Senn waded into the river surrounding the village. He wanted to feel the heat, touch the fire, feel the disintegrating wood. This can't be happening! Ria could still be in the burning wreck! He must look for as many people as possible!
"Wait! Senn!" Thalleous called. Thalleous summoned his Song and teleported in front, grabbing Senn's shoulders.
"Let go of me!" Senn shouted, attempting to shake him off. This can't be happening! He must…
"Whoever did this could still be here!" Thalleous warned.
Senn gave up the struggle. He knew his mentor was right. Slumping down in the river, he looked at Thalleous helplessly.
"Wait here Senn." Thalleous said. "I will check for survivors." He teleported into the village.
Senn waded ashore on the opposite bank and waited, and waited, and waited. After half an hour, Senn stood up. Thalleous had gone for too long. He has to find him. He crept through the village gates, along the well-known paths, and found Ria's room. It was a mess, though thankfully not on fire. Books were flung off the shelves. Ria's belongings litter the floor. Her mug, which Thalleous gave her as a birthday present, lay on the ground in pieces. Someone was looking for something. Senn noticed something red sitting in the corner. Senn picked it up. It was a half-eaten apple, its surface a fresh yellow, clearly left there not long ago. He recognized Ria's teeth on the fruit, so this means…
Senn threw down the apple and ran towards the gate. The destroyers must still be here. The only thing of value in this village is the Prime Song, and they can't find that. If it truly was the Voltaris, then they will kill him, they may have already killed Thalleous.
Someone grabbed his arm and jerked him painfully behand a rock. Senn instinctively tried to struggle free, but to no avail "We have to leave. Now." Panted Thalleous. His voice was urgent, but hushed. Senn could tell he judged the invaders were near by. "We will go to Ataraxia. you will be safer there." He suddenly stopped and glared at one blazing hilltop.
From between the flames, walked out four Voltaris, their weapons drawn. The fire blended with their red markings, so that it looked as if they were not walking out from a burning land, but out of the Nether itself, like fiery demons fresh from a slaughter. They saw the blue warrior, so in marked contrast with the scarlet surroundings, and came for Senn and Thalleous.
"Run, Senn. NOW!" the warrior shouted to Senn, who turned tails and ran for the gate. A fifth Voltaris stepped out, blocking Senn's path. Senn veered away and kept running. A stone, loose from the paved path, tripped him. The Voltaris quickly caught up. He raised his sword, and was bringing it down upon Senn, when…
"Neigggghhh!" Timber had galloped to his side and flew his back legs at the Voltaris. Hit on the head, the Voltaris' markings faded as he dropped to the ground. Senn mounted Timber, whispered a hasty "thank you" and led him back towards the fight.
They stopped a few meters away from Thalleous, so that they could see each other, but not be affected by the battle.
The four Voltaris surrounded the blue warrior and attacked together. The first wielded a sword, but was no match for the experienced Champion. He struck left, and Thalleous stabbed his chest on the right. His red markings went black. The second Voltaris tried to sneak in on Thalleous, but the blue warrior kicked him head-over-heels as he killed the first. Then, with an underhand of his blade, Thalleous stabbed the Ardoni on the ground. He became one with the charcoaled dirt. The third hurled an axe as she attacked from on top of a rock, but although she started first, she was slower than Thalleous, who had already killed her clanmates. He rolled forward to dodge, and the pair of iron axes sunk into the ground. While the Voltaris tried to retrieve her weapons, Thalleous's blue blade cut her across the chest. He kicked her lifeless body away into a fire.
The fourth Voltaris leapt from the flames. He wielded a spear, much like the one Senn had made Ria, and stabbed from afar. His fighting moves resembled Zinaida when fighting Jalkar. Missing his first hit, he drew back his weapon and stabbed right, then left, and then swung around to cut. Thalleous ducked and blocked. But there's more. The red soldier turned the spear around and stabbed at Thalleous' abdomen. Thalleous stepped to the side to let the point pass by, and pulled it forward with his sword. The Voltaris began withdrawing the spear and Thalleous suddenly let go. The red fighter tumbled onto his back.
On the ground, the soldier lifted his legs, put his strength into his hip, and jumped up like a fish flopping into a squat position. He took his spear and stabbed again. This time, Thalleous had no-where to duck, so he blocked the hit with his sword. "Ting!" With his left hand, Thalleous took hold of the spear and while the Voltaris is still in a forward lunge, yanked it out of his hands. He turned the head around and drove it into the red soldier's body. He fell on his back again, but never got up.
Thalleous stood upright and surveyed the surroundings. Is that all of them? A voice rang out from behind the veils of flames,
"Thalleous Sendaris! We meet again!" Tygren Voltaris walked slowly out of the firing land. His iron blade glowed crimson, more from blood than the fire.
The blue warrior turned to face his adversary, who stopped atop a hill. "I noticed you moved the Prime Songs." Tygren observed. "I need them. Can you not see? Look," He waved his sword at the scorch marks, the ashes, and the dead bodies about him. His manner was so casual that one would think he just came back from the groceries. "Look what you made me do."
Thalleous stood firm upon the black soil. He held his sword upright and spoke out loud. "I have fought against your kind for two hundred years Tygren. Whatever the Voltaris are planning," He ignited his sword "I will stop it." He started moving towards Senn and Timber. First, he must get him out of here. Then, he will come back for these demons.
"You will try." Tygren leapt from the hilltop. Time stopped as he rose above the fire's tongues, his markings blending against the red sky, the burnt and burning earth flashing in his silver weapon, and landed in front of Thalleous. He stabbed. Thalleous ducked and returned with a chop. The two engaged in rapid combat and Senn watched in awe. At one point, Tygren attacked at such a dangerous position that Thalleous went on one knee and caught the other's sword by raising his own over the shoulders. Silver and blue alternated between them as the two Ardoni battled to the death.
Tygren struck out deep, but Thalleous bent backwards to dodge. When the Voltaris drew back, Thalleous activated his Aggressium Song. He pounded the ground in a seismic slam and knocked Tygren backwards. The red leader summersaulted to keep his balance, but fell down beside his soldiers. His weapon flew into a flaming bush, out of sight.
Thalleous had won, but he did not avenge. Instead, he ran towards Timber and Senn, who stood on the edge of the scene. Tygren got up and surveyed about him. He saw the spear still pierced through his clanmate's body. Pulling it out, he lanced it at the running Sendaris. Senn tried to warn Thalleous. "Watch-" Thalleous turned his head and saw the spear soaring towards him. He activated his teleportation Song. Golden circles enclosed him. Faster and faster, they rotated. Closer and closer, the weapon flew.
The golden circles were completed. Thalleous disappeared and reappeared meters before Timber. But the spear maintained its trajectory and pierced the blue warrior through the stomach. He stopped in his tracks and fell to his knees. Behind him, Tygren smiled. This Champion, this slaughterer of Voltaris, his nemisis, is at last no more.
Senn's heart stopped. Thalleous was not only his mentor, but very much like his father. He had told him and Ria those stories all through the years. He had given them the Songs. He, was the man who occupied his heart and soul. He couldn't just die, could he?
For a moment that seemed eternity, Thalleous kneeled, panting. His life flashed before his eyes, childhood, training and extraordinary talent, receiving his first Song, his first sword, the Tournament, coming second place, the Great War, hunting Voltaris, hiding Primes, and now, now it's at an end. He smiled. "I can finally rest," His broad blue diamond sword seemed to sense its master. The enchants became silent and the blade fell by his side. Thalleous smiled. He collapsed on the ground. The blue went out of his markings, and two Songs materialized next to him. One gold, one red. Timber stood on his hindlegs and screamed at his body.
Then, an arrow, cutting through the air with a shrill of sound brought Senn to reality. He turned Timber around and galloped away from the village. He did not know where to go, nor did he much care. Everyone he knew was gone, in one day. Ria, Osivian, Thalleous, all his friends. He was alone in this world.
Tygren approached Thalleous's body and picked up his loot: the diamond broadsword and the two Songs. He raised the weapon above his head. "All hail the Voltaris!" He declared to the sky. With Thalleous Sendaris gone, there will be no one to stop the coming doom!