Before the events of the night, Drezín might have been considered a large town. Come dawn that would no longer be the case, if a town with such a name even remained. He was sure that slaughter of these proportions would have a massive political impact. There would be spike in discrimination and hunting of magical humanoids, inquisitions would be founded or return to power long waning. Almost every nation in the world would cry out in outrage.

Especially those who had similar or worse things hidden in their own closets. But that was besides the point. Those concerns were secondary. 'Reginald' just mused as he ran towards the worst of the devastation. The flashes of sunlight were growing more frantic and common. He would have expected the Order to long begin gradual withdrawal yet they seemed bent on fighting to the last. Then again, he would have expected them to not have half as much captured sunlight as they had already used - given how expensive it was to make.

Certainly worked in 'Reginald's favor though. He finally arrived at his destination. There, in a crater that used to be a street, two monsters fought. Everyone gave them a wide berth for the two demigods were in a league of their own; anyone approaching would just perish for naught.

And what a battle it was. The Mender of Aeons fought the far superior opponent with their biggest weakness. Right beside the man stood a portal, a perpetually open gate. There was no telling where it really led, however, it was clearly day. Because Sunlight surged from it. Everything else was the man just doing all in his power to slow her down so that the sunlight would hurt or block attacks faster than they could possibly see.

Unfortunately, it was still not enough. Temna was too fast. To burn her the daylight would first need to touch her. Sure, the peripheral rays might, and she did smolder from those, however, she dodged even as the portal was rapidly moved. Never in the middle of the concentrated sunlight for more than a split second, if that. It definitely hurt but she was healing too fast.

Saying that, Temna was not on the defensive. Crimson briars of thorns had been forged from blood, flesh and bone, crawling across the field. Moved and struck as if each had a mind of their own. And there were many of them, every single one striking with strengths and durability that could not be disregarded.

Even so, they were nothing compared to the Queen's blade. Its edge was thin, even thinner than a rapier would be - despite that, it was indestructible. As was to be expected given the scarce material. Between the vampirekind's innate control over mind and blood, Temna had truly mastered the latter. And as s proof of it she crafted her blade from a single sip of genuine divine blood. One of the very few ever claimed before dispersing back when deities still waged their terrible war.

Much more could be said about her and her powers. But something else had to be done. Slowly but surely 'Reginald' puzzled out the defences covering the Mender's mind. It was a tantalizingly complex and extraordinarily powerful combination of spells. Tough but 'Reginald' focused on nothing else. Even so, truly breaking then would be impossible. At most there would be less than a second of opportunity to affect the Mender's mind before contingencies smothered any intrusion.

Yet that would be enough. The Mender was accumulating wounds, one after another. Just glancing blows, barely passing though his barrier to scratch him. But that meant he was losing blood and likely accumulating whatever poison had been infused into the attacks. The Mender fought and fought to the brink, and then retreated. Teleporting to safety so that they may recover before re-engaging.

Not that time though. It was a simple thing. All 'Reginald' had to do was force a miscalculation in where the spell was supposed to end. Then the unfortunate mage ended up in his embrace rather than safety, fangs already punching down. Into an unguarded throat with a speed no mortal mind could react to.

And how sweet the power felt. Exquisite, though embracing the sensation would have been dangerous.

"To choose a name like 'The Mender of Aeons' while a fraction of our age…" 'Reginald' proclaimed loudly, slightly tipsy. The intoxication was already wearing away though. "I will admit they at least had significant power, if specialised."

"Unless I am mistaken he considered immortals an 'aeonic scourge' in need of mending," Temna sighed. "I had been planning to slip him tainted oversights the next time they extended their lifespan since they were so opposed to longevity."

"Really explains why the Order has been so zealous tonight," Reginald whistles. "Had I known he hated your guts I would have been a lot less nervous about them running away too fast."

"Even for you, this is foolhearty," Temna started at him. "The Seer has only seen schemes against me born last night. You couldn't have had the time to prepare enough, Krevo. Have you come to surrender yourself too judgement?"

"I am sure your pet prophet is completely faultless," Krevo grinned wide. "Relying on their predictions never leads you astray and they are completely beyond manipulation... You see, I have learned my lesson in Urgolath."

"So, you have decided to no longer betray anyone who puts the slightest smidgen of trust in you?" she raised an eyebrow. "No, that is too much to hope for. You have also clearly not learned to keep out of my way."

"I despise being called a traitor, given your actions that night," Reginald shrugged. "It may have been my plan to abuse calling the great gathering but it was you who benefited the most, then put the blame on me. Why, the ghouls curse my name to this day even though it was you who ended up devouring both their progenitors."

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"Not like the two were willing to listen to reason after you twisted their minds," she glared. "I did what I had to. Otherwise you would have devoured everyone. Would have irreversibly broken entire species for your own greed. You told everyone we would discuss accords as to prevent the next devastating war among ourselves. Instead you had every intention to start it. What other course of action was there than the one I took?"

"Disgusting," Krevo frowned. "You sound apologetic for following our nature. For being yourself. If you kill me and drink me dry, do it with a smile worthy of the fear your make me feel, not with worthless regret."

"Unless you make me forget, Krevo, I will always regret what I let you become," she shook her head. "Very well then. Let us end it tonight. En Garde."

Less than ten seconds into their battle Krevo lost his leg - it was severed at below the knee with a precise strike. Temna was even faster than him by a large chunk. And stronger. And held a weapon he could not match. Frankly, if not for the circumstances he would not be able to even flee.

Good thing she was already tired. And he had prepared some surprises. And intended to abuse her hesitation. Still, the whole endeavour remained a gamble. Krevo knew he remained the underdog but it was also the best chance he might ever get. But first he would inevitably need to be…

Eviscerated. There was no kinder way to put it. He fought at his best and could perhaps be a match in skill but he was still overwhelmed. First was his left arm followed by opening his stomach. The other leg came not long later. And when he could no longer stand his last arm was pinned to the ground by her boot, forcing him to lay in a pool of his own blood.

Not ideal. It would not kill him but he had lost a lot of blood - and thus a good chunk of power - and missing limbs made fighting quite difficult. Both of those would take hours to recover unless he fed and she knew that. Even so, all that was secondary. Because his main gamble had paid off: She saw him broken and defenseless and rather than finish him off… began to talk

"Consider the offer I have given you at Urgolath, Krevo" she looked down at him, so disgustingly sad. "I cannot let you keep your power but I could let you live. You would be protected and still immortal. Isn't that better than death?"

"Ever so eager to make me your pet," Krevo laughed in her face. "To become a shadow of my former self. Condemned to forever be laughed at by your petty court only to be pitied by you whenever they are out of sight. And here I thought you never mastered cruelty. You offer me a fate worse than eternal torture. What do you think is my answer?"

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" she shook her head and stared down at him. A tear even appeared in her eye for a moment. "So be it then. If death is all you seek, I will at least make it quick."

In the next moment four things happened. Temna swung her blade, delivering the Coup de grace. Krevo vanished into the reflection of the pool of his own essence. The ritual covering the city was activated, drawing all the essence from every drop of blood, chunk of flesh or dispersed soul to him, then began taking from those still alive - regaining his limbs and lost power in a moment and then pushing him even further. And most importantly, he forced Temna's reflection to appear, attacking her soul. Exactly the power that Horra had used against hook last night. Just for a split second. Just enough to disorient.

Then less than a moment after he had vanished he reappeared. Temna's godblood blade struck the ground and sunk into the stone as if it were air. She couldn't have anticipated his disappearance. Not really. She had restrained him in not just the physical sense. All the tricks Krevo had picked up over the years she mostly had too. And she had known the trick he should have, none of them would be nearly this fast, nor able to free him.

However, Krevo had just devoured a progenitor of a species that had been lost to time and history, not to mention one also born from the same divide corpse - not to mention that the Mender of Aeons had held sway over space which certainly also helped. With his personal power of was enough to slip the restrained.

One moment of confusion was all he could ask for. All he would ever need. Her foot stood in the pool of blood from which Krevo re-emerged. Her boots - albeit from the hide of dragons - could not slow his jaws down. He bit and drank the WONDERFUL essence. For less than a split second before Temna jumped away, striking at him in the same motion. Krevo dodged by diving into the reflection again.

Until that moment Krevo had been truly afraid. Terrified of a hunter more dangerous than him. But he had managed to bite, even if barely for a moment. Krevo had stolen in that instant incomprehensible amounts of power.

Their positions were reversed. Temna's tiredness surfaced as she reeled from losing so much of her might while Krevo was far stronger then ever. The following fight was a slow but brutal affair. With the ritual still fueling him he could afford to lose a limb for every scratch, regrowing them in an instant. Meanwhile, Temna's wounded essence bled out into the night. At full strength they might be equated now, but one of them was now far from that. A few minutes later Reginald finally got an opening to bite down.

ECSTASY unlike anything he could imagine coursed through him now that he could truly experience it. The conclusion of a question older than the death of gods. A hunt schemed for millennia. He drank deep and there was so much to take in. It overwhelmed sensation and reason. When the flow finally slowed to a trickle, it left him craving for just a moment more. Still, he paused. Held her up for their parting words. It was the least he owed her.

"No one will accept you as their new King," she said weakly, then smiled. She did not try to resist or beg in futility. "Still, I wish you luck, brother. Goodbye."

"Do you think I care for your court, sister?" Krevo shook his head. "It can manage itself without you. Rather, I seek something else. Something more. It is why I had attempted my scheme at Urgolath in the first place. What has driven me for so long. You see, I had a thought one day: What would it take to rid myself of the Hungerer's curse? And I wondered… perhaps if I gathered the pieces. If the essence of each of the four were to come to one person, it might become more than just a dream."

"I was never even close while being three out of four," Temna barely whispered. She was so weak already and wilting. "It will most likely not be enough."

"No," Krevo shook his head. "I have shared that conclusion for the last few centuries but now I think different. You see, we were never just four. There had always been six of us, firstborn of hunger. We just didn't know. But tonight… tonight the six return to one. And I do so wonder if something will change."

"Goodbye sister. I will never forget the fear and love you taught me," then he bit down for the last time.