Meanwhile, on another battlefield, the Red Reavers found themselves ensnared in a relentless barrage of shadow beasts. The reavers’ battle cries echoed through the chaos, their determination undeterred even as fatigue gnawed at their limbs. Zia's vibrant hair now clung damply to her forehead, her eyes weary with exhaustion. Despite this, she swung her twin blades with practiced precision, slicing through the nightmarish forms that lunged towards her with gnashing fangs and razor-sharp claws.
Beside her, Sedris fought with an unrelenting fervor, his wraithbone glaive a deadly extension of his will. Yet, even the mightiest strikes from his weapon seemed to merely ripple through the never-ending tide of shadow beasts. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and each breath became a struggle, his chest heaving with the weight of his exhaustion.
“Comrade Sedris, we can’t keep this up any longer, or we’ll start losing warriors!” One of the Red Reavers called out to Sedris, speaking in between bated breaths.
“Akon, you know well that retreat was never possible, just look at them.” Sedris spoke while stabbing at a shadow beast with his glaive.
Zia and the vast majority of the Red Reavers were fully consumed by Morak’s Frenzy. Their minds lost to the powerful allure of unbridled bloodlust. It was the purest state for a reaver to be in: allowing them to forget all but the heightened adrenaline from spilling blood. Even Sedris could barely resist the temptation now.
“Then what do you suggest we do? Die here?” Akon spat, thrusting his spear into a downed shadow beast.
Sedris did not respond immediately, far too distracted with dealing with the horde of shadow creatures that blotted out his glaive, “Just…hold…on” he muttered out.
The Red Reavers kept slashing, stabbing, tearing away at their foes who seemed as uncountable like the grains of pale sand below them. Even those consumed by Morak’s Frenzy had already begun showing signs of exhaustion.
“Comrade Sedris, behind you!” Akon yelled.
“What?” Sedris asked with beleaguered breath.
That was when Sedris felt the full weight of a shadow beast slamming into him. The creature was large: easily at least 13 feet tall and with the weight of a stack of boulders. Sedris did not know how he did not see such a lumbering behemoth coming. How he was unable to dodge the creature’s crippling blow. It should have been child’s play to him: finest among the Red Reavers except maybe Zia. And yet, Sedris soon found himself half buried in pale sand, his legs unable to move. So this is how it ends. He thought to himself. He did not feel fear, only disappointment, going down without much of a fight was not the Red Reaver way.
Sedris was ready to accept his fate. To die. To return to the sands. Yet, to his surprise, the fatal blow he had anticipated never came. Despite his blurred vision, he could discern that the once menacing shadow beasts had all but vanished, their presence reduced to mere fragments. In the periphery of his sight, a striking silhouette emerged, accompanied by the unmistakable shade of a Red Reaver’s crimson cloak. The figure advanced steadily towards him, each step exuding an aura of great power. Sedris strained his eyes, struggling to perceive the identity of the stranger.
However, what he could discern through his hazy vision was the mesmerizing spectacle of black wisps, remnants of the shadow beasts, converging and being inexorably absorbed into the stranger's cloak. It was as though the stranger’s cloak possessed an insatiable hunger, devouring the all of the shadow beasts whole.
"You have done well, Sedris," a familiar voice echoed. Sedris glanced around, his eyes widening with disbelief, "princess?" he asked aloud.
A smug smile curled upon Rhea's lips as she stepped forward, revealing herself to Sedris."Yes, Sedris, it is I," she declared.
Sedris, utterly bewildered, struggled to find words. "How...how did you do that?" he stammered.
“The deathbringer assisted me in…convincing the Night Terror to be more cooperative,” Rhea replied.
“So you have defeated the winged one as well?” Sedris asked, turning himself over as he prepared to stand.
“No, not quite, but it is no longer here.” Rhea said.
Sedris had no desire to push the princess on the issue, instead, he looked around to see the state of the Red Reavers: Several have collapsed, many others are only standing by a thread. Even Zia could only not bring herself to stand on her two feet, she could only lay flat and let out exasperated pants of exhaustion.
“Fortunately, none of us died, the Red Reavers remain whole to fight another day.” Sedris commented.
Rhea’s gaze turned to the dozens of Red Reavers who were splayed out on the pale sands like fish in a market. Though they looked awfully pathetic now, they did just survive an assault like no other. I need to bring them to Ishgria. Rhea convinced herself. Even after all the time she spent in the underworld, the princess never lost sight of her original goal: to claim the Ishgrian Throne.
Rhea walked so that she was only inches away from Zia’s prone form. She could not help but let out a snicker as she saw Zia’s helpless state, “Well, well, aren’t you looking awfully vulnerable?”
Zia did not register the princess’s words at all. Her mind was still lost, “Kill…Maim…” she muttered out subconsciously
“Good talk,” Rhea commented sarcastically, “now let’s get you up.”
As the princess hoisted Zia onto her shoulders, she could not help but smile, “You’re awfully heavy you know, maybe you should let go of your axes?”
“No…” Zia blurted out weakly.
Sedris chuckled softly as he looked at his sister's limp form, still tightly clutching her axes. "Zia would sooner die than let go of her weapons, princess," he explained in an amused tone.
Rhea couldn't help but snort in kind. "That is evident," she said wryly. "Now, how about you help me take care of your other kindred as well?"
"Can do, princess," Sedris replied, stepping forward to take Zia from Rhea's arms.
"I'll leave your sister in your care, Sedris. I’ll be going for a moment though, there is someone I need to speak to.”
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Sedris nodded in understanding. "I see. Will you return to the camp after?"
"I will, oh, and tell the others to wait at the camp as well."
“As you command, princess.” Sedris said back with a respectful bow.
***
When Rhea returned to see Vhael, just outside of the Red Reaver’s camp, she saw that the harbinger was sitting down on the pale sands: cradling Remuria with his rune scarred arms. It was an unwieldy sight, to see someone who appeared so monstrous act with compassion, and yet, Rhea knew that the harbinger’s tender care for Remuria was genuine, something that resonated with her easily.
“How is Remuria doing now, harbinger?”
"She is on the path to recovery, though her time spent as a shadow beast has left her drained," Vhael replied calmly.
Rhea let out a relieved sigh, "I am glad to hear that."
“I am sure you have some questions, Princess of Ishgria, ask, and I shall answer.” Vhael offered, turning his dragon-skull visage to meet Rhea’s eyes.
“Seeing as there is no reason to beat around the bush, I shall begin: How did you find me, harbinger? One of the Red Reavers mentioned to me that clairvoyance and similar magics do not function here.”
“It is indeed true that clairvoyance and other such magics used to track souls are rendered almost completely useless within the underworld, however, there are exceptions.” Vhael explained, stroking his bony chin with one of his pale arms, “I have placed a spell on my daughter long ago, when she was a child, it was a spell that allowed one to know the location of those to which they are bound together by blood. Remuria once chastised me for placing the spell on her, she said I was being too ‘overprotective’, but I knew better.”
Understanding his point, Rhea nodded once more before pressing onward. "I see. Then my next question pertains to the dragons you mentioned. How can I find this creature?"
“As I mentioned before, he will be by a gate on the crimson moon, trust me, you will not be able to miss him.”
“You say this as if you will not be there, harbinger”.
“Because I will not, or rather, I cannot.”
“Why not?”
“I am of the underworld, bound to it since the first days of my exile, the crimson moon is not part of the underworld: unlike what one may assume.”
“So you can only take us to the moon, but not aid us?”
“That is correct, though, you have my daughter with you: I am sure you will do fine.”
“But wasn’t Remuria able to go to the material realm on her own, why do we need a gate?”
“My daughter was a special case, her heritage allowed her to access power many others would find impossible. I can easily transport just you and my daughter to the material realm, but you wish for the Red Reavers to join you, no?”
“Yes, I need their aid.”
“In that case, you will need the gate.”
Rhea paused, her eyes fixed on Vhael, as she prepared to pose another question. "If so, harbinger," she began, her voice tinged with curiosity, "why do you choose to help me now? Did you not previously say that mortals should shape their own destinies?"
Vhael acknowledged the princess’s query with a nod, "an astute observation, princess.” he complimented, “regardless, those words I said to you before still hold true. You are no longer a mortal, after all, princess.”
Rhea's brows furrowed, "is this because of Remuria? Is that why you intervened to save me?"
The harbinger paused for a moment. He considered how honest he needed to be to the princess. Yet, when he looked upon Remuria’s prone form, Vhael found his answer, "indeed, my daughter’s is the sole catalyst for my involvement. Please do not take offense, princess, but were it not for her, my interest in your well-being would be considerably diminished."
A pang of melancholy swept over Rhea's expression. "I have never experienced the love of a caring father. It must be a comforting feeling."
Vhael’s tone softened, becoming more gentle, his voice no longer booming like thunder, “all mortals are born with different circumstances, princess: in many ways, you were fortunate to have been able to live in the lap of luxury. Compared to the vast majority of Ishgrian peasants, none could imagine living a life as you do.” Vhael said, “However, you lacked the parental affection that so many children take for granted, it has scarred you, even now I sense the wounds of your upbringing have not healed.”
“I would hate you, harbinger, were it not for the fact that everything you said is true.” Rhea replied in resignation, “Sometimes I am not sure why I seek the throne, why I bother with it all.”
Vhael’s hollow eye sockets scanned the princess’s expression, “that is a question only you can answer, princess. Only because it is also a question that you need to answer.” A faint gesture of hospitality accompanied Vhael's next words. "Why don't you sit beside me, princess? Standing must be exhausting," he offered.
"Very well," Rhea acquiesced, weariness tugging at her limbs. "If you insist, harbinger." She lowered herself onto the pale sands, finding solace in the proximity of Vhael's presence. It was an odd feeling, to feel so secure next to someone called the deathbringer. Rhea could barely resist the smile that tugged at her lips. I wonder if this is what having a real parent feels like? She thought to herself.
“Tell me, harbinger, how were you able to raise Remuria here? The underworld is an unkind place to say the least.” Rhea asked.
“It was not easy raising a child in the underworld. Though my former status as a god helped to keep most away.” Vhael said, “Remuria was the last thing Ixhana entrusted to me, and I intended to keep her safe at all costs.”
Rhea's curiosity grew, and she leaned in closer. "So, harbinger, where did you keep her? How did you manage to create a semblance of normalcy here?"
Vhael's voice carried a touch of pride. "Within this realm, I possess a small estate, a sanctuary that only those I trust—and myself—can access. It offered a glimmer of hope, a space where I could raise my daughter with a semblance of normality."
“Then what of the time when Remuria escaped to the material realm?”
“What of it?”
“I…I was just surprised you allowed her to do that.”
Vhael's response was nonchalant. "Ah, yes, that incident. I was absent, and Remuria had been experimenting with her burgeoning magical abilities. One thing led to another, and the consequences unfolded. I trust you are aware of the ensuing events."
Surprise filled Rhea's eyes as she contemplated the harbinger's response. "Are you not disappointed that Remuria sought me out in the material realm?"
“No, on the contrary, you were definitely one of the better things that could have happened to her. Can you imagine if she was teleported to an empty chasm or a bandit’s hideout instead?”
“You make a fair point, harbinger.”
“I know you care for my daughter deeply, princess, and I respect that. Even if allowing her to be with you is putting her life at stake.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.”
“It is nothing really, I’m sure Remuria would scold me if I tried to stop her from following you.” Vhael said.
“That does sound like her.” Rhea replied with a chuckle, “I’m very grateful that she is in my life.”
“At any rate, princess, you should make haste and prepare for the next step of your journey: you do not have much time.”
“Why is that?” Rhea asked, her head tilted slightly.
“Because Ishgria is already no more.”