"Die!" An armored warrior yelled as he swung his sword, loping off the head of his opponent.
The blood sprayed into the air, splashing onto his armor as the body slumped to the floor.
He threw his head back and yelled in exhilaration.
"DIE, YOU FUCKE—"
His words were cut short as an arrow speared through his eye, snuffing out his life.
His body fell to the floor, blood flowing to join the layer of red that painted the courtyard. Shouts filled the air as the sounds of weapons striking flesh and each other resounded through the air.
The battle was brutal as both armies tore into each other, one side defending Korrath Vale, and the other side adamant on claiming it.
And as the battle raged, one man walked calmly through the carnage, as if he was merely taking a stroll.
Raelith Veynar stood at an impressive 6 feet and 2 inches, his broad shoulders looking even more impressive in armor.
He was covered from the neck down in armor, the metal reflecting the light of the sun overhead. And on his left pauldron was the faded image of a roaring lion's head.
His head was bare, revealing an unbelievably handsome face and softly glowing green eyes. His dark silky hair spilled over his shoulders to end at his lower back.
As he walked, every step he took left scorched footsteps behind, white fire flickering around him. This gave him an intense, domineering aura.
In his right hand was a massive axe made from a single piece of bone, and with every swing, he reaped lives.
He kept moving towards his target, who roared in the middle of the courtyard as he finally dispatched his opponent.
Raelith smirked at the sight. This was Cedric Dorn, Lord of Korrath Vale. The person he needed to kill to gain control over this castle.
Korrath Vale was the last piece he needed in order to gain complete control over his empire. With it, he'd be able to control the only key passage in and out of his dominion.
Cedric Dorn caught sight of him, the man's aura immediately filling the air and crashing against him.
Raelith shrugged it off with ease, the aura nothing more than a slight breeze against him. After all, he was a Tier 7 Awakener, the same rank as Cedric. But the difference between them was that he was a seasoned Tier 7, while Cedric had just ascended days prior.
However, the same could not be said about the combatants around them.
The aura crashed into them, and the weak ones died immediately, unable to handle the pressure, and those who didn't die fled the area, creating space between the two.
"Raelith Veynar." Cedric snarled. "Tyrant of Ashenfall."
"Lord Cedric." Raelith grinned. "Sorry to drop in unannounced. I hope you weren't too inconvenienced by my visit?"
"You monster!" Cedric snarled. "How far are you willing to go to achieve your ambition?"
"As far as it takes."
Cedric spat to the side in contempt. "This is the end of the road for you, Veynar. This shall be your place of death!"
"Really?" Raelith chuckled. "I'm not so sure about that."
Cedric stepped forward, eyeing Raelith warily. There was no one on the continent that hadn't heard of Realith's combat prowess. The number of people that could match him on the continent could be counted on one hand.
Raelith chuckled at Cedric's wariness, before spreading his hands, leaving his torso undefended.
"You know what? I'll let you have one shot at me. I won't try to defend against it. If you manage to kill me with a single strike, then you win." He said, voice dropping with arrogance.
Cedric didn't need to be told twice. His halberd flashed forward, tearing through Raelith's armor with ease. The axe head of the halberd tore through his shoulder, cutting down to his waist, before emerging on the other side.
Blood sprayed through the air as Raelith was sheared into two.
But before his top half could fall, a beautiful white flame erupted from the cut, his flesh reaching out to each other. Within a single second, the fire burned, sealing his two halves back together again before dissipating.
Cedric's eyes widened in horror at the sight.
Raelith couldn't help but burst into laughter, his voice rising. "YOU SEE, CEDRIC! YOUR DEFEAT HAS ALREADY BEEN RECORDED IN THE HEAVENS! FOR TODAY, YOU SHALL DIE!"
Before Cedric could recover, Raelith burst forward with astonishing speed, his axe tearing through the air.
Cedric reacted instantly, his halberd flashing upwards to stop the attack.
Raelith grinned at the sight, before flooding his muscles with his fire, strengthening it. His axe crashed into the halberd with the force of a mountain, tearing it from Cedric's grip and sending it flying.
Cedric stumbled back from the force, his stance broken. Green energy flared around him as he tried to use his Blessing, but it was already too late.
Before he could recover, Raelith's axe descended, slamming into his forehead and splitting him into two halves.
Both halves fell to either side of Raelith with a soft splat.
Immediately, cries of their victory began to fill the air, his forces energized by the death of Cedric.
Raelith held his axe into the sky, his aura blazing around him and yelled. "FOR THE EMPIRE!"
"FOR THE EMPIRE!" His forces chorused, fighting their enemies with renewed intensity.
Raelith watched it all from where he stood, a wide grin upon his face.
This was it! His dream. His ambition. It was being fulfilled right before his very eyes. He would become the first person to unite the four great kingdoms.
"Your Majesty!"
Raelith looked up to see his second in command and loyal general, Lord Elio Dresden moving towards him.
The man was of average height, with a sword that was huge and just as tall as he was draped over a shoulder. He was also Tier 7, just like Raelith.
"Your Majesty!" Elio kneeled.
"Rise." Raelith said.
Elio rose to his feet, a grin on his face. "We've successfully breached the gate of the inner keep."
"Excellent." Veynar said. And with that, he turned, heading towards the inner keep of Korrath Vale.
He walked confidently, with the assurance of a man who knew he couldn't be harmed. At least until a huge sword pierced into his back and speared out of his chest.
Raelith stared down at the sword in shock and disbelief. Of all the people he'd expected betrayal from, Elio had never once crossed his mind.
He summoned his fire to heal himself, but his flames sputtered weakly, and he found himself losing his connection to them.
His eyes never left the sword in his chest, and for the first time in a long time, fear began to fill him.
He coughed, blood erupting from his mouth and dripping down his armor. His muscles weakened and he fell to his knees.
Footsteps reached his ears and Elio walked into view before him.
Raelith slowly raised his head as his life faded and spoke, his voice a weak rasp. "W... Why?"
Elio's expression was as hard as stone as he gazed down at Raelith. "The Oracle demanded it. You're no longer useful, Your Majesty."
Raelith stared at him in confusion and betrayal. Who was the Oracle? Had Elio been working for this Oracle all along?
A memory rose unbidden in his mind. Of the other candidate to become his right hand man.
Zephyr.
Someone he'd cast aside in his rise to power. Other memories began to flash rapidly. People he owed a debt to. Those who had helped in his rise to power. Rivals whom he still hadn't surpassed.
'If only I could do it all over again.'
And with that last thought, the cold hands of death claimed him.
His soul slipped into the eternal rivers of life and death, blazing with a brilliant white flame. The soul began to swim against the current, the last action imprinted into it upon death driving its actions.
It swam for an indeterminable amount of time, before slipping out. Immediately, it found another fragment of itself and merged within it.
The world stood silent for a moment.
Then Raelith gasped awake.