Ian, Duke, and Layla all quietly travel the Northern road, the only sound accompanying them being the quiet sobs of Layla. The birds stopped chirping about four hours into their walk. We must be getting close. Ian looks down at the Primal Cutter in his hand. Why? Why would you do that? Surely you had some control over where you flew. Why didn't you stop yourself? His thoughts once again go unanswered. He grips it tight in anger.
"You know," says Layla through her sobs, "if I die now, I won't be able to return. Rhea's divine power was the only thing that kept me coming back."
"...I know," replies Ian. Duke clenches his fists. "There. Look ahead of us. Do can you see it from here? That's the Fossil Obelisk." Ian points towards a gargantuan stone tower in the distance. "I know this place well. In my people's history, it was home to our King millennia ago before Horus apparently took it for himself. For some reason, he decided not to place his living quarters in the capital city. Ever since that King died, it's been off-limits and considered sacred ground. Figures Horus would take up residence in the one place nobody would ever think to look."
"I don't care about all that," says Duke. "Horus is in there. We go in and we kill him. Then we destroy the spear. For Rhea and Regalis." Ian nods.
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Horus turns to face his three warriors, who he has brought back to life one again. "Look down there. Because of your failure to eliminate them, they are at my doorstep. What would you have me do now?" The three warriors hang their heads in shame. The woman who wielded the broadsword, however, defies Horus.
"Our contract was made four hundred years ago!" She shouts at him. "When will you let us be free? When will you let us die? Our morale is at the lowest point humanly pos-" She is cut off by Horus, who has lodged an arrow through her throat.
"Do not talk back to me, bitch!" He screams in anger. "Perhaps a few years dead will straighten you out." The other two warriors are frightened the other two warriors into attention. "You two, gather the troops and have them set at the entrance. Do not allow them inside under any circumstances." At this, Horus turns into a hawk and flies out the window onto the top of his tower to watch the fight about to occur.
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As Ian, Duke, and Layla approach the tower entrance, they are greeted by a force of nearly 500 soldiers. "Shit, what now?" Asks Duke. Ian looks back at him.
"I have no idea. I don't think we can take them all on." Ian replies. Suddenly, the ground starts rumbling. What the...
"Do you hear that?" Asks Layla. The three turn around and are greeted by the largest battle force any of them have ever seen. They are clad with the attire of the Church of Rhea and ride on horseback, their forces numbering to around 1,000. "Hark, brave warriors!" Shouts a man who Ian supposes must be the captain. "Word has spread quickly through the Church of Rhea's death! Our priests received a final messages from her as to the whereabouts of the devil who had slain her! Ride into battle without fear!" The other soldiers yell in triumph.
Talk about a Deus Ex Machina... "Good timing, huh?" Chuckles Duke. Layla howls with excitement. Let's go, asshole.
The two forces clash with one another on the golden field under a cloudy sky. Steel meets steel and sparks fly as Ian and Duke run through the battlefield, cutting down the odd mercenary here and there. Eventually, the trio run into the two remaining warriors.
"Where's your friend?" Mocks Duke. The two men draw their weapons, and Duke readies his halberd. "Go on ahead, Ian. I can take these guys." Ian nods and runs into the tower with Layla.
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Inside, the Fossil Obelisk is seemingly empty apart from a few servants and butlers than flee when Ian enters. A few stragglers move to attack him, but he cuts them down with ease. "Something's not right," says Ian.
"You're right," says Layla. As they enter another room, the door seemingly closes shut behind them.
Ian bolts his head around the room in anticipation. On the far end, in a dark corner, sits an obscured figure on a large chair.
"Hello, Ian. Long time no see."
Horus.
Ian hurls his spear at Horus, but Horus creates a shield from his hand and knocks it away on the handle, preventing the edge from touching the shield or himself. It clanks to the floor and flies back to Ian's hand. "Now, now, why so hostile?" Horus stands up from his seat and clenches his fist. He rears his arm back as if he's about to throw something, but Ian sees nothing in his hand. What's he doing?
As he throws his arm forwards, a raging inferno of fire shoots towards Ian, who narrowly sidesteps the attack. "What the hell!?" He yells.
"A little trick I picked up recently. I can create any material I have made contact with, including alcohol and sparks. Making them both as I throw my arm forwards creates the impression that I'm throwing a ball of fire! Pretty intimidating, huh?" Ian furrows his brow in anger. He charges towards Horus, but Horus transforms into a bull and rams Ian's body into the wall. Ian, his left lung now impaled by the horn, sits against the wall helplessly as Horus launches another ball of fire at him.