Chapter 3

Eros sent the man hurtling across the room with a strong kick to the sternum. In an instant, despite the drink from the night before, the adroit soldier had detected the language and sighted the uniform of his attacker - Lemuria.

Eros cast a fire spell that engulfed the aggressor, who screamed while he burned alive.

Then banging in the corridors drew him out of his room. He found his classmates fighting for their lives. Lemurian infantry had caught them off guard, they were in various states of undress, some were not armed. No doubt the enemy had carefully selected this to be the day of their attack because they knew the morrow of the graduation ball would be when defences would be weakest. Eros in an instant divined this, his knuckles were white on the pommel of his sword. He saw it as yet more baseness by an already base enemy. He danced through the attacking infantry, painting the corridor red. Frightened classmates regathered themselves, and thanked Eros for saving their lives, but he was already hastening to Thanatos's apartments. Together, he thought, they would avenge the village and its victims.

Eros arrived at Thanatos's dormitory, and paused before entering. His head was still sore, he felt nauseous. Then he focused: what if something had happened to Thanatos? He dared not think about it. Eros forced open the door, and pounced across the threshold with sword drawn.

The room was empty.

He headed to Freya's, where he thought Thanatos would be, but when he got outside and looked upon the city he staggered back because he beheld the rats nest of war. Wiping a tear from his eye, he saw a messenger running by. "What news do you carry?" He said.

"Lemuria has invaded. They acquired codes from the fallen captain, and with them, lowered the magical defences."

"How bad is it?"

"We're holding the city. Thanks to Odin."

"Odin," Eros gasped.

"He headed to the breach, I don't know how, but he re-took the eastern gate. He's sealed the magical barrier anew. Lemuria can no longer get reinforcements in, but there are already many within our walls. It may still go either way."

The messenger precipitously ascended the streets. What messages he bore and to whom he bore them Eros knew not, but he marvelled at the fearless nature in which he traversed the war-strewn streets.

"If indeed the situation is desperate, I must ensure Celia and Thanatos are safe," Eros soliloquized before darting through the streets. He moved for the arts academy, it wasn't far.

Eros cried at the sight of the mage, "Hola!"

Typhon had established a perimeter around an old church. Inside of which, many innocents sought refuge. With Sabriel at his side they were holding a line.

"I'm surprised to see you," Typhon exclaimed.

"Assist me if you could," Eros said, "What happened?"

The Lemurian ranks rushed them, the enemy mages sought to set fire to the church, but Typhon's magic was superior; he cast them down from afar, dispelling their cursed sorcery. Pillows of smoke billowed from Sabriel's pistols, and the line held.

Typhon shouted, "You had so many bottles that Celia could do nought with you, you inebriated fool. I saw her depart with you, that's all."

"What of Thanatos?"

Typhon shrugged, "I don't know, haven't seen him."

Eros said to himself, "Perhaps he's with Freya."

"Unlikely," Sabriel cut in as she let loose a succession of volleys, several men fell to the floor, never again to rise from off of it. "I saw Celia and Freya enter this church." She shot dead more, Eros cut down those that evaded her bullets. "And I don't see Thanatos anywhere."

"Then where the hell is he?" Eros exclaimed. Wave after wave broke across the line, but they couldn't penetrate. They still held, but it was close. It was unclear how much longer they could manage.

Eros was torn, he grew pensive because he wished to find Thanatos, but he couldn't leave the church.

Typhon glanced sideways at him, "Go."

"What? You need me here."

"La!" Sabriel exclaimed. "We've been here all morning, whilst you undoubtedly were in bed with a hangover." She laughed. "We'll be fine."

Typhon said, "Go and find that fool, look after him."

Eros hesitated for a moment, the battle was tumultuous, from out the chaos he sought to divine a plan. He knew the palace would be targeted, that the grand plaza in front would be where the battle would focus. The inn fighting in the streets were skirmishes and no more. He decided to go there, hoping to find Thanatos along the way.

Eros, upon perceiving a man of a similar disposition to his friend, cried, "Thanatos?" But it wasn't him. He continued on, and saw a coquettish girl engaged with two mages. She flipped backwards so as to avoid the funnels of wind that they thrust in her direction. Pulling two throwing knives from her belt, she hurled them at her attackers, each knife lodged in the throat of a mage.

"That's A* knife throwing Yuki!"

She blushed, and while war raged around them, Eros momentarily couldn't take his eyes of her.

"Have you seen Thanatos?" Eros said, remembering himself.

"I haven't," she sighed before speeding away through the streets.

Eros delved deeper into the war, cutting down the enemy as he traversed the embattled streets. He saw men that suited Thanatos's description. He called to them, but it was never he.

He felt certain that - amidst the chaos - he had lost his friend.

Eros came at last to the grand square, which is worth taking a moment to describe, because it was so pivotal to the battle for Hyperion.

The palace was situated at the far side, before it was the central plaza. At the centre was a large fountain. The square in its entirety was a capacious space because it was here that the masses gathered to look upon the royal family on certain epochs. Great buildings stood erect on all sides.

The palace was besieged, pounded by Lemurian cannon. The advancing infantry filled the plaza; in their blue coats they formed redoubtable columns. Eros looked at the enemy army and lamented because there would be no justice for the little girl. She was just the first of many victims.

He had a desperate air, but then he saw a handful of men yet resist. They stood in a small square, the cuirassiers charged them, they wavered but remained. They were all that was left of the royal guard; they alone separated Lemuria from entering the palace.

The magi and artillery bombarded them, some fell, but the others stood. Eros stepped forward, he couldn't see a commander, he must have been killed. In his place a dark man was orchestrating the lines, barking out orders. A battalion of Lemurian infantry was sent in to rout those that remained, but the enigmatic chevalier cut through them, his iron wrist filled his comrades with hope. He was fearless, and above all the other noises, through the smoke and the spells, Eros heard him cry in long rolling syllables, "Un-dy-ing glo-ry!"

A smile broke across his countenance because he knew he'd found Thanatos.

With the sun shining down upon his brow, he was sublime. He was fired upon by cannon, assaulted by mages and cuirassiers, but he moved left and right, he spun, duck and dove, plunging his sabre into the breasts of many.

Eros didn't hesitate a second more; he rushed to Thanatos's side. Breaking upon the enemy from the rear, his bolts of lightning were like artillery strikes. Then there was his blade, a frightful terror. It bathed in fresh blood with every blow.

There before the royal palace, with the sun's gaze fixed upon them the two stood, side-by-side. The enemy's cavalry circled, their battalions pressed forward, fusillades sounded in the distance. The Hyperion army was broken, behind the two young chevaliers a palace crumbled.

"Hola!" Thanatos cried. This close to him, Eros could see the muck on his brow, he was very much fatigued. His breath was heavy, his voice disdainful.

Eros said, "The situation is serious."

Thanatos surveyed the sea of enemies re-group. His face was melancholy. "It appears our first taste of war, shall be our last."

These words from Thanatos tore away at his heartstrings.

"You once said that an army was no match for us, do you remember?" Thanatos laughed. A tear came to his eye.

"We'll see if I was right," said he.

The enemy infantry parted, permitting a cavalry charge. Eros and Thanatos shared a look. The cuirassiers rushed them, their magic felled a few, the others that broke upon them met their swords. The fighting was fierce, but the shattered unit survived, they didn't know how.

Then more infantry, but Eros and Thanatos cut through them. Next came the cannon and the magi. They, with what men yet remained made a valiant last stand.

The Lemurian general turned to his aide de camp at that moment, and said, "There are two men who stay an army."

The battle raged, the defenders were afforded no respite, and they began to tire. They couldn't hold for long now, it was a marvel they had lasted this long. It was as they cut and they sliced, as they crouched to evade the grape shot, spells zipping over their shoulders that they saw his colours, the sight of the banner restored them. There at the rear of the enemy, was Odin.

He scanned the battlefield upon his horse, he saw the army was on the point of collapse, but his heart cried out when he saw the handful of men who still resisted, and the two daring chevaliers who now stood against an army to defend a kingdom.

The Lemurian army was misplaced, so focused on pressing forward was it, that it had neglected its rear. It was like the fleshy underbelly of a dragon. Odin seized the initiative, his fusillade's fired, his cavalry charged.

Then Eros descried movement in the centre of the enemy, a man wearing an onyx chest plate and pauldrons mounted his horse. He was a beastly man, a giant, who took a small escort, and began traversing the right flank. Eros saw that he was headed directly for the palace. He said to Thanatos, "There is a man upon whom we should concentrate."

While the unit defended the palace from the army at their face, the unknown slipped through along the right. Eros perceived him become surrounded by guards, but the man clenched his hand into a fist, and shattered the spear shafts that pointed at him. The guards drew their swords, but the unknown was adroit at this style of combat too. They were dead within seconds. He disappeared into the palace.

Eros didn't wish to leave his men in that forsaken plaza, but the king was in peril. The malefactor had violence in his heart. The unknown knew the battle had turned against him, and was seeking to realise his objective regardless. Eros understood that the war wasn't about kingdoms; it was about something else entirely.

Together with Thanatos they rushed into the palace where a conversation was taking place. He seized Thanatos by the collar, and pulled him behind a pillar. Thanatos mouthed a silent, 'What?' Eros motioned for him to be quiet because he wished to learn what was going on.

"Never, did I think you would go so far Aavak." Eros peered out from his hiding place, King Ixion III of Hyperion sat upon his throne, the unknown was named Aavak. "The order won't tolerate this act of aggression."

"What do I care what the order think?" Aavak paced angrily. "I am the strongest, I should lead."

Ixion laughed.

"She's here, I know it." Aavak paused. "Tell me where!"

"She. I don't know who she is?"

"Don't insult me with your pretended ignorance," Aavak said. "If you won't tell me, I will force it from you."

The king's eyes widened with horror, then the two chevaliers sprang from behind the pillar.

Aavak turned, "You're the devils from outside." He appraised them with his eyes. "Don't have delusions of grandeur; you don't know with whom you deal."

Thanatos pounced upon the Lemurian king, striking from high to low, but Aavak brought up his guard, the enormous obsidian sword was impassive. Swords clashed. Eros saw Aavak seek to run his sword through Thanatos, but the morose arm recoiled under a frightful blast. A hole had been blown through his right pauldron, which had left it broken and black. Aavak's shoulder bled while the remnants of lightning crackled at Eros's palm.

Aavak hurled flames at Eros in retaliation. Thanatos attacked again. His sword met Aavak's, while Eros came upon the flank. Splendid flurries ensued; the two precocious swordsmen pressed the enemy king hard.

All three swords became locked, each fighter sprang back. Aavak stood panting, his shoulder was sanguinary, beads of sweat poured down his brow while the two knights' wearied limbs grasped their swords.

Then a terrible commotion rang out, and the great wooden doors were thrust open. Odin emerged out of darkness; the battle in the plaza was won.

Aavak shuddered at the sight of this redoubtable being. It was time to retreat; he fumbled in his pocket, and seized a stone. Hastily he uttered some incomprehensible words, a spectral woman appeared. She wore a chemise, her blonde hair covered her countenance entirely. When she pulled it back, Eros recoiled at the sight of a half rotten face.

Aavak snapped, "To my throne room."

Odin rushed forward, but he was too late, only the cavalier's grasped hold of her in time.

The ghostly woman was a summons, she'd conveyed the men who held onto her, that is to say Eros, Thanatos and the King of Lemuria, from the Hyperion throne room to Lemuria's in an instant. She now disappeared.

Aavak's wrath transformed him into a terrible creature, his strength multiplied. Again he attacked violently, his technique poor but his strength unsurpassed. The power of each strike from Aavak was such that Eros and Thanatos had to cling to the pommels of their swords with two hands.

Unable to break through their guard however, he turned to his magic. It consumed the hall; lightning ripped away at the ceiling, fire the walls and ice the floor. Stone and glass shot through the air. Aavak's voracious hatred culminated in a fit of fury. He was unbalanced, delirious, utterly psychotic, towering both mighty and mad. He clenched his hand into a fist, the columns shattered, and the roof began to fall.

Amongst the falling rock and shattered stone, Eros and Thanatos fought the tyrannical king. The flurries were a marvel. Then Eros cast an ice bolt, and pinned Aavak's foot to the floor. He roared in pain, and when he lowered his guard, Thanatos buried his sword in the king's breast. The death rattle sounded in Aavak's voice, wide eyed he forlornly clawed at Thanatos's chest, then he expired upon the floor.

"The roof is coming down, we'll be buried!" Thanatos cried.

Eros replied, "He clutched a stone when that phantom appeared. She must be a summons." Eros rifled through Aavak's pockets, he smiled when at last his fingers touched upon what he was looking for.

The roof continued to fall around them.

Eros uttered an incantation, the woman appeared. She smiled at Aavak's corpse, turning to her new master she said, "What do you command?"

Eros ordered her to take them directly to Hyperion. They held on to her, but as they did a boulder fell from above. Thanatos looked up as it crashed down upon him.

Eros, Odin, and Ixion III were alone in the throne room. Thanatos had let go, so the summons couldn't bring him back.

Eros's pallor turned pale, he trembled when he said, "Take me back!"

The ghoul didn't stir.

"Didn't you hear me, I order you to take me back."

"That cannot be done, the chamber we were just within has ceased to be, buried by rock. I can't take you there."

"Alas!" said Eros in hysterics. "Take me back now, I beg of you. Take me back from whence we have this instant come!"

The woman didn't stir.

Odin said, "What happened?"

"We defeated Aavak," Ixion moved imperceptibly, "But the roof was unstable and... and Thanatos is still there." He turned to the ghost, "I say again you hideous creature, take me back now or I shall shatter your stone and you shall be lost forever."

The summons turned her face so that the rotten side was hidden, the radiant half visible. Her eyes closed, and tears streamed down. There was nothing she could do.

"Thanatos," Odin paused as the tears suffused his eyes and choked his voice, "is gone."

"It can't be." Eros lamented, "Take me back," he cried, collapsing to the floor in a fit of hysterics he sobbed, "Take me back."

Odin knelt beside him, "Take me back," Eros said.

But there was no going back because Thanatos was dead.

End of Part 1: The Chevaliers