Flight from Phala part 3

The crowd was wild, screaming and cheering with each exchange. Some called out Doreen's name, while others urged Oghuz on. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, blood, and sand, a testament to the brutal ballet unfolding in the arena.

A few times, Doreen tried to use the bright divine lights of her shield to turn Oghuz's limbs to stone, but he was too nimble. Many times, Oghuz, with brute force, tried to bash his way to a killing blow on Doreen, but her shield and spear never buckled.

Minutes felt like hours under the relentless sun. Oghuz's swings grew heavier, his breaths deeper and more ragged. Doreen, though cut and bruised, maintained her composure, attacked using wits, and struck at the most optimal moments. It was becoming clearer who was gaining the upper hand. Even Edward was surprised.

Oghuz tried to feint but was caught by Doreen, who lunged her spear at the warrior's thigh. He fell to his knees, and the crowd went silent. Doreen pulled back her spear, and Oghuz readied for a counter, sure that Doreen would go for the finish, but she didn't. She didn't risk anything.

In the eyes of Oghuz, Doreen stood out, not as a great warrior of the arena, but as a mighty general on the battlefield. Though Doreen was smaller, in the eyes of all, she seemed larger at that moment.

~~

As the drama in the arena reached its climax, the Multans, who had been silently organizing in the dungeons, seized their moment. With the guards distracted by the unexpected turn of events above, the Multans executed their plan with precision. They overwhelmed the few guards left to watch over them, taking their weapons. The Multans cheered, killing all the guards in their way, along with all other non-Multan prisoners, like an infestation, as they realized that their moment of triumph over the city of Phala had come.

~~

The crowd cheered for the victorious Doreen. Edward, also trying his best to cheer, suddenly noticed guards whispering and rushing out. This sudden commotion caught everyone's attention. The sounds of fighting and shouts echoed from the dungeons below, reaching Edward's ears.

Edward, still in the queen's box and feeling the effects of the toxic drink, struggled to his feet.

"Doreen!" Edward called out, catching her attention as he shouted from the box, his voice barely carrying over the tumult. "We need to leave, now!" he said as he reached her.

Up in the queen's box, Roxetta, oblivious to the chaos brewing below, was enraptured by the spectacle in the arena. She hadn't yet noticed Edward's distress or Doreen's approach. Her attention was fixated on the fallen Oghuz, disappointment etched across her face.

Soon, however, she noticed the commotion in the crowd. Squinting her eyes, she saw Multans emerging from the entrance and massacring the spectators, quickly inciting a huge riot.

"Where are the guards? Get them here NOW!" yelled the queen, turning around.

She then saw three Multans repeatedly stabbing one of the courtiers who had been escorting her, and a fourth one coming right at her. Before the Multan could inflict any damage with its blade, the queen released a gas that literally peeled off the skin of the Multan assailant. She quickly disposed of the others as well.

Edward used the commotion as his chance and leaped down from the box onto the arena, landing hard on the rough sand.

Groaning as he hit the arena's rough sand, the impact jolted through his already weakened body. He pushed through the pain, scrambling to his feet, knowing he had to move quickly. The arena was descending into chaos as Multans poured in, attacking indiscriminately.

Meanwhile, Roxetta stood in her box, surrounded by chaos. Her divine aura flared as she repelled attackers, but even she could see that the situation was spiraling out of control.

"Get the guards here NOW!" she yelled to one of her courtiers.

Then, the west side of the arena collapsed. Edward and Doreen dodged the falling rubble. As they hit the ground, they saw the eastern side of the wall had also collapsed, with the gates of Phala completely open, allowing more Multans to flood in, some riding enormous sloths. Oghuz, unable to move due to his injury, yelled as the rubble fell on him, burying him alive.

Covered in mud, he brandished a giant sloth's skull as his shield and wielded an iron spear as his weapon. He stood atop the arena, locking eyes with the queen, who met his gaze with a defiant glare.

"Come on, let's go," Doreen whispered, walking away cautiously, trying to remain unnoticed by both of them.

As they navigated through the broken gates, the full extent of the invasion became starkly apparent. The streets of Phala were overrun with Multans, turning the once grand city into a brutal battlefield. Buildings were ablaze, filling the air with thick smoke and ash.

Inside the arena, the raw divine auras of the queen and the Multan leader clashed violently, with the Multans rallying to their leader's side. Meanwhile, the people of Phala, harboring little affection for their queen, were focused solely on their survival.

The surviving courtiers, in a frantic attempt to salvage what they could, rushed to the palace. However, they were met by Multans who had already infiltrated the area. The courtiers were mercilessly slaughtered.

Doreen and Edward finally found their way out of the city. As they looked back, they saw a whirlwind of destruction unfolding behind them, feeling the culminating force of Pandora's winds spiraling downwards.

Turning their backs on the chaos, they set off toward the distant mountains to the northeast, leaving the jungles of the Hindukushan behind.

 ~~

Three days later, the Multans reveled in their conquest. The city had been relentlessly pillaged, with its people suffering greatly.

They all hailed their leader, who triumphantly held the severed head of the queen in his hand. They laughed and continued to pray to the Cold Hand, showing their fervent appreciation.

At that moment, the rubble shifted, catching the Multan leader's attention. From beneath, a formidable warrior emerged, his eyes red and claws black. As he exhaled, a foul divine aura emanated from him. It was a new child of Pandora. It was Oghuz.

The winds of Pandora, fueled by the destruction and negative emotions, had found their champion. They had resurrected Oghuz, endowing him with a second chance. A second chance to end everything.

The leader merely smiled, ready to easily dispatch this new threat. He was determined to be the sole champion.

Oghuz, now transformed by the malevolent winds of Pandora, stood towering amidst the rubble. His eyes, ablaze with a renewed ferocity, fixed on the Multan leader. The air around him crackled with dark energy, starkly contrasting the leader's aura of triumph.

With a swift lunge, the Multan leader aimed his spear at Oghuz's heart, his confidence unshaken in his ability to swiftly conclude this confrontation. But Oghuz, now infused with the power of the winds, moved with a supernatural swiftness. He effortlessly dodged the assault, his movements a blur.

In a swift, brutal motion, Oghuz ripped the leader's head clean off, leaving the Multans in utter horror. Transformed into a creature more beast than man, Oghuz unleashed a massacre upon the Multans. Within moments, all were dealt with, and their reign of terror abruptly ended by this new, fearsome child of Pandora.