“Ludwig, perhaps we should wait for the others,” Gwyn proposed as the castle walls began to crumble around them. “They’re almost here.”

“No, we can’t wait. The Sovereign of Light will release its power upon the remaining forces if they reach the front gates of Solaris,” Ludwig whispered beneath his breath.

Gwyn rolled his eyes at Ludwig’s suicidal tendencies, but it was that very proclivity he held in high regard. Ludwig had snuck away the night before to confront the Sovereign by himself. It was only by chance that Gywn caught him in the act and begged Ludwig to take him along. He figured that he would be used to it by now, but this was on an entirely new level of insanity. A war raged below the mountain path and an army of creatures made of brilliance stood between them and their reinforcements.

Ludwig shook Gwyn’s shoulder plate. “Gwyn, pay attention. We must not falter here or everything up till now will be for naught.”

Gwyn saw the stiffness in Ludwig’s neck and the bloodshot in his eyes. His voice lashed out orders harsher than normal, but that was to be expected. After all, today was not their usual routine skirmish. It was marked to be the end of the war that plagued humanity for fifty years. His tension infected Gwyn as well. Compared to Ludwig, he was far less experienced and did not possess any elemental powers. He was a mere mortal who stood next to the only man in existence to wield the Gods’ power.

It was then, a being of stone stomped down the hall; the castle grounds quaked with every step; its body was nearly the same width as the corridor. “The Golem is headed this way. Gwyn, you’re up,” ordered Ludwig. Gwyn nodded and stepped forward with his sword spear drawn.

The creature took notice of him immediately once he entered the hallway. The gem on its face began to swell with a yellow light, but Gwyn was accustomed to this type of attack. It was the same kind as the other Golems’ they had fought many times when they had stormed the Kingdom of Alarindel. He knew he had to cut its source of power.

Gwyn hurled his spear at the glowing gem with lightning-fast speed and penetrated its crystal surface. He dashed forward and leapt to his weapon while driving his foot into its base. The spear pierced through the back of the golem’s head and the light emitting from it dwindled until completely fizzling out. Gwyn dislodged his spear from the pile of rocks and turned back to Ludwig to give him a thumbs up.

“Gwyn, watch out!” shouted Ludwig.

A yellow flash beamed past Gwyn as he swung his body back in the nick of time. The blast imploded the castle wall and sent chunks of stone flying over the mountain edge. Gwyn quickly flung his weapon in the direction of the blast and disabled the golem that hid in the adjacent corridor. Gwyn sighed in relief.

Ludwig appeared behind him and knocked him on the head. “I warned you to tread carefully. I did not permit you to join me to have you die before the main battle.” Ludwig said with a snarky tongue before walking towards the large steel doors at the end of the hallway.

As he followed close behind, Gwyn rubbed the back of his head and his cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. He wanted to show Ludwig how capable of a warrior he was, but he realized now wasn’t the time for a performance. The war was to come to a close this very night. I shall not waste this opportunity, he thought. If his heart still pulsed at daybreak, he’d be able to witness Ludwig hoist the final burning flag of the Gods.

Their step slowed as they closed in on the fifty-foot tall doors. It felt as though they were trekking through a marshland, their feet dragged back by the mud. Before they reached them, the doors scraped open, welcoming them inside. A gust of wind howled past them. It was powerful enough to almost lift Gwyn off his feet and a cold sweat crawled down his spine from the singing silence that lurked in the dark. Thoughts of waiting for reinforcements rang in his head once more. His eyes drifted to Ludwig, who continued to step forward unfazed. No hesitation lingered in his eyes. No stutter in his step. He had the look of someone who refused to succumb to nerves.

They passed through the doors and entered the large, spacious chamber. The ceiling was unbelievably high. Gwyn reckoned if he stood atop, they would look like ants crawling along a tabletop. The doors creaked shut and balls of light ignited one by one in a column until reaching a pearl-white throne that stood atop marble stairs lined with red carpets. The Sovereign of Light peeled open the cocoon it was encased in to form wings that glowed a faint yellow. The pressure in the air was thick enough to grab. Gywn felt like all the oceans crashed onto him.

“So thou hast come?” bellowed the Sovereign. Its voice sounded of seven men speaking at once. The contorted voice echoed in Gywn’s head, making the hairs on his neck stand up. He snapped his weapon into defense and waited for Ludwig to respond, but no words met the God’s question. The God floated off its throne, wind blew at them with every flap of its wings. Despite its humanoid appearance, the aura it emitted was otherworldly. Every instinct in his body told him to flee, but Gwyn’s feet were staked to the floor by the invisible pressure.

 “Quell your fear, Gwyn. I shall end this wretched war tonight,” reassured Ludwig. He raised his hand to the sky and called down a bolt of lightning that struck him. When the dust cleared, a finely-crafted steel greatsword was now in his palm. Static flowed from the blade and boiled the air around him, causing steam to fill the room. He hung his weapon by his side and slid into stance. The Sovereign followed his movements.

Anticipation battered Gwyn’s chest. He swallowed hard. The standstill was quiet and long. Or at least, that’s what it felt like. Within a single blink, Ludwig and the Sovereign were gone. Before he could conjure a thought, the clash of steel broke the silence. Then a flurry of shockwaves rocked the castle. The battle had begun without Gywn’s knowledge. Craters formed on the floor; holes burst through the walls; columns crumbled like Gywn’s will to fight. Their movements were inhuman. Too fast for his eyes to see. His weapon trembled in his hands and his knees asked for rest. He wondered why he’d even come. The battle raged on, yet it seemed like they had forgotten Gwyn was there. He felt like a crow trying desperately to not get caught between two battling lions. His frozen stature only served as a reminder of how truly human he was.

Blood splattered his cheek, snapping Gwyn back to focus. The ringing of metal on metal ceased; the shaking stopped; it was quiet. The battle ended too quickly or perhaps, Gwyn had zoned out for a majority of it. Nonetheless, the victor was clear. Ludwig stood with his gauntlet stabbed into the limp body of the God. Its eyes were pure white like fresh snow. A bright golden light blossomed from Ludwig's fist as he removed the corpse from his hand, stumbling back from the shift in weight. Gwyn rushed forward and offered himself as a crutch.

“Ludwig, y-you did it! We won!” shouted Gwyn with a gleaming smile.

Ludwig smiled back weakly. “Yes, yes we did. Now, let’s grab the bastard’s flag and burn it. We need to show the troops that the war is finally over.”

Gwyn nodded with his frozen smile and ran to the throne, but Ludwig pulled him back.

“Wait, Gwyn. I need your assistance...”

“What do you mean?” asked Gwyn. He turned to face Ludwig and his heart fell into the pit of his stomach. He hadn’t noticed it. He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts. Ludwig hopped in place to find balance. Nothing but air filled the space where his right calf used to be, and a deep cut crossed over his left eye.

Gwyn hurried to support Ludwig and they snagged the flag, then marched to the balcony that looked down at the battlefield. Gwyn wasn’t sure how to feel. He was happy that they had won the war, but he did nothing but twiddle his thumbs during the final battle. “If I were stronger, maybe Ludwig would still have his eye and leg”, he thought.

Ludwig slapped his chest. “Don’t worry about it,” smiled Ludwig. “It’s a small price to pay for humanity’s freedom.” He let go of Gwyn and hopped to the edge of the balcony, using the flagpole as a crutch. Ludwig ignited the flag and raised it to the sky with a victorious smile. “THE WAR IS OVER!”. A roar of cheer echoed back from the battlefield and filled the flaming woodlands. It was over. Humanity had beaten its oppressors.

Ludwig turned to Gwyn as he leaned against the flagpole with a newly tied flag on it. “It’s time to rebuild.”

He hoisted up the banner of the Hero Ludwig: a black hawk soaring through the sky like a lightning bolt.