NationStates Jolt Archive

CHAPTER THREE

Moonlight shone down upon the opposing forces, favouring neither side. On one side stood the graceful elves of Silver Forests, making a final stand against the rampaging vampiric horde. Their ranks stood in perfect formation, all bearing impeccable armour and finely crafted weapons. They appeared to be a highly professional army compared to the rag tag vampire force. Each vampire bore his own individual weapon, varying from short swords and shields to double axes and lances. There was no uniform amongst the army and the only factor constant amongst them all was their apparent lack of hygiene and grooming. This could of course be blamed upon the lack of organisation from the army leaders, Marduk and Svartel. With the excitement of breeding such an army in mind, Svartel had rushed his efforts in changing humans, not thinking about resources for battle, and so they had merely grabbed whatever was handy.

Even though their army was poorly equipped, their numbers were ever growing as the vampires were instructed to sire any humans they came across, effectively adding to the army whilst creating weaker strains of vampire that could not individually challenge their masters. With such an overwhelming force at their hands, Marduk and Svartel had returned to the south of Assington and began a thorough purge of all elves within the vicinity. Their massive numbers were unstoppable, no matter the efforts of valiant elven warriors.

Silver Forest loomed behind the defensive elves, blocking the moon from view and casting an ominous shadow over the army. Archers stood at the ready, prepared to unleash volley upon volley of silver tipped arrows into the vampiric horde. They could only hope enough of the enemy could be downed before they were to engage in melee combat. The elves may be outnumbered but they would not stand down against this invading force, they would not flee from their homes. It was victory or death.

A sharp whistle signaled the attack, causing masses of vampires to charge upon the shadowed elves. The air whistled in return as masses of arrows were unleashed towards the vampires, causing several to fall to the ground as they writhed in agony from the searing silver embedded within their flesh. Unfortunately for the elves, vampiric speed allowed the enemy to engage the elven defenders with a much larger force than intended. They were outnumbered to the point where victory was impossible. And still they fought, to the very end.
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Loneliness was something Skadi had never been accustomed to. Throughout her entire life she had always had some company, whether it be Idun, Uller, her family or one of the many villagers she used to live with. And now, she was alone. Uller was dead, Idun had abandoned her for elves, Sithaer had disappeared on some urgent mage business and she was holed up in Emerald City, almost the furthest away from her family she could be within Assingtonian borders.

It had been almost a week, alone in this old dusty building without a single companion to share her thoughts with. The only thing Skadi had left was the blade Uller forged for her, yet that provided no solace and only helped to dig up painful memories. Under the risk of losing her sanity, Skadi decided she must return to her village, to her family. Without giving the notion a second thought, Skadi packed what little belongings she had. A sword, cloak, purse of money and Uller’s blade.

Hours seemed like days as Skadi waited for the lethal sun to plunge into the horizon and disappear, yet finally it occurred and she was free to travel. Being of a supernatural nature, Skadi found that travelling was much easier and faster with her heightened speed and senses. Two and a half weeks of uneventful night travel along the countryside finally found Skadi within her home village once again.

Almost nothing had changed since she left. The village still appeared to be the quiet little settlement it always was. No evidence remained of the attack by Marduk all those years ago and it was likely most of the residents had forgotten such ever happened. That’s how the villagers were. They almost existed in another world where violence and bad things never happened. Although Skadi strongly disagreed with their views these days, they were still her family and friends.

Skadi couldn’t help but smile as she passed through the village, noting little details from her childhood and remembering which people lived where. Finally she came across her own house and opened the door. Little did Skadi know what events would unfold from her return…
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Sithaer was sick to death of dusty old scrolls and parchments. Ever since he had abandoned Skadi to report back to the council, he’d been stuffed inside this dirty old archive with several other mages, searching for something to give them an upper hand in the fight against Marduk. There were two main problems. Marduk was part higher demon, a being of significant magical resistance and power, yet he was also part human mage and therefore held a wealth of knowledge within his twisted mind.

Days of searching through old records of spells and conflicts had turned out nothing. Unfortunately there was little record of anti-demonic magiks since those mages responsible for such spells had died back in the great war between elves and demons. To make things even worse, the mages were under a time restraint. Every day that passed meant Marduk’s army had wiped out even more elves and Assington was in danger of losing their elven population forever. Such an occurrence was unthinkable to the mages; they needed the elves for the well being of Assington. Whilst they may have a great wealth of arcane knowledge, the environment would decay around them without the elven ability to balance nature.

Sighing in resignation, Sithaer slumped down upon his desk and ignored the cloud of dust that shot upward and loomed over his weary form. Unfortunately for the mage, his rest was short lived when a chirpy initiate arrived at his side, attempting to gain his attention.

“Master, the other mages have found something. Look!”

Sithaer rose slowly and claimed the parchment, reading over it carefully. His face became pale as he progressed through the spell, outlining the requirements for such a binding. It would indeed work, yet the cost was significant.

“I see. Keep searching, this is our last option.”

The initiate didn’t seem to notice his master’s disturbed expression as he ran off, leaving Sithaer to return to his rest and plunge into unnerving nightmares.
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Animals and insects chirped away happily within the depths of Emerald Forest. Night birds hooted whilst crickets whistled and a calm breeze flowed through the sturdy forest. Idun couldn’t feel more at home within these woods, at peace with the animals and nature. Idun couldn’t help the way he was, he just hated violence and harming others. Fortunately for him, the elves could see this earnest yearning within him to be at peace and had accepted him within their ranks. Despite the fact Idun was a vampire, he was welcome amongst the elves and had begun to form strong friendships with many of them as they instructed him upon their way of life.

Several days of meditation had helped Idun come to a conclusion regarding his life. He would not be returning to his village, nor back to Skadi. He would remain with the elves, wherever they may go. Idun considered himself more elven than vampiric or human and had adapted many of their customs willingly. Now walking through the forest at night, Idun didn’t fear the noises of such creatures, he welcomed them. The forest was like his second home yet felt far more natural to him. The harmony with nature and peaceful living was all Idun could ask for.

Finally arriving back in the designated area of elven settlement, Idun looked up to see faint glows from tree homes and pathways suspended above the ground. The elven village was truly a magnificent sight that blew his breath away every time. Mere seconds later, an elf descended from the treetops, holding onto a sturdy looking vine that prevented his death plummet. Greeting Idun with a nod, he inquired about the vampire’s decision.

“Have you come to a conclusion?”

“Yes, I wish to remain with you.”

The elf smiled, displayed the warmth and kindness within his nature.

“Welcome then, brother Idun.”

The elf offered Idun the vine and the pair ascended into the treetops…

Skadi's soft tread made more noise than she anticipated upon ths squeaky floorboards of her old time home. Within seconds she could hear movement upstairs, most likely her father. The thought of seeing his surprise when he recognised her put a smile across the young vampire's face, anticipating a happy family reunion.

The stairs groaned against a thumping weight as her father finally entered the kitchen and found his lost daugther sitting at the table, looking no different than she did two years ago. Startled to motionless, Skadi's father relaxed all his muscles and cursed as the lantern within his hand plunged towards the wooden floor, risking a fire.

This time startled to the point of falling backwards, Skadi's father watched in amazement as the lantern halted in mid fall and began rising against gravity, heading towards Skadi before it finally settled upon the table. With a proud smile across her face, Skadi spoke.

"Hello Daddy..."

"Skadi... is it really you?"

"Aye."

Forgetting the floating lantern, Skadi's dad jumped to his feet and scooped up Skadi within his arms, pulling her tightly against him.

"I can't believe it, you're alive! We looked all over for you but couldn't find you, Idun, Uller, Lysar or Svartel. What happened, where are the others?"

Before Skadi could begin to answer any of these questions, Skadi's father rushed upstairs and led the remaining members of her family downstairs. Mother, brother and sister all took turns in welcoming their lost sister back home, all overjoyed at her return. Finally things quietened down as the family sat down around their crude kitchen table and her father took up the role of interrogator once again.

"Now Skadi, where are the others that went missing?"

Sighing heavily, Skadi began her answer.

"Uller and Lysar are dead. Idun resides with the elves in Emerald Forest, and I have no idea where Svartel is."

There was a stunned silence for several moments before Skadi's mother began her questions.

"But... how? How did they die?"

"I killed Lysar... since he killed Uller.

Another stunned silence, this one longer.

"Skadi... how could you? It is a sin to kill"

Skadi's tone became more menacing in her defence.

"He killed Uller! And he would have killed me and Idun! It had to be done, it's part of what I am now."

"What you are?"

This time it was Skadi's turn to pause. She had been thinking over how she would break the news of her supernatural change to her family, it wasn't going according to plan.

"I changed that night, when I left this village."

Revealing her fangs, Skadi levitated the lamp once again with her mind and set it down towards her, causing her family to jump back and hug the furthest wall.

"Skadi, what have you become? A demon?"

"No. I just have abilities now, and I feed differently?"

Skadi's younger brother chimed in, full of fear and predjudice.

"She is a demon! Like the ones that have been killing elves! The bloodsuckers!"

"No! I'm nothing like them, I don't kill innocent people!"

Even Skadi had to admit her last words would not fill anyone with confidence. Her family now glared with a suspicious nature, scared and angry at the same time. All four of them huddled together for several minutes whilst Skadi remained seated. Finally they completed their scheming and Skadi's mother and sister returned to the table. Her father and brother headed outside though.

"Don't worry Skadi, their just going to check the horses. Now tell us, why did Idun fall in with the elves?"

"He couldn't accept that fact that we live in a violent world where one must defend themselves or die."

Skadi's bluntness caught her mother off-guard for a moment.

"Don't say that! There are some misguided people that have not seen their true path yet, but Idun always seemed like a sensible man. Violence is not the answer Skadi. That is the way of demons."

Skadi couldn't belive this. She knew her mother was quite religious, but to the point where she would be near hostile towards her own daughter? Slowing changing into a frown, Skadi's face reflected the flame light, giving her a sinister appearance.

"No. Violence exists in our world and violence is the only thing able to defend against it."

"Calm down Skadi, we should sleep on it then we'll go to church in the morning and you can discuss it with the minister."

"I doubt that. Since my..... change, I've been unable to withstand the light of the sun. It burns me, to death."

Both sister and mother appeared shocked once again, even more convinced Skadi was now a demon, unable to withstand the purity of light. At that moment, Skadi's father and brother stepped inside, both bearing short swords.

"Skadi, you're coming with us. The village agrees that you must be held within the church until we can work out how to drive the demons from your body."

Skadi's mouth fell agape, completely stunned. She couldn't believe her own family would ever do such a thing to her, and yet here they were, treating her like some sort of monster. Finally gaining some sense, she stood and moved back.

"No, I won't do it!"

Skadi's mother tried to sound concerned, yet fear was far more evident in her voice.

"Skadi, please, it's for the best."

"No!"

Skadi's father stepped forward, his hulking form looming over her as he took hold of her arms and began to drag her towards the door. Not about to let anyone force her to do anything, Skadi screamed again as she sent a fist flying towards her father's gut, forcing him to fall backwards. Sitting in stunned silence once again, her father's face turned from surprise to rage as he brought the short sword up and charged.

Skadi dodged to the side, allowing the blade to strike the wall beside her and was surprised to hear the thump so loudly, indicating the force behind it. Her father was actually willing to run her through.

"Father, please don't do this."

"It must be done, demon!"

Stepping back, he took a slash at Skadi and caught her lightly across the shoulder, tearing her cloak and drawing a little blood. Now full of rage herself, Skadi pushed back her own cloak to reveal her very own curved blade, like nothing ever seen in Assington before. This was Uller's personal design, light, balanced and extremely lethal.

Steel chimed within the house as Skadi's blade came free, the diamond/silver blade glinting in the lantern light. Skadi's father took another lunge, yet her speed was far beyond the old man's. Immediately, her mother and sister took up knives and joined her brother in surrounding Skadi. She was trapped on all sides by hostile forces.

As they simultaneously lunged for Skadi, the young vampire used her supernatural agility and reflexes to make a dive over the shoulders of her father and brother, rolling onto the ground and back to her feet once again. Spinning around, she beat down their blades with pure strength and with one might slash ripped open the throats of the male members of her family. Skadi heaved with rage and fury, a bloodlust surging within her.

Both mother and sister screamed and attempted to move around the table and make for the door, yet Skadi's speed carried her in front of the door much faster than her remaining family. Almost growling at the pair, Skadi brought her blade up once again and swung low, cleanly slicing through the hips of bother mother and sister, severing them completely.

Heaving with anger and exertion, covering in the blood of her family, Skadi spun around and departed her old home, never to return again. As far as she was concerned, her family didn't deserve such a nice death. There was one lesson learned out of all this. Trust no one, love no one and be prepared to kill anyone...

Marduk and Svartel surveyed their work with bloody grins. They had one a significant battle, destroying the last remaining elves within the south of Assington. The air was sweet with the odour of elven blood and smoke as the vampiric army set about the task of burning down the forest to ensure that no others hid within the elven woodland. With such superior numbers and strength, the vampires had trampled the elven warriors with ease and ripped into thier soft flesh, draining blood and tearing muscle. Not a single elf was left living.

Kicking a slaughtered corpse out of his path, Marduk took several steps forward before halting, something obviously drawing his attention. Svartel had no idea what his master sensed, but the look upon his face showed enough concern for the younger vampire to be worried.

"What is it master? More elves?"

"No. Humans."

Svartel scoffed at the word, obviously not aware of the danger he was in. At that point Marduk's voice took on a threatening tone as he called out to the supposed humans.

"I am aware of your presence. Show yourselves!"

For several moments nothing happened as other vampires stood in confusion, expecting something to occur. Finally the screams of several vampires alerted Marduk and the others as a group of vampiric soldiers burst into flames behind them, quickly consumed by the flames until no more screams escaped their lips.

Marduk's eyes were not focused on the burning soldiers but on the two humans standing behind them, both cloaked in long blue robes of the magi order. Possessing a body of a high ranking mage himself, Marduk could acess many abilities similar to that of these mages and many more beyond.

Both humans remained silent as the glared at Marduk, attempting to measure his power. Several minutes passed in silence until the mages flared to life, both leaping forward as they summoned arcane energies to slay Marduk. Unimpressed with such basic magiks, Marduk raised his own hand released two seperate arcs of crimson lightning, catching both mages in the torso.

Already in the phase of attack, the mages could do nothing to defend themselves as the demonic power struck them in the body, knocking them out of the air and hard into the bloodied ground. Stunned from the initial shock, the mage's lost their concentration and hence their power faded back into nothingness. An attempt to take up a defensive stance revealed that both mages were now paralysed. Yet the attack went far beyond physical limits, they were also robbed of their ability to summon power of their own. It was all over, just like that.

The last thing the mages saw was the grinning face of Marduk, still covered in elven blood and scratches from the recent battle.

"You should have known better. After all, this is the body of a high mage combined with the essence of a demonic essence. You cannot defeat me."

The mage's only reply were howls of agony and fear as the almost rabid vampiric army was allowed to taste human mage, ripping into their soft forms with razor sharp fangs.

The roaring fire and thick tapestries kept what would normally be freezing structure of stone a moderately warm solace from the howling winds and chilling rain outside. Of course such trivial matters were not a concern to that of a High Council mage, King Ryan and his servants felt the need for warmth and dryness.

Sithaer stood before the seated king, water dripping off the grey cloak draped around his shoulders. After many months of planning, elven loss and growing threats, the mage thought it best to approach the king of Assington once again and appeal to his common sense, if there were any to be found.

"My lord, I come bearing dire news. The beasts known as vampires have spread, their numbers grow every night, making the extermination of the elven kind even easier for their kind. We must intervene if we are to stop the loss of elven kind from Assington. I am requesting that you give me control of the southern armies so I may lead the extermination effort of these beasts."

Ryan sat upon his elevated throne and looked down at Sithaer, obviously displeased with such a request. Still a relatively young king, Ryan possessed a sense of contempt for the elves that had run through his family throughout the years. Draped in heavy bear skins and other thick covers, the king leaned forwards and spoke in an agitated tone.

"Mage. I told you this some time ago. The affairs of the elves are none of our business or concern. If they are to die off, then so be it. I will not risk the safety of any kingdom provinces just to help the tree dwellers. My decision if final."

Sithaer felt as if his gut had been ripped out and used to slap him across the face. He realised that kingdom law stated that even the mages were not above the king, yet it was becoming more evident by the minute that King Ryan was no source of wise counsel. Driven to anger out of desperation, Sithaer moved forward until he stood at the base of the king's platform.

"You don't understand! If the elves die, who do you think they will come after next? What do you think will happen to the nature around us? The elves are a part of this land just as much as we are! We cannot allow them to die."

Silence followed as Sithaer silenced himself. Ryan and Sithaer matched gazes for several moments before the king finally spoke.

"Are you questioning me mage?"

Sithaer didn't back down as he almost spat his next words.

"Yes, for you are too blind to realise what must be done. Your foolish pride will be the downfall of you."

At that point Ryan leaned back and made a motion with his hands.

"Guards, imprison the mage. He shall be trialled for treason."

Sithaer sighed as the guards moved towards him, the ring of swords being drawn filling the air.

"So be it my lord. You shall recieve no aid from the council of mages."

Keeping his anger in check, Sithaer invoked certain spells and disappeared from the king's chamber. Ryan and the guards merely stared in amazement, unable to comprehend the power of these magic users.
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Several mages looked up as Sithaer's furious form appeared within sight, his mage robes flowing through the air as he rushed towards his own personal chambers, not intent on speaking with the others. About to climb a flight of stone stairs, Sithaer was halted by an urgent sounding voice.

"Sithaer, wait!"

"What is it?"

"We've lost two. The vampire lord killed them."

Fear, sorrow and fury boiled within the high mage as he spun around to face the other mages. His worst fears had finally arrived. Marduk's mage powers were still intact and more than able to deal with your average magic user.

"Bloody great. The king is against us and now we are losing mages. We are running out of options here. What the hell are we going to do?"

Silence followed as the room full of mages contemplated the dawn of a dark age looming over the horizon.

Whilst the night appeared to be silent and devoid of life, several elven scouts watched from the confines of the forest as Idun confronted a cloaked figure of his own nature. The elves were quite hostile to her presence but thanks to Idun's strong word they had ceased their attempts to place a silver arrow through her brain.

Idun and the dark figure watched eachother for several moments before he stepped forward and caught her sobbing form within his grasp. It had been years since Idun had ever heard Skadi weep and it was quite an odd sound. He could tell she was legitimately filled with anguish for whatever reason and it was tearing her up inside. Yet there was also something different about Skadi. Whilst she was obviously upset, there was something of her aura that spoke of dark changes. Whatever it was, Idun didn't like it and he intended to find out.

It wasn't long before Skadi composed herself and pulled back from her childhood friend. Looking into his dull eyes gave Skadi a sense of solace, knowing that at least Idun was still there for her. Idun matched her gaze with an inquisitive gaze that could read into almost anything. Finally he spoke.

"Skadi, what happened?"

Looking directly into his eyes, Skadi spoke in a meek but firm voice.

"My family are dead."

Idun was stunned yet now he understood her sorrow. Skadi had been quite close to her family and would be distraught at their loss.

"But... how? What happened to them?"

"They discovered I was different and attempted to turn me over to the town. I couldn't allow that..."

The way in which Skadi had said those last words sent a shiver down Idun's spine. He couldn't imagine Skadi ever doing such a thing, but her all of a sudden cold manner compelled him to ask.

"You didn't?"

"I did. There was no other option."

"Skadi! How could you? Murder is the ultimate sin, especially your own family!"

It seemed all of a sudden regret had left Skadi and been replaced by anger and coldness. Her emotions caused her pain for such an act, yet her mind deemed it necessary. Unfortunately her mind was stronger.

"There was no other way. They would have killed me. I thought you might understand. I didn't want to kill them, but it was necessary and they should have thought about that before they tried to hand me over."

Idun merely shook his head.

"No, it was not necessary. You could have worked it out. There is never an excuse for murder. I'm disappointed in you Skadi."

Skadi felt betrayed beyond measure. The one person she had left in this world was scorning her for something that was necessary for her survivial. He didn't understand.

Looking back into the forest, Idun seemed to be communicating with those hidden. Skadi knew they were there but had decided to take no notice of them. Finally he returned his gaze upon her, Idun's expression similarly cold.

"Skadi. You are not welcome amongst us. Leave here and never return. You take a path of darkness that is unacceptable. Goodbye."

This time it was Skadi's turn to be shocked. She couldn't believe he would do this to her. Idun had changed, especially since he began associating with these elves. Shunned by the last friend she had in this world, Skadi stood there in shock. She thought it would really hurt, yet it ssmed only anger filled her. Anger towards elves, humans and Idun.

Idun fell to the ground as Skadi's open palm crossed his face, forcing him off his feet. Without another word, Skadi spun around and replaced the hood of her cloak and began the long treck into nowhere. She was alone now.

The screams of those deep within the horrendours fits of agony echoed all throughout the keep and surrounding chambers. Pain was the companion of every human stationed at Ruby Keep, an unrelenting presence that seemed to never tire or hold back. It was there all the time. The Duke of Ruby Keep lay upon the stairs leading up towards his throne whilst his head was firmly wedged upon a corner of the elaborate chair. The air was rich with blood and the foul odour of burned flesh as some pour soul endured the agony of being burned alive.

Marduk took a deep breath in through his nostrils, savouring the odours of death and suffering that clung to the air all throughout the castle. Marduk and Svartel had waited until sundown to make their move, leading the vampiric horde upon this human keep and engulfing it almost immediately. The humans had no silver weapons and were not prepared to battle foes that could leap up their stone walls or strike with the force of an Orge. Casualties had been few for the vampires and numbers had been bolstered with many humans being turned from surrounding villages. And now the vampire army had their very own base of operations. A keep and protected settlement to keep their men, an armoury for weapons and plenty of surrounding villages to supply food. With almost all of the elves gone from the south, the vampires had resorted to slaughtering humans in their bloodlust.

Marduk wore the standard black mage's robe that he'd always worn as a human, although it appeared far more ominous this time, due to the blood of innocents painting it a darker shade. One hand gripped a freshly retrieved heart, the blood oozing out of the main artery and into Marduk's mouth whilst the other hand idly held the royal sword of Ruby, the end of it plunged into the abdomen of the late Duke.

Svartel entered the bloody main chamber after several hours of 'recreation' within the dungeons. His normally pale form was plastered in blood from head to toe, appearing as if his skin was naturally crimson. Whilst Marduk enjoyed making those that opposed him suffer, Svartel seemed to have an inherent lust for the pain of others. He took every oppurtunity he could to inflict agony and sorrow, whenever he could. Marduk didn't exactly understand why a human was like such but he had nothing to complain about. A joyous grin sat firmly wedged upon Svartel's face as he approached Marduk, obviously quite happy with whatever he had found to occupy himself within the dungeons.

"Svartel, I have a task for you. As you may have guessed, Zardon is no longer amongst us. Whilst this is of no major concern, the fact that he did not complete his task is irritating. I have been informed that he managed to kill one of the rogue vampires yet the other two still remain alive. I can barely sense their presence. One is far north whilst the other is heading back to her home village once again. I want you to be waiting for her."

Many would have thought it impossible but Svartel's grin took on an all new level of sadistic expression. Even Marduk seemed slightly unnerved by such a sight but remained silent about it.

"I'd be happy to see my good friend Skadi once again."

"Good, it's settled then. She should be there in a few days so make haste and get there before her. Make it extra nasty too. I don't like those that defy me."

"Of course. It will be rather enjoyable."

Without another word Svartel departed the castle and stalked off into the night, still covered in the blood of his victims and still wearing the most fearsome grin anyone would ever come across.

The open fields of Assington seemed the loneliest place in the world for the young Skadi. With Uller dead and her rejection from Idun, Skadi no absolutely no one left. Her family was dead and whilst she felt some trace of guilt she also felt they deserved what they got. If they hadn't attempted to capture her they would still be alive and Skadi could still be down there, enjoying their company and sharing stories of her travels with Idun and Uller.

Skadi had fent a few days moping around in Emerald before deciding to return to her home village. That place still held sentiment and fond memories for her. Perhaps she would visit the graves of her family but she had learned her lesson, she would not reveal herself to anyone from the village lest she have to kill them. Whilst Skadi had the funds for a horse she had found she was able to run faster and longer if she fed well each night, making sure she had the strength to support such powers.

With the wind rushing through her hair the the green blur of grass shooting by, Skadi could at least forget everything that was going on around her and at least focus upon what she was doing. She had never imagined that moving at such speeds was possible before and yet here she was, faster than most horses and easily able to outrun any man. Two or so weeks of this night travel had finally taken Skadi to the fringe of her village once again. The dark mage's keep loomed over the village from upon it's cliffside position. Of course the mages rarely took note in the business of the villagers and the villagers were certainly not bold enough to go anywhere near the keep. And so two very different worlds existed right next to eachother, and yet they never blended.

Taking her eyes off the stone building, Skadi gazed upon her village once again within the light of the full moon and was surprised to see many people still awake. Cheering, music and laughter spewed forth from the village as she moved closer, denoting some sort of celebration. It had been so long that Skadi had forgotten what the celebration might be, not that it really mattered. Dressed in a large grey cloak, Skadi wouldn't have much trouble with people recognising her, hopefully.

A deep breath escaped her lungs as the young vampire stepped into the village bounds, weaving through the people and makeshift alleys. Most seemed to be rather drunk and didn't notice as she moved through them as fast as she could without grabbing attention. The music and familiar scents brought back memories of her own childhood when the rare festival occured, occupying the adults and allowing the older children to get up to their own activities. Finally through the crowd, Skadi entered her own home and sat down.

The kitchen had been cleaned up rather well. There wasn't a trace of blood or death left in the room. Skadi held back tears as the events played through her mind once again, reminding her of what exactly she had done. It was at that point that she noticed something wrong. The odour of blood was still heavy in the air.

"Hello Skadi. I was looking forward to seeing your family again, but I've been told that you already spent some quality time with them."

Skadi spun around at the chilling sound of Svarte's tone to find the equally young vampire watching her from the doorway leading to the bedrooms. The vile vampire was covered in the blood of unfortunate souls, creating an odour of death about him. He wore black robes half opened at the frong, revealing light leather armour also smeared in the blood of his victims. Svartel seemed to wear blood like a trophy, smearing some of each victim upon him. Skadi felt chills writhe down her spine as she looked upon her vampiric brother, his cold poise leaking fear into ther mind.

"What... what are you doing here?"

"You're not happy to see me, you're fellow villager and brother in a sense?"

"Just about as thrilled as I was to see Lysar."

"Ah yes... Zardon was his new name. May I ask, whatever happened to him?"

Skadi's tone and expression now took on an equally dark and sombre tone as the memories flashed across her mind's eye.

"Lysar fell to my blade after killing Uller. He was insane."

"Yes, but he was on a mission. I guess in a way it's good he only completed a third of it. Whilst Idun doesn't concern me, I did especially want to have you for my own enjoyment. Now we get to have fun tonight?"

"What? You mean you sent him to kill us!?"

"Alas no. Marduk sent him. And now he has sent me."

It finally dawned upon Skadi. This Marduk, the beast that had initially attacked their village. He was the cause of all this and now Svartel served him.

"You bastard. How could you do that to us?"

"It really didn't bother me. Anyway my lady, it is time for us to enjoy eachother's company."

With that Svartel ascended to his feet and began a purposeful stride towards Skadi which was met by the ring of her blade as it departed its scabbard and pointed towards the male vampire.

"Please Skadi, let's not do this."

"There is no other option when it comes to you and me."

"As you wish..."

Svartel moved backwards and slid his foot under a small wooden chair before using his foot to launch it into the air and propel it towards Skadi. A quick adjustment to the angle of her blade allowed her to slice the chair into pieces, causing the wood to rain down before her. Unfortunately Svartel had taken this oppurtunity to jump over the table and land beside Skadi, allowing him to deliver a vicious kick to her side.

Skadi grunted as she collided with a shelf next to her, causing several plates and other objects to depart their resting places and take a journey to the floor below. Not wasting time in worrying of her injuries, Skadi immediately spun to her right and arced her blade around, catching Svartel across the chest as she charged towards her. The male vampire stopped and pulled back his tattered robes to find that Skadi's blade had torn straight through his leather armour. Now useless, Svartel unstrapped the leather and dropped it to the ground before dodging his head to the side to avoid having his brain skewered.

Whilst Svartel was physically stronger than Skadi she was more than competent with that blade and it was proving to be a major problem for the sadistic vampire. Rolling backwards, Svartel gained enough time to pick up a broom. Whilst not the most ideal weapon it would suffice in forcing Skadi back through another door that led to her father's work room. Her father had been a horsemaster of some description but Svartel had noticed an idle blade resting in the room upon his initial inspection of the property and decided that was his best chance of dealing with Skadi.

Svartel's lightning fast broom jabs continued to strike at Skadi's head, causing the young vampire to step backwards as she moved her head from side to side, trying to avoid being poked in the eye by the plunt wood. Eventually she came against the door of her father's work room and kicked it open, taking the oppurtunity of space to leap backwards. Svartel merely grinned, dropped the broom and walked forward confidently. Skadi had no idea what he was thinking but all was soon revealed as a sheathed blade rocketed past Skadi's head and landed within Svartel's grasp. The ring of steel filled the air once again as the grinning vampire drew his newly aquired blade and charged forward with the weathered short sword.

Skadi immediately reacted with blocks and parries of her own, attempting to find a weakspot in Svartel's swordmanship. The clashing of metal was the only sound filling Skadi's ears as she concentrated upon the battle, making a jab for her opponent's gut. Unfortunately he was always just that little bit more faster than Skadi, his blows just that little bit more stronger. This had nothing to do with their vampiric powers as they were both equal on that field. The problem spawned from the fact that Svartel was a male and as a human had been naturally stronger and faster than Skadi. Somehow his blade got through her guard and managed to taste blood as it glance over her shoulder. The slight wound caused Skadi to cry out in surprise yet she was still able to capitalise upon the oppurtunity and ram her own blade into the unguarded gut of Svartel.

Ufortunately for Svartel there was a key difference in their blades. Skadi's contained silver. The initial pain of the blow was not too bad, but the immediate reaction with his flesh was unbearable. Svartel's flesh began burn and produce smoke as the silver attacked him, spreading a plague of shocking pain through his sensitive nerves. A horrid scream escaped his lips as he forced himself backwards until the blade slid out of his gut. Falling to the ground, Svartel writhed and cursed in agony as the pain remained with him. That would take some time to heal unfortunately and prove an irritation when it came to Skadi.

Skadi fell back against the wall and took the time to recover. She grinned as Svartel shuddered in pain and brought her blade up once again. It was time to finish him off whilst she had the oppurtunity. Moving swiftly forward Skadi brought her blade above her head and unleashed a scream as she brought it slicing downwards. At that point Svartel rolled over and held up a hand. Skadi had expected her blade to slice straight through his hand yet unfortunately this was not the case. Her blade halted inches from Svartel's hand. The male vampire held an expression of deep concentration as he rolled out of the way and got to his feet. Skadi was still startled and even more surprised when the force holding the blade relented and caused her to stumble forward as the blade hit the ground.

Seizing the oppurtunity, Svartel stepped forward and brought his bulging fist forward in an upward arcing motion, connecting with Skadi's feminine chin. The blow possessed so much fore behind it that Skadi was cleanly lifted off the ground and sent rocketing through the roof of the workshop to land outside. Svartel smiled but soon doubled over in pain for a few moments as pain spasmed through him once again. She would suffer for that gut wound.

Pain surged through her jaw as Skadi burst through the thin roof of her home and landed directly amongst the crowd of people. The noise of her exit had attracted the attention of many and fortunately she hadn't landed upon anyone, yet she still hit the ground... hard. Momentarily stunned, all Skadi could do was look at the stunned villagers around her. Suddenly they began to back away and soon Svartel filled her vision. His sadistic grin was all she could see before the fists came. Blow after blow continued to pummel her face and torso, bruising, breaking and battering her young body. Skadi could do nothing to stop it as the pain consumed her clouding thoughts and prevented any action.

Svartel ignored the surrounding villagers as he smahsed Skadi as hard as he could. He would beat her into a pulp before having his way with the bitch. Whilst Svartel loved giving pain, he wasn't much for recieving and so Skadi was feeling the result of his anger. At that point the ring of several blades being drawn filled the air. Svartel stopped and looked up to see dozens of angry looking men watching him, all bearing blades. Skadi jumped at the oppurtunity to cause even more pain and plunged the blade still within her grip deep into Svartel's side. Howling in agony, Svartel unleashed on last mighty punch before yanking the sword out of his side and stumbling to his feet. His vision was now blurry and his body ached furiously. Taking a last glance at the men around him, Svartel launched himself off the ground and soared through the air for several seconds until finally landing into the darkness, outside the village border. Free from any threat for the moment, the vampire fell to the ground and passed out.

The last thing Skadi saw before she plunged into darkness was the back of Svartel and the confused faces of many villagers.

The first thing to return was the pain. A mind-shattering throb coincided with her heartbeat, giving Skadi a constant supply of pain as she attempted to recall recent events and gather her wits. To make things worse, Skadi attempted to move and discovered several other injuries all over her body, each employing their own individual and agonising methods of alerting her brain there was something wrong. Sight was the next sense to return. Opening her eyes slightly, Skadi found herself in a very dark room that smelled of mold and decaying matter. The unsavory stench stung her nostrils, plunging her mind into concern as to what was creating such an odour.

Skadi rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision whilst slowly rising to a sitting position and leaning against the cold stone wall behind her. Moisture rolled down onto the back of her neck, sending shivers down the vampire's spine. Now slightly less groggy, Skadi looked around the small chamber that she resided in and sighed. Old bones, stones black with filth, water falling from the ceiling and large iron bars on one side of the square room. She was in the prison of her village. A prisoner of her own people.

The rotting corpses of several rats littered the chamber, adding to the nausea already afflicting Skadi after her encounter with Svartel. Whilst all her external injuries such as wounds and bruises had healed, Skadi could feel much of the internal injuries dealt to her and realised she wouldn't be in any real state to do much for about a day. Over time Skadi had worked out a great deal about her powers. The fact that as time went by she seemed to grow stronger was indeed satisfying. Blood was the key to her survival. It allowed her to heal, use her powers and generally kept her alive. Unfortunately certain weaknesses had also come with her 'gift'. Silver caused a pain like no other upon contact with her flesh, sun was lethal and Skadi was quite sure that fire was a problem as well, although she had never confirmed it.

Several hours went by until finally Skadi was disturbed from sleep by one of the hulking village soldiers. The village possessed very few soldiers and they were mainly there to prevent drunks from getting out of hand or to guard the occasional prisoner. They were not real soldiers but usually the biggest men in the town that knew which end of the sword was the handle. Skadi eyed the hulking man as he gazed at her from the free side of the bars. She recognised him as being a few years younger than her, obviously one of the new guards. Skadi's gaze seemed to unsettle him, making him grip the hilt of his blade as he unlocked a small door and slip in a plate of bread and a cup of water. Skadi merely glanced at the food before returning her gaze to the young man.

"... Cassius? I don't need that..."

Cassius seemed even more unnerved upon hearing her voice, realising that it something of the original Skadi was still there. The townspeople had labelled the prisoner a demon and claimed that the Skadi they once knew was dead. Cassius didn't know what to believe but was inclined to the word of the elders.

"Skadi. You must eat. You need to be well for your trial. We are going to try you for demonics, death penalty."

There was an awkward silence before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry Skadi."

She couldn't believe it. Skadi had hoped after witnessing the terrible beating Skadi had taken that her own people would give her some sympathy, some understanding. She could have died and now they wanted to finish the job. Whilst still groggy, Skadi ignored her discomfort, picked up the dish of food and launched it at the bars, causing Cassius to leap back in fear of being hit, despite the presence of the iron bars.

"I'm not some beast you can just kill because you don't like! I don't need your food Cassius, I don't need food at all. I suggest you tell those old bastards to release me or they shall regret it, that I promise you."

At that point Skadi was on her feet, glaring at Cassius as he stood in mute shock. To iterate her point Skadi unleashed a mighty kick, causing the iron bars to bend outwards. Such a display of strength was enough to make Cassius leave as fast as he could, Skadi glaring at his back the whole way. Once he had left, Skadi collapsed back onto the ground, very tired after using up her already low energy on that kick.

All she could do was wait for the right oppurtunity. There was no use hoping, Skadi had realised that a long time ago. If she wanted things to happen, she could only rely upon herself.
______________

Silence reigned through Marduk's chamber as he gazed upon the injured and furious Svartel. The wound in his gut was still healing but at least he didn't have to worry about losing his innards now. Other cuts and scratches still left fading reminders of the sting a silver blade can cause to vampires, especially as young as Svartel.

Rage swirled around within the young vampire, building up ferocity as he reflected upon the battle and every minute detail. If it hadn't of been for the villagers, he would have killed the bitch and all would be well. Each jab and dodge he recalled added to the volatile combination until he reached a point where his muscles were convulsing, expressing the anger deep within Svartel. Before he could act, Marduk's booming voice filled the chamber.

"Did you kill her?"

Silence...

"No. I was about to when the humans confronted me. She took the oppurtunity to do this."

Svartel indicated the healing wound upon his bloodied torso.

"I see."

Marduk rose from his throne and slowly approached Svartel, his booted feet echoing throughout the chamber. Finally he arrived before the younger vampire, gazing down upon him with a blank face.

"Don't fail me."

Those words unleashed a massive right hook from Marduk's bulging arm, connecting with the white jaw of Svartel. Blood and teeth spewed forth from his mouth as the shock of such a force broke flesh and snapped bones. Completely unprepared for such an attack, Svartel collapsed to the ground unconcious, his jaw completely unhinged.

With his point made, Marduk merely spun around and resumed his seat.

A full day passed before anyone returned to Skadi's prison. By now she was beggining to feel the lust for blood as she had not fed for two days now. Obviously Skadi had left a lasting impression upon the young Cassius and it had been enough to scare all the others away from her. This didn't bother Skadi in the slightest as she needed to contemplate how she would escape her containment and get away from the hateful villagers she used to call friends.

Finally the sun had disappeared once again and the guards returned, five large men all bearing an arsenal of weapons and muscle. Skadi watched each man cooly as the approached, meeting her own gaze with hateful eyes. The starring contest could have gone on for hours if it wasn't for Cassius' words.

"Skadi, you are to come with us now. Please don't make this harder than it has to be."

A long silence followed as Skadi thought about things. If she posed a problem now, she most likely would never get out of the cage and end up dying of starvation. She wasn't strong enough to break iron, yet bones and muscle was another matter.

"Alright."

That single word confused Cassius and the others beyond measure. They had all been expecting Skadi to put up a massive fight and yet she seemed completely passive. Shaking from uncertainty, Cassius unlocked the iron door and allowed the men to enter and take a firm hold of Skadi. Whilst their grips were unnecessarily tight, Skadi didn't complain as they dragged her out of the cell, through the guard station and finally into the night sky.

The air was cool and wet with the moisture of recent rain, yet that was not what grabbed Skadi's attention. Off to her right a massive blazing fire dance through the air, fuelled by what appeared to be half a forest in wood. There was no doubt in Skadi's mind what this fire was for and it sent shivers down her spine. Fire had always been a very real danger to her ever since one of her childhood friends had died in a house fire and a sense of fear had become even stronger upon her becoming a vampire.

Eventually she stopped a few metres before the fire, the eyes of the entire village cast upon her pale form. Skadi didn't shy from the glares of hate and fear or the disapproving scowls of her old time friends. They were all enemies now and nothing to her. If they would treat her like this, she would return the favour ten fold. After several moments of silence, an old man with greying hair stepped forward and cast his finger upon the young vampire.

"Young Skadi. For the crimes of demonics and murder, the village council is sentencing you to death by fire. Do you have any last words?"

It was finally official. Her village were willing to condemn her to a death she didn't deserve all because they were scared. They were fools and she hated them for it. They no longer mattered compared to herself, they were humans afterall.

"You are a fool old man. All of you are mindless sheep. I battled Svartel in order to protect myself and you people, and so you kill me for it? My crimes have only just begun..."

There was no immediate reply from the old man and Skadi didn't allow any further time for such. Calling upon her supernatural strength, Skadi burst out of the muscular grips and jumped into the air, quickly gliding backwards before landing upon the ground outside the guard house. Before anyone else could move she dashed inside and retrieved her blade from a rack upon the wall. The ringing of steel followed as Skadi drew her blade and returned to the villagers.

Five blades ringed through the air to meet Skadi, the massive guards approaching with the intent to skewer the young female. Unfortunately for the cocky young men, they never got a chance to even try before Skadi lunged forward then brought her blade arcing across the throats of all five men, causing them to clash to the ground as they grabbed for their opened throats.

Screams erupted from the throats of the defenseless women and young children as they scrambled to escape the wrath of the supposed demonic woman whilst other men grabbed weapons of their own. Skadi didn't hesitate to attack, charge into the fray at speeds far beyond that of the aged men and with a skill that none had expected from a woman.

And so the massacre of Skadi's home village begun. Fury reigned over her actions as she ploughed through the village, destroying every form of life she came across. Pity, remorse and mercy did not exist in her mind.

Svartel couldn't help but grin as he meandered through the battle ground that was once his village. Whilst he had always imagined that one day the village would end up like this, he had always assumed it would be him to cause such death and destruction. Surprised and slightly disappointed that he had been beaten to it, Svartel dodged the rotting corpses littered all over the ground as he searched for any sign of the culprit behind the massacre. Skadi.

Blood and smoke filled the air, attacking Svartel's supernatural senses as he moved deeper into the village, where the bodies grew thicker. The young vampire was viewing a side of his female counterpart that he never knew existed before, a deep, dark and brutal side of Skadi that he was quite impressed with. Svartel paused and kneeled down beside the bloodied form of a little girl, her left arm only hanging on by a few sinews whilst her dull eyes stared up at him.

The scene before him was truly delightful within his eyes. Children, women, elderly... everyone was dead at the hand of Skadi and her lethal blade. Svartel had no idea why she had done this, but it was done with fierce precision and speed. Something had driven Skadi to such a deed, something within Svartel's domain. He would have to find her and personally reveal this darker side of Skadi.

Rubbing his aching jaw, Svartel stood and continued to wade through the bloody mess, merely enjoying the sight before him.
_______________

Sithaer sighed as he dragged himself up the spiralling staircase of one of the many sombre looking towers of the sorcerer's castle. After spending several days within the dank chambers underneath the castle amongst the arcane archives, Sithaer had decided he needed fresh air and a break from the tedious search for magiks powerful enough to banish Marduk from their world. Unfortunately the search had only come up with one result and that was a last option.

Reaching the top chamber, Sithaer opened a door with a wave of his aging hand and stepped outside onto the circumnavigating balcony. The night sky was calm and full of stars as usual. Looking downwards, Sithaer spotted some of the several dense forests to the east of the castle, now they were empty. Thanks to Marduk and his minions, all elves within the south of Assington had fled to the north, to Emerald Forest. Those that survived at least.

A strong gust of wind whipped the old mage's hair and beard against his face, also carrying the scent of what remained of the nearby human village. Death and fire. Spinning around, Sithaer travelled along the balcony until he came to the point overlooking the village. Smoke still soared into the air from several points, carrying the odour of burned flesh, wood and the familiar scent of blood. Cursing to himself, Sithaer uttered a few words and disappeared from the balcony.

It was even worse up close. Sithaer had hoped that it was merely a fire and that most villagers had escaped without much harm. Unfortunately the fire didn't seem to be the main culprit here. This slaughter had been caused by man. Blood soaked the earth and stained the remaining buildings whilst smoke wafted through the entire village. By all appearances everyone had died. There wasn't a single corpse that hadn't recieved some sort of lethal blow, whether it be due to bleeding to death of destruction of necessary organs.

Brushing back tears, Sithaer continued to move through the village, his robes dragging through the pools of blood until he finally came to the village square and layed his eyes upon a lone figure kneeling next to the body of a little girl. Taking a firm stance, Sithaer grunted a few incomprehensible words, causing Svartel to turn around as he rose to his feet.

Immediately Sithaer picked Svartel for a vampire, he even recognised him from the forest encounter when the silver curse had first been placed upon the creatures of the night. Drawing back his arm, Sithaer concentrated his will and unleashed a massive tide of concentrated force.

Momentarily stunned, Svartel only stood there watching the mage until he felt the hairs around his body all simultaneously stick up, warning him of nearby magiks. Unsure of what to do, Svartel merely pushed forward with his own mental force in the hope of stopping whatever it was that the mage had unleashed. Within a second of establishing his own shield, Svartel felt the force of Sithaer's powers slam into his own, easily breaking through and colliding with his body. Bones snapped and air was expelled as Svartel was promptly launched into the air and arced over the buildings, crashing into the rocky cliffside the castle was perched on, over fifty metres away.
_____________

Skadi backed away slowly, her sword drawn and eyes darted over the many, many figures approaching her. Skadi had been minding her own business as she walked through the countryside, not really sure of where she was going when she noticed the group of filthy young men approach out of the shadows. The only problem being that these were not just any young men, they were her own kind.

Immediately suspicious, Skadi had drawn her blade just in time to relieve the man behind her of his head, opening up her escape route. Each man shared the exact same, unnerving look that Skadi had seen in many men before and always recieved chills as a consequence. Leaping forward, Skadi stabbed one man in the neck before ripping her blade out and arcing it around to hack at others, causing them all to step back. Seizing the oppurtunity, Skadi sheathed her weapon, spun around and ran as fast as she could. The village wasn't very far and so she decided to return there, even though she knew perfectly well there was no one there to help her.

After ten minutes of sprinting, Skadi felt as if she were about to die of exhaustion. Now within the village boundaries, Skadi turned around to see at least two score of vampires merely metres behind her. Facing forward once again, Skadi did all she could to prevent a collision with the robed figure before her, consequently ramming her shoulder into the blood soaked ground with a soft thud.

Sithaer looked down to see Skadi's frightened face peering up at him in surprise. The noise of many footsteps caught his attention, alerting the mage to the many vampires surrounding him, all bearing grins of unhonourable intentions. Kneeling besides Skadi, he informed her to hold onto his leg whilst he took care of things.

Calling power through his old body, Sithaer went over the necessary spell keys to activate such an attack within his mind, assuring himself all was in order. Satisfied with such, he placed both hands in a cupped position above his head and called the power into physical form. The glowing orange energy grew large until it illuminated the surrounding area, entrancing the vampires. With the spell ready, Sithaer threw the ball a few inches into the air and vanished at a whim, along with Skadi. The vampires ignored the disappearance of their target and watched as the ball flew upwards before plunging back towards the earth, finally making contact.

Skadi and Sithaer watched from the castle tower as a gigantic dome of flame engulfed Skadi's home village, destroying all within.

Svartel's sticky bootsteps echoed throughout the vampiric keep as he burst through two large oak doors. Marduk sat within his bloodied throne as always, watching as his chief minion dragged himself into the chamber before finally halting before the throne. Svartel was still bruised, bloodied and just as filthy as he bad been before he left. His face was set in stone, not conveying any sense of emotion at all. Over the years Marduk had learned to read the young man and realised he was not happy. If the vampire was content he would usually show a hint of his sadist's grin, he was only blank when angry.

"What happened?"

"I returned to the village to find the people dead. Alas, not my work. Before I could do anything, a mage turned up and struck me down. I recovered and was on my way when I noticed the little party you sent along after Skadi. She made it to the mage and they died in a ball of fire."

"I see."

"We should attack the mage's keep!"

"No, they are defended beyond even my abilities. We have more pressing matters. It is time we struck Emerald Forest and rid Assington of the last elven stronghold."

Immediately Svartel was distracted from his little fued with Skadi at the thought of elven blood running through his veins. There was always a contstant hunger for the finer lifeblood that elves provided.

"Good. When?"

"We leave tonight."

With a grin upon his face once again, Svartel departed the keep and began ordering people together. They had to move thousands of men quite a distance, yet it would be worth it in the end.

The mage's keep was far different from any other castle in Assington. Whilst physically it appeared to be just like any other stone building, it possessed several unnerving features that plunged fear into the hearts of those uneducated in the ways of magic. Skadi felt this very fear as she followed Sithaer down the tower stairs, her eyes darting in every direction as she half expected some sort of beast to leap out at her.

The stones themselves seemed to have eyes, causing the hairs upon Skadi's neck to rise to the point where she thought they would leap out of her neck and fly away from fear of what may be lurking about. There was no denying the presence of magic and Skadi didn't like it one bit. As a child she had been taught to fear the mages and to never go near their keep. Her people were simple and feared such things beyond them. Of course that was all in the past now, they were all dead.

Finally the left the staircase and entered a large hall of darkness. Skadi could see perfectly and she assumed Sithaer could as well since he didn't have any trouble navigating the hall. As he continued walking, Sithaer raised his hand and unleashed a single flame, allowing it to float through the air and settle upon a single candle. Immediately whole room lit up in flame light due to the single candle. Skadi shielded her eyes, half in fear of being burned, half from such a bright light. Putting aside her uneasiness, Skadi sat where the mage indicated and gave the man a warm smile.

"It is good to see you Sithaer."

"As is you young Skadi. Tell me, what are you doing here?"

"As you may have noticed, I had some bad company and thought there might be some help back home."

Sithaer nodded as he took a seat across from Skadi.

"Alas that is not the case. One of Marduk's vampire's slaughtered the village. Everyone is dead."

Skadi could almost laugh if the moment weren't so serious. Sithaer thought that Svartel had killed the villagers. She had no reason to destroy his illusion.

"So I noticed. Have you found a way to defeat Marduk yet?"

"Perhaps. Unfortunately ever since the last war with the demons, we have lost much of our knowledge and power. We have searched the archives but have found very little. So far we know not how to kill him, yet we can seal him away for all time. There are complications though."

"Like what?"

"Let's just say it's our last option."

Skadi could tell Sithaer didn't want to say anymore and was about to change the subject when another robed men appeared out of thin air, startling the vampire into silence.

"Master Sithaer. We have word of Marduk's forces moving north. Their going to strike Emerald Forest."

"It's finally happened. Inform all the others, we must prepare to aid the elves before it's too late. Have those in the archives redouble their efforts."

"Yes sir."

The younger man disappeared and Sithaer's sad face turned to Skadi.

"Would you like to help us?"

"I care not for the elves, but I want to see Marduk gone."

"Fair enough."

And so Sithaer led Skadi further into the depths of the mage's keep, explaining their plans for combatting the demon and his forces.

King Ryan's form almost exploded in rage as he gazed upon the defiant mage Sithaer. After their last encounter, Ryan never wanted to see another mage again, let alone this particular one. And yet the old man still possessed the audacity to return to his keep, requesting the use of his army, the nation's army. The very thought of a mage running off with the main military force of Assington was unthinkable. He was the King and he made the decisions, not some withering old mage.

"Do you spite me purposefully mage? Do you HONESTLY THINK I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU CONTROL OF MY ARMY!?!?"

Sithaer sighed. He knew the king would be like this, and yet he still had to try. They needed the army to help defend the elves of Emerald forest before it was too late. The vampiric horde was already marching upon the elves, yet they could only move by night. This gave the mages very little precious time to gather their own forces and combat the forces of Marduk.

"You don't understand. We need these forces to beat back the vampires now, not after the elves are gone. You can't help to defeat them upon your own and neither can the elves."

"I don't care mage. You are not getting my army. The only thing you shall recieve is the executioner's blade to your neck."

At that point Skadi's voice entered Sithaer's head.

"Why don't you just take the army?"

"What?"

"Leave the king... otherwise occupied and take the army."

Ryan noticed that Sithaer didn't seem to be paying full attention to him, causing the king to draw his own blade.

"Listen to me mage!"

That was it, Sithaer had endured enough of royal arrogance. Facing the king once again, Sithaer pointed a finger towards the young man.

"This is for the best of the nation... my lord."

With that said, Sithaer unleashed a coil of green smoke from his finger and directed it upon the king, causing him to slump to the carpted floor at the base of his throne.

"He'll wake up.... eventually."

Sounds of a struggle caused Sithaer to turn around and find Skadi atop the two guards posted in the room. One was already on the ground, his face evidently broken in many places judging by the amount of blood and odd shape whilst the other guard brought his sword to bear in order to meet Skadi's own blade. After a few exchanges it became evident that Skadi was far stronger and soon enough she overpowered the guard, causing him to drop his blade and recieve a boot to the face.

With both men down, Skadi sheathed her blade and stared back at the stunned Sithaer.

"You have your magic, I have my blade."

"Right."

Within minutes the pair had departed the hall and made their way down to the chambers of the King's right hand, General Bora. The general was a short and stocky war veteran, possessing many scars to backup his claims. He was famous for being a competent strategist and leader yet it was known that over the last year he had gone through a falling out of sorts with the King.

The general looked up with his large eyes as Skadi and Sithaer entered.

"Mage. What business do you have with me?"

"The army is going north general and I would prefer if you were at its head."

"And what does the King have to say of this?"

"The King... is in no position to argue."

"I see. How much time do we have?"

"I'd guess at about three or four days to arrive at Emerald forest."

The general blinked in astonishment.

"That's not possible."

Sithaer merely flashed the soldier a devilish grin.

"Oh but it is general. I'll take care of that..."
_____________

Daylight plunged through the forest canopy in thin beams, surging toward the ground when it had the chance. Emerald forest exploded with life just like any other day. Elves were about everywhere, wild animals roamed the paths without fear of the humanoid occupants and the birds continued their patterned whistles. It was a stark contrast to visions that had just passed through the mind of Ashur, a middle aged elven prince.

The elf opened raised his head to reveal tearful brown eyes as he gazed upon his vampiric companion. Idun could tell that whatever Ashur had seen had caused deep pain and sadness within the elf. It could not be good news.

"Prophecy?"

Ashur nodded.

"What is to happen?"

"I'll show you."

Ashur leaned forward and placed a slender hand around the neck of Idun. Closing his eyes, Idun shuddered at the sudden jolt of images pouring into his mind.

The first thing he noticed were the flames. Initially the source wasn't evident, but once his vision cleared it became clear the forest was alight. Smoke billowed forth from the canopy and the edges of the forest, signalling the presence of multiple fires all working to destroy the ancient woods of the land. Idun immediately wondered where the elves were to protect their home. As if his thoughts directed his the vision, the image changed to that of the fields south of the forest and the initial border. The grass was no longer green but now stained crimson with the blood of his adopted brothers. Slaughtered elves lay all over the ground, their lifeless eyes filled with sorrow as they lay there, seeming staring up into Idun's own eyes. Suddenly his attention was drawn to Marduk, his bloodied form holding Ashur's head in one hand and his own in the other.

At that point the vision left Idun's mind, causing him to gasp in panic as he reorientated himself with the peaceful surroundings.

"We can't allow this."

"Aye. We must leave."

"Can we?"

"Yes. We are the last in Assington and we number no more than two thousand. We have already lost too many fighting the vampires. Our time has come. We either die or leave."

Silence.

"Let us inform your father..."

Without another word, the grim pair of vampire and elven prince rose and made their way into the heart of Emerald forest in order to inform the leading body of such dire news."

The King's army was certainly an impressive sight when fully assembled and standing at attention. The army was ten thousand strong, consisting of the entire military presence at the King's keep. Sithaer had figured they would not need to call upon the forces of other regions as the combined skill of the elven warriors and magiks with that of human numbers would be sufficient to fend off the vampiric horde.

Sithaer and Skadi stood upon the out wall of the self contained village surrounding the keep. The grassy fields beyond were littered with the signs of an army camp. Horses and pack mules were scattered around the men feeding upon the fields whilst wagons, tempoary tradesmen and other necessary personal established themselves in the spaces between soldier's tents and the brutes themselves.

Moonlight gleamed of the metallic objects littered around the camp, causing Skadi to shield her sensitive eyes in order to keep watch over the horizon. The young vampire knew nothing of armies and warfare but she was determined to be part of the battle and make Svartel suffer for his actions against her. With such determination and the advantage of vampiric traits, the general and Sithaer didn't dare to step into her path.

After discussing several issues with Bora, Sithaer turned to the army before him, his gaze causing the men to become silent and stand to attention. For a moment the only noise was an eerie wind howling through the land, causing Sithaer's white beard and dark robes to drag through the air. Raising a frail appearing hand, Sithaer cast an arcane sigil into the air, it's slight glow illuminating his face for a moment before it faded. All the men would hear his voice now.

"A critical time has come upon us, this entire nation. I'm sure you have heard many things but I will clarify all facts for you. A colleague of mine was corrupted by the touch of a demon. This is the same kind of demon from the great war amongst the men and elves you may have heard of. Whilst there is only one demon involved, he is able to spawn weaker minions by allowing them to ingest his blood. These minions, known as vampires are strong, fast and tough but they also possess weaknesses just like anything else.

Firstly, they can only walk the land by the light of the moon, not the sun. Therefore we can only engage them in battle during the darkness. They have the ability to heal quickly from minor wounds and eventually heal from any other wound inflicted by normal weapons. Yet, the touch of silver inflicts a great pain upon these creatures and they will not heal for some time if wounded by silver.

As for killing the creatures, beheading is most efficient. A silver object through the brain also causes death and finally, they are prone to fire much more than we. They are by no means undefeatable but they are not to be underestimated either. Combined with your efforts, several mages will also be aiding the battle to end our way. Understood?"

The majority of soldiers below nodded, indicating the general idea of things was understood by most. Before the mage could speak again, the general spoke up.

"Gather all your gear now men, we have to be at Emerald Forest by tomorrow night."

Immediately confusion spread amongst the men as they all realised that Emerald Forest was several weeks march from their position. Sithaer's imposing voice restored silence.

"Don't worry about the logistics of such a movement, just gather your gear and stay within the borders of your already established camp. I'll take care of transport."

After an hour of waiting, the soldiers were finally ready and so the general gave the signal before stepping into the camp with his men. Sithaer nodded and place both hands above his head, now standing at one of the flag poles surrounding the camp. Several brief flashes signalled the arrival of other mages as they took up positions around the camp and stood in similar positions to Sithaer.

Skadi felt the hairs upon the back of her neck leap outwards, causing her discomfort at being so close to powerful magiks. Stepping into the camp, she ignored the interested gazes of soldiers and awaited the spell to engage.

With all mages ready, Sithaer screamed the necessary words to invoke the spell and summoned power into his palms. Golden light filled the hands of every mage and was soon unleashed into the sky above the camp before falling descending back to the earth to form a dome of power around all the men.

In one brilliant flash, over ten thousand men were gone.

The ocean seemed far more hostile than usual as the finely crafted wooden ships bushed off the rocky shore of Assington. Waves crashed violently against the cliffs and rocked the sterdy vessels to the point where some were fearful for their safety. Fortunately the seacraft were tougher than that. A sudden burst of light and thunder seemed to reflect the sombre mood as the boats rattled from the explosive force, causing many of the occupants to gaze up into the sky.

Idun didn't bother to look upon the dark clouds of the night but instead kept his eyes firmly glued upon the shoreline that was slow becoming smaller. He realised it was a massive step for the elves of Assington to just get up and leave their homeland, leave their forest and take to the ocean. He had his own doubts about leaving the only nation he had known during his lifetime. His home.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the form of Ashur beside Idun, his eyes also watching the coast of Assington.

"There was no way around it. We had to leave or we would die at the hands of these night walkers."

"I know, it doesn't mean I have to like it though. I can't help but think about the family I left behind, and even Skadi. What is she to do?"

"That is no longer your concern. We have our own survival to worry about now and cannot be concerned with the troubles of a place we once called home."

"Aye. Where are we going?"

"My father says we are to seek out a land that houses those like us. There are many places in the world, I'm sure we can find one that can accomodate us."

"Hopefully."

Several more arcs slammed into the Assingtonian mainland, giving the pair one last sight of their homeland before they disappeared below deck. Elves no longer existed in Assington.

Skadi had closed her eyes upon seeing Sithaer and the other mages call upon their power. She had been brought up to fear magic and the men that used it and to an extent that had stuck with her. Whilst she had learned that magic men were no more sinister than other men, she still had no faith in the arcane. Despite feeling the warmth of power around her, Skadi's vision remained hindered as all the hairs upon her body rose and the spells engaged, tossing her into chaos for what seemed like hours yet was only a moment.

Holding back the urge to scream, Skadi opened her eyes and took a step backwards in order to keep her balance. The air was warmer up north, adding to her disorientation from the spell. Once upon a time Skadi would have never imagined such things as teleporting armies and vampires were possible, now she was deep within the thick of it and about to join the elves in battle against a vampiric army, against someone she used to call a fellow villager.

Turning around, Skadi spotted Sithaer and the general looking into the depths of Emerald Forest. She thought it was odd that no elves were around but supposed they were hidden within their home, waiting for the right moment to strike upon the enemy. The mage appeared to be quite worried, adding to Skadi's own concern as she weaved through the armoured men to finally reach her friend.

"What's wrong?"

Sithaer looked at Bora before finally turning back to Skadi.

"It's the elves..."

"What about them?"

"They're gone."

It took Skadi a few moments to take in such news. She stood there unblinking as it sunk into her mind, finally causing her to react suddenly.

"That bastard. I bet he had something to do with this. He knew I was coming..."

Both the mage and the general appeared puzzled as Skadi seemed to rant at no one.

"Calm yourself Skadi. Who are you talking about?"

"Idun. He is with the elves. He doesn't want anything to do with me. If only he hadn't known..."

"What do you mean he knew?"

"We can sense eachother, or at least the general area and direction."

"You mean to tell me, you could sense where Svartel and Marduk are?"

"Yes, I could try at least. Sometimes they can stop me."

"Skadi, please try. We need an idea of how much time we have to prepare before they attack, especially since the elves are gone."

Nodding to the pair, Skadi closed her eyes and relaxed, allowing her mind to wander through the astral plane of the mind until she came upon the familiar presence of Svartel. At that point her mind filled with the grinning image of Svartel, uttering two words.

"Hello Skadi."

The young vampire jumped back as she disengaged, almost falling over her own feet.

"Skadi, what is it?"

Looking back at the two men with large, fearful eyes, she spoke.

"They're here."

The sounds of battle exploded from the back of the army as the forces of man and vampire clashed.

Sithaer cursed as he watched over the two armies clashing together from the heights of Emerald Forest. The vampires were much large in number than anticipated and it was showing in the battle. The King's army had fallen in number drastically and it didn't appear they would be leaving the battlefield victorious. Despair racked through the mage as he continued to watch his countrymen being slaughtered. The mages had put their efforts into preventing the battle from being tainted by the workings of Marduk, yet that had been done assuming the vampires would be much smaller in number.

As he continued to watch, Sithaer spotted Skadi and Bora combatting several foes that attempted to encircle them. He couldn't help but marvel at the competence of Skadi as she fended off those like her. Someone had instructed her how to handle a sword and she had learned well. Of course Bora lived up to his repuation as a fierce warrior, cleaving men apart with his brutal long sword in a blur of steel and blood. The odds were not good. More and more vampires approached the pair and Sithaer couldn't stand to watch them die.

Calling upon his own power, Sithaer cast his own power into the battle and watched as the vampires were launched high into the air, away from the bloodied pair. Surprised into stillness, Skadi and Bora watched as the vampires disappeared into the night sky until Sithaer's form flashed into existence before them. The pair kept a wary eye open for more attackers yet Sithaer seemed to prevent any getting within a harmful distance.

"I'm afraid there is no other way around this. If we don't stop them now, they will grow too big and too strong for any army to stop them. General, I have something for you."

Sithaer reached into his robes and dug around for a moment before withdrawing a small blood red crystal. The mage glanced at it a moment before unlacing a pouch upon Bora's belt and dropping the small cyrstal inside.

"If the situation becomes beyond dire, draw that out and drop it to the ground. All that is required is contact with the earth. Understand that once you activate that spell, no one within this area around you will survive. Use it wisely."

The general looked grim as he nodded. He didn't like the idea of the crystal as it assumed they were going to be defeated, yet he had to be realistic. His men were dropping off like flies compared to the vampires. Their numbers and supernatural strength were just too much for the army and he knew it was only a matter of time before they lost.

"And what of you mage?"

"We're going to take care of this finally. Skadi, you presence would be desired to deal with Svartel. All of us will be concentrating upon Marduk and cannot afford to have him move upon us with steel whilst we concentrate with the arcane."

Skadi sighed, her face also reflecting the sombre mood.

"I'll stand by your side. But first, what is it you intend to do?"

Sithaer couldn't help but sigh as he thought over what was necessary. It was depressing to think that it had come to this but there what else could be done. Marduk had to go or Assington would be plunged into a reign of darkness that could very well last for an eternity.

"We were unable to discover a way to kill Marduk without his demon spirit merely returning to his kind and eventually returning back to our world. Therefore, we must not kill him but plunge him into a sleep beyond awakening and banish away from all others. It requires an immense amount of power... it is unlikely we shall survive the process of invoking so much power."

Bora remained silent, maintaining his blank face whilst Skadi had difficulty hiding her emotions, her blood soaked face plunging into sorrow.

"But... you can't! We need you to stop the vampires. I need you..."

Sithaer could see the sorrow within Skadi's eyes and whilst the sight made him wish to reconsider, he knew there was no other option.

"Skadi, there is no other way. I'm sorry about this but it is necessary for the nation. For all the people that would die at the hands of Marduk and his ilk."

Skadi could only nod, not meeting the mage's eyes.

"Alright, let's go."

Another brief flash saw Skadi and Sithaer gone whilst Bora rejoined the battle, his efforts even more desparate now knowing that he did not wish to employ the use of Sithaer's crystal.
________________

Marduk stood upright suddenly, instantly grabbing a nearby blade as his senses warned him of some incoming danger. Immediately Svartel moved to his feet as well, ready to fend off any attack by enemy soldiers.

So far the battle had been going there way and the pair were content to sit back and allow the grunts to do the work. Marduk had noticed the extreme efforts made to prevent his interference in the battle and figured it merely added to the reasons why he should sit back and watch as the humans were slaughtered.

For several moments the pair stood in silence waiting. Svartel thought there was nothing there yet Marduk remained poised for battle. As the young vampire was about to seat himself once again, a brilliant golden flash surrounded the pair for several moments before fading away. A full circle of men now stood surrounding the the pair, all wearing the robes of mages or mage initiates. By all apperances every resident of the wizard's keep had been called upon. Svartel remained silent as he noted Skadi and the mage that had destroyed he vampires back in his village.

Several more moments of silence passed before Marduk spoke in his unnerving tone.

"I knew this would finally come. Here to destroy me are you?"

"It ends now Marduk."

Sithaer's tone seemed to be equally disturbing as another flash followed, transporting the group several kilometers south, into the plains known as The Cage. There was nothing particularly hostile about the place, in fact it was one of the most pristine areas in the entire nation due to a single fact. It was completely surrouned by towering mountains. These barriers of the land had prevented humans from settling upon the plains and so it had remained untouched.

Skadi took a moment to allow her surroundings to sink in as she was still slightly disorientated from the use of magic. The surrounding mountains were huge, many of them extending into the clouds with jagged peaks and sheer cliffs. Lower down there were several patches of trees within the cage, none of them particularly notworthy yet attracting attention in the fact they were patches and not one giant forest. The remaining space was merely filled with wild grasses and streams running down from the mountains. It was a beautiful piece of land.

It was the final battle ground.

Before she even realised it, Skadi found herself far away from the mages and Marduk, standing before the lone figure of Svartel. Her vampiric counterpart held a short sword within his hand, obviously ready to deal with Skadi's own blade this time. Skadi eyed the blade, examining the make and quality. She couldn't tell a lot from merely looking at it and she had to admit she was no expert, yet she had faith that Uller had crafted a sword of much better quality and that gave her some sort of reassurance.

Svartel had that sick grin upon his face once again. There was no telling what distorted images were passing through his head. He had always been odd as a human and Skadi had come to realise that instead of accepting his vampirism, Svartel had embraced it. He truly was a creature of darkness, he enjoyed the suffering of others. Skadi never claimed to be on any moral high ground, but Svartel made her sick to the core and she wished to end it once and for all.

The ring of metal filled the air as Skadi drew her own blade in preparation for their impending battle. All other sounds seemed to fade into nothingness as they glared at eachother, a slight breeze causing the tall grasses around them to sway. The sounds of battle outside the mountains were non-existent, the confrontation between the mages and Marduk didn't exist as far as the two vampires were concerned. There was merely eachother.

Accepting what she had to do, Skadi brough the point of her blade upwards and began a casual stride towards Svartel. The male vampire did the same, his lethal intentions more than obvious within dark eyes. Svartel wanted vengence upon Skadi ever since the incident in their home town. With an angered grunt, the male vampire made the first strike by dropping his blade low and attempting to bring it upwards in a wide slash. Skadi's supernatural reflexes allowed her to move her own blade into the path of Svartel's before contact was made with her flesh.

And so the pair engaged in a dance of death, blades clashing every few seconds as they moved in certain motions or weaved their way out of the other's blade path. Svartel's face had quickly transformed into a mask of rage as it became obvious Skadi was the more talented swordsman. For every strike Svartel made, Skadi seemed to gracefully block it and move onto an attack that on more than one occassion had resulted in Svartal feel the sting of silver brush against his flesh.

Almost an hour passed before both combatants broke apart, panting and tired beyond measure. Svartel was blood stained in many places whilst Skadi sported very few injuries. This had caused Svartel to become even more angry whilst Skadi remained calm and collected, using the skills Uller had taught her well. Doubled over in pain and exhaustion, Svartel almost spat his words at Skadi.

"You will die by my hand bitch."

Skadi answered by rushing forward and engaging her enemy once again, her blows more firece and rapid than before. Svartel hadn't been expecting to see such strength from the female vampire and attemped to fight back desparately. Blow after blow forced him to step backwards to avoid further stinging blows. Finally an oppurtunity arose for the vampre as Skadi over extended herself, allow Svartel to swing his blade around and deliver a thundering blow to her blade hilt, ripping it from her grip and sending the oriental styled weapon spinning into the air.

Svartel's grin returned once again as he brought his blade up to point at Skadi's exposed throat. For a moment the pair stood there, watching eachother. All of a sudden Skadi seemed to be the frail young woman she had been over seven years ago. Her dark eyes pleaing to live as her hair whipped across a pale face in the wind.

"Your time is ended Skadi."

Skadi merely stood there with a blank face as Svartel brought his blade back and began the all important swing of his blade that would end things. Before the blade could reach her, Skadi broke into a small smile, causing Svartel to hesitate just a moment longer. That moment cost him dearly as Skadi's blade plunged straight into his shoulder and burried itself deep into his body. Skadi's smile turned to a scowl. She missed. She was still quite new to the whole mental powers thing and it appeared she wasn't as accurate as she'd like to be.

With Svartel lying face down on the ground, shuddering in pain Skadi simply approached the pained vampire and withdrew her blade. With two hands she grasped the hilt and brought the blade upwards, ready to plunge it through the skull of Svartel and end things for good. Gritting her teeth, Skadi began the downward plunge yet was distracted halfway and lost her concentration.

Skadi turned around at the tremendous noise and sudden burst of light from beyond the mountains. A massive dome of fire had appeared behind the mountains, exploding outwards with an unmeasurable force. Skadi watched in awe as the explosion lit the entire night sky. Skadi could literally feel the flames upon her soft skin and was slightly worried she would catch alight. Shielding her eyes from the light, Skadi waited until it finally subsided. Turning around once again to finish the job, Skadi cursed.

Svartel was gone.

With Skadi and Svartel out of the way, Sithaer had nothing to worry about save for Marduk. The fact that what he was about to do would most likely take the lives of every magic user nearby was hard to swallow, yet he realised it was necessary for the sake of the nation. It had to end here.

"Well Sithaer, you've brought the entire keep out to put me away. I'm sorry to disappoint you but you cannot stop me. Kill me and I will return to slaughter every one of you. Why don't you just give it up and allow me to go about my business?"

Sithaer merely glared at his old time friend. Whilst Marduk looked and sounded just like Daveon, the mage knew it wasn't him. Daveon would never instigate a campaign to slaughter the elves of Assington. There was no going back now. Everyone had a part to do, everyone had a spell to engage and everyone was committed to this.

"You know I can't do that. Goodbye old friend."

As Sithaer ended his sentence, a massive dome of flame appeared upon the horizon, lighting up the entire sky with its firery might. Evidently Marduk was more that surprised to see such a thing whilst Sithaer merely nodded. Borah had fallen in battle and activated his last option. The human army would be gone yet so would the vast majority of the vampire force.

"It's over."

Suddenly Sithaer seemed to turn into a completely different person as he called forth the power of a High Magi, causing the very air around him to burn from the backlash of such energies being brought into the physical world. Power surged into life, crackling around his physical form and lashing out at the ground. Sithaer's robes and hair swirled around as if a violent storm was upon him, yet there was no such wind this night.

Many of the other mages and students were momentarily awed by the display of power but soon fell back into task, calling upon their own energies. Within seconds there was a gigantic aura of energy flowing around the group of mage's as they gazed upon Marduk. The demon/mage only now realised just how much trouble he was in. Before he could do anything to protect himself, Sithaer shot a hand forward and unleashed a large sphere of silvery energy. Marduk may have recognised it as a similar spell to the one that cursed his kind into a fear of silver.

A roar of intense pain escaped Marduk's lips as the silver orb slammed into his torso, knocking the demon/mage to the ground and ravaging his nerves with the most intense pain he had ever felt. Marduk attempted to fight his way out but the agony was too blinding, clouding his vision and mind. Within minutes he was lying face down after making an attempt to rise and falling into the dirt. Nothing else existed save the pain and Marduk could barely move, he could barely stay awake through such torture.

Sithaer waited several more minutes to assure the spell had a decent hold upon Marduk before stepping forward.

"Alright everyone. He's paralysed and ready to be entombed. You all know what to do. It has been a great honour to know all of you and I shall be eternally thankful for the commitment you have shown here. Let's finish this."

Many nodded in understanding whilst a few others muttered good-byes to eachother. They had all been prepared to make this sacrifice for the benefit of Assington as a nation and it had finally come to that. Sithaer sighed as he stepped forward, power still howling around his tall frame. Closing his eyes, Sithaer reached deep within himself, pulling fourth the energies that kept him breathing, calling upon the power that gave him life. At first it leaked away slowly, adding to the aura around his body yet as his determined mind persisted, more and more began to flow outwards until the mage dropped to his knees, unable to stand any longer.

Immediately all others followed, calling upon the power of their very existence to use against the beast known as Marduk. Within minutes everyone was on their knees, the very power that kept them living swirling around outside their frail bodies. Unfortunately the spell required a tremendous amount of energy to seal of Marduk for eternity. Not only were they physically holding his form, they were inducing a coma of eternal proportions, holding his mind and soul in one place in order to prevent him ever causing strife again.

Sithaer began the necessary sigil drawing in the air before him, giving the energy direction once he became too weak to direct it himself and finally allow the spell to cover itself, sapping the remaining sparks of life from his body. As the last sigil was drawn, Sithaer felt Skadi's presence slowly approaching. He didn't have time for her now, it had to be finished.

"Skadi, get out of here. NOW!"

Not checking to see if Skadi obeyed his orders, Sithaer activated the last sigil linking everyone's energy together to finally direct it into the given task. Instantly everyone dropped to the ground, their very essence pouring away from their bodies. In his fading moments, Sithaer couldn't help but feel content knowing he had succeeded. Then, Darkness.

With every last mage now dead, the collective auras of life essence rushed forth and slammed into the paralysed Marduk. He could do nothing as the power weaved through him, binding his form into complete stillness as it sealed a thick crystal like barrier around him. There was no fighting it, he had been defeated. A sudden surge of energy raced through his mind and so the demon/mage also plunged into darkness. It was over.

With the binding complete, the vessel holding Marduk levitated into the air slightly, an aura of energy still surrounding it. One stage remained. The vessel was to be hidden. And so with one brilliant flash of blinding white power, the entire Cage became a barren desert. All life within the mountain barriers had been completely destroyed. The bodies of all mages were gone, the plants, grasses, trees and animals all gone.

Marduk was gone. Nothing remained. Magic was gone.

As the elven vessels continued to rock up and down over the ocean, the events back in Assington could only be guessed at from the brilliant flashes of light and power. The first had been a orange glow obviously belong to that of flames which placed immediate concern within the minds of Ashur, Idun and the other elves watching. The idea of the their home being burned to the ground was heartbreaking.

Yet several minutes after the dome of fire had died down there was no smoke to confirm the burning of ancient trees, putting the boat occupants at rest. Idun sighed and looked to his elven companion.

"What do you think that was?"

"The work of mages. Your kind are particularly weak against flames, I imagine that was a quick way of killing many."

"I see..."

Idun was unable to complete his sentence as a blinding white light filled their vision after bursting forth from somewhere back in Assington. Whatever it had been was strong enough to give the elves blury vision from this far back and caused Idun's more sensetive eyes a reasonable amount of pain.

"And that?"

"I don't know..."

The pair remained silent as the elves continued to sail away from their homeland.
___________

Svartel stopped as an intense white light momentarily turned night into day. He didn't bother to turn around and get himself blinded as he would be needing his sight to get away from Assington. After getting past the mountains he had a hike towards the border, then he was free of Assington and free to do anything in the world. With what he assumed to be the end of Marduk having just occured, he figured it would be best to lay low.

Hobbling forward once again, Svartel clutched his several wounds as he waited for them to heal. He could still feel the sting of silver within his flesh, shocking his nerves every so often just to remind him that Skadi had outdone him once again. He couldn't dwell on it for too long since it caused the vampire to fall into fits of extreme rage boiling to the point where he could not control himself.

Instead the young vampire had to think of the present and remain content that he would have his vengence one day. When there were no mages around to get in his way, Svartel would have bloody vengence upon Skadi and he would make sure she wouldn't best him in combat again.

And so the bloodied vampire crossed the border of Assington and disappeared into the world, not to return for over two thousand years.
____________

Skadi stood atop one of the few passes that allowed the daring explorer to enter the area known as the cage. Sithaer's forcefulness had saved her life as she'd spun around immediately and bolted for the mountains, using her unnatural speed and strength to navigate her way through a pass and onto the other side just as the light appeared.

Even though it had faded, Skadi had spent several minuted curled up in a ball on the other side of the mountains, unwilling to move until she could finally muster up the courage to investigate. Despite her initial fear of magic, the thought of seeing Sithaer's lifeless corpse was also something that had held her back. Sithaer her been the closest thing to a friend she had had of recent and now he was gone too. It seemed anyone she became remotely close to died and Skadi didn't know just how much more she could take.

Now as she stood upon the edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the valley, it seemed even worse. There were no bodies, no blood, bones or any remains. There was no life at all. The entire valley and been completely stripped of anything living, leaving only sand and rocks. She found it astonishing to gaze upon this desolate place knowing that barely a few minutes ago it had been one of the most fertile, lush areas in the entire nation. It had been full of life, nature uneffected by man in its full glory. Now it was gone.

There was nothing left to look at anymore. Skadi had no idea of Svartel had died or not, she couldn't feel his presence. Neither could she feel Idun. She was truly alone, not even left with an enemy to fight. Turning around, Skadi made a few confident jumps downwards until she landed amongst some smaller rocks. She would have to walk carefully down this slope or risk losing her footing.

As the female vampire moved away from the barren wasteland, she couldn't help but wonder what the future held in store for her. She could essentially do whatever she wished. There was no one to stop her, no one that knew her was left.

Several hours later Skadi found herself standing amongst the charred remains of a battle ground. There was very little left of those caught within the inferno of Sithaer's crystal. Some bones had survived yet nothing was recognisable. The flames had been hot enough to melt the metal of swords and eventually do away with it, Skadi didn't exactly know what happened to liquid metal that got too hot, but it was gone. Essentially there was just one giant path of charred earth with the remains of thousands melted into it.

Fortunately the forest had remained untouched, yet Skadi didn't particularly care. As she stepped away from the charred circle, she noticed several black footprints upon the black grass. She severely doubted they were humans meaning that there were still vampires within Assington. Skadi smiled, she finally had a purpose.

Pulling her blade free, Skadi gazed upon the glimmering weapon and smiled again. She would hunt them down and make them suffer. A cold gaze swept over Skadi's eyes, a look that would stay with her forever.