all of your forces. No doubt a deciding factor in many a battle." The voice carried on as a look of uneasy spread from man to man.

"Still, don't you think it's a little risky Emprea? Using a device that communicates throughout the whole army. This of course means all orbs are connected to one another. Bit of a danger, wouldn't you say?" As the voice finished the communication orbs flared violently.

"What is this?" David asked the strange voice. The voice chuckled.

"A bit of a problem for Emprea. Ta-ta."

All throughout Emprea each orb burned brightly for but a moment. Then, all in unison, each and every communication orb shattered into a hundred pieces. For the first time throughout the entire war with Carthage, silence ruled the battlefield. Neither Jonathan nor David nor Paul made a move as shards of their orbs fell to the ground. Each and every officer in Emprea stared in mute horror as their main means of communication lay broken. Eventually it was Paul Donovan who summed up just how bad the situation had become.

"Shit." Was all he said.

*~*~*~*~

Trabant smiled as he dropped what remained of the communication orb in his hand to the ground. With a slight chuckle he ground the glass shards to dust with his boot as he looked to his right.

"Well done Fulgrim." Trabant said with a smile.

Commander Fulgrim, the man Renald entrusted the defense of Emprea's walls to and one of Carthage’s best spies, leaned against the wall with a grin on his face. He looked the same as he had before, save now he wore Carthage colors. His long red hair flowed over his shoulders, his green eyes were similar to the color of seaweed (that was how Paul had described them in any case). But everything about the man was different. His attitude, his tone, his movements. Even the way he talked.

“I do apologize for the delay in retrieving that for you. It was difficult. Emprea keeps close track of those orbs.” Fulgrim said as he adjusted his clothes to perfection. As an Emprean soldier he always left it a bit rumpled so Renald could correct him. That fool of an advisor had enjoyed that.

“No matter. Our men were able to figure out the spell and break it in time. That is all that matters. You will be rewarded for your work Fulgrim.” Trabant said as Fulgrim gave a graceful bow. His actions as an Emprean had always been a tad bit sloppy; the better to make people suspect him incapable.

“I can’t tell you how good it feels to cast aside that pitiful act. Why is it that the most manipulatable men are always the most simple-minded fools in existence?” Fulgrim asked as Trabant raised an eyebrow at him. Fulgrim just chuckled. “A rhetorical question sir.”

“Indeed. What with this and the most recent development, Emprea is all but finished. Your work was critical Fulgrim. King Agares will be pleased with you as well as your master. I imagine they’ll gift you with whatever you like.” Trabant said as he picked up a scroll recently sent to him, laughed, and handed to Fulgrim. He joined in the laugh and then motioned for Trabant to follow him.

“Speaking of gifts, I have one more for you. I rather enjoyed procuring this one.” Fulgrim grinned as he opened a nearby door. Trabant peaked his head inside the room and then lout a very long, very cruel laugh.

“Oh yes Fulgrim. You will be rewarded very well...”

*~*~*~*~

“WHAT THE HELL!” David screamed as he kicked a nearby bucket into the wall. The bucket easily shattered to pieces as David stormed about the hall. His usually cool demeanor had vanished and he raged about, his temper as lethal as his sword.

David King was famous for three things. First and foremost was his rivalry with Jonathan Andrews. Second, his cool tactical mind under most circumstances. Lastly, he was famous (or rather infamous) for his rants when he lost that cool tactical mind. His troops had learned that the best way to handle their captain’s temper was to simply let the man rant.

David was also famous for his hair, but that was mostly something he told people. It may or may not have actually been true.

“How in the name of King Horus’s BUTTHOLE, did they get their filthy little hands on a communication orb? Do we pass them out like candy? Perhaps a little boy went trick-or-treating and as we had no candy, for lord knows just how sweet VIOLA’S FREAKING ASS IS, we gave them an orb!” David whirled about and punched over a nearby table while Paul chuckled. He found that last remark rather funny.

“WAIT! Perhaps it was my bitch of an ex! Maybe in an effort to pay me back for forgetting her birthday just one time she decided to ROYALLY SCREW US! In a romantic sort of JUST BEND THE HELL OVER AND TAKE IT SORT OF WAY!” Paul and Jonathan both found that one funny.

“No, I’ve got it! We must have run out of things to throw at them! Some moron, most likely Renald with his OH SHIT I JUST WET MY PANTS look, thought it was a rock! A rock that has been near essential to every Emprean battle since the first king said ‘Duh, me likey sharp pointy sticks! Cause that’s all a tetsubo is, you know? A pointy freaking stick! Shit, what a stupid weapon. Seriously, who saw a giant club and said ‘I bet it’ll work better with pointy stuff.’ No shit it’ll work better with pointy stuff! Who uses a fricking bat with nails as a royal weapon?”

David cursed, swore and blasphemed. He cursed the gods and the devils, he swore at the sky and at the ground. He blasphemed his king and his superiors as well as both Carthage and Emprea. He kicked a table, punched a wall, slashed at a tapestry and then spat in a bucket. Well he tried to. The fact that he had broken the bucket several moments ago made him even more angry.

“This is just like the time Paul and I used that warhorse to flank the enemy! We were all like ‘come on dude, we got this.’ Then we return to our lines and we went ‘hey, where’s that horse we rode in on?’ Jake! Where was that horse we rode in on?” David asked as he spun around and pointed at his second-in-command. Somehow Jake managed to keep a straight face when he responded.

“Charging through our lines SIR!”

“Which is why we do WHAT?” David screamed at the top of his lungs. It was Paul who fielded this question.

“Destroy all kingdom property in the event of capture or risk of it falling into enemy hands.”

“Exactly! It’s not hard! The damn thing’s a glass orb for crying out loud! Paul’s broken five of the damn things!” David shouted as he stormed across the hall. Paul’s face turned red. In actuality he had broken six communication orbs, but he figured it was best not to mention that.

“Look, is everyone watching? This is how you break something!” David spat as he grabbed a plat of food and angrily tossed it against a nearby wall. Victor Spero gave David King a very sad look.

“I was eating that...” He moaned in a way similar to the way his daughter moaned when things did not go her way. As things often did not go her way, she moaned quite often. This only infuriated David more.

“Shut up! Thanks to your klutz of a daughter I’ve a damn spear wound in my right foot! You know how it feels when a girl asks me how I got my scars? I point to my shoulder and say ‘that one was from a duel.’ I point to my chest and say ‘that one was from a daring charge into enemy lines.’ Then I point to my damn foot, which still BURNS LIKE BRIAN’S COOKING, and say ‘got that one from an eighteen year old girl during practice.’ You know what they say then? Hero of Emprea MY SWEET ASS!” David finished his rant with a solid punch to the wall. He then took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Next he adjusted his hair and looked at Paul and Jonathan.

“Does that about sum up how screwed we are? Cause if it doesn’t I can rant a bit more about just how sweet an ass that girl hand.” Each and ever soldier broke into a fit of laughter as Jonathan walked over and patted his friend on the back.

“That, was a damn fine rant.” He told David with a smile.

“Easily a eight or nine out of ten.” Paul chimed in.

“But if you’re done, we really should come up with a plan.” Jonathan finished as David walked over to the map and pointed at several spaces. Jonathan nodded in agreement while Paul just looked on with a dumb expression.

“Good idea.” Jonathan muttered.

“If we can relay the messages.” David said back as the two began to discuss troop movements. Eventually Paul gently tugged on Jonathan’s shoulder.

“What’s a good idea?” Paul asked softly.

“Retreat.” Jonathan responded as he began to count out his forces.

*~*~*~*~

“Ares?” Macbeth shouted as he swung about in the dark widely. Ares just stood his ground and listened to the echoes of battle.

“Remain calm. I am fine.” Ares ordered as cries filled the room. Brian’s little trick had shifted the tide in Emprea’s favor and although the Carthage Assassins were well trained it was clear by the cries that the Nighthawk’s had an advantage in the dark.

No matter. I am the Lord of the Army. Second only to the king. This little ploy cannot stop me. Ares thought smugly as he felt a blade rush by his head. He heard a scream as the blade passed, although he could not be certain who had been hit. All Ares did was simply continue to wait.

All I need is one strike. Brian thought to himself as he deftly moved throughout the darkness. He clutched Mistletoe tightly in his hand as he moved. He swung not once at any target, instead he moved like a shadow through the night. All he needed was one strike with his dagger and Ares would die. Perhaps then the battle would shift in Emprea’s favor.

“My lord we must regroup! We cannot find under these circumstances!” Macbeth pleaded as his sword sliced into a nearby soldier. Whether it was a Carthage or an Emprean, Macbeth would never know.

“I await you McCorvan.” Was all Ares said. Brian was ten feet from him and approached him from the right. Ares did not move an inch. Brian watched a Nighthawk attempt to close in on Ares and grimaced as a lucky swipe from a Carthage Assassin cut the Nighthawk down. That the Carthage Assassin was slain by another Nighthawk almost immediately gave Brian no comfort.

Five feet now. Brian had shifted to behind Ares and circled him like a hawk. He gently spun Mistletoe about and moved in closer. As if Ares felt the air around him change, the man whipped around and raised his sword high. But no blow came, for no matter how hard Ares looked he could see nothing but the night.

One strike to the heart. An instant death. Strike true Mistletoe! Brian thought as loud as he could as he plunged his dagger into Ares chest.

Nothing. No blood trickled from Ares, no moans of pain. Brian did not even feel the blade enter Ares, but he was certain he hit his mark. A fatal blow to the heart.

Ares smiled as he grabbed Brian by his arm.

“I found you little mouse.” Ares said as Brian tried to free himself, but Ares held him tight. Brian felt a sharp stab of pain in his chest and a sharp fire race through his belly. He grunted in pain as Ares withdrew his sword from Brian’s chest. The darkness faded as Brian felt his concentration break.

“Did you really think I would be unprepared? Do you take me for a fool? You are not the predator Brian McCorvan, you are the prey!” Ares shouted as he twisted Brian’s arm. Mistletoe fell to the ground as the Carthage Assassins, who could now see as clear as day, descended upon the Nighthawks.

“You thought I would face down an assassin without a plan? You thought I would wade into battle against a man whose dagger could slay me in a moment without taking the proper precautions?” Ares sneered as he ripped open his shirt. There a metal shinned with the same brightness as his sword. Mistletoe had not left a dent in the shirt made of mithril that Ares had worn underneath his clothes.

“You had the opportunity of a lifetime Brian McCorvan, and you blew it. You didn’t do enough research, did you assassin?” Brian shot Ares one last look of defiance and then, as the last Nighthawk fell, Brian’s life left him. Ares dropped the corpse to the floor as his men gathered around over the fallen body of one of the Six Heroes of Emprea.

“Get the door open.” Ares ordered. Instantly his men obeyed. With a curious eye Ares leaned over and carefully picked Mistletoe up off the ground. Cruelly he wiped the blade clean on Brian’s shirt and then placed it in its sheath.

“A dagger that guarantees a man’s death. This could come in handy Macbeth. This could come very in handy.” Ares whispered as he tucked Mistletoe away.

*~*~*~*~

“Not enough.” Jonathan spat at David. David just glared back at him.

“No choice. We need to tell these men to fall back. Since we cannot use our communication orbs we must relay the message by hand.” David said as he pointed to the map.

“And Rachel?” Jonathan whispered in his darkest voice. David pointed to a passageway on the map.

“Cut off. Take the long away and avoid the enemy.” David said softly.

“That will take too long King! She could be overrun any minute!” Jonathan whispered to David. All of their men stood back as the two commanders glared at each other.

“Then hurry.” Was all David said.

“The fastest way is through there!” Jonathan now shouted as he slammed his finger down on the map. David shook his head.

“You know as well as I do Carthage has a foothold there.” David countered.

“And you know as well as I do we can break it! We have broken far larger groups than the one there!” Jonathan shot back.

“It cannot be done Jonathan! We cannot break through their lines and warn the others! We don’t have enough men!” David screamed as he slammed his fist down.

“You’re sacrificing Rachel and all of her men! We assigned her there and we have a responsibility to get her out of there! You said it yourself. We do not sacrifice our men.”

“I’m not sacrificing anyone!”

“Bullshit!”

“Okay, sure why not? I’ll just tell the men’s families that we really wanted to save them but we decided just didn’t have enough men. Oh wait, we do but you won’t save them. Wait, I can’t even tell their families that because all the civilians that made it in here are being protected by those men. Ooops. Sorry guys. Commander of the House Knights didn‘t let me.” David swore as he threw up his arms in frustration. Jonathan grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close.

“That is something you forget David. I am the Commander of the House Knights. You’re superior. My command. We break through to Rachel then spilt up. Those are your orders.” Jonathan finished as David shoved him away.

“I refuse to follow such stupidity!” Both men glared at one another.

“Then you are relieved of your command David King.” Jonathan said softly. David’s face turned red.

“Like hell I am! I say your emotions cloud your judgment! You are the one unfit for command!” David said with clenched fists.

“You don’t have the power.” Jonathan’s face turned hateful.

“Like hell I don’t! You’re letting your feelings for her cloud your judgment! You can’t be in command in your state!” David’s features turned down right twisted.

“And you’re letting your failure cloud yours!” Jonathan spat back as he pressed his finger against David’s chest. David’s eyes went wide at remark.

“I what?” He demanded.

“You heard me. You lost. Your plan failed. So now what David? We cut and run?” The soldiers murmured amongst themselves as a look of pain spread through David’s face and Jonathan knew he had struck a truthful cord.

“What I do I do to save Emprea.” David muttered as he held his chest as if it were in pain.

“What you do you do to save your pride. You risked it all and lost, so now you won’t risk anything more. A poor reason to let a soldier die David King.” Jonathan as David punched a nearby wall. Both men were right, but being the men they were, neither were willing to admit it.

“You’ll sacrifice our men out of love.” David spat.

“And you’ll sacrifice her men out of fear.” Jonathan countered.

All grew quite. All grew still. Then both men reached for the swords at their belts.

“We’ve none to turn to settle this Jonathan. No higher ups. It falls to us to find a way.” David said sadly.

“Then our path is clear.” Jonathan said in a tone that matched his rivals.

“Fight in the streets.” David said softly as Jonathan shook his head.

“Fight in the streets.” Jonathan echoed.

“Wait!” Screamed Paul, for he knew what that term meant to the two. “Fight in the streets” was their friendly term for a duel. But this would not be a friendly duel. Paul rushed forward, but he was too slow.

Steel versus steel. Silver versus gold. King versus Andrews.

Sparks flew as the two parried and thrust. Each a match for the other. Both weaved about to the awe of their troops, a sad dance that could only end in tragedy. The death of a hero and a rivalry.

Or at least it would have if Paul had not brought down Fenrir and batted away both men’s swords.

“ENOUGH!” Paul shouted. “While you two bicker our men die! God damn it, grow up!”

And that did it. Both men looked at one another. Both realized what they had nearly done and shook their heads.

“I won’t sacrifice her. Take the men you need.” David said softly.

“Uh, hey...” Paul began in a sheepish voice.

“I won’t leave our men to die. What do you require?” Jonathan said in the same tone.

“Guys?” Paul tried again in a whisper.

“You take Paul and his wolves. The remains of your forces as well.” David answered.

“Seriously guys.” Paul echoed.

“There are some areas I can reach along the way. I’ll divert my men along those paths back to you.” Jonathan finished.

“PLEASE GUYS!” Paul screamed. David and Jonathan turned to look at him. He sweated nervously, which was understandable since the moment he had brought down his axe both men had summoned their blades. Both Tyrfing and Balmung were pressed against his neck; a terrifying prospect for any man.

“Next time be more careful.” David said as Tyrfing vanished into a red swirl of energy.

“Retard bashing against us will get you killed.” Jonathan muttered as Balmung disappeared in a white flash of light.

“Commander!” A voice shouted. A very wounded House Knight, helped by a Guardsman, stumbled forth. The man did not waste time.

“Elliot Hawk, sir!” The man said with a quick salute. He brought himself up as best he could. “Reinforcements sir! From Caliben!”

A loud cheer erupted. Men began to shout for joy and smile. All except for Elliot Hawk. He looked like someone had just ran over his dog.

“No sir!” The man gasped. “Not ours. Carthage’s. Fort Caliben fell.”

All fell silent with a broken heart. All save David and Jonathan. The two just looked at one another and clenched their fists, their eyes alight with determination.

“We have to hurry. Emprea’s future is in it’s people Jonathan!” David said as he looked towards where the map had been.

“And as we will see them safe! We will save them! Save them all!” Jonathan echoed. Then Paul let out a loud cheer. Naturally his wolves followed his example and screamed as loud as they could. Then the House Knights. Then the Guardsmen.

Their shouts carried to a nearby group of Emprean soldiers who were broken and bloodied. But they looked to one another and smiled. They screamed too. A lone sentry, who struggled to find his way back to his unit heard the cry. He shouted in joy and another unit heard this shout. They shouted in joy too.

And like a fire it spread. All of Emprea screamed as one in defiance of Carthage. A cry for the future. A cry of hope. For but a moment, Emprea shinned brighter than it ever had before.

“Oh for God sake.” David muttered softly once the cries died down.

“Seriously Paul? I mean, really?” Jonathan spat as he playfully slapped the back of Paul’s head.

Red with embarrassment Paul hefted Fenrir up, the map the axe’s sole casualty.

“Okay, so if I said I was really, REALLY sorry...” Paul began.

[Viola Conda]

“Fenrir swing true!” Paul prayed as his blade cleaved through heavy armor. The Carthage soldiers blood sprayed over him and he twirled slamming blade first into another heavy infantryman’s visor. More blood sprayed around him as he continued to swirl until all the surrounding infantry were dead. He looked up to see his warriors fighting savagely, despite being impaled multiple times on lances and swords.

“Jono!” Paul said to his friend.

“Little busy.” he mumbled pushing a soldier off his sword before rotating in and shoving his blade underneath the torso where the leg joints and chest plate met.

“That’s what I want to talk about. At this rate, we aren’t going to get anywhere.” Jonothan pushed the body off his sword and sighed as Paul took out a charging soldier.

“I know dammit!” he said. “I’m needed up here but I can’t stop thinking about Rachel. I need to know something is being done.”

Fenrir came down with such force it made Jonothan’s heart skip as a cavalryman was thwarted. Paul jumped in momentum with the sword pulling it back up and spinning like a top until his blade cleaved the chest plate wide open.

“Than may I suggest something?” Paul said irritably. Jonothan lifted his sword and stabbed a soldier in the side as two of his house knights flanked him. He looked to Paul and motioned for him to speak.

“Let me and my wolves go.” he said in his most serious tone. “I know that I am a screw up, that I’m loud, obnoxious, and break things,” Jonothan lifted his hand moving in and embracing his friend. This in turn confused the hell out of Paul.

“Your just the thing I need. If anybody is going to get to her it’s you and your obnoxious wolves! Go, go get her! I’ll bring word to the others of the retreat.” Jonothan turned and gave him the nod to get moving as he ran off to join his house knights.

“And here I was thinking I needed a flowery speech to beseech my case. Ha! COME WOLVES!” Paul howled. “Into the throat of the lion we go!” His men echoed his war cry as they rallied to him, and like the tip of a spear it wedged through a pocket of Carthage soldiers with ease charging towards Rachel’s position.

~*~*~

Hilde turned back towards the stairs and Rachel’s jaw dropped down in amazement.

“Oh my god.” Rachel said in shock as she watched Viola Conda leading a Carthage general forward at sword point. He was chained and tied up, his eyes looking furiously to all the Emprean soldiers. Yet Rachel cared not for the prize she brought, but that her commanding officer was back. Unable to contain herself she ran forward and slammed her body into Viola’s.

“Captain Leona!” Viola said awkwardly pushing her back. “Conduct yourself in a professional manner!” Rachel backed away and looked to her beaming. Viola felt her heart twinge to see her again, her pride scratching the towards the surface as her bitterness tried to held it back.

“Sorry, it’s just Renald came in and wouldn’t tell us anything about you or what happened! We were worried about you but then Carthage attacked and well…you can see how we have been busy.” Rachel spoke rapidly. Viola smiled gently lifting a single hand to silence her.

“Do not concern yourself with where I have been. We now have something very special here.” She pointed to the Carthage General.

“Hey I shot him!” Rachel shouted unceremoniously. Lucifer looked her in the eye before spitting in her face. This caused many soldiers to rush him, but Viola kept them away as the soldiers protecting him fanned around him making a circle..

“Knock it off! He’s a royal prince!” she bellowed. The Emprean soldier’s spines had to have cracked in the sudden stopping motion as they obeyed her orders. Her pride resurfaced again to see the discipline her men gave her. “Second company, back to your stations! Carthage will not be happy to know we stole their prince.” Rachel wiped the spit from her face glaring daggers into Lucifer’s eyes. She rolled up her orb to her face and thumbed a rune.

Then it exploded.

“WHOA!” Rachel shouted dropping the stem as the only resource keeping Emprean a float was stripped away. “That wasn‘t a good thing.” Viola’s eyes widened in shock. “Could have been Paul, he breaks everything.”

“No. An idiot he may be but he only breaks his things, not the entire armies.” she said passively fondly remembering the time Paul had broken his first communication orb. His face was redder than an apple and his tone so scared like a kid who put his hand in a cookie jar. Viola was about to chastise him, punish him, then garnish his wages for a replacement, but one look into his watery eyes and she just laughed in his face. The mighty Paul Donovan was scared shitless of Viola’s wrath for breaking his orb. She just garnished his wages tossing him another one.

Rachel turned aside as Emprean soldiers began to bring up barrels and crates. She looked to them oddly as Viola gestured for Rachel to follow her. The Captain of the Archers snapped into attention and followed her leader.

“The center lines are holding brilliantly, and it seems the two corridors are held off in a choke hold. Congratulations by the way. This is no small feat.” Rachel bowed respectfully. “But our work is not done. I’m intimate with the knowledge I gleaned off of Lucifer Blight and I found out what plans Carthage has going into motion. I want to bring up more of soldiers to this place to defend while we set up a time to parlay with the enemy leader for his life.” She thumbed towards Lucifer.

“I understand.” Rachel replied coolly as she turned to one of her sharpshooters. “Go and get Paul and his wolves, they will be useful in gathering up these barrels and crates.” The soldier saluted and ran off, but before she reached the stairs all of Emprea seemed to cheer for some unknown reason. It was a mighty powerful wave of energy that infected the soldiers, making them cheer as well as the archers lifted their weapons up and screamed. It was a scream of defiance at Carthage and Rachel felt her own hand lift up.

She noted that Viola didn’t join in.

“I wonder why we all just screamed like idiots.” Viola said tersely. “Let’s just shout really loudly and provoke the enemy. That’s a brilliant strategy.”

“It was probably Paul’s fault.” Rachel mused shrugging her shoulders. “He’s infectious. The guard and the House Knights won’t ever act like a fool, but when Paul’s in the area, fighting and throwing his weight around like a tyrant of the battlefield, the other soldiers just get this urge to perform better as well. Not like the rivalry between David and Jonothan, just a savage, passionate fury.”

“He’s going to get the whole army killed this way.” Viola replied. “He’s a loose cannon.”

“That loose cannon has kept the moral of my archers up and I can only assume the moral of Jonothan’s knights and David’s guards as well. He may be loud, obnoxious, and a complete idiot, but people look to him when the going gets tough. His grim demeanor, his face scowled in defiance, it makes these people think they aren’t throwing their lives away for nothing.” Rachel chided.

Viola gave her a dark look. “Maybe we are.” Viola muttered only to herself. Rachel leaned in closer and Viola waved her away. “Donovan’s a fool. He’s a half decent soldier with no concept of military strategy and he only butts his head in on matters shouting and screaming with no clue why. He argues with everyone and the headache he causes is more than I can handle. That’s the truth of Captain Donovan, Rachel. He’s a tool that is just worth more trouble than he is.”

“Oh and one other thing, Paul Donovan is just a soldier.” Rachel chided. “He lost his position screaming and howling again. He argued with everyone that moved and bellowed and acted obnoxious to his commanding officers. If he was standing before the King he would have barked at him as well.”

“Oh? About what? Why he couldn’t lead a charge into Carthage’s lines?” Viola snapped. Rachel remained quiet, her eyes glaring into Viola’s.

“No m’am.” Rachel said darkly. “He lost his position because he was trying to find you.” Rachel turned away from her to monitor the archers on her wall.

Viola’s heart bounced for a moment. That fading flickering past self of hers resurfaced for a glimmer of a moment and she could feel the conflict tearing her heart asunder. She had thought nobody was missing her, nobody was looking for her. That even the other five heroes of Emprea abandoned her, but with what Rachel said she knew deep within herself that she did not lie. She could picture David and Jonothan approaching the king and inquiring, all the while Paul shouting at each counselor and general until he got an answer he was looking for.

This gave her pride in her heroes, pride in her friends. If for not one reason to fight Carthage for Emprea, at least fight for her friends. She had Lucifer Blight, a powerful pawn she could use. Ideas surfaced into her mind until she looked back at him. His eyes were full of hatred and spite, and Viola lifted a hand to her hair.

Viola shook the feelings aside. “Then he obviously disobeyed orders and ran his mouth off at someone important this time.” Rachel looked to her and narrowed her eyes in suspicion before shaking her head sadly.

The two stood side by side as they watched the courtyard being loaded up with supplies. Her eyes scanned the procession and shortly they landed upon a towering figure in dented, scratched up and torn asunder armor. His air of excitement, his rage, his animalistic fury emanated from him like a sickly aura as those soldiers near him echoed his emotions. His eyes were locked upon hers and she felt her heart spark again to see him.

“Donovan.” She whispered.

“He missed you.” Rachel whispered back. “You’re the only one who yells at him.”

“He’s going to get a mouth full this time.” Viola muttered, half seriously, half heartedly.

“Look to the stars and howl your thanks to Lady Luck my wolves! Your leader has returned to you!” Paul shouted lifting Fenrir up into the air. His men mirrored his motion as they shouted cheers for her return. Viola felt the pride of being Active Chief Counselor swell in her heart.

“That’s enough, Captain Donovan!” she said tersely. She couldn’t help but smile.

“Ah, my Counselor!” Paul bowed low in supplication. “I am but a lowly soldier now. It seems I ran my mouth off one too many times!” he shook his head lifting up. “Guess that means I owe you a drink.”

“And me!” Rachel added.

“Anyway, I have urgent news for you guys. Fort Caliben has fallen. Carthage reinforcements have already arrived. It’s a done deal. David and Jonothan have ordered a retreat.” Paul pointed behind him with his thumb. “Move out, we gotta go.”

“Excuse me?” Viola said sternly. “What do you think you are doing, Mr. Donovan?” Paul gave her a confused look.

“Uh…following orders?” he guessed sheepishly.

“Well disobey them.” Viola said flatly. Paul looked to her confused.

“Um, but it’s a direct order. Emprea is falling fast.” Paul whispered.

“Did David know we have a Carthage prince? Did Jonothan know that I have arrived to take over?” Paul shook his head. “Then go back and you tell them not to retreat. We’re holding these corridors with our lives. I have a plan in motion that will end this war in one smooth motion.” Paul looked to her and grinned wildly. He kept looking to her and then he turned his wolves.

“Send a runner to tell them we aren’t retreating!” His wolves echoed a cry of challenge as one ran off to alert their commanding officers.

Paul turned to Lucifer and his wolves backed away to let their commander have time with his prey. The two men glared daggers into their eyes before Paul curled his lips into a snarling grin. Lucifer in kind showed his own teeth as the two softly began to chuckle to each other. Viola watched with keen interest. Before her were her mixed emotions, her feelings on the matter at hand. Paul represented her pride, Lucifer represented her conviction.

“So, Prince huh?” Paul mumbled. Lucifer nodded. “Guess they have a low opinion of your life.”

“Yeah,” Lucifer admitted nodding to the point with a cruel chuckle. He looked to Paul crossly. “Heard your gutter trash recently. A common nobody, soldier boy.”

Paul’s fist flew out slamming into Lucifer’s face, blood spurting out his nose as he landed on the ground. Viola ran forward with Rachel as the two pulled him away, his rage only held in check by the two women pushing him back.

“Let me tear his throat out!” Paul barked.

“Yes, let him fight me so we can finish what we started!” Lucifer spat blood on the ground. “I don’t need my arms to defeat an Emprean dog! You don‘t have to untie me!”

“Conduct yourself professionally!” Viola shouted to him. Paul gave her a sorry grin.

“I’m not in a position of power anymore. I can conduct myself like a lunatic if I want!” Paul pushed forward a foot. “I’m just a common soldier now anyway.”

“Knock it off you moron!” Rachel shouted to him. “I swear I’ll hit you!”

“Bet it would be a harder punch than he can throw!” Paul challenged to Lucifer. The prince rose to his feet taunting Paul forward, but his wolves moved forwards in defense of their commander’s pride. Emprean spearmen rushed forward to hold them at bay as they howled like madmen.

“DAMMIT DONOVAN CONTROL YOURSELF!” Viola shouted shoving Paul back. She couldn’t have known she had hit the spot where Resentment had stabbed him, and the pain it caused dropped him to his knee as he fell back. “You’re wounded?” she asked confused. Rachel bent low and looked to his shoulder.

“Dumbass!” she chastised him. “You opened your wound again.” Viola looked to Lucifer who was dragged back by four spearmen, the rest beating at the wolves with the shaft of their spears to push them back.

“Order!” Viola called. “Dammit Paul! Your madness is infectious! Call them off!” Viola said angrily.

“WOLVES!” Paul cried out. As one they all slowly backed away. “Await you orders.” he said angrily looking up to Viola.

The two looked at each other and she saw his wild spirit in his eyes, but as he looked into her he found something in them he wasn’t sure he saw before. Before he could say something Viola moved away towards Lucifer.

“Donovan, help the archers moving the supplies.” Viola snapped. “Quickly, we already wasted enough time with your idiocy.”

“My idiocy?” Paul repeated in a whisper. “Whatever,” he grumbled to her as he stood up. “Come wolves. We got work to do…” he glared to Lucifer.

“Good little lap dog!” Lucifer said. “If you behave you may get a treat as well!” Paul broke off rushing him, but Viola stood before Lucifer and Paul.

“GO!” She shouted. “THAT’S AN ORDER!” Paul grumbled before turning his back and walking away.

~*~*~

“STUPID WORTHLESS LITTLE CUSS!” Fenrir slammed down onto a table shattering it cleanly in two. He brought his weapon up overhead and brought it back down decapitating a fallen statue. “SMUG CARTHAGE PRICK!”

Paul Donovan had none of the dramatic flair David had when he ranted, though he was known for a few good ones in his day, Paul Donovan instead just vented his fury like any other human being. He broke things. In this particular case it was an armory. Emprean soldiers were carrying out all the boxes marked supplies and he just sat on a chair, his energy spent for the moment. He thought about the recent development with Lucifer, and the second he saw that smug grin in his mind’s eye he lifted Fenrir up and brought it down into a wall. A large chunk had been broken into it and he tensed his muscles ripping his blade out.

His wolves just watched. They didn’t fear their commander when he was like this. They instead took it as a lesson. Watch him and how he swings his sword. The perfect apex, the right arc, the right power for maximum destruction. So easy. Yet they knew this martial perfection was beyond them. They weren’t nearly as angry as he was.

“UGHHH DUMB RETARTED BASTARD BLACK SHEEP!” Paul shouted as his blade slammed into one of the crates. Powder fell out from the barrel and the soldiers all ran from the scene. As he turned about he found two people standing before him, there own faces a mask of rage.

Hilde and Herald Spero stood shoulder to shoulder in front of Paul and he lowered his weapon in curiosity. Both remained silent and in this tension Paul at last broke.

“What do you want, you cretins?” Paul spat irritably. “Are my wolves needed?” Hilde shook her head while Herald kept his eyes deeply focused on his commander. “Then what do you bother a perfectly good temper tantrum with?”

“Sir, as you know the reports about fort Caliben came in, and well…” Herald started.

“Noel was stationed there, sir. Our daughter.” Hilde finished. Paul took a moment looking into both their eyes. He was a bit confused at their straight forward mentality in the moment, both neither flinching from him.

“I am sorry for your loss,” Paul said sincerely. “Yet I fail to see what your asking of me.” Hilde lowered herself in a bow shortly followed by Herald. When they stood up they took out there swords and placed them pommel first at his feet respectfully. It was the custom in Emprea to lay your sword at your commanders feet when requesting to be released from service. Should a commander lift the sword and put it into your hand you were declined your leave. But if he consented you to go there was no coming back.

Paul looked at the swords and sighed deeply. “I’m not even stupid enough to think me and my wolves could take on all of Carthage ourselves. You both want to kill Carthage for the death of your daughter, but I can’t honestly do that. We need every good soldier we have.”

“With all due respect sir,” Herald started.

“If you hand us back those swords we will stab them through you.” Hilde whispered darkly. Paul’s wolves all barred their teeth at the threat, but Paul motioned them down. He looked to both warriors and nodded slowly. “As you are aware, I am not a captain, I do not have the authority to release you from your duties.” They both remained stationary starring into his eyes coldly.

“We dropped our swords at our commander’s feet.” Hilde said softly.

“We will not look to any other as our commander.” Herald lifted his hand up saluting Paul. Hilde followed suit.

“You two are dismissed from your duties.” Paul said loudly so his wolves could hear. “In my unit, when someone has wronged us on the battle some swear a blood oath of the hunt. They become my champion on the field of battle seeking out the strongest, mightiest enemies. In this way can they not only satisfy honor, but also give meaning to their hearts before death. I bestow upon you both the title of Lone Wolf.”

Hilde looked to Paul and then smiled softly. “You just made that up.” Paul shrugged grinning.

“Sounded cool though.” Paul joked patting them on the shoulders. “Go, kill all who stand in the way of your fury. Die fighting, die remembering your daughter’s honor in holding Caliben as long as she could. Die well.” Paul saluted them, and all of his wolves snapped a salute to them both.

The Speros saluted back and held it for a long while before turning and running off towards the thickest pocket of Carthage soldiers.

“BACK TO WORK!” Paul bellowed and his wolves hastened back into good working order. Paul took one last look at the two soldiers, before picking up their swords and placing them upon his belt.

[Lucifer Blight]

"How cute." Lucifer mumbled as the two Speros gave a quaint little speech about how they were so sad that their daughter had died and how they couldn’t go on living without her. Or something to that effect. He hadn't really paid that much attention.

"Spero. Sounds familiar." Lucifer muttered more to himself than anyone else. As the two were about to leave, Hilde heard him and walked over towards where he sat in chains. She glared at him and, contrary to use usual nature, he just smiled back. Perhaps a bit more sadistically than the situations warranted.

“What was that?” The woman barked at him. Lucifer mulled the name over as he thoughtfully chewed on his lip. Pain shot through his mouth as he chewed, his teeth worsened the wound Paul had recently given him. But he savored the pain. He enjoyed it. The better to fuel his hate.

Then he remembered the little errand Ares had sent him on. Before the siege of the castle Lucifer had been in charge of reinforcements sent to finish off a fort. It had been a show of power, nothing more. The fort was near-death by the time Lucifer had arrived; the men he brought merely sealed the deal. More than anything it had been a way for Ares to demonstrate his power over Lucifer.

“I remember a little girl.” Lucifer said gleefully. “Tiny little thing. Green eyes. Very young.”

I must thank you Ares. Your little errand shall prove useful. I shall kill you twice. Lucifer thought as he watched the woman’s eyes go wide. A gruff hand grabbed his neck and lurched him up. He snorted a bit as Herald Spero breathed down his neck.

“Something you needed before you go off and die?” Lucifer asked the man as Herald’s hand gripped Lucifer’s throat.

“Tell me everything you know.” Herald spoke in a dead whisper, the fire of an angry father burned within the man’s eyes. Lucifer just shrugged and obliged the man.

“Don’t remember the name. Just what she looked like. Last officer left standing when the fort was overrun. The rest had an unfortunate action of the explosive nature.” Lucifer chuckled. A spy Carthage had planted in the fort had done his job well. The entire officer core save the girl Lucifer spoke of had died before the battle for the fort had even begun, or so the reports said

“Get to the point!” Herald shouted as he slammed Lucifer up against the wall. Several other soldiers turned their attention to Lucifer and many of them began to inch closer. Lucifer just rolled his eyes.

“As you like. Let me think. Burned the fort, killed a bunch of people. Oh, most of her men abandoned her if I recall correctly. But in all honesty, you really shouldn’t have high expectations of an eighteen year old. She did well to hold as long as she did.” By the time Lucifer was finished, he was on his back with Herald’s foot on his chest. Lucifer grunted in pain and then continued.

“Right, right. The fate of the girl. Let me think for a moment.” Lucifer’s face suddenly became very cruel. “Ah, last I remember a rather angry Carthage officer said something about branding her a Carthage whore. Or something like that anyway. I definitely remember a branding iron being involved.”

In all truth Lucifer didn’t actually know what happened to Noel Spero. He didn’t stick around for whatever the Carthage officer had planned. He did know that the officer’s pride had been hurt by Noel’s defiance and the officer’s military career all but destroyed. That made for a very angry man.

Lucifer grunted as Herald tossed him about the room. He fell to his knees as the enraged father delivered a swift punch to his stomach. Lucifer would have pointed out that Hilde was also being very unlady-like, but he could not for he lost his breath when she elbowed him in his ribs.

“You know, for a city of so-called heroes you aren’t very heroic. Beating up a man in chains.” Lucifer spat as he took another punch to the face. But his words had their desired effect. Both Herald and Hilde looked at one another and their look said more than enough. This wouldn’t bring their daughter back.

Herald kicked Lucifer one more time before the two went off to seek their deaths.

“You know,” Lucifer began as one of Donovan’s Wolves walked by, “Over the course of my time in your country I’ve seen you lock up you best officer because she refused to marry your king, beat up a man who can’t fight back, and open your gates to save people at the cost of everyone in the country.”

Lucifer’s smile turned very twisted as he noticed Rachel and Viola were not to be found anywhere nearby. He had become very bored with his role as a prisoner and thought it was a time for a change. Besides, he didn’t like the way Viola’s eyes shined whenever she looked at Paul and Rachel.

A bit of chaos would fix this problem right up.

“I’m pretty sure this is the most pathetic country I’ve ever had the pleasure of crushing. That girl’s lucky though. Better a Carthage slave than an Emprea dog.”

That did it. The wolf flew into a rage and pounced on Lucifer. The prince’s head jerked to the side as the he felt his face contort from the enraged Emprean’s blow. He fell to the ground and spat blood as several Empreans rushed to pull the wolf off of Lucifer. That only served to enrage all the other wolves whom quickly moved to help their comrade. Things quickly became disorderly.

Lucifer rolled to the side as one of Donovan’s Wolves nearly trampled him. A man grabbed him by his hair, but that man was soon tackled by another Emprean. Shouts for Viola and Rachel quickly began to ring out as the situation turned ever more grim. Lucifer ignored the pain in his side and face as he rushed towards one of the Emprean soldiers who had brought him here.

“For god sake someone call these damned wolves off!” Katy shouted as she shoved her way through what had become a fistfight.

“Get Viola! These damned animals won’t listen to any-” Emily began but could not finish. A rough chain wrapped itself around her neck. Emily choked for air as the chain tightened and pulled her away from her men.

“Oh my. It seems I have gotten free.” Lucifer chuckled, his shackles on the floor save for the chain in his left hand.. His face was bloodied, his body was sore. But the blows had been worth it, the pain served a purpose. The Empreans that Viola had brought with her quickly cast off their Emprean colors to reveal the Carthage Emblems on their chest. Lucifer laughed as he held out his hand and a loyal soldier passed him Resentment.

“Let me see. I believe someone said something about a fight.” Lucifer said as he tightened the chain and choked Emily. “Well, I’m ready. If it‘s not too much trouble, could one of you wolves go get that piece of garbage you call a commander? If you‘re not too busy beating the snot out of each other and letting me escape that is.”

Emprea scrambled for their weapons; too little, too late. Carthage had the element of surprise and they used it well. As wolf and archer scrambled for their weapons and reorganized themselves, Carthage cut them down. Lucifer laughed as he wallowed in the bloodshed.

“What. A. Pathetic. Country.” Lucifer whispered in Emily’s ear as the screams of Emprea quickly spread through the courtyard.

[Viola Conda]

Nighttime had long fallen over Emprea, the moon unable to cast its glow over the entire land as black smoke clouds reached up to the heavens like dirty talons of a demon. There was a pause, as much a pause as could be expected in a war zone, where there only slight skirmishes. Both armies had fought hard, Carthage paying a bloody butcher’s bill for each inch they gained, but for every inch Carthage gained Emprea lost a dozen soldiers. Soldiers it could ill afford to lose. A solitary patch of the moon looked down upon the central courtyard where the smoke didn’t obscure the area.

“M’am,” Rachel said to Viola in the softest of tones. Viola ignored her for a moment, looking out over the land of Emprea with a keen eye of conflict. Slowly she turned to look at the Captain of the Archers motioning for her to continue. “I was wondering what happened to you.” They both scanned the area to see if anyone was looking.

“I told you not to concern yourself with it.” Viola replied back, saluting an Emprean soldier that dropped off a few arrows into a bin. “It’s not that important.”

“It is to me, to us.” Rachel said moving closer. “We’re your friends above all else, and we were worried about you. It’s not every day that the Emprean Chief Counselor just ups and disappears, replaced by god awful Renald.”

“He replaced me?” Viola raised an eyebrow at the name. She hated Renald and all of Emprea knew it. “This country really is in dire need of an overhaul.” she muttered scratching her head and yawning. She was tired, her muscles sore from being used in excess after so long of inactivity. She lowered her stretch down and noticed Rachel’s eyes were still looking to her for answers.

“Look, it’s not important.” Viola said more forcefully. She looked to Rachel and felt her pride sting. Rachel deserved the truth, but currently she was fighting for her country. If she had found out what happened to Viola she would be devastated and broken. Her will to fight for her country cast aside forever. This then sparked a dark thought, a spark so subtle yet strong she lifted to her full height giving Rachel Leona a once over.

Lucifer was about to embark on the greatest challenge of his life, maybe he could use four heroes to help him out with his plans. Four heroes who were well renowned for their ability to fight far greater odds than a normal human can handle. The more she thought of it the more it made sense. Rachel would hear the truth, be broken, but then with a gentle nudge she would be persuaded to join. She in turn would convince Jonothan, and the weight of those two on David would make him submit as well. Paul Donovan would do whatever Viola said, unquestionably like some sick twisted zealot. Brian, the last hero, was most likely dead, yet if he lived he would join knowing all his friends joined her. The six heroes of Emprea didn’t have to die.

She suppressed the cruel smile she was forming and turned her back to Rachel.

“The truth is ugly, Ms. Leona.” Viola said in warning. “It does not paint a beautiful picture for this country.” Rachel stepped forward placing a gentle hand on Viola’s shoulder.

“This country doesn’t look all that pretty, m’am.” Viola looked to her, checking her convictions and feelings. She looked ready to hear the news, but fundamentally unprepared for their impact. Despite all this Rachel stood tall and prepared.

“About two weeks ago the king summoned me. Not unusual, just a bit out of place. We were preparing for a war and I had just sent you, David and Paul to Fort Caliben. Brian was off training his nighthawks and Jonothan was with the house knights on reconnaissance.”


“Yes, that was the first time we noticed we were all separated.” Rachel said nodding her head.

“Well King Horus had a private audience with me. He looked to me like he had this grand plan in his eyes, but there was a certainty that was unnatural.” Viola trembled remembering King Horus’ smug expression when she saw him. So vile and unlike him.

“He told me about his thoughts on the coming battle, and then he began to talk of the future of Emprea. He said that Emprea needed a strong person to stand at his side. Someone who could look after the citizens while also looking after the king.” Viola sighed deeply. “I was so absorbed with my duty I couldn’t understand what the hell he meant. Then he was blunt. He asked me to marry him and be queen of Emprea.”

“Oh my…” Rachel breathed. “He…he really asked you?” Rachel was confused. “That was rather sudden of him. I didn’t know he had those feelings for you.”

“When your king you get into the habit of liking something and demanding to have it. He wanted a warhorse one day, and in his stubborn way he got it. He wanted a new throne, he got it. He wanted to get married to me, damn well he would marry me. Or so he thought.” Viola began to grow bitter. “For the first time he made a choice where other people were concerned. I refused him. I told him no. He stuck me in the pillory of the sleepless for two weeks.”

Rachel’s jaw dropped as did the arrow she held in her hand. She was flabbergasted and she took a step back. She tried to speak, but could only bring a hand up to her mouth. She blinked repeatedly in a stupor before she at last find some words to choke out.

“I…I never knew…” She breathed. “No wonder your so upset.” Rachel looked to her with sad eyes. “Had we known, had we an idea and we would have stormed the prison! None of us would stand for it! This…THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!” She shouted. Viola let herself slide into a small smile of triumph. First emotion is shock, second emotion is anger.

Rachel looked around, unable to hold her feelings inside kicking a barrel over. “Who the hell does he think he is? He’s a king, sure, but to LOCK you up for a stupid reason like that? I…Don’t believe it yet…King Horus is famously stubborn. He would look to the sky and say it’s brown and argue the point for eternity…” Rachel’s face was contorted with mixed emotions as Viola stepped forward placing her arms on Rachel’s shoulders.

“I know. I felt betrayed and alone. Two weeks in the pillory of the sleepless rattled my mind.” Rachel shook free from her grasp.

“He stuck you there during a war!” Rachel said incuriously. “WE NEEDED YOU! DAMN HIM!” She kicked over another barrel. “This war would have been different with you!” Rachel whined. “So many lives could have been sparred.” she broke down and sat on a log. Third emotion, confusion.

Viola stepped forward.

“I wasn’t released by Emprea, Rachel.” Viola said darkly. “I was left to rot and die all alone with only my memories to keep me company. Yet I was rescued. Someone saved me and brought me out of the darkness into the light.” Rachel looked to her, her attention devoted solely to her. “Do you know who didn’t abandon me? The one who saved me?”

Rachel shook her head, but shivered at the malice in Viola’s tone. Viola leaned in close to her, able to smell Rachel’s air and she held there for a moment, at last whispering softly.

“The enemy Prince, Lucifer Blight.”

Rachel’s jaw was left open as she stood there, trembling. “I was rescued by the enemy commander. He saved me from my own isolation and offered me something I could never have with this army.”

Rachel began to have tears drop down her eyes. Viola let the words sink in before she whispered so softly it was as if she never spoke.

“Revenge.”

Rachel broke away from her, wiping the tears that continued to flow. She looked to her encampment and then to Viola, seeing the barrels lined up along the walls over the corridor roof, in the main courtyard. She looked down to see the soldiers resting underneath these barrels, and she began to shake her head in a fit of terror.

“No, No, No, No!” Rachel chanted like a mantra. Viola stepped forward holding her hand out to Rachel, her face full of serious intent.

“Yes, I handed the prince this courtyard and the corridors as a token of my thanks. Emprea was dead anyway, it wouldn’t matter if we retreated. Carthage would have slaughtered us all! It is mercy I am showing this army. To die a swift, painless death instead of on the swords and axes of Carthage. You know I speak truthfully!”

Rachel’s face contorted with mixed emotions before she collapsed over the wall, her stomach purging as she threw up. Viola walked to her, patting her on the back and stroking her hair. “I don’t expect you to understand my feelings. I don’t expect you to appreciate what I have done. But you wanted the truth, and I have given it to you.”

“I don’t get it…” Rachel whispered sickly. “Why, why are you trying to kill us? We didn’t do it, it was the king’s fault!”

“No, Emprea did this to me!” Viola said angrily as if this should have been evident. “I gave my entire LIFE to this rotting country! I served it dutifully and without question! I defeated countless armies, routed countless enemies! I did it all for a pathetic country that cast aside their only hope in stubbornness!” She grew angry kicking the same barrel Rachel kicked over. “My THANKS,” she screamed. “Was being placed in a fucking pillory to rot for eternity!”

Rachel looked to her with such sad eyes, terror hinting her features as she trembled at Viola’s wrath. Never had anybody heard Viola speak so darkly of her country. Viola looked back to her, her eyes burning with bitterness and rage as she glared at Rachel. “All this is no longer an issue!” Viola said forcing herself to remain calm. “What matters is the future.”

“What do you mean?” Rachel asked, despite her wishes to end this conversation and go back in time to stop it from ever happening. Viola, despite the tension, smiled sweetly.

“I speak of you and Jonothan. You both don’t have to die. You can still be married. It’s still something I want to go to and see. Real love, not some spur of the moment garbage.” she held her hand out again. “I can save us, save us all! The heroes of Emprea need not die!” her tone was enrapturing, full of honey and a measure of truth. “Paul, David, Jonothan, you and I can all serve prince Lucifer! He plans to destroy his own nation for they spurred him like this nation spurred me! Join us! Join us and live Rachel Leona!”

Rachel looked to the hand and to her commanding officer, seeing the truth of her words. Her heart was being ripped asunder and Viola stood there with her hand out waiting patiently for her to take it.

The question of betraying her country wasn’t even in her mind. All of her instincts, her thoughts, her guts told her to take the hand. Viola was wronged, Paul was wronged, this army was destroyed by petty childish actions. What the question was: Was this a country with values she felt like fighting and dying for?

Rachel hesitantly lifted her hand up.

~*~*~

“Well lookey here!” Paul whistled bring up a long halberd to his face. It’s sheen was glimmering in the torchlight, it’s shaft made of a precious metal and fine leathers. He ran his finger along the side of the blade’s curve, noting that even the softest trace would most likely prick his skin.

“Duty’s Pride.” He said happily patting Viola’s true weapon on the side. She like the other heroes of Emprea had her own weapon, her true weapon, to call her own. Duty’s pride was made of alloys not known to anyone in the area, crafted by the first blacksmith of Emprea during the demon wars of Althanas. It was given to the king as a show of faith, but he in turn passed it off to his best friend, the first Chief Counselor of Emprea. Rumors had it when the Emprean Chief Counselor used it the blade would cut through anything and so long as the wielders convictions were true it would also sustain them to perform their duty.

He placed the weapon upon his back in the holder meant for Fenrir. He knew Viola would want this back. Many a time he had fought her in practice, Fenrir coming up short each time, but he smiled nonetheless after every battle. He didn’t mind losing to someone like her; someone with purpose and determination to perform their duty. He wanted to emulate that. But one look at Fenrir and he smiled wolfishly. His way was far, far more fun.

“Fighting in the courtyard! It’s an ambush! Carthage soldiers are surrounding Lucifer and he’s killing all of Rachel’s Sharpshooters!” A wolf shouted running into the near empty armory. His wolves looked to the messenger before they all turned to their leader with expectant faces.

“INTO THE TEETH WE HUNT!” Paul snarled as he ran forward picking up Fenrir. The soldiers howled in excitement for the coming battle and the sound of battle was clear as day. When they hit the stairs they found several dead wolves and archers lining it with far too few Carthage soldiers. Paul’s ire was raised as he saw the bastard prince laughing wildly as his sword cut out and killed another Emprean soldier. He had in one hand his bastard sword and in the other he was choking the life out of one of Rachel’s sharpshooters, Emily.

“RIP OUT THEIR THROATS!” Paul bellowed pointing forward. “NOT A SINGLE CARTHAGE SOLDIER SHALL BREATH! HUNT MY WOLVES, HUNT!” They fell upon Carthage like a whirling dervish, hacking apart anything they came in contact with. “KILL THEM FOR EMPREA!” Paul hefted his axe up to his shoulder running forward towards the back of the courtyard as he searched for Rachel.

Two of his wolves descended upon a Carthage pocket, their blades taking down five men before they died. Four more wolves picked up where they left off, slamming bodies into each other as they slammed fists, weapons and bit and tore at the enemy. Paul moved with Fenrir, taking calm strokes to finish off several soldiers at once. As he moved forward he found something very complicated in his way.

After slaughtering another soldier the mad prince turned with a look of pure malicious excitement on his face. He licked his lips where Paul had punched him and he tossed Emily to the side. If she was dead or unconscious Paul couldn’t have been sure.

“At last, little puppy!” Lucifer said lifting his arms up to the air. “We have our stage for our final confrontation! Chaos makes for a great theatrical conclusion, does it not?” Paul lowered Fenrir to his hands as he began to shuffle around slowly looking to Lucifer who did likewise.

“What’s going on?” Paul whispered. “How did he escape, and where did these soldiers come from?” Four Carthage warriors ran in on Paul’s side and without even thinking Fenrir roared outwards knocking them all aside.

“I salute your strength!” Lucifer said mockingly. “But I already fought your berserker king and triumphed over him. His head is probably still rolling around on the floor of his throne room.” Paul grinned.

“Than I have a challenge to look forward to!” Lucifer lowered his blade for a moment.

“No care, just like that? Your fire is admirable!” Lucifer lent his hand out. “How would you feel about joining me?”

“HAH!” Paul laughed lifting his head up as if thinking. “Hmm, nah. I think I shall pass, but tell you what!” Paul responded. “Your aggression is enrapturing! Why don’t you join me and my warriors as a wolf! I’ll even let you lead a hunt!”

Lucifer returned the sarcastic expression of contemplation.

“Run around like a foolish dolt? Be the ridicule of the entire nation? Never amount to anything more than a pawn? SO TEMPTING, ARGH!!! I JUST CAN’T MAKE UP MY MIND!” Lucifer charged forwards with blade held out. Paul lifted the shaft of his axe to deflect the blow like a staff as Lucifer kept things close and personal. “Maybe a little shed blood can help me clear my thoughts!”

“Bloodthirsty bastard! I have no time for you! I have to get aside!”

“No time for royalty? But you can’t leave now! The fun is just beginning!” Lucifer laughed as his blade found a cut along Paul’s arm.

Paul felt his blood boil as he was pushed on the defensive, unable to get a form of offense going. “Your nation is pathetic!” Lucifer spat. Paul kept himself focused on the fight of his life. “Come on, show me that strength and anger!” Lucifer called out. Resentment continued to find purchase in his skin and Paul realized that at this rate he was going to die. He had thought it over and thought of his promise to Jonothan. He had to succeed or he would never be able to look his friend in the eye again.

At last Paul let his aggression take over and he pushed Lucifer back dropping Fenrir to the side. One hand gripped the bastard sword by the blade as his other hand came in punching Lucifer in his mouth. The prince reeled but Paul pulled him back in by the sword and punched again pushing Lucifer back only to bring him in. He ended with a violent uppercut, snarling as he did so. Lucifer’s feet lifted up from the ground and his hand released his sword as he fell flat on his back.

He tossed the bastard sword aside as Carthage soldiers ran to the aid of their prince. Paul’s wolves howled madly as they formed up behind him ready to kill on command. Rachel’s archers all supported him as well as they formed up behind the wolves with notched bows. A battle line was formed between the two commanders.

Lucifer turned to his side lazily spitting blood out of the corner of his mouth as he pushed himself back to his feet. He lifted a hand up in warning as he waved his soldier’s aid away. Paul did the same to his wolves, who all knew the signs of a duel when they saw one. To jump in on this fight would only bring them shame. Paul kicked Fenrir behind him where a wolf picked it up and held it for his master.

“You know, I didn’t think the King of Emprea deserved an honorable duel, but you,” Lucifer said evenly as he lifted a hand to his neck and cracking it before getting into a low aggressive fighting stance. “I think you deserve the honor of dying by my bare hands.” Paul cracked a grin as he stood upright lifting a hand to his back and he began to unclasp his armor. It fell to the ground at his feet where he kicked it aside. Lucifer did likewise as both men wore only a loose leather vest as their armor. It would mean nothing to the blunt force of their fists.

They paced like caged animals, each moving cautiously. Paul felt the wound on his shoulder burn, Lucifer’s hand instinctively lifting to his chin where he wiped it with the back of his hand. With a snarl of wrath they both snapped into action as they roared their hatred for the other. The two collided in a heap, Lucifer going low and lifting Paul up by his knees over his head. Paul fell flat on his back but rolled his feet upwards pushing off the back of his hand nipping up to his feet and turning lifting his right hand. He deflected the blow Lucifer shot at him following with a wild haymaker.

The mad prince lifted his arm to block the blow and the two threw fist after fist at the other, each man blocking and retaliating as they cursed and spat the other’s name. Paul at long last grabbed Lucifer’s arm and rolled into him tossing the prince over his hip slamming him hard into the ground. He held onto his grip, slamming bare knuckles down at Lucifer. The Carthage General rolled aside and the impact on the stone made Paul pause as he retracted his wounded hand bringing up a quick block. Lucifer kicked him in the stomach doubling the wolf lord over as he brought his knee up into his jaw.

Blood flew outwards into the air as Paul reeled back in pain, grabbing his chin. Lucifer charged forward, his shoulder slamming into Paul’s chest knocking him over onto his back. He circled the wounded Emprean captain, taking his time as he eyed a vital spot. He stomped Paul’s ankle, making the warrior cry out in agony. He went to his upper arm and stomped his muscle making him spasm in pain. With a weakened arm he kicked the wrist out and stomped the tender area. Paul’s eyes were wide with tears of pain as the prince laughed wildly, kicking Paul in the stomach.

When he went to kick again Paul grabbed his foot tightly in his good arm and cradled his grip with his weakened hand. He rolled to the opposite side and Lucifer lost his balance, his face hitting the stonework floor with pain as his vision flashed black and white at the impact. Paul rolled onto the mad prince’s back and grabbed his right arm and wrenched it upwards at an unnatural angle growling like a wolf. Lucifer howled to the blackened skies his agony.

Lucifer managed to get one knee situated where he could roll Paul off him. He quickly scampered away, tripping on his feet and Paul grabbed him by his black hair, pulling him back as his other fist slammed into the back of Lucifer’s skull. The prince was twirled in the wolf lords grip as he grabbed his head, the pain unbearable as Paul’s knee slammed into his stomach. He lifted both arms over his waist and pulled up tossing the Carthage warrior over to the other side of their makeshift arena.

Donovan’s wolves howled wildly as they lifted Lucifer back up and pushed him forward, Paul’s fist slamming into Lucifer’s face as he reeled back into the wall of flesh. They pushed him back and Lucifer ducked low bringing his knee up. It caught Paul off guard and he doubled over. Lucifer grabbed Paul’s face and slammed his knee deep into the Emprean captain’s face repeatedly. Paul was dazed as he stood up, Lucifer sizing him up for his final blow. When he swung out Paul tossed his arm out wildly, slamming his fist into Lucifer’s. The impact broke one of his fingers and he cursed loudly as Lucifer cradled his own injured fingers.

They looked to each other, spitting blood out of their mouths as they glared daggers into the other’s eyes. The hatred emanating from them made the two armies stand back for fear of getting caught in their wrath. Paul lifted up his chin and charged forward.

“I’LL DEVOUR YOU!” he screamed, feeling all his hatred for the Carthage bastard behind him. Lucifer growled to his opponent as he lifted himself up to prepare for the charge.

“Just so you know, when I put down a dog I put it down for good!” He seethed angrily as he brought his hand up in a fierce uppercut. Paul took the blow, his face screaming in agony as blood pooled down his face. He pushed through the pain as he lifted one hand up into Lucifer’s gut, the prince’s eyes wincing a fraction of an inch. He repeated this with his other hand and Lucfer doubled over as blood fell onto Paul’s face. He brought his hands boxing Lucifer in the ears and bringing up his knee right into his nose. Lucifer lifted up and fell right onto his back, weakly glaring at Paul Donovan .

“Not.” He coughed up blood. “Bad. Wolf.” he said collapsing.

There was a subtle pause in the moment, both armies looking at the two in shock at the brutality of what they just witnessed. Then Paul curled his fists tightly bending backwards howling to the moon his triumph. His wolves echoed his howls as they ran forward, Rachel’s archers loosing arrows into Carthage as they scrambled to retrieve their prince and continue the mayhem.

Without even taking a moment to pause he ran towards Rachel scooping low and grabbing Duty‘s Pride.

~*~*~

Ullr lifted up to Rachel’s hand as she un-strapped the legendary bow from her back, the silver shining brilliantly the moonlight. She pulled back on the string and a small strip of energy formed from in front of it.

“I am sorry m’am, but I cannot walk where you walk. I cannot be callous and heartless to this country like you! Emprea has its glaring flaws, but I grew up here, I fought with these people you are so casually going to kill. It’s not the ideals of Emprea I am being loyal to, it’s the good people I swore a duty to defend! So I must decline your offer.”

Viola looked to her, seeing that pride in her eyes. She was till conflicted, unable to think clearly, but her pride in her nation gave her the clarity to at least act. She saw her standing there with weapon in hand, and she cursed loudly to herself.

“I didn’t want to do this.” She said softly to her former friend. “I cared for you people! I protected you! Do you know what I endured for you!” her tone rose with each declaration.

“It all means nothing now, now that you throw it aside!” Rachel shouted back. Viola stamped her foot angrily.

“Fine, than burn with this miserable country!” Viola lifted her sword out and jumped to the side. Rachel’s shot nearly killed Viola, her fame at the bow clear as day. She had once thought it was foolish to fight Rachel when she had her bow, now she was that person she thought a fool.

She rolled forwards to keep Rachel as close a possible, but the captain was smart running back as fast as she could. She fired off multiple shots, a rain of white and blue light that hit Viola, but it wasn’t nearly enough to hold her back. The bow needed time to gather up mana to create a bolt big enough to kill a person, these shots were like twigs upon her skin.

Viola chased her, trying to corner her, but Rachel kept her feet always moving. Not once did she pause as Viola had trouble cornering her. It was only when the master plan of Lucifer went off that Rachel paused.

Explosions lit up the sky as the Emprean Courtyard was engulfed in a conflagration. The corridors fell down and the Emprean soldiers beneath them were crushed and killed in moments. Debris lifted up into the air creating a dusty fog that washed out over the land like a swarm of locust.

Rachel lifted her hand up to avoid dirt in her eyes, running off to the side. Viola was upon her in moments. Her pause was all the former Chief Counselor needed to close the gap. With the range defeated Rachel’s eyes were full of fear. Viola lifted her sword up and brought it down upon Rachel, hitting her deep into her flesh.

Rachel screamed out in agony as tears streamed down her face. Viola stood up, looking to her with contempt as she glared at her.

“I didn’t want this.” She breathed heavily. “I wanted to take you with me! Dammit!” she pulled the blade out causing Rachel to cough up blood. “I loved you! All of you! I offered you my heart and you spat on me! You cast me aside just like this rotten country!” She shook her head irritably. “Such a waste, such a foolish waste.”

Rachel’s eyes lost a bit of life, the fear softly disappearing. She continued to cry, but didn’t make any sound. At last her mouth coughed up blood as she said weakly.

“You…won’t get away…with this…” Viola gave her a look of confusion. Rachel’s eyes slowly shut and Viola just shook her head. Then she felt something tingle down her spine. Her body felt pressured as if something was glaring at her, and she felt like daggers were piercing into her lungs.

Slowly she turned around to see the hulking form of Paul Donovan seething at her.

[Lucifer Blight]

Lucifer hated many things. He hated this country, he hated his own country. He hated his family, he hated his family's friends. He hated not getting his way, and he hated losing. Yes, he hated losing above all else.

And being punched in the face. He hated that too.

"This is why I don't duel," Lucifer muttered as he rolled away from his men and snatched up his fallen sword. He cradled his face, now a bloody mess, as he distanced himself from the fight. "Emprea can keep its honor. I'll be content with victory."

He quickly grabbed a fallen Carthage soldier and placed him next to one of the supply crates. Of course, as almost everyone in the room must have realized by now, some of these crates carried no supplies save gunpowder. Fire was already coursing through the area, but he had to make sure chaos reigned for a bit longer.

Lucifer strapped his armor to the dead soldier and grabbed a torch. With luck, and an advisement to Ares from Trabant, this dead soldier would be mistaken for Lucifer's corpse. After all, the fallen soldier was wearing the armor that Trabant had given to the prince only a few hours ago. As for the discrepancies in looks, well, there were ways to take care of that.

The prince tossed the torch into the air and made a mad dash towards a room off to the side. Seconds after he dove inside, the courtyard erupted in another explosion, sending soldiers from both sides sprawling across the battlefield. Lucifer was certain it also charred the corpse next to the crate beyond recognition.

He chuckled as he stood up. Of course, there was a chance that someone had seen him make his escape, but that problem would soon be remedied. In this room there was a large cache of powder, and he had every intention of turning this entire courtyard into a fireball with it. He would then make his escape through one of the secret supply passages that Emprea was so fond of using.

Imagine his surprise when he turned the corner and found Viola, Rachel, and Paul. Well, he had expected to see Viola here. That was part of the plan. Rachel was not a surprise either, he had seen her follow Viola in here. Of course, Viola was suppose to have killed the girl, and as Rachel lay motionless on the floor while blood stained Viola's blade, Lucifer could only assume that it was a mission accomplished.

That blasted wolf though. Always showing up at the worst possible time. At the gate, in the courtyard, and now here too. It was if the man had some sort of built in ability to be at the wrong place at the right time. The prince doubted it was on purpose; the man was too stupid to have such foresight.

Still, this was a dilemma. Clutching Resentment, Lucifer weighed his options. His presence was unnoticed so far; a short dash and there would be one less hero in Emprea. But if I do that...if I do that... He thought as he concealed himself in a nearby shadow. If he did that, there was a chance Viola would turn on him. For the rest of Emprea, that woman seemed not to have a care in the world. But, whenever one of her blasted friends showed up, the doubt in her eyes was as clear as day. If he was to have a loyal soldier, and despite his cruelty Lucifer knew just how important loyalty was in a battle, that doubt had to be erased. A loyal servant could not have two masters, and every time one of her friends showed up, Viola was conflicted. That was not acceptable.

But this time it seemed that fortune favored Lucifer. If Paul had walked in on Viola stabbing Rachel, and judging by the foam at his mouth he had, there was no way he would stop and think. No, Paul Donavan struck Lucifer as the kill first, ask questions later type of man. And even if he did stop and ask Viola what happened, what could the woman possibly say? That she had stabbed Rachel on accident? That she hadn't meant to kill her? Not likely.

Lucifer let out a soft chuckle. Sometimes you just had to let fate take its natural course. As he leaned back, he was anxious to see just what fate had in store for Paul Donovan and Viola Conda.

Roughly fifteen minutes later...

"All civilians evacuated sir!" Jake Falcon said as he snapped a quick salute. "As per your order, a majority of the Emprean army has evacuated along with the civilians. Only your personal retinue remains."

"Well done Jake. Post sentries at the entrance, everyone else may stand down," David ordered as he himself found a box to rest on. His men were in one of the secret passages that led out of Emprea; a small room that contained nothing save a way in and a way out. The his troops were using empty supply crates to rest upon.

"Any word from Jonathan?" David asked. Jake shook his head. "No matter. We did our part, I'm sure he'll do his. We'll just wait for him to rendezvous with us, as we planned. Take a load off."

Jake did as ordered and sat down next to him. David chuckled as he watched the man's eyes. There was a question he wanted to ask, that he was sure of. With normal troops, David insisted on firm military protocol. With Guardsmen and others of similar caliber (House Knights mainly), he encouraged a friendly, but at all times respectful, banter. With his personal retinue, however, he wanted to things differently. First, he encouraged camaraderie. If these men were going to die for him, than he very much wanted them to die for someone they liked. Second, he encouraged open minds and free speak. These men were his closest companions, and the last thing he wanted was a bunch of yes-men. If Jake saw a flaw in a plan, then the man had damn well better say so.

"Something on your mind?" David prodded. Jake nodded.

"I was wondering, sir, the other heroes seem to use their weapon at all times. You and Jonathan, however..." Jake let his voice fade out. His commander let out a soft chuckle.

"Ah, I see. Story time I suppose?" Jake shrugged in response.

"I was under impression there was little to be done."

"Correct. You see Jake, each of our weapons have their own special traits. Take Mistletoe for instance," David leaned back as he spoke. "One cut and your death is guaranteed. It may take up to a day, but to my knowledge, there is no way to counter the effects of Mistletoe."

Jake nodded. He had heard the stories of all the heroes weapons. Almost everyone had.

"However, although it can guarantee a death, it is still in all other aspects an ordinary dagger, and a small one at that. It makes a poor weapon for a soldier, who is expected to face down armored soldiers with regularity. But, for an assassin who is expected to catch people unaware, it is the perfect weapon. As Brian is the best assassin we have, that weapon goes to him."

"Now take Ullr. I'm sure you've noticed that Rachel carries ordinary arrows with her?" Jake replied that he did. "You see, Ullr can function as an ordinary bow. One does not need to draw upon its power every time it is used. As Rachel is the best shot, she gets the bow."

Jake leaned forward eagerly. He, like many other Emprean soldiers, loved to hear stories about the heroes and their weapons. David wasn't a huge fan of the title "hero" himself, but he had to admit that the title did inspire others.

"On top of that, to draw upon the magic of Ullr, one needs a certain type of energy. For my part, I can only make paltry arrows. They fly true, to be sure, but I have not once been able to reach the power Rachel can. Jonathan as well; his arrows are much like mine."

"What of Paul's?"

"His? Oh, his power with that bow exceeds even Rachel's." Jake looked surprised. David laughed. "There is a thing as too much power Jake. Suffice to say, in Paul's hands Ullr becomes more of a bomb than a bow. Effective, but only against people within, say, ten feet?"

Jake let out a laugh. He could just see Paul pulling back Ullr, frowning as the magic gathered uncontrollably, and looking up sheepishly after he charred the entire room black.

"Rachel has just the right amount of fury tempered with the right amount of patience to make the most out of Ullr. Perhaps it has something to do with the straight face she keeps while telling you to piss off. In any case, she's the best candidate for it."

"Now, onto Fenrir. As I'm sure you noticed, that axe requires one thing. Pure strength. It lacks all finesse and grace; it wants only brute force. Myself, I can barely lift the thing. Jonathan as well, although he fairs a bit better. Rachel and Brian cannot so much as move it. Only Paul has the sheer strength to use that weapon, but I'm fairly certain you already realized that."

"Everyone has, sir."

"I've a feeling the king could have wielded that weapon as well, but he was far too attached to his club," David said off-handedly as he heard a few of his nearby men chuckle. "Now, Tyrfing and Balmung. They're a bit different than the rest."

"First, you'll notice we can summon our blades at any time. Rachel, Paul, and Brian must have them in their hands. Distance does not matter to us. However, simply holding our blades taxes our strength. Brian and Paul expend no more strength than what it takes to swing their weapon, and Rachel only uses up strength when she activates Ullr, but Tyrfing and Balmung demand constant will to maintain."

David heard a soldier say that it was fitting that the two best heroes had the most taxing weapons. He shot that soldier a grin.

"The more Jonathan manipulates the essence of Balmung, the more strength he loses. The more I delve into Tyrfing's dark powers, the more fatigued I become. Hence, it behooves us to only use our weapons when we need them the most, otherwise we may find ourselves exhausted or unconscious in the middle of battle. If we draw too much, we may even kill ourselves. It's happened to previous wielders."

Jake frowned. He hadn't realized his commander had such a dangerous weapon.

"Not to worry. You'd have to be a damn fool to draw on that much power. I doubt either of us are capable of it." David reassured his friend.

"So that's why you two wield them? You know how best to moderate their power?"

"No. We wield them because our weapons are cursed."

"WHAT?"

"I always get a kick out of telling that part," David laughed. "Yes, both Tyrfing and Balmung are...fickle."

"How?"

"Tyrfing, for instance, enhances the wounds dealt to wielders it deems unworthy. Superficial wounds become deep scars, and a heavy blow often turns fatal. Tyrfing will let anyone use its power, but it soon moves onto the next wielder if it is unsatisfied."

"And Balmung?"

"Oh, Balmung is far more simple. It simply kills the unworthy." Jake's jaw dropped. "Don't fret. Anyone who reaches for that sword knows in his heart if the blade will accept him."

"Can...can you wield it?"

"I have, on occasion, been allowed to wield Balmung. Under dire circumstances, or perhaps extraordinary circumstances depending how you look at it, Balmung will give me the honor of its approval. My moves are never as swift as Jonathan's however, and it changes far slower for me than him."

"Can Jonathan wield Tyrfing?"

"Anyone can wield Tyrfing, but if you mean without consequence, then yes. To my knowledge, Jonathan suffers no ill effects when he wields Tyrfing." David took note Jakes sullen face when he heard the news. "You think I the lesser man?"

"No sir!" Jake snapped immediately. David just laughed.

"Relax Jake. Tyrfing won't hamper Jonathan, but it will never allow him access to all its secrets. Anyone who wields my sword can cut armor as if it were paper, but that is only the beginning. Only those who Tyrfing truly accepts as master can fully release its power." David paused with a grin. "Being as it is a dark sword, that probably isn't a good thing, but I'm a firm believer in it is a man's heart that decides if a blade is truly evil."

"I see." Jake scratched his head. "It's almost as if they're like you and Jonathan."

"Oh?"

"Rivals, so to speak. They'll stand by one another, but it is only when they oppose one another do they fully release their power."

"How poetic of you Jake."

"I try."

This friendly scene was interrupted by the arrival of Jonathan and his troops. David instantly stood to greet his friend, as did his men. They immediately began to help with the wounded as Jonathan ran over to David.

"Is she here?" The man asked in an exasperated tone. He did not need to name who he was concerned about.

"No. I thought she was with you," David said as he snapped his fingers. Jake immediately began to ready the soldiers.

"I had to fall back," Jonathan muttered softly. "A unit was cut off from our lines. If I didn't turn back, they would have died. They almost did."

It was at this time David noticed Elliot Hawk ordering about the remaining House Knights. Each House knight carried at least one wounded Emprean soldier. Some carried two.

"So Rachel..."

"I sent Paul. You've heard...nothing?"

"Jonathan..."

"I'm going back," The Captain of the House Knights spat. He instantly turned about.

"Not without me your not. Mr. Falcon!" David shouted. When he used someone's last name, it was always business.

"Ready sir!"

"Let us divvy up our forces. Some must remain to help the wounded. I leave the number up to you sir," David said with a respectful nod to Jonathan. "We'll be placing ourselves under Jonathan's command. Don't embarrass me."

"YES SIR!"

"Elliot!" Jonathan shouted. "How are we feeling?"

"Ready to show up some Guardsmen SIR!"

"Found yourself a worthwhile officer eh?" David joked.

"If you intend to poach him, I simply won't let you," Jonathan shot back.

"Oh, no need. My falcon can beat your hawk any day of the week."

A quick reorganization of troops began. In five minutes, everything was ready. However, as the group prepared to emerge from the tunnel they hid in, Elliot cried out in shock.

"SIR!" The man screamed as he pointed to the courtyard. A massive explosion rocked the castle, and in a blink the courtyard was nothing but a ball of flames.

"No..." Jonathan moaned as he fell to his knees. "Rachel..."

If she had been in the courtyard, then Rachel Leona was nothing but ash now.

[Viola Conda]

Paul’s eyes continually shifted from his immobile sister, Rachel, to his commanding officer, Viola. Confusion clouded his mind as a fog of emotions broke down the barriers that built up his rational thought. Sister dead. Commander with sister’s blood on sword. This was all he could gather.

Like a cornered wolf he processed the information, taking in only base, superficial feelings and jumping to thousands of conclusions. Reason and logic were washed aside with passion and remorse, and he breathed heavily, blood still dripping down his body from his fight with Lucifer.

Viola remained motionless, her eyes darting to the body and to Paul. She too felt a mixture of emotions, one that said charge him while he was confused, the other that said drop your weapons and cry. She had no idea what to do, and like Paul she only stared. She noticed he was caring her weapon of office, Duty’s Pride. Two swords hung along his belt, but he was armorless save for his legs. He carried his wounds with a detached air of uncaring, like he didn’t even seem to notice them. Seeing him like this, so savage, so feral, it made her think to the days he wasn’t always like this.

After the Revan War Games, Viola had trained the uncouth Paul Donovan, teaching him the ways to be a gentlemen and an officer of the royal Emprean Army. Under her tutelage he had learned the basics of command, how to control his temper, and take the extraordinary talent he had in leading men, and make it better. Yet the only memory she could recall was of the goofy boy who broke things on accident, scared shitless that she would punish him for being a klutz. She remembered the young man who had formally asked her to one of the royal engagements, his words failing him as she gave him a coy smile. She remembered the man who stood up for her when officer’s were insulting her behind her back.

It was like yesterday, though it actually was several months ago. In the grand ball room King Horus was holding the anniversary of the first Emprean king’s triumph over the Demon Hordes. She had declined Paul’s request to go together, insisting that he pick someone closer to his rank to attend the ball with, basing her decision off of some silly rule that nobody really followed. In Paul’s place she had chosen Commander Fulgrim, more out of necessity to have a date than personal choice. While the officers thought she was away Fulgrim had begun talking about Viola behind her back. They spoke of her looks, referring to her abilities as a servant rather than leader of an entire nation.

She had heard all the words Fulgrim spoke, and they cut her down deeply, but she was the Chief Advisor of the Emprean Army. His words and insults meant nothing to her at face value. When Viola returned with drinks in hand she was elated and terrified to find Donovan’s fist flying into Fulgrim’s face. Secretly she felt her pride sing to watch Donovan defend her honor, a satisfying clench of her fist as Fulgrim’s face bounced off the marble floor. Quickly viola walked to Donovan, grabbed him by the arm and took him aside outside into the garden.

She looked to him, her heart feeling a twinge she never felt before. The moonlight was all the light they had as they hid underneath a canopy by the rose bushes. His eyes sparkled as he looked to Viola, her heart pounding in her chest. She yearned to embrace him, to feel his arms around her. As she looked to Paul she saw the same emotions stirring within him as well. She hadn’t realized it until that moment she had fallen in love with Paul Donovan.

Instead of saying those immortal words, however, she instead cursed him out, confined him to quarters, and punished him for punching a superior officer. How she regretted that moment.

She smelled burning ozone in the air. A sulfuric taste upon her tongue as she noticed Donovan started moving. Slowly he moved, like a wolf stalking his prey. Viola’s eyes scanned his, and the two felt a primal connection. She felt his heart beat behind her ear drums, she sensed his blood running through his system, encouraging his rage. To see Paul Donovan on the other side of the field of battle was terrifying to behold.

He stalked along the edge, keeping her within striking distance, but inching his way towards Rachel. She realized he was checking on her, and Viola feared for the worst. Yet when he looked down upon her she sensed a wave of relief shimmer in his wrathful aura, and Viola knew that Rachel was still alive, but by what means, only the gods knew.

“Why?” Was Donovan’s first words to her. A guttural speech coming from the pit of his stomach, full of hatred, confusion, anxiety. As Viola heard the question she tried to formulate an answer. Before she could speak he stepped forward aggressively. “WHY?” He shouted to her, snarling as blood and sweat dripped off him. Viola took a fearful step backwards.

“Control yourself, Captain Donovan,” Viola said feebly.

“WHY?” Paul shouted again, this time slamming Duty’s Pride within inches of Viola’s feet. He seethed at the mouth, looking more like a barbaric savage. Only someone as hateful as he could lead the wolves of Emprea, and Viola had learned now why they respected him.

Now it was time for him to learn why an entire nation respected her.

She stepped forward, her eyes full of confidence as he dragged the blade back, choking the grip further until his hand rested half way up the shaft. She didn’t back down from his steely glare, watching his hazel eyes try to destroy her with hate alone. Her heart quaked and her blood ran at a thousand miles it seemed, but she kept her tone even and steady.

“Control yourself, Captain Donovan,” She said again, more forcefully this time around. Before he spoke she took another step forwards. “Damn your position and ranks, you will not stalk around like a barbarian in my presence. Your conduct is unbecoming a soldier of Emprea. I have taught you too much to watch you degenerate into this!”

“WHY IS MY SISTER LYING IN A POOL OF HER OWN BLOOD?” Paul shouted to her. The question, the intensity, the anger filled words slamming into her, it felt like he had shattered a protective layer of glass with his bellowing cries, and the confidence she had waned. He moved in on her again, his hand choking higher up on Duty’s Pride.

Viola had no clue what to do, and she noticed she couldn’t reason with Paul anymore. That left one option as she looked down upon her sword. Paul noticed her looking at it and with a snarl he charged her, weapon striking outwards.

Metal clashed against metal as the weapons clanged in the courtyard. Viola had an incredibly hard time attempting to stop Paul , his fury echoing in his blows as they fought. She eventually stepped against the wall and her back stiffened as her sword went limp, the haft of Duty’s Pride knocking it down as his other hand gripped around her neck.

“Why?” He seethed again. Viola looked to him, her eyes full of fear as she saw the hazel fires in his orbs. She looked to him, feeling her heart breaking to see him act so cruelly towards her, but logic and reason had denoted that this was her price for attacking her friend.

“Because…she…” Viola choked out. Paul loosened the grip a fraction, sliding his body against hers as he breathed down her neck. She took in the breath painfully, and when she felt she could talk she did so, rapidly. “She didn’t trust me,” Viola said plainly. Paul’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, and after a moment he cursed loudly gripping her throat and tossing her down to the side like a common bag of garbage.

“What happened to you?” Paul asked as he rounded about her. “You are not Viola Conda.”

“No, I suppose I am not the Viola you knew,” She said feeling her hair as she propped herself up. Spite boiled within her stomach and she spat on the ground in a show of disrespect to her former self. “That Viola was abandoned by her kingdom for petty reasons. Left to rot in a prison cell, locked away in the Pillory of the Sleepless.” she spat. “All alone, that Viola was, no friends to comfort her, watching her nightmares and realities come alive before her very eyes! That Viola cried for her friends to save her, staying locked up because the king that Viola served couldn’t take the word no for an answer! That Viola is dead, Donovan, and good riddance!”

“What happened to you, that degenerated you into,” he struggled as he pointed to her. “Into THIS?”

Viola glared to him, seeing arrogance and ignorance in his words. Yet as her eyes glanced up to his, she saw something that destroyed the blackness in her heart and made her emotions pour out. In the first moment of clarity Viola Conda realized what she had done. Regret flooded through her veins as the spells Lucifer and Trabant weaved were shattered upon her soul at what she saw.

Paul Donovan, mighty Wolf Lord of Emprea, was crying.

Along the Secret Passages

“Jonothan, come on,” David urged as he pulled on the Captain of the House Knight’s arm. The man was simply a wreck, unable to contain his grief at the loss of his love. Elliot Hawk and Jake Falcon moved to flank their lords, standing at the ready.

“She’s…she’s…” Jonothan spoke, his words repeating over and over like mindless dribble. David held the man tightly in his grip, embracing him as he tried to lift him and move him. In full plate mail the man was simply hard to move.

“You don’t know that!” David snapped, trying to awaken Jonothan from his melancholy mood. “You have to get up, Jon!” David ordered. The man ignored him. “Jon, your men need you!”

“She needed me!” Jonothan cried. “She needed me, and I sent Paul instead!” David gripped Jonothan tightly by the shoulders.

“You did what you had to do for the betterment of Emprea! Would Rachel have forgiven you if several hundred casualties were caused because you went to save her?” Jonothan didn’t know how to answer that, sobbing as he leaned his head on David’s shoulder. The House Knights all remained calm, looking to their lord and ready to offer their support at a moments notice.

“My Lord, with all due respect we haven’t heard from Paul or his wolves. They are the most stubborn force in the entire world. I still can hear their howling, so I can assume they are all still fighting,” Elliot said gently. “We must cling to hope that Rachel is safe with Paul.”

“We all know Captain Donovan will never let his sister down.” Jake added. David nodded to Jonothan.

“They have a point, we don’t know for sure if she’s gone from us. Let us not mourn until we are positive…” Jonothan nodded to their words, lifting himself up on his own accord as he looked to David. They had stayed like that for a long moment, both men saying nothing, yet having a conversation all their own.

After a few minutes of silent debating the two turned to Jake and Elliot. David lifted up the sword that signified him as Captain of the Guard, Jonothan lifting up sword of command over the Lords and Ladies of Emprea. They looked at the gesture, knowing full well what they were doing.

“Sir, jokes are meant to be funny,” Jake said awkwardly.

“I agree. It’s a bad thing when a guardsmen and a House Knight agree…” Elliot echoed. Both men kept their faces neutral, eyes full of intent. The four looked to each other with deep respect, but nobody made a move. It was clear that both Jonothan and David were giving up their positions and promoting their closest companions. The other guardsmen and House Knights surrounded their lords, looking to them with admiration and respect, as well as sorrow.

“We have a duty to perform,” David said gently.

“A duty to ourselves and the ones we love,” Jonothan continued.

“We must ensure our duty to Emprea’s future is in good hands,” David spoke reverently as he placed the sword at Jake’s feet.

“That the future of our nation will be brought in by worthy heroes to guide them,” Jonothan finished, his sword resting by Elliot’s feet. Together both men spoke as one.

“We lay our swords at our commander’s feet, so that we may be released from our duties to perform the duties in our hearts with sound mind and clear conscious.” Then both men stood upright, slapping a salute to Jake and Elliot, who instantly called attention as every soldier in the area saluted the two men.

“Good luck, Captain King,” Jake said proudly.

“You will not regret your decisions,” Elliot said full of determination. Both soldier’s accepted the swords as they brought them up, taking their own weapons and handing them to their former superior officers. With no more fanfare both men ran off back down the passages towards the fighting.

Back in the Courtyard

Viola looked up to Paul as tears dripped down the sides of his cheeks. To see him like this wrenched her heart and broke it free from the prison she placed upon herself, but as she felt the need to lift herself up and embrace him a nagging feeling of regret pushed her back down. She turned to Rachel, seeing that what she had done to her was unforgivable. She turned back to Emprea, seeing her home in flames and watching them lick away. Her soldiers she had trained were screaming in their death throws, all because of her foolish pride.

Softly she stood up, carefully and reverently as she dusted herself off, lifting up her sword. She turned to Paul, who continued to look to her tearfully.

“Fight me, Captain Donovan,” Viola said sincerely. “I must atone for my sins, and only you can grant that to me.” He cocked his head in confusion, but as Viola charged him he fought back, swinging the halberd around to parry her blows and open her up for more counter attacks.

They fought viciously, Paul holding nothing back as Viola fought with her all. She wouldn’t go down without a fight, for anything less would be a further stain on the dwindling honor she had left. She was once Viola Conda, Chief Emprean Advisor, who had led this country to countless victories.

In a spur of false pride and arrogance she became viola the warlord, destroying everything she loved in spite.

Her sword fell upon the ground, Paul’s weapon cleaving along the ground as he slammed his shoulder into her again, pushing her back onto the pavement. Viola looked up to see Paul standing over her, weapon ready to kill her on the twitch of his hand. He hovered the weapon to her, and she silently was grateful he would be the one who killed her. It was fitting, that the man she loved would be the one to kill her.

Yet the weapon dropped from his hands, sinking to his knees as he collapsed onto her, wrapping his arms around her tightly as he sobbed into her shoulder. Viola was confused as she held him, before long she gripped him tightly as well.

“I can’t do it,” Paul cried. “I can’t kill you…I love you,” he whispered into her ear. Viola’s hand grazed across the ground as her mind felt clouded with emotions. Her heart raced and she felt it beating against Paul’s chest, both knowing if they let go the moment they had would be gone forever. Like jealous lover’s they clung to each other, crying gently into the other’s shoulder. Her fingers gripped his, her other hand dragging along the pavement as if it had a mind of its own.

“I love you too,” she breathed into his ear. The words spoken, the feelings they never admitted to each other now revealed made them hug even tighter. Paul pulled his face back, looking her in the eyes as she saw his hazel orbs sparkle to look at her.

“I see you now, Commander,” Paul said in a soft gentle tone. “I see you again…” he spoke so gently, and Viola felt her emotions take over as she lifted her lips to his, kissing him deeply and passionately. They held onto their embrace, the love they shared all that mattered in the maelstrom of chaos going on around them. Viola’s hand moved along his back, the other moving along his chest as her hand rested on his hip. They held their kiss for at least a minuet. Softly Paul pulled back, his eyes still full of love for her, blood dripping down his mouth.

“I’m sorry, Paul,” Viola whispered as she pulled the sword out of his gut. “I love you so much, but I can‘t take you with me…Thank you, thank you for remembering who I was…do everything you can for me, and love that. Forget the memory of who I became.” Paul nodded to her, and she dropped the sword to the side as she gently moved down next to him, holding him in her arms as he collapsed upon the ground. Blood gurgled in his throat, and he spat to the side a large pile of blood.

She pulled him closer to Rachel, his hand instinctively moving out to his sister’s as he gripped her arm in a brotherly way. His eyes closed, and blood pooled out of his body softly. Viola turned away from him, tears brimming in her eyes as she walked over to her Halberd looking down upon it with disdain.

“Come,” she said to her weapon picking Duty’s Pride up. “I have killed everything in the way so far, I will be damned if I do not have my revenge at this point…” Viola said darkly as she looked to the shadows.

[Lucifer Blight]

"Huh."

That was all Lucifer said as he watched what he would be forced to call a love scene play out in front of his eyes. "Huh" was his only remark when Paul was unable to kill Viola (stupid that), and "huh" was his only remark when Viola kissed Paul, and then proceeded to stab the man.

"Huh."

Lucifer muttered the same phrase again, its tone filled with curiosity. It certainly was an odd scene; had he a bookie about, he would have been forced to place a wager out of interest. He wasn't sure what he would have bet on, the whole kissing scene made him think that Viola was a lost cause, but as Paul was now lying in a pool of his own blood, such a thought seemed ill conceived.

"Well that was...interesting," He muttered as he picked up a nearby torch. He walked over a few feet, felt about the ground, grinned when he found an almost invisible lever, gave it a good pull, and looked back. Viola was muttering something about revenge. Lucifer allowed himself a moment to notice just how much of a woman Viola actually was; the girl was so damn fickle. One moment it was all blood and guts, the next tears and passionate kissing. First she wanted revenge, then she wanted friends, and then she killed the friend for revenge.

Very fickle.

"Well? Are you coming?" Lucifer asked softly as he motioned towards the trapdoor that had opened before him. "I like you Viola, believe it or not, so I'll help you out. Just this once."

Lucifer let out a smile that was only slightly twisted as he spoke.

"You've two options before you. You can stay here and tend to Emprea, or you can follow me through this door. Your friends, if you still call them such, shall obviously remain in Emprea. Stay, if you like, and do your best to pick up the pieces of your former life. I think it's safe to say you'll never regain what you lost, but you may find some small measure of happiness here. But, you'll have to live with what you lost, and what you've done, for the rest of your life."

Lucifer then pointed at the seemingly endless darkness of the door before them.

"Follow me, and you'll have what you desire. You'll have revenge against those who burned your home, those who scorned and abused you. You'll not only prove that oaf of a king how wrong he was, but as he took everything from you so will you take everything from him. But, if you do this, there is no turning back."

The two locked eyes. Lucifer's held only hate. Hate for all the world, hate for all of mankind. He was almost a primal being, consumed by his sole desire. He was not ravage or barbaric in his hate. No, his hate was the true type of hatred. The type of hatred that brought about calamites of the most tragic proportions. The type of hatred that could be forceful one moment, soft and silent in the next. That was the type of man Lucifer Blight was.

What he saw in Viola's eyes was quite different. There was hate there, to be sure, but the was much else to be found in her blue eyes. Sorrow, betrayal, rage, hurt, loneliness. Ah yes. There was much loneliness there. Indecision as well. Viola was wracked with indecision.

Lucifer let out a bit of a shrug.

"Want to know what I think you'll choose?" He asked almost carelessly. Viola nodded slightly. "Me, I think you'll choose to follow me, but not for any of the reasons I offered."

"You'll follow me Viola. You'll tell yourself it's for revenge, you'll say it's justice. But, that's not the reason you'll follow me. You will follow me down this path, because when you look at me, you will see the depths to which you could have fallen, and you will say to yourself 'at least I'm not like him.'"

Lucifer grinned cruelly.

"For compared to me, you are just and you are right. I am an evil man Viola Conda, and I will let you forget all that you have done. Next to me, your crimes pale in comparison. That is why you will follow me," Lucifer's own eyes betrayed the tiniest hint of humanity there. For but the briefest of moments, it seemed as if he regretted the man he had become. But, all to soon the moment was gone, and Lucifer's eyes were alight with hatred for the world once more. "You'll follow me, Viola Conda. And here is why."

"You will follow me not because of what you can do, but because I will allow you to forget what you have done."

*~*~*~*~

The two walked in silence, neither spoke a word. Side by side, Lucifer and Viola made their way through the small tunnel that was the passage. If Trabant’s information was right, and Lucifer hoped it was, this tunnel would take them far away from the castle of Emprea. From there, Lucifer could plan his next move.

Not that there was much to do now other than plan. Viola was absorbed in thought, and Lucifer had enough on his own plate as it was. First off, what did he want? That was simple, his entire “family” dead. The next part, how to go about achieving his goal, was a bit more difficult. He would need more help to start with; Viola and him could not hope to defeat Carthage all by themselves.

He was so caught up in his webs of plans he didn’t notice the voices ahead of him. Viola did, however, and quickly held up a hand to stop Lucifer. Soon enough the voices became clear, not that Lucifer could place them. He had never heard them before, but he could at least here what they were saying.

“Evan’s again?” Said one of the voices.

“What can I say? It’s my favorite opening,” Another voice responded.

“What the hell are they talking about?” Lucifer whispered to Viola. She was whispering something to herself, it was as if she was running through a list of some sort. Lucifer clucked his tongue in irritation. He could tell where the voices were coming from; just up ahead and around a corner.

“Kings. Queens. Latvian.” Viola held her breath as she finished her checklist. “Evans. Yes, I’m sure it was Evans.”

She turned to face Lucifer with a hint of sorrow in her eyes.

“They are talking about chess.”

“Chess?”

“Yes, chess. There are two very avid chess players in Emprea, and Evans Gambit is the favorite opening of David King, Captain of the Guards.”

“And who does he play?”

“Jonathan Andrews. Commander of the House Knights.”

The two turned to corner and entered upon the scene. Ten feet away David King and Jonathan Andrews sat, empty crates were used as seats. Between them, on top of a barrel, was a small chess board made of ivory and ebony. Viola recognized it instantly, she had gifted it to Jonathan Andrews upon his promotion to Commander.

The two former soldiers of Emprea had done away with all that made them soldiers. Gone were their armors and weapons, at their sides were far plainer swords than their silver and gold ones. David wore only a gray tunic with matching gray pants. A bit of red was laced about the shoulders, the buttons of the tunic were of the same color. Jonathan wore a similar outfit of blue, his shirt was a bit shorter than David’s. A bit of gold trim outlined his clothing.

“Told you there was no sense in charging ahead. If anyone survived that explosion, this was the only way,” David said as he stood up and looked at Viola. “Didn’t expect this though.”

“Indeed,” Jonathan said as he picked up the chest board. The board folded upon by itself, carefully keeping each piece in place so that the game could be continued later. The chess board had been a very expensive gift. “I did not expect this at all.”

The four stood silently. David King cool calmness ruled over him; he actually smiled as he leaned against the wall and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Jonathan Andrews radiated a unsurpassed fury, but he kept it in complete control. Lucifer Blight allowed a soft smile to escape his lips. Two more heroes to go through, eh?

Viola said nothing.

“You don’t much look like I thought you would,” Lucifer began. “I expected something a bit more...showy.”

“We did away with all that made us Emprean,” David answered coolly. “Our swords were Emprean, our fancy clothes were Emprean, our armor was Emprean. For this task, that would not do.”

“We are here of our own accord,” Jonathan said softly. “Not for Emprea, but for ourselves.”

“Guess we’re not the only ones who shared that particular view. The ‘for ourselves’ point anyway,” David almost joked.

“No, it seems to me that she has very much done away with Emprea,” Jonathan did not joke in the slightest.

“Could explain why we weren’t told about her. Bad for morale to know your best general is a traitor,” David spat his last word, his distaste of the word as clear as day.

“And to think we were worried about her,” Jonathan added.

“Well, we should have been. Not worried about what happened to her, worried about the knife she’d plant in our backs,” David said sternly as he took a few steps forward. He grabbed the plain sword at his side and set it down. “Nice of Jake and Elliot to give us their swords, but I don’t think we’ll be using them against these two.”

“Agreed,” Jonathan responded as he put aside Elliot’s blade. “No holding back. No mercy.”

“Jonathan. David. I know you’re very upset-” Viola tried.

“Viola, you’ve never seen me very upset,” Jonathan interrupted. He then glared at his former commander. “But you will shortly.”

Lucifer instantly drew Resentment from his sheath. Far slower Viola hefted Duty’s Pride. A white light surrounded Jonathan, but David quickly smacked his friend in the side.

“Hey!” David shouted as Jonathan gave him a confused look. “We’re going up against Viola Conda here! She’s led our army to countless victories all over this land, fighting on the front with her soldiers! She is, er, was the sworn general of Horus! For such an opponent, we do this right Jonathan!”

It was as if something clicked in Jonathan’s head then. The fire was still in his eyes, the rage at his loss was still there. Viola had done it. Viola had betrayed them and because of her, his beloved Rachel was dead. Jonathan didn’t just want to kill her, he wanted to hurt her.

That was what David was doing. He acted as though Viola’s betrayal hadn’t hurt him in the least. Jonathan knew that not to be true; surely his friend ached as much as he did at the loss of the one they once called friend. But by acting as if it didn’t affect him, by acting as if he never cared about Viola to begin with, by acting as if her betrayal didn’t affect him in the least, David King was hurting Viola far more than blind rage could.

Jonathan Andrews was not Paul Donovan.

“Your semantics will get us killed one of these days,” Jonathan joked as he smiled. Yes, he smiled. He smiled though his wife was dead, he smiled though his king had fallen. He smiled though Paul had failed, he smiled though Emprea was gone.

Jonathan Andrews smiled, and Viola felt a loss that she had never felt before. But David King and Jonathan Andrews were not Paul Donovan and Rachel Leona. There was never the slightest hesitation in their swords.

“Dispatched in our land’s darkest hour,” David shouted as blood red energy gathered before him.

“We are heroes of Emprea!” Jonathan screamed as a white aura engulfed him.

Dispatched in our land’s darkest hour, we are heroes of Emprea. It was a simple creed, spoken at the graduation of every soldier. It was a bit trite, but every soldier could not help but feel a bit of pride as they spoke those words. For Viola, those words cut like knives.

Lucifer however, was not affected in the least.

“Well come on then! Show me what you’ve got!” Lucifer screamed as he dashed forward. David King swung his hand through the red energy before him and grasped Tyrfing as Balmung appeared in Jonathan Andrew’s hands.

The final battle of Emprea had begun.

[Viola Conda]

Hector and Hilde roamed along the halls of the royal castle, keeping to the shadows as they moved in short spurts. They had killed two Carthage bowmen who were walking along the carpeted stone floor, slitting their throats and taking their cloaks for themselves to aid in their hunt. While as appealing as it sounded to charge valiantly into the Carthage horde, slaying them in droves before being dragged down, it was not going to bring them the solace they had wanted. Instead, they wanted to avenge the death of their daughter, Noel.

Like two phantoms they lurked behind statues, the night time giving them ample cover to hide in, not to mention the smoke that was billowing into the sky. They were standing behind a statue of the first King of Emprea when the explosions went off, and their hearts ached as they knew Rachel and Paul were both at that location. Yet they steeled their resolve and gripped their swords tightly they had procured from dead soldiers. In a matter of moments four stunned Carthage soldiers who were witnessing the massacre at the courtyard were dead at their feet, a feeling of righteousness filling their veins.

They knew they were getting closer to their target, the only man who could make up for the loss of so many lives. It was disgusting to think that this one kill, this one person would count and bring peace for the death of so many. Why one man was valued so highly over their precious daughter and closest friends only brought them more confused anger. Yet they knew deep inside if they killed this man, their hearts would be burdened no more. Ares Victus, Lord of the Army, had to die.

As they entered the King’s section of the castle, they found the number of troops startling. He had to be here, and they both moved quickly towards a pile of bodies. They saw glints of badges that marked the bodies of the Nighthawk assassins. As they huddled behind a pillar they heard a few soldiers talking loudly to each other, their voices strained.

“I don’t get why we have to drag the bodies out of the royal treasury.” One man said irritably. “We can just work around them, couldn’t we?”

“Look, when you get that high up in the ranks you begin to think your god incarnate,” a woman’s voice responded. “You start to shout orders and get in the habit of always getting what you want. So if Macbeth says clear the filth from Ares’ sight, well, we do that.”

“Heh, did you see the way Prince Blight chopped off the head of the king?” the male said, changing the topic as they got even closer to pile of bodies. They heard some shuffling as they both looked to each other. Hilde and Herald had not been alerted at the death of the king, David and Jonathan both saying the King was attended to, ending the matter from any more prying questions. Now it made sense. The king was abandoned to die.

“Nah, I was with Ares pulling the gold out of the treasury. Now let me tell you, watching Prince Victus ram his sword through the leader of the nighthawk assassins,” she spoke with a fondness in her voice, as if recalling a scene from a romantic novel. “It was perfect. He chastised him and virtually made it so Brian McCorvan’s life was all for nothing. He died alone, he died without his precious friends.”

“Bah, Heroes of Emprea my ass,” the man snorted. “I could take Paul Donovan and pretty boy David King.” he said, though his tone was very unsure of his boast. A body was tossed into the pile, and Hilde and Herald’s hearts were beating rapidly. Everyone they knew and cared about was dying, family, friends, countrymen. All because of one blood thirsty country. Herald was the first to act, quickly peeking out behind his pillar and taking in the scene. When he pulled back in he motioned that the two were alone, and Hilde nodded as they both turned as one, swords lifted at the ready as he jumped the two soldiers.

They hadn’t a chance to scream.

They dragged the bodies back, and Herald quickly stripped replacing his clothing for the man’s armor. Hilde did the same, and they dropped the bodies off behind the pillars. With deep breaths they held each other’s hand and squeezed before lifting themselves up like proud Carthage soldiers and strolled into the King’s throne room.

The throne room was a bee hive of activity, several Carthage advisors working at makeshift tables as Prince Victus arrogantly sat in the thorn of Emprea, his personal retainer Macbeth standing at his side. Some soldiers ferried the last traces of gold away to the awaiting caravans, others carrying the dead bodies of the nighthawks away. Hilde’s hand gripped Herald’s tightly as she took in a deep breath, the body of Brian McCorvan being dragged away by four soldiers.

They quickly moved into the treasury room, trying their best not to act shocked at the emptiness of the room. Several Carthage warriors in red cloaks stood near the shadows, watching with keen interest at what was taking place. The odd thing was each warrior seemed to be in pairs, one male, one female. None of them seemed to group together either. For those that had no pair they simply stood over the dead body of what could only be assumed their counterpart. The smell of blood clouded the air and it made both of them light headed as he turned with a group of other Carthage Soliders.

An advisor stepped up to them, and Herald stood forwards.

“What team are you on?” The advisor asked, his tone full of boredom. Hilde and Herald looked to each other before Hilde spoke quickly.

“Getting rid of the Emprean filth,” she replied. The advisor looked around. He turned back to them with a shrug as he pointed to Prince Ares.

“All the bodies are cleared, report to the Prince’s station for further orders.” he said walking away. Hilde and Herald turned as one and walked towards Ares, their hands reaching to their hidden throwing weapons. They would only get one shot to perform this task, and they knew now the time was upon them. Each step made their heart beat faster, each breath long and drawn out. They both felt a tingling sensation as they moved, the thrill of terror at actually being able to avenge all the friends and family they lost.

They approached the advisors table, and a lithe man looked up, scruffy blond hair and gentle eyes looking to them with a warm smile. He looked almost out of place in the Carthage army, and they were taken aback at his polite tone.

“All done with clean up?” he asked. They both nodded once. He smiled to them brightly and leaned back in his chair as he spoke so only they could hear. “To be honest, I thought I would have been in the front lines, fighting with my brother. But instead we got stuck up here doing the grunt work. Not much glory for Lloyd and I.” he chuckled pointing to them. “Or for you two.” Hilde and Herald both feigned a smile.

A towering shadow washed over them, and for a moment the two Empreans felt like Paul Donovan was standing behind them. As they turned they instead saw a muscular Carthage officer, his hand rubbing his nearly bald head as he looked rather out of place inside the castle, and it was clear in his expression he’d rather be fighting on the front lines.

“Nobody can get glory doing grunt work!” he said with a sigh, the same impatient sigh that Paul had always used when he was ordered to sit and wait with his wolves.

“Yes, but it’s still work that needs to be done, brother,” the man at the table said affectionately. His calm demeanor, his lucid posture, his self assurance reminded them both greatly of David King. The brotherly atmosphere between the two was like the friendship of Paul and David, and while it was awkward to compare these two to their friends it brought a relaxing feeling to their nervous bones.

“So what’s up with these two?” Lloyd said pointing to Herald and Hilde. “They standing around doing nothing, Linus?” he spoke more to them to his brother. Linus merely laughed.

“Ya, kinda like you.” Lloyd merely grinned as he sat on the edge of the desk. An advisor ran forwards, dropping off paperwork in front of Linus before bowing and running off with the stack of papers that Linus had ready for the Carthage advisers to use to evaluate the commanders field experience and make sure every facet of the army was being utilized correctly. He looked over the paperwork, sighing as he dropped it off on the table before them.

“It’s the paperwork from Fort Caliben, Ares will need to see it. Do you two mind taking it to him?” Linus asked, knowing that while he phrased that as a question, it was actually a direct order. Herald and Hilde starred at the paperwork, a look of shock on their features. Lloyd looked to them like they were some dumb animals, clicking his fingers to get their attention. Hilde was first to snap out of the daze, grabbing the paperwork and bowing. Herald bowed as well and they both moved towards their target.

Ares was resplendent in all his glory, his face full of joviality. He shared a few glasses of victory wine with his advisors, commenting on all the armies efforts. Like sycophants and lapdogs, all the advisors pushed their work on their lord, saying they merely gave him the idea, but he was the grand artificer of this work. Macbeth merely stayed quiet, stoically standing next to his lord in his battle armor that still shined. It made both Empreans sick to their stomach to think he hadn’t even partook in the battle, but they had other things to think about first.

Stopping a respectful distance, they both dropped to their knees, hearts racing as they lifted their heads to speak.

“My lord,” Hilde said sharply in her military tone. “The reports of Fort Caliben have arrived!” she patted the paper work. Ares gently put down his wine glass, smiling to them as he gestured for them to rise and drop the notes off before him. Herald was the first to rise, lifting up with the papers, quickly hiding his throwing knife under the stack. Hilde stood next to him, walking closely by him.

When they were within six paces they both felt sweat pour down the back of their neck. At five paces they could feel their blood pounding in their ears. At four steps their hearts were beating so fast they surly thought they would have a heart attack. At three paces they both took in a slow, deep breath. At two paces they bowed to the Lord of the Army. At one final pace they prepared to kill the man.

“Hold it!” Macbeth shouted angrily, stepping in front of Ares. “Lloyd, Linus, apprehend these traitors!” he ordered as Ares eyes glinted softly, a smile curling around his lips as if he was amused. Herald and Hilde both sprung into action, dropping the papers and pulling their weapons out, but before they had a chance to strike they were both tackled to the ground. In a short fist fight both Herald and Hilde were captured by the Carthage army.

Ares stood still, watching with keen interest as Lloyd and Linus lifted them up, ripping their helmets off. Macbeth looked to them, and then with a scrutinizing eye he pointed to each.

“I know them my lord,” he said thinking deeply before he spoke again. “Herald and Hilde Spero, line officers of the Emprean Army under Captain Paul Donovan.” Ares chuckled as he looked to them, pushing Macbeth aside gently with one hand as he stepped down from the throne of Emprea. They way he walked was almost god like in its perfection, the man’s physique perfect in everyway a Lord of the Army should be. It was that one look that made Herald and Hilde realize that even before they approached him he had known they were both Empreans.

“I commend you both for getting so close to your target,” Ares said haughtily, but despite the fact he knew he was in control, he did show a measure of respect to them. “To have infiltrated this deeply into the castle shows a great deal of patience, fortitude, and dedication. I am slightly disappointed in my network of soliders for not detaining you sooner, but that if anything shows how well you played your parts.” he smiled to them, clapping as he walked forwards.

“Celebrities in my midst,” he continued on. “The great Spero bloodline was one of the few surviving lines from the tales of the first Barbarian King of Emprea when he slaughtered the Demon Lord, Raziel. Was it not Archibald Spero the late ancestor your seed was spawned from?”

Herald glared to Ares, knowing the respect he was showing him was nothing more than his way of demonetarizing how powerful was he was in comparison. This grandstanding was only so Ares could prove to Herald that he was a fool to even trifle with him, and what made it all the more spiteful was Herald knew deep down Ares was right. Herald just couldn’t stand up to Ares Victus.

“This whole nation is founded upon the ideals of heroes, from Archibald Spero to Rachel Leona; or Sebastian Pavonis to Jonathan Andrews. So I assume this was just another epic fairy tale you tried to enact in honor of your dying country.” Ares laughed, getting a laugh out of the advisors and other soldiers save Macbeth, Lloyd, and Linus.

“No,” Hilde said darkly to Ares, interrupting the laughter as all eyes turned to her. “We came to kill you not because Emprea needed us as heroes. We have six of the damn people, why the hell would they need two more?” Ares found her aggression appealing as he smiled to her. “We came to claim your head in sate our empty hearts from a deed you performed.”

“Our daughter, Noel Spero, was at Fort Caliben,” Herald said defiantly. “When we got news you had run over the fort, we were devastated. We wanted revenge, and only your blood could stratify the loss of hers.”

Ares looked to them, and then to the folders. With a bemused smile he turned his back on them. “Fetzer’s, please prepare to execute our prisoners.” Ares said scooping down and picking up a few dossiers. They both wrenched them to their knees, but Linus and Lloyd spoke in hushed whispers to the other.

“Jeeze, losing a kid,” Linus said solemnly.

“I can’t fathom that,” Lloyd replied. “Hey, sorry for your loss.” He whispered to Hilde. In return she bashed her head into his lip. He pushed her back down, but didn’t retaliate. Herald glanced to see that the man was more accepting of her treatment than hostile of her actions. Linus also seemed to be holding back in his orders, the will to kill them both just not in his heart. Herald realized this and he whispered to his wife, moving his hand out to hold hers.

“They didn’t kill our daughter, my love.” She gripped his hand back and squeezed tightly. Ares looked over a few sheets before grinning as he sat back upon the throne.

“I feel particularly generous, Spero.” Ares leaned back in the throne, flexing his fingers into the other as he looked to them both. “I will grant you this one parting gift before you leave this world. I have checked the casualty report on Fort Caliben. Carthage is very thorough when it comes to Officers surviving, as we rarely allow that to ever happen.” Herald and Hilde both looked up, tears filling their eyes at the implied thought.

“Yes, Noel Spero was not found in the piles of the dead. So were some several mercenaries, but those details are meaningless to the Carthage army. What I can fathom is your daughter turned tail and ran with a group of Mercenaries to escape her fate. She abandoned her post and left her soliders to die. Yes, she was a mighty Spero, who took flight and flew away.” He smiled to them, a sick smile of a man who out foxed them. In this show of seeming gratitude, he was in only desecrating her and bastardizing Noel. Insulting her abilities and who she was.

His smile faded as Herald and Hilde both sobbed in joy, Hilde even laughing as she heard the news. “I don’t understand,” Ares said. “She’s a traitor to your people.”

“You don’t understand our daughter, Ares,” Herald said joyfully. “Our daughter, she was…”

“Our little Noel was never a warrior. She was no fighter, or great leader. Noel was just a little girl who hated fighting. We thought she would be safe at Caliben, and we feared the worst. Do you know how much we regretted sending her away?” Hilde was choking on her tears as she spoke.

“We had thought if she were by our side we could protect her better, but by going to that fort, we instead saved her life!” They both wept in joy, making everyone in the room uncomfortable as the advisors and soldiers shifted around. Save for Lloyd and Linus, who both looked to each other and smiled.

“Well, I’m glad you have that little peace to take with you to the grave.” Ares nodded to Lloyd and Linus,a nd they both sighed heavily as they lifted their swords up.

“I’m happy your daughter’s okay,” Linus said to Herald. Lloyd had whispered similar sentiments to Hilde.

“Do you think she’ll be a great cook?” Herald asked. In one swift motion Hilde and Herald Spero fell to the ground dead, a smile on both their faces.

“Sometimes bro, I really hate this job,” Linus whispered to Lloyd as they both lifted the dead bodies up.

~*~*~

Viola’s world spun in circles, the emotions inside her tearing her apart. Love, duty, honor, love, loneliness betrayal, spite, revenge. Her grip upon the shaft of Duty’s Pride was trembling as her knees quaked in their boots. She had killed Rachel Leona, a close and dear friend who only trusted her. She had killed Paul Donovan, a trusted confidant and the man she loved. Now standing before her were the two men she trusted in all matter of war and battle. Her closest advisors, her most capable commanders.

David King and Jonathan Andrews were more or less Viola’s spirit of Duty and Pride, respectively, made manifest. To fight them was to fight herself.

Viola looked to them, a pleading expression in her eyes as their weapons materialized in their grips. David looked to Viola with hungry eyes of a hunter, that same predatory thirst for carnage that Paul had, but the sharpness and focus that made David the superior officer showing through. The Captain of the Guard looked upon her with disgust, his movements calculated and careful. He looked deep into her eyes, analyzing her and she felt a cold wave run down her spine to be scrutinized by the man.

She didn’t even dare look Jonathan in the eyes after what she had done to his Fiancé.

Lucifer was the first to act, snarling in hate as his bastard sword clove horizontally at the Captain of the House Knights. Balmung glimmered in the torchlight, the weapon creating it’s own luminescence, gliding forwards as it shifted into the shape of a spear that parried the blow. Jonathan took a step inwards, the weapon retracting and reforming as a curved blade which he swung gracefully towards the prince’s head.

Viola’s world was rattled as she barely saw Tyrfing clash against the upper shaft of Duty’s Pride, the mysterious alloy it was made of the only thing that protected the weapon from it’s ability to cut through armor and weaker weapons with ease. She backpedaled, keeping her blade held at the ready before her as she swiped furiously back and forth in precise thrusts to keep the man away, his weapon striking to keep the pressure off him as he slowly advanced forward.

“Why did you do it?” David asked, his tone quiet and serious as he lifted his blade up to his chest, turning to the side and avoiding a thrust, bringing his blade down hard upon the top of the halberd. He pushed all his weight down and ran the sword along the shaft, the sound of metal grating against metal ringing in the air as sparks erupted from the surface.

Viola placed one hand under the other and pushed upwards on the back haft of her weapon, bringing it back and up blocking his attack from striking her as they stood off in a stalemate, both trying to push the other back.

“You wouldn’t understand,” Viola said honestly.

“Your right,” David replied with a snarl, lifting his foot up and kicking his ex-commander in the stomach as he grabbed her by the hair and pushed her back further along the tunnel to make room for Jonathan with his fight against the bastard prince. “I can’t fathom why anyone would turn traitor.”

“I was not the first to stick the knife in Emprea’s back!” Viola hissed, coming up with a wild swing that pushed David away as she twirled the halberd around her body quickly and soundly, a whistling noise filling the space between them. “Don’t think I would have done such an act without provocation!”

David’s blade swung outwards, his body twisting in with the blow as he swatted her weapon away and charged his body into hers. Viola’s leg swept out as she fell, tripping David as he stumbled forwards to regain his balance. This allowed Viola to lift herself upwards quickly, dragging her blade along the ground aiming for David’s shins. He slammed his blade into the ground, digging deep into the earth to prevent the blade from biting his flesh, stomping one foot on the back of the shaft of the halberd and ripping his blade free from it’s rocky prison.

“Yes, because betraying all the people who trusted you and called you friend needs a reason,” David replied as he charged forward again, his blade swinging up and down in swift, graceful arcs. Viola retreated further down the hall way, her face moving left and right to avoid a lunge as her blade dragged along the ground. “Yet I honestly couldn’t even dream you would turn your back on us!”

“Forget this!” Viola shouted, her fist coming out and catching David off guard as his lower lip was struck. He stumbled backwards and Viola rushed him, returning the favor of knocking her over with her own shoulder tackle. David fell upon the floor, his arms flailing to try to regain himself. Viola’s halberd swiftly moved up into her hands, and the struck forwards multiple times trying to impale David King.

“How quick you were to judge me! I would have thought the trials we have been through would have given me a little credibility!” She cried out venomously. “Had I not saved your own ass several times David King? Had I not covered up for your slip ups?” David managed to weakly lift his blade up for a feeble defense as he continued to scoot backwards on one hand to avoid her onslaught. “You do not ask, you do not know, you can never imagine what I had endured all because of that idiot Horus!” She was shrieking now, her mind unable to believe that she had been convicted of her betrayal so hastily.

With a cry of frustration her blade lanced forward, going for a killing blow, but David King was no mere soldier of Emprea. He read the attack, patiently waited for it and when he saw it coming he lifted Tyrfing upwards and knocked the attack aside. His hand reached out and gripped Duty’s Pride, wrenching it forward as he placed one foot up and let her stomach ride along it before he kicked outwards, pushing her back into a barrel. Her back slapped against the metal strapping, her head beating against the wood and she groaned lifting one hand to her head weakly.

Softly David stood up, looking down to her with conflicted eyes, but with a casual flick of his hand through his hair he was back to that determined old self of his. He tapped Tyrfing upon his shoulder, and then he spoke with a disinterested tone.

“Whine, bitch, moan.” Viola shook her head clear as she weakly looked up as he chuckled. “Your worse than Paul when he’s getting his ass kicked in a card game.” The sword dropped down before his chest, pointing the tip at her heart. “Ya know, I probably would have spared your life, hell I maybe even would have joined you,” David admitted, his tone low so Jonathan couldn’t hear. “But when you spilt the blood of my friends, whatever ties and loyalties we had were gone.’

“So save your bitching, Viola, cause I don’t want to hear it.” He muttered stabbing his weapon forward, blood spurting upwards in an arc splashing across his face, Viola‘s anguish echoing down the halls.

[Lucifer Blight]

Lucifer's eyes went wide as Jonathan's weapon changed forms before his very eyes. The prince had just enough time to jerk his head back; he narrowly avoided a fate similar to the former king of Emprea. Bright light shimmered once more, and just as Jonathan finished his stroke, his blade had become as small knife. He twirled the small weapon made of light gracefully, cutting Lucifer's cheek in a flourish of dazzlingly rays of white.

"What in the-" Lucifer managed to spit as he dove away from his foe. He had of course been briefed on what Balmung could do, but to see it firsthand was something else entirely.

"Goddamn heroes!" Lucifer cursed as he rolled away, swinging Resentment haphazardly about as he did so. Jonathan just twirled his dagger once, and then began to carefully poke at the prince with the spear that Balmung became. "Goddamn heroes with goddamn magical weapons!"

For his foul language, Lucifer was rewarded with a swift kick in the face.

"It's Prince right? You're one of the two Carthage princes, aren't you?" Jonathan asked softly as his weapon returned to its original form; a long sword.

"Actually, Carthage has three princes, but Paris never goes to war. I'm one of the two princes that destroyed Emprea though. Was that what you meant?" Lucifer muttered a bit more sarcastically then he should have as he forced himself up. Jonathan lunged at him, and Lucifer was barely able to deflect the blow.

"Prince, soldier, or commoner. Makes no difference to me. You destroyed my home. You killed my friends. You killed my wife!" Balmung transformed into a staff now, but as the blows rained down on Lucifer and sent him spiraling across the room, he noticed that Balmung had changed a bit more sloppily than before this particular time.

Lucifer analyzed the situation carefully, using the few precious moments his fight had earned him as best he could. Perhaps there was a trick to manipulating Balmung? His foe seemed to be able to shift the weapon at will, but that last time had been different. The light had been a bit hazier, the transformation less precise.

It's worth a shot I suppose. Not as if I'm doing very well at the moment anyhow. He thought to himself as Jonathan prepared to advance once more. The prince just clucked his tongue in irritation and did his best to defend himself.

"Let's analyze that last statement, shall we?" Lucifer said as he parried one strike. He did not press his advantage, instead he focused solely on defense. "Who really wrecked Emprea hmm? Who really let it down?"

The two weapons clashed in the torchlight as Lucifer spoke. Interestingly, Balmung didn't seem to cause sparks like other metal when it clashed with steel. Instead, it just seemed to shimmer a little brighter.

"First, let's start with relying on Fort Caliben. I mean, seriously, did you really expect that plan to work? What, did you think we'd march by a fort, go 'I do believe that we are in danger of being flanked,' and then keep on marching? What kind of idiot conceived such a plan, and more importantly, who the hell put such an incompetent buffoon in a position to make such plans?"

Lucifer noticed that when Jonathan shaped his weapon (this time into rapier), it did so almost painfully. The prince noted that the pain of the shifting seemed to match the pained expression on Jonathan’s face. That seemed important.

“I believe it is a failure of your political system as a whole. All those judicial reforms down the drain huh?” Lucifer managed to chuckle as Balmung slashed his side. Jonathan reverted the weapon back into a sword, and although the weapon obeyed, its light seemed to dim.

“Then there’s the opening of the gates. Harsh call I know, but you really shouldn’t have done it. I mean, that simple act of kindness literally opened the gates for Carthage. Stupid move,” Lucifer said as he stepped in and, saving his bastard sword for defense, punched Jonathan in the face. The Commander of the House Knights stumbled back as Lucifer went over the information he gleamed.

To begin with, each time the weapon changes, so does its light. I can predict when it’ll change by watching the rise and fall of the light, but not what it’ll change to. Second, his emotions seem to play a part in how quickly it can change. How can I use this? Lucifer’s lips twisted into a cruel grin.

“And why’d you leave your fiance; alone anyhow? Shouldn’t you have been the one to protect her? Shouldn’t you have been there, and not that oaf? Sure, he’s good in a fight, but the strength to protect is quite different from the strength to protect. All in all, I’d say the one to blame for your misery and her death...is YOU!”

Balmung’s light grew dim. With a twisted grin, the prince dashed forward, dragging his bastard sword across the ground as he did so. Aiming to finish of the Commander of the House Knights the same way he had slain the king of Emprea, Lucifer swung his sword at his foe’s neck. At the very last moment, a bright light of the purest white blinded Lucifer.

“You are only partially correct,” Jonathan stated softly. He had morphed Balmung into a gauntlet that tightly gripped Resentment. “I must remain calm in order to manipulate Balmung, however, my inner turmoil is not enough to make Balmung unusable. Balmung draws upon my strength, and for a man like you, I have strength aplenty!”

With a roar Jonathan shove aside Lucifer’s sword, and as he closed in Balmung reverted back to a sword. The prince swore in anger and, as he lacked any other form of defense, he turned his shoulder to bare the brunt of the attack. As Balmung tore into him, Lucifer raised his knee into Jonathan’s stomach. His blood pulsing, Lucifer gripped his foe by the hair.

“Begone!” Lucifer screeched as he flung the man across the room. With a quick double-step, he managed to swing Resentment into Jonathan’s back. He heard the man mutter a curse as the two parted.

“Shit,” The prince muttered to himself as he touched his shoulder. Balmung had done its work well, and blood poured freely from the wound. Meanwhile, Resentment’s wound had been paltry in comparison. Still, it was a start.

No, that wasn’t true. At this rate, there was no way he could possibly beat Jonathan. He need more emotion, more anger, more despair from the man. The only problem was, as good as Lucifer was at drawing out those emotions, Jonathan had just proved he wasn’t good enough. The prince need a way to draw out those violent emotions, and fast. Otherwise he would lose, and such a thing was unacceptable.

Not that he had a winning streak to speak of. Actually, he hadn’t won a battle with a hero of Emprea yet. It would be a lie to say that such a thought did not disturbed him in the least.

He glanced over towards Viola. Much like him, she was faring poorly in combat. However, unlike Jonathan Andrews, David King’s sword was barren of light. Instead, Tyrfing was wreathed in dark red energies that spiraled around its wielder, almost as if it threatened to consume the man.

But it did not consume the man. David King moved about with the dark energy, almost as if he had made a home there. Lucifer watched as the man reversed his sword’s position, ducked low, slammed his fist into Viola’s stomach, and then brought the hilt of his sword upwards. An wave of dark energy sent Viola sprawling across the room.

Once more he assessed the situation. He could not defeat Jonathan at the moment. Perhaps if the man was more stressed, or more enraged, something could be done about Balmung’s ever changing shape. As it was now, it was simply to hard to mount a counter against a weapon that seemed able to become anything. Lucifer had no idea all the changes that were possible with such a weapon.

But Viola might. As a Jonathan’s former commander, she might know the forms of Balmung. Plus, using her would no doubt draw out Jonathan’s anger, and Lucifer needed that. He needed the man to be angry, for anger could lead to a mistake. The prince had, after all, been a victim of that flaw more than once.

“Hey! Switch with me!” Lucifer ordered as he quickly picked Viola up and spun her around. David and Jonathan grew closer as Viola looked at him with what might have qualified as a timid look.

“But...” She began, but did not finish.

“I don’t have time for your bitching Viola!” Lucifer snapped. “If things continue at this rate, I’ll fall to Jonathan just as you will to David. The die is cast, before you could have gone back, but now you have no choice but to fight!”

And with that, Lucifer turned his back on her and charged David King, whose dark energies danced about seemingly in anticipation of the upcoming battle.

[Viola Conda]

Viola stumbled around like a drunken bar wench, her weapon dragging as she sheepishly looked up to Jonothan. He aimed Balmung up, and with a dark whisper he glared to her, forgetting all about Lucifer as the two looked to each other.

“Jon,” Viola pleaded for the Captain to listen to her. “I’m sorry…”

“I’ll never forgive you,” He breathed coldly.

~*~*~

A terrible wailing of madness engulfed the air as the burning castle of Emprea began to snap and ebb as support pillars burned in the main court yard. Each and every wolf of Emprea was in arms, taking scores of casualties as they barked and bellowed like banshees of myth. The Carthage surprise force was depleted, utterly destroyed by the counterattack that Paul Donovan gave to his units as the archers and wolves fought. It was enough to repulse them, to gain a foothold and regain some order.

It wasn’t enough to stop Ares charge.

The master of war had watched from the throne of Emprea, seeing the fires and the chaos as one would watch a play from boxed seats. He merely observed the battle with entertainment, not even bothering to watch Hilde and Herald Spero being dragged away. He lifted up a wine glass and sipped gingerly to it, reveling it’s smooth taste and fine vintage. This one bottle had come from the Emprean cellars, and he mentally noted to take as many home with him as possible for his personal stock. Lifting himself with a grace that men could only pine for he walked to the same window Horus had walked to with Jonothan and David hours prior, looking out over the desolated land of Emprea like a warlord after a great conquest. Without so much as an ounce of effort he said the words to seal the fate of Emprea.

“Finish it.”

Macbeth nodded once lifting his hands out pointing to the courtyard, screaming at his advisors to get to work in ordering the army in. The news traveled from the main advisors to the runners, the runners rushing towards the vacant windows of the castle chambers where they found trumpets and blared the notes as loud as they could. The notes traveled past the burning courtyard to the outer walls, where scouts heard the notes and sent a runner to the front lines. The runner entered the makeshift quarters of the front line, and the generals took the news with greedy excitement grabbing their weapons and lifting them high.

The soldiers received their orders and they rushed towards the courtyard. Without the aid of the archers and the bolt throwers, the soldiers crossed the ground of no man’s land with impunity, screams of bloodlust escaping their lips as they ran. The Emprean army moaned, the wolves reaching for their weapons and preparing for the final charge. When they were almost at the main staircase to lead up and into the kill zone the archers fired, point blank making every shot count. The front line stumbled, tripping the second line, but there were far to many bodies. The wolves stepped forward, screaming as one cohesive unit as their axes dripped crimson liquid behind them. They ran head first, dragging their weapons on the floor creating small sparks of light.

When they hit the fourth line of charging Carthage warriors they lifted their weapons up and became individual whirlwinds of hate, malice, and spite. Each one was an aspect of a mighty god of vengeance given many forms. Great axes cleaved into armor with ease, axes shoved into visors and under armpits. The flurry of activity was unable to be matched by the Carthage army and they fought a loosing battle, but still more came. Carthage was vast, and event he wolves began losing steam. One wolf carved a hole deep into an officer’s chest, only to br dragged down to his screaming death by three Carthage warriors. A pair of wolves fought back to back with roved Carthage assassins, the man and woman taunting them as they played games to expose their weak points until they both charged forward with their swords disemboweling the wolves. In their death throws the wolves grabbed the enemies weapons and held them by their wrists, where their mirth was turned to terror as more wolves came to cleave their life away.

Still Carthage came. The wolves numbers had dwindled, a raging inferno now doused out to a mere trickling flame. The archers had ran out of arrows, most of their ammunition burned in the bastard princes gambit. They lifted up spears, recited their oaths to Emprea, and charged forward. They were cut down with relative ease, the Carthage footmen far better trained than the lightly armored archers.

Hope was fading fast, but it was all necessary. As more and more Carthage soldiers spilled into the courtyard, less and less room was able to be negotiated. It looked like the Carthage army was a mass horde, or an angry mob of zealots. This was when Jake Falcon and Elliot Hawk made their counter attack. They had done their duty to Emprea, several soldiers left behind to escort the civilians that remained to an escape route in an underground tunnel. Perhaps Carthage would be there too, but the determined members still left with them would see them through.

Emprea’s future was, after all, in its people.

The counter attack was glorious, the red and blue colors of the Emprean banners toppling the colors of Carthage. Spear, sword, lance and curse fell the Carthage line. With no room to escape the attack became the rout that Elliot had gambled upon. It cost them Paul’s wolves, but it was necessary to deal as much damage as possible. Jake screamed for the guardsmen not to let a single house knight outshine them, and Elliot mirrored this as he chanted from their nation’s book of war, passages about the applied arts of killing and savagery.

“Let none who stand in our way think them better! Let none who witness us find us lacking! We are the warriors of Emprea! In each of us is a hero!”

Carthage was pushed back out of the courtyard, the walls pinning them in place and they were forced out the few openings with spear and sword. Blood slicked the ground and made traction nigh impossible, the feeling as if they were fighting in the mud. The fires of Emprea burned again, brighter, hotter, and set Carthage ablaze as they neared the burning walls. The nation itself fought back as Jake darted forward and picked up a fallen banner of the house knights. He fought like a hero unto himself, screaming and holding off several warriors with merely his sword and banner, Elliot performing his own deeds of valor as blood dripped from a sword impaled in his upper shoulder, ignoring it as he fought on screaming his litanies of hate. Carthage took a collective step back from the ferocity of Emprea. In the darkest hour of the night, Emprea burned, but it burned so brightly.

Carthage sent in wave after waves of their heavier armored troops, their plating taking off the brunt of the blows as they took lives like wheat to a scythe. The guardsmen never stepped back as the House Knights feigned retreat, backing up and then turning on a dime without a moments notice, charging inwards again. They could feel the echoes of their commanders crying to them in their heads, and they fought with all the vigor of cornered animals. The animalistic fury and brashness of Paul and Rachel infected the soldiers, and with bloody howls they all fought back with tooth and nail. When a soldier fell, he lifted himself up, howling again as he jumped atop an enemy spear dragging it into the bloodied ground. The few surviving archers looted the corpses of the dead, taking their fallen shafts and sending them back to their owners with prayers of death on their lips.

Still Carthage came. The Emprean army surged backwards as the tidal wave came in full force. The house knights of Carthage took to their steeds, riding them into the enemy. Jake lanced out and stabbed a horse in the throat, his body being trampled by the beast. Elliot fought to recover him, both men grinning thinking the same thing.

You owe me guard, a point for the house knights. They retreated with their army back to the rooftops of the fallen courtyard. They became quickly surrounded by the enemy, forming a mob around the survivors of Emprea. Jake took the banner and held it high, Eilliot lifting a Guardsmen banner up in his hands. Both men saluted the other as they took the two banners and tied the together. Carthage watched them, waiting for the order to finish them off once and for all. A few wolves remained, snarling, hateful as they were dripping the enemies blood of their entire bodies, caked in crimson that smelled up the area. They covered the archers like Paul would have done for Rachel, and the Emprean army stood ready for their final stand.

Jake looked to Elliot with sly smile. “So, in the end, I suppose the guard didn’t defend the walls,” He joked.

“And in the end, I suppose the House Knights failed to protect their country,” Elliot replied.

“A draw,” Jake said flatly.

“Indeed,” Both men looked to the enemy army, seeing the generals march up behind them aloft tall stallions of war, archers notching their arrows as the enemy formed up into ranks. Emprea did likewise, surrounding the banner of Emprea.

“I would think, sirs, if we are going to fall, our banner needs a new pole,” A wolf said handing them his great axe, and lifting up two small hand axes from his belt. They took the axe and tied it to the banner. An archer stepped forward, and without any words they stuck an arrow through both banners, pinning them together at the bottom. Jake and Elliot both nodded to that.

“You know,” Jake said at last. “I think David would be proud of us.” Elliot nodded. “That is, if he wasn’t to busy throwing a hissy fit that we came to a draw.” Elliot took a moment to register the words, then with a silly laugh he nodded, feeling stress build up his laugh into a mighty echo. The Carthage army began stirring, and at last they heard the order to charge. Jake echoed back his own cry, drowning out the enemies cries with his own. Elliot screamed as one with him, a defiant shout and the Emprean soldiers lifted their voice to it. The rough guttural bellows of the wolves joined them.

As Jake charged he looked to the corner of his eye and thought he saw something rather out of place. There was a huge ox of a man, rage emanating from him. It seemed his presence was so terrifying neither army dared even to approach it. It was walking towards something on the ground, something large and ominous. When the body reached it Jake wasn’t able to watch anymore as his sword took a Carthage life.

Dragging a body in its hands the phantom like entity picked up the discarded Fenrir, and turned towards the area where he came from.

~*~*~

Duty’s Pride clove left, then right as Viola back pedaled and lifted her haft up in a fierce uppercut. Jonothan took the blow, twirling in his confusion from the sudden counter attack. She had tried, tried so hard to make Jonothan understand her. She didn’t do this on purpose, she didn’t betray Emprea so callously. She had her reasons, she had her doubts, but she had a path to take and there was no going back. Rachel couldn’t understand that, Paul tried to pretend he did, but in the end he was only trying to get her to come back. His love for something that wasn’t there anymore.

David refused to even acknowledge her anymore. Jonothan didn’t even speak to her. The cold words he spoke was the last she ever heard of his voice. That voice who carried her authority to the Emprean army. He was hateful now, and where David was cool in his demeanor, Jonothan was calculating. He didn’t fight with berserk fury like Paul, nor patiently either like one would think. He kept his movements rolling and flowing as Balmung continued to take from him to operate.

The shimmering glow of the weapon seemed confused to be beating against the haft of Duty’s Pride, and likewise for her Halberd. The weapons didn’t spark, but they made a sound that was foreign to both of them. It was as if the weapons sighed in deep remorsefulness. Each pounding Viola took dimmed the light of Balmung, and every cut Duty’s Pride made was hallow as the weapon cut through the air, the noise like a howl of longing. It was as if the weapons didn’t know why they were fighting each other, similar to the reasons why Viola and Jonothan were fighting.

Deep down, stripped of their pride and history, both of them didn’t know why they struck the other with lethal intent.

Viola watched Balmung begin to shift, and she lunged her weapon forwards in a violent arc, blocking a coming axe swing. She pushed forwards, rushing towards Jonothan as he was forced to retreat. They slammed into a wall where they snarled at each other. She had given up trying to reason with her friends. None of them understood, none of them had what it took to follow until the end. She wanted to be rid of them now, her hatred beginning to take over. She punched Jonothan in the gut, kneed him in the thigh, gripping his hair and throwing him down where she attempted to stab at him. Yet as he fell Balmung took a new shape she hadn’t seem him use, the light twisting around her ankle as he fell, and the former Captain of the House Knights pulled at the whip, tripping Viola.

Both of them scrambled to their feet, Viola getting up last as she was pushed on the defensive. The house knight kept his weapon moving in a sword state, for Viola knew the counter to his weapons state. As fast as it was at shape shifting, the weapon still had to take form. That was the only chance she got and she exploited it countless times. Jonothan learned if he wanted the weapon to change form, he had to do it when he had an opening. Balmung wailed against her feeble defense, Viola lifting the shaft up before her as he reigned blow after blow on her. She dropped to one knee from his onslaught, and still he came. Balmung shifted into the form of a warhammer, the weapon beating at her with such force she was unable to bear it much longer.

When the final blow came a scream filled the murky air of the tunnel, and both Viola and Jonothan turned to see Lucifer pushing David aside as Resentment clove across his chest. The prince was littered in scores of cuts, panting heavily as David fell, and Viola took that as her cue to pick up the pace. She lifted herself up, using her momentum to push Jonothan aside as the two collapsed onto each other. Viola lifted her hand and pushed against the house knight’s chin, violently shunting it aside as she reigned in one violent punch to his temple. Wasting little time she then slammed the head of Duty’s pride into Jonothan’s wrist, and the magical sword Balmung dissipated.

She picked herself up and rolled, running back towards Lucifer as he stepped towards her, the two meeting up as David rolled aside to Jonothan. Both lifted themselves up and Lucifer looked to them, a snarl of hate in his eyes as he spat towards their direction. Tyrfing cackled with power around David, and she knew that he drank deeply from the energies within the cursed blade. At one point that would have mattered to her, but standing next to Lucifer and feeding off his hatred, she felt her insides literally burning towards him. If he wished to damn his soul to a silly sword, so be it.

There was a sound coming from the back of the heroes however, a dark heavy panting, like a dog in hot weather. The sound of shuffling echoed and all four peered as a hulking presence slowly shuffled into the picture.

“THAT THRICE DAMNED WOLF!” Lucifer bellowed as he watched Paul Donovan lower Rachel to her feet, where she lifted Ullr up and rested it on Paul’s shoulder while she drew in the string. Quickly the energy formed around the bow as Paul lifted Fenrir up, glaring daggers at the bastard prince. The captain of the archer’s face echoed Paul’s hate, but she aimed her bow towards Viola. In the small tunnel, there was nothing she could do to stop Ullr blast from hitting her.

The best she could do, and Rachel knew this, was grab Jonothan and take his life with hers, the same for David as Lucifer could proably lunge forwards and kill him. Paul would try, but he was not in any condition to keep fighting without aid. Rachel would Kill Lucifer, but only after Lucifer killed Paul as well. So many lives would be wasted in a span of moments.

She lowered Duty’s Pride as she looked to her. “The move is yours, Captain Leona.”

[Lucifer Blight]

"You don't look...like a hero to me," Lucifer muttered as David King licked his lips. Dark energies swirled around the man; his fingers seemed to play with the crimson energy much like a maestro would conduct an opera.

"That depends on who you compare me to. Viola doesn't exactly set the bar high, but trust me, I'll take your life all the same. I hate to lose," David sneered as he dashed forward, Tyrfing was poised to attack. Thankfully, the blade could only pierce through armor, and Lucifer had already discarded his armor. At least that part of the cursed sword would be nullified.

But not the rest. Tyrfing's power was quite impressive, and David seemed to have no problem calling upon it. As the magic blade clashed with Resentment, Lucifer felt a feeling akin to fear as the dark energies at David's command washed over him. It did not hurt Lucifer per se, but being wrapped in the blood red energies did nothing for his self-esteem.

"You won't escape!"! David shouted as Lucifer attempted to fall back. The Captain of the Guards rushed forward, feinting to the side with his sword. Lucifer took the bait, and David slammed his fist into the prince's chest. Lucifer felt the wind leave his chest as David brought back his other hand, and punched.

It was easily the strongest punch Lucifer had ever received. As soon as David's fist connected with Lucifer, a sudden wave of dark energy gathered around David's other hand. With a grin, the man plunged his other fist forward, forsaking the sword in the hand and choosing to strike Lucifer with naught but his fist. The dark wave burst forth, careened into Lucifer, and sent the prince flying.

"That's what I'm talking about! Power!" David shouted with glee as he picked up the pace; his voice was hoarse and dark when he spoke. "I want more!"

It was painfully obvious to Lucifer that the man before him was completely entranced by the dark power he held. If Lucifer had to guess, he would have said that David had never drawn on Tyrfing this much before. As much as he wanted to find a weakness in the man's attacks, he had to admit that the power displayed before him was incredible.

The prince rolled forward towards the advancing Emprean, and as he finished his roll, he stabbed his blade towards David's knee. Perhaps he could not defeat the man in a fair battle, but he could perhaps cripple him. In that case, David King would be easy pickings for the prince of Carthage.

With a chuckle David parried the blow with ease. The man then stepped forward, he reached out with his free hand as he did so. He grasped Lucifer's shirt and, much to the prince's surprise, David's face turned ghastly white. The next thing Lucifer knew was that the hand that held him had no fingers. Instead, blood-red talons protruded from what was once David King's fingertips. The talons were plunged through him, and Lucifer screamed in agony as his the upper left part of his chest was shredded. David King flung the man aside and held his hand forward, the talons reverted to fingers drenched in blood. The former Captain Of The Guards let out a mad laugh.

"David..." Lucifer heard Jonathan mutter from what seemed to be far away.

"Shut up! I've got this!" David barked back as he called forth the dark energies around him. The crimson energy obeyed the man's summons, and began to take shape around the man's left hand. Up and down it danced, a ballad of dark power. Lucifer gritted his teeth as David formed the energy into a dark red claw that covered his entire left side.

"Don't try to block it!" Viola warned as David dashed towards Lucifer. Heeding his ally's words, the prince dodged to the left as his foe closed in on him. David lunged with his sinister claw, but Lucifer was already well away from danger. Instead, the blood-red weapon struck the barrel that David had been sitting on earlier.

Waves of dark energy rose from the ground and tore at the barrel as he lifted the wooden object up of the ground and into the air. The energy shredded the barrel to pieces. No, that wasn't completely accurate. The power of Tyrfing oblitereated the barrel. The prince knew that had he attempted any other course of action, he would have been killed instantly. Tyrfing's power was awesome indeed.

But it had its drawbacks. That power was clearly going to waste at the moment, the offending barrel offered no significant tactical advantage to Lucifer. It was simply annihilated by Tyrfing, without any forethought. Not only that, but amidst the waves of darkness, Lucifer could see David trying to control the arm he had only recently engulfed in darkness.

Without a word Lucifer drew up his blade. He would only have one shot at this, and he was determined not to waste it.

"David!" Lucifer heard Jonathan scream.

"I can't...stop it!" David shouted over the shrieking that Tyrfing's power was now emanating. It sounded as if hundreds of voices were screaming in agony, or perhaps as if the barrel itself was moaning in pain. Lucifer wasn't sure which.

Finally David managed to call of the energy; Tyrfing disappeared as he freed his other hand to forcibly pull his left hand away from the barrel. The bloody wisps of power dissipated, and Lucifer saw his moment as clear as the fire that burned Emprea. With a shout Lucifer slashed Resentment, and he felt no small amount of satisfaction as it cleaved away a good portion of David's chest.

It was at that time Viola rolled over to Lucifer's side. Distracted by that action, Lucifer was unable to press his advantage. David King rolled over to Jonathan, who at this point lay wounded. The prince thought to press his luck, but David shot straight up.

"I can still go!" The man screamed as he re-summoned Tyrfing. But he was bleeding badly, and even though the dark energy of Tyrfing swirled around him once more, his stance was noticeably weaker. His legs were wobbly, his breath short, his chest heaved with great effort. "Stand up Jonathan! It's not over! Not by a long shot!"

"Agreed. We have not yet finished this battle," Jonathan said in a much softer tone. His stance too was far more feeble than it had been. Balmung reappeared and took its normal shape, a single sword of light. The man's eyes zeroed in on Viola, and Lucifer could feel all of the man's hate focus on her as Jonathan growled a few more words. "They'll never find your body..."

It was at that time the cavalry arrived, and that cavalry consisted of two people. Rachel Leona and Paul Donavan. Lucifer swore in anger as he check his position. He was surrounded by four opponents, all of them wounded. King and Andrews were bleeding badly, Leona was shaking as she held Ullr, and Donavan looked as if he had been dragged through the depths of hell. Of course, the man still stood strong, not that Lucifer was surprised. Every attempt to kill the man had ended in failure, why should the third time have been any different?

The prince was positive any of the four heroes could be taken down by either him or Viola. However, by the time two were killed, the other two would be upon them. Together, him and Viola could hope to kill one, but it was unlikely they would stop the other. Of the six people gathered, it seemed as if only one would exit this hallway.

Why? Why did everything have to be so damn difficult? If there was such a thing as karma, then why had it remained silent until now? Why, at the most critical moment, had fate sought to deny him? Why even give him the taste of victory if only to snuff out his life?

“No...” Lucifer muttered as he checked his options. NO! There had to be some way out of this. Something, anything to get him out of this tunnel! He did not care if these heroes lived or died, although he would prefer to have buried them all. All he wanted was to flee and plan his next move. Why were these Empreans so obsessed with stopping him anyhow? It wasn’t as if they had anything left to defend, save one another.

A sudden, desperate idea crossed Lucifer’s mind.

“The move is your’s, Captain Leona.”

Would it work?

“Leave,” Rachel Leona whispered. Ullr was drawn, and energy was gathering. “Leave, and never come back.”

He could take her up on that offer. Would David and Jonathan allow him to leave? Lucifer’s eyes sought Tyrfing and Balmung. Light and dark danced before him. It was now or never.

Lucifer Blight had always been the type of man to seize his own destiny. Regardless of the circumstances, he felt that it was better to die by his own blunder than to simply stand slack-jawed and await death. He would be no different now.

Viola considered the choice. Lucifer did not.

“Piss off!” The prince roared as he dashed forward. David was the man closest to him, and he was the logical target. Lucifer aimed for Jonathan, and caught the man by surprise. It wasn’t enough, for Jonathan quickly parried the blow, taking only minor damage. But that wasn’t really the point of the attack anyhow.

Instinctively David ran forward to defend his friend. He aimed not for Lucifer, but rather for the blade that threatened his friend’s life. Rachel screamed as Lucifer tackled David to the ground, but she did not unleash Ullr. To do so would have certainly killed Lucifer, but most likely David as well. Stunned by the force of the blow, David lost control of Tyrfing. The sword vanished from sight as Lucifer yanked the man up but his hair.

“You piece of shit!” Paul bellowed. “I’ll-”

“You’ll remain in your place. That’s an order,” Viola said softly. Lucifer turned to see Jonathan pinned to the floor by Duty’s Pride. It appeared that Viola had made use of the confusion, for as soon as David went down Jonathan had rushed to help him. He had turned his back on Viola, and she had taken full advantage of it. Good girl... Lucifer thought.

“Let them go! Let them go or I’ll fry you!” Rachel demanded, Ullr kept switching targets as ever more energy built up. The longer she held the bow back, the more power would be charged.

“Hostage taking coward!” Paul spat. Lucifer raised his eyebrows.

“Oh yes, that’ll really work! Sorry, but I don’t think I’ll give into my rage and lose my advantage. Now be a good doggie and sit down!” Lucifer shouted back. He accompanied his demand by placing his sword against David’s neck. Jonathan struggled to rise, but Viola slammed her foot into his back. Lucifer heard Rachel scream as Jonathan let out a gasp of pain.

“I thought as much. You can’t do it, can you? You can’t take the shot knowing you might hit them, and the longer you wait the more powerful that shot becomes. Come on, little archer girl, take the shot!” Lucifer smirked as he spoke. Rachel pointed her arrow at him, but did not fire. “What’s the matter? Chicken?”

“Don’t listen to him! Our lives don’t matter! Shoot him!” Jonathan managed to spit out.

“I beg to differ! My life matter’s quite a bit actually!’ David said with a slight chuckle. He then gave Lucifer a hate-filled glare. “That being said, shoot the prick.”

“I...I...” Rachel stammered as the energy of Ullr began to pulsate. It was going out of control.

“Rachel, lower the bow, and we will trade you their lives for our freedom,” Viola offered.

“No, we won’t. I’m not about to walk out of here with four enemies at my back. I won’t even walk out of here with two. You turn off that bow, toss your weapons here, or I’ll run my sword through Jonathan.” Rachel and Paul gave him a harsh look. “What? Did you expect I’d stab King? Somehow, I think your love is worth more than your friend. Just a hunch though...”

Rachel’s arm trembled, but did not let down the bow.

“Rachel, I promise you, everything will be all right. Just put the bow down,” Viola promised in her sweetest tone.

“Oh hell. If you’re going to listen to her just go ahead and shoot me. You may all enjoy a good backstabbing, but I for one would rather have my face blasted off,” David muttered as he rolled his eyes as best he could (not an easy task with an arm around his throat).

“Poor choice of words considering the circumstances,” Jonathan joked softly. David let out a hoarse laugh.

“You all don’t get it!” Rachel screamed as sweat poured down her face. The white energy of her bow was nearly out of control now, it threatened to engulf the entire passage way. “Ullr can’t just be let down like a regular bow! Once drawn, it has to be fired!”

Everyone’s eyes went wide at that remark.

“Oh shit!” Lucifer heard someone say as the pressure snapped Ullr’s bowstring, and the entire tunnel caved in.

[Viola Conda]

Emprea was ablaze. What was once a fertile, prosperous land, was now a razed ruin. The castle was shattered, the banners were toppled, and the king was dead. What little was left of the nation was no longer in a state of power. Carthage had came, and they won the war. Several Carthage officers began ordering the men back into lines, and Macbeth walked for the first time out onto the front lines. He was flanked by three heavy soldiers, his personal retinue when not with Ares, and surveyed the scene.

He wanted to see what his nation had done, not hear about it. Reports never told him the story of people’s valor, the personal sacrifice of the people who died for their country. He wanted to feel the ground that was soaked in blood, touch the ruined stones of the courtyard and look upon the devastation the bolt throwers and the archer Rachel Leona had dealt. He wanted to see all this, because secretly, deep down, Macbeth respected Emprean soldiers more than most of Carthage. Noble, valiant warriors, people with ideals and a sense of justice. Not warmongers and petty princesses who ran their countries economy down the drain.

His first stop was the front of the castle where Lucifer’s unorthodox butchery had open the main gate. It was stupid to have open that gate, Macbeth knew, but at the same time, could he have willingly kept those gates shut? Part of his psyche had prayed he had the heart to think so. There were puddles of blood on the ground, and he saw hoof prints on the ground than ran in stubborn circles. He envisioned Lucifer upon the stallion, screaming for help. A pity he hadn’t died.

He observed the courtyard for the fist time, and the stench nearly made him gag. His stomach wretched at the sight of the blood, for so much of it was on the ground that it felt like he was walking in a marsh. His grieves fell into the ground like mud, squishing the dirt and making obnoxious sounds. He moved towards the upper galley, looking at the burning bolt throwers. He had pondered how they had been able to break in, but it happened. What else needed to be known?

He stepped through the vaulted hallways of the courtyard inwards to the tunnels. It was here he heard that Paul Donovan, David King, and Jonothan Andrews had organized the men and women. There was an armory way down the way, and it looked like several tables were hastily set up. Carthage advisors were looking to the map, ordering a few men to go on a search and destroy mission down the numerous tunnels Emprea had within its castles. He saw one of the tables was smashed into pieces, a solitary map cut in half. He wondered what that was all about.

His footsteps carried him up to the final stand of Emprea, and he observed the men up here were breathing heavily. The fighting had only recently stopped for them. He looked to the adjacent galley, noting some soldiers were opening a hidden tunnel. They would most likely scout that tunnel out, but for now there was a lull. Emprea had no more tricks up its sleeve, and like an old timer on his death bed he had at last gave one last shuddering breath of life, and died. He looked over the bodies of the Empreans. Archers were piled atop savage looking men. They were covered in blood from head to toe, and their axes were drenched in the stuff that it still seemed to drip off. Even in their death, they looked fearsome and he knew that they were the fabled wolves of Emprea.

He searched around the other bodies, and he smiled. A glorious victory for Carthage. However as he looked at the dead bodies his smile softly faded. Where was the honor in this campaign? They came to this land not to conquer them for their superiority, their land, or anything else of military purpose. They conquered Emprea because they had a stash of cash that would refill Carthage’s coffers. That was all. Had Emprea been a poor nation it probably would have been spared. The thought made him sick to his stomach, but he kept his face neutral.

He turned to see a soldier walking forwards, his body shaking as he trembled to lift his hand up. His face was paler than death and he saw a score of wounds on the soldier’s body. To be standing was a miracle for this man.

“I am sad to report sir…that some soldiers of Emprea had gotten away…” Macbeth looked to him, and the soldier nearly fainted. Macbeth quickly called for an orderly, reaching out and grabbing the spearmen. “Captain of the Guard, and the Captain of the House Knights, escaped…something about, how their rivalry couldn’t end like this…” Macbeth looked to the soldier and the man died in his arms. Macbeth held the man for a moment, and gently put him down where some other men began dragging him to the casualty piles. He turned back to his retinue, who all stood at attention.

“I think I have seen enough of this fool’s war,” Macbeth said to them as he made his way back to Ares.

~*~*~

Deep into the night the fires still burned, and Emprea was glowing as it died. Even in the forest the clouds of annihilation were visible, and one small campfire added its own black smoke to the looming darkness of the sky. It crackled silently, as if it didn’t want to make to much noise, and six people stood around the flames. They all sat in silence, none speaking a word. Five shadows approached from the forest, followed by a few more and the bulkiest of the group stood up and turned to greet them.

“I’ll be damned…” Paul Donovan said, his voice fading with weakness. He smiled as he turned, making room on an overturned log as wearily another batch of wolves and archers showed up. Paul and Jake greeted them, and after awhile they explained the situation.

“There is a refugee camp up north, about half a mile. If you guys can make it you’ll find medical supplies there.” Jake looked to them and with a nod to Elliot the other soldier stood up, nodding once as he turned, and the Wolf Lord noticed a furled up banner attached to his back. Elliot and Jonothan spoke a few words, both planting an arm on the others shoulder in a brotherly way. The wolves led the way, and again the four remaining heroes of Emprea looked to the fire. Nobody spoke a word as Jonothan leaned his head on Rachel’s, both holding each other tightly.

David King was flickering his fingers to his side, wisps of dark energy flowing between them like a child’s toy. He continued to stroke his inner turmoil, and he had a feint, darkened image of himself that hovered behind him. It pained Paul to see how deep his friend drank from Tyrfing’s power. The silence was welcome after all that happened, and Paul fell to the side, exhaustion taking over his body as he curled up near the fire and closed his eyes.

He thought about what had happened in those last moments, his heart aching as the scene replayed itself in his mind…

Rachel’s blast had exploded the small tunnel, the support beams and the ceiling falling quickly to the ground like a torrential downpour. Everyone moved on their own accord; Jon ran to Rachel, Paul dashed forward and Lucifer turned to avoid being smashed to pieces. David fell and rolled towards Paul, who had grabbed his best friend and pushed him back to Rachel. Viola turned grabbing Lucifer by the collar, shoving him forward towards the exit. She had enough time to pick up Duty’s Pride and she ran.

Something clawed at her, and she turned ready to strike at whatever it was, but one look back into Paul’s hazel eyes and her will began to crumble. His hand reached for her, and there was no hate in his eyes. He was longing for her in his sympathetic look, like a friend who was willing to carry you from the abyss and back. She saw all her friends looking to Paul, David shouting for him to come back, and Rachel clinging to Jonothan for support as she watched the scene unfold.

“Please,” Paul whispered, and as small as his voice was she could hear it, even over the sounds of wood snapping and rocks tumbling down. He didn’t move from his spot, he kept his hand out if she wanted to take it. His hand was safety, was forgiveness. She looked to him, and the love she felt for Paul pined to take his proffered hand. “Don’t leave me like this,” Paul begged her. “I love you, Viola, come back!” His voice cracked as tears began to fall down his face again. Her heart couldn’t take it and she felt her world spinning. A rock fell in front of him, nearly crushing his hand, but still he held it out to her.

“I can’t walk where you walk, Paul. Not anymore,” She said turning and running away. She looked behind her one last time, seeing more rocks fall in her wake. Paul stood there, like a puppy waiting for its master to jump out of the cart and come back instead of leaving her behind. Then, stupidly, he began to go after her. The rocks began piling upon each other and a wall was built before him. Even the might of Paul Donovan wasn’t enough as he growled at the obstacles. His fist slammed into them repeatedly, screaming her name as she fled from sight, probably forever…

The rest was a blur in his mind. He was escorted out by Rachel, his mind unable to function for several minutes. It was only when there was a small block of Carthage soldiers before them. David had lifted up Tyrfing, screaming a bellowing cry of hatred and frustration as he glided towards them, the darkness leaving trails of power behind him. Paul felt all his anger build up and he charged towards them with Fenrir raised high. He was two steps behind David the entire way.

The two made short work of Carthage, and shortly they found Jake and Elliot in the tunnel, who had with them a few soldiers. They all escaped down another tunnel, using several tunnels to mask their steps until they were able to get out of Emprea. Then, they started a fire, pretended to be in good spirits, and then sat, silently.

David at last broke the tension, his anger coming out again as he flicked his hands at the fire, enraging them as they grew higher, feeding of his darkness. Paul turned his head to David, looking at him as he cursed loudly standing up.

“Bitch!” David turned, seething as he pondered whether he should shove his fist into the log or not. He opted not to as he sighed again. “I hate losing!”

“That bastard prince is to blame!” Paul said, propping himself up slowly to his feet. David turned to his friend and the two looked to each other. “He was the one who clouded her eyes! Made her-”

“Made her?” David shouted in hysterics. “You think that she was forced to do this? Wow, buddy, you better open your eyes and look at reality!” David said pointing to the burning ruins of Emprea. “You can’t tell me she was forced to do anything! Didn’t she love her home more than anything else in the world? Didn’t she love this nation more than she loved herself? Let me give you a clue, Donovan,” David said darkly, getting right into Paul’s face. “She proved she loves nothing but herself and that bastard prince!” Paul contorted his face in a snarl, pushing David out his face and the man rebounded quickly, both men shoving themselves into the other.

“Maybe you are the one who needs to open their eyes! Look how much Tyrfing’s devoured you! I bet by morning you’ll have drank so deep you’ll be dead!” Paul watched as David met his gaze, both men nearly coming to blows until Rachel suddenly shot up.

“STOP IT!” She looked to Paul. “I know it’s hard to accept it Paul, but Viola is no longer our friend!” Her gaze turned to David. “And you! You’re so consumed by that stupid sword that your literally considering attacking Paul! Last I checked you guys were friends! Knock it off!” Paul looked to his sister, then to David, and David merely lowered his gaze to his hand, playing with the darkness.

“It’s been a long day, guys,” Jonothan said smoothly. “We could all use a little sleep,” Paul looked to David, and the two men nodded, lifting their hands and shaking. Paul held it for a moment, and David lifted his other hand up patting Paul on the back.

“Sorry dude,” David earnestly said. Paul nodded.

“Yeah, me too,” Paul replied. Both men sighed sitting down, looking back into the fire.

“So what now?” Paul asked, his voice weary as he leaned back, letting his butt drop to the dirt as he let his arms rest on the log. David looked to Jonothan, and Rachel looked to her love.

“Rebuild? Probably not. At this point I think we try to live. Let’s just go to a local town, get us some jobs, and work for a living. Nothing fancy has to happen. We can just…ya know…live.” The idea itself sounded both wonderful, and yet, utterly disgusting. Nobody knew why, but the thought of moving on wasn’t sitting well.

It was David King who had the reason why.

“That’s good and all,” David said with a sly grin, the same one he always had. “But I don’t think I’ll be resting until I get some revenge…” Paul cracked his knuckles in agreement, Rachel nodded her head narrowing her eyes, and Jonothan merely furrowed his brow in acknowledgment.

~*~*~

On the other side of Emprea Viola felt a tingling sensation as she walked, a feeling like something was trying to grab her. Lucifer and she had walked in total silence away from Emprea itself, towards some undisclosed location that Lucifer had apparently talked over with Trabant.

“You proved to be a valuable asset to me, Viola. If I had tried to escape down that tunnel by myself, or with anyone else for that matter, I would have surely been dead.” Viola merely grunted in anger, and Lucifer gave her a coy smile. “Bit of regret, Viola?”

Viola didn’t answer him, remaining quiet as they both walked. Lucifer clucked his tongue in amusement. “Come now Viola, isn’t this what you wanted?” Viola looked to him, a dark challenging stare and Lucifer cackled again. “Oh I do love that hate in your eyes! You going to fight me now? I suppose I fought with four of the six heroes,” Viola made no move and Lucifer lowered his tone. “I gave you plenty of opportunities to betray me, Viola, but you betrayed them. You betrayed them because they left you in a cell to rot.”

“I know all that,” Viola said cruelly. “The old Viola died in that tunnel. I’ll serve your goals for now, Lucifer, but once those demands are met I’ll be taking my leave. It’s not just revenge I want. I’m going to prove to the whole world that Viola Conda’s name shall go down in history! Even if I have to burn the whole world down to do it!” Lucifer merely smiled as they walked on.

“Vanity, how appropriate,” Lucifer muttered. “I suppose I’ll feed this new ego of yours, Viola, so long as it serves my purpose. Continue to serve me, and I’ll give you what you seek, Viola.” She nodded her head to him, and they walked forwards again. Lucifer looked at the map he had and then suddenly he chuckled pointing to a small shack with an adjacent shed. Viola knew this was one of their training outposts. For small squads and Nighthawk assassin members. It was empty now, she knew it would be, and it was odd they would stop here.

Lucifer approached the shed and took a peek behind the door before he slammed it shut, laughing wildly. “Alright Viola, I know I said this, but this is the real deal. You can go your separate way if you want, or you can bend you knee to me and offer you complete loyalty! Serve me and get all you want, or part with me and try to survive on your own!” Viola looked to Lucifer, and then with a nod of her head she did a shallow bow, bending her knee.

“I swear to you on my own name, that I will serve you as my Lord.” Viola didn’t like the taste of those words, but it was needed to get what she wanted. Her revenge.

“Then as a token of my gratitude, I ask you this question,” Lucifer said with a snake like tone. “Who do you hate most in all of Emprea?” Viola didn’t hesitate with her answer.

“Renald…” She breathed angrily. It was the bastard who threw her in the prison, who manipulated the scenes. He was the reason all this happened. If anyone was to blame for this, it was him and him alone!

“I had Trabant send a spy into Emprea, several actually, and you may not be aware of who they were. I’ll give you their names, the important ones at least. Does Commander Fulgrim ring a bell?” Viola’s eyes widened. “I shall take that as a yes. Fulgrim’s mission was very, very difficult, and he did it with such stunning brilliance that I am even in awe! He infiltrated to a point of power, becoming that terrible political advisors, Renald’s, personal assistant. From there he began to do whatever was needed to destroy the six heroes by whatever means necessary.”

Viola’s eyes narrowed into dark slits as she felt her heart waver to hear of this.

“If it means anything to you, Viola, I wanted to simply march in and torch your nation. Yet Macbeth was the one who insisted that we not rush into the war unprepared. He ordered that Fulgrim snake his way in, and he began issuing the stupid orders, all from Renald’s puppet like mouth. His advice soon became Renald’s personal way of thinking, and ironically, Fulgrim didn’t have to do anything anymore. Renald began doing all the work, and he found a way to remove the heroes of Emprea from the castle when you needed them most…”

“Short end of the story goes that Renald was already ego centralized, and his lust for more power was undeniable. The only thing the fool needed was somebody with intelligence to guide his hand.” Viola felt her mouth foaming with the desire to kill this man.

“Well, that being said…As a token of all you have done for me, Viola, may I present you with this,” Lucifer stepped to the side opening the chest, and Viola looked inside. Beaten near to death, breathing heavily and tied and gagged up, was Renald. Viola’s lips slowly, bit by bit, curled into a devilish smile. “I have things to do now, when you’re done meet me in the house. We leave at dawn.”

Viola listened as Lucifer’s steps echoed away. “You took me away from them,” Viola said fiercely. “You stopped me from being with Paul Donovan, from attending Rachel and Jonothan Andrews wedding. You prevented me from promoting David King to Chief Counselor’s Advisor. You in effect, ruined everyone’s lives, because you wanted it all…” The man’s face teared up as he began whimpering. “You want it all now, Renald? I’ll give it to you right now. All of it. Everything you deserve for destroying my life.” Viola leaned in heavily to Renald and his eyes widened in terror.

“You ever hear of Cassandra Remi? I‘ll make her blush when she learns what I did to you…” Viola whispered into his ear as she lifted up Duty’s Pride. The wind blew a strong gale, and the door slammed shut, muffling Renald’s cries as he screamed into the night.

[Lucifer Blight]

The army returned in triumph. Ares paraded his troops through the street, and people of all ages came to watch the splendid return of the victorious soldiers. What cared the average citizen of far off turmoil? The people of Carthage rejoiced in the victory, save for those who had lost someone dear. Many cried tears when the casualty reports were posted, but still many more rejoiced in the return of their loved ones. Husbands returned to their wives, fathers to their sons, family and friends were reunited in the streets of Carthage.

At the head of the army rode Ares Victus in all his splendor. His black and gold tunic was immaculate, his jeweled sword was the envy of every eye. His flowing long hair was like waves of gold; a chant rose up in his honor. His face held the emotion of complete serenity, as if to say to the cheering crowd "yes, I won. What else did you expect?"

To his side rode Macbeth, far more serious. For the victory parade, he had donned the plate mail King Victus had specially made for him. It had a bluish tint, and his helmet was emblazoned with a dragon's head. A young child dared to run beside his horse and shout his name. The boy shouted that he would one day be a knight as great as Macbeth, and before the lad's mother picked him up, he favored the boy with a kind glance and tossed him his dagger.

"I GOT A WEAPON FROM MACBETH!" The boy screamed with glee, and he rushed to show his friends.
Macbeth hoped that the boy would be a better knight than he.

Trabant was their as well, snake-like and oily. He wore robes of red and white; the standard Carthage colors for those not of royal blood. His black hair flowed behind him; a wave of night amidst the otherwise bright day. He was handsome though, in his fine robes of silk with his pale skin, and he had his fair share of women shoot him lusty glances. He heard a few women talk as he rode, comparing the three men's virtues.

"Look at Macbeth! Now there's a man!"

"No, no, no! Ares! Look at that hair!"

"Trabant's eyes...they look like they'll devour me..."

Perhaps they would.

The parade finished at the castle. It was a magnificent sight, the castle of Carthage. The city itself was built atop a massive hill, the walls wrapped around and around. At the highest point was Castle Carthage, towering over the rest of the town. When the sun set, the people whispered that was the time the castle was most glorious. The home of the Blood-Stained Kingdom, basking in a blood-red glow.

The troops dispersed in the courtyard, the three men dismounted. Together they walked into the halls of Carthage, Ares naturally took the lead. They made their way down the halls of ivory and marble, through massive doors. Servants bowed their heads, young maids dared to glance at their selected favorite.

The men were home.

Doors opened to the massive banquet hall, a feast worthy of a king had been laid out. White and red tables decorated the area, platters of food were everywhere. At the head of the main table, a table of black and gold, sat Agares Victus. The king of Carthage.

He was a tall man, powerfully built. His black hair, the only one of its color among the Victus family, was graying fast. But when he stood, not a voice dared speak. His face, lined by years of battle and even more years of political manipulation, bore through the three men who stood before him.

Trabant and Macbeth dropped to their knees. Ares simply bowed his head.

"Father, we return to you, the victors of the war."

The king broke out into a smile, and a deafening round of applause broke forth from the audience.

Agares opened his arms, and the feast began.

"Brother! How fared you in battle?" A young man in his twenties asked from across the table. His golden hair was cut shorter than Ares, his skin was a healthy color of white. His green eyes were soft, yet in their own way, beckoning. At least to the women.

Paris Victus. The youngest son, and the bane of every husband in Carthage.

"Victorious," Was all Ares said as he walked towards the seat his father pointed towards; the seat to the right of the king. Servants brought him food and drink. He noticed his brother had a new girl at his arm, no surprise there. The girl would be replaced before sunrise, no doubt.

"Surely you can be more descriptive than that? Little Paris won't be satisfied with that!" Came a voice of the sweetest seduction. Ares turned his eye to his left, and before him was the most beautiful woman in Carthage, if not the world. Her blond hair was long, wavy, and it seemed to be made of the purest gold; her eyes of the darkest emeralds. Her skin the softest white, her slender body's every movement enchanting.

Siren Victus. The second oldest, the sole daughter, and the desire of almost every man in Carthage.

Ares said every man, for he knew one man very resistant to her charms.

The man sat next to her. His hair was short, and far from gold. It was a dirty blond type of color, closer to sand than any precious metal. His skin was a dark tan, and a he had a deep scare at the left of his chin. A sturdy man, and a valiant warrior in his own right. Ares had matched swords with the man in practice many times, and every time he had not been left unsatisfied.

Victor Prime. Siren's husband.

It was a political marriage through and through. Hundreds of men had tried to court his sister, and his father had studied each closely. What he could have gained for his daughter's hand in marriage could not be measured in terms of money. Princes would have pledged their kingdoms to him for that girl's hand.

He had instead chosen the one who had offered not a kingdom at all. No, the man his sister had been married to came from a kingdom, that was true. But his father did not rule it. It had sealed the alliance, of that there was no doubt, but that wasn't what his father wanted. Agares didn't want another kingdom to rule, he had Carthage. Siren also didn't want more trinkets, she had more than she could counted. Both had wanted something symbolic of just how far Carthage could extend its power.

Victor Prime was from a small kingdom. A kingdom that tamed dragons, and at the highest point in the castle, Victor's pet dragon made its home.

Well, it wasn't a dragon per se. Victor, for whatever reason of his own, had decided to tame a wyvern instead. It was smaller than a dragon, but still quite terrifying to behold. Strangely, despite the fact that he was married to the most seductive woman Ares had ever met, Victor didn't seem to hang on her words like the rest of the suitors. If anything, the man was more a prisoner than a husband. Subject to his wife's whims, trapped by his family's marriage contract, and far too noble to do anything about it.

The rest of the Victus family remained seated. Only Victor rose to greet them. Before Ares and Macbeth took their seats, both to either side of the king, they shook hands with Victor. Words were exchanged, and it was not lost on Ares that Victor Prime was the only one to welcome them home.

"It does me good to see you Victor," Ares said quietly, knowing full well that the entire hall would kill for the privilege of being graced with those words.

"And I you my prince," Victor said as the two clasped their hands together. The man always addressed Ares that way, and Paris as well. He was a humble man, Victor Prime. Ares took his seat as Macbeth shook hands next.

"How did they fight?" Victor asked softly. It was not clear who he was asking about; Carthage's men or Emprea's?

"Magnificently," Macbeth said in a voice hardly above a whisper. "They fought...magnificently."

"Where is Lucifer?" The king asked; quiet fell across the room. None dared speak when the king spoke.

"It brings me great sorrow to inform you that he died, my king," Trabant said as he stood up from his seat at the end of the table, far from the royal family. "He fell taking the main defenses.

"Is this true?" Agares asked as he looked to Ares and Macbeth.

"I am afraid so, my lord," Macbeth answered. "I saw the body."

Actually, what you saw was a burnt corpse, its only defining trait being the armor I gave to the prince earlier, you ignorant buffon. Trabant thought but did not say.

"Then he will be honored, and Carthage will know of his sacrifice," Agares stated, and it was as good as done. Scribes were already scribbling away at their papers, politicians were already scheming of ways to fulfill the king's order.

"He'd like that, wouldn't he?" Agares whispered to Ares. His eldest son was the only one the king would confide in. "Me commemorating his death to the glory of Carthage."

"No, he'd hate it," Ares whispered back. "It's a genius idea. You inspire the people who liked him, and cause him to roll over in his grave. I love it."

The entire Victus family smiled at one another. Only Victor looked down cast.

Later that night...

"I can always tell when you're upset after a war you know," Victor said softly as he walked up behind Macbeth. It was night now; the palace was quite still. Paris had taken his woman to his room, Ares had gone off with the king. Siren was busy talking to several emissaries who came from other lords wishing to give her gifts. Her hold over men did not stop because she was married. If anything, it only intensified it.

Macbeth was alone, or at least had been, in one of the castle gardens. It was simpler than most, it lacked the foreign flowers that bloomed in many of the other gardens. He liked this garden best because of the window here. It was a vast window, and as Macbeth stared out of it, he could not help but marvel at the vastness of creation. The sky, the moon, the stars, the land. It stretched on forever before him.

"It is nothing," Macbeth whispered to Victor. "Nothing at all. How is Hyperion?"

Macbeth always asked about Victor's wyvern after he had been away. Victor smiled.

"Same as always. Bored and longing to fly away. I keep the roof open for him, just in case. He leaves sometimes, but always comes back to me," Victor patted his friend on the back as he spoke. "Sometimes I wish he wouldn't come back. He'd be happier elsewhere."

"He is too loyal to you to leave you behind," Macbeth responded. "That is not a bad thing, is it? Being too loyal?"

Victor shrugged.

"Why don't you tell me?"

Macbeth turned his gaze out once more to the world stretched out in front of him. There was a little less of the world now. Emprea, and its way of life, had been wiped from the face of the planet thanks to Carthage. Macbeth pondered this for what seemed like an eternity.

"No," He finally decided. "No. A knight cannot be too loyal. A knight must follow his orders, for that is the oath he made, and breaking an oath is a despicable act. That is what separates us from the animals, the ability to give our word, and keep it."

"A fair answer, and the one you always give. You know-" Victor stopped his sentence. Someone had entered the garden. It was too small to effectively mask one's presence, and she was recognized instantly.

A women wearing armor. She too wore plate mail, but it wasn't full plate like the one Macbeth had marched home in. It was half plate, and it only covered her chest. Her hair was curly and red, her brown eyes hard and piercing. There was a sword strapped to her side, and it was clear she came here for a purpose.

"Good evening Macbeth, where is..." The woman asked in a harsh, yet still somewhat polite, tone. "Oh...I didn't see you there."

Farina Hardhart. Siren’s bodyguard, and her tone softened the instant she saw Victor. No, her very being seemed to soften the instant she saw that man. It’s because he’s the husband of the woman she’s sworn to protect. That’s why she’s soft spoken to him. Macbeth thought to himself.

“We were having a discussion about the vastness of the sky, and just how important it is to be part of that vastness,” Victor replied cheerfully. “Care to join?”

“I would, but my lady asks your presence Victor. She wants you to show one of the visiting prince’s your swordplay,” Was Farina’s cold response. And yet, Macbeth thought it was not so cold at the very same time.

“If my lady commands, then I shall oblige. Tell her I am on my way for me?” Victor asked kindly.

“As you wish,” Farina said with a bow. “Oh, it is good to have you back Macbeth.”

Macbeth thanked her with a smile and a bow, Farina turned and left the garden. Victor hesitated a moment, and then gave his friend a smile.

“In the vastness of the sky, we can see everything. None is hidden before the sky, yet much of that sky is unattainable,” He said as he placed a hand on Macbeth’s shoulder. “I suppose it is fate that those are the things we long for the most.”

Victor followed Farina, and Macbeth turned to gaze back out at the sky.

“I suppose so,” He said to himself in a voice of longing. “I suppose so.”

*~*~*~*~

He too stared out at the vastness of the night sky. It stretched on and on, farther than he could see. If he tried hard enough, he could just make out the border of Emprea. Not that it was a border anymore; a country that no longer existed could not possibly have a border.

He gazed northward. It was far beyond his eyesight, but he knew that north was where Carthage was. Somewhere, beneath this vast sky, beneath those twinkling jewels of nature known as stars, was his home.

That was where he had been born. That was where he had been raised. That was where he had learned to fight, learned to think, learned to kill. That was where his father had been killed before his birth, and that was where his mother had died twelve years later.

“I will return, someday,” Lucifer Blight swore to himself. He was dressed in simple black garments, Trabant had left him supplies near the shack. He had also left the prince two fine horses, and while Viola extracted her vengeance, Lucifer had ridden away from the shack. He had ridden towards the edge of a forest, until he had found a place where the land stopped, and the only thing before him was that vast sky.

“Do you hear me?” He shouted at the sky. “I WILL RETURN!”

His horse bucked about a bit, surprised at the sudden shout, but it was a good animal and kept steady.

“This vastness won’t stop me!” Lucifer swore madly. “I’ll cross it by foot, by boat, by any means necessary! I’ll do whatever it takes, because I know what I want!”

Even now his plans were in motion. Trabant was in Carthage, ferreting out weaknesses and making sure the prince had a secure power base to return to. Viola was his, at least for the time being, and every time she made Renald scream was another torment she would inflict upon Carthage.

He needed more. It would take time, time for him to gather what he needed. Soldiers. He needed soldiers. That would not be too hard; Carthage made many enemies, convincing a few of them to fight would not be insurmountable. Supplies too. Enough to run an army on. No matter. There were dozens of countries that would like to see Carthage fall. They would provide assistance, either out of fear or greed.

He also needed lieutenants. He needed people he could trust, people like Viola. He did not need their hearts, they did not need to believe in his cause, but he needed people he could trust all the same. Those would be harder to find, but he would do it. He had faked his own death, and now he had freedom of movement. The vastness of the sky was his to take, and by the gods he would take it.

He reared up his horse, yanking Resentment out of its sheath as he did so.

“I want Carthage! I want revenge! I want the throne!” He pointed Resentment north.

“AND I WILL HAVE IT ALL!”

[Zerith]

The Pale Death Saga: The Fall of Emprea


Before I actually post the rubric, I'd really like to apologize for the wait. You're patience is really appreciated and I thank both of you for your understanding.

As usual, thanks for allowing me to be the one to judge it. But if you don't mind, I'm sure you want to see the numbers. So here they are.

Oh wait, before I forget. Should either of you have any questions about this. Feel free to contact me.

Okay, here we go...



PLOT CONSTRUCTION


STORY – 7/10 – I’m just going to be honest and say that I enjoyed the story for the most part. I had a clear understanding of who the characters were from the beginning onwards, and I enjoyed the constant action throughout the thread. Personally, I felt like there should have been more of a climactic confrontation between Viola/Lucifer and the heroes at the end. I suppose that after Lucifer practically blew up the courtyard I might have just been expecting too much. My biggest issue was the difficult time I had trying to follow the story through all the changes in perspective. I know there were plenty of characters, but I feel like the story could have been much more easy to follow if you guys kept it to just Viola, Lucifer and the heroes. For example, while I understand you probably wanted to have the Spero’s deaths in the story for a sense of closure, I think it would have been better if Paul or someone just happened to come across their corpses or something.

STRATEGY – 6/10 - While the majority of the thread revolved around Carthage’s attack on Emprea, I felt like the only reason Lucifer had any real position in the army was because he was a Prince, but his personality and anger towards his family (and pretty much everything) was understandable, and helped the story progess. Unfortunately some of his actions didn’t make sense to me, and I had to look up the character profile to see how they would or if they could fit into the story (like deciding to salvage gunpowder and make some makeshift bombs). In terms of Viola, her change in personality made perfect sense to me and through that her actions reflected them.

SETTING – 7/10 – You two did rather well here. You constantly reminded me that this was happening in a castle through mentions of tapestries and insignias, corridors and banners. I had a clear idea of what time of day it was in the beginning of the thread, and I could mentally picture the change in the environment as pieces of the scenery turned to rubble. You two mostly focused on what the characters saw and heard, whether it was blood on a sword or Paul’s wolves howling another battlecry. What I’d like you two to do is bring in the other senses your character’s have. Surely Lucifer would have been able to smell the smoke as Emprea burned. Or what did Duty’s Pride feel like when Viola picked it pack up again? I forget to add those details all the time, so it’s a lesson all of us have to learn.

TOTAL 20/30



CHARACTERISATION


CONTINUITY – 7/10 – Okay, so given the simple fact this isn’t taking place in Corone or Salvar or another region, it would be unfair for me to dock points for not mentioning any of the happenings going on in those regions. I will be honest when I say I know nothing of Carthage of Emprea, but throughout the thread I got a little bit of history info every now and then. You mentioned Fort Caliben, so I had a good idea of when this takes place in a timeline, and you also threw in references to Akashima and Cassandra Remi just to name a few. Some of the important things was that reading this thread felt like it was no different than any thread in any of the named regions, so to me it still felt like it was happening on Althanas. However, it didn’t exactly make me want to go learn everything I can possible learn about Carthage and Emprea. For the most part, everything made sense in the story. I was completely lost when David and Jonathan used their “real” swords and felt like it made absolutely no sense with the story. Yet for the most part, I felt like the two of you did a good job of making it clear that while this story branches out from the majority of Althanas, it still takes place in it.

INTERACTION – 6/10 – For the most part, the interaction between characters was believable. Aside from the one rant, I could easily believe that the heroes were all friends through the way they interacted (thought I felt the little rivalry between the two guys a little childish) Lucifer’s interaction seemed to come out a little forced at times and it grew to a point where it was difficult for me to really grasp the character. My advice would be to suggest that Lucifer doesn’t always have to say something. Write it out, read it and then if you feel it doesn’t really fit just delete it. Having Lucifer laugh at Emprea is just as effective as him saying the place is pathetic for a fourth or fifth time.

CHARACTER –6/10 – Okay, the Victus family are villains. I get that. My issue here was that the sort of came out to be almost like Disney Villians. You know the ones I’m talking about? The stereotypical bad guys who have “Phenomenal Cosmic Powers!” and generally just have that look and aura that says, “Yeah, I’m a pain in the ass to the world. What of it?” My suggestion would be to try and look at it as there are those villains that you know you should hate, and then there are those that you want to hate. I just felt like the Victus’ fit more into the first category, even though I didn’t really know anything about them. Why are they bad guys anyways?

Viola, I can understand why you would feel like Emprea stabbed you in the back. Yet I don’t quite believe you had hard time fighting these friends of yours. I also think that part of you thought that chances were Lucifer would do something similar to what Horus did for you. If I were you, I would have at least been planned something in case I was stabbed in the back again. Yet you just seemed to side with Lucifer because he would give you what you want. Wouldn’t it be a little hard for you to come to terms with what you did to Rachel? I would have loved to see more of this internal conflict of Viola justifying what she was doing to Emprea, but you seemed to make it easy at times.

TOTAL – 19/30



WRITING STYLE


CREATIVITY– 5/10 – Nothing really big or extravagant happened here. I noticed your similes and metaphors, but I feel like you guys didn’t really stretch yourselves here. To be fair, using more advanced writing techniques comes with as you learn more and write more. Personally, I try to read threads done by others who I know are better writers than myself. I’m also trying to get in the habit of reading more. What I saw in the thread was good, I would just like to encourage you guys to keep at it and experiment with things. For example, I’m considering trying to write a thread in a first person perspective, and in present tense. My point is that play around your writing, you might find something that works for you.

MECHANICS – 5/10 – This is one of the areas that hurt you the most. Throughout the thread I came across numerous spelling mistakes, and also places where a few words were spelt twice (something I know I do as well). The majority of these than be fixed by proofreading, but I understand that due to the length of your posts that sometimes your mind might just not catch them all. So this is why I’m suggesting you try to get in the habit of reading the posts done by each other. Not only is it something I do (Especially when I know the writer is bunnying a character of mine) but I really appreciate it when they can point a glaring mistake out to me immediately. Please don’t be offended when someone points out a mistake you made, we all make them from time to time.

CLARITY – 5/10 – With all the changes in perspective, it was easy for me to get lost every now and then. One moment I’m reading what Viola is experiencing, then all of a sudden I’m in a treasury with Ares or somewhere else with David and Jonathan. I understand that a siege is chaotic, but I had to reread a few posts just to remind myself where I was in the story. There was also the part that I mention before featuring the Spero’s deaths that hurt the pacing a bit. The next time you have so many characters in a thread, I suggest you come up with a decision of exactly which character’s perspectives you want to use. There is nothing wrong with using more than one character, but sometimes using too many just confuses the reader.

TOTAL – 15/30



WILD CARD – 7/10 – Despite having its flaws (which every thread has) I actually enjoyed all the action that took place in this story. I wasn’t sure what to expect at times, but by the end of it I found myself thinking of what it would be like should Zerith every encounter Lucifer or Viola on the battlefield. I’m also curious to hear what happens to the heroes next.




FINAL SCORE – 61!!!





Spoils:

Lucifer Blight receives 1118 EXP and 366 gold!!

Viola Conda receives 1057 EXP and 341 gold!!

[Letho]

EXP/GP added!