Chapter Text

The sun would be setting soon over Ascension Peak. The mountain top was illuminated in golden and scarlet lights, and already the sun had dipped past the tops of the surrounding cliffs. The air was cool and stars began to light the dark spots of the sky high above.

Illuminating the battlefield was the shattered moon Io, in her beautiful and shimmering glory.

Khan and Ash stood side by side, surveying the troops and the field that would soon be a battlefield.

“So, she’ll give the order, right?” Ash asked.

Khan shook his head, “No, Lian doesn’t want to fight. At most, we will be preparing to fight against an angry god who isn’t so happy about ending up with us, but the monks will not need to fight us and we will not need to siege them.”

Ash nodded and moved a hand over her shoulder, seemingly checking to see if her flag was still there on her armour.

Khan glanced to her, surveying her windswept scarlet and ebony hair, her sharp jaw, and the deadly look in her dark eyes.

“It is an honour to meet you, Hou Han Jin, and to fight beside you.”

Ash chuckled, “I’m not an honour. I’m a crazy girl with a messed up past and a lost childhood.”

“What you went through at the hands of…” Khan paused as she glanced away.

“I’m not afraid of Zhin.” She muttered under her breath, “And it doesn’t matter who I was. All that matters is who I am: Sir Ash, ‘The War Machine’.”

Khan nodded, “As it is, Sir Ash. I look forward to experiencing this, and many more events at your side.”





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Tau Kor was abuzz with commotion. Monks hurried to and fro to make sure that holy buildings and, more importantly, food supplies were locked up and safe. One mother ran through the hallways of the main temple of Tau Kor, screaming a name that Buck recognised. Ken .

He put down the food basket he was carrying to the storeroom and rushed after her, eager to help in her search. Carefully, he scanned over the farm fields and thoughts raced through his mind of where a child might be playing at that moment.

He entered the temple of Jenos and the Furia, and spotted the Ascended resting at the statue of the winged one, a small child sitting on his lap. Jenos was speaking to the child in hushed tones, his hands waving in the air to accentuate his story.

“Ken,” Buck interrupted them, “Your mother is looking for you, go to the safe house with the rest of the families.”

The boy looked up at Buck, before glancing back at Jenos. The Ascended gave a gentle nod, and the boy rushed off to join his family.

“What are you doing here?” Buck questioned the Ascended, “There’s an army standing in front of the mountain, and you know they’re here to take you away! We’re preparing for war and you're here telling stories to kids.”

“The little one wanted to know about how Tau Kor was in my time.” Jenos chuckled. He slowly rose to his feet and brushed the dust and dirt from his clothing.

“Now is not the time for stories!” Buck snapped, “You’re in danger! You should get to the safehouse so we can protect you.”

Jenos frowned, “No, Buck, of course not. I will not have you guard me as if I was a child. In my Cosmosian eyes, you are all children, and I will protect you.”

Buck placed a hand on Jenos’ shoulder, “You are our light, our hope! We won’t flee, we won’t back down. We will protect you. If something were to happen to you-” He cut off as Jenos pulled from his reach.

“Buck! I am offended that you think I cannot handle myself.” He snapped, “This is my home, you are my people. I do not stand above you, but with my power, I stand before you in the face of danger. Keep the monks in the monastery and keep them down. I will protect my people.”

Buck opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it and lowered his head. Jenos moved past him and out of the building.





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Metal armour clinked as the soldiers moved gently in their place, quickly growing restless. They had been preparing for a battle, and hopefully a battle would be soon, it seemed they thought.

Khan stood before his troops, waiting, watching. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting Sir Ash on the hill behind his men. Her men stood just as impatiently as his, her posture was just as stiff as his, and her goat mask reflected the light of the setting sun. The light shone against her visors, illuminating them like fire.

A noise interrupted Khan’s admiration of the warrior. He glanced back forward at the monastery, watching as something small moved toward his troops.

The being came into view: a man with silver-blue hair that flicked in the wind, his face covered by a sapphire mask, and behind him trailed a cloak that seemed to glow in starlight and Cosmosian power.

“You are the Ascended?” Khan spoke, his eyes narrowing as he watched the figure.

“Why have you brought soldiers to the home of monks.” Jenos asked, a slight humour in his voice, “Have you no shame? Have you no decency?”

“Cease.” snapped Khan, “You know why we are here, or you are a false god. The Magistrate requires your aid in the war surrounding the Realm, and you will join us.”

Jenos crossed his arms and shook his head slowly, “Oh, will I? I have no interest in your squabbling, return to your home and tell the Magistrate that they will not have me. I am but a Monk, and this Monastery preaches Journeys and Healing. Should your Magistrate wish to learn the more… mature ... ways of peace and prosperity, my Monks will be happy to take him. But you disinterest me with your pitiful war.”

“So a pacifist then? A shame.” Khan replied, “Perhaps my men, my princess, and my Magistrate will aid you in redirecting your might in a more useful way.”

The soldiers raised their spears, watching the Ascended closely. Jenos frowned and uncrossed his arms. He raised one hand, summoning starlight into his palm.

“You will regret this decision, Giant. You will retreat your soldiers, you will leave my monks in peace.”

“We will leave with your power in your body and your willing aid, or we will leave with your crumbled body in my arm and we will take your power from it by force.” Khan replied.

Jenos inhaled deeply before replying slowly, “Very well, Mortal. You bring war to my doorstep, I bring destruction to yours.”

He flicked his hand, and a surge of power blasted through the soldiers, sending heads over heels and leaving Khan the only man standing amidst the chaos. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting the Magistrate’s forces just out of reach of the Ascended’s blast. Ash’s mask turned toward him, and he wondered what expression she had under the dark silver goat face that obscured her own. He turned back to Jenos and gazed into the lenses of his mask, wondering the same about the immortal monk.

Before Jenos or Khan could speak, a light flew up from behind the Magistrate’s standing forces. The light rose into the sky, arced over the lot, and landed in the monastery, immediately obliterating one of Tau Kor’s taller buildings.

Firebombs? This was Lian’s signal?!

Jenos and Khan watched more of these bombs fly into the sky and crush towers and walls of the Monastery. Suddenly, Jenos turned, flying back to Tau Kor.

So, the Ascended flees?

“Onward men! Let the Siege of Ascension Peak begin!” Khan shouted above the screaming of the firebombs. As his men scrambled to their feet, the Magistrate’s army and the Thousand Hands bandits surged forward.





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“Valera!”

The elf looked up from the book that she had been reading while she rode her mount along with the Paladins.

“Valera, look!” Cried Cassie, moving her mount closer to Valera’s as she pointed into the darkening sky. Valera followed the human woman’s gesture to see a plume of smoke rising above the treetops in the direction of the Monastery.

“Paladins! Onward!” she cried, kicking her horse into a canter. She and several of her more militant Paladins rushed ahead of the rest of the slow-travelling group, breaking through the trees. The moonlight illuminating the forest suddenly felt ominous.

Cassie and Tyra flanked Valera on one side, Druah and Inara on the other, and many more she couldn’t turn to see rode behind her, their horses picking up speed. The smell of smoke and burning rode alongside the gentle forest scents, and Valera’s keen elven ears picked up the sounds of horses and carriages somewhere before them.

Finally, the militant section of the Paladins broke through the tree barrier and fell upon a horrifying scene: three different armies were ascending upon Tau Kor, firebombs were lighting up the sky, and smoke and flames poured from the Monastery’s buildings.

“We have to intercept them!” Tyra shouted.

“We don’t have time!” Replied Inara, “We have to get into the Monastery and get the monks to safety!”

Valera turned to her commanders: Inara, her second in command, Druah, Inara’s military commander, Tyra, the Paladins’ head tactician, and Cassie, the Paladins’ head combat trainer.

“We don’t have the manpower to even attempt to fight those teams at once.” Valera decided, “I think it will be best if we get to the Monastery. Stagalla and other strongmen will attempt to blockade the Monastery and keep more soldiers out, while the rest of the soldiers will fight off the invaders in the Monastery and will help the monks escape. What say you?”

“Sounds like a good plan!” Tyra replied, raising her rifle in excitement. Cassie nodded and spoke something quickly and quietly to the red hawk that flew beside her.

Inara nodded to Druah, who in turn began to rally the Stagalla soldiers.