Salin was wondering when he was going to be given permission to leave. Following Damien down from the room, accompanied by two executors, drew enough attention that he didn't see any chance of completing his mission as he was sure Damien would inform them of the empire's presence in the city and they'd be put on alert.

When he was then granted permission to leave, Salin almost ran. He wanted to be as far from Damien as possible, but still composed himself and walked calmly down the streets. When he was sure that he was out of sight, he ran as fast as possible but slowed down when he approached the city's gate. The guards glanced at him but did not stop him.

Leaving the gate, he was just about to call in to report when he was suddenly teleported with force from the city's gate, leaving the people there shocked.

When he appeared again. He was far away from the city, however, when he turned back, he could still see the city, but was certain they couldn't see him from that distance.

That was when he became aware of the presences behind him.

Turning around, he quickly bowed when he saw who they were.

"So the oath breaker returns," Elora Darkfang said. Hair as black as night Framed a face so beautiful, one could sell their properties just to lay with her. What most didn't know was that she wasn't a human, but was snakekin. A Torinian black snake to be precise, one that had gained sentience. Her silver-slitted eyes were what she only showed to her superiors or people she deemed about to die. She was infamous for her black venom that would put you in a world of pain, leaving you wishing for a quick death just to escape it.

"His new allies must have betrayed him, seeing as he looked to be running from something inside the city," A thick voice grunted. Salin didn't know this man. His brown hair was cropped short military style, paired with black eyes that looked down at Salin as if he was an ant to be stepped on.

Salin didn't have an idea what was going on, but he still bowed again. "I greet the great pillars of the empire," He said.

"Tell me, boy," The man said without acknowledging Salin's greeting. "What did they offer you to make you betray your homeland?"

Salin was confused and was beginning to fear for his life. "I don't understand, I have never betrayed the empire or even thought of it," He said.

"Do not think to lie to your betters, we know you told someone about the calamity the empire was about to face, despite being explicitly told not to," Elora said, her slitted eyes flashing.

Salin was beginning to panic but still explained calmly. "I reported that I was going to investigate a suspicious individual. What I didn't know was that this person was expecting me, and he didn't show any care nor fear towards the empire," he said.

"Who is he?" The man said. His voice rumbling through Salin's bones.

"He said his name was Damien," Salin said.

They both quieted at that. And when Salin took a peek at them, What he saw shook him. There was fear in their eyes.

He had served in the empire so long and had heard and seen of its feats so much that he had begun to have this belief that the empire feared nothing. That nobody could terrify the empire, and yet, here he was, seeing fear in the eyes of one of the empire's greatest pillars. Just from the mention of a name.

They quickly hid it. "Describe him," The poison mistress demanded.

And so Salin did.

When he was done. Elora sighed. "Raise your head," she said.

He did.

"You have betrayed the empire to one of our greatest enemies," She was furious, but Salin could see the fear she tried to hide. "Tell me everything that happened," And so he started.

He described how hours had passed outside while they had only spent minutes in the strange place. He then delivered the warning he was asked to.

"He told me to warn the empire not to get in his business, And he wouldn't get aggressive interests in the empire's activities," Salin said.

"Where were you taken to?" The man asked.

"He called the place 'metaphysical'," Once again, there was silence.

It was Elora who then spoke. "To be able to move into the metaphysical, that is worrying, but the good news is that he must have used up a lot out of his powers, weakening himself," she smiled like a birthday present was just handed to her.

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Even the man smiled too, and Salin had thought the man incapable of showing facial happiness. "We can't leave someone so powerful outside the empire's control, he needs to be clipped," He sounded almost giddy.

Their attention then turned to Salin, who stood there looking confused.

"You have done the empire a great deed, even though it was unintentional," Elora said, still smiling. Then she continued. "For that, you won't be immediately executed, but you still have to be punished," That was when Salin noticed the reptile made of darkness slithering from Elora's shadow towards him.

He finally panicked and was about to run, but found himself frozen, his body refusing to respond to any of his commands.

Elora tsked. "We never said you could leave," She smiled. "My child will keep you company till we return," The snake reached Salin, his horror mounting for the second time in a few hours, and no matter how he tried to free his body, he couldn't. It coiled around his body. Its head rose to his face so that he could see its silver-slitted eyes.

It bit.

And Salin's body was consumed by excruciating pain.

*****

Ali's POV

BOOM!

"What the hell was That?" Commander Ali asked, Trying to stand fully after almost falling from the impact.

"I don't think you're going to be fighting your warlord anymore," The man, Damien said.

Standing, Ali was moving to join chosen Ymal at the window when the second impact landed.

BOOM!

He almost fell again but managed to lean on the table for support. Looking around, cracks were beginning to spread around the room, creating a spider web of designs on the office walls. He was sure it wasn't only happening in this office.

Reaching the window, the chosen standing there, having been struck numb. Taking a look out the window, what he saw almost made him shit his pants.

Cracks were spreading over the energy shield covering the city. The shield that had protected them against raging storms that would have decimated any other city. And it was all coming down from just two hits.

"They didn't waste time at all, did they? Not surprising," Turning around, he saw Damien sitting there, unconcerned, like the attacks didn't even phase him. "What is surprising is how quickly they arrived, a few hours after I took their resident spy. Seems the man doing the monitoring was being monitored as well," He then laughed.

Ali almost screamed at him that their city was in danger and he should make himself useful by helping, even though Ali didn't see how one man could hope to stop an attack like that, he didn't put words to his thoughts.

Turning to his leader "Chosen, What is our response?" He asked.

Just then.

BOOM!

Standing up, the chosen sighed. Any hope of fighting immediately leaving him. "What response do we have for something like that? In a few more hits, this city is going to be cracked open like an egg," His eyes misted. In all his years of serving under the chosen, Ali had never seen him this close to crying, the realisation almost drove the fight out of him.

"The city was destined to be destroyed anyway," Damien pitched in unhelpfully, still sounding almost bored.

Just when Ali was about to snap, the whole building shook from another impact.

"This whole building is about to collapse. I don't know about you, but I don't want to get dust and debris all over my body," Damien commented. He stood up, leaving Ali and the Chosen to follow behind.

The path down the building was filled with panic and confusion. Soldiers and priests running around, not knowing what to do.

Seeing the chosen's approach, they all looked to him for a solution, but Ali could see the chosen had nothing to give.

Sighing audibly, Damien turned around and looked at the crestfallen chosen. "What help do you want of me?" He sounded oddly gentle about it.

The chosen jolted from his thoughts. "If you can save the people, I would be in your debt," He said, almost hopeful.

Damien raised an eyebrow, saying. "I don't know what a debt from you could provide me," He looked at that chosen. "And what would you be doing?" He asked.

The chosen raised his chin. "Me and all the combatants we have will hold the attackers off" He seemed set on his path, Even though Ali knew they were all likely to be wiped out, he was willing to lay down his life for his people.

Ali joined in raising his chin, he too would give his life for the chosen and the people.

Damien must have concluded something because he nodded. "You won't be fighting anyone," Ali wanted to argue but was stopped by the man's raised hand. "I'll deal with them, call back any guards around the gates, your job is to move everybody to the other end of the city. Break down the walls if you have to, but make sure to evacuate this city and its surrounding areas,"

He plucked something out of thin air, shocking everyone present, and handed it over to the Chosen. "When you get far enough from the city, break this, and tell anybody you meet that I sent you, they should have you settled and quickly taken care of," He looked around at the people gathered there. "I don't usually do this for people I just met, but you all will be an exception. Don't go expecting me to be your newest protector, you will be disappointed," The man then nodded before turning around and leaving. "You should start the evacuations."

******

Damien walked down the streets, approaching the gate. At some point, the attacks had stopped coming and he could see some of the citizens beginning to calm down, It wouldn't do them well to think the attackers had left. He was proven right a few minutes later.

BOOM!

BOOM!

This time, the attacks came in two quick successions and the city's shield couldn't handle it any longer. It shattered and Damien could see buildings begin to collapse, people resumed screaming and panicking. He saw a young boy staring at him with lifeless eyes, the lower part of his body crushed by a huge rock.

A crying toddler with blood on his face, shaking his mother who lay on the floor, eyes unseeing. She wouldn't be waking up again.

He walked up to the toddler, picking him up. Blue eyes stared at him despite the blood covering him. Damien smiled at the baby, patting him gently on the back. "I'm so sorry about your mama, I'm sure she'll be watching over you wherever she is," The toddler continued to stare at him. "I'm going to fight the bad guys, so I can't take you with me," He patted him again. "I'll come find you when I'm done," Calling a passing soldier, he gave him charge of the boy, telling him where to go when he crossed over to the other side. it would make it easier to find them.

Turning fully towards the gate. His eyes burned and his face hardened before he controlled himself, it wouldn't do to lose control of himself this close to battle. Breathing in and calming himself, he walked towards the gate.