The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

Elisabeth stood on the board of HMS Victory and nodded to herself with satisfaction. Fort Glory surrendered half an hour ago, and after she left the entire militia battalion along with the few hundred regular soldiers of Count Nova in charge, her forces moved forward. There was no time to waste. She studied the history books she received from the King and decided to employ one of the tactics from that book. Her cavalry units were spearheading her attacks, and Hagon's forces couldn't respond quickly. The rapid strike forces reached the unsuspecting cities and forts of Tulva moments after their Lord received the report from the panicked crew of Fort Glory's last surviving frigate. Seemingly without a single warning, the Arcadians were already in Tulva. The defenders were quickly overwhelmed by the scope and speed of the Princess's forces. Still, before the Bernans could respond in any way, Elisabeth had already finished deploying her Legions. The Fifth, Seventh, and Eight Legions were deployed deep behind any significant obstacles, with an open road towards the heart of Tulva. The capital, Tuvarin, was just ahead, right before Legio Victrix. While Dauntless sped straight towards the northern sea, Elisabeth, onboard Victory, would conquer the capital.

Dauntless' mission was crucial, and only the fastest battleship in the Royal Navy of Arcadia could complete it. To the north were the Bernan docks and shipyards that produced an endless stream of ships for the Bernan Navy. Janet's mission was simple; take these shipyards out of commission and destroy any ship that could be used against Elisabeth's forces. The Princess committed all her forces to conquer Tulva quickly and took a big gamble about the rest of the Berna. Count Nova's military and the militia forces consisting of the former slaves were the only friendly forces keeping order in Berna. Thanks to the Privateers who patrolled the western border and the denizens of the Dungeon of Xariinta, the borders were relatively safe. However, she needed to conclude the campaign in Tulva quickly. It was dusk on the first day, and she was thankful that her soldiers paid no attention to such details as night or mundane exhaustion. The Immortal Legions of Avalon began their advance and only the Mortal crews of the supporting ships needed to rest. However, the Mortals' help wouldn't be required at this time.

Elisabeth stood on the ship's bow, trying to pierce the darkness below with her eyes. She had worked hard past last week but the effects were worth it. The rapid assault left the Bernans woefully unprepared to put up any meaningful resistance and her losses were minimal. The Princess rubbed her eyelids, but exhaustion had finally caught up with her. Eventually, a tired yawn escaped her lips and she felt the accumulated backlash of day-long stress. Tears filled her weary eyes, and another yawn convinced her it was time to sleep. She turned around and wanted to return to her cabin but her teary eyes made her trip when she misjudged the step she took.

"Watch out, my Princess." Raphael's voice and his strong arms, which caught her before she hit the deck, made her smile.

"Thank you..." she whispered and hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder. Her eyes started closing themselves.

"Liss?" The Major lifted her effortlessly but her steady breath made him realise that his beloved woman had fallen asleep or was so close to it that it made no difference.

He sighed and carried her to her cabin. The darkness of the night wasn't a problem for his eyes. After a few moments, he put her to her bed and smiled after looking at her calm face. She smiled carelessly through her sleep and Raphael smiled as well after he took off her boots and covered her with a fluffy blanket. Silently, he left the room and closed the door. He went to the officers' mess and grabbed something to eat. On the table was a map of Tulva and some notes. He looked around and in the corner, near the table with drinking flasks, he noticed Pyonta. She was yawning profoundly, and Raphael was close to a sigh. Her hair was a huge mess, and her right ear flopped limply against her back. However, the bunny woman turned her head and tried to smile at him.

"I'm not sleepy."

"Mhm. Right..." He shook his head in an amused disagreement. "Elisabeth just lost consciousness, so before you also drop down, maybe you should go to your bed."

"But... We have so much to do!" She covered her lips, but couldn't hide her yawn completely.

"Just go and catch a few hours of sleep," he advised her with a friendly smile. "I know you both want to see it through, but we are just in transit right now. If you don't sleep when you have an opportunity, you will fall asleep when you absolutely shouldn't."

"What about you?" She mumbled her question but had to catch a side of a table not to fall.

"Once I grab some sandwiches for the Princess, I'll go to sleep myself." He snickered and pointed at the plate he was carrying.

"Alright..." Pyonta drowsily nodded and slowly walked towards the table to pick up her map and notes.

"Will you reach your cabin on your own, or do you want me to walk you there?"

"Umm..." She nervously yawned. "Let's hope I get there..."

"*sigh* Let's go..."

•••

With the first rays of the morning sun, Victory's strike group was already in range of Tuvarin. Legio Victrix walked all night and they were ready for the battle. Captain Fraser stood on the deck, smiling as he and his crew could hear the panic spreading like a fire throughout the enemy capital. The soldiers of the Immortal Legion had begun their assault, executing their orders flawlessly. No one demanded the city's surrender or even did as much as announce the arrival of Arcadia's forces. Princess Elisabeth stood near the table where her adjutants updated the tactical situation.

"Begin the bombardment of the closest city gates. Once it falls, demolish the nearby wall, maybe a dozen or two dozen metres to the west."

"Yes, my Lady!" Fraser nodded and started issuing the precise orders for the ship's artillery crews.

"Once their shield is down, begin bombarding the strategic buildings across the city, save for Hagon's palace. I want him alive."

"Yes, my Lady!" Raphael nodded and walked towards Captain Fraser.

"Lord Twirll, I would like to ask for your help in securing the Palace," the Princess said, focusing on the small Hussars' detachment rushing towards the small caravan that had left the city.

"Of course." Twirll nodded and pecked out a loose feather on his side. "Just tell me when should I join."

"Thank you." She exhaled and looked at Pyonta. "Do we have any insurgents in the city?"

"Very few, my Lady. It was almost impossible to organise the resistance inside the capital during the time we had." The Rabbitkin slowly shook her head. "However, we can signal the people to cause commotion..."

"I don't think it will be necessary. We caught the enemy completely off-guard."

•••

"Impossible..." Hagon stared at the massive ship hanging a few miles away over the morning sky.

He couldn't comprehend how the Arcadians managed to do what they did. How did they manage to get here so fast? How in the world did they manage to build such a huge ship? Rapier of Gods, the frigate attached to Glory Fortress, had arrived yesterday with a distress message that Arcadia's forces breached the border and the castle would fail. The rumours had already spread throughout the city, but he thought it was just some nonsense. He could see the panic of his most loyal soldiers and the disorganised chaos of the city defenders. He gritted his teeth, waiting for that insolent brat to call for their surrender, but instead, the enemy airships turned, presenting their sides. His eyes went wide a mere moments before the Arcadians opened fire. The city shield trembled under the heavy artillery fire and Hagon paled, seeing the impossible output of the enemy magi-cannons.

"In the name of the ancient promise, I call you forth!" He tore down an elaborate pendant from his neck with a trembling hand and raised it towards heaven. "Kaal'nai and Tuul'kara! I call your names in the time of need!"

The blue sky seemed unfazed by his call and the cold panic crept inside Hagon's heart, but he felt a presence right behind him. He swiftly turned away but the victorious smile he initially had on his lips was quickly replaced with a mild shock. In front of him was a scene he had never anticipated seeing. God Tuul'kara was lying on the floor, clearly beaten and unconscious. His muscular body was full of bruises and his majestic robe was torn and stained with his blood. His sister, Goddess Kaal'nai, cowered in fear on the ground, begging for mercy. Two other Divine Beings stood over the Divine Siblings: High God Ertu, who casually wielded a strange bat in his hands, and Goddess Akh'ila, who was yelling profoundly at the prostrated Kaal'nai.

"WHAT?!" Ertu turned his head towards Hagon, pressing him to the floor.

"God Ertu? Goddess Akh'ila? I... I don't understand..."

"Mortal... This does not concern you." Akh'ila turned her face towards Hagon who noticed a drastic change in her appearance.

"My Lords... The enemies are at my gates and you are telling me this does not concern me?" Hagon was close to tears.

"Indeed. We have told you to surrender, Mortal. However, in your hubris, you have chosen to cling to your power." Ertu's voice was cold and without a trace of compassion.

The distant cry of a large bird of prey pierced the sky and Hagon started to tremble. A magnificent and terrifying Phoenix was lazily gliding towards Hagon's castle. The people below stared at him with reverence and fear, and the soldiers stopped their efforts. Everyone recognised Jukk'nala, and most of the people kneeled when he flew over them. The silence of the city below was unnerving for Hagon and he subconsciously knew it was over. The city's shield whined and finally cracked, leaving Tuvarin at the mercy of the Arcadians. The first blasts shook the city gates, and the soldiers who guarded it started running for their lives. It was apparent that their morale was broken and they were unable to fight anymore. Hagon was kneeling, paralysed by fear, until Jukk'nala landed on the rampart of his castle.

"Hello Ertu, Akh'ila," he welcomed them with an amused voice. "Kaal'nai and Tuul'kara, I see that you are as stubborn as usual."

Kaal'nai looked at the Phoenix, and Hagon gasped in fear. "Who are you?" she asked in a melodic voice full of fear and shock. "I sense you have the powers of Jukk'nala, but you are not him."

"Indeed! My name is Twirll," the Phoenix laughed.

"Lord Twirll, I think we will be going now." Ertu nodded slightly towards the colossal monster. "Kaal'nai and Tuul'kara almost understand their folly. We have just about convinced them to ally themselves with the Pantheon of Arcadia."

"Excellent work! I hope you discussed this with Queens Irene and Hestia?"

"Hahahah! Of course!" Ertu theatrically slapped the bat on the open palm of his other hand and grinned proudly. "King Theon even lent me his fearsome Stick of Doom!"

"Why? How could you betray your people, God Ertu?!" Hagon raised his head and looked at the God through his tears.

"Betray? No, Mortal. I have never betrayed you. Jukk'nala and Hur'zhun betrayed me in the first place and allowed you to enslave so many of my people. They bound me with their power... '' Ertu looked down at Hagon, full of disgust and anger. "You have no idea how much that cost me."

"Lady Akh'ila..." Hagon wailed in despair.

"I'm here on behalf of my Master." She cut short any hope that the Lord of Tulva might have had. "Goddess-Queen Hestia of Arcadia asked my Master; Lady Verka, to send me here and negotiate with Kaal'nai and Tuul'kara."

"As you can see, we are almost done talking." Ertu laughed and loudly slammed the bat over his palm, making Kaal'nai swallow audibly.

"We surrender! Please, no more!" the Goddess of the northern sea cried in fear.

"Excellent! I see that you can be reasonable!" Twirll laughed. "Take them to Avalon."

"Sure thing!" Ertu rested the bat on his shoulder and after ducking down, he grabbed the unconscious Tuul'kara by his long, azure hair. Akh'ila put her hand on the arm of Kaal'nai who flinched slightly and four of them disappeared.

Hagon was left alone with the menacing Phoenix on the roof of his castle, hearing the approaching enemy soldiers. The sporadic sounds of struggle from down below made him realise that most of his soldiers had surrendered already. The sudden commotion and startled voices from the staircase made him somewhat hopeful that help was coming. However, a handful of Paladins entered the roof with his daughter, who ran straight towards him.

"Don't hurt my papa!" the girl looked defiantly at Twirll, who sighed heavily. Hagon fell backward and slowly started crawling away.

"Mortal child, your father is evil and rotten. There is no salvation for him."

"You are lying!" The girl cried and outstretched her arms, standing between the giant Phoenix and the kneeling man. The Paladins stood back, unsure what they should do. "He always cared for me and Mama!"

"Yet he was evil and dark, child." Twirll's voice was patient, calm, and honest. "He believed that the children of the people of the other races do not deserve to be even called people. He allowed many children to lose their fathers and mothers. He allowed children to be used for bad things and even be killed."

"No! No! No! You are lying!" She cried even louder.

Twirll suddenly moved towards the girl who screamed, scared by the sight. However, the Phoenix stopped his large beak just before the girl. "Then why didn’t he try to save you just now?"

The girl slowly turned around, tears streaming down her face as she stared at her father. Hagon Je'wrha, the last king of Tulva, trembled, hiding behind her. Her eyes, filled with the betrayed trust of a child, met his, and her sobs intensified. In that moment, Twirll embraced her, enveloping her in a protective wing made of flames.

"Hush now... I came here to save all the children I can, Mortal Child," Twirll whispered softly to her. With a loud thump, an entire company of black-clad knights landed around them. Twirll's voice took on a loud, menacing tone. "We have arrived to punish the wicked."