Keilan strode into the war council room, the other occupants immediately turning to face him.

"What's the situation?"

"Solaris has just appeared," Fenore grimaced.

Keilan frowned, "That was.... expected, but also unexpected. Why are you all so frightened?"

He immediately noticed their hesitation to answer his question. Fenore turned her face away. Brunos pretended to be studying something on the map, while Danor nervously twiddled his fingers, his eyes roving anywhere but Keilan's. It didn't take long for him to piece the answer out.

"Damien is there, isn't he?"

Reluctantly, Fenore nodded.

"Who's with him?"

"No one," Danor answered, his anxiety pouring out in waves. "Helera offered to stay with him but he sent her away, promising he had everything covered."

Keilan began to worry but soon tamped it down. This was a delicate situation, he couldn't allow fear to rule his next decision. "Has there been any request for aid?"

"No. None."

"Well, then," Keilan said smoothly, moving to a chair. "We'll just have to sit and watch."

"What?!" Danor exclaimed, with Fenore and Brunos not far behind. "Your brother is facing Solaris, alone! We should armor up and head there right now!"

Keilan turned his face away from the illusory landscape of the borderlands projected over the map, "if my brother hasn't requested aid by now, we should trust him to have it all handled."

"What if he's not as powerful as he thinks and Solaris overwhelms him?"

"Then I'll head there, myself."

"You will die!"

"I know."

***

Relief on their faces, Damien didn't hold back the two Spirit lords as they immediately fled to the Emperor's side. He didn't have the strength to spare just to hold down a bunch of lackeys.

Instead, he turned to Helera, a vial of green, almost golden, liquid appearing in his hand, which he then poured into the woman's mouth.

"This should give you enough energy for a few hours. Get everybody back through the portal,” he ordered.

Helera was already on her feet. She experimentally stretched her hands, legs, and neck, probably checking for any pain. Damien didn't deny her the time. "Yes, lord Damien." She stole a fearful glance at Solaris. "Wouldn't you need assistance wi– with him?" And in a bout of instant courage, she pushed out. "I could stay."

Damien gave an appreciative smile, "Thank you, but I've got it covered."

He didn't have it covered, at all. But it wouldn't pay for her to see doubt on his face, so he did his best to show unconcern, and it seemed to work as she nodded and then began heading toward the commanders of their armies.

Damien, finally alone, levitated a bit closer to Solaris.

"Solaris," he nodded. "Haven't seen you in a while."

The man scrutinized Damien in a sort of interested–disinterested look.

"Alone, I see?" He said, a little mirth finally showing through his cold demeanor.

Damien didn't answer. Instead, his body became extremely tense. He knew he had no hope of winning this fight, only delaying it long enough for reinforcement to arrive.

"Don't bother," Solaris said, reading Damien's expression. "You will be dead long before any form of help arrives."

Damien shook his head, not surprised that someone like Solaris could read his thoughts through a simple expression. "You underestimate me. People who do that usually end up dead."

"But I am not them, am I? I can see it in your face. You have no chance of winning this, you might as well surrender to me," the man looked expectantly at Damien.

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Tension bled out of Damien like a raging river through a dam as he laughed. His sheer amusement enough to wash away any anxiety. When he was done, he turned to Solaris, "Didn't you know? You should know by now that I bow to no one, especially not to you."

Damien expected a reply from Solaris, but instead, the man just studied him, an unsurprised look on his face. A moment later, he calmly looked over at Damien's shoulder, and an instant later, Damien also took notice.

Space parted like a torn cloth, and four figures stepped through.

One, a woman with raven black, flowing hair draped over the back of a furry cape. Her armor was made up of thousands of interlocking metal plates that seamlessly covered her from neck to toe, leaving no open gaps. She looked like one of those mythical warrior maiden in the heroic stories he and Keilan used to read when they were little.

Her jade-colored eyes took Solaris in a calm, wary demeanor, like a powerful huntress standing before a calamity monster.

"Hello, Solar," she nodded in greeting. "I have to say, judging from your brazen actions, it seems that your newfound powers have gotten into your head."

"Nice to see you too, Yuseria," Solaris returned. "Aren't you supposed to show respect 'n' all? I am a Spirit King, after all."

This time, another person spoke up. "You might be a Spirit king, but your actions have judged you unworthy of any such title. And besides, do not fool yourself with your meager accomplishment. You should know full well that should we choose to ascend, it would take naught but a thought."

The second person was an elf, a sun elf to be exact. He had the telltale golden eyes of the royal family of Aetheris, coupled with golden draping hair and a calm demeanor. Although his features only narrowed down the identity to a few figures, the ancient eyes of the male immediately clued Damien in on his identity, Aelar Aetheris. He was putting on fitted golden-plated armor that went up from his wing-sided armor down to his boots. From his shoulder down to his forearm ran menacing eight-inch spikes that steamed of constrained energy. Trails of golden lightning ran through his entire body, like a thunder elemental.

Aelar Aetheris was a legendary figure, even to someone like Damien. The man was a myth only heard of, but never seen. Stories of his exploit had been circulated amongst the Spirit lord community to the extent Damien sometimes wondered which was real or made up.

Behind him was another elven male of youthful appearance, and judging from the natural features, he was also of royal blood, Vaelion Aetheris. This one Damien was more familiar with. Vaelion was strong, certainly, but he hadn't yet accomplished any feat worthy of marking him above the average Spirit lords. Damien had no illusion of the man's true strength, though. After all, he came from a Great family, a great family where personal strength was one of the single most important criteria for any form of leadership. If he was to take over after his father, Damien knew that he had to have great power.

"Is that so?" Solaris curled an eyebrow.

"We both know what this is about," Aelar replied, his voice stony and without emotion. "Your uncontrolled need to become like us has driven you mad, and that madness has manifested in this pointless war."

Damien kept his expression unchanged, but inside, his mind was swirling as everything finally clicked. Historians had all come up with theories about the cause of the last great war. Dozens had been formulated and then immediately discarded when their basis proved unfounded. In essence, no one truly knew what moved Solaris to begin the bloodbath that was the first great war. So everyone had just chalked it up to him simply being hungry for more than he had.

Solaris barked a deep laugh, jolting Damien from his thoughts. He laughed for a few seconds before he finally comported himself, but there was still mirth in his eyes as he spoke.

"You great families," Solaris sneered. "You act all high and mighty, looking down on me and calling my ambitions pointless. But let us not forget that history always repeats itself." Solaris smiled, seeing the sudden sharpness in the eyes of the heads of two great families. "Yes, I know. No matter your efforts in trying to destroy information, history will not be so easily cleansed."

Solaris then turned to Damien.

"The families you so easily ally yourself to are no different from me. They, along with the others are the progenitors of the great wars. Do you know how many lives were lost when they vied for control? Billions, that's how many." Solaris then pointed at Aelar. "His family, alongside the Tyrians, Rayuns, and the Barekens choked the Aesland continent in a sea of blood as they battled for power. Entire lines were completely wiped out as their alliance divided the continent amongst themselves. All the smaller kingdoms you see today in the Aesland continent are just puppet kingdoms at the beck and call of the Great families."

"Careful with your tongue," Aelar warned, his tone threatening and with a shocking show of emotion. But his warning fell on deaf ears.

"The Teirye were more successful," Solaris continued. "Either they didn't have as many enemies compared to the four, or they were just too powerful, but they managed to acquire the entire Winterlands continent all to themselves, using the now smaller kingdoms as a buffer while they burrowed themselves in," he spat. "like cowards."

From Yuseria's back emerged long, metallic wings that shimmered in the moonlight, her stance threatening.

"The Fyre and the Nesene family clearly weren't as powerful as the rest," Solaris shrugged. "But they did ally themselves in crushing down all opposition to their claim of both Greensend and Norelane. After which they hastily retreated to hole up in their claimed territory, like scared animals."

"Solaris." Yuseria's voice had now taken on a dangerous edge, a war bow appearing in her hands.

Still, Solaris was undaunted. "And do you know the worst of their crimes? The Redlands, formerly known as Ursela. A continent of such beauty and wonder that majestic creatures graced its lands with their presence. Ursela was the capital of a once great Empire that spanned this entire planet." Finally, Solaris turned his eyes to look straight at Aelar's and Yuseria's. "And the great families ravaged it, warping it into a wasteland of blood and death."

"As I said, no matter your efforts over the millennia to wipe out history, it will never go without a fight."

Halar Rayun, covered in a detailed, earth-colored armor of precious stone, whipped out a fearful looking hammer. "Enough of this, we fight!."

"In this, I agree."