The Nairian general turned to look at a now standing General Aellenas. The dark figure had already hurled a purple ball of lightning directly at Yukio’s back. He threw up a red shield at an angle to deflect the attack. The missile shot straight up into the air and quickly dissipated. Storm clouds formed quickly overhead as the two generals squared off for what would be a memorable show down. The air was literally electric now and the shadow of Noric flashed in the sky above.
Queen Kishi was not about to let the good general fight her battle. She bounded in front her protector and sent a massive black shock wave at her former master. The blast knocked him to the ground momentarily. He was back on his feet in a blink of an eye. He summoned a gruesome looking gollum from the ground right in front of Kishi and Yukio. Nearly a dozen high elves died instantly as their life force was stolen to create the creature. Blood dripped from the solid form of the underworld beast as it grabbed Kishi. The blood gollum twirled the helpless high elf through the air before releasing her. She landed quite a distance behind Dukker right at the edge of the cliff.
General Yukio timed his jump just as Noric swooped down from above and he flew straight for the vile beast that had Kishi. Noric grabbed the gollum’s head with its talons as Yukio jumped to the ground and pulled on the gollum’s legs. Noric ripped the brutes head clean off and flipped completely and hurled it at the watching warlock. As the head approached its target, Yukio set it on fire. Dukker was able to deflect the burning projectile at the last moment. The impact was gruesome; however, it did little more than annoy the dark general. As he prepared to retaliate Kishi drove two flaming daggers into his shoulders. She flipped gracefully over the shocked high elven general’s back and hurled him with terrific force forward. He landed with a sickening thud at Yukio’s feet.
“Hello there…ready to look death in the face?” asked Yukio meaningfully. He began to reach down menacingly with the lethal intent of ending the conflict here and now.
Before he could place his hands on him, he rolled out of the way and hit Yukio with his own shock wave. General Ibreshri flew high into the air as though he was in slow motion. In the space of time that the good general’s body floated in the air, Aellenas appeared at his former apprentice’s side. Before anyone noticed what had happened, a poisoned dagger was sticking out of Kishi’s chest. As Yukio’s body hit the ground, Dukker let out a triumphant shout. He had blood all over his crazed face as he ripped out his deadly instrument from Kishi’s back. She fell silently to the ground as her troops looked on in horror.
“You will all rue this day” shrieked Lord Dukker wickedly. He smeared the blood all over his face and head. He had clearly lost it from most of the observers’ point of view; however, he was actually planning to summon an even more fearsome beast from the underworld.
The dark general did not sense the approach of the powerful druid behind him. Yukio’s chest heaved up and down as he glowered at his bloodied prey that was in the process of summoning something. He brought his hands to either side of Dukker’s head as he prepared to end this vile betrayer’s life he said, “Dukker give my regards to the keeper of the underworld!” Aellenas turned in time to see the last thing he would ever look at in his long dark life…the blood red eyes of the most fearsome druid warrior ever.
The high elf’s head imploded from the sheer power of the druid’s rage! After decimating the vile warlock’s head, he lifted the lifeless body into the air to let Noric obliterate the dark elf’s remains. After ripping the body to tiny pieces of the coward Dukker, Noric flew off to the south. Meanwhile, Yukio bent down to attend to Kishi. She was still breathing, but it was clear that she had been dealt a blow she would not recover from. As he reached to take her hand he noticed the blood covering them. He ignited them briefly with fire to cleanse the impurities from their skin and then took her hand.
“Kishi, what can I do for you?” he asked kindly. He knew that there was precious little he could actually do as the poison coursed through her veins. The dagger had struck home close enough to the heart that the poison was being pumped from there. Any attempt to stop the flow would kill her instantly. He cradled her in his massive arms as he would a baby.
“Could you seal my wound so that I can be taken to my home? I think I have strength enough for that and I would like to leave this world at home” Kishi said with a sad smile. All the defenses she had employed against her brother-in-law were down. She trusted him completely…sad that it came with so little time left in life. Tears threatened to streak down her now serene face. Her body convulsed from the ravages of the poison.
Yukio bent down moved his hands slowly over her chest. A blue white light filled the hole that Dukker had created with his poisoned blade. Within moments there was no sign of an entry or exit wound. Her breathing eased slightly, but it was still clear that she was not long for this world. He then pulled her closer to him and they both glowed red for what felt like forever. He then helped her to stand up, but that did not last very long. She leaned on the general for support and whispered to him, “Please carry me…I do not have as much strength as I had hoped.” He gently stood up with her still in his arms and began to march away from the scene of obscene carnage.
As they approached the knights and high elves, Kishi rested her head on the muscular shoulder of her hero. She could not believe how quickly she was able to change her feelings toward the man that had forever altered her existence. She now realized that it was for the better and not for the worse. She closed her eyes briefly as pain racked her body. The poison had worked quicker than expected…she was using what strength she had left to keep her organs from failing. Yukio had somehow stopped the poison from spreading more; however, the damage was done. She wanted to make it back to her homeland before passing beyond the veil of mortality.
“My queen…what’s wrong” asked one of her soldiers quietly. He was tentative because he no longer knew how to refer to his former queen and he did not like the look of Kishi in the arms of Yukio. She looked unbelievably frail.
“I am preparing for the eternal voyage to the home of our ancestors. Now, let’s go home friends” said Kishi weakly. Absolute silence met this response. Everyone knew that she was dying and that the long journey to Mount Quang would be out of the question. The general had performed a major miracle by keeping alive. The poison had had the taint of the underworld and should have killed her within a minute.
“Yukio…let me take her home. Time is of the utmost importance…she has earned the right to die at the place she called home. I have moved the other high elves to their home…it is time the rest of them return home as well. I will carry Kishi for you my noble warrior druid. You have my deepest gratitude for what you have done here today…this will definitely change our fortunes” the guardian said with a warm smile. He always appeared out of nowhere and in time to help when it was needed. There was a swirling blue vortex that the remaining high elves were walking through. This was a power that was not inherent to the elementals and that meant that Lord Adair was also getting stronger.
“It is I who is grateful for all you have done for us. I promise you that I will change the collective mind of the druid council…we will help you in this war. We will see it to the end” replied General Yukio in an uncharacteristically kind voice. There was a husky tone there that showed how he was feeling. This was one of those moments that bound the seventh druid and the head of the guardian council together through harsh trial.
“General, report back to King Leroy of all that has transpired. There will be time to mourn after this war has ended…I need you here” Adair instructed. He had correctly read Yukio’s intentions of going to Mount Quang.