Dawn of Night: Epilogue

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Kylor took in a deep breath as he walked into the tournament grounds. Today was the day that would decide the future of the Ardoni Clans. With wide eyes, he took in the awe inspiring sights around him. As he walked into the massive stone cavern, he couldn’t help but think about those who had come before him. *All the greatest have come here. Thalleous, Ingressus, and Achillean.* The stone crushed under his feet as he moved forward. He could feel the ancient history weighing heavily on his shoulders. *This is my chance to make it up to my father. It’s truly up to me to lead the clans so that the Nightsinger can be stopped.* Kylor sighed with longing. *I wish father could be here to see me now.*

Beside him, Venus squeezed his hand while Kora rolled her eyes behind them. Over the last few weeks, Venus had become more than just a friend to him. She had become his greatest supporter, and had finally fallen for him. They had tried to keep their romance a secret, but of course Theseus blurted it out to everyone. Kylor wasn’t mad, in fact he had laughed at the practical joke. But Venus had become so furious, Theseus had to hide from her for days as to not have an arrow thrown into his chest. Kora had actually been supportive, but clearly though the two lovers were making it a big deal for nothing.

Soon, Kylor reached the center of the tournament grounds. In that circle in the cavern center, green grass and vibrant flowers gave signs of life to a place so far from lively elsewhere. Sunlight streamed through holes in the ceiling hundreds of feet up. Around the cavern, stony balconies were set up so that other Ardoni could watch the participants compete. There were too many Voltaris in the stands for Kylor’s liking. *Senn had said that his clan wasn’t sending a champion to compete. So why are these Voltaris here?* Kylor saw why as soon as he looked at his competitors. In one corner, Victor Voltaris stared back at him.

The other competitors were also warming up on the tournament grounds. One of them was a Sendaris. His ears suggested that he was a little over sixty, and his runes were a mess of blue squiggles everywhere. On his back, a fanged diamond staff hung and in his hand was a thorny enchanted diamond broadsword. The next one was a Kaltaris, but Kylor didn’t pay him or any of the other champions any attention. Only Vector and the Sendaris looked like actual threats to his victory. Before he could analyze them more, however, Drakius pulled him aside.

“Kylor, I wanted you to know this.” Drakius looked into the youngster’s eyes with compassion. “I want you to have my uncle’s blade.” When Kylor gave him a confused look, Drakius explained. “Used to, I was mad at Nitrus for taking the Deathsinger’s sword. I thought of it as stealing since I was Ingressus’ relative. It was up to me to carry on for my Uncle what he couldn’t do himself, which was to help his clan. I even thought about stealing it from Nitrus, but I knew that wouldn’t work forever.” Kylor pulled the netherite broadsword out and was about to give it to Drakius. But Drakius shook his head and pushed it back. Kylor looked at him in concern. “You sure you don’t want it back. Drakius smiled. “You’re about to save his clan from their greatest danger. Uncle would want you to have it, Dawnsinger.” Kylor grinned back, but then frowned when he noticed Victor listening in on the conversation. Before he could look into it, though, an elderly Mendoris began the tournament.

“Today, we have gathered to face a great danger. Outside our lands, trouble brews. Trouble that could harm us all.” He gave the crowd a hard look. “Gathered today are the greatest of our clans. Today, one will be chosen to be the champion of all the clans in order to lead us through this uncertain time.” He then nodded to the gathered champions. “Let the tournament begin!”

Kylor sized up the other opponents, careful to keep the flame enchantment on his sword from activating. Time crawled by, the air thick with tension. Then, unable to stand it, Kylor launched himself at his opponents. The first one he went after was Victor. With an overhead slash, Kylor forced Victor to block. Then, while the Nightsinger held his blade above him for protection, Kylor side kicked him into the ground. The Sendaris competitor struck next, attempting to hit Kylor’s exposed back. Activating Mobilishift, Kylor spun around and ducked before slamming the flat of his blade into his opponent’s skull. The Kaltaris looked like he was about to flee, so Kylor dashed to him. In panic, the Kaltaris stabbed at him. *Big mistake, buddy!* Kylor knocked the spear aside, then swung the flat of his sword into the Kaltaris competitor’s chest. *Three down, two to go. T*he Mendoris female ran forward and attempted to slip underneath him, but Kylor jumped up. Then, as he landed, he dispatched her with an ax kick. The only one left was the Nestoris. With a shout, the Nestoris sent an Aggrocone his way. Kylor, however, activated Supporohide. Confused, the Nestoris cautiously made his way forward, prodding the air with his spear. However, Kylor used his advantage to sneak to the side. Then, with a mighty heave, Kylor grabbed the spear and swung it so that the blunt end slammed into its owner’s chin. The pain caused the surprised Nestoris to let go of his weapon. Pulling back, Kylor then, with all his strength, thrust the blunt end of the spear into his opponent’s solar plexus. Wheezing from the impact, the Nestoris hit the ground like a barrel of cobblestone.

With relish, Kylor pulled his staff off his back and planted it into the ground in victory. Leaning on his staff, his chest looking like a block of magma, Aurelius Nestoris stepped forward with the other masters and spoke to both Kylor and the audience. “It looks like we have a champion.” He smiled fondly at the young Ardoni. “You have demonstrated the skills in combat and song wielding required of a great leader. And the fact that you are here shows your desire to make a brighter future for the clans. May you lead us well.”  At that moment, Victor sprang up and glared at Kylor. Unease grew within Kylor as Victor spat out his rejections. “I had hoped that I wouldn’t have to do this,” he glowered, “but it appears I must.” Nodding to the crowd, an unseen signal passed to all the Voltaris watching. In an instant, the Voltaris used their songs to teleport to their leader, with a few of them teleporting behind the masters. With another nod from the Nightsinger, they slayed the clan masters.

Chaos ensued as the corpses fell to the ground. *They’re trying to throw the clans into chaos by killing their masters and elders!* Together, Kylor and his friends launched themselves against the Voltaris intruders. Soon, they were joined by the tournament guards, Ardoni who were there to guard the masters. At first, the advantage of surprise worked well in Victor’s favor. But soon, his miniscule forces were overwhelmed. Without the proper size, the Ardoni guards began to push the Voltaris back. Venus used Supporoconstruct to make and fling arrows at the murderers. *She’s got a killer aim! Literally!* Drakius twirled his staff, sending arrows back to their senders while Theseus used a takedown to throw an enemy over the platform edge before stabbing a Voltaris behind him. Growling, the Nightsinger soon found himself alone. Fear lit his eyes as he looked at Kylor. *He knows he can’t beat us all!* To prevent his escape, Kylor summoned Aggrofang. Victor lunged to the side to avoid getting hit, but was too late as the destructive fang nicked his leg.

Victor stood up, wincing with the effort. His form was bent as the pain of his injury weighed him down and limited his maneuverability. With malice, the Nightsinger glared at Ardoni in front of him. As Kylor studied his wounded opponent, for the first time, truly saw his enemy. All those years ago, the destruction of Dryvandale was but a blur and while he could remember the events, Kylor couldn't remember what Victor looked like. Now, though, he consciously scrutinized every detail.

The Nightsinger's face was perhaps the most fascinating.  When he was younger, Kylor's father would tell him stories of adventures. One such story spoke of Ghasts, creatures with a gray line underneath their eyes, almost as though they had been crying so long that the tears had scarred them. Looking at Victor's face reminded Kylor of the story. The Nightsinger too had crimson lines underneath the pupil area of his eyes, almost as though he had been crying blood for centuries. Victor's torso was different, a chaotic mess of runes in red almost as though his chest had been ravaged by Felina claws. Above each fist, diagonal stripes of scarlet made up his arm runes. All of this contrasted with his extremely dark gray skin.

Most of Kylor's friends were glaring at Victor, but Akatie looked devastated. She looked like she had seen a ghost. With misty eyes, Akatie reached out towards Victor. Her voice was pleading and even cracked a few times as she implored him. "Please, Victor. It doesn't have to be this way! If you go for this power, it will only destroy you. Don't make this mistake! You can't win this fight and I know you don't want to lose all of your people. Please, make the right decision and step away from this path!"

Akatie kept her hand extended, a ray of hope lighting up her face. For a bit, it seemed as if the Nightsinger might come forward and take it as many emotions wared across his face. Looking into Victor's eyes at that moment, Kylor could see the true Voltaris deep within. *The look on his face. It's the look of one who sees what he's done and knows he can never go back.* Gently, Kylor spoke to his opponent's heart. "It's not too late. You can still turn back." Anguish and despair seemed to fill Victor for a second. But then the anger and defeat took over again.

Victor gazed into the eyes of his enemies before he began to speak. He addressed Akatie first, his face becoming furious. Victor pointed his ax at her with a look of betrayal mixing with his anger. "You claim that I am taking the wrong path, that I am making a mistake. But have you forgotten who it was that urged me to find the power to avenge the wrongs done to my clan?" He snarled out the words. "And when I came to you with my plan to achieve my goal, do you remember who it was who tried to kill me. And then ran to Tysoar when that failed, sister?" Akatie staggered a few steps back as though she had been punched in the gut. Her expression was that of horror as she held her hands over her mouth. Victor then turned to Kylor. His eyes became sympathetic and lamentable. "Your father and I were close back then. When he was rejected by everyone else because of who is father was, I saved him from those who threatened to harm him. Together we bonded and soon, we were practically brothers to one another. Through thick and thin, to roaring fire or pounding storm, we were an inseparable team. We were as close to each other as anyone could possibly be." Victor's expression darkened as he focused his attention on Drakius. "It was him who drove us apart. He whispered lies and deceit to Tysoar. He made him believe that the persecution placed on us was our fault. He twisted Tysoar's mind until Tysoar saw me as an enemy. It is because of him that Tysoar and I fought. It was because of him that I had to kill Tysoar. In the end, what he did forced us to where we ended up. And someday," Victor glared at the green Ardoni, "he will pay." As Victor returned his attention to Kylor, his expression changed in a way that Kylor would have thought possible for someone like him. "For what's worth, I am truly, deeply sorry. What I did on that tragic night long ago still haunts me in my nightmares. I only ever wanted to help my people. I never meant for it to come to this.” And the strange thing was, Kylor believed him. For just a second, the Nightsinger’s true colors showed. *He’s truly sad, shattered by that night. Its scars run deep into his mind.* Kylor’s heart ached at the realization. *He really did care about my father, and it's broken something inside him knowing what he’s done. His is the face of a man haunted by regret, by ghosts of the past. He really was only trying to help his clan, but he ended up hurting the one closest to him.* But there was something else there too. *Determination. He knows that he can’t go back, and he truly believes that what he’s doing will avenge the wrongs.* But in truth, it never would. The Nightsinger’s voice cracked and a stubborn tear fell down his face. “Your father was one of the few people I had left in life. The others were all taken by the other cursed clans!”

Victor turned and aimed a burning glare at Theseus. “So,” he sneered, “You’re the child of Drakius. I remember you for what you took from me! Look upon these runes!” The Nightsinger waved one hand over the runes on his chest. When Theseus shook his head, Victor looked at him in disgust. “Well, son of the Arcturus house, let me enlighten you. It was a little over a century and half since the Great War had been finished. That night, we were planning one of our raids.” Pain clouded Victor’s face, his eyes far off as though peering through time itself as he lost himself in the past. “He had no quarrel with you, and yet you murdered him in cold-blood. Graduk, my brother, the last family I had left. He never wanted to fight Kaltaria, but still you murdered him that night.” Fury glazed the Nightsinger’s eyes and his face became sharp angles of cold hatred. “And then you came to the base of Mount Velgrin to where my friend and I were sitting watching that night. Rather than leave us be, you charged in. I had no reason to fight you, I merely tried to defend myself. But still, you left me to die with a spear through my heart. And you killed Bellaphron, even though he was defenseless! You had no sense of honor, nor do you have any sense of understanding!” Victor laughed a harsh, broken laugh. “But I survived, thanks to Tysoar. He used Protepulse to heal me and bring me back just as I was giving my last breath.” Victor sighed. “But he was too late to save Beelaphron.” The Nightsinger pointed his blade at Theseus. “And one day, I will ensure you understand the pain that I have felt at your family’s hands! Thanks to the Arcturus house, I lost everything!”

Theseus was speechless, his mouth gaping open in shock as he recognized the Ardoni in front of him. Venus was the only one who didn’t seem stunned. Instead, she looked like she wanted to strangle Victor. “Why,” She snapped. “Why are you doing this? What would this accomplish?” The Nightsinger’s expression became sympathetic as he gazed at her with something Kylor was surprised to see. Love. “Venus, my daughter, someday you will understand.” Victor turned his attention to the group as a whole. “None of you can understand. The cursed reputation of your clan gives us no choice. We live under the shadow of death in every second of our lives. The only way we can live without worrying about those who hunt us is to be too strong to fall. Without this power, we can’t survive.” His bitter voice rang with truth. “Because of our ancestors, we are viewed as irredeemable evil. When even the slightest things go wrong, we are blamed for what has happened and are hunted down.” His piercing stare bored into Kylor’s mind. “When the Deathsinger was being hunted, we had no choice but to follow him. Because, thanks to our reputation, even if we were not in league with him, we would still be killed merely because we were Voltaris. No one cared if we were innocent.” Victor planted his ax into the ground with a careless shrug, but his grief stricken eyes didn’t quite sell it. “Not to say we all disagreed with Ingressus. I understood why he did it. The Primes were rightfully his! The Masters chose to resist him, giving him no choice but to take what was his. He knew that, unless we gained back our ancient power, we would once again be hunted. Now, I must go to the battlefield. At this moment, my lieutenant Scarlet is taking care of the weakling who dared claim to be master of my clan.”

Victor turned and activated Supporoconstruct and created a portal with his mind. On the other side of the portal, a burning village could be seen. In it, different Ardoni with red markings battled each other. At the center, two Ardoni dueled each other. One of them was holding a flaming garnet sword, a sneer on her face as she fought with agility. The other held Voltar, as well as an enchanted diamond broadsword. *Master Senn Voltaris!* Despite her power, the female couldn’t seem to overpower Senn who, with an Aggrosphere, blew his opponent backward. However, Kylor returned his attention to the Nightsinger, who had now turned his back to them and was facing the portal. He chuckled with contempt as he spoke. “It is true, I can’t win this fight. Even with the rogue Voltaris and the Unyielding Legion, I cannot hope to defeat the combined strength of all four clans. But I am not alone. As we speak, plans are coming to pass, plans set in motion and constructed long before that night a decade ago. Plans you cannot hope to stop. In the End, I have ensured that one knight has risen to power, and once he takes over the human armies and marches to aid me with their power, I will have the greatest army ever known. And soon the Necromancers of the east shall join me after conquering Felden. With the power of their undead, and the dark secret they hold, I will be unstoppable! You may have won this battle, Dawnsinger, but the war has just begun.” Then, before anyone could stop him, the Nightsinger strode through his portal, which promptly disappeared once he was through.

Kylor looked around at the devastation. *If all the clan masters are dead, who will lead the clans to war?* With confidence he didn’t possess, Kylor turned to the elder Ardoni from each clan, all of whom were now gathered behind him. “If we are to stay strong against these threats, we must have new leaders.” All the elders nodded their heads. The oldest for the Kaltaris stepped forward. Bending down, he picked up Kaltar from the fallen Kaltaris master. With a bow, he presented it to Kylor. Shock raced through Kylor as he stared at the clan staff. *But I can’t lead. I don’t have the experience, and…its not what I want. I’m here to help my father, not rule. I won’t give power the chance to get into my head.* Kylor shook his head. “This staff is not for me. I came here to help lead you against the Nightsinger. Once he is defeated, I want nothing more. I do not seek power, nor do I want it.” Kylor took the staff and turned to Drakius. “But I do know who should come next. Drakius has been alive longer than me, and has experience of the highest quality. He has seen the many events of Ardonia, and he is one of the few I trust to stand by the light in these dark times.” Speechless, Drakius took the staff and glanced uncertainty at the Kaltaris elders. Smiling, the elder nodded before he spoke to Kylor, his voice crackly with age. “To be able to turn down power and admit weakness shows wisdom beyond your years. The Kaltaris clan would be honored to follow you. You can count on our support.”

Kylor turned to the Sendaris elders. The oldest of them nodded to him. “We have chosen our new leader.” The elder turned to the champion for the Sendaris clan. “You are the strongest among us, Tempest, and you have seen many conflicts and always stood by the righteous. Not only that, but you have also dealt with the Voltaris many times as you protected our world.” *So that's the Sendaris Champoin's name is.* The other Sendaris elders mumbled their agreement as Tempest was presented with Sendar. Tempest took it with a grim expression. “If Ardonia is to survive,” His voice surprisingly calm and deadly serious, “The clans must stand together.” Tempest nodded to Kylor. “And considering that you know more about this threat than us, we will follow your lead. You can count on our support.”

Kylor glanced at the Mendoris and Nestoris clan elders. Debating fiercely, the Nestoris clan elders spoke first. “During the Illager war two decades back, under our advice, the Ardoni clans closed their eyes to the growing ominous threat of the east. Because of it, Felden and its neighbors were nearly destroyed. Only one of us was courageous enough to stand up to the Illagers and led a small group of Ardoni to fight. Thanks to him, the Illagers were defeated, but Felden barely recovered recently. If the Nightsinger attempts to do what the Illagers tried, with him having an even larger force, he would doom Ardonia. We need the courage that was found during the Ominous War.” The Nestoris turned to a younger Ardoni with yellow rain patterned runes, the same one that Kylor had just beaten in the tournament. “Herculean Nestoris, would you lead us?” Herculean took the Nestor from the elder and nodded. “I will lead us as courageously as I did during the Ominous war.” Herculean then turned to Kylor and nodded. “We shall follow you, Dawnsinger. You know this threat better than any of us. Show us what we must do, and we shall do it for our brothers and sisters.”

Kylor looked at the elders of the Mendoris clan. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth and gave his opinion. “If it is possible, I think Akatie is perfect for this. She has trained with Galleous himself, and she had many years of experience. Not only that, but I can trust her to do right.” He was about to say more, but Akatie firmly cut him off. “No. This is my fault, I was the one who encouraged the Nightsinger. I don’t deserve such respect.” Kylor was about to argue, but thought better of it. He nodded at her with sympathy. *I understand, feeling like it's your fault.* Akatie turned to the elders and made her own suggestion. “My mother, Diana Mendoris, is even greater than me, and none here can deny she is the greatest of the Mendoris in terms of wielding songs. Or that it was she that helped bring some of our clan to help Herculean.” The elders huddled together and, after an intense discussion, agreed, handing Mendor to a younger Mendoris with vine-like runes going down her legs and torso.

Theseus pointed out the problem after the master issue had been settled. “But we still can win. If what the Nightsinger said is true, we can’t hope to beat him, even with the combined power of all four clans. What will we do?” Everyone, even the clan masters, turned to Kylor for an answer. This both surprised and unsettled him. *I’m still so young. They have more experience, so why are they looking for me to lead?!* But he was their champion now, and it was his job to make sure that they stayed safe. As he thought about it, a plan came to mind. With a deep breath, he addressed all the Ardoni gathered, those competing and those watching. “Clan masters, gather all of your warriors who can fight. I’ll deal with our number problem. We can ask the other human kingdoms for help. Not all of them will bow to the End. And if the stories that my father told me are true, then the world of death will realize the danger the End poses. Theseus scratched his head with disbelief. “You’re proposing that we ally with the Nether.” Theseus said it as a statement rather than a question. Kylor nodded. “King Hyperion fought alongside my father. The Nightsinger is the Nether’s enemy as well. I’m sure I can get through to Hyperion’s better nature.” Tempest was the one who spoke up. With a thoughtful look, he appraised the young Kaltaris. “Your idea might just work. The Nether would have a large enough army to face off with a couple human armies. Besides, it’s our only shot. We won’t find a large enough force anywhere else.”

With all decided, the clan masters left to rally their troops. Kylor and his friends stayed as they chose their next course of action. Since Tigress and Electron were more experienced in intel collection, it was decided that they would go to the kingdoms to see what they could learn. The whole time, Venus kept her eyes on the ground. *I didn’t know she was Victor’s daughter.* The one time she met his eyes, he gave her a hard look to ensure she knew there would be a discussion in the future. *I can’t believe she never told me about this! That meant that she lied to me about her parents and much of her life! How many other lies has she told me?* Kylor turned his attention back to the discussion. Theseus was insistent that he be given a major mission, and Kylor finally relented, telling him and Kora to find what the fate of the Voltaris clan was. Despite his anger at her, he decided to have Venus come with him as everyone else got their missions. *Meanwhile, I will go to the Nether to find help.* With that, all of them left.

Drakius was the last one out. As he stared at the sunset, he thought grimly about what lay ahead. *It’s a new dawn,* Drakius mused to himself. *A dawn of night.* Unease eating at him, Drakius turned and headed out to gather his people. *We must get ready for the Third Great War.*

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