Il’Tel

Wyrm Depths

City of Iron Ice

Royal Court of Frost

The next morning

The Tundra Elf was ushered through a large doorway and into a hall of gleaming iron, two Elven guards on either side of the fidgety Elf as he mumbled to himself. Before he even knew it, they had reached the spiky throne of iron at the end of the hall. Suddenly held back by the two guards as he almost kept going.

“This?” asked a rough male voice “This is your eye witness?!” it then bellowed causing the terrified Elf to glance up and see the massive light-blue Drake laying calmly asleep behind a spiky throne of iron with the design of snowflakes merging into each other all over. Standing in front of the throne and glaring down at him was a well dressed male Elf, pale-skin for his Tundra linage, muscular build and a long light-blue beard but bald head and two gleaming white eyes.

“Your highness, this is indeed the agent. He’s a bit shaky, but I’m sure we can get him to spit it out.” Calmly spoke another well-dressed Tundra Elf, young and taller than most with light brown hair, moustache and green eyes. The man spoke with wisdom beyond the age he seemed, his expression emotionless and eyes hollow as well.

“Then get him to speak Lex!” Spat out the king as he turned and sat on his throne, impatiently awaiting his orders to be dealt with.

Lex bowed respectfully “As you order.” And then suddenly turned to the agent, grabbing the trembling Elf by the shoulders and turning him to look into his eyes “Look at me mate.” Lex spoke with mana infusing his voice “Everything is alright now, you’re home, you’re safe…” His tone was calm, his voice soothing ”You’re before King Freiz Oswold the third.” He then turned the Elf back to facing the throne.

The Elven spy now surprisingly calm, looked up at King Freiz. He immediately kneeled, going completely still.

Freiz gestured for Lex to continue, and Lex did as he began slowly walking around the kneeling Elf “Good you’re calm, now please be so kind to repeat what you told the commissioner. What happened on your post of watching Akai Bara yesterday afternoon between eight and eleven? Please skip the nuances.” He asked while continuing to circle the Elf.

“It…it was three of us on duty that night. The other four were off-duty at the hide-out.” The Elf began his report anew, much more calmly than he had hours before “We caught wind of an unnaturally large Orc raiding party heading towards us, several times so. We counted as they approached the river, it was almost half the entire Horde and most of their warriors. They snuck closer to the wall as usual before starting their raids, using the foliage to their advantage.”

The Elf briefly glanced up, seeing Freiz quickly losing his patience “Ah…Before the attack began the rest of their warriors appeared, calling out in challenge to the first group. And…that’s where a strange wide area spell was cast over the second group by their Shaman class warriors. The…fight began.” The Elf’s fingers had begun to tremble anew “The second Horde was…nothing like before. They weren’t just barbaric or bloodthirsty as the rest…they…they were animalistic almost. They looked…possessed by demons.”

Freiz sighed out, pausing the Elf’s report as he spoke “This coincides with the group tasked to watch Moss…But what I want to know is what happened AFTER!” the King bellowed, leaning over his throne as he glared down at the agent.

Lex cleared his throat as Freiz leaned back into his throne “Yes please, tell us what occurred as the battle subsided and after.” He calmly asked.

The agent nodded, strangely calmer again “As the battle came to an end…a cloaked figure crashed down from the sky. Black and blue clothing with black hair, two black tails and ears of fur and…a black Fox’s mask.”

Freiz leaned over his throne again, this time in interest “What…what did it say?”

But the agent had begun to shake and tremble once more, as he spouted out the next words “It…it was a creature of the abyss given flesh…summoning black flames that rot all manner of life…It killed dozens of Orcs before burning their leaders in the same way…alive and screaming as their skin melted away…”

Lex grabbed the Elf’s left shoulder “Calm now…everything is al-”

But the agent was far gone as he rose to his feet and slapped Lex’s hand away, shouting now as he spoke with wide fearful eyes “It chased me! I ran and ran as I listened to their screams! I pulled every trick! Every corner! Every turn! But it found me!” the guards were about to move and stop the Elf from stepping closer to the throne but Freiz raised his hand stopping them.

“It…it found us! Burning them alive, charring them into rotten flesh and bone! It’s black flames devouring even stone and metal!” the Elf continued to rant, his sanity quickly slipping away as he chuckled “I…I looked into its eyes…Silver glowing blue like the winter nights…Its smile…amused by their pain! Amused by my fear!” the agent was about to fell to his knees but Freiz rushed down and grabbed him by the collar, raising him back up.

“Tell me damnit! Who?! Who is it?” Freiz demanded as he glared anxiously into the Elf’s trembling eyes “What did they call themselves!? You were closer! You heard it clearly?!”.

The Elf smiled, maddened by his fear “Y-Yes…He…He called himself the embodiment of vengeance…Y-Yokai Soult-tail! Holder o-of the Darkfire! Last of the Spirit Beasts of the Crystal Kingdom of Kori!” the Elf exclaimed out loud, laughing maniacally right after even as Freiz threw him back.

The King stepped away from the saneless Elf, his own expression filling with dread as he stared down at the broken man “I-Impossible…they…we…we killed th-”

But his ranting was cut off as the Elf continued his own, kneeling on the cold iron floor as he held his head, chuckling in between each phrase “He…He has a message for you! F-first was the Champions! S-second will be the Frost Court! Third the Night and fourth the Forest! Last the Elders!” he exclaimed in an almost hushed voice “F-from our leaders...and down to the very last one of us…he will bring upon us the very extinction we brought over his own people! He will be merciless! Unstoppable! We will all die! We will all die!” before suddenly entering a fit of shouting as he continued to repeat the last three phrases like a broken record.

Freiz looked appalled and terrified as he stepped away from the madman “T-take him away!” he ordered his guards, and they did but even as they did the man did not stop.

He continued to repeat, louder and louder “H-He will be merciless! Unstoppable! We w-will all die! All die!” his voice resounding through the hall even as the guards took him outside and closed the doors.

Lex sighed as he glanced up at Freiz “Well they did a number on him…” seeing the worried expression over his lord, Lex frowned “Your majesty, you don’t believe the ravings of a madman do you? There is no way-”

Freiz raised his right hand up, silencing Lex “Shut it Minister.” He said rudely, before turning to stare at the throne “You weren’t there young one, you weren’t even born yet. You don’t know the horrors those creatures are capable of…If you think stepping alone into a nest of Wyverns is suicide then…I guess me and my brothers were all mad that one night.”

Lex tensed as he listened closely “The night that need not be remembered.” He said, before repeating the words in their ancient language or as it was more so known as “Rubrum nocte, The red night…” as Minister of Defence, Lex Velxion knew many things but even he knew not how that night had gone down. The night young prince Freiz had lost all three of his brothers, the night the Elven Empire had desecrated Chaoz’s laws and brought another race to extinction.

Freiz sighed “Everyone knows I and two others of the four hundred were the only survivors of that night.”

(“And the other two took their own lives mere years after…”) Lex thought as he kept silent now, as Freiz remembered that one dreadful night of his long life. Something he never told anyone, a tale he would have much left forgotten in time.

“Alas, my demons come to haunt me yet again.” Freiz mumbled to himself.

“Your majesty, you were only fourth in line. Your father…they are his demons to bear not yours.” Lex argued, knowing at least that King Freiz Oswold the second was the one who ordered the mass genocide of Kori.

Freiz chuckled coldly “But I was one of those who went through with it. And I…am the last who truly remembers it all…Four hundred of the very best killers in the Empire, forwarded from all three Courts. It was supposed to be perfect, not sound, not a breath was to be made as like phantoms through the night we slipped through their undefended gates and into their homes…Men and Women…Elderly and children…We slit all their throats.”

“See? Then this must be an imposter!” Lex argued “How can there be a survivor if they were all killed off?”

Freiz turned to face his Minister “Traces of the banishment ritual were found within the Crystal Kingdom. Recent traces, someone for some reason was banished to the mana-less plane. Escaped from the killings.”

Lex’s eyes widened in surprise “But if…if some survived then why? Why were the four hundred punished by the Avatar for breaking Chaoz’s laws?! Surely a being as strict as the Avatar wouldn’t…”

Freiz glanced away as he sighed “Minisiter, there was no punishment. Not by the Avatar at least…”

“My lord…what are you saying sir? Who…what sort of disaster could kill off three hundred and ninety seven of the finest warriors the Empire had ever seen?” Lex asked, baffled at the proposition.

Freiz smiled coldly as he glanced down at his own open palms “We fools drunk on our power and skill thought the Avatar’s laws were nothing but fantasy. So it sounded like the perfect lie, to cover up for my own failure. That night, each of the four hundred was tasked with a kill. So was I, like everyone else. But just as my brothers I wished to prove myself better…My tasked kill was a young woman, seemingly no difference between her and a human but a short furry tail. I was supposed to kill only her that night, but I couldn’t help myself but seek further glory.”

Freiz’s hands turned to fists as he clenched them so hard his pale skin turned a shade of purple “There were two inside the building, one was the woman I was tasked with and the other was a mere child. The child was my partner’s kill but I, being a prince ordered the man to walk away. To leave them both to me…” his expression turning impossibly paler as he continued to tell “Like a ghost in the night I snuck into their home, making not a sound as I appeared before her bedside. A serene smile on her face as I dragged my blade through her throat.”

Lex’s eyes were wide as he stared up at the old Elf, retelling his nightmares.

“Then I heard footsteps behind me…turning around to see the young boy staring at me in the dimly lit room. Nothing but a child, maybe seven…maybe eight by their years. A short brown tail and small stubby horns soon to grow into antlers over his forehead. It was but a mere child…Yet his screams brought me down to my knees, his blood red glowing eyes full of power gazing into my own terrified stare. Nothing but a mere child…” his tone turning bitter as Freiz closed his eyes remembering that moment “Yet he controlled the wind as if second nature, culling us all like flowers. A storm passing through a meadow…”

Freiz opened his eyes, full of fear as he gazed back at Lex “Nothing but a mere child, single handedly killed three hundred and ninety seven of the Empire’s finest warriors my brothers included. All within a night…If the boy had been trained in combat, not even I would of survived. The only reason I had, was because the boy bled out from the injuries he caused to himself.” Freiz approached Lex and grabbed him by the collar “So don’t come talking to me about imposters or who’s demons these are, get out there and do your damn job Minister.”

The King let go of the Minister of defence’s collar and fixed his jacked “Monsters are coming for us Minister, not soldiers or warriors. But rabid beasts.”

Hasharr

Moss Village

In the meantime

Kyle stepped through the village’s entrance alone, his mask and outfit changed back to his normal mage robes and cloak. He did not want anybody other than Jeyd, the Elders, his guild and of course the ‘Heroes’ to know that Kyle and Yokai were the same person. Although if he found someone to replace Jeyd, he would do better without the Orc Chieftain knowing.

He simply strolled in, eyes glowing coldly as an aura of frost emanated from him. He glanced about, warriors stitching their wounds and sitting around all over. The Horde even after some hours of rest were still utterly exhausted. Defenceless as they lay about.

Yet they still glared at him as the seemingly sole Halfbeast strolled into their village alone, Kyle hoped for their own sakes he wouldn’t have to waste time today. But none of the Orcs seemed to have the stamina to mess with him, no matter how much they glared or growled each were just too pooped to even stand and walk.

Kyle walked for several minutes before reaching Jeyd’s Chieftain hut, he had walked through the village instead of asking Lilior to fly him over to assert just how badly the ‘Side Effects’ Ymir spoke about would be on the Orc’s bodies after their frenzy. The drain on their bodies seemed more significant than how Ymir put it, but Kyle left that up in the air.

He walked up to the door casually and knocked, as several continued to gaze and glare in his direction. Right after knocking he heard a roar from within the hut “How many times must I tell you! No I do not have anything for the tired-” Jeyd opened the door right then, her expression paling severely as she immediately stopped speaking once faced with Kyle’s glowing eyes.

“Not…who you expected?” Kyle asked with a raised brow “I’ve come to collect on the other side of the deal, as well as tell you the rest. As I’m sure you’ve been dying to know.” He had indeed only told Jeyd of the ritual and that one Shamanic summoning spell she used to tear Verlak asunder.

Jeyd only nodded silently, stepping out of the way as her expression remained frozen with wide eyes and a half open mouth.

Kyle sighed as he stepped inside “Well what you waiting for? Grab a piece of parchment or something!” he exclaimed once inside, making his way to the table in the corner “And shut the damn door.”

Jeyd flinched as he briefly raised his voice, accidentally slamming the door closed in a panic before rushing to the side and grabbing several scrolls of yellow parchment. She stumbled down to sit opposite of him, unrolling scroll over scroll before pulling out a long thick stick of charcoal ending into a point on one end. Laying the charcoal over the paper like a pen she glanced up and quietly waited for him to begin, trilled to archive yet terrified of offending the monster that sat across.

Kyle began to tell what Ymir had passed to him about the Orc race.

“The Orcs before they forgot their history were a Shamanic and Druidic society who unlike Humans who stole from nature or Elves who dominated it, the Orcs lived alongside it dealing with the downsides and flourishing from the perks.

Unlike the Fae the Orcs could not spiritually meld with nature, yet they could will their own grown plants to move under their command. These were called Druids.

The Orcs were also highly spiritual, yet unlike the Spirit Beasts and Halfbeasts they had strangled connections with their ancestors and no connection with the Spirit realm through mana. So instead of trying to produce Spirit through sheer will power they delved into the art of Hemomancy, Blood magic. These were classed and subclassed as Shamans and Hemomancers. Just as you but far more efficient.”

Jeyd frowned at that part.

But Kyle continued on “The warrior side of the Orc race was always present but unlike the unruly Horde of today Orcs in the past were not raiders or expansionists but highly territorial nonetheless. They had set borders they would not step outside of, but any that stepped in without being allowed in was killed on sight.

Orcs of today are warriors, barbarians and scavengers. In the past they were hunters, trappers and beast tamers. Alchemists, Sorcerers of nature and summoners of ancient spirits. It was common to see Orc civilizations living alongside packs of animals mostly including Wolves, Lions, Gorillas, Elephants and some Giant Eagle roosts. Much rarer but known were Trolls, Nagas, Wyverns and the rarest of all, Phoenixes.”

Jeyd glanced up from writing, quietly asking “What is…a Phoenix?”

Kyle wasn’t entirely surprised by her question, Ymir did say there were hunted down to extinction by the Aurei “Magical beast birds of prey, literally made of a specific element which dictated their race. Common Phoenixes were fire-based but there were Ice and Lightning based each called Cryophoenixes and Electrophoenixes separately.”

Jeyd scribbled down something, Kyle glanced down at the parchment but he had no clue what the hell she was even writing. The Orcish language was nothing like English or any other similar language but also neither rune based like Elvin and Mer. To Kyle, Jeyd was trying to draw something but not even his wildest imagination could determine what.

When she was done with her scribble, he continued “The Orcs overall were once peaceful, but…Everything changed when the Halfbeasts attacked.”

Jeyd’s attention multiplied by million as she stared at him while still somehow scribbling down notes.

“I’m sure you know at least this much, the Savannah war. You…do know this much right?” asked Kyle, growing tired of the history lesson.

“Uh…No, no records were made of the time other than what was passed down through speech…” said Jeyd awkwardly.

Kyle sighed “Fine…The Savannah war, when the Halfbeasts of the Hasharrian Dynasty decided to expand their territory into Ogre and Orc territory. Well, neither of the races were much amused and at the same time the Elves were rebelling against the Human Dominion. This was long after the Devils and Demons of Tempres were banished to another realm.

The Elves were having little success with freeing themselves of Human rule while the Orcs and Ogres were quickly being pushed out of their territory by the Halfbeast warbands. But there was a tactical advantage for both of these lesser kingdoms, the Orcs and Ogres were to the north of Hasharr and the Elven Courts controlled the West of Il’tel -Or Tera as it was once called-. So these three races could very easily interact with each other once the Elves decided to go naval.

It was controversial but also innovative at the time, the ships the Elves made were nothing like the Human dominion or Halfbeast dynasty had ever seen. They could bombard shores and river cities easily but the core Human establishments were far from their reach. The Human land military was also still far and beyond the Elves’. So the Elves did what nobody expected them to do, they abandoned Il’tel and retreated to Hasharr through the sea. Joining forces first with the Orcs before getting the Ogres to side with them also.

Il’tel was temporary lost but Hasharr was very easily won. With the Elves ruling the Hasharrian shores and many rivers, the Orcs and Ogres in unison raided Halfbeast kingdoms destroying them over several years before finally reaching the capital. Two cities in one the capital was enormous, with the Halfbeasts living behind the first wall and taking up most of the space, at the very centre was where the SpiritBeasts lived in their Crystal Kingdom, Kori.

Three months of sieging the city later by the Ogres, and several days of fighting within the walls by the Orcs and Elves. The Halfbeasts saw the end of their Dynasty, surrendering and begging for mercy before being banished to the dead land that was Barik. And when the Ogres and Orcs reached Kori, they found an empty ghost city. The Elven assassins had already killed them all.

Right after, the Elves formed the Elven Empire and began their quest to destroy the Human Dominion. Aided by both Ogre and Orc. The Dominion fell after several dozen years of war, surrendering at their last breaths then also being banished to Barik. You must know the rest from there.” Said Kyle as he finished telling the lore.

Jeyd sat up straight as she put down her make-shift pen “Yes, we do. Broken, scattered and mere spots of our past numbers we did not know what to do. Our homes were crushed, our people starving and alone. The Elves basically ruled over us then, the Ogres having long separated themselves from our ‘Alliance’. Then he came to us, in human form with his one eye and black pet crow. Odin the All-father showed us the way, how to survive through scavenging ruins. How to build buildings without the support of trees. How to raid, pillage and plunder Ogre settlements.”

Kyle sighed “And the Horde was born.”

Jeyd nodded “Yes, indeed. We’ve only had an inkling of what we once were, almost a century of war having all but blinded us all. All we had were stories of warriors riding monsters in the sky, raiders striding through the southern jungles with packs of wolves hunting by their sides. I never thought we had such classes as Druids and whatever this Alchemy is. So much we have lost, so little do we know.”

Kyle frowned as he watched the Orc clench the last parchment of empty paper, having filled each of the rest. He had only given her the bare minimum Ymir was assed to tell him, the God showing little interest in telling the history of his foe’s adopted children.

But there was nothing else he could do, pestering Ymir more would bring little results and he doubted the late Orcs within the Spirit Realm would show him much of hospitality. He wasn’t fond of the last time he stumbled into one while making his way around Hasharr. Also he could only take other SpiritBeasts into the Spirit Realm, Karnage being an exception due to her High Elf race and Lilior being his contracted companion.

But he had given her something, now it was his turn to receive. Standing up from the chair Kyle turned towards the staircase “Well? I believe it is your turn now.” Said Kyle as he gestured towards the descent.

Jyed followed his eyes and nodded “Yes…but I warn you, we may see very little.”

Kyle smirked “Something tells me that very little is exactly what I want to see.” He had sensed it before, the first time he had stepped into this house and watched the Shaman interact with the Veil to look into the future. Kyle knew well what she was doing, he also knew exactly what had stopped her.

But as he descended the steps he wasn’t afraid, yet he trembled in anticipation. Grinding his teeth as they stood within the circle of dry blood which still remained since last time, fidgeting with his robe as the Shaman began the ritual.

“Spirits of the fallen, Souls of the forgone, Wills of the dead and damned. Show me truth, Show me what is written, Show me destiny. Fate’s sight!” Jeyd chanted the words, the circle glowed as the tendrils of magic slithered up. “Are you sure you want this? Everyone sees something different, it may only show you one scene before being blocked but it may be something you do not want to see.” She asked him, now opening her eyes from concentrating on the spell.

Jeyd flinched, almost dropping the spell entirely as she saw the cold murderous eyes that stared back at her. The room had been filled with her ritual, yet the sheer amount of sickening Spirit Kyle was emitting overpowered even that. It made her stomach churn and bones cold, an aura of so much hate that she could see the walls and corners growing frost.

“I’m sure.” Responded Kyle, unable to hold back his Spirit as it even permeated his voice.

Jeyd was only able to nod, as suddenly the tendrils lunged at Kyle’s face.

Author: On repeat, the entire day…as I thought of how this scene would go xD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc6wmGW9U_w

Kyle opened his eyes to see a black tear in reality dragging through the sky, he saw Hasharr covered by war as blurred warriors fought blurred enemies. He watched as two shadowy clawed arms, gigantic by measure to the world they flowed out of the massive rift in the sky and grasped its sides before starting to pull the rift wider.

The scene suddenly disappeared as Kyle found himself standing in utter darkness, an emptiness of black yet he could still see the dark furred fox glaring down at him from ahead.

“Well…ain’t this unexpected?” mused Void as it growled down at Kyle.

Kyle chuckled coldly “Yeah as if, you knew I’d come.” He said, obviously holding himself back as his tone and voice only oozed hints of the hatred he currently felt.

Void smiled wickedly “But of course I did you fool! Why would I allow you, of all that I am blocking, to see through the Veil?”

“Truly what’s even the point anymore? You’ve lost, Scythe is dead and your army has nobody to bring you here.” Kyle lied, he knew they must have still had someone but he wanted to at least confirm just how much time they had left.

Void suddenly grew ten times in size as it sneered “You think you can squeeze answers out of me with this foolery?” it laughed, a disgusting cackle “You think you know it all, but child you know nothing at all!” It stomped forwards, its black flames suddenly engulfing Kyle’s form “Chaoz!- No everything! Reality itself will bow before me! The being which calls itself the Avatar will fall! Little by little I will devour everything that was, is and will be! I will recreate it all! I will become the Avatar!”

Kyle had disappeared within the flames, a constant torrent of black until suddenly…

The black flames burst apart as blue fire quickly grew to push it back, black, white and blue the new flame was in a frenzy of movement as it flowed and flowed. And at its very centre was Kyle, eyes afire as he glared up at Void with a crazed grin and wide insane eyes “Then I’ll just have to stop you. Chaoz will be ready, this is no longer a battle between me and you over my mind and body! This is a war for everything!”

Void laughed some more, it’s mouth wide open as it stared down at Kyle in hysteria “You?! Stop me?! Now wouldn’t that be ironic! Why fool, do you think I chose Chaoz to be the stage for my grand entrance?! A world plagued by war! Covered in hatred, anger and anguish! Full of pain, loss and fear! You will never accomplish the quest! Even as you reach the end I can see them all falling apart again!”

Kyle’s entire expression toppled, from insane to completely maddened as his fury was mirrored through his agitated flames “Then I’ll carry it all over my own fucking back! All their hatred and anger! All their pain and fear! I’ll gather it all! I’ll greedily keep it all! No matter the means or ends! You prepared me for this you senile fool, you made me who and what I am so in turn I will destroy everything you are!”

Kyle’s blue flames suddenly expanded, completely matching Void’s black “You say I know nothing!? Maybe I do not but you…For so long you’ve tormented me…For so damn long you’ve tortured me! Be it you or me, by the end of this…On this I promise you Void! We will meet again, this time in the flesh and I!-One of us…”

The scene began to crack, as if reality was shattering whilst Kyle’s voice suddenly roared out “Void! This time I’m ripping your very existence asunder!” and behind the sound of those words, the surrounding battle of flames shattered and the scene fell apart.