Rise & Ruin History

Chapter 7: Gods of Affliction

Varken and Adolces watched in horror as their once tight grasps on the universe began to weaken. Neither the Ralaks nor the Keldei were in a position to withstand assault by the jix'Su. Snykus would become the Supreme Ruler and the universe would be at his mercy. The power would drive him to madness and there was nothing they could do to stop him. No one was safe with such a horrific outcome.

Snykus grinned, relishing in his brothers' ghostly expressions. For years he had dreamed of the day he would no longer have to tolerate them in the Temple of Trias. Soon he would be free from their morality and his full arsenal of creation could be displayed. His plan was ripening and he commended himself for outthinking his dim-witted siblings. The end was a mere formality at this point and Snykus counted the seconds till the moment he could ascend to power.

On the Gaian battlefield, the jix'Su surrounded the Keldei and Ralaks, and Aphroridae delivered Queen Enyo's instructions. The Keldei and Ralaks were to lay down all arms and offer their fealty to the new leader of Gaia, Queen Enyo. Failure to comply with either of these demands would result in the jix'Su annihilating both species. Before Aphroridae could finish reciting his ultimatum, Lord Veles filled with anger and charged at Aphroridae, intent on silencing him with one mighty blow. But Lord Veles' momentum was halted by a barrage of arrows that stilled him forever. Lord Simargl took a step forward but his advancement was quickly curtailed by a look from Chief Giobhniu, suddenly an ally to the Ralaks out of pure necessity. The Chief vowed revenge for his fallen brethren, but that would have to wait; first he would have to deal with the threat at hand.

A glance between Lord Simargl and Chief Giobhniu was all it took to agree that each would rather die than be enslaved by Queen Enyo. Their response was conveyed in the form of Lord Simargl's sword, launched 30 feet into the dead center of a jix'Su soldier's chest. A new battle had begun and the Ralaks and Keldei were infused by a renewed sense of vigor. Their spirits sank almost immediately as the jix'Su darkened the sky with javelins. Raising their shields, the Ralaks and Keldei had all but accepted their doom when a mysterious radiance emerged from the clouds.

The Vedyn, awakened by the devastation of the day's events, blanketed the Ralaks and Keldei with protective enchantments that reduced the terrifying effects of the jix'Su's attack. Motivated by the threat of losing their mystical powers to Snykus, the Vedyn had acted to return the universe to its rightful balance. Aphroridae and his legions were stunned and drew back in disarray. That brief lapse in concentration was all that was needed for the Ralaks and Keldei to even the battle ground.