The Fall Of Polaria
Princess Aurara awoke to the deafening sounds of explosions outside
her temporary quarters in the castle of Polaria. Confusion and fear
swirled in her mind as she quickly dressed herself with magic. She
rushed out into the halls, greeted by armed guards frantically running
about. "What is happening?" she shouted, trying to make sense of it all.
"We are under attack! The towers have fallen," a Dragon Knight yelled as he ran past her.
Her mind raced with disbelief. How could this be? The King and Queen
had left for the Green Palace just two days ago, and she had stayed
behind in Polaria for one more day before beginning her journey to
Kalanthie. "Those incompetent fools on the Council of Dragons must have
caused this chaos in only two days," she muttered, following the
knights' lead.
As she emerged outside the castle walls, panic threatened to overtake
her as she saw the devastation before her. The impenetrable walls of
Polaria had been breached. Even during the Dragon Wars, no great wyrm
could penetrate them. But now, the inner walls were crumbling and
falling, and the once-mighty towers that summoned the magical dome to
protect the city were gone.
What could have possibly caused this unthinkable disaster?
What was attacking them, surely not the undead?
As she searched, her eyes widened upon seeing a fearful sight. Indeed, it was a Pit Fiend.
“By the gods.” Aurara whispered to herself. Her mind raced to her siblings. She had to find them.
The screams of guards and knights echoed in the night. The blast of
magical explosions rocked the ground around her as the wizards and
clerics from the House of the Blessed Arcane unleashed spells trying to
down the hoard of devils swarming into the castle grounds. Where from?
Then Aurara spotted dozens of gates past the walls from which it
seems hundreds of devils marched and flew out. She shook her head. “No.
This, this will be our end.”
“Princess, I cannot find Princess Zion or Fey.” Poji her old mentor shouted from behind her.
She spun and gasped. He was blooded, his robes ripped, one eye
missing. She ran to him and knelt down to the old gnomes eye level.
“What happened?”
“Devils, they swarmed me. Swarmed the school.” He looked out scanning
the area with his eyes. “I don’t know how they did Princess. The gods
have abandoned us.”
Aurara's jaw tightened and her lips became a thin line as she clenched her teeth together in frustration and determination.
“Find your siblings, Percy went to search for you and your sisters.
You most find them and leave.” Poji grabbed her arm and squeezed.
“What are you saying Poji.”
“There is no winning here. We’ll try to save as many people as we
can, but you must survive. If the Talbains fall, there will be no
Polaria. Go now, find them.” Poji left no room for words and pushed her
as he walked forward and unleashed a swarm of meteors upon a a swarm of
devils heading for them. The ground exploded into fire and debris flew
everywhere.
Aurara ran back to the castle to the throne room. There she found a
few of the members of the Council of Dragon. Arbiter Kayla Malroy, and
Grand Guild Master Shia Walker. Aurara was relieved to find Princess
Zion with them. Many of the castles care takers and workers were with
them. “Zion, where is Percy and Fey?”
“Percy went looking for Fey, they haven’t returned. We’re discussing battle plans.” Zion said.
“There are no battle plans. We need to find your sister and brother.
Then we need to get as many people to safety as possible. We need access
to the secret tunnels within the mountain.” Aurara said.
Zion shook her head. “What are you talking about?”
“Have you seen what’s out there?”
Zion paused.
“Devils, hundreds. The castle is lost.”
The room gasped and began to speak, fear in their voices.
Zion curled her brows. “That’s nonsense. We can’t abandon the castle.”
“No, Princess Aurara is correct. You must save as many as you can and
leave.” Sister Luminara said as she hurried into the chamber. “We’re
losing this battle, we won’t be able to hold them off much longer.”
“I hate to say it, but Sister Luminara is right Princess Zion. You
and your siblings, your the target, you must leave the city,” Shia
Walker said.
*
Shayola’s feet pounded on the hard cobblestones as she ran around one
of the alleyways, a horned devil hurled a fireball at her, she fell
forward as it exploded taking half the corner of the building with it.
She climbed to her feet as it appeared in front of her. She waved her
hands and became a blurry vision of movement as the devil jabbed forward
trying to pierce its fork into her. From the rooftop her steel defender
leaped on top the devil and slammed it to the ground.
Shayola's muscles strained as she lifted her axe and hurled it at the
devil. It embedded itself in its chest, but then reappeared in her hand
as she charged forward. With a fierce battle cry, she swung down at its
skull, but the devil roared and shoved her back with its powerful tail.
Blood gushed from the deep cut on her hip and she screamed in pain.
In a desperate attempt to defeat the devil, Shayola unleashed a
torrent of fire that engulfed it, but it only seemed to make the
creature smile. “Well shit. Fire doesn’t hurt you does it?” Realizing
her mistake, she turned to flee, but was met with another terrifying
enemy - a giant Pit Fiend blocking her escape. “Oh gods. Angoria help
me.”
The Horned Devil let out a high-pitched screech as a sharp blade
pierced through its chest. Shayola quickly turned around to see a naked
woman standing behind the creature - a succubus, one she had encountered
before. "Um, I had things under control. And why are you not wearing
any clothes?"
“Foolish girl, go!” The succubus pointed down the ally, her thick black hair swirling around her.
The huge Pit Fiend stepped forward. “Krynvia, self proclaimed Queen of the Succubus. This domain belongs to you no longer.”
"You come to my city, slaughter my cattle, and dare to lay hands on
my loyal followers? It has been far too long since I've unleashed my
full strength upon an enemy. And oh, how I relish the thought of cutting
you down." With a fierce determination, Krynvia dashed forward with
inhuman speed, leaving only an afterimage behind her as she closed in on
the Pit Fiend. He barely had time to register her attack before he felt
the sharp bite of her blades slicing through his flesh. Twin wounds
appeared across his chest, oozing dark blood before he could even react.
But the succubus was no mere novice in combat - her movements were
precise and calculated, each strike aimed with deadly accuracy.
Krynvia deftly dodged and parried the Pit Fiend's ferocious attacks,
her sleek rapiers flashing in the moonlight as she danced around her
opponent. With a fluid twirl, she plunged both blades deep into the
devil's back, eliciting a roar of pain. Without missing a beat, she sent
a powerful bolt of lightning coursing through the air, striking the Pit
Fiend and propelling him backwards across the stone street.
Shayola watched in awe as Krynvia continued to move with incredible
speed and agility, her movements fluid and graceful despite her lack of
clothing. Her leather wings spread wide, their sharp bones glinting in
the moonlight as they stabbed at the Pit Fiend, causing it to stagger
and fall to the ground.
Krynvia then flew towards Shayola, her eyes blazing with determination as she landed gracefully before her.
"Whoa, hey, I was just watching," Shayola exclaimed as she stumbled
back, her eyes wide with shock and fear. Krynvia's powerful wings
wrapped around her in a protective embrace, shielding her from the
deafening boom and intense heat that suddenly engulfed them as the Pit
Fiend exploded.
When the chaos had subsided, Shayola found herself buried between
Krynvia's warm breasts, her skin soft and comforting against her own.
She pushed herself away, cheeks flushed with gratitude and
embarrassment. "Hey now, thank you," she managed to say.
Krynvia's resolute voice cut through the haze of confusion. "Go, it is not safe in the city anymore."
Shayola nodded in agreement, taking in the destruction and chaos surrounding them. "Yeah, I can see that. Who are you again?"
"No questions," Krynvia replied sharply. "Just go." With that, she
spread her wings and took to the sky, leaving Shayola alone in the dark
alleyway. The weight of the encounter settled heavily on her shoulders
as she hurried out into the night, determined to find safety and
answers."
*
Teh-Manzib roars in fury as he cuts through yet another devil with
his massive axe. The dark blood of his enemies paints the weapon's edge,
but the dragon warrior is growing weary. Despite his exhaustion,
Teh-Manzib continues to fight against the endless horde of devils, his
men falling one by one around him. He clenches his jaw in anguish as he
watches a young recruit being torn apart, their entrails spilling onto
the ground. Desperately, Teh-Manzib hurls a fireball into the swarm, but
it has little effect. With grim determination, he faces his foes and
shouts, "Alright you bastards, let's finish this!"
The horde turns towards him and he swings his axe with all his might,
taking down multiple devils before losing his left arm to a massive
fiery blade. But even as blood gushes from the wound, Teh-Manzib does
not cry out in pain. He grits his teeth and continues to fight, his
enchanted axe imbued with holy power striking down two more foes before a
large claw pierces through his midsection.
As he falls to the ground, Teh-Manzib loses his right arm along with his beloved weapon.
He gasps for air, blood staining the ground beneath him, and manages
to weakly shout one final battle cry before his consciousness fades
away.
*
Aurara and Zion forcefully lead their group through the dark,
oppressive lower levels of the castle, moving with urgency towards the
secret tunnels. "Once we reach the tunnels, you guide them through,
Zion," Aurara commands. "I'll go back and find Percy and Fey."
"I should come with you," Zion protested.
"No, you're the only one who knows the path," Aurara insisted. "Once
you're out of the tunnels, make your way to the Silver City."
"The Silver City? No one has dared venture there before," Zion murmured in disbelief.
As they approached the doors leading into the tunnels, Aurara pushed
them open and come to a sudden stop. Zion gasped at what she saw.
"There you are," a raspy voice echoed through the cavernous space.
"Not many wards can block your scrying crystal, Princess Aurara."
It feels as though time stands still as Aurara holds her breath in
shock and fear. "Zion, get everyone back," she finally manages to say,
her voice trembling.
Zion's eyes widen in horror as she takes in the visage before them. A
withered figure grins at them with a skeletal face, red glowing dots
burning in the hollows of its eye sockets.
The lich, the one that Aurara had been fighting against but had never
seen. Now he stood before her. “Be gone you undead bastard.”
“That is not very princess like. Unfortunately for you, I can’t let
you leave. This is where it all ends for you and your sister. Then I
shall find your other siblings, your mother and father. All of them
shall meet their end. But, you are most annoying. I will personally get
rid of you.” The Withered One said.
Aurara turned to Zion. “I will buy you time, you must get into the tunnels. Once the battle starts. Do you understand.”
Zion stared at her sister with wide eyes. “What are you going to do?”
“Buy you time.” Aurara for the first time in so many years hugged her little sister. “I love you little sister.”
“W…what. No, Aurara. What are you…”
“Its okay. Just get them to the tunnels.”
Aurara broke away from her sister, her gaze intensely focused on the
ancient undead creature before them. "If you touch a single hair on my
family's head, I will end you," she promised, her voice cold and deadly
as the icy winter wind.
The lich's skeletal face twisted into a sneer, but it did not deter
Aurara's determination. Her eyes narrowed, her mind racing as she
thought of ways to outsmart and defeat him.
The lich released a powerful spell that sent a circle of black energy
from him, Aurara’s eyes widened understanding what it was. It would
kill everyone in the chamber.
Aurara summoned a wall of force blocking the energy. She then hurled fire at the lich followed by a green ray.
As spells filled the chamber Zion took the chance to lead the people
around the battle. Aurara was was keeping the lich’s focus and
containing the fight so that they could escape into the tunnels.
The lich roared in fury, unleashing a torrent of curses and spells at
Aurara. The air was filled with the scent of ozone as their magic
clashed, leaving short-lived craters in the stone floor.
Zion's heart pounded in her chest as she led the remaining group
members through the labyrinth of tunnels. The noise from the battle
echoed through the stone passages, making it difficult to concentrate.
But she knew that she had to focus, that her sister's life, and the
lives of every person they were trying to save, depended on it.
Aurara countered another powerful spell from the lich, but she was
getting weak and running out of energy to keep casting more. She had no
choice but to use cast her winning hand. An invulnerability spell.
The lich was wise, he’d waiting for it. He countered the spell and it fizzled.
“****,” Aurara screamed.
“No Princess. You will lose this day, I have been slowly whittling your items away. Now you have nothing.”
“You think my items are what make me a powerful caster? **** you.”
Aurara unleashed a fireball that engulfed the Withered One. She
empowered it doing its maximum damage.
The lich screamed.
But Aurara felt the burning of a blade piercing through her back and
out of her stomach. She cried out from the extreme heat as she fell to
her knees. A Pit Fiend had plunged it's blade through her.
The lich recovered from the fireball. “That was a good try.”
Aurara had no strength, her breaths came in weak wheezes and groans from the pain coming from her mid section.
The lich walked to her and wrapped his withered fingers around her
chin forcing her to look up at him. “How does it feel to know you lost
and your family will suffer for it?”
Tears ran down Aurara’s face. “Just take me, let my family be. Please.”
The lich's eyes glinted with cruel amusement as he leaned in closer
to Aurara's ravaged face. "Your family's fate is now in the hands of
your sister, and I have no intention of making this easy for her. My
pleasure is drawn from the suffering of others, the slow realization
that even magic and strength cannot protect them from their doom."
With a final sneer, the lich stepped back, readying another powerful
spell. Aurara's eyes widened with fear and desperation. She could feel
the end drawing near. She had two spells left. She sent a message to
Elsalor and to Jacen. (Polaria is no more, I will not make it. Warn the
Northern Kingdoms. An army of demons. I shall not live. Find my
siblings.)
“But, you may still have use for me.” The lich unleashed his spell and darkness fell upon Aurara.
