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  “Omar…” Hera’s tone softened, looking from the top balcony in her quarters at Belkos.

  Edindale found itself in flames, but that wasn’t the most shocking thing from her view. Maeve approached her mother from behind, wrapping her arms around her. Hera tilted her head on her daughter's shoulder. A holy white light shot into the sky, as minuscule as it looked, they both knew what it was.

  An energy unlike any other. The Diborn who have taken the capital of Edindale saw it also. Dante sat atop the throne room and from the broken wall, the white light shooting into the sky left him applauding. “My lord. It has seemed Leonidas has recovered the artifact…” One lowly Diborn handed Dante a goblet.

  Corpses lay underneath his feet, fire burned all around the buildings in the capital. His eyes widened into a confused expression, sipping his goblet, his gaze never fell from the holy light. “Ready the chosen. No Diborn can hold that blade like this…” Dante whimpered. “Only Altira’s chosen can.”

  The Diborn hurried away shutting the broken double doors to the throne room behind him. Dante put a leg over the chair leg and watched the rising white light captured in the late night sky, in all its glory. He laughed. “I was wrong about you little brother. You're going to be more trouble than I anticipated. You and our other siblings…”

  Belkos became a lively little town. Everyone left their quarters and stood in the courtyard. The next messiah had awoken amongst the flames, rising from its ashes. Students, teachers, and refugees from the capital all observed the majestic light. The light from the islands of Gaia. Small whispers and rumors of what remained in its dungeons were known but not confirmed. The Pale sky finally glimmered with light. Stars were born. And a moon hatched.

  “Mother. Did Omar, do it?” Maeve asked. “Can we raise the wards now? It’s been minutes. He could only hold it for a second, I thought?”

  Maeve looked over at her mother, who couldn’t describe what was born in the light. She stumbled, before being able to cast a net of what this is. “Ready the mages. Maeve, tell them to raise two wards. One for Belkos, one for the entire Pale. Now!”

  “Mom!” Maeve snapped. Her vision blurred as the white light came in waves now. “I don’t understand. That light…” she hesitated with uncertainty. “It's… raising them, themselves!?”

  …

  “You’ve won…” The shadow bowed to Omar. “Become what you were born to be.”

  The dungeon slowly began to collapse atop their heads. Luna, Magnus, and Natasha were freed from their shackles and bonded beside Omar. The white light penetrating the sky shot above their heads. The Blade of Elysium's power burned. Omar’s hands were burning to a crisp from the white energy pouring from the blade. Omar clenched it tighter, raising the blade over his head.

  “Omar! What are you doing!?” Magnus questioned. “Let go of the blade. You’ll die!”

  Gaia whispered amongst the chamber. “When a man finally finds his path in life, he is reborn. You were born with a purpose and have overcome the greatest evil fighting against you. Yourself. How can you not succeed?” Her voice hung with hope.

  The light scattered the chamber, and the skeletons rose to their feet, controlled with a majestic purple light. They rose and weaved magic from their bones to the white light hanging into the sky. They added more power to it. “Go,” Gaia whispered. “Become the hero who saves the Pale.”

  Omar stood atop the ancient stone dais by the throne. His tattered cloak billowing with the fierce winds howling across the chamber. Above him, the glowing white rune in the sky widened into a barrier. At first a small orb, but it grew like a continent. The orb stretched out in every direction, scarred and battered from years of conflict from this one nation.

  Villagers from small towns underneath smoldering flames saw what lay on the horizon. The flames were burned away but a gust of white wind. The faint cries of those who suffered carried with the barriers breeze. Diborn attacked the towns, ransacking everything, but the gust of white winds, blew passed them, denying entry into what it wanted to protect.

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  “Protect the Pale…” Omar requested. The Blade of Elysium answered. Its light scattered within the realm, denying all the Diborn entry. Omar gripped the blade tighter, its edge gleaming with a faint, otherworldly light. He took a deep breath steadying himself as he steeped into light.

  “Omar.” Luna tugged his hip. Her eyes were full of hope and sorrow. “Keep going!” The skeletons pushed more power into the tip of the blade. “I think he’s raising the wards himself!” “Impossible.” Natasha gasped. “Only a master mage can do that. Or… a god.” She fixated herself looking upon Omar. His clothes were tattered from the exhaust of his power.

  The doors to the chamber thrusted open, Leonidas, Shay, and their party of Diborn was in awe. “Pegasus!” Leonidas called out to Omar. His expression is jealousy and hatred towards Omar. He wanted him to fail and give up all hope he had of succeeding, but Omar kept fighting. “What in the hell are you doing, boy?” Shay smirked behind Leonidas, muttering to himself. “There you go, Omar.” He clenched his hand shaking it.

  Omar’s onyx eyes turned to ash, purifying themselves into a majestic solar blue color. “Omar,” Luna commanded his attention, as he dropped his head seeing Leonidas and his party. Omar thrusted the blade back into the sky, chanting a battle cry. He pulled out the cocoon Lotus Blade and rushed to the staircase.

  A deafening crack split the air. Both the Blade of Elysium and the Lotus Blade were alive at once. A surging dark energy full of darkness was born to dim the light, but the Elysium scattered the wards further. All of Leonidas party, beside the two Shardbearer, he and Shay were turned to ashes. The runes of the light scattered with a radiant light, shooting upward like a beacon.

  The ground trembled beneath his feet, engraving the stone with his power. The wind swirled violently. Omar barely could drop his head. “Shay!” He called for the man who betrayed him. Not out of hate, but a look of trust faced him. “Get them out of here. I will handle this all… please.” He begged.

  “No.” Luna snapped. “I am not leaving you here. You don’t get to die alone. I am not letting it – “Shay quickly teleported with the remaining shadows around.

  Shay turned to Omar. Magnus and Natasha stood on their own. Shay wrapped his arms around Luna. “He needs to do this. We Diborn don’t die that easy after all.” Shay chirped. He gave a slick nod to Omar.

  “Well, whatever you intend to do. Hurry.” Magnus ordered. “Don’t die here…” A final look of uncertainty painted across his face, as he turned and hurried away from the stunned Leonidas. Natasha followed behind, turning to Omar one last time. “Your father would be proud.” A tear jerked from Omar’s cheek. He smiled with a thank you.

  Shay grabbed the three and got outside the chamber where the shadows still lived. They were consumed by them teleporting away to safety.

  Omar resumed, gritting his teeth and finishing the translucent spell. Energy rose from the earth, and a hero was born. The protective dome over the entire realm of the Pale was completed. The large white barrier vanished with an invisible light. The Diborn who were not Shardbearers turned to ash from within. The barriers shimmered as the malicious assault ended.

  The darkness on the horizon recoiled as the wards drove back the enemy. Their cries of anger and despair echoed around the realm. Though the capital was lost in battle, the war for the Pale was won by raising the wards. The beacon of light faded, everyone from Belkos knew what happened, and Dante and his Shardbearers in the capitals sensed it. Gaia and the skeletons magic seized as they completed the mission.

  Omar smiled faintly, power mostly drained him. His voice rose firmly, as he spoke. “The wards have been raised. I protected my home.” He fell to his knees. “I did it. I did it.” Shock fell upon Omar.

  Shay teleported Luna and the others back to the courtyard of Belkos. They fell in the middle of the crowd. Everyone had their sight set on them. Appearing from thin air. Amy yelped. “Luna!” She ran up and hugged her dear sister.

  Maeve and Hera hurried amidst the crowd. They searched for Omar, but he couldn’t be found. Nor could Shay, the one who brought them home. “Where’s my boy?” Hera asked on the verge of losing it.

  Luna dipped her face into Amy. Natasha looked in the opposite direction, unable to bear the fate he may have fallen into. Magnus became full of life. His daughter and the other nordlings who entered Belkos as students observed his actions from afar. The actions of a leader. He searched for Shay, but even in the shadows he saw nothing.

  “From one parent to another…” Magnus put his arm around Hera pulling her in. “Your son is alive, he raised the wards and saved us all.” He promised. Hera squeezed him tightly, understanding where Omar was.

  In the shadows amongst the academy of Belkos, Shay watched like a preying panther. He stood in silence as uncertainty fell amongst the crowd of students and warriors who were prepared to revolt against the Specters.

  “Shay.” A voice of the passed called out. “Hatred. It’s a tool used to make a man stronger or give him a reason to cower. Which one have you chosen, Shay…? Will you let your hatred for me, kill your kinship with my son? Even in the darkest moments?” Shay sighed, teleporting away in a second.