Nothing indicated that this day would mark my end.
It’s true that I woke up crying from a horrible nightmare, but that was common for me during those times.
I rose from my chambers and glanced around my spacious room.
Everything was calm, and I could hear the singing of the Thalríes, a clear sign that spring was approaching
and that my garden would once again host those beautiful flowers.
I donned my armor and picked up my precious sword, resting against the desk.
That’s when I noticed the letter lying on the table.
That’s when I read of his betrayal.
----------------------------------------
It was raining. Kaelen stepped out onto his terrace and sat on a small stool beneath a canopy shielding him from the rain. He silently observed the scenery.
The mist blanketed much of the valley. It was barely possible to discern the outline of the Wild Mountains in the distance, a landscape offering a visual spectacle unmatched anywhere else in Mariandel. Kaelen knew it well and had long since grown accustomed to these views. Yet, something was different this time. Something felt off.
The wind. A cold and fierce wind from the north swept through the valley, shattering the usual silence of the region. For it to be summer and this cold was unprecedented. Kaelen had a foreboding sense that something bad was about to happen, but he had no choice. He had to fulfill his duties.
Kaelen descended the stairs from his terrace, reaching the first floor of his mansion, and ventured onto a path leading into a dense forest. The journey was tedious, as the path was muddy. I should have worn my boots, he thought. However, it was too late to turn back for them, so he had no choice but to continue down the winding trail.
Soon, his mind began to wander. It was easy to get lost in thought, given the harmonious songs of the Thalríes and the mist that emanated a tranquility he could never find in his mansion. If only it could always be like this, Kaelen mused, debating whether all his obligations and responsibilities were truly worth it. Perhaps happiness wasn’t so complicated; maybe all it took was fresh air and peace.
Before he knew it, he arrived at the intersection with a much larger and better-maintained road. He quickly snapped back to the present.
Kaelen carefully examined the new path. There were no fresh footprints, nor any sign that a person or monster had traveled through recently. This was a good sign, as sometimes well-meaning travelers passed through, and tracking and interrogating them was a real headache. With the presence of monsters or humanoids ruled out, all that remained was to ensure the area’s integrity.
After twenty minutes of walking, the cold wind intensified, as if a storm were brewing. The ominous feeling returned stronger than before, and Kaelen instinctively activated his staff. With senses far keener than the average person’s, he clearly perceived a familiar presence.
That dark figure in the distance had a name Kaelen remembered well: Morgath. It was a tall and slender figure cloaked in darkness, their hood obscuring their face. Yet their identity was unmistakable. In fact, Morgath wasn’t trying to hide but was announcing his arrival with a certain arrogance. Cautiously, Kaelen approached the figure, gripping his staff tightly.
Kaelen had fought many battles during his long life, and Morgath was an opponent he knew well. He was undeniably powerful, but his talent was matched only by his arrogance—a flaw Kaelen had exploited in their previous encounters. This is no different from any other fight you’ve had with him, Kaelen tried to reassure himself, seeking confidence. You know his weaknesses, and you know how he fights. You can’t lose, Kaelen.
As he drew closer, he could discern more details about Morgath: the emblem on his cape, uniquely his, depicting a visibly rotting rose; his crimson red eyes, standing out against his dark face; and his gleaming armor, undoubtedly designed to withstand any attack. Naturally, Kaelen also noted Morgath’s staff. Its handle was shaped like a skull, possibly belonging to one of Kaelen’s old friends from his youth. The rest of the staff mirrored the rotting rose adorning his cape.
Kaelen despised that staff with every fiber of his being. Seeing the skull brought back painful memories of a time when he was weaker yet believed himself the strongest in the world. That skull perfectly symbolized the arrogance and ignorance of his younger years, which had caused the deaths of many companions.
Morgath waited patiently, showing no signs of unease or nervousness. Once Kaelen was close enough, Morgath addressed him:
“I’ve been eager to see you, dear friend.”
“You can call me anything but ‘friend,’” Kaelen replied. Without a doubt, Morgath was the individual he despised most.
“Always so harsh with me. Do you hold a grudge? That happened so long ago. Isn’t it time to heal those wounds and move on?” Morgath asked, fully aware of how much such questions irritated Kaelen.
“The damage you’ve caused can’t be undone with time. All those people you’ve killed won’t return. The audacity to show up here again and mock me only proves how vile you are.”
“Insult me all you like,” Morgath retorted. “You know exactly what I am, and I’m sure you know why I’m here.”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Honestly, I can’t understand you. This world, this land, is far too vast to be ruled by mediocre humans, hulgores, and lyrathies. Don’t you see it?”
“All I see right now is a mediocre sorcerer using dirty tricks to try and defeat me.”
“And yet you hate me for thinking differently,” Morgath continued, ignoring Kaelen’s remark. “You believe the current way of governing is the only right one, and you reject me for proposing an alternative where equality is guaranteed for everyone.”
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“Your alternative is death, destruction, and suffering for all!” Kaelen shouted, visibly affected by Morgath’s words.
“How does it feel knowing that one day I’ll defeat you, destroy your precious kingdom, and leave you powerless to stop me? How will it feel to have failed your people and kept such an important truth from them?”
“Silence!”
“What will happen when the great Kaelen is branded a traitor and becomes the ultimate villain of history? And when your children are ashamed to carry your blood?”
Kaelen could no longer bear to hear such nonsense, no matter how much truth it held. Without hesitation, he launched his first attack, more to silence Morgath than to harm him. Activating his staff, he shouted:
“Come to me, Eclipse!”
Instantly, the staff transformed into a longsword, appearing extremely lightweight and razor-sharp, with an unusually slender and elongated blade. Its hilt bore glowing red runes.
Kaelen charged at full speed toward Morgath, who struck the ground with his staff. From it rose a multitude of bones, quickly forming a squadron of skeletons equipped with shields and swords.
These ones have shields now, Kaelen noted as he lunged at one of them. The skeleton attempted to strike him in the torso, but Kaelen deflected the attack with his sword and countered by piercing its skull. The assembly of bones crumbled, turning to dust as it hit the ground. They're not much better than the others, he concluded.
Almost without realizing it, he found himself surrounded by the remaining skeletons, who wasted no time attacking. Kaelen leaped high into the air, dodging two attacks, one from the front and the other from behind. Upon landing, he used the momentum to strike both attackers, shattering their bones and rendering them lifeless. As he touched the ground, he ducked to evade a lateral attack, countering with an upward slash that split the skeleton in half.
Four down, Kaelen thought. There must be about ten left. Meanwhile, three skeletons moved to attack him. Kaelen charged at them, kicking the first one and sending it crashing into the other two, destabilizing all three. He jumped toward them, and as he descended, one attack was enough to finish them off. Overconfident, he failed to notice a skeleton waiting behind him, which managed to strike his left shoulder. Kaelen cried out in pain, elbowed the skeleton to stun it, and impaled it with his sword.
Only six left. This is easy, he thought. However, the remaining six positioned themselves between him and Morgath, forming a defensive line and hiding behind their shields. What’s going on? Why aren’t they attacking? he wondered.
He prepared to assault the formation, which made no move to retaliate. His sword embedded itself in one skeleton's shield. After some effort, he managed to free the blade and, with his next attack, knocked the skeleton down and destroyed it. That was when he realized why they carried shields—he could now clearly see Morgath, as there were no skeletons left between them.
Morgath was performing a ritual with his staff. The skull atop it glowed with white light, and materials began to take shape on the ground.
“Damn it, I have to stop him!” Kaelen exclaimed in desperation. But the remaining skeletons placed themselves between him and Morgath once more.
Gritting his teeth, Kaelen decided to unleash part of his energy.
“Eclipse, release your power!”
The red runes on his sword grew larger and brighter. Kaelen prepared to attack, but this time chose to do so from a distance. He traced a slash with his sword, and following the motion, a wave of fire erupted, striking the skeletons several feet away. Their shields proved no match for the fire, and the five remaining skeletons were reduced to ashes.
Kaelen wasted no time. In a flash, he ran as fast as he could toward Morgath. However, his attempt came too late. From the ground, an imposing figure rose as Morgath laughed maniacally.
“What do you think of my new toy, Kaelen? Isn’t it incredible? Let’s see if you can survive.”
Standing before Kaelen was a giant skeleton, twice as tall and wide as him. It was equipped with a staff covered in runes and a shield, appearing far more formidable than any skeleton Kaelen had ever faced. The monster's deep blue eyes locked onto him, and Kaelen cursed inwardly. Unlike the other skeletons, this one's gaze wasn’t empty but seemed conscious.
This time, the skeleton attacked first. The runes on its staff turned dark blue, and several rays of the same color shot rapidly toward Kaelen. He had to jump and dash sideways to avoid them. Even so, he couldn’t evade the final ray and had no choice but to neutralize it with an attack similar to the one that had destroyed the five skeletons earlier. Kaelen noticed that the enemy's attacks were extremely cold.
“A foe using magic opposite to mine. I suppose that’s no coincidence, is it?”
“Oh, I’m afraid it is,” Morgath replied. “Don’t think I created it just for you. Nothing personal.”
Kaelen ignored his adversary’s words and resumed the battle. Taking the initiative, he prepared to attack. The skeleton adopted a defensive stance, ready to block any potential strikes. Kaelen unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, each producing waves of fire, but all were stopped by the shield, which seemed impervious to burning. The skeleton also appeared to resist his magic effortlessly.
Kaelen grumbled and moved in closer, looking for openings in its defense. The skeleton raised its staff, swiftly parrying the attacks from its opponent, who couldn’t break through its defenses. Kaelen shifted strategies and began circling the skeleton, who struggled to keep up and left gaps in its defense, which Kaelen exploited. However, after taking some damage, the skeleton drove its staff into the ground. A quake erupted around it, and the shockwave sent Kaelen flying several feet, crashing into a small pile of rocks and leaving him dazed. His sword landed a few feet away.
The skeleton saw its chance for victory, as Kaelen seemed unable to stand.
“What’s the matter, Kaelen?” Morgath taunted. “Don’t tell me you’re finished already. The great Kaelen, falling to such a weak beast?”
Kaelen collected himself but still couldn’t rise. This skeleton is far from weak, he thought. That last attack would’ve finished any soldier in my army.
The skeleton advanced toward him slowly, each step echoing in Kaelen’s ears. It raised its staff, ready to strike. Kaelen opened his eyes wide and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Release your limit, Eclipse!”
His sword disappeared from the ground, and above the skeleton and Morgath, dozens of identical flaming swords materialized. Morgath smiled and traced a circle with his staff, forming a bluish shield around him. The skeleton tried to attack Kaelen.
Its effort was in vain. A rain of swords descended upon both opponents, instantly toppling the skeleton, which began to disintegrate into dust. Morgath endured beneath the shield, which slowly cracked and weakened. Yet he never lost his smile, even as waves of attacks converged on him.
“I know I won’t withstand your attack, Kaelen, but this is an absolute victory for me,” Morgath declared, visibly satisfied. “We’ll meet again very soon, whether you like it or not.”
His shield gave way, and the swords struck directly, reducing him to dust in an instant.
Kaelen sighed in relief, leaning against the rocks behind him. He had no choice but to sit and recover from the enormous energy expenditure.
His relief was short-lived, for Morgath had been right—he had revealed his secret, his most powerful attack. If the sorcerer continued to grow stronger and found a way to counter that move, Kaelen would be at a disadvantage and likely lose the next battle. However, he had won today. Tomorrow, he would surely find a way to defeat him again. For now, he needed to rest.
The valley wind stopped being so cold, and its usual warmth returned. Little by little, tranquility came back, and at some point, Kaelen succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep.