" I am Tragsxt, bonded of Jirath, the gatherer of the Arcanums, savior of humanity during the 3rd Bleakness."

- The Hellfire Chronicles, Holy book of Tragsxt

10 years ago. 15th of Teriz, 1002 on the War Calendar.

Elevated One Azia rode horseback on the bridge of Lerau City, one of the few strongholds that stood neutral during the Blood War.

She hated it.

They thought they were saints for staying out of the problem everybody else had been dealing with for a thousand years! They were cowards. Yes, exactly. They were cowards, and Azia liked killing cowards. Today was going to be a fun day.

To the dismay of his wife, King Pelarin decreed the end of Lerau City to prevent more prisoners and refugees from escaping into it.

The queen was weak. Not built for war and not deserving of the great king.

Azia's steed clomped on the wooden bridge as he led her to the mission. It was a good horse, it was a shame it would burn with the city.

Azia and her companion, General Tortz, got off their horses as they reached the gate. The two of them had gone ahead to deal with the city's defenses; the army would be put to better use pillaging.

Tortz was a handsome man with dark skin, long dreadlocks, a stern face, and broad physic. If only he wasn't a blood-spilled idiot!

"Azia, you didn't have to recommend this for us to spend time together." He said, trying to sound seductive.

May the blade damn him! He thinks I advised him to go in front of the army to be with him? and after she already told him to slash off! Spears! He was obsessed with her.

Whatever, She ignored him.

"Vision!" Azia called, summoning her Pledgeborn.

A flash of gold sparked in front of her before transforming into a clump of moving vines hanging in the air.

"Sword!" She commanded.

Vision changed from a sphere of moving vines into a long blade, decorated with plant-like grooves in the metal, attached to a wooden handle and cross guard.

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"Shall we be killing, mistress?" A posh voice asked in her head.

"Yes, Vision," Azia whispered.

"Ah, a fine Devilblade, if only you were a Cloudsummoner." Tortz lamented. Yjriath was the country of Clouds. Not being a Cloudsummoner Devildealer was looked down upon.

She ignored him again and started walking to the gate, where soldiers and archers stood ready to fend them off. A scout must have seen them. Slashes.

Tortz grabbed her by the shoulder, "Remember, every bit of power counts." he reminded her.

Azia grimaced; adding such shortlived vows to her contract was more trouble than it was worth, but he was right.

"Vision," She said, talking to the sword. Her started to glow like the golden mist escaping her skin. The mists danced around her before coalescing in her mouth, "I pledge to destroy Lerau City; it shall not survive the night."

"The contract has been amended."

Azia breathed in the golden mist and felt power fill her veins.

She looked over at Toretz. He had summoned his Pledgeborn as a blade and was making the amendment. Good.

Azia walked over the to soldiers, knocking away the occasional arrow with her Devilblade.

They were so stunned and untrained that they simply froze. Azia smiled as one by one she cut down the poor excuses for soldiers.

She looked around; all of them were dead, except one on the floor, praying, tears in his eyes and snot dripping from his nose. She met his eyes.

"May Tragxt condemn you heathens!-" The boy said before Azia shoved her sword down his throat.

She glanced up at the archers. Tortz had flown up and taken care of them. Blood-spilled Cloudsummoners.

Tortz glided down to meet her at the gate, "I'll never understand why the Tragxists are so opposed to Devildealing, Isn't their god supposed to have been the one to give to humanity?" He glanced at the boy who still had a sword in his throat, "Condemned you with his dying breath?" Tortz asked. She nodded.

"Let's go into the city, we have about half an hour until the army arrives." Half an hour.

"Half an hour where no one will know what happens." Vision whispered in her mind. She agreed.

Tortz walked passed her. Azia searched for an opening in his bronze armor, which she found under the back of his chest plate.

She grabbed Vision from the boy's throat and jammed it in the opening.

Tortz fell to the floor and gargled as blood pooled in his mouth. She looked into his eyes. The damn fool didn't even understand why he was being killed.

Azia smiled, "Go on, condemn me with your dying breath!" She laughed.

The army would assume the soldiers had a Devildealer among them and managed to surprise Tortz. Yes, that's what Azia would tell them.

She reclaimed her sword and pointed it at the gate.

"Open it." She commanded.

Roots sprouted off the ground and ripped the gate open. Azia walked through and inspected the grand city; seven hundred white apartment buildings with orange roofs circling the king's palace.

Someone was watching her.

Azia twisted her head, finding a small boy, not older than twelve staring at her with curious eyes. This was the part she didn't like remembering.

"Child, what's your name?" Azia asked.

The child's eyes grew just a bit bigger as if he wasn't expecting to be asked,

"M..My name is E..Etheail."

"Etheail? Could you turn around for me?"

The boy looked confused but did as asked. Then, Azia rammed her blade through his heart. For a moment, she thought she saw a flash of red, but it was just her eyes playing tricks on her.

The boy's body fell to the floor, dead. Azia grimaced but continued on. The boy was lucky to die before what was coming. She gave him a mercy.

Then, Azia burned the city to the ground.