Days had passed since my encounter with Neela and the rains had returned.

I dragged my hooves across Medelona with an aching body and mind.

I unthinkingly walked into a loud and busy town that wad filled with all manner of rowdy people. Their figures dark, even in the early grey morning light.

Men could be seen either chatting or fighting each other while taking cover from the rain.

Countless carts loaded with supplies and other things lined the town's only street.

It seemed as though the people of this town were preparing to move but the rain had stopped them.

I came to a standstill as my nose picked up the district smells of baking bread and smoked meat.

I turned my sleepy glare to my right and saw a tavern.

Sitting in front of it were several armed men dressed in heavy leather armor.

I wondered if this town was a gathering place for bandits.

If so…

[Don’t kill anyone who doesn’t attack us first.]

Katsíki said making me click my tongue.

If we couldn’t get food, the least we could get shelter.

I stumbled toward the tavern and received many glares.

Strangely enough, no one approached me as I opened the tavern door.

Everyone chose to keep their distance and so I entered the candle lit tavern to find many people occupying the many wooden tables.

Standing by the counter was a group of people, one man and three women, who prepared food and drinks for their patrons.

I turned my eyes to the table in the corner and it’s there that I walked while everyone glared at me.

The mere fact that I was able to walk among them without inciting a violent response many that there were no light magicians nearby.

I fell onto the chair by the corner and loudly signed.

The smell of the foods was killing me but I was fine as long as I wasn’t in the rain.

Nothing was worse than being hungry and cold and wet.

“Is that ‘im? The Goat Demon?”

Someone asked as my head hung.

“Hey, come on. Leave him be. Summus knows we have our own problems to deal with. That fucker Gera is probably going to send another bunch to check out what happened to the previous one. But, fortunately for us, we’ll be gone by then.”

Another man said.

“Tsk. Oi- Ramel, the air has been fouled. Have one of your Vhyn sing a song to brighten things, yeah?”

I glanced up and saw that man by the counter fearfully looking at the women behind him. All of them wore fairly clean but old clothes. Their skin, however, was in disarray. They were all covered in scars that varied in size and it like they were haphazardly healed.

The man said something to one of the women and she weakly nodded before walking to the front counter where a barrel sat.

She fearfully looked at all the men who sat before her and glanced at me for a moment.

[I-]

“Not our problem.” I snapped internally.

“Wh-wh-“ The woman stuttered.

“Hehe, louder!”

“Yeah! We can’t hear you!”

Some men said.

“Where are you

Where are you

my gentlest sun

For the battle is over

and your armies have won

But your kingdom's yet lawless

and our babes loudly weep

So I call and I beg that you return to me” The woman sang with a beautiful yet shaking voice.

She received a wave of loud cheers from the men before returning to her father behind the counter.

“Amazing, but you know, now that I think about, a certain line in that song could be reference we of the lawless sort and the ruin we brought unto the kingdom after the Moonless War. The song is both a cry for help and a call to a lover long lost. It could even be pleading to Caligo himself-“

“For fuck’s sake, must you do that every time?”

One man from before asked, interrupting the second.

“Music is art and art is meant to be observed, keenly by-“

The second man stopped as the door suddenly opened revealing a tall man covered in battered and old silver armour. It wasn’t a complete set and so he made up for the missing pieces with leather armour.

His white hair was short and dirty. His silver eyes glowed brightly.

He held in his right hand a blood covered silver sword and well… he didn’t have a left hand.

It had been crudely bandaged over.

The man walked over to the counter and ordered a beer.

Just as he did, another, equally battered man entered the tavern only he was familiar to me.

It was the middle aged man with a ridiculously large moustache. His bright red hair had streaks of white in it and his eyes were rather dark. Also, his spear looked like it was broken and so he simply held its end and had probably used it as a dagger.

He joined the other man in getting drinks and they sat on the chairs across mine.

Everyone looked at them as they drank.

“Umm… what are ya’ll here? What happened in Gordias?”

Someone asked.

“It’s… it’s gone. The loyalists… the Helma… they attacked and levelled almost the entire city reducing it to ash and dust.”

The man with silver eyes growled.

“What happened to the people?” Someone cried.

“I… can’t say for sure. They all disappeared before everything went to shit.”

Silence then befell the tavern.

“So where do we go now?”

“We were supposed to go to Gordias!”

“What about Dahlia?”

“Do you want to die?”

The place was eventually filled with people yelling at or over each other.

I glanced at Mr. Moustache and he did the same.

His eyes then widened.

“WAIT!” He yelled, silencing the tavern.

He then stumbled onto his feet and walked up to me.

“I heard that you’re the asshole mud crawler who picked a fight with the kingdom.” He said but I ignored him all while gathering darkness beneath the tavern.

[Do not kill that other man or his daughters.]

Katsíki cautioned and I nodded.

“So it was you. Well, thanks to you, the kingdom’s gone to shit. The High Lords are taxing the fuck out of people all in the name of restoration and they are pushing at us harder than ever before.”

“What does that have to do with me? Even if we had suffered complete defeat, their next target would still have been you.” I growled while glaring at the man who stood above me.

“No, no, no. If you had just rolled over and died, the kingdom wouldn’t have lost so many men, thus wouldn’t have needed to take such drastic actions- Ugh! Why am I even arguing with a mud crawler? Stand up and follow me. I’ll see to it that you pay for all losses we suffered in Gordias?” He demanded while pointing his dagger at my neck. Everyone else in the tavern joined him in pointing their weapons at me.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

I sighed before looking forward at the man and his daughters.

I then briefly nodded to myself before raising the darkness from below as spikes that impaled almost everyone in the tavern.

Then, in a fit of madness, I allowed the darkness beneath to spread all across the town and with a twisted smile, I forced it up, killing everyone I had seen on my way into town.

The carnage came to a halt and all that remained of the men were twisted strands of flesh and blood hanging loosely from dark spikes.

I stood up and made my way to the counter all while blood dripped from the roof as though it was rain.

I walked up to the counter and looked at the man and his daughters.

“Gordias is currently under the occupation of loyalist knights. Go there, you’ll be safe.” I said but the four just stood frozen.

I sighed.

“Umm… before I leave, can I have some food?” I asked making the women all cower in fear.

The man slowly nodded before turning around.

I then fell onto a nearby chair.

The man eventually served me a tray with fresh bread and a rather large cut of meat.

“Thanks!” I said before digging into my meal.

The man simply nodded before cautiously taking a peek outside.

“D-did you kill them all?” He asked.

“Yep. Although there are a few people that I wasn’t sure were bandits. You’ll have to deal with them on your own.” I said while chewing on some perfectly roasted meat. It was mildly charred on the outside which worked perfectly with its light salt seasoning. The bread was very as well made. It had a perfect crust and soft, warm insides.

If it wasn’t for the fact that I had business elsewhere, I would have joined forces with the man and his daughters to make a restaurant that would feed all- but, that was not to be and so I silently ate.

After finishing my meal, I stood up and made my way to the exit.

I glanced at the man and saw that he was standing protectively in front of his daughters.

I chuckled softly before exiting the tavern and returning outside where the rain still fell harshly.

I looked around and saw the mess of spikes that rose high into the air.

They had torn through flesh, wood and stone.

I made my way north, towards the town’s exit and, for the sake of the man and his daughters, I destroyed the spikes.

My focus then returned to the horizon.

Standing atop it, blaring it’s disgusting light unto all, was a certain golden pillar. A pillar that extended far beyond the clouds.

My destination hadn’t changed.

.

..

Several more days had passed as I walked and the rains had yet to cease.

I found shelter in the dark realm and I’d have to stay here until the storm passed but that wasn’t my only problem.

Beneath the grassy planes central Medelona was… something.

I couldn’t tell what it was but it was big and buried deep underground. It spanned an area of about eight football fields and… it was breathing, albeit faintly.

Also, guarding it were several powerful light magicians.

I doubted they’d simply let me walk past them and so I sat.

“Any idea what that might be?” I asked.

[No idea. I also can’t think very clearly since we’re starving… again.]

Katsíki said weakly.

“Mmm.” I sounded in acknowledgement.

I sighed before closing my eyes and making my way to the throne room where Katsíki, who was in his goat form, rested on the floor far from a certain dark being.

“Have you thought of a name for it?” I asked while picking Katsíki up.

“No. Also, are we even allowed to name him?” He asked as I paced around the throne room.

“No idea.”

A moment passed in the silence of the throne room.

My heart then sank as the dark being turned its head towards the throne but it looked like it was looking at something much further and so I dropped Katsíki and slipped back into consciousness.

My eyes then widened as the massive pillar that sat on the northern horizon had disappeared.

I jumped to my hooves and frantically looked around only for the massive pillar to reappear in front of me.

Standing at its center was a man clad in brilliant golden armor but just as my rage bubbled, the man raised his hand as though he wanted to talk to me but I didn’t care.

I let out a guttural scream while changing into my dark form.

I then called down a certain sword but my shaking eyes shot up and I frowned heavily upon seeing several, considerably smaller pillars of light floating high in the afternoon sky.

They all sent out various attacks to the still distant sword but I giggled as the attacks did little to nothing to the gargantuan blade.

“Katsíki, wait!” C-Caligo yelled but that sword would fall and I would gladly watched as everything he built crumbled.

Katsíki joined me in laughing as Caligo leapt high into the air.

We then watched as he sent out a world ending beam toward the sword but wanna know what’s funny?

I had never stopped reinforcing that sword.

I took a deep breath before covering my heart, throat and brain in a layer of crystallized darkness.

I choked in pain but this was nothing.

I then surfaced before spewing forth a torrent of darkness.

Caligo disappeared before the tube of darkness struck him and I watched as it tore across Medelona.

I then forced my mouth shut before glaring upwards to where Caligo and the Helma floated.

They all sent out massive beams of light at the sword but we wouldn’t have this and so we opened our mouth allowing wisps of smoke to slowly rise.

“CALIGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” We screamed before using a pillar of darkness to catapult ourselves into the air.

I rushed towards Caligo but a Helma suddenly appeared in front of me with their lance raised but I wasn’t in the mood and so I called down a dark sword and, tailed by a blue bolt of lightning, it sunk into their shoulder before tearing their right arm off.

I then kicked the Helma in the face, using it to launch myself towards that golden motherfucker.

“Katsíki, wait!” He yelled while continuously shooting a massive beam of light at my sword but I swung my claws towards his neck all the same.

My eyes widened even further as I suddenly found myself on the ground in front of a small old man dressed in a silky blue robe.

“Listen, I know that rage consumes thine heart, but I beseech thee, stop that sword before it makes landfall or all we know may parish.”

I glanced up and saw that our sword was indeed falling, but I didn’t care.

I let out a painful scream while trying to claw at the old man but something firmly bound me to the ground and so I let out a vicious laugh before creating two dark hands around the old man but before they could snap his neck, two silver knights suddenly appeared and shattered them with their swords.

I clicked my tongue before calling down three blue lightning swords but before they could plunge into the skulls of my enemies, the old man raised his hands, creating a barrier that barely managed to stop them.

This action meant that his hold on me was temporarily gone and so I sunk into the dark realm before using everything it had to launch myself at Caligo.

I then grabbed Yna’s sword before swinging it down onto his head, but the fucker was teleported away before I could surface and so I turned my attention to everyone who couldn’t help but butt in.

I called down countless blue lightning swords.

I then threw my hands down, making black hell fall onto Medelona.

I frowned intensely as a certain old man created a massive barrier that stopped my swords from killing everyone.

He then used the same barrier to try and stop my sword from falling but it was rapidly approaching the lower atmosphere and if Katsíki’s calculations were right…

“Mmm…”

[The sword will destroy Lanceberg. Of that I am sure.]

Katsíki thought as we rapidly fell to the ground.

I then landed next to the old man only for a Helma to suddenly appear in the dark realm.

I really wasn’t in the mood for these guys and so, while channeling an ungodly amount of darkness, I raised my hand only for the Helma to tear off his helmet and drop his lance.

“Wait!” He cried.

“That sword will destroy everything! Please, stop it for the sake of everyone on the continent!” He yelled but no!

Katsíki!

[I…]

I looked up and saw watched as the gargantuan sword fell.

When it touched the ground, it would most likely… split… the continent… in two.

I turned to the south and let out a horrified shriek.

I then surfaced before raising my hands in an attempt to slow the sword down but it was already in the lower atmosphere.

Using every ounce of strength in my body, I tried slowing the sword but it wasn’t enough.

I gasped as the space in the sky twisted to suck a degree that no light managed to reach the surface casting Medelona in a deep darkness.

A massive explosion then tore the skies apart and I watched as the massive sword splintered in the middle.

“NO!”

[NO!]

“Close that crack!” I yelled and the old man curtly nodded all while the sword got closer and closer to the ground.

“It’s not enough!” The old man yelled.

“Get outa here, but keep the crack closed at all costs!” I yelled while trying to stop an object that had the kinetic energy of several asteroids.

The old man nodded before teleporting us to a hill far from the spot where the sword would fall and we watched as the tip of the blade cut into the ground.

The old man raised his hands and I joined him in further trying to stop the sword from cutting the world open but we both watched in horror as the sword sunk deep and deeper into the ground.

This resulted in an explosion that threatened to blow me and the old man to shreds but several silver knights appeared in front of us and they shield us from the worst of it.

“Keep slowing it down! I need to protect my people!” The old man yelled.

“Fine!” I yelled back through gnashed teeth.

I then gathered an incalculable amount of darkness in the sky from the void of space and used it to create an arm which quickly grabbed the sword all while the old man created a barrier around the our general area that teleported any force generated to a separate place.

This also created a vacuum which robbed me of my breath but I could not let the sword sink any deeper and so I opened my mouth, allowing the excess darkness my core was generating to spew out.

One of the silver knights did me a favor by teleporting my excess darkness to a separate place and so I bit my teeth and forcefully stopped the sword.

I let out a darkness infused breath before promptly falling to my knees.

The old man let out several deep breaths while placing his hands on his waist.

My vision then darkened but I couldn’t allow myself to lose consciousness.

Not until I punched Caligo in the face.

I tried desperately to keep myself up all while six beings of light landed around me.

One of them being Caligo.

“I say we execute him here and now!” Someone yelled but my vision was far too blurry to see and my body was far too weak to move and so there I was, on my knees, surrounded by my enemies.

“Killing him would only perpetuate this endless cycle.”

“But he is a threat to your son’s life, your majesty.”

“I suggest we imprison him.”

“Did you not see what he is capable of?”

“Silence!”

A raspy voice suddenly yelled.

I bit my teeth while trying to force myself into action but before any of my muscles could move, an ear shattering roar filled the air and it was so powerful that tears began falling from my eyes from the pain that it caused me.

I fell over all while the world trembled even further.

“Your highness, the sword managed to break the barrier that imprisoned the Dragon Prince, however, his binds remain.”

Someone said as my vision finally left me.

“First off, who created such a powerful barrier?”

“The previous Grandmaster, your highness.”

“Ah, I should have guessed. Anyway, I will replace the barrier. As for this one… take him to the Sunless Gulch and bind him. I would rather we talked everything out, so do not hurt him.”

.

..

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself hanging from golden chains.

Covering my naked body were strange ethereal binds that heavily distorted any light that passed through them.

I raised my head to find that I was in a large room made from dark stones.

Guarding me were two golden knights and they stood next to a large iron door.

Katsíki?

[Mmm?]

Where are we? I asked while squeezing my fists.

[No idea. We were teleported here a few hours ago. We were then healed and… that’s as far as I remember. Whispers I caught called this place the Sunless Gulch.]

Tsk!

[Yeah.]

A moment passed.

Are you alright? I asked.

[Yeah. You?]

They healed us for the most part. I’m ready if you are.

[Alright. Let’s formulate a plan first-]

The iron door swung open and an orb of light suddenly lit the room blinding me temporarily.

My vision returned and my face twisted upon seeing Caligo standing behind a certain old man and a Helma who’s right arm was missing.

“Ahem! Greetings, Katsíki… or Kenos. My name is Luno-“

“Kill me.” I sighed.

“Pardon?” Luno asked with a rather weary expression.

“Kill me now or your… son will die.” I whispered as fresh saliva filled my mouth. My shaking eyes were glued onto Caligo and on him they would remain until he died.

Luno sighed.

“Listen, I paid a visit to thine home and saw the wounds my son inflicted. But, although I sympathize, as a parent and a king, I cannot allow thee to do as thou pleases and I so ask- no, I beg, return home. Let us put everything behind us and even if we cannot see eye to eye, we will be content enough knowing we can still see.” Luno said.

“Haha!” I chuckled before finally looking Luno in the eye.

“Fuck off.”