On a world not his own, Ul watched as the dark skies burned, monitoring his breathing to cool his rage as he saw the most hated Enemy, visible even from this distance.

The rage he felt was nothing compared to what he had once felt, that had cooled over with his creation, a part of him he had used in the forge.

They had brought the fight here, after years of sacrifice, years of suffering and death, to challenge a true Monster from myth itself.

The denizens of this world feared to speak It's three names, like beaten dogs they kept their heads down for fear of alerting Its wrathful gaze, but today true warriors came to face it and etch Its names into the annals of History.

"Ready!" A dwarf whose name eluded him called.

At the command which was the signal, Ul's Qi surged throughout his body, his armor bound to himself eagerly accepted his power, further reinforcement was unnecessary and he would likely need every ounce of power he had soon enough.

He had come ready, his armor was fully powered by deep-spiritual wells in the form of crystals, they would mitigate even the greatest of blows until their reserves ran dry.

His gauntlets and chest piece sported auxiliary crystal-wells from which he could draw to supplement himself and he had drunk an elixir which quickened his Qi recovery exponentially.

His helmet was tied to prevent any form of mind-altering effects or tricks the Enemy could hold, all this and still the Enemy might triumph over them.

"Geeet SET!" The second command briefly made Ul slightly nervous, there was little doubt he would likely die this day.

Soon he would join the fray, but instead of focusing on his inevitable death, he focused on the most recent memory of hatred, an aftermath of when the home-world burned.

Flesh golems molded from THEIR fallen kin, their faces twisted in eternal damnation, vampyre lords turning dwarves into horrific ghouls driven mad by their hunger for the flesh of THEIR kin, and the archliches raising their armies of skeletal undead from THEIR dead while burning, desecrating, and murdering even children.

He clenched his great-battle-ax, it was the greatest of his masterpieces, designed with purpose and hate so deep he could feel the rage clearly burning from within the weapon, he had prayed for it to live up to this final task, begging a blessing from the heavens.

He made it extensively in the years of war following the old traditions: One purpose, Three Great Offerings, and then Thirteen diverse enhancements varying from physical to spiritual.

Briefly, Ul played with a tiny talisman on his belt, it appeared a simple clear crystalline-bauble with a tiny nail inside, a toy more than a final trump, but several inordinately expensive materials went into its creations, favors upon favors and hours of refining power leading to working sleepless nights.

"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!!!!" The dwarf hollered the command, Ul knew what came the next instant.

His head jerked back, the explosion of air temporarily pressed against his lungs as the distance between him and the Monster diminished.

Focusing his Qi, Ul's mind raced, the world slowed to a Crawling Chill, and yet the battle up ahead still raged faster than mortal eyes could follow.

Forcing more Qi to the limit, he saw the others, his brothers-in-arms as they raged in dire combat against the Monster, It's demonic wingspan twisting and turning as It floated in the air in defiance of gravity, performing unbelievable feats of aerobics.

The Being's three-heads snapped at Its attacker's, battle-hardened veterans, trained specifically for aerial combat, swung at It's darkened green scales, most of their relics of power finding purchase and most simply inflicting shallow scratches.

A smaller brown scaled wyvern, roared and swooped at Ul attempting to intercept him mid-air, it died as his ax's swing near-completely bisected it from skull to tail in a mess, it's corpse falling to the ground below, Ul's stride un-halting.

He caught a glimpse of a comrade knocked by the Monster's tail sent flying to the ground, Ul prayed he survived the fall.

Another comrade was caught between two heads and torn viciously in half, and discarded as It focused on the other enemies swarming It.

At this point he had reached, sending a silent prayer to the heavens he released a blow of pent-up fury, all three energies swirled and blended perfectly.

Strength from Qi, Weight from Earth, both honed by his Mind into a blow which could cleave a mountain in half, the very air raptured at his blow.

The impact rang through his arm, his bones rattled but intact, he was Earth-born, Unyielding.

His skull collided with scaled flesh, it was like running head-first into a mountain, the collision knocked him briefly senseless as he begun to fall.

As his mind reasserted, he gripped his ax harder, as to not lose it, his fall halted as his arm held him up with little effort, startled he looked up in surprise.

Finding his ax embedded within the Monster's flesh, having cracked a scaled the size of a buckler, the entire axehead had penetrated flesh.

Ul barked a laugh until the Monster's roar and subsequent spin sent him and his weapon spinning off into the air, Dwarves roared as they fought, Ul included.

A short distance away dwarven mages flew a top platform of levitating metal, they glided about controlling their flight and holding the bulk of the Enemy's army at bay.

The greater Drakes, the arch-liches, of the Enemy's army was engaged by smaller teams of lesser-experts, these monsters were a threat themselves, but nothing compared to the Enemy.

The lesser wyverns were inconsequential and the occasional rider even less so, falling to blade or spell, their only contribution to the Enemy was shielding their betters from harm with their bodies.

These enemies crowded the skies, but they fell like flies in swarms to the ground below, to Ul they fell as though through thickened syrup.

Normally dwarves fought on the ground, closest to the earth, that was how any-sane-dwarf fought, but against this Monster, they had to improvise.

Ul channeled his Spirit summoning a boulder of earth beneath his feet, he caught sight of the Enemy and launched himself at It, obliterating the summoned earth beneath his feet.

Fire sprayed at him, Ul had perhaps one-tenth of a half-second to summon earth and launch himself in a random direction, he had a better chance living by swimming in the core than bathing in THAT fire.

He saw a mage-comrade die, it burned his casing of summoned Mithril-armor, then his ACTUAL armor beneath, and finally fried the unfortunate dwarf within, all faster than it took to think it.

Against a Monster like this, they had to keep the assault going, It's regenerative abilities were god-like, despite their blades design to hamper regenerative abilities.

Once more Ul righted his course and shot at the Enemy, he aimed and landed a glancing hit shattering a scale on a hind-leg as the monster flew past.

Ul swore and followed in the air, dwarves crowding and assaulting the Enemy, but they were not alone, wyverns, both living and dead came to their Master's aid.

Another strike pierced deeply into the underside of It's boney right-wing, the explosion of wind altered him when the Monster's claw came for him, Ul kicked himself off getting his weapon between himself and the claw, the blow sent him flying smashing a wyvern and rider to gore.

Valorous dwarves all around him maintaining their assault, they fought on, forgoing their fear, honing their rage and unleashing it, killing and dying.

Thankfully reinforcements arrived continuously, but it would not last, peak-experts were not as common as the clouds, if they did not kill the Enemy, their numbers would dwindle until they were picked away one by one.

Ul fought on, a difficult battle, to follow a beast in unfamiliar terms, but each of them had no choice, and they had their training and experience to fall back on.

Seconds felt like hours, their reserves of power dwindled slowly, but they fought, scoring both superficial and vicious wounds, but their Enemy was not weak.

Roaring the Monster spun at every chance, flicked them with Its tail, breathed It's fire upon them and swiped them with Its claws.

The Monster's Horde was near endless, Ul cleaved straight through any wyvern which got too close, but every half-second he spent on a useless minion was time NOT spent attacking the Enemy.

Ul did not count time, such a distraction would kill him, he landed blow after blow, evaded tooth and claw, as well as tail and breath.

Furiously Ul dug deeper, pushed harder and his ax once more bit at the Enemy's injured wing, a savage roar echoed and Ul threw himself off as Fire washed over the space where he once was.

Fellow dwarves seized the opening, renewing their assault, but Ul was not idle, deliberately crashing into a wyvern of bone and decayed flesh, he blasted it to pieces by launching himself off it and towards the Enemy.

The dwarves struck, again and again, the wounds on the Enemy fading and stitching, but Ul hoped those inflicted by him would not heal.

Striking again Ul aimed at the Monster's wing, seeing the slow-healing wounds of his ax there, his masterpiece was working, a savage grin spread on his face and he swung again while a team of dwarves occupied the attention of all three heads.

Ul nearly slipped as the Enemy careened downwards at an angle, sparing no time for thought he swung again and again before a warning from a fellow made him jump off.

Ships from the clouds provided aerial support from afar, they rained blasts seen only as light and fire unto lesser enemies, their force-shields besieged by endless wyverns breathing toxic fire.

No ship dared approach the Enemy, a target so large would burn instantly to Its fiery breath, instead they attempted to keep the lesser monsters at bay.

Ul roared in anger as the Enemy flew them straight through one particular ship, they had been heading in this direction for some time and the outcome was inevitable, the ships could not move as fast to evade the Enemy.

Brave dwarves fell wearing suits designed to slow their fall, they were swarmed by enemy wyverns, the dwarves fired their powered cannons, summoning bullets and blasts of molten steel unto the horde.

Such weapons were only useful for lesser foes, some wyverns fell, but the more powerful drakes shrugged off such attacks and butchered Ul's people, but he had to focus on the Enemy, he hardened his heart.

This was not the only battle, however, far below raged another, a city which spanned horizon to horizon, as far as the eye could stretch was under siege.

They had come forward, they had rallied every dwarf with sorrow in their hearts, they had come for judgment, they had come to answer the cries of Fallen, they had come for Justice.

In the vast city of the dead, preserved flesh clashed upon steel, horrifying constructs of flesh and bone clashed with golems of earth and steel, undead warriors with tortured souls clashed with stout warriors armed with grim determination.

Towers and buildings burned and fell, craters opened, the dead rose while their howls mingled with the roars of the dying, this city built on death was under siege.

With precise steps, Ul summoned earth to race the sky, scowling as the hated Enemy righted himself mid-air tail-swiping yet another brave expert to blast towards the ground.

But the Enemy was injured, Ul persevered towards him as his fellows followed, murdering every lesser monster between them and their quarry.

The Enemy's speed and power were vast, but not without limit and together THEY would prove it, even the greatest of monsters can be slain.

Ul felt the fire's immense heat before he saw it and was away before it hit, still he hounded the Enemy on Its domain.

Blasting forward to slash at an opening Ul saw his fellow dwarves hammering at the injured wing, periodically sending the Monster into small dives.

Ul powered his lungs with Qi and screamed a warning, fire blasted a hapless dwarf too slow to obey, growling Ul drew on the reserves of power from his armor to his spirit.

The battle was fierce and Ul had begun to fear the Enemy's strength would not flag, but he refused to cede, not after all their sacrifice, he would sooner fall in battle than dishonor the Fallen.

Slashing and tearing through the Enemy's flesh was not simple, but Ul persevered, once more he swung strongly at the tattered wing of the great Fiend.

Cutting down to the bone, they all fell, powerful roar momentarily deafened Ul to all else, striking again Ul struck bone chopping said bone to the marrow.

The wing worked furiously and the Enemy spun, clawed and breathed fire, Ul dodged as his allies persevered, buying time for their fellows to land hits and evade.

Another fully powered swing broke the bone, hanging by tendon and skin alone, Ul roared in triumph as the blasted Wyrm fell.

Plummeting down in what spanned an eternity to warriors of their caliber, but finally, their hated Enemy crashed through a tower, demolishing it completely, they followed cutting through all resistance of lesser drakes.

Undead swarmed the streets in droves, but these were lesser creatures, no match for war-tested peak-experts, they were crushed by layers of stone in an instant.

Clearing the crash site of lesser beings was simple, but the Enemy rose and bellowed three furious roars, spewing fire which blasted apart entire buildings of stone and mortar.

But Ul smiled, this was their domain, their Enemy was now standing on earth, and though tired here dwarves were battle-forged.

A war-cry erupted from their battalion, Ul stomped the earth, a pillar rose shattering into the lower-jaw of the leftmost head, diverting that head's intended breath.

Dwarves sank into the earth, immediately vanishing from sight as the Enemy clawed and lashed Its tail at them, Ul leaped towards the leftmost head.

Overconfident, the Enemy breathed fire at him, Ul laughed as he hurled himself out of the way the same way he flew the sky, hitting the ground three pillars shattered against their hated Enemy.

Dwarves emerged from beneath attacking furiously, wounds piled slowly, but Ul's smile stretched further, Its reserves had to be dwindling.

The Enemy stomped the ground, breathing fire while roaring with all three heads, It's breath melted even the stone beneath their feet, but these dwarves could swim in regular lava all day, as long as a hit was not too direct, they went uninjured.

They summoned hardy stone, pummeling the Enemy and burying It under rubble, but It freed itself each time, with blasts of fiery hell or sheer strength, thus even their combined earth could not hold It.

Ul tapped the earth, slowly the ground beneath began to swallow the Enemy, It roared pulling Itself free breathing fire, melting the stone and It propelled itself a distance with a single leap.

The dwarves followed, leaping through the air or swimming through earth towards their Enemy, laying in wait the Monster's lesser creations swarmed them, but were once more demolished.

As he approached Ul's eyes widened and he threw himself away from a fiery death, another ally burned, Ul roared, THIS was THEIR domain.

Shattering the entire Earth beneath the beast Ul forced the Enemy a few feet into the air briefly, a boulder landed atop the Monster pummeling him back down, might as well have dropped water for all the damage it did.

Aware such a thing would not kill it, the dwarves followed under, using their combined to sink the Enemy deeper, like quicksand.

The Enemy resisted with its spirit attempting to manipulate the earth, Its claws found purchase on stone, it breathed fire unto the earth to melt it out of their control but dwarves did not relent.

The Enemy heaved as Its shoulders and back smashed their work, the dwarves renewed their assault, some were drained of Qi others of spirit and some of both, drawing from already exhausted reservoirs.

Deeper still they took it, It broke their stone, crushed it as porcelain, It's three jaws spewing fire which burned straight through the earth, incinerating a careless ally.

With a deafening roar Ul felt pushed against the earth, their descent stopped and a surge of power shattered the earth and pushed it aside, the Enemy had opened up a lightless cavern, not that the darkness hampered a dwarf.

Ul frowned as he felt a resistance to his earth-shaping, the dammed Monster was manipulating the earth, halting even their combined might, perhaps they had exhausted themselves, either that or the Monster was on its last legs.

Here and now, the Enemy's chest was ragged, It was exerting Itself keeping the earth still, free from the influence of their interference.

Still, Ul was no fool, It was impossible for the Enemy to truly tire out, no doubt Its strength would return eventually, they had already weakened It with a continuous assault, the Fiend had to die NOW.

His brothers knew this, as one they gathered their flagging strength and barrelled into the spacious chamber the beast had hastily created, they had to kill it with their arms.

An explosion of fire, far weaker than its breath exploded from Its entire body in a blast, Ul protected himself by encasing himself in solid Immortal-grade-armor, most his fellow warriors used lesser protection, such attacks were useless, but the breathable air was gone.

It mattered not Ul could hold his breath for hours on end, and if absolutely necessary a function from his helmet could also filter oxygen directly to his face by supplying Qi.

The chamber was small, but everyone moved at the same time, the enemy clawed at him, Ul rolled and swiped at Its arm, drawing blood.

Another dwarf was caught in the jaws of the middle head, and another chopped its tail, they battered the Monster together, its regenerative abilities had ceased.

As the Enemy crushed the dwarf in Its jaws and thrashed, Ul dodged fire from the mouth of the right head as another dwarf similarly dodged the left head.

Noble brothers climbed atop the Fiend picking at Its scales as It heaved them off, crashing unto the walls and stomping some under Its heels, but dwarves were sturdy.

Surprised Ul watched as the middle head fell limp, the Enemy's other two heads roaring in agony.

Ul and an Ally distracted the remaining heads, they closed the distance, at a distance Its breath would kill them.

A heroic dwarf got a jump from behind, stashing his sword into the eye of the left head, a claw lashed out and crushed the dwarf, but Ul's Ally seized that opportunity to attack.

As the Monster thrashed an explosion of fire erupted again, Ul got under the right head and slashed at the unprotected throat, cutting deeply into an artery which spurted burning blood.

A swipe came for him, Ul jumped over it to hit the wall on the right and then blast himself on the Monster's head, blinding an eye and then another as it spewed blood in It's thrashing.

He felt the Enemy's control over the earth slacken, instantly he crushed his final trump, a talisman, summoning a spike of blessed Titans-steel larger than his entire body, boosted by his Qi it slammed into the skull with a resounding crack, nailing the head deep into the earth as brain and blood splattered like crushed fruit.

That took far more energy than he had been comfortable, but the result was worth it.

With the second head dead, It's control over the earth vanished completely, he used only his earth-senses to guide him to the final head.

His remaining Allies were viciously evading the Enemy's arm, the other arm had ceased to move, the remaining dwarves brought the ceiling down on the Enemy, entrapping It, they worked furiously to hold it in place.

Ul hit the Enemy's head with everything he had, he felt it twitch, It's Qi had likely run out, his ax was biting much deeper than before, he felt the others help, but his battle-ax was a master-work parting Its flesh like lumber.

For every dwarf in the home-world he hit it again with the strength of a collapsing mountain, his Qi reserves were guttering out, but he hit it again until IT spasmed and went still.

Ul didn't know how long he spent swinging at the Enemy, but he recovered eventually to realize their victory for what it was, they had completely beheaded the final head of the Dragonic Bane.

The Conqueror was dead.

This was far from a complete victory, the Dragon's brood of arch-liches still led his armies, but without their leader, they would likely descend into anarchy.

Even if they did not, liches, even the most powerful of the draconic arch-liches, were fodder compared to their Master, their home-world and many others would be safe from them.

They dragged the corpse to the surface, messaging for back up, the body had to be destroyed completely, the ashes would be purified and scattered to the cosmos, nothing would be left to chance.

And it's soul would be broken down, draining Its power permanently until It re-joined the great-cycle as a mere mortal soul, perhaps then it would atone for all Its atrocities.