Legends of Ardonia [Editor's Edition]

Chapter 9: An Eye for an Eye

Emmilia immediately drew Voltar off her back, staring down Zalmatos.

"We could have done this the easy way," Zalmatos began, "but you two just won't leave us alone! Your efforts are for naught. You can't win!"

"It's not about winning," Emmilia said, getting to her feet. "It's about doing the right thing. I won't let you spread any more of your evil across our land!"

"Your land? Your land?!" Zalmatos asked incredulously, throwing the chest in his arms to the floor and pacing back and forth at a furious tempo. "It's not your land! It's–! No...I've done this speech before..."

Zalmatos paused his pacing, looking thoughtfully into the night sky. Sandrev tried to get out from under Chromius, but Sendar quickly met his neck, stilling him.

"Yes...you're just like them...the ones who started it all..."

"Who?" Emmilia demanded.

"Two Ardoni, just like yourselves, wound up on our shores a few decades ago," Zalmatos recalled. "You're not descendants; you don't have their markings, but you're so...similar. Righteously determined, skilled and confident...we killed them, of course, but they stubbornly fought to the very end. They forced our hand. We would have waited another few years to strike, but we didn't know if more would find us. So, here we are."

Chromius glanced at Emmilia, the dots starting to connect in his head.

"They said we were just like the villains they fought in their 'Great War'. Ironic isn't it? That we've formed an alliance with the very villains they talked about."

"Emmilia..." Chromius said worriedly, but Emmilia didn't hear him.

"Two Ardoni: one man, one woman. One red, one blue."

Realization suddenly flashed across Emmilia's face. She looked at Voltar in her hands.

"What did they say their names were? You'd think I would remember after they annoyingly declared them over and over again. Something about...the Knights of Ardonia?"

"No..." Emmilia's hands trembled.

"Ah, right...Senn and Ria." Zalmatos grinned evilly, turning to Emmilia and noticing her trembling hands. "Do you recognize those names, Voltaris?"

Emmilia furiously yelled out, running at Zalmatos until two Netherans intercepted her and held her back. Zalmatos laughed maniacally as he saw her reaction.

"Ah, so you do know them. Good."

Chromius abandoned Sandrev, swinging Sendar at the Netherans holding Emmilia. The Netherans backed off quickly as sparks flew off the Netheran he managed to nick.

"It's nothing personal, masters, but we can't let any harm befall Queen Jasmine," one of the Netherans said.

Chromius grit his teeth. He knew he had to get the Prime Songs, but fighting against warriors who were only fighting to protect their queen weighed heavily on his mind. He glanced at Yumerlia, but before he could formulate a plan, he saw Zalmatos point his sword at him.

"Now you will die as they did: alone."

Red energy circled around him, but he was suddenly interrupted when Sandrev tackled Zalmatos to the ground. A bolt of Aggressium crackled through the space where Zalmatos had been standing, dissipating harmlessly into the air behind him. He spun his head in frustration to see where it had come from. A single Nestoris stood before them, holding the Nestor staff.