War on Berkset Part 2 (complete)

    I watched my friend crumble, and for a moment I thought perhaps all was lost to us. I took charge, believing it was the right thing to do. I am King of the Rakshasa and all my life I have been training to take up the call of duty. 

    The siege on the south beach of Culuweth was in our control, but I feared for not much longer. Our defenses were weakening, and it felt like we were becoming outnumbered. Sanguis Rex had offensive weapons at his disposal, cannons that flayed the flesh from the body but kept the bones alive. 

    Were it not for the discovery that the Golems were immune to the effects of the Blood Magic cannons, it would have been a choice between certain doom or fleeing. With Orrick’s senses sound again, he led the Golems into battle, creating a wall that not only destroyed the Blood Magic weapons but chased Sanguis Rex’s army back into the stronghold and into the village of the valley.

    We send troops ahead to deal with the village, and we collect ourselves. The leaders stay back, and I am grateful to see Nicolai, Habbar, my sister, but Demir is nowhere to be seen.

    “Where is my father?” Orrick asks with a panicked voice. “Has no one seen him?”

    “Not since the siege on the beach began.”

    I turn and see Sorik approach. Orrik rushed up to him and grabs his hands. “You’ve not seen him?” He whispers urgently.

    “He led the battle in, but after that, I lost him,” Sorik admits. “I am starting to think he was taken into the castle.”

    I sigh with a heavy heart. “Once the village and the troops there are dealt with. We need to check on the western beach and the people who were being held there.”

    “I sent Alexander that way,” Orrick replies. He has that strange look of panic and flight in his eyes again, and it makes me uneasy. 

    “I can go on ahead and look,” Damini suggests.

    Nicolai looks at her with the same uneasy expression I know I hold. “I don’t think it is wise for us to separate. At this point in the game, we need to stick together. Alexander will know what to do, stay here where it is safe.”

    Damini’s eyes widen and her pupils narrow. Her ears stand on end, and she huffs. “Nothing is safe!” She snaps. “This is war! And as the leaders of it, we cannot stand around idly talking.” Damini gathers those that are left of her army and leaves to defend the western beach.

    I take the rest of my men and go into the village valley where the fighting continues. The Golems have the army trapped within the village and are holding them off, but there is still the castle that needs to be taken. But from the looks of things the castle is heavily guarded with an army of its own, and we do not have enough people to take it over.

    “We could charge the castle on our own,” Nicolai suggests.

    I shake my head. “No. That would be suicide. Besides, if Sorik is correct and they are in fact holding Demir in there, we need to be more tactful.”

    “Then what do we do? Do we wait for the fighting to be over?” Nicolai asks. “There must be a way we can get in.”

    I look back to the village and feel guilt deep in my gut. I know there must be a way to play all of this and risk as little lives as possible. But so far so many are dead and gone. We can’t keep sacrificing lives for this war. In fact, all of it only seems to be fueling Sanguis Rex and his magic.

    “Oh my god,” I click in my mind. I turn to Nicolai and Orrik. “This is what he wanted all along,” I whisper.

    Orrik furrows his brow at me. “He wanted war, we know that-”

    “No!” I gasp. “He didn’t care for the war at all. He just wanted all the bloodshed that came with it.” I look down at the village. “I have to call our troops back now.”

    “You can’t! Are you crazy?” Nicolai snaps.

    “He wants blood, I can’t have any more spilled.” I rush down to the battle, fighting my way through to Habbar. 

    “I need you to get all the people out of here!” I command him. “Keep your Golems from letting any of the Dragonborn or Sanguis’ army out! Take women and children with you as well! We need to stop the bloodshed now!”

    Habbar does as best he can. Within time the troops that remain have been pulled from the battle, but the Dragonborn and the dark army remains. They fight against the Golems, but they provide the necessary wall to keep them in.

    As we get the remaining troops and the women and children to the beach lightning crashes down into the village. The force of it blows back the Golems and even trips those us close by. As I fall to the ground, I look up and see a Dragonborn at one of the balconies of the castle. He’s glowing bright red and controlling the lightning that strikes the village. I can hear the screams and anguish of the troops still inside. I sit up, seeing all the blood that has been spilled is glowing and forming a strange pattern on the ground.

    “What’s happening?” Orrik screams.

    I hold my hands up to keep those behind me silent. From within the village, I see the dead and living alike come marching forward. They are all greatly disfigured, even the walking skeletons. The marrow in the skeletons juts from the bones, forming spikes and ridges on the body. I look up to the Dragonborn on the balcony, realizing that he is Sangus Rex himself.

    “Oh god,” I whisper. “There’s too many of them again.”

    “What are we supposed to do?” Nicolai whispers.

    I close my eyes and try to think. There aren’t enough ships anymore to carry those we have left. We would have to leave behind thousands at the mercy of this horrible army. That’s when I hear a sound like thunder. Coming down from the hills I see a slew of freed slaves come down brandishing weapons and tools. They join the Golems and start attacking the new Bloodborne soldiers.

    “It’s a miracle,” Sorik marvels in awe.

    “It is,” I marvel. “Come,” I stand at the ready. “We join them” I lead the remaining troops into battle and with the combination of the thousands upon thousands of freed men we are able to overwhelm the Bloodborne.

    We then turn, taking the castle and forcing our way inside. Once there, I take Orrick, and we run through the castle, finding ourselves at an unguarded room. Inside I see Sanguis Rex with four other men. The four men stand before him, but he waves them away.

    He saunters forward, his hands clutched behind his back. “So I see the young have come at least.” He smiles and tilts his head. “King Dhaval, you look just like your father.” He bows at the waist. “You’re fortunate.” He then turns and looks to Orrick. “And the future king of the entire empire. Oops,” he grins and covers his mouth. “Or should I say, the Unified Nations?” He grimaces and sticks his tongue out. “What a horrid sounding name.”

    “Where is my father?” Orrick snaps.

    “Hm?” Sanguis glances back at him. “Oh well, he’s been with Reginald all this time.” He then starts to chuckle. “Your father and I had a lovely chat as well. We go way back, you see.”

    I glance to Orrick, seeing the look in his eyes. 

    “I’m being gracious today,” he sighs. “I just became a father, so I’m feeling quite forgiving.” Sanguis turns his back to us. “So I left Demir to Reginald.”

    I hold Orrick back, keeping him from rushing forward. “Give him to us,” I command.

    “Or what?” Sanguis sneers. “You WON’T kill me?” He lays his palm to his chest. “For what?” He stalks back towards us. “For what crimes?”

    “Everything!” Orrick screams.

    “Stop,” I snarl at him.

    Sanguis chuckles and taps his claws to his jaw. “He’s just worried about his father. I don’t blame him.” He then motions to a door behind him. “Would you like to see him?”

    “Orrick,” I snarl at him as a warning.

    Orrick steps forward and pushes me aside. “Tell me where my father is, right now.”

    “You still think your father is a great man don’t you?” Sanguis replies. “A man who built himself from nothing and created for himself a legacy to last the ages.” He then sighs and lets his shoulders slouch. “If only that were really what had happened.”

    The door opens, and Rehilad comes out. There is blood on his clothes, and he tosses something at Orrick’s feet. 

    Orrick stoops over to pick up the long braid on the ground.

    “Those braids are a sign of honor for your horses, aren’t they?” Reginald smirks.

    Orrick squeezes the braid in his hand. “What have you done to my father?”

    “Payback,” Orrick snarls. “For all the misery your father has caused me. After he stole Veleryn from me, I lost everything!”

    “Is he alive?” Orrick snarls.

    “Only because I need him to be,” Sanguis whispers.

    It’s then a hear a baby crying, and Sanguis’ smug expression melts into a panic. Damini comes in, carrying with her a small baby. It’s screaming and crying, and I can tell Damini hates herself at this moment.

    “How dare you,” anger washes over Sanguis as fast as it can. His body starts to glow red like it did on the balcony and he charges forward.

I take the baby from Damini and stand before her. “Give us Demir,” I snarl. “And the child is safe.”

“Coward,” Sanguis snarls. “Using a baby to get what you want!” He settles down and turns to Reginald. “Get the centaur out.”

“No,” Reginald laughs.

“Get him!” Sanguis roars and the baby screams.

Reginald glares and takes a step towards Sanguis. “You promised me I could keep him. You promised me!”

“Give him up,” Sanguis snarls. “Or so help me, I will rip your bones from your body and feed them back to you.”

Reginald steps back and away, going back through the door. He returns a moment later dragging Demir behind him. Demir is bloodied and beaten, his hair scalped from his head. 

“My son,” Demir falls into Orrick’s arms.

“Oh my god,” Orrick holds Demir close, crying as he cradles his beaten father.

Sanguis steps forward. “Now,” he snarls. “Give me my daughter.”

Damini steps aside, and a woman comes forward. She takes the baby away from me and holds it close.

“Charlee,” Sanguis whispers.

Charlee steps behind Damini and me. “Give up,” her voice wavers. “I can’t stand this. Please. Just give up.”

The look that washes over Sanguis’ face is palpable. He looks lost and angry, hurt and chided. He steps forward, but I raise my sword to guard the woman behind me.

“She came to me willingly,” Damini speaks up. “She gave herself up for mercy. She’s told me everything we need to know. If you give up now and surrender, you may get to see your child grow up.”

Sanguis glares at Damini, tilting his head to the side. “Oh?” He snarls. “And just what did she tell you?”

Damini steels herself. “She loves you with all her heart,” her voice cracks. “But she cannot stand by your actions any longer.”

“You think what I am doing is wicked?” His back straightens, and he laughs. “Yet you applaud a man, who sold the ones he saved to assure his own rise to power.” Sanguis lays his hand on his chest. “If you are looking for the true war criminal here, look no further.” He motions down to Demir on the ground. “All those you freed, he gave them to me.”

Orrick stands. “What did you say?”

Sanguis chuckles and grins at Orrick. “He gave me the freed so that I would use my powers to assure his rise. Everything here today was because he LET me do it.”

Orrick lunges and knocks Sanguis to the ground. His hands wrap around his throat, choking him as Sanguis talons rip into his flesh. The blood that trickles down Orrick’s arms starts to glow, and Orrick is thrown backward. He’s tossed against the ceiling and dropped to the ground.

Orrick rises, his eyes bloodshot and the veins in his body rise up to the surface of his skin. They’re vivid and blue as his skin starts to turn ashen and pale. Damini gasps and grabs hold of me, pulling me away as Orrick starts to scream and writhe.

Sanguis snarls and turns. “Come here, Charlee!” He roars.

Charlee shakes her head as Damini stands before her.

“Come to me, now!” Sanguis orders. “We can get out of here together!”

Charlee cries, and gemstones fall from her eyes instead of tears. She clings to the baby who is screaming and sounds like she is in pain.

Orrick wails and charges, crashing into Sanguis and knocking him through a window. Charlee screams, and I rush forward. Sanguis is hanging out the window, impaled on an iron spike within the stained glass.

Sanguis gasps and coughs, touching where the spike comes out his chest. He laughs and looks up towards the sky. Orrick crumbles to the ground, and Demir drags himself over to him.

I take my sword as Sanguis laughs and drive it into his chin and through his neck. His laughter stops short, and his body goes limp.

“No!” Charlee crumbles and falls to the ground, and Damini kneels beside her. The baby goes quiet, and for a moment the world is still and cold.

I hear the rushing of the wind but nothing else. I don’t hear Orrick vomiting or Demir weeping. I don’t hear Charlee crying or Damini attempting to comfort her. I just see Sanguis laying limp, his head and shoulders hanging out the window as the wind blows a bitter sea air.

I step away and clean the blood from my sword.

I stand over Charlee, and she looks up at me as gemstones cascade from her eyes. “Is he?” She asks weakly.

I kneel down before her and present my sword to her. “I am sorry.”

She places her hand on my sword and pushes it down. “It is for the best,” she breathes. “I would rather see him die now than continue as he was.”

We leave the Berkset mountains and venture into the mainland of Culuweth, there, Nadeem takes us in and tends to the sick and injured. Charlee and her daughter are taken in by lord Bailin and his wife, Esmay.

“Here,” she offers me a book. “This is everything Sanguis was,” she whispers to me. “I trust you with it.” She then turns, following Esmay who leads her away.

Nadeem comes up beside me. “Are you ok?”

I look over the book Charlee handed me. It was thick and bound with strange black leather. “I’m not sure if I am honest.”

Nadeem leads me away, taking me to his chambers where I can rest. Instead, I pour over the book. It is filled with research and history. It goes back to Balafelamona and her own workings in Blood Magic. She used rubies to create her empire but was killed when her powers became too great.  Sanguis used her own studies to further his own, creating rubies like she did that created power and influence. To my horrors, I discovered who he had been selling these rubies to. Many royals on the list were people I had known. One of them was Demir.

The door opens, and Damini walks in. “I came to check on you.”

I smile and close the book and welcome her into my arms. I hug her tight, grateful my baby sister was safe and sound.

“You ok?” Damini whispers.

“No,” I tell her honestly. “I’m afraid-” I start, and my voice chokes off. “I’m afraid some things need to be dealt with.”

Damini’s eyes widen. “What can I do?”

“Start with Nadeem,” I say. “And gather those who can make it.”

I show Sanguis book to those who arrive. Habbar, Nadeem, Ishmael, Alexander, Nicolai, Sorik, and Emmeline, Nadeem’s daughter, all see the names who took part in Sanguis’ rise to power. 

“What do we do?” Emmeline asks with a strong voice. “Tell us, and we shall do it.”

“I wish I was my father,” I confess. “I wish I had his insight and wisdom. Unfortunately, I feel I can only mimic it at this moment.”

“Say it,” Sorik’s voice cracks. 

“Demir should be held accountable for his crimes,” I say out loud. “For the time being, I will hold command over the Nations while Demir awaits trial.”

Sorik stands up. “Let me tell him,” he says with a shaking voice. 

“Are you sure?” I ask. “You are more loyal to him than anyone here.”

Sorik bows his head. “I have known Demir all my life. I have loved him, and I have honored him. To me, he was the hero I always needed to see in the world. Please, it needs to be me he sees.”

“Go,” I whisper.

Sorik leaves the room, and my heart goes out to him.

“What about the ones who escaped?” Damini asks. “Reginald got away and so did the commander of the Gnoll pirates.”

I sigh and close my eyes tight. “We will keep hunting for them and bring them to justice. They’ll pay for their crimes on the nations.”

Nadeem sits back and closes his eyes. He then hangs his head. “Is all of this a lie?” He whispers. “Is everything that we have fought for all these years just...just the influence of Blood Magic?”

“Not all of it,” Emmeline answers. “What Demir did was wrong, but what he created was just. Do not question the good that has come out of all of this. It is bad that needs to be dealt with. And we will deal with it. The Gnolls will not be known as cowards, thieves, and the killers of men. I won’t have it any longer. All of that ends as soon as Edragon is brought in.”

I furrow my brow. “Edragon?” I ask.

“He’s the pirates' commander that was working with Sanguis,” Emmeline replies. “As well as the son of Wulsi.”

My blood runs cold.

“You best look out,” Emmeline warns. “He has a personal vendetta against your family.”

I sigh and hang my head. “That is the least of my concerns.”

“I should say not,” Nadeem whispers. “You’re lord of all the Nations now,” he raises his head. “We will have to call together another meeting of all the nobles to vote on it. Although I’m sure, none of them will have a problem with you serving in the interim.”

    That evening I go down to the chambers where they are holding Demir. I find him sitting in his room and writing on a thick pad of paper. 

    “Can I speak with you?” I ask.

    Demi turns and smiles. “I’ve been waiting on you, actually.” He pulls forth a chair. “Come in, Dhaval. I’m glad to see you.”

    I sigh. “Are you?”

    Demir’s head is wrapped with bandages from Reginald scalping him. He has many other bandages all over his body as well. He looks at me, and I feel nothing to mistrust.

    ‘“I am,” he says. “I love you like you were my own. Your family is as close as blood to me.” He shakes his head as tears start to fall down his face. “Do you know how long I have been holding on to this guilt?”

    I am quiet, and I let him talk.

    “Ever since my son was born I have been-” Demir hangs his head. “I am not a good man, not like your father, not even like Nadeem or Habbar.” He reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing it tight. “I did the unthinkable to assure my dreams came true.”

    “But you were a slave too, Demir!” I whisper. “How could you give them into the hands of Sanguis?”

    “He used pretty words,” Demir laughs in pain. “He simply asked I give over those unclaimed to him. I had no idea what he was-”

    “But you must have to feel that guilt,” I snarl.

    Demir sighs, and he turns to the pad he was writing on. “Everything is here.” He says. “This is my confession. I only have one request that I wish you would honor.”

    “What is it?” I ask.

    “Let me spend the rest of my days in Bastat,” he replies. “And please, let my family go free. They knew nothing of what I did.”

    “Your family is safe. And they can stay in their home or with me if they want.” I take the confession into my hands. “Why Bastat?”

    “Our of all the places I have been,” Demir murmurs, “I have always felt drawn to it. I have my home, but Bastat calls to me. I think I am supposed to be there.”

    “I will see what I can do,” I tell him. “And I will ask Chiyo how she feels about such a thing.”

    Demir sobs. “Oh god, Chiyo,” he whispers. “What will she think of me?”

    “I am sorry, old friend,” I tell him.

    “Don’t be,” he looks up at me. “Take care of my son. He is...weak now, and I do not think he will recover from this.”

    I leave his quarters with the confession, and my heart has broken.

    I return home to break the news to my father, Demir’s closest confidant. He is shaken, of course, but he holds me in his arms.

    “You did the right thing,” Amit says. “You did...what I couldn’t do if it were up to me.”

    I look up at him with bleary eyes, I have already cried so much, but I am about to cry again. “I did what I thought you would do.”

    My dad smiles at me. “It is the right thing, but I am not sure I would have had the strength to do it.” He takes off his glasses and wipes his eyes. “I am so proud of you, my King.”