~ close to The Sea of Blades ~

  [The Year 9840 in the Age of Heroes]

  A MAJESTIC BIRD WAS FLYING above a thick blanket of puffy, white clouds.

  Not many creatures were able to survive in such harsh conditions at these lofty heights. The curvature of the world was already starting to be visible. The air was freezing and powerful air currents, similar in force to the majestic ones only found in the Sky Realm, crisscrossed the vast blue sky. This type of creature was famous for its camouflage ability that empowered it to adapt to its environment. Currently, it had imitated the colours of the sky and was hard to properly see. It sailed above the clouds, intermittently diving into them looking for prey. Each time its feathers transitioned from sky blue to white and vice versa in a matter of seconds. The creature was a true predator of the skies.

  All of a sudden, the creature noticed a disturbance in the ambient mana currents on the horizon. It had experienced everything in the skies, or so it thought. And yet, this phenomenon was new. But it was still very far away and nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. The bird was here looking for prey, not to observe some distant curiosity, after all. So it resumed its hunt, diving into the clouds and re-emerging shortly after.

  Alarmingly, the anomaly displayed tremendous speeds. Reappearing from its second dive, the bird had to use all of its unique abilities to evade the speeding anomaly at the last second. The creature suddenly became intangible, as if it had become one with the clouds itself. A split second later, the anomaly tore through the spot the bird had only occupied seconds earlier and blazed on.

  The bird, in its escape, was still able to see the anomaly for only a fraction of a moment. Its supernatural senses picked up some highly unusual details that it just couldn’t place in its natural territory. It saw an elongated, shimmering object that was surrounded by a multitude of wildly circulating air-mana tendrils that seemed to drill through the air. Strangely, the anomaly emitted no sounds. It just blazed through the air at an unbelievably fast space. Nothing that any physical creature could surely be able to do. Nonetheless, the bird was left stupefied. It had been able to notice, to its immense surprise, five individuals floating inside the object.

  The bird kept looking after the disappearing anomaly, when a sudden and encompassing boom shattered the silence. The shockwave pushed the clouds under it away and one lone, majestic bird was catapulted into even loftier heights.

  Five individuals looked at each other curiously. They all had felt a tiny presence close to them for a fraction of a moment.

  “Huh… Did you feel that?” a behemoth of a man rumbled to the others. He extruded a presence that weighed like a mountain. His body was huge, showing off massive muscles seemingly sculptured in perfection. His skin looked like obsidian with fine cracks in-between, but this didn’t diminish his oppressive presence in the slightest. His eyes resembled two polished diamonds and he wore a short unkempt beard in which many softly glowing gems were interwoven. Previously known as the “Earth’s Monarch”, he stood at the pinnacle this world could offer. He had recently evolved into this even more powerful form after acquiring the legendary elemental shard of earth.

  “Yes, we just passed one of the mighty Sky-predators of this region. A massive bird that hunts between the clouds and upper atmosphere.”, a willowy feminine figure responded. She stood in the middle of the group and had briefly looked towards the titan of a man with piercing silver eyes while responding. After the man had acknowledged her with a nod, she resumed her previous task and closed her eyes.

  She was responsible for the object, made up of extremely condensed air-mana, surrounding them. She had formed this mana-construct at the beginning of their journey for the fastest possible transit. Since the method of teleportation, especially the Gates closest to their destination, had been mostly destroyed by the Devourer’s minions, the five individuals had to rely on this “slower” method of travel.

  The famous “Air’s Monarch” was a woman writhed in swirling gusts, her form almost intangible as if she was more spirit than flesh. She wore robes woven from storm clouds and mist, which slowly flattered around her even in the most wind-still location. The Monarchs around her had surreptitiously noticed that she seemed to float in the air wherever she stood since she had also progressed into her current form only a short time ago.

  “How long is this ride going to take? I have difficulties reaching my water element in this absurd cocoon of blasted wind!”, another woman exclaimed on their left. She was a short woman, capable of great compassion or of great damage through instantaneous mood switches that she often displayed. She was the embodiment of water, representing every aspect of this multifaceted element - known as the “Water’s Monarch”. She looked expectancy towards their navigator with an exasperated gaze, her eyes seemingly as bottomless and dark as the deepest trench in the seas, projecting the weight of a whole ocean pressing upon you.

  “Repeating the question every now and then won’t make us travel any faster. We are going at the maximum speed as it is!”, the Air Monarch retorted.

  “Calm yourselves. After all, we must be close.”, a calm voice, tinged with underlying power, interrupted them. Both women stopped glaring at each other and turned their attention to the man standing at the front. Usually such a brusque address would have resulted in a swift beat down from both of them. But their gazes rather resembled children who had been chided by their grandfather. None dared to contradict him.

  The man stood slightly stooped, resting his weight on a gnarled wooden stick. He never strayed with his gaze, keeping his focus with a thoughtful expression on the clouds passing under them. An old man, deep in thought. A man who had witnessed many spectacles in the current Age. A man that was known in every corner of the worlds. A figure of hope in the darkest days the worlds had ever found themselves in. The Monarchs were tremendously powerful. However, they would never win in a fair fight against the fragile Elder. He was Alvar Sotaris - the most powerful living being this Age had ever seen.

  He wore an old light grey cape, patched in numerous places, around his skeletal shoulders. A huge contrast to the Earth Monarch not far away. Nonetheless, he extruded immense power. His body was surrounded by a nearly invisible glow - his manifested aura.

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  “Honourable Elder, what will be the plan once we arrive on the battlefield?” a deep voice asked from the back. The old man slightly turned his head towards the individual, acknowledging his question.

  A lithe man stood in the back of the group. His outward appearance continuously shifted between a humanoid silhouette of raging flames and a normal body. His eyes had the colour of molten gold with swirls of red on the periphery. The “Fire’s Monarch” gazed at the old mans back, waiting for him to answer.

  They all gazed at him.

  “The Devourer and its horde have surely began their assault by now. If everything went how I believe it to have gone, the first two defensive lines will have fallen by now. A tragic, although necessary loss. I commend the bravery of the warriors who have sacrificed their lives trying to keep the Souleaten at bay. They won’t be the last.”, the old man finally answered and suddenly turned, looking at each Monarch in turn.

  “Our arrival on the battlefield will work as a surprise attack only once. The enemy has surely found out that we will join this final battle, for there will be no other after it either way. The world is at the brink of collapse and we must influence the outcome no matter the cost. This is our duty. An uncountable number of armies has paid a heavy blood price buying you all the necessary time to defeat the elemental cataclysms and to take your progression so far. You are now one with your element. It will be our turn now to serve the worlds. The Devourer knows this. It will expect us to arrive, but cannot predict the exact moment. Thanks to this exceptionally speedy construct and the hiding runes I have implemented around us, we will surprise them for only a short and decisive moment. We will fall upon the horde and vanquish as many of them as possible. Once the Devourer engages us in battle we will have our hands full, rest assured. Do not hold back when it will confront us.”, the old man finished addressing them, looking at each one in turn.

  “Prepare yourselves, I can sense them on the horizon…”, the man murmured one last time, turning around and trying to enjoy one last final moment of peace before all hell would break loose.

  ***

  The horde did not slow. They never did.

  The mindless Souleaten proceeded at a reckless pace, some commanders visible in their midst. The enemy advanced, seeking to throw themselves against the mobile mana-forts just a small distance in front of them. However, the fortified mages had to disagree with that notion.

  All of a sudden, mere moments before the mindless horde impacted the next defensive line, the air around the spread groups of mages started to blindingly glow. With a resounding boom, a supercharged magical attack was sent on its way towards the foe. A wave of blistering mana rose against them and immediately enveloped the approaching mass of bodies. They got instantly incinerated while the wave continued to spread out. Some mana shields, differing in size and quality, were formed on the horde’s side but were instantly shattered after connecting with the attack. The mana wave continued unabated for many minutes until slowly losing consistency and disappearing as if nothing had happened.

  The whole army was presented with an impressive sight. The previously filled stretch of land in front of the One Army was now a desolate place. Nothing remained in the wake of such an enormous mana attack. The fortifications of stakes were gone, the mounds of bodies were nowhere to be seen and not a single blade of grass remained. Dry and cracked soil was left in their place.

  Even so, the respite was only short-lived. The soldiers could already see the horde regrouping and advancing on them on the horizon. They would be upon them again in short notice.

  Yet again, the lands were covered by an endless sea of husks as far the eye could see. A fresh barrage of arrows from the One Army whistled through the sky, blackening the air before raining down upon the enemy. Some fell, but most did not even react to the shafts buried deep in their flesh. The commanders among them, however, snarled and ducked behind the ranks of their minions, biding their time for the next assault.

  A soldier wiped sweat and blood from his brow, his heartbeat hammering in his ears. He looked at a soldier next to him, who tightened her grip on her sword, her face set in grim determination. There was no time to rest.

  The horde surged onwards, throwing themselves against the bristling defences of the One Army. Warriors met the charge head-on, slashing, hacking, barely holding their footing as the press of bodies never stopped. A Souleaten grabbed a soldier by the arm, its grip like a vice and threw him back into a group of Souleaten. His terrified cries were soon silenced.

  All around, men and women screamed, steel met flesh, and the earth was soaked with blood again. The battle was not just a clash of armies - it was a slaughter. Chaos reigned, a desperate struggle to hold back an unending tide of death. And in the distance, beyond the writhing mass of bodies, the commanders of the horde silently advanced, waiting for the moment to strike again.

  The soldier had transitioned from an excited youth to a terrified spectator. Not in his worst nightmares could he have imagined such a slaughter. He had noticed that the whole army had slowly started to move forward, step by step, replacing their fallen comrades in the slaughter-house the frontlines had become.

  “I see you have noticed it at last.”, the squad leader suddenly appeared right next to him, looking towards the battle.

  The soldier only nodded slightly, not able to formulate a proper reply. The words were stuck in his throat.

  The burly squad leader took notice of this and tried to reassure the youth next to him with an encouraging pad on the back.

  “Know this. And i will be brutally honest with you, because you deserve the truth. When it will be our turn - and it surely will come to be if this keeps going - it will make no difference where and when you were placed in this army. We will all be dead then.”, the man announced. He started to turn around again when he suddenly stopped and reversed his motion. The soldier felt the sudden change and noticed the eyes of the squad leader widening, a hopeful grin blossoming on his face a moment later.

  “It seems that I was wrong! Lady Luck, truly, is favouring us today boy! … Look up!”, the squad leader exclaimed.

  The fights on the frontline had become more desperate by the minute. Arrows upon arrows were poured upon the advancing foes. Mages were sending magic attacks as fast as their mana pool and regeneration allowed. Even the mighty dragons were on full display, circling above the fights and nose diving into the midst of battle pouring fire over unsuspecting masses of husks. To the shock of everyone present, some dragons had been slain on such a dive in the beginning. Enemy Commanders had launched black lances brimming with power towards the proud creatures and had been victorious on some occasion.

  The cacophony of sounds such a battle produced, however, was suddenly interrupted. An even bigger clamour originated from the low hanging clouds and an object shot out of them radiating unbelievable power. It was heading straight into the midst of the horde. The object fell like a meteor towards the earth and impacted the ground with an ear shattering explosion, throwing Souleaten, enemy commanders and debris alike around.

  The One Army cheered and roared their approval towards the skies while increasing their speed even further. Only the Earth Monarch himself could have shown such a display of physical might for all of them to see. After his speedy arrival, four more dots exited the low hanging clouds and descended towards the battlefield. The Five had finally arrived and the soldiers threw themselves against their enemy with renewed vigour.

  The other three Monarchs didn’t wait any longer, each of them zipped towards another part of the battlefield and began to unleash unimaginable slaughter upon the Souleaten. Pristine water, fire, earth and wind magic was wielded against the foe and an elemental cataclysm of epic proportions engulfed the advancing hordes.