Oreon stood holding Sylvanie in his arms, a few feet away from Yvonne, as he looked down at Sylvanie, who had definitely seen better days.
His eyes still retained their golden color, the red aura still fluctuating around him. "You look like shit."
"You…idiot…" Sylvanie managed to say, but there was relief in her voice. "Took you…long enough…I was wondering…when you would wake up from that stupid…nap of yours."
Oreon chuckled, the sound a bit strained but surprisingly genuine. "Hey, cut me some slack. I'm still trying to figure all this out." He said, looking up at Yvonne and glaring at her, which made her take a slight step back. "Besides, I don't think we can rest just yet," He slightly narrowed his eyes at Yvonne.
Yvonne's body slightly trembled under his gaze, remembering the battle he had just had. Going toe-to-toe with Vexes and even taking that powerful blow Vexes dealt him, yet he was still able to stand and retrieve Sylvanie.
Yvonne's grip on her weapons tightened. She could feel the power radiating off Oreon, a force that seemed to defy all logic and reason. It was unlike anything she had ever encountered before.
"You…" Yvonne's voice wavered slightly, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her tone for the first time since this confrontation began. "What…What are you?"
Oreon's golden eyes studied Yvonne for a long moment, the red aura around him pulsing steadily like a heartbeat. "What am I?" He repeated the question. "Honestly? I'm still figuring that out myself." He answered her, his tone serious. "But right now? I don't have time to talk with you. There's someone else who needs my help."
Yvonne gritted her teeth, her wheel blades slowing their rotation as she processed his words. "Someone else?" Her eyes flicked toward the direction where Divia had thrown Celestia. "You mean the princess? You're insane if you think Divia will let you—"
Suddenly, her eyes widened as Oreon's body vanished along with Sylvanie as she quickly turned her towards the direction where Divia was.
Meanwhile, Celestia lay amidst the rubble, her breathing labored. Every inch of her body screamed in pain as she tried to move, but her limbs felt like lead. Blood trickled from multiple wounds,
"Get…Up…" She whispered to herself. "You…Have to…get up…"
But her body refused to obey. The world around her spun, darkness creeping at the edges of her vision. She could hear footsteps approaching, slow, heavy footsteps.
"Look at you." She heard Divia's voice from behind her.
Celestia forced herself to turn her head, pain shooting through her neck. Through her blurry vision, she could make out Divia's monstrous silhouette standing behind her, her twisted form blocking the doorway.
"The mighty Princess of Vel'Andria," Divia continued, mocking her as she approached. "Reduced to crawling in the dirt like a worm." She let out a cruel laugh, her clawed feet crushing debris beneath them with each step.
Celestia's sapphire eyes flickered with determination despite the pain wracking her body. Her fingers scraped against the ground as she tried, desperately, to push herself up.
"I won't…" She gasped, her voice barely audible. "I won't give you…the satisfaction…" The words left her mouth as she made it to her hands and knees.
Divia's laughter grew louder, more unhinged. "Satisfaction? Oh, Princess—" She crouched down, her twisted features inches from Celestia's face. "—this isn't about satisfaction. This is about putting you in your place." Her clawed hand reached out, gripping Celestia's chin roughly and forcing her to look up. "The kingdom fell. Your people scattered like frightened animals. And now? Now even your precious light can't save you."
Celestia's body trembled, not from fear, but from anger. A faint glow began emanating from her fingertips—weak, flickering, barely there.
"You're…wrong…" Celestia managed through gritted teeth.
"Am I?" Divia tilted her head, amusement dancing in her corrupted eyes. "Then prove it. Show me that—"
She never finished her sentence.
A blur of red crashed between them, Oreon's foot connecting squarely with Divia's jaw.
The impact sent the corrupted woman flying backward through what remained of a stone wall, her body disappearing into a cloud of dust and debris. The sound of crumbling masonry echoed through the ruined building.
Oreon stood where Divia had been moments before, Sylvanie still cradled in his arms. His golden eyes tracked the path of destruction he'd just created, chest heaving slightly from the exertion.
Celestia blinked, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. One moment, Divia's twisted face was inches from hers; the next…that familiar figure stood between them.
"O-Oreon...?" Her voice cracked, disbelief coloring her tone.
"Hey," he said simply, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Sorry, it took me a bit to get back in the fight," Oreon said, still holding Sylvanie as he walked towards Celestia, slowly crouching down and holding Sylvanie with one arm and using his free hand to slowly take Celestia's hand and gently guide it over his shoulder as he slowly stood up, pulling Celestia onto his back.
Celestia winced at the sudden movement, but her arms instinctively wrapped around Oreon's neck for support. Her body felt impossibly heavy, every muscle protesting as she pressed against his back.
"You're…bleeding…" She murmured weakly near his ear, noticing the warm wetness soaking through his tattered clothes.
"Yeah, well…" Oreon adjusted his hold on both sisters, making sure neither would slip. "Join the club." He turned his attention back towards the direction he had sent Divia. "We are all banged up, but that doesn't mean we can stop now." He gritted his teeth as the small dust cloud that surrounded Divia quickly blew away as Divia roared loudly, rising to her feet, baring her fangs at Oreon.
Divia's roar shook the very foundation of the crumbling building, bits of debris raining down around them. Her twisted form emerged from the dust cloud, more monstrous than before—corruption spreading further across her body like black veins. The kick had clearly hurt her; blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and a low growl escaped her lips.
"You…DARE!" She snarled. "How DARE a pathetic, filthy human even think about touching me!" Her clawed feet dug into the ground as she crouched low, muscles tensing as she glared at Oreon. "I'll tear you apart! I SWEAR! I'LL TEAR OFF YOUR DAMN LIMBS ONE BY ONE YOU FLITHY HUMAN!"
Oreon stood his ground, the red aura around him pulsing in response to Divia's threat. His golden eyes never wavered, meeting her corrupted gaze head-on.
"Sounds like I just pissed someone off." He responded as Divia could barely contain herself as she lowered herself low to the ground, her wings spreading out, getting ready to charge at Oreon.
"No human…" She gritted her teeth. "No human has ever laid a hand on me and you…" A low guttural growl echoed from her throat.
Oreon, keeping the girls secured, let a small smirk slide across his face. "I get to be the first, I'll take that as an accomplishment then." He replied.
Divia's entire body trembled in anger. The black veins pulsing across her skin writhed and twisted in response to the rage. "You'll regret those words…" She hissed, her voice distorting into something growing far beyond even what elves could imagine. "I'll make you BEG for death before I'm done with you!" She screamed. "You hear me!" She began to laugh manically. "YOU'RE DEAD HUMAN! DEAD!" She launched herself towards Oreon at blinding speed, her clawed hand stretched out, ready to carve Oreon up into pieces the second she got her hands on him.
Oreon's eyes narrowed, his body tensing as he watched Divia close the distance in a heartbeat. The world seemed to slow down around him as he watched her twisted form appear in front of him, her claw coming down with the intent to kill him in one blow.
Divia's claw indeed came down, but when she swiped, she swiped nothing but air, her feet slamming into the ground as she skidded to a stop. Her head jerked left to right as she realized Oreon and the elven princesses were gone. He had gotten away, escaped her, which infuriated her more.
Divia shrieked in frustration as it echoed through the town's ruins, a sound so primal that nearby walls cracked under its intensity. Her clawed fingers dug into the cobblestone ground beneath her feet, leaving deep gouges as she roared.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!" She screamed into the sky; her distorted voice carried for miles. "YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN FROM ME?! I'LL FIND YOU HUMAN AND WHEN I DO! I'LL HAVE YOU BEGGING AT MY FEET! DO YOU HEAR ME!"
Meanwhile, Meara leaped out of the way of Vexes's curved sword, barely dodging it as she returned to attack with her bow, barely able to parry the empowered dark elf's next attack.
The weapons bounced off each other as the sounds of them clashing traveled through the square. Vexes swung wildly on his neck strike, allowing Meara to sidestep and charge in close, getting ready to create an arrow and fire it at point-blank range, but Vexes quickly swiped his blade right, connecting with her bow.
The force sent Meara skidding backward, but she used her hand to stop herself. Her arms began to ache from all the blocking and countering she did; her breathing quickened from the strain she was putting on her body just trying to keep up with him.
"What's wrong, Keeper?" Vexes sneered, his corrupt eyes gleaming in amusement. "You're getting weaker the longer this carries on." He pointed out. "The more you push, the more your body gives out under the strain of the grove's power."
Meara's chest heaved with each breath, sweat dripping down her temple. She knew he was right; the Grove's power wasn't infinite, and she'd been pushing herself to her absolute limit, trying to maintain its power.
"Maybe…" She nocked her bow again, an arrow forming with emerald energy as she aimed at the dark elf. "But if I were you, I'd be more concerned for myself. Get overconfident, and I'll pierce whatever is left of that dying heart of yours."
Vexes laughed as he stood a few feet away from Meara. "My dying heart?" He spun his curved blade effortlessly. "Oh, Meara…. you still don't understand, do you?" The sigil in his eyes locked onto Meara, but not without a smirk sliding across his features. "This power the Order gave me doesn't need a heart. It feeds on something far greater. Rage, ambition, the desire to transcend mortal limitations." He looked up at the sky with a sick smile before bringing his view back down onto his opponent, who had already pulled back on her arrow, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
"Humans, elves, beastkin, dwarves…And all the ones that were unfortunate enough to live a pathetic life of squandering, scurrying on the ground like rats searching for food. A mind looking for a purpose, only to be snuffed out by someone stronger than you." He continued. "A meaningless cycle that endlessly repeats itself for those who are weak. Always giving way to those who are strong."
Meara's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're wrong." She said quietly. "Strength isn't just about power, Vexes. It's about what you're willing to do with it once you have it. Those that you call weak get up every day and fight against the harsh reality that that day could be their last. That the Order could come in at any time and take everything from them in the blink of an eye. But yet, they still get up and press forward. Taking it day by day until they find an alternative way to live instead of digesting this filth that you feed the masses." She pulled back a bit more. "The ones with strength and use it to bring a shadow over the people are the spineless cowards. Your Order is nothing short of a scared beast that hasn't been tamed…You're no different as well."
Vexes just stood there, letting the Keeper of the Eastern Grove continue. "Just look at you…Even as a Dark Elf, you sat at the round table of Elves. Seeking a better future in Vel'Andria, even if the King did have ulterior motives, you could have used the strength you had to make a better change, but no, you decided to take the cowardly way out and help the very blight against mortal existence run rampant when you allowed the Order to stomp all over your home." She glared at him. "No matter how much power those bastards give you, Vexes, you're still weak." She finished.
Silence followed Meara's words as they both stared at each other, and for a moment, it would appear as if Meara's words had somehow crept into the cracks of Vexes's mental armor, but suddenly, a low but dark chuckle could be heard coming from him.
Vexes's laughter grew, then slowly quieted down. "Weak? How quaint, Keeper." He took a step forward. "I expected more from someone who communes with nature itself." Another step. "We can speak about my past transgressions and what led me here, where I now stand before you." He gestured with his arms, stretching out wide. "Stronger with the Order's blessings, even stronger than the power you borrowed from the grove." His smirk widened. "None of it matters, Keeper. The only thing that remains a fact is that today you will fall by the power even your human mind can't understand."
Meara got ready to release her arrow as Vexes was getting ready to charge at her, but a gust of wind forced itself between the two as a red aura appeared as Oreon had returned, standing in front of Meara, glaring at Vexes.