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Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.

C. S. Lewis

_ _

When you've told someone that you've left them a legacy the only decent thing to do is to die at once.

Samuel Butler

A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.

Mahatma Gandhi

If all the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends.

Charlotte Bronte

********Warning*********

This document is protected by the Eccelsia Turrim Authorisation Policy. Access, replication or mention of the contents of this document without the proper authorisation may lead to persecution under said policy.

[Note] Under the order of His Holiness, the Propheticus Primoris Benevolence VII, this report has been redacted as of 3201 AXIII.

Serial Number: TTS01 -3773S

Authorisation: Alpha

Subject: Bloodfyre - The Blade of Sun's Blood

Author: Harm Chronos

Date: 2411 Anno XIII

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Over the centuries and millennia, history has played tricks on mortal and immortal alike. Ordinary objects that were held by significant individuals be they god or man have been elevated to legendary status because of their owner's prowess. While the object may have been ordinary at best, the fact that they were held by a figure of legend is enough for the masses to believe it to possess mythical properties. However, due to the very nature of Tower Thirteen, belief is often enough to give this very same object great and powerful effects.

In the history of Incendius - the 1st Station of Tower Thirteen, Station of the Sun - no figure is more legendary than the Brave Farmer. The Farmer was a downtrodden mortal who had lost his family during the Sunshadow War. Pitied by the Sun Goddess, he travelled through the lines of the Darkened and united the people under the Sun Goddess' light at what is now Corona. There, he was gifted by the Sun Goddess with a mighty, fiery blade that would never extinguish and the power of Fire Magic.

This blade, Bloodfyre, was jet black and burned white hot with holy fire to symbolise the Darkeneds' shadow withering against the holy light of fire. No Darkened could stand to be around the blade for extended periods of time and to touch the blade was instantaneous death for a Darkened. Carrying this blade, the Brave Farmer waged a counterattack that swept across all of Incendius. Historians have associated the melting of mountain ice in the Southern Frostenlands to the Brave Farmer's crusade and also the creation of the Grey Marches - a stretch of land between Chillfarn and the Darkened Lands that is nothing but ash.

Many rumours continue to circulate around the world as to what happened to the blade after the Farmer called down the Sun Goddess Apollia at the centre of the Darkened civilisation. Some say that the light emanating from the Sun Spire today is, in fact, Bloodfyre. Others speculate that the blade was detonated and that is what caused the Darkened armies to be devastated and created the Concave of Shadows. The sceptical believe that the blade is just a Valour of incredible might and that the Brave Farmer merged with it in one last attempt to secure victory for the people of Incendius.

Over the centuries, many have sought the blade. Treasure hunters have braved the Darkened Lands for traces of the sword. Fortune seekers believe the blade was whisked away into the Sunless Lands in an attempt to bring light to the dark, shadowy islands beyond the Sun Spire's influence. Conspiracy theorist vehemently believe the Church took the blade and hold it still, experimenting on it and hoping to replicate its power or at least find someone who can wield the sword once more.

Whatever the case, all that research has come down to a simple mantra that has become consistent with the legendary blade_:_

'The breath of a Red, the essence of a Blue,

'Extract from a Green and the heart of a Gold.

'A bar of Red Adamantine forged to hold earth. A bite of Barlacite to seize the flame.

'Gold to hold the cold at bay and malachite to stem greed.

'Forged from the life of the world itself and infused with Stones of Eternal Fire.

'Cooled in the blood of a Demon and washed in an Angel's tears.

'Thus the blade... Bloodfyre.'

*****

Known only as the Frozen Ones, the creature had once been a proud and strong member of the Custodia Lupus; a Werewolf of Incendius and the first point of defence against the Shadows of the South. Once, he was a human man who took on the mantle of a wolf to protect the greater good.

Once.

Now its eyes were glazed over with an icy-blue film and its blood lay frozen in its veins. The strings of unholy magic pulled at its limbs and moved its stiff, frozen muscles. The coating of frost on its dark fur shuffled and flew off as tiny flakes to act only as deadly spores that would latch onto any other living creature and infect them, pulling them into the thrall of their master.

In the halls of the Forever Frost Manor, countless Frozen Ones roamed the frigid hallways. Dark walls stood with icicles hanging from their edges. Proud suits of armour were caked over in ice and a cold mist hung in the air, partially obscuring the marble motifs of the floor. The sound of frozen limbs cracking faintly as they moved echoed throughout the manor's wide expanses.

Far outside, the shouts, howls and cries of the brave Custodia Lupus who fought the army of Frozen Ones continued. The noise was dampened by the walls to mere muffles and faint ringing noises.

The False Winter had come and the forces of frost were winning.

Still, at the heart of the cold, there was little in way of warmth.

The one flicker of heat and life let out the first breath he had taken in what seemed like an eternity, the air condensing before his broad, muzzle. In the oddly blue environment, his white fur formed a stark contrast. Covered in ice as it was, the manor held a surreal blue hue. The ice seemed more like a precious gem than crystallised water.

Harm Chronos gripped the golden blade in his paws, biting back the gasp of pain at the icy bite of the mental against the leathery pads on his palms. The snowflake-like spores that hung in the air eagerly latched onto his athletic frame, trying to suck the warmth from his blood and pull him into the grip of the Lord of Winter. However, a stronger magic kept their grip tenuous at best.

He closed his golden eyes, taking a light breath and fighting back the wince as the spores bit into the sensitive flesh of his throat and mouth. Despite the chill that gripped the air around him, a warm breeze sprang from somewhere and brushed lightly against his short, brown hair, gently caressing the stiff bands that stood styled in a loose, spikey disarray.

A gentle smile touched his muzzle before it faded.

Harm turned the corner, emerging from around the corner of a broad, square pillar. Each stride he made was full of purpose, determination and strength. Every moment his white and red sneakers touched the ice-covered marble floor, the mist would swell for a moment as if to attempt to consume him before they realised who he was and pull back in fear. The icy flakes that hung in the air eagerly sprang towards him but bounced harmlessly against his brown vest, white shirt or dark blue, pinstriped pants. Behind him, the white scarf that wrapped around his neck billowed out like a pair of white wings.

Frozen Ones occupying the hall automatically noticed his presence and began their slow turns towards him. Stiff as their bodies were, they could only shuffle towards him at a snail's pace. Harm strode up to the closest one just as it was halfway through its turn. Even with its frozen eyes gazing off into the distance, the driving unholy force of the manor brought the Frozen Ones' mighty mace rising towards the white-furred Wulfun.

Harm swung his golden sword - Timekeeper - without a second though, carving through the creature's right arm without difficulty and forcing the Frozen One to drop its mace. Even with a severed arm, the creature lunged at him with its remaining. Harm ducked beneath its wild swing and strode quickly through the hallways. He mounted the grand staircase, hastily rushing up its icy steps as the Frozen Ones began to converge towards him.

All avenues of exit began to quickly close are more of the creatures began to shuffle in from connecting rooms. What had seemed a thin guard quickly evolved into a horde. Frozen Ones emerged from hallways and shadows where they had stood as quiet sentinels, unbreathing and unmoving. As Harm swept past two that swung their weapons sluggishly, he peered out through one of the icy windows.

The battle was proceeding poorly for the Custodia Lupus. With every Lupus that fell, the icy infection would grip their bodies and raise them again as a Frozen One. Even with their mastery of Ice Magic, the Lupus were no match for this particular band of Cryomancy. At the forefront of the battlefield stood the biggest of the Lupus. The massive Incendian werewolf belied his enormous, muscular bulk by wielding two daggers in a reverse grip and dodging and leaping through the masses of Frozen Ones as limber as a circus acrobat.

However, with the battle going so well for the Frozen Ones, many of the extra troops began to slowly turn from the main battle and shuffle towards the manor. Harm kept his smile to himself and hurried through the hallways.

A row of Frozen Ones barred his path, taking one shambling step towards him at a time. He did not pause in his stride. The moment he was about to collide with them, their bodies exploded into a burst of black dust, blown away by a mysterious wind. Harm felt an immense flood of strength seep into him as he stole the Time of the creatures.

He did not let his mind linger on the rush. His instincts screamed at him just as he passed a nearby suit of armour. The moment his left foot touched the ground, he pushed back on it and leapt backwards. The suit instantly lunged forward, swinging its greatsword in a wide arc that would have cleaved him in two. He gave it a smirk and tapped its blade with Timekeeper.

The possessed armour tried to rise but where Timekeeper touched, the metal began to rapidly rust and degrade. Harm strode past it as it stumbled to the ground, the rust eating away at its torso and legs. He vaguely took note of an empty gauntlet trying to reach for him before it disappeared into a pile of rusted metal.

His destination appeared ahead behind a large group of Frozen Ones. Not time was wasted as he raised his right paw towards the creatures. Golden flames sprang between his fingers, coalescing into a single burning, ball that eagerly sprang from his palm and struck the closest Frozen One. The enchanted, golden flame devoured the Frozen One in a manner of moments, eating away at icy flesh and fur, revealing the muscle and sinew below before flesh gave way to bone. That too was eaten away in a matter of moments. The flames quickly leapt onto the others around it, clearing the path by the time Harm arrived at the broad doors.

The Wulfun pushed open the doors and was greeted by a gust of icy wind to rival a blizzard. Snowflakes stung his eyes but he blinked them away and pushed forward into the expanse of the ballroom.

Seated on a frost-covered dais, on a throne made from the frozen bodies of several Inquisitors that had hoped to stop him... was the Fallen Paladin, Turquon Avall.

The Draconis' blue scales was covered in a thin film of ice just like the Frozen Ones but beneath even his natural armour glowed pulsating, red veins. His tattered, black cloak of a Paladin still hung on his shoulders while armour made from a mad fusion of metal and enchanted ice clung to his broad, muscular form. The black and red pauldron that had marked him as a Paladin of Incendius, the 1st Station of Tower Thirteen and the Station of the Sun still hung on his left shoulder though it bore scratches on its Incendian insignia.

Turquon sat with his head bowed, clawed hand digging into the frozen faces of the Inquisitors he had captured and killed. On his back hung his Valour... now a Sin. Once a magical pair of wings that had granted the wingless Draconis flight, the twisted metal low possessed corrupted, black flesh growing from where it bound to his flesh. Once, crystal membranes connected the bones of the wings, glistening in the light and sending rainbows dancing around Turquon. Now, the membranes were crumbling, blackened and constantly dripping flakes of the icy spores that infected the manor.

The blizzard contained within the ballroom died and Turquon lifted his head, red eyes glowing with an unholy light.

"I should have known it would be you who would come." His voice rang with the youthful ring of the true Turquon but also the deep, gravelly rumble of another entity that had blackened the heart of the Paladin. "How fitting that the mentor would fall before student."

Harm shook his head sadly. "You are no student of mine." Then he flashed Turquon a cock smirk. "Any student I taught would have picked much livelier décor. Honestly, a throne made out of the frozen corpses of your foes? I would have trapped their souls in enchanted ice so you can watch them wailing and squirming through the crystal surface."

Turquon rose from his seat, bare clawed feet scraping against the icy floor. "I shall take your advice, Chronomancer. Your soul shall be trapped inside my icy throne when I conquer all of Incendius and bring forth an ice age Tower Thirteen will soon not forget!"

Raising his sword, Harm summoned a ball of golden fire in his right paw and said, "Ice ages end. Winter will always give way to spring. Nothing is forever."

A dark smile crossed the Draconis' features. "Does that include you, Lord Chronos?"

Harm returned the smile. "Time waits for no man."

The ballroom howled with the might of another blizzard springing from nowhere. Harm's entire vision was suddenly consumed by white as snowflakes bombarded him from all directions and raging winds threatened to throw him off his feet. Trusting his instincts entirely, he swung to his right and felt the brush of an icy fist slide past his flanks. With his free paw still engulfed in golden flame, he seized the fist and let the consuming fire eagerly spread across Turquon's form.

The Draconis let out a roar of agony and staggered away. The blizzard wreathed him entirely, forming a cocoon of ice that doused the golden flames. The moment of retreat gave Harm the time he needed to lunge toward the cocoon and reach into the blanket of ice. He gripped Turquon's throat and pulled the Draconis through his defences, bringing the stunned Fallen out of the orb of ice.

There was a moment where they stared at one another.

Then Harm slammed his forehead hard against the Draconis', stunning them both momentarily. Harm had braced himself for the impact, however and through the dizzying spiral of his vision, he thrust Timekeeper into Turquon's gut. The blade bit into flesh but it was far from a fatal blow. As his vision cleared, he grunted upon realising his aim was off and he had just managed to graze his foe's side.

Turquon placed both hands against Harm's chest before raising a foot and using the force of all three limbs to break himself free. Harm was forced back, staggering but somehow managing to keep his balance. The Draconis landed only a few feet away and dashed back forward, claws outstretched and cutting through the air like icy sickles.

Harm threw himself at his former student, letting the icy claws bite into his flesh but taking them both down in a crashing heap. Timekeeper sprang from his grip but remained within reach as it hung from his belt by a golden chain. When Turquon's back slammed against the ground, the Wulfun pressed his entire weight onto the Draconis' chest, sitting up and bringing his fists crashing down onto the Fallen's face. He felt hard scales and flesh resist his strikes but he also heard the satisfying noises of bones breaking.

Cold hands seized his wrists, claws digging into his wrists. Turquon suddenly yanked down on Harm's arms, forcing the Chronomancer to tilt forward where the Draconis slammed their foreheads together. Harm's vision flashed with a multitude of dancing stars. He quickly felt the tide turn as he was suddenly thrown onto the ground with the Draconis' superior weight on his chest.

Grimacing, he reached into the well of power every Chronomancer possessed and twisted the flow of time. He dragged himself to the same position he had been just a few moments later, leaving Turquon grasping at thin air. He was left standing just a few metres away in the moment where he had been staggering from Turquon's counter strike. Still dazed, he could only guess at where the Draconis was and yanked Timekeeper from where it lay beside him, hurling the blade at the blurred blue blob in his field of vision.

Turquon moved, barely dodging the blade and hissing loudly. Harm yanked at the golden chain of his sword, retrieving the blade and leaping through the flows of time to the moment he stood right beside Turquon. The Draconis was left wide open as Harm swung Timekeeper. The golden blade bit through flesh, spraying fresh, black blood onto the ice-covered floor and causing Turquon to stagger.

Unholy might kept the Draconis from feeling the pain and he lunged forward, claws outstretched. At the same time, the mighty blizzard came back with a vengeance and swept towards the Chronomancer in a single, focused stream. Harm leapt through time in an instant, landing halfway across the ballroom.

He swung Timekeeper through the air in wide arches. Arcs of compressed air swung through the air like blades of wind, sweeping towards Turquon and carving through the floor with the ease of a heated blade against ice. The Draconis hissed and leapt around the first strike but the second came too quickly and bit right into his right arm. He was thrown back, black blood trailing his fall as he crashed to the ground.

Despite the injury, Turquon leapt to his feet, his arm dangling by his side utterly useless. Spreading his artificial wings, the Draconis rose into the air through the magic of his Sin. Those corrupt wings batted through the air, unleashing wave upon wave of blustering, icy winds straight at Harm.

The Chronomancer bolted away from the gusts, weaving left and right and making his way towards the Fallen. Turquon refused to remain in a single space and swept to the left, keeping his distance as he continued to bombard the ballroom with blasts of wind. Realising he was at a disadvantage being grounded, the Wulfun spied the horrific throne and conjured an idea.

He evaded Turquon's blows and made for the throne. A blast of wind slammed into the space in front of him, causing a massive indentation in the stone floor. He shook aside the thought of what would have happened had that struck him and leapt over the miniature crater, speeding towards the throne.

The moment he reached the dark edifice, he swung behind it and waited for the inevitable -

Boom!

Turquon's strike hit the throne, sending it flying into the air. Harm threw Timekeeper at the dark memorial and seized the throne. With all his might and some alterations with the flow of time, he swung the throne back towards Turquon.

The Draconis' eyes bulged for a brief moment before he swung his artificial wings once more and battered the throne back. He failed to notice the Wulfun trailing behind the throne, hanging on by the golden chain of Timekeeper which lay embedded into its horrific surface. Even as the throne was knocked back, Harm's momentum continued to throw him towards the Draconis. The Wulfun yanked Timekeeper from the falling throne and -

Wham!

Slammed hard into the Fallen, sending them both crashing into the nearby wall. Timekeeper bit into Turqon's chest, burying itself into the Draconis' heart. Harm seized the Draconis' face in his free paw. Golden fire sprang from his palm, wreathing Turquon's face and bringing a scream that filled the ballroom. Even as they began to slip down the frozen wall, Harm released both his sword and the Draconis and propelled himself towards the ground. When he felt the strain on the golden chain slow him down, he seized it with both paws and swung it downwards, throwing Turquon straight into the ground with the might of one his gusts of wind.

He landed on the ground, staggering from the height and gasping as his ankle bent at an unnatural angle. Pain shot through his leg for the briefest of moments before the magic that sustained him turned back time and repaired the damage inflicted. A grimace escaped him as he quickly staggered to his feet and yanked at the golden chain of Timekeeper. The sword resisted, embedded so deeply in Turquon's chest.

His breath condensing in front of his muzzle as he sighed, Harm strode towards the suspiciously still Draconis. The closer he drew, the slower his pace. His suspicion rose the longer Turquon remained still but as he caught sight of the Draconis' red eyes, he noticed their dead, stunned expression through the golden flames that continued to eat at his flesh.

Another sigh escaped him, this one filled with relief. Around him, the ballroom grew still once more. His sharp, pointed ears swivelled around scanning his surroundings for the tell-tale sounds of the Frozen Ones and the battle raging beyond the manor's walls. Howls ripped through the still air filled with triumph and victory. The shuffling of frozen limbs no longer echoed in the hallways only the soft drip-drip-drip of unnatural ice melting.

Relieved, Harm yanked his sword from his former student's chest.

The golden Chronomancer's Fire soon spread all over Turquon's body, devouring the flesh eagerly though leaving the black Sin untouched.

"You can't believe how well I understood your intentions," the lupine Wulfun said softly. "You could not fit in amongst your peers so you intended to force your peers to fit in with you. Change the world so that you might have a place amongst its people."

Harm swung Timekeeper through the air. The golden blade retreated into itself, the eight spokes that made the hilt folding together as one and grip folding to wrap around the concealed blade like a butterfly knife.

"Even the greatest of us seek a place to belong," he continued grimly. "But in the end, when we force the world to follow our path, nothing will be left but regret. Regret over the lives we've sacrificed and altered in our selfish desire. Regret over the land we have forever scarred so we can carve our path." He paused a moment long enough to turn away from the Draconis and stride towards the door, white scarf billowing out behind him. "Regret over the loved ones we have cast aside to maintain the continuity we have grown content with."

As he reached the door...

"Tell me, Lord Chronos..."

He stopped. For the first time since he had entered the manor, a cold grip seized his heart.

"... was it you who felt these pangs of guilt? Do you bear the guilt of the deaths of your own race as you forced them to adhere to your sanctions?"

The ice that covered the door in front of him melted, droplets of chilled water landing on the floor. A dark force caused the fur on the back of his neck to rise. Every droplet began to crawl towards the source of the voice, leaving the door and the floor in its natural colours. Windows around the ballroom shattered. Swarms of frozen corpses came lumbering in, ignoring the cuts and slashes they suffered from the sharp glass. The doors sprang open and Frozen Ones came striding in, ignoring Harm completely.

"You, the only Chronomancer to join the Church of the Tower. A rebel. A renegade. The one Chronomancer who turned against the conquest of his own kind and gave the Church the might to not only defeat every time-bending lunatic across the Tower but to torment them for all eternity."

Only then did Harm turn around. Thousands of Frozen Ones clamoured towards a single mound. Their flesh melded into one, connected by thick, pulsating red veins. Droplets of water gathered from all over the Forever Frost Manor, merging the slabs of flesh together like an adhesive. Snow poured in from the windows, carried by unholy winds and swirling around the growing mass.

"You played a hand in killing thousands. Can you truly justify your actions against me when you are guilty of a far graver sin?"

Harm reached for Timekeeper, slowly unfolding it once more as the last Frozen One strode past him and merged with the mass. "Guilt only hurts with regret. Deep down, I know Turquon regrets what he has done but is far too proud and fearful to back down from his convictions even as he started to express doubt."

"Do you not regret what you have done? Are you not guilty of this sin?"

"I never said I wasn't guilty. The difference between me and Turquon is I bear my guilt with pride."

He lifted Timekeeper towards the demon.

"I regret nothing."