The Fall
She watched Corrinn leave the throne room, remaining silent until her final steps echoed away into nothingness. With a quick gesture of her wrist, she motioned towards a figure in the shadows on her left before speaking, “That satisfy ya, Cam? I’m a pretty good you when I wanna be.” The queen stepped from the shadows, examining Tammy with a raised brow. Her arms folded over royal robes, identical to the ones clothing the current imposter, “Not bad. But are you sure you’re up for this type of task?” Tammy waved a hand over her eyes, dismissing the glamor that had temporarily turned them from dark purple to piercing blue, “Let’s face it. I’m the best double ya ‘ave and not ta knock your fighting abilities, but I’m more in practice ‘an ya are. Considerin’ how things’re goin’, ya might need me. That little demonstration was just ta show ya how effective I can be.” The queen of Elmensfaar nodded, a faint smirk playing about her lips, “Are you sure I shouldn’t send you away to safety, Tammy? Your bodyguard seemed very concerned.” Tammy rolled her eyes and stepped down from the dais to stand next to her twin, “My bodyguard needs a bodyguard. I’m more ‘an capable’ve takin’ care’ve myself. Unlike some of the so-called heroes, I know when it’s the best time ta run rather ‘an fight.” “Your courage astounds me,” Cam replied drily. “You must be the envy of all paladins.” “Well I admit that Pelgrin was a bit jealous.” Tammy brushed her hands on her robes, wrinkling her nose, “I can promise ya that I won’ get used ta wearin’ this get-up, though. Fortunately for ya, I’m a great actress.” “Fortunately.” Cam glanced towards the entrance of the throne chamber before speaking again, “There are rumors that Domorus has returned, but that something is stirring to the north. This…Binn Gan Fo. What do you know of him?” Tammy followed her sister’s gaze towards the entrance of the throne chamber. White columns, seemingly woven out of the trees themselves spiraled upwards into the leafy canopy above. The light that filtered through cast golden, dappled patterns on the smooth floor. “I’m assumin’ he was once Haniel’s counterpart in the beginnin’ve creation an’ was somehow sealed away. That’s just my theory, though. I ‘ave a feelin’ he was ‘is rival or ‘is opposite. I’m not sure ‘xactly which since like I said, I’m goin’ by thought an’ from what I’ve observed rather ‘an from literature.” She rubbed her forehead briefly, eyes flickering towards her sister, “I just ‘ave a bad feelin’ in general. Things aren’ goin’ ta go well.” Cam turned slightly to meet Tammy’s gaze, “I hope you’re wrong.” “So do I.”
Annihilation. That’s the only way she could describe the utter and complete destruction in front of her. Shattered buildings and torn streets were littered with the debris that had survived the blast. Here was a human outline to be forever imprinted in black against the side of a mostly collapsed building. There was a small doll with torn limbs and its stuffing coming out of the sides. And…there. There was the cracked sign of a store with its writing scoured from the wood. Any indication of identity, of existence, had been erased. Worse still were the constant moans of the dead. Yurth’s resurrection may have caused thousands of lives to be erased in seconds, but it had also brought new denizens to the destroyed city. Shrieks of those long past filled the cold air. The dry, shifting sound of bone and stretched flesh scraped over paving stones. The faint rustle of wraiths in their shadowy haunts added to the chorus, their red eyes glinting in shade as they waited for the cover of night. Nheraz’Kharr was no more. Tammy closed her eyes briefly, resting a hand against a pitted wall to steady herself. She had been curious about the loss of connection to the northern city, and her sister had encouraged her to investigate. Gabriel had shown more caution, but he always did. Now she knew the truth. Never again would Solinar and Elmensfaar need to worry about their rival. She blinked once, then blinked again. If everyone in the north was dead, then what about Hendok? With no followers, would he be…? Tammy barely noticed where her feet took her. She scrambled over rubble and stone, ducking under arches and sliding past the undead. It was only a few minutes before she stood in the ruins of a grand hall. Twisted metal contorted itself into strange shapes around the perimeter, no doubt the remains of the walls and ceiling. A few columns had cracked and crumbled into pieces, littering the floor with further debris. Yet her eyes fixed on what must have been the back and center of the room. The bowl that held the ceremonial fire had already been upturned and destroyed, yet the altar still remained intact. Tammy found herself slowly approaching the stone slab, her eyes transfixed by the carved flames on its sides. A few feet from the altar, she paused. And with a resounding crack, the solid stone split down the center. A chill travelled down Tammy’s spine. The place felt empty, dead. She quickly backed out of the ruins and fled, leaping over trash and debris, dodging the restless dead, running towards the south. Tammy hated to be overdramatic, but this looked a lot like the beginning of the end.
She didn’t want to lose her again. That was the thought that pummeled her mind over and over and over again as she listened to her mother. On Tammy’s right was her sister and in front of both of them was their mother, garbed in gleaming silver. Her weapon was in hand, a deadly combination of grace and force; the two blades gleamed faintly in the dying light of the afternoon. “…I just wanted you both to know that I love you dearly, but you need to understand that this is something I must do. I cannot leave my goddess to fend for herself when her need is most dire.” “And what about your country, mother. Don’t forget that you’re the General of Elmensfaar. My general. I don’t think running to Seleen’s aid will help troop morale. We’ve already lost enough elves to her cause,” Cam leaned forward slightly, placing both hands on top of the stone table they were seated around. “We should concentrate our forces in Elmensfaar and take to Eneil’s cause. Hendauk has already fallen; we can’t afford to let our grandfather…your father…fall as well. Tammy remained silent as Anastacia spoke, noting the bit of irritation that had crept into her voice, “I don’t need to be told this, Camilla. I’m well aware of the situation. But do you think that letting Seleen fall will ensure our success? We need to stop the infection before it spreads. We can’t afford to wait until the problem is on our very doorstep.” Cam’s retort was swift, “And do you think we can afford the loss of our best general? You know that this is a fruitless task. We can’t hope to win against this power.” “I still need to go. I am a paladin of Seleen, and with that come certain obligations. She is calling to her followers, and to her I must go.” “And getting yourself killed is helping her?” “It’s better than waiting here.” Tammy gritted her teeth as they argued back and forth. The undead were already at their very doorstep. What did it matter if they went out to meet them or not? They were trapped. They needed Solinar’s support, but Solinar had its own issues to worry about. “I think you’re both bein’ moronic.” Anastasia opened her mouth (probably to chide her about calling her mother moronic), but Tammy quickly continued, “Gods’re supported by their followers, right? As long as they ‘ave one follower, they’ll live. Ta be honest, I think the best thing ya can do for Seleen is keep yourself alive. That’s my take on things, anyway. ‘Sides, Cam ‘as a point. We need ta martial our forces and prepare ourselves for what’s comin’. We don’ wanna be the next Nheraz’Kharr.” Cam smiled slightly while her mother’s face resumed impassivity. Of course Cam would be happy that she had supported her idea. Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t finished. “I think we should also consider evacuatin’ Elmensfaar completely if need be. It would cause a loss’ve fewer lives if worse came ta worse.” Both immediately protested the idea. Her mother still wanted to go and aid Seleen, and both of them refused to consider abandoning the city that the elves had worked so hard to build after the fall of Langoria. “It’s inconceivable to even consider, Tameliel. That would lower morale even further.” “The elves wouldn’t hear of it…not to mention the Council.” “And how would we…?” Tammy heard their protests in quiet for a few moments before jumping in herself, “Neither’ve ya saw Nheraz’Kharr. It’s demolished. Gone. D’ya really think so little’ve the Northern Kingdom that ya would believe we could stand without allies?” Both of them stared at her, and then Cam shook her head, “You don’t understand these things, Tam. Asking them to leave would kill them.” The conversation continued and Tammy murmured to herself, “Asking ‘em ta stay’ll kill ‘em, as well.”
Tammy ducked under a battle axe, slick and wet with blood. The creature holding it pulled his lips back in a snarl, showing yellow, rotten fangs. Tammy returned the snarl with a grimace as she shifted the grip on her sword and with a leap, plunged the blade into the weak portion of the creature’s armor between shoulder and head. The orc spasmed for a moment as electricity shot through its body and then with a loud groan, slumped to the ground. One down, a few thousand to go. Tammy yanked her sword from the body, blood crackling and drying almost instantly before flaking off from the electric blade. Her peripheral vision caught other elves fighting by her side in the name of Eneil, their double edged blades cutting through orcs. Some of them were victorious and some of them fell. It was a grim sight. Bodies were already piling up around the battlefield, staining the snow red and soaking into the ground. Seleen had fallen. The undead had breached the Ivory Tower and had slaughtered her followers. Tammy would never forget the sound that the young Seer had made when the goddess finally succumbed. The scream had gone on and on and on. Tammy’s own mother had shut herself off in her room for a few hours to weep only to appear later with a hardened face and new resolve. Tammy supposed she had done what her mother considered to be unthinkable; Anastacia had most likely abandoned Seleen and had shifted her faith to Eneil. What it cost her? Tammy wasn’t sure. If they lived, though, she was sure that her mother would never forgive herself for abandoning her goddess, even if it was for the sake of Elmensfaar. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem that Elmensfaar was doing very well. Orcs had come from both the north and the south. Never before had white and green orcs mixed in this way. Their two pronged attack had come as a surprise; why would Rabio declare war if the undead were the real issue at hand? It reaffirmed the notion that Tammy already had of the goddess. She was batshit insane. She dispatched another orc in the same manner and stepped into the shadows briefly, twirling to face her next opponent. It was a white orc with greasy, pale hair that had been pulled back into some semblance of a braid. Yellow eyes glinted at her as he circled, fanged teeth showing as he spoke. “The Queen of Elmensfaar. I’ll win Rabio’s favor if I bring her your head.” Both Tammy and Cam had decided that they would dress the same for the sake of this battle. It would present two targets for their enemies and would hopefully keep the strongest warriors divided. The golden armor that she wore wasn’t really her style, but it was just for show, anyway. Underneath she wore her regular ironsilk. Tammy smirked slightly, “Is that so? It’s a pity that Eneil won’t reward me in the same way. You’re beneath his notice.” The orc snarled at her. How typical. “Your god will fall, elf! Eneil will be crushed under the might of Rabio!” Before Tammy could react, the creature lunged at her. She felt her body responding before her brain did, moving out of the incoming path of the weapon. She felt the air from the axe whiz past her ear. It was a close call. The orc turned and lunged again. Once more, Tammy dodged. The battle went on like that for several minutes; the orcs attacks wouldn’t allow her to get in a hit of her own. He was a decent warrior, she had to admit. He might even be Rabio’s new Champion, though she switched her favor every few minutes from what Tammy had seen in the past. Tammy grinned at the orc after another of his failed blows, and he hesitated a fraction of a second, long enough for her to make her move. With a quick twist, she stabbed the creature in the face. He stumbled back with a howl, blood pouring from the wound and into his mouth as he swung wildly. She leaped back, avoiding another blow and with a burst of strength, flipped onto his back. Tammy couldn’t help herself. She gritted her teeth and spoke to the orc, “It’s a good thing I don’t worship Eneil, isn’t it?” She let energy flow down her arm and with a swift motion, chopped off his head.
It was worse than Nheraz’Kharr by far. Bodies littered the ground, elven and orcish alike. Fire flickered in a few places as Tammy led the remaining survivors from the wreckage. Her sister walked beside her, mouth set in a grim line as she carried her son. Silence reigned except for their hurried footsteps across the ground and a few muffled sobs. They had to flee. After the horrors they had witnessed, they had no choice. It was a pity that they hadn’t resorted to this course of action sooner. More may have survived. Then again, how can you flee when both god and goddess appear to do battle? Tammy had watched her mother die. Again. Silver armor had been exchanged for gold as Anastacia confronted Rabio’s newest Champion. This time, she didn’t lose. Eneil and Rabio had possessed their chosen ones, power blazing through their bodies as they moved at impossible speeds. She had won, but the strain on her body had been too much. Tammy had watched as her mother’s body had crumbled into ash, only to be taken away by the wind. It was funny how things could turn so badly so quickly. She had waited for the familiar surge of energy that would signal her Shadowform, but it hadn’t come. Instead, numbness spread through her body like ice. It was then that Eneil and Rabio appeared. Their forms clashed over the burning ruins of Elmensfaar and the elves redoubled their efforts. Gold light mixed with sickly green, throbbing and repulsing each other as they struck and struck again. Tammy had averted her eyes. When Cam called for the retreat, she ran. They had gathered up the few remaining survivors and had fled. Tammy snuck another glance at her sister. She could tell that she was barely holding it together, not surprising. Her husband wasn’t among the survivors. He had died protecting their son. Thoughts whirled around in Tammy’s head, each refusing to settle. She was only certain of two things: they needed to head south, and both Eneil and Rabio had fallen. Divide and conquer. Binn Gan Fo was playing his cards well.
What is chaos without law? It is madness at its very core. No sense, no order, no thought. It ricochets through the world at random. A source may be found at one point, but then it appears somewhere else and it is found that there really is no plan behind it. Tammy found herself wondering if Janzel reveled in the feeling, or if it was like drinking too much wine. After a while, you found yourself with a pounding headache and a sick stomach, nausea bubbling at the back of your throat. She had seen the very forces of Hell and the Abyss break open upon the Earth. Bleeding eyes and contorted limbs; screaming mouths and frothing lips; burning flesh and charred bones. It was a nightmare. The elves had taken refuge in Babylon, marshaling their forces against the terrors outside. Tammy had practically had to drag Gabriel from his hill, now probably overrun with the undead. Cam wasn’t taking things well. She was remaining strong for the sake of her people, but Tammy could tell she was having a rough time of it. She sat in the courtyard beside Gabriel, inside the thick walls of Babylon. Most of the others were inside the city itself, unwilling to venture outside for a quick breath of fresh air. Tammy couldn’t stand it inside. It was too stifling and too trapped. Her body screamed for movement, for anything that would make the horrors go away. She settled for sitting outside. She could hear the constant thud of the Hellish armies against the gate and when the fighting became especially bad, all she needed was to look upwards. There she would see white feathers clash against leathery wings. Bright lights constantly illuminated the dark night, creating some sick take on fireworks. She curled next to Gabriel, both remaining in silence as she stared forward. It was then that Tammy heard the knock on the gate. It took her a moment to realize that something had changed. Gone were the sounds of battle and the moans of the dead. Her eyes flickered to the massive doors, braced with iron and wood. She stood, unsheathing her sword as the gates, impossibly, shifting and then slowly opened. The armies of the Ghazakiin had arrived. They marched in perfect unison, their armor seeming to shift and change with the surrounding light. Their faces, as proportional as elves’, remained stoic and unchanging as they took their places in the courtyard. Tammy stood and walked inside.
Lightning arced through another one of creatures, burning hair and sizzling bone with no effect. Tammy gritted her teeth, calling upon her reserves to smash the undead creature again and again and again, until even the pieces wouldn’t be able to reform. She wasn’t sure how long she had been fighting. Minutes? Hours? Sweat caused her hair to cling to the back of her neck and forehead; it dripped into her eyes and beaded on her nose. Others fought around her. The Ghazakiin smashed through the undead as if they were balsa wood. Unfortunately, more kept coming. She didn’t have the stamina to keep this up. It was too much. She glanced to her right and saw Cam flickering in and out of the shadows, attempting to destroy another undead creature. To her left, Gabriel punched and kicked, runes blazing along his gloves. He wanted to leave, she knew, but she couldn’t abandon her sister just yet. It’d be selfish. She ducked under a fireball as it hurtled towards her, pivoting on the ball of her foot to deliver a smack to another creature’s skull. It rolled away and left the body flailing helplessly, trying to find its eyes in the chaos surrounding it. Tammy leaped over a corpse and began to work on destroying another creature. It was then that the earth began to rumble. The battle ceased momentarily, all eyes turning towards the ground that had essentially erupted, causing a few less-fortunate creatures to be hurled hundreds of feet into the air and meet their demise once they hit the ground. The thing that clawed its way wasn’t mortal. Its features were dark and perfect in a terrible sort of way. Black armor plated its body, its burning eyes fixing on the elves and Ghazakiin before it. Tammy gripped her sword tightly as it swung its weapon, causing elves, dwarves and Ghazakiin alike to fall. She quickly backed away, looking to Gabriel first and then to Cam… What the hell was she doing? Instead of retreating, Cam had charged forward with a scream. She leaped and sliced at the creature. It paused for a moment in its advance, perhaps surprised that a half elf would dare challenge it. And with a flick of its fingers, it cut Cam in half. Both sides fell to the ground, blood mixing with blood. Tammy choked, staring at the place where her sister had once stood. Rage bubbled to the surface, coating her tongue with bitterness. Her vision changed to red; she didn’t care about thinking and didn’t care about what might happen. She screamed and charged.
Silence. Tammy cradled her nephew in her arms, staring blankly at the devastation around her. Gabriel stood next to her as they surveyed the scene. Carnage was everywhere. Some would claim that they won, but they hadn’t. Binn Gan Fo had won; the world hadn’t changed although the order had. It was so stupid. Infighting and constant cycles happening over and over and over again. Why even bother? She still had a responsibility, though, and she would uphold it. She would go wherever Gabriel decided they would go. Do whatever he decided they should do. He was the only family she had besides her nephew. It was sickening; all this destruction for the sake of power. From the fallen ashes, the same world rose again.
_________________ "I see," said the blind man to his deaf daughter.
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