Epiphany

“WAKE UP!!!”

Eira’s body was shaken violently. Her half asleep eyes opened wide in anger and sluggish muscles beginning to start up.

“Whattt?” she groaned, but the air was her only recipient.

Kaito had moved on to Ansel’s bed, tapping his face gently.

Pat, pat, pat

A loud snort came from his bed and he immediately bolted up right.

“What? What is it?” he asked.

“There’s TANKS outside!!”

Kaito looked at him in a panic. What he’d just seen was the demon army, their second and most likely final attack only four months after their first.

“The hell’s a Tank?”

Kaito looked over at Eira and clenched his teeth, tensing his mouth thinking of an answer.

“Nevermind!” He yelled, “We gotta go RIGHT NOW!!”

“Kaito there’s still people-”

It happened so fast that the three of them didn’t even have a chance to catch a breath.

In less than a second, an Armor Piercing Explosive Round had torn their roof apart and flown straight into their floor, creating a small hole toward the center of the building, flying through their room as if it were made of paper. It had come diagonally inward to the inn, a totally different direction then the one Kaito had previously seen.

Their bodies were propelled into the air, flames erupting behind them and launching them far into the distance. The fire burned their arms and back, Kaito having been facing both of his companions feeling the scorching blaze tattoo the side of his face as he turned it last minute. They for seconds on end, reaching a height so great that the majority of the city walls were now visible.

Eira and Ansel flew further out rather than high like Kaito. Eira unsheathed her blade, having gripped it like her life depended on it in less than a second, and swung at the air. She chanted a spell called [Ice Walk] which she’d practiced over the years to improve her mobility. The air underneath her began to freeze, solidifying into a glacier of her own design and catching her as if it were a slide.

Ansel chanted his signature spell [Chain Mail] which was now so strong that it was as if his entire body had become nothing but a solid rock. He was headed straight for a three story building that was just about to finish construction, the air swaying him toward the side of the building. Ansel curled up into a ball and tore through the scaffolding and even one of the stone pillars reinforcing the building. Upon his landing he left a significant crack on the corner of the road the building resided on, and despite having taken minimal damage, groaned as he uncurled and laid down on the pavement.

Kaito was still in the air, now cold and helpless, his eyes opened to look at the stars above. He was reaching the peal of his flight, a point of zero gravity leaving his body in weightless zen and him at his most peaceful mentality that he’d ever been since coming to that world.

However, the world soon reminded him of just how powerless he was. His body was pulled down by gravity switching his perspective from the sky to the ground under fire below.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

He screamed, the sounds travelling throughout the city streets. Some lights began to turn on, not just because of him, but because of the explosions the shook the sleeping city. Kaito could see the walls, the different colored lights flashing faintly in the distance all around Ydiria. The demons had surrounded them, not a single section of the wall not under siege by troops and a tank. Struggling to see through the air bombarding his eyelids, he continued to scream for his life and saw the main entrance of the city, demons spreading about the streets and a tank now barreling down the main road.

A blue light began to shine its way the ground directly below him, a person seemingly skating atop like a professional. Kaito knew this person because he was the one who’d taught her how to skate in the frozen lakes of Kamar. The ice seemed to form into a vortex and she quickly picked up speed. Soon she was flying through the air and yanking Kaito from his freefall. She made an effort to guide both of the now flying Spineful party members atop a rooftop, creating small platforms of ice to bump into her back as she was now unable to fully draw out the ice slide she’d previously used.

They landed on what looked like a bank, the roof sturdy and resistant. So strong in fact that when they stumbled onto the roof the air was knocked out of them, launching their intertwined bodies into a roll.

They rolled and rolled until the figure skaters’ back hit a wall, the door to the stairwell leading up to the roof.

Gasping for air, Kaito managed to squeeze out some words of gratitude, his hair now frizzled and face bleeding onto his savior's legs as she struggled to a sitting position, gasping for air.

“Gasp…. Thank…gasp… You Ei-gasp-ra”

Kaito struggled to move, feeling a pain in his ribs, and began to groan as he tried to roll off of Eira. He knew she was also in pain, having taken big hits to her back that could've knocked her out cold, she still managed to sit up and hold him.

Eira was gasping profusely looking up into the stars, yet her grip was unyielding. She squeezed Kaito’s arm and pulled him close to her. Choking out the words “It’s… fine” through her exhausted breath.

They rested in each other's company for a second. The stars lighting up the sky. Some stars seemed to grow closer, bigger, and brighter.

“Kaito!! Eira!!”

Another Armor Piercing Explosive Round flew past forcing a gust of wind at them. The round landed a few blocks down, lighting it up in flames. Explosions sounded all over, and yells and screams began to flood the city streets as demons ravaged and destroyed anyone and everyone they saw.

The two forced their bodies up and stammered to the edge of the building. They saw people running through the streets in chaos, the previously dark city now in flames and full of havoc. In the middle of the street they saw a broad man, his familiar body almost unscathed from the blow they’d just survived.

“KAITOOO!!! EIRAAAA!!!” he yelled while cupping his hands. His gaze darted all over, having seen them flying through the air he knew they were in the area somewhere.

“Over here!” Kaito yelled, his voice barely usable. The tanks continued to fire and more and more buildings fell, kicking up a wave of smoke and far into the distance.

Ansel heard the voice like a whisper in the wind, amazingly singling it out from the noise down in the street, just about looking out at the general direction it had come from. He saw a hand waving atop a building, Kaito and Eira. He rushed over to the building and began to climb up the stone wall as if it were a piece of dry cardboard, punching holes into the stone to make for a stepping stone. Ansel had no time to look for an entrance or rather even spend more than a minute climbing up the wall.

Another shot flew right by him, down the street he’d just left. He could see a big machine at the end of the road with a loud strange repeating sound emanating from it. The higher he climbed the more he saw, more of those machines, more demons spreading about, more flames lighting up the night.

His hands finally reach the edge of the roof, forcefully indenting the ledge with his palm as he pulls himself up.

“Here.”

Kaito grabbed his hand and pulled him up, surprisingly still being able to muster strength to his brunt arms. Ansel finally stood upright and Kaito fell to the ground, catching his breath once more. Adrenaline had been coursing through his veins since the moment he looked out of the window. But now that his heartbeat was slowing down the pain began to writhe and stab him without hesitation leaving him nearly incapacitated on the ground.

He’d just been blown up by a tank shot, miraculously surviving without so much as a piece of armor to protect him. His shirt was nothing but a burnt napkin and his pants had charred to the point it looked as if he were wearing a pair of wooden shavings. Kaito knew he needed to get up, his emotions weren’t letting him rest one second.

We need to leave. We need to get out of here.

We need to survive.

Kaito pushed himself through the pain, moving his charred arms to help him up as blood dripped from his elbows and forearms. The pain was immeasurable, knocking his breath out of his lungs at the smallest motion. He felt his consciousness start to waver, Kaito knew he had to get up. He needed to ensure they made it out.

“W-we need to-”

—--

“Sire our defenses have proved futile!”

The prince of Falmah hurriedly walked down a white corridor. His shoes strutted over a velvet rug spanning the entire castle as two knights accompanied him at each side, the one on his right having just informed him of the current situation down below.

“Where is my father?”

“We have been trying to unlock his room but I’m afraid no one is willing to tear it down, his exhaustion must have left him bedridden all day ever since his return.”

They made their way to his chambers, the king of Falmah having finally returned from his expedition up in the continent of Lyraq having headed to the dwarven nation of Apaz for one final attempt at reconciliation. The trip alone had taken a full year, and now having returned home in silence, the king didn’t so much as make an effort to make his presence known and immediately locked himself away.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

“Father!!!”

BAM! BAM! BAM!

“FATHER!!!”

Silence filled the hallway.

“Wait sire there must be a-”

A sudden kick broke the latch on the door making metal fly out and drop to the ground. The door swung open, revealing the state of the king, his bed made and untouched only a single bed sheet missing. The prince's eyes opened wide, and the knights turned away at the sight they uncovered. The king’s body swayed slowly, the ground looking up at the previous monarch’s bare feet, floating above graciously, like a windchime.

The prince’s eyes watered for only a moment before wiping them away and slamming the door shut. He strutted away in distress growing bitter with every step.

“Your Majesty!”

“DON’T CALL ME THAT ANYMORE!!” the prince snarked, his eyes full of resentment as he pushed his sorrow down to the depths of his soul.

“...yes. Sire.”

The three burst the doors open to the throne room where the king's second hand was waiting for him.

“Your Majesty where is-”

“I will be taking charge now.”

“Your Majesty this is not the t-”

“Knights!”

“Yes Sire!”

The two knights that had been with him were the co-commanders of the royal guard, and had all the knights stationed at the castle start entering the throne room per the prince’s orders. They all kneeled at the prince who was now going to continue his role as the acting king in this final battle against the demons.

“Remove him from this room and get me MY shields.”

““Yes Sire!””

Moments passed and the room became filled with royal knights and the four shields of Ydiria, which stood next to the prince sitting on the throne. They all stood in silence as the knights lined themselves up in a battle formation. The door began to creek open in the midst of this, bringing all the knights to a sudden panic and taking their swords up.

A small head began to reveal itself, a familiar headband with jewels looking back at them. The knights looked back at the four shields, the Sun, the Wind, the Blaze, and the Force, all four of them still standing at the prince’s side. The girl was taller than the rest, similar in age to the Force Shield or even older.

“Let her through,” the prince decreed.

She walked over silently, her body healthy and strong and her skin smooth as silk. Her hair was a strong dark blue and she wore a white dress that was of the highest quality. The prince gave no explanation but to have her stand behind him, the knights returning to their preparation.

Suddenly, the castle walls shook. Although they saw nothing and the shaking soon stopped, the whole room knew. Sweat drops began to fall onto the velveted floor, and some swords began to shake. The room was filled with about fifty seasoned warriors who had served the king for years. They all steeled their resolve and readied themselves for what was to come. In the throne room, all fifty knights and the prince up on his throne thought the same thing.

They’re here.