"Archangel Lance!" Irene cast a spell towards the Cridian Capital, surprised at how much satisfaction it gave her. If not for Josla, who allowed the slavers to do as they pleased, her friends would still be alive.
"The shield is going to collapse any moment now..." As she looked at the capital, Hestia squinted and covered her eyes from the afternoon sun.
"Finally..." Aoi sighed, bored to the core.
They had bombarded the city for hours with a relentless barrage of spells and magi-cannon fire. The Queens had decided they didn't want to stay in this place longer than was absolutely necessary. They would break the shield and return to Avalon with the Praetorians. Since the Cridian Siege Golems were not deployed for unknown reasons, the further presence of the Queens was not required. This was the newest change of their plans, but Blair and Ban were delighted to hear their idea. In the opinion of these two, the Queens of Avalon shouldn't even bother themselves with something so dirty as the Cridian capital. Amber and Irene couldn't agree more, remembering the castle town's constant stench, filth, and claustrophobic mazes. The very idea that they would enter that city filled them with disgust, and their stomachs rebelled at the mere thought of suffering the foul odours of that city. Hestia, aware of the poor sanitation standards of most of the towns of Nilmerthis, wasn't eager to enter it either. Aoi, who had never been in any big city except Avalon, was at first amused by their reaction, but then the wind changed for a moment. Aoi's and Luna's faces twisted in disgust as their sensitive noses caught the odour of the Cridian capital and its hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. Thankfully, Zephyr, who was around, forced the wind to blow in the other direction and then froze it in place, saving his beloved granddaughter and Luna from suffering.
"Something seems to be going on near the city gates," Drake said in surprise. "Our scouts have spotted the gates being opened, and a small party of Cridian soldiers is heading our way, but it seems they are envoys or heralds..."
The gazes of the Queens turned towards the enemies approaching their lines, which were swiftly intercepted by a similarly sized Legion detachment. When Cridians were not killed on the spot, it became apparent that Drake was right and they were some sort of messengers. Seeing the enemies being led in front of the Queens, the Praetorians created a buffer line, preventing them from taking a single step closer. The fifteen soldiers were nervous, but they looked like grizzled veterans. The one in charge of them stepped forward with a surprisingly arrogant facial expression, staring right at the Praetorian who barred his path to the Queens and Commanders sitting around a nearby table.
"My name is..." he started with the typical arrogance of a noble.
"Irrelevant." The Praetorian’s cold voice cut his speech short as he braced his menacing battle gear with an audible thump. "The servant should relay his message to another servant. Do you really think you are worthy to stand in the presence of the Queens of Avalon?"
•••
Baron Boris Ypsnar had not expected such a level of discipline among the Cridian enemy's ranks. However, what shocked him even more was the army's expensive armours and weapons. The line of black-clad knights presented their weapons in a parade manner; however, the unison and discipline in which they did that terrified the Cridian noble. He staggered back in fear, but seeing that he was simply warned and shortly after ignored simply shocked him. He expected to be recognized or even maybe feared, but instead, he was welcomed as a lowly servant, unworthy even to see the commanders of this vast army. For the first time in his life, he felt like an insignificant speck of dust, and that frightened him, but that pause made him take a better look around. A long time ago, he had forsaken any attempt to appraise these strange soldiers, but behind them, he seemed to recognize the face of a man he used to know and despise. Gathering all of his courage, the Cridian noble raised his voice. "Ban! Fornal Ban! What is the meaning of this nonsense?!"
For a long, frightening moment, the only response to his call was a whistling of the wind between the sharp shapes of the black-clad knights’ armours in front of him. But then, the two menacing soldiers took a half-step, just enough to make room for a man who terrified Brois. Without a doubt, it was Fornal Ban, but he had changed. He looked far more powerful and stronger now. He also looked down at Boris with such contempt and hatred that the Cridian noble weighed his following words very carefully. Angrily, Boris reminded himself that Ban was just a commoner, so Boris shouldn’t be intimidated. However, Ban looked far more distinguished than Boris remembered him, and that peasant couldn’t have possibly been able to afford the equipment he was wearing. Before the Cridian noble could say anything, Ban snapped his fingers, and he and his escort were surrounded by more of the same black-clad knights as the one that had stopped him earlier. This time, however, their weapons were aimed at the Cridians.
"Why are you here?" Ban asked calmly as if he were his equal, but Boris took a deep breath and answered calmly in turn.
"My Queen, in the name of the Gods Hestia and Zeus, graciously gives you the chance to surr..."
"Pass. Is that it, or do you have some other nonsense to relay, errand boy?" Ban waved his hand dismissively with a disgusted and amused facial expression.
"You dare to defy Gods and their chosen Queen?!" Boris raised his voice in righteous indignation, shocked by his unthinkable disrespect.
"Ban?" The soft, charming, and melodic female voice bewildered Boris, yet she called for that peasant and not for him.
Boris tried to step forward to see who might be its owner but snapped back to reality, feeling the sharp and cold steel of the black knight's halberds on his neck. He froze with his hand in the air as if he tried to reach out behind the line of soldiers to see the owner of that heavenly voice. Before Boris realised what he was doing and regained his composure, Ban looked at him again harshly.
"Tell your master, errand boy, that she doesn't have to surrender. My Queens will conquer the last city of Cridia very soon."
Boris wasn't even allowed to reply, but even if he could, he was left speechless. He clenched his fists in rage, but the black-clad knights moved, and he was quickly half-escorted, half-pushed away. As he turned back, his eyes went wide, and for the briefest of moments, he spotted the most gorgeous woman. She wasn't even looking towards him, but her perfect beauty was burned into his memory. Boris and his soldiers reached the city limits, and the noble, in terror, realised that he failed all the missions he had received. Right after the shield closed behind him, the besieging army resumed their attack, and the Cridian noble noticed the first cracks on the city shield, which he had believed to be indestructible. They had acted with honour, holding their attacks during the time he tried to… What exactly? Scare them? An army that had conquered the entire Kingdom of Cridia? They don't even fear the Gods… A cold, creeping fear overwhelmed Boris, and he dropped to his knees and trembled as he realised that they had just told him this was the last city of Cridia. He raised his head, and he saw the face of Queen Josla. Compared to the beauty he saw earlier, she was just ugly.
"They don't even fear Gods, my Lady..." he said weakly, trying to shake his treacherous thoughts.
"It was worth it to try. If you are here, then I guess you failed to assassinate their leaders. Who are they?"
"I wasn't even allowed to see them. I was not considered worthy..." Boris rose from his knees, but he dropped back after receiving a crushing blow from behind.
When he turned around, he saw one of the soldiers who accompanied him raising his sword. The last thing he heard were the angry words of his Queen. "They were right, Boris. You are worthless..."
•••
"ADVANCE!" Queen Josla yelled and raised her staff.
The city shield was about to fail, but she wouldn't give her enemies the satisfaction. She knew where the enemy's commanders and, more importantly, those self-proclaimed Queens were. The soldiers who had followed that useless baron provided her with some good information. Knowing that maybe twenty-five or thirty thousand soldiers protected those Queens, Josla devised a plan. She was going to enslave them personally, and Josla would find a suitable punishment for those arrogant bitches later. She would take sixty thousand soldiers and attack them directly. These Avalonians had taken everything from her, but as long as she was alive, she could still rebuild her Kingdom. The first steps to her victory started here. The gates opened, and the first ranks of the lightest infantry poured from the city, followed by the archers and mages who started attacking her enemies as soon as they got into range. Their first spells and arrows bounced harmlessly off the enemy shields. More and more of her soldiers poured and rushed towards the enemies, but they just stood there, too shocked or surprised by the Cridian's counterattack.
The most loyal soldiers she had surrounded as she joined the fray. Her remaining four husbands were right with her. Dependable Sash, strong Yurik, wise Hakkon, and handsome Ratlan were always at her beck and call. Bishop Justinian was with her as well, angered by the disrespect the army's despicable commanders displayed towards the Gods. She preserved her mana for the moment when she inevitably faced those insurgent leaders.
•••
"Well... That's probably Josla's idea..." Blair looked at the Cridian soldiers rushing their positions.
"I like this idea!" Ban shrugged. "Thanks to it, we will finish this even faster."
Their deep ranks of guardsmen were ready to unleash their powerful Starfire Arrows, charged almost to the maximum. Legio Aegis was receiving the brunt of the Cridian's attack as planned. Right behind them stood the merciless ranks of Praetorians, led by Morrigan and the other scions. Standing behind the Praetorians, the guardsmen received their orders, and thousands of shining arrows pierced the sky, unleashing destruction on an unprecedented scale.
Thus, the last battle of Queen Josla had just begun...
•••
Elisabeth despaired as they approached the city of Avalon. She hoped to finally be free once she snuck away, given the first opportunity. But she was never given that chance. Worse, she was kept within the captain's quarters, where the most unexpected guardian closely watched her. Jukk'nala's avatar had accompanied her to ensure she would fulfil her mission. The small gold bird looked busy doing something with his godly power, surely just to sow discord in the heart of the king of Avalon and those close to him. But something was off...
•••
"My Queen!" Aurora interrupted Amber's preparations. "King Theon contacted me. Berna's airship is approaching the Castle of Avalon as we speak. It’s carrying their envoy who wishes to meet with him and the Queen of Avalon."
"That's stupid." Amber angrily activated her battle gear's runes as she prepared to descend on the battlefield with her sisters. "Tell him: You have Lavender, Theon. Stop pretending you don't like her and make her your wife. Stop fooling around, we are busy here."
"I will, my Lady." The serpentine scion bowed and closed her eyes to establish a perfect connection. She opened them soon after. "It is done."
The Five Queens of Avalon giggled as they accepted Lavender as their sixth sister. But they turned serious as they mounted their majestic warhorses and directed their wrath towards the Cridians. Amber shook her head in disbelief. How many times would the same trick work over and over again? Theon was right when he said that information is life. She observed the battlefield through the eyes of her Storm Eagles, and with a simple thought, she directed entire battalions where she needed them. Amber's will was absolute. She sat in the saddle of her warhorse, surrounded by the mighty Praetorians. As she watched the pointless efforts of the Cridians and the doomed city below, she finally spotted its damned queen, who almost ran towards them. As Josla entered the stage prepared by the Praetorians and her way out was closed, Amber laughed in delight.
•••
Jukk'nala used his power against the ruler of Avalon, but something was wrong. That annoying brat, instead of getting weaker, just became much stronger...
•••
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Josla gritted her teeth as she moved forward. The ranks of her soldiers dwindled, but her enemies were falling as well. She and her husbands moved unbothered, as if the enemy soldiers were afraid to face them. Yurik was the vanguard of their group, and he slowly led them uphill, occasionally dropping his warhammer on a foe standing in their way. Without effort, they reached the top of a small hill, where they were met by the wall of shields that created enough space just for them. Josla cursed as she realised it was a trap, but before she could order to fall back, she heard crystal-clear laughter ring out. The five women riding massive beasts had been waiting for them. Josla gasped in disbelief, seeing their unearthly beauty and shockingly perfect bodies and faces. She and everyone who followed her suddenly were forced to kneel. Josla was sure these five were the Queens of Avalon. She looked at her husbands, who were gazing at the women with dropped jaws while the Queens of Avalon slowly approached them. Animalistic fear overtook Josla as she tried to stand up but could not. She heard Justinian's shocked scream as he pointed at one of the enemy Queens.
"Goddess Hestia?!" the high priest squealed.
"Yes... I am Hestia va'Theon, the Fourth Queen of Avalon. You dared, Mortals, to use my name..." Josla's heart almost stopped. If she really was the Goddess, it was time to beg for forgiveness. The fact, they were forced to their knees, indicated that she really was the Divine…
"No! This is wrong! In the name of Zeus, we will save you, Goddess, from the clutches of that wicked man who defiled you!" Justinian shouted, and, as if to signify his words, a deafening thunderbolt struck nearby.
"Hey! Fuck off, dude! Don't wipe your foul face with my name!" Josla's eyes went wide as she recognized the King of the Gods. She started crying, knowing the extent of her defeat and downfall.
Somehow, Yurik and Hakkon managed to stand up with their swords, ready to strike. Yurik’s warhammer was lying on the ground useless and broken, and the king-general was wielding his backup sword. Ratlan and Sash followed them soon after. Justinian cast a spell that buffed them all, and she felt lighter. After a moment, they were all standing, and Josla began to think they could still win. Behind her, she heard the loud battle cries of Berna's paladins and her soldiers nearby. With a laughter Goddess Hestia waved her hand and the crushing force that made them kneel before disappeared.
"Solar Ray." Josla looked at the red-headed woman in the central position between the other Queens of Avalon and felt the tremendous cost of the spell she had just cast.
The loud, deafening crack of millions of glass pieces chilled the blood in Josla's veins as she turned around and saw an enormously large pillar of light piercing right through the shield of the city, touching the ground where Cridian capital's closest gatehouse was. The wave of unbearable heat forced her to close her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, the mighty gatehouse was no more. She half expected the city to catch fire, but no, it was spared the scorching flames that had consumed the city gates.
"Run, Josla..." Yurik said with a great deal of effort. "You must live!"
"Do you really think we will allow her to leave?" the redhead asked in amusement. "I am Amber va'Theon, the First Queen of Avalon. I came here to end this war and pass the judgement on all of you."
"You..." Yurik looked at Queen Amber and quickly turned away his gaze, blushing.
"I ORDER YOU TO LET US GO..." Justinian tried to use his authority skills.
"Such petty tricks won't work on us," the incredibly beautiful Elf laughed as Justinian turned red. "But for someone with inferior skill and low level, you tried, at least."
"How dare you..." Justinian raised his staff and focused. "Smite!"
A tiny spark of yellow light flew towards Irene and splashed over her runic shield. The Elf started laughing as if she had heard an excellent joke. Then, after seeing the hatred on the face of Bishop Justinian, who, according to the Cridians, was a healer of the highest level and the greatest skill in the last two hundred years, the Queen of Avalon gently sighed and rose into the air, basking in the golden, divine light. Her armour and clothes changed into the magnificent, shining gold set of the legendary Saintess Armour.
"I am Irene va'Theon, the Saintess of Eriar, the Second Queen of Avalon," she proclaimed with the sweetest voice Justinian had ever heard. The golden flames that flared over her perfect body reached the top of her head and consumed the magnificent gold crown set with precious gemstones. The black hair of the Elf woman transformed into shining gold as the Angel Halo appeared, hanging in the air just above her head as Justinian cried in disbelief and anger, ‘Saintess?!’.
The Kings of Cridia raised their swords and rushed towards the women who had destroyed their lifestyles. Justinian and the three nobles who followed Josla also charged, shouting battle cries. Josla started screaming to stop them, but it was too late. The silver-haired woman raised her slender hand, and twelve droplets of silver formed around her. As she pointed her finger at Yurik, who led the charge, the droplets turned into rays that pierced the warriors in front of her without fail. Josla's field of vision blurred as the tears formed in her eyes. She grunted in anger and focused all her mana but was distracted by the music that started playing from nowhere. Josla's eyes darted around in shock when an unknown instrument played a captivating melody. The Queen of Cridia shook her head slightly and focused on her enemy as the passionate female voice started singing.
"She's the Queen of the Night
For our god and king, she'll fight..."
Queen Amber jumped from her war beast, and Josla felt the unimaginable gap between them. Despite that, she activated her most potent defensive spells. The Half-Elf walked undeterred towards her as if Josla’s power was nothing.
"...And relentlessly she walks
To the edge of the world..."
Powerful circles of magic flashed around the Queen of Avalon as she slowly advanced, several times more potent than Josla could use. Josla knew she had already been defeated, but she pointed her staff at her opponent after her long, half-silent preparations and cast Fireball.
"...Through the fire and flames
Through her enemies' remains..."
Queen Amber blocked Josla's Fireball with a bare hand as if she had caught a ball tossed by a child, extinguishing it like the flame of a candle by simply clenching her fist. With a simple wave of her hand, the hundreds of magic circles she had previously created had awakened to life, creating a rain of fire that fell towards the Cridian Army. Josla grit her teeth, feeling disregarded but when the heat wave reached her, she paled.
"...They will see her glory now
Shadows will call her name..."
Josla barely had time to realise that the voices of her approaching soldiers had turned into screams of agony before falling silent. From Queen Amber's shadow, twelve Shadow Fenrirs jumped, making Josla recoil in fear and despair. The song continued, making the nearby soldiers of Avalon look at their Queen with renewed reverence, infuriating Josla even more. An angry thought crossed her mind as she recognized some of the faces. They never looked at her like that when they were serving her.
“…In her darkest time
A light will come, break the pain
And once more she'll cut
The final piece of the truth
That is holding her back
Endlessly and eternally…”
Josla tried again, mustering her strength and calling the magic gathered in the ancient storage items passed as heirlooms in her family. She raised her staff once more, sending three Fire Lances simultaneously. But the red-head woman in front of her simply opened her palm, forming a barrier even stronger than the one that protected Josla’s capital. The music that seemed to tell the story of the woman in front of Josla carried on, making it hard for her to focus on the battle. But she knew that she, the Queen of one of the biggest kingdoms of Aderon, was being toyed with.
“...She's the Queen of the Night
For our god and king, she'll fight
And relentlessly she walks
To the edge of the world…”
Josla screamed in defiance, hoping to drown out the damned music, but she knew that if she wanted to survive, she would have to somehow defeat the Queens of Avalon. She managed to dodge a droplet of liquid fire tossed by the Half-Elf that obliterated the ground she had just been standing on. As she rolled away in desperation, she grabbed Justinian’s enchanted staff and drained all the mana stored in that fabled weapon. The dead priest’s eyes looked at her accusingly, but she couldn’t have cared less about his opinion, given her situation.
“...Through the fire and flames
Through her enemies' remains
They will see her glory
Tell her story
Of the terror and disaster
Of the legendary master…”
Josla raised from the ground, realising that she was pushed to desperate defence. Her enemy walked forward slowly, unfazed by Josla’s spells, so the Queen of Cridia took out a summoning crystal, her last hope. “I summon thee, Salamander!”
“...She was born from the ashes of dry tears
Never knew what a life she could lead
Came of age in a time of sorrow
Born to light, light our way, home…”
Josla, who hid behind the Lesser Dragon, looked at the faces of Ban and someone who looked like a younger version of Blair and saw they were unfazed by her summon. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Being a level 90 summon, she barely could control the Salamander, but she was willing to make a desperate bet. The large lizard, obedient to her silent orders, focused on the Half-Elf, bringing a smile of satisfaction to Josla’s lips upon seeing the surprise painted on her unfairly beautiful face. As the Half-Elf's formidable shield shined around her, the fire breath of Salamander engulfed Josla’s enemy. A sudden move in the corner of her eye made Josla look at another Queen, who, judging by her equipment, was a warrior class. The blonde-haired woman raised her hand, and Josla sensed she was about to summon her familiar. No matter- nothing can match a Salamander, even those cursed Shadow Fenrirs would be killed trying to fight her protector.
“...She's the Queen of the Night
For our god and king, she'll fight
And relentlessly she walks
To the edge of her fate…”
“Come forth, Fafnir!” Her clear voice was like a peal of laughter, making Josla freeze in disbelief for a moment long enough to see the reason why the blonde-haired Queen was not afraid of her Salamander.
A gigantic summoning portal opened above her, and the bloodcurdling roar that erupted from it almost made Josla drop to her knees. As the music continued, a huge Dragon emerged from the portal. The Salamander, whose fire breath was instantly diverted at the Dragon, squealed in fear and stepped back. Josla felt as if her summon tried to rebel, and she had to put her entire will and focus on him. However, the Dragon grabbed the fire lizard in his talons and effortlessly pinned it to the ground before slaying it. Josla, in panic, noticed that the red-head Queen was unscathed by Salamander's attack, safely hidden behind a powerful barrier. In a last desperate attempt, Josla focused every bit of mana that was left in her body and conjured a large Fireball, which she hurled towards her enemy.
“...Through the fire and flames
Through her enemies' remains
They will see her glory
Tell her story now.”
But it was to no avail. Her Fireball was pierced by a Water Lance that nullified her spell in a spectacular explosion, which cruelly tossed Josla to the ground. The Queen of Cridia groaned in pain as she slowly rose up, panting heavily as she declined to admit her own defeat. Queen Amber, seeing her defiance, finally summoned her own staff. Josla felt her hair stand on end as unimaginable amounts of mana responded to the call of her enemy. As a wizard, Josla understood that the previous gap she felt between them was nothing compared to this.
“See her glory?” Josla mumbled as the music ended, and her heart slipped into the darkness of madness and despair. The broken and defeated Queen of Cridia no longer heard the words or music anymore- she was safe inside her mind, where no one could hurt her. She felt strangely nothing as the Scepter of Kings, the powerful magic staff passed down through the Cridian Royal Family for generations, snapped in her hands. Through her tears, Josla looked at the smouldering splinters of her family heirloom and felt the Crown of Cridia taken from her head. Right in front of her stood the incredibly beautiful, powerful young Queen Amber, holding Josla's crown in two fingers and looking at it with disgust.
"Josla Cridia! I, Amber va'Theon, the first Queen of Avalon, the rightful ruling Queen of the Kingdom of Avalon and all these lands, hereby sentence you to a lifetime of enslavement."
She felt the cold steel of the slave collar close around her neck. She couldn’t tell when the two black-clad knights had apprehended her, but that mattered very little now. With panic in her eyes, she looked at the young Half-Elf and begged, "Kill me... Have mercy..."
"No, Josla Cridia. You will live. You will sweep the streets of your ruined capital for the rest of your sorry life, unable to run, unable to kill yourself. You will watch the ruins crumble and return to nature. You will have years to reflect on your cruelty and evil."
Josla burst into tears and cried loudly, knowing that only death would be the deliverance from the fate that cruel woman had prepared for her.