On the other Continent...

 

It was a few days prior to the near death of Rieka, that Xavior was starting to get bored…

Both he and Elementress had set out on their separate ways to start this chess game, but nothing big has happened as of yet.

When he had lazily sat at one of the human’s tables, to state that he would help with the war, he had not thought that even days later, there was no difference in the information that they had received about the Shifters.

The Shifters on this continent had all banned together once again, just like the humans, but their whereabouts was still scattered, moving around from place to place. With this same news, yet no reason indicating why the Shifters hadn’t banned together in only one pack, the humans had been indecisive upon using this time to start the official war. It might be easier, to take them while they are not all together, but it was like the Shifters knew that doing this would confuse the humans. It was also a matter of if the humans headed out, beyond the safety of their town and safety precautions, would it be worthwhile? If they head out towards the Shifters, yet to find them not there and get attacked instead from behind, who could they blame for that?

It really was a predicament as the humans no longer traveled outside of the cities, because it was not safe for them, so they had no idea upon the way that the Shifters were patrolling outside of the towns…Making the humans a bit scared to leave their safety measures to venture out there…

Having lost quite a number of airplanes, helicopters and jets, due to a very strong, unexplainable wind, it was rare now for them to use that type of procedure to try and get the Shifters that way…And the humans hated this very much!

They had this advantage over them but was unable to use it!

 

Considering that Xavior was mostly there to counter Elementress and really didn’t care about putting more effort into helping the human’s win this war, Xavior had come up with a great idea to pass the time.

He had not made a treasure map for his lover for a long time. Well, she hadn’t made one either…

The last time she had made a map for him to find treasure, it had only taken him a couple of days to find the treasure! Elementress had just not put much thought into it and Xavior could only let it pass and do better for when he does a map for her instead.

The last time he had done a treasure map, she had taken a few years to find the treasure…Well, she did get distracted a few times…But to see her so excited like that…

Since it’s been another few years since then, Xavior had already come up with the idea of the treasure map, which was going to be a picture of a tree, near a cliff…But this tree was picked for a reason to be the ‘map’, because there were three very similar trees within this world and Elementress wasn’t the best at remembering these precise details.

What he knew, is that she could find the tree much easier with her earth powers, if she really thought about it, but…She had learnt a long time ago that using her powers when there was no need and perhaps in a form of cheating, actually completely diminishes her excitement over things like this.

 

…So, Xavior was certain that this treasure finding should take a while for her to figure out because it depended upon which tree this map was referring too, and it would be simply because she will refrain from using her elemental energy. The treasure finding didn’t end there either, as another map would be where the right tree would be. He had placed magic inside the second map and if she were to figure it out, the magic would connect to the magic of the first map and become instead some words, which was the next step to finding the treasure…So, in other words, the second map, if not merged with the first, was a decoy…

The new words on the first map was for her to figure out a solution to the picture, and when she figures out the problem, the magic would then change from words, to yet another picture.

Xavior’s provocative was to make his lover search high and low and from one continent to another. He wanted her to use her powers and head, and also that of perhaps getting into a feud with her allies, in which were the Shifters.

It was a bit harsh, but Elementress wouldn’t care. With all the years of them existing, they were bored, and this would be something that would put a smile on her face! And that was the main idea! That smiling face of hers just brightened up his day, no matter how bored he was!

 

Magically making up this map, it came before him in a 3d setting and linked itself to the paper. It was the last step now for the treasure to be looked for, as he had accomplished the other steps within the last few months whenever he had felt like it.

Folding up the paper, Xavior was then thinking of going to go to his lover and see if she would want to do this instead, but first, he should go check out what was going on…For…If she has finally started to play chess, then he would gladly comply!

It was only in the process of a few hours that he had gone missing, to do this on his own, but in those few hours he found that the war had finally started!

Putting the map safely inside of his universal bag, Xavior teleported to the main base of the human’s and was completely stunned to the way they were acting…

So…What did my lover do?

Within moments, Xavior found out that the Shifters had completely done something unforeseen…They had not come to the main base, instead, they had gone to another human town and put the town on fire and enclosed it into a huge earth wall!

On this continent, there were several human towns that went from the north to the south and the main human base was in the south…And it was evident on what the Shifters were probably doing…They were stopping the human’s from getting help from elsewhere…

Having already started at the next biggest town from them, the Shifters then looked like they would work towards the north and each town was probably under the same fate as the first…Fire and an earth wall.

 

Xavior saw that two towns were already destroyed and unable to come out to help them if they needed it, and also knowing that, it was only going to get worse.

Many humans came here to the main base, at Worrendale, but it didn’t mean that they had completely evacuated everybody! And even if they wanted to, they couldn’t because the Shifters owned the land outside of the towns and even the air!

Every town had communications, they had people on the lookout at all times and normal people that were doing their everyday routine. Some towns had goods that could be used, some had good food being grown or animals…Then…Some towns had doctors that they could have used…

This was very sudden and Xavior had to give it to his lover! She was great!

…She was nearly on the verge of checkmate!

Smirking, Xavior clicked his fingers and a shield started to form around the whole of Worrendale. The shield could be seen by the naked eye, looking somewhat seen through but held sparks within it, that sparkled every now and again.

After the shield was done, Xavior did not stop, he blinked away and back again, saving the humans from other towns, especially doctors, before they were to be killed. He really didn’t want to use magic to heal, why should he when doctors existed?

Besides, it wasn’t like he and the humans were best of friends or anything…He was just playing chess…That’s all…

 

The human’s around him were trying to talk to him all this time, but Xavior simply ignored them as he continued to try and stop his lover from winning this game!

For days, nothing had been said, no new information…How could it be that the towns were completely destroyed so easily?

They don’t even know if Shifters were involved at all or not…And they had no way of finding out either!

As a few hours went by, Xavior saved more and more people and tried to think of how he should act in return…Especially since it looked like he was in the losing end…

…He could go to the other towns and fight her there, when she went there to destroy one of them…

The Shifters ‘King’ was Elementress, and obviously, she was doing most of the work! If he could just counter her, then the war would go back to being between only the humans and Shifters. Just that idea made him smile, many times he had been able to make her lose focus, dragging her away from whatever she was doing…

Excitement ran through him as he pondered if this should be his next move.

 

They had previously talked about this chess game and he had thought that Elementress was mostly keen on just being around the Shifters, instead of coming out in full force like this! If he knew this was going to happen, he might have slapped his magic hand upon each and every pack out there, destroying everything it touches!

Sighing…He really didn’t have it in him…He wanted Elementress to try hard and do her best! He wanted to see her strong powers and sexy figure look charming at him, like she was the winner!

So…He did not make the first move…Simply because he wanted her too! The problem was…Her first move was quite extensive…

This was why he had not acted earlier either…Well, he had not cared too much anyway, as it wasn’t like it was important.

But…Xavior had gotten into this now! He was psyched! He wanted to beat her!

Rubbing his hands together, he strengthened the shield around Worrendale and decided to send out his own little spy!

It was time to see how excited his lover was! Well, that and to see what she was planning and where she currently was!

But just as he started to focus, to try and follow her raw elemental energy to where it was casted from, he felt the earth beneath him rumble!

 

As the earth shook, people fell over and even trees and buildings were threatening to tumble over as well, Xavior’s eyes sparkled!

No wonder he loved this woman!

She’d most likely made this trap before he put up his shield! She had planned upon his normal reaction of putting up a shield, thinking of using it herself! It would be no surprise if Shifters would come now…Isn’t that right, lovely?

Seeing that the earth rumbled the most where he was, Xavior smirked and connected his magic to those nearby and teleported them away from the area…Then, seeing the main base in the distance, tumble as the earth split up underneath it, Xavior clapped his hands…Well Done!

But…It was now time for him to gain the upper hand through this!

 

…Seeing Shifters race out of the opened earth, where the main base used to be, Xavior strengthened the shield and turned to the humans, “It’s the time to fight! They are trapped! Get your silver and wolfsbane ready!”

They were now at a smaller area that had already had defences up, but the humans were absolutely flabbergasted to the damage that had been created!

At least a few aches of the town had been completely ruined, due to the earth coming up out of nowhere, and now…Shifters were there, in seeing distance, already taking lives of those who had not been teleported out of the area and had fallen in amongst the rubble! Not only that, but some had not stopped to kill any live humans and directly made their way over towards the rest of them here!

After speaking for the humans to attack, Xavior dedicated his focus on making his shield smaller, to slowly entrap just the Shifters inside it and then let the shield change into allowing incoming objects!

What are you going to do now, lovely? You did well in getting rid of the communication and taking us by surprise, but now your wolves are trapped!

 

Before he could tell the humans to fire at will towards the Shifters, he felt a strange ominous feeling overcome him and moments after, he heard a noise that was slowly getting bigger and bigger…

Looking behind him, he saw a volcano coming out of the ground and magma already falling from it’s opening…Heading straight towards them!

Magnificent!

His heart was full of love as he saw yet another trap!

Ah, she was so amazing!

Releasing his magic all around him, he started to glow and then he pushed his hands out as his magic flew towards the rising volcano, to stop the magma!

“Fire at will towards the Shifters!” Xavior yelled at the dumbfounded humans, that were just standing there in a daze. “Now!”

To Xavior, they moved in slow motion and it started to really piss him off!

Elementress was thinking just like him and knew that it was most likely because they were the two most powerful figures that they had ever seen.

But this was forgotten quickly as she fought her man and his powers!

 

She knew that if she didn’t get him to fight with her, then the Shifters would be at a loss and die very easily!

It had taken her these years to come up with this strategy and it had gotten better with the help of the Shifters, but…They were still stuck now, and it could be bad, as she heard that the humans could shoot at them!

She had only one card left to play, and that was letting the Shifters that stayed on top of the earth, to go after the humans that are no longer in the shield…Should she let them go?

This was precisely a part of the plan that the Shifters had helped her with! They had brought up the obvious idea that their kin going out of the earth tunnel, could bring a lot of damage, and Elementress could only nod in agreement to this. So, they had told her that they will keep half of their fighters out, just in case…Well, they had their doubts already back then, for who could really make a tunnel right under the humans? It might be a great plan but was it doable?

So, to a certain degree, their doubts helped them save lives…

Breathing heavily, to the huge amount of energy that she had released in so little time, Elementress pushed herself more, so that the volcano would continue to erupt and keep her man busy! Her hair had lost its strangeness now and was blowing around her wildly as she claimed her reserved powers from it. The colours had almost disappeared to show her original light brown hair, also her dreadlocks were nearly completely unravelled…

She was really…Just about ready to faint into exhaustion!

But…In the end, she didn’t have to say a word and the rest of the Shifters, as they raced towards the humans to save their kin!

If only they could save her now, as she was just about out of elemental power! She will have to spend a good year to obtain all this nature energy that she had lost here in one day!

 

Xavior smiled hopelessly as he continued to stop the magma from reaching them and keeping the shield up behind him, to stop the Shifters from escaping. The humans had started to fire their guns, but just as they had started the turkey shoot of the captured Shifters, they had to switch targets to the oncoming Shifters that were outside of the shield and coming directly towards them!

Life after Life was taken away and it looked like a great loss on both sides.

Quite a number of the Shifters inside the shield had been shot and killed but a lot of the mercenary human’s had also been able to be taken down as well.

Shifters that were shot outside of the shield howled before taking their last breath and both Xavior and Elementress saw the pure dedication in each Shifter that was still alive.

Wanting to do the same for the humans moral, Xavior yelled out, “Keep shooting and wait a bit longer to use the gas! Wait as long as possible!”

That’s right, lovely, bring your pawns over here!

 

It was really a let down that his lover had overtaken the main base as she had, making them have less of everything! But, knowing that this town would be attacked, they did have provisions where they were now too!

He had not told her about the human’s new invention, wanting to use this gas as last-ditch effort to call ‘checkmate’ upon her! The problem with the gas, was that the Shifters had to be relatively close for it to do the affects that it was made for. And it was specifically made to not hurt humans but to hurt Shifters…So…The humans were doing their job well, as bait!

…As Xavior and Elementress continued to push and push each other, the volcano started to look very strange, as it started to become a small arc towards them. The sparkling magic that was stopping this volcano made everything look pretty and amazing, making both Shifters and humans lose their focus upon the war at hand for a short time!

They had never known how powerful their new allies where until this day!

Seeing the volcano go so high, that they could hurt their necks looking at it, was really overwhelming to each and every one of them!

…What was even stranger, was that Xavior was smiling so happily!

And just like that, seconds and minutes ticked by. Deaths happened on both sides and a volcano was leaning even more strangely into an arc…

It was…A massacre amongst beauty…