Everyone stood there, eyes fixated on the newcomer. Who, according to Oreon, goes by Aura.
Vexes narrowed her eyes slightly as the sound of knights being crushed into the earth could be heard all around them.
The elven woman glanced over her shoulder, catching Oreon in her sights as her green eyes softened for a second. "It's been some time, little dragon," She spoke, the smooth sound of her voice reaching Oreon's ears as she turned attention back towards the opposition. "You've grown since I last saw you, but I still see you're a magnet for trouble." She added, glaring in front of her. Her green eyes landed solely on Vexes.
Vexes gave a slight sneer as he eyed Aura. "The Ghost of the Eastern Woods," He hissed through his teeth. "I should have known you'd crawl out of whatever hole you've been hiding in."
"Hello Vexes," She began, her voice void of the warmth she had briefly shown Oreon. Replaced by a colder, more stern tone. "I'd say it's good to see you again, but I try not to lie."
"Still, with your comments." Vexes gave off a light growl. "It was said that the Order had finally gotten rid of you, but I see that those stories were false. Ever the growing thorn in the Order's side."
Aura's lips curved into a faint smile, though it was void of any warmth. "Rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated. Your Order isn't as thorough as they'd like to believe." She shrugged her shoulders lightly. "But then again, it's a great way to move around unnoticed when everyone thinks you're already dead."
Around them, the roots continued their assault. Knights struggled against the earth's tendrils, their coordinated formation breaking apart as the ground itself turned against them. Some managed to hack through the roots with their blades, but for every one severed, two more erupted to take its place.
Celestia and Sylvanie exchanged glances. Meanwhile, Meara held an unreadable expression as she looked over at the green-haired elf.
"Oreon," Aura called without taking her eyes off the enemy, gaining his attention.
"Your mother would be very disappointed if I let these dogs drag you back to your father. And I'm sure I would get an earful from Meara, and I for one don't feel like hearing that tired old voice of hers nagging me all day."
"Aye, and I'd give you a thrashing too." Meara let a small smirk slide across her weathered features, her body relaxing a bit, seeing Aura in front of her.
"I know you would," Aura stated, still not taking her eyes off Vexes. "Thank you for keeping him safe all this time. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here."
Meara's smirk softened into something more genuine, a rare sight from her. "No need for that, I'm just happy you got here in time. I don't think this old body of mine could have held for much longer.
Meanwhile, Sylvanie whispered to her sister. "Who is she?" was the question, which was only met by Celestia slowly shaking her head in response.
"I…I don't know Sylvanie, I'm just as lost as you are." She replied.
The roots continued their relentless assault on the knights, the sound of armor scraping against bark and earth filling the air. Aura stood firm, her feet planted against the cobblestone as if she were one with the ground beneath her.
Screams were silenced as the knights who were dragged into the ground met their end. The ones that remained were already trying to retreat or hold their own, but would ultimately meet the same fate.
"Enough of this!" Divia roared suddenly, her hideous form launching toward Aura, claws extended and ready to tear her apart.
But without even turning to look, Aura flicked her wrist. Massive roots erupted from the ground, wrapping around Divia's limbs and halting her charge mid-air. The transformed Elven woman howled in rage, struggling against her wooden restraints.
"Hmm, your master's forces grow weaker every day," Aura stated calmly, finally turning to face the suspended Divia. "And you, giving yourself completely to those zealots." She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "How far some people will go, just to be recognized."
Divia snarled at Aura's comment, thrashing violently as she tried her best to break free. "Save your breath, you damn witch!" She spat. "You, out of all elves, should know better than anyone." She gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing at Aura, who stood there looking impassive as she looked up at her. "Anyone outside of being a high elf was treated with disdain. Just like dark elves, you were nothing but an afterthought." She thrashed more.
Aura watched Divia struggle with no emotion on her face. The roots tightened around the woman's limbs, creaking under the strain.
"Perhaps," Aura answered quietly, her voice carrying no bitterness, only something that sounded tired. "But surrendering myself to the very people who massacred our kin?" Her head tilted slightly. "That I could never do." She continued to look up at her. "Even now, with the kingdom gone, there are some who resist. You still have a chance to turn back." Aura told her, but Divia was still raving.
"Screw your resistance!" She screamed, her voice distorted by rage. "The Order controls every kingdom from the Northern wastes to the Southern seas! So, what if a handful of elves want to band together! We've already lost everything! Whatever little rebellion you're trying to put together is nothing but a dying ember!" Her violent struggles continued as she glared hatefully at Aura. "The Purifier will burn your precious resistance to ash! He will find every last elf hiding in the shadows and hang them from the trees you love so much!"
Aura's expression remained unmoved, though something flickered behind those solid green eyes, pity as she continued to eye the creature within her grasp. "The Order's blessings do indeed corrupt all, even one's mental state. "She let out a small sigh. "Your insistence that the Order gave you power is because you were afraid of being tossed aside. The dealings in Vel'Andria could produce such fear, I know that much." She looked up at her again. "But there's still time to remember who you are. That once proud elf, who walked with ambition. One whose goal was to reach the seat at the round table. You—"
"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Divia screamed. "Don't you dare patronize me! You know just as well as I do that the round table meant nothing! The kingdom built on Elven lies by that tyrant of a king, we had it! It deserves to burn! It deserves to fall! To be crushed under the heel of the Order!"
Aura continued to hold her impassive expression as she gently closed her eyes at Divia's outburst. "It seems your mind is slipping more and more with each passing day," Aura spoke back. "However, you aren't wrong. The Elven ways were in desperate need of change—" Suddenly Aura's opened to see Yvonne leaping towards her, wheel blades spinning rapidly as she came down.
Aura just stood there as the wheel blade was getting closer to her face, but the motion stopped abruptly. Yvonne's eyes widened, unsure of what had just happened, only to find that a wooden tendril had sprouted from the ground and grabbed her by the waist, catching her in mid-air.
"Hmm, they're even recruiting kids." Aura stared at Yvonne. "You're no older than the princesses and yet…" She sighed as she stared at Yvonne for a moment longer. "You're not as far gone as the others." She held her palm stretched out towards her, and suddenly, Yvonne's eyes widened as wooden tendrils began forming a ball around her.
"Wha—What the hell!" Yvonne struggled against the forming cage, her wheel blades scraping uselessly against the wood. "Let me out! Let me out! Let me out of here, you damn elf!" She continued to use her wheel blades as her screams became frantic. "Let me out!"
Aura only watched as the wooden ball closed around the frantic young elf, muffling Yvonne's screams into nothing but dull thuds as the ground opened up and the ball dropped inside, the ground closing behind it.
"Now then," She turned towards Divia. "I was hoping we could avoid this," Aura whispered, raising the same palm toward Divia as Emerald light began to coalesce around her fingers. "But you've chosen your path." A long, thick vein began to come from the ground under Aura's feet as it lifted her towards Divia.
"No! Stay back! Stay away from me, you witch!" Divia screamed like a frightened child. "Don't come any closer! Leave me alone!" Her voice cracked. "Leave me alone!" She trashed as Aura's palm ignited in a green light as she approached her.
"No, no, no!" She thrashed as hard as she could, trying her best to break her restraints. "I won't let you! Stop!" She growled as she continued her struggles. "Don't come any closer! Get away from me!"
"I'm sorry, Divia," Aura remained unnerved. "This is the only way to save you." She spoke gently as she closed the distance between herself and the monstrous form in front of her.
Suddenly, "SHADOW BOLT!" Vexes screamed as he launched a large black lightning energy ball towards Aura, who quickly turned her attention towards the attack, catching it with the same palm and with a light squeeze, dispersing it into small light particles.
The remnants of Vexes' attack flickered and faded, scattering harmlessly into the smoke-filled air. Aura's expression shifted, her eyes narrowing as Vexes launched two more shadow bolts her way.
Aura twisted her wrist, and a thick wall of intertwined roots erupted from the ground between her and Vexes, absorbing both attacks with a dull thud.
The wood smoldered but held firm.
"Tch…" Vexes clicked his tongue, his eyes burning with frustration as he launched himself forward with his curved blade in hand, swiping it horizontally, sending an energy blade projectile towards Aura, who just stared at the attack as if it meant nothing to her.
Then, with little effort. Aura leaped off her wooden platform, quickly performing a 360-degree front flip before sticking out her leg, her foot covered in green energy as she split the dark projectile in half.
The two halves of the dark projectile careened past Aura, crashing into distant rubble and exploding into bursts of flames. She landed gracefully, her feet connecting with the ground as if she weighed nothing at all.
Vexes didn't relent, closing the distance between them in an instant. His curved blade sang through the air, each swing aimed to kill.
Aura, however, the movements were fluid. She ducked under a horizontal slash, sidestepped a vertical cut, and pivoted away from a thrust aimed at her heart with her hands clasped behind her back.
"You've grown slow, Vexes," She remarked, her voice almost bored.
Vexes snarled, his frustration bleeding through as he launched another flurry of attacks. "Shut your mouth!" He roared, his blade now coated in dark energy as he swung it down with both hands.
Aura raised her left hand, and a thick root erupted from the ground, intercepting the blade mid-swing. The impact sent tremors through the air, but the root held firm, absorbing the blow without so much as a crack. Aura, however, quickly spun to Vexes' left side and delivered a side kick, her foot swinging as the top of her foot caught Vexes in the stomach, carrying him for a bit before sending him crashing through an already ruined building.
The building collapsed further as Vexes 'body tore through it, with stones and timber raining down in a cloud of dust.
Aura lowered her leg slowly, brushing a strand of green hair from her face as she kept her eyes locked on the wreckage.
Meanwhile, Oreon couldn't believe what he was seeing. His expressions were only mimicked by both Celestia and Sylvanie, while Meara only watched, knowing full well that Aura hadn't even gotten started yet.
The dust slowly settled around the collapsed building, and for a brief moment, silence hung in the air.
Suddenly, Vexes appeared in front of Aura, blade coming down hard. Still, Aura stopped his assault with a quick elbow to the midsection, followed by a palm strike to the chin, forcing Vexes backward as he landed on his feet, knees buckling slightly. Still, Aura didn't give him time to recover as she delivered a two-punch combo to Vexes face, who tried to counter back with a swing of his blade, but Aura ducked, coming back up as she delivered a quick side-kick, kicking him away from her as his boots skidded against the ground.
Vexes stumbled, his balance wavering as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. His grip on his curved blade tightened as he fell to one knee, using his blade as support.
"You…"He growled. "How is this possible…You…You can't…No one can—"
Aura watched him, her stance relaxed but not unguarded. "You've relied on those borrowed powers of yours for far too long," Aura spoke. "Boasting about how strong the Order has made you, but failing to actually master those powers." She shook her head disappointedly. "To think, how far you've fallen because the Order's blessings made you lazy."
On the sidelines, Celestia watched the exchange with her wide eyes, her mind racing as she couldn't fathom what she was seeing. "Sylvanie," She whispered, leaning closer to her sister. "Her movements…they're—"
"Ridiculous," Sylvanie finished, her eyes following the fight as she studied Aura. "And… She." She gritted her teeth, adjusting herself slightly against the wall. "She's barely trying…Just look at her. This is like a day in the sun to her."
Celestia's gaze remained fixed on Aura, watching as the green-haired elf moved like she was just on a stroll. Her power was far beyond anything Celestia had ever seen. It was beautiful, in a terrifying way.
Vexes pushed himself back to his feet, his breathing a bit ragged, but he charged forward again. Dark energy encased his forms, the sigils in his eyes glowing as he tried to slash Aura again. Aura, however, evaded, sidestepped, and then used her wrist to completely negate his swing before driving her knee sharply into his stomach. She didn't even exploit the opening, slowly lowering her leg and stepping back as Vexes collapsed onto his knees, gasping for breath.
Oreon couldn't believe his eyes. Images of Aura flickered in his mind as she would train him, along with his sister Alice, whenever they visited her village, how he would train and play with the other elves that were around. Now, he was seeing Aura fight up close.
Vexes remained on his knees, gasping for air as his blade clattered to the ground beside him.
"Yield, Vexes. While you still can." Aura warned him.
Vexes' chest heaved as he struggled to breathe, his fingers digging into the ground beneath him. His eyes, still dawning those twisted sigils, lifted to meet Aura's calm gaze.
"Yield?" He spat blood onto the ground between them, a bitter laugh escaping his throat. "As if…I would ever yield to you!" He rose, quickly grabbing his blade and trying to slash Aura across her chest. Still, before he could even position himself, Aura had stuck her foot out, placing it against his chest to stop his movement, and then quickly spun around and delivered a hard kick, shooting his body backward through a few buildings.
The sound was deafening as Vexes's body finally hit the last building. He lay against the ruins, breathing heavily on his back as his eyes were able to catch Aura, still standing in the same spot, gritting his teeth in anger, but pain was now shooting all through his body.
Aura lowered her leg slowly again, letting out a soft breath. "Such stubbornness." She murmured as she turned towards Divia. "Now then." Another large tendril erupted from the ground as it lifted her upward towards the half-elf/half-gargoyle creature.
Divia's eyes widened as Aura ascended toward her, her twisted form struggling helplessly against the wooden bindings. "No…no!" Get away from me! I said get away!" Her voice cracked, losing any semblance of menace as terror consumed her features.
Aura said nothing, her expression serene yet sorrowful as she drew closer. The green glow around her palm intensified. "This will hurt," Aura admitted softly. "But only for a moment."
"No..." Divia's eyes widened. "I don't—I don't want—" She couldn't finish her sentence as Aura placed her hand gently upon Divia's forehead.
"Don't worry, this will be over before you know it," Aura spoke as her green eyes began to glow, but something went wrong. A dark portal opened, quickly snapping Divia's restraints and pulling her in, closing behind her as Aura stared at the space where Divia once was, slowly lowered her hand, and turned back around to send a small glare to Vexes.
He lay there, still breathing hard, one arm outstretched and his palm open, a smug smile on his face. "You... you don't get two victories in one day, witch," he said between breaths.
"Coward," Aura lightly gritted her teeth. "Always running when the tide turns against you."
Vexes slowly picked himself up, his face twisted with hatred. "The Order doesn't lose, witch." He grinned, dark energy pulsing around his body. "We merely…Reposition." A twisted smile spreads across his face as the same dark energy that had created Divia's escape portal now begins to envelope his own form. "The Purifier will hear of this, as well as your reemergence, witch…"
Aura continued giving him a cold stare as she watched him, not attempting to stop him from escaping. "Tell your Purifier that his time in this realm is running short; you can only escape death for so long." She finished as multiple portals opened around them, rescuing the remnants of the army the Vexes had brought out, and they all closed, disappearing behind them.