Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Strong wind currents flew as if there was a world-ending storm nearby. Thunder Thunder Thunder The clouds roared in anger, as if trying to alert every single being in the world. Rumble Rumble Rumble The ground shook, trembling non-stop; it was as if the world itself was reacting. And it was. Tandris was angered as 350 Velcrian ships descended from outer space, breaching its atmosphere. The ships’ glowing hulls cut through the swirling crimson and black storms of Tandris’ atmosphere. It was a spectacle of precision and power, a wall of golden light shimmering against the oppressive darkness of the planet below. "FOR VELCRIA!!!" "FOR VELCRIA!!!" "FOR VELCRIA!!!" The Velcrian ships and the soldiers’ bellow broke through the thick, toxic clouds of Tandris, and soon the capital, Draventhis, revealed itself in all its foreboding glory. The city was a fortress. Tall, jagged towers of obsidian reached for the skies, pulsating with a faint, sickly red glow. Rivers of molten lava crisscrossed its surface, flowing into massive forges and pits that powered the city. Bzzzz The skies above Draventhis were illuminated by a shield dome, a shimmering barrier that buzzed with ethereal runes of crimson and black. This was the Shield of Aegis, Tandris’ strongest defense, an artifact gifted by their faction to withstand even the mightiest of assaults. Inside Velcria’s main fleet, the Aurora’s Heart, Ember stood at the helm, observing the capital city beneath her. "Draventhis is prepared, just like you said." Liora muttered, her wings twitching slightly as she observed the shield. She, however, didn’t seem surprised. Unlike Kaelgran, she knew there was never an ’element of surprise’ in this war. "That shield… It will be hard to break." Elaris muttered as she narrowed her eyes, staring at the shield in front of her. "It doesn’t have to be easy. It just has to be done." Ember spoke with a cold look on her face. Once again, she pressed the button that allowed her to contact all the ships under her command. "All ships, prepare for assault. Focus fire on the shield. We break it now." The woman commanded. Bzzzz A symphony of energy roared to life as the Velcrian ships shimmered brightly. It was the ships’ attack feature, a mixture of energy cannons, concentrated beam weapons, and kinetic projectiles activated in unison. Whoosh BOOOOOOOOOM Blinding streams of golden light lanced out from the fleet, crashing into the shield with deafening force. The impact reverberated through the air, shaking the ground beneath Draventhis. Yes, this was the plan. They would use artifacts given by the faction to counter the artifacts given by the faction. Bzzzzzzz The Shield of Aegis flickered violently, runes drawn on it glowing brighter than ever. "ATTACK THE ENEMY!!" BOOM BOOM BOOM From within Draventhis, the Tandris forces retaliated. Infernik siege cannons fired blazing infernos into the sky, while Dreadborn shadow-strikes attempted to disrupt the ships’ formations. "Hold formation!" Ember commanded, her voice unwavering amidst the chaos. "Do not falter! Increase energy output!" Her words echoed all over the 350 fleets. The Velcria leaders remained silent. Just like Ember, they knew breaking the shield was their highest priority. Yes, it did put them at a disadvantage since using the ships’ cannons drained the soldiers’ energy, while the Tandris forces, who were prepared for the siege, had activated the shield using energy stones, saving their soldiers’ energy. However, they had no other option. For several tense minutes, the shield held firm. Tandris soldiers continued to attack Velcria’s ships. Most of their attacks, however, were blocked by the ships’ barriers. Both sides knew that this couldn’t go on. Velcria soldiers would fall even before the war began since the ships’ cannons and barriers were draining their energy. Even if they had potions to regenerate their energy, the potions weren’t endless. Soon, however, something changed. Crack Crack Crack Cracks began to form on the Shield of Aegis, thin spiderwebs of energy spreading across its surface. The moment she noticed that, Ember turned towards the three Primordials and, "Now!" She nodded. The Velcria leaders nodded and injected their energy into the ships. The ships unleashed a final barrage, and, BOOOOOOOOOOOOM A blinding surge of energy shattered the shield with an ear-piercing explosion. "Shield’s down!" Skyla announced with a wide grin on her face as she turned towards her sister. Ember wasted no time either. "Velcrian warriors, this is your moment. Begin the invasion!" "FOR VELCRIA!!!" "FOR VELCRIA!!!" "FOR VELCRIA!!!" The ships’ doors opened, and one million soldiers, clad in the gleaming armor of Velcria, jumped from the ships in synchronized precision. It was like a meteor shower. Golden streaks of light rained down upon the dark city of Draventhis. "CRUSH THEM!!!" "DESTROY THE ENEMIES!" The Tandris forces, waiting within the city, roared in response. The Inferniks surged forward, their molten bodies glowing like small suns as they clashed with Velcrian Stoneborns. The Dreadborn emerged from the shadows, attempting to ambush descending soldiers, only to be met by Seraphytes, who blocked their attacks and protected their allies. BOOM BOOM BOOM The clashes became more and more chaotic. The Tandris forces continued to attack the descending Velcrian forces, while the Velcrian forces defended themselves, trying to invade now that the barrier had shattered. As the chaos spread all over the place, Ember herself leaped from the Aurora’s Heart, followed by her sisters. The three Velcrian leaders still didn’t move. They were waiting for the enemy leaders to make a move. In wars, the victory and defeat of the army were decided by the victory and defeat of the world leaders, so most of the time, the Primordials do not waste their energy fighting Sovereigns. They saved their energy for the last, waiting for a moment the enemy made a mistake that they could take advantage of. Till then, it was a battle between the two armies. ’Heh, this is fun~’ Aisha laughed as she flew in the air, protecting the soldiers from the enemy attack. ’This is your first war, isn’t it?’ Allura questioned. ’The one where I have an army on my side? Yeah. The others mostly had Nux going crazy and doing all that ridiculously absurd stuff.’ ’Ouch, why am I being attacked here?’ Nux complained. ’Shut the hell up, let me enjoy.’ Aisha laughed as she finally landed on the ground with the soldiers. Within a few minutes, the two forces were against each other, this time, on the grounds of Tandris.