The battle erupted before we could properly prepare. From the top of the walls, I watched as the Sage’s forces surrounded the village. Scaled beings of different races, transformed giants, goblins, and trolls advanced with a determination that unnerved us all. Among them, I spotted the imposing figure of the Sage, commanding them from the rear.

“Hold the walls!” Eldrek shouted, raising earth barriers to reinforce the defenses. “Don’t let them get through!”

Arrows began to rain down. The beastfolk and lizardfolk retaliated with everything they had. Beside me, Gronn roared, hurling rocks with all his strength. But then his expression changed.

“Darius… those giants…” He pointed toward the enemy lines. His voice trembled, laden with anger. “They’re from my village!”

I saw him lose control, throwing stones with all his might. “Damn them! They’ll pay for this!”

I thought about calming him down, but there wasn’t any time. The scaled warriors advanced toward the gates while the Sage coordinated their movements with unsettling composure. From the top of the walls, I could see the forces splitting and attacking from different fronts. Eldrek did everything he could to maintain the barriers, but the defenses were starting to falter. The beastfolk on the walls began to slow, paralyzed by fear.

“Let them come closer,” Eldrek muttered, peering through a small gap in the gate. I watched as he moved his hands, concentrating. When the enemy ranks were close enough, the ground beneath their feet began to crack.

“Now!” Eldrek shouted, slamming his hands into the ground. The earth split open, and dozens of scaled warriors plunged into the void, their screams echoing as they disappeared. Eldrek looked up at me. “We’ll trap them below. Go with them!”

Eldrek, along with the rest of the village, had built a network of tunnels to entrap the enemy forces. He knew we didn’t have the numbers to face them head-on, so he devised a plan to contain them.

The scaled warriors, confused but obedient to the Sage’s orders, began to move through the tunnels. However, they had no idea what awaited them. Lizardfolk and drakkin, hidden in strategic positions, ambushed them from the shadows. The fighting in the tunnels was immediate and brutal.

Seeing his troops being decimated, the Sage sent more scaled warriors into the tunnels to reinforce the attack. This time, they were prepared. The lizardfolk and drakkin fought valiantly. Although they managed to hold their ground and eliminate several, they were beginning to be overwhelmed.

I saw many of them fall in battle. My chest filled with fury. “Khoryn, Zardak, stay here. I’ll head down.” I made my way to the entrance beneath the watchtower, but before descending, I turned to Gronn.

“Are the villagers safe?” I asked, clenching my fists.

“Yes, they escaped through passageways leading to a distant area. They’re out of danger,” he replied, still throwing rocks from the walls.

“Good,” I nodded, and without another word, I descended into the tunnels.

The atmosphere below was oppressive. Darkness and humidity enveloped everything. Creatures roared in the distance, and the sounds of battle grew louder as I approached. When I found the lizardfolk, many were exhausted, their drakkin injured or dead.

“Retreat now!” I ordered, raising my voice. “Take the drakkin you can and get out of here. I’ll handle the rest!”

The lizardfolk hesitated for a moment, but Khoryn, who had followed me, shouted from the rear, “Do what he says, now!” Only then did they begin to withdraw.

I waited until the last of them had retreated. Then, focusing all my magic, I unleashed my dark mist. The venomous gas filled the tunnels in seconds, moving like a living beast, engulfing the remaining scaled warriors. Their screams were snuffed out one by one. But the wind magic came quickly, as I had anticipated.

“Now, Eldrek!” I shouted.

From above, Eldrek raised new earth barriers within the tunnels. The wind rebounded, concentrating the mist even further. The scaled warriors had no escape, and the mist soon engulfed them completely, taking them out one by one.

Although the Sage couldn’t see what was happening, he could hear the sound of his forces being eliminated.

“I think we got them, Khoryn,” I said. Khoryn and the lizardfolk cheered at my feat.

But the ground began to tremble again, cutting the celebration short and filling us with confusion.

“What’s Eldrek doing now?” Khoryn asked, bewildered.

“I don’t think it’s Eldrek this time…”

Massive roots burst forth from all directions. The Forest Beast had arrived. The roots tore through the ground, crushing everything in their path. Several lizardfolk and drakkin who hadn’t escaped in time fell to its fury.

“It’s the Forest Beast!” I exclaimed as I stepped back. Without any other options, we ran toward the tunnel’s exit, pursued by roots emerging from every direction.

Those of us who managed to escape immediately sealed the tunnels with sturdy wooden gates, fastening them tightly to block the passage.

Above ground, outside the village, the creature burst forth from the earth, immediately assaulting the gates with all its might. From the walls, Gronn hurled rocks at it, the beastfolk tried to set it ablaze, and Eldrek used his magic to destabilize it. But their efforts were futile; the roots kept coming, further weakening the gates.

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“There’s no time for this!” I shouted before leaping back into the fray. Khoryn and Zardak followed me without hesitation. We charged the remaining scaled warriors, cutting our way through them. Our coordination forced them to retreat, regrouping behind the Beast, waiting for the gate to fall for their final assault.

Desperate and unable to stop such a creature, I focused all the mana I had into my sword. I knew the risk I was taking. I stepped ahead of Khoryn and Zardak and charged the Beast with everything I had, repeating what I had done last time. I plunged my sword into its body of branches and roots, channeling all my chaos magic through it as I screamed in fury.

My chaos magic overflowed, completely engulfing the creature in a dense mist. The Beast roared and fell heavily, dragging with it the massive village gate that its roots had been pulling.

The cost was high. The village was now exposed, and I could feel the chaos beginning to consume my mind.

I staggered forward, clutching my head with both hands. My thoughts were a storm. The Sage’s voice echoed as he ordered the goblins and trolls to attack. Inside the village, the battle spiraled out of control, defended only by the few survivors left.

“I… must… defend the village,” I murmured, my breathing ragged and my mind unraveling. Amid all of this, a figure approached me from the side.

Kaerith, the naga who had disappeared, stood before me. Her gaze was calm and soothing.

“Kaerith… help me…” I mumbled with the little strength I had left.

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you,” she said sweetly. But before I could react, I felt a sharp pain in my neck.

“Kaerith!” I shouted as my legs gave out. I collapsed to the ground, unable to move. In the distance, I heard Eldrek and Gronn shouting my name, but everything went dark.

The Sage approached, smiling. “Well done, naga. You’ve fulfilled your part of the deal.”

Kaerith nodded, a sly grin on her face. “Of course. Just make sure you keep your word.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you take your samples from him before I take him away.” I was conscious but paralyzed; I could hear the Sage’s words clearly, leaving me completely confused. Kaerith had betrayed us.

The village was starting to fall apart. The scaled warriors began eliminating the lizardfolk and beastfolk. I saw them restrain Eldrek and Gronn; the Sage had ordered them captured. Everything happened so fast. I feared the worst—we would all be taken.

Out of nowhere, several nagas appeared, following Kaerith’s orders. They assisted the scaled warriors in subduing the remaining survivors: Eldrek, Gronn, and only a handful of beastfolk. Meanwhile, the goblins and trolls tore the village apart.

Suddenly, an earsplitting roar erupted. From the earth behind the Sage, Zardak emerged with overwhelming ferocity. He had used the tunnels to approach undetected. With his axe raised high, he lunged at the Sage with a speed that caught me off guard.

The Sage barely turned in time, raising his staff to block the blow. The force of the impact made the ground tremble, and Zardak’s axe was sent flying. Undeterred, Zardak threw himself at the Sage, trying to bite him with his powerful jaws.

“Insignificant reptile!” the Sage roared, driving the tip of his staff into Zardak’s snout. A burst of magic flung the lizard leader backward with brutal force, leaving his face bloody and mangled. The Sage looked down at Zardak’s motionless body with disdain.

“These mortals will never learn their place,” he muttered, raising his staff once more. But before he could strike again, something unexpected happened.

A swift movement enveloped him from behind. It was Kaerith, now in her full naga form. Her serpentine body coiled around the Sage, pinning him with unexpected strength.

“You’re the one who doesn’t understand your place… useless Sage,” Kaerith said in a chilling tone. She raised her hand, and a glowing magical symbol appeared in her palm. She pressed it against the Sage’s forehead, unleashing a strange spell. Instantly, small spirits of light materialized around them, fluttering like will-o’-the-wisps. Each one attached itself to the Sage’s body, draining his power and nullifying his magic.

The Sage’s face contorted in surprise and rage. “You betrayed me, naga! How dare you defy me?” His voice, though steady, betrayed his growing desperation. He struggled to summon his magic to escape, but he couldn’t. The spirits continued to sap his strength.

“Did you really think I’d honor a deal with a monster like you?” Kaerith replied, tightening her grip. “Your arrogance will be your downfall.”

In his desperation, the Sage resorted to a final move. From his breath, he unleashed a toxic mist, similar to the one I could create. The mist spread rapidly, enveloping Kaerith’s serpentine body. She began to scream as the corrosive substance ate away at her scales and skin. Forced by the pain, she released the Sage, who fell to the ground, gasping but still alive.

Kaerith staggered back, trying to dispel the mist with her own magic, but she couldn’t. The spirits she had summoned also began to vanish, unable to withstand the toxicity.

The Sage rose unsteadily, his eyes filled with hatred and fear. “We’ll meet again in the next era, Darius,” he said, turning toward me with a look of pure resentment. Before I could act, he traced a symbol in the air, and his body began to fade. In one last flash of light, he disappeared.

The mist still surrounded Kaerith, devouring her slowly. Trembling, she let out a sharp, distinctive whistle. Immediately, the nagas who had been holding the survivors stopped and turned against the scaled warriors, killing them with precision using venom-tipped spears that pierced even their tough hides.

Kaerith was in agony but managed to cast a spell that began to lift my paralysis.

I struggled to my feet and moved toward Kaerith, my body still weak from the effects of my magic. “Kaerith, what can I do to help you?” I asked, watching as the mist continued to eat away at her body.

She looked at me with an expression of pain, but also a faint smile. “I had to earn his trust… I’m sorry if I hurt you,” she said weakly, coughing up blood. “But it’s too late for me.”

“Don’t say that! Stay with me. I’m here,” I replied, trying to channel my chaos magic to dispel the mist, but it was useless. My power couldn’t stop its effects. I cursed under my breath, feeling helpless.

Kaerith raised a trembling hand to grab mine, stopping me. “Listen… in the next era, seek out my descendant. She will help you…” Her eyes filled with tears as a look of resignation crossed her face.

Before I could stop her, she used her own claws to cut her throat, ending her suffering. “No!” I shouted, but it was too late. Her body collapsed lifelessly before me.

Everything around me seemed to freeze for a moment. The nagas, following Kaerith’s final order, finished off the remaining scaled warriors. However, the goblins and the three trolls, realizing the situation, charged at them, overwhelming the nagas with their numbers. Gronn and Eldrek were still tied up, unable to help.

I was about to rush to their aid when, without warning, several female lizardfolk appeared from the rear. Khoryn’s voice rang out immediately: “My village got my message for help!”

With a ferocity and agility similar to Khoryn’s, the female lizardfolk charged at the goblins and trolls, dispatching them with remarkable efficiency.

As soon as Eldrek and Gronn were freed, they hurried toward me, where I knelt beside Kaerith’s lifeless body. The mist had reduced her to little more than bones. Their faces reflected the exhaustion and sorrow of the battle.

The village was destroyed. Parts of the walls were nothing but a mess of wood and stone, and the ground was stained with blood. The few survivors began to gather slowly, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

I remained kneeling next to Kaerith’s body, a storm of anger, sadness, and determination swirling inside me. The Sage had escaped, but this wasn’t over. I clenched my fists, looking up at the sky, which was painted red by the dawn.

“We’ll meet again in the next era,” I murmured, repeating the Sage’s words.