FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

*****

Dawn was just breaking, the Sun Spire's light radiating from the far north. Like a gentle wave of the ocean washing over the grassy planes surrounding Clockwork, the light from the Spire spread across the farmlands to cast delicate reds, oranges and yellows on the essential emerald green grass. Harm rested his back against the thick tree's trunk, eyes gazing at the distant, static source of light that gave the Station of the Sun its name.

"What are the other Stations' suns like?"

Harm didn't even pretend to be surprised at Roran's sudden appearance. The Tigris' uncanny knack of slinking around and avoiding detection no longer caught him off guard.

"Diatollia doesn't have a sun. The Station of Moon's luminescence comes from the silvery sands that cover it. The sky is perpetually darkened but the ground gives off a haunting glow as it moves and shifts like an ocean made of sand." Harm ran his fingers through his hair absently. "Only three Stations really have 'suns'. Incendius, Xaos and Haven. Xaos has a true flaming ball of fire hanging in the air. Haven has a machine giving off the light and Incendius... Well... You know."

The Tigris' weight caused the tree to groan in protest especially when he swung himself to the branch just above Harm's. "I'd like to see them one day."

"You might have to wait a little longer," Harm answered. "With the Inquisition hanging around so tightly and Valk's words reaching the hearts of many other non-humans, you'll undergo a lot of screening before you're ever allowed to cross to another Station. That and immigration is just a nightmare." He never took his eyes off the Sun Spire. "Still, it's good to have a goal and a clear objective."

The inevitable question came shortly after a brief pause. "What's yours?"

The Wulfun leapt off the tree, his sneakers crunching the grass beneath his feet and causing a small shower of morning dew to spring into the air. He drew Timekeeper in a single, fluid motion. The blade's sharp blade sang through the air, glistening slightly as the droplets trickled down its golden blade.

"I have a couple. The first of which is to survive every day without someone screaming that I'm an abomination and impaling me with a weapon I invented." Turning back to Roran, he inclined his head slightly and gave the Tigris a casual smile. "What do you say you help an old wolf get some of the rust out of his joins?"

Roran gave him a cocky smile even though his eyes declared unease. "Against you? You'd lose in a heartbeat, old man." He sprang from the tree, swinging nimbly from one branch to the other until he was standing right in front of Harm. Drawing his own blade, the Tigris levelled it at Timekeeper and gave the golden sword a light tap. "I'd rather not waste my time."

"Oh-ho! A time joke." Harm took a few steps back and folded his right paw behind his back. "Tell you what, I'll fight with one paw. And no Chronomancy."

Roran's eyebrow rose ever so slightly. "So just some sword and archery then?"

"I don't have a bow."

The Tigris sheathed his sword and drew his bow, nocking an arrow. "Then you better start running."

Harm could not help but grin as Roran let the arrow fly. Even without Chronomancy, he had over a millennium to fine-tune his reflexes and sense of self awareness. He slipped to the right, away from the arrow and never let his eyes leave Roran. As another arrow was drawn from the quiver, he took another step to the right, circling the Tigris as arrows fluttered towards him. Roran was smart and tried to aim for where he thought Harm was going but the Wulfun made a career out of being unpredictable.

Roran shot an arrow to the right and Harm dodged to the left instead, instead circling to the left. Another arrow sped towards him and Harm swung towards the right again. A third arrow and this one Harm ducked. The fourth he cartwheeled to dodge, the iron tip flying between his legs as he sprang back upright.

A fifth arrow shot straight for his chest and this one Harm jumped back towards the left. His senses screamed in alarm and he brought up Timekeeper. A resounding clang disturbed the essential peace of the planes.

Their blades crossed, Roran tried to use his superior weight to push Harm into submission. Their breath condensed in the air, forming mists in front of their faces. His gentle smile still in place, Harm leaned forward, crossing the threshold of their blades. His flat tongue lashed out, brushing lightly against Roran's lips.

The Tigris' eyes went wide in shock and he pulled away.

In that moment, Harm lifted Timekeeper and levelled it directly against Roran's pink nose.

"I don't need Chronomancy or my right paw when I know you so well."

"That was a dirty trick," Roran growled.

"But it something that someone who knows you will use," Harm answered with a sly wink. He could have pinpointed the moment where Roran's heart froze at that gesture. "The heart is arguably the strongest muscle in the body but it is also the easiest to hit." He spun Timekeeper deftly in his hand, the blade's slices through the air making a soft whistling noise that was almost musical. As he spoke, he easily tossed the blade into the air and caught it the next moment. "War is a juggling act. In one hand a sword, in the other a shield, in a third your people's hearts and in a fourth, your enemies' balls."

"And we both know there is a fine line between 'enemy' and 'friend'," Roran responded, planting his sword's tip into the ground. He quickly drew his bow and let fly with an arrow. Harm easily bent his neck to the left, letting the arrow fly by without ever hitting him.

A slight sting touched his cheek followed by a faint wetness. Surprised, he stopped spinning Timekeeper and touched the very faint cut on his cheek.

"Yulanda isn't the only one taking lessons in the arts of magic," the Tigris said triumphantly. He lifted his bow and for the first time, Harm noticed the new runes engraved against the surface. "Seems I have a knack for Runic magic. Who would've thought?"

A genuine smile crawled onto Harm's muzzle. "Clever. What else have you and Yulanda been up to behind my back?"

"You should ask her." He let loose with another arrow, one Harm was compelled to dodge wide. The whistling of the projectile warned him of the extra magical forces wrapped around it. At a quick guess, he estimated that the weapon had a few trailing blades of wind that would cut anything close to it. The arrow no longer had to strike home.

Roran unleashed a quick volley of arrows and Harm broke into a full sprint, bolting for the Tigris. Time seemed to slow even though Harm did not hold it. He saw the trail of the arrows, mapped their trajectory in his head and quickly planned a route. Taking a quick breath, he leapt into the air, twisting his body to a 45 degree angle to the ground, holding his arms tightly across his chest. One arrow flew above him and the other just below. A grin flashed across his muzzle.

He landed in a crouch, wasting not a second and leaping forward, dodging another arrow that would have slammed against his foot. The arrow flew beneath him, just barely missing his chest. The thin lines of wind trailed it, forming a crescent when seen from above.

Harm rolled across the ground, swinging Timekeeper and snapping it up the instant he was upright. The point of an arrow was levelled at his muzzle just as Timekeeper was pressed against Roran's nose.

The two shared a quick grin before they threw themselves in opposite directions. Harm quickly ducked behind the tree and the soft thud against the trunk told him Roran had pressed his back against the opposite side.

"What is this truly about, Harm?" Roran asked. "I may not have known you long but I have this sneaking suspicion that you are not the type to be doing something just for mere entertainment. There is an ulterior motive to your actions. What is it?"

"Come on. Can't one friend challenge another friend to a friendly duel?" He swung to his right, twisting around the tree. Only the grassy planes and thin air met him.

"No, he can't," came the reply from above.

Harm didn't waste a second looking upwards and jumped to his left, dodging the arrow the came from the Tigris crouching in the tree. Three more came his way and he dodged them all, dancing nimbly away from the projectiles.

"Please don't play me for a fool, Harm." Roran leapt down from the tree, an arrow nocked. "Why did you truly call me here?"

A faint wince escaped Harm's muzzle as he said, "Well... I may have had a bit of a falling out with Valk when I learned he was trying to force you into a heterosexual marriage when you're clearly far from it. Call me an idealistic fool but I like to think of myself as someone who upholds the fundamental sanctity of choice."

"Choice?" The Tigris drew another arrow but twisted his bow to the side so that its curve hung parallel to the ground. "Why do I get the feeling that 'choice' is a very loose term for you?"

He let fly with the arrow and Harm quickly sidestepped. A brief glance at the projectile confirmed his suspicions. The direction of the bow determined the orientation of the deadly crescent of concentrated wind.

"Everyone has a choice. You're thinking about freewill. I won't deny that I have the habit of imposing my will onto others under the guise of their own freedom of expression. But they always have a choice. They can choose to listen to me or not. Whatever the case, it is their choice."

"And what choices do I have then?" Roran responded, reaching for another arrow. His paws groped at only air and he glanced over his shoulder at the empty quiver. A soft curse left his muzzle as he went for his sword. When he turned back, he found Timekeeper at his nose.

"Honestly?" Harm responded. "I really don't know at this point."

The surprise on the Tigris' face gave way to a bit of confident mockery. "Really? I thought you were the great Wulfun Chronomancer who made others think he had no plans when in truth, he had the strings of the world wrapped tightly around his thumb? What makes me so immune to your guiles?"

"Because you hit on me."

Harm made a wild swing, one intended to be easily blocked. Roran brought up his own sword, the two blade striking one another and sending sparks skittering towards the ground. Runes in the Illuminus Weizar were drawn across the bladed edge.

"How can you possibly stay on top of the game of intrigue when you balk at the very moment someone shows the slightest affection for you?" Roran laughed. Even as the merry sound escaped his muzzle, his free paw lashed out and seized Harm's wrist, forcing the smaller Wulfun to leap back just to break free.

"I didn't say I have strings wrapped around you," Harm responded with a sly grin. "It's just that instead of pulling your limbs, heart and mind, they're set up to catch you should you fall. Speaking of which..." He swung Timekeeper at Roran's legs. As expected, the Tigris leapt back to avoid the golden blade. Using his momentum from the slash, Harm spun closer to Roran, keeping his body close to the ground. Just as Roran was landing, Harm's left leg was colliding with his chest.

The Tigris slammed into the ground with a heavy oof.

Harm nimbly sprang to his feet, never once using his right paw.

"I think I should be touched," Roran chuckled softly as he rubbed his chest. "Do you always care so tenderly for those who are infatuated by you?"

"Only those who are genuine," he answered. "Trust me, there are nobles from all the Stations hoping to gain my favour in one way or another so that they may marry into the Propheticus Primoris' family. Others still just want me to get to my brother. There are childish fantasies, passing flings, orchestrated inclinations and vengeful affairs but in my centuries of existence, it is truly rare to find someone who shows true affection towards me." He offered Roran a soft smile. "That's worth preserving."

The Tigris cocked his head to the side, sky blue eyes shining adorably. A gentle wind blew through the farmlands, caressing the orange and black fur and nurturing the temptation in Harm to caress that fluffy face. "Still not going to Time Lock me though, are you?"

"Can't. Twelve Chronomancers, remember?"

"I thought as much."

Lightning fast, Roran flicked his blade at Harm. The Chronomancer betrayed his instincts to pause time and moved aside, the blade biting into his right shoulder. Pain exploded from the wound but he knew well enough not to focus on it and returned to the battle.

"Rawr!"

Whump!

The soft ground slammed against the back of his head and Roran's weight pressed down heavily on his chest. Stars danced in front of his eyes but like all things about being a Chronomancer, it did not last. Even the pain in his shoulder faded as the wound closed.

"Why do I get the feeling we've been in this position before?" Roran asked idly, a sheepish grin on his muzzle.

"I think there are a fe_w differences,_" Harm murmured.

"Of course." There was a brief flash of light and Roran's blade was once more in his paws, the tip pressed lightly against Harm's forehead, just between his eyes. "I had my blade enchanted to always return to me as you have the habit of borrowing them and never returning it."

Harm pushed the Tigris off him, both of them laughing lightly as they lay on the grass beside one another. "Tell you what, one of these days I'll let you borrow one of my swords and you can lose it."

"You think I'm so petty that I would lose the blade of the man whose sword I would love to have in me?"

"Crude," Harm chuckled. He felt Roran's eyes on him and chose to ignore them for the moment. As the last trickles of pain from the wound faded away, he closed his eyes and just let his senses take in his surroundings. The peace and serenity of the surrounding country side just seemed too perfect that he dreaded the moment when it would be broken.

"May I ask you something, Harm?"

"If I get to return the favour."

"Sure." Roran paused for a moment, mulling his words. Harm could hear the Tigris gnawing at his lips "Why do you only fight with your left paw? Why not your right?"

The answer to that was simple to Harm but he knew was odd to others. Even Aria expressed her confusion when he gave his reason. "Because my right is so much stronger."

He imagined what Roran's face would look confused and it was just as adorable as that curious look he had received earlier.

"One more time please?"

"I'm dextral."

"Again?"

"I'm naturally right handed." Harm lifted his right into the air, watching the Sun Spire's rays dance between his fingers. "That means that my right is stronger than my left. I only ever use my right when the situation is dire."

"How much stronger?"

"Before I arrived at Clockwork, I encountered a troop of the Justitae Ignibus barricading the road. They killed the teamster that was ferrying us from the north. I faced them with my left. With my left, I lodged Timekeeper into a man's spine. With my right, I cleaved him in two."

Roran suddenly sat up, a frown on his muzzle. "A barricade? The Justitae Ignibus? Harm, the Justitae Ignibus are the people. They are unarmed. They aren't militant. The Estuans Oculus are the ones that are armed and they are devoted to protecting Valk."

Mirroring Roran's frown, Harm sat up and regarded the Tigris curiously. "Isn't the insignia of the Ignibus a pair of scales that are on fire?"

"Yes... But you have to understand, none of them would ever rise to such a level. Valk would never allow it."

Harm's frown deepened. "Then who...?"

An awful sensation suddenly crept over both non-humans. For Harm, it was like someone had inserted a thousand tiny needles under his skin and was now pushing them out of every pore. To Roran, it looked like he was struck by a sudden stomach flu and he doubled over, holding his last meal down. On some unknown compulsion, both of them turned their eyes towards the sky.

Ominous, dark clouds crept across the blue sky, seemingly springing from nowhere. The blotted out the distant Sun Spire, casting the land in a foreboding shadow. Red lightning danced between each rumbling thunderhead. Gentle winds turned into terrible wailing and the calm serenity of the farmlands was thrown into a terrible storm.

A monstrous roar ripped joined the howling of the winds.

"Demons," Harm whispered, rising to his feet and sweeping up Timekeeper.

"You are sure?" Roran murmured, struggling to rise to his feet. "Ah... I feel ill..."

"They've opened a portal into this Station." Turning his muzzle into the air, Harm sniffed for the tell-tale scent of demon. A stinging in his nostrils confirmed his suspicions but the faint scent of sulphur screamed 'Agares'. "Multiple... The scent is strong."

He didn't bother asking how demons could have opened multiple portals at once. An explosion rang out close by, originating from the fort. A plume of fire and smoke quickly rose from behind the wooden walls quickly joined by others.

Roran was on his feet, shaking like he was struck by a fever. "Oh no..." Other explosions rang out from Clockwork itself. "What is... What is happening?"

"Standard demon tactic," Harm responded. "Demons can enter a Station in one of three ways. They can crash the fragments of Wrath they live on into a Station, they corrupt a mortal mind and possess them or they open a portal. Portals need to be sustained from both ends, though and while demons are more than willing to sacrifice their own on their end, cultists from our end will be hard fought to maintain the portal unless they draw the strength from other sources." His eyes swivelled towards Roran. "They're draining the very life from their surroundings, weakening defenders and making them easy prey."

"Bas...tards..." Roran's knees shook and he staggered. Harm quickly caught his arm.

"Give me your sword."

"Promise you won't lose it...?" the Tigris asked, a weary smile on his features.

"If I do, then I'll put a replacement in some place you won't miss."

Roran's eyelids grew heavy and his body slouched. "Like... where...?"

Desperation seeped into Harm's veins and the Chronomancer laid the Tigris onto the ground, taking the enchanted blade. He quickly ran a finger over the blade's edge. Golden light sprang from the contact, translucent cogs encircling the blade and casting a golden aura around the weapon. Placing the blade firmly in Roran's paw, he stood and took a few steps back. Bolts of golden lightning arced between his fingers which he quickly threw at Roran.

The Tigris was suddenly awake, leaping to his feet with a loud yelp.

"I've infused your sword with Chronomancy," Harm reported. "No outside forces will be able to suck out your Force or Spirit energy as long as you hold the blade. Doesn't mean you can't expend it on your own, though."

Roran regarded the shining, haloed sword and gave a faint nod. "Thank you."

Harm turned his ears towards the fort, followed by the rest of his body. His tail was stiff and on edge even though the rest of his expression was grim and unmoving. He sensed Roran rise to his feet and stand beside him.

"Where would you put the sword if I ever wanted to find it?" the Tigris asked.

"Some arbitrary location," Harm answered dismissively as he ran through a few possibilities in his head. He couldn't imagine why the Dawn's Champion would unleash a pre-emptive strike so soon after the failed attempt at the summit and it baffled him. "Maybe some unmarked grave in the Gate Cathedral. No one ever looks in those."

Lifting his eyes towards the fort, he said, "Come on. We've got to get to Valk." He exchanged quick glances with Roran. "Dawn has come."

*****

The fort was ablaze by the time Harm and Roran reached its broken gates. Brave Custodia Solis and those trained underneath them fought both on the makeshift ramparts and on the ground against hordes of demons. A swirling mass of dark clouds and angry, red lightning coalesced right in front of the gates. The grass around the portal had rotted and decayed, the ground turning black and crumbling. Demons eagerly leapt through the abyss, fully formed and launching themselves at the defenders.

A brave line of Solis raised tower shields against the demons who pounded against the metal wall with claws, fang and unholy magic. From the ramparts, Solis cast down bolts of fire and other fiery spells while defending from a salvo of sharp, red spikes that sprang from the backs of the demons.

Harm didn't wait for Roran and bolted towards the line of defenders barely managing to hold off the demons. He lifted Timekeeper into the air and swung it boldly downwards, cutting through the spine of the closest demon. An unholy scream caused all other demons to turn towards their fallen brother. Harm kicked the dying demon into their midst and seized another foul beast, throwing its blackened mass in front of himself.

The explosion from the dying demon ripped through a large number of the invaders. The demon in Harm's paws shuddered, screaming in agony but no dying like its underdeveloped brethren. It turned fierce, angry, red eyes at Harm, a foul grin crossing its features.

"Chronos..."

Timekeeper plunged into the creature's chest, ending any other words it may have had. Harm gripped the blade with his right paw and heaved upwards, drawing a ragged slash from stomach to shoulder in one, powerful move. He kicked the demon again into the midst of the others and dove away before the explosion could take him.

A heavy paw seized his shoulders before he could touch the ground, hoisting him into the air.

That explosion came and went and Harm found himself staring into the eyes of a bigger demon.

"Our master would have a word with you, Chronomancer."

"Tell him I don't make house calls." Harm swung Timekeeper, cleaving through the demon's entire skull. He kicked away from the creature, ducking away from the falling titan before it exploded and damaged those around it. Unlike the newly made corrupted that had attacked the summit, these fully formed demons were more resilient to their comrades death throes. Disposing of them would not be as easy as setting off a chain reaction.

And with more of them springing form the portal...

"The portal," he whispered softly. An idea sprang into his mind. "I really must be insane..."

The Chronomancer charged into the midst of the reeling demons. He ducked under the swiping arms of one beast, severing the limb as he passed underneath. A second lunged at him and he sprang up over its back, leaping into the air to plant his feet into the face of a third. He vaulted off and came crashing back down, breaking the demon's spine.

Another demon sprang for him and he nimbly swept behind it, pressing his back against the beast and pushing it down against the demon on the ground. An explosion rang out behind him, muffled by the demon's body. The blast sent them both soaring into the air. Harm somersaulted through the air, spying the swirling black mass of the portal just ahead of him.

He landed at the foot of the portal. Swivelling his ears back, he heard the demons clamouring to take his life.

Running a finger across the edge of Timekeeper, he said, "No time for that now."

A single swing with his right paw unleashed a powerful blast of golden electric bolts from the blade. It swiped through the massed of demons like a crushing wave. Where it passed, demonic bodies were fried and bodily fluids exploded out of pores. Lines of demons were instantly decimated, leaving the demonic host severely undermanned.

Then came the explosions.

Harm did not waste time to see the demonic horde ripped to shreds. The hungry, inky blackness of the portal pulled him into the abyss. A biting chill ran over his entire body and that uncomfortable sensation of having pins pushed out from his pores wracked his entire body. Maintaining his composure, he let the portal's path take him deep into the Void.

Gone was the clouded warmth of the Sun Spire and the fresh, farmland air of Clockwork. Instead, the air was stagnant with sulphur, filling his nostrils with a painful, burning sensation. Lightning crackled through the misty clouds of the roiling Void. Blackened landscape that had been sucked completely of life cracked beneath his sneakers as he crossed the threshold just behind the altar where the corpses of several demons had been stacked to provide the energy to sustain the portal.

The landscape was like a surreal nightmare come to life. Spires of black rock rose from the ground like the gnarled fingers of some dead god trying to snatch some form of life in the dead mote of land floating in the endless nothingness between Stations. Withered and warped plant life clung to rocky crags, each looking like it was capable of devouring a man with ease. Unholy spires were silhouetted against the landscape, the bolts of lightning from the Void meeting their tips and sending the fragments of energy to their brethren across the land.

A horde of demons were gathered in front of Harm, each of them staring up at him in awe. There were five other portals dotting the landscape, each of them with their own small armies eagerly springing through their abyssal embrace into Incendius.

Harm steeled himself for what was to come and locked gazes with the nearest demon. "Agares wanted to see me?"

The question instantly infuriated the demon. "None shall speak the Demon Lord's name!" It flung itself at Harm in a rage, claws out stretched. Harm deftly sidestepped the lung and seized the creature's wrist. Golden flames consumed the demon in the next instant and he kicked it back towards the others. He was given a wide berth as the demon screamed and wailed, thrashing its limbs as the Chronomancer's Fire greedily consumed it.

Harm lifted his left paw into the air, letting a tongue of golden fire danced on his palm while gold lightning arced around Timekeeper. "Agares," he demanded.

"I stand for my Lord's will!"

That voice was one he could not easily forget and his hackles instantly rose. Harm could not help but lift his lips slightly, a deep growl rising from his throat as the speaker stepped up to the altar.

"You."

The human that stood before him wore dark, corrupted armour. Its blood-red was a mockery of the Custodia Solis from which the design was derived. Even the insignia of Incendius on his cuirass was warped, looking like a reptilian eye instead of a sun. The mask that sat on the man's face hid the upper half of his features but his voice was all Harm needed to recognise him.

The man drew a heavy claymore from across his back, the blade black as night and with twisted, red, organic veins criss crossing its hilt. A bloody eye twitched and glared hungrily at Harm from the pommel.

"Whom do you serve, soldier?" Harm demanded. "The dawn or the Returner of the Wayward?"

The man lunged forward, bringing his claymore down upon the altar. The force of the blow shook the earth and pushed many of the demons back. The stone of the altar broke in two and the pile of bodies dropped unceremoniously to the ground.

Behind him, Harm could feel the portal closing.

It was a trap.

The demons had hoped to bring him into the Void so that they could trap him.

Clever.

"I serve the dawn who answers to the Lord," the man answered. "The Lord whom you have thwarted time and time again ever since our Lord's former Champion, Turquon, embraced his true nature."

Turquon...

It seemed so long ago when the fallen Paladin had turned into a monstrous icy dragon that had aimed to bring an everlasting winter to all of Incendius. Harm recalled Leandros' daggers came from the wingless Draconis' scales and that was the first time Harm had heard the name of Agares, Demon Lord of the 12th Station, Prince of Wrath, King of the Lost, Returner of the Wayward and Orphaned.

"Agares and I have been at odds since that day," Harm answered, keeping his cool even as many of the demons had begun to systematically destroy the very altars that had kept the portals open. "When do I finally get to make his acquaintance?"

"He is not so foolish as to meet you in person, Chronos," the man snarled. He charged, swinging the claymore through the air in a wide arc. A wave of gaseous darkness surged from the blade, forming greedy hands as it travelled towards Harm. The Chronomancer ducked the blow, rolling forward and leaping at the soldier. Their blades clashed mightily, a heavy grunt escaping both combatants. Harm quickly pressed his left paw against the soldier's chest, the Chronomancer's Fire in his palm bursting forth and eagerly spreading across the man's armour.

An inhuman scream came from the man's throat as he danced back, swatting at the flames with one hand while he gripped the heavy claymore with the other. Harm pounced on the opportunity, swinging Timekeeper down and letting the Time Shock bolts to spring forward and slap the soldier's armour. Another scream split forth as the man's entire body jerked violently with painful spasms.

An opportunity presented itself but one that Harm decided not to take. The opening was too wide and the battle too early.

The demonic man collapsed to his hands and knees, panting heavily... before emitting a dark, building laugh. "They were right about you. You are cunning. Observant. A deadly opponent to all both in wits and muscle. Any ordinary man would have taken that opening."

"Any ordinary man would have been left a head shorter," Harm answered. "You don't fool me. You can wield that blade in one hand as easily as you can in two."

A cocky grin on his features, the man rose, lifting the claymore easily across his shoulder with just one hand. "Then you must be aware that you are low on time. As we speak, your only means of escaping this realm closes before you."

Harm returned the smile. "You should know better than to preach usage of time to a Chronomancer." He bolted to the right, jumping through the currents of time to the moment where he stood next to the altar across the dark planes from where he stood. The technique - known as Fast Forward - was cheaper that completely pausing time and moving to the desired location but most Chronomancers preferred to stop time entirely to gain the luxury of wandering amongst the frozen landscape. Harm likened the experience to swimming powerfully downstream. The world became a blur and he held his breath until the moment when he stopped and took stock of his surroundings.

The demon in front of him lowered a dark, corrupted hammer, letting out a scream. Harm seized the shaft of the weapon and drove Timekeeper into the beast's head. As the fingers around the weapon slackened, he kicked the demon into the midst of the others as they scrambled to destroy the altar. He swung the hammer wide in his left paw, catching one demon in the ribs and sending it toppling towards the first. A demon's hiss erupted from his left and he spun, throwing the hammer blindly in that direction. A satisfying crack told him his target was met.

Harm swung Timekeeper through the air. Golden light encompassed the blade. As it trailed through the air, it left solid copies of itself hovering. A total of five copies appeared in front of him in an arc. Harm thrust is paw forward, commanding the blades to each of the other portals. Demons roared as the blades cleaved cleanly through their bodies, a line of exploding bodies in their wake.

One blade embedded itself into a demon and the creature roared as it staggered back. Harm appeared in front of it, seizing the blade and yanking it from the creature's chest. He swung the golden sword and the demon was at his knees, ready to explode. The Chronomancer bolted for the alter, the other five versions of himself doing exactly the same thing as they each took up positions in front of the altars, cleaving through demons on their way.

The original Harm Chronos fought back the weariness from using such an advanced technique. Three demons saw the slight slouch in his posture. They exchanged hungry glances and pounced. Harm grit his fangs together and ducked beneath the arms of the charging monsters. He cleaved through the right leg of the closest demon and seized the flailing appendage before it hit the ground. Spinning towards the second, he slammed the bloodied limb into the beast's face before driving Timekeeper through its throat. As the third's claws closed around his shoulders, he leapt into the air and kicked at those bright red eyes. The beast still crashed into him and they both hit the ground but the moment of disorientation was enough for Harm to quickly hurl the demon off him, using the momentum from their impact. Agares' demon slammed into the altar, dazed.

It was Harm's turn to pounce and he seized the demon's face, its red eyes wide in shock. Those same red eyes suddenly blacked, losing their lustre and turning into black dust. The demon's thrashing ended within a second, its body limp and quickly turning to dust.

Harm's instincts screamed and he dove to his left.

A black claymore bit into the ground where he had been, the impact sending a cloud of black dust into the air from where the demon had been disintegrating.

"I know of that particular technique," the man stated, his voice calm and controlled. "I've studied the records, accessed the files. You have devastated entire armies with that combination." That black blade came swinging back at Harm. The Chronomancer lifted Timekeeper. The blades clashed, the shock ringing down Harm's right arm and causing his forearm to go numb. "You create copies of your blade and yourself across the entire field and weakened as you may be, the next unfortunate fool to get close enough succumb to your Last Hour, a technique that drains the Time from your opponent and transfers it to you.

"After all, is that not how you obtained your name?" The man gave a cruel smile beneath his black mask. "'Harm Chronos' as in a 'great harm to Time' for you were the only Chronomancer to ever specialise in the destruction of Time."

Whoever this man was had access to the most secret records of the Church. Only the highest officials knew about Harm's techniques to destroy entire armies or his trump card to replenish his reserves of Time in mid-battle. Not even the Chronomancers of old had identified his Last Hour technique until it was far too late.

"Knowing that," Harm said, leaping quickly to his feet, "you should know that it's a terrible idea to send an army against me."

"I do not need an army when I equate to one." The man swung his blade in one hand, bringing it crashing down on Harm. The Chronomancer dodged to the side and drove Timekeeper straight forward, the blade launching itself towards the man's face. A powerful force suddenly pushed back at his blade, preventing him driving the point home. Black flames erupted around the man's body and wreathed Timekeeper, crawling down the length of the blade and lashing at Harm's paws.

He ignored the pain for one moment until he heard a loud crack.

Only then did he pull back.

The man's mask broke in two. The flames died and the pieces fell to the ground.

Harm Chronos stood facing Captain Caldimun Gardon, former Captain of the Custodian Solis in Clockwork.

"Surprised, Chronos?" Gardon asked, a dark smile crossing his features. His flesh was pale and pasty. Dark veins had crawled all over his cheeks and his eyes were bloodshot, matching the unholy glow in his irises.

"Not really. Your body was never found after the initial riot. I found that suspicious. Then there was all the knowledge about me. Only high-ranking officers could get access to that kind of information. Not to mention your automated Vis Ignis Clipeus. Only officers of the Custodia are given such abilities. Most of them infused in your armour while others like Leandros actually know the technique without the aid of runes in their equipment."

"Down to petty insults, Chronos?" The former captain of the Solis smirked and levelled his claymore at Harm. "How unlike you." Then, spying Harm's smirk, Gardon frowned. "How very unlike you..."

Harm shrugged, straightening easily. "You're right. I was just distracting you from the fact that there are no longer any demonic roars across the field and all the other portals are now closed."

Gradon went rigid and when he spun around, he found five points of Timekeeper levelled at his face. All around him lay the mutilated and charred bodies of the demons he had sided with. The acidic blood had pooled into the planes, making a lake of acrid, black, corrosive liquid. None of the five other portals remained standing.

"Like I said," Harm said, folding Timekeeper, "you should know better than to preach usage of time to a Chronomancer."

His five copies and their swords vanished in a flurry of golden light, causing Gardon to spun around, eyes wide in incredulous surprise.

"Why didn't you end me?"

Harm's smirk devolved into his calm, gentle smile. The Wulfun turned his back to the fallen captain and strode towards the one, remaining portal. "Because Gardon, after this, you will have lost a thousand demons and made a minor incursion into Incendius that can easily be stomped out by the hundreds of Inquisition ships hovering all over the Station. I can't imagine how Agares will react to that."

"I do not fear that Demon Lord!" Gardon roared. "I stand for the Dawn! Revolution is at hand and I will free the non-humans even if it means to bring low the humans and show them how easily they are corrupted!"

"Enjoy that while you languish on this barren rock with no hope of ever escaping."

Harm took a step towards the portal, the swirling, gaseous mass curling around his leg and pulling him into its inky blackness. Gardon roared and charged, swinging his claymore in a wide, overhead arc. The Chronomancer's paws twitched, golden fire appearing in one paw while lightning sprang from his right. He spun, yanking his foot from the portal and thrust his paws forward, joined at the heel of his palms. A bolt of gold fire and lightning launched from his fingertips. Gardon tried to dodge but was encumbered by his heavy armour. Even as his black, fiery shield protected him, the force of the blow was strong enough that it send him crashing into the altar, shattering it and the stack of dead, demon bodies.

Before the portal could close completely, Harm hurled himself through the portal.

Fresh, Incendian air mixed with just a tiny fragment of ash and burning corpses filled his nostrils as he crashed into hard-packed mud. He wasted no time wallowing on his injuries and propped himself up. The mud gave way under his paws and he slammed back into the ground.

A warm paw seized his shoulders and pulled him up.

Roran stood over him, shining sky blue eyes filled with concern. Beside him, Valk and the rest of the Estuans Oculus.

"Are you alright?" the Tigris asked.

"Not really," Harm muttered, rising to his feet and dusting the dried mud off his pants and vest. He gave Roran a lopsided grin. "I had to use my right paw."

*****

"Gardon!?" Valk exclaimed.

Harm gave a grim nod as he saddled the horse he had been loaned, checking the straps and reigns. He had no time to waste and while he could have Fast Forwarded straight to Clockwork, the Fast Forward technique gave one enormous blind spot: it left him unaware of his surroundings in his landing zone. He had no way of knowing if anyone was standing at the location at the moment of his appearance or if there was a fireball hurtling towards him the moment he appeared.

Fast Forwarding to a location out of his sight and so far away was a dangerous thing to do. Unheard of but still very dangerous.

"I thought he had died in the initial riots," Roran said.

"His body was never found," Harm answered, leaping into the saddle. "Neither were several of the Solis. My guess is that he used that as a means of covering his disappearance and working to undermine the summit. He's probably the one that created the portals. Snuck around like any ordinary human and set them up, catching us unawares."

He turned his gelding towards the gates. "Keep the fortress safe. There are probably still some other demons milling about. They'll try and prey on anyone they perceive as weak or vulnerable. Make sure everyone patrols in groups of three."

Roran sprang in front of him, arms wide and barring his path. "You're going into the city? Are you mad?"

"Little bit." He guided his horse around the Tigris. "I may have closed the portals but only one opened here. There were five others I saw in the Void. Who knows where they could have opened. I need to make sure the city is safe."

"Then let me come!"

"I need you to keep the fort safe," Harm answered sharply. "I'll be sending refugees back here. Make sure they stay safe."

Without another word, he urged his gelding into a full run. The wind whipped past him as the horse took him past the fort's ruined gates and straight towards the city. The sky had been cleared of the dark storm and the sickening sensation from the life-draining portals had final disappeared. However, his sense of unease remained. After centuries of having engaged with Agares in these skirmishes, he had never known the Demon Lord to be without some form of contingency.

As he rode, he thought back to his first engagement with the Demon Lord. As Gardon had mentioned, Turquon had been the herald to Agares' interest in the 1st Station. His words had tempted Turquon, preying on his feelings of being lost, alone and unloved in the world despite all the gifts that had been given to him. In the days after what became known as 'Winters Flight', Harm, Aria and Leandros had all investigated Turquon's corruption and came to learn about Agares' involvement.

That was when all three of them had engaged the Demon Lord's troops in combat underneath the city of Ironfrost, the Custodia Lupus' capital. Agares had a penchant for making sure his people literally belonged to underground cults. In the centuries since then, Agares had been making constant incursions into Incendius, trying to gain access to the Station for reasons unknown. Then again, every demon's will was unknown.

He rode past several farmlands that had been devastated in the attack. Estuans Oculus from the fort had worked to clear out the remaining demons and lifted their heads as he bolted past, scarf billowing in the wind. The wounded managed to lift themselves from makeshift gurneys and stretchers to cheer. It worried him that they had been harmed at all as Agares was never one to use full-on attacks. A master of deceit, he was one to worm himself into the hearts of man and turn them against their friends and family just like his first attack on the summit.

"Opening portals right onto Incendius when there are hundreds of Inquisition ships hovering over the Station...? That's just suicide."

Of course, the ulterior motive was not to cause mayhem and havoc.

It was to capture the Last Chronomancer.

"What would he want with me?"

Harm pulled the reigns of his gelding. The gates of Clockwork had been shattered and the walls broken in places. Black blood ate away at the stonework and the iron had been melted either from fire of blood. He leapt off his gelding and turned it back down the road, giving its rear a hard slap to send it on its way. Timekeeper was drawn a moment later and he turned towards the burning city, the screams of hundreds ringing in his ears.

The Chronomancer charged down the cobblestone streets, strangely relieved at the sight of countless people trying to put out the fires. That meant they were uncorrupted. They were guarded by what few Custodia Solis remained loyal to the Church but he knew another attack from the demons would undo them.

He pulled at the arm of a nearby Solis who instantly recognised him and saluted.

"Who is in charge?"

"Captain Olivier is organising the relief efforts from the clock tower, milord," answered the solider, dropping his hand sharply. "Lady Aria Valkyrie is seeing to the extermination of the remaining demons since the portals closed. Inquisitor Warton and aiding."

Harm wasn't going to entertain what Warton would think of this situation or what conclusions he would jump to. That would be made apparent soon enough.

"Where is Novallier and his family?"

"Last I heard, they were making their way to the clock tower from their home."

That was still from one end of the city to the very centre. A lot could happen between then.

Harm swung his free paw and stilled the air around the surrounding fires. The flames spluttered and died in the vacuum, relieving the entire city block of their fiery embrace.

"The Estuans Oculus fort has now been secured. Do what you can for these people and then escort them to the fort."

"Yes, milord!"

Harm sprinted down the streets, waving through crowds of people who were running for help or looking for some form of relief. Every now and then, he would spy several Solis slaying a stray demon. The explosions that rang out told him of the deaths of other unholy beasts. He would occasionally find evidence of Divine Magic at work, no doubt from Aria or the Custodia Deos. Shining, crystal-like spears or swords would be planted into the stone or wood of houses and buildings, black blood splattered across their pristine features but never able to eat through the holy artefacts.

Clockwork was caught off guard but it was still heavily armed and was now fighting back.

"No! Colleen!"

He stopped his rush and spun towards that voice. A familiar alleyway greeted him as did the gaudy decorations of the burning building. He saw a female Tigris in a sea green dress bolting towards the flames, gasping as a backdraft spread the fire from the burning doorway.

Harm hurried towards her, seizing her arm and pulling her back.

"What are you doing?"

It took her a moment to realise who was demanding an answer. Still she yanked her wrist away from him. "This house has been my home since I was a little girl! The women there my family! They are trapped inside! I cannot stand idly by and let them burn!"

"So you decided to rush into the fire all by yourself in a green dress without even a bucket of water?" he answered with a sly smirk.

"You've already taken my one true love from me," she snarled, tears welling up in her eyes. "Are you going to take the last thing I love as well?"

Harm lifted his paw towards the burning brothel and closed his fingers into a fist. The flames began to die until only cinders remained. He released his grip on time, unwilling to leave the building without air too long or he would have suffocated those still inside.

"Only you can let someone take your loved ones away," he answered, staring deep into her eyes. "The moment you let go, the moment you surrender, is the moment you no longer have the right to claim them as yours." He stepped back, giving her a wide berth. "But if you're going to let go, you might as well make sure that when they make that one last pull, the fall face first in mud. Let go on your own terms."

He flicked his ears towards the brothel. "Roran is guarding the Estuans Oculus fort. I'm sending all the refugees there."

Colleen seemed lost. Then, her eyes hardened, steeled with determination. A firm nod later, she was bolting into the brothel to save those inside.

Harm spun and bolted back towards the clock tower.

He was a block away when -

Boom!

An enormous demon burst out of a nearby home, towering at twelve feet and ploughing through the plaster and wood like it was just a minor inconvenience. Its glowing red back spikes exploded from its spine, vaulting into the air like mortar shells. It then charged at him on all fours, roaring with feral, red eyes.

Harm cursed softly and dodged to the right. A glowing, red back spike the side of a man embedded itself into the ground beside him. Others lodged themselves around him. He stopped running and turned towards the demon. The creature continued to charge, maddened with pain and rage.

Gripping Timekeeper in his left paw, Harm summoned a powerful bolt of Time Shock, letting it crackle down his blade. He readied himself to unleash it. The demon was just half a block away from him.

Then the unexpected...

A large troop of Custodia Solis and a few Deos emerged running from a side street. Between them, was Yulanda. The panicked look on their faces indicated they were fleeing and they couldn't spare the moment to look into the street they were entering.

Harm never had the time to shout warning.

The demon ploughed right through them, crushing two Solis underfoot and knocking everyone else aside. A Deos was unfortunate enough to have been caught by the creature's leg and was tossed into the air where he was later impaled by its regrown back spikes. Yulanda was hurled towards building, smashing through its windows and disappearing in the burning home.

A flash of anger crossed Harm's features and he quickly dismissed the Time Shock crackling against his blade. He switched his sword to his right.

As the demon opened its mouth for one last triumphant roar, Harm unleashed a brutal upwards slash.

The creature's momentum never stopped. Its two halves - cut perfectly down its face - continued to crash past Harm, collapsing on either side of him. He wasted no time admiring his work and hurried towards Yulanda. Even as the demon exploded, he ignored it.

The door to the building Yulanda disappeared into burst open and there was a fragment of hope in his heart that Yulanda had escaped unscathed.

He was wrong.

A demon held her tightly in its grip, grinning from ear to ear. Harm felt his flesh prickle as other demons appeared around him, emerging from the alleyway Yulanda had originally came from. Conscious but heavily wounded, Yulanda struggled but the demon's muscular grip kept her firmly in place.

"Let me go!" she demanded.

"Oh but that would be too easy," the demon hissed, its eyes locked firmly on Harm. "One move, Chronomancer, and we will corrupt this pretty little flower. She and her Valour will be ours and you will be forced to kill her!"

Harm weighed his options. He had no doubt he could kill all these demons easily. A simple pause of time and he could kill them all. Saving Yulanda would be just as simple but he had to find the right opportunity to pause time. He had to learn why the demons had attacked so brazenly.

"What are your terms?" he asked.

"You."

Yulanda's eyes widened and she kicked all the more fiercely.

"Stop struggling, girl!" the demon hissed. She obeyed, her hands dropping to her side as the arm around her neck tightened. "Chronomancer, we will trade the girl for your life. You are to come with us. Our Lord would wish to have a word."

"So I've been told. Your Lord's representative made that much clear."

"He was but a pawn of a pawn. The Demon Lord Agares has much more planned for the likes of you."

Agares was merely using the Dawn's Champion...? To what end?

"Don't suppose I could get some insight into what those plans are?"

"They are for you to enact and not to know. Now do we have a deal?"

"No."

It was Yulanda who answered. Her hand was already at her hip - at Sun Dancer - so it was a quick move to seize her Valour and unfurl it.

"I am free, Sun Dancer!"

Her words rang with conviction and with purpose. Brilliant, white flames coursed down the length of the three-pronged whip. The leathery length seemed to gain a sentience of its own and it sprang up wrapping tightly around the demon's neck. The creature screamed and let go of Yulanda. She landed elegantly on one foot. Lifting her Valour into the air, she spun on her toes. Sun Dancer pulled the demon it held off the ground and magnified her strength tenfold. It swung the demon around, sending it crashing through the building and knocking back its brethren.

Harm had to duck as the demon was flung over his head.

Yulanda cracked her whip, snapping the demon's neck in an instant. She stood proudly, her whip alive with white flames and dancing around her like a writhing snake. Pride blossomed in Harm's chest and he stood in awe at the strength she exuded. There was no doubt in her eyes and her stance spoke of one whose goal was set firmly in stone and her feet were driven to take her there without straying.

"Atta girl..." he whispered softly.

The other demons turned to flee.

Harm snapped back into the present. He hurled fire and lightning at the demons, sending them crashing to the ground before they erupted into burst of acidic, black blood. One demon sought to fight and hurled itself at him. It dug its fangs into his shoulder, its claws digging into his ribs. Ignoring all pain, he reversed Timekeeper and drove it straight backwards, impaling the demon on its golden tip. He seized the demon's head and hurled the creature over his head and slammed it into the ground, leaping away before it exploded.

Yulanda swung Sun Dancer, catching the feet of one of the fleeing demons. She lifted it into the air and slammed it back down from ten feet. The demon hit the cobblestones with a sickening splat followed by a soft boom.

The last of the demons was dead.

The two turned to one another.

Both were grinning.

"You activated it."

"I did!" Yulanda squealed softly. She leapt into the air, staring at her glowing Valour with pride.

"What did you eventually decide was your purpose?"

Her eyes told the entire story even as she said, "I think I shall leave you guessing."

Shaking his head, Harm was unsure why he would have thought Yulanda would have changed miraculously in the instant she unleashed the power of her Valour. Still, he was proud of her. "Head over to the clock tower and get your father. When the city is clear, head over to the Estuans Oculus fort. We've got the majority of the refugees heading there. Your father will probably want to make a speech to console them."

Yulanda gave him a firm nod and turned towards the clock tower.

"Yullie."

She stopped, turning back, eyes wide at his use of her nickname.

"Good job, Paladin."

*****

The rest of the city was cleared by the time the Sun Spire had started to dim once more. Harm aided in the relief of the city, purposefully avoiding Aria or Warton as he put out fires, rescued families and slew what little demons remained. To the credit of the Solis, while they were undermanned and caught unawares, there were really very little casualties. The demonic scourge was contained and eradicated.

He stood by many times as Solis and Puria alike dispatched of the demons. By midday, the sky was alight with streaks of fire as the Inquisition began sending down drop pods. The large, teardrop-shaped capsules slammed into the earth and unleashed their horde of Inquisition troops and Custodia Puria. They purged the rest of the city of demonic influence.

Their arrival meant everyone else was pushed back to observer. Forced to the sidelines, Harm could only watch as Inquisitors demonstrated their powers and skills in combat. They rooted out demons that had been hiding in the sewers and purged them all. Not for the first time, Harm was forced to begrudgingly acknowledge the strength of the Inquisition.

Even when cornered, the Inquisitors were skilled with their gun-scythes and even when down for the count, their power armour could fill them with an explosive boost of adrenaline and performance enhancing drugs that would throw them into a frenzy of deadly skill and power. It was costly to their bodies and not many survived the use of their Ultimum Expurgate but there was no greater honour to an Inquisitor than to die in the line of duty pure and incorrupt.

When he was satisfied that the city was cleansed, Harm returned to the Estuans Oculus fort. Apparently, the last few demons had hoped to attack the fort but were easily repelled. Desperate as they were, the demons probably saw the Inquisition drop pods arriving and hoped to prey on the weak. Only a few casualties were suffered but from all appearances, none too great.

He rode back into the fort and dismounted, letting a nearby Custodia Solis take his horse from him.

Valk was surrounded by several Inquisitors near the gate and it looked like they were interrogating him.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked, striding into their midst.

The towering Inquisitors gave him a foul stare. "This does not concern you, Wulfun."

"I'm sure it does." He lifted a folded Timekeeper, showing it to the Inquisitors. None of them showed any fear of his rank but they did step back in respect. "Valk?"

The Draconis was speechless, his eyes shaky and his lips gasping for breath.

"Valk?" Harm repeated, apprehension growing in his chest. "What happened?"

Again, the Draconis could not speak.

"Inquisitor?"

"It is the Tigris known as Roran," the Inquisitor replied.

Harm's face grew dark. "Take me to him."

Only then did Valk speak. "Chronos..."

"Lord Chronos," an Inquisitor responded. "You are addressing the Propheticus Primoris' brother by adoption, Hero of the Purge of Time and the Last Chronomancer. You are to show him due respect."

Valk ignored the man. "Roran... he..."

"Take me to him," Harm repeated darkly.

Inquisitor and Draconis exchanged glances, some impassive while others apprehensive. They turned as one and stepped aside. Only then did Harm see Roran hunched over a blood splattered sea green dress. Harm's eyes widened and he quickly pushed past those around him, hurrying to Roran's side.

Speechless, he turned his eyes away from Roran's tear-soaked face and ran it over Colleen's battered and bloodied body. The black marks of corrupted flesh crawled all over her body. One eye was bright red while the other was till her natural brown. In one paw, she held a bloodied dagger. Despite it all, her face looked serene like she was smiling gently at the setting sun.

"She told me she didn't love me..." Roran whispered, his voice breaking. "She told me that..." He chocked softly. "That it was all just a lie... That the child wasn't mine and... and that she was just being paid by Valk... Then... Then she turned and attacked..."

"She attacked you?"

"No..." Roran lifted his gaze to meet his, eyes filled with sorrow, twin windows into a broken heart. "She attacked the demons."

Harm felt his heart form a lump in his throat.

Colleen.

She loved Roran. The child was his but she knew she could not have him. Yet still... she let go but on her own terms.

"She took down three of those bastards before she went down herself," Roran laughed softly through his tears. "I... I just..."

Harm understood why the Inquisition and Valk were arguing. Colleen showed clear signs of corruption. The demons could use her body in many ways, either as a shell to corrupt others or maybe even as a miniature portal into this world. The Inquisition no doubt wanted it burned and Roran processed for the contact he had with it. Valk was protesting, as he always did.

"Roran..." he began softly.

"Please Harm... just... Just leave me alone..."