Chapter 13

“Dying Fire”

Entity and Quartz had dived through the portal together hand in hand. Quartz spread her wings and caught the hot air beneath them and swung Entity high. Without sunlight, their powers intensified, and Entity felt his dark magic course strongly through his veins. Flipping in the air, sheer shadow vulture wings emerged from the shoulder flap of his cloak and stretched wide. His arms were outstretched, and the shadow wings smoked at the tips. His coat flapped ferociously, and his wings began to beat with shadowy feathers falling beneath him.

“Where do we enter?!” Quartz shouted over the sound of cracking thunder and wind while Entity’s eyes took in the aerial view of the fortress. He could already see Valaah mobilizing and attending their battle stations. He then caught a glimpse of a bright-haired woman down below on a wide flat platform sprinting towards the center of her fortress’s bailey with a Valaah trailing close behind her. He didn’t know the layout of Lovelacia’s fortress, but he had common knowledge of how all fortresses were constructed. He then saw what looked to be an activated Ianuae portal behind the fortress.

“Well, I already see our exit. Hold on.” He paused after spotting a tower where a Valaah blew a horn, he pointed to it quickly. “There’s our entrance! Through the tower of the keep!” He called before diving towards the tower. Quartz followed closely and watched as Entity swooped around the tower and put his legs forward to make a hard landing. He slammed on the brick ledge hard enough to crack it – catching the attention of a goat-headed Valaah. The soldier took a step back as he had never seen such a being before in his life, but there was ferocity in his eyes. Entity slowly stood straight with a grin and tipped his hood like a hat.

“Evenin’,” he greeted. The guard charged at the sorcerer, trying to pull out his sword but the short distance gave him no time to withdraw it. Entity was quick to grab the Valaah by his rounded horns and slam his head into the metal horn, causing a loud BANG followed by a terrible ringing. The Valaah was unphased and shook his head, glaring at the sorcerer who didn’t realize that goats were not one to receive such easy head trauma. His grin fell. “Oh, right…” Entity swallowed and watched the Valaah withdraw his sword.

Quartz landed behind the Valaah with grace, stealing his attention. Before the Valaah could properly react and defend himself, Quartz balled her fist and landed a brutal punch to the Valaah’s stomach, sending the soldier to fall down the hatch and roll down the winding stairs below. She rubbed her knuckles and looked down the dark hatch with Entity.

“Try not to kill anyone, princess. Ol’ queenie loves em’ like children.” Entity warned and received a nod from his pale partner.

Hurrying down the steps, Entity led the way and paused at the bottom, shoving Quartz against the wall as several dozen Valaah soldiers ran by the doorway that opened into a great hallway. Once they had passed, Entity peeked to make sure the coast was clear. When he deemed it safe enough, he ran out with Quartz following closely. The sorcerer made for the nearest window to catch a glimpse of the chaos outside.

“Is she out there?” Quartz asked hurriedly. Entity shook his head and felt a bead of sweat drip down his forehead. It was unbearably hot inside the inner chambers of the fortress.

“Yeah, she’s out there enjoyin’ herself a lil’ too much. C’mon, follow the soldiers. No doubt they’re goin’ to defend her,” Entity concluded before jogging down the hall in the direction the Valaah soldiers had gone. Quartz kept up and looked behind her to make sure they hadn’t been spotted.

“Are you sure you can do this?” Quartz panted as she jogged behind the sorcerer.

“I’m on top of my game, princess. Try to focus.” Entity responded.

“Oh good, then why the hell did you antagonize Guardian back there? Do you have some kind of weird pleasure for that sort of thing or are you just insane?!” Quartz sounded frustrated and confused.

“I’ll explain later but if ya really must know–“ Entity stopped and grabbed Quartz before leaping high. A squeak escaped her lips when he pinned her to the ceiling to avoid another group of Valaah soldiers turning a corner and running past them – unaware that the duo hung from the tall ceiling right above them. They marched by and Entity had placed his hand over her mouth to keep her silent. She squirmed and pulled away from his hand, grimacing at the taste of his palm.

“Do you even wash your hands?” She asked quietly. Entity smirked and waited for the hallway to clear.

“That’s somethin’ ya really don’t wanna know,” he grinned before leaping from the ceiling and landing in a crouch, along with Quartz – who wiped her mouth on her sleeve.

“Gross.” She muttered.

Entity started to jog once more and navigated the hallways. They were becoming less and less empty the longer the siege endured as the Valaah soldiers’ focus was directed at the main gate and bailey. The empty halls allowed the two to freely work their way lower into the keep and follow the sounds of clamor in the distance.

“What benefit to pissing off a demi-god is there to you?” Quartz asked and made the sorcerer roll his eyes.

“Pissin’ him off is a bonus. Gettin’ close to him was the goal.” He answered which only made the woman more confused than before. He reached into his pocket and held out a small worn brass key with a red ribbon tied to the end. “This is why I wanted to get close, but I’ll explain later. Now, could ya’ stop with the questions until after this is done?” He added as they rounded another corner and came face to face with six armed Valaah soldiers who skidded to a stop. “Ah, shit.”

“Intruders! Kill them both!” The lead Valaah with the head of a rhinoceros pointed to the sorcerer and Ensanguined woman. Entity lifted his hands and backed away.

“Hey now, let’s settle this like gentlemen, eh? Beer sound good?” Entity smiled, but only got a response of withdrawn swords and angry snorts from the beastly soldiers. “Or not...” He sighed before throwing his hands forward and sending forth an icy gust of wind and a murder of shadow crows that snatched the flames from every candle in the hall. With the darkness engulfing the stumbling soldiers, only the bright red eyes of the sorcerer and the Ensanguined woman could be seen.

Quartz stepped in front of Entity and let out a hiss before vanishing into her own swirling swarm of bats that flew toward a soldier – lifting him off the ground and slamming him hard into the ceiling until it cracked. The soldier dropped limply to the ground unconscious as the bat swarm attacked another Valaah who swatted at them in a panic. Entity strained his hands and lifted them upwards, summoning shadowy skeletal hands from the ground that grabbed the ankles of the soldiers. The rhinoceros Valaah struggled against the pull and watched as the sorcerer rushed at him. Entity slammed his shoulder into his chest and managed to knock the Valaah backward a few feet. The beast’s hooves scraped across the floor but never faltered, and he recovered quickly enough to lunge at the sorcerer. His massive arms wrapped around Entity, and he charged down the hallway – taking the sorcerer with him.

Entity smiled in the darkness, showing a row full of sharp yellow teeth, and summoned his vulture wings to push the Valaah’s arms open. In a display of unnatural strength, he grabbed the Valaah’s wrists and forced them outwards to stop the behemoth from ensnaring him in a bear hug once more. Entity planted his feet firmly on the ground and slowed the two to a stop. Entity’s strength was too much for the brave Valaah to overcome, and he felt a knee slam into his stomach that made him keel over and moan in agony. Entity then grabbed the soldier by the horn and swung him into the wall. The soldier hit the bricks so hard that he crashed through the wall and tumbled into a dark room.

With two Valaah down, the remaining four broke free of the skeletal hands and charged at the sorcerer. The swarm of bats appeared in front of one of them and reformed into the Ensanguined woman, who threw a fist forward and slammed into a soldier’s chest hard enough to make him flip. With supernatural speed and strength, she grabbed his ankle mid-air and swung him into another soldier and pummeled them both against a wall hard enough to smash the bricks into rubble. Two soldiers remained and the sudden appearance of the white Ensanguined had snatched their attention away from Entity. They were confused momentarily by the two threats. Quartz crouched like an animal and let out a feral hiss. Entity ran towards the three and engaged one of the two soldiers with his sword.

The other utilized skilled footwork and lunged his blade at the woman, but Quartz maneuvered with such flexibility that she dodged the attack from below. Her nostrils flared to capture the scent of fresh blood from such a delectable prey species and her mouth began to water uncontrollably. The soldier lunged again and sliced through her – only to hit the floor as she turned to mist. She reformed just as quickly with her wings outspread. Both her feet planted on the Valaah’s hips while her long deadly nails dug deep into his shoulders. Her wings flapped and forced the soldier onto his back while screaming from the pain of torn flesh as she mauled him.

The screams of the soldier caught his comrade’s attention as well as Entity’s, who saw the Ensanguined woman bite into the downed soldier’s neck. The soldier kicked Entity away and ran to help his fellow soldier who was kicking wildly while Quartz tore into his throat.

“Quartz, stop!” Entity shouted as he realized the Ensanguined woman’s instincts to feed were growing out of control.

Quartz looked up to see the remaining soldier throw his blade down to strike her, and with unfathomable strength and speed, she caught the blade in her mouth and stopped the strike by biting down hard on it. Though it cut the sides of her mouth, she was unphased while in a blood frenzy. She jerked her head to the side and threw the soldier over her shoulder. Blood poured down her chin and a horrifying roar erupted from her throat as her mouth healed quickly. The soldier she had fed on gurgled blood from his mouth and held onto the open wound of his neck which caught her attention. She opened her mouth to take another bite before she felt something cold grab her by the back and rip her off the dying soldier.

It was Entity who was manipulating shadowy skeletal hands from the ground to grab and restrain her. They forced her down and pinned her before Entity ran to the downed soldier’s side.

“I told ya, do not kill them! Fuckin’ listen to me!” Entity scolded as he examined the soldier’s wounds before igniting his palm with an intense hot pink flame. He held it to the wound to cauterize it, saving the soldier from bleeding to death. The poor Valaah lay trembling and terrified on the ground and grabbed at Entity’s coat, but he couldn’t tell if he was thanking the sorcerer or trying desperately to fight him. Entity took the soldier’s hand tightly and pushed it to the Valaah’s chest, and with a stern look in his eyes, he reassured the soldier to stop struggling and to rest instead. The soldier complied and seemed to black out from the trauma of such a wound, he would live nonetheless.

Quartz’s eyes slowly faded back to purple and she stopped struggling against the hands that held her. She realized what she had just done, and a look of dread washed over her face once her bloodlust had been controlled. Though a few sips of fresh sweet blood were invigorating, the guilt that came with each sip felt bitter against her tongue.

“I didn’t mean to –” She tried to utter.

“The last thing I need is a psychotic Ensanguined losin’ control here! Ya kill just one of these guys and it’s war on us too! You wanna help? Fuckin’ control yourself.” Entity scolded. Quartz looked away shamefully as the hands released her.

“I’m sorry.” She embarrassedly apologized with a quiver in her voice. Entity sighed and stood.

“Can I still count on ya to do this with me?” He asked and studied Quartz closely. She locked eyes with the sorcerer and nodded hesitantly. “Good. Get up and let’s get movin’.” He reached out his hand and helped her to her feet before leading the way forward.

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Swords collided loudly as Valaah and Ensanguined alike fought ferociously and valiantly. Though the Valaah vastly outnumbered their aggressors, the Ensanguined’s strength and quick regeneration outmatched their opponents. Without striking the Ensanguined in their hearts or beheading them, flesh wounds merely slowed them or put them down temporarily. Half of the Ensanguined numbers had fallen but the death toll of the Valaah had been doubled. Bodies, blood, viscera, and weapons littered the fortress’s bailey. The Ensanguined who had attacked the citizens had managed to draw the attention of many of Cariphae’s finest warriors away from the fortress to defend the city while the rest stayed behind to defend the fortress and their queen. When the last of the Ensanguined soldiers fell within the city, the Valaah turned their focus back to the fortress.

“To our queen! Defend the queen!” An elk-headed Valaah sergeant declared while raising his bloody axe to the skies that still rained down crimson lightning upon the land. As the Valaah regrouped and dashed for the fortress, an Ensanguined archer spotted the movement. He looked to his comrade upon the tower and nodded. The two Ensanguined archers reached to their side quivers and pulled out special arrows with a white packet of explosives attached to the arrowhead. Together in unison, they aimed at the drawbridge’s locked levers that hung on each side of the entryway. At once, they fired their well-aimed arrows at each lever, soaring through the air, over the battle in the bailey, and struck the levers.

Two fiery explosions rocked the outer walls of the bailey and sent stone debris shooting outwards – killing several Valaah and blowing them to the ground. The drawbridge moaned and quaked before the counterweight could no longer sustain itself, raising the drawbridge and slamming it shut. Heavy metal chains screeched and rattled violently as they slid over various gears and pullies uncontrollably. The returning Valaah were now locked out of the fortress, unable to provide extra support to their fellow soldiers and their queen inside. They pounded on the heavy wooden and metal-reinforced gate, desperately trying to hack their way back inside.

Amdusias watched the explosions and saw the drawbridge close out the supporting forces, making him suddenly figure out a solution.

“You there! You as well! Come with me, get those ropes, and make way for the outer gates! Now!” He commanded, grabbing two archers for support, and snatching bundles of rope that were scattered on the battlements. The three ran for the outer gate where the stranded Valaah battered the drawbridge and quickly tied the ropes to any supporting stone they could find. As Amdusias was tying a rope to toss down to his soldiers, he heard the whistling of an arrow and felt its powerful tip pierce his upper shoulder close to the nape of his thick neck. He stumbled forward and shouted deeply at the sudden pain, but furiously gripped the arrow by the base and snapped it off – leaving the arrowhead inside. Adrenaline filled the monstrous Valaah general, and he refused to seize his efforts to assist his soldiers. He finished tying the rope and tossed the slack down for his men to grab onto and scale the walls one by one as quickly as they could.

An archer heard the arrow and turned to face the tower where he saw the Ensanguined archers taking aim. He took his bow and loaded an arrow, firing it carefully while exhaling. The arrow avenged General Amdusias and struck the Ensanguined archer in the heart, causing the soldier to grip the wound and fall from the tower. The Valaah archer snorted and returned to tie the ropes. It was then that Amdusias heard the flapping of dreadful wings and armored boots landing behind him. He spun around to see an Ensanguined soldier standing before him with his dark near-black wings outstretched and a sword in his hand and a shield in the other.

“Do not stop, men! Get our soldiers up here no matter the cost!” Amdusias ordered and the archers did not stop. Amdusias approached the Ensanguined and withdrew his axe, putting himself between the bloodthirsty opponent and his distracted men. The Ensanguined inhaled deeply when he saw the unicorn-headed general bleeding from his fresh wound.

“Your blood smells divine, beast.” The Ensanguined hungrily spoke as he spun his sword, readying himself for combat. Amdusias flared his nostrils and snarled with sharp teeth.

“Come for a drink then, if you dare.” He challenged.

In a split second, the soldier had dashed towards Amdusias and struck his blade downwards to behead Amdusias, but the level-headed general lifted his axe to block the sword – clashing the two sharpened pieces of iron together in a loud ringing screech. Amdusias lifted his hoof and pounded it into the Ensanguined’s stomach, forcing the soldier backward and losing his breath. He dashed again and lifted his shield to block Amdusias’s blade, causing sparks to fly from the impact. The soldier swatted Amdusias’s axe and arm away to the side to swing his blade down upon the Valaah, but Amdusias was far too experienced and well-trained. He backed away to dodge the sword before swinging his axe in return with speed. The sword sliced at the Ensanguined’s armor, pressuring the soldier to step back. A deep cut from the sword had been etched into the snake engraving in the metal.

He only retaliated again with more aggression and impatience, clashing their weapons together once more and pushing against one another in a power struggle. Though the Ensanguined was immensely powerful, Amdusias was far larger than any other Valaah and held the strength of a Clydesdale stallion. His hooves dug into the grooves of the stone floor and held steadfast with a strained grunt. The friction of the struggle caused his iron horseshoes to spark against the bricks.

“You are mere livestock, Valaah wretch,” the Ensanguined spat cruelly, “when you no longer have your beloved queen to defend you, it will do me great honor to rip you apart!” The soldier continued. Amdusias scowled and bared his sharp teeth to the Ensanguined.

“In the midst of chaos, there is opportunity.” Amdusias growled.

“What do you–” The Ensanguined soldier confusedly questioned before Amdusias abruptly thrust his head forward and his single horn pierced through the soldier’s mask and into his skull between his eyes. The Ensanguined immediately stopped his assault and fell limp – hanging from the Valaah’s horn and dropping his weapon and shield. Blood dripped from behind his mask and his body twitched before Amdusias swung his head to the side and threw the corpse over the wall and into the lava lake below. Black blood dripped off the general’s horn and onto his face like war paint.

“Drink from that, parasite.” Amdusias snorted.

Cariphae valiantly battled alongside her men and slammed her shield into an Ensanguined soldier so hard that it caved in his golden chest plate and forced him onto the ground to spit up a mouthful of blood. Her eyes blazed with hot fiery wisps and her grunts were feral and deep as she swung and heaved her sword and shield into assaulting enemies who dared run to attack her. She witnessed a Valaah on the ground facing a fatal blow from an Ensanguined and widened her eyes with fury. She sprinted towards the assailant and swung her shield into his side, knocking him to the side. He rolled to his feet and lunged at the fiery woman with his sword, but she blocked the blade with her shield. His blade bounced off the thick metal and she swiped her blade across his neck – beheading him.

Blood exploded from the open neck and sprayed her face. Turning her head with a focus in her eye, she saw another an Ensanguined swoop down and grab one of her soldiers to throw him into the wall hard enough to kill him. Carefully she watched the enemy circle around and sidestepped to a better position while sheathing her sword and putting her shield onto her back.

“Fe’in ma ahnwae!” She ordered loudly and two Valaah immediately knelt down and placed their shield over themselves – creating a platform on which she leaped and vaulted high into the air. The Ensanguined hissed and boldly slammed into the flaming feminine warlord in mid-air but greatly underestimated the weight and force the woman carried with her. His momentum was seized instantaneously and they spun around in the air, and his wings batted wildly to keep him aloft. She wrapped her powerful legs around him while he grabbed at her throat. Her teeth were borne and clenched as he was strong enough to cut off her airway, but she was focused and grabbed the sides of his head, then headbutted him hard enough to disorientate him. His mask shattered and revealed a bleeding forehead and mangled nose. They fell to the ground and Cariphae landed on top of him, then reared her fist back to land a brutal punch to the Ensanguined’s forehead.

“False queen!” He gurgled but could say no more when she punched him again and again, each time crushed his skull until there was no more resemblance to a face, but rather a visceral pulp of bone and flesh. His wings contorted inwards and twitched in a grizzly death. She splayed her hand open and smeared the blood of her enemies across her face with pride as she stood above the body, looking for her next target.

The Ensanguined’s numbers were beginning to dwindle, and the remaining soldiers witnessed the brutality and god-like strength the queen possessed, unnerving them, and forcing them to move away from her while avoiding attacks from Valaah who were cornering them with swords and spears held high. Through the gap in the Valaah, they saw Cariphae walking straight towards them menacingly with flames trailing from her eyes. Death was coming straight for them, and it looked mortifyingly chilling to the Ensanguined men who had greatly underestimated her in their ego.

“We’re pinned!” One trembled, lifting his shield to avoid raining arrows from the battlements above.

“This was a suicide mission! Nacre has damned us all!” Another cried out before being shot down by an arrow through the eye hole in his mask – dropping dead.

“Where is the sorcerer?! We cannot hold this much longer!” Another Ensanguined screamed in terror.

“We will hold steady until the mission is complete! We die in the name of our fallen king!” An Ensanguined roared as he swiped his blade across a Valaah’s throat, killing him and running into the fray. Others stabbed into him but missed his heart, allowing him to keep battling and sink his sword into one Valaah after another. The other Ensanguined joined in to kill as many Valaah as he could, momentarily taking his eyes off Cariphae. It was a grave mistake when he blindly swung his axe around and felt a hand grab his forearm to stop it, and upon turning to see who had stopped him, he was met with a blazing set of eyes staring straight into his soul without an ounce of mercy.

With a hair-raising outcry of rage, she heaved upwards and slammed him onto the ground and then quickly picked him up again, then swung him into the other soldier. The two rolled against the dirt while Valaah moved away to let their queen dish out their due execution. Savagely they stomped their hooves into the ground and bellowed savage chants encouraging their queen to display nothing but fierce justice in the form of gruesome and painful deaths. They struggled to get to their feet as their wounds rapidly healed but did nothing to quell the pain of their broken bones. To be one of the last enemies left on the battlefield was not a fate of honor in Cariphae’s eyes, but rather an opportunity to make an example for the realms to witness.

To kill a Valaah before Cariphae was an unforgivable crime that no amount of begging nor status could excuse. Her love for her people and the connection between them ran deeper than any love could reproduce, and it was this deep love that created the flaming nightmare on high heels the Ensanguined were doomed to face.

Entity and Quartz had made it to the entrance where Valaah ran through to the outside. They hid along the walls and saw a staircase leading upwards to an open balcony where red curtains were tied open. It was the very same balcony Cariphae stood on during her two-hundred-year reign celebration. The two quickly climbed the stairs to the top and kept low to a crouch behind the ledge, witnessing the battle below. The Ensanguined soldiers had been done away with in record time, all but two remained and they were surrounded by every Valaah soldier on the field and pinned to the ground with archers keeping their arrows aimed and ready from above.

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They each threw a desperate attack at the queen and each attack was quickly dodged or deflected with skill and precision. While they held their weapons, she carried none and kept her sword sheathed. Her punches were devastating and threw the soldiers to the ground. Her kicks were mighty and battered them unforgivingly to where they had no choice but to remove their horribly bent and destroyed armor.

Quartz’s purple eyes widened at the sight of such a traumatizing spectacle – having never seen the queen battle before in person. Her skills were as grand as the fables and her power was more impressive than what she heard in the countless stories told by her people. Both fear and admiration struck the woman’s heart as she clutched the metal railing. She had even underestimated just how much muscle the queen possessed. She looked like a behemoth, a lovely beast with flames licking up her arms all the way to the crown of her skull.

“There she is, lookin’ pissed as usual.” Entity breathed as he took a moment to catch his breath and take the golden-tipped arrow from its latch on his side.

“That’s her? The Cariphae?” Quartz shakily breathed, making Entity look over at her with a raised eyebrow. “She’s torturing them!”

“Yeah, they kinda signed up for it.” He responded casually as he held out his hand to summon a long shadowy recurve bow with dark mist radiating off the string. “What’s a’matter? I thought ya wanted to see her in person?” He smirked as he positioned himself comfortably to load the arrow. He could see the fear and regret in Quartz’s eyes and somehow knew she was thankful she didn’t put herself in their position.

“I thought I did, but–”

“But?” Entity questioned as he stopped to focus on Quartz. He was in no hurry to save any Ensanguined lives. “Look, be conflicted all ya want but ya need to stay focused. Easier said than done when watchin’, y’know, that.” Entity motioned to Cariphae with his thumb who grabbed one of the soldiers by his skull and ripped it from his shoulders backwards – peeling his spine from his body in a violent and quick motion. The Valaah cheered as she threw the skull and spine into the crowd of her soldiers.

“H-holy shit! No!” Quartz went to stand abruptly to instinctually try to help her kin, but Entity grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back down behind the railing.

“Don’t ya fuckin’ dare try to go out there! She’s scary as shit, but we shouldn’t be afraid. We’re on her side, remember that. Now use that blood vision and tell me if ya can see her main arteries, I need to know where not to aim.” He reassured her and she shook her head with bloody tears streaming down her face.

“I c-can’t do it! I can’t watch!” She sobbed and buried her face in her hands. Entity put down his bow and arrow quickly and grabbed her hands to pull them away. He gently shook her.

“Hey hey hey, look at me, princess.” He gently urged and locked eyes with the small woman. “This is what they don’t tell ya when they send ya to war. It’s ugly, ya can’t forget what ya see, but ya can’t let what ya see freeze ya up like this. That’s what gets people killed.”

“They’re still my people, and she’s torturing them to death! There has to be a way to stop this! Please, make it stop!”

“They chose to do this so that they could do the same to innocent people, Quartz! They’re not your people anymore!”

“I can’t do it, I can’t do it!” Quartz cried while hyperventilating. Entity bit his bottom lip and abruptly pulled her into a tight hug which quickly stifled her cries. Her arms fell to her sides, and she did her best to get her breath under control.

“Calm down, yes ya can. Stay with me. If shit goes south, I promise I’ll get ya outta here, but if we don’t do this, a lot of people are gonna die. You’re not a slave to anyone anymore.” He said as he pulled her away and looked sternly at her.

“I’m…” She swallowed hard.

“Say it, you’re not a slave.”

“I’m not a slave.”

“Damn right. Cariphae is gonna do what she does best, and as long as she’s alive and out of Guardian’s hands, every single fuckin’ Ensanguined is gonna be too scared to set foot outta their pen. This is how ya make a change, ya got me? That woman cares more about people than you and I combined.”

Quartz nodded and wiped her tears away on her sleeve. Entity turned back to the battle and found a decent spot where he had Cariphae in his sights. Picking up his bow and dreaded arrow, he adjusted his aim – as he would only get one shot. “Get a good sight for me, sweet-teeth.”

Quartz’s pupils split into two and she used her blood vision to see the blood vessels of all living beings on the battlefield with a still-beating heart. They created perfect outlines of their bodies beneath their armor, and she could see the most crucial veins and arteries including their hearts. The Valaah were compact clusters of deep red woven masses, but she was nearly blinded by the intense sun-like glow of Cariphae’s blood. It was so bright that it appeared white with a soft yellow glow, making it impossible for her to give Entity any directions on where he should strike her to inflict the least amount of damage.

“I can’t see, her blood is blinding!” She squinted and blinked hard.

“Does it at least look human inside?”

“It does, a little.” She shut her eyes hard and rubbed them.

“All right, that’s all I needed to know… I just need her to stand still, she’s movin’ too fast and she’s got a damn shield on her back.” Entity growled in frustration as he tried to aim. Sweat soaked his forehead and he bit his bottom lip as he was now coming to terms with what he was about to inflict upon her. That is – if he made the shot.

Cariphae approached the last remaining Ensanguined soldier who was crawling away from her after enduring a beating he wished would have killed him earlier. His broken and battered body continued to heal against his will. His powers became his curse as he cowered away from what he saw as the demon who slayed The Ensanguined King himself. The fire nightmare incarnate who terrified the hearts of all who dwelled in the shadows.

“Y-you false queen! This is not your kingdom to rule!” He spat in a last attempt to strike any kind of fear into the far more powerful opponent, but there was no fear to be had in the woman, only rage and bloodlust that not even an Ensanguined could compete with. The king-slaying legend reached and grabbed his ankle to drag him closer, then swung her boot into his ribs and knocked him into the center of the circular clearing before approaching him again. He whimpered and tried to crawl backward, but she planted her boot on his leg and hooked his foot with her high heel to stop him from moving.

“Your leaders have damned you and once again fed you a lie that you had any chance in surviving this. You attacked my domain and murdered my people, now you tremble in my light. The penalty is merciless war. I will now come to the surface and burn your kingdoms to the ground, and I will not spare any Ensanguined life. Look upon my face and witness what your queens fear most. I give you one chance to leave this place and deliver my message to your people. What say you, soldier? Will you die for your cowardly Queens of Malice? Or will you accept my mercy and live until I inevitably find you again?” She asked and knelt to face him closer with her long braid falling over her shoulder. The heat of her hair alone singed his clothing when it brushed over him.

“It won’t matter. My queens have already won. You should’ve married Guardian when you had the chance, you stupid whore. Long live King Virgoth!” He screamed before spitting blood in her face.

The mention of Guardian had her wide-eyed, but she barely had time to register the realization that she had been betrayed when old and untapped anger had been awakened deep within her at the mention of the dead king. She slightly flinched at the spit that hit her cheek and grabbed the soldier by the sides of his face tightly, raising him up slightly. “Death to all Ensanguined it shall be.” The veins in her neck and face began to glow so brightly that they shined perfectly through her tanned skin. Without another second to waste, her mouth opened, and she inhaled sharply. Her eyes, nostrils, and throat ignited into a white-hot powerful blast of fire that made the Ensanguined desperately try to claw away from her. The heat from her face made his skin peel and boil, and he couldn’t get away.

Cariphae held the soldier with unwavering force by the skull and brought him mere inches from her face, releasing a hair-raising scream from her throat that was unlike any other sound any beast in all the lands of Endle could ever produce. The scream forced a white-hot fire into the soldier’s face –cooking the flesh instantly and burning away layers of skin into ash. The heat was greater than any fire ever produced in the realms, melting his eyes, and scorching the sockets while the flesh within his skull burst into yellow flames that poured from his nasal cavity and mouth. The bones of his skull and jaw were quickly revealed and blackened with his long fangs turning to charcoal.

Amdusias watched from atop the battlement after helping several soldiers up the wall, eyes wide in horror to witness Cariphae execute an Ensanguined soldier in the most horrifying display of brutality he had ever seen. The Valaah covered their ears and backed away as even they were greatly shocked at the event. They too could feel the heat radiating from her and many put up their shields to subdue the light burn on their skin.

“The Scream of a Thousand Suns…” Amdusias breathed in astonishment – only ever reading his grandfather’s memoirs about it but never having witnessed it himself. It was Cariphae’s signature method of execution made legendary in the Red War. It was rumored that the scream was fueled by otherworldly anger that not even Guardian himself could rival.

Entity slowly lowered his bow in amazement as well as he watched Cariphae incinerate the Ensanguined with her scream and fought the painful ringing in his ears. He desired to hear it himself despite the pain and felt his heart pounding in his chest. Quartz covered her ears while blood-red tears swelled in her eyes from the horror. She had greatly underestimated the power Cariphae possessed and regretted every threat and every foul word she ever spoke to degrade such a force of nature. The way she battled was far more brutal and barbarous than she could’ve imagined.

Cariphae’s scream lasted so long that every window in the fortress shattered. The heat was so immense that it burned through the Ensanguined’s throat and moved throughout his body – blasting away his flesh and clothing in an explosion of embers while melting any remaining metal armor meant to protect him. It boiled in a puddle beneath the now scorched skeletal remains. She tore his blackened skull backward and ripped his spine free with it before whipping it behind her – shattering the bones into ash while crushing the skull in her palm. Fiery embers surrounded the mighty Arithmetian Queen as she stood tall with her feet apart in a powerful and dominating stance. Taking her shield off her back and lifting it high, she let out a victory cry, declaring the end of the siege and the beginning of a war.

Every Valaah picked up their swords and raised them high to the skies with her and roared in unison to celebrate their victory. The Valaah surrounded their glorious queen but left several feet of distance between themselves and Cariphae. Amdusias cheered along with a deep bellowing roar with his sword to the air but noticed movement on the balcony behind Cariphae. His eyes widened as he watched what looked to be an archer dressed in a white coat with an Ensanguined by his side aiming a dark bow at the queen while she was distracted.

Entity’s arms shook as he aimed the glistening arrow at Cariphae’s back and bit his bottom lip as he now had a clean shot. He struggled to release the arrow and his arm grew more tired the longer he held it steady. Quartz saw the struggle in his eyes and swallowed hard as Entity’s nervousness was adding to her own.

“I know now why they fear her…” She whispered anxiously as she couldn’t help but think of the three queens whom she served. She had come to realize just how ill-prepared they were to fight Cariphae without aid, for who could ever battle such a force on their own? Her eyes trailed down Entity’s right arm to see the Black Silk around his hand begin to tighten. He could feel the pain it was causing but did his best to conceal his anguish. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this?” She suggested.

“I have to…” Entity seethed through his teeth at the sting of his palm.

“She could kill the queens, they don’t stand a chance against this!”

“I know, but I– ghn!” Entity felt a bone in his hand crack.

He truly did not want to strike her in this way and the pressure was now settling in. He began to question himself and wonder if their plan would even work, or if it would be best to let the Black Silk take his hand. Worst of all, he wondered if he would kill her if he didn’t aim well enough and truly leave no hope left for Endle. The only defense innocent lives had was standing with her guard down in the belief that she had overcome the only threat in her kingdom when the true threat had her in his sights. The only protector Endle had left was at his mercy and conflict swirled inside him. He gnashed his teeth hard and exhaled so rapidly that saliva dripped from his mouth. The Black Silk was now crushing his right hand and cutting into his flesh, forcing blood from the sides where it tightened most.

“We can’t do this.” Quartz panicked and wanted to stop Entity, but the price would be his hand, and thus his life. “I can hide you!”

He considered for a moment letting the Black Silk simply take his hand and ultimately – his power. It would be a noble sacrifice with some hope of living long enough to flee to a desolate place, but if Nacre wouldn’t find him, Guardian surely would. Fear washed over him when the Black Silk tightened again and forced the sorcerer to groan in pain when it had fractured several bones in his hand. His right arm trembled while struggling to hold the bow steady, and the fear intensified when he imagined himself on a table in front of Ensanguined royals with his back flayed open to be devoured slowly. It made his heart race and any amount of courage he had was doused with cowardice and the need for self-preservation. He had once more failed to be a hero and chose himself above all else.

“I can’t! Forgive me, Cari…” He shut his eyes tightly before releasing the arrow – sending it flying straight at the queen’s back.

“CARIPHAE!” Amdusias cried out when he saw the strange archer pull back and release the arrow, but Cariphae could not hear Amdusias over the roar of the Valaah’s victory cry. He could not save her from the arrow that sliced through the air and spun with deadly force. Time slowed as the arrow flew toward the hellish queen. The Black Silk on Entity’s palm began to burn away and flake into ash. He dropped his bow and fell to his side to immediately to cradle his hand against his chest to try and relieve the pain of his broken palm and exposed muscle. As it burned away, it cauterized the wounds and left a distinct symbol on the top of his hand in Naga-Tongue. He would forever bare the scar of the Black Silk Hex and display eternal shame. He was free at the cost of his honor.

The shimmering of the golden arrowhead glistened in the light of crimson lightning above and a black swirling spiral of shadows trailed behind the arrow before it plunged deep into Cariphae’s back shoulder next to her heart – bringing a shockwave of air with it that knocked down every Valaah soldier to the ground with a warped burst of sound. The power was so great that even Amdusias and the archers above stumbled and fell to their knees. Cariphae gasped and felt the air in her lungs suddenly become ripped from her mouth as she was jolted forward. She nearly fell to the ground from the impact but caught herself. She felt no pain, only numbing shock. The sounds around her were muffled and then muted with ringing, and her vision blurred in and out. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, and she struggled to breathe. She dropped her shield and it fell heavily into the dirt. The veins in her body blackened at the impact sight around the arrow before spreading throughout her body and she slowly reached over to feel what had hit her. She couldn’t understand what was happening; She only knew that an arrow had struck her, but that it clearly was no ordinary arrow.

Stumbling forward, she slowly turned her body around to see who had shot her with confusion in her glazed-over eyes. Her hand cupped her chest where her heart was pounding and spotted two strange blurry figures on the balcony of her keep. Her Valaah soldiers were stunned and lowered their weapons and quieted their roars when they felt that something was dreadfully wrong. Cariphae was not recovering from the arrow as she normally would have. She wasn’t even standing straight but instead, looked as if she was going to topple over.

“What…is this?” She breathed as she looked around in a confused daze like that of drunkenness and nausea. She looked at her palm and saw her blood dripping from between her fingers.

She then began to feel a slow burning sensation in her flesh before it continued to drive inwards deep into her core. Her heart began to beat more rapidly, and it burned painfully. Then her lungs burned and shortly after, every inch of her body felt like it was boiling. She wobbled with buckling knees and gasped before falling hard to the ground and letting out a wild scream of pure agony while her hands desperately clawed at her chest to try and rip out the pain. The arrow crumbled into ash and the open wound began to pour black blood that ran thick like tar. Her body steamed, and the glow of her hair faded from the roots to the ends. Her vision was swimming with tears that she blinked away. Upon opening her eyes weakly, her irises had transformed from fiery orange into bright emerald green. With the smoke of an extinguished fire pouring from her lips, she panted and writhed in anguish, slowly going into shock, and trembling under her own weight.

“Cariphae, no!” Amdusias shouted out as he leaped from the battlement wall and fell to the ground – landing his heavy hooves onto the ground so hard that they sank deep into the soil and crushed any stones beneath him. He slammed his fist to the ground for support and quickly sprinted towards his leader with his nostrils flaring open for air. He began shoving soldiers to the side to get through the crowd. The pain of the arrowhead in his shoulder was strongly overcome with the determination to attend to his queen and protect her while all others stood in shock – unable to process what was happening to their leader. They had never seen her fall, not once, nor had they heard her scream in pain.

Her vision now began to darken as unimaginable pain consumed her. A final powerful shockwave erupted from her and blew every soldier backward several feet, stunning them all and temporarily deafening them. Cariphae looked to the red skies and exhaled slowly before losing consciousness, falling limp to the ground. Amdusias had been blown back and fell onto his fellow soldiers who struggled to get up, but he was desperate to reach her and got back to his feet as quickly as he could. His horn began to glow as he conjured his hidden magic of healing – as all those of unicorn decent possessed it.

He reached out a hand to her as he was mere feet away from the unconscious queen before he was knocked down once again by a dark force, forcing a grunt out of the Valaah general. He could only see a flash of white with massive, outstretched, shadowy vulture wings standing over Cariphae like a dark angel. His hood was pulled over his head where only red eyes and pink irises could be seen from within. Amdusias scowled and the Valaah soldiers got to their feet to surround the winged being. Their swords were armed and the growls of hundreds of Valaah rumbled in the bailey.

“Back away from her, now!” Amdusias ordered. “What have you done to her?!”

“I had no choice.” Entity replied solemnly.

“You will die for this!” Amdusias spat and the Valaah soldiers screamed furiously in unison.

“We’re not your enemies! Guardian has betrayed you, and he’s coming to take Arithmetia!”

They did not listen to the sorcerer who rapidly looked around in every direction. He was vastly outnumbered as the Valaah began to charge at him. He growled and pounded his fist to the ground with a powerful surge of dark magic coursing through his body. His chest ignited with a hot pink glow that quickly fired through his veins into his arm and out of his burnt right hand. The magic exploded from his knuckles and vibrated the ground before vein-like formations of hot pink expanded outwards into the bailey. Every dead corpse jolted as if electrocuted when the magic reached them – and it couldn’t have happened sooner. Instantly, the corpses rose from their place and held out their limbs to trip and grab ahold of the living soldiers.

All of them suddenly stopped their charge and screamed when corpses grappled at their ankles and tripped them while moaning in despair. Their dead limbs had strings attached to them like a puppet and moved in broken movements so unnaturally. Amdusias was among the soldiers who had fallen to the ground with the corpse of a dead Valaah sergeant pinning him down – causing the General to kick at him and crawl backward in terror.

Entity quickly scooped Cariphae up in his arms and extended his wings for a quick launch into the air. He soared upwards and glided along the side of the outer wall to make his way to the Ianuae. Seeing his queen taken by the sorcerer while the men were distracted, Amdusias raised his sword and shouted out.

“He has taken Cariphae! To the Ianuae portal, men! Do not let him escape with our queen! Kill the resurrected and move!” He ordered, gaining an uproar from the soldiers in unison as many corpses began to die the further away Entity became.

Smashing and slashing the resurrected corpses that did little to fight back, the mass of Valaah ran towards the doors of the keep and watched them violently slam shut in front of them through a swarm of bats. The Valaah did not waste any time in beating down the doors and chopping away at the wood and iron. The bats had closed the latches and swiftly swam through the halls of the castle at an amazing speed – pushing through any soldiers that stood in their way and knocking them down.

Entity carried the unconscious queen tightly against his chest and flew through the hot air, watching the lava surrounding the castle explode upwards and crash against the walls in great angry waves. The world of Arithmetia was in dire distress and the lake was swelling. He looked down to see Cariphae’s face up close – a face he had not expected to look so calm and at peace again. It brought back a painful memory hidden deep within him that caused a sharp pain in his chest. His attention turned to the Ianuae and noticed a figure standing in front of it. It was female and she had two guards at her side. Entity could hear the shrill squeaking of a swarm bats exploding out from one of the shattered windows and reforming into Quartz who swiftly took a spot next to him in flight.

The two landed hard on the ground in front of the woman and two soldiers – Agatha was standing guard after witnessing her queen fall. She refused to lock herself away and instead chose to fight with everything she had to stop the intruders from taking her dear friend. Entity’s wings were still outstretched, as were Quartz’s as they eyed the queen’s advisor. The soldiers held their swords with their hooves firmly planted on the ground. Agatha scowled as her tendrils extended outwards to try and block the two from leaving.

“That is quite far enough!” Agatha hissed. “Put our queen down gently and get to your knees!” She ordered. Entity rolled his head back with a groan.

“Why ya gotta say it like that?” He sighed and felt Quartz backhand his arm.

“Not now!” Quartz spat and looked behind them to make sure no other Valaah were coming. Her sensitive hearing did pick up the sound of breaking doors and the stomping of hundreds of hooves.

“We have to get her outta’ here or else somethin’ real bad is gonna happen and I don’t have time to explain!” Entity argued with Agatha over the roar of the portal behind her. He was sweating heavily and a bead of sweat fell from the tip of his nose. Agatha stomped her heel forward and swiped her hand across the air.

“You lie! What more could happen now that war has been declared?! Give us the queen immediately!” Agatha fired back with her full maw of sharp teeth bared in pure frustration.

“If she stays here, Guardian will come for her, and you can say good-fuckin’-bye to Lovelacia! He’s the one behind this!” Entity screamed back and reactively held Cariphae tighter than he did before. Agatha looked taken aback at the mention of Guardian and the way Entity held onto Cariphae protectively.

“Guardian? These are Destillion’s colors!” Agatha slightly lowered her tendrils as she quizzically looked at the sorcerer.

“He’s telling the truth! You must let us pass!” Quartz pleaded to Agatha.

“The word of an Ensanguined means nothing here! Silence that wicked tongue!” Agatha growled.

“Guardian’s been workin’ with Nacre and helped plot this whole siege! He wants Cariphae and he’s gonna give Arithmetia back to the Queens of Malice after he takes her!” Entity begged and could hear Valaah barreling through the keep and rushing towards the Ianuae platform. Agatha took a very short moment to look at the Ianuae and back at Cariphae with her anger shifting to concern as she tried her absolute best to judge the situation.

“Why should I believe the man who wounded our queen? If you know all this, then you are an ally to the enemy.” Agatha fiercely hissed. Entity managed to show his right hand with the fresh burns of the Black Silk’s burn.

“Look! Look at this! Y’know what this is?”

“The Black Silk Hex… Entity of Shadows. You live?” Agatha exhaled in disbelief. Entity took a step forward with pleading eyes and lowered his wings until they vanished into smoke. Agatha lowered her own tendrils.

“I didn’t wanna hurt her, but I had no choice, I was bound to the command. I need to get her outta here while I can! Anywhere is safer than this place because ya know as well as I do that not even you can stop Guardian alone. Please, I’m beggin’ ya!”

“My lady? Shall I strike them down?” A soldier asked as he too took a step forward. Agatha put her hand on the guard to ease him.

“Cariphae has spoken of you, she’s regarded you as a hero. You defended villages during the Red War.” Agatha narrowed her eyes at the sorcerer, watching Entity nod.

“I did. I fought for your queen and I’m tryin’ to do it again. It ain’t just your world that’ll fall if Guardian gets his hands on her; The entire realm of Endle is gonna be in some serious shit.” Entity turned away slightly to keep Cariphae away from the guards.

“If I let you through, how will we know you are truly going to help her?” Agatha asked skeptically.

“Ya won’t,” he honestly admitted, “but ya have my word, I will make sure things are made right.”

“Lady Agatha, your orders?!” The other Valaah soldier eagerly asked and gripped his sword tightly.

“Entity, we’re running out of time!” Quartz urged as she outstretched her wings defensively.

Agatha hesitated and could now hear the soldiers barreling their way toward the platform. Finally, she ordered, “Let them through!” Closing the distance between herself and Entity, she placed a hand on Cariphae’s forehead. No amount of wisdom and education could’ve helped Agatha prepare to make a choice as difficult as this. “Look for a man named Captain Adamus O’Dweller; Cariphae was meeting him on the surface near the sea. He could help her if they share a common enemy. I beg of you, dark sorcerer, she is my dearest friend and the life of our people, keep her safe and bring her back to us.” Agatha demanded with daggers in her eyes that Entity could only nod to. Agatha then stood aside, and the soldiers did as well before Entity ran towards the portal. Quartz followed and caught the glaring eye of Agatha before entering the portal with him.

Agatha felt the ground shaking as the Valaah finally came to the platform. Amdusias had led the way and saw Agatha stand aside to allow Entity and Quartz to leave with Cariphae. He roared and charged at the portal before Agatha gripped the sword in the ground that held the Ianuae open – tearing it from the ground and closing the Ianuae. Amdusias skidded to a stop and roared at the royal advisor.

“No! What madness has befallen you, Agatha?!” He screamed with sweat soaking him.

“General Amdusias, I order you and the men to stand down!” Agatha threw the sword to the side and watched as Amdusias’s nostrils flared wildly in rage.

“You let the intruders escape with our queen! How dare you betray Arithmetia!” He screamed before Agatha approached him – towering over the General.

“I said I order you to stand down, General! It is Guardian who has betrayed us, and he is coming to take our queen!” Agatha screamed back, gaining a skeptical silence from the Valaah General when he recalled Cariphae’s lack of trust in the demigod. “We must prepare for the worst, Amdusias, and pray that our queen’s safety lies far from Arithmetia now.”

“You took the word of an enemy! You absolute fool, open that doorway!” Amdusias spat with fury.

“I am the one who gives the orders, General! Stand down or I will have you detained! That intruder was the Entity of Shadows and he has given us a warning. We must prepare for Guardian’s arrival; He will be coming for her.”

“It’s true, sir. I heard the last Ensanguined mention Guardian. It’s what enraged Queen Cariphae.” A soldier stepped up to speak, which had caught Amdusias’s attention and surprise.

Amdusias grunted and turned away as he struggled to contain his rage. Snapping his head back to the Advisor who now had supreme command, he narrowed his eyes.

“Entity of Shadows? He just resurrected my men to work against us, he is the enemy!”

“But sir, they did not attack us.” Another soldier spoke up and caught the glare of his General. It was enough to make the soldier shrink and step back.

“My wisdom determines that he is not. Gather your wounded and tend to the dead, then meet me in Cariphae’s office after your own wound has been bandaged. I believe the sorcerer, and if he is true to his words, then we have a much more pressing problem on our hands.”

“For your sake, Agatha, I pray you’re correct, or it will be you that has damned us all.”

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