Song: [Where You Are Not – Nicode]

                ~Iris View~

                The planning stage of our attack on the Crimson Legion’s base only lasted a few hours. Basically, it was just charge at the enemy, retreat before we lose any, then once the enemy chased after us, we would force them to split from the Queen and fight fairly against us. It was another simple plan, but somehow the lingering fear inside her kept telling her it wouldn’t work, but this time, she knew it. She knows it’s not going to work. The Knights know it won’t work, but they don’t have a choice anymore. In the sunset, the enemy would attack and crush us with brute force, and we had no choice.

We went to our positions and awaited the appointed time in which a small group of the legion would see us. They came just in time. The second they saw the bait, we charged at them. They called for reinforcements, but we kept attacking from afar. That was 3 of their 18 soldiers gone, but we had lost 2 of ours. This wasn’t going to plan, but we kept at it anyways. We ran to our base, keeping our cover whilst we keep ourselves shielded against the barrage of arrows being shot at us.

We kept running from the Legionnaires, we lost one more of us, and 2 more of theirs. Why are they dying? We’re not even aiming at them properly… A small squadron of 4 more Legionnaires had come to intercept us, we were too busy looking behind us to see what was ahead, and right then I knew I was dead as I watched their archer point a bow and arrow at my face and shoot.

We were surprised, we had no idea, but we had reinforcements of our own. The forest around us had come to life and begun attacking the Legionnaires. Only now did I also notice that a squeaking sound, an ethereal-like song, had been coming from the trees nearby, Rosabel’s Mandora had been protecting us, killing the Legion’s soldiers one by one, and protecting me. Why was it protecting me?!

With 7 soldiers left on each side, the Knights chose without my command that the chance was then to strike back. With support from the trees commanded by the Mandora, they stuck down as many soldiers as they could, until finally, only a few survived the aftermath. Rosabel’s Mandora came down from the trees and landed on my shoulder, squeaking as if worried, or afraid. All of the Crimson Legion’s soldiers had been defeated… but now we had to fight their queen. I only had 2 soldiers by my side, but newly invigorated with bloodlust, they charged towards the Crimson base.

Our arrival was signalled a wave of energy which instantaneously incapacitated all of us. My proximity to the mandora kept me up enough to see that my soldiers had been turned to dust. I watched as the Crimson Queen was in front of me. She pulled out her blade and charged. I retaliated and was forcefully pushed away by her magic. Seconds felt like minutes under our one on one fight. The mandora beside me had kept trying to ward her magic, but the shielding was only so strong. We fell one fight after another. One final charge had me tired enough to stay down once I fell. I was strong enough to hold my sword, but not to defend against one more strike. I awaited my death.

Rosabel stopped. I didn’t know why, but she stopped. I thought that maybe she wanted me to live, but she was frozen, staring at the headdress on the floor. I must’ve dropped it when we were fighting, but she had kept staring at the gift that she gave to me all those years ago. She finally snapped out of it but by then I had enough strength to defend myself. I kept fighting, showing her the headdress she gifted me. She kept weakening with every sight, and finally I heard her speak.

“Kill me!...” she had spoken. It was a weird, croaky voice, but I knew it was her.

~Rosabel’s View~

The second I saw the Headdress, I knew. I had to get away from the magic that had bewitched me. But in this war that I had gotten myself into, I had no other choice but to die. I saw the blade she had pointed at me. Perfect… I’ll see you soon, father. Goodbye, my sister Iris.

~Iris’ View~

What had happened to her. I questioned my motive, should I kill her, or try to fix the problem. I never had the choice, as she impaled herself on my blade, blood spewing from the wound.

I kept the blade still, but I knew right then, she was dead. A magical aura had left her body, but it was pulled by the Mandora and destroyed by its magic. I pulled away her crimson blade from her hands and looked up. I saw the most beautiful sunset ever. In that sunset, I saw beauty, divinity, and hatred. I watched as the blood red gloom of the Crimson Sun set the blood red landscape where I stood.

Goodbye, Crimson Queen Rosabel.