*Chapter 20: The Infiltration of Dubhghlas Castle*

Five long years had passed since the beginning of the Second Great War between humans and Mystics. Two major sides have emerged once more since the First Great War, the Alliance and the Resistance. The Alliance was filled with Mystics and humans wanting peace with each other and civilization to return to a better and improved version of the few years before the First Great War, where Mystics and humans could live and work together without too much hate and distain. The Resistance on the other hand was predominantly Mystic with only one goal in mind, a world controlled by their race with humans below them as slaves and servants, much like five years ago but reversed. During these five years the Alliance was able to push back the Resistance back and take over most of Ohio, only McKinley remained predominantly Resistance. Now, the General of the Alliance gathered around with a chosen few on this, the eve of the first battle of the Second Great War, for an infiltration mission to rescue the Lady Brooke, one to the Mystics' most renowned and most important figure head in their religion following the God of Light.

"The Dubhghlas Castle has only one way in and one way out." Kurt said as he pushed back a long strand of hair behind his ear. Over the years he had let his hair grow out, his natural way to fall back in and all education of how to be a human gentleman slip out the window. For now his main and only concern was to end the war and bring peace to world with the death of Doyle Sarver. "Now the plan calls for Puck to play as a prisoner transporter bringing in said prisoners or otherwise known as Lauren and Brittany. Scarlota and I will pull the cart, she masking her horn. We get in, free the prisoners, save the Lady Brooke and get out. We are not going to kill Sarver in this mission."

"What about Antoni?" Lauren asked flicking some bangs away from her eyes. Since the war the vampire female has become faster, stronger and a bit skinnier though she was still bigger than most other females and even males. And over the years she had claimed Puck as her Imprint and the two had gained a strong relationship and have always been paired together because so.

"Antoni." Puck scuffed. "He gives vampires a bad name." Puck ran a hand over his shaved head. "I saw I shove my blade through his throat."

"No!" Both Lauren and Kurt said at the same time. Kurt continued. "Don't be stupid Puck. Antoni is far stronger and faster than you are. You would never get close enough. And even if you did, I can expect you to be lying limp in his arms while he drains you dry. No, I must kill Antoni and Sarver too."

"But he's strong and powerful. And his dad's a God." Brittany muttered. She being no less beautiful than she was five years ago but increasingly smarter than she once was and as well as mature. "Wouldn't you need a God to kill a God?"

"As much as Sarver may not like to admit it…" Kurt said straightening his back, his spine cracking because of it. "He is only half God, and being half God brings upon power as well as vulnerabilities."

"But even so, one must need some food to fight a demigod, huh?" Mercedes said as she and Rachel behind her entered the lodge. She and Rachel have not really changed in the past years though they have grown emotionally stronger because of the war and much more anxious when a battle was happening and their lovers would go into battles. They still managed the camp in the Mystic Woods, cooking, cleaning, and overseeing. Though the camp itself has separated into two parts, the Eastside being commanded over by Kurt and the Westside being commanded by David Karofsky, they still remain to be big assets to the camp.

"Hm food!" Puck exclaimed as he attacked the women's trays of food.

"Puckerman!" Lauren scolded.

Kurt shook his head. "Could this not wait? We have some last minute things to go over."

"What's to go over?" Rachel shrugged as she placed her tray on the table. "You're entering the castle in a rouse, the dungeon is around the back and into the rock, you're going to make your way up through the inside of the castle and find Lady Brooke. There's not much to it."

"On paper it isn't." Kurt retaliated. "In reality it is far much difficult."

Mercedes shook her head. "You work too hard Kurt. You must think about the consequences."

"I know the consequences Mercedes. The whole world going to Sarver and all humans enslaved or worse killed."

"That isn't what I meant."

"I can't take breaks Mercedes." Kurt sighed heavily. "I wish I could but… There's nothing else I can do." Squaring off his shoulders he added "If you all have confidence in tomorrow's mission then I call this meeting over." Not one person objected. "Fine then. Meeting adjourned." Kurt walked outside of the lodge where Scarlota waited for him. "Hello Scarlota."

"Hello General." She said to him. She was still the same as she ever was, but more powerful and confident with herself. Though she still fears the Darkness as well as battles, she always pulls through for her friend and General. The two started to walk off together around the camp, making their inspections. "How confident do you feel about the mission tomorrow General?"

"To be honest not at all confident. We needed this meeting and they just shrug it off and ignore my warnings."

"It is our progress as of late that makes them act like this."

"Well I am not about to allow us to lose to get their mentalities back to what they should already be."

"I understand that General. If I implied that I apologized for that is not what I intended."

"No, not at all Scarlota. I was merely stating my thoughts." The unicorn dipped her head in a nod. "Gentlemen." Kurt called out suddenly towards Finn, Wesley, Artie, and Mike. The four males have grown to be the best of friends, each having their own specific tasks. Finn, Wes, and Mike are all soldiers for the Alliance but also play the roles as the Head of Defense, Messaging, and Arsenal in that order. Artie because of his disability could not fight but he worked under Wes as a messenger with the camps of the Mystic Woods and of the areas surrounding and even in the battle field with a standardbred called Rapidesa, a half horse, half unicorn male horse with a high stanima and great speed.

"Oh hey General." The human males greeted. "Is there a problem?" Mike asked.

"No not at all." Kurt replied. "I was just making sure that you three," he looked at Finn, Mike and Wes, "make sure you keep the defenses up within the camp. We cannot be too prepared for a surprise attack. And keep an eye out for Karofsky's updates and such."

"Yes General."

"As for you Artie, could you check up on the surrounding areas for me tomorrow?"

"Yes General."

"Thank you Artie. Good night to all of you—oh and yes, Mike, how is Tina and your newborn Jerard?"

Mike's face brightened at the mention of his wife and child. "They are great thank you!"

Kurt nodded and looked questionably at Finn. Finn groaned in result. "I know, I know! But we want to wait after the war so we can have our dream wedding and out first child. We don't want to raise a kid in this and besides, you only get married once."

Kurt chuckled and Scarlota whinnied softly. "Whatever you say Finn."

"It's true!" Finn rebutted.

"Good night again gentlemen." Kurt repeated and with that Scarlota and Kurt resumed their rounds, the human males saying their farewells as the two left.

They continued their rounds in quiet until Scarlota spoke up once more. "Kurt… I wonder if it would be too much to ask…"

"Ask away Scarlota my friend."

"… Are you any better?"

Kurt tensed. "Any better from what Scarlota?"

"You know what I am talking about Kurt." The unicorn paused. "I just want to make sure you are better than you once were because of it."

Kurt stared off into the darkness of the woods as Scarlota checked up on one of the families that live within the woods. The event the two were talking about was the day Kurt found out that Blaine's body was found in McKinley. His body was torn up and the human had lost a significant amount of blood. Some say that it looked like the work of a vampire like that of Antoni's work and other say that it was not Antoni but a griffin or some other Mystic with sharp claws for if it had been Antoni the blood would have been completely drained. Whatever the problem Blaine was proclaimed dead almost two and three quarters into the war. All that time Kurt had been looking for his lost lover to find out that he was dead. At first Kurt could not believe it. Blaine would never leave him in this world alone. Kurt wished to go see for himself but he did not have to. That same day an army came into the camp and one of the soldiers carried a 'gift' for Kurt, a rose gold ring with a wheat pattern on the sides and a diamond as an emerald cut, one of a twin set the Blaine bought shortly after they first got together, one for Blaine and one for Kurt. Kurt was devastated and angered and practically went on a killing spree, losing whatever it was he had left of himself in the process. He let his hair grow out, downgraded his clothing from that of an actual General to a poor foot soldier. And what was worse that on the day of the First Battle, Kurt left his ring behind in the estate which was set on fire the moment Sarver took over Ohio. Everything he and Blaine once shared together, and even Pavarotti, burned to nothing.

"Kurt. Kurt. Kurt!" The unicorn pressed him.

"Yes Scarlota?" Kurt asked just realizing that they had both started to walk once more.

"Are you better?"

Kurt heaved a sigh. "I suppose Scarlota. I still hurt from the loss but… What more else am I to do? I fight for his name but that will never bring him back. And even so, my fight for him is also being shared by that of the world, especially our God of Light and the Lady Brooke. The only thing I could ever think of that he would want me to do is to move on and find another love that will take care of me and love me as he once had, but I refuse to grant him that wish. He will be the only one for me, for now and always."

"I am sorry Kurt." The unicorn sympathized with him.

The shifter nodded. "I'm sorry too."

*Chronicle of the Mystics*

The next morning the small group of five, all Mystics except for one, moved out in a carriage stolen from the Resistance side. "Remember the plan guys." Kurt said before he shifted into a horse as Scarlota masked her horn with her magic. "It's just a get-in-get-out scenario. We are not staring a fight in the castle is that understood?"

"Yes General!" The response came and the five moved on wards through the back roads at first before slipping into one of the very few roads that are accessible and manageable in Lima. Along the way there were, at first, checkpoint after checkpoint but after the first few miles passed there were less and less of the checkpoints and less tense moments that was brought along with it. Finally the group came to the bridge of the castle. The castle itself was built upon an outlet of land that was more elevated than the surrounding areas. The castle looked dark and foreboding just as the sky did. Since the war started the skies have remained dark and cloudy, much like what happened in the First Great War but around the castle the sky was darker and the clouds seemed to wrap around the towers of the Dubhghlas Castle. Kurt and Scarlota pulled the carriage over the bridge that connected the northern part of the Ohio Beach with the outlet of land that stretched out towards the sea. As they trespassed the bridge the waves from the ocean crashed against the bridge and below them, the ocean always being as if it is a storm, dark and ever angry as Sarver controls his army and takes the will of other beings. At the middle of the bridge was one last final checkpoint. The two guards, twin banshee sisters with dark hoods, hollowed faces and long, black nails flanked the sides of the carriage.

"You…" One sister hissed. "You are human…"

"Humans are not allowed in…" The other sister hissed.

"Unless… You have a reason…"

Puck nodded his head, thankful that his prison guard uniform, a brown hooded jacket, had said hood and was currently covering his eyes. "I am the prison guard from the next land over with some very… Specific prisoners."

The sisters recoiled back. "Specific?" The second sister hissed. "How so…?"

"They are close to the Alliance General, Kurt Anderson."

The banshee sisters hissed loudly at the name. "We shall do our final inspections humans…" The first sister started.

"Just to be sure…" The two sisters looked at Kurt and Scarlota carefully and then into the dark carriage where Lauren and Brittney too wore dark hoods and were shrouded by the shadows and the hoods themselves. "It looks to be secure sister…"

"Yes… It does sister…"

Together the sisters moved away from the carriage. "You may pass… Human…" Puck only nodded in response, a good move when it comes to banshees.

The carriage moved into the dungeon of the castle and came to a stop in the middle of the unusually quiet dungeon. Kurt looked around the dungeon to see that there was also, surprisingly, no guards. A clank of a door directed the attention of the three outside the carriage to some stone stairs that led upwards. Leading up there was some light shining and then suddenly a shadow came into the light and was making their way down. Scarlota neighed softly in anticipation and Puck started to reach behind him for his blade but not before knocking a secret code into the carriage. Inside the women were shedding their hoods and were slowly unlocking the doors and preparing themselves to fight. The dungeon guard came into view and it was revealed that the guard was a very misshapen fomorian, with grey, green skin, a dark brown and tan toga of sorts and a large club with spikes protruding from the end. It was a wonder why there were no guards and it was quiet. Formorians hate loud noises and have extremely short tempers. The Mystic growled and his throat rumbled obviously showing that the fomorian typically did not know how to speak. Puck cleared his throat and whispered to Kurt. "Uh… Kurt? What do you propose we do?"

Kurt's vocal cords rumbled and Scarlota rumbled back as her horn soon appeared and she forced the fomorian down to the ground, whipping his club out from his hands. He was about to roar in warning to the castle when Kurt lodged himself off from the carriage and changed himself into a male siren. "I would not do that if I were you." Kurt warned before taking a deep breath in. The fomorian instantly silenced.

Puck knocked on the carriage again and Lauren and Brittany came out and around the carriage. "So what should we do with him?" Puck asked. "Kill him?"

"No." Kurt replied simply as he shifted back to his normal form. "Free the others and put him in one of the cages. It will hold him. The cages are built with magic repellent."

"Wow…" Brittany said as she inspected the cages closely. "Never thought I would see this stuff again."

"Just free them Pierce." Lauren said as she began opening cages.

"Who's Pierce."

"That's you Brittany." Lauren replied, somewhat exasperated.

"Oh yeah that's right!" She giggled.

"Shh!" Kurt shushed them as he opened a cage and ushered the Mystics out before getting them to help him with the fomorian. "Now you will be quiet will you not?" The fomorian growled. A Phoenix bowed its head at Kurt and then screeched sharply but quietly at the fomorian and with that the Mystic cringed as if the sound had been louder. "Thank you Phoenix." The Phoenix bowed its head again and kept an eye on the fomorian as Kurt began to move into the next stage of the plan. "Listen up." He said, attracting the attention of most everyone in the dungeon. "You can either run and escape or stay here and fight as a distraction so that we may go up and rescue the Lady Brooke, the choice is up to you. Whatever you choice, you will not be judged am I clear?" The Mystics nodded their heads. "Good then." Kurt then looked at Brittany, Lauren, Puck and Scarlota. "Come on you four. We must get moving." The five rushed up the stairs, Kurt taking the form of the fomorian to pull away some suspicion form them while the freed Mystics, minus the Phoenix who was keeping a watch on the caged fomorian, broke apart to do their respective motives.

*Chronicle of the Mystics*

Antoni was making his rounds about the castle when he heard some commotion coming from the inner courtyard. He rushed over to the sound and stopped at the balcony overlooking the courtyard. Below the Mystics that were supposed to be in the dungeon were fighting against the guards and fighters in the castle. Antoni growled to himself and looked up towards where his master, his God, was at. With lighting quick speed he rushed up the roof paneling. As he jumped onto a ledge he got grabbed by a serpent's strong tail. Antoni struggled to release himself so he started to claw at the serpent's tail. "Release me!" Antoni growled out as he quickly lashed out at the tail and cut the tail off. The serpent hissed in pain and Antoni finished the Mystic of but not without noticing a strange yellow canary flying away from them and towards the upper chambers and Antoni's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The vampire shook it off and continued his way towards the canary's direction, shrugging off the creature as just a simple and mindless animal.

*Chronicle of the Mystic*

Meanwhile Scarlota, Lauren, Brittany and Puck worked their way deeper into the castle along with a small band of Mystics that decided to join them in their mission. They fought past many enemies while they slowly wondered where their General could have gone. At one moment Kurt was before them as a fomorian and next he was gone, broken apart from them but they could not risk their mission to look for their leader so instead they continued onwards. The four soon find Sarver's main room and allow the Mystics to continue to make their way through and out the castle. Scarlota motioned to the door and the others nodded. The unicorn then slammed the doors open and the four rushed into the large room. It was ornately decorated; the walls painted gold with black trims and the furniture was black mahogany, very rare wood. The floor was also wood, like birch or oak. The whole wall of the room across from the large double doors was made of glass, giving the picturesque view of the ocean if it was not raging and turning so angrily. The four could then see a sitting area in the right hand corner and from a chair turned to them Lady Brooke rose and looked at the four. She wore a white dress with black trim and long sleeves with a lacy pattern that followed the border of the neck line down to mid abdomen. The whole dress itself was seemingly made of lace and her long red black hair was tied back and wrapped around a bun.

They were all shocked to see each other, even though the four's mission was to find Lady Brooke, the very presence of her made them lose any current thought. And that loss of thought was just enough for heavy chains made with a large band of magic repellent to fall upon the four. Lady Brooke gasped and placed a hand to her mouth. She moved to go towards them but then Sarver appeared from the shadows, his black raven wings tucked neatly on his back. "Do not move Milady. They are not your concern." Sarver noted.

Antoni rushed into the room and stands between Sarver and Lady Brooke and the four. "Surround them!" The General of the Resistance ordered, pointing sharply at the trapped four. They are soon surrounded by ogres, orcs and satyrs almost immediately; all wielding sharp weapons at them, each wearing a pouch with even more weapons and chains, and one satyr even had a gun. Antoni chuckled as the four were forced to stop trying to free themselves from the heavy chain. The dark vampire chuckled in response. "So this is the Alliance's attempt to save their most important religious figure? Ha! Where's your leader?"

Scarlota propped herself up into an awkward half sitting position and as her magic started to fade she collected whatever she could to speak. "What you… Should ask yourself… Antoni… What will my General… Do when he… When he gets here…?"

The dark vampire laughed in result. "I don't fear Kurt. He's just a lame shifter. So what if he's got some destiny behind him? He can't possibly—"

"Antoni!" Sarver scolded. "Don't mock a destiny."

Antoni turned to look back at Sarver. "What? But Sire—"

"Just do not! Destinies are far more powerful than they seem." Sarver paused and glanced back at Lady Brooke. "Just look at my destiny. Full, and powerful and unstoppable. I was destined to rule, just as my father before me."

Antoni bowed his head at Sarver. "Yes of course Sire."

"Now as for these Alliance fighters… Send them to the dungeon. We will—"

Without warning the window shatters as a roar echoes in the room as a Chinese dragon floats into the room through the window. The dragon was brown with golden underbelly scales with golden and red feathering and tricolored eyes. The dragon swung one large claw around towards Antoni and then brought that claw down onto the floor on top of the vampire, the floor curing in with the power behind it. The dragon roared again and as Antoni struggled slightly under the claw the dragon stared down at Sarver. The corners of Sarver's lips curled up. "It's a pleasure to meet you again… Kurt Anderson."

A second chain net trap gets dropped on top of Kurt and it wraps tightly around his horns and neck. He roars in surprise as the chains slowly drain the magic from the Alliance General as Antoni worms his way from under the claw and watches as Kurt slowly reverts to human form. Antoni quickly grabs some chains from one of the orc's pouches full of weapons and moves to completely chain up Kurt's arms, legs and body. By the time Antoni was done Kurt was completely immobile and loss all of his magic. Antoni dug one hand into the shifter's grown out hair and had his nails dig into the shifter's skull. Kurt groaned in effect. "What was that about whatever Kurt will do to me unicorn?" Antoni snarled at the others.

Kurt tried to twist out of the chains but they were too tightly wrapped around him. "Sarver! Release them and Lady Brooke! Do whatever you want with me but release them!"

"No you idiot!" Laruen yelled at him. "You are more important! You are the General for God of Light's sake!"

"What about this Kurt?" Sarver said ignoring the female vampire and taking a few steps towards Kurt. "Join me and together, we will rule the world with an iron fist. Our two destinies together will be a force to be reckoned with."

"I will never join you!" Kurt screamed. "I would rather die!"

"That can be arranged." Sarver grinned evilly at the shifter. "But before I send you off, how about a little reunion?" Sarver clapped his hands together twice and a secret door opens up. From the door three figures emerge, Quinn, Santana, both dressed in servant type clothing, a very plain dress with worn shoes and their hair tied back in messy buns, and then…

"Blaine…" Kurt gasped out softly.

Blaine glanced at Kurt and then looked down at the floor. He too dressed like a servant with very plain pants and shirt and equally worn out shoes but the only difference between them and the other human servants were that they were not chained. "Santana?" Brittany called out to her old friend.

"Quinn?" Puck too called out to her.

Sarver looked at the three humans for a moment before turning his attention back to Kurt. "It really is a wonder of the thing that these three have stayed here with me this whole time don't you think? I mean as you can see they are not chained and could have escaped and yet… Here they are. You see Kurt and company, these humans here are on my side."

"Impossible!" "You liar!" The Alliance members yelled except for Kurt who was staring intently at Blaine, trying desperately to get a reading from him.

"Oh no it's true. A long time ago on the first day of the Second Great War I captured these three, two out of pure insanity and one out of recollection. I asked them, 'Die, or join me.' Of course the decision wasn't that hard since Antoni moments before had drained… How many beings was it Antoni?"

"Seventy-three." Antoni replied briskly.

"Oh yes. Seventy-three people completely. All refusing to take partake in my new world. Refresh my memory Antoni, how many humans did you drain out of those seventy-three?"

"Fifty-eight."

"Fifty-eight." Sarver repeated in mock shock. "But you know these three haven't been all bad. The two females are the Lady's private servants and Blaine is my own servant." Kurt forced his gaze from Blaine to Sarver. "And he has been serving me well these past few years since Antoni had gotten tired of… Personal endeavors." Kurt tensed and behind Sarver Blaine's eyes rose from the floor to Sarver. "Isn't that right…" Sarver looked back at the ex-entrepreneur, "…Blaine?" Kurt looked in desperation at Blaine; the others too looked at the human male with their hearts strained, knowing how big an impact it will be to their General if it proves to be true. "And please don't lie to dear old Kurt. I believe he deserves better don't you agree? Since you have not once tried to contact your ex-lover and faked your own death by finding Kurt's ring and tossing yours into the fire so to speak."

Kurt took a big deep breath of air in quietly. Blaine looked at Kurt, his eyes sad and painfully sorry. "It's true." Kurt felt his heart break at that moment and the shifter slumped forward. Blaine quickly took a few steps forward but was held back by Santana and Quinn. "Kurt! I am so sorry! I never enjoyed any of it! I promise!"

"Uh, uh, uh Blaine." Sarver scolded softly. "Let Kurt wallow in his pain." He paused and sighed softly. "So the plan is that I will spare Blaine of his tasks and of these two women too I suppose if that is you changed your mind about joining me Kurt."

Kurt whimpered softly and forced himself to sit up right. He looked around the room to see his trapped comrades, his old friends he thought were dead, including that of his ex-lover, and of Lady Brooke, who looked practically heartbroken at the scene that unfolded before her thanks to Sarver's extent. Kurt looked at Sarver, the dark demigod that proved to be more damaging than originally thought. Kurt thought back on the plan he was so intent on following and how it failed like he knew it probably would have. Then he thought of his destiny and what it really meant to him, to everyone. "Well?" Sarver pried obviously wanting an answer from the Fated shifter.

The Alliance General squared off his shoulders; the room was thick with suspense, sadness, and hopelessness. "My answer Sarver…" Kurt said in a remarkably strong voice. "Remain. I would rather die."

"No!" Blaine yelled.

"Fine then." Sarver replied. "You made your choice. Antoni, kill him!" He ordered.

Antoni began to drag the shifter towards the broken window, Blaine hollering at him and trying to break free of the girls who were holding him back knowing that if he interfered, he too would be killed. Kurt's comrades were silent with a mixture of emotions and watched in terror as Antoni reached the window and with a slight effort due to coming in contact with magic repellent, lifted Kurt up above his head. Blaine broke free at that moment. "Kurt! Kurt no!" Antoni glanced at the human who was running towards him and quickly tossed the Fated One out the window and into the raging sea below. "NO!" Blaine screeched as he reached the window and ran into it. He stared down into the water and could not see a thing. He was about to jump as well but Antoni gripped the human tightly by both arms, holding him in. "No! Kurt! NO!"

Sarver merely shook his head. "What a waste of a body. Antoni, take Blaine to his chambers and lock him in it and as you round up the escaped prisoners that you can, make sure that our new prisoners are as uncomfortable as possible in the dungeon."

End of chapter 20. I just killed off Kurt guys! Or did I? You'll have to find out next chapter! Review to have Kurt live!