Andre came out from the crumbling remains of the Jade Palace, coughing amidst a cloud of dust and rubble. His entire body was in pain, each fiber throbbing from the aftermath of the intense battle. Next to him, the Archon of War, his divine appearance shimmering with diminishing radiance, observed the destruction with an inscrutable look.
"Looks like we won the battle," Andre rasped, his voice hoarse.
The previously grand Jade Palace lay in ruins, evidence of the intense battle that had taken place. Xin'an city was covered in a dense cloud of dust, and was eerily quiet past the rubble.
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the air, shattering the silence. "Halt,Archon !"
Andre whirled around, his hand instinctively reaching for Revenant. His gaze landed on a figure unlike any he had ever seen. A man, impossibly handsome, stood before them, his body sculpted with a breathtaking perfection. Blazing wings of pure fire, their feathers shimmering like molten gold, erupted from his back. A crown of intricately carved jade adorned his head, from which sprouted magnificent dragon horns. His eyes, the color of a twilight sky, held an otherworldly depth.
Beside Andre, the Archon of War stiffened, his stance radiating a tense awareness. This newcomer, whoever he was, possessed a power that rivaled even the Archon's own.
Not far off, Res and Marcus emerge from a cloud of dust, their expressions a blend of relief and tiredness. Recognizing the newcomer, Res hurried towards them with widened eyes. "Marcus! It's him! He saved us!"
"Saved you?" Andre echoed, his voice tight with suspicion.
The newcomer, his gaze flickering between Andre and Res, offered a smile that seemed both genuine and laced with an ancient weariness. "Greetings," he said, his voice a deep rumble that resonated through Andre's very core. "I am Rhaegar Emberon, a Dether Born of the Sunfire Dominion. And it seems," he continued, his eyes locking with Andre's, "that we share a common enemy."
Relief washed over Andre, momentarily replacing the suspicion. This powerful being, whoever he was, was here to help. He lowered his hand, his grip relaxing on Revenant."The Vor'talon is gone," he rasped, his voice raw.
Rhaegar nodded solemnly. "I sense the echoes of the battle. But fear not," he boomed, his voice filled with a power that seemed to calm the very air around them. "For I have not come alone."
As if on cue, Res and Marcus both gasped together. Andre, lifting his eyes, glanced upwards to the sky. He gasped for air, feeling his breath catch in his throat.
Above the destroyed city, there were unfamiliar figures flying high. Men and women, glowing with a supernatural light, had wings of flames and feathers on their backs. The Detherborn, a mysterious army led by Rhaegar Detherborn, were believed to have come from the heavens, when draconians and phoenixians existed.
Andre went around the battlefield gathering the remaining soldiers. Andre surveyed the survivors, a meager group of 79 weary warriors huddled amidst the smoking ruins of the once-proud city. Grief, a suffocating weight, constricted his chest. So many friends, so many lives lost in the blink of an eye.
However, in the midst of the hopelessness, a small glimmer of hope appeared. Rhaegar Emberon, the ethereal being with flaming wings and the elegance of a dragon, stood in front of them. His deep, resonant rumble of a voice reverberated through the wreckage.
"The Vor'talon of Discord is no more," he declared, his gaze sweeping over the survivors. "But the war for Decaoria is far from over. We are here to aid you, to fight alongside you."
The group was filled with murmurs of disbelief. The Detherborn, legendary fighters seemed unbelievably strong. And they had already triumphed over a Vor'talon - specifically, the Vor'talon of Conflagration, according to Rhaegar and then he gestured to a Detherborn who brought out the Vor'talon's severed head . Andre couldn't stop staring in amazement. They were dealing with a allies they hardly comprehended, and already, they had lost two Vor'talons.
With his attention briefly on Andre, Rhaegar lifted his hand. A person appeared from his back, dressed in bright silver armor that shone like a trapped beam of moonlight. Her closed helmet concealed her face, but her stance exuded an unwavering loyalty.
"This is Seraph," Rhaegar announced. "She will act as my liaison and will coordinate our efforts." Just then, a commotion erupted at the edge of the group. Andre whipped around, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword.
A figure, a beacon of red amidst the dust and debris, sprinted towards them. As the figure drew closer, Andre's breath hitched in his throat. It was Drake, his best friend, his fiery red hair blazing even brighter. He was clad in an armor that he only recognised from earth, Greek armor.
But unlike Andre and the others, weary and battered, Drake exuded an air of controlled chaos. A wide, manic grin spread across his face as he barreled into Andre, wrapping him in a crushing hug. "Andre!" he roared, his voice tinged with a hint of relief. "Heard the whole mess! Knew you wouldn't kick the bucket without me, right?"
Andre, momentarily speechless, pounded Drake's back. "Drake! You… you came."
Drake chuckled, pulling back to reveal a face alight with a mixture of excitement and concern. "Couldn't just leave you hanging, could I? Besides," he gestured towards a group of over 500 heavily armed men who had followed him, "brought a little surprise."
Andre's gaze fell upon Drake's personal legion, a well-trained and well-equipped force. Relief washed over him, a wave so powerful it threatened to drown him. With the Detherborn, Seraph, and now Drake and his legion, the tide of the war might just be turning.
"Looks like the party's just getting started," Drake grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Andre returned the grin, a spark of his old fire flickering back to life. They were battered, bruised, and outnumbered, but they weren't alone. Xin'an was in ruins, but hope, fragile yet tenacious, bloomed amidst the ashes. The war was far from over, matter of fact, it was just starting.