Chapter Text
All around Sai lay the broken bodies of horrible monstrosities that he dared not look upon. He knew that the kingdom was capable of strange forbidden magics. Magics that originated from a time before the great war of gods and the rise of the one true God King Helios. Magics that did not rely on royal blood, but rather ancient transcendent knowledge that man was never meant to hold. They were the progeny of the Dark Empress Selene, the God Slayer.
Yet he could not help but crumble at the mere sight of these creatures. They were so alien to him and yet, they were all too clearly human. The outline of arms, legs and eyes sticking out of a mound of writhing flesh. Mouths gasping for life while craving death. Hands groping at alien soil that didn’t belong anywhere on Archidel. Twisted broken people that were used as perverse weapons by the kingdom. How could anyone do such a thing? What sort of twisted man was the ruler of this dark kingdom?
He wanted to fall, give in to the exhaustion that ached in his bones. His comrades that had bravely charged in with them were broken. Their Iron Crawlers and cavalry were decimated by the first wave. Field surgeons and support troops scrambled throughout the battlefield, trying to save whoever they could from the burning piles of wreckage.
‘They’ll rally again, won’t they? They’ll return and kill us all. Kill us with those unspeakable abominations. We can’t win. We never stood a chance,’ Sai thought to himself as he stood there in a daze. Why had he come here in the first place? It seemed so clear to him when he first fought, yet now the reason seemed to escape him.
A blood curdling screech rang out behind the line of destroyed tanks. The second wave approached. Sai climbed one of the fallen Crawlers and stared out at the wave of bodies.
He slumped down. ‘This is it. This is where I die’ he thought to himself. ‘I still can’t help feel like I’ve forgotten something’
The hoard surged forward like a tidal wave, sweeping across the alien purple landscape. Sai hoped they would kill him on the spot. Better to be devoured than be kept alive for their sick experiments.
Suddenly, the sky exploded with light. A sun appeared in the darkness of the night. Then the ground exploded with energy. Mana, incredible surging mana. The blast made the air churn with it. Even if he wasn’t adept at sensing mana it was so powerful that he felt it with every fibre of his being. The blast sent the dark lavender sand flying into the air. The curtain of dust concealed the figure within. The creatures halted their advance temporarily as they cautiously surveyed the cloud of debris.
A figure cloaked in white stood there. In its hands was a giant blade, far too massive for a regular soldier. But this was no regular soldier. The creatures screamed and charged the figure. It raised its blade, then swung.
The creatures fell and crumbled to dust as the figure held them back, sweeping its massive sword that stretched outwards and disintegrated the charging army.
“FIRE!” a voice behind Sai shouted. He knew that voice.
A second later massive bolts of mana landed in a wide sweeping volley. They tore through the front line of the creatures making them recoil as they fell. Sai turned to look behind him. Reinforcements had finally arrived. A man with a scraggly beard marched up to him. Major Ignara Flinn, so he had survived. Sai instinctively saluted but he was pointedly ignored.
“Where is Altarix!” Ignara shouted at him as the cannons continued to fire into the enemy.
“I... I he...” Sai stuttered.
Ignara slapped him. “Wake up Lorenze! We’re in the middle of a war! Where is Captain Altarix?” Ignara demanded.
Sai pointed to the massive black iron spire that loomed over the entire battlefield. “He ran in to attack the king. We were cut off when the first wave hit”.
“Well then what are you waiting for?! Go get him!” Ignara ordered.
“But sir I can’t, it’s suicide. Maybe Al might have been brave enough to charge them... But I can’t” Sai trembled as he stood and stared out at the churning mass of bodies.
“Feh! I thought you were made of sterner stuff Lorenze. Didn’t you tell me you swore to follow him. To protect him no matter what sort of danger he got into. Well, now’s the time to keep to your word” Ignara said with a softer tone.
Sai breathed in. He gripped his buckler tight in his arm. His mace in the other. “Get me an opening! I’m getting our captain back!” Sai shouted.
“Atta boy!” Ignara commended, giving him a wicked smile. He whipped out a glowing orb that pulsed with mana. “5th company! Keep pressure on the right and left flanks! Keep the centre clear! We’ll use the white devil to clear the path!” he shouted through the orb. The iron crawlers behind them stomped about getting into formation. Then a moment later the sky filled with mana bolts.
The white figure gestured to him to accompany it. Sai turned back to Ignara one last time. Ignara grabbed his shoulder, “Come back safe soldier. That’s an order”.
“Aye sir!” Sai said before heading out to follow the white figure into the fray.
The white figure crouched down as the group of monsters directly in front of them began to charge.
“Hey! Could you do your killy stabby thing. Preferably before they rip our heads from our shoulders!” Sai pleaded with the figure.
The figure didn’t say anything, it only remained crouched. It stared the charging hoard head on so Sai knew that it could see their impending doom.
“Please! I really need your help right now!” He said even more squeamishly.
“Patience Human” the figure whispered to him.
“With all due respect. How do you expect me to be patient with that!”
Suddenly, the ground around the white figure warped. The space itself seemed to bend, like a spring being pulled back. Then, it released.
Sai watched in awe as the figure turned into a streak of light and blasted a wide hole into the enemy faster than he could blink. Hundreds of them fell as the light swept past them. Sai quickly followed it, running on his own stumpy aching legs.
His stride got faster. He bounded after the figure. Nowhere near as fast, but he felt energy returning to him like he never thought possible. After holding his ground against insurmountable odds, he had thought himself finished. He was so ready to just lay down and accept what was going to happen to him only a few moments ago. Ready to just give his life up as forfeit. Images of his comrades flashed through his mind.
Mana surged through his limbs, giving him even more energy than before. ‘What a foolish man I am! How could I have forgotten something so important? How could I have given it up like that? No more. I will falter no more!’ Sai yelled to himself.
The line of monsters began to collapse back in on Sai as he soared past them. ‘Faster! I need to be faster!’ Images of his commanding officer and best friend Altarix flickered through his mind.
‘Please, just for once in my life! Please just be useful for once! I need to be faster! I need to catch up to him!’. Mana leaked through his skin in pulsing a blue aura. Coursing through his veins. His fatigue was long gone now, replaced by an inexhaustible fire. A fire that pushed him forward. That forced him past what he was capable of.
The group of monsters joined around the front of him as he ran. The white figure was farther ahead now. He was surrounded on all sides by the monsters. But this was futile. They couldn’t possibly hope to halt the raging tempest inside him. Lightning churned at his feet as he ran.
“I’m done being scared! I’m done hiding! I’m coming for you! ALTARIX!” Sai yelled. Lightning shot out from him. His shield expanded and came alight with mana. He blasted past the enemies like a lightning bolt.
This was the largest amount of mana he had felt in his entire life. It felt like his body was tearing apart at the seams as the mana roared out of him. Turning his body into a living lightning bolt. His buckler knocked the enemies back, sending them flying off. Tongues of lightning split off him and struck the enemies that attempted to get close. He could hear the air around him boom like thunder as he ran.
He caught up to the white figure and made it up the large stone staircase. He stopped where the figure stood, its back to the spire and its sword pointed outward, ready to fend off the legion of nightmares.
“Go to your captain. I will fight them off,” the white figure said. Sai nodded and headed into the black fortress.
He heard the clashing of blades as he ran up the stairs. His captain was still fighting. The man who had pulled him out of despair and had saved his life time and time again. The bravest man in the kingdom of Helios. No, the bravest man in all of Archidel.
“Al!” Sai yelled as he pushed open the great metal doors. Inside was a wide-open room where two people fought. One, a man with long straight dark locks that fell down below the shoulders, and a face that could challenge a storm for its intensity. The second, a large abomination who looked more machine than human. King Gargos was clad in bulky metal armour that seemed to enhance his strength.
Altarix was covered head to toe in cuts and bruises. Blood blinded his left eye and soaked his cloak. He dashed back and forth using his lightning magic to jump between positions. He had one clear advantage in this battle. His speed made it hard for the king to land a hit. But the king was no easy opponent. There were barely any weak spots in his armour, and as the battle drew on it was clear that Altarix was not going to win if they kept at it.
Sai wanted to sprint towards him but Altarix raised a bloodied hand, gesturing him to halt.
“You fought well, Altarix the brave! But our battle has concluded. I am the victor!” The King said with a wicked grin. “You have impressed me. You’ve found us after we’ve remained hidden for centuries and you have managed to stand against me in one-on-one combat. It would be a shame if you were to die with such skill. I do not wish to waste, and as such I extend a hand to you. Join us, son of Zeus, and herald in the coming of the true world order”. The king put forward a giant mechanical arm towards Altarix.
“Hah, seriously?” Altarix chuckled. “Who the hell do you think I am!” he yelled before charging at the King. He lunged and, in an instant, he was in front of his target. He thrust his rapier at the king’s head but Gargos tilted it and it just barely missed. Then something slammed into Altarix’s side. An extra metal appendage of the king. It sent him flying to the side. He adjusted himself as he tumbled and landed on his feet.
The king fired blasts of mana at Altarix from his position. Altarix slipped past them as he dashed, lightning illuminating his body as he did. Then Gargos turned to the other one.
Sai sat back watching the fight, he had no idea what to do. As much as he hated to admit it the king was right, they had to run. But before Sai could get Altarix, a huge blast of mana came soaring at him. Sai couldn’t react fast enough as the blast caught up to him. He closed his eyes as he anticipated the blast. But instead of a blast of Mana, he felt a body crash against him. He opened his eyes again. Altarix had taken the shot.
“ALTARIX! NO!” Sai screamed as he went to check his wounds. There was a gaping hole in his uniform and the skin was singed. Altarix breathed heavily as he looked at his friend. “I’m sorry Al. I failed you again” Sai started crying.
“Hey... hey look at me. You didn’t do anything wrong... alright” he said between shallow breaths. “I’m the one who ran in like an idiot. You’ve got to go... now”
“What? Al, I can’t leave you!”
“Please, listen to me. Not as your captain but as your friend. Please. Run,” the words left Altarix as he fainted. Sai felt the darkness engulf him as the dreaded king loomed over them, clawed hands outstretched.
‘Right back here again. I just escaped my death then ran right back into it’. Sai grit his teeth. The king inched closer, taking his time to put one foot in front of the other. He had all the time in the world to finish them off.
‘Screw this!’ Sai thought as he stood up. He stepped in front of Altarix. He raised his buckler and poured mana into it. A disk of light flowed out from the edges of the buckler, glowing in a brilliant blue light. He swung his mace in a threatening manner, then fell into a battle stance.
“Come on!” Sai shouted. The king smiled in amusement, raising his metal claw. The king lunged forward and Sai caught the slash on the shield. It crackled as metal met metal. His body felt like it was being crushed by an unstoppable force.
He looked back at Altarix. He was not going to let him down. He'd rather die standing than give up. He’d die staring down this monster of a man and defying his efforts.
The man gave him an inhuman smile, filled with malice. Then mana surged from the claws. It started cracking Sai’s shield. Sai couldn’t hold it as his defences wore thin, then it shattered. His buckler returned back to its original form. Then the king kicked him aside. Sai tumbled to the ground, clutching his side.
He looked to Altarix from his huddled position. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being so weak. Please, if anyone is listening. Please save us.’ The king raised his claw to strike Altarix.
Then darkness filled the room, like they were sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Sai thought the king had done something, but when he turned to look at him, the king was just as confused as he was.
“What is the meaning of this!” Gargos yelled.
A figure of black, shrouded in smoke strode into the room. Gargos’ face contorted into a disgusted sneer.
“You! So, you work for them now!” King Gargos said to him as he summoned a large curved blade.
Sai felt his consciousness slipping. The exhaustion and pain catching up to him all at once. But he forced his eyes open to see it. The second devil had arrived. The black figure removed his own blade. It glowed with a weird dark light that warped the air around it. An ancient weapon seemingly forged at the dawn of time. Its eyes burned with a smouldering red fire. Hellfire itself held within dark pits that stared down the terrible King.
It turned to Sai, and nodded to him. An oddly comforting gesture. Then, Sai fainted, succumbing to his fatigue.