Prelude Chapter Five: Flamma Indomita

Shabiri I

Warning: violence

As Shabiri strode to the forefront of the assembled forces of men and trolls, his golden armor—a gift from his subordinates upon his elevation to the head of the Order catches the dusk's light. Radagon keeps pace to his right, a faithful companion since their early days within the esteemed Order, Radagon had never once faltered in his support or questioned Shabiri's word.

The ranks swell with the might of the holy capital's warriors and a notable gathering of Roundtable Scholars, among them is Alberich, a scholar of considerable years and intellect, known for his progressive views on integrating glintstone sorcery into the doctrines of the order. His presence here was unexpected, a sign of unity perhaps, or of changing tides. Radagon, ever Shabiri's steadfast ally, remained by his side as the troops moved onward as they had for the past day. Eventually the Order's forces came to a cliffside that overlooked the swamp that surrounded the heretical academy that was in the distance, as the sun set Shabiri saw the spires of the academy reaching upward invading the sky that belonged to the queen, and in turn the Golden Order. The more he looked at his target the flames of passion within him threatened to overflow his slim frame.

"Shabiri," Radagon's voice echoes calmly behind him "Do you truly think the academy will yield without resistance?"

Shabiri gave Radagon a slight glance, "They must, Radagon. 'Tis not merely a matter of belief but of necessity. The academy hoards knowledge that could threaten the very fabric of our order. We cannot allow such power to remain unchecked." Shabiri's words fell like the scribblings of the tomes that read of the orders values, "these heretics must be stopped by word or by blade, lest they risk extinction"

The march continued, each step squelching into the bog. views of indigenous life rustle around them—giant crustaceans and other swamp denizens—scatter into the underbrush, startled by the relentless drum of the approach. In the distance, Raya Lucaria looms larger. As the sun dips below the horizon, a pale full moon rises behind the academy, casting a sickeningly enchanting glow over the scene.

"My liege," an unsolicited voice speaks from an even softer tongue behind Shabiri, Alberich in his golden and red trimmed armor speaks without permission, his weak features only extenuating his even weaker will. "The troops grow weary, perhaps we should rest as the sun sets and set our siege at dawn."

Shabiri turned on his heel and stepped toward the weaker scholar "Rest! We anticipate no more than an hour to breach their walls. We need no rest to undertake a task so brief. Should such mad folly escape your tongue again, Alberich, I shall have you trailing the trolls, tasked with cleansing their leavings from this swamp!" The words bite the air around the scholar, Shabiri witnesses Alberich's auburn eyebrows drop as he agrees with his superior's logic and turns back to his position behind Radagon. The red-haired hound raises his eyebrow questioningly but quickly lowers it after Shabiri glances back at him.

This situation is a dire one for the Golden Order. We must bring these rebellious factions to heel, not just for our new queen eternal but for the sake of peace and serenity in these lands, the academy will falter and fall into my grasp tonight, I know it in my bones.

As the march continued the spew from the swamp began to sully the golden armor and white capes of the force, although it was no matter as it would be worth the price when Rennala and her two sisters bowed before Shabiri, especially Renna, the gall and blasphemous behavior of that crone drove Shabiri to anger whenever he thought of her. Shabiri kicked an upturned rock as he walked through the swamp which quelled his frenzied thoughts.

Eventually the gathered army reached an outpost before the academy, a town that guarded the gate, it seemed quite empty, almost ghostly. Shabiri, much like many of the other troops, looked up at the night sky upon reaching their checkpoint, and the scholars and soldiers breathed in the air of the night as the stars and full moon gazed back upon them.

At that moment Shabiri and the soldiers saw an inconceivable sight, a second moon falling from the sky above the town. The moon they knew was full and lit the area around them, but this second moon was in a halfened form as it magically descended from above. Shabiri was dumbfounded by this new moon's beauty and could not restrain his eyes as he looked upon it as it began to crack slightly and from these cracks a small blue orb peered from within the moon, and from another crack, a tree branch of white and blue appeared and took aim at the distracted scholar.

Radagon was the first to realize the situation, snapping out of the trance and tackling Shabiri out of the way of an icy projectile cast by the half-moon. "Down! Shabiri!" he called as they both fell into the murky terrain beneath them. "An ambush, they've caught us in an ambush." Radagon says as he drew his sword to deflect another projectile. Upon turning their gaze at the crescent moon they witnessed it fade and dissipate into shards of light as the caster revealed herself with a sly grin upon her face, her furred cloak swayed gently in the wind accenting the white clothing of the youngest Carian princess.

"The Snow Witch." Shabiri growled from his knees as he picked himself up and drew his sword, the blade was unsullied by the ire of the swamp, but it was pointed at the hovering maiden above him as she laughed from her place above them.

Renna's voice carried a soft and playful tone as she addressed the intruding commanders. "Verily so, little scholar," she declared, her left arm sweeping in an arc to signal her hidden allies. From the shadows emerged five figures clad in gleaming silver and blue armor, poised and ready for battle.

To her left, a troll lumbered into view, massive and imposing behind the clocktower, a greatsword matching his size clutched in his grip. Beside him, a knightess with a similar weapon stood ready, her stance aggressive yet controlled.

Directly below the hovering Renna, another knight emerged, the cold moonlight glinting off his polished armor. He drew his straight sword with a deliberate slowness and pointed the tip directly at Radagon who stood next to Shabiri, issuing his challenge.

Furthest from them near the gate leading out of the gatetown, the thud of hooves announced the arrival of a heavily armored knightess astride a robust steed, her legs were shackled oddly to the horse as if they were unusable, and a long glaive laden with glintstone was held in her hand that caught the light with every movement.

Completing the assembly was a tall woman, perched atop one of the towers above them as she looked down at the force of the Golden Order, her blue eyes shown through her helmet, which was adorned with two crescent moons decorating each side, casting a pale light on the faces of the soldiers. Her silver armor was pristine under the moonlight, She held two swords, one slightly longer than the other, as the Knightess dropped from her perch. Her stance was formidable as her reputation, a blue sash ran across her breastplate bore the sigil of the House of Caria, marking her as Twin Moon Knight Rellana, the middlemark of the three Carian sisters and revered champion of the coliseums, a woman of martial authority who commanded the Carian Knights with lethal efficiency.

At the sight, Shabiri's confidence wavered, a shiver of apprehension running through him as he met Rellana's unwavering gaze. And for perhaps the second time in Shabiri's life he felt the urge to run, to run and never look back as he did with his family, but the golden scholar pulled himself from the grime of the swamp and and unclipped his talisman from his belt holding it tightly as he uttered a silent prayer.

The sound of all the soldiers behind him unsheathing their steel was like a thundercrack that lit a fire under Shabiri, and beside him Radagon squared his own blade as he gave Shabiri a nod. Despite the threat in front of him Shabiri turned to address his army, facing the sea of golden armor and white cloaks tinged by the vile swamp that surrounded their heretical target and he spoke.

"Soldiers! Today we fight the heresy of the snowy crone and her apostles, so their heresy may not reach our homes! On the morrow we will stand victorious in the golden light of Marika!"

A cry of reverence rang from the assembled force, even from Alberich himself as they all moved forward running towards the six figures in front of them, and leading the charge was Shabiri and Radagon, their feet pounded through the mirk as they ran towards Renna who simply smiled lightly as her sister's plan began to unravel itself in brutal fashion. The two scholars saw Renna's lips move but not the words that came, as a force of white and blue robed sorcerers in stone crowns of battle materialized, roughly fifty individuals appeared casting glintstone blades around themselves while others drew steel.

Shabiri and his ocean of gold, still charged forth with the meeting of spell and sword in a clash, the golden order outnumbered the sorcerers at least five to one, this information silenced any doubts in Shabiri's head.

Suddenly the troll Carian knight jumped atop a building and then slammed down in front and on top of many of the soldiers crushing them in finality as he swung his sword down creating a grim scene as pieces of men flew in every direction. Atop the troll's back was the knightess with the greatsword and she joined the fray as well, dispatching any men attempting to attack the troll's legs. Upon seeing the sight Shabiri's pace slowed as he watched in despair as the Carian troll swung his sword again, cleaving one of the trolls that served the Golden Order in two, the pieces falling to the ground crushing even more of his men.

Radagon and Alberich quickly passed Shabiri as they rushed into the fray of battle, Radagon cut a swathe through the enemy forces before being met by a Carian Knight who with a well placed parry stopped Radagon's strike and sent the red-haired man onto the stone bottoming of the battleground with a kick.

Shabiri motivated himself with a prayer, but to no avail as it was interrupted by a cold wind accompanied by an icy blast to his side, toppling him over and he fell again to his knee. He looked around attempting to locate his opponent but he saw none in sight.

He saw the Rellana engaged in battle with a lightly armored woman who wore the sigil of Marika on her armor and wielded twin daggers, the woman weaved between Rellana's strikes with little effort, yet Shabiri could not place her in his mind, she most likely was a disciple of the queen. Nearby he saw Alberich and phalanx of soldiers attempt to engage the mounted Carian knight, their efforts seemed fruitess as with every swipe of the knights glaive their shields broke and spells pierced through any openings given by error or by force of the adversary.

"Behind you." A chilling wisp of air accompanied by a teasing voice caressed Shabiri's ear as he spun, stumbling to his feet. He found himself mere inches from Renna. The Snow Witch's eyes gleamed mischievously as they looked downward—he followed her gaze to her staff aimed directly at him. Shabiri's attempt to dodge was futile, as a concussive blast of cold hurled him backward.

He landed hard, the breath knocked from his lungs, as he coughed and clutched at the icicle that had pierced his lower chestplate. With a grimace, he yanked it free, dropping the frozen shard. Clutching his talisman, he murmured an incantation, the healing magic halting the flow of blood pooling beneath him.

"You dare attack me off-guard, you filthy crone?" Shabiri spat out the words as Renna tapped her staff against the ground, summoning a swirling storm of ice and cold.

"Was it not thou, lost in the midst of battle, little scholar?" Renna retorted as she unleashed her spell. Shabiri dodged the icy shards, slicing through several with his sword before charging at her. His blade came down hard, seemingly splitting her in two. Her grin remained even as her form split, then fell to the ground.

"Silence, heretic! Feel the might of the Golden Order!" Shabiri exclaimed, his sword raised in triumph.

But as he gazed down, the body vanished, replaced by a pile of snow. Shocked, he spun around to find Renna unscathed, her hand covering a mocking smile. "Perhaps humility is the lesson you must learn today," she teased.

Fueled by rage, Shabiri invoked his talisman to unleash a beam of golden light, which Renna effortlessly deflected. Rolling to dodge the rebound, he cast a protective spell from his knees, feeling the divine light fortify him and a few nearby soldiers.

With renewed vigor, Shabiri charged again, bolstered by a bolt of holy lightning that quickened his pace. As he neared, Renna readied herself for defense. In a swift move, Shabiri knocked her staff aside with his blade, briefly disrupting her focus. Seizing the moment, he channeled mana into his talisman, breathing out a torrent of flame that scorched her face, eliciting a pained shriek from the witch.

Yet, as she staggered back, Renna quickly recovered and parried his next attack. Her staff transformed into a blade of pure mana, which she thrust into Shabiri's midsection. The shock of her counterattack left him breathless, her seared face inches from his as she whispered, "Arrogance is your weakness. Yet, you've entertained me enough; may you find peace in humility."

Shabiri collapsed, clutching his wound as the life ebbed from him. As he lay there, Renna cast him a sorrowful glance before vanishing in a swirl of snow.

Around him, the battle turned; his troops fled in disarray. He was roughly hoisted up by the lightly armored woman he had seen battling Rellana. "Silence, Shabiri," she admonished as they retreated. "Your arrogance has led us to this disgraceful defeat. The Queen will surely not be pleased with your folly."

As they reached Radagon, who stood battered and bracing himself with his talisman, she helped position Shabiri beside him. With a final incantation, they disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the battlefield and its bitter memories behind.