High atop the overlooking hill amidst the city-fortress of Draconia, the castle lay looming over it all. Many a balcony laying overlooking the streets, all but one were empty.

Thea gazed down over her people, donning her armour and sheathed blade. Her hair briefly fluttered in the wind as a voice came from behind her, where a large meeting room lay hastily set up.

"I apologise...Thea I...I never noticed them..." Shizuka pleaded.

Thea shook her head, "It is not your fault, little one. Those two are just as little bit as stealthy as the mother that trained them." She sighed.

"It is quite the problem though." Said another voice, as a red-robed mage sat up from his seat at the table, collecting a stack of papers. "Now the enemy has three targets free for the taking as hostage possibilities."

"I wouldn't quite consider them "free for the taking" there." Said a fourth voice from the table's centre, where a small mirror-like object lay. "Those boys are just as deadly as their mother as well!" Nerick chuckled.

"Sir Nerick, I did not notice you connected." the red mage mused.

"Handy these things you gotten us Sir Chilled!" Nerick exclaimed as the sound of wind bursting through encompassed his voice.

"Nerick, has there been any sign?" Thea then said, turning to the table as she gazed into the mirror, seeing what he saw.

A land of fire and shadows, the very earth and sky one alike with each other, crimson and dead yet bursting with corruption and vile atrocities to life.

The fifth layer of hell was just as much plentiful of warped creation as it was void of everything else. A massive jungle of pure corruption, the plant-like demonic beings that inhabited filling the entire layer from top to bottom.

As Nerick flew above and beneath it all, riding the massive drake that was Ivara and tailed by a squadron of his wyvern riders.

"I'm sorry Thea, not a word from our lord. The last sighting indicated he came down here, but we've been unable to track any further." Nerick grumbled. "We've instead routed to assist the Dwarven Union in the defence of this new portal. How is it going on your front?"

"I can at least say." Thea sighed through the device in his ear, "We have identified the magic and casters being used to open the portals, and that ninth one you are at has been the most recent and last allowed to open. Makaela and her shadows have hunted down and stopped a tenth and eleventh opening. She is...on her way to a twelfth."

Pulling aside suddenly, Ivara just barely avoided a large violet tangle of vines that flown up at them from below.

Below was the very forest of violet and crimson slowly encroached on a large wall of stone and iron surrounding the portal opening up to four times in a swirling fashion. Legions of Dwarves donning armour or mechanized armoured suits swarmed the wall, manning cannons or forming firing lines of riflemen.

As the living forest of wrathing violet approached, Nerick watched the dwarven forces prepare.

"Hold! Hold yer trigger!" An officer bellowed, as weapons lit up with complex runic inscriptions, rifle barrels and cannons slowly powering up with bright mana.

As the entire wall came alight.

"Hold!"

Seeing his opening, "Dive!" Nerick called out with a magically empowered voice, as suddenly his and his mount's form shifted to a cloud of shadow, merging with each other.

The cloud dove down, as did the swarm of wyverns behind it, as moments before reaching the ground the cloud reformed into a two-headed black and silver scales draconic beast which spewed a breath of pure darkness upon the encroaching wildlife. Its vast wings beating a single time as it turned up from its dive, sending it soaring forth.

The wyvern riders did the same, diving down before pulling up in formation, letting out a collection of breath attacks upon the remains Ivara and Nerick left behind. Following their leader all around the wall as they charred, melted and froze everything in their path.

Or at least, that is what it looked like on the surface.

When the squadron of wyverns pulled up, "Hold!" still the dwarves called out.

As they waited, and watched.

As out of the destroyed crimson dirt, mounds began to form.

Rising literally out of the ashes and frozen corpses of the violet flora, humanoid looking beings made of crackling black roots burst out. Hundreds, thousands, they dotted the field of dust between the dwarven fortress and the still encroaching jungle.

Tall lanky demons made of ever-shifting black and brown bark, as crimson energy crackled underneath, occasionally striking out from under their skins like bloody electricity.

Unnerved by the sight, the Dwarven officer solemnly grunted before taking out his side arm and taking aim as well. "Fire!" He called out, and all around the wall magically empowered barrages of projectiles descended upon the demons. The riflemen pierced holes through the creatures enmass, but that seemed to only slow them down, a momentary stun as the plant-life creatures simply pushed on.

The cannons on the other hand, sent dozens of them flying in each every direction, only a handful bursting into fragments at the very center of each explosion.

But those that were sent soaring...when they landed, suddenly the crimson energy underneath their skins shuddered and turned emerald green.

Their previously plain and featureless faces, lit up with hollow emerald eye sockets and a wide almost screaming maw of much the same. As they rose back to their feet, the eery sound of a tone-deaf screech left each of them, creating a cacophony of horror.

When, they stood up, and with a sudden burst of speed...the screamers as the dwarves had named them, rushed forth like bullets themselves.

And with almost uncanny dexterity, they evaded further cannon blasts and bullets. Leaping from left to right, they only increased in number as the barrage went on.

But as they approached the first line of defence, almost golem-like mechanised suits of armour dropped off the wall and formed lines ahead of it. Each raising two weaponized hands, the barrels at each end began to turn and churn.

"Let em have it!" Nerick called out from above, having reformed into two beings, rider and mount. And at his call, the forge-mechs began firing the twin flamethrowers they wielded.

As even the slightest bit of fire touched a screamer, the demon suddenly exploded in a blast of crackling green energy. Creating a bone-chilling display of magical warfare across the entire field.

"S-Sir Nerick, uhm, status?" A voice spoke into his ear.

"We're holding them back, but they seem to never end." Nerick sighed, "We might have no choice but to destroy the portal."

At those words, Thea collapsed into her chair. "We are sure, he's there?"

"The dwarven scouts spotted a mountain-sized dragon flying out of the portal and off in the distance, we cannot confirm he was atop but..." Nerick trailed off.

"We cannot say he wasn't." Thea confirmed.

"This realm, Thea, is vast. The dwarves think it's at least ten times the size of Faetera, and every inch of it is covered in this vile corrupted forest." Nerick explained, as he himself gazed away from the battlefield and at the horizon of violet fog.

The sound of papers being ruffled reached his ears, as on the other side the red mage picked up a stack of papers and began standing up. "I will, confer what we've discussed to the boss." He said, taking his leave after Thea nodded back, making himself scarce as he recognized the personal theme of this moment.

As the otherworlder left, Thea sank into her chair, "Why there?" She pondered out loud, but neither Nerick nor Shizuka responded, she didn't expect them to have one though.

"He's always, so stubborn, on doing things his way." Thea mused, "Always, so secretive...Always so prone to do thing alone."

Shizuka nodded, "Master must think, he's protecting us by keeping us out." she grumbled.

"He always thinks, he knows best for everyone." Thea sighed once more, "Though, he usually is right..."

"We will find them, Thea." Nerick then said.

"I will not even begin to lie and say I understand that book." Shizuka said, "But I will find them." She then stated, meeting Thea's solemn gaze with her own fierce eyes. "The boys and your daughter. I will bring them back." Shizuka exclaimed, taking the bundle of cloth that lay by her side out then, and laying it on the table before her.

"Shizuka, the book is inert." Thea added, as she watched her unwrap it, then opening the tome onto the first page. "The boys used up, whatever uses it had left."

"But the signature, is still upon it." Shizuka added, "The essence, of an extraplanar rift. I can feel it, I simply need to find the right spot...Somewhere, with enough cracks in the veil." She then suddenly closed up the book, not even bothering to wrap it up. "I will find them." She repeated, bowing her head respectfully before heading out.

Thea watched her leave, as the room now emptied with all but her.

Silence fell, cut through by Nerick, "Things are not getting prettier here, you hold on there, you hear?"

"Holding on, is all I have left to do...Nerick." Thea said solemnly, her gaze dropping to the table. "Where is my husband? Where have my sons gone?...Where...Where is my daughter? Two years Nerick it has been..."

"I do not know, Thea, but I know you. I know them, and they are doing exactly what you're doing. Fighting." Nerick assured. "Those two boys, I taught them to wield the blade, you taught them to lead people, and Makaela taught them to harness both. Erik himself taught them to use the power within themselves and...And I dispose myself to feel bad for whoever has pissed them off."

Elsewhere...in another realm...

The forest's air shuddered as a bellowing sound sundered through it, birds across the tree-tops fleeing off in surprise as the Dragon's roar echoed over.

"Who dares..." Said a growling voice as two figures lay standing amidst the brush, violet eyes of demonic entities surrounding them in the dark.

As runes began forming over both of their bodies, the shorter thinner one gaining a ferocious crimson glow as the runes seared across his skin, and the taller bulkier one gaining a sparking aura of electricity as sharp golden runes lit up all across his own.

"She cries out in pain." Erael growled.

"Who dares lay a hand on her?" Ziethael growled too, their voices like quaking earth.

As the axe within Erael's palms lit up with a thunderous storm encircling its blade.

And wisps of blood-red flame began forming all around Ziethael's surroundings.

"This land, this world, if it has brought pain to our dear sister..." Ziethael mused as he bared his fangs, his face contorting bestially.

"Then we princes of Draconia shall lay waste to its continents, dry up its oceans and melt its cities." Erael too, as both of their eyes began to gain a golden glow.

As another draconic cry filled the air, and this time the air did not simply shudder.

The very space in this part of the forest, under the cover of the trees, it all quaked.

As the pressure suddenly crushed down the bushes into grass, pulled down branches too weak to bend, and forced each demon around them to their knees.

The two brothers spoke as one, "We shall repeat ourselves only once more." They spoke in a hiss now, at first, before their voices bellowed out like thunder. Both roared out into the sky, as it contorted, storm clouds forming above them and begining to pour rain onto the forest.

"The wrath of these two Dragons, who wishes to face it first?"