Night had fallen and three sinister figures appeared in the distance. The castle front had just over fifteen thousand warriors that were ready to protect the kingdom.
The beings who watched the castle looked very terrifying. There was a giant of fifteen feet which wore what appeared to be an armor made entirely of black skulls, the body was almost humanoid, but there was a big horn of bones coming out of its horned-rounded head. Its body was monstrously wide and had a head in the shape of a human skull with huge teeth and three eye sockets.
The one that was on the giant’s right was basically a large black flame with a misshapen face with an agonized countenance.
The one on the giant's left was levitating with his legs crossed, his coloring was dark reddish with large horns on his head, and he had only one huge eye with a huge mouth and full of sharp teeth. This being had a huge scorpion stinger on the back, its hands and feet had sharp claws and only three fingers on each limb and its size were that of a short human.
A dialogue of sinister voices was taking its place in the darkness.
“I would very much like to relish the meat of these humans!” the one-eyed being looked at the castle salivating.
“I will crush them all and then you can be content with the remains, Beherit!” says the giant.
“Behemoth! Don't lose control. Our opponents master the elemental magic of light!” said the misshapen face in flames.
“You really are the head of the team, aren't you, Amon? You are too cold for a hothead!” Beherit laughed wickedly.
“Our brothers were defeated because they underestimated the power of these weak humans! We cannot make the same mistake!” says Amon calmly.
“They were defeated because they were weak! Don't get in my way if you don't want to be crushed!” says Behemoth with hatred.
“The humans who were our allies were all killed, except the one who summoned and instructed us on Arkhatov's orders! How do we know who is the human we need to take to him?” asks Beherit, wagging his stinger.
“You are really devoid of attention. Remember the energetic signature of Marhg Naroth's aura, that person descends from him!” says Amon flickering.
“Shut up you bastards! I'm going to crush them all. I don't care about this human! Make sure you find it and don't get in my way or I'll crush you too!” says Behemoth with great fury.
“I want to see you shattered to pieces by Arkhatov if that happens, Behemoth!” says Beherit and then starts to laugh.
“Leviathan will arrive tomorrow. We need to hide from Pyro's flame in that castle. Leave some part of that place standing.” says Amon.
“What will we do with the golden dragon?” asks Beherit.
“Probably, it must think that the humans of the kingdom will be able to stop us, otherwise it would already be before us at this very moment. I think it will save its energies to confront Leviathan, but do not neglect yourselves! Its own allies have a spear that can kill Drackonius or Leviathan. Let’s try to acquire this celestial item, for we cannot trust Leviathan either. Thanks to the black skull behind us, we will be able to regenerate from any elemental attack. Only celestial attacks could destroy us. So, we will need the spear, as the dragons are the only threat!” says Amon still keeping the rest of his patience.
“YOUR VOICES ARE ANNOYING ME!” shouts Behemoth and runs on towards the castle. Each step made the ground shake.
“We cannot use that spear, Amon. This is going to be a waste of time,” says Beherit dejectedly.
“This spear must hit the dragons! We don't need to manipulate this item, just to make it hit the dragons, you fool,” says Amon, repulsed by the intellect of its allies.
Beherit flew off towards the battle. Amon slowly followed its allies as it says “Do not let the lance touch your bodies… as if you would listen.”
Near the castle, the soldiers had already seen the creatures that were about three miles away.
Behemoth approached slowly, followed by the other two fiends. Leon and Holt were ahead of all the soldiers that were all grouped together. Charlotte was at the top of the castle, hiding her presence and focusing on her aim.
Flick and Hanemann were further back, concentrating their auras on the element of light. As they watch the giant approach, Holt and Leon set off towards their opponent. Hanemann and Flick use a light enchantment that wraps all soldiers' weapons, depleting their auras of any power.
After a while Behemoth crashes into Leon and Holt, Behemoth moved forward with his arms crossed and his body leaning forward. The Dragonslayer burned Behemoth's giant arm and with a quick movement the giant punches the spear very far away in the distance with its arm disintegrated in the process. Holt is sent flying away, but he is unable to hold his spear.
Leon was being dragged backward unable to stop the giant. The soldiers that were caught in this attack were sent away and many perished because of the devastating shock wave. When Leon noticed that he was going to hit the castle wall, he stopped restraining Behemoth and jumped sideways. Behemoth destroys the castle's thick wall. The raging giant turns to the soldiers that were closer annihilating them with the powerful blows of the huge arm.
The warriors were shattered with each blow of the giant. A celestial arrow strikes the giant's body that falls to the ground and then disintegrates. Charlotte tries to hide her presence again. Behemoth had been defeated.
Beherit used the long stinger to attack the soldiers around him. Its stinger penetrates through the armor and bodies of the warriors as if through water. This attack was very fast, and Beherit had already killed more than two thousand soldiers.
Leon hurries to confront the fiend. Beherit's attacks were defended by Leon as he moved away, and Holt took over the battle carrying another spear he had found on the battlefield. Holt also defended Beherit's attacks with great dexterity.
Leon had invoked the supreme enchantment of the spear of light. Holt distracts Beherit when Leon jumps and hits Beherit's chest with his ultimate enchantment. Beherit's body is pierced and exploded to pieces.
Amon was burning the opponents' bodies with his black flames and it had quickly disintegrating more than five thousand warriors. Its attacks consisted of possessions of the opponents' bodies and this being did it very quickly and avoiding the weapons enveloped with the light aura.
Charlotte was observing this creature for some time and each warrior it burned made her shake a little. Lives were fading away fast while Charlotte tried to aim at the fire fiend. She breaths deeply, relaxing her shoulder muscles and observes the creature movements. It was a pattern that triangulated through the battlefield.
“I never prayed before, but Gaia gives me…” fought Charlotte, but her prayer was interrupted by the certainty of the fiends’ next movement. Charlotte was able to observe the next victim of the devastating triangular pattern Amon used and fired a well-aimed celestial arrow.
Amon falls apart, before reaching the next soldier, with a strong shine and is defeated.
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Marjorie starts to look in awe by the destruction made by the creatures, but now she no longer felt any fear.
A magic circle appears from the ground and Beherit begins to recompose himself. The demon notices that his allies are not regenerating.
It was alone on the battlefield and it was trying to figure out the reason. Gradually, Beherit was surrounded by soldiers full of wrath for their dead peers.
Leon and Holt were also facing that being of darkness which is hit hard by their powerful attacks combined with the ones from the angry soldiers. To escape the attacks, Beherit quickly took flight and at that moment he could feel the celestial aura of the bow.
The red creature tries to find Charlotte, but she was sneaking on top of the castle. Beherit, gushing black blood from his many wounds, approached the top of the castle cautiously. Charlotte still hid her presence as the demon was beginning to speak:
“There is no use in hiding because I can feel the power of this weapon that you carry! That is why my companions cannot be regenerated. You will pay dearly for it!” Beherit was in deep anger as it was looking around.
Leon used the rest of his aura to use the enchantment of the elemental wings of the wind and begins to confront Beherit in the air. Leon was adapting to his opponent's blows and cornering it as he hit successful piercing blows that caused a lot of damage to this evil creature, even without the elemental aura of light on his spear.
Charlotte takes advantage of the distraction of Beherit and shots an arrow right in the big eye of the creature that started to burn and fade with white light. All opponents had been defeated, but it cost the lives of more than nine thousand warriors among Southstar's brigadiers and soldiers. There was no reason to celebrate the victory.
The warriors looked sadly at the bodies of their companions on the ground. Holt manages to find the Dragonslayer and holds the spear with anger of the atrocious sight. Had it not been for the celestial bow and Charlotte's skill, the outcome of the battle might have been much more unfavorable.
Leon descends from the heights with Charlotte grabbing his arm. Flick, Holt, and Hanemann proceed to meet them. Leon lands on the floor and Charlotte breaks free from Henry's arm, horrified by the death toll.
“In less than half an hour of confrontation, we might have lost almost two-thirds of our allies. We should not have proceeded the way we did… I should have contained that flaming demon. All I could do was to watch… as everyone died.” says Flick as he falls to his knees crying and screaming.
“If it weren't for the celestial bow, we would all be dead by now!” says Holt looking at his subordinates smashed to the floor.
“If the black dragon were here, I think the result would be defeat,” says Hanemann, with his head down.
“Snap out of it! We can't let that shake us! We need to focus on tomorrow's attack. Besides, we have to find the black skull that was restoring the body of that bastards!” says Leon with determination.
“Leon is right! We will care for the wounded and say our prayers for these noble fallen warriors. Unfortunately, we don't have time for mourning.” said Charlotte with tears in her blue eyes.
Leon moves away from the battle site and destroys the skull that emanated the purple aura.
Where Dorogon and Marjorie met for the lessons, the dragon suddenly interrupts the princess's training.
“What is it, Dorogon?” asks Marjorie watching the dragon looking so sadly towards the castle direction.
“More than nine thousand souls left this world in a few moments. A clash near the castle just happened.” says Dorogon with deep sadness in his voice.
“My friends! Charlotte!” Marjorie was starting to despair.
“Don't worry about them Marjorie, they are still alive! Bruce is also alive. This attack was devastating and very fast, but the enemies were defeated. It was like a lightning storm.” says Dorogon looking back at the princess.
“What should we do?” asks the princess.
“We can only mourn the dead and prepare for tomorrow! Your training has come to an end. You have mastered every way to manipulate the celestial aura.” says Dorogon approaching its nose, and Marjorie begins to stroke the dragon.
“I'm so sorry.” the princess had tears in her eyes.
“Marjorie... We couldn't have arrived in time. I only noticed the attack when the battle was over and the spirits were chanting their requiem! I will take you back to the castle. You have been a great student!” says Dorogon, raising his head again.
The golden dragon gently holds Marjorie with its huge paw and flies towards the castle. From the top, they could see the number of soldiers killed, burned, or maimed.
This scene had horrified Marjorie. The soldiers were bundling up the bodies of their dead comrades. Dorogon lands next to Charlotte and the others. Leon and Flick stared at the golden dragon in awe. Marjorie runs towards Charlotte and the two maidens meet with an embrace.
“Charlotte! I'm glad you're okay!” says Marjorie with tears in her eyes.
“Don't worry Marjorie. Today's battle has been won.” Charlotte said with a smile although there were also tears in her eyes.
“Marjorie! Rest for now… I will meet Leviathan in space. If I don't return, you all must resist to the maximum. Holt, try to use the Dragonslayer as soon as you see leviathan coming from the skies, it is now one of our last resources. Elwin brings reinforcements and one of those people is your brother, Marjorie. Farewell, children of Gaia.” says Dorogon ascending to the heavens with his golden aura.
The news that Hilbert was coming cheered up the hearts of the warriors a little, despite the slaughter they just witnessed.
“With Hilbert at our side we will be more prepared for adversities!” said Amadeus with a slight smile.
“He's the best strategist we could have by our side!” Leon said crossing his arms.
“The young prince's deeds are recognized among all the allied kingdoms!” Holt speaks seriously.
Charlotte and Marjorie were excited by the fact that Dorogon had mentioned and that covered for a moment the profound sadness they were feeling. In the throne room, King Bruce had been informed of the outcome of the battle.
The king was shocked and went to an adjacent room to look out the window. The sight had horrified him. The dead were being all gathered side by side.
Bruce left the castle, ignoring everyone's presence, and walked with regret to the dead. Marjorie and the others watched that scene and were saddened by the king’s stare.
He passed by the dead fighters and offered to close the eyes of those who had died with their eyes open. Bruce moves on and kneels with his head down as tears flowed through his eyes. A gentleman in luxurious robes approaches the rising king.
“Dorian, Take charge of paying a pension to the family of every person who lost their lives in today's fight. Deliver the money monthly, this amount should be equal to the amount of the wages they received before they lost their lives.” King Bruce speaks these words with a face of deep sadness.
“As wish My King, it shall be done!” Dorian bows and leaves.
Marjorie was approaching Bruce. The king looked desolated. Marjorie hugs Bruce, who was barely showing a reaction.
Tears streamed from the eyes of the young king who was trying not to cry. Leon and the others approached the king. Marjorie stops hugging the king.
“We will not be able to bury them, Your Majesty! The dark beings would use their bodies for their macabre purposes!” Leon spoke those words coldly. The king was silent for a moment contemplating the emptiness, and then he began to speak sadly.
“They fought bravely to protect the kingdom and will not even be able to have a dignified funeral. The families of these people must be waiting for their loved ones to return their homes. Nor will they be able to see their bodies one last time, neither can they cry on the coffins, nor can they touch their cold faces one last time. Children, fathers, mothers, wives, and husbands now sleep thinking about the return that now will never happen. How am I going to face my subjects? How could I? I am just a weak pathetic king that sends my own people to die as I …” Bruce stopped talking. Slowly was his words, distant and lost were his gaze. Everyone was silent. Bruce starts walking towards the castle.
Holt and his subordinates carried torches and burned dead bodies covered in sheets.
The night was passing and the bodies were falling apart on the funeral pyre. Brigadiers and soldiers withdrew from the battlefield to rest.
Everyone passing by Charlotte bowed a little, as they knew she had been the key to winning that battle and were all grateful for that.
The smoke rising to the skies was the symbol of the bravery of those who had died that night. Everything calmed down and everyone were in their rooms resting.