I’ll get in some practice with the piano after Zara’s gone. Having woken up early, Ed enjoyed the feeling of Zara snuggling up asleep in his arms. The week’s almost halfway through. I’ve got to make this count for her. Who knows how long until we see each other again.

The sun slowly rose outside the window, casting its rays on them, and waking Zara up. Having felt like they had overstayed their welcome, the two had found a hotel to stay at overnight in Wrath City.

The room was fairly spartan, only consisting of a simple bed, a table with chairs, and a small wardrobe. The walls were devoid of any decoration, not even having any paint or wallpaper on them.

Freshening up in the accompanying bathroom, the two walked out into the open courtyard that was identical to the one in Ira’s workshop.

I still can’t believe he lives in such a mundane place. I was expecting a massive fortress.

They had a simple breakfast at the hotel consisting of oatmeal and some fruits before taking a car to the nearest teleportation hub to Sloth.

I wonder what Sloth’s like?

Getting out of the car, they noticed a small stream of people coming in and out, but it was significantly fewer than what they had experienced before.

A man dressed in pyjamas and carrying a clipboard was letting people in group by group.

“How long are you staying in Sloth?” He asked, holding back a yawn.

“Just a day.” Ed said. This didn’t happen any of the other times. Did something happen?

Marking down their names and the time, the man let them through.

The teleporter powered up shortly after they stepped into it. The blue light quickly overpowered everything until it was the only thing they could see.

“Get in position!” A harsh voice bellowed, making itself heard above the roaring din of the battlefield.

A salvo of arrows rained down onto the hillside from the castle walls, as a group of soldiers rallied behind the castle gate. The troops marched forward into battle as the gate was lowered.

Thousands of bodies littered the hillside as Ed stepped through the gate under his commander’s lead.

The guards were struggling to maintain a line of defence against the invaders. Holes formed in the line as the guards were cut down one by one. But for each one of them that was taken down, a handful of the invaders died, either under the slashes of the other guards, or the arrows being shot from the castle walls.

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Ed’s group splintered off to patch up the holes in the defence. He slid into place just in time to block a sword with his shield before it could slice through another guard’s arm. He poked his sword over his tower shield, pushing the attacker back and giving him some breathing room.

Strike after strike battered against his shield to the point that his arm felt numb, but he held strong. The defensive line stopped the attackers in their tracks, forcing them to suffer under the rain of arrows.

Exhaustion began to make itself known as Ed felt every hit that his shield took. I need to hold on... Just a little longer.

His arms felt heavy, as each swing and stab of his sword sapped him of his strength. His fellow guards fell one by one, and soon their place in the line was filled by someone else.

But the enemies felt endless.

Ed couldn’t go on. His arms hung limply at his sides, and it took all the strength he could muster to barely hold his shield up. Any blow could be the end of him.

His breathing grew heavy and his vision swam as he could barely stay on his feet. I’m sorry Miriam I won’t be able to make it home...

He staggered back, falling to the ground as he was crushed under the weight of his own shield. He tried to push it off, but it was now too heavy for him to even move. A sword grew in his vision, moments away from piercing his skull.

The wind roared from atop the castle walls, its deafening cry stunning the battlefield into silence. A gaunt figure stood atop the castle walls, holding a curled wooden staff up high as the air began to warp above him.

A sweltering heat battered down at the exhausted soldiers as a bright orange ball of fire formed at the tip of the staff. It grew larger, expanding out until the wizard was struggling to maintain its size. He swung his staff down with all his might, as he gasped for air.

The fireball soared through the sky before crashing into the invading army.

Some of the soldiers could barely react in time, and dodged out of the way. But for the others, it was far too late. The fireball exploded, engulfing dozens of guards in fire. Their bodies turned to ash under the immolating heat of the flames.

The fireball signalled a change in the battle, as a continuous wave of guards streamed out from the castle gate, having come from the towns further into the kingdom to reinforce the battle here.

An arrow shot out, skewering the distracted invader above Ed. The lifeless body slumped down on top of him, making it impossible for Ed to move. He watched on in exhaustion as more reinforcements arrived. Satisfied, he stopped fighting the exhaustion and closed his eyes.

The invaders were pushed back and forced to flee under the pressure put forth by the wizard. Many charred corpses littered the ground, a testament to the destructive power of his magic.

When the last invader dropped his sword and fled, the remaining guards dragged their exhausted and battered bodies back into the castle.

Those who still had some strength were tasked to search the remains of the battlefield for anyone who was still alive, whether they be friend or foe. The dead bodies of the invaders were brought together into a large pile, where the wizard would burn them before they were buried to prevent the spread of diseases.

Buried under the invader, Ed’s body was left unnoticed for a long time, until someone happened to see his hand peaking out from beneath the corpse.

Pushing with all his might, the guard managed to shift the corpse off Ed before pressing his hand to Ed’s neck.

“Come help! Someone’s still alive over here!”