2412, Diori 23, Jyda

Xanthy cursed as she hurried past clamoring soldiers, making her way out of the inner quadrant. One foot in front of the other, she hurtled through the fortress as soon as she got word that the Sovereign and the Heiress had both appeared at the front lines.

Her chest tightened. Her stomach was still in knots after crying all night in the quiet of her tent. With uncombed hair and puffy eyes, Xanthy must have looked like hell. It's not like anyone would ever manage to look pristine in this time so it's fine.

Xanthy passed Reeca on her way out of the outer quadrant. The varichria's face still carried a haunted look after losing her brother. Eldan and Airese joined Xanthy as they stepped out of the fortress to meet the oncoming horde set to capture Penleth. Her parents looked nothing close to fine.

Airese lost her sister, Airene, and her friends, Anahel and Marthiaq. There's no way she was alright.

Xanthy, herself, was at a loss when she heard of Marthiaq's passing. The man was the one who watched over her in the Disfavoreds. He guided her when no one could even though he did it looking like an old man. Before, she thought of Marthiaq's disguise as something unnecessary but now it hurt to realize that he would never get old nor would his skin form wrinkles because of age.

Marthiaq was gone.

Her fists clenched as she trudged to the front lines, treading past soldiers who looked at her like she was a goddess. Xanthy hated those looks of adoration. She would let them all down sometime later if not now. She didn't deserve those.

Xanthy made it to the front and regarded the never-ending sea of black forming a distance from them. Compared to the thousands of people, artillery, and the sheer amount of the Sovereign and the Heiress's powers, Penleth looked insignificant. If Xanthy were their enemies, she would have wondered how in Umazure Penleth was still standing.

Xanthy sighed and steeled her nerves. Air filled her head and a hammer pounded against her temples. Ugh. That's what she got for not sleeping soundly last night. She shook her head. It didn't matter. Xanthy would end everything here. Today. At whatever cost.

The battle renewed once more. It was almost the same as it was yesterday and the days before that. Soldiers fell. Magic spewed in bright sparks. Nature bent and followed new masters.

Xanthy stayed where she was as the remaining warriors from Penleth whizzed past her to clash with the attacking enemy. She called her magic to the surface, grimacing at the sputtering state it greeted her.

Ease up on the Virtakios, Xanthy told the Arbotros' presence in her head. I'm letting it all out.

You might alter more than you know, the Arbotro's tone was apprehensive. Let me help.

No, the Heiress and the Sovereign will sense your trail the moment I go in there, Xanthy gave the Arbotro light on what she planned to do.

The voice was quiet for a while before sighing. Fine, the Arbotro said. If you feel like you're losing control or if it becomes overwhelming for you, I won't hesitate to shut your magic down.

Got it, Xanthy spread her hands and felt the static energy of her magic thrum in her veins. It won't go wrong.

She didn't hear the Arbotro's reply over the roar of magic in her ears but she assumed it was probably along the lines of I doubt it. Well, whatever. Praying to all the gods out there, Xanthy exhaled and forced all of her magic to come to the surface and at the ready. She squeezed her eyes shut and slowly, sank to the depths of her soul towards where the Virtakios lay pulsing. With her mind, she reached carefully for the door that the Arbotro put to keep the destructive magic contained.

Then, she kicked that door down.

Fire filled her veins as the Virtakios raged out of its prison. Xanthy's vision tunneled as her other senses sharpened. Bird songs from miles and cities away filled her ears. The shuffle of clouds whistled inside her head. Footsteps and the screams of death were a blaring gong in her mind.

Find the Heiress and the Sovereign. Xanthy exhaled again, wrestling her mind to where she wanted it to go. Focus.

Her magic slipped in and out of trails, of souls, and of the very threads of what's keeping their world stable. For the first time, she understood how dangerous the Virtakios could be. One wrong move and she could destroy Fantasilia instead of saving it.

Light twirled with Xanthy's magic, kissing it gently on some places while warring with it on most. Such a brand of magic was unwelcome here. It went against everything the foundations of the world stood for. Xanthy swayed. Her feet stuck in between worlds of magic and reality. Hurry.

Xanthy blew a breath and wrenched control of her hazy magic. She sped forward without actually moving, her senses picking up every detail in agonizing clarity. Blood had never looked so red...

Focus.

Her magic slammed into a barrier, sending reverberations up her arms. What...?

She must have found it.

Xanthy bit her lip and flexed her fingers. Her mind directed her magic to do what it's supposed to do. The Virtakios raged forward, using Xanthy's battered synnavaim as a channel. In truth, Xanthy had the synnavaim of the nature fairies but it was burned to fractured residues the last time she lost control with the Virtakios. Now, it existed as a hollow shell inside Xanthy's soul that the Virtakios took and filled without hesitation.

It's like the world's way of telling her that she'd be nothing more than the Virtakios.

Xanthy ground her teeth and focused on altering the trails of that barrier. Whatever that was, it's protecting something important.

In the eyes of her magic, the barrier glowed orange. When her magic wrapped around the barrier again, it slowly turned bright green as the Virtakios got to work. After a while, cracks spread from the glass-like barrier before shattering into a million pieces, the sound loud in Xanthy's ears.

Then, a column of pure magic sped towards her.

Xanthy gasped and directed the Virtakios to meet it. Magic against magic. Explosions racked her mind as multi-colored lights blinded her. What...

Plumes of energy attacked from everywhere. All headed for Xanthy. Oh gods. They sensed her. Gods. Gods. Gods. Fool. A single, damning voice tore through Xanthy's concentration.

Fool. Perhaps she was, no matter what her friends say.

Panic rose to her throat. The Virtakios sensed this and began rebelling against her control. Xanthy cursed as she swept her magic around, stopping the hostile magic from hitting her. The sound of explosions throbbed in Xanthy's head. Too much...

Pain speared through her brain. She reached her limit. Her magic was close to none right now. More time. She needed more time...

Xanthy screamed as she sent her magic forward towards her original goal. The Virtakios surged, sparked, and ate at everything it came across. Outside Xanthy's spell, screams of rage and surprise rocked the battlefield. It took Xanthy a few minutes to realize it was coming from everyone around her apart from her targets.

Fool. She cursed.

It's too late to turn back now. Xanthy pushed forward, breaking through more barricades of magic as she got closer and closer to the glowing heart at the middle of it all. Go. Faster.

Then, pain exploded from her gut. A hitched cry escaped from Xanthy's throat as her form's knees buckled. She fell to the ground. The crack of her joints hitting the soil was a loud beat in her head. What happened? Fool. The taunting voices bore upon her head until she believed them. She was a fool.

Xanthy turned too late. A blast of pure magic shattered Xanthy's magic down to the last shards. All at once, the Virtakios sped back to Xanthy's veins in a rush of nausea and vomit.

She retched. The sudden absence of sharpened senses left her disoriented. The sunlight blinded her. The battle still raged up ahead. Xanthy pushed herself up from the ground and touched a sore spot in her stomach. What was that about?

June's form was hurtling to the ground.

April screamed as she charged at the doors of her cell. The Virtakios's leash on her magic suddenly snapped earlier. It's time. She spread her wings, the cramped, clay cell impeding her from spreading it fully. It would have to do. Grunting, she summoned her magic and flapped her wings, once.

A blast of wind slammed into the flimsy wooden grates. The poor barricade popped out of its sockets and flew a few distance from the cells. Immediately, guards were on their feet to try to apprehend her. She grinned. These simpletons were no match for her and all the ones who could were out on the battlefield. It's time.

April flapped her wings and rose to the ground. Traps designed by those infernal ice sprites sped towards her. She tucked her wings and twirled out of the traps' grip. She sailed higher, eyes searching for her sole target.

There. Watching from the battlements. Too exposed for April's convenience.

April dived low towards a pile of swords she spied. Her eye caught a sleek sword made of dwarven metal. Good. Better.

She was on the air again. The sword never once felt heavy on her grasp. This was it. She was fulfilling her goal. After she was done, she would marshal the Seelie Court, put a stop to this idiotic war, and reign as the High Queen over all the island. She would demolish every royal family that dared challenge her authority on the throne. She would be the final authority.

She angled her legs forward and tucked her wings, landing on the battlements behind her brother. "Hello, June," April rasped before ramming her sword straight into her brother's gut.

A dagger clattered to the ground from his hand. He hissed. His body betrayed him and he slumped against April. The air sprite laughed. She did it.

She did it.

"April..." her brother rasped. Go on. Die faster, you idiot.

"I'm...sorry," June found the last of his strength to push himself off April and look into her eyes. They're wretched. Dark, fluid pools which reminded April of rancid writing ink. "I'm so sorry..."

Rage filled April's veins. She screamed as she drove the sword deeper into her brother, the other end coming out of his body. Blood splattered into her clothes, her wings, her hair. She didn't care. Another shriek tore off her throat as she drove her brother to the edge of the wall, pulling the sword clean. She watched his body fall. The world slowed.

April's chest heaved from the rush of emotions she couldn't quite understand. She did it so why...why was she feeling guilt?

The earth shook as if in anger. It's time to get out of here.