Kalida held her venomous staff, pointing at the undead army rampaging through the Hall of Ancestors. The High Queen of the Labaras Court immediately ordered, "In the name of the Serpent God Asaph! Warriors of Nehekhara, wipe out these vampire slaves and begin our revenge!"
Kalida, ruler of the Tomb Kings' city-state of Labaras and the High Queen, was both cousin and mortal enemy of Neferata.
Thousands of years ago, Neferata had been the queen of the Lamia Kingdom in the Nehekhara dynasties, while Kalida was her cousin. At that time, Neferata had already become a vampire. She raised Kalida, arranging her marriage to the King of Labaras to gain control over the court.
At the right moment, Neferata revealed the secret of immortality to Kalida. In Neferata's mind, no woman could resist the allure of eternal youth and immortality. She believed they would live together forever in happiness.
To her surprise, Kalida refused. She publicly accused Neferata of becoming undead and demanded a duel. Neferata, though reluctant, had no choice but to agree. Despite Neferata's lack of skill or desire for combat, Kalida, a mere mortal, stood no chance against a vampire progenitor. Kalida was defeated, and as she lay dying, Neferata gave her the blood kiss, trying to forcibly transform her into a vampire.
In her despair, Kalida cried out to the gods of Nehekhara for salvation. The Serpent God Asaph, goddess of beauty and vengeance, heard her plea. She responded by purifying Kalida's body with venom, granting her a peaceful death. Kalida's body was carefully treated with ointments to prevent decay and placed in a sacred sarcophagus.
As the dynasties of Nehekhara began to awaken, so did Kalida. She returned as the chosen and avatar of Asaph, once again becoming the High Queen of Labaras. Divine energy coursed through her body, venom flowed through her veins, and her movements became swift like a striking serpent. She and her Labaras court prepared for war.
Unlike most Tomb Kings, Kalida's body remained mostly intact, save for half of her face, which was disfigured in her duel with Neferata. As a result, she did not share the hatred and contempt for the living that consumed other Tomb Kings. She even hired and hosted human armies and imperial colonists in the past. However, like all Tomb Kings, any creature foolish enough to trespass on her lands would face slaughter.
When Ryan met Neferata at Nuln, he knew their alliance was unreliable. He had already been considering how to break the deadlock. His maid Olica informed him of Neferata's mortal enemy, her cousin Kalida, who was dedicated to purging the filth of Nagash from the world and seeking revenge against Neferata.
So when the Lady of the Lake deciphered the prophecy of the Strigoi hag, Ryan realized that the Blood Queen referred to the ruler of Silver Peak Mountain, the vampire progenitor Neferata.
Olica made contact with Kalida, and the High Queen of Labaras responded simply: as long as Neferata appeared, she would lead her Ghost Riders and the Labaras army to seek vengeance.
After confirming Neferata's departure from Silver Peak, Kalida and her army marched for over ten days from Labaras, tracking the undead forces to the final battle.
Ryan knew he had to hold on. Neferata's appearance wasn't a coincidence but an inevitable event. The vampire queen coveted the riches of Karak Eight Peaks just as much as anyone. The undead would surely intervene once he and Belegar attempted to reclaim the fortress.
The arrival of the Tomb Kings instantly split the undead army in two. The Nehekharan forces launched a rear attack on Neferata's troops. Ghost Riders made of metal constructs tore through the ranks of skeleton warriors and undead creatures like sharp blades. The undead army of Silver Peak had finally met its match in the equally emotionless and relentless Tomb Kings, who followed Kalida's orders into battle.
Labaras' renowned archers formed massive ranks, launching relentless waves of arrows, decimating the undead ranks.
With this, the pressure on the expeditionary army was significantly relieved. More importantly, the runic power within Valaya's Gate grew even stronger.
Realizing the dire situation, Neferata's dagger once again emitted a bloodthirsty red glow as she renewed her assault on Ryan. She could see that Ryan was nearing his limit. Though he could briefly hold his own against her and Gjöll, he was struggling to keep pace against two peak-level Sanctuary beings. His movements were slowing, and his armor was battered. Neferata couldn't understand the source of Ryan's mysterious power, but she knew he couldn't sustain this high level of output for long.
She and Gjöll had to defeat Ryan before Kalida and her army fully engaged.
The more anxious Neferata became, the more evenly matched the fight grew. Psychic flames and lightning swirled around Ryan, protecting him. But after so much psychic energy, he was growing weary. As Neferata prepared to cast another necromantic spell to crush the defiant, arrogant knight, she was horrified to realize she could no longer feel the Winds of Magic.
The winds were converging on Valaya's Gate. Master runes gleamed, cutting through the darkness underground. With the third surge of master-level runic light, fatigue and wounds were erased, rejuvenating the dwarves. The undead found themselves facing dwarves whose armor and even skin were becoming invulnerable. Necromantic power was weakening, and many skeletal troops were disintegrating in the wind. Vampire enchantments were shattered one by one, while the dwarves, emboldened by their ancestors' strength, fought on with renewed pride and invincibility.
"Take up arms, dwarves!" Belegar's rallying cry reignited their spirits. The dwarves were now unshakable. "For Valaya!"
"Charge!" The Pegasus Knights, who had held back until now, finally swooped down from the sky, delivering devastating blows. Their attack from behind utterly crushed the undead forces battling the expeditionary army. Neferata's lieutenant, Etimont, was skewered by two Pegasus Knights' lances. Karad seized the opportunity, decapitating the Sanctuary-level vampire with a single sword strike. Dittany's holy light flared as his sword pierced Etimont's heart, reducing the vampire to a pile of charred ash.
The magical cannons "Morgiana's New Toy" and "Ryan's Hammer" fired simultaneously, shattering Neferata's war throne into splinters.
Meanwhile, Kalida's forces launched a devastating attack on the undead from the rear. The High Queen raised her venomous staff, summoning Asaph's giant serpent from the void. Tomb Kings and their constructs, led by their princes, charged through Neferata's forces.
Seeing her army faltering and her magic failing, Neferata grew desperate to kill Ryan. The epic duel raged on amidst the bodies of lesser combatants. The Tomb Kings' horns drew closer, and Neferata was eager for a final confrontation with Ryan.
Finally, Ryan's warhammer struck Gjöll's shoulder with immense force, toppling the undead king. Ryan quickly summoned a glowing psychic spear and pierced Gjöll's chest. The undead lord writhed in agony, his mouth sputtering pale blue soul fire, his black axe falling from his grasp.
Gjöll had been defeated. His body vanished in black and red light, and Neferata knew it would take Arkhan years to heal him from these grievous wounds.
However, Ryan's small victory gave Neferata the opening she needed to end the duel. Her dagger slipped past his defenses. If it struck, even Ryan would fall. But it clashed against his psychic shield, which shattered just in time for Ryan to twist his body, allowing the dagger to graze his shoulder instead of his heart.
Neferata moved for another strike, faster than a blink.
"Roar!" Imprison, Ryan's griffon, arrived, spewing lightning as it furiously beat its wings. It clawed Neferata's arm but missed its mark. Enraged, Neferata punched the griffon, sending it crashing into the stone wall, shattering a mural depicting the dwarves' beer brewing.
"For years, I've heard so much about you. I regret this outcome," Neferata sneered as she lunged at Ryan again. "You meddled with things you shouldn't have!"
Ryan, kneeling, gritted his teeth as he battled the poison and curse seeping from the dagger.
At the last moment, a destructive arrow shot through the air, forcing Neferata back. Twin butterfly daggers intercepted her next attack. Olica, the Dark Elf, emerged from the shadows. Seeing Ryan's injuries, she snarled with cold hatred, "You won't harm my master!"
In a blur, their daggers clashed six times within a second.
"I…" Neferata tried to respond, but a giant serpent slammed into her, pinning her against the wall. Asaph's divine light flared as Kalida strode forward. Ignoring Olica, who was helping Ryan retreat, Kalida declared, "Cousin, your opponent is me."
"Arghhh!" Neferata screamed in pain as Asaph's venom coursed through her. She smashed the serpent to pieces and roared, "Kalida!"
"The time for vengeance has come. In Asaph's name, I will cleanse this world of Nagash's fil
th!" Kalida's voice was merciless as she charged into battle with Neferata.
As the undead army was slowly overwhelmed by the Tomb Kings, the duel between the two cousins raged, shaking the Hall of Ancestors to its core. The structure could no longer withstand the destruction and began to collapse.
"Reinforcements have arrived! Retreat into Valaya's Gate!" Ryan shouted as Olica supported him. "Fall back!"
"Retreat into Valaya's Gate!"
"Dwarves, follow Brother Ryan's orders!"
"Retreat!"
The expeditionary army finally had the chance to withdraw in an orderly manner through Valaya's Gate into the deep, secure mines. The Hall of Ancestors collapsed, burying both the undead and the Tomb Kings' armies. Amidst the chaos, Neferata and Kalida's duel continued, with the Queen of Silver Peak watching in despair as the gate grew farther away. "No!"
But it was too late. After the last of the Grail Knights and Old Guard withdrew, Dwarf Rune Master Slude the Honest struck the runes on the gate. Valaya's Gate slowly closed, and as it did, the entire tunnel and Hall of Ancestors crumbled into ruins.
"Damn it!" Neferata managed to push back Kalida, tearing apart the serpent still coiled around her. With the remaining vampires of Lamia, she retreated from the battlefield. "Fall back!"
"Our duel isn't over, cousin!" Kalida quickly gave chase with her army.
Seconds later, the Hall of Ancestors was buried beneath rubble and stone.
Thus ended the epic battle at Valaya's Gate.
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