Avalyne War Stories

10th Story - Soleil

I told you I'd make it here, Morgana.

At long last, I had done it. I had reached the very top of the Witch Queen's Spire. The very symbol of her rule over the blasted lands beneath.

Lightning raged from the dark and angry clouds above. The violet wind howled in my ears, reminding me that I had reached the point of no return. Even if I turned back, there would only be legions of witches and their foul familiars waiting for me, ready to tear me apart for the havoc I had wreaked from forcing my way here.

In front of me was a large walkway surrounded by numerous standing torches on both sides. Armored humanoid witchspawn guarded the way forward, my presence drawing their attention immediately. Though they shuffled toward me slightly, they dared not attack without a direct order from their master.

She sat upon her massive throne at the opposite end of the walkway, gazing at me with a frosty and unimpressed stare. Her hair was long and darker than the night. Glimmers of light sparkled within the depths of those silky strands, reflecting the flashing lights of the storm that raged above us. Her eyes were the color of freshly spilled blood, twin crimson orbs piercing deep into my soul. Though I sensed no emotion within them other than mild amusement, I understood very well that the being I now faced was a creature who had lived for an almost unfathomable period of time.

The Witch Queen had seen many things and experienced much more than I could even imagine. In fact, this was probably the closest I would ever come to facing down a god. But even so, I advanced undaunted. Deity or not, I would drive this blessed blade through that black heart of hers and prove Morgana wrong once and for all. At last, I would show her that I am capable of slaying the Witch Queen and maybe, just maybe, she would finally look my way.

I dashed forward, and the Witch Queen responded with a mere wave of her hand, signaling the humanoid witchspawn to descend upon me. They did so with fervor, accelerating towards me without the slightest shred of hesitation.

But it was useless. They were stronger than the rest of their ilk, but I had dealt with their kind more than enough as I forced my way up this damned Spire. With a single wave of my sword, I cleaved through more than half of them, the searing flames of the sun bursting forth at my command. Another swing saw the rest of them cut down, and I continued my advance toward the Witch Queen.

"Kaslavna." The Witch Queen addressed one of her subjects who stood below her throne. "Leave and fly north."

"But Your Majesty! We—Ghk!"

The Witch Queen hadn't appeared to do anything, but Kaslavna was silenced immediately and rather painfully, the witch clutching her throat and staggering backwards. Immediately, the witch named Kaslavna dropped to her knees, bowing her head before being levitated into the air and launched northward without being able to utter a single word of protest.

What...? Did she just...?

My eyes widened at the sight of the Witch Queen so effortlessly handling her subordinates. She may have been the strongest of all witches, but those surrounding her were by no means weak. For the first time since I began climbing the Spire, I felt a seed of doubt begin to worm its way into my heart.

Caliburn vibrated in my palm as if to reassure me that victory was but a foregone conclusion. Even so, I couldn't fully believe in myself to emerge victorious despite the confidence I had held seconds ago. That single display of power had truly battered my morale. I had expected her to be powerful, but never had I seen such raw magical power.

In fact, merely attempting to gauge how much mana she possessed made my head swim, and I could feel the mana density in the air grow tremendously with every step I took toward her. In short, she was a monster beyond monsters. An existence so unfathomable that I likely would have already collapsed if not for Caliburn's protective abilities.