I reach my hand out into the dark blue mist, but to no avail. I’m clawing at it, yet it denies me so vigorously. What is blocking me? My strength? When a call is heard, does it deny me based on that solely? Something vague and unknown is calling from the shadows gravitating me so viciously towards it, but to no avail.

  “ZADAHN!”

  I feel my body being shaken, so I leap off my bed like a terrified frog.

  Antarc stands directly above me with Orbona atop his shoulders, my guildmates behind him all suited for the journey. Seems I overslept. I swiftly change into my garments, and hoist my halberd on my back, still recovering from my dream.

  Yawning, I speak up.

  “It’s already that time, eh?.”

  Alexandria answers. “Every single Navaen warrior in our very lands is bunched up into a tight knit bundle of vendetta.”

  “That's poetic, Alexandria. A vendetta wouldn’t be so one-sided.”

  She scoffs. Charlie joins our last-minute conversation.

  “The war on the Ministry goes far deeper than a mere vendetta.”

  “And why is that, Charlie?”

  Sevilla’s patience finally reaches its limit.

  “We need to leave, before we either miss an important speech or are steadily left behind– Hurry up Zadahn.”

  “Yup, yup, understood!”

  We greet the chief and his army at the gate of the city.

  “We’re ready to go. Apologies for our untimely arrival, Chief.”

  Alexandria says, shooting an angry glance at me.

  Ignoring her, the Chief sets his eyes onto Orbona.

  “Orbona. You must stay with your family. You cannot accompany us on this journey. You do not have the strength— you will die.

  Antarc speaks up.

  “I vow on my life to protect her. Shall she die, take my life along with hers— but rest assured, I am capable. No harm will come to her under my supervision.”

  The chief glances at the elders skeptically, as one of them nods in approval.

  “Very well then, that is everyone.” He says, dismissively. “SOLDIERS, WE DEPART NOW! WE ARE MARCHING TO THE DOCKS, WHERE WE WILL BOARD OUR VESSELS AT THE SHIPYARD.

  We march directly in front of a colossal legion of battle-scarred Navaen nomad warriors– collectively led by the Chief, with the four remaining elders at the rear.

  Entirely occupying every bit of space on the Etrean roads, we reach the infamous sewer tunnel complex which connects us to the esteemed docks of Etris.

  As the evening sun graces us with it’s presence, my mind drifts for a moment. Seeing your dreams come into reality is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I wonder if this journey will fulfill that. I’m very doubtful, yet here I am, with my guild, declaring war on shadow soldiers and their false prophets, accompanied by an enraged warlord. In an ideal and perfect world, this would give me the “Strength” I lack, and the sea would warmly embrace me into the gates of Celtor.

  “To your senses, Home-lander.”

  Chief Raeis Fawra shoots a piercing look directly into my heart.

  “I can see it in your eyes, that strength you lack. On a fateful day, I will bestow upon you what you lack, and ensure you are capable. Everyone else– as of now, all of you are Navaen soldiers, and no other duty is to cross your mind. Is that understood?”

  That was eerily cryptic. Could he truly just bestow onto me some kind of ‘strength?’ What else is this war-torn general capable of? He effortlessly commands these legions like a puppeteer does its puppets– with nothing but respect from his people. Treading through the murky tunnel, droplets of unknown liquid ricochet off of my hair, and a putrid odor mauls my nostrils.

  I plug my nose. As we speed up, we catch the faintest glimmer of the light, but not just any light. Sunset. Orange rays pierce through my irises as we approach the entrance to the docks. I can almost hear the smiles of the warriors as they also see the light.

  “INVICTA NAVAE!”

  Raeis halts just on the cusp of our noses salvation, shouting abruptly, and slamming his spear into the floor– clearly a signature of his. Surely stronger than any intimidation tactic I learned in the Legion.

  “My warriors, my kin, my people! I have had us sacrifice the precious daylight in order for us to depart our land at sunset. It is in this golden light with the faint blue of the night sky– is when Navae is prone to bless us, and our people. Bask in the glory and embrace of Navae, as we embark on our conquest of those who wish us vanquished! We will repay our debts!”

  The nomad legion roars back.

  “INVICTA NAVAE!”

  “Purge the Ministry!”

  A man shouts from the crowd of warriors at the top of his lungs.

  “We avenge our families tonight!”

  The crowd clamors in agreement, as I notice Orbona and Antarc smelling some perfume in the corner of my eye. I wish that smell could overpower the musk of rusty pipes and corrosion.

  All goes silent for a moment, as one of the vanguards of the Nomad Legion exclaims out towards Orbona and Antarc, catching her attention.

  “We will avenge Pater Eldr-!”

  Chief Raeis leaps off the stage as he lets out a visceral war cry.

  Much to his surprise, however, nobody responds.

  Out of my peripheral I see a figure quickly rise into the air from the army. I initially think nothing of it- a quite acrobatic Navaen? The silence forces me to look again, however.

  I’m stunned to see a nomad’s lifeless body lay impaled on a spike of shadow, his intestines hanging out, a smile still plastered on his lifeless face.

  I’m not the only one paralyzed in fear. Nobody but Raeis has the courage to break the great stillness that has taken over the crowd.

  Laughter, coming from all directions, but mainly upward. It’s different from before, almost infectious. This isn’t a laugh from crazed lunatics, this is a laugh from people who truly thinks we’re pitiful. We’re being humiliated by the Ministry, and they’ve brought numbers this time.

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  A war is about to break out, and we fall just at the perfect spot to suffer through it. Raeis all of a sudden rotates his hips in a fluid motion, and launches his Imperators Edge in a perfect javelin toss directly towards the silhouette of one of the agents. The spear cleanly tears through the bastard. When it hits the ceiling, the sheer force creates a brief spark, illuminating the darkened complex for just a moment. For that one moment, dozens of pale, smiling faces could be seen clear as day. The laughing stops, a groan could be heard, and the corpse of the struck agent falls to the floor.

  The walls of the cave crumble as the mangled ministry lackey turns into a paste as he makes contact with the floor.

  We all almost simultaneously draw our weapons– yet nobody attacks. The air is thick with dread, but incomparably still.

  Alexandria whispers.

  “Be patient. Nothing rash, Zadahn-”

  My left foot is already planted behind my right, and my arm is already wound back, as I manifest the song into a concentrated javelin of lightning, throwing my entire weight forward into a monstrous upward arc. This mantra should do the trick.

  “Grand Javelin.”

  I unleash my cruel bolt of thunder into the shadows above, as I hear it whistle and crackle through the air.

  Thud.

  The entire legion begins scrambling into a defensive formation, as I regroup with my guild, standing ready for whatever emerges.

  “Come out, cowards! We will expose your false prophet!”

  Chief Raeis screams. We’re promptly greeted by a voice like nails on a table.

  A chill runs down my spine.

  “Your home, your families, your loved ones,They were sealed to death long ago. All must sink— and all will sink. None of your deaths will be painless, that I can assure.”

  Chief Raies remains stoic, and so does the majority of the legion— but I notice expressions of fear scattered throughout our numbers.

  “They’ve brought the fight right to us haven’t they? Saved us a real long journey.” Charlie says, cowering behind a rock.

  Antarc hushes Charlie, as he lay cradling a startled and terrified Orbona.

  “It's okay, Mia— Sorry— Orbona. We aren’t going to let anyone hurt you, and neither is the Chief. You’re safe, little one.”

  Antarc remains with Orbona, as Alexandria, Charlie, and Sevilla rush out to assist the nomad soldiers.

  At least one hundred Ministry agents armed with cruelly edged daggers. They are all blindfolded, and wear black collared uniforms with an emblem of a ribcage painted in white on their torso. They all maintain the exact same lifeless expression. Vessels of hatred, and malice.

  Chief Raeis leaps to grab his spear from the corpse, now directly facing the hoard of death-incarnate. He rips the spear out of the corpse of the soldier he skewered, yanking his heart out. He points his spear towards the hoard, the still-beating heart of their comrade on the tip of his blade.

  “PLEASE, HELP!”

  I hear Antarc scream amidst the chaos, and so does Raeis, as he turns his head. I see a party of three Ministry agents parading Antarc with malevolent dagger slashes, infused with Shadowcast. Orbona stands alone behind their clash, bundled into a ball. I can’t hear her cries over the clashing, but they sting my heart all the same.

  Seeing Raies occupied, I sprint at my highest speed, infusing the very element of lightning into each step I take. Just as I reach them, a fourth Ministry agent appears out of the shadows, directly behind Orbona. Everything in my mind goes silent, as Antarc is still preoccupied with fending off the other three. The ministry agent cackles, as he rips his blindfold off, Revealing empty eye-sockets, and a wide eerie smile. He covers her mouth, and picks her up, and just like that, returns to the shadows he came from.

  I collapse to my knees, grasping at the ground into which they just vanished.

  What just happened? Is this my fault? Did I let this happen? I wasn’t fast enough. I should’ve been faster. Why? I’m sorry Antarc. I’m so sorry. Raeis was right. I’m not strong enough.

  I hear Raeis let out a guttural war-cry, as he must’ve witnessed what I did. I don’t guard my ears this time, I deserve this pain. I return to my feet, and turn to see Raeis leap into the crowd of Ministry agents in utter bloodlust. The ground of the tunnel below us slowly turns into ice, as the very air around us becomes chilling. He begins at their frontlines, thrusting his spear directly into the head of the leading soldier, likely their general. Strategic brutality.

  Splat.

  Like a bird soaring through the sky, utterly in his element, he creates a lance of ice in his with one hand and twirls both of his blades in a circular motion with the other. The fluidity of which he moves might be the scariest thing about him—a great calamity than could be upon you in a single moment.

  Oceans of blood emerge from the crowd, as my hair is painted with dots of red, as well as everyone in the vicinity. All my ears hear is screaming, as Raeis maintains his war-cry. He leaps into the air, gaining vantage over the remaining soldiers, as they all look into the sky, likely questioning what comes after life? What will they wake up to? This question is answered shortly, as the angel of war hoists his leg up in an arc, unleashing a brutal stomp shattering the very sky itself as he falls from the heavens. Bodies upon bodies of mutilated ministry agents and rocks crowd the air, lifted off their feet from the sheer force of his might.

  Three ministry agents try to launch an attack on him as he recovers, one sending a blast of Shadow towards his head, while the other two each target the back of his leg with their daggers. With deceptive grace, he lifts his legs in the air, shifting his spear backwards as he rotates his hips, deflecting the blast of shadow while simultaneously skewering the two other agents through the side of their temples. How did he see them?

  Enraged and in a panic, and their formerly grand numbers now dwindled to nearly thirty, they scramble, launching pathetic attempts at even damaging Raeis. For half a moment, I pity them. Unfazed, he lifts his spear into the air, as almost their entire force flinches.

  “Handle the rest, and gain your glory, my kin.”

  His dormant legion of soldiers let out war cries, as they sprint towards the remaining ministry soldiers like a wolf chasing cattle, as they scream, tripping over the remains of their comrades running away into the direction of the docks, and their sunlight. These men will ensure there is no light at the end of the tunnel for these soulless monsters.

  I’ve seen enough death for today. Knowing their fate is sealed, I shift my attention onto my guild, as they comfort a crying Antarc. Raeis and the Elders accompany me as we regroup, still in the tunnel, the floor of ice below us almost entirely a hue of dark red. The myths of the Bloodfrost Imperator almost understated the stature of this man. How can I attain this strength? Is it genetic? Were some people simply born for war, chosen with divine purpose, to carve through their enemies with no thought of defeat?

  My thoughts are interrupted by the Chief.

  “We will retrieve Orbona at any cost. The Ministry are conniving. They wouldn’t kill such valuable leverage. We should’ve never allowed a child on this journey. You keep your life momentarily, Home-lander, but if anything happens in her captivity, you will pay with your head.”

  Damnit. None of this would have happened if I was just faster. I should’ve stuck with Antarc the entire time. Now, because of me, he may lose his life, not to mention Orbonas. I notice Alexandria looking around the group, as her face pales.

  “Wait, where's Orbona?”

  Antarc speaks up, wiping tears from his eyes.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I will accept any punishment you bestow upon me.”

  Alexandria, Charlie, and Sevilla all look at each other in confusion, as they shift their gaze towards the chief.

  I speak up.

  “It wasn’t his fault. He was attacked from all sides by three ministry agents, and as he was fighting to stay alive, a fourth appeared and kidnapped Orbona. If you’re going to punish somebody, punish me. My lack of strength and speed is what didn’t allow me to reach them in time. I was a spectator.”

  I snivel a little bit, before regaining my composure. I can’t bring myself to meet his gaze.

  “Oh, gods below.”

  Charlie sighs, covering his face with both hands.

  Sevilla is silent, seemingly fighting tears, and Alexandria is looking away.

  “It was Antarc who made the vow, so it is Antarc who will be punished.” Raeis says with finality.

  “Thank you, Zadahn.” Antarc says.

  The chief speaks up again, this time in a different tone.

  “Navae is with us. Orbona will live. I have that feeling in my heart. Use this punishment as an incentive to find her. We will search all the lands, above and below if necessary.”

  “Understood, sir. Thank you.” Antarc says, sniffling, as Alexandria, Sevilla, and Charlie walk to comfort him. The chief turns his attention to me.

  “You’ve shown promise today. On our journey to Minitrysa, I will provide you with lessons of battle. Prepare yourself. If you fall behind, nobody will usher you forward. The trials will be difficult, but if you push forward, you will emerge an even sharper warrior.”

  “T-Thank you, sir. I will do my absolute best.”

  The Chiefs forces nearly finish clearing out the remaining Ministry scum, as one lies on the floor missing an arm, crawling towards a portal of shadow. A soldier slowly trails behind the crawling, wailing agent.

  “There is no afterlife for you, nor your false prophet. INVICTA NAVAE!”

  The nomad lifts his spear into the air, unwinding his spear down onto the back of the agent.

  Splat.

  My eyes widen.

  The nomad soldier is suddenly split in half by the waist, his entrails falling onto the ministry agent, as he cackles.

  “Thank the prophet! Lord Cai’al!”

  A single man walks out of a shadow as he catches the spear of the nomad just before it makes contact with the skin of the agent. I must have blinked, as I have no idea how he attacked the nomad. The man is of pale white skin, and equally as pale white hair, flowing down to his shoulders. He wears a black cloak with a collar of white fur. Atop his head is a red spiked crown, adorned with rubies that seem to have been forged with blood.

  “Impermissible, Impermissible, Impermissible. You have let down our prophets. How dare you stain our ranks. Drown.” He says calmly.

  The man stomps the head of his own agent repeatedly, until it is nothing but paste, all the while, his blank expression unchanging.

  He reaches his finger down, touching the pool of blood with his index finger, lifting it to his tongue. He processes the flavor for a moment while we all stand in shock and confusion, other than Raeis. Raeis steps forward.

  “Disgusting. To be expected.”

  He spits onto the floor.

  “Look what you’ve done to our cannon-fodder, Raeis.” Cai’al says as a smirk grows across his face.

  “I’d do this to any rank of your legions.”

  “Oh, impermissible. You can’t even handle me, at least not anymore.”

  “Is that so, Cai’al? Need I remind you of how you left our last encounter? No worries. I will assist you in recollecting your memories.”

  Cai’al’s smile dissipates, as a foul greatsword of blood forms in his hands.

  “Things change, Raeis. I’ll demonstrate.”