Leila put up a good fight, effortlessly dodging its strikes as she kept up her barrage. However, the mental strain caused her to miss a puddle of sweat on the floor. She slipped and collapsed to the floor, fatigue preventing her from moving any further.

Xeim grinned as it raised its axe high... and swung down!

"Leila!" the party screamed to no avail. The huntress could barely keep awake, let alone move.

Boom! Boom!

A black direwolf whisked the huntress away as Xeim was launched upwards and backwards by four rapidly spinning arrows drilling through its shoulders. 

A being of darkness stepped into the hall, the emblem of a howling wolf glowing on his forehead. He nocked arrows into his bow, his cold eyes promising death to his target. "You raised a hand against my guild. Prepare to pay the price..."

His attack came from the Realm Piercing skills he had obtained from the Ferulic quest.

Realm Piercing Technique 1 

Arrows rotate in place, increasing penetration by 50%. Additional 60 Wind damage.

Cost: 300MP

Realm Piercing Technique 2 

Drastically increases draw and arrow speed. Accuracy increases with each shot.

Cost: 500MP

Realm Piercing Technique 3

Aims for the targets' weak points with pinpoint accuracy. High chance of paralysis.

Cost: 600MP

Realm Piercing Technique 4

Increases arrows shot each round by 1. Max number dependent on technique mastery.

Current max: 7

Cost: 1000MP

Realm Piercing Technique 5

Grants full control of all equipped arrows. At high levels, can combine arrows. Mana is consumed to 0. Will absorb health if Mana is below 2000.

Cost: 2000 MP

He named them Drill, Automatic, Hawkeye, Extra Round and Gilgamesh respectively.

"Kashi!" cried the weary warriors, faces bright with relief.

The delf set down his weapon, walked over to Leila who fought to keep conscious, and lifted her gently.

"What took you so long?" she asked through bated breath and a pained smile.

"Sorry. Had to make a few stops. At least you had a good fight. Would have been a short one if I got here earlier," Kashi joked as he set her down close to the entrance. Her eyes closed and her berath evened out as Yuna and the others walked over.

"You guys okay?" Kashi asked.

"Nothing some sleep won't heal," replied Stryke.

Kashi checked with the others. They all had dangerously low HP and MP, but had been smart enough to cease engagement once their bodies ceased to completely obey them. Like Stryke said, some hours of sleep and they would recover most of their health. The more serious injuries could easily be addressed with his first-aid skill.

Rumbling from behind warned him of Xeim's recovery.

He retrieved his remaining mana potions from his inventory and handed them to Yuna. "Drink these and heal the others. Keep a shield around yourselves till this is over."

Yuna nodded and downed the potions quickly, smacking her lips at its bitter taste. She casted <<Healing Sphere>> then <<Armadello>>. The first spell created a dome around her which healed anything inside of it. The second created a high-level dome forcefield over them that blocked every attack, physical or magical. Both drained MP over time which was why she had been given so many vials by Kashi.

"Good luck," Paris said.

Kashi nodded and turned around, Kira by his side.

Xeim grip tightened on his sword and axe, eyes burning with anger. "Are you the one they call Kashi?"

"The very one," confirmed the delf, as he walked casually towards the lizard king.

Xeim copied his actions, walking over to the delf. "You have quite the influence. They really believed you would make a difference."

"Who needs faith when you have facts?"

"I'm sorry. It sounded like you said its a fact you'll best me."

Kashi squared off against Xeim, bodies all but touching. He matched the king's glare with one of his own, their breaths mixing in the close proximity. "It is what it is."

Xeim 's head rocked back in laughter. He bared his teeth in a toothy grin at his challenger. "Then come! Prove your worth and seize my throne with your hands!"

The delf matched his grin with one of his, filled with base insanity. "Ah, that's the plan. I have no interest in your throne though."

"Fine by me." 

Xeim and Kashi turned around and took steps away from each other.

One... three... five!

Xeim suddenly turned around and swung his axe. Kashi dodged and rolled to his knees. He released three arrows from his bow. 

Xeim smacked them with his sword then dashed at the elf. 

Kira attacked him from the side. She bit into his raised arm, but he forcefully shrugged her off, tossing her in Kashi's direction. 

Kashi caught her, and Xeim used the opening to strike again.

Kashi raised his arms above his head, and shouldered the blow's burden. Kira having fully recovered, slammed the bulk of her body into the king's exposed midriff.

Kashi used the forced imbalance to push the axe away. He quickly shot three arrows at its chest, but they barely did any damage as a result of its armor.

 It staggered back as Kira savagely ripped away at its armored belly. Angered by Kira's persistence, it slapped her with all its might and she was sent flying to the side. Xeim looked up to see Kashi with a fully drawn bow trained at it. It attempted an attack but the delf vanished.

Three spinning arrows drilled through it from behind, causing it to roar in anger as it spun around. It lunged at the delf, swinging its weapons like a madman.

Trapped between the axe and sword, Kashi was left with no options. He dodged each attack by a hair's breadth, parrying those he couldn't dodge with his bracers. He bided his time as he awaited an opening. Kira gave him exactly that.

Her deafening barks gave the king pause as she lunged at him. He redirected his attack to strike her down, but her body lost substance as it phased past its arm in tendrils of smoke. 

Before Xeim could register its surprise, she struck from behind. Her teeth sunk deep into its armor and ripped off a good chunk. She snapped at its ankles but a solid kick to her jaw forced a temporary retreat. 

"Hey!"

Xeim turned to see the delf's bow fully drawn, with dark energy gathering at the tip of his arrows. "It's useless. Your puny arrows can not pierce me."

Kashi smirked as he let fly. "You think?" 

Xeim cried out in pain as the missiles tore clean through its shins, and forced both legs off the floor. 

The delf swiftly followed up with arrows through its shoulders and chest, releasing them at blinding speed. 

The lizard king couldn't manage a scream as the relentless barrage suspended it in mid-air. The armor could only take so much punishment, and soon enough it started cracking in several areas.

Kashi did not miss it. He used <<Hawk Eye>> to lock in on the cracked areas, nocked seven arrows at once, then fired <<Drill>>. The spinning arrows smashed through the cracks, then ripped right through the monster. 

Xeim fell to the floor, gaping holes around its body. It forced itself to its knees, as it struggled to stem the steady streams of blood pouring out unto the floor. It understood it did not have much time left and laughed wryly. "Is this the end for me?" He looked up at its executioner, eyes filled with hatred. "Will you kill me now? Bring my head to your people and claim "Justice is Served!?" Huh?! *cough* *cough*. Your stupid wars forced us from our land, and now you come back to claim this one with pretence of righteousness!?" 

It forced itself to stand in a pool of its blood. Despite its dire situation, its eyes held a burning fire that defied all its attackers stood for. "I will never surrender this land to hypocrites like you!"

Kashi sighed as he holstered his weapon. "Then you need not fear. I am far from a hypocrite."

"Ha, that is what you all say," it managed through short rasps of breath. "I know your kind. Humans, Elves, Dwarves... you're all the same. You take what you want when you want then justify it with fancy words."

"You're certainly right about one thing," said the delf as he took a step toward the drakul. "I do take what I want when I want it. But you know, I won't give any excuses. Personally, I have nothing against you. So your people were slaughtered and you took over this city in turn. That is none of my business. You killed the citizens? You won the war so it is your right. Yes, I did not attack you because of some sentiment over past wrongs nor I am here as a blind soldier 'fighting for his country.'"

Every step the delf took toward Xeim caused shivers down its body. Kashi's dead eyes made its skin crawl, and the delf's voice quickened its beating heart. "Then why?"

Kashi drew abreast with the king. "Why you ask? It's simple... You are in my way."

The delf's words froze the proud king in place. It's voice caught in its throat as it tried to fight to fight off the immense pressure the little elf forced onto it. Determined not to lose to the intimidating elf, it drew to its full height, a tinge of humor in its eyes. "I do not understand."

"I am going to unite this chaotic world under my flag. You are in the way of my ambition."

The corners of Xeim's lips curled up in a wide grin. "You, you are insane."

"The greatest men are always insane."

"Ha, Hahahahaha!" Xeim's laughter echoed around the palace grounds. "That is true! Fine then, I concede this defeat. My people and I fall under your mercy."

Kashi held out his hand with a confident smile. "Welcome to the Hopeful Maggots."

Xeim grasped it. "It is my ho-"

***

"Now, now, not so fast," a figure shrouded in darkness muttered on the castle roof. "We invested too much in you for you to fall this easily." It pulled out a soul stone, which it held in gloved hands. "Delusion to Seclusion, Dreams to Reality, The wish of the fool be granted that he might regain enlightenment." 

The stone cracked, then disintegrated to dust which was swept away by the turbulent winds.

***

"Gaaa!" Xeim cried out in tortured pain as it fell to the ground. "Wait! Please, stop! This is not the agreement!"

Kashi, stunned by the sudden development, crouched beside it. "Hey, are you alright!?"

"Run," Xeim managed between cries of pain.

"What's wrong?" Kashi asked, placing his hand on Xeim's shoulder. He regretted it.

Xeim slapped him halfway cross the room and through a pillar. It punched the earth rapidly, drawing blood as its other injuries begun swiftly closing up. Its cries grew even louder and more strained as it bones broke in several places and his flesh stretched out to assume a new body.

Kashi shook his head as he exited the rubble, only to freeze at what he saw.

Where Xeim once stood now sat a lesser drake (smaller, less intelligent cousins of dragons). It reared its head back and cried out in clear agony and torment. 

Its pained howl echoed throughout Riven, drawing the attention of all soldiers present.

It dashed forward and slammed itself into several supporting columns, then smashed out of the debris from the balcony that fell on it. 

Kashi watched with worried eyes as it spewed fire randomly, narrowly missing Yuna's party on several occasions. Its agony was plain to see as it randomly smashed and burned everything - including itself. The delf squeezed his fists, severely annoyed by the events. Someone had just robbed him of a very important ally, and they would pay. But first, he had to prevent the dragon from doing irreversible damage.

Stepping out of his hiding spot, he called out the beast. "Hey! Over here. You want to fight something? Try me on!"

The lesser drake whirled around, eyes fixed on the delf. It lunged at him, teeth bared.

Kira!

The direwolf sunk her teeth into the drake's tail and it whirled around in an attempt to see who or what its attacker was. The wolf hung on to its tail as it thrashed madly. It swung its tail towards its own body and she let go, allowing the momentum to propel her onto its back.

She dug her claws into its scaled back, then began ripping through it. 

The drake trashed about in pain in attempts to toss the wolf off its back. However, even crashes into walls could not usurp the determined wolf. But then something strange occurred. The drake froze in place, scales rattling as if scared of something.

Kira released her grip on its back as she too felt the tremendous pressure that had so terrified the beast.

Both she and the drake slowly turned; trepidation forced the drake steps backward as it did so. Its eyes rested on the source of its fear: Kashi, enveloped by dark miasma, had his right hand outstretched at the beast. His bloodlust and aura had tripled, which forced the drake to gasp for air.

Ferulic Spirt Activated!

Bloodlust Activated!

"Ye who wriths in pained anguish," Kashi chanted while the miasma shrunk, then concentrated around his quivers, "To dust ye shall return." His arrows, controlled by the miasma, floated out of the quivers and formed a rotating dome around the drake. "That ye shall rest eternal." 

Kira jumped off the drake as the arrows spun in place emitting a foul screech akin to mad birds. 

Kashi closed his outstretched hand. "<<Gilgamesh>>"

Six hundred and seventy three arrows drilled through the drake in unison, ripping off limbs in the process.

Its impending death must have reversed the curse because the drake reverted back to Xeim amidst cries.

The King of drakuls lay on his back, struggling not to choke on his own blood. He looked over to the delf who had defeated him and smiled wryly. "That... was a... nice... fight."

Clutching his right arm, Kashi knelt beside the proud king. "Ah, it was an honor."

Xeim looked up at the ceiling. At the mural of the great tree Yggdrasil and the many races beneath its loving embrace. "You know, I... used to hate that painting. Humans, elves, dwarves... If you... are not born of... those... races, you are not even seen as sentient. There was never a good god who would watch over our kind to make sure we stood on equal footing. No, we had to work ten times as hard as the others just to live. I wonder, if not a god, then why don't I bet on the devil!"

Xeim grabbed Kashi's arm and sunk its nails deep into his flesh. "I bet the life of my people on you. Raze this mad word and give us the home we seek." It released its grip, leaving its nails embedded in the delf's arm; they melted into Kashi's bloodstream, leaving nary a scar.

"What is this?"

Xeim forced a weary smile. "My people will follow you. They will live and die by your order. Such is the way of the drakul."

Kashi inspected his arm. A wingless dragon curled around his forearm, seemingly asleep. "Then so be it. Your sacrifice to my path shall be rewarded."

"You have my gratitude," Xeim whispered, his voice giving way to the slumber that called. He stretched his hand to the ceiling, eyes fixed on the fabled tree. "Tell me, what was I like as a dragon?"

Kashi grasped his arm. "Splendid. You are a magnificent dragon."

"I see... That is gooo...." The king breathed his last, as his hand fell limp to his side.

Kashi stood up and saluted the proud king. "As proud in life as you are in death, may Aethir grant you a better life on your return from the circle." He looked at the tattoo on his arm. "Though your soul may rest in peace, your body still has work yet to be done... Kira."

The delf stepped away from the body and watched as his companion devoured the once proud king, till there was nothing left. 

Once it was over, his feet buckled and he fell to the ground, exhausted from the battle. The final skill had depleted his MP to 0 and his health to 600. Considering he'd been fighting non-stop all night, it was a wonder he'd lasted as long as he did.

Kira sat next to him and rested her head on his lap. He stroked her ears, heaving heavy sighs of relief. "It's over. It's finally-!"

Both he and Kira sprung in separate directions.

Fragments of a broken pillar smashed into the earth where he had been seconds ago.

"Who is it!" cried the delf as he whipped around to face the entrance.

Clad in red, Absalon's eyes bore unbridled anger. "I gave an explicit order. The king was to be left to me!"

"I take it you are Absalon? Sorry, but in case you forgot, I am not part of your army, hence I have no obligation to follow your orders," Kashi jeered.

"Who are you? State your name and affiliation."

"I'm nobody. My name doesn't matter and I belong to the go-fuck-yourself guild."

Absalon's eyes clouded over as he raised his right hand. "Know your place." 

A magic circle appeared under the delf, and he almost fell to his knees under the tremendous pressure that followed.

"Kneel," Absalon ordered as he increased the strength of the spell.

With gritted teeth Kashi forced his head to stay up as he resisted the tremendous gravitational pull. "I will never bend my knees to anyone!"

As if galvanised by his words, Kira burst out from behind piles of rubble. Her latest meal had increased her might even more, making her much bigger than before. Her paws were larger than human's face, her teeth the length of fingers. 

She charged Absalon, who sent debris in her direction.

She easily dodged the missiles, then lunged at him.

A force-field burst out around him, blasting her away from him.

"Quite the magnificent beast. I will have you tell me where you obtained such a rare creature," Absalon said.

"Bakayaro* you haven't fought enough," Kashi said through laughter as the tattoo on his forehead begun to glow. With a loud shout, he forcefully expelled aura from his body. The magic circle shattered beneath the delf, and he grinned, despite the torrents of sweat that drenched his body. "You have little experience dual-casting. Or did you think only mages could counteract magic? Thanks to your outburst I now know your abilities: Gravity and telekinisis. Judging by the fact I'm still standing, you haven't learned how to reverse gravity, nor can you control living beings with your telekinisis."

Realization dawned on Absalon, and he frowned in contempt. "Then earlier..."

"I possess neither hate nor contempt for my adversaries. I simply riled you up to know what your abilities were."

"I must admit, you had me completely fooled. Again I ask: who are you?"

Kashi retrieved the elixir he got as a reward from his bagpack, then put on a pair of gloves. He downed the drink, and smiled as his injuries closed up and his health and MP returned to maximum. He tossed some potions at Absalon who after identifying the contents, also drank them.

Both men were restored to their maximum health and mana, each with his own agenda for the city.

"Come," Kashi beckoned. "A lot of people have been waiting for this."

Absalon's staff materialized in his right arm as he eyed his opponent.

Beneath the watchful eye of the great tree, the final fight for supremacy over River began.

***

Above the palace, a figure stood in the pouring rain, none of the drops touching its shrouded form. "Kashi of the Hopeful Maggots; you have been marked. The disciples of Razznik the Destroyer shall make sure you pay for your interference."