It was in the last days of that great age, when the Kingdom and Aisorbma faced each other across their forested border, that the great events which shaped the modern world took place. There were great heroes from each side, men and women whose names were written in the very stars, and whose actions touched every life on both sides of the conflict.

But great events pass by, and wars end. Where great heroes once stood tall to defend civilisation as they know it, other great men and women must now stand tall and rebuild it.

COUGH!

Episode Thirty-Three: the Restoration of Peace

Rekowarilara lay content in the grass outside the shield. Erica del Erica was beside him, her bare leg over his thigh. Neither was wearing much, but the night was warm.

It wasn't exactly the most romantic area in the world at the moment, but it served their need more than adequately.

Erica had happily fallen asleep not long ago, but Rekowarilara was not tired. It wasn't the kind of night where one felt tired, since a lot had happened and he wanted to see it through. It was possible, he mused, that the strange new magic of the area was responsible for these subtle changes, though; it had restored Erica to a fully female body, perhaps it had made him more awake.

The stars were brighter here. Suddenly he saw one shoot across the sky, and he smiled. He wouldn't wake Erica – she was tired from all the transformations anyway – but he would appreciate the little romantic moments while they happened.

The shield, invisible but for the pink ripples which moved whenever the little black creatures moved around, flared pink and then disappeared, creatures and all.

Rekowarilara's psychic talent, suddenly able to peer past the shield into the fortress, opened up and saw what remained.

Fyendodas, the Blood King, was dead.

Setovarinesa, King and Prime Minister, was dead beside him.

Cafialerasun was holding the Sword of the Stone, exactly as he had seen in his brother's death-vision.

The three remaining Blood Lords had bared their elongated teeth, reared up to their full height, and were smiling at the remaining Company, fleeing for their lives. The first pounced across the room, slew a man where he stood, and backhanded another.

Rekowarilara stirred Erica, and they grabbed available clothing. Paladin Genokefirica was the first – and they realised in subsequent moments, only – one to escape. His back armour was torn, his sword gone, but he seemed unscathed himself, running as fast as he was. Rekowarilara threw him a thought, indicating he should move towards them, and he did; they met, and hid for a time, watching for pursuit. If Genokef had been embarrassed at their near-nakedness, he didn't show it in his expression.

We leave now, Rekowarilara pulsed. They rose together and moved carefully through the Forest, conserving strength where they could. Erica led, since she claimed she could see in the dark quite easily – leading Rekowarilara to fear more greatly that their pursuers could, too – but they heard no sign of pursuit for more than an hour, when they came to a clearing in the woods.

Endam's grave Rekowarilara felt Erica say, and they walked around the area more respectfully than stealthily. Genokefirica led their movements away from the site, but as Rekowailara took Erica's arm, bringing her along, he heard a sound in the undergrowth.

Faster he pulsed, and they moved faster, then -

Genokef must have pushed forward a branch, and not thought for a moment to hold it there as they passed; Erica, either by being shorter or quicker, escaped it, but it struck Rekowarilara swiftly and he landed heavily a few paces further back.

Something roared in the bushes and lashed out at him, and he felt the death-blow strike, and then saw the bolt of electricity which Erica threw through the air. It took the creature, whatever it had been, and took it into the air, sending it far into the Forest.

Genokefirica dared to speak: 'Wee must move.'

Rekowarilara touched fingers to the wound across his chest, and felt the warm blood. We won't make it to anywhere this can be treated he pulsed, opening his mind more so they could all speak freely.

But they didn't. Erica looked at her newer lover, and wept; Gen turned away, and moved to stand guard.

The blood was flowing freely now, despite Erica's trying to staunch the wound with limited clothing.

You know Erica said.

I know Rekowarilara replied. Name it... name her... Lidh. I knew a girl named Lidh. She died before her time.

I love you she said. He lost the strength to reply.

So died a great man. Gah! I'm losing strength. One to go, Liv...

COUGH! COUGH!

The psychic, Warolanimasa, felt his second son's passing with a heavy heart. It wasn't right for parents to outlive children.

He was standing on Wall One at the time, watching the Aisorbmii below enjoying Kingdom campfires, and celebrating their victory. Prime Minister Salomeritova had allowed it, despite warnings from his advisers that the war was not yet over. The King, the Queen, and the Lord General were still out there somewhere; there would be more battles to fight. But Salomeritova had ignored them, suggesting that the men had deserved this victory and their fun. Tomorrow's battles could wait until tomorrow.

He had shown a very brief moment of responsible thinking, however, when he told Warolanimasa and the remaining psychics to look beyond the battlefield, in search of these individuals who might inspire the Kingdom army to rally. Salomeritova had followed up this decision with the decision to explore the battlefield himself, and try to recover the Sword of the Stone, last seen in the midst of the Kingdom army.

Warolanimasa knew who had taken it, and to where, but he decided he didn't want the Prime Minister to know about that yet. Following his orders, he discovered that the King was dead by a Beast this night, similar to the one which had so royally damaged his forces here. The Queen and Lord General had been killed by an explosion in the Forest.

It was also discovered that the Royal Castle had been destroyed, and that the Kingdom government would soon depend entirely on nobles bred to lead, all of whom would want the new throne.

Warolanimasa touched, in his psychic voyage across the realm, the mind of former Baroness Erica del Erica, who knelt with Rek's head in her lap. It wasn't right for lovers to be separated either, he thought, remembering Aura, his first wife, who had borne him Tek so very shortly before her untimely passing. That young Doctor, Medofesipanu, had told him it was a cancer.

That had been hard, so very hard. Just as hard as accepting Lara, to be a mother figure for Tek. It had been a great release when they fell in love and wed truly, with the birth of Rek. And now she, and he and he, were dead too, and the years weighed very heavily.

He sighed, thoughts in turmoil, mind swimming through old memories, when the young man on Wall Two summoned him. The forest, War. Something approaches.

Together they soared and looked... and saw... Beasts. Many, a dozen, two dozen. Unlike the first, they wore the tatters of freshly torn uniforms.

The last Company, who had accompanied Setovarinesa into the Psyopalace, had been transformed, and they were approaching. Fast.

He sought the Prime Minister swiftly, seeking across the battlefield, but could not see him. Where had he gone? Who knew. He returned to his body and walked swiftly to the alert bugler, who sounded the alarm. Surprised Aisorbmii troops engaged in various forms of looting looked up towards Wall One. They eventually began to follow one flustered deputation, led by an impatient Minister holding a sword hilt. 'It's the remains of Setovarinesa's sword,' the Prime Minister explained as he arrived. 'Why the bugle call?'

Warolanimasa didn't say anything: he showed Salomeritova instead. Beasts, twenty, each as tall as two men.

Aargh. COUUH! COUGH! Gonna have to finish here, Liv...

War ended there, that day. The surviving Blood Lords defeated the remnants of the Kingdom army easily, and swiftly conquered the forces of the Aisorbmii at Rene Ponit.

At the Psyopalace they erected a statue to Fyendodas, and in line with his new philosophy of honour, they erected one to Setovarinesa as well. The two warriors would stand, blades touching, for years, though Setovarinesa's statue was quickly worn away by the elements, and Fyendodas' was toppled and destroyed by a dissenter group a few years after that.

The Sword of the Stone disappeared, and no-one knows where to. Nor does anyone know – we've run out of time, Liv.

Goodbye, brother.

This was the story of the last Great Age, the Age Next to the Custard. Narrator Dyeoferihopa, signing off.

At that moment Liv stabbed her blade through Dye's heart, and killed him quickly.

There was a wet human brain in his hands when his body fell off the chair. It made a wet squelching noise as it hit the dirty ground.

To Be Concluded...

The Next to the Custard
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