Flames and explosions gleamed beneath the night sky, accompanied by screams and the frantic stomps of people. A herd of civilians ran with all their might as a blanket of flames scorched their way down to the ground. Further along, lifeless bodies were strewn across the street the as armor-clad men ran amok. 

This city that was thrust into mayhem is known as Tirdell, a small city called home by a variety of coexisting races. Currently, an army comprised of about 150,000 soldiers managed to breach their defenses and commenced their assault under the command of the so-called "Order of the High Kings'', a collection of 6 major kingdoms ruled entirely by humanity.

Tirdell city was a haven for all. Each and every race lived equally and their gates opened their to all sentient life. For this, the overly human-centric Order sent their armies multiple times to purge the city, hoping to make an example of them and in order to suppress their steady rise in power. For most of their attempts, the armies of the High Kings were repelled by the city's populace who worked hand in hand to protect Tirdell.

The true secret as to why the city still stands even after being besieged by armies numbering in the tens of thousands was due to the help of a family from a lost bloodline. Members of this family possessed fiendish physiques coupled with unholy strength, and the innate ability to harness lost magic derived from the darker side of mysticism. The city secretly sheltered the descendants of a being known as “Asura”, an Invader who sought to slay the Gods and is the first of its kind to ever exist.

The city persisted for years due to the protection of the masses and these powerful beings. However, in spite of this, even Tirdell's mightiest forces succumbed to the grip of death. With the technological advancements created by the combined knowledge of the kingdoms, the Order found a way to deal with the immense power of Asura's descendants. Once completed, the coalition of armies marched towards Tirdell with one goal in mind; total destruction. The large army was met with fierce resistance from the city as the warriors of Tirdell fought to their last breath. However, despite their best efforts, the sheer number of troops and the loss of their greatest protectors proved too devastating. After more than a few hours of nonstop fighting, the city was reduced to rubble and the Order's armies still held a seemingly infinite amount of troops flooding inside.

**

Inside the desolate castle, an elderly man sat at the end of a long table, in front of empty chairs. The noises and shaking from outside were faintly registered by his declining faculties.

This was the end.

The elderly man slowly rose from his seat and took one last look at the room before he made his way to the doors of the empty hall. With a slight push, the doors creaked open, revealing two knights in full-armor waiting outside. Though the city was on the verge of ruin, the guards seemed unconcerned and calmly escorted the elderly man as they silently made their way outside.

Upon reaching the castle’s courtyard, a small army made up of both men and women came into sight. Despite the earlier order for them to evacuate, the army stubbornly remained in the castle as they had already made up their minds that the city will be their final resting place. Seeing this, the elderly man sighed in resignation.

"Have all the civilians been evacuated?"

"Yes. We are the only ones left."

A soldier replied while kneeling. The elderly man walked towards the soldier and placed his hand gently on the cold, steel-plated armor protecting the soldier’s shoulder. In response, the soldier raised his head.

"Will you not leave with our people, my lord?"

"I have lived enough for one lifetime. To die fighting for my city and my people… I could not ask for a better way to meet my end." The elderly man replied. Despite his advanced age, his eyes burned with a fierce light. It was clear he didn't intend to go down without a fight.

His eyes slowly shifted towards the flashing strobes above them. Beyond the gate, the castle's barrier was constantly being attacked with a variety of spells, making the ground quake as the barrier absorbed the dreadful attacks.

"This is as far as we go… I thank you all for staying alongside me. Even if all that lies ahead is death." The elderly man looked over to them one by one. Though his eyesight had deteriorated to the point that their features were blurry to him, he could "see" their faces with the help of his memories.

"Giving up even though we haven’t started fighting yet? How unlike you, Father."

In response to the voice that emerged from the rear, the troops rose as one and opened a gap at the center. A man wearing an onyx-stained armor made his way through the gap. At the center of the armor’s chest, the likeness of a winged-beast, bathed in silver, proudly spread its wings.

"We've repelled them in the past, haven't we? Today, we shall do the same. But before everything else, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for everything."

"Thank you for everything, Father!"

The soldiers answered in unison. Though their kingdom was minutes away from destruction, they were able to smile and laugh beneath their helms.

In mere moments, his mind was awash with thousands upon thousands of memories from the past. These children which he and his friends had raised since the first days of their city, now adults in the blink of an eye. His already failing eyesight blurred further as tears fell down his cheeks. He stared long and hard at the people in front of him, and beamed with pride. The elderly man faced the gates once more and raised his hand. A bright light enveloped the gap as the barrier finally broke, welcoming the last remaining forces of the city to their final stand.

**

Below the castle, a hidden tunnel which lay directly underneath the throne was now being put to use for the first time, as hundreds of people rushed underground in an attempt to escape from the armies that were laying waste to the city. The emergency tunnel was connected to an incredibly dense forest located quite a ways from the city.

The last remaining citizens surfaced somewhere in the woods and met a mounted knight who led a small squad. They were a handpicked detachment from the army, formerly led by the Onyx-armored captain, and was now tasked with leading the people to safety. The squad was led by one of the lieutenants, a somewhat aged yet rugged man who had experienced his own fair share of war even before the town’s founding.

Though he once harbored enmity for being outranked by a younger person, he soon understood why and even took pride in being part of his retinue. Though he too wished to fight and die alongside them, he could not bear to leave his wife, which led him to take the role of protecting the people as they sought refuge. The group moved swiftly and orderly while the guards, who were positioned at the rear, were vigilantly surveying for pursuers. They mourned silently for the loss of their families and friends since they could not risk being detected after the efforts of their fallen comrades. Still, none were able to hold back their tears and struggled to mute their sorrow as they could not help but recall the catastrophe that rained upon their city. Despite their tears, they strove forth with heavy hearts, so as to not let their comrades' deaths be in vain.

As they traversed the maze-like forest, the lieutenant came to a halt. In front of them, a six-legged being making mechanical sounds roamed the forest. The Lieutenant was surprised to see such a foreign creature since the forest was some distance away from the city and was inhabited by treants, nymphs, dryads, and various plant-like monsters, earning it the nickname “Forest of evil”. In the past, the forest was explored by a multitude of people, and none returned unscathed. Some returned with strange illnesses, missing limbs, while others went mad after the forest itself, they claim, attacked them and buried their comrades beneath the earth. In other words, it was not a place for humans.

Tirdell city, however, was different from the usual visitors they had. Despite having humans among the populace, they treated the forest’s inhabitants with respect. In time, the forest itself had started to open its heart towards the city, leading to a lasting bond of friendship between both dwellings. Usually, there shouldn’t be anyone near the forest due to its dangerous nature, and yet they found a peculiar creature right outside of the thickets. The six-legged being snapped its neck towards their direction and started blasting a deafeningly loud sound.

The Lieutenant was shocked by the suddenness of its actions, but immediately regained his composure. As the last line of defense, panicking was not an option. He threw a javelin towards the creature, successfully destroying it. However, the creature had faithfully served its purpose, and within a few minutes, a large detachment army started making its way towards them.

Just as the Lieutenant and his men were about to charge outside the forest and face the army, countless vines blocked their path and a voice reached their ears.

"Hear me, O children of Tirdell."

 A gruff, yet gentle voice echoed from within.

"It pains me to see our friends face such a gruesome end. I fear that even if the forest were to aid you, to prevail against this army is a task nigh insurmountable. At the very least, I can spare you all from the pain as you pass away in peace…"

The Forest King’s voice, though tinged with sorrow, spoke clearly and audibly. 

"Thank you for your kind words, o Forest king. However… please allow me to refuse. To everyone who wishes to accept the Forest King’s offer, speak now. You will not be censured for your decision. Not all of us are fighters. Wanting to be spared from such suffering is an understandable decision to make. However, I cannot afford that luxury, not when most of our comrades had died fighting for our sake."

The Lieutenant bowed towards the direction he believed where the voice came from. One by one, the knights that escorted the citizens followed suit, making clear their intentions as well.

"If some us do manage to escape, then our comrades' sacrifices shall not be for naught. Do forgive our selfishness, O king of the Forest."

The Forest king remained silent. Though it was a task of impossible odds, he respected the wishes of the warriors and retracted the vines preventing them from leaving the forest. They have made their resolves and that was all that mattered.

"I’m sorry, I… wish you all could have lived longer in peace."

The Forest King’s forlorn voice faded as the vines slithered away, allowing the Lieutenant and his squad to glean the opposing army which lay in sight once more. The Lieutenant turned his gaze towards the open night sky.

("Captain... I fear this is where we meet our end…")

The Lieutenant silently apologized to the figure in his mind and glanced towards his wife who cradled a child in her arms. The child, however, was not theirs. The Lieutenant recalled his captain’s visage in his mind, a young man with jet black hair who wore a striking, lustrous black armor, bearing the likeness of a wyvern as it glowed brightly on his armor’s chest. The Lieutenant took the child from his wife and gazed at its features, reminiscent of its parents.

"O merciful Forest King, this boy is a child of our city! He was entrusted to me by my captain before we left. In light of our situation, I implore you to spare this child from the ravages of war!”

“I see… so he is that fellow’s child…”

The Lieutenant gently held the child up with his firm hands. At once, vines gently supported the child from below as it slowly returned back to where it came from. The Lieutenant hugged his wife as they both watched the child slowly disappear in the darkness.

“It’s time!”

The Lieutenant promptly faced his men. Soon, they will be throwing themselves into the fray. Before he could take a step, he felt a grasp on his arm.

“Norma…”

“I swore to be with you, till death do us part. If we are to fall, then we shall fall together.”

The lieutenant cupped his wife’s hands with his own. Though he would’ve preferred for her to pass on in restful peace, to fight by her side till the bitter end was not such a bad idea as well. After being together for so long, it took one look at her eyes to see that she was never going to let go. Behind her, some of the people found the same courage within themselves, as they too, readied themselves for the approaching finale. The Lieutenant helped his wife as she mounted his horse with a bow and arrow. 

"WE SHALL NOT GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!" the Lieutenant raised his sword as he rallied the last of their fallen city with a roar. 

Inside, the Forest king cradled the child with vines softly as the child slept, he put the child gently near the roots as an arch of beautiful flowers formed above it. The Forest king then covered the child with a barrier of leaves. Seeing the child’s innocent smile reminded the Forest King of the past, when the child’s father mistakenly wandered inside the forest. Thinking back, that was when his perception of humanity had changed for the better.

"Tis’ a shame. I truly believed that ‘you’ were the one destined to change this world. But I have faith. Though you may have departed from this world, I believe your legacy shall live on. In your stead, I shall deliver this child unto the future. This, I swear."