Chapter 15: The Siege of Gor'Khazad – Breaking the Black Sun
The skies above Gor'Khazad were painted in fire and shadow as Kael Atris led his divine army against the might of Emperor Valcairn's forces. The battlefield stretched for miles, a vast expanse of steel, magic, and blood. For three days and three nights, the war raged with unrelenting ferocity, shaking the very foundations of Dravengarde's capital.
Kael Atris and his two thousand six-winged heavenly soldiers spearheaded the assault. Each of them, warriors of divine origin, wielded spears and blades forged from celestial fire, cleaving through enemy ranks like a tempest of judgment. Their mere presence was enough to shatter morale, their overwhelming power rendering entire battalions to dust with a single stroke. Behind them, thirty-four thousand four-winged soldiers and three million two-winged warriors surged forward like an unstoppable tidal wave. The enemy stood no chance, yet they fought with the tenacity of a people who knew no surrender.
The defenders of Dravengarde were no ordinary soldiers. Clad in enchanted armor, wielding weapons imbued with the essence of dragons, they fought with relentless vigor. Towering siege engines hurled waves of arcane fire, while wyvern riders streaked across the battlefield, diving and striking with deadly precision. The skies were thick with battle, filled with the roars of mythical beasts and the cries of warriors clashing in a war for dominion over Varis Primus.
Despite the overwhelming resistance, Kael's army remained unscathed. The heavenly soldiers were immortal, their essence regenerating the moment they fell. They could fade into invisibility, striking from the unseen, and no magic could fully vanquish them. The warships hovering above rained devastation upon enemy fortifications, reducing entire districts to rubble with their precise bombardment.
Kael Atris himself was an unyielding force. He fought on the front lines, wielding his blade of pure mana, absorbing the essence of the fallen. His power surged with every soul he consumed, his eyes burning with the divine fury of Castellion Arisium. He had long surpassed mortal limitations, standing as an indomitable conqueror.
On the fourth day, the city's defenses began to falter. The impregnable walls of Gor'Khazad, thought to be unbreakable, cracked under the relentless assault. Kael pressed forward, his divine soldiers carving a path through the last lines of defense. The fortress gates, once reinforced by the strongest enchantments, shattered before his might.
Within the inner sanctum of the capital, Emperor Valcairn the Black Sun stood defiant. The ruler of Dravengarde was no ordinary man; he was a warlord who had bathed in the blood of gods and demons alike. His armor, infused with the power of ancient dragons, gleamed ominously. His blade, forged from the heart of a dying star, pulsed with immeasurable power.
The battle between Kael Atris and Emperor Valcairn was a spectacle that shook the heavens. Blades clashed, releasing shockwaves that split the earth and sundered the sky. The Emperor fought like a man possessed, striking with the force of a thousand storms. Yet, Kael Atris was beyond human. With each strike, he absorbed more of Valcairn's power, draining him of his strength and vitality.
The duel reached its climax as Kael unleashed a devastating final blow, severing Valcairn's leg, taking his eye, and cleaving away one of his arms. The once-mighty Emperor collapsed, his breath ragged, his body broken. Yet, Kael did not grant him death. Instead, he placed his hand upon Valcairn's nape and inscribed the submission insignia upon him. The Emperor's will was no longer his own; he would continue to rule Dravengarde, but now as a vassal of Kael Atris.
With their leader subdued, the remaining forces of Dravengarde surrendered. Kael extended his influence over the entire population, marking each citizen with the insignia, bringing them under his absolute dominion. The once-proud nation of warriors was now part of his ever-growing empire.
As the battle concluded, Kael stood amidst the ruins of Gor'Khazad, absorbing the essence of millions of fallen warriors. His power surged exponentially, and in an instant, he ascended to level 170. With this ascension came a new divine gift from Castellion Arisium—the power to create dragons. These magnificent creatures, some bearing two wings, others with four or six, would be born from the divine trees alongside the heavenly soldiers.
With the ability to birth ten dragons each day per tree, Kael's power reached an entirely new level. The skies of his empire would soon be filled with winged behemoths, creatures of raw power and might. The balance of power in Varis Primus had shifted irrevocably. Kael Atris, the Conqueror of Nations, was now a god amongst men.
The conquest of Dravengarde was complete. Yet, Kael knew that his path was far from over. Five nations had stood against him, and now only two remained independent—Vayrannis and Xeran Thalor. The war for ultimate dominion had only just begun.