The enemy vessel felt Kami’s vessels coming, long before they actually arrived, and he felt a rush of excitement from it. At the moment, he was dismantling a company of armored soldiers. It was truly amusing to him the way they would rush at him, retreat in panic as he blew away their men, and then reform and come at him again. They were like animals, only capable of following their instincts. Kill the enemy, kill the enemy, kill the enemy, the standard instinct was, but when fear got the better of them, their survival instinct kicked in and they ran away only to come back at him once they reorganized. He laughed at them all as the thousands of men would scatter and then reform and then scatter again. He honestly didn’t get to kill that many, he was too busy enjoying the spectacle.

He had decided to only kill the men with his sword in order to let the battle last longer. He could have wiped them out in seconds, but sometimes, there was more meaning if the feeling of the sword cutting through flesh and bodies. He loved watching the blood flow out of their pathetic bodies. But only that kept him amused for a little bit, and he soon grew afraid that the vessels we not really going to come out.

But now the vessels were approaching quickly, all three of them. He was playing with a company at the moment, but now that the vessels were finally here, the soldiers were no longer important. He grinned fiercely, and with a wave of his hand he blew them away like leaves in a storm. This fight with the vessels was what he had come here for, his blood boiled at the thought of the coming battle.

He didn’t obstruct the vessel's approach, but waited patiently for them to land. The three did so right front of him with such grace that not a single blade of grass was bent. From their faces came the prestige of the divine and their hand shown forth their might.The enemy vessel said to them, with a smile, “I’ve been waiting impatiently. Do you know how many of your soldiers died because of your poor punctuality?”

“Impertinent.” said the golden vessel to his right, a female. All three of kami’s vesselsl wore the same thing, light white tunics and sandals. They all had bright golden hair and eyes and each carried a unique weapon. The one speaking held a halberd. Her eyes grew hard as she looked upon him, “You have trespassed upon Kami’s territory for too long.”

The enemy vessel laughed shamelessly, “Do you honestly think that you can beat me? How many of your comrades have I killed so far, hmm? You are the last three vessels of Kami, aren’t you? What makes you think you can beat me, when every other time you have failed?” He brought his sword up into guard and added, “My name is Covall! Remember it in your graves!”

“There is no need to remember the names of the dead,” The third Vessel stated, a dark skinned male holding a glaive, “And there will be no marker to cover your grave, infidel!”

“This will be over today, Demon!” the second one spoke, his expression not moving a millimeter. He was holding a sword in his hands and on his belt was another, shorter one. He said sternly, “We will not let your unholy feet walk this land anymore. Kami has willed it!”

“Such confidence and pride!” Covall scoffed. “But also ignorance. Do you too, ignore the history between our people? Kami may have been powerful once, but that was ages ago! Your god was done for the moment we broke into this territory, 500 years ago! Only his stubbornness has kept this place alive, but even that will have its limit.” Covel brought his sword up and said darkly, “This will be over today, but it will end in your deaths!”

Kami’s Vessel and Covall’s left stepped forward threateningly. Covall taunted him, “You all have your divine weapons? Good! This won’t be a match without them.” He grinned at them again. “Maybe I will have to get serious too!” None of Kami’s vessels answered with words, but they unleashed their power, leveling the land around them and displaying their strength. The air sizzled and crackled with their energy.

The enemy vessel laughed again, “You had all better come at me at once! Otherwise I won’t be satisfied!”

Kami’s vessels came. The land exploded at the powers collided.

“Alright, alright,” Hourbore said encouraging, pulling Ashton gently off the ground. He held up the wounded man carefully. “Let’s go. Kami has provided for us again, we cannot lose hope yet.” Ashton grunted in pain as he was lifted, but he thanked Hourbore quietly for it.

The vessels had started fighting far below by the river, and it was frightening even from their standpoint. What they saw could hardly be described as similar to anything they had ever experienced before. It was as if a great thunder cloud had landed on the ground. Flashes of light and crashed of sound made their way up to where they were. Shockwaves and blasts of extreme cold and heat intermittently emanated from the battle ground, sometimes almost knocked them over. It was painful for them to even be as close as they were to the clashing vessels.

As Ashton looked he could see the shockwaves coming across the grass on the plains, as it wiped back like gusts of wind were blowing through. The Great Lantern was partially covered by the mist and smoke that was coming from the battle. Central was unrecognizable.

Heath exclaimed aloud, frightened, “Truly this is a battle of the divine! I feel as though I would get destroyed by it if I moved any closer!”

Michael had helped Fallow to his feet, but he tried to waive off any further assistance. “Come, we can still make it to the gates!” She pleaded. “We need to go while we can!”

“Why to the gates?” Horebour thundered. There was a bright excitement in his eyes, “The vessels of Kami have come! There is no need to run, anymore! I wish to see the vanquishing of the evil firsthand!”

“No, no!” Fallow said with exasperation. “there is no guarantee that-.” Another blast of air came, cutting off his words. This air was freezing though and seemed sucked out all the heat from his body. He gasped at the chill and brought his arms in around him.

Ashton shouted over the roar of the wind, “Fallow is right, we won’t last out here at least, for much longer. All of the land is groaning from their battle, if we stay we will surely get caught up in it and killed! We should head for the city gates for cover. But,” he added looking away. “I am not leaving without Drake.”

“He’s dead, Ashton,” Michael said, pointing her spear towards where he had landed. “He’s found his place with Kami now, our place is in the city!”

Ashton shook his head, “There is no guarantee that is dead.”

Horebour looked down on Ashton with pity. “There is no way he is still alive!”

Ashton left let go of Hourbore and stood unsteadily, “You guys keep moving to the gate without me, I will get Drake’s body alone.”

“That’s crazy!” Heath, broke in. “You’re not going alone! Drake is already gone, for what purpose do you want his body?”

“SHUT UP!” Ashton yelled, stunning the group. “Just shut up!” he shouted again, breathing heavily; tears were rolling down his cheeks. “I mean, I know he’s dead, I know! I saw it too, the vessel killed him and his body is way over there, broken. But still, I need to see him; I need to see his body. You understand? I need to know for certain. I want to bury him, or at least cover him. I mean, look,” He said facing Drake’s direction. “He’s just naked out there, right? I can’t leave him like that.”

Another blast from the battle came below. The group cringed as the heat swelled up to them, pushing them around. It knocked Ashton to his knees and he landed roughly. He cried out in pain.

Hourbore reached out his hand again, “You are still alive, no? There are still things you can accomplish for Kami, we will not let you go.”

Ashton didn’t respond and ignored Horebour’s hand. “Come on Ashton!” Heath shouted. “Stop being stupid! We all regret Drake’s death, we all want to get his body! But there is no purpose in that now. We have the ability, and therefore, the responsibility to live for Kami. Stop being stubborn!”

Still Ashton did not move. Micheal let out sigh of exasperation. “Just leave him then,” she said coldly. “I, for one, will make it to the gates!”

“Yes, you will.” Gatal said, coming in among them again. Heath squawked in shock, but the others only showed mild surprise to see the old priest again. Ashton’s eyes burned in anger.

“Where did you go, priest!” Ashton howled. “You abandoned us! Because of you Drake is dead! What have you come back here for?”

Gatal ignored his exclamation and turned to the others. He said, “Return to the city at once, all of you! The frontline has been abandoned, and the vessels of Kami will destroy the foe, it is no longer a place for humans.” The men hesitated for a second, but Gatal urged them again, “Go quickly, while you still can!”

“Gatal,” Ashton growled. “I am not leaving until i-.”

Gatal cut him off, “I know, I know, so shut up!” He pointed towards Fallow and said, “us three will be going to get Drake’s body, the rest of you must go.”

Fallow complained loudly, “Why me?”

Micheal needed no further encouragement. She said stoutly, pointing at Horebore, “Let’s go, or I’ll leave you behind!”

Horebour eyed her darkly and said, “The loyalty of the natives are always with the city and not their comrades, how predictable.” But Vanyor was already pulling Heath along towards the gates.

Fallow shook his head and said, “Just go, Horebour! We would only slow you down anyway. Whatever the priest is planning, it’s above us; don’t try to understand the highland order. Just go!”

Horebour looked at them for the last time and then said, “May I see you all again in the streets of The Endless City.” Then he turned and left, following Micheal up the last plains and towards the road that lead to the southern gate.

Gatal said quickly, “Now we need to hurry. I’ll make you able to walk again; we need to get to Drake!”

Ashton and Fallow felt once again the alien feeling of warmth and energy fill them. The pain washed away from him and in a moment, he was on his feet. Fallow shouted at Gatal, “Why do you need to get Drake? Let go of your foolish fantasies about vessels and gods! Kami’s vessels are here, we should go while we can. Isn’t this the end of the battle?”

Ashton got to his feet slowly as well. His anger was still in his eyes but he kept silent. Gatal ignored Fallow completed and spoke only to Ashton, “Your friend is not quite dead yet I believe, do not glare at me so! He can still survive, but it is his choice now. We need to get to him and convince him.”

In a sudden swift motion, Gatal chanted something and brought his arms above his head. Fallow didn’t notice anything different, but knew that Gatal had done more magic. Whatever it was it made the priest was look older and more exhausted than ever before. As the priest swayed slightly, Fallow said, “You are pushing yourself too much; you can’t carry on much longer either?”

Gatal shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “Quit objecting to everything I do, you toad!”

Fallow swelled up in outrage and shouted, “YOU’RE THE ONE FORCING ME ALONG!”

Gatal ignored his exclamation. “I’ll live, long enough at least to complete my mission. But I just disguised our presence. We can’t have the vessel find us, right? This should protect us for a while.”

“Is that how you survived the priest hunt?” Ashton asked moving away already towards Drake’s fallen body. “Hiding away while all the other priests were annihilated?”

The priest didn’t answer, but instead struggled to keep up. Fallow followed behind him, smoldering silently.

Visibility had been reduced as the smoke and fog from the river enveloped all of central. They could not move quickly due to the continued blasts from the vessel’s battle. Fallow wondered, what the point of armies anymore? Central was already destroyed.

The ground they were walking on was dying. The grass was all withered and brown, some whole sections were simply disintegrating into the air. Fallow whispered, “This is the power of the vessels? Even the plants wither at their touch.” He looked towards the river, now completely blocked from view. He added, “What is happening down there?”

Gatal answered back softly, “A vessel is a materialization of a god’s power. When two gods collide, it is only natural that the world be destroyed.”

Fallow kept his eyes on the river valley and asked, “Do you not believe that Kami’s vessels will win? Otherwise you would not have bothered with the magic to hide us.”

There was another blast, greater than any other one so far. The group braced themselves, lying flat on the ground. The wave threw earth and rubble around, narrowly missing them as it landed. The whole sky turned white, then slowly dimmed away. When it passed, Ashton asked, “What happened to all the soldiers by the river? They weren’t caught up in this, were they?”

Nobody answered. “Keep moving!” Gatal hissed.

But something was off, something had changed. And before they got much further, Ashton spoke, “The fighting has stopped.”

The group paused and listened, but there were no more sounds of battle to be heard. There were no sounds at all, just the sound of the wind, rushing back after its displacement in the fight. It got abruptly cold and the group instinctively gathered together. Frost worked its way up the ground.

“Is it over already?” Fallow asked, uncertainly. The air was thin and bleak. “Kami’s vessels won?”

But nobody moved, or hardly even breathed. Suddenly, as if a great fan swept through the air, the mist was pushed silently away, bringing the river into view.

But there was no river to be seen anymore. Nor any remnants of any building, land, or person. All of the area around the river had been blackened and broken. There was no sight of the army, Kami’s vessels, or the enemy.

“Quickly!” Gatal spoke, his face white and dripping in perspiration, despite the chill.

There were no more sounds or interruptions on their journey. Fallow spoke on the way, “The quiet is unnerving. Where has the enemy gone?” Soon, they had reached Drake, leaning up against central wall where he had dragged himself into a sitting position.

“Drake!” Ashton called out, breaking into a run upon seeing him. It was an ugly sight. His whole body was full of scrapes and blood.

“By Kami’s horn!” Fallow said in awe, looking down at him, “He’s alive! Is there a bone that isn’t broken?”

“Drake, Drake!” Ashton shouted, touching him gingerly. “Can you hear me?” Drake’s eyes fluttered open, unfocused and unseeing. A sudden coughing fit seized him and clots of blood were ejected from his lungs. Drake groaned in pain.

Fallow looked down at the man with sympathy, “Shall I put him out of his misery? It would have been better if he died instantly.”

“No!” Gatal said sharply. He pushed Ashton out of the way and spoke to Drake, “Drake, put on your ring! Only the power of your god can save you!”

Fallow wasn’t sure Drake had heard him. After a few heart beats, Drake only spoke, “It hurts…”

Ashton bent down again close to Drake. “I know it hurts Drake.” Drake’s eyes focused on him, “I know, but the ring will heal you, won’t it? You would awaken as a vessel, as immortal and powerful as kami’s, right?”

Drake eyed filled with fear and he shook his head almost imperceptibly. “I’m scared Ashton,” he said. “It hurts.” Ashton choked back his tears.

Gatal broke in again, “Drake, you must! This is the moment that you were destined for. Death is upon you Drake, it is time to take up the responsibility given to you by god. You must do as he commands!”

Even as he looked, Fallow saw a bright silver ring on a chain necklace appear around Drake’s neck. His eyes followed in wonder as it lifted off of Drake’s chest and floated right above him, glowing mightily. All eyes stared at it. Fallow felt suddenly like a moment of destiny was about to strike, as if all the circumstances had led up to this final point of convergence. It was a rushing tide, an unstoppable movement that Fallow could only be a witness of.

Drake stared at the ring, his eyes wide in fear, blood dripping down his forehead and onto his face. Then he said, his word full of terror, “No!”

Then Drake closed his eyes and died. As the last air filtered out of his lungs, the ring too, silently disappeared from Fallow’s sight.

At first nobody said anything. Both Ashton and Gatal sat on the ground next to the body, unmoving, seemingly in disbelief. Fallow looked around at the empty landscape and said, “No, eh? What now?” Neither of them moved and Fallow was irritated. “Come on, he’s dead, why are you surprised? Kami’s vessels are already done and probably gone already; we need to get out of here too. This was a pointless trip to begin with.”

Gatal spoke up, still kneeling besides the dead body. “Silence, you ignorant fool of a lieutenant!” Fallow turned quickly to Gatal in surprise; he had never seen the man so out of control. He was bent and withered, but he sensed from the figure tremendous wrath and power. The priest shook in rage, and Fallow stepped back carefully. He had never seen Gatal lose it like this.

Gatal stood up suddenly and shouted at Fallow, “Drake’s death is the death of the city!”

Fallow stared back at the man, his mouth open in shock. He said, almost to himself, “ludicrous…” he shook his head and looked away towards The Endless City. He said to Gatal, “Even if central is destroyed, the city is still there! Look! Just look at that thing! Was there ever a more permanent and secure thing in the entirety of the universe?”

Even as Fallow turned around, a tearing noise like a cloth being ripped was heard around them. As if he was tearing a hole in a side of a tent, the enemy vessel could be seen cutting the air and slipping into their presence. He looked down at them savagely, “I found you!”

The enemy vessel was there, and it was like a vision from Fallow’s nightmare. His body was battered and bloody, cuts and bruising covered him and his black uniform was tattered and stained. Some of it was trailing behind him in rags. Despite his troubles, his face only shown undeniable triumph. In his right hand, he held his silver sword proudly, and in his left hand he held the three bodies of the vessels, hardly recognizable, and clearly dead. Gatal straightened up suddenly, facing the menace, but the vessel stared back lazily. “I had almost miscalculated,” he said casually. He tossed the three dead vessels on the ground in front of him and continued, “I thought for a moment I had forgotten to leave an audience for my victory.” Despite his wounds, he looked energized and fresh. He exuded a malevolent aura. “How awful would that have been?”

“Behold!” the vessel shouted, displaying his kills. “I have slayed the last of Kami’s vessels, nothing now stands in our way. Tell me, Kami’s faithful, what do you believe, now? Your god has failed you!” He grinned maniacally. “And after you, his death will soon follow!”

Fallow mind were moving slowly, he had a hard time concentrating. “Impossible!” He thought, “How can he defeat all of Kami’s vessels so easily?” He recognized one of them from the councilman’s party and remembered the pure strength the man had exuded. That power had been overcome by this?

The vessel leaned in and asked, imploringly, “Come on, tell me what you think! Let me hear your words of dismay! Do you still have faith in your god? After I have defeated all his minions, do you think he could overcome me, or my master?” He was enjoying he tormented looks on his faces of his audience. “Huh? What do you think?” Nobody answered and he grew annoyed. He screamed at them, “TELL ME!”

They could only stand frozen in front of him, waiting to die. He sighed and scowled, “Can’t even answer my question.” He lifted his sword, and stared down at them hatefully.

The air was cold and Fallow could see his breath. Ice was still forming around them, as if the very hand of winter was on the land. The vessel stood directly before him and held his sword above him to kill, and it glittered silently in the frosty air. Fallow wondered briefly about what the afterlife would be. He had lost faith in Kami’s salvation, would his unbelief destroy him? He didn’t know. The vessel said softly, “Just die.”

Fallow closed his eyes and waited again again for the strike to release his soul from his flesh. But all that came was a sudden gust of warm air, coming behind him and gently enveloping him. He opened his eyes and saw that the sword was still over him, but he man’s attention was elsewhere. His face registered a shocked and angry expression. Fallow turned to see what the vessel was looking at.

Something was rising, only a short ways away from them. From the object, silent blue light erupted and Fallow new that it was from this that the warm air was coming. He also recognized the object for what it was.

Drake body slowly lifted itself off its feet and stood in the air. The ring around his neck that Fallow had just seen was now clearly visible again and glowing so brightly that Drake couldn’t be seen but as shadow. The divine power that Drake had became almost a physical manifestation. It clouded the air, making it difficult to move or even breathe. A deep voice was heard, as if the very words of god were spoken to them. It said clearly, “I will not allow my plans to come to ruin so easily. You have not escaped me yet, Drake! I have foreseen your servitude; it would take more than this death to separate you from me!”

The enemy vessel stared at him and said, “I knew there was something different about you! Another vessel of Kami? How noble of you to hide yourself among the insects!” He stood up straight and continued. “One more won’t change a thing though. I’m going to kill you right here, just like I killed the others. You are just another-.”

The vessel was interrupted by Drake launching forward and bringing his spear crashing down upon him. The spear shattered as it hit the vessel’s parry, but the attack had knocked the enemy backwards, away from Ashton and away from the group. The enemy vessel was stunned, but quickly gathered himself. He shouted, pointing at Drake’s now busted weapon, “You’re going to have to do better than that, vessel! Of what use is a broken weapon?”

But Drake just stood there silently, his hand still gripping the broken staff. Ashton stepped forward slightly. He said shakily, “Drake, you are still alive?”

But the man who was Drake did not respond or even signal that he had heard Ashton. After another second, he tossed the broken wood away and stepped up to the dead vessels lying on the ground. He picked up the halberd that one was still holding, wrenching the dead hand away from it. Upon holding it, it came to life, erupting a brilliant blue. Drake’s mouth opened and a voice that was not his spoke, “Drake, I will show you how to use this body I gave you.” Without another wasted second, Drake leaped at the enemy again, this time his divine weapon withstanding the blows he was producing. The enemy snarled in retaliation, yelling hateful words. The fight quickly moved away.

“Drake!” Ashton cried out, but the battle continued furiously.