Prince Aurelion gazed at the towering Planar Mountain Range with a solemn look on his face.
He had heard about Zion Leventis’ victory against the Garuda Empire in this very mountain range, securing the first victory in the initial stages of the war.
"Play the war chant!" Prince Aurelion ordered.
Wars weren’t uncommon for the Jinns, so doing war chants was very common for them.
As the leader of the Jinn Alliance, it was his duty to raise the morale of his troops, who were all shouting their war cries in accordance with their war chant, boosting their morale.
But as they neared the mountains, another song reached their ears.
Clearly, their enemies were also countering their war chant with their own, and Prince Aurelion had to admit that it was a tune that wouldn’t lose to their own.
(Disclaimer: For a more epic reading experience, play the song "Battle Brothers Warriors of the North - Adrenaline Rush" as you read this Chapter. Yeah, they are both barbarian chants, but they are different from each other.)
Prince Aurelion raised his hand, informing his subordinates to halt their advance.
All of them listened to the war chant that was coming from the Planar Mountain Range, where their foes were waiting for them.
"This is the war chant of the Skavari!" Prince Orryn of the Marten Race stated. "It has to be those vermin!"
The Marten and the Skavari had a long history with each other. Both hated each other’s guts and had fought many times on the battlefield.
Prince Orryn actively participated in these wars, so he immediately recognized the source of the enemy’s counter-chant. How could he possibly forget the war chant his mortal enemy made in battle?
The two factions faced off with the first battle of wits and morale, and neither side was planning to lose against the other.
Everyone in the battlefield could feel battle lust stir inside them, driving away the fear that initially permeated their hearts earlier.
Both armies stood their ground, but after a while, Prince Aurelion urged his dragon mount to fly alone to the center of the battlefield.
Clearly, it was the meeting of the generals, and Camazotz answered the call.
But it wasn’t only him.
The Monarchs of Pangea also followed him, so they could see the Prince of the Dragonkin up close before the war started.
Prince Aurelion hovered in the air, his crimson-scaled dragon mount letting out a low growl that rumbled across the sky. His golden armor shimmered beneath the sun, currently shining above everyone’s heads.
Across from him, Camazotz descended from the mountain, his black wings spreading wide as if he were making a declaration.
He was no longer the clownish madman that the members of the Order of the Apocalypse had looked down on in the past.
Hovering at the center of the battlefield, he looked like the devil himself.
As the two powerhouses faced each other in the sky, more figures appeared, riding winged beasts, griffins, dragons, and other mythical beasts.
The Monarchs of Pangea had arrived.
The war chants stopped, as if respecting this moment where the leaders of the two opposing armies were about to have a chat.
Every soldier, every beast, every monster stood still as the highest powers gathered—this was no mere battle.
This was the beginning of a war that may end all wars.
The first one to talk was Prince Aurelion, asking a question that composed only three words.
Prince Aurelion eyed the Death Bat, who had snatched away the lady he wished to make his future Queen.
The corner of Camazotz’s devilish lips curled up because he knew exactly who the Prince was talking about.
Wanting to tease the Dragonkin Prince, the Death Bat decided to spice things up.
"Are you talking about my wife?" Camazotz replied. "She’s still resting after I had my way with her. Man... you should have seen her squirm under me. Her moans... her body... It was the best."
The Monarchs of Pangea did their best to keep the calm expressions on their faces from breaking.
They knew that this was just a play of words, and Camazotz was doing his best to make his enemy get angry.
Although he really really really felt like he had swallowed a fly, Arthur remained calm as he internally cursed the Death Bat in his heart.
"Stop lying!" Prince Aurelion growled in anger. "You don’t deserve her!"
"Hah... I understand that you’re in a state of denial," Camazotz smirked. "But what can I do? My wife is so beautiful and seductive. Leaving her alone is simply impossible, if you know what I mean..."
Prince Aurelion held back the rage in his heart.
The Death Bat’s words were impossible to deny since even he wouldn’t resist Zia if she tried to make a move, no matter how small.
The thought of the innocent maiden he desired to pin in his own bed being violated by the hideous bat in front of him made him want to tear Camazotz apart.
But he still held back.
"I’ll make sure that you die a dog’s death." Prince Aurelion said icily.
"Good luck." Camazotz laughed. "You’ll be needing it. So, is that all you want to say?"
Prince Aurelion scoffed before flying back to his army.
The time to talk was over.
The time for war was at hand.
Camazotz watched the retreating figure of Prince Aurelion with a savage grin on his face. His wings flared open wide, casting a shadow that stretched across the jagged rocks of the battlefield below.
"Such fire," the Death Bat murmured. "He’ll be fun to break."
He turned to the gathered Monarchs, many of whom still hovered silently in the sky, sizing each other up. It wasn’t just armies that were clashing today—it was ideologies, bloodlines, and the legacy of ages.
And somewhere, hidden among the chaos, was Zion Leventis.
Camazotz licked his lips, his sharp fangs glinting.
"Oh, Zia," he whispered to the wind. "I wonder how that Prince will react when he realizes that the person he had fallen in love with was actually..."
Another chuckle escaped the Death Bat’s lips as he led the Monarchs back to the Planar Mountain Range, which was going to be their fortress.
Even if the Jinn Alliance were stronger than them, they would still have to pay a price to scale the imposing mountain, which would be littered with dead bodies a few hours later.