<h2>CHAPTER 93 – THE CRIMSON CLEANSE</h2>


    King Axion sent the tidal waves of fire into the city to burn up the enemy, but he could not be everywhere at once. Deep within the city streets, Mortikahn and Paxikahn screamed in despair as they plummeted to the floor. Mortikahn turned over, midair, to see a flock of cravens flying toward them. Thank the gods. They would not be crushed to death, just eaten alive! Back inside the courtyard, the condor Anilithion sat on, caught the faint pitch of a brother’s impending doom and the smell of craven.


    He took flight. The chrome-faced condor flew Anilithion into the city. Its metal cut the winds and flew through the air with no resistance. Anilithion rode the bird, weaving through the fiery waves passing throughout the city, cleaning out trembling buildings. Some buildings survived, but many collapsed as Anilithion flew narrowly underneath them. He saw two figures falling down the trench of buildings. Flying low, Anilithion’s condor dipped under the plummet to intercept them.


    The two men fell cleanly onto the condor. Neither of which getting hurt any further, merely winded by the impact. Anilithion turned around to find his brother Mortikahn and his uncle Paxikahn frantically trying to hang on and catch their breath.


    Albeit scared and disoriented, he was glad just to see them alive.


    “STOP SMILING AND TURN AROUND!” Mortikahn ordered his older brother.


    Anilithion turned forward to see the giant ugly face of a craven, pecking at him as it flew by. Three misshapen, scaly, black birds flew by Anilithion and his condor. He looked back at them. They will turn around and try to catch up to him. He had to act now if he meant to escape their wrath. The city continued to howl and burn, and sporadically crumble around him as he steered the Condor away.


    “HANG ON!” he yelled to his passengers.


    He pushed down on the soft metal head, and they went into a dive, swooping low, banking around and under the ruins. The cravens looped around and began their approach on Anilithion. A building cracked down the middle after another wave of fire and collapsed. The top of it leaned over and began to fall horizontally across the path in front of the condor. Anilithion maintained their dive. They swooped under the falling tower and pulled up on the godly condor before hitting the ground.


    He looked back again, behind Paxikahn and Mortikahn catching their breath, while rubbing the head of his condor in encouragement. “DID YOU JUST SEE THAT?” he exclaimed.


    Just then, Anilithion caught the sight of the cravens, flying through the spreading gray smoke of the building collapse. Their pace grew faster and faster as they caught up. Anilithion prepared himself for evasive actions. But just before they reached him, the cravens collided with the rest of the chrome-faced condors. The Condors had dropped off their riders in the circle of the courtyard and flown to Anilithion’s aid, led by Chronis the giant-sized Silver-tailed hawk.


    They battled over the city. Anilithion cracked his whip around the craven that bit at him and caught its neck, pulling it in as he unsheathed his sword, plunging its tip up into the dark beast’s skull. The craven carcass dropped from the air. Anilithion weaved his bird through the remaining flight to safety.


    Chronis swooped beside a craven, tore out a piece of its throat with his beak and used a metal feather to cut its head off. The craven twitched into lifelessness and dropped dead out of the sky. The condors defeated the remaining cravens.


    Anilithion flew back and brought them safely to the Courtyard. Paxikahn and Mortikahn, now rescued and returned, greeted their family in the light.


    “Where is Jericho?”


    “I lost him…” Mortikahn admitted with a guilty conscience.


    Mortikahn addressed the king, his father, and Mitakahn. Mitakahn! He returned. There he was, standing there as if he never left, but with the mighty Sunbird. Now it was clear to him…the kingdom’s salvation had come.


    King Axion was wearing his crown as though it had always rested on his head and wielding the magical Sword of Heroes passionately before them. He looked like he was underwater, but in reality he was immersed in flame. The fire released from his blade like molten lava, and quickly turned to stormy flames. Smoke raised from the blade as the ruby turned from solar panels to exhaust vents. The fire from the sword looked more scarlet than regular fire, just like the crimson of the Pride was darker than regular red.


    The King breathed deeply and ran back into the battle. Mitakahn and Eberlyn followed behind as the rest of the company spread out, ridding the courtyard of all remaining darksiders. Mitakahn followed his brother back into the fray. Axion seemed to be getting a hold of the sword. He didn’t throw anymore waves into the city. They took a lot out of him and damaged already unstable Zepathorum buildings.


    Instead, Axion kept the blade lit and a fire going on his left hand. Eberlyn hovered next to him holding spears made of her fire wings. Axion looked at his brother on his left side.


    “Are you going to be good without fire magic?” he asked, mostly joking but slightly bragging.


    A caw rang out from the sky above. Mitakahn took out his sword. His silver gauntlet sprang out from his glistening scars and came together perfectly around his fingers grasping the handle of the sword. Chronis landed on his shoulder, now normal sized.


    “I think I will be just fine, brother.” Mitakahn smirked.


    The two princes and the lady of fire clashed with the darksiders. Eberlyn threw one of her spears into a darksider. It exploded on impact, shredding the soldier to dust. She blocked a scimitar strike with her other spear and then sliced its head off with her fire-wing. Then she spun around and shot flames out at the bunch of necrogallion lunging for her back.


    Axion pushed forward using the cosmic fire to shoot out of his feet. He nearly fell over but got to the enemy in time. He cut clean through the necrogallion staggered by Eberlyn’s blast. Axion turned around and parried an incoming sword strike. He punched the darksider in the head with his flaming hand and it sent out a fireball. The darksider fell to the floor. Axion punched the air and shot a fireball that zoomed into the closest darksider.


    Chronis flew off Mitakahn’s shoulder and spun, sending silver feathers slicing through the air. They all struck the same dark soldier in the head, dropping it dead. Mitakahn fought one on one with the darksiders while Chronis kept them at bay. He clashed swords with yet another one when fire rained down near them. Chronis flew back into the air, disappearing in the overcast sky.


    More fire burnt the darksiders massing behind them. The dragon responsible for the burns finally made enough room in the ranks to land. The courtyard was almost cleared. The dragon rider dismounted and approached Axion. Eberlyn jumped into action and an interception course. The dragon rider stopped and took out her blades, assuming a warrior’s stance. Eberlyn did not break her gait and they would have collided in spectacle had it not been for Mitakahn.


    “Zora?”


    The dragon rider looked over at the prince. Eberlyn stopped and asked him, “You know this darksider?”


    Mitakahn could almost hear Zora’s hiss from where he was standing.


    “That is no darksider, Eberlyn. She is a dragon rider of the South, and it would do you well to know the difference.” Mitakahn said with a smile.


    Zora put her blades away and took off her helmet to get a better look at Mitakahn. Axion put his hand over Eberlyn’s shoulder as they all got a little closer.


    “You helped us,” King Axion said, “When a battalion of behemoths threatened the citadel. It was this brave warrior that saved the kingdom.”


    Zora did not smile.


    Axion sounded like he would knight her right then and there for what she did for the Pride. Mitakahn was astonished and couldn’t be more confused about how she ended in his Citadel courtyard.


    “I am not here because I betrayed my country. I am here because my country betrayed me. The Dark Lord forced me to summon the stardragons that devastated your armies. Everything I’ve done after that has been in recompense.”


    “What?” asked Eberlyn.


    Axion dismissed her remorse and Mitakahn did what he did best.


    “What is his name?”


    “The Dark Lord? His name is Malinor. That is all I know. He is an imposter and not from the South.”


    Mitakahn took this as an opportunity to explain, he said, “Zora was brought here from the past by a storm.”


    “Oh,” said Axion, matter-of-factly.


    “Mitakahn!” someone yelled from back towards the Citadel. “King Axion!” The shouting got closer, and it became clear who searched for them.


    Mercinestor Casterosi ran up on the Arkenoir brothers.


    “Cipher is missing! Along with Kara Ventrilles! They were last seen by the Zenfor Archers in the city, meddling with the Ignaleos Cor.”


    “My gods, he could be anywhere, Uncle Nestor.” Mitakahn fret, right along with Mercinestor.


    “We must do something,” Mercinestor said.


    “If they are in the city we will find them.” King Axion declared.


    “And if they aren’t?” asked Eberlyn.


    “If they aren’t in the Zepathorum or nearby, then I can only think of two other places, Castle Rosi Island and Arunidawa,” posited Mitakahn.


    “Castle Rosi is in ruin,” said Mercinestor.


    “Arunidawa it is, then,” said the King.


    “Makes sense if the Cor was in any way involved with Magnanimous’ return,” said Mercinestor.


    “I’m sorry, what?” asked Mitakahn.


    “We have a lot to catch you up on little brother. In the meantime, we have enough of a presence on the battlefield to put an end to all this and aerial support to spare.”


    “I will go.” Zora stepped forth.


    “You do not know the way,” said Mitakahn.


    “I will go with her.” Mercinestor said, also stepping forward.


    “Hurry back. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” said King Axion.


    “I would argue that we need you here,” Mitakahn said, looking at Zora, and then the group, “but I think we both agree Cipher is worth two of any of us,”


    “And then some, my dear boy. I will tell him you said that.” Mercinestor hugged Mitakahn and bowed to Axion. “My King.”


    King Axion nodded back to Mercinestor. Fathom crawled over beside Zora in his customary way of presenting his mount. Zora held her hand out for the lion lord, the senior of the group, who was clearly storing his energy in the krackenwreck. Mercinestor awkwardly took Zora’s hand and climbed up aboard Fathom the dragon. He tried to avoid the fin-like scales that cobbled his back. They looked sharp. Fathom tried his best not to move. Lord Casterosi found his footing, getting to his seat. Zora’s gaze drifted back towards Mitakahn who was smiling. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    “What?” she asked.


    “It’s just funny seeing two of my most favorite people in the world setting off on a quest together.”


    “You northerners have a strange sense of humor.”


    “No, that’s just Mitakahn.” Axion pointed at him casually with the Crucifire Sword.


    Mitakahn actually appreciated Axion’s quip, because as he replayed the words in his head he realized he just told Zora she’s his favorite person in the world, along with…his uncle… weird. A small fire lit under his skin in pure embarrassment. Zora went to say something to Mitakahn.


    The dragon started moving to get centered for lift-off, and Mercinestor nearly fell off. He swiftly grabbed Zora who was in front of him and hung onto her as they rose into the air. The dragon shot forward, heading south, out of the city.


    King Axion took a swing north and a roaring wave of translucent fire spewed out of the crucifire sword. The wave grew and doubled, tripled, and quadrupled in size until it passed through the Gatehouse completely. Any darksider unlucky enough to be caught in its path were eviscerated. The fire did not harm anyone except the invaders. It did, however, rock the already unstable buildings of Zepathorum. King Axion had to work on curbing his ability.


    The Arkenoir brothers joined the rest of their companions in overthrowing the enemy. Soon enough, the courtyard was clear of all darksiders. King Axion turned around before the group. He never thought he would see it. When times were truly at their darkest his brother brought home the most awesome of gifts, a sword. He raised the Crucifire Sword and blew a torch into the air for everyone in the city who was still alive to see, a beacon of hope. To instill the message that peace and good would prevail in the North.


    The torch lit up the dark clouded sky. Mitakahn bowed before him along with the rest of the courtyard, and the fire rose into the cloud, catching the dark magic storm aflame.


    Mitakahn asked him, “What are your orders, my King?”


    Axion thought about it for a moment. He looked around at all his family and friends and contemplated all of his options. His brain worked without a hitch, focused by his newfound identity and energy.


    “Euphrati and Mortikahn come with me. We can finish off the city. Mitakahn take care of that blasted dark cloud. The rest of you make for Caliber. We liberate The Pride once and for all!”


    Axion joined hands with Eberlyn, “We must save my cousin, Jericho,” he said. Axion pushed off the ground and the fire surrounding him was guided by Eberlyn and propelled Axion through the air as Mortikahn followed on foot behind them.


    Anilithyìstad stepped back. Paxikahn looked back at his older brother retiring from the fight. He was not as old as Anilithyìstad, and not yet done with this fight. He caught up with Mortikahn and escorted his nephew back into the dangerous streets of Zepathorum.


    Mitakahn on the Phoenix led his men now back on the chrome-faced condors for Port Caliber. Mitakahn and the Phoenix lingered above the Citadel and fired off a rally of fireballs. They ate up the dark clouds that plagued the skies. Mitakahn brought the sun back to Zepathorum and the Pride. The sunlight came shining through, destroying bulk flanks of dark troops within the city, and exposing the graphic nature of war. The evil turned to ash and blew away, all that remained were the Lion Kingdom fallen. Blood and bodies of brothers and sisters in arms lined the streets of the rioted city. How could a city be saved after so much destruction?


    Mitakahn and his company quickly reached Port Caliber, except for Anilithion who peeled off from the group and stayed in Zepathorum to use his condor in the search for Jericho. At the Port, enemy ships that had been abandoned were now getting ready for sail, Behemoths and cravens were let loose and rampaging wildly through the city. The dragon soldiers were in full retreat. Tron and Bridger remained on the condors, shooting arrows at the cravens. Tron flew through the air with his golden shield deployed, firing arrows through its curves.


    The rest of the company flew to separate parts of the city. Excelsior and Orion dropped into the inner city. It was pitch black, and there were cries coming from everywhere. Dark figures were caught running down the streets past them. They cried like children and Orion went to their aid. But before Excelsior could warn the na?ve pup, the darksiders turned around, and screeched their ugly little faces at Orion. Orion stumbled back and Excelsior jumped into the air behind him. The pup turned to run away, and his master came crashing down on top of the dark creatures. He chopped their heads off as Orion shoved his head behind Excelsior, lifting him up onto his hide. They continued fighting through the streets.


    Humbler took the marina district. His landing was heavy from off of his chrome-faced condor. He marched through the industrial avenue of the port city, with his mighty hammer, bringing terror down on the terrible. He clipped a darksider with the horn on his hammer, keeping him lodged on, and swinging it around, breaking the chest of both the one caught and the one impacted by the mighty warrior’s hammer.


    Kunezar flew for the ranches, in an attempt to rescue the horses being held by the darksiders. At the ranches, the darksiders were cutting into the horses and infecting them. Killing them and then bringing them back as a new species of darksider. He glided his condor low to the ground on the open range of fences. He cut down the enemy riders and then unlocked the ranch gates, gathering the herds of helpless horses. The remaining darksiders fired arrows at him as he covered the fleeing herd. He killed them off and returned to the city.


    Mitakahn headed for the docks. He used the Phoenix to his advantage while he could. The enemy armada was not ready for such a drastic turn and their ships were laid to waste. The Phoenix’s flame consumed the entire fleet. He wrought its eruptive chasm of cosmic flames down the entire coastline.


    Even the reflections from the burning ships on the ocean water wounded the dragon soldiers. Mitakahn caught on to this trend and utilized it to the most of his ability. The few ships that moved to escape the bay were torched, creating a dam of wreckage, caging in the remaining ships with fire and light. He finished off the rest of the fleet and turned in on the beaches, continuing to the center of the town, where he let the Phoenix destroy all the clouds of darkness.


    The Phoenix’s eyes glowed with no bounds and out from its churning feathers poured columns upon columns of wildfire. They rose into the air and cleansed the sky of all darkness. The remaining enemies burnt up into ash before Mitakahn’s company. The sun’s rays were opened up upon the city blocks. Excelsior and Orion watched from the downtown district as the last surviving behemoths burnt to dust in the middle of the streets. Humbler walked out from the marinas and watched the last of the burning ships sink into the bay. Port Caliber was free. Even down in the Serengeti, the remaining dark clouds were surrendering and fleeing the skies to the Southlands.


    Anilithyìstad looked up at the parting dark clouds above the city. It was morning. He remained at the Citadel, retiring from battle. He was officially an excess asset and happy about it. With the Phoenix god, a magical sword, and the return of the sun, there seemed to be no need for one more old washed up warrior. Instead, he knocked on the Citadel door. He wanted to be first to tell the queen that the day was saved.


    The doors opened and The sun shined on Queen Adyána’s face the moment she stepped outside. She was overjoyed.


    “How!?” she cried.


    Anilithyìstad, now feeling the ecstasy of their salvation, grabbed his sister’s head on both sides, and placed their foreheads together. “Our sons,” he said in hysterical joyousness… “You’re sons…”


    “Sons?” She emphasized the plural.


    “Mitakahn has returned and saved us all, Adyána.”


    Queen Adyána was left speechless. Anilithyìstad pointed up.


    “He came riding in on the very Phoenix God itself.”


    Adyána fell to her knees and praised the gods. She raised her hands up to the skies and sun and then kissed the ground in thanks. Commander Cel’a walked through the Citadel doors and told the citizens of the kingdom the battle was over.


    “We have been saved. The light of the gods has returned by the grace of the brothers Arkenoir!”


    The citizens of the Pride came out of the Citadel and felt the hard savannah sun once again.


    All the while, Axion and Eberlyn searched the crossroads for Jericho. Even though the dark cloud was burnt up and the sun returned, there were still some dark spots in the shadow of Zepathorum’s ruin. Axion raised the flame of his sword like a torch to get a better look. There he was, on the floor, motionless. Like bugs, the remaining darksiders crawled out of the shadows for the light. Although they feared the light, they also craved it.


    They jumped down and surrounded Axion and Eberlyn. The two went back to back. Axion cut through every opponent as they got to him, with his sword, but after every slice they exploded in a blast of flames that he then sent back into the city. On the other side,


    Eberlyn was adjusting to her new abilities as well. She dodged sword strokes by rolling in the air, tucking her arms together under her shoulders, and covering herself with her cunning wings of fire. Getting the hang of the spin quickly, Eberlyn impressively figured out a way to improve upon it, shooting bolts of fire out of her wings mid-spin, destroying nearby enemies.


    She stopped and pulled a flame-feather from her wings and harnessed it in the form of a bolt-spear. After deflecting sword strokes with it, she heaved the bolt-spear forward at an oncoming darksider. It landed straight into its charging chest and exploded, bringing what was left of the darksider to the ground. They continued fighting. The both of them got away from each other while caught up in the struggle.


    Eberlyn threw her hands forward, conjuring up a shot of fire into the chests of her opponents. She spun back around and kicked a pirate in the face as she bent over in her spin, slicing through another one with her fiery wings. Her strategy as a warrior was reminiscent of her rhythms as a dancer.


    Eberlyn spun back around and shot two fireballs from her palms at soldiers trying to flank Axion’s back. She then flew over to Jericho’s body and covered it from further harm. More shadow-dwellers turned the corner and came for them. Eberlyn crouched above Jericho’s head and felt his chest.


    “There is still life in him!”


    The darksiders jumped at Eberlyn, with her hands full, she called upon the flame in her eyes and sent two rays of fire into the darksiders’ skulls. Her wings folded down and covered her as the remaining foe attacked the fiery shield of wings and she ignited a brief fire blast, crumbling them to dust.


    Paxikahn and Mortikahn, carrying Jericho, were escorted around another corner by Eberlyn. There standing before them were the surviving darksiders. They laid Jericho down and prepared to fight. But as Paxikahn and Mortikahn charged, Eberlyn was distracted. In her peripheral vision she could see two figures slowly approaching. She turned to them, one in the sky.


    The last craven was now bearing down on them. It must have survived the fight. From above and behind the craven, Eberlyn could see Anilithion flying his condor straight for it.


    “Not my family!” he yelled at the beast right before engaging it.


    But that was not the only worry that caught Eberlyn’s eye. A monstrous wolf with dark fur and small yellow eyes with drool sliding down its oversized fangs came out of the shadowed alley. The berserker called upon Eberlyn. She felt no fear, only the flame of courage and the fire to fight. She threw up a wall of brimstone, (scorched earth) at it. The wall rolled past the berserker, but it merely phased through it unharmed. It started running towards her.


    Jericho stirred.


    She shot fireball after fireball out of her palms as the dark wolf dodged each one, getting ever closer. Nothing she was doing was working. Fire was useless against such darkness. Now Eberlyn was starting to get scared, and that just made the beast stronger.


    Jericho opened his eyes and called out to her.


    Eberlyn turned around and caught his sword as she spun back around with the silver-coated blade ringing through the air, the berserker leaped at her, and Eberlyn cut the silver sword deep into its gut.


    It pulled her to the floor. As she hit the ground, the fire went out. It retreated to only her wings. They tussled on the ground before she slid Jericho’s sword out from the beast’s gut.


    Eberlyn got up and reignited her fire. It blew into the air and cleaned Jericho’s sword of all blood and shadow, brightening up the broken alley street. The berserker’s patchy fur exploded, and its guts melted into the blackened ground as she drove the silver sword into its head. The berserker was dead. Anilithion defeated the craven, Paxikahn and Mortikahn finished off the rest of the darksiders, and Jericho was saved.


    Axion ran through the street, cradling the magical sword. Paxikahn admired his nephew, becoming the man he always knew him to be. The dark cloud was dispersing above them.


    Axion whistled and it echoed out of the city blocks. Axion got out of the east side of the city and entered the congress palisades. Huntross met him at the next crossroads. He mounted his faithful steed and showed him his newly ordained power.


    Axion thrust the FireSword up and screamed. His spirit spiked and the fire came barreling out of the blade. It wrapped both the king and his horse in the flame. The fire sunk into Huntross and intervened with his entity just as it did with his master. His eyes glowed red, and his mane turned to flames.


    They picked up pace as they carved up the road. In no time they were at the Gatehouse. The fields beyond the ruined walls were wretched with dead bodies, downed dragons, and chunks of earth destroyed. It was a barren wasteland. Axion scanned for life but there was none. Farther away near a scorched ridge there was a giant mound of dead bodies, a pile of death, no doubt. From this far away it looked to Axion like it was throbbing gently, like a dying heart.


    He could see the port city. Port Caliber had a clear sky overhead thanks to Mitakahn and the Phoenix. Axion continued up the balconies with Eberlyn and he sprayed fire all into the sky and burned up the remaining dark clouds between cities. He aimed it over the gates as well. And all the dark soldiers still fighting burned to ash.


    He galloped back down into the city. Helping the wounded get out. Extinguishing all remaining threats. The crucifire sword gave him control over most fire, even enemy flame of the dragon if he had enough focus. He could reduce and remediate the burning of the kingdom. In time, the entire city was under sunlight.


    Axion returned to the Citadel courtyard to see his fallen cousin, Jericho, up and walking. The battle at Zepathorum was finally over, and the evil that had almost killed an entire civilization had been defeated.


    Mitakahn and his company returned from Port Caliber and the Serengeti. Friends and family came together in the courtyard of Zepathorum City in celebration. Eberlyn and Axion greeted Adyana. Anilithyìstad hugged his two boys Anilithion and Mortikahn. Commander Adora stood proudly with her son Fiscerone. Excelsior sat on the bludgeoned ground with Orion, quietly petting his back. And Mitakahn finally landed with the Phoenix.


    The Lion Kingdom was saved, at the expense of many. The amount of casualties was penetratingly high. Mercinestor, Zora, and Fathom still searched for Cipher. The Royal Guard was nearly wiped out. If it had not been for divine intervention this day all they hold dear would have been lost.


    Mitakahn was home and Axion was king. The war was over. Their kingdom had faced extinction and endured. Order and peace had been restored by the two brothers. They could now return to their normal lives.


    The dragon heart-sized mound of corpses out in the fields pulsated in pregnancy.