“Well,” Rex coughed, “How do you know they came with ill intentions?”“They confessed under duress of course,” Queen Ullysarius said, casually waving her two left-sided long-clawed hands dismissively. “Do you wish to unveil the fleshed ones? Or shall I?”Turning toward Cassius for guidance and getting a confused shrug, Rex turned back, “I’ll do it.” Rex noticed the queen seemed to deflate slightly at his answer. ‘Strange response,’ he thought.“Shall I accompany you?” Ullysarius added in, quickly sidling in next to Rex, her eyes shining eagerly.” You know, in case it is decided they will visit the beyond. I would be honoured to send them there myself, blessed one.” Rex noticed she put extra emphasis on the title.Rolling his eyes, Rex moved to the first covered figure, reached under the hood and flipped it back.“Brend?” Rex asked, shocked to see Rosie’s squad leader kneeling before him, a strange black substance stuck over his mouth to prevent speaking, and his hands and elbows were
Not wanting to see how Taalook had ‘Dealt’ with Norian, Rex moved on with his plan.“Anyone else wants to travel the same path as Norian?” Rex asked, watching everyone intently. He noticed the remaining squad members all wore a mixture of shock, and fear except for Barton who had disgust written over his face.“Well Barton,” Rex continued, walking up to the kneeling man. “If I release you, will you still pursue us seeing as your commander has perished?”This question elicited a moan from Brend as he struggled against his bindings.“Something to add Brend?” Cassius asked, coming to stand before the man.“Blessed one, I should warn you,” Taalook growled, stomping up to Brend, clenching two clawed hands on his right side. “He was the most aggressive fleshling. That is why his bindings are so tightly wrapped. The insect was annoying me.”Allowing Taalook to remove Brend’s gag, it did not take long for Brend to also decide to not take Rex’s lifeline.“You do not know how the godking’s army
Rex had only just erected his archway for Grub and Cassius to pass through when he was stopped, turning to face who had called out his name.“Before you go, blessed one,” Paool said, tilting his head slightly in respect. Her magnificence would like you to focus on binding the conduit. She has informed me of the importance of unlocking your once powerful magical talent for what lies ahead of you.”Rex was about to ask what he meant by that, but before he could utter a word, Paool had spun on his heel and with a faint crack, had disappeared.After the momentary shock wore off, Rex clicked his tongue in amusement at how Paool had chosen to take his leave, then spun and entered his archway.Once the quick lurching sensation from the portal had worn off, Rex’s mouth dropped open almost instantly. His spiritual space had expanded exponentially. As he took in the new surroundings, he was accosted before his brain could register what was happening.“Rex!!” a familiar growl entered his ear. Fo
“So this ‘dragon’ that is bonded with your soul is what has given you your potent abilities and now has unlocked some of your weaker magic?” Venya asked, for the fifth time. Rex had explained his meeting and bonding with Fafnir in great detail, but it seemed like Venya still did not believe him to be telling the truth. “Dragons are myth and you’re telling me your whole family line has bonded with one?” she had retorted, each time he tried telling her.“I too find his story to also be a touch fanciful, but it would also explain how he has performed such incredible feats that we have ALL witnessed. So I think it to be prudent to believe him. He has never lied to us before now, has he?” Kiri replied, finally being the one able to silence Venya.Rex had just begun to thank Kiri when Queen Ullysarius’s voice wafted across the magical space, silencing everyone.“Blessed one, we must speak.”“Sounds like I’m needed once more,” Rex sighed.“I can’t wait to be back in the real world and away f
“So Rex,” Kiri began once they packed their cooking utensils. “I believe there is a part to this story you have not told us.”“What part is that?” Rex asked, raising one eyebrow at her.“The part where you earned the ‘blessed one’ title,” Kiri replied with a smirk. “I am most curious as to who has blessed you to elicit such a respectful response from a creature powerful enough to kill almost all of us.”Kiri’s question seemed to draw all eyes to Rex, even Cassius and Grub, even though they already knew the story.“Well,” Rex began with a little sigh as he gathered his thoughts, “I was originally tasked with performing a deed, in return for a favour. The queen then brought me through a portal to a place to have the agreement sealed by someone she called an ancient. She cannot deviate too far from some mission she was brought here to do, or something like that. Anyway, there were more ‘ancients’ than first agreed upon, almost like a council-type setup. The agreement was then changed to
“Is it just me, or can anyone else hear voices?” Rex asked, stopping and turning his head slightly.As Rex stopped, his companions also followed suit, Cassius placing his hand on the pommel of his sword.“I can’t hear anything except for Grub’s wheezing,” Kealy said after a few quiet moments.“Grub is wheezing because of all the walking,” Grub grumbled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a scrap of meat.“Uh, what are you eating?” Venya asked, spying the meat.“Grub has kept this for a road snack for a few days,” Grub replied with a wide grin.“Um, so you’ve let it dry in your pocket, and you still think its safe to eat?” Karinna added in, moving to stand beside Kealy and Venya.“Grub has eaten things much more questionable,” Grub replied, still smiling as he lifted the meat to his mouth and pushed the whole piece in. “Grub still thinks has good taste.”“You are disgusting,” Kealy replied with a shudder and frown. This just got a confused look from Grub in response.“Grub has an
Rex's lungs burned as he sprinted through the crumbling tunnel, dust filling the air with each new tremor that rocked the passageway. The golden lizard bracelet pulsed against his wrist, sending waves of warmth up his arm—a warning, perhaps, or Fafnir urging him forward."Keep moving!" he shouted over his shoulder, making sure everyone was still with him. Grub's heavy footfalls thundered behind, followed by the lighter steps of Kealy and Venya. Cassius moved with his usual grace, a faint blue shimmer still surrounding him like a second skin. Kiri and Dilo flanked the group, weapons drawn against whatever might await them at the tunnel's end.Invictus Myst led the way, Rex noticed her glancing at him every few seconds. Whatever had happened in that crystal realm had shaken her, the confident assassin replaced by someone who seemed just as desperate to escape as the rest of them."There!" Myst shouted, pointing ahead to a circular opening where daylight spilled into the darkness. "The i
The Lady of Blades led Rex and his companions through the Citadel's grand entrance hall, a cavernous space where sunlight streamed through high stained-glass windows, casting prismatic patterns across the polished stone floor. The hall bore the scars of a fortress long at war—elegant tapestries hung alongside battle maps, and ornate columns were reinforced with practical steel bracings. Guards in gleaming armor stood at attention, their faces betraying flickers of curiosity as they watched the unusual group pass. Rex felt their stares lingering on him in particular, which only added to his growing unease. "I imagine this must be disorienting," the Lady of Blades said, glancing back at him. Her armor made barely a sound as she moved, each plate fitting together with masterful precision. "To arrive at a place you've never been, only to discover people have been expecting you." "That's putting it mildly," Rex replied, studying her carefully. "How exactly did you know we were coming?"
Darkness.Then, gradually, sensation. Warmth against his skin. Softness beneath his body. The scent of healing herbs and clean linen. Distant voices, familiar yet indistinct, rising and falling like waves against a shore.Rex floated in this half-conscious state, unwilling or unable to fully awaken. Time meant nothing here—it might have been hours or days since the battle. The only constant was the profound emptiness within him, a void of its own where Fafnir's presence should have been.Occasionally, the voices would draw nearer, accompanied by cool hands on his forehead or wrist. Words filtered through his haze—"stable," "healing," "waiting." But none penetrated deeply enough to rouse him from his twilight state.Then, a new voice—commanding, insistent, refusing to be ignored."Enough of this, Rex. Wake up."Marcia. Her tone brooked no argument, as if his continued unconsciousness were a form of insubordination she wouldn't tolerate.Rex felt his awareness slowly centring, the dista
The world seemed to slow around Rex as he absorbed the crazak queen's words. The godking continued his transformation at the center of the ritual circle, void energy crackling around him like black lightning. The tear in reality pulsed ominously overhead, its edges fraying as the ritual's purpose shifted from convergence to pure destruction."The dragon bond must become a conduit," Queen Ullysarius explained, her multifaceted eyes reflecting the chaos surrounding them. "You must channel the void energy through yourself and into your bracelet, where your dragon can contain and neutralize it.""But the strain could kill him," Kiri protested, her ancient eyes wide with concern."Yes," the crazak queen acknowledged without hesitation. "It likely will."Rex felt Fafnir's consciousness surge forward within the bond, the dragon's presence filling his mind with fierce determination.'Together,' Fafnir's voice resonated within him. 'As it has always been.'The memory of Dilo's sacrifice flashe
Rex ascended the ladder first, his muscles burning with the effort after the drain of reshaping stone. As he neared the top, he slowed, listening for any signs of enemy forces above. The rungs ended at a circular metal hatch partially concealed by overgrowth. With utmost care, he pushed against it, feeling resistance from years of disuse before it finally gave way with a soft groan.The predawn air hit his face, carrying the acrid scent of void energy and smoke. Rex lifted himself enough to peer over the edge, finding they had emerged precisely where Kiri had predicted—at the eastern fringe of the godking's encampment. The massive tear in reality dominated the sky, now at least twice the size it had been when they'd descended beneath the Citadel. Beneath it, a circle of dark-robed figures surrounded an intricate pattern of runes carved into the earth, each glowing with sickly purple energy.And at its centre stood the godking.Even from this distance, Rex could sense his power—a disto
The first sensation that struck Rex as he emerged onto the Citadel's highest tower was the cold—a biting, unnatural chill that cut through clothing and flesh alike. The second was the silence. Despite the thousands of defenders manning the walls and the enemy forces arrayed across the plains, an eerie quiet had fallen over everything, as if the world held its breath.Then he saw why.The night sky had split open.A massive tear hung above the godking's encampment, a wound in reality that oozed darkness and malevolent energy. Around its edges, the stars themselves seemed to bend and distort, drawn toward the void like moths to flame. At its centre, where the ritual circle must be, pulsed a core of such profound darkness that it seemed to devour light itself."What have they done?" Cassius whispered, his usual composure cracking by the sight.General Christopher turned from his position at the parapet, his face illuminated by the sickly purple glow emanating from the rift. "It began mom
The Citadel hummed with preparations as darkness fell. Soldiers sharpened blades, mages prepared defensive wards, and healers laid out supplies for the inevitable casualties. Rex stood at the highest observation point, watching as torches flickered to life across the godking's encampment, stretching like a sea of malevolent stars across the plains."They're positioning siege engines of inhuman proportions," Cassius observed, studying the movements through a spyglass. "But there's something else happening in the center of their camp—some kind of ritual circle."Rex felt the golden bracelet warm against his skin, Fafnir's consciousness pressing forward with concern. "He's not waiting until dawn," Rex said, the certainty growing within him. "The deadline was a misdirection. He's preparing something now.""I've sensed it too," Kiri confirmed, joining them at the parapet. "The void energy is building. Whatever he's planning, it's substantial."The Lady of Blades approached, her expression
The interior of the pavilion defied physical logic. What appeared modest from outside expanded within to a vast chamber, its boundaries lost in shadows that moved with unsettling purpose. No support poles held up the ceiling—instead, the black fabric seemed suspended by an invisible force, rippling occasionally like the surface of dark water.At the centre stood a circular table of obsidian, its surface so polished it reflected their faces with perfect clarity. Seven chairs surrounded it—four on one side, three on the other. The godking had already claimed the central seat on the far side, Chancellor Hellden taking position to his right. The third chair remained empty."Please," the godking said, gesturing to the empty seats. "Make yourselves comfortable."Rex approached cautiously, noting that the floor beneath his feet seemed to shift subtly with each step, as if he walked on something alive rather than solid ground. He chose the chair directly opposite the godking, Marcia and Kiri
Dawn broke over the imperial city with an unnatural clarity, as if the very air had been purified in anticipation of what was to come. Rex stood at the window of his chamber, watching as the first rays of sunlight touched the distant encampment of the godking's forces. The golden bracelet on his wrist pulsed with a steady rhythm, almost like a heartbeat.'He will try to tempt you,' Fafnir's voice whispered in his mind. 'Demons of his kind are masters of deception and desire.'"I know," Rex replied softly. "But I've made my choice."After careful deliberation the previous night, he had selected his three companions for the meeting with the godking. Marcia, with her tactical mind and unwavering resolve; Kiri, whose knowledge might prove crucial against a being as old as the godking; and Dilo, her void-corrupted arm possibly giving her insight into the godking's powers that others lacked.The decision had not been easy. Lacey had argued fiercely for inclusion, citing her combat knowledge
The Citadel's council chamber buzzed with tension as Rex's old companions from Dracoterrum faced his new allies from this realm. What should have been a joyful reunion had quickly transformed into an atmosphere thick with unspoken rivalries and territorial instincts."So let me get this straight," Minet said, pacing the stone floor with her arms crossed. "While we've been desperately searching for you across realms, you've been here making new... connections." Her eyes flickered briefly toward Dilo and Kiri."It wasn't exactly by choice," Rex replied, his voice strained. "I was pulled here against my will, had to survive, and found people I could trust."Lacey, who had remained unusually quiet since their arrival, finally spoke. "We understand that, Rex. But do you understand what we went through to find you? The risks we took? Rowina might be trapped between realms right now because of it."From across the room, Dilo growled low in her throat. "He wasn't
The delegation from the godking's encampment advanced at a deliberate pace across the battle-scarred plains, their progress marked by the fluttering of the white parley flag. At its center rode the imposing figure in black armor – now clearly visible as a woman with pale, almost translucent skin and silver hair that flowed like liquid metal despite the still air."I don’t recognise the envoy," the Lady of Blades said grimly, lowering the spyglass.Rex studied the approaching emissary with growing unease. He could see the person had the figure of a woman and she was not riding a horse, but a massive wolf whose shoulders stood taller than a mounted knight. Its fur was midnight black, with wisps of shadowy vapor rising from its coat with each powerful stride. Flanking her were not soldiers but beasts – creatures with vaguely humanoid forms but bestial features, as if someone had attempted to mold animals into the shape of men and stopped halfway through