Eulogy of Forgotten Souls - Chapter 10 The End of the Beginning

Felicia and Candace revived all the soul warriors but Xepher, and together they fled the dark castle. Curiously, Crystal and Cain disappeared.

And as they fled, the darkness that was darker than darkness swelled, and in seconds consumed the dark castle. They fled with the utmost speed they could muster despite their weariness, and reached the host well before they had left the forsaken realm.

Urging the host into the portal, Felicia and Candace turned to face it after the last defender had escaped the sundered world. Together, they brought their hands up, palms facing the gate, and fired a scintillating bolt of sealing at it, shattering the portal and preventing the destruction from following into Rursus.

Felicia turned to Candace, who merely stared back.

'So...what will you do now? The Alliance will never accept you, even though you were merely a pawn of the Shadow.' muttered Felicia. At this moment, Xepher groaned and awoke. Placing a hand to his chest, Kaffleen poured magic into him, healing his injuries.

Candace turned away, and glanced at the rising sun, gloriously brilliant and majestic. 'We will not join the Alliance,' she said, gesturing to the death knights and warriors who were exorcised. 'We will form a Union, and we will take the fight to the Shadow. We will not let what has happened before happen again.'

'The Union, huh.' muttered Kaffleen. Xepher grinned weakly. 'I think...it is not a bad idea,' he said.

Felicia stood straight, her golden, long hair whipping with the wind. 'Very well. As leader of the Alliance, I hereby declare the founding of the Union! May the Union bring an end to the Shadow, as it fights alongside the Alliance!' She turned to the assembled host. 'Now, we begin the task of rebuilding our world!'

Ristaccia looked to the sky. A falcon soared high above, sending an exultant cry all around. It was a cry of faith, a cry of victory.

A cry of hope.
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The death knight grunted, as he hefted the girl on his shoulder, his other holding his blade. He had barely survived the sundering of the dark realm, and now he stood in the utter darkness, the primal plane of existence before the Creators came to it to shape a world.

Cain glanced around at the gathered force of death knights and demon-enhanced soul warriors. He glanced at the little girl, not even of puberty, next to him.

He let out a scream, curse, oath and promise all in one. The gathered army returned the shout, swearing a wordless oath to follow him in their inevitable battles against the Shadow. Whatever betide, they would have their revenge.

'Soon...' he uttered, and began to craft a new home for the - his - army.

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The beginning has ended. Only time will tell if the Shadow or the defenders of Rursus and beyond will triumph in this war between the forces of Good and Evil. And no man can say which shall be the victor.