Vraxlyn The Broken

Merely saying her name had induced terror in the entire populace left on the battlefield. Sayane watched as thousands of brave, violent warriors trembled and searched for security, but their desperation only intensified when half of them realized their weapons had been destroyed in their surrender.

“The Unwell One?!”

“The Calamity?! I thought she was a myth!”

“The Sky Scourge. The Heavens’ Dark Harbinger. Oh, Emptiness, no, no, no.”

“The Broken…”

No weapon returned to life. Try as they might, their devices did not reactivate.

“What’s wrong with their weapons?” Sayane muttered.

“Newer imperial protocol. The devices are mind-bound to their users. They only answer to them, so if a Silencer died or broke its sigil, the weapon was useless. It kept their power out of Revolution hands,” Azag explained.

Erosc was there now, pulling them both from the ground. Perspiration lined his paw’s grip, telling Sayane he was legitimately afraid. Panicked voices shouted all around them. Sayane could barely stand, and this was now only getting worse. It took all of her effort to keep from toppling over. And Azag was no better. His braces were broken, so his legs could barely support him as he bent for balance.

“Get Azag something to use for balance!” Can-Mo shouted out to any who would hear.

As they waited, Can-mo slid his long tentacles under Sayane and Azag’s arms for support.

“I have you, dear friends. I will not let you fall over.”

The screams returned once more, and Sayane had to cover her ears.

“Turn them off! Turn them off!” Attis commanded.

The small imperial scribe tried to toggle different switches, but the tablet would not power down. Instead, the screams only built in fury.

The terror returned.

“SOOOOOOONGSTRESSSS!!!! MRRAAAARRRGGGHGH!!!!! SONGSTRESSSS!!!!!!!!! GRRUUUUUGGNNNNGGGGHHHHHAAAAARHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Azag’s hand tightened on Sayane’s shoulder.

More soldiers and fighters began to cry out in fear. Erosc scanned the battlefield, trying to discern next steps. His terrified gaze returned to the friends, and Sayane once more saw his fear when he looked upon her.

“Sayane, I need you to run again,” he said.

“What?!” Sayane sighed in defeat.

“Flee this place. Now,” he ordered.

Defeat struck Sayane like a ram. She was too weak. All of them were. Screams were burning themselves to her mind.

“I don’t have Esca, anymore,” Azag fearfully admitted.

“Take a skiff or a speeder and go! NOW!!” Erosc commanded.

But Xentros turned and held up his hand in a dangerous challenge.

“No! She has the fastest vessel in the empire. She will ram you out of the sky. She does that for fun.”

Erosc moved to speak, but Xentros knew his other idea already.

“And The Sky Scourge sets the heavens ablaze, as far as the eye can see. If you try to send multiple ships, she will ignite the sky, burning all of you to death. It’s too late for us to flee.”

Now the terror was building for Sayane. Something horrific was approaching, and all Sayane’s body and soul wanted to do was collapse and sleep. But that was not to be so. Instead, they were there, in an open field, waiting for ruin to descend on them. Erosc turned in dread and looked around for better shielding. Their only other cover was the ruins of fallen ships, but he feared those might collapse on them. They were stuck where they were.

“SHIELDS! TO ME! ALL BARRIERS AROUND THE SONGSTRESS!!” Erosc commanded.

Xentros followed his lead and let out a murderous roar that shook Sayane’s ribs.

“MY CHILDREN! HEAR ME AND FEAR ME!!” he shouted.

Every Silencer stopped their panic and looked to their leader.

“THY GLORY IS HEARD!!” the Silencers replied.

Xentros slammed his chest twice and roared once more.

“You do not need your weapons FOR YOU ARE A WEAPON!! Do not be afraid, for by your claws, hands, and teeth, you will know glory! The songstress ordered you to live, SO LIVE!! FIGHT!!”

Sayane watched as The Silencers devolved into growling, roaring, ravenous beasts. Claws pulled at skin and fur, opening flesh in preparation. Hands locked over faces as heads shook in rapturous anticipation. Bloodlust was building.

Xentros slammed his chest once more, and the madness paused.

“Follow the lead of Erosc the Undying! Once your most noble foe! He is now your only light and your only truth!! Look away from his splendor, and you will die alone in darkness!!!”

Growls, howls, roars, shouts, and deafening screeches pierced the realm as the Silence arched their backs to the heavens to worship their new leader.

“ERRRRRROOOSSSSCCCC!!!!! ERRRROOSSSSCCC!!! ERRROSSCCC!!!” the voices clamored over the screams.

Erosc grabbed his great mace once again and slammed it onto the soil before him. Spiteful bursts of sparking hate exploded out from the great weapon as Erosc’s claws extended and he let out his own roar.

Now the Revolutionary fighters joined in.

“MY OLD ENEMIES!!! MY OLDEST FRIENDS!!! ALL OF YOU!!! TO ME!!!!

Every soul on the battlefield screamed out and rushed to their new divinity.

“Every moment of your life has led you here!! The sky above is about to ignite, but your eyes must stay here! ON HER!!!” Erosc shouted as he pointed to Sayane.

Pounding thuds echoed out.

“The Songstress Supreme is greater and more powerful than any of us, but she is not a warrior like you! SHOW HER WHAT NEW WORLD YOUR MALICE AND HOPE CAN UNLEASH!!!”

Heavy machinery thudded and locked in place around the hill where the friends were standing. Sayane watched as aged Revolutionary machina and polished imperial wartech latched to the ground and hummed to life. Behind them, the sacred instruments continued to slumber. Before them, the Violated Shard floated in waiting.

“Go! Go far away!! Please!!” Sayane commanded the massive magical stone.

It paused, then began to rise.

“Layer your shields like a lattice!” Azag commanded.

“Her weapons will be calibrated for one or the other, but if you blend them, their endurance may hold longer!” he added.

“I’m here with something to lean on!!” Saxum shouted as his colossal feet shattered the ground.

Sayane and Azag turned to see him rushing back to them, carrying an entire wall panel from the nearby ship. Sayane almost wanted to laugh, if not for the terror of the moment.

“Well, that works…” Azag said as Saxum slammed the enormous plate into the ground.

“I will brace it with you, Great Guardian. Allow me to shield you as you shield the others,” Saxum requested.

Azag nodded, then looked to his friends.

“Sayane, Attis, Anahita, we will keep you safe. Stay behind me. Can-Mo, I need you to cover them.”

“I can do that! But-” Can-Mo paused.

“What?” Azag asked.

“I would like a weapon as well, though I am no fighter. But if someone is coming to attack my songstress and my beautiful clothes that adorn her, then, I… I shall rend them asunder!” Can-Mo squeaked as he held up his tentacles in fretful preparation.

Before anyone could react, Erosc slung a gunnery machina into each of Can-Mo’s tentacles. Suddenly, Can-Mo was armed with seven blasting barrels that began snarling awake.

Erosc looked to Sayane and extended a small blaster. Hesitation caused her to pause. This wasn’t who she was. She’d never worshipped violence or hurt. But now they were in a new kind of danger, and she was too weak to sing or run. So she extended her hand and accepted the device with an exhausted sigh. Azag watched and knew this was not what she wanted.

“Keep both eyes open. Extend your arms but don’t lock your elbows. Squeeze quickly,” Azag said to her and Can-Mo.

“No elbows, so I shall be fine!” Can-Mo attempted to smile.

A heavy beam rifle was planted before Azag and locked into position as electric blue coursed along its grooves.

“Remember how many shots before it overheats?” Erosc asked in dry jest.

“I’ll remind you I’m the one who found these for you all those years ago,” Azag scoffed.

Crystal fragments ignited and roared awake. Blue and Green barrier beams snapped upwards then bound together like ropes, which began to curve and engulf the party. Sayane watched the dome slowly lower, then looked to her instruments.

“Wake up! Come to me NOW!” she shouted.

Light and energy pulsed, and the instruments sleepily floated from their rest.

“Hurry!!” Sayane commanded.

Bit by bit, every sacred sound device moved to be near her, until they were surrounded by all manner of magical instruments.

Xentros joined Erosc.

“My children are yours. Guide them well,” he said with a bow.

Erosc watched the barrier dome lower closer to the ground.

“Who are your three best warriors?” he asked.

“KUREXHA! IXHARI! MI-UX!” Xentros shouted.

Roars of approval echoed out. Three bodies rushed through the crowd towards them.

“IAK! ATIMOT! IK-YU!!” Erosc called.

More cheers sounded out, and three more bodies moved forward.

In an instant, six different warriors were before them. One was a smoky figure wreathed in crimson flame. For the Silence, one was a hunched, ruthless-looking catlike creature. The other was made of sapphire crystal with arcs of pink snapping along its stony frame. For The Revolution, one was massive, pale, and painted. The other was lean, cunning, and slinking. The last was a walking metal being, infused with glowing crystal shards.

All six stood beside the other and looked to Erosc.

“I give you the highest honor. You will be the final bastions of defense for Azag the Guardian, Sayane the Songstress, the sacred instruments, and their companions. If Vraxlyn breaches these barriers, I order you to send her to oblivion!”

As he spoke, he gave each of them a glowing blade. Even the Silencers. Each snarled with approval as they observed their beamed weapons. With that, they stepped into the barrier just before it lowered on all of them. A single Revolution engineer was with them, monitoring the barrier systems.

“Barrier integrity, eighty-seven percent,” it said.

Sayane reached out for it. Her gesture seemed to shock the creature, and its pure black eyes looked up to her with gentle wonder.

“Thank you for protecting us,” Sayane whispered.

“I’m Sayane. It’s nice to meet you.”

“I am Lorna. I will gladly die protecting you, my glorious songstress,” the small being said with a slight bow.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Sayane replied.

Outside the barrier, the sky began to change as the screaming finally faded.

One by one, the tablets sputtered then finally shut off. But a new redness was glowing.

Even though no clouds were visible, crimson blotches began to appear high above them. Sayane could no longer see the Great Harmony Shard, and hoped it was safe, far away. All she could do now was wait. Azag’s hand moved from the gunnery mount and reached for hers. Fingers met and clasped together, and Sayane exhaled.

“I’m so tired,” she sighed in dread.

“I know. I promise you’ll get to rest soon. This isn’t the end. We will make it out of this. I will keep you all safe,” Azag promised as he squeezed Sayane’s hand once more.

Erosc and Xentros looked to the heavens together, and Erosc could only chuff in waiting.

“I’d always hoped we’d meet in a final battle. I expected the honor of our deaths to be bound to one another, but I did not imagine it to be like this,” Xentros snarled in joyous anticipation.

“I don’t plan on dying,” Erosc growled.

“Then neither shall I,” Xentros agreed.

More red fire began to snake across the land. Something appeared in the distance. Metal glinted in the sun, and now the screams were audible in plain air. The very sky seemed to be raging in terror and seething hate. Anahita trembled beside Sayane.

“Here, let me hold you both,” Sayane said to Attis and Anahita as she sat on the ground to be closer to Azag.

Both moved to her arms, and Sayane gave Can-Mo a look of approval. All of his weapons sparked, and he looked up to watch the darkness approaching.

“She is here,” Xentros said softly.

“Still prefer greatswords?” Erosc asked.

Xentros looked at him in surprise.

“You were always better with blades than claw to claw,” Erosc added as he pointed to a Revolutionary greatsword that was still being held by a fallen fighter.

Xentros clawed his face open to welcome the bloodlust.

“Now, I shall feast,” he bellowed as he hoisted the heavy blade with ease.

Every eye looked to the sky as red blotted the sun out once more. Now the screams were the only thing to be heard besides the roar of the overtuned ship’s engines. Smoke, inky ash, and wretched vermillion polluted the air. The Sky Scourge was here.

“Attis. Hype time,” Sayane whispered.

Attis nodded in understanding and closed his eyes.

“I SAW FIRE IN THE SKIES, AND I DARED TO EXTINGUISH IT!” he bellowed out.

Every fist and weapon rose as shouts echoed his words.

“SHIELD AND STRIKE TOGETHER! LIVE AND DESTROY THAT WHICH IS COMING! KEEP THE SONGSTRESS SAFE!! YOU WILL NOT DIE ON THIS DAY BECAUSE YOUR SONGSTRESS HAS NOT RELEASED YOU!! YOUR SUFFERING IS NOW YOUR GIFT! FOR ON THIS DAY YOU WILL RIP THE SKY OPEN!!”

Screams turned metallic and electric. The ship was upon them far faster than Sayane had expected. Roars exploded to meet the terror.

“PROTECT THE SONGSTRESS AT ALL COSTS! THE GREATEST GIFT OF YOUR LIFE IS TO SACRIFICE IT FOR HER!!” Erosc commanded.

The sky erupted as cataclysms of red spilled in every direction. She was there. Something glinted in the fading sunlight, then exploded downwards as new, unleashed screams of hate fired down to them.

“Her RAGE propulsion system is drilled into her back! Destroy that first!!” Xentros shouted as the fiery explosion doubled in strength.

“MEET WRATH WITH FURY!! MEET HATE WITH HOPE!! AND KILL THIS BEAST THAT DESCENDS!!!” Attis shouted as the figure high above appeared.

It moved in freefall from hundreds of meters above them until something earsplitting ripped open. Sayane watched as electric red energy erupted like rockets igniting, and suddenly the figure was shooting down directly towards her with the speed of a bullet train.

“HOLD!!!!” Xentros shouted as The Broken One exploded down.

Sayane screamed out in complete abandoned terror as the being slammed into the barrier with a massive glowing lance. Glowing, wild yellow eyes were the only detail immediately visible as the screams continued from the wailing attacker. Power built, and the lance’s propulsion systems fired once more, sending a dangerous wave of blood-red cruelty over the curved barrier.

The barrier held, and the figure spun, then leapt away. It landed with a turn and guttural canine bark. Blinding red danced along her fur and uniform as her trembling paw raised and then pulled down across her face, ripping her skin open as she let out another panicked, horrified scream.

“Vraxlyn, The Broken,” Erosc muttered.