As Aethon, Vaerion, and Heinz made their way out of the market square, the road slowly began to change from gravel to a bricked road. The scenery began to change as well. The road was not littered with dead bodies, the houses were in one piece, all the stalls were filled with fruits and vegetables. The only thing that caught their attention was how quiet it was. There was no person or thing in sight. All the weird creatures and mystical objects Aethon had seen almost 2 hours ago were all gone. The only thing that was out of place and littered the road were the chains of slaves.
Vaerion started to slow down. Seeing this, so did Aethon and Heinz. Vaerion pulled out his sword and told Aethon to be vigilante. After hearing this, Aethon created two ice blades. These were much weaker then what he had previously created when fighting the two assassin's, due to his poor ability to conserve his energy which ate away at his stamina. It was thanks to the special tablet that Vaerion gave him that healed him up and gave him some energy back. It wasn't alot, but it was enough to help him defend if something were to happen. He then made Hienz stand inbetween the two of them in case something or someone attacked them. Has they made there way towards the staircase it was quiet. No movement. Nothing.
Aethon felt relieved as they began to reach the staircase. As they reached the foot of the staircase, Aethon stared at it. 100 steps. The length of the staircase was around 15 meters long and 1 meter high. As he looked at it he let out a sight and said, :"Well... Let's go." After saying this Vaerion told Aethon he would go first, then Heinz would follow him, and then he would be going last to guard their back incase something or someone attacks. As they made there way up the long staircase, Aethon had is ice blades ready, and continously looked from left to right as they made their way up the staircase. After the 30th step, Vaerion began to notice red marks on a step. He stopped and told Heinz and Aethon to as well. He stared at it intensely. He then told Aethon in a loud and commanding voice, :"Move with caution. Be alert." Vaerion then turned his head around stared Aethon in the eyes and then continued to move up the staircase slowly with his body hunched, sword extending forward. As they get more and more closer to the capital which was known as VARIA, they saw more and more blood appearing on the staircase. As they made there way to the 70th step they saw torn clothes that were covered in blood. As Vaerion stopped walking, he stood still, lifting his head up and then started running towards the gate. Aethon didn't understand why at first, but has they got closer and closer to the gate, passing the 75th step, 80th step, 95th step, he began to understand why. With thr passing of each step, the amount of blood, clothes and human body parts increased. But not as much as the sounds of things crashing and people screaming that was coming from the capital. Aethon then in turn stopped jogging and started bolting forward frantically leaving Heinz to catch up. As they finally got to the top Aethon leaned down breathing heavily who was met by Hienz a few seconds later who fainted from trying to catch up with him.
As Aethon began to stand upright, he saw Vaerion frozen in place, and then voices. As he walk to stand next to Vaerion he saw it. And he saw them.
The gates of the Capital Varia stood wide open, with no guards, no banners and no life. Just the wind howling like a ghost that carried the echoes of those who once stood proud protecting the gates. The once towering spires of skylines and skyfins glimmered faintly in the distance under a bleak, ash grey sky. The smoke rose in lazy trails from the rooftops beyond the walls.
At seeing that above Vaerion turned his attention to what was happening right infront of his eyes. He began to walk forward slowly, his boots stepping on blood stained dirt and bits of shattered armor.
Two figures were infront of him. Around 3 meters infront of him to be exact. They were unaware of Vaerion, Aethon, and Heinz standing 3 meters behind them.
They were ragged and dirty. Their skin mottled with scars and filth. They were kneeling beside the corpses of four soldiers.
One soldiers head was missing entirely, his neck had a jagged stump that was leaking dry blood onto the staircase
Another had been cleaves in half, spine and intestines coiled like a butchered beast. The last two had their faces frozen in horror, but their eyes were missing.
The two men were kneeling and laughing at them.
The first one was tall, black hair, and white in complexion. He shouted, "Pathetic fucks," while spitting and pulling off a ring from the soldier with no head. He then said, :"Served em right. Bet their families screamed like pigs before they died."
The other one was abit shorter then the other man. He was bald, hunched, and brown in complexion. He snorted as he searched a pouch he took of the headless soldier. His eyes lit up as he looked up at his friend and said, :" Got coin, and this bastards medal. Imagine dying for nothing! Hahahaha! We killed better men back in the holding cells then these armored clowns."
As Vaerion stood there he realized who the 2 young soldiers were. They were recruits he trained not even a month ago. He chose them to guard the gate. He stood there. Face emotionless as he listened to the 2 men.
The bald man started laughing has he looked at the soldier who was cut in half and said in a loud voice, : "This one looks like a boy we once gutted in RUTABAIGA. Ahh, i remember how he screamed for his mother, he must have been no more then 11 year sold."
They began screaming and laughing. As Aethon and Heinz heard this, they stood there speechless,but Vaerions hands began to tremble, his jaw tightened. His breath began to slow down. His magic began to surge, the air around him began to get cold, his left hand was beginning to get covered in ice while his right hand was covered in a dark red flame.
Vaerion walked slowly towards the 2 men, with an emotionless face and dead eyes. The tall man turned just in time to see Vaerion reflection in his eyes and then nothing.
With a wave of his hand, Vaerion unleashed ice with his left hand that engulfed the tall mana who was laughing. The man's legs were frozing in place. Vaerion then placed his left hand on his neck and slowly froze his entire body until he looked like an ice statue.
The short and hunched man turned around to see what that sound was but has he turned around Vaerion ran towards him and shifted him so hard in his sternum that the man flew in the air for a few seconds before he landed back down on solid ground. The man then began to vomit.
Vaerion then turned around to Aethon and told him to go with Hienz to the capital and see what's going on.
Aethon and Hienz, both seeing Vaerions face, said nothing and ran through the gates that were covered in blood.
As Aethon looked back he saw Vaerion grab the man's head and repeatedly smash it into his own vomit.
As Aethon turned back to face foward he told Heinz to follow him. He then guided Hienz through the capital. But within a minute of been back into the capital Aethon stopped and a look of dispair filled his face.
A scene worse then the market square consumed his vision. It was as if a scene from hell had been inserted into the real world. Bodies littered everywhere, both soldiers and citizens alike. There was rubble everywhere.
As Aethon and Heinz started to look up at the sky, they saw not clouds but smoke. They then heard people screaming and running.
Before they could even move or say anything, something crashed into the ground 3 meters infront of them. It caused everyone to freeze. Not a single sound was heard for 5 seconds and then a deafening scream was heard. It was coming from the crater that was just made. As the dust slowly cleared up a figure began to emerge.
It was an ENTITY.
It's humanoid body that was as black as charcoal was beginning to stand up on both legs. It's head was a dark blue flame. A sound vibrated from its rib cage that was making everyone press down on their ears. As Aethon was pressing his hands against his ears, he stared as the ENTITY form became clear, he thought to himself, "That's where the deafening sound was coming from as he stared at the ribcage that was pushing out.