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Regaining herself, Kia shook her head, bowed slightly and replied "Of course not, I just got a little surprised." Pointing towards the blade shaped hole, Kia continued by saying "I was just looking at this odd hole here; it looks like someone rammed a curved blade right into the ground..."

Before she could finish, Markus stared directly into her eyes with his left icy blue iris and said "Kia, no point in playing cat and mouse here, you know as well as I do who made that. For the love of the gods, the thing is killing anything within a two foot radius of it. You know as well as I do there is only one weapon around here that can do that."

Saying it in perfect unison, Kia and Markus both said "Belgagan."

Biting her lower lip, Kia asked "Markus, is he trying to control you now, at this very moment?"

Shaking his head, Markus answered "No, but somehow I feel that if we don't head to Bilamarsh soon, he'll decide to take matters into his own hands, and we all know the price of that."

Remembering the battle two nights ago, Kia shivered slightly and said "Then we should head out soon, we have to finish this war before..."

With a hint of a snarl, Markus retorted "Before WHAT? He has everything Kia, my soul, my life, my magic, even the fates of everyone I love. I'm going to Bilamarsh so I can end my father's wrath once and for all, and if doing so requires Valecruiz obtaining the Crown of Darkness, then so be it."

Behind him, Markus heard the familiar voice of Pridus say "I wouldn't say that if I were you, young Markus. Valecruiz getting the Crown of Darkness is by far the worst thing that could happen to us. If that demon manages to get the Crown, yesterday and the day before will pale in comparison to what he will do."

Turning his head towards Eon, now under the control of Pridus, Markus replied "How can it be that bad? By Izilan, I killed over 150,000 people in the time span of two days, how can you honestly stand here and tell me it can only get worse?"

With a smile, Pridus said "Because right now, Valecruiz is only at half of his power. You see young Markus, when Valecruiz of the Void was at the peak of his power, he felt that his body could easily betray this power if he were to somehow be captured or controlled. To prevent this, he took the most luxurious crown he could find in his stash of forgotten treasures and put half of who he is inside it. From there the crown became so tainted with malice and spite, it became as black its master's soul. That is exactly why you must end this march now, for if you head to Bilamarsh, you will only bring doom upon us all."

Not quite sure how to handle this new information, Markus stared at the ground and responded with "If I end this march and surrender to Uru, countless innocents will die, not to mention those who died by my hand will have died in vain."

"And if you don't stop, everyone will die. You have to think..."

"ENOUGH!! WE WILL CROSS THROUGH THE REA AND HEAD TO BILAMARSH WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. PRIDUS OF THE FOURTEEN BOUND ONES, YOU MADE ME WHO I AM, YOU MADE VALCRUIZ, FIRST SINAN TO BE BIRTHED UPON ILL, AND NOW YOU PAY THE PRICE!!" As he said this, the Blood Oath pendant began to shake and rise in the air, while still hanging around Markus's neck, and from there, the young Evizil's transformation began once again. Instantly, the purple darkness that filled the pendant cascaded from its encasement, finding its way to Markus and staining his white coat with a black taint. As the demon's energies filled the man, he began to grow until he was at least nine feet tall, two long spiraling horns breached from the top of his forehead, the claws on his fingers began to grow slightly and in the middle of it all, two large bat like wings burst from his upper back. Emanating a loud malignant howl of laughter, the now transformed Markus spread his wings to their full length, which was at least 12 feet from one wing to the next and trapped Pridus in his now pure purple stare. As Valecruiz took one step towards the now possessed Eon, Kia let out a small gasp as the ground beneath the demon's feet began to grow tainted, and finally, die. When he reached Pridus, Valecruiz grabbed him by the throat with one hand, lifted him into the air, pulled him closer to his face and said "Pridus, I knew I should have killed you that day."

Spitting to the side, the ancient spirit replied "Then thank the gods I had my thirteen brothers and sisters with me to banish you to the darkest regions of the Void, you revolting demon."

With a tone of sarcasm in his voice, the demon laughed and said "You don't know how much that hurts me coming from you. Now, if you excuse me, I have a seemingly endless mountain range to cross." With that, Valecruiz pulled his arm back then pushed it forward and let go of Pridus, sending the possessed Eon flying into a large box of hay that was used for feeding the horses. Once Pridus was out of his way, Valecruiz made his way to the army encampment and before any of them could release a gasp of horror he bellowed "ARMY OF MARKUS SNOW, KNOW THAT I CONTROL HIS BODY, THEREFORE, I CONTROL YOU! IF YOU WISH TO KEEP YOUR LIVES, YOU WILL GO WITH ME TO A PLACE NONE OF YOU HAVE EVER GONE BEFORE; THE LAND BEYOND THE REA!!" At this, everyone did release a gasp, never before had anyone in the Races of Light ever considered crossing the mountains in which the Throne in the Darkness was found. The moment one soldier stood to protest; Valecruiz shot his head in the soldier's direction like a viper and before anyone had blinked, eviscerated the soldier with a ball of pure black magic. Turning their gaze towards the towering demon, all of them stared in awe as they saw that he had not even used his hands to create the spell. Turning back towards the crowd of soldiers, Valecruiz hotly said "Anyone else? Now, if you are going to die, it will either be by my hand, or through the Rea, the choice is yours." Once they had all digested what he had said, every soldier in the area went to their tents or their huts and gathered all of their belongings.

Turning to Oz, Valecruiz said "You poor excuse for a broodling, warn your bitch and the rest of her kind that we are crossing the Rea and if they wish to follow, they will tell me first. Also, warn them that if any of their kind are discovered by the enemy, I will personally gut them like a pig and feast on their entrails in front of the others, is that understood?"

Not sure how to reply, Oz simply stood there for a few seconds before opening his small wings and taking off in the direction of the small caves in which the dragons inhabited. Once he was gone, Valecruiz turned his attention towards Kia, and before she could move, he was breathing heavily in her face. With a cynical smile, Valecruiz placed his right index finger under her chin and his right thumb on her chin and forced her to stare into his pure purple eyes. As the swelling of his dark emotions became too great, Kia nearly buckled under the pressure, causing Valecruiz to laugh with delight. Once he was finished, his returned his gaze towards her and said "You, my little nuisance, have two choices. Either A, you keep your trap shut and therefore live or B, you can speak and end your life here and now. So, what will it be?" When the feline made no attempt to respond, Valecruiz smiled in recognition of her answer, let her go and moved to join the others.

When the demon was finally out of sight, Kia's legs buckled underneath her as she sobbed immensely. Letting her tears drench the now barren ground, Kia muttered "Izilan...how could you the let this happen to the only person I love, worse yet, how could I? Oh Markus...Please...please find a way to fight him." After minutes of muttering to herself incoherently, Kia felt Eon lift her by her shoulders, wipe off the loose dirt from her robe and lead her towards the now moving army.

****

For what seemed like days the army moved north, slaughtering any trace of the Races of Dark from their path, leaving behind a bloody trail that became so thick, it might as well have been a river. Finally, after about a week of continuing their course north, Valecruiz smiled greatly as the nearly endless mountains greeted him and the rest of the army. Looking up, the demon couldn't help but squint as he tried to find a peak to any of the mountains, but unfortunately, it was simply impossible as the mountains broke through the clouds. Turning towards the army, Valecruiz bellowed "This is what you will cross, you sad excuse for mortals. Once again I will give you a choice: die by my hand, or come with me to the other side of the Rea." With their choice clear, the army advanced once again, finding a large trail in between two of the mountains in front of them. Heading down the trail, Kia couldn't help but feel as if the mountains on either side of her were the last things she was ever going to see of her beloved Illian.

Hours after their ascent into the Dark Range, the mighty sun began to set as it rest its eyes, preparing for the upcoming dawn. When darkness became all but abundant, Valecruiz turned to the soldier and ordered them to find shelters in the two mountains that were currently herding them into a small valley. Using a single class 6 spell, the demon hit the ground with his fist and summoned forth from the ground in front of him a small, two person cave. As he approached the cave, Valecruiz tilted his head to the side for a moment, coming to the realization that his figure was too large to fit inside the cave comfortably; so with a snap of his fingers, his body returned to the visage of Markus Snow, but that is where the similarities ended. With his dark purple gaze, Valecruiz motioned Kia over to him and when she arrived he said with a smile "Very nice work today, little kitten, I must say I am impressed with how long you kept silent."

With a hiss, Kia replied "I did so only for Markus, for you and I both know if you slay me, it might as well be the end of Illian. Why did you want me silent for so long anyway?"

Why? Because it seems you are always the one who gives Markus the will to fight me, and right now, I can't afford that."

"Hmph, you really think Markus needs me to fight you off? The only thing he ever needed was to see the truth, and he finally has which means Markus will never sit idly when you're in control."

"Hah, somehow I feel he'll learn to get use to me..."

"Demon, you really have no idea what kind of force you are messing with when it comes to Markus, do you?"

"On the contrary, I know full well what powers his godly parents gave him, in fact it is for that reason his magic works so well with mine."

"While it is true his parents are Izilan and Uru, he is still a mortal, and therefore he will never face the same fate as the gods."

"And what fate might that be may I ask?"

"The fate of being controlled and used by Gree as if they had a leash around their necks. I know from books of all sorts that no god can neither hate nor betray Gree or Izilan, whereas Markus has a choice..."

"That is exactly the reason why I have decided to keep him as my body, little kitten. Izilan made the worst mistake she could have ever dreamed of by mating with Uru; not only did she birth demigods, but she gave birth to beings who could hate, and therefore, destroy her and all of her kind; save Gree of course. Now, I suspect you'd better get inside the cave before this valley is surrounded by nightfall, I'm sure you know what kinds of beasts can be found in Rea, no?" With that, Valecruiz put his arm around Kia's back and pushed her towards the cave, where she reluctantly headed towards as Valecruiz stayed behind. Turning around, Valecruiz for a small grey wooden hut, where he would find just the person he needed to speak to right now. As his now six foot figure blocked the entrance, the demon looked into the hut and said "Eonarchanus, you remember the Golden City, do you not?"

With a simple spit to the side as a sign of recognition, Eon said "Valecruiz, do you even need to ask? You know full well that Markus and I grew up there..."

"Then you'll want to know that as we speak, an army of Malar is heading straight towards Arcanus."

Eyes nearly bulging out of his sockets, Eon raced up to Valecruiz, grabbed him by the collar of his black vest and said "WHAT?!? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO EARLIER....we have to go now..."

Releasing himself from Eon's grip, Valecruiz took one step back, brushed himself off and replied "No Eon, I will not turn this army around for some god forsaken city of lust and greed. If you wish to save it, you will only have one dragon and yourself to do so. If you want to go, you have till sunrise..." Before he could continue, a large howl broke through the night calm.

Racing out into the valley, Eon said "What in the hells was that?"

With a heavy gasp, Valecruiz managed to say "Ifrits...dogs of the damned and servants to none but the masters of Rea." As he finished, the demon resorted to kneeling on one leg as his body began to burn and ache everywhere. Suddenly, he felt his grip over the man's body slip, and soon he realized that Markus had finally decided to fight back. Slicing his clawed fingers through the earthly crust, Valecruiz began to shudder and scream as the pain became unbearable to him; yet among it all, the demon was smiling. The Evizil was avenging pain upon the demon for controlling him, which meant his ever-so faithful grip on his beliefs of justice and good were slipping. When he knew he could no longer fight, Valecruiz laughed and said "Oho Markus Snow, I see I made the right choice after all..." With that, the demon's taint and everything that belonged to him was drained into the Blood Oath pendant once again.

Head drooping, Markus said "Eon...we must kill these Ifrits before they attack the army. Who knows...what damage...they could do." Taking one deep breath, Markus rose on both of his knees, then finally stood, unsheathing Velar and letting it slice through the air once. When the Ifrits released another ear-piercing howl, Markus pointed to the mountain side to his left and said "Over there, quick Eon, grab your bow and kill the ones I can't." As soon as he said that, Markus jumped towards the mountain side, making it at least five feet up the rocky wall before being forced to stab his longsword into the mountain in order to keep from falling. In a single movement he swung himself up from Velar, pulled his longsword out from the rock and slid it back into the part of the mountain he was now on. Repeating this method a few more times, Markus finally managed to reach a small indent in the mountain side, where he came face to face with an Ifrit. The beast reminded Markus of a canine that stood on all fours, except it was smaller, had large menacing fangs and had hair that was bathed in fire. Even the monster's eye sockets were filled with a burning fire, but despite this fact, Markus knew the thing could see him all too well. To prove this, the lone Ifrit standing in front of him pounced, hoping to catch the Evizil off guard, where it would have ripped out his throat had he been so careless. Because Markus was a man seasoned with years of battle and experience, he was able to slide underneath the beast, bringing Velar up and through the belly of the monster, gutting it entirely as he appeared behind it. With its stomach cut wide open, the Ifrit only managed to hobble once before it laid on its side in death, spewing its entrails through the gash in its belly. Smiling in his accomplishment, Markus suddenly remembered there were more of these beasts and so with a quick glance, spotted two more of the beasts on the opposite mountain side. By creating a class 2 seal by connecting his hands together with one hand facing up, while the other faced down, Markus summoned a great current of wind to rise from behind him, which allowed him to cross the 30 foot gap in between the mountain sides in a single bound. Landing on the rock ledge in a one legged kneeling position, the man quickly regained himself as the two unsuspecting Ifrits began to charge him. Knowing he couldn't take out both of the fiery dogs in one swing, Markus sheathed Velar and waited for the moment to strike. When that moment arrived, he grabbed both of them by their muzzles, swung them around the small ledge, causing them to hit the rocky walls of the small mountain inlet they were in and when he released them, the two Ifrits went flying into the back wall of the small rocky indent the three of them were in. Knowing the two fiery canines were not dead yet, Markus drew a square in the air with his left index finger, creating the seal for a class 4 spell and once the seal was complete, it radiated a bluish glow before finally dissipating. As the symbol slowly dissolved into the air, a small rush of water cascaded into Markus's hand, where it shaped itself into a large sphere. When its shape was finally constructed, the shifting and swirling orb of water glistened in the Evizil's hand like a pearl in the depths of a vast ocean. Pulling his left arm back, Markus pushed the tyrant of water out of his hand and yelled "CASCADE OF SORROWS!!" With that, the large ball erupted, releasing a massive tidal wave that headed straight towards the two semi-conscious demons. Just as the they shook their heads in hopes of regaining their senses, the Ifrits were consumed by the rush of water. Even as it hit the back wall of the small indent the tidal wave continued to push, eroding and destroying parts of the back wall underneath its might. Draining into the newly spawned hole in the wall, the flood of water erased all presence of the two fire-bathed demons.

Sighing in relief, Markus turned around and looked out into the valley below him. To his left, Markus saw hundreds of the molten dogs climbing the rock walls and spilling into the entrance of the valley in which his army had entered only hours ago. To his right, the soldiers began to gather and prepare their weapons, steeling themselves and their companions against the feral demons. Looking directly below him, Markus saw Eon leading a small band of troops, wielding his bow in such a matter that would make even swordsmen kneel to his skill. In a matter of seconds, Eon was notching and releasing arrows at speeds Markus had to strain to see. With a rage burning in his eyes, the young human man began drawing three, even four arrows at one time and releasing them straight into the belly of the wave of fiery devil spawn. When the Ifrits came to close, Eon put his bow in the little holder on his back and drew forth his bronze shortsword, gutting and tearing away at any nearby enemies. Knowing he had to join the fight, Markus jumped towards the Ifrits, quickly cast a class 3 spell, clenched his hands into fists and prepared for the landing. As he finally landed directly into the heart of the wave of Ifrits, Markus's hands hit the ground with an earth shattering quake, sending up giant enchanted pieces of earth shaped exactly like giant fists; which in the end came crashing down on multiple Ifrits, crushing them instantly. Quickly regaining himself, Markus unsheathed Velar, stabbed a single Ifrit straight through his muzzle and down his back. Knowing the beast was dead, the Evizil pulled his blue longsword out of the Ifrit and spun around in a 360 degree angle, decapitating or gutting at least six nearby demons. Feeling that he was in too deep for his own good, Markus took a great leap backwards, landing directly next to Eon. With a smile he said to Eon "How about we end these bastards once and for all?"

Turning to his childhood companion, the human smiled and replied "Let's give the men a show they will never forget." With that, Eon sheathed his bronze shortsword, pulled out his bow and drew forth a single arrow.

With a small chuckle, Markus said "One shot? I'm sure we can make it work."

"If we don't we're dead."

"True." As he said this, Markus began tracing the seal for a class 5 spell, and when he finished, the air radiated with a sky blue glow. Holding out his right arm so that his hand was facing palm up towards Eon's arrow, Markus said "ENCHANTMENT: ICE!!" When the spell's name was said, a thin stream of freezing air shot forth towards Eon's arrow, and when it hit it, the small wooden projectile radiated with a light blue glow. Turning his attention towards the oncoming wave of Ifrits, Markus said to Eon "Now's your chance, shoot it!!" Not needing any more encouragement, Eon released the arrow, and as he did, everyone in the army except Markus and Eon let their jaw drop freely. The moment it was shot, the arrow caused every bit of the valley in front of its tip to become encased it ice and as it followed its course straight into the Ifrits, the ice followed. When it finally pierced the skin of one of the fiery dogs, it froze the demon from the inside out, cause its flames to be forever trapped in time. Despite the arrow hitting its mark, the mystic ice still came at the Ifrits like an insatiable beast, freezing them in its icy maws in the same manner as the first Ifrit. When the spell reached its completion, the entire valley in front of the human and the Evizil had become ice, casting the suns reflection across its forever frozen surface. With a clap on Eon's left shoulder, Markus said "Your aim is still true my friend."

"Aye, and your magic is as strong as ever." At this, the two raised their heads in the air and barked in laughter into the night sky.

****

When the army finally arrived at the end of the valley a day later, they gazed upon a land that seemed as if it had come from a child's nightmare. Grasses and plants of any sort were not to be found here, only cracked, lifeless earth begging for water. The trees hung low to the ground, almost appearing as if their gnarled branches were being used as a way to crawl away from the tainted ground in which they now stood. What were once lakes were now empty basins of emptiness, thirst and sorrow; pleading to any mortal or god to be filled with something that could allow them to once again retain their magnificent shapes. What appeared to be leagues away, a tower taller than any Markus had ever seen before rose to face the height of the clouds, maybe even the sun itself. Built by crusted red bricks, the tower and its sharply pointed roof appeared only as a symbol of utter dominance and fear. With knowledge he knew not how he obtained, Markus pointed towards the tower and said "That is the central tower of Bilamarsh, the very place where Uru, the god of deceit and trickery now hides. Each brick of that tower is made of magically condensed flesh, organs and blood. The very walls of the place still beat, no brick in sync with another, it is even said the voices of those who still haunt those bricks enter your mind through the rhythm of the bricks. Men and women, welcome...to the realm of Forgotten Sorrows." Almost as if by Markus's command, a large bolt of lightning came down and struck the ground inches away from the Evizil and the army, sending the earth it struck into a blaze. As the ozone from the lightning bolt littered the air, Markus felt a giant presences linger above him. Instinctively, Markus turned around, pulled forth Velar and prepared for battle. Instead, a large silver dragon met his gaze, and upon its back an Evizil woman of extraordinary youth and beauty looked upon him. The woman was clad in a black silken robe with silver crescent moons embedded all around its bodily shape. Recognizing the rider, Markus shivered and said "Izilan...to what do I owe this...splendid visit?"

As the silver dragon landed feet away from Markus and the army, Izilan jumped off the dragon's back and replied "I have come to join you and the rest of the army. Uru cannot be allowed to escap..."

Before she could finish, Markus barked "You will NOT be joining us, mother, and if you think I am going to let father flee, then you are sadly mistaken. True I let Felix escape once and almost twice, but that is because I foolishly thought we could reunite as brothers, not stay enemies our entire lives. But I learned now that the TWO OF YOU had other plans. Father tore me and Felix apart, and all you did was sit by and let us kill each other."

Steeling herself, Izilan replied "Markus, I had no choice..."

"BULLSHIT! You had chance after chance to bring Felix back to the path of Light, but that didn't go according to your plans, now did it?"

"Plans, what..."

"The creation of The Weapon. Yes mother, Valecruiz revealed to me the true purpose of your god forsaken Augment. It was never meant as a way to help me face Felix or my father, it was meant as a way to leash me to you and YOUR father."

Startled, Kia interrupted by saying "Markus, what do you mean?"

"Kia, I'm a demigod, and that means I can bend the rules pure gods cannot. I can hate, loathe, despise and even destroy Izilan and the rest of her kind. So she created the Augment as a way to bring me and Felix under control. How would it look if hundreds of her kind were exterminated by mere MORTALS!?!"

With a sad expression in her eyes, Izilan said "Markus please, for the love of Gree, think about what you are saying."

Eyes flaring now, Markus ardently replied "Shut it, you bitch. For once in your fucking life, tell someone the truth. I'm not your son; I'm just a PUPPET for you and your father to control. I never had freedom, independence or even humanity; my whole life has been spent preparing for the Augment. Now, I'm giving you a chance, something you never did for me or Felix. I'm giving you the chance to keep your life, but be warned, my patience with you is thin, mother dearest."

With small tears pouring from her eyes, Izilan said "Markus, I loved you and Felix, what has happened to you should have..."

"YET STILL IT DID. I GAVE YOU A CHANCE, AND NOW PAY FOR YOUR APATHY" Raising his head towards the air, Markus bellowed "VALECRUIZ OF THE VOID, PLEASE GRANT ME YOUR STRENGTH, THIS IS ALL I WILL EVER ASK OF YOU AS MY BODY BECOMES YOURS!!" Seconds later, Markus was replied by a sudden lurch in his soul, the darkness it brought reminding the Evizil of the demon in his Blood Oath pendant. Once Valecruiz found the darkness in Markus's soul that bent and twisted itself around the very idea of Izilan, he only laughed and replied to Markus 'Very well, young Markus, use my powers and bring upon her a hell she has never seen before.'

Once Valecruiz had returned to the pendant around Markus's neck, the Evizil was filled with every ounce of power Valecruiz had within him. Yet, while the power filled him, Markus was relieved to find that his body, his appearance, and his mind still belonged to him. With dark magics physically swirling around his body, Markus pulled forth Velar and swung it once, causing the air sliced by the sword to solidify into a streak of energy, ripping apart the earth and anything it touched. With the new strength filling him entirely, Markus returned his gaze to his mother, who now wore a visage of utter shock. Mumbling, Izilan said to Markus "You...you made a pact with..."

With a cynical smile that was all his, Markus replied "Now do you see how far my hate for you goes? Izilan, Wolf Goddess of Illian and Daughter of Gree, your die has been cast, your choice has been made, and now it is time for you to SUFFER!!" With that, Markus charged forward as so fast a speed, his body vanished in a streak of black energy, only to reappear in front of Izilan, where he swung Velar in a horizontal motion. Jumping back, Izilan was caught with only a minor blow, but the emotional damage was deep. All around the two, everyone stared in horror as their leader attacked, with the full intention of killing, their Goddess. Yet, knowing none of them would last a second against the full fury of an enraged demigod, they all held their tongues, and their sheaths, closed.

As a trail of blood trickled from the already healed wound, Izilan cried out to her son "Markus, what have I done?" Sensing he was about to strike again, Izilan pulled forth from her black robe two sickles that reminded Markus of two crescent moons bathed in the silver radiance of Light Magic. Charging at her once again, Izilan blocked Markus's blow, receiving a growl of hatred as he missed his mark.

Snarling as they were caught in the deadlock, Markus replied "You abandoned me, you tortured me, you tricked me, you fucked me, and worst of all, YOU FORCED ME TO KILL MY BROTHER!!" As he said that final part, Markus forced Izilan's weapons into the air, giving him ample room to punch her square in the face.

Flying back as the strength of her son overcompensated her own body weight, Izilan felt a small tingle as her godly body regenerated its wounds and fixed her bones in a matter of seconds. Rising once again, the Night Mother summoned her Crescent Sickles and prepared a defensive stance, afterwards saying "Markus, I know I was never there for you, but you have to realize..."

"OH I REALIZE EVERYTHING, MOTHER DEAREST. I realize that my existence will be forever controlled by you and Gree, I realize that mateship, love, compassion, romance, it was all going to be stripped away from me. I realize that MY BROTHER IS DEAD, AND I...AND I...AND I KILLED HIM. Mother...do you even understand...what YOU DID TO US?!?" Crying as he said this last part, Markus held onto Velar even tighter and from there he transformed into a Thrall and attacked his mother with an increased fervor. Using horizontal attacks, vertical swings, spin maneuvers, everything he knew, Markus tried again and again and again to kill his mother; but each time he was rewarded with simple flesh wounds, which soon turned into scars. After one of his diagonal swings was blocked by the two small sickles, Markus used his brute magic to manipulate the air in front of him to create a physical wave of air that pushed Izilan backwards. From there, he placed Velar in his right hand and began tracing a square in the air in front of him with his left index finger. When the seal was made, Markus threw his longsword up in the air as high as it would go, placed his hands together by their wrists, spread his hands out as far as they were willing, aimed at his mother and screamed "FROSTBANE SPEARS!!" Suddenly, literally thousands of tiny ice shards appeared from the space in between his hands, each and every one of them impaling the Night Mother with their master's icy cruelty. When the last ice shard poured forth from his hands, Markus knelt down, slammed his hands on ground and watched as row after row of ice-like stalagmites rose from the ground, each row getting closer and closer to Izilan. Just as the spell finished, Markus stood up, and gracefully grabbed the incoming longsword by its hilt as if he had just grabbed it from a weapon rack. As the sharp icy pillars came charging towards her, Izilan made the once choice she could make, she ducked and rolled to her left, yet when she stood up, she realized the horrible mistake she had just made. The Wolf Goddess suddenly realized she had left herself open for an attack; and true to her belief, Markus was already on her. With the moment at hand, Markus rushed forth and stabbed the Night Mother through the stomach with his blue longsword. Tears of joy streaming down his face, the Evizil pushed it farther and farther into his mother, until finally she was forced to release gasps and coughs of blood. Smiling, Markus said "Now do you see what happens when you mess with a Frostbane? You have been a lying, deceitful bitch that has plagued this land for far too long, Izilan of the Moon, now it is time for me to rid the world of one great evil."

Blood dribbling from her mouth, Izilan replied to him "Markus...it is true I bestowed the Augment upon you so that Gree and I could monitor your actions. But look at where you have come; you use to be a symbol of hope, peace, and above all, salvation. Now you are a figure of hatred and malice, just like your father..."

Dark energy swirling around his body, Markus laughed and said through teary eyes "So what? Mother, a wise man once said "Through darkness we are lost, only to be found by the light of our loved ones", don't you see, it was YOU who has encased me in darkness. You couldn't trust your own sons to make a decision everyone has to make; a choice between good and evil. You took our fates into your hands, an act no one, not even the Arch-God Gree himself, should commit. You used magics URU once used and stole our lives away from us before birth. For 21 god forsaken years, I have been a puppet with a dream of independence and freedom, but in the end, I will always be a puppet. When Felix finally realized this truth, he made the choice I have made, he FOUGHT BACK. And when he fought back, it was our father, Uru the Deceiver, who embraced him with open arms" laughing a great howl of a laugh, Markus continued to say "It was YOU that brought your worse nightmare to life. Through your doubt and your betrayal, you led both of us into the Darkness."

Digesting all that he was saying, Izilan finally realized the truth of the mistake she had made 21 years ago. Bawling, she replied "Oh Gree...Why...WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME??"

Pulling _Velar_Ill brought. Mother, return to Scycrain and never come near me again; from this day, I disown you as my mother and as my Goddess. Wherever you follow me, you only bring darkness and now, my path is gone, forever destroyed and devoured by Valecruiz of the Void. Izilan, I will not miss you." With that, Markus's powers receded back into the Blood Oath pendant, where it was greeted with a delighted chuckle from the demon harbored inside it.

With her physical wounds already healed, Izilan climbed onto the silver dragon, and as she did, she replied "Markus Frostbane, your travels here will be harsh and tough, and I can only pray that the good still inside you will keep you alive." With that, the silver dragon quickly rose into the air, taking off in the direction from which it came. As the two flew over the Rea, Izilan laid down on the dragon's back and began to cry as hard as she had ever cried before. With concern thick in its voice, the dragon asked "Are your wounds hurting, Lady Izilan?"

Through her uncontrollable sobs, the Night Mother replied "I lost the only son I had left...and IT'S ALL MY FAULT..."

With a snort, the silver said "While it is true these wounds will take lifetimes to heal, I sensed a good within the boy that none can outmatch. Once the darkness is released from his soul, he will forgive you."

Her sobs slowly stopping, Izilan replied "I pray to Gree that day will come soon." Heading for Scycrain, Izilan began to think back to the times she had with Markus when he was just a child.

****

Deep into the hours of the afternoon, Markus and the army reluctantly set up their permanent base in Forgotten Sorrows. While it was nothing more than a massive collection of tents and wooden supply buildings, the base certainly made a stand against the ghastly visage of this alien realm. With a pale winter sun looming high above them, the Races of Light did all they could to prepare themselves for the treacheries this place brought. Commanders and Privates alike set up training dummies and held sparring matches in attempts to best the skill they had learned in their own lands. The clerics, healers and wizards stood a good distance away from the camp so that they could try to weave their spells together in order to create much more effective outcome. Using basic knowledge of Illian's elements, the wizards began mixing water spells with lightning, fire spells with wind spells, and even dark spells with light. As the magics came together and produced a larger magnitude of damage, all of the mages decided that it would be wise to see what they could do if they used elements that polarized each other, such as fire and water.

Yet, as the wizards stood their with their fires and their winds, the healers and the clerics took notes of the herbs and tainted resources found in Forgotten Sorrows. Odd shrubs that looked like barbed spears they named Baros, or "Sharpspine". Flowers that, while appeared stunning with their bright violet petals, shot forth an odd orange pollen that seemed to dissolve flesh from bone were named "The Curse of Felix", otherwise known as Nemisanan oro Sillen (Neh-miss-on-on-or-o-Cil-an). While searching near one of the corrupted trees, a young gecko cleric found a plant that look like a rose, yet its petals were half black and half white. Its center was a bright yellow that reminded the cleric of warmth and protection, yet at the same time unwanted betrayal. When she brought forth other clerics and healers, only one name seemed to fit the odd plant, _Neevarus ane Felo (_Neh-Eve-arouse-on-eh-Feh-low), "The Soul of Snow", a reference to their now twisted leader.

As his army prepared, Markus Snow stood inside Kia's large blood red tent, focusing on a multitude of things. Time and time again, one thought constantly flared inside his mind 'You nearly killed your own mother.' As if this thought were a physical being he was talking to, Markus replied "She would not leave when I gave her the chance, therefore she deserved to die." In response, his thoughts shifted to 'You sound like your brother when you say that.' Furious, Markus yelled "SHUT UP, I WILL NOT BECOME WHAT HE WAS..." Just as he was about to continue, Kia entered through the left tent flap.

With a soothing voice, Kia asked "Markus are you alright?"

Without a second thought, Markus bitterly said "No, I'm not alright. I nearly killed off the rest of my family today, save for my father; I'm constantly controlled by Valecruiz or by this god forsaken blood lust, not to mention I'm talking to myself. Kia, if I could take back everything that happened today, I would do so gladly; but because doing so would ruin forces we can't comprehend, that is impossible. I've been committing acts I never dreamed I would be doing; I've killed hundreds of thousands of innocent lives, I've killed my own kin, and worst of all, I've harmed you."

Advancing towards the distraught Evizil, Kia replied "But you never meant to do any of those things on purpose, they were all because of Valecruiz." When she reached him, the orange feline took his hand, led him to the two person bed she had, and had him sit next to her on the edge of its mattress.

Turning his palms upwards, Markus stared at the scars and wounds they had collected and said "I keep telling myself the same thing, but somehow...I feel that isn't so. I enjoyed feeling flesh under my blade, I reveled as the "Oblivion Gate" decimated by brother and I felt so alive as I nearly ended a life with my own hands. Kia, what if I'm not strong enough to take on this burden and still kill Uru?"

"Then we all shall perish under his might. Markus, I do not want to say this, but you have no choice but to keep on killing and to keep on fighting that demon inside of you until this war is over."

"Hah...you sound like my mother."

"That is exactly why I didn't want to say it. I hate your mother as much as you do for what she did, but she has the strongest sense of female intuition I have ever seen in a woman, and most of the time what she says and does is the right choice. While you may think your life is pointless, I and so many others know she passed those abilities on to you where, until your possession, you have used to protect so many people. Markus just think about it, our journey is almost over, we have reached Forgotten Sorrows and we can see Bilamarsh from here. If you can find it within yourself to hold on for just a little while longer, I know we can stop Uru."

With a delighted laugh, Markus put his right arm around Kia, brought her close and said "Thank the gods you chose me as your mate, otherwise I have no idea how I would have survived so long." When he finished, Markus felt Kia raise her head and peck him gently on his muzzle. When he turned to face her, he was rewarded with a much more passionate, lusting kiss. As she held him there with her lips, Kia's hand started to drift towards Markus's brown leggings, heading in the direction of his manhood. Realizing that she needed him now, Markus felt as though he couldn't blame her. With him so inattentive to her physical needs as of late, it was no wonder she would take this chance to finally find relaxation. Releasing himself from her enthrallment, Markus pushed himself backwards so that he was farther onto the bed, moved himself behind the feline and held her there with an embrace and a kiss on the neck. Without a second's delay, the Evizil slipped his hand inside Kia's dress through its collar and placed his hand inside the left cup of her bra. Without removing the ash colored bra or even tearing it, Markus began to knead and massage Kia's breast until she began to emit a low purr. When he knew she would accept it, Markus moved up towards her nipple and gently pinched and rolled it in between his left thumb and index finger until it became hard with pleasure. Knowing he could do no more with her left breast, Markus slid his hand out of her dress and slid his other hand into the right cup of her bra through the same means as before. As he pleased her in the same manner as her left breast, Kia tried to move her hand down to her sex, but before she made it, Markus stopper her with his left hand. Looking down at her, Markus calmly shook his head and said "That would ruin the night my dear, let me take care of you tonight. No more self-pleasure, understood? If you need me, let me know and I will be by your bedside in an instant." With that, Markus continued to work his magic underneath Kia's dress as he continued to assail the feline with light pecks on her neck. When both of her nipples were as hard as they were going to be and her moans as muffled as she could stand, Markus used his right hand to snap the latch on her bra and pull down her robe from the inside. As Kia's upper body showed bare in the seclusion of the tent, Markus pulled off his white vest, threw it to the side and pulled off the rest of Kia's robe. Staring down at the feline's wet black panties, Markus slowly slid them down her legs as he said "So do you want it now, or do you want to wait till later?"

With a light hiss, Kia replied "I'm not going to waste this night yet..."

As a reply, Markus simply laughed and pulled down his brown leggings and the black underwear that laid beneath them far enough where his manhood could hang out freely. Quicker than Kia could anticipate, Markus grabbed her by the waist, hoisted her slightly into the air and let his firm dick find its way into her ass. Shivering and purring as the large throbbing beast entered her behind, Kia realized this was going to be a very long, enjoyable excursion. Still sitting on the bed, Markus remained a firm grip on the feline's waist as he slowly lifted her and slid her down back onto his lap, finishing his first stroke. Waves of pleasure ascending her backside, Kia let out a single sigh of delight. Knowing he had her body under his control, Markus laughed as he gently lifted her into the air again, this time letting his manhood fill her ass with a startling speed. Getting a much more bodily response from his mate, Markus continued this motion again, this time not stopping to get a response. Instead, he simply lifted her into the air again and slid her down as hard as before. With his strategy finalized, the Evizil saw no need to stop or slow down, and so he held onto his mate as tight as he could without hurting her and continued this pleasing motion over and over and over again, each time speeding up the time in between each lift. Pleasure now radiating in every pore of her body, Kia began to bite her thumb as Markus lifted her body and let his manhood refill her ass; which was becoming more intense with each stroke. Finally, the ecstasy became too great for the orange feline and so with a loud purr, she shivered and released her juices onto the mattress, letting Markus finally release the seed swelling in his manhood.

Before Kia could even pause for a breath, Markus grabbed her and laid her on the bed, where he laid down in the space between her legs. With his muzzle directly in front of her sex, Kia knew what her mate had in mind. With a tiny whimper, she managed "Oh please no...I don't know if I could take this and your manhood."

Lifting his head and revealing a great smile, Markus replied "Remember, tonight is your night, that means you get the whole package." As soon as he said this, Markus quickly stuck the tip of his muzzle in front of her sex, letting his cold nose rub against the slick outer part of her sex. Moving his nose up and down the pink responsive flesh, Markus began to feel his mate shudder and grip the mattress as the pleasure slowly crawled up her stomach and to her brain. When the agonizing wait became too unbearable for her to stand, Kia used her hand to force his muzzle into her sex. Already prepared, Markus freely let himself be pushed into her and then began to massage every wall and bit of flesh inside of his feline's sex as he could. With ecstasy lingering in her stomach and her crotch, Kia tried to let it rise by shoving Markus's muzzle even deeper into her, but all that did was cause even more pleasure to build as the Evizil was given more flesh to work with. When Markus's tongue became too worn out to dig any deeper into her sex, Markus began to pull himself out, giving her clit one last lick before closing his mouth. Suddenly, all of the lingering pleasure rushed to her brain in a single moment, causing Kia's body to handle it the only way it knew how, by releasing it through the area it came from. So with a startling shiver, Kia moaned in delight as her sex pushed wave after wave of juices out of her body.

Too tired to move, Kia closed her eyes and wearily said "Enough my Evizil, enough. You...by the gods that was...ENJOYABLE. You've made my day, and many more probably, just please promise me you'll stop."

With a fake confusion, Markus tilted his head and sarcastically replied "So no intercourse then?"

Grabbing Markus by his shoulders and pulling him over her body, Kia whispered "No, my horny little werewolf, none of that for now. Just hold me and keep me that way...I don't want this night to ever end."

A tinge of sadness in his eyes, Markus answered "But each night must have a day, and each day must have a night, there is no way to stop the balance. But for you, I will keep you under my coat and protect you from the morning sun, if that be your wish." With that, he rolled over next to Kia, pulled up his underwear and his leggings, entrapped the feline in between his arms and brought her right against his white coat.

Instantly comfortable, Kia sighed once and said "Markus...let me be your light..." Before she could say anything else, her own exhaustion took hold of her, enfolding her in the blankets of slumber.

Kissing her left cheek gently, Markus whispered "Sleep well, my light."