Part 2:

Four days into the battle the White Knights of Asgarnia arrived, and the following day the Black Knights arrived to match them. Aethenous continued to allow the Loyal Elite to remain intimately involved in the battle, it was like witnessing a clan civil war, while simultaneously watching the end of the world. My squad had been destroyed, Lieutenant Dog refused to return to the fight, and Doom cut a swath of blood across the battlefield.

Day 5 of battle, 9:34 am

"I gave you that eye to end battles like this one." Saradomin's image says to me.
"I swore never to commit genocide again, even if a battle like this were to occur." I answer, a solemn expression on my face.
"That eye exists for the greater good, not balance, it exists to eradicate evil." Saradomin replies, not hiding the disdain in his voice.
"The ultimate power must exist for balance, such as I have learned over the centuries."
"I will win this battle with, or without your help, but Guthix is dead, balance is gone, you have to decide what you want more, good or evil?" Saradomin said, as his image fades.

What do I want more? I think to myself, balance was no longer an option, which would be better, good or evil? I decide to let the ethical question drop, for the moment I needed to focus on the battle going on below me. I allowed myself to float back down to the ground, the White Knights were launching a renewed offensive, I wade into the fray to support them.

The day passes largely uneventfully, same old story, more people died, the gods seemed to not care at all about the death occurring around them.

Day 6 of battle, 12:57 pm

I swing my sword and rip through the armour of an approaching warrior, then twisting my arm against the inertia of the swing, swung my blade into the back of a mage trying to heal his comrades. I rip my sword free of his limp body, and continue taking down Zamorakians, The eye exists to eradicate evil, Saradomin's words echo around in my head. I block a strike from an axe wielder, then snap the shaft of his massive executioner style axe, I follow up with a series of quick jabs into his chest with my sword.

The day had been long, the gods were no closer to a resolution, they seemed to be in a bigger stalemate than before. They were both unleashing massive beams of energy from their hands in an attempt to overpower each other. I cut down a group of mages with a single slash then come face to face with my old friend Doom the hound. He looks as depressed as me, which is startling, he seemed to be happy about the battle a week ago, his swords are dripping with blood, his right arm is activate. He raises his swords against me, and assumes a stance posed to strike, his eyes were determined.

"We don't have to do this Doom." I say activate my eye.
"Saradomin has spoken to you, right?" He asks, not moving from his stance.
"He asked me which I wanted more, good or evil." I answer raising my own weapons.
"What do you want Oryx?"
"At this point I just want the battle to end without any more casualties." I reply.
"Then we're in consensus." Dooma says lowering his weapons.
"I thought that you had learned to enjoy battle over the centuries." I say walking toward Doom.
"Balance is hard to maintain, I've realized that this battle is only going to end one way, with a victor, and a loser."
"But who should we allow to win?" I ask.
"Good should triumphant this time, but only this time, because right now balance is impossible." Doom answers sheathing his swords.
"Then good shall win." I say sheathing my own weapons.

Later that day, while eating the crap they were issuing to the troops, Aethenous approached me and sat next to me.

"Why are you sitting next to me?" I ask, sounding unintentionally irritated.
"Can't an old warrior enjoy his field rations next to one older than he?"
"I suppose, oh I have something I've been meaning to talk to you about, I think that our clan should support Saradomin exclusively."
"Your opinion is reflected among the troops, those deployed in support of Zamorak are defecting against their orders." Aethenous says eating a spoon full of the 'food' in his bowl.
"Then why not just support Saradomin?"
"I honestly can't think of a reason not to." Aethenous replies, "This battle has no balance, better to see a god rule who won't execute those who do not follow him, than one that will."
"I'm glad you see it that way."
"However, there are those of us who support Zamorak, and they should be allowed to fight for their god."
"Order them to support Saradomin!" I say in a harsh tone of voice.
"Is that what you would have done?" Aethenous asks drinking water from his canteen.
"Yes, actually it is what I would've done, and it's what you should do."
"There is no should, only opinion." Aethenous says staring at me with a single ancient eye.
"WHY ARE YOU STARING AT ME?!" I yell standing quickly knocking my food to the ground.

Aethenous continues to stare at me with a sorrowful look, he stands himself, then puts a hand on my shoulder.

"You've been through so much in the last 700 years, the sorrow dwells only just below the surface." Aethenous says after a long moment.
"And how do you figure that?" I ask, my anger simmering.
"Because you're crying." Aethenous answers, leaning over to pick up my wasted food dish.

I put my finger up to my eye, as it turned out, I was crying, I stared at my figure for a long moment, rubbing my fingers together to feel the dampness of the tears. I had thought the tears had ended, but then I felt more drip onto my hands, I wiped away my tears, and turned away from the battle. The tears came for a good hour, the heartache, and empty feeling however, would remain for the rest of the battle.

Day 7 of battle, 6:34 am

I used the power of my eye to destroy an advancing line of Zamorakians, then launched myself through one of their advancing titans. The Zamorakians had launched projectiles at our camp 2 hours earlier, when most of us were asleep, then they had attack with a massive wave of soldiers. I stood on the shoulder of the immobile golem, launching blasts of energy from my eye to halt the Zamorakians advance. I notice a squad form the Loyal Elite among the advancing enemies, I decide not to completely destroy them, but I knock them unconscious with a restrained blast of energy. I notice Aethenous, as usual he's demonstrating his skill with a hammer, striking down heavily armoured tanks, and axe wielders.

"It's getting pretty bloody down there, don't you think Ory." A voice from behind me says.
"Yes, yes it is." I reply turning to see the ghostly shade of an old friend, "I thought you died centuries, Tra."
"Mages aren't allowed to completely vanish form existence, our magical energy would pollute the balance." Tra replies, gesturing with his hands.
"As if things are balanced right now."
"I suppose you're right, but the question remains, if you want to maintain the balance, then why are you fighting in this war?"
"Because I'm obligated to by my eye." I say covering my right eye with my right hand.
"But why?"
"BECAUSE I AM!" I yell standing in anger.
"Oryx, in the 700 years since we last spoke, you've become lost." Tra says as he fades to nothing.
"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING!?" I yell to the sky, tears streaming down my face again.

I unleash waves of power from the eye of Saradomin, destroying wave after endless wave of black armoured, and demon spawn Zamorakians.

Day 8 of battle, 9:47 pm

On the eight day of battle, the fight was mostly being carried out by massive titans, and horribly mutated beasts of war. The soldiers left in the fight were helpless as they were caught in the middle of the titans battle, helpless as they lost their lives. Lumrbidge took several hard hits on that eighth day, massive pieces of rock, and other projectiles were deflected into the town.

I did everything I could to destroy the chunks as they flew off the titans, but I was helpless to prevent one too many from hitting the town. Aethenous seemed to take the battle as it was, with every passing day the bags under his eyes grew larger. Despite the Loyal Elite being divided along the lines of the war, they never stopped helping each other, even if they would have to fight each other later. I watched my new clan support itself even as it was in a virtual civil war, I witnessed something new in my 757 years, compassion. I sat on top of a hastily built archer's tower, pondering my life, when Aethenous climbed up to join me.

"How does your clan hold itself together so well?" I ask him as he sits next to me.
"Because we follow a very basic human truth, compassion." He answers.
"I have lived for 757 years now, and I've never seen anything like your clan, it's absolutely incredible."
"For someone who seems to be in conflict with us at every step of the way, that's a very high compliment." He replies.
"I haven't been a member of a clan in 500 years, not since the last of the Reapers died out." I say, remembering my old clan.
"You leave me with one question, Ory, why did you join us in the first place?"
"You seemed like an interesting individual, I wanted to observe you, I never thought I get to witness such incredible acts of compatriotism." I say, raising my hand to the battlefield below.
"Many of those people would die for our clan, each of them was lost in some way when they joined, they all found a place where they belonged." Aethenous replies.
"Perhaps I am lost, lost in the 500 years I've been alone." I respond, gazing up to the sky.
"I would be interested to hear a recounting of your life, but not now, and certainly not soon, not until this battle is long over, and Lumbridge is rebuilt."
"That's a deal." I say raising my fist to Aethenous.
"Good" Aethenous says, bumping fists with me.

Day 12 of battle, 10:38 pm

On the twelve day of battle, Saradomin began pushing Zamorak back, and it became evident that Zamorak's forces were disorganized. I stood at the tip of a spear formation being used to break Zamorak's final defences, it wasn't even a challenge anymore. Aethenous lead at the tip of another formation, intended to prevent a flanking manoeuvre, the fight did not last long.

As we approached the Zamorakian camp, a massive discharge of energy came barrelling out of the Saradominist camp. The energy struck Zamorak, as he fell the defensive perimeter his forces had established crumbled, I yelled 'charge' and the formation broke into absolute chaos. Saradominist forces quickly took over the Zamorakian camp, those that weren't killed were captured, then I watched as Saradomin walked to Zamorak and prepared to deal a final blow.

"LET HIM LIVE!" I yelled as I used my eye to fly to Saradomin's level.
"He has done too much evil to be allowed to live!" Saradomin yelled in response, as he prepared the energy blast.

As he began unleashing it, I used my own power to knock his aim off, the blast created a crater next to Zamorak. Angry Saradomin struck me, sending me flying for miles, I landed in Varrock, leaving a crater, I quickly teleported back to Lumbridge to find the battle over. The Zamorakians were being restrained, and Saradomin stood over the Zamorakian's camp, Zamorak was nowhere to be seen, I assumed he had been destroyed. Smoke rose from every building in Lumbridge, people stumbled about covered in blood, the battle was over, but the war had only just begun. Aethenous walked up next to me, panting, as though the final battle had been a challenge,

"The battle is over comrade."
"What happened to Zamorak?" I ask.
"He managed to teleport away after you stopped Saradomin from killing him, Saradomin is furious by the way."
"It does not matter, balance has been maintained, that's all that matters." I say walking toward the ruins of Lumbridge.
"I have another question for you."
"Shoot." I say, stopping.
"Are you going to stay with the Loyal Elite?"
"Perhaps, it's too early to say." I reply, continue my walk towards the ruins of Lumbridge, "Perhaps…"