Author's Notes: I'm the biggest Idiot ever. How didn't I realized that My fic had been reviewed? commits seppuku

Ouch.

Well it's really difficult to write with a sword stabbed in your left lung, so this will be real quick.

Master of Reality: Dude, do you know that your novelisation of the game was the inspiration for this? And you say that it's pretty good! dances with sword still stabbed Ouch. Thank you. That means a lot.

GoldenSunGeek: The story is set in the Golden Age, and waaay before someone sealed Alchemy. That means no Isaac or Felix for a couple of Years. Maybe it should be classified as an AU, but then again I suppose it did happen. Only before the game. Thanks for reviewing.

No one else? I suppose you're all reading AmbieChan's awesome War of Weyard fic. Doesn't matter, I'm reading it too.

Now on with the Show!

Episode 5: The Battle of Serland

"We can´t attack now" Max thought to himself "if they find us here, they will surround our forces quickly, and there will be no hope for Serland".

They were hiding in the forest that grew on the east side of the Serland river. The werewolf army was passing right in front of their eyes. They saw that the werewolves had joined forces with monsters from Osenia and Angara, and their forces had grown to an inmense size.

"Stupid creatures. Why join forces with those demons? It doesn't make sense. They will destroy the world"

When the enemy was at a safe distance they began following it. Hiding in the snowy fields was not difficult, but they had to watch for the wind. The werewolves could track the slightest scent for miles, in optimal conditions. Max had to wait for a signal.

The army reached the city walls. Up there, hundreds of adepts readied theis bows. The arrows were magically enhanced to freeze on impact, thus making any wound as painful as possible. However, they knew that the werewolves would cast whirlwind to block the attack. When the arrows hit the floor the spell would trigger freezing their feet on place. That was the signal.

And then it happened. The werewolves started to howl. It was a terrifying and horrible sound. The people inside the walls began to lose hope. King Tharden was busy trying to keep the army's morale as high as possible. Then, suddenly, the siege started.

The werewolves had brought huge maces and battering rams. They casted whirlwinds and bolts against the towers, trying to weaken the defenses. But Joe had expected this. A few Adepts focused only in an ice barrier. "They are fueled by the lighthouse" some said "The werewolves won't hurt us here".

Then they began to attack. Arrows were flying everywhere. Others were too busy casting Hail Prism. But the werewolves that died were quickly replaced by others. The battering Ram was near, and the King waited behind the gate. The whole army was ready. Then Joe gave the signal, and the arrows were replaced by freezing arrows.

When they were launched, the werewolves believed that they were normal arrows. But they soon regretted being so careless, as the front lines were falling down like wheat on harvest season. They countered with whirlwinds, which was exactly what the Adepts were expecting. The arrows fell on the ground, freezing them in place. When the werewolves realized the trap that they had fallen in, it was too late. Some tried to retreat but another threat came from behind.

"Now, Attack" Max was first among the troops. They came out of nowhere and charged.

It was a crushing strike, and the werewolves that marched in the last lines were easily defeated. However now that they had exposed themselves they had little precious little time to kill as many as possible. Psynergy flew everywhere, and the werewolves that were not frozen death by a sudden Glacier Attack, or crushed by falling blocks of ice, were thrown away with a sudden surge of water from the ground, the magical power of the Silver swords. Max was easily the most skilled warrior in the battle, and he attacked mostly the captains and Beasts that the werewolves were riding.

After a while though, the werewolves started to gain terrain and their forces started to regroup rapidly. Three times Max went face to face with the Captains of the Werewolf army that were crushing the Serland forces, and three times he had to unleash a Djinni to survive their deadly speed.

"There are too many of them! Fall back! Regroup! I'll hold them!" And when he made sure that the Serland forces were all behind him he lifted his hands and began summoning Cybele, the mother of all creatures.

Oh goddess of the Earth, help us in this dire hour! Unleash your fury against those who oppose us! CYBELE!

And as he said this a creature fell from the sky, covered in a golden Aura. It was Cybele, and a as she released some seeds in the middle of the werewolf army, huge plants started to grow. They had many poisonous thorns, and they attacked the werewolves closer to the Forces of Serland, lifting most of them from the ground, and carrying them miles and miles in the air, while others died poisoned, even if barely touched by the thorns.

"This dense forest will give us some time. Now, heal the wounded. When those plants return to where they came from, We will strike again" But as Max said this he was worried about the troops leaded by Hens. It was clear now that the demon commanding the werewolf army was not here, and that the people defending the bridge on Serland River were fighting against a terrible power.

Suddenly, a powerful shockwave was felt, and He knew that the Demon was the cause, because with the shockwave came fear and terror.

But there was no such thing as rest, and the instant that they were all healed and ready for battle, the plants dissapeared without a trace. They charged again, but the werewolf army now feared them, and ran to the Sea. But Max knew that He couldn't risk more lives. And instead of attacking in a rush, they formed lines and advanced slowly. They were attacking with more powerful Psynergy know, and even Max could feel the cold that the Silver Swords irradiated. From the moment that they touched the skin of the Enemy, a cold burn appeared and quickly turned into a block of ice. The Mercury Adepts were now reaching inmense amounts of power and the Werewolves attacked with the power of the wind. Thunder met snow, and the wind faced the power of ice. And then, just when the Werewolves started to counter attack, Max saw the river flooding, and the hearts of the Serland people were filled with hope.

But just when his three Djinn were set again, Max heard the terrible news. Hens had Fallen against the power of the shadow.

………………………….

"You foolish old man! Nothing can stop us now! We will destroy the Adepts, and this world will be ours forever!"

The Demon raised his hand and sent forth wave after wave of Darkness. Hens put up a barrier of Ice and resisted with the help of his mighty Mythril shield. But soon the powerful spell was too much for him. The Ice barrier was broken and he was now powerless against the spells of the powerful creature. The Demon charged a powerful attack in his left hand and sent it against the leader of the Order of the White Hand. A huge explosion threw everyone, man or werewolf to the ground, and the shockwave was felt all across the battlefield. When dust settled and the Serland forces saw again, there was no trace of him. He had been wiped out from the face of Weyard.

It was then that Imil, son of Hens and succesor to his father, realized the true power of the Demon, and he was quiet, while all around him the forces of Serland and the Werewolf Army still clashed. But he was a strong warrior with a pure heart, and he was wiser than the Elders of the Order, even at his age. He knew what to do, and overcoming his fear and sorrow cried out loud the orders that his stubborn father refused to accept "Everyone fall back behind the River! We will avenge our leader, and the death of our brothers! Now!" and they feigned retreat.

But even when they were safely beyond the bridge, the werewolf attacks were more and more powerful, and the wind was filled with fear and despair. But Imil had a strong sense of leadership, and, rising his voice above all the howling and the laughter of the Demon he cried:

"NOW! FLOOD THE RIVER!"

What happened next was something that most people could not believe, even those that were there and helped. The Great River Serland, powered with the Psynergy of hundreds of Adepts, rised from its course and flooded the Lands beyond the Bridge. Not a single werewolf was left when it finished, and from that day on the course of the river was changed, as seen in the maps that were drawn after the battle. But the dark energy of the Demon was prepared for such an attack. He spread his wings and flew to the East, to command his army, in the last attack against the walls of serland.

…………………………..

"We cannot join them yet".

Tharden was a wise and fearless leader. For almost five hundred years he had ruled with wisdom, and the kingdom was filled with prosperity. He was the last of his bloodline, and everyone loved him. But when battling, he felt alive again, and he could wait no longer while his troops met the enemy head-on. But the orders from Joe were to wait until his signal.

But Joe looked at the battlefield. He was waiting for the flood, as it was the sign that the west entrance was safe, and the people of Hens were marching east. But it was nowhere to be seen. The messengers arrived with a message from Hens. He would not follow his orders, and there was no reason to flood the river. He and his men would fight the Elder One, and they would succeed. Joe knew what this meant, and called the King to an urgent meeting.

"Your Highness, Hens will not listen, and he will fight against the Demon to the Last Man. If we don't act now, their forces will fail, and the werewolves will enter the city from the West Side. But there's something we can do…"

He knew what the King would say. He knew the King would not wait here. But if the King died against such power, the moral of the people would come crashing down. Who would guide the people of Serland then? But before he finished, Tharden stood up and the strength of mercury lighthouse filled him. He turned to the battlefield. It was a fearsome sight indeed. Instead of the Frozen lands that sparkled like silver, there was blood and death, and the Demon was out there, probably laughing at him, killing at will. He turned to Joe, filled with the glory of the frozen lands and the power of the Lighthouse, and made his choice.

"We will help them. I do not fear this creature, and I will not let him stain our lands with his presence".

Then a huge explosion was seen, and a powerful shockwave of terror was felt. The air seemed dark and soon everyone knew the reason. Hens had fallen under the Shadow. But soon their grief turned to hope, For the river was flooding, and the werewolves that attacked from the West were now floating dowstream, along the new course of the river.

Then King Tharden gathered his Men and marched to battle. He was riding a great and brave horse, entirely white, with mythril bridles and golden reins. His sword hit the Enemies with the power of the sea, and they feared him and ran. Then he went face to face with the Elder one.

Tharden knew the power of his enemy. The Demon raised his Mace and struck, but he evaded it and the poison from the mace expanded like a cloud. Then He countered with the Mythril Blade, but the Demon shielded himself with his wings. He then casted his most powerful attacks.

Cutting Edge! the Demon was too agile. It laughed as it deflected Hail Prisms and Froth Spirals, and he knew that the King could not keep up with the bolts of darkness and the Dark Mist that emanated from him.

Then it spread its wings and took off from the ground. He began charging his most powerful attack again. But the king realized it just in time, and shielded himself and his army with an ice barrier.

But He was in front, and the attack was too much for him to take. As the ice barrier dissapeared, the king's strength failed as well. He slowly fell to his knees and, looking at his enemy, realized the power of the Outer beings. But before his legs lost the strenght to support him, Imil grabbed him.

"My Lord! Please hold on! We will heal this wounds in no time! Please don't die, my lord…". But king Tharden, the brave and fearless king of all Serland, was no longer able to move. He grabbed Imil's hand and looking into his eyes, he said "You are now the King, Imil. Take my sword, and swear that you will defeat this being".

Imil took the Mythril Sword, and he swore to slay the Demon, and to avenge his King. The sword glowed blue and Imil stood up against the powerful entity.

"I will avenge my King! With this Sword, and my Might, you will be banished from this realm!"

Imil charged. The Demon knew that He was a worthy adversary, and it thought of playing with him for a while, so it defended with the Mace. The blow was powerful, but It held it's own against the brave adept. Then it raised it's mace and struck vertically. Imil blocked with his shield but the blow destroyed it completely, forcing him to take a defensive stance. The Demon laughed again and walked towards him slowly. Then Imil tried with Psynergy.

"Glacier!" He cried. Several shards of ice appeared and formed a giant block of ice around the Demon, trapping him. But the Demon shattered the ice easily, and continued to walk towards Imil.

"Freeze Prism!" Several blocks of ice appeared and fell on the Demon, who kept walking as if nothing. Then Imil readied his Sword. Maybe the power of Psynergy alone was not enough against this creature.

"Plume Edge!" he cried desperately. A geyser appeared under the Demon, taking it by surprise. Imil slashed with the Mythril Sword, and the Demon fell backwards. Then Imil striked again, aiming for the Demon's head. But he was hit by it's wings, and sent backwards. The Demon stood up again, and charged. But Imil reacted just in time.

"Diamond Berg!"

The temperature dropped suddenly around the Demon, who was trapped inside a huge iceberg. Imil slashed fiercely at the iceberg, going deeper and deeper, each slash destroying parts of the demon's armor, and when He reached the center, He decapitated it. There was a sudden flow of energy into the Elder, and, with a horrible shriek, it faded into nothingness.

The werewolves were terrified now, as there was no hope for them. They were all pushed into the frozen sea of Serland. But a few were left alive and taken to prison so they could interrogate them.

………………………

The following day, after Imil was declared the new King, and the city renamed, an urgent meeting was held in the palace. They had to decide what to do against this threat. They had precious little time to waste, as the werewolves from Osenia were numerous, and the Eastern Sea was perilous now, The Sea-folk were supposedly allies of the Elder Ones so travelling by Sea was not an option. But Joe proposed something different.

"The Anemos?" said King Imil.

"Yes, the Anemos. The wind Adepts from Atteka. They travel the skies with their ships. If we could send a messenger there, we'd have no problems to travel around the world.".

"It's too far away, our armies cannot travel such a great distance for now". Imil was right. They had to recover their strength and call upon the alliances of Old, with the Kingdoms of Vale, to the West; Prox, to the North; and Xian, to the South.

"Xian is most likely in ruins now" Said Max. He had been 'interrogating' the werewolf.

"It is as we feared. Most of the Sea-dwellers are allies with the Demons, including King Poseidon. But a few rebelled and they were banished from their frontiers. They are hiding in the city of Soliena, west of here.".

"The Were-bear tribe was called but they refused. It seems that King Astart knows what's best for his people. Some of them joined forces with the Demons, though. It seems that their headquarters are in North Osenia, and the Demons Base lies in their eastern borders, beyond the Baloo Range. But when we asked them about the Dragon Tribe, they said that they would not deal with them".

"Good", said Denoth, the High Priest of the city "King Shinryu knows more about them than anyone else in the world. Some even say that He remembers the day before the Golden Sun rised. He will not join them. And the dragon tribe, even if somewhat wild, are also wise and powerful".

"Then we must contact them. We must join forces with them if we hope to win this war. I've also sent our fastest ships to Soliena. The Sea-dwellers must not be called to the Demons side".

"I'll go West", said Joe "We will need the Anemos and their flying ships before we even think of attacking Osenia".

"I'll pay a visit to King Raniel of Vale", said Imil "His cities are probably the next target of the Demon Army, and they have lived so peacefully through this age that their soldiers are now just guards and messengers"

"What if the Werebears are being attacked? Shouldn't we help them? They are fierce warriors, and Izumo is a valuable stronghold".

"No. Izumo is probably being sieged by King Poseidon's troops even as we speak. They will have to defend themselves. But don't worry, Max. They are indeed fierce warriors, and I doubt that they will be defeated so easily".

A messenger entered the Chamber. He was wearing the armor of Vale's soldiers and He had a scroll stained with blood.

"King Imil! I bring word from King Raniel of Vale. We must join against the threat of the Demon Army! Our scouts have seen a huge force landing on The lands of Xian, beyond the Lamarkan Desert. Werewolves, Were-bears and Sea-dwellers are joining against the Adepts! You must send forces in our aid!"

"King Raniel's domains are large indeed. We will send as many people as we can to Vale, but we can't send all of our forces to war, and leave none for our city. Rest here for tonight, brave messenger. Tomorrow at sunrise you will leave".

"I'll go with you", Joe said "I don't believe that all the werewolves were slain in the battle, and there's probably a lot more in the lands of Bilibin and Kolima, and their scouts will hunt you down, now that they know that you carry important information with you".

"I'll go, too." Max seemed worried "The people of Gondowan must be informed of this. And We must also meet the King of the Dragon Tribe"

"I agree. Soon, gentlemen, the Adepts of the world will have to join again as one, and fight against this common enemy".

But as Joe retired to his room, there was something that did not feel entirely right. He thought about the Djinni. Their origins were shrouded in mistery. What were they? Where did they came from? Why would an Army of hundreds of werewolves need a single Djinni? Did they knew something about them besides their ability to join powers with their wielder? And why would the Demons want this power?

But as King Imil said, tomorrow they would fight against a common enemy. And the fate of the world rested in their hands.