The War

The empress chuckled as she watched their forms leave. They would be reunited with that pet, Kai. She could imagine their confusion at being transported like that. Deimos was gone, off to fetch that child. It was all coming to fruition, just as she had imagined four years ago. Sa’ar walked a bit closer, bowing his head reverently.

“What is it this time?” she asked, her face loosing its glee.

“It would seem our other target was snatched before he could be transitioned to the shadow realm,” Sa’ar said, his golden eyes closed, his black face hiding in its cowl.

“Yes, I’m aware,” she nearly growled, frustrated. “After six hundred years, they’ve finally started to realize what is going on.” She rose from her throne, descending the stairs with a gliding, confident strut, letting her hairs move about her as she began to descend into the shadows.

The darkness welcomed her, and she opened her glowing eyes to see the assortment of crystal minds she had tied to her web of control. Each black, faded, hardened crystal echoed with the images of her shades. The one she had worked on was missing, somehow snatched away through unknown means. A bright light flashed on some of her shades and she walked over, looking through the ones who remained nearby. The temples, those forsaken places of worship by those loathsome creatures.

Her smile turned devious as she moved over, passing through her own memories. She heard the cry of her daughter as she was taken over by her will, and then the recognition that she had survived only burned her anger further. It made her smile with a bit of delight.

Seven hundred years ago, she had managed to manipulate those fools, feeding them fires and anger towards each other. The catfolk’s cries of warning had fallen on deaf ears. She could hear the people’s shrieks of terror as her shades began to appear, like blights on the land. Then she forced them down to avoid the sun’s surveillance.

That sphinx she had shaded proved a valuable asset, assisting Deimos in drawing away members from that light and joining her efforts without being shaded, hiding her presence while she worked on those other continents.

It had taken a long time, a couple hundred years, but she had taken out all those living beings, leaving the land wild while causing the wars that took out this continent. However, those cat’s religion was stronger here, preventing a total annihilation. She had learned that the hard way, and retreated, building her forces on the other continents. The merfolk had been a secret boon, and allowed the creation of her palace. That human she had turned carved the tunnels, allowing them all a place to hide and grow in strength. This was her domain, her world. Soon she would control it, despite that fiend Erasaphim’s attempts to kill her.

And this Bard, the very thought that he would soon be hers, made her mind quiver with anticipation.

For now, she needed to focus on the new threat.

With her focus restored, she stepped out onto the field, rising from the shadows, her eyes glowing and the catfolk who wielded those pitiful objects from the sun backed up at the sight.

She could sense their despair grow as she raised her hands, her hair flowing wildly like tentacles of one of those deep sea beings before forcing it to move at the speed of a shade, striking out like living spears, taking them out despite their feeble attempts to stop her. Those farther back panicked, their fear and terror mounting. Her grin widened. This. This was what she had waited so long for. To savor his creation’s despair when his light couldn’t reach them anymore. Her storm shades swarmed above, the cloud cover providing the perfect environment.

A beam of light broke through, descending quickly to the nearby temple. She looked towards it, calm, waiting. She knew this one would come. That child was too devoted to her follower's cries. It was simple, too easy.

As she stood there, the mind crystals under her control retreated towards her, causing the cats to be alarmed.

The beam of light disappeared, and she was tempted to count. How long before that child came at her? Her fingers flexed in a rhythmic pattern. A catfolk charged at her, then a few more. She didn’t even bother to look. Her hair moved at her command and took out the snuff of defiance, resistance. The despair began to grow yet again. Then she saw it, a speck of light at the base of the structure in the distance before it shot towards her. Her hairs blocked it, cutting off the triumphant cheers mid-sound.

She tilted her head back to look down her nose as she heard a cry of rage. That child was coming. She held up her hand, her hairs filling the space in between it and the ground.

“You’re up. Don’t disappoint me,” she said as she summoned her general. Ears flicked as a lithe catfolk shade, the newest in her collection, strode through.

“You bet I’m ready, milady” she heard and offered a half chuckle at the response. “Is Deimos sitting this one out, then?”

“She’s all yours,” Selene answered, and the catfolk’s amber eyes glowed even brighter. There were strangled sounds from the onlookers. The sky became illuminated, causing the shades to shriek. Selene had the sensitive move to her shadows before dismissing them. They had done their work. It would be best to save them for the few places not in her control yet.

The light flashed, taking the form of a great bird of fire and sunlight. The empress’s face shifted to a frown. How dull. She couldn’t see how these creatures could be so revered. They were so pathetic.

The bird cried out before flying up. The empress took a simple step back as her general crouched, ready to begin.

When the bird dived, the empress lashed out her hairs, surprising the beast as it struck. The general charged and laughed maniacally.

“As if we would play fair!” she laughed, eagerly digging into the soft chest, before shifting to a nearby hair and going for the eyes. The bird flapped back, its tails striking at the Empress’s hairs and forcing them to retreat. The empress smiled. All according to plan. The catfolk cried out before her shadow moved from her feet and entered the eyes of the bird. She had mastered her skill well. The empress watched as the bird cried out and flung her away, but it was too late now. The fight was already over.

As she moved her hand to extend a thread to the shadows, the bird cried and the temple lit up. The empress grimaced and retreated back as the whole place was engulfed in a bright light. The bird shook her head, trying to rid herself of the internal shadows, before her form began to change to black at the wing tips and tail tip. The empress’s eyes flared to life as she sensed it. The memory crystal of a god’s child. She had found it. She quickly moved her hands and her hairs, grabbed the bird. Her general jumped back up, attacking. With the extra despair coming in from those kitties, the catfolk, she felt a burst of energy and saw the internal soul of the bird dim.

Almost there. She felt the thread beginning to form and chuckled until the bird’s scree resounded, and the temple lit up from the heavens this time. The empress tched and sent her general back, but not before they were attacked. Her general cried out in pain before submerging into the shadows. The birds were easy pickings, and the temple was tied to a specific child, but that didn’t mean other children of the sun couldn’t descend from them. She felt a familiar tug and growled. The oldest, was it? She titled her head back and forced her shades, her children, to leave as a giant beast began to take shape in the sky. Six wings grew, a large dragon-like head appeared. She reached for the bird and pulled it close. The dragon-like creature roared, and she looked back in contempt.

“A little too late,” she said with a smug tick as she felt the thread finally connect. The dragon shot a beam of light at the bird, but she moved it away. “Watch as your sister becomes mine.” She pulled on the string and the bird cried out in pain as she forced her through the shadow realm, away from her soul, away from her mind crystal. The wings instantly changed. The eyes were the last to change, and change they did. A glowing orange like a dying sun. The empress smiled and pulled the shrinking bird close. It became a humanoid in shape and bowed before her. The dragon roared in anger, it’s form nearly completely formed. “Too bad. A powerful being like yourself was just too slow,” she said, looking back and winking before dropping them into the abyss.

However, an attack crossed the divide and hit them before she closed the entrance. It was only a split second, but it struck true.

She groaned, and her new general moved in to steady her. She silently dismissed her help and sent her to another battlefield in her place. That was too close. Far too close. Perhaps she had been too anxious. As she walked back through the shadow realm, she felt the different shades as they began their work. More lights lit up at the temple, causing her to grimace.

“Looks like they plan to overwhelm me,” she muttered. She connected with Deimos and confirmed that Bard was nearly there. Her frown turned and she smirked. She could still turn this around. He would be quite powerful, even if she didn’t have the luxury of turning him at the proper pace.