The Dead Dream

Kystion and Kavana were sitting on the sofa, while Nakamura and Assayah were standing and drawing the map of the Elf Kingdom. Kystion smiled, "Now, it will be much easier for us to invade the palace. Vera informed me this morning that she had captured Aliyah and locked her in the darkest cell. Without her leadership, defeating Elgin and Vexana will be a child's play." Nakamura smirked, "Elgin is also quite a good leader himself. Don't forget he defeated your nephew in the previous war." Kystion smiled, "Don't worry. Vera has taken care of that problem too. She will spread false news that Licha has captured Aliyah and killed Maki, Lys and Devee. Elgin and Vexana will definitely become enraged and will go after Licha in Ganzi City. Then, we will be attacking just an empty headless palace. Their weak army will be squashed like flies by our valiant soldiers." Nakamura said grimly, "Do whatever you like, but remember this time Xao Chang has his eyes on the war. If things don't go smoothly, he will not like it. I already am quite nervous because he told me that he is sending some of his new creations here. I don't know what and how they are but one thing is certain that they are dangerous." Kavana asked, "What do you mean by that?" Assayah said, "Don't worry about that. Your main focus should be on the palace." Kavana rose up and said, "We will attack from the second door as it will be less guarded. But, since Aliyah is not present in the palace, most of the palace will be on high alert. We are more powerful than them so we don't need to worry about them. We will enter through the second door nevertheless even if they have some security there too." Kystion looked at the map and said, "The first door is two ways and connects with the third door which is mysterious to us as my spies failed to gather information about that. Nevertheless, any attacks from the conjoined doors will not be much of a threat to us if we go in a phalanx formation. I have my own beasts and unfortunately my kraken is still very underdeveloped due to some lack of care and unforeseen problems. But, the good news is that our war is purely on land, so the absence of my kraken won't be a problem. Shinigano and Shuriken tribes were decimated completely from any known place of them and therefore we don't have to worry about them. Kavana has thirty thousand soldiers of his own combined with the neighbouring states. Vera promised to send five hundred of her capable men to us within three days and my own army of ogres consists of five hundred people including both genders. It was much bigger earlier, but plague claimed the lives of almost six hundred ogres. So, in total we have thirty-one thousand men along with four hundred of my beasts." Nakamura smiled, "Good. But, don't forget the palace might be filled with many traps, so don't be reckless." Nakamura and Assayah disappeared in red mist. Kavana sighed, "Libitina was a good asset. It's a pity she got wasted like this." Kystion sighed, "Yes. I really started to like her but she chose to betray us for that bitch Aliyah. Anyway, her severed head will be a warning to all of the people who are against us."

Elgin and Vexana were sitting in the meeting hall. Both of them are concerned as they both perfectly know that Aliyah and Lys might be in some problem. Elgin looked at Vexana and grunted, "Why the hell does that idiot woman never listen to me? She has always to be the right person every fucking time. Now, Kystion and Kavana are almost on the gates of our palace and that nonsense lady is nowhere to be found. What will I do now? Who will command the army now? Even Alice is not here. Another blunder caused by that idiot." Vexana said grimly, "Just calm down and think rationally. Aliyah is not a child. She can take care of herself and your brother is a feared warrior with whom no one would like to mess. For now, we have to lead the army and defend our palace." Elgin said, "Defend? They are fucking attacking us, Vexana. We are not here to defend. We cannot waste our army defending. We need to flee." Vexana said grimly, "Don't talk stupid, Elgin. Flee? Where will we flee? Hundreds of men and women cannot just flee all of a sudden." Elgin said, "Then, we have to surrender." Vexana said, "Keep your head cool. We will do something. Let me talk with Kayuba first." Elgin said grimly, "Do whatever you want. But, I cannot let them harm my baby." Vexana said grimly, "Your baby is not in the palace. I sent him to Mount Tysogame along with Trisha." Elgin said grimly, "At least, you could have told me. What type of headless behaviour is this?" Vexana walked away and called Kayuba. Kayuba appeared along with Bayu and asked, "What happened?" Vexana said angrily, "What happened? Kystion and Kavana are on our doorstep is what happened." Kayuba smiled, "So, they are just advancing. What is the big deal in it?" Elgin said grimly, "They are advancing when Aliyah and Alice are not in the palace." Kayuba asked, "Why? Where is Aliyah?" Elgin sighed, "Don't ask, brother. Only I know what kinds of trauma that women give us everyday?" Vexana said grimly, "Apparently Aliyah is either missing or she went somewhere and got lost. No contact at all. It's already been three days and still she is not in the palace. I have to lie to our army that she is busy doing some work in Mount Tysogame and will be here shortly. Now, when the enemy is on our doorstep, what excuse will I give now?" Kayuba smiled, "You elves tremble on the slightest of problems very easily. Okay. Let me handle the situation." Kayuba took the form of Aliyah and asked, "Now, what speech do I have to give?" Vexana said grimly, "No need for speech. Just don't act awkward and keep giving appearances here and there at random times. Kayuba smiled and disappeared.

Aliyah was sitting silently on the cell floor when Vera and Raya, her husband came to her. Vera smiled, "The legendary Aliyah is sitting on the floor of the dirtiest cell of Namaria. Helpless and silent. Such a sight happens once in a lifetime." Aliyah smiled. Vera asked angrily, "Do you think it is funny? Why are you smiling? No one is coming to save you and even if they did. I will kill them all." Raya opened the door and walked towards Aliyah. Raya kicked Aliyah in the face and smiled, "You might not remember me, Aliyah. But, once you have kicked me in the face just like this." Aliyah smiled, "I will happily do the honours again if you wish." Raya smiled, "They say correct about you. You are incorrigible." He kicked Aliyah in the face again and walked outside the cell. Vera looked at Raya and said, "You go. I want to spend some time with her." Raya kissed her and walked upstairs. Vera looked at Aliyah and smiled, "Such a pity! The great Aliyah will meet her end in such a dirty place." Aliyah laughed, "Keep telling yourself all this if it makes you happy. But, this happiness is short-lived. Once, my friends attack Namaria and release me, I will show you who will meet the end." Vera smiled, "Friends? Your friends don't even know that you are here. I sent a letter to my brother that you are imprisoned in Ganzi City and Licha killed Lys and Devee. Now, within this week, my idiot brother and your former lover will attack Ganzi City and will kill Licha and her minister along with Leo. Then, here Kystion and Kavana will attack the palace and will capture it. Then, it is only a matter of time before I become the new queen of Namaria and then I will publicly execute you along with my brother and your lover. Xao Chang will take the Blood Spear from your student and will reward me with the whole Elf Kingdom." Aliyah smiled, "Reward you? You are a fool if you believe that a demon like him is going to felicitate you. Once, you kill me and give the Blood Spear to Xao Chang, he will kill you or worse, you will become a sex slave for his demons." Vera smiled, "Stop your nonsense, Aliyah. Don't try to be so smart in front of me. Your all tricks and tactics are of no use here. I will not give Xao Chang the Spear so easily. First, I will make him make an oath against the Blood of Xao Lin. Xao Chang will never break a vow made upon Xao Lin's blood." Aliyah said grimly, "Whatever you are planning is not going to happen. I will be free from here soon and then I will kill you and your fat husband and will throw you two in front of the wild dogs of Lamb City." Vera smiled, "Keep dreaming, Aliyah. If that soothes your mind, so be it." Vera laughed and walked upstairs.

Elgin and Vexana looked at the sun going down through the balcony. Elgin sighed, "The day after tomorrow, Kystion and Kavana will be on our doorsteps knocking on our door." Vexana said grimly, "The war was inevitable. Today or tomorrow, we had to fight it anyway." Elgin said grimly, "Yes. But, we are getting less than yesterday. Earlier, there was Alice, Elena, Trisha, Aliyah and now all of them are away. I don't see any positivity in this situation." Vexana patted his shoulder and said, "War is never about the positive people, it is about the brave ones." Elgin smiled, "What did bravery give us earlier? We just lost and we are again going to lose." Vexana said grimly, "We have no other option but to fight. This time there will be no second chance." Elgin said grimly, "That is what scares me the most. At least there was a second chance earlier, but this time we are just risking everything on the line. My boy, Diego cannot be harmed in the war." Vexana smiled, "Your son is a lucky guy to have you as his father. He will understand your sacrifice one day." Elgin smiled, "I just hope he doesn't. He shouldn't feel sorry or guilty for my sins." Vexana said grimly, "You did no sin. It was pure love and nothing more matters than that. I wish Aliyah understood that as well. Her relentless pursuit for success has destroyed all the bridges between us. Our story ended even before it could begin completely." Elgin said grimly, "Aliyah is a very lonely person, Vexana. I never wanted to say this but Aliyah loves you immensely. She will never express her feelings openly but the separation between you two affected her dearly. She became a lot rough in these years and maybe somewhere inside her, she wants you to go and fill that void you created years ago." Vexana looked at the orange sun and sighed, "Void? Aliyah herself is a void. Bigger than the Black hole. I never left her. Not even when she left me alone in the jungle. I searched for her for weeks until I realised that she abandoned me like I was some cheap prostitute whom she rented for a night. I was filled with so much rage and sorrow that I just wanted to jump from the cliff and end myself for ever loving such an evil person. But, unfortunately I had responsibilities and a family to look after. I returned and fought the war and when I returned to my home, I saw nothing but debris and dried blood stains all over the house. My whole family was slaughtered by Xao Chang's men. I swallowed all my sorrow inside me and went away with tears in my eyes. You tell me that I left a void in her heart yet I am the one who has witnessed the horrors of that void while Aliyah was in a deep coma." Elgin said grimly, "We all suffered, Vexana. I am not saying that your grief is lesser than mine, but there is no point living in the past. Aliyah needs you now and believe me when I say, Mother Manaca herself has presented you a chance to live a better life with the person who you love the most in the world." Vexana sighed, "The grass is always greener on the other side. You cry over your grief and let me cry on mine. Trying to find love in Aliyah's heart is like living in a dead dream." Vexana disappeared. Elgin looked at the moon and sighed.....