With the Blood Moon high in the sky shining its rays all over the city, Alexander stands at the main plaza of the Port City, at the entrance of his campaign tent, surrounded by his best soldiers and his personal guard.

Turning his sights into inside the tent, he enters. There, he sees his wife, Lady Gwynevere, sits on a chair. The skin of her face, losing more and more color by the minute, and her constant taking deep breaths, pierce Alexander’s heart.

Coming closer, he grabs her hands over her knees, and asks “How are you faring, my Sun?”

“I… I… I believe I still have time, my dear Moon” she answers while raising one of her hands to caress Alexander’s cheeks.

“I’m glad to hear this” Alexander says, imitating his wife, caressing Gwynevere’s cheeks in return. He didn’t need to ask though, everything that her body is telling him now more than enough to know that her time is coming closer.

“My dear Sun, are those Cinders that I hear outside?”

“Yes, they are. Why my dear? Are you feeling fearful of them?”

“Don’t be… silly. As if they could go pass through you. I was thinking more of our soldiers, don’t they need your help right now?”

“Worry not a thing, dear. I will go to help them right now. I just needed to see how were you faring.”

Gwynevere smiled, but with such weakness, Alexander feared that she may break apart if he continued to slowly caress her.

“I’ll be fine. Go. Your men need you” she said while giving a gentle tap to his hand.

Standing up, Alexander goes back out of the tent. At the entrance, he turns back, and says “I’m going to save you.”

Gwynevere gave another gentle smile and a slow nod. Alexander this time smiled back, and then came out of the tent.

Turning to the soldiers on the sides, he says “Protect her with your life.”

The soldier to his right answered “Worry not, my Lord. We will protect our lives the last hope of our race.”

The soldier to his left added “With our very being, not even the worst Cinder will touch her.”

Alexander nodded and continued walking, this time to outside of the circle of guards, to a building to the side of the main plaza. Entering, all the soldiers present stop everything they are doing, turn to face him, and greet him with this salute “Long live Lord Lapis!”

Raising his hand, Alexander orders “Continue with what you were doing. Where is the general?”

Hearing heavy steps coming his way, a soldier with a more ornamental armor appears before him “You requested me, My Lord. Here I am.”

“Good. Come” Alexander signals the general to the outside of the building, and both go back to the main plaza.

“How things are going?”

“Well, My Lord. The tide came just like you said it would, and the preparations against Cinders is helping us deal with the abnormal quantities we have encountered until now.”

“What about the troops from House Ruby and the other conquered states?”

“In complete disarray, My Lord. We did just what you asked for, waiting for the Cinders to be about to kill them, then in the last minute to save them, right before they get eaten by the Cinders, and round them up back at the plaza in front of the old Cathedral.”

“Good. Any particular Cinder that is getting out of hand?”

“Well, the vast majority are rank one Cinders, nothing we can’t handle with the ash tree branches. There and there we see a rank two, and until now, we have faced only a rank three, but our guys managed to break the distortion zone fast enough…”

“But?”

“Well, My Lord. There is a rank six Cinder in the city.”

Alexander stops, and turns to his general, looking him at the eyes with a sharp glare “How are you handling him?”

The general sinks between his shoulders, looking down into the ground “I’m sorry, My Lord. We are dealing with him right now by luring him all around the city.”

“Casualties?”

“Only one, My Lord.”

“What happened, general?”

“Our men saw it coming from the flooded lower plains. They didn’t know and tried to face it. I came in moments later, but it was late enough for the poor fella that got caught.”

“So, you weren’t right there.”

“No, My Lord. If I were there, I would’ve barked at the fools, to move away from it right away.”

“I see. Then it is ok. General, we don’t have many soldiers from our House right here. We need to make every one of them count.”

“I understand, My Lord… Thank you.”

Right at this moment, a Lapis soldier comes running into the main plaza, yelling “General!”. Seeing the general, this soldier comes closer, and starts panicking “General, we have a problem!”

“Soldier! Quite down! Don’t you know in whose presence are you right now?” the general answers, pointing with his open palm towards Alexander.

“Oh…” says the soldier, still taking deep breaths “I’m sorry, My Lord. I hope you can apologize this soldier for such shameful display.”

“We can worry about that later, soldier” Alexander says “You say there’s a problem. What is it?”

“Well, My Lord, general. The rank six Cinder, the one we have been resorted to just lure it all around the city?”

“Yes, what is with it?” the general asks.

“Is not following the lure anymore. Has set up the course towards the old cathedral.”

“Say no more” Alexander interrupts. Turning to the general, he orders “bring me the two biggest ash tree spears we have, my helmet too, and keep the soldiers away. They will only get in the way.”

“Right away, My Lord!”

Getting the ash trees spears and the helmet, Alexander makes way towards the old cathedral, where he can see the remnants of the house Ruby soldiers and others, all gathered in a circle at the center of the plaza. From the side of the plaza, moving through some houses, destroying them, Polsen appears sword of darkness in hand. Seeing this, Alexander engages his Aura, and blue light coming from him surrounds him, with Alexander making sure to make it really bright.

Polsen moved forward, and when it entered the plaza, he noticed Alexander’s Aura. Turning its head, it looks at Alexander, then at the group of soldiers in the middle of the plaza.

Come on, I’m right here.

But to everyone’s surprise, Polsen turns back to the soldiers, and advances towards them, ignoring Alexander.

Alexander then infuses himself with his Aura, and plunges forward, bringing both ash tree spears in front of himself. Reaching Polsen, just when he is about to hit it, Polsen raises the sword of darkness, blocking the direct hit. At the contact of the sword with the ash tree spears, the sword releases a shining light at the point of contact, rapidly vanishing, sending Polsen flying towards the old cathedral.

Turning towards the soldiers, Alexander says “Get behind me and don’t get in the way.”

Gotta keep in mind that that thing has far more strength than it lets conclude at simple sight.

Polsen gets back up. Having the hilt of the sword in its right hand, he swings it a couple of times.

“What’s wrong, can’t take out your sword?! Come to me!” Alexander yells, hitting his chest twice with his closed fists, still holding the spears.

Then, Polsen stops swinging the hilt, disintegrating it in a shroud of darkness. Looking towards Alexander, Polsen starts sliding forward, raising his large thin arms towards Alexander. As he comes within distance, Alexander touches both of its arms with the spears, letting two more sparks of light come out at the place of contact.

Polsen slides back, letting out a chilling scream in the process. Looking around him, Alexander sees how even his soldiers have taken the knee at this scream.

Can’t have that, not now.

Raising one of the spears, Alexander prepares to throw it against Polsen.

Just a little more strength, enough to pierce the darkness.

Raising the Aura infusion in his body, Alexander takes position, and throws the spear against Polsen, who still was screaming. The spear pierces Polsen through the darkness of the head, muffling Polsen’s scream while letting another spark of light come out of him.

Falling to the ground, Polsen puts its arms to stop going all the way to the ground. Alexander took this opportunity. Coming closer at high speed, he impales Polsen with the other spear he still had, letting another spark of light off, and paralyzing Polsen on the ground.

“That is what you get for underestimating me” Alexander says, as he pushes the freshly impaled spear further into Polsen.

Turning back, some of his soldiers run to his encounter “My Lord… You did it.”

“Indeed I did. Keep the spear touching him, and he will curl not before long. He is a cinder after all.”

“Will do, My Lord.”

The general comes to Alexander encounter “My Lord-”

Alexander interrupts him, asking “General, what do you know about our… plan, regarding the infiltration of the citadel?”

“Oh, ah… yes, My Lord. While you handled down the cinder, word got to me that the little ones… were set free, and they should be on their way into the citadel right now.”

“Good. That will keep them… distracted, while we prepare… the big entrance.”

“But, My Lord, if I may?”

“Go ahead, general.”

“Why didn’t we went in instead of the… those things you sent in?”

“That passage is too small for us, general. Worry not, I have… other things in mind.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

As the general goes away, Alexander looks again around him. Clearly, the Aquamarine state never lost the King’s blessing. The mere thought made him shake in anger, his frustration making a dent in his pride. One looking from the outside could see this man and think that he was completely tranquil, yet inside him, the desire to crush the late King’s skull was brightly burning.

You may have fooled me once, but in the end, I’ll win, brother.

Looking at his open palm, he could see it. His beliefs, goals, the pain and sweat and blood, everything that he has put into reaching his goal. The way to save his wife’s life, and the conquering of the entire country, at last, it was at arm’s length, and he certainly will not wait any longer to take what is his birthright.

“Now…” starts saying Alexander, as he turns to the soldiers of house Ruby “time to unite the army, under the banner of house Lapis.”

Walking towards the soldiers, Alexander starts with “Please, tell me, what has happened to Lord Falco?”