Teen Life

[::Elephande::]

The Closing of the Age:
Elephande’s Final Journey


Prologue:

Elephande looked around at the multitude of people there, from all corners of not only the Union, but the galaxy. Dreg Generals, now at peace with everyone, were there, General Falcane’s squadrons, indeed, all of Zancron turned up. Many people still living here on Earth showed up as well. The legend was here at last.

The Ten were all present, as well as Suliantig’s council of six. Elephade Zambiandë stood near Allysuntis, his daughter, while Allysuntis the Elder and Suliantig were standing near Elephande. Memdrian and Anine looked towards the procession, while Elder Akim and the prophet Afrin studied the crowd. Allyutig stood talking to Defoc and Suisande while Elephate, Suisan, Assiria, and Alsiria listened quietly. Allysulia-Major-Akona was over with Amind and Suian reminiscing about the last time they had been here.

Flashback, from Allysulia’s Pride:

“Allysulia-Rangeffer-Elephande, son of Memdrian and bearer of the Mark of Suliantig, in the name of the High Elder, I, Allysulia-Elder-Akim, declare you Allysulia-Patriarch-Elephande!”

A familiar voice rang out from the forest. “Akiz iste Elder!” yelled Zambiandë, throwing two spears.

They hit Elders Anine and Akim, killing them instantly. Defond-Patriarch-Elephate let out a yell of fury and rushed off after Zambiandë. Above him, an apparition rose.

Altoda, General for the Fallen Elder, spoke. “Well now, where is Allyutig? Dead, with this young knave in her place? It seems that my victory is on hand!” He then looked again at the young patriarch, and a sinister smile appeared. “Well, have you returned indeed, Elephande?” he sneered. “This time, however, you are too late. My purge of your filth is at hand!”

Altoda disappeared, and Elephande somehow knew the outcome of this struggle he had gotten himself into…

Suligan stood near the General and his friends, talking to Allen and Cyrus while Mekae impatiently waited for Afrin, who stood talking to Richard.

Elephande called over to his son, who left Richard there while Mekae walked up.

“You know, it’s too bad we couldn’t bring my cousin, or Blair and Brooke here. They would like it a lot here.”

Mekae was referring to the rest of their disbanded company, all back in Anegon making sure everything didn’t collapse like it had too often over the last five years.

Reno walked up. “Want me to go get them?” he asked Richard.

“If they can be brought away without you losing too much of your hair,” joked Mekae, talking about his sometimes insane cousin.

Reno laughed, and he disappeared, presumably to go find them.

Chapter One:
Afrin’s Coronation

“Suliantig-Patriarch-Afrin,” begin the master of ceremonies, Elder Akim, “In the name of the High Elder and with the authority given to me by the Ten, I name you Leader of the High Council of the Indosyne Union!”

The valley erupted in cheers. As if they were loaded guns, the Ten fired off a series of fireworks into the cool night air. It reminded Elephande of the celebration after they had defeated the Cladlen two hundred years earlier.

Flashback, from Victory for Elephatide:

The forests of Indosyne roared with a din of noise never equaled in all of history, as the Friendship herd and the Intyde celebrated their victory. The Cladlen had been tough, Elephande knew, and his victory was bought by many lives.

But it was victory! It was Elephande’s first sweet victory, so much different from his victory on the plains of Frontian years earlier. Chief Alti of the Intyde had performed wonderfully in his duty, unlike High Chief Alexsen, who ran off immediately after the start of the battle.

Placing Alti as High Chief of the Intyde was one of the best decisions of Elephande’s career. He formed multiple Intyde Armies from all tribes, and they won many battles, even after Alti’s death in 2708.

Suddenly, a large flash of light erupted above the procession.

“Sorry to rain on your parade,” laughed a shadowy figure that Elephande realized as a Cladlen.

Flashback, from Suliantig and Allysuntis:

The Cladlen had left their mark on the valley of his youth, and Elephande was glad that they were destroyed. Except for the last words of their general, Askinqua.

“You haven’t even broken our reconnaissance mission,” he laughed. You victory is short!” he had said.

The shadow disappeared, but not before Altoda had found a way into its portal. He disappeared along with the shadow.

Altoda’s Point of View:

I found my way onto the bridge of the Cladlen vessel unnoticed, which surprised me. At fifteen feet tall, I was hard to miss in any crowd.

Maybe they couldn’t see our spirits, I wondered.

With that thought, I decided to see what I could find out. I walked towards where I hoped the observation deck was, but instead found the guidance room for the entire fleet. I could have some fun in here! I found the controls for the ships, and saw how long it would take them to notice the collision courses, and I also wondered where the blame would fall, if I was unseen.

As if it was telepathic, a visual of the fleet popped up in front of me. I saw the forty ships, all in a rapidly closing circle that was approaching a critical diameter.

And then I realized. How was I supposed to get off? Mistakes like that were what had cost me the Battle of Graupia millennia ago. I had no choice. I reversed their directions, and went off in search of a teleporter. Maybe there was another way I could cause chaos in the Cladlen fleet. After all, because I spent many millennia under the power of the Fallen Elder, I was the supreme chaos-creator of the known universe.

Chapter Two:
Relenda’s Secret
(Thx to Chrono Ivan for the cycle theory)

“So where are we going?” asked Blair, sitting with Elephande and Afrin along with the rest of the Adepts.

“First,” explained Elephande, “we go to Indosyne. I need to look up my records.”

So to Indosyne they came, descending over the lush green forests in the Zalendaria II, Afrin’s flagship. The Adepts looked with great awe at the breathtaking sight of the capital city of Relenda, its large silver towers rising gracefully out of the endless forests around the city.

Relenda rose next to a large cliff with thousands of tiny waterfalls cascading into the large lakes and rivers that Relenda was built upon.

The Zalendaria II landed on the outskirts of the city, in a large spaceport that was well over twice the size of Hydrolonia, Weyard’s largest city. A group of Intyde stood waiting for them. One girl stood away from the rest, and she looked very different from the Intyde.

“Andrea! What’s happening here?” yelled Elephande over the crowd.

“There was a group of strange-looking intruders running rampant through the city! They were shouting about avenging Askinqua! Who’s Askinqua?” she said.

“Look through your records, my friend,” Elephande replied. “He’s there under the Cladlen.”

At mention of the Cladlen, the Intyde around them fell into a deathly silence. Many Intyde had died during their first war outside of Indosyne, and the legends of Alti have inspired all the High Chiefs that followed him.

“Ok,” she said, looking suddenly at Richard. “Adepts? Here? When did you achieve flight? Did I miss something when I left Weyard?”

“Not really,” replied Ryan.

“It’s his fault,” laughed Brooke, pointing at Afrin.

“I see,” she replied. “I am a Venus Adept from Vale, but I somehow ended up on Indosyne. Elephande noticed my love of history, and made me the record-keeper of Indosyne.”

She was telling this mostly to Brooke and Blair, because the others had noticed the huge army getting ready to leave.

“Vale?” Richard asked. “You…didn’t hear, did you?”

“No, what?” she asked.

Mekae walked up. “When the lighthouses were lit, their energy collected at Sol Sanctum, and Mt. Aleph and everything was sucked down into the earth.”

Unlike they had thought she would, Andrea didn’t pale. Instead she looked like she had expected it to happen.

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me. It’s happened before, always over a few millennia.”

Everyone just stared at her.

She continued. “That should explain why Elephande picked me. I knew the hidden history of Weyard before I was five. That makes ten times the cycle has happened then. One more is left before the end.”

“The end? Of what?” asked Blair.

“That I don’t know. I only know the legends speak of ‘the end’, but I don’t remember anything else.”

“Andrea! I don’t mean to be rude, but we don’t have very long!” yelled Elephande.

“Hold on then, I’m hurrying!”

A speeder took the through the wide streets of Relenda. The avenues in the center of the city were lined with grand statues and plazas that were as eye catching as the city itself. Golden statues of Elephande, Suliantig, Zambiandë, and various Intyde lined the avenue leading to the tallest and largest building in the city.

Reaching nearly half a mile skyward, the Hall of the High Council was a deep, dark shade of blue.

“It’s magnificent,” said Ryan, summing up the thoughts of the Adepts as they entered the building.

Inside, they found a five story high natural waterfall.

“Relenda was built after I came,” Elephande explained. “I had the architects purposely design this building into the side of this cliff. I just love natural beauty above artificial.”

The elevator was carved into the cliff just behind the waterfall, and the windows allowed the Adepts to take in everything inside the grand building.

They got off at the two hundred and fifty-second floor, which was near the top of the huge escarpment. Walking down a hall, Andrea explained the function of the Hall of Records.

“Indosyne has gone through so many events that without a very detailed set of records kept by a very diligent set of record keepers, little of our history would be remembered.”

She opened a large set of double doors, and they found themselves in a tall room with tall shelves nearly two stories high.

“This is the Hall of Records, which holds nearly five millennia of Indosyne’s history. Now, Elephande, what did you want me to search for?”

“Askinqua of the Cladlen.”

“Ok. It’ll take me a few minutes though, but I’ll find it.”

Several hours later, Andrea came out of the Hall of Records to find Elephande gone, and Richard the only one awake.

“Where did he go?” Andrea asked of the daydreaming Adept.

Richard looked as if he had been shaken awake by her request.

“He went that way, I think,” he said, pointing upwards towards where Elephande had said the council halls were.

“Beautiful,” muttered Andrea sarcastically. “Well, that means I have about 10 hours to prepare my report.”

Richard laughed at this.

“So, where are all you from?” asked Andrea.

“We all live in Anegon, but we’re from a few different cities around Weyard.”

“Anegon? You’re the group from Anegon?”

“Yep.”

“Can I see…?”

Richard unsheathed Altoda’s Bane and roared a command. Zambiandë roared out and charged down the hall, startling quite a few Elephatide standing around the hall.

“I get that all the time,” he laughed. “I expected you to ask that sooner or later.

Richard then started to tell the final events of the party’s defense of Anegon.

Flashback from Altoda’s Bane: (Reno’s POV)

I saw Richard collapse, and I saw the shadows come out from his sword. Mute yelled in fury as he was knocked down. That was my chance. I ran up and thrust my sword down into him.

“I told you not to pursue them!”

“And who made you the boss?” spat Mute.

He struck at me, and I cleanly dodged the blade.

“You couldn’t fight an elite,” I said, “not as worn out as you are.”

“Maybe not,” he agreed, “but I did something your precious trainee couldn’t. I defeated him,” he said, pointing at Richard, who had just come to.

I gave him a look telling him not to move, and apparently, he understood what I meant.

I then noticed the shadows returning, and I jumped out of the way. Mute must have thought I was running away from him, and he ran after me.

I heard a laugh behind me, and I turned to see him set fire to the forest around Anegon. I turned, and swung, but he parried my blade.

The one they called Mekae watched me fight Mute with a confused expression on his face.

Mute was laughing again, and I was obviously out of his mind. I thrust my sword into his chest, and he fell to the ground and died nearly instantly.

“Wow,” she said. “That was amazing. You lost so many friends though. I couldn’t have lived through that.”

“I don’t know what got us through that,” replied Richard, looking at the Adepts of Hydrolonia, Brooke and Blair. “It was probably them and their laughter that kept us sane.”

“New friends can do that well,” remarked Andrea very wisely, as if speaking from her own experience.

“I agree, and I feel like I’ve known them all forever.”

Andrea went off to find Elephande, and when she came back half an hour later, Blair had woken up and was talking excitedly to a nearby Intyde. Richard had again lapsed in to thought, staring out the window and looking down upon Relenda. Andrea walked up to Blair and the Intyde, who turned out to be Chief Aginshire.

“Aginshire, have you seen Elephande?”

“No. He’s not that hard to miss though. He’s taller than all of us by at least three feet.”

“Did you find what he was looking for?” asked Blair

“Yes, in fact I have.”

“And what did you find out?”

“Askinqua was the leader of the Cladlen’s first assault on Indosyne,” remarked Richard, coming out of his trance.

“How do you know that?” asked Andrea.

His answer was simple. “Altoda.”

“That doesn’t make sense though,” said Andrea. “Altoda’s never been in the Hall of Records.”

“No,” said Altoda, “but I just got back from their ship, and I ‘convinced’ a few of them to tell me what was happening.”

“I see,” said Andrea, laughing very hard.

“If you know all that,” Andrea started, “where is Elephande?”

“In the Chamber of Frontian. It’s restricted to you, though, and you know it.”

“Why is it restricted though?” she asked.

“That is not for you to know,” replied Altoda.

Andrea walked away with a downcast expression as Altoda headed towards the elevators. Blair looked again at Richard, and she caught his attention by sitting down next to him.

“That sounded strange. Why would Altoda be so blunt?” asked Blair

“I don’t know,” he replied.

They had all grown much closer over the two years since their first adventure, and it was hard to see one of the without seeing at least one other surviving member of the group, although it was most common to see Richard, Ryan, Allen and Cyrus dueling with their short swords in the park at the center of Anegon.

Though they were all under twenty, they were the most respected group in the city. No one dared insult them, the group that had lost so many friends to save the city. And nobody spoke evil about Vesuvia anymore, because Nick had come to their aid, and the populace of Vesuvia was burnt along with the forests.

Blair’s POV:

He seemed awfully silent for where he was. For someone so interested in history and new scenery in general, he didn’t pay much attention to the breathtaking view outside the window.

Ever since Afrin’s coronation, he had been drifting away from reality more often, and each time he did, it took something more drastic to bring him back to the present.

I saw his head pop up painfully and he turned to me.

“They’re going after Indosyne, Weyard, and any other planet remotely connected with Elephande.”

That was definitely not what I wanted to hear.

“How do you know?” I asked him.

“I just saw it in a vision.”

“Vision? Is that what’s been happening when you’ve drifted off from reality the past few weeks?”

“You could say that. But then again, I am a Jupiter Adept.”

It all came back to the uncanny future seeing powers of Jupiter Adepts. This was a time, however, when I would trust them. I knew Richard would never lie about a threat like this.

Andrea came back over, startled at the looks on our faces.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“It’s all going down in flames,” said Richard a little to apocalyptic to be believed. “Not literally, but all we know will soon be over, and we’ll have to fight for our lives.”

“What”? Andrea asked. She looked as confused as I felt.

“You were wrong, and so were the legends. There are only ten cycles, not eleven. The Cladlen are bringing with them the scourge of the universe. Our final battle is upon us.”

These words shook me to my bones. Final battle? Scourge of the universe? This was way over my head, but this time, I know that I can’t fail. The fate of Weyard rests on our shoulders now. Ten Adepts and a bunch of Elephatide against the army from hell. Not exactly my idea of a fair fight. I thought of my sister, and I tried to visualize what Alex would do if she were in my position. Then I thought a happier thought.

“Richard, don’t you think we should go back and find more Adepts?”

Chapter Three:
The New Company

For once, I think I may have it a jackpot idea! I know if nobody else will, my sister will help us.

I convinced Richard to go first to Hydrolonia, where I approached Chris.

“Do you know where my sister is?”

“No,” he replied. “But we do have a number of willing Adepts who would gladly join you. And they aren’t just Mercury either. Most of the Vesuvian survivors will join Richard, and a few resident Earth Adepts will join.”

“Vesuvian survivors?” asked Richard. “You have Vesuvian survivors?”

“Not many,” said Chris.

Just then, Alex walked in.

“I was told you were here,” she said to Richard.

“And who may you be?” he replied.

“Richard,” I said, “this is my sister, Alex.”

“Ah,” he remarked. “So you are who she talks about all the time.”

Alex laughed, and replied, “Yes, I probably am talked about a lot.”

“So, has word of our arrival gotten around this swiftly?” he asked her.

“Yep. You’ve got about fifty people looking to join you. I’m just the first.”

Richard laughed this time. “Just because you had an insider who planted information, you can join us.”

Blair rolled her eyes, which made all three laugh.

“And actually, I was going to ask to join you,” said Chris, catching them all surprised.

“You, Chris?” asked Alex. “Why?”

“I’ve always wanted to do something like this… One of those quests that put your name down in history, even if you die trying.”

“That’s a good point,” said Richard. “This is bigger than stopping one person. This is a number of systems we’re talking about saving.

“Besides,” said Chris, “I know a secret way back to your dock.”

“Good. Lets go.”

They snuck out into a rock tunnel that led towards the docks. Mekae was waiting with his ship to take them to Grebuldine, on an island near Hesperia.

Grebuldine was the only pure Venus Adept city outside Gondowan and Angara. The company landed outside of the city, pulling up to a well-used dock.

The Adepts stepped off the dock and onto a large platform with many pavilions set up, as if a festival was about to begin.

“You know,” whispered Cyrus, “they probably don’t like us in their town in the middle of the night.”

“And you say that why?” asked Alex.

The five Jupiter Adepts had stopped, and had reached for their weapons. Following their lead, everyone but Ryan reached for their weapons.

“Scott?” he called out into the darkness.

A boy of about 18 stepped out and replied. “Ryan, you’re back! I heard about all that crazy stuff you’ve been doing.”

Just then, Richard turned and hit another boy that had been sneaking up on him with the broadside of Altoda’s Bane.

“Thomas,” said Ryan, “forget it. They’re all Jupiter Adepts.”

Thomas instead picked up his sword, and charged at Chris.

“Not smart,” remarked Chris, picking up his sword. “Hydro Blast!” he yelled, and he shot a wave of water out of his hands.

Richard took the initiative. “Lightning Strike!” he yelled, and Thomas was now writhing on the ground at Ryan’s feet.

“Y’all are good,” he finally said.

Ryan helped him off the ground.

“Why’d you come back?” asked Scott.

“We need some help,” he replied.

“And you came to us?” laughed Thomas.

“Good point,” Richard whispered to Andrea and Blair, who both started laughing.

Thomas started to move towards Richard, but apparently the memory was enough pain.

Ryan told then their predicament. Their jaws dropped about five feet into the ground.

“That was my reaction,” he said.

“Except yours went six feet into the ground,” laughed Allen.

“Oh, man, Moron number One strikes again!” said Thomas.

Allen lashed out at Thomas with a bolt of lightning.

“I think you should shut up now,” said Scott.

“Very well,” he said. “Where to now?”

A lone figure in a black cloak walked towards them. As Ryan and Cyrus drew their swords, he drew out a lightsaber from the folds of his cloak.

“I thought I would find you here,” said the figure.

“Ah, yes, General Falcane,” remarked Andrea.

“Andrea, why are you here?”

“Well, this kinda is my home.”

“This city?”

“No, I wouldn’t live here, but I’m from this planet.”

“I see. Well, I think you better come with me.”

“Why?” asked Alex.

“Because Council Leader Afrin has requested your presence at Zancron today. He has some news for you.”

They walked back through the city to the docks, where they found Falcane’s sleek fighter waiting for them. As they stepped in, the noticed it was a lavish shuttle.

“Sweet! This kicks!” yelled Allen, jumping into a couch and turning on the extra large flat screen.

It turned out that Falcane had excellent taste. Inside the shuttle they found many flat screens, computers, and all the Sprite you could drink. That didn’t make Ryan happy.

“Sprite? How the hell can you drink that stuff?” he said, while the others laughed.

Within two hours, Ryan had psuedo-hijacked the shuttle and had landed on the nearest planet that had Coke available. Sadly, that was Zancron, where they were headed.

Except for the Sprite incident, the shuttle ride went along smoothly, and they soon arrived at Zancron, the space station that was famous for its pilots. It seemed soon, those pilots, including Falcane, would be needed.

Chapter Four:
Reanimations

“Boy, this looks familiar,” whispered Allen as they stood in the circle inside Zancron’s administration and hangar building. A large viewscreen was on one wall, and they were watching scenes of destruction.

“That was two hundred years ago,” remarked Elephande. “They would have gotten worse.”

“Yes,” agreed Richard, “But are you not stronger also?”

“Of course he is, are you insane?” asked Major Ali Spence.

“He does have a point,” argued General Caleb Pomeroy.

“I hate it when people argue!” yelled out the spirit of Allysulia-Matriarch-Allyutig, causing many of the spirits and Elephande to laugh. “Shut up! All of you!”

“Before you go any farther, Allyutig, there is no valley for light-years around,” laughed Elder Anine.

“Anine…” began Elephande.

“No valley?” said Allyutig. “I’ll just change my line.”

The Adepts and pilots looked confused. Then Allyutig erupted.

“Fools!” she yelled. “Do you want to wake the entire space station?”

“Actually, Allyutig,” began Memdrian, “it’s light outside. Everyone is already awake.”

“See!” she yelled. “You woke them all up!”

The entire council was silent until a Dreg general spoke up.

“May I ask what that was about?”

Elephande replied, “Well, Sulit-Aladan, that,” he paused until Allyutig had left, “was the matriarch of my old herd. She used that line all the time.”

“She did,” agreed Elder Anine, “It’s a wonder she never woke the valley up.”

The room erupted with laughter, and a boy of about 17 looked in.

“Did I miss something?” he asked.

Mekae looked at him. “I don’t know your name, but you missed everything!”

“Where were we?” asked Elephande.

“Wouldn’t you know?” asked Ali.

“Oh yes, here we were,” he said, and continued. “The Cladlen were remarkable in the fact that they would never give up.”

Another man rushed in. “Askinqua is alive, and he seems to be on Weyard for some reason. The people of Anegon saw him raise a black figure from a shallow grave.”

The Adepts looked at each other, and they knew who Askinqua had raised from the dead. Mute was back, and there was no doubt he would exact revenge on them.

Chapter Five:
Zancron’s Council

“Askinqua? Back?” asked Elephande.

“I can verify it,” said Altoda. “I saw him.”

“What?”

“He was cloned, as was this Adept he ‘raised’ from the dead. Very complex, but they’ll have all their memories before they were cloned intact.”

“Well then, we do have our work cut out for us then,” said Elephande. “Now where’s General Falcane?”

Cain Falcane’s POV:

I walked through the darkness shadowing the station, knowing that something, or someone unwanted was out there in that black void.

“You! Over there!” yelled an unfamiliar voice.

I turned and looked in the direction of the shout. Six men, all wearing swords, ran out of the darkness around me.

“In the name of the great Askinqua, who are you and what is your business here? This is our station now!” shouted the leader.

“Not on my watch it isn’t,” I replied. “Besides, my authority and loyalty goes to only one person.”

“Who? I demand you tell me!”

“Your worst nightmare,” I laughed as the shadow belonging to Elephande walked up silently behind him.

“He means me,” growled Elephande.

The leader and his men turned and gasped at the Mark of Suliantig.

“Recognize it, I suppose?” Elephande laughed.

The leader laughed. “You are still alive? Askinqua has told us many times that you must be dead.”

“Well, if I let you go,” he started, “tell Askinqua that I am very much alive.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll know.” He started towards me at a run, and had struck me before I knew it.

Falcane fell to the ground as Richard and Mekae ran up to investigate the noises.

Richard’s POV:

I saw Elephande throw one attacker over his shoulder, but the men kept coming. It looked like there were over three dozen in all.

Cain had gotten up and taken out his sword. He rushed at the leader, who started to duel him.

“Zambiandë!” I yelled, my cry ringing out into the night.

The attackers stopped to look in awe at the ten shadows appearing out of my sword.

“Bad idea!” yelled Elephande, taking his blades to the frozen warriors.

Ten other elephant-like shadows sped towards the warriors, causing them to scatter. That’s where Mekae and I came in use.

Bolts of lightning shot out of my hands towards a dozen or so fleeing warriors, hitting and paralyzing most of them. The shadows then took care of them for me.

The carnage continued for another hour until only the leader was left, still fighting an exhausted General Falcane. Then he disappeared, much like we teleport. We all decided to present the attack to the council tomorrow.

“I can assure you that he will be relaying these happenings to Askinqua right away,” said Cain the next day.

“I agree,” said Richard. “We must work quickly now in order to have a greater chance of success.”

“Well, continuing where we left off yesterday, there is someone who does have some information,” said Elephande. The boy who had been late yesterday stood up. “Bill, is there anything of relevant interest that you have found out?”

Bill stood up. “In all reality, Askinqua’s capitol of Haldiar is much like the city of Relenda in the fact that it is based mainly on the military. Every street is passable by assault vehicles as large as a MR-10 Mobile Fortress,” he started.

“They can all hold an MR-10?” asked a skeptical General Pomeroy. “That’s impossible. Those things are two hundred feet wide! No street here or anywhere else could hold that thing, except for major highways!”

“Well, I can assure you, I rode in one while I was there, and these roads are large enough,” replied Bill.

“Might be to our advantage them if we decide to storm the city,” said Caleb.

“We aren’t going to storm the city!” said Elephande.

“I agree,” said Cain. “We don’t have the soldiers available to do so in their own city.”

“And however many MR-10’s they can bring out at Chilaquand, they would not be useful on the grassy terrain,” added Altoda.

“Good point. Both armies will know Chilaquand well before coming into the battle,” said Bill. “But we will have a superior advantage in terrain knowledge and manipulation.

“And by no means shall I give up the space battle,” remarked Suisane-Patriarch-Suligan firmly.

“By the gods we won’t, not with us up there!” agreed Cain.

“Well, I think I have come to a decision on a course of action,” said Elephande. “Cain and I shall take our armies to the plains of Frotain to wait for Askinqua,” he started.

Cain nodded his head in approval.

“General Sulit-Aladan, you shall lead your fleet in a blockade of the planet Aldiria, the main supply station for the Cladlen.”

“I shall not fail you, my friend,” replied Sulit-Aladan.

“And Bill, you will guide Richard and the Adepts on a covert mission into Haldiar.”

“With pleasure,” replied Bill.

Afrin spoke. “My friends, this is the greatest war any of us have seen. This will determine the fate of our societies. Richard, you will strike first at the city of Haldiar, as Sulit-Aladan and I draw most of their military away from the planet of Cladlenia.”

“I still have two more I would like to add to our number. Kaiyt, Carter, can you two get in here?” Bill called into an intercom.

A girl and a boy, both about Bill’s age, walked into the room.

“These to Adepts are my friends and colleagues in my operation. Kaiyt is a Mercury Adept from Imil, while,” started Bill.

“Carter!” exclaimed Mekae. “I never knew you were here!”

“Save the introductions, my friends,” said Elephande. “We start immediately! Morte toqune emite delqune Marto!”

[::Elephande::]

Chapter Six:
Dregnaught

“Well, this may be it. You are a truly remarkable group of people. I knew that since I saw you unleash your power on my unlucky comrade,” said Sulit-Aladan.

The Adepts were prepared to depart for Cladlenia soon.

“Well, I can’t stay long,” he said, looking out the bridge window. “I’m famous already.”

“They didn’t expect you,” said Richard. “Askinqua probably told them that Elephande was ruthless and that he had killed all of you.”

“Wouldn’t have put it past him,” Sulit-Aladan replied.

“Come on, guys, lets go,” insisted Bill.

“Right with you,” replied Mekae.

The started down to the planet of Cladlenia, its majestic mountains and wide oceans below them.

Sulit-Aladan watched the shuttle descend and turned to his second in command.

“Gladia-Neflon?”

“Sir?”

“Set your course to Aldiria.”

“Yes sir. Estimated time of arrival: 5:48 from now, and counting.”

Sulit-Aladan’s POV:

Aldiria turned out to be a large planet, roughly three times the size of my command ship. No matter. My pilots were second to only Elite Squadron and the Suisane herd.

“We’ve got company!” yelled my tactician, Alsan-Dilra.

The Cladlen had arrived. Their ships, long, sleek silver bullet-shaped craft were not very agile or maneuverable, which was very unfortunate for them.

“Ashlinder formation Beta 3-9!” I called out, using the Dreg battle formation made famous at the final space battle above Balecroft.

They split and ran like mad. I thought to myself, “Where are the rest of them?”

“Admiral Sulit-Aladan!” I looked up. “Oh. There they are.”

Thousands of Cladlen ships appeared around Aldiria, and the fighters that flew out of them were an exact duplicate of Elephande’s fighters, swift, sleek, and deadly.

“Well, we’re here,” remarked Bill as they landed on the outskirts of Haldiar.

“Afrin should be at Chilaquand by now,” added Richard.

Afrin’s POV:

After hearing 57 years’ worth of stories about it, I finally set my gaze upon the valley that my father had once called home.

“It has been a long time, Elephade,” remarked a voice.

“Who are you?” asked Zambiandë.

“Defond-Patriarch-Delegace of the Valley of Chilaquand. Elephande!” he yelled in greeting, looking at the Mark on my forehead.

“No, I am Suliantig-Patriarch-Afrin, son of Elephande and leader of the Indosyne Union,” I replied.

“Delegace? It’s been a while, old friend,” said the shadow of Patriarch Elephate.

“Patriarch Elephate! You have returned!”

“Delegace! Gather your herd!” yelled Elephande.

“Sir?”

“A great host is coming. Here, on these ancient grounds of our home, we shall do battle.”

“Well, these grounds have favored us since Bleeding Allysulia, why shouldn’t they be our end now?”

“Begging your pardon,” said Zambiandë icily, “I was six years your senior then, and it was not as glorious as it is depicted.”

“Heh, especially not for you!”

“Delegace! We are on the same side now, despite what you have heard!”

“And you may be?” asked Delegace.

“Istean-Elder-Altoda, thank you very much. And as I am your senior here,” Altoda started.

“By what,” Suliantig roared, “five minutes?”

“Fools,” started Elephande, “what good will it do to argue here while the Cladlen approach?”

“He has a point,” agreed Allysuntis.

“Thank you, at least someone agrees with me. To Frontian!”
“Something’s not right here,” said Mekae. “I can sense it.”

“So can we, but we don’t know what it is,” grumbled Allen. “For all we know, it could be Elephande that we sense!”

Suligan’s POV:

“Coming up on the battle, time of arrival 23 minutes,” said Suisane-Captian-Adrian, a squadron leader in my herd.

“Squad leaders, ready your commands. Watch for enemy at all points. They could be anywhere.”

“We got incoming!” yelled Captain Adrian.

“Scatter!”

We did. In a few seconds, they were on us, exact duplicates of the ships used at Balecroft, but no match for us.

“Suligan!” exclaimed Sulit-Aladan.

“I though I would help, my friend,” I replied.

“What? A party without us?” called in Cain.

“Never dreamt of it,” said Sulit-Aladan.

“Please,” I added, “the more, the merrier.”

And so it began. The greatest space battle in history, and I was at the head of it. Hopefully, I would still be at the end, but I didn’t know if I would be.




Chapter Seven:
Haldiar

Richard’s POV:

We stopped in front of a group of what looked like regular apartment buildings, about twenty in all, around large courtyards.

“This is normally where we work from,” said Carter.

“It’s never failed us before,” said Bill. As an afterthought, he added, “And it has beautiful scenery.”

Kaiyt rolled her eyes and Cater thwapped Bill on the back of the head.

“You know,” said Brooke, “that’s completely beside the point.”

“I know,” Bill replied. “It is true though.”

We walked through the courtyards to a small building on the edge of the complex.

“This is it. Our little pocket of resistance in a hostile world,” remarked Kaiyt.

“Wait a minute,” started Mekae.

I nodded in agreement. “Behind us.”

“Well, that didn’t go as planned now, did it?” said a voice behind me.

I turned around and saw the man who had been in Zancron a few weeks ago.

“Ah, someone I know here,” he sneered. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Matt, and I hail from Grebuldine.”

“You know you can’t win a fight here,” said Blair.

“Are you sure about that? I could duel you right here!” Matt shouted, and leaped towards her.

Blair nodded, and Reno struck, his blade going deep into Matt.

“That was cheap,” he gasped.

“And you wouldn’t have done the same thing?” asked Blair.

“You think you are such a good group?” Matt sneered. “Meet mine!”

A group of twenty or so Adepts popped out from behind bushes, stairs, and trees.

“Not feeling on top now, are you?” Matt laughed.

Kaiyt struck first, shooting ice missiles at two Mars Adepts near her. Matt leaped at Blair, swinging a sword. Mekae, Allen, and Cyrus talked a group of five Mercury Adepts wielding maces.

“Zambiandë!” I yelled, hoping to cut the battle short.

Elephade led ten shadows out of my sword, and they scattered in all directions. Elephande and Elephade ran towards Matt, who was sneaking up behind Reno and Bill. Suliantig and Allysuntis lent their aid to Blair, Brooke and Alex, while Defoc and Elephate came towards Allen and I.

Soon, all lay dead except Matt, who was on the ground, fury in his gaze. Some distance away, his attacker was found.

Blaze lay in thick grass, her sword in her hand. Before he had fallen, his sword had found her neck, and a deep gash was in it.

“Should have expected it sooner or later, though. One of us would be the first,” said Chris.

“Take him inside,” I said. “Let’s hope this is still a safe house for now.”

[::Elephande::]

Chapter Eight:
Afrin's Command

Afrin and Delagace stood on Nietyp Hill, at the head of the valley. Their host was massed some distance away, near the shores of Frontian.

"We should hold this position for many months," remarked Delagace, who had not seen battle for nearly eight centuries.

"Not if half of what my father says is true," replied Afrin, gazing at the sky.

----------
Delphi-Gladicle's POV:

"Watch it, Cain, you've got one on you!"

"I'm on it! Echo, Caleb, with me!"

"Suligan, watch your left!"

The battle had raged for days upon end. I stood next to General Mastredocil, who was providing a commentary.

"We're away!" yelled Cain, streaking from the ruins of a Cladlen ship.

More explosions followed, and Sulit-Aladan spoke up.

"Everyone, out of there now!"

One lone fighter stayed behind, bringing chaos to the fleet of ships, waiting to swat him like a bug.

"Suligan, get out of there!" yelled Sulit-Aladan.

"That'll give 'em something to think about!" he yelled, flying from the mass of fireballs.

The last remaining captial ship exploded, and the fighters turned to flee.

"Suisane, to me! After them!" cried Suligan, dashing madly after them.

----------
Allen's POV:

I stood there, watching Matt slowly wake.

"You're still here?" he sneered.

"Yep. And I will be for a while."

"You try to frighten me? It's your sword weilding friend who does all your work."

"Maybe it is," I agreed. "But I can act on my own."

He fell silent as lightning flew from my hands.

"Was that really necesary?"

"Maybe. What's it to you, Reno?"

"Traitor," said Matt. Reno quit laughing.

"To whom? I am no traitor to the Order."

"Order? I know nothing about the Order you seem to value."

"Like hell you don't," Reno replied. "Your brother is still one of our best fighters anywhere."

"Jeremy has dishonored us."

Reno laughed again. "And how did he do that?"

"Your Order is a society for the weak, Reno. You know not true power."

"And neither does the one you hold so highly."

In an instant, Matt was up, laughing as he ran out the door, only to be frozen.

"It's not quite that easy," said Brooke.

"Get out of the way!" yelled Reno, as Matt began to melt.

"Matt, you've failed me agian! You expect me to put up with your failures? Go! I'll deal with them!"

"I told you long ago not to show your face to me agian, Mute!"

"And I replied that I care not for restrictions another sets upon me!" Mute yelled, moving to fight Reno.


---------
Chris's POV:

We walked back to the hideout early, following Mekae's suspicions.

"Do you know what it is you think went wrong?" asked Alex.

"The question is, do we want to know?" said Scott.

"Who's that in the doorway?"

"No idea, Thomas."

I reconized him at once. Long had he sat on my council, spreading whatever lies he felt would decieve us, always biding his time.

"What the...!"

"My thoughts exactly," said Mekae.

"Just what we need," said Cyrus.

"I thought he was dead!"

"No, the council said he wasn't. We can remedy that, however!"

We could hear Reno from inside.

"I could take you here, right now!"

"You vastly underestimate me!"

"Do I?"

The figure on the ground spoke. "Mute, behind you!"

Richard came running out of the bushes, roaring a command. "Zambiandë!"

"Akromanda!"

A strange looking warrior erupted from Mute's sword and erupted a barrage of flames at Richard, who ducked with extrodinary speed.

"Niepdre!"

Reno had summoned the spirit of a falcon, the ancient protector of his Order.

Mute had thrown Matt his sword back, and he joined the fight.

"Alsirandra!"

Out came Alsiandra, a legdenary Adept from Grebuldine.

"How did he get our sword?" yelled Scott.

"I remember him. He was sent out to alert the Order of the events at Anegon, but it seems he never reached Elidion."

Mute turned back towards Reno, who leapt forward to fight.

"Hey, I'm over here!" yelled Richard, as Zambiandë slammed into Mute.

Matt tried to sneak behind Richard, but was stopped when a wall of earth came down on him. Mute agian turned, this time unleashing fire towards Ryan.

"Niepdre!" The falcon flew towards Mute, letting loose a barrage of elemental forces. I heard one last voice before I froze.


----------
Brooke's POV:

"Ice Missle!" cried the girl behind Chris.

"Kailin!" yelled Matt, getting up, "we could use some help here!"

"You aren't going anywhere!" snarled Ryan, jumping at him.

The girl had ran towards them, only to find Blair blocking her path. Thier Psyenergy parried each other. Matt sent a spire of rock flying at Ryan, only to have it sent back at him. Mute now had two swords, and was dancing away from both Richard and Reno. I did the only thing i knew how to.

"Blizzard!" The ice fell everywhere. Matt and Ryan found their swords frozen, while Reno rushed over to defrost Blair. He had left Richard to deal with Mute alone.

----------
"General!"
Sulit-Aladan moved towards the window. "This can't be good," he said. Thousands of Cladlen ship blocked their path to Afrin. "Afrin," he whispered, "your command is before you. Do not lose it!"

One ship sped past the blockade, drawing the general's attention. Altoda was returning home.

[::Elephande::]

Chapter Nine:
Chilaquand

Elephande's POV:

They had arrived. Hundreds of transports carrying millions of Cladlen.

"Delagace? Were you at Frontian?"

"When the Five appeared? Of course I was!"

"And here, last time?"

"Yes, but why?"

"Those were just the warmups. This is the title fight!"

A loud voice rang down from a hill across the river.

"Is this all you bring agianst me, Elephande?"

Afrin responded. "Elephande? I am not he, and you see only a small portion of what shall be your downfall, Askinqua."

Askinqua laughed. "Elephande a sends a child as his champion? Where is the aged imbecile?"

Afrin erupted in fury. "Child? I do believe am the elder of you!"

"Judjing by that response, you must be Afrin."

"And if I am?"

"You are extremly foolish to be here. You may indeed be my elder, but what do you know of war?"

"More than you think."

-----------------------
Reno's POV:

"Give it up," I said. "You can't win here!"

"Oh? And who says that?"

"I do!" yelled Ryan. "Meteor Shower!"

"Protæus!" replied Mute, causing the meteors to deflect harmlessly agianst him. Your turn. Akromanda!"

"Niepdre!" The falcon grabbed the sword from the warrior and threw it away from the fight.

"Zambiandë!"

This caused a cry to escape Matt, who dove out of the way of the shadows. Three of them slammed into Mute, who collapsed to the ground.

"We're leaving!" yelled Kailin. She and Matt grabbed Mute and teleported away.

I dropped my sword to the ground, and turned to the others.

"That wasn't that bad," gasped Blair, right before she collapsed.

-----------------------
Sulit-Aladan's POV

"I believe the phrase our friends use is 'By the High Elder!'" I said.

Suliantig's squadron appeared, and Suliantig himself started cursing.

Cain laughed. "That sounds about right."

A deck officer walked up. "They're hailing us."

Delphi-Gladicle spoke. "Of course they are! If large fleet appeared out of nowhere, what would you do?"

"I'm on it," said Cain. "Will? What can you do here?"

Will spoke. "This is the captian of the Delagate. We are returning from a classified mission."

"Do you expect them to believe that? Our identifier will show them different."

The bridges of our ships came alive then. In one second, our identifers had changed to support the claim. The blockade spoke.

"You may proceed. Ground Command wishes us to inform you that airspace over the valley of Frontian is resricted. Doing some sort of testing over there."

"We'll keep that in mind."

The fleet dropped in on an approach.

-----------------------

"You aren't welcome here, Askinqua. I banished you from our realm many years ago."

"Ahh, Elephande..." Askinqua started.

Elephande looked down, listening to Chief Algoshire.

"Sulit-Aladan will be here shortly. Suligan and Falcane are with him."

Askinqua had continued. "...I was hoping you hadn't died in one of your 'idealistic wars' before we met again. This is a moment I've waited 200 years for, and we can just let this last now, can't we? I mean, you don't seem to be going anywhere soon, do you?"

-----------------------

Cain spoke up. "Sulit-Aladan! I have my shot!"

"Take it!"

The heavy artillery around Askinqua erupted in flames.

-----------------------

Down below, Askinqua was beside himself.

"Is that your awnser? The attack of these worthless Dreg?"

"That is their own response. They're not under my control."

"Very well, I guess two can play this game!" He roared a command to his troops.

-----------------------

"Fire!" cried Delphi-Gladicle. "Take out as many as you can!" He moved to a tactical display, watching as Elephande's definsive positions fell under attack.

-----------------------

Elephande surveyed the scene from the islands in Talabad Lake.

"Well, Afrin, we shall wait."

"I can handle a siege. I handeled Mastredocil's on Balecroft for six months."

Delagace strode up. "I never though I'd see this day."

Afrin spoke. "The end of an age? That comes afterwards, to those who triumph here."

"And we may not see that day, Delagace," said Elephande. "For now, we shall fight!"

[::Elephande::]

Chapter Ten:
Altoda's Return

Altoda's POV:

It was time. I didn't know what compelled me to return, but I was going home. Not my true home, but a place that had been my home for so long, where we were exiled to after Graupia.

What do you tell a multitude that blames you for their exile? I guess the High Elder will take care of that later.

A plethora of questions keep running through my mind. Had my status as elder been revoked? I wouldn't be the first. Nimoloc had ruled when I left, years ago. Was he still alive? Or was Delagog, his son, in charge? Would Alinqua, Supreme General of Istean blast me out of the sky? Or would my best friend even still hold that title?

A lone ship stood in my way. I heard a familiar voice over the speakers, and my fate was not mine anymore.

-----------------------
Alinqua's POV:

The captian in charge of the station called me over. "General, we have incoming! It looks to be one of Elephande's!"

"Elephande?"

"Shall I hail it, sir?"

"Yes, you should! When I left, that was standard!" The voice was one I would reconize in a moment.

"By the High Elder! Altoda!"

"Alinqua!"

"Get down there! Delagog's looking for any refrence of you!"

-----------------------

"Father?" asked Delagog. "I've found him."

"Elder Altoda," started Nimoloc, in a barely audible voice, "you have returned."

"Nimoloc! Old friend, what's happened here?"

"It's my time now. The High Elder spoke to me earlier. He said you would return victorious."

"And so I have, Patriarch."

"Why would he report a victory agianst him? Why would he bring me news of Elephande's loss?"

"Elephande's... No, Nimoloc, the curse is gone. It is gone, and the Dreg and Elephande are in dire need!"

"Gone? Shattered? By who, Elder?"

"Heh. Our old friend, Zambiandë!"

"Young Zambiandë? Amazing!" He paused for a moment. "But what of this General He told me of?"

"The General? He's an Adept, no less!"

"From Elidion? The one Elder Higenti spoke of was of Elidion ancestry."

"Elidion? No, I don't think he's from there."

Nimoloc paused agian. "My time here is done, Altoda. Take the cuase. Elephande will need the Elder Children before long, I have been told."

"Patriarch? How did you know?"

But he spoke no more. Nimoloc, fifth patriarch of Istean, had died. Altoda's gaze fell to the floor. Delagog walked back in.

"I was told. Patriarch Altoda, come with me. The people must know this."

-----------------------

Delagog, Altoda, Alinqua, and the five elders stood on a raised platform in front of the mass of Istean. They stood in all directions, as far as the eyes could see. Delagog was speaking.

"I present to you all, Altoda, sixth patriarch of Istean!"

Altoda stepped forward. "My fellow Istean, I have returned! The Elder Children are bound no more by our curse! The High Elder has need our the might of Istean. I shall ride to Chilaquand, to our ancient homeland, and support the High Elder's chosen one. I shall go with all who wish to accompany me, and with this deed our name might be renewed! So, who follows me? Who will ride with their patriarch?"

There was a moment of silence. Then, Alinqua stepped to Altoda's side. "I shall follow you, to whatever awaits us, my friend."

Delagog stood up. "My father respected your desision, even though it brought exile upon us. Surely these Cladlen are puppets of the Fallen Elder! I will ride with you, for glory and Istean!"

The elders also moved forward. It started softly, growing louder as the mass chanted "Istean! Istean!" long a rallying cry used to stir up fervor.

Altoda spoke, his words carrying over the voices of the mass. "Then it is decided! Come, my fellow Istean! We ride to war! Akiz Elder Higenti!"

Alinqua's loud voice echoed the words of Isteanoc, first patriarch of Istean. "Istean akiz Elder Higenti! Akiz gloric delqune Istean!"

[::Elephande::]

Chapter Eleven:
Elder Afrin's Miracle

Alinqua's POV:

"So are we really going home, or was that just a figure of speech?" I asked Altoda.

A shadow appeared next to Altoda. "Yes," it spoke, "you go to Chilaquand."

"And how do you know where we are going?"

"Because I forsaw it."

Altoda turned. "Well recieved, Elder Afrin."

"I bring you a choice, Patriarch. You have been chosen to recieve a... gift, as you might call it."

"Gift? I need nothing, except..."

"A better form? A second chance?"

"Exactly."

"The High Elder bestowed a choice to Elephande. He was to pick one who deserved a second chance, and he has chosen you."

"He chose me over Zambiandë? How is that possible?"

"He knew all that has befallen here, and chose based on the fact that Istean will be catapulted back into glory on the shoulders of its' greatest patriarch."

I started. "OK, I'm confused... A second chance? You're resurrecting him?"

"In a sense..."

"The debt is returning now," started Altoda. "Zambiandë sacrificed himself to destroy me. Now I shall return!"

-----------------------
Allysuntis (the Younger's) POV:

"Where in the name of the High Elder is Afrin?" I shouted.

"He'll get to us!" called Zambiandë.

We were surrounded by Askinqua's troops, who were assulting our position relentlessly. Afrin had said earlier that we would get aid, but as I looked towards the plains, I saw the mass of the main body of the Indosyne Union army also surrounded.

"You need some help?"

"By the High Elder! Suligan!"

Suligan's Suisane fleet unleashed a deadly barrage on Askinqua's men, while he himself led a compliment of troops down the hill.

-----------------------
Afrin's POV:

Our perimeter was falling to wave after wave of Askinqua's forces. I had promised aid to my cousin, but now, I needed aid.

"Brace yourself, Patriarch!"

"Sulit-Aladan!"

He opened fire at point-blank range. I had been on the opposite side of Dreg gunners before, and it wasn't very pretty. Blood flowed down the hills we were on, slowing the next wave of Cladlen. I acted.

"Foward, my friends, and let's find Allysuntis!"

My father let the war-cry of Allysulia ring in its' old home once more. "Morte delqune emite toqune Martos!"

Many of the Cladlen were frozen into place, as what the remembered from legends of that cry flooded their mind. Many simply fled back towards Askinqua's artillery. Others just stood there while Sulit-Aladan's gunners made short work of them.

-----------------------

"Well?" asked Chris, after Reno had thawed them all.

"Our job here is done," said Richard. "We must get to Elephande immediatly."

"I agree," said Reno. "Besides, we don't know where Mute will pop up next, and do we really want to be here when he does?"

-----------------------
Altoda's POV:

"So you want us to go to the center of the problem to find the solution?" asked a skeptical Alinqua.

"And what will we find on Cladlenia, Elder?" I asked.

"The solution, naturally."

Alinqua erupted. "So we're following the words of a deranged old windbag, travelling to the heart of the enemy, and looking for the High Elder knows what? Perfect..."

Elder Afrin smiled. "Doubt not the words of the High Elder's enlightened one," he said, and promptly disappeared.

The pilot spoke up. "Look! Down there!"

-----------------------

Ryan spotted something. "Up there!" he yelled.

"Who is that?" asked Mekae.

-----------------------
Altoda's POV:

"Land over there."

"As ordered, Patriarch."

Our ship headed down to the group of Adepts. They would indeed be a great help, but they weren't the mythical army Elephande spoke of with reverence. After they boarded, Richard asked me what I knew of Elidion.

"The Adepts of Elidion are legendary, and are known to many of us. Elephande said that an army of Adepts from Elidion helped him beat Askinqua the first time. A few dozen of them, and we'll have this fight before it starts!"

Richard laughed. "A few dozen? Try about twenty thousand."

At those words, everyone's heads turned towards him.

"Elidion? Have Adepts? Impossible!" said Chris. "Anybody who sets foot there is never seen agian. Elidion is nothing more than a haunted ruin, a ghost of what it was."

"The Army of Elidion is not made of ghosts," remarked Reno, very quietly. "Care to see?"

[::Elephande::]

Chapter Twelve:
Elidion's Order

Ryan's POV:

"Reno?" I asked. "Is there something you forgot to tell us?"

"Elidion's Army, the group of Adepts Richard spoke of, is a lesser known name," explained Reno. "Most of you know it as the Order of the Hidden, of which I am a member."

"The Order guarded our secret cities: Prox, Conitgo, Vale, Anegon, and the such," said Richard. "They are headquartered in Elidion, the most powerful Adept city on Weyard."

Reno nodded. "Membership in the Order is hereditary. Once a person gets in, membership cannot be denied to any of his or her descendants, much like the power of Alchemy itself."

Brooke replied, "I get the feeling Reno isn't the only one with a secret."

"For that matter, you'd be right," said Richard. "My father was accepted nearly twenty years ago, but he left me in his home of Anegon right before he ran off to Prox."

"Prox?" asked Mekae. "To the lighthouse?"

Reno nodded. "We had to see if the prophecy was true. Although we couldn't have done much if Weyard had started to blow up or anything, we could at least warn everybody."

A voice rang out from the front of the shuttle. "Coming up on Elidion."

----------------------------

"How much more of this can we take?" asked Mastredocil.

"Easily to the middle of next month," said Elephande, "even if nobody recieves our call for help."

Elephade Zambiandë entered the meeting. "Where is Altoda? We could use him about now!"

"Altoda has been called on a mission from the High Elder," replied a voice from the shadows.

"Great," replied Delagace, "We don't have the strength we need to win. This is hopeless!"

Defoc, first patriarch of the herd Delagace commanded, spoke icily, "Has my bloodline become so tainted that you speak these words?"

Elephate said nothing, but he was a brilliant shade of violet at the moment. Luckily for Delagace, his words we cut off by the entrance of Allyutig.

"Did I miss something?" she snarled. "All the yelling woke me up!"

"Allyutig," Suliantig calmly remarked, "with all the noise outside, it's a wonder you slept at all!"

Elder Afrin chose that moment to reveal himself from the shadows. His deep voice rolled out onto the plains. "Gather the forgotten monarchs of Frontian. Thriteen will unite with Twelve, and the Eldest shall return. Unicely, Cónserver y Derógger! Forget your strife, and show your might! Children of the Second Strife, teach those of the Third the fury of our people, but forget not the lessons you learned from your elders! For just as the First and Second creted the Third, so shall the Fourth begin! Akiz Elder Higenti!"

----------------------------

Carter's POV:

We passed into Elidion on a huge ship, one of Reno's. Tall stone buildings rose up around us, blocking our view of anything else. A figure stood by a lone dock straight ahead of us. When we got close enough, Reno shoutted a greeting.

"How does it all go, Billy?"

"Same as always, Reno, who are all these? I reconize a few of them, including the large one, but you know..." He turned to Richard. "Welcome home, old friend. It has been a while since the line of Anegon resided here."

"It has been a while, has it not! Where is the rest of our old group?"

"Jeremy is around here somewhere. You know about his brother, I see, and the eldest of us left long ago."

"Matt has been dealt with. We shall be his haven no longer."

----------------------------

Elephande's POV:

"Hold fast!" yelled Afrin, and our forces formed a line.

"Take them down!" roared Delanate, Askinqua's son. The advancing Cladlen broke into a run, and their weapons were trained on us.

"Wait a minute," I said. They came closer. "Now!"

Delanate's line collapsed as we rained fire down on them. Fighters roared overhead, and a shot took out Elronid, Defoci's patriarch. His daughter, Elrodac, stood speechless as the ground around her father burst into flame.

I stood, watching as the bodies piled up across my home, wondering when help would come. Where was Altoda, and ddid he succed?

----------------------------

"Is it just me, or is everything here really small?" asked Altoda. At nearly fifteen feet of height, he had to duck through the architecture of Elidion. "And I know I can't fit in there," he said, indicating the building Billy had led them to.

"You don't have to," said Reno. "I'll be right back."

A short boy walked up to them. "Reno, she's waiting for you. I see you brought some friends back with you."

"That I did, Brandon. Make sure the tall one doesn't run off anywhere," he said jokingly, entering the building.

"Run off to?" asked Altoda. "Honestly, where would I run to?"

The Company laughed as Reno led a girl towards them. She was dressed all in black, and appeared to be Reno's age.

"Rachel," said Reno, "this is the Company of Anegon."

Her eyes met those of each of the company's before they settled on Richard. "Old friend, has it not been a while?"

"Indeed, it has been a while, Rachel. The command has passed then?"

"It has. Most of Elidion's command stands before you. And our old group is only missing a few members, but we can solve that. Would you like to see what remains of your family?"

"How long will it take to reach Contigo?"

"Hah. Your skills are indeed great. Soon we will leave."

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Delagace's POV:

I watched as the Cladlen overran our positions on the other side of the creek. Sulit-Aladan and Suliantig valiantly holding the two crossings. Fighters, something never before heard in my home, flew overhead. My gunners where nowhere near as skilled as those of the Dreg, but they did manage to down two dozen before their positions fell under fire.

Elephande had been right. Neither of the other battles I had fought here had prepared me for this. Dwindler's War, the period every one of us wanted to forget, was bad, but nothing could match this. At least here, we knew who the enemy was. Dwindler's War was chaos, trying to figure out who was on your side, fighting assults on three flanks, and stuff nobody ever teaches you to handle. And to think, that was a warmup...

----------------------------

Rachel gazed at Altoda. "You must have been sent by Elephande, for it has been many years since one of you was here."

Altoda replied. "I am here of my own accord. I am not Elephande's messenger, but I bear his news. Askinqua has risen again, and he once agian needs the help of the Adepts of Elidion at Chilaquand!"

"Chilaquand! That name is associated with our greatest legends! However, I fear that my troops are nowhere near that powerful. The skills of old are easily lost."

"That doesn't matter right now. Will you help?"

Rachel nodded. "Billy, sound the alarm. We leave in two hours!" He ran off and she continued. "Brandon, go find Jeremy. The Company shall need your help."

Brandon also ran off.

"Amazing. Four of Elidion's generals are with us?" asked Cyrus.

Reno smiled. "Five," he said, pointing to Richard. "He is one of us as well."

"There is another," said Rachel. "Richard, what do you remember of Elidion and your family?"

"Enough to know that the other you speak of is standing with us."

"Yes. Now if he will kindly present himself, this would be easy."

"Mekae, there is a reason I reconized you so easily. You are also of Elidion's group, and shared a past with the rest of us," said Richard. "Do you remember it?"