INSIGNIAS: THE REGALIS

The golden sands which should have stretched as far as the eyes can see were covered by red, black, and blue in three corners. Dark clouds covered the dim sky. The people in blue were the Concordians, their legionnaires, sentries, knights and regular elemental users. The people in black were the Mortemians, those who stood loyal to Arconien. The red ones were the Rosein Army, consisting of Concordians and Mortemians who turned their back from their legions, non-magic users, and people from other realms.

Lei watched them both with awe and fear. She wondered if the Immortal Court was among the Mortemians in the front. Her memories of how she, Tessa, Nate, Clyne, and the Eclipse found their way to the South Edgeburn was a blur. She remembered it but it felt like distant memomy. She remembered running away from the fortress in the Mort. She couldn't remember how they got out. She remembered a loud explosion shaking the earth, and the majestic fortress falling and turning into a pile of debris. She remembered Alyssa insisting that they had to go to South Edgeburn and teleporting to a hill overviewing the crowds of red, black and blue facing each other.

"Did we miss it?" Clyne asked, wide eyes scanning the scene.

No one answered him. Nate took the first step, and ran down the hill. Lei and the others followed. It was difficult to run in the desert but Lei's whole body urged her to move forward.

"See you later, Regalis," Marcus shouted but only Clyne looked back to give the Eclipse a salute. As they neared the Concordians, Lei noticed that the people at the far back were the sentries. A few of them felt Lei and her friends so they turned. Among them, Lei recognized Greg's mischevious smile.

"Glad you could make it," he said when Lei stopped in front of him, but his smile lack the usual enthusiasm. Lei didn't reply because she was trying to catch her breath.

"What's happening now?" Nate breathed out.

"Go in front," Greg replied simply. Lei gave him a small smile before following her friends to the front. She felt alot of eyes on them as they navigate through the crowds of Concordians. Most only glanced their way because their attention was on the enemies. Whether it's the Mortemians, Rosien Army or both, Lei didn't know.

After what felt like an hour of walking, the Regalis passed the sentries and found themselves with the legionnaires. Lei remembered the L.S.A.'s legionnaires but she noticed some who were not. She looked around for the Chief of Legionnaires but there were alot of them in armours and helmets.

The ground suddenly shook, lightly at first until it vibrated faster.

"It's starting," she heard a legionnaire say.

"No," another replied, "It already begun years and years ago. This is just a continuation."

"We won't make it," Nate said. Lei and her friends were practically running, dodging

legionnaires' sturdy frames and long weapons, weaving through crowds and crowds of Concordians.

Lei had no idea who or what was waiting for them. Maybe the Consortium? Or the Elders' Chamber's knights?

She was about to ask her question when shouts rise from across the desert. She felt the hairs on her arms stand. The Concordians around Lei stiffened and turned toward the sounds. The ground shook. It vibrated strongly making Lei stumble. The response was instant. The Concordian legionnaires around raised their weapons and ran without hesitation. Not only the legionnaires but the sentries, fortress knights and other elemental users pushed forward for the battle. It was then that Lei got separated from her friends. Concordians ran past her, most of them shouting, some harshly bumped against shoulders. Lei looked around, feeling the panic rise. Tessa. Nate. Clyne. She opened her mouth to call but closed it again when she realized that it would be useless in the middle of the shouts, heavy footsteps, thrumming of earth, and weapons hitting weapons. A sense of finality seemed to sink inside her.

She felt someone's hand around her elbow and she was harshly pulled out of the heavy path of Concordians. But the whirlwind of people still stormed around her.

"They failed to reach an agreement," Greg shouted above the noises, his eyes were sharp.

"Who?"

Greg was not able to answer because they were swept by a tight group of sentries, their insignias glowing on their necks as they marched toward the enemies. Lei tried to locate her friends in the ocean of elemental users but to no avail. Every burst of power was a beacon and she couldn't navigate around each and every one of them in the desert full of them.

Greg was not able to answer because they were swept by a tight group of sentries, their

insignias glowing on their necks as they marched toward the enemies. Lei tried to locate her friends in the ocean of elemental users but to no avail. Every burst of power was a beacon and she couldn't navigate around each and every one of them in the desert full of them.

"Fight!" a sentry beside her urged her before following the crowd. The number of people was overwhelming that she had a hard time breathing.

I have to do something.

A loud explosion close to her rocked the ground, blasting sands everywhere, making her fall. Her ears rang for a few seconds, black spots clouded her vision. She pulled herself up. When her visions cleared, she saw a dozen Concordians on the ground, the yellow sands around them turning red. Lei gasped, she turned toward the direction of the Rosein Army, her anger boiling on the surface.

A dozen arrows flew above from behind her. On the hill, several Concordians were aiming their arrows at their targets and releasing their hold within a few seconds. She glanced back at path her friends was following before running toward the hill. She called her bow and arrow. Aiming at someone behind the line of archers, she let it go and the arrow hit the Rosein's chest before falling. Lei wouldn't be able to use her nature elemental properly in the desert.

An archer nodded at Lei as she neared, the others focused on their task. When Lei reached the top, she scanned the battle field. Thousands in blue, black and red had mixed together, only a few dozens from each side stayed behind where they started. Within a few minutes since the war broke, countless of bodies laid on the dessert, slowly being burried by the red sands. Lei swallowed the growing disgust and fear in her throat. It was difficult to focus on a particular fight because everyone was too close to each other.

She saw four Roseins coming toward them from the sides. The archers spread out.

"We have to finish it fast," a guy near me muttered. He was neither a legionnaire, senty or

fortress knight. His eyes were glossy and looking distracted.

"Pull yourself together," the girl, a sentry, beside him hissed.

"They need us in The Canopy," he said quielty.

Lei aimed at a Rosien who had the upper hand against a Mortemain. The arrow hit her on the neck making Lei winced even though it was her intention.

She figured that the two people near her was worried about their loved ones or their town,

or both. While her senses and body haunted the enemies, killing one after another, she felt a small sense of relief that she had no family to worry about, except for her aunt. But she knew she was wrong. She was worried about alot of people, her friends - the Regalis and those they met in L.S.A., the Consortium, the Chamber's Knights.

"We will defeat them," the girl hissed again, "Or we die trying." Lei watched more people die on the battle field, painting the desert dark red. I rather want that no one dies.

She noticed people climbing another hill on the west. She squinted, a group of five was being chased by group of eight. Recognizing the first group even from afar, she set to follow them. She stopped for a second to shoot at one of the pursuers but a shadow made her drop on the ground. Someone was throwing fire balls at her from below. She glared at a young woman in red, hands blazing with blue flames. The woman continued to throw at her while Lei couldn't anything but dodge them. Despite knowing how difficult finding living plants in South Edgeburn, she called whatever little allies the desert could give. Gritting her teeth, she focused on two things: dodging the fire and searching the sands. Two thin roots snaked from beneath the ground and gripped the woman's ankles, the effort to control them made Lei's right hand tremble. South Edgeburn was resisting her pull. They pulled the woman down and she toppled forward. Despite the thin black limbs, the roots dragged the enemy beneath the sands. Her fire couldn't burn the already charred roots. Lei noted the different sensation of controlling the roots in South Edgeburn and the abilities they possessed. She continued up the hill to follow her friends.

The climb was slow but uneventful. It was steeper than the hill where the archers stood. No one tried to shoot at her or catch up to her. When she reached the top, she noticed crooked, fallen, and abadoned buildings of white, black and grey below her. Three of her friends had spread and fought againsts the enemies.

She grabbed an arrow and placed it on the bow. Her target was a towering muscalar man with his thick hand around Ice's neck. She was about to release her hold when she noticed a glint of red in the horizon, growing with each of her loud heartbeat.