Koda watched with curiosity as the alien ooze continued to work, seeping into the grooves of the rune and cracking its stone base. The city quaked and crumbled. The buildings built into the walls split apart and slid down to the ground below. The ceiling rattled with the fissure created by the destruction of the seal and slowly broke apart, revealing the daylight.

“What is it? What is that substance you are using on the Celestial Seal?” asked Koda. He was mindful of his step to not be squashed by falling debris.

Sable smiled. “Our master calls it ‘Plague Reach’. A concoction from the Night that he picked up in his travels.”

Koda knelt down and poked the strange goo with his finger. It stretched, bubbled and popped. It smelled like black tar and was cold to the touch. Koda wiped his finger on his robes and turned back to Sable. “Who is your master?”

“A powerful mage with a keen interest in you, dear Koda. That is all you need to know for now,” Sable responded.

Koda looked at Calsoon. “And you, Calsoon, what is your game here? Why have you been spying on me?”

Calsoon gave him an elegant bow. “My role in this ‘game’ was to watch over you and Inle. To make sure you both grew into the powerful players you were destined to be.”

“So it was you who saved Inle from his execution in Varis?” asked Koda.

“Indeed,” Calsoon said.

Koda nodded, not quite sure of what to make of these revelations. Inle was his enemy and they were allies with the shadow elf. Not only this but they wanted to destroy the seals. Despite promising his grandfather he would protect them, Sable made a compelling argument for their destruction. If their master was interested in him as an ally, perhaps it would be best to hear him out. Inle or no Inle.

“I want to meet your master!” Koda finally said.

Sable yanked Koda aside to avoid a falling stone. She cupped his cheek. “He would be delighted to hear this.”

“Sable,” said Calsoon. He waited for her and Koda to give him their attention. “Elucard is here.”

Sable glanced at the entrance and sure enough, far down the tunnel, her enchanted eyes could see the glowing images of Elucard and two other figures.

“He is far too late to stop us,” she said. “All the same, I want you to keep him preoccupied until the Plague Reach is finished.”

“As you wish,” Calsoon said with a bow.

“Wait!” Koda grabbed the demon’s hand. “Why not turn back into your elven self?”

Calsoon shook his head. “I am no longer needed by your side. You are ready to learn from our master. If Elucard asks, tell him that I was slain. He mustn’t discover the truth.”

Koda nodded. Lying to Elucard, Wildeye, or any of the others didn’t sit well with him. Bedding with demons in the first place was a terrible feeling, but strangely, he trusted Calsoon, or at least wanted to trust him. In his stomach it felt wrong, but he knew in his heart that this was the right thing to do.

“Promise me this, Koda,” Calsoon said.

“I promise to keep your secret, Calsoon,” assured Koda.

***

Elucard rested the bound Tashna against a wall and observed the large warded doors of Sik Sahde J’dio Alanoon. Cracks sprawled across the door like reaching fingers. The doors were skewed in such a way that they left a medium sized hole as an entrance. With each rumble and boom that went off throughout the cavern and tunnel, the door shook and another long crack appeared. The ancient runes that once guarded the city were mostly faded and destroyed, leaving fragmented words and sentences.

Quinn scratched his head trying his best to study the glyphs. “Any idea what they say, Elucard?” Quinn said finally giving up.

Elucard rubbed his chin, pulling his knowledge from the memories of his master teaching him various ancient studies such as world history, religious lore, and the language of angels. All which he thought would be useless as a growing Rabbit, but now he found their purpose.

“I recognize the angelic runes, the others vaguely resemble elven—perhaps a more archaic form?” Elucard crouched through the hole made by the broken door. “Nevertheless, we must find the king.”

Elucard and Quinn entered the massive underground city, now falling into ruin. Although awe-inspired by the sheer scale of the city and its incredible architecture, Elucard had his sights on Koda. He spotted the king standing near a black robed woman who bore the familiar black snowflake with twin moons symbol that the Collector and Inle wore. His suspicions were correct; Inle’s guild was here to break the seal. What they wanted with Koda was still a mystery and why the robed woman stood by Tashna’s side when Koda and Calsoon were first captured was also a troubling question..

Elucard turned to Quinn. “Get Koda out of here. I will deal with the woman.”

Quinn gave Elucard a snappy salute and dashed into a hard run.

Elucard drew his ninjato and sprinted to the woman. He leaped into the air, raising his blade over his head. He came down like a lightning bolt upon her, but a blur of darkness deflected Elucard’s strike.

Elucard stumbled sideways, thrown off by the parry. He regained his balance and turned to his enemy’s bodyguard. A slender demon with a scaly black face, amber eyes, and a horned head stood before him. In his hand he held ninjato of his very own, although slightly shorter than Elucard’s.

The demon gave Elucard a flamboyant bow and grinned.

“Elucard, we finally meet,” he said with a whip of his tail and giggle.

Elucard circled cautiously around the stranger. He didn’t find it too off putting that he knew his name, after all he was part of the same organization of Inle and the Collector. All the same, if he could pry any information before killing him, then that would be the best course of action.

“Who are you? What is this shadow cabal you belong to?”

The demon chuckled and tilted his head to his companion.

“What do you say? Reveal our names?”

The woman shook her head.

“Sorry Elucard, I guess that’s a no.”

Elucard growled and lunged at him, attacking with a flurry of slices. Each one was met without much effort and matched with the same speed of Elucard’s prowess. It was as if this enemy predicted Elucard’s moves before he made them.

The demon moved so fast that it seemed like Elucard was fighting two enemies. He was always one step behind the demon, cutting through his shadows. Whenever Elucard swung his blade, his enemy was at his side or behind him. Eventually there were so many shadowy images that Elucard thought he was surrounded.

Elucard took a series of cuts and slashes across his body. Blood sprayed in all directions and the elf took one step before collapsing to his knees. Elucard’s head slumped in defeat, his arms fell limp. He felt the cold touch of steel grace his neck.

The demon towered over Elucard’s tired figure. “You disappoint us all. Inle has surpassed you at your current level. You need to better yourself, Elucard.” He withdrew his sword and sheathed it. “Until we meet again, my friend.”

Through his blood loss and exhaustion, Elucard hung on the demon’s cheery voice—it seemed so familiar to him. Drawing his last breath before passing out he mouthed the demon’s final words.

Until we meet again… my friend… Elucard fell forward. His vision inched toward darkness. The voice still lingered in his thoughts.

My friend. Elucard passed out with a single name dissipating in his recesses of his mind.

Calsoon.

***

All Koda could do was watch as Elucard was systematically dismantled by the superior Calsoon. He had always known Elucard to be the greatest fighter he’d ever seen, but now he was but a child’s play thing in the hands of this demon. It disturbed him, but there was a hint of justice to Elucard’s defeat. After all, he did kill his father. He’d slain him before Koda’s very eyes. And now, just like then, all he could do was watch. All he wanted to do was watch.

What was this new sensation creeping into his emotions? Burrowing into his teachings? Manifesting in his soul? Everything he picked up from his past betrayed him in life. But this new feeling felt true, and these new people treated him with respect. This new dignity kept him alive, preserved him for these moments.

Whoever Sable’s master was, he needed to find him—to mold this new… essence, into something he could use against his enemies and any ally hoping to one day betray him too.

A tug at his arm derailed his train of thoughts. He looked over his shoulder to find a silver-furred harekin dressed in a black and dark blue military coat. A patch of Southtail’s flag was sewn on his shoulder.

“Beg your pardon, sah, but we need to get out of here!” said the harekin.

Koda raised an eyebrow. “Who are you? Are you with Elucard?”

The harekin threw a quick salute and introduced himself, “Corporal Quinn Silvertail of the 1st SMO division. Part of Southtail’s effort to rescue you, sah!”

Koda’s mouth fell open as he remembered that there was a war raging across New Estinia to save him from imprisonment. He was so preoccupied by the Celestial Seal that he had completely forgotten. He turned to Sable, as if asking for permission to leave.

Sable turned her head away from Elucard’s fallen body to face Quinn. The harekin grabbed a dagger from his belt and lunged at Sable. With his skilled hand, he sliced across Sable’s arm and with his left hand slid out another dagger to bury it under Sable’s ribs.

“Koda, get behind me!” Quinn shouted to the king.

“B-But—”

“Now!” Quinn roared at him.

Sable glowered a seething look at the harekin. “You will pay for that, you impudent beast!”

Quinn put a hand on Koda’s chest and backed him further from the woman.

Before Quinn could blink, Sable reached out and grabbed the harekin by his coat to scribble a crimson rune across his chest.

Quinn wrestled from Sable’s hold, but not before another rune was written onto his brow.

Sable raised her hand before Quinn. The rabbit’s eyes widened and then she snapped her fingers. The runes flashed orange and exploded, blowing Quinn clear over Koda and crashing him to the ground. Blood boiled across the harekin’s face and a smoldering burn cracked through his chest.

Sable grinned with satisfaction as she loomed over his body.

“W-will he live?” Koda asked with a worried look as a worried look washed over his face.

Sable put a hand over his shoulder. “He will be fine. The spell does not do permanent damage, it is only meant to stun.”

“You could have killed him, why didn’t you?”

Sable grazed the young king’s face. “We are not the villains in this story, dear Koda.” She ushered him to the center of the Celestial Seal. “You must bear witness to the Plague Reach’s work. It will prepare you further for our master’s teachings.”

Together the three of them watched in silence the seal shattered apart. Koda eyed Sable to ask her a question, but only continued to marvel at the strange substance’s ability to ravage the powerful ward.

Sable nodded to Calsoon. “It is time.”

Quinn stirred awake. He patted his face and chest to find that the burns had healed. Cautiously he approached Koda once more.

Calsoon opened a shadow portal and Sable stepped partially through it.

Sable shooed Koda to Quinn’s open arm. “Go, you are not my prisoner. Find your people and return to your homeland safely, Koda.”

“How will I find your master?” Koda asked as Quinn shouldered Elucard.

“He will send for you, my king. He will send for you.” Sable stepped further into the portal.

Koda tried a question again, this time quicker. “Who is your master?”

“Continue on your journey to become a Master Mage, you will know him when you see him.” She waved farewell to Koda and vanished into the portal.

Elucard groaned as Quinn carried Elucard past Koda. “Follow me, your highness! This cavern is coming down and I’d really like to not be here when it does!”

Koda looked around, the cavern was indeed collapsing at a much faster rate than before. With the Plague Reach fracturing the last section of the Celestial Seal, the city couldn’t stay stable any longer.

Piece by piece and stone by stone the city crashed to the ground as the three of them fled to the tunnel.

“Untie me! Untie me! Hurry! Hurry!” Tashna blabbered in a high pitched shriek as Koda, Quinn, and the unconscious Elucard came through the door.

Quinn took a blade from Elucard’s belt and hastily cut Tashna’s ropes. “Run, quickly!” he shouted.

With Quinn assisting Elucard, the three of them sprinted as fast as their adrenaline could burn through their legs with the tunnel collapsing behind them until they broke the surface once more. They dove to safety as a wall of dust and debris exploded from the now destroyed tunnel.

Koda helped up Elucard. The assassin awoke dazed and dizzy. He mumbled under his breath as he tried to get his bearings, “Calsoon? Where’s Calsoon?”

Koda held silent for a long pause before responding. “He died while imprisoned—I wish he did not suffer. He was a hero. I will be forever grateful for his servitude.” Koda avoided Elucard’s gaze and stole a glance from Tashna who gave him a wicked grin.

Quinn twisted Tashna’s arm until she whined. “You’re still our prisoner, Estinian.” Quinn pushed the queen forward. “Come on, sah, let’s get you back to the army. The others will be relieved to see you alive.”

Koda gave a weak smile. Before following he looked to the sky. A black beam of light pierced the clouds from where the city once stood. Koda harkened back to the results of Scorch’s broken seal. Incredible changes to the weather, the seasons, the land, and the harvest. Some good, some tragic. What a second broken seal would bring was yet to be seen. Not even the gods knew of Draak’Terra’s fate to come.