Vida gazed upon the wreckage that was Kyrarae, the once proud capitol of Aequilla. The walls of the city were in shambles and fire spread from house to house, its endless appetite consuming the ancient structures. She arrived late to the scene of battle but early enough to catch sight of Kalim and the two maidens fleeing the city.

“It’s not too late for us to return,” Vida said, removing her helmet and letting it vanish in a burst of magic. Blond hair fell to her pauldrons as she faced her master. In her left she carried a greatsword by the sheath. The blade was too long to be worn at the hip and wearing it on her back would be practically impossible to retrieve.

Telium remained firm, watching their allies approach. Despite his high age, Telium would train regularly to keep his body in shape. Even so, he knew the upcoming battle would be too much for him. “I’ve committed enough shameful acts in my life. I don’t intend on ending my life with another.”

Attia came to a halt in front of the knight and set her master down. "Look who decides to finally show up. No wonder Markus managed to kill Justinian if you dragged your feet."

"That's enough," Kalim said, holding his hand out to silence his maiden. He turned to Vida with a sense of authority as if she recognized him as her master. Only the bearer of the opaque earring could be her master. "Javed's been slain. We must avenge his loss and retake the initiative. Rouya refuses any attempts at negotiation, it's time for us to take off the gloves and up the stakes. Do it."

"You're aware of the consequences of what you ask of me?" Vida asked, holding the sheathed sword out in front of her. She met Kalim's eyes to see into the soul of the man who would have her unleash her ultimate. Not even Justinian had her do the same during the Magi War.

"It's the only way to snuff out any future conflicts. We need to erase all traces of the empire and the family that built it."

"Drawing the Zweihander would kill my master. I can only accept such a command from him and even so I do not wish to unleash the potential of my weapon. Please, master, have me seek out Rouya and end this fight by traditional means so you may return home."

Telium took a step forward on his uneasy legs. At nearly sixty years of age he was the oldest of the separatists. He removed the earring and held it in the palm of his hand. "I want you to do me a favor and see to it my grandson is made heir and receives his relic. I’ve seen my share of war for the Shah only to be defeated and serve the Padishah. I want my grandson to grow up a free man and rule our people with dignity."

"Of course. Once we've brought this to an end, I'll go there directly and tell him of your heroic deeds today," Kalim said.

"Swear by your life!"

"What's the matter my friend, don't you trust me?" Kalim grimaced. "Fine, I swear. By this time tomorrow, your grandson will be the new lord."

"Vida, I expect you to hold Satrap Kalim to his word. As your master, I order you draw Zweihander and strike down our foes."

"It was nice knowing you, master. Farewell," Vida said, unclasping the lock and pulling back on the handle. A blinding light burst off the surface of the blade accompanied by the chants of a thousand daeva as it came free of the sheath. Night turned to day, and the light bathed the land in gold. Intricate inscriptions were engraved into her sword in the old dervish tongue, a curse. It had been centuries since Vida saw the elongated blade the last time. She whirled it around so the tip faced the ground and plunged it down. The tip sliced through the earth with ease, expunging built up energy.

An eruption sounded dozens of miles beneath them in the planet's core where her strike landed. Cracks emerged all around them, small at first but swiftly growing and deepening as they spread towards Kyrarae. Trees became uprooted and fell over. A swath of farm land broke free and plummeted to the depths below. Entire planes shifted and crumbled. Kyrarae slowly crumbled as the cataclysm spread across the world.

Vida moved the sword back into her sheath and clasped the lock shut.

"So this," Telium took a final breath, "is freedom." He toppled over, the earring still clutched in his palm.

Vida turned to Kalim and hardened her expression even as she began to lose her form. The wind carried away trails of magic. "You may have been able to fool my master but I've seen plenty of men like you before. I don’t expect you to hold your word but I’ll remember this day for eternity."

Kalim shrugged and took the earring from Telium. "Once it's all over, I'll see to it you find your place at my side."

Vida disintegrated, returning to the earring with an uneasy feeling for what she had unleashed.

Helodion drew his sword from the corpse and wiped the blood off the shirt of the tribesman. More and more of the tribesmen were getting by his defenses and attacking the rear. He'd already slain over forty enemies but they kept flocking up.

The tribesmen were attacking the wall on three locations. Helodion did his best dividing his men into three groups of thirty to cover those areas of the wall with another ten in reserve. He depleted those reserves within the first hour of battle.

Helodion swung his sword down, breaking the hold and kicking the ladder back to fall on their own troops before rushing to the nearest foe. They all wore little to no armor with only the wealthiest having full gear.

"Come with me. We need to do what we can to support the line," Helodion called out to his remaining men. The handful that were left. He moved down the length of the wall, slashing at every man he saw until his sword clanked against metal and halted him in place. He glanced up at the men and peered through the slits of his helmet. His disproportionate body looked almost comical with wide shoulders and bulky arms. The man held on to a large round shield and a sword in his other hand. "Well, aren't you just charming?"

"I've had enough of you," the man grumbled and swung with his sword. The desert heat did little to wear him down but Helodion managed to move himself just out of range but he kept going and gave chase, swinging his sword left and right. Helodion's breastplate saved him several times, but he knew it only took a direct hit and he'd be dead.

Helodion saw an opening with the next swing and stepped in, slicing his sword against the backhand of the man and drawing blood. He groaned and pulled his hand away. It took him a moment to go back on the offensive, storming after him. Helodion let himself fall, sliding forward and drawing his sword up from under him. With blood spilling over him, Helodion quickly rolled to the side and wiped his face before getting back onto his feet. He may have defeated one of their warriors but at least ten more made it up the walls and cleared the ramparts of his men.

"Kaspar, I think it's time to fall back," Helodion shouted, turning on the spot and leaping off the wall and landing on a canvas. The sheet tore but slowed his descent before he crashed down on the ground with a smack and nearly broke his tailbone. He squinted at the pain, easing himself back up and running down the street. "Sound the horn, we'll move back to the marketplace and hold as long as we can."

"I told you it was a bad idea coming out here," Kaspar said, suddenly arriving from a side alley with a host of pursuers. "Don't mind if I hitch a ride with you?"

"No problem," Helodion said with a grin and halted. "Let's just get rid of the extra baggage first."

Helodion and Kaspar raised their shields to protect themselves from the storming soldiers, letting them hurl themselves against the shield and finishing them off with a swift slice into the liver. They repeated the process until their arms grew tired and a mound of bodies lay strewn in front of them.

"Time to get moving," Kaspar said, turning back around and making his way to the Mage's Guild.

By fighting on the walls, Helodion and his men had given the citizens of Ryhad some time to pull back into the center of the city but he feared it would do little but delay the eventual massacre that would ensue. He wondered for a moment if the offer Helen received would have actually saved them but he had his orders and did his best to fulfill them, even if that meant laying down his life.

A string of soldiers joined him in the retreat but out of the hundred that arrived with him, only a handful were left to put up a last stand at the arrival square.

"Move the carts back into position and get ready to set them alight," Helodion said, taking in the arrival square. There were two narrow entry points the guard would normally control to stop criminals from coming or going which he now intended to use as a bottleneck and hold out a while longer.

The five of them heaved the cart into the gap while Helodion struck a flame to a broken plank and held it in front of him. Kaspar moved to the other side of the square and set up benches in front of the entrance there. Once the enemy broke through, they wouldn't have any further lines of defense.

The sound of boots and war cries drew closer followed by the screams of the unlucky few that decided not to leave their homes and paid the price for Helodion's gamble.

Djarius had enough troops to throw at him all night and so it surprised him when their forces slowed down upon seeing their makeshift barricade. Djarius shouted to his men, two of which moved forward with caution to inspect the cart. Just as they drew closer, Kaspar sprang in from the side and drove his sword into them.

"You've made a fool of yourself," Djarius said. "You should have accepted my offer and returned to your homes. None of you needed to die here on a world you don't know or belong to. These lands belonged to my forefathers. Paid for with our blood and we are here to reclaim it."

"That's not for me to decide. What we can decide upon is sparing our people and fighting one on one. Winner takes the city, and the defeated can return to their home," Helodion said in an attempt to stall his enemy.

Djarius laughed heartily. "I'm sure you would love to improve your chances. Anything is better than the situation you are in now. Here's what I can do for you, I'll let you live in there long enough to watch my men take the rest of the city. I'll line up all the Off-worlders right here in front of you and slice their throats open one by one."

"They are innocent people. It's me who declined to surrender the city. Your fight is with me, not them."

Silence passed between them as Djarius glared at him with a blank expression. Even his troops were confused as to what was going on and whether they should attack or not. Helodion kept himself prepared for whatever move Djarius made with his left hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his side.

Come on. There's got to be someone still wanting to come here, Helodion thought, glancing over his shoulder to the empty space.

Day already broke along the horizon with the sun cresting the walls. He had to rely upon traders and merchants to get off world and morning was always the best time for them to arrive, though time varied from world to world. Experienced travelers would keep notice of their destination in order to get the most out of their stay.

"I don't negotiate with men in hiding," Djarius finally said. "Lay down your arms and let us in and we can discuss an honorable end to you and your men."

"What could be more honorable than giving your life in battle to defend others?"

Just then a streak of fire washed down the street, engulfing Djarius' detachment in flames. They cried out in pain and dropped to the ground, rolling around to put out the fire but it was too late for most of them and their pleas soon fell silent.

Djarius shouted to his men further in the rear, organizing them to form up and ready themselves for the new opponent. Balls of fire and ice flew against their shields, battering the line and knocking a few of them away but the initial surprise soon wore off.

Helen and two other magi stood further uphill, casting their magic onto the army below them and drawing their attention away from Helodion.

"You're supposed to be defending the guild," Helodion called out, stepping onto the edge of the cart and leaping over to sally out and strike against Djarius' forces while she distracted them.

"You can't tell me what to do," Helen said, preparing the next spell. Fire lit up the determined expression on her face. The army, recognizing that they were all ranged fighters, began advancing forward in a compact formation. They were an easy target for the magi but most attacks bounced off their shields. "Well, looks like I did my part. Good luck and don't think about dying today, there's still a lot of work ahead of us."

"Thanks for the advice!" Helodion charged forward, pulling his sword out and targeting Djarius in the back. He noticed Helodion approaching and turned, brandishing his scimitar and catching Helodion's attack with the crossguard. "Looks like I'll have our fight now anyway."

"You'll find nothing but death here." Djarius launched a frenzied attack, aiming for the chinks in his armor. He was faster than he appeared and Helodion struggled to match his blows in his heavy armor. Every parry wore him down further.

Catching the next attack with the length of his sword, Helodion moved in and hammered the pommel into Djarius' chest. The blow knocked him back and gave Helodion some breathing space. Djarius held his ground, letting the flood of his reserves sweep the streets and move in on Helodion.

Faced with insurmountable odds, Helodion leaped back over the barricade and set it alight.

Kaspar came up to him and they watched the fire together. "Looks like this is the end, but I just wanted you to know I was right behind you. If I'd actually managed to get over those damn carts in the first place."

A crackling sound spurred to life behind them and they both turned around in disbelief. A portal opened up, followed by a group of four men with eyes wide enough to let Helodion know they weren't staying for long.

"Keep them busy for as long as you can. I'm going to speak with the queen and get some help out our way," Helodion instructed.

Kaspar pressed his lips into a firm line. "It's too late for that. Even if you do get through to her, we'll be overrun by the time anyone arrives."

"You can still pull back."

Kaspar shook his head and smiled faintly before stretching out his hand and clasping Helodion's arm. "You go on ahead. I quite like it here. There's a sense of comfort I haven't felt in a long while in knowing how my fate will end."