Everlast Online

Liz, Nina and Gloria ascended from the secret tunnels to find themselves in a room that did not feel... Royal.

It looked like any other store room, only much larger. One key difference was the distinct iron smell in the air; the stench of blood wafting through the cellar.

Gloria took the lead with Liz in the middle and Nina taking up the rear as they made their way in the direction Marquise Barview had instructed; as they made their way further sounds became clearer, the sounds of metal clashing with metal - the battle had clearly begun to rage within the palace.

Soon the 3 women came upon a large door, blasted off its hinges by some kind of fire magic - if the scorch marks were anything to go by. Outside the store room that had been infiltrated were a number of bodies; both those belonging to the palace's knights as well as the rebel force. Men in armour were killing anyone they came across, their numerical advantage helping greatly in the relatively tight corridors of the palace. As they looked out, another system message appeared in front of the trio:

"Let's go." Liz said, summoning a number of her undead in case any enemies appeared - they also made sure to present the badges given to them by the Marquise so they wouldn't ast time having to explain their allegiances.

Liz made her way where she could detect the most fighting; having seen the thing inside her enemies soul, the skill [Soul Sight] had improved massively to 78% proficiency and now Liz could somewhat feel sources of what she considered to be soul energy; of course this was only if they were in large enough quantities and restricted to purely direction. However, even with these restrictions Liz could tell there was a lot of fighting in the directions she was heading as it was slowly weakening meaning many souls were dispersing.

Turning the corner the trio came upon what seemed to be a garden within which a heated battle was occurring.

The rebel forces were slowly pushing the palace knights back with their superior numbers; but now Liz and her part had arrived. Skeleton soldiers ran forward, attacking the rearguard of the rebel formation causing chaos as they quickly began to lose the mages who were responsible for most of the damage being inflicted.

Simultaneously, the raging bull that was Gloria when her [Inevitable Demise] skill was active had begun to rip apart the middle ranks of the formation - swatting away any enemy that came close with her axe.

And least conspicuously, those commanding the lesser soldiers began to drop one by one - and if a person were to look close enough they may catch quick glimpses of a strangely dressed figure blipping in and out of view as she used stealth to cut down her enemies unnoticed; guided by a skill she had not expected to be as useful as it was.

With the addition of the strange new forces the palace knights gradually regained the upper hand and it was not long before the rebels in this area had either been killed or forced into surrender.

The knights then cautiously approached the trio who seemed to have come to their aid - they were thankful, but the supposed allies were not really the trustworthy type.

A berserker collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, an assassin dressed in the garb of a jester and finally a member of one of the most nefarious classes: A necromancer. Even if she was small, they were certain she held significant power.

Though their suspicions lessened as they came close enough to see the golden badges displayed clearly on their clothes, informing them of their allegiances - ultimately stopping what would have likely been a fight.

The leader of the platoon of knights sheathed his sword as a sign of non-aggression and his subordinates followed suit, and as if to reciprocate the undead controlled by the necromancer took a few steps back such that they would not be able to easily attack.

"It is good to see you hear." The leader, Viscount Par Uliar, said as he let a weak smile spread across his face, "As you can likely tell the rebels have spread themselves through the castle - we are glad to have any assistance you can offer, but if possible we would like to know who you are."

"I'm Smokey, that's Nina and Gloria." Liz said introducing their group, "We were assisting Marquise Barview, trying to disrupt the Archduke's plan by reducing the number of traitors appearing in the castle... Though it seems the number we killed was not sufficient."

The Viscount nodded in appreciation, wondering just how many they could have been fighting without the assistance of these women.

"But there is something more important." Liz said, breaking the silence, "I need to speak with the Marquise immediately - there is something strange about Kilgard's plan and it could change the tide of this battle."

Viscount Uliar's brows furrowed as he heard the urgency in the little necromancer's voice.

"Understood. We will guide you." He nodded before turning to his soldiers, "We need to make haste to the audience room!"

The knights, being extremely well trained did not hesitate in following their orders - highly trained and loyal to the crown, if the necromancer said she had information it was important that it was delivered.

Marquise Barview was currently in the most guardable locations protecting the king. There were not many within the room: Only the king; marquise Barview; the royal family; the few members of the royal order who had not been sent to assist in stopping the riots; and some of the king's closest advisors who were assisting in the strategy to defeat the Archduke.

(A/N: Palace knights and Royal Order are not the same things - one is general knights who guard the palace while the Royal Order are the true elites who directly protect the king and royal family.)

The king sat silently on the throne, different ideas of how to resolve the situation running through his mind. The king, Geoffrey Lancier Sol III, was a middle aged human with shining golden hair and eyes that burned orange like the sun; his rough beard and muscular physique that had faded over time created a trustworthy image for his people as a warrior that protected the kingdom, someone worthy of their trust.

To his right was the king's most trusted ally: Ragnar. Ragnar was of a similar age to the king and a commoner whom the king had found on the streets when he was younger; seeing the potential he held Geoffrey did not hesitate in taking in Ragnar. And it payed off.

In only 5 years Ragnar had become a member of the Royal Order, becoming the youngest man in history of the kingdom to do so; and later the youngest in history to become its leader. Ragnar was exceptionally tall at 7 feet tall and seemed to have enough muscles and scars for 3 more men on his body; his jet black hair and purple eyes created a daunting image that caused most who faced him to feel fear bursting from deep within them before they were cut into pieces.

As those in the room argued over how to proceed a commotion could be heard outside the door to the audience room, and the knights who were present to guard those in the room pulled out their weapons. As the door swung open the guards glared at those entering; no one was permitted to enter the room at this time - there was a high risk that a spy existed among the nobility who claimed loyalty to the crown.

"Who dares to defy his majesty's orders?" The knight closest to the king shouts out, his aggression the most clear.

The man, Viscount Par Uliar, flinched slightly as the head of the royal order was one of the strongest men in the entire Vradora kingdom. Still, he showed proper etiquette by bowing to the king.

"There is no need to bow, the situation is much too dire to waste it on such trivialities." The king said, waving his hand to allow for the viscount to rise, "And please calm down Ragnar - for them to have entered despite my order it must be very important."

"Understood. My apologies your majesty." Ragnar said as he and his subordinates put away their weapons.

"Thank you your majesty." Uliar said, straightening himself and gesturing behind himself at Liz and her party, "These women, who were acting on marquise Barview's orders, claim to have some information that may change the victor of this war."

Mutters flew within the room as Liz stepped forward and offered a shallow bow. Ragnar, who seemed to be about to say something, was silenced as the king raised his hand and allowed Liz to stand back up.

"There is new information?" He asked, leaning forward slightly. The king was desperate for the situation to come to a close, as he and his advisors argued in this room more and more good men were being killed in his name and this was not something the king could allow to go on for much longer.

"Yes, your majesty." Liz said, beginning to tell the crowd not only of what she had seen - leaving out the part where she destroyed a soul - but also her doubts about Kilgard's plan.

After finishing speaking there was silence in the room.

"Hmm. I suppose it is strange that the rebels are so weak." The king said, finally breaking the silence, "I had not noticed it with the panic the attack had caused."

"Is it not possible that Kilgard simply intends to overwhelm us with numbers." Barview asked.

"It is possible, but Kilgard is not so sloppy." The king said, his voice showing much more displeasure as the information sank in, "He is not the kind of man that would attempt this plan without complete certainty he would succeed. And Smokey, did you say this blood snake was power by soul?"

"Yes, your majesty." Liz replied, "But also some other kind of power - something malicious that had hidden itself within the person controlling it."

"And would you be able to recognise this in others?" The king asked, devising new strategies immediately based on the present information.

"I'm afraid not. Whatever it is, it has enough knowledge to hide itself." Liz said apologetically; murmurs ran through the hall before another disruption presented itself. A soldier in bloodied armour burst into the audience room and faced the scrutinous gazes of everyone present; but he did not hesitate in relaying his message.

"The traitor, Archduke Kilgard, and his forces have been pushed back into the ballroom and almost all of the rebel soldiers have either been killed or captured. Only Kilgard and his direct subordinates remain." The knight said loudly and for a moment everyone seemed pleased at the turn of events, "But something strange is preventing us from going any further."

"Out with it boy!" Ragnar raged, his mood changing as fast as lightning.

"Some strange people in robes appeared and used some kind of ritual to summon 3 snakes made from blood." He said, uneasy under the gaze of the Captain of the Royal Order, "No matter what we do nothing seems to harm them and we can't get close to the figures we believe are controlling them."

At the repetition of threats the entire room was whipped up into a frenzy and anyone who had been doubting Liz previously no longer held such thoughts.

"All soldiers are to converge on the ballroom and put a stop to Kilgard!" The king yelled out, pulling his own sword from a sheath, "My family will escape from the palace and Rupert will guide them to safety."

The king's wife and children protested, not wanting to abandon their husband and father, but the king's order was absolute so they quickly began preparing to leave.

"Your majesty. You should leave with her majesty and the princes and princess, it may not be saf-" Ragnar began to speak, watching with unease as the king began to step away from his throne; but he was interrupted.

"My people are being killed, Ragnar. It is my duty as king to lead them - even if it brings about my death." All of the royal order protested, even marquise Barview did not seem to agree - but the king’s words placed him under a new light in Liz's eyes, growing up the way she did Liz did not think much of the rich and powerful; but it seemed that in Galdrash not everyone was such a villain as it was on Earth.

"This is final! I am not so weak that I must cower as my soldiers die!" The king commanded, silencing all of his opposition, "Young necromancer, I hope that you can offer your help in saving my kingdom - I shall surely make it worth the effort." 

The king's steady gaze inspired confidence in Liz as she stared back at him, before smiling and nodding.

"Of course, your majesty!" She agreed without any reservation.

[You are under the effects of {Makings of a True Ruler}. +50% attack power. +50% defence]

This was the effect of one of the king's skills: [Makings of a True Ruler]. By inspiring someone to fight for them, they can massively improve their combat ability - and the king was strong enough that everyone in the room had been affected by his skill.

While Ragnar was certainly one of the strongest men in the kingdom, the king himself was not by any means weak. As a man in his forties the king was past his prime, but in his younger days he was a great warrior known throughout the continent for having killed a demi-lich who had been created from a failed experiment in the Magica Kingdom. His blond hair and orange eyes that seemed to burn like flames inspired everyone who gazed upon them: He was truly worthy of the name of Sol.

The king steadfastly led soldiers behind him, charging through the halls of his palace until the sight of conflict came into view.

"Smokey. Will you be able to take them out?" He asked, turning to the small necromancer who was riding upon a large monster.

Liz looked over at the serpents and sighed in relief slightly as she recognised that the snakes were clearly of a lower calibre than the one she had originally faced. They were much smaller and the soul power they gave off was clearly much less significant; even still Liz couldn't let people know she could destroy souls.

"Since there are 3 of them, trying to take control would allow for the others to target me - it would be unlikely to succeed." She reported, "The best way would be to kill the 3 controlling them."

Liz pointed to the 3 people in full black robes covered in the same red symbol.

"Hmm. Understood." The king said, raising his sword high, "Kill the masters of the snakes!"

He called, running ahead of each of the soldiers present - Ragnar quickly catching up to his side.

Together they pushed back the snakes that came to attack them; blood dispersing then gathering once again. Knowing the properties of the snakes seemed to allow for the pair to combat them with some efficiency as they relied entirely on movements that would cause large after effects which rippled through the bloody body of the snakes.

With the king leading the charge all of the soldiers, who had just a moment ago been struck with fear, sprinted forward into the fray; backing up their honourable monarch as he got closer to the villains. Liz and her undead also charged forward, shattering and being reborn as they did what they could to slow down the serpents. With the number of dead in the area - both rebels and loyalists - Liz had a near infinite supply of mana by using [Blood Donor] to convert her HP to MP and then recovering it all back thanks to the bodies on the ground.

Gloria and Nina also wasted no time in rushing forward: Gloria's devastating power being almost as pronounced as the marquise's; while Nina utilised her clones to increase the number of variables on the battlefield in an attempt to disrupt the enemies attention. Everything seemed to be going in their favour, but the fight still went on for half an hour as the snakes lacked any HP to slowly take down - the only way to kill them being to kill those controlling them.

However, even as the king and Royal Order began to close in on them the body language of the figures did not seem in any way alarmed. 

Even as their heads fell to the ground and the serpents staggered before collapsing into puddles of blood, Liz felt something was strange. She quickly ordered her undead to change targets and enter the ballroom as quickly as they could. However, it became clear that some kind of barrier had been applied to the door as not even the full force of Liz's undead army could get inside.

"Move aside." Ragnar called, having Liz move her undead as he activated another of his skills.

Purplish energy gathered over his sword, gradually taking form as it grew in size. Once the energy seemed to reach its apex Ragnar stabbed forward at a range that his sword would not even touch the door, but it did not matter as the energy's shape finalised and took on the image of a dragon Liz recognised from the ancient myths of the old world country of China. The serpentine beast roared, completely silent and yet it still seemed to reverberate through the hall, before flying forward and crashing into the door.

It seemed to become stuck in time for a moment before cracks began to form all over the wall. Everyone then heard the distinct sound of something shattering before the door was blown off its hinges to reveal the ballroom.

The crowd quickly entered, with the king, Barview, Ragnar and Liz's part at the forefront of the crowd.

The sight was not something that was expected. The floor of the ballroom was covered in the crimson runes of a ritual spell and in its centre, Archduke Kilgard was floating. He was completely naked, but red runes were carved into his skin, glowing as streams of energy came from his followers positioned at the points of the decagram below him. In his chest was a crystal, much larger than the one Liz had seen below the palace - yet even all of this was not the most terrifying part of the sight before them.

(A/N: Decagram is a star with 10 points in case you didn’t know)

Above where the Archduke was floating was a crack - not in the roof, but space itself.

Blood was leaking from the crack like a waterfall and seemingly powering the spell. Liz's [Soul Sight] was active, but she was forced to shut it off as the power emanating from the fracture was staggering and beginning to drain her HP. Laughter echoed from the crack - something powerful was coming.

The soldiers were trembling in fear and even Barview could not hide how pale he had become in the face of this monster.

"Fear not! Have trust in your brothers who stand beside you and none shall defeat us!" It was the shout of the king that seemed like a gift from God; a powerful light spread from his body and encompassed the entire force of the loyalists.

[You are under the effects of the skill: {National Pride}. +{Fear} Resistance when fighting for {Vradora}]

The Archduke turned and looked down upon the force with a disdainful glare.

"Kill them! The seal is not yet undone! The time is almost upon us and it must arrive!" He yelled, causing shadows to stretch and take form - humans in robes of black and red standing opposed to the king's forces.

Liz, Nina and Gloria prepared themselves to charge - the first and final confrontation the would have with Archduke Kilgard: