Lightning screamed across the sky as rain poured upon Ironheardt. Weeks of relative safety were reduced to burning homes and ash in what felt like an instant. The ancient dead of Ironheardt, once content to rest well into eternity, now rose in service of the necromantic warlordess Kala...Aquarius and Noriko fought for untold hours, carving through the bones of the fallen and freeing them from their unholy servitude, all while buying whatever time they could manage for the villagers to escape. Through it all, his mind continued to circle back to Sharasai. He hadn’t seen her since the attack happened. He feared the worst.With Noriko and one of her apprentices step by step with him, he sprinted into the now ruined village center...“SHARASAI!!!” he cried out, his veins full of adrenaline, and his heart plagued with fear. His eyes searched the flame and ruin, but found no evidence of her.Abruptly, he heard a familiar voice call for him. Turning around, his expression darkened with terror. It was Sharasai, in the dark grip of Kala, a vicious smile across her rotting face...“Let her go!” growled Aquarius, raising his blade Duodecim, the ancient blade coursing with magic. Kala’s laugh was a hiss cold enough to chill even the warmest of hearts...“No... I don’t think I will...” she hissed, grinning as her clawed hand drifted down to Sharasai’s swollen belly. The young mother visibly winced as she felt Kala’s nails scrape across her. “Such beautiful young flesh...” Kala felt movement within Sharasai; her child stirred, as if knowing the danger outside their shelter. “And such a strong unborn soul...” the frilled lizard hissed, her voice low, almost at a whisper. Noriko’s gaze turned to Aquarius, as she noticed the young Knight’s grip tighten further on his blade, seeing him begin to visibly seethe with rage. In the fox’s mind, she silently pleaded with him to stay calm, to not do anything rash...“Very strong indeed...” the necromancer’s eyes turned down to her victim’s stomach. “What power have you inherited, child?” Her free hand opened, hovering close to her stomach. “Perhaps I should discover that for MYSELF!” she snarled, as her claws dug deep into Sharasai’s stomach, as the mother screamed in absolute agony.“NO!!!” cried Aquarius, charging powerful magic into his sword. In a blinding rage, he thrust Duodecim forward, launching a powerful blast of kinetic energy directly into Kala’s face. The necromancer’s head snapped back with a sickeningly loud snap, as she was thrown back and landed with an earth-shattering thud. Aquarius rushed forward to catch Sharasai. She nearly collapsed against him, clutching her bloodied stomach and shuddering in pure, excruciating pain. Her hands buried themselves into his shoulder, as the pain burnt its way through her veins, through her very being.“A...Aquarius...” she sobbed, with gritted teeth. The pain she felt was... indescribable; there were genuinely no words she could find that could even remotely explain how it felt... Her knees buckled under the crushing agony. With trembling hands, she looked up at him and placed her hands to his face...“It’s time...” she whimpered, unable to hold back her tears. Aquarius’s expression turned to shock. To have his son born now, on this battlefield?! But there was no doubt, as he felt her grip on him tighten as the first of her contractions hit her.Aquarius gently laid her down, helping brace her and removing her robe as Noriko positioned herself at her feet. As the two warriors prepared for delivery, their gaze turned to the wracked body of Kala, watching in abject terror as the Necromancer’s body twisted and convulsed back to life, with a grim laugh sounding like claws against stone.“Did you truly think that would be enough to stop me?” she hissed, violently snapping her neck back into place. “Foolish boy.”There was no way they could move Sharasai, her contractions getting stronger and faster... Aquarius turned to Noriko, realizing he had to fight to protect his mentor, his love, and his son. “I’ll hold her off,” he said, his voice low and hoarse. Noriko simply nodded as Aquarius withdrew himself and prepared for battle, her apprentice taking his place by Sharasai’s shoulders.Duodecim’s steel screamed as it was released from its sheathe. Aquarius’s fear gave way to rage. The sword in his hand once again shimmered with power.Slamming her wicked staff, the Dead Seed, hard into the dirt, the bones of the ancient dead rose from their slumber, surrounding the group. The Knight stood his ground, baring his fangs.“I’ve handled skeletons before, witch...” he growled with a vicious snarl.
Kala’s smile grew, sadistic and menacing. “You have... but I doubt your wench has,” she hissed. A grim realization hit Aquarius as he turned around. In that instant, it felt as though time had slowed to a crawl.Unbeknownst to the group, Kala’s personal Guardian, the remains of her lover, had ambushed them, wielding a razor-sharp scythe. Its eyeless gaze was glaring hard at Sharasai, the skull emblazoned with unholy red markings. There was no time to question how it had appeared.With a primal roar, Aquarius struck the Guardian with another magical blast from his sword, sending it crashing against the cliffs. Two more of the dead approached. Noriko looked up to her apprentence, both nodding quietly as they whispered a quiet prayer, creating a holy circle, enough to ward Kala’s skeletal soldiers, for now. With the Guardian down, Aquarius’s fiery glare turned back to the Necromancer, his teal eyes burning red with rage. The only sound he could hear was the pounding of his heart; all else became a distant muffle, even Sharasai’s screams as she continued to push.He lunged at Kala, roaring like a man possessed, his blade crashing against her staff again and again, his veins blazing hot like hellfire. The necromancer’s sadistic smirk only grew as she defended herself against his barrage.“Such ferocity! Such rage! Perhaps your dear son will inherit your fury!” taunted Kala, blocking his attacks. Her bravado only fanned the flames within Aquarius’s veins.“SHUT UP!!!” he screamed, his voice growing hoarse, as his sword continued to bounce off of Kala’s defense. This is exactly what she wanted... to have his usually tactical mind fully clouded with a smog of rage, making him reckless and careless. Sharasai’s claws dug deep into the dirt as the contractions wracked through her, growing stronger and stronger with each iteration, tears flowing freely down her face, and her voice growing rougher with her screams of pain.“That’s it, Sharasai... You’re doing well!” said Noriko, her voice still as calm and warm as always, despite the chaos outside of their magical barrier, the undead hopelessly clawing against the shield. Her gaze turned to Aquarius, who was still struggling to take down Kala. She saw his fighting style had changed dramatically, it was so much more... aggressive. In all the years she had worked with him, she had never seen him fight with so much anger. She knew the reason; this was the wrath of a parent scorned, and it had fully consumed the Knight. He was willing to die for his family. She prayed that would not happen...More and more, Aquarius struck at Kala, sparks of magical energy dancing off of the sword. His mind was completely dominated by wrath. “Perfect,” she thought as she quickly tripped the Knight with a swing of her tail, sending him crashing into the earth below before slamming her staff right into his chest, taking whatever breath was left in him.Sharasai could only watch in horror, as her partner was now at Kala’s mercy, or lack thereof. “Aquarius... please...” she whimpered under her breath, still wracked with pain.The furious Knight could only struggle helplessly, his furious barrage having worn himself out. Kala’s laugh was laced with venom, cold and low.“Has your fire finally burnt itself out, Knight?” she hissed, baring her teeth, as she kicked Duodecim away from Aquarius, as dark energies swirled around her staff. “What a shame... to have the first thing your whelp see is their dear father die. The thought is... exquisite...”His eyes widened slowly as the rage that burnt his essence quickly gave way to fear. Was this it? Was this how he was to die? His heart was beating faster and harder than he thought possible... All he could do was... close his eyes. Kala’s grin grew as she watched the Knight accept his fate.“Accepting death, I see. Your power will do well in my arsenal...” she hissed, as she prepared her final blow.“Not death...” replied the Knight, his eyes still shut. There was a strange... calmness, to his once furious voice. His eyes opened once more. “Life.”His hands shimmered with a blinding light, and he suddenly blasted Kala back with a powerful shockwave.“I-Impossible!” stammered the Necromancer, as she watched Aquarius pick himself up from the dirt, his trusted sword Duodecim in hand once more.“Unlike you... I have something to fight for, beyond conquest...” said Aquarius, his teal eyes almost shimmering among the rain and fire. “And that’s why neither you, nor the Dragonlord herself, will ever beat me.”Kala hissed at the Knight, readying Dead Seed for further combat.“Such poetic nonsense...” she growled. With a slam of her staff, her dear Guardian arose once more, scythe still in hand. “Kill him, my love... bring me his soul... and his spawn’s...”Aquarius’s grip tightened, as his blade shined with holy light. Noriko watched wide-eyed within her barrier. The magic that flowed around and through Aquarius was unlike anything she had witnessed. With an overhead swing of Duodecim, a powerful wave of magic carved its way through the Guardian and effortlessly split Dead Seed in half, sending the Necromancer crashing to the ground, recoiling in pain as though she were burnt by flame.“H-how?!” she stuttered, still feeling the light sting her dark scales, as Aquarius slowly approached. Kala weighed her options... she didn’t want to admit it, but there was no victory to be had this day.“This... this is not over, Knight. Your precious light will flicker and fade!” she hissed, before disappearing in a burst of dark energy, whatever being left of the undead crumbling to dust without the presence of their ‘master’.In stillness, and with heavy breaths, Aquarius felt the rain batter his form, as the bright energies dissipated. He returned Duodecim to its sheath, the blade still warm to the touch. It was over. Ironheardt and what was left of its people would survive, this day.“A...Aquarius!” cried a weak voice from behind him. He recognized it instantly, turning and sprinting back to Sharasai, as the magic barrier faded.“Are you okay?” he asked, taking her still trembling hand in his. She simply nodded in silence, her face contorting with pain.“It’s almost over, Sharasai... I can see your son’s head,” said Noriko, still as calm as always, her hands outstretched between the young mother’s legs. “Are you ready?”Sharasai’s grip on Aquarius’s hand tightened as she steeled herself for the final stretch. She gives one last nod.“Three... two... one... Push!”Her claws dug deep into Aquarius’s armored hand, throwing her head back and letting a strained, hoarse roar escape her lips. Her entire body tensed as she bore down with every last bit of strength she had left. She trembled hard as she pushed... and pushed... until...“It’s done! He’s here!” said Noriko, cradling the mewling newborn in her arms. Sharasai’s shoulders slumped back, as tears of joy flowed freely.“Aquarius... It’s our son...” said the young mother, her voice low and weak. Noriko gently handed the child to Aquarius, his hands trembling slightly. In his embrace, the child’s cries softened, even as the rain continued to fall.“My son...” said Aquarius, breathlessly, as he felt tears run down his face. The child’s scales were a vibrant mix of his and Sharasai’s; white markings ran down the child’s face and body, some fading into a light pink. Sharasai’s hand gently caressed her son’s cheek.“He’s beautiful...” she said, weakly but warmly. For a moment, they forgot about the death and destruction surrounding them. They had something stronger than fear.They had hope.