BRUTUS AND ATHENA

Karcel hissed from his throne. He previously lost Dark Surrender, and now another four of his Malignants added to the list. The Demon Wizard could no longer sense their life force.

"Curses! How could those four fail from a simple mission?" Karcel said. He stomped his staff.

Then two silhouettes bowed before him. One was thin, and the other was portly.

"Allow us to finish the mission, My Lord," said the portly one. His waistline wiggled with its every breath.

"Hm. I cannot afford any failure on this one, Empty Stomach!" Karcel said.

"You have nothing to worry, My Lord," Empty Stomach said. "Dead Dreamer and I work well; you know that. And the others are too busy for this mission. It would be an overkill. Please let us serve you."

"Very well. Find them. Start your search at Lazybones and learn what had killed the four!" Karcel said. And the two shadows vanished before him.

...

Empty Stomach and Dead Dreamer reappeared on the ruined walls of Lazybones.

Devastation. It was the only word that could describe the scorched land. Dead bodies laid everywhere, and even the Shorkan, the said impenetrable fortress second to Napalm Beach, was breached.

The town of Lazybones has been wiped out from the continent of Fitz. And no one knew what had happened aside from those who relived to tell the tale—Armada.

...

In a private room inside the Coliseum of Creation, members of Armada gathered. They've lost Lazybones, their base at Fitz, and once they reentered the continent, they would immediately spawn on the Orc's capital—Dethrak. For the other towns that they have conquered were outside the Orc's territory.

"How's your brother, Brand?" Oxbow said, breaking the silence. Hellbring ravaged the entire town for a reason they did not know. When they have arrived at the wall, Papa Bear could no longer be found, and Hellbring had already pinned two black figures under its massive claw. Then the Armada's formation bore the beast's destruction.

They kept on resurrecting until they found themselves in Dethrak. The Shorkan has fallen, and so did Lazybones.

"He's still not coming out of his Battle Station. So he's not dead yet. But he must not die at all costs. Or else the stone..." Ogni said in a stern voice.

"Hm. So how do we proceed from here?" Oxbow said. "The reinforcements never made it. They asked why the portal disappeared."

"We'll retake Plumaria and build another underground fortress," Ogni said. "But first I must call forth a conclave! Wargrounds' Open World is changing, and it will affect us all."

...

When Aildrin opened his eyes, he was floating in the air inside a dark chamber. He could barely see a thing except the one floating beside him—Papa Bear, who suffered the same fate.

[Welcome to the City of Dethrak.] A pop-up appeared on his screen.

"Hm. We're in the capital city of the orcs," Aildrin thought. He tried pulling his hands, but it seemed he had invisible cuffs. He could not move them.

"Bertran, wake up..." Aildrin said in a whisper. But the orc was still in an unconscious state.

"Sars, you there?" Aildrin looked down at his chest. He was grateful that the necklace was still there.

No response.

Then a white light blossomed from ahead, the same one he had seen in Lazybones. The room illuminated, showing giant statues of orcs from both sides. And at the very end of the hall was a massive throne made from skulls where a huge black orc sat. It was Brutus.

Aildrin's eyes flashed. "Brutus! We're allies! Silas sent me. He said that you'd help us!"

Brutus laughed. His loud voice echoed. "You're fooling no one, human! Silas is long dead. The King sitting in Alistor's throne is a pretentious demon!"

"No! Silas is alive! He's just been cursed! And we need your help."

Brutus smirked. "And what proof do you have?"

"My necklace! Silas told me to show it to you!"

"Ah, yes!" Brutus' eyes twinkled. "The Gemstones. I'm afraid that they won't cooperate. They kept on rejecting my hand! But it doesn't matter. The two of you will stay here until I find the others. Now, only seven to go, and I'll finally find the Empty Throne."

"No..." Aildrin thought. It seemed that the Brutus that Silas had known has long changed. He's no longer an ally. "Sars, help me get out of here. We're in danger!"

"That orc holds another gem! His scepter! It holds Athena, the Amethyst," Sars said.

Aildrin squinted his eyes. And he finally made out the rough outline of a scepter with a purple gemstone on its top. "Hm, so he holds one too. Can we do nothing to get out of here?"

There was no reply. Aildrin racked his brain for solutions. "Hey, Brutus! How did you and Silas know each other?"

Brutus' brows twitched. "I'll ask you the same thing, human!"

Aildrin smiled. "I'm not from this world!"

"I know," Brutus said, "Your kind caused chaos everywhere. Just like those demons, your race pretended to be one of us. Why does your kind even desire the Empty Throne? How will you rule a world where you do not belong? And for that, it is I who will find it. And when I do, no one shall sit on it, for no one is worthy of its powers. Alliances betray each other, and each one only cares for his own! The throne is better gone! Yes, I might destroy it."

"Skulls!" Papa Bear stirred, but his eyes were still closed like he was daydreaming.

"Ah, how could Darmir pick this noisy fellow?" Brutus chuckled. "How about you, human? Who among the ten gemstones chose you?"

"Sars, should I tell him?" Aildrin asked. Then a ruby-aura coated him.

"Ah, the showiest and arrogant of them all, Rosarsio the Ruby." Brutus smiled. "Athena sends her greetings to you."

"I have skill books inside me, but your rank is low. Now, we can do nothing about this space prison. Let's just wait for your death, human," Sars said. Then the aura disappeared from Aildrin.

"Dang! It looks likes I'm on my own on this one." Aildrin gritted his teeth. He was still ruminating what Brutus had said about the throne.

"And what will happen once the throne is destroyed?" Aildrin said.

"Everyone shall fend for his own," Brutus said with a grin.