Snowflakes drifted in the black, cloudy sky of Mt. Velgrin. It was just past midnight, the coldest and darkest time of the day. Long masters of elite magic, though most other Ardoni call it "dark" magic, the Voltaris knew that this is the best time for sorcery. At the top, all of the Voltaris soldiers, including Lucidius who made it back from intercepting Jalkar, stood with their weapons at their side. Some carried shield and swords, some carried staffs and spears.
Tygren approached the obsidian archway. He was holding a sword as well, but not his iron one. No, he had passed that to his second in command. A blue diamond blade was clenched in his hand. The same blade that Thalleous Sendaris once held, gleaming with its many enchants.
"How long has it been?" Tygren spoke softly to himself, counting the years off his left hand. "One and a half centuries?" The time has come.
Noticing his clan all staring at him, wondering why they assembled here at this freezing time of day, Tygren turned around. "Well, what are you all gawking at?" He shouted. One of the Voltaris shrugged. Tygren smiled and turned back to the archway. "Stand firm. Our days of hiding in the shadows are at an end, my brothers."
The icy wind blew harder. The snowflakes grew wetter and chillier. Tygren became aware of someone that was not Voltaris present at the scene. He turned and scanned the ledge opposite him.
There stood Zulius Kaltaris, his markings glowed a piercing green against the black night sky. It was uncomfortable for the eye to look at him. Surveying the red Ardoni dotting the clearing, Zulius spoke.
"Voltaris." His voice boomed out against the cold "Even after all this time, you do not know when to admit defeat." As he spoke, the curved blade of his staff transformed, from a plane blade to a double-sided axe.
The Voltaris eyed Tygren nervously, who chuckled. "You traveled all this way for us, I'm flattered." He mock bowed. "However," he pointed his sword around Zulius, "You should have come better prepared." Zulius could not hope to defeat them all single-handedly.
Zulius raised his staff. At the signal, other Ardoni emerged. Galadar and Hadion joined Zulius on the ledge. Warriors of all colors, blue, gold, green, and purple surrounded the scene. Together, their markings became a rainbow that illuminated the darkness, a rainbow that will destroy the Voltaris once and for all.
Tygren looked worried. It is true that they will welcome victory soon, but it looks like they would not survive to embrace it. Could they fend off these Ardoni warriors until then?
A bubble emerged at the center of the obsidian archway. In the flash of an eye, it unfolded and became a pulsating purple membrane that covered the entire archway. "Woooo!" It sounded as if it was alive, as if it packed the energy of the cosmos within it. Tygren turned around and observed it for a moment, then turned back to face the warriors. A wicked smile creeped across his face. The time has come.
"On second thought, you should have come sooner!" Tygren pointed backwards at the fluctuating archway, now resembling a portal. "Even your combined forces are too late to stop the coming doom!" Tygren declared. No one, not even the four clans united can stop what is about to happen!
"We will soon see which of us is doomed." Zulius pounded the ground with his staff. The snow flew outwards like a splash of waves where he struck. "Ardoni!" Raising the weapon high above his head. All around the clearing, the rainbow of warriors raised their weapons and launched their Aggressium Songs at the Voltaris at the bottom. Some were scarlet tornadoes like Zulius, others were red waves, rays, and darts.
A Voltaris ran up from behind and raised his staff high. The blue energy shield he cast from his Song covered all his clan and warded off all the blasts. After they had stopped, Tygren launched his fireball at Zulius, who stood his ground, head held high. The fireball flew closer, ten, then five, three meters away.
A meter before the fireball struck, it was surrounded by a shroud of green particles. Galadar, using his Supporium Song, held the fireball in mid-air and tossed it aside. Zulius raised his sword, now ablaze with Enchants. "Charge!" He shouted. The Voltaris adjust their stances to fight as the Ardoni bulldozed down from the ledges.
One Nestoris reached the first Voltaris. He fired his Aggressium Song at the other, who knocked the ice ball into the snow. Then, they slashed at each other, but the Nestoris overpowered and killed the red Ardoni.
Zulius barreled towards Tygren. He knew, that the key to winning a battle is taking out the leader. Tygren fired his fireball again, and Zulius leapt off the ledge. The fireball passed under him and hit the cliff. With a huge explosion, bits of stone showed down on the clearing as he landed in front of Tygren, making a front roll to break the fall.
"Clang!" Zulius struck his sword head-on. Tygren broke the hold and thrust Thalleous's blade at Zulius. Zulius ducked, but he was not as skilled as Thalleous. The blade pierced his left arm and blood seeped out of the wound. Zulius withdrew his staff with his left hand. He launched his tornado at Tygren and slashed at his left. Tygren sliced the red whirl precisely in half and moments later, the tip of the blue blade was in front of Zulius. The green Ardoni tilted to the side and struck out with his staff at Tygren's legs, but Tygren kicked him unconscious and moved in for the kill.
A Nestoris warrior, still on the ledge overlooking the battle, fired his Aggressium Song at the Ardoni fighting below, showering the scene with red darts. They seemed to guide themselves to hit only Voltaris. As one ran out from behind the archway, an arrow pierced his heart and his brother beside him raised his shield to block more darts.
One dart flew by Tygren and he looked upwards. Seeing the Nestoris, he summoned Thalleous's Mobilium Song. Golden circles enclosed him as he disappeared and reappeared on the ledge behind the Nestoris. He turned to defend but Tygren put Thalleous's great sword through his chest before he could do more than reach for his weapon.
While Tygren was slaying Ardoni warriors, the rest of his clan was not doing so well. One of his most capable warriors was surrounded by a Kaltaris in front and a Mendoris in the back. When he blocked a dangerous cut from the Kaltaris in front, the Mendoris grazed his neck. The arteries tore open, and the Voltaris fell down. The crimson light went out of his markings. A blast of a Song, launched from the other side, hit the snow beside him and the lifeless Voltaris was launched into the air and fell behind the obsidian archway.
Lucidius was also battling one against two. A Nestoris was pelting him with sword slashes and stabs, but Lucidius weaved his staff left and right, flinging the other's sword out of his hands and into the cliff. He thrust the staff forward, penetrating the Nestoris's chest. As he did so, a Mendoris warrior charged up behind him and put his sword through Lucidius's stomach. He gave a painful grunt and fell forward, leaning heavily on his staff.
Back before the portal, Zulius had woken up. He looked about for Tygren, and saw him on the ledge, engaged with a Sendaris warrior there. Tygren noticed Zulius staring up. He ducked under the staff of the Sendaris and flashed the diamond blade into his chest. The Sendaris fell to the ground and Tygren teleported back to Zulius. He did not land on the ground, but right above Zulius so that he had the upper hand. Tygren pointed his sword downwards and Zulius thrust his upwards to have Tygren land on the tip, when…
"Bam!" The portal's purple membrane exploded, knocking Tygren and Zulius back against the cliff. Afternoon sunlight poured through, casting ominous shadows in the dark night sky.
All eyes turned toward the archway. Through it, they could see two figures fighting, one golden, one red.
"It cannot be…" Hadion gasped when he recognized the Tidesinger and the Deathsinger's markings on the two battling Ardoni.
"The Great War, the final battle…" gasped Zulius, now lying on the ground. The entire group watched in awe as the epic duel unfolded.