Emeris and I make our way back to our armor, a bit more apathetic to noise now. If anything was even remotely nearby, they would have come at the sound of combat. A small grumble escapes my throat.

“I don’t know about you, but we can’t keep getting into combat. I’m going to pull something soon if this keeps up.” Emeris sighs and hangs his head.

“Then we gotta stay in the darker parts of the city. There’s too much fire on this side so...hope you like skulking.”

“Only when I'm following your sister…” I say sarcastically. He chuckles and shakes his head as he keeps getting suited up.

I look down and cautiously step between pieces of brick and glass. We continue for five minutes then hide in an abandoned shack to see if we were being followed. There’s a small staircase that leads up to another floor. The walls are burnt black with every window completely shattered. Railing that line the stairs, have numerous slash marks in them. Each step groans pitifully, but luckily nothing caves in. Peaking just enough over the last step, I scan the room making sure there was nothing ready to pounce on me.

There’s five large clumps barely illuminated by a distant fire dancing through the window. It’s a family and they all lay motionless with weapons by their sides. Sadly, there’s no dead Og Nag nearby. The parents were the closest to the stairs, with three smaller bodies near the back. I step over them and stick my head through the window that leads outside. There’s one last corpse on the ground that probably was up here with them.

Emeris’ voice calls quietly from downstairs.

“Raiden, they got a Zukafera up there? We could really use it.” I check the stair entrance for signs of a hidden crossbow beneath the floorboards but don’t find any.

“No, I don’t think this family was enlisted.” I quickly creep down the stairs and rejoin Emeris who looks at be bewildered.

“They’re not an enlisted family, but they live in the Main District?! I know unenlisted Taraskans are rare, but you’d think they’d be harassed until they moved.”

The pure blackness outside makes peaking between the holes in the wall almost pointless. It’s nothing but stone, wood and brick piled randomly.

“Emeris, when the Og Nag finally broke through our main gate, where were you stationed?”

Emeris hums to himself in thought. “When they first broke through? Okay that was like...three days ago so I was on the Northeastern wall stopping them from climbing over. Why?”

Sweat slowly crawls down my face, mixing with the dirt and ash on my skin.

“I was on the Southern gate. Hurrand was actually loading his gold onto a wagon that was meant for the Verin Shore. He was actually more concerned with wealth than the defensive. He ordered myself and another unit to block the path to the castle. Of course if he had bothered to pay attention to the defensive at all, he’d know we were surrounded. I let him find out the hard way.”

Emeris snorts condescendingly.

“There was no plan in place for any of this. You know what our orders were? Stay in your squads and keep killing. If we had artillery support, we could have let them in the main gate and thinned them out hard. We coulda slammed the front with shredder rounds from our trebuchets and they would have acted like lethal barricades once they stopped rolling.”

With one last peek, I take careful steps through where the front door once was. Emeris follows me out and we continue making our way towards the gloomy stone nightmare that sat at the heart of Taraska.

Emeris and I were just five hundred meters from the castle when we stop and survey the area. We both groan quietly after moving from cover to cover for so long. Several groups of Og Nag were behind us, searching through debris for survivors to finish off, then eventually eat. We watched for a bit, waiting to see if the castle was still held or not. While the small break was nice, we had a sense of duty to meet back up and receive new orders. A small hole is the closest thing we have to cover, where we could peer out between wooden beams. Half an hour ticks by and there’s still no explosion.

We snap at the slightest sound or glimmer. Emeris taps me on the shoulder, making me jump. “Okay this is just wrong. If the Og Nag had sacked the castle, the gates would be open and obliterated, but they’re closed. However if they had been successfully fought off, wouldn’t there be bodies all over the street?”

The area between the rubble and the castle was completely clear of everything for a good hundred feet. There weren’t any houses, so the lack of debris made sense, but nothing else did. I scan the environment cautiously and get my answer. I gently bump Emeris’ arm with my elbow and point down the road.

“Og walls.”

Emeris scoffs with a hint of dazzlement.

“Making walls out of dead Og Nag to funnel more Og Nag...to kill and make more walls out of. Gotta hand it to us, we may not be the best trained fighters in the land, but do we sure know how to make do.” Down the street, dead Og Nag were piled ontop of each other, with large pikes driven down through the corpses to stop them from sliding off. There was one small opening every thirty feet big enough for only one or two foes at a time. The real question was why is it still clear? It’s not like the Og Nag just give up.

I turned to Emeris, whose eyes are wide and alert.

“You ready?” I ask hesitantly, secretly hoping he had a reason not to. Emeris stares at me for a few seconds before slowly nodding; he didn’t like this anymore than I did. As if things couldn’t get any worse, we had no idea what would happen if we tried for the castle. We could get swarmed, accidentally killed by our own soldiers, anything was on the table at this point.

We take one last meticulous look around, and see nothing. Something isn’t right. Even if we were holding this spot, there shouldn’t be so much silence. I grab a small piece of wood, and hurl it near the main gate. A small shuffle to our right snags our attention and we see an Og Nag head peak over some rubble, then shrink back down. They couldn’t currently take the castle, so they waited for survivors to show up. They were monsters inside and out.

My heart sinks. If we try for the gate, we’ll be ambushed before they can get it open. There are small holes on each side of the gate for spying outwards, but I can’t tell if anyone is inside. We sit patiently, wondering what to do. Was there some way of signaling them before we rush? What could we do to possibly get them to open the gate before we get there? Emeris slumps against me, making me jump. I look over at his hung head.

I do my best to hold onto his armor as he falls to the ground. He lays there, barely breathing. My eyes bulge as my hands start to shake. I tap his cheeks with my fingertips repeatedly.

"Emeris! Wake up! What's going on?!" My voice stays quiet but frantic. There's no fresh blood coming from under his armor. His neck still has a strong pulse to it, but his breathing is light and slow. I ball my hands and try to remain silent. My armor shakes briefly, but it sounds like a symphony amongst all the silence. I hear a few rocks shift in the distance as a few figures start lurking around in the shadows. My eyes bulge and I carefully flatten myself to the ground.

There was no way for me to carry him while wearing my armor. If I try to take off his armor, the noise will get us spotted for sure. The list of what I know and what my options were, repeats over and over in my head. They could possibly see me and were ready for us. The Og Nag were waiting with an ambush party. I also couldn’t carry Emeris by myself with enough time to get him inside. My head shakes in small rapid movements that I can't control. Leaving him here wasn't an option. Not now, not ever.

The only real plan was to distract the Og Nag long enough to get Emeris inside. I had dead bodies and rubble...dead bodies and rubble. My teeth clench in frustration. Emeris still lays there, but his breathing is so slow, I can't even tell he's alive. All I can do is camouflage him with debris, then creep back the way we came. I hated leaving him, but we’re dead men if I don’t come up with something fast. My eyes do their best to study my surroundings, and I finally find what I need.

A single charred wall that was still upright. It wasn’t terribly high, only around three feet or so. It was literally the last thing standing of an old brick house. The plan was to try and set up something to knock it over to create a whole bunch of noise. I have to rely on touch as I’m too low for the fires to help illuminate anything. We had intentionally stuck to the blackness so our eyes would adjust. It may not be fun, but we were still alive so we had to be doing something right. My hands rattle as I feel the floor for what I need. Some glass and metal scraps are exactly what I need so I set them behind the wall. When it falls over, I want it hitting as many items as possible.

I find one long and one short piece of wood, along with some rope. My hands tremble so bad, my metal gauntlets almost cause a commotion. I take a knee, close my eyes and do slow counts of breathing. My eyes open and I carefully lean the longer wood against the smaller piece, tilting towards the wall. I tie the rope to the shorter wood, hoping I don’t knock it over prematurely. The plan was to yank on the rope and cause the long wood beam to hit the wall, knocking it over and colliding with the glass and metal behind it, making just the right distraction hopefully. Everything was set up, but my stomach still rolls over in place.

As I turn around, my foot bumps into some glass. My blood turned to ice. As if I was made of stone, I stand there like a statue. I hear my own heart pounding so loud, I’m worried it might give me away. A few seconds takes hours to pass. As luck would have it, there's shuffling off to my right, as a few Og Nag come to investigate. I lower myself to the ground as quietly as possible. I’m completely still, hoping to pass for a dead soldier. If they’re not sure, they might just stab me to see though.

My odds were terrible. They probably searched the entire surrounding area already. Then a slight change of plan hits me. I prop myself up against some rocks, and act dead. If I time it right, and with some luck, I might be able to kill them both. Three of them come creeping around. One to my left, and two straight ahead; fantastic.

I can see them just barely. The silhouettes of their heads against a distant fire were all I had to go on. Luck wasn't on my side, but what else was new? This was going to get real bad unless I do something. Despite the darkness, I could see the shape of their bulging eyes, and it was enough to tell where their attention was. The one to my left starts to creep closer to me, sword out and pointed at my chest. The other two were browsing my little set up. Instinctively, I wanted to knock the sword away. At this distance, I'd get run through before I even draw my weapon.

The creature eyes me up and down suspiciously. He's clearly been here before and I wasn't around last time. I had to wait for just the right moment. He stands just a few feet from me, staring down at my body. I grit my teeth and keep my eyes open enough to see, but closed enough so he doesn't see them tremble. He leans forward and looks into my helmet, his putrid breath forces me to stop breathing. The stench reminds me of a rotting animal carcass. They were lucky they didn’t have noses. I quickly find it’s even nauseating just to inhale through my mouth.

His left hand carefully reaches forward to pull off my helmet. Any second now, any second! His allies turn around for a brief moment to look behind the wall. I see my opportunity and take it. In a flash, I grab the Og Nag by the jaw and slam his forehead into my helmet spikes, then go back to being dead. His buddies turn and stare at us. I have to use every ounce of neck muscle to keep him upright. The strain feels as if my head was about to be ripped off. If I let him lean too far over, my helmet will go with him. Something is going to pull if I keep this up much longer however. I gradually reach down with my right hand and grab a small piece of debris. With them slightly off to my left, this dead Og Nag might block their sight of my right arm.

As quiet as the dead, I toss the piece of stone behind me and over the pile I’m resting against. I get lucky and it tumbles against other materials, making a huge racket. They dart past me to investigate. I reach up and gradually pull his head from off my helmet and lower his body to the ground. My eyes stay fixed on where the two Og Nag went as I get to my feet. What little noise I make, is easily excused as their former ally just rummaging through another fallen soldier.

Every step is calculated as I creep closer to the two monsters. In one smooth motion, I draw my sword and decapitate the first Og Nag. I angle my body behind his, to stop it from colliding with the ground, catching his head with my free hand. I lower both the body and the head to the ground, almost losing control a few times. His ally is still carefully peering around the corner to see what the first noise is. The monster's last meal, is a metal hand clamping over his mouth and a sword being jammed into the back of his skull. I immediately wrap my arm around his torso and look around. His body may become my shield if there's one last enemy hiding nearby. I had seen Lieutenant Bays become a human pincushion while unintentionally teaching me this lesson. At least he died quickly.

There was bound to be a patrol that noticed these three never came back. My little distraction gets set up sooner since I could get away with a bit of noise now. Anything I did could be dismissed as their units doing some digging. Every creak and snap of debris settling, is a dagger in my back as I lead the rope back to Emeris. The plan was horrible, but it was all I had.

Yank the board, wait for them to investigate, grab Emeris, and hope there’s someone to let us in. My plan was terrible. I was relying on a lot of unknown variables. There could be no one behind the gate, they might not be willing to risk letting us in, there could easily be more Og Nag to my left, anything was on the table. They could even trip over us on the way there and I wouldn't even have time to defend myself. With one last look around, I lower myself next to Emeris. The rope lays in my closed fist. My entire life was about to be decided with a single tug. My eyes snap shut and I give it a small pull.

In the silence, the wall is an explosion. I knew what it was going to sound like and when to expect it, but I still flinch. My hands clench into fists as dozens of Og Nag bolt past me. I didn’t know there were so many. At least thirty pairs of feet stomp right next to my head. I have to close my eyes to avoid getting dust in them. It takes everything not to shake with anxiety.

My training for how to keep calm, feels more like swimming in full armor. Forget about what happens if you fail, it's irrelevant. Focus on your next task and the one after that. Plan, prepare, succeed; nothing else. My cheeks quiver when I realize just how alone I am. There was no help, no hope, not even luck. This wasn't like the stories we were told when we were kids. The only thing that has saved me for my entire life, was my ability to prepare and react.

My plan gets recited in a tiny whisper over and over.

"Grab Emeris, run to the gate. Grab Emeris, run to the gate." My helmet gets kicked a few times, making my heart stop. I repeat the next steps, doing my best to drown out the fear and criticism.

The last Og Nag runs past. The stillness of the night was its own monster. There could be one last scout watching us. In fact, there probably was, but there was no telling exactly where or even how many. They usually leave one behind. There’s no point now though. They’ll might see my set up and realize it was a distraction; it was now or never. I carefully get up, and hoist Emeris onto my shoulders. As I turn around, there’s an extra straggler who hops over some debris who hasn’t quite noticed me in the darkness. I freeze not knowing what to do. He skids to a halt in front of me, eyes bulging. He reaches for his sword. I use the only weapon I have available.

Like a sack of wheat, I hurl Emeris on top of him. His frail body is nowhere near enough to take the weight. He gets crushed instantly. I pick Emeris back up with an internal groan of agony and haul it towards the gate. My brain screams at me to look over my shoulder, but I don't dare. What ever was behind me didn't matter, there was only running to the gate.

Then it hits, my wound that had barely clotted reopens in a fiery spasm. A scream forces its way out of my mouth as I do my best to climb over a small mountain of stone and wood. For a tiny moment, part of me thought I might just make it when I hear the familiar screech of Og Nag. Everything would soon be on my heels and I usually couldn't outrun them for long in my armor. Shrieks of protest bellow from my mouth impulsively.

I get another five steps as arrows begin to whistle past me.

"Please, open the door, please! I’ve come too far to go out like this!" My voice crackles as the desperation consumes me. Og Nag were weak, but there are a few vulnerable spots where my pieces of armor separate, mostly near my joints. Numerous pings echo through my suit, as I wait for the one unlucky arrow to doom us both. The noise increases in frequency and I’m beginning to lose my balance from all the impacts. One loose stone sends me toppling down the hill with Emeris rolling next to me.

"No! No, please no! Not now!" I shriek over and over like a parent pleading for their child. My back almost gives way as I lift Emeris up hopefully for the last time.

"Not like this! Not like this!" Tears streak down my face. For once in my life, I wanted to live, even if it was just for Emeriss safety. My head rocks to the side as a nasty arrow hits directly where my ear is. The sound blocks out everything as I push my legs to keep going. Up another hill and I can hear movement in every direction. Somehow, I find the strength to keep climbing. An Og Nag meets me at the top.

"Never!" I shriek, booting him off the hill. He rolls backwards, kicking up dust and rocks until he gets impaled on a jagged piece of wood. I give a small hop and slide down, my feet almost cry out in happiness as they make contact with the street. Another Og Nag runs up with a dagger while screeching. I maneuver Emeris so I’m holding him horizontally and ram his helmet spikes into the little freak’s stomach. With an agonizing wrench, I yank Emeris’ body away, pulling out his helmet from the monster’s gut, making him collapse on the ground.

The doors of heaven welcomed me in, as dozens of soldiers pour out from the gate and form a line behind me with their shields up. I almost cry as I’m greeted with the familiar glow of the torches inside the gate room. A few tables sit against the walls with their various chairs. I set Emeris down, almost ready to scream at the top of my lungs to release the anxiety.

Now that we weren't about to be stabbed and devoured, it was time to see if Emeris survived at all. Even if it was too late, I would feel better knowing he didn’t go out as a snack. I knelt down beside him and eye his chest piece. It didn't rise up and down with his breathing. I tear off my right gauntlet and put my hand over his mouth. He was barely breathing, but why was he unconscious?

Our units gradually back up inside the gate, fighting off the Og Nag with sword thrusts and kicks. As soon as Versa yells “Gai!”, they shove the rest of the Og Nag back with one perfectly coordinated shield bash, then slam the gates shut.

I stay knelt over Emeris, wondering what happened. The clank of armor behind me is startling as General Versa walks up. She stands at an intimidating 6’9. Her armor is just like ours except she had a steel horn attached to her helmet that she frequently used for head-butting enemies to death. Her mark for general was a gold trim that outlines every piece of armor she wears. She stopped wearing her cape a long time ago since she wasn’t easily mistaken for anyone else. She also has brutal spikes attached to the knuckles of her gauntlets. Her weapon of choice being hand to hand combat, and she was vicious at it. Many of us were disciplined for watching her fight instead of doing what we were supposed to do.

She stands over me, hands on her hips.

“Report.” She growls.

I stare at her in silence. She gets it; we’re the only two. She walks over and kicks a table upside down, balling her hands as she yells with anger. I know what’s eating at her, and it’s bad. Every soldier left in the city was at the castle. Besides General Versa, Emeris and I, there were about 18 soldiers standing in the gate room. That was probably all that was left.

General Versa regains her calm.

“Is he breathing?” She asks casually. I lean over him and hear raspy wheezing.

“He is, b-but barely.” I’m almost unable to stop my words from stuttering. She thinks to herself for a second, then reaches over and loosens his chest piece. She tears it off and drops it on the floor. Minutes tick by and I somehow manage to block out the sound of Og Nag pounding on the gate. Emeris sits up gasping, causing me to cry loudly in surprise. Versa looks over the chest piece. He had apparently taken one hell of a spear charge earlier, due to a massive indent in the back. He probably ignored it to keep fighting, and forgot about it. I laugh timidly, just grateful the injury wasn’t serious. Emeris looks at Versa sheepishly, almost not even wanting to know the answer to his next question.

“How many units do we have left?” He asks weakly.

She crosses her arms, trying to act like her answer doesn’t bother her in the least.

“About two-hundred and fifty.” Emeris’ face goes blank.

Emeris looks around the room. “Don’t suppose any of the Dracur made it back? We sure could use their skilled soldiers right about now.”

Versa shifts her weight from one leg to the other.

“Well unlike Taraska, Dracur isn’t stuck between two waring countries. We had about 34,000 people in the city before this attack. I’d like to see them do better than we did.”

The other soldiers begin to panic. The fearful mumbles of “What are we going to do?” and “This is insane!” can be heard. General Versa looks at them, then down at Emeris and me.

“How the hell did you two make it back here?” Emeris looks down at his legs and sighs.

“Playing dead and throwing rocks a lot. You kinda had to be there for it.” Our soldiers chuckle a bit. Versa continues to stare at us. Her lack of animation means one thing: she’s deciding what to do.

“Gen triah” she says through gritted teeth.

Emeris and I groan. Gen Triah meant the three of us had to go show off for the sake of moral. At this point, I didn’t see why moral was even important.

The path to my tiny quarters, was laced with numerous hallways that had built-up dirt and cobwebs. I pause in the throne room to stare at the map of our land. Our nation of Taraska was legendary for combat tactics and scavenging since we had no other talents. Our immediate neighboring ally had amazing ways of making the best armor and weapons. We were more than happy to exchange protection for gear. Unfortunately they had a massive outbreak of Mana Fever, so we were forced to set fire to the outside of their city, and kill anyone who tried to leave.

Putting an arrow into a fleeing civilian was horrible, doing it to someone who screams your name for mercy left a festering wound in your soul. When we were certain they were all dead, a team went in and recovered a few documents describing how they made armor and weapons. While we hadn’t perfected it, it allowed us to prosper for a bit. Our steel was lighter and stronger than before, but it took an excruciatingly long time to make.

I run my fingers over the large, black X that covered their name.

“Worshul…” I mutter to myself. They praised me as a hero there. Even when I was sent to check up on armor and weapons shipment, it was still a vacation. I had personally trained a good quarter of their military. My eyes scan over all the marked out kingdoms and forests. There were so many, it looked as if someone had allowed a child to decorate the map with a piece of coal. Some forests were marked as destroyed, some bridges had "Impassable" next to them.

I cheer up a bit as I climbed the final staircase, knowing it wouldn’t be much longer now. My room was large enough for a bed, a dresser with an attached mirror, and a chest for storage. I had taken the dresser from a previous kingdom with Emeris’ help, so it technically made me wealthy by Taraskan standards. I now owed Emeris a favor with his own piece of furniture if he stumbles across one he likes.

I stop in front of the dresser and stare into the mirror: this is it. Only a few more hours and we detonate. I sat down, studying my armor. Would anyone remember me? Would everything I’ve done disappear with my soldiers? Why was I even here? I was in my late 20s, and not expecting to see thirties. This was going to be my last fight. My face left behind with the history of every nation that fell at our feet. What an ironic end to my story as well. My own helmet feels empty, despite seeing my own eyes through the tiny horizontal slits in my helmet. The most important question of all however, was did I even deserve to be remembered?

What was the point of all this violence? What happens if either Cartridge or Dracur wins? Could there ever be peace after all this fighting? Could any nation survive on its own? Do they have ways of getting supplies we can’t? The land North of Cartridge was unknown, with a vast ocean surrounding us on all other sides. Exploration was never an interest, as no one ever returns. Maybe they found peace and stayed. Food was often carried in by distant patrols, who prioritized new rations over getting enemy intel. All we ever did was fight and scavenge. Pointless battles, one after the other, defend then counterattack. Here I was, another soul lost in this eternal war. My body shakes as one last question rolls into my mind: where do I go after this life?

I grab my claymore, and head back to the gate. Wherever I end up when I die, I’m going there regardless; no reason to think about it any longer. Emeris is stretching his legs in a corner with a new chest piece on. Versa leans against a wall with her arms crossed. She looks up at me.

“Took you long enough.” Her poor attempt at humor does nothing for the situation. I stay silent, distracted by that tiny question I desperately longed to forget. The idea of throwing myself off the highest tower like many of our people was tempting. It sounded better than spend my last few minutes doing what I’ve done my whole life: kill Og Nag. At least I’d have done what I wanted to do for once in my short, irrelevant existence.

Emeris stops stretching, and picks up his sword and my shield. Versa stops leaning on the wall and checks Emeris and I over from a distance.

“Alright here’s the plan-” she’s interrupted by a roaring slam on the door. Her head snaps to the gate, and she leans over to look through one of our peep holes.

“The Og Nag are battering the gate!” she calls out.

Emeris turns around and bolts to the stairs.

“I’ll go tell the King and Minister!” Versa and I know full-well what’s going to happen, but we say nothing. Every soldier grabs a table, chair, whatever solid item they can find and tries to brace the door. Another slam sends us all back a foot, but we quickly recover. The gate begins to crack. A small opening in the door lets me look outside. There had to be thousands of them. I could no longer see a single tower, fire, or remains of a house; it was all covered by a tide of Og Nag. If they weren’t helping ram the gate, they cheered with their swords in the air. I duck my head away as several arrows slam against the hole. One even sails through, but skids across the ground harmlessly before bouncing against a wall.

Another massive hit, and we’re thrown to the ground. There’s an opening big enough for the Og Nag to get through one by one.

“Gai!” Versa screams. We group up on the stairs. There’s only room for five of us to stand side by side at a time. The last units hold up their shields to block attacks as we retreat up to the throne room.

My soldiers spill out all across the great hall. I have an idea that seems pointless in the long run.

“Everyone, form a shield wall around the stairs, we might be able to clog it with their bodies.” No one objects. Versa, Emeris and I go to the first set of stairs on the right, and start to head up to the Minister’s room.

I halt on the first step and turn around. This was it. This was the end right here. In the next few minutes, it would all be over, one way or another. My eyes scan every last person in the room. They were my company in hell, and if there was an afterlife, it wouldn’t hurt to have them put in a good word for me.

“My soldiers, my family…” I begin walking back into the throne room towards my men, doing my best to yell over the chaos. Multiple heads turn in my direction, despite the bloodbath at the stairs. Words pour from my heart that I had never uttered before. Any emotion besides rage was taboo.

“We know this is the end. And strangely enough, this is the time I want to get to know you all the most. I’ve seen your faces on the battlefield, standing side by side with me as we lay waste to those who stood before us.”

The soldiers give out a cheer.

“I saw your faces when we had nothing but our armor, swords, and each other.“

Another louder cheer erupts.

“We were side by side, accompanied only by stars and fear.”

Grunts of approval this time.

“I don’t know where we go after this life, but I know we’ll see each other again. Farewell my friends.”

Sergeant Ranum jogs up to me.

“Sir…” he stammers, almost rattling inside his armor. I give him a grin and shake my head.

“You don’t need to call me that this time.” I see a subtle smile cross his face from the small breathing slits on his helmet.

“Is...is there no way out? Do we not have any type of magic from the Minister to stop them?” I place a hand on his shoulder.

“Not this time Ranum.” He looks down defeated but nods. Emeris chimes in while leaning against the stairwell.

A sudden cry erupts from the troops, as the Og Nag use their battering ram to make a small hole in our formation. Dozens of Og Nag spill out from the stairs. Our soldiers fan out to give themselves fighting room. Several Og Nag come running towards us, and we dart up the stairs. After a few flights, we rush inside the Minister's room. The moment the doors slam shut, we brace it with everything we can.

I keep my back against the doors and stare at the massive white orb the size of a horse. I had only heard about it. A golden ring constantly rotates around it, filling the room with a light humming sound. It had numerous bizarre symbols carved into the golden ring. Every inch of the ring, was smooth and polished. The symbols were perfectly carved, without a single unintentional bump or squiggle.

Emeris grabs the claymore from my back and jams it through the metal handles. The orb almost demands attention from my eyes that's irresistible. It’s so white it almost hurts my eyes. It’s glass is perfectly clean. As I approach, the golden ring makes a gentle breeze as it moves.

This thing had a heavenly vibe from it, but there was no denying the monster that lurked inside. Our world was infested by war. Any past depictions of peace were met with skepticism. A long time ago, strange massive glass orbs filled with unknown purple material, had appeared in the sky, then quickly fell to the earth. The resulting explosion easily leveled an entire town. The worst part is every nation we knew of, was hurt by at least one, so their origin or purpose was a mystery. After the destruction, a disease had risen from the orbs. They call it Mana Fever since the explosions were rumored to be magical in origin. It starts with a heavy fever, leading to paralysis. After only a few days, the victim enters an endless coma. After a week, the victim can sometimes explode, killing anyone in the room.

This was two hundred years ago and since then, every nation had entered a dark age, where everyone was rumored to be the enemy. Doors were shut, outsides were either killed or turned away. Exile became worse than capital punishment, and every ruler wielded it like a deity's hammer.

The King leans over the angelic white orb. His thinning lump of red hair on the top of his head is a mess. He has but a small patch of beard on his chin. His purple robe has soot all over it; you can barely notice the gold trim with all the grime. His golden crown seems to be recently polished however. The Minister stares at us, his long black hair hangs over his blue eyes. They exchange doomed glances. I debate beheading the King, but if we have to spend the rest of eternity together, things might get awkward.

Versa, Emeris and I brace the door the best we can. The King turns to his Minister.

“Do it.” His voice is tired and full of defeat.

The Minister nods, picks up a hammer. I turn to the King. As the Minister starts to bring down his hammer, I mutter my last words.

“I hate you.”

The King turns to me.

“I know.” He says apathetically. The Minister's eyes bulge and his face glows red. His temples throb as he hesitates with the hammer raised above his head. I hear squeals and pounding on the door.

"Hurry! Do it now!" Emeris screams at the top of his lungs.

The Minister yells as loud as he can, bringing the hammer down onto the orb with all his might.